a little early for y'all! I'm posting this at 10 pm Monday lol but sometimes the chapters can take a few hours to show up for everyone so it might just be right on time lol
"Heya, Luce," His lopsided grin made her stomach flip, the sensation of his fingers pressed into her back spreading sweetly. "Miss me?"
She didn't know whether to try containing her happiness or surprise, an excited laugh bubbling up and out of her, She returned his embrace with a tight hug, her heart hammering in her chest as she breathed in his being.
"Oh, yes, yes, I missed you so much," Her voice shook as he laughed, his head dipping and their cheeks brushing past each other.
Her anxiety of the day washed away in an instant, her heart calm and fluttering at the same time. She noticed a faint ache within her disappear, Lucy desperate to keep a firm grasp around him.
She let out a light sigh as his hand comfortably ran up and down her back, stopping in its small as he began to pull away, much to her disappointment.
"Should we talk in your room? I can hear someone walkin' down the hall,'' The tips of her ears grew warmer at the sound of his voice, Lucy snapping out of her momentary bliss to quickly nod in agreement.
"You're right," She took hold of his hand and hastened them behind closed doors, her stomach flipping again when he took her right back into his arms. "N-Natsu?"
"Salamander got all those nights with you and I just had to watch from behind the curtain," He mumbled, nuzzling his nose into the crook of his neck. "He's always braggin' about it when he gets home, that jerk. And then I overheard some guy was comin' to have tea with you…so I broke the rules to see you again."
"Did you open another portal?" She asked, Natsu shaking his head as he reluctantly let her go.
"Kind of, but just to step through," He waved his hand, his tanned skin vanishing to reveal the familiar flame-shrouded body part. "I'm projecting onto Salamander; it's easier to do and my dad probably won't notice that I slipped through."
"Really?" Her blush was ripe as he nodded, his finger dipping underneath the collar of her dress to tug on the thin chain she kept hidden.
"I'm never allowed to come see you," He sighed as he brushed his finger on the curve of her ring, "Dad said it wasn't safe, but how was I supposed to stay away?"
She swallowed the lump in her throat, he was standing so incredibly close to her. The last time they were this close, he…and she couldn't help but watch his lips curve into a smile.
"So, you didn't have too much fun with that guy, did you?" Natsu asked, his lips curved into a smirk as he nudged his head toward the couch.
"O-Of course not!" His laugh shook her with a furious blush, Lucy knowing she had no way to hide it as they took a seat together. "I-I mean, it was just a formal tea…my mother invited him over hoping something would happen."
Natsu sat close to her, his presence entirely too overwhelming. Now that he was here, she didn't know how to act, practically forgetting everything she learned in etiquette class.
"Your parents should know about us," His words shocked the color from her cheeks, a knot slowly twisting in her stomach. "Not that I've been coming to see you, but that we're meant to be together."
"What…? They know?"
"I wanted to see you, of course, but I'm confused as to why your mother wanted you to get along with that guy. My dad was sure to tell your father that we're to be together."
"Mom…never said anything." The knot tightened, Natsu holding her hand as he sensed her stress. "She's known? This whole time?"
"Oh gosh, it's because you're a demon, isn't it," Lucy frowned as he gave her an understanding look, Natsu shrugging his shoulders.
"It's hard to drop prejudices, even I can understand that. It's not easy for the human realm to understand Tartaros without good reason,"
"I know," Her expression softened, her fingers threading comfortably with Natsu's. "But how did your father know to tell mine that we were meant for each other?"
"Dad told me the story, about how you couldn't wake up when you were a baby. He told me when I was young, because I could already tell that something was missing from my life."
"Mom said I was sick, she said I was born asleep and didn't know how to cry. But...but that the priests found a cure for me."
"He told me about how your father came to ask mine to save your life. Your spirit was lost, you wouldn't wake up, even though you had a heartbeat. He said it was like you were sleeping, but in reality, your spirit was just having a hard time finding its way to your soul. So to help it along, my dad offered half of my soul to anchor and attract your spirit." Natsu held her gaze, Lucy wondering if she stared long enough, would she get lost in the galaxies of his eyes?
"Traditionally, when two people fall in love in Tartaros, they perform a ceremony to bind their souls. It's marriage essentially,"
"Marriage?" The word tumbled from her lips, Lucy just noticing what deep breaths she was taking.
"It was the only way to guide your soul to your body, to piece half of it with mine," She swallowed the sight of his smile, her heart pounding so loudly she was sure Natsu could hear it.
"S-So we've been married…since we were young?" It sounded like a story she had read once, or maybe it was just a knowing memory. Had she ever heard anything so romantic? If they were in a storybook right now, wouldn't this be the moment screaming out just how fated the man characters were meant to be.
"I know it's not how humans get married, but it means a lot to know that you were chosen for me. There's no doubt in my mind that your soul and mine were meant for each other."
Lucy didn't realize just how much she had been searching for him, her missing half, her fate. With his eyes on her now, she felt like they were the only two people in Earthland. That the rules and structure of her life didn't mean half as much as the life she knew she was supposed to have with Natsu.
They could have grown up together if this were a different world. She wouldn't have had to figure everything out on her own, it was only thanks to Natsu that they met each other in the first place.
"I feel like I know you so well sometimes," Her smile felt warm on her lips. "Just by looking at you, I know."
"I've known who you were all my life," His words made her heart beat faster if that were possible.
She wanted to kiss him, his lips were right there. She felt so full, so warm, just knowing that he was the one meant for her filled her with something akin to a flame.
"It's been so much harder than you think having to be away from you all my life. I've missed you every day since I felt your soul mix with mine." His throat bobbed roughly as he swallowed stiffly.
"But if my father knows that we're meant to be, why hasn't he sent for you? Or sent me to you? Why has my mother been trying to…to hand me over to Mest?"
"That's what I'd like to know," Natsu grumbled, shooting a soft glare off to the side. "My father sends word almost every month that we've been expecting you since your coming of age."
"What do you mean?" Lucy stood up quickly, feeling a sickly twist knot its way through her stomach. "You've been…you've been asking for me?"
"They probably don't think it's safe," He stood up to reassure her, pressing a comforting hand against the small of her back. "It was bad enough those guys tried to burn you alive—"
"...The carriage," Lucy felt her nerves flutter as nodded. "No one...no one knew why I was attacked that day, the men behind it were never found,"
"Salamander takes revenge when he sees fit," Natsu smiled knowingly, hoping to lighten the mood if he could. "But we know that they were after you because your father brought you across the border. Some people might think you're a wolf in sheep's clothing."
"That I'm a what?" Lucy felt even more exasperated, learning things she had most assuredly never wanted to know.
"Tartaros doesn't have the best reputation with Fiorians. We're a land of demons, remember? Not everyone thinks kindly of us, if anyone found out you were healed in our country, they'd think you were a demon."
"That makes me feel even worse," She groaned, slumping against Natsu's chest as he let out a chuckle. "How could anyone distrust you?"
"I can be a scary demon if I have to," He flexed his bicep, making Lucy laugh ever so slightly.
"...What if you hadn't come to visit me or that I found Salamander in the flames? Would I even know you exist?"
"I don't see how, especially if your father hasn't let you know about our letters, or even your spirit. It wouldn't be good for either of us to be apart for much longer."
"What do you mean?" Lucy asked as she looked up at him, his fingers pulling again on the thin chain that hung around her neck.
"The main jewel set in your ring is made out of the eternal flame that resides in our land," He held the ring between his thumb and forefinger. "It's the source of my powers as part of the royal family, it has breathed life as long as Tartaros itself, it's one of the purest forms of magic to exist today."
Lucy felt herself warm as he pressed his lips to its curve, their eyes locking almost transcendently.
"Even Salamander is a part of it, he's a shard I bore my spirit in to be with you, to protect you while I couldn't."
"My soul in yours has to be nurtured by its presence, otherwise you could risk falling back into the sleep you experienced when you were born." He slowly removed it from the chain and lifted her left hand, sliding the band onto her ring finger with care.
"Then I want to go to you as soon as possible," Natsu found the determined look on her features to be extremely adorable. "My father can't keep us apart if we were meant to be, he has to let me go."
Lucy buried her face against Natsu's chest, wanting to hide from the embarrassment of her declaration.
"How could they hide you from me?" The words felt so sad to say, but that was how things were on this side of the border. Demons were demons even if they were kind.
The unknown feeling that had building inside her, calling out to Natsu, was this bond they shared. His soul helped call her spirit to its rightful place…Lucy had never heard anything so romantic…so meant for her.
"I have to go soon," Natsu spoke, Lucy quickly lifting her head to meet his gaze. "I can feel the portal closing."
"Oh, but there's so much more," Her heart felt weak as he pressed his forehead gently against her own. "...so much more I want to know."
"We'll be together soon enough, I know it," Natsu's nose brushed against hers, Lucy hoping that the memory of his touch burned into her. Any time they had together was never long enough.
The feeling of his skin against hers washed over, tearing away the newly formed stress that managed to settle its way onto her back. His close breath steadied her own, Lucy noticing how nice he smelled as well. Everything about him felt too right to let go.
"Natsu," Lucy's arms trailed up from where they had settled. Her breath felt heavy as he answered her with a knowing look, his eyes dropping to the lips she couldn't help dragging her tongue over.
His lips were soft, akin to the way flames felt when they brushed against her. His hands fell to pull her closer to his chest, Lucy letting a soft moan break between them.
His touch morphed before he managed to kiss her again, Lucy familiar with the feeling of Salamander's arms wrapped around her.
She opened her eyes to meet his gaze, knowing that he was just as solemn as she was.
"If you don't mind…could you kiss me too?" Her bond with his flames had always felt like a close friendship and a little more…something she could never place her finger on. He was so Natsu, yet entirely different and like his own person. She appreciated his comfort and found herself wanting something she couldn't name herself.
His kiss was just as soft, one hand at the base of her neck holding her steady and close to him.
Is this what it felt like to be a demon's bride? The taste of flames on her tongue melded and bonded with her other half, an ache blooming for more of him, more of her love.
She should have done this a lot sooner.
I still need to write the last chapter of this eek! we're almost done!
I should prepare stories in advance more often lol this is actually fun
thank you for those who left comments on Achingly Incomplete, it really means a lot to me! I feel a bit lighter now