Jumping in here real quick just to announce that I have completed my rewrites of the chapters prior to number 20, these will have an (R) next to the chapter's name. Some of the earlier chapters have had major changes made though they don't affect the overall progression of the story. Check them out if you wish, you'll quickly spot the changes I made, and may even find new parts that I added.
Unknown Location, 2:00 pm Local Time
Natsu stood in the middle of an asphalt basketball court, shirtless with his combat pants and boots from his armour. Sirens filled the air as a line of cops chased a car past the park. Across from the pinkette stood Lucy, also with the combat pants and boots from her own armour but sporting a snug pink and white sports bra.
The blonde bounced on the balls of her feet while watching the man for the first sign of movement. It had been a while since they had sparred properly and in Levy's Sim, they were able to go all out. She couldn't lie, she felt a little giddy at the chance to see just how strong she was. "Don't get cocky, Lucy…" She murmured to herself.
"Can you stop bouncing for one minute?" Natsu asked flatly as the twin large mounds kept drawing his attention. "Seriously, I know I'm shirtless and am probably also distracting, but those babies could kill a man very easily."
"Sorry." Lucy giggled and settled down. She flashed the man a bright smile. "I'm just happy to get the chance to go all out without repercussions."
"Yeah." Natsu closed the distance casually and placed a hand on her shoulder, lightly squeezing it as he gave her a fanged grin. "We better put on a good show, this fight is getting streamed all across the building. We're doing the trial run for this Sim while also training."
"Oh?" The blonde raised an eyebrow and glanced around for camera drones. "I thought there'd be some form of camera. Is it just going to be a hologram of the entire arena?"
"There are simulated cameras controlled by Levy and a few others in R&D. We just can't see them otherwise they could distract us." Natsu replied and took a step back from her then leaping back a dozen metres in a single low bound. "Just waiting on Levy's go."
"I'm all set up on my end. We are broadcasting across the buildings." Levy's voice came from all around them. "You can begin your fight."
"Well, you know the deal, Lucy." Natsu rolled his shoulders and cracked his neck. He gave the woman a fanged grin as he swept a leg back and lowered his stance, bringing his arms loosely in front of him. "Anything goes, no holding back. Hit me, if you can."
"Before I start, I just want to ask something?" Lucy placed her hands on her hips and eyed the man curiously. "Does this Sim allow for the use of magic?"
"Yes." Natsu replied as fire started to dance across his knuckles before racing down his arms. "However, I doubt you're celestial summoning will work here."
"Well, ordinarily, you would be correct." The blonde smiled smugly. "But the Heartfilia line of celestial mages have a few secrets up their sleeves."
"Oh? Do tell."
"Well, let me just say that summoning spirits isn't the only thing we can do." She giggled softly before launching towards the man. "Here I come~!" Lucy blinked forwards when she hit halfway, instantly appearing in front of the man and already sending a quick jab towards his face.
The flames vanished from Natsu's arms as he flicked his left arm up, knocking the attack to the side as he twisted his body and countered with a heavy cross, delivering the strike to the woman's jaw and sending her staggering back. "Boxing won't work, Lucy. Try harder. Be creative."
"Go with the flow?" The blonde rubbed her jaw and rolled her neck. "I can do that."
"I'll give you props though; I was expecting an attack from behind, not you closing the distance and attacking head-on."
"That won't work against someone like you, someone who knows what I can do." After a short pause, she launched forward once more and used Traverse to close the distance even faster. She didn't have the man's speed by she could easily compensate for it.
Natsu brought a hand up to intercept the famously powerful kick flying towards him but as his hand was about to wrap around the woman's ankle, she instantly vanished and he was met with the full force to his back. The man was knocked forward and he tumbled forward and pushed off his hands, flipping onto his feet right before the fence. "Holy fuck. I swear I just saw my life flash before my eyes…"
The only break Lucy gave the man was enough for her to giggle at the man's remark before she closed the distance once more. She had switched up her fighting style to a kick heavy form due to her strong legs.
Unfortunately for both of them, Natsu was currently stuck with his back to the literal wall though this prevented any attacks from behind and also limited the types of kicks that could be sent his way but it also left very little room for him to move. As Lucy ramped up her speed, he started to be forced to use Reflex to time his deflects and parries to be faster than her reaction time.
"Fucking hell, Woman… Let me breathe…" Natsu chuckled softly and ducked under her kick. Though instead of using the opening to move away he pushed back up, lifting Lucy's leg up almost vertical as he moved forward and pushed her back. Both Agents came toppling down to the asphalt into a compromising position – Natsu's hands trapped the woman's head on both sides while her leg was resting against his shoulder.
"Come on, Natsu. I know I'm hot but now's not the time for you to be getting frisky." Lucy teased playfully and gave him a wink. She allowed her words to sink in for a moment before bringing her other leg up and hooking it around his hips, giving her enough leverage to flip their positions so she was doing the splits on his lap.
"Ok, who's the one getting frisky now, Little Miss Flexible?" Natsu smirked and shoved her off him with a heavy strike to her stomach, knocking her up into the air. The ground cracked under his feet as he launched into the air, closing the distance near instantaneously. As he went in for a punch, Lucy teleported behind him again.
Using gravity against the man, Lucy drove her boot into Natsu's open right side. But as the full force of her attack landed home against his ribs, jets of flame shot from his hip and elbow which shunted him along the path of her kick.
The man's arm snapped back, grabbing Lucy's leg and dragging her through the air. He kept his eyes on the woman as he threw her down to the ground with enough force to crack the ground. Jets of fire surged from his feet and held him aloft. He sighed while rolling his shoulders and neck. "Well… I guess I'd better get serious. You better start thinking quickly now, Luce."
Once he landed on his feet, Lucy went on the offensive. She used the explosive speed of her legs to send a hail of kicks at the man, her legs becoming a blur. Her jaw clenched as she focused her entire being into the fight, using everything to track the now red-eyed monster. 'Shit! I need more speed!'
Embers started to flow off the man's glowing arms, a savage, fanged grin adorning his face as all of the blonde's attacks moved at a snail's pace. To make a point of the situation she was in, he turned side-on and used a single hand to block and deflect every single kick and punch she made.
0=0=0=0=0=0=0
FTA HQ Café
"Bloody hell. He's toying with the poor girl." Cana commented to Wakaba as she took a sip of her rum.
"Yeah, and the kid ain't even using everything." Wakaba replied with a point to the screen on the wall nearby their table. He let out a puff of smoke and tapped his cigar on the ashtray in front of him. "Damn. Kid's got that old grin back too."
"It's not malicious though." Cana noted as the camera panned around the two battling Agents. Natsu was throwing the woman around the court but never once went on the defensive, just stayed in control of the fight. "He's enjoying being able to cut loose with no repercussions, it seems."
"They are moving so fast… I can't even follow their arms and legs…" Romeo murmured in shock. He'd seen videos of Natsu on the job but watching things in real time was something else. "Even when they close the distance between them, they just become blurs, and sometimes Lucy seems to just pop from one place to another. Is she just that fast?!"
"That's her mutation, Romeo." Cana half turned her head when she addressed the kid but kept her eyes glued to the fight. "She calls it Traverse from what I've heard. When I asked her about it, she said it allows her to see into the dimension above ours and move through it, allowing her to instantly pop from one place to another up to a certain distance."
"So that's how the girl is getting the jump on the kid every now and then? She can move outside his senses and all he has is his insane reaction time to combat it." Wakaba glanced at the brunette before turning to the hologram in the centre of the room. "Let's go watch the projection, might get a better insight into things."
0=0=0=0=0=0=0
Natsu grabbed the woman by the face and threw her across the court but she turned in mid-air and used Traverse to switch her momentum, flying back to the man with her fist cocked. He ducked under the arm as it came forward and was about to retaliate when she vanished before his fist connected with her stomach.
Lucy reappeared below the man, still mid-punch, her fist soaring under his defences and smashing into his chin. "How's that for creative, Bitch!"
"Fuck." Grunted the pinkette as he clenched his jaw. He flipped back and sprang off his hands, putting a little distance between them. "Heheheh, congrats." Natsu yelled as he wiped the blood from his mouth, his grin coming back full force. "Fucking fantastic! Come on! I haven't been this Fired Up in ages! COME AT ME!"
Lucy felt as if it was getting easier to track the man. She had started to resort solely on her extra sense to follow his movements and was basically running on instinct, just like the man opposite her. Right now, they were like two rabid animals in a pit fight, tearing each other apart for their next meal. She ignored the steady thumping in her head as she launched at the man, pulverised chunks of asphalt flying up from them both as they closed the distance. She started to blink around the man, going for every opening she could and giving him little time to react.
"Good! That's right, don't think! Just fight! Fight with your very being! What are we but wild animals, ready to tear each other limb from limb!" Natsu shouted, all of his senses running on a massive overclock as he fended of most of the woman's hits. Some managed to slip through but that only served as fuel for his fire. "Show Me Your Fangs, Lucy! FIGHT!" Faster, he needed to go faster, to hit harder… His glowing markings started to spread across his torso and up to his jawline as his excitement grew. Every time he kicked off the ground, it cratered under the force and the wind shrieked past his limbs.
Lucy roared, her broken voice coming from all directions at once due to how quickly she was blinking about. Her eyes were closed and she had blocked out all unnecessary signals, she had even barely heard him. It was just her, him, and a sea of white, dancing along the tight line between life and death. One of his punches slammed into her ribs and she felt them break yet she shut down the pain and returned the favour with an almighty kick to his own cage.
"You guys need to calm down." Levy warned them quickly yet the fight continued, both Agents tearing up the ground as their attacks thundered through the air like an endless hail of artillery. "The readings are off the charts; you may cause irreparable damage!"
"FUCK OFF!" The duo shouted in unison as they both went in for another heavy attack – Natsu's fist racing towards the woman like a bullet train while Lucy's boot hooked around like a missile. The last thing either of them saw was the other's attack millimetres from their face before it was lights out.
Natsu groaned as he opened his eyes, feeling nice and refreshed even though they had just been at each other's throats for gods knows how long. He saw Lucy beyond the other side of the cage, slowly picking herself up out of a building and checking herself over. He rose to his feet and dusted the rubble off as he emerged from a pile of bricks and mortar and slowly began to cross the street. "Live, Die, Repeat, Baby. Let's Go Again!"
Lucy grinned wildly and launched forward, the duo going at each other once again like nothing had happened, racing along the ground and back into the cage. But as they were about to swap punches, a barrier appeared between them and blocked them off. "What the fuck, Levy? Let me fight him!"
"Five minutes! That's all I'm asking!" Levy boomed around them. "Five fucking minutes for the system to cool down! I wasn't expecting you two to go this damn hard!"
"Give it to her, Luce." Natsu replied calmly as his eyes faded to onyx and his markings receded. He turned around and sat down on the decimated ground with his back resting against the barrier. "This is still a new system and we're just running a demonstration." He heard a soft sigh and the rocks shuffle about behind him as Lucy sat down, moments later he felt her cool skin against his own as the barrier vanished.
"Thank you." Levy muttered exasperatedly. "Oh, Natsu. Ashlyn has been trying to contact you. I told her to wait a moment. She called just now, should I put it through?"
"Yeah, send it through." Natsu yawned and stretched out. A digital version of Levy emerged from the ether and held a phone out for the man. When he brought it to his ear, he felt Lucy turn behind him which caused him to fall back, his head landing on her waiting thighs. "Heyo Ash. Whatcha got for me?"
"First of all, sick fight. Second, I've got a new six-speed gear set for your transmission since we might break your current one with this next part, which is two 20lb bottles of Go Faster Juice, and everything I need to install them into the Black Mamba. I can get to it right now and tune it and it should be done in time for knock off."
"Go ahead. Car is in the usual spot and the keys are in my office. Ring me once it's all done." He hung up the phone and handed it back to the semi-transparent blunette who promptly vanished. He turned his focus to the smiling blonde above him. "You fought really well. You're getting a lot faster. I'm proud of you."
"Thanks. What was the call about?"
"Ash has some new parts for my Cuda. Tougher parts for the transmission, a wet-shot nitrous kit with twin 20lb cans to go in the boot, and some other stuff to make it all work properly. She's going to install it all, tune it and make sure it's running perfectly with all the stuff I have in it already."
"Oh, nice." Lucy smiled and stretched her arms up and back, pushing out her chest as she let out a long groan.
"Alright, that's enough of a break." Levy announced calmly. "Everything is within acceptable ranges once again but I think we ought to move onto a different scenario."
"What will it be?" Lucy asked curiously as she gazed around. She rested one hand on Natsu's chest and used the other one to support her as she leaned back.
"It's going to be a hunt. You'll be working against each other to try and take out a series of targets." Levy replied. "You'll both be in your new armour and will be armed with your preferred small-arms. For Natsu, that will be your twin M10S pistols and both combat knives. Lucy, you'll have your Ruger 57 and your Gerber MKII dagger. There are rules to this one, specifically due to the both of you possessing extremely capable mutations. Firstly, as per standard protocol, there is to be no civilian casualties during this exercise whether accidental or otherwise. You are to ensure that any combat resulting of your confrontations does not endanger the civilians. Understood?"
"Yes, yes. We understand." Natsu replied as he waved the woman on. "What's the next rule?"
"You will not be allowed to use any form of magic, nor can you use your mutations. However, as you both possess enhanced sensory capabilities, you are both allowed to make use of these. Once you two are ready, I'll send you to a Ready Room so you can manually put on the armour. Let me know once you are done."
"Alright." Lucy smiled and let the man up off her thighs. She rose to her feet next to the man. The world around them went black before lighting up to reveal an armoury.
"The broadcast has been turned off while you get ready." Levy advised the duo before falling silent.
"This will be tough…" The blonde murmured as she walked to the table and climbed on top of it. She laid down on her side and watched the man move about the room. "I can track you but I can't match your speed. And I won't be able to find this target with my senses."
"You'll do fine. It's to even out the playing field since you could lock onto me and teleport right to me before I even know what's going on. Then take me out of the hunt before I reached the targets if you wanted to." Natsu grabbed her jacket and threw it over her body with a smirk tugging on his lips. "Come on, stop looking like a treat and get dressed."
"If I'm such a treat, why don't you come over here and eat me up~." Lucy purred seductively and winked at the man.
"If you two are done flirting. Can you get into your gear already?"
Lucy giggled at her friend's irritated outburst and slid off the table. She slipped the jacket on and walked over to her armour, it was noticeably lower-profile than Natsu's. "Help me with this, will you?"
"Do the legs first, I'll help with the chest armour." Natsu instructed as he put the arch of his boot against the bench and started placing the armour pieces on his leg. Since he had practised a few times already in the few days since Levy showed him the armour, he blitzed through the process and had just put his torso armour on by the time Lucy had finished her legs. He grabbed her armour and helped her into it before starting on his arms. "Yo Levy. I'm guessing we won't need a tac-com?"
"Nope. All of that will be handled directly by me."
"Alright. Well, once Lucy is done, you can drop us in." Natsu placed his knives and pistols on his back and thighs respectively. "Or you can send me in first as the target, allow me to get acquainted with the place before hell breaks loose."
"One more thing before you go. To complete the hunts, the targets must be killed. Oh, and you can do whatever you wish to each other to get ahead. Good Luck."
"I mean, that goes without saying. It is a hunt after all, and we aren't supposed to be working together." Natsu replied as blinding light enveloped the man once more and he found himself in a familiar town. A large village in the desert of a nearby country, filled with sandy brick houses ranging from a single story to three stories. He sighed softly and placed his helmet down on a nearby fence as he leaned on a wall shaded by a cloth awning. The man knew that Lucy would be dropped somewhere further away and it would be a while before they find each other. He slowly patted down his pockets then gazed up at the sky through the holey awning. "Levy, wanna drop me my case of cigarettes."
"You know these aren't real, right?" The blunette appeared once more in front of the man but this time she looked a little more relaxed as she handed Natsu his custom-made case. "Lucy was doing pretty well against you."
"Hey, if you can replicate everything else as naturally as it felt then I'm sure my brain won't be able to tell the difference." Natsu replied as he slipped a cigarette between his lips and ignited it with his magic. He placed the case in a pocket and smiled at the short woman. "But yeah, Lucy's doing fantastic. Started out rocky but she quickly fell into a rhythm as was giving just as good as she was taking. This seems to be a great benefit for her, she's learning how to use her Traverse's sensory ability similar to my senses and instinct."
"Yeah, I was surprised at how well she ended up fighting towards the end." Levy sat on the fence next to the pinkette and watched him let out a puff of smoke. "Her reactions were speeding up too."
"If I had to guess… When using her Traverse, it's more instinctual than using normal senses. So instead of processing what she sees then deciphering it and reacting to it, she'd bypass some steps and it comes out quicker. Plus, towards the end she seemed to fight like I do, I feel the motions and react without a second thought." Natsu glanced at the woman and reached out, slowly poking her forehead and quickly finding out that she wasn't solid as his fingers passed into her with a strange tingling feeling. "Huh…"
"Natsu, when I want you to play with my body then I'll let you know. Now, can you pull your fingers out of me?" Levy asked flatly as she crossed her arms under her bust.
The pinkette chuckled softly and tapped his cigarette on the stone fence to knock off the ash. "Innuendoes aside, I was simply curious about your current form. You seem to be in the system but not like how Lucy and I are?"
"It's an Overseer's Link. It's not like the device you have on, but more like a common VR Headset." Levy informed the man as she grabbed his helmet and hopped off the wall, standing in front of him. "I can control the avatar with my mind so it requires no physical input but what I do in the world is very limited. I designed it as a way to inspect the worlds you are creating, to find any flaws and modify them from within before it is sent out for use in training exercises." She looked down for a few seconds before gazing back up at him and handing him the helmet. "I've just dropped Lucy into the world so move out when you are ready."
"Are you broadcasting this one too?" Natsu asked curiously as he snubbed the cigarette on his vambrace and threw the butt aside. He took the helmet and slipped it over his head, his HUD coming alive at the touch of a button.
"Not this one. This is purely a training exercise for Lucy. I know she isn't confident going solo so this is the best way I can think of to help that, and broadcasting it would put her off her game. Plus, since you're here too she'd feel comforted and hopefully a little competitive."
"It seems we don't have to worry about the last part. She was being extremely competitive during our fight." He lightly patted the woman's holographic head – even though he knew he couldn't touch her – as he walked past and darkened his visor. "We might leave it at one target, I want to get some time in at the gym."
"Alright. Well, they are a Warlord who is in a fortified compound on the other side of town. It's up to you how you make your way there. Lucy's been told already."
"I'd better get going then." Natsu walked past a clothesline as the sun blazed directly overhead. He grabbed a sand-coloured cloak off the line and wrapped it around him, shielding his armour from sight. "Oh, one more thing… Can I use any weapons I find on hostile bodies?"
"Yeah. I'd better tell Lucy that too." Levy replied. Her voice went from behind him to around him as her hologram disappeared. "I've marked the Target's location on your HUD."
Natsu pulled the hood up over his helmet and disappeared into the crowd. He was careful not to bump into anyone as he casually made his way down the sand-dusted street. The first thing he needed to do was to get to a high spot where he would have a good view of the compound.
With this in mind, he hurried up the nearest set of stairs and scrambled to the rooftop of a three-story building. The man stood upon the sand-strewn flat roof and gazed about the large desert town. There was a large sandstorm rolling in from the west, and it looked to be encroaching rapidly on the location. If it reached them before they had taken out the target then Lucy would gain the upper hand, she'd be able to see through the storm. Unfortunately, the Warlord's marker was also to the west, he'd have to be quick if he wanted to beat the storm.
"You had to make it difficult…" Natsu murmured as he scanned the horizon once more, spotting a group of large towers in the distance. They stood at the corners of building with a large domed roof, he pegged it as a religious building common to the area. "Gods I hate this helmet…" He complained as he removed the offending armour and took a deep breath through his nose. He sent the helmet away and replaced it with his usual equipment, however, the spell's noticeable lack of a magic pulse within his body was a little disconcerting. "Ah, much better. Now I can actually smell everything."
The man took off at a sprint, covering the rooftop in a second and bounding up onto the stone brick fence on the edge. He leapt across the gap and sailed across to the next building, the wind coursing through his cloak and bringing his hood down. His gaze wandered around the rooftops, searching for his fellow agent as he began to wonder where she was. Usually, her fine golden hair never failed to catch his attention but since it was hidden away within her helmet, the task of spotting her became more difficult. It was technically a good thing since she wouldn't stand out, however it irked him that he couldn't keep a watchful eye on the woman.
Natsu pushed the thought from his mind, he'd undoubtedly find her soon enough when they'd inevitably cross paths. He slowed to a stop on a rooftop across from the large tower that faced west. If he was a Warlord, he would have placed a sniper up at the top to provide overwatch of the area around his compound. So, the salmon-haired agent jumped down to street level and brought his hood back up as he crossed across the road towards the place of worship. If his hunch was correct, he'd find the sniper at the very top.
He slipped through the doorway and began his slow ascent of the spiral stairway, keeping as quiet as possible as he edged past the narrow slit-like windows that were spaced at every full rotation. He could hear chatter above him, someone was talking to another through a radio. It was a foreign language, yet it was one that he was fluent in. He struck gold, the sniper above him was making his report among idle chatter with his superior.
His right hand slipped back and wrapped around the grip of his Bowie Knife and he drew it slowly as he approached the guard. As the conversation finished and the sniper gazed through his scope once more, Natsu placed a hand over his mouth and drove his weapon up through the Foramen Magnum – the spinal socket of the skull – and right into the Medulla Oblongata in one swift and fluid motion, killing the man instantly. He withdrew the blade and wiped the blood onto the man's clothes and placed it behind his back. The Agent moved the body aside and grabbed the SVD rifle, taking a knee and gazing down the scope at the marked building.
"Alright, what do we have here…" He murmured under his breath. He scanned the rooftops between him and the compound, searching for his partner. Natsu wondered if she could see him if she knew where he was at that very moment. This thought was quickly shoved to the back of his mind as he focused on his task. His onyx eyes scanned the windows, looking for a glimpse of his target.
The hairs on the back of his neck rose as he felt someone appear behind him. He turned his head to glance behind him and was met with a wide-eyed Levy. "How can I help you, Levy?"
"How did you know I was here?" The blunette asked curiously as she walked over and knelt down beside him.
"I can't smell you but I could feel you nearby, you give off a faint static charge." Natsu replied quietly as he returned his focus to the distant building. "So, where about is Lucy?"
"I'll show you." Levy went still for a moment while she worked from outside, placing an outline around the blonde in the distance. "I've kept in contact with her to see what she has planned."
"So?"
"She wants to infiltrate the compound and work her way through it as quietly as she can. I can see you have other plans." The blunette pointed out the silhouette in the distance that was crouched on a rooftop near the Warlord's building.
"I need an image of the Warlord on my HUD so I can positively ID them and take the shot." Natsu braced himself against the wall as a picture appeared to the left of his vision: A heavily tanned, middle-aged man with wavy sandy-blonde hair and a scar running down the left side of his face, down the middle of his eye socket that housed a milky-white eye. "Thanks."
"You're taking a shot in the dark on a chance that he may pass through your sights before that storm hits…?"
"I want to see what she'll do in this situation. I've trained her in both infiltration and assault, so I wonder just how she'll tackle it." Natsu replied quietly as he scanned the windows that he could see. "The reason I chose this spot is because they 'know' they have a sniper here. They don't know that I've taken his place. So, if you're programming is spot on, then they should have their guard down on this side and would more readily be near windows."
"Natsu… Are you doubting my skills?" Levy teased playfully as she sat in the corner of the window with her body facing the man. "I'll have you know that they act based on real reactions from real people in these situations."
"Well then, I won't have to worry about being discovered until they radio that guy behind us." Natsu murmured and began to take slow breaths as his target left what looked to be their office and walked down the hall, passing the windows. He timed his gentle squeeze of the trigger with the short windows of opportunity provided by the glass, taking up the slack in the trigger carefully until the perfect moment. And with a loud report that cracked through the hot air, the bullet sailed out of the barrel and raced towards the distant building. Through the scope, Natsu watched as the Warlord's head snapped to the side – the bullet smashed through the window and punched through the man's temple, painting the wall opposite red. "Target eliminated. Bring her here." He moved back from the window and sat against the wall, the SVD resting against his chest as he produced another cigarette and ignited it. He was greeted with a brief flash of light in front of him which faded to show the armoured woman.
"What happened?" Lucy asked curiously as she glanced between her mentor and the projection of Levy.
"Natsu took out the target. He asked that you be brought here."
"Luce, here's the thing." Natsu began slowly as he let out a puff of smoke. "I won't fault your plan, however, sometimes the easiest ways are best." He pushed the rifle off his chest, lifting it to show the blonde agent. "Yeah, we could have stormed the compound or infiltrated it. However, that runs the risk of alerting the target which could lead to them leaving the area or getting into a safe room of some kind. Now, while the latter doesn't hamper someone like you. I do recommend that it influence your decisions. We can't always go in guns blazing or like a ninja. Sometimes it is best to just set up in a vantage point and be patient."
Lucy lifted her helmet from her head – her golden hair falling freely down her back – and sat down cross-legged in front of the man as she tilted her head curiously. "Ok, so what other ways would you do it?"
"You two can talk outside. I'm pulling you both out now." Levy announced as light flashed before their eyes once again.
R&D Department, FTA HQ, 11:55 AM
Natsu and Lucy woke up simultaneously, lying on cocoon-like beds filled with sensors. The man lifted the helmet from his head and placed it on the table next to him before sitting up slowly and stretching out. "Well, I feel refreshed. Like I had a good nap."
The blonde glanced over at her partner, groaning softly as she rose to her feet. "I'm feeling a little off-centre…" She tripped over her feet but was quickly supported by the short blunette.
"I think the calibrations slipped during your fight, right at the end there. I was noticing slightly unusual readings but they weren't affecting how you operated inside." Levy informed the woman while bringing her to Natsu to hold. "I'll review the session and try and locate the issue. Natsu, I know you wanted to go to the gym but I want you to keep an eye on her until she comes good."
The man gave Lucy a concerned look as he wrapped his arms securely around her before focusing on the short blunette with a heavy frown. "I may have to report this to the Doc to be safe… Maybe prohibit the use of mutations inside the simulation. Just to be certain it wasn't her Traverse that threw off the sensors."
"You weren't throwing off the sensors with your Reflex mutation though…" Levy mused as she sat on the edge of the bed that Natsu was in. She ran her hands through her hair over and over again as she raked her brains on the possibilities. "Why didn't affect you too?"
"My mutation works differently to hers." Natsu replied calmly as he picked up Lucy and held her in his arms with her head resting in the crook of his neck. "Mine is like an overdrive – where all my senses and my reaction time become insanely quick. Hers, however, completely rewired her brain." He sighed softly and smiled down at the blunette. "Don't beat yourself up over it for too long, she just needs a little rest and she'll be back on her feet."
"I hope that's it." Levy sighed and walked over to her desk. "Give me some time. I need to get started on this crap. Talk to you both later."
"Don't worry, Levy." Lucy murmured quietly as she turned her chocolate eyes to her friend. "I'll be fine."
Natsu carried the busty beauty out of Levy's office and made his way through the R&D Department. He heard Lucy take a deep breath and slowly let it out and in that very instant he found himself in his office. The pinkette blinked a few times but carried on walking, making his way to the leather couch and placing the woman down on it. "Thanks for the shortcut."
Lucy covered her eyes with her arm but gave the man a tiny smile. "Do you have a blindfold somewhere, maybe Mira does in a draw?"
"What makes you think Mira has a blindfold in her desk?" Natsu chuckled softly as he walked over to the woman in question's desk.
"She kinky." The blonde giggled lightly and slowly rolled onto her side so she could watch her mentor. "And she strikes me as the kind of person who is into many things, including ropes, cuffs, and blindfolds."
"I mean, you aren't wrong." He smirked a little as he started rummaging through the draws. "She comes and goes. Sometimes she likes spiciness in the bed, other times she enjoys vanilla."
"She talks a lot about her little bedroom adventures with you…" Lucy purred quietly, her voice stuck somewhere between arousal and annoyance at the memories of Mira's in-depth-ness. "It always makes it hard for me to concentrate when she's going on and on about getting ploughed."
"Yeah. That sounds like Mira alright." Natsu shook his head lightly and pulled a black sleeping mask from the draw. "Ah, here it is. I knew she had one of these somewhere here since she uses it when taking naps at work."
"I'm curious…" The woman murmured softly, watching as the man approached her once more. "Does she have any partners besides you? I know you sleep with both Strauss sisters."
"It's kinda casual between Mira and I, there is affection and emotions there but it's still casual sex. Lisanna is the same but she only comes to me, she doesn't like anyone else touching her. As for your question…" Natsu replied while taking a knee next to the woman's head and securing the mask around her head. "She does and she doesn't, it depends on how you look at it. She sometimes needs to seduce people to get close enough to them to get what she needs, how far she goes is up to her. She's said that she'll only be intimate with me, in the sense of a deep emotional connection kind of way. When she sleeps with others, she just doesn't feel the same way as when she does it with me."
"Are you two an item?" Lucy's chocolate eyes shone with curiosity as she held the mask up off her face with her thumb. "Like, together?"
"Loosely." The pinkette admitted, giving the blonde a kind smile. "It's not your High School boyfriend/girlfriend situation, nor is it like Zeref and Mavis. It's a little hard to explain… we see each other but others at the same time? Neither of us are bothered if we sleep with different people. I don't know… Like I said, it's a bit hard to explain. We are just how we are."
Lucy smiled coyly as she slowly dragged her fingertips up the inside of her thigh, causing her skirt to slowly bunch up against her hand. "So, if I wanted you inside me and she walks in, she wouldn't care~?"
"Hell, knowing Mira… she'd fucking joining in." Natsu laughed and snatched Lucy's hand from her thigh and placed it on her stomach. "Now, stop trying to tempt me and get some rest. Otherwise, you won't get the chance."
"Win, win." She purred playfully but covered her eyes with the blindfold. "No funny business, alright~?"
"Says the one who's turned on." Natsu tapped her nose lightly, he could smell her arousal and had a pretty good idea of what was running through her head.
"I'm not absolutely soaked, but it'd be more than enough for you to slide in with ease~." Lucy wiggled her hips enticingly and rolled onto her stomach. She hugged a cushion and used it as a pillow while her ass slowly swayed from side to side. "You know you want to~."
The pinkette slapped the woman's ass – earning a sharp gasp and a small perverse blush from her – before he headed over to his desk. He fired up his computer and logged onto the server. "How's your place going?"
"I love it… but I'm not the biggest fan of the new Landlord…" Lucy murmured into the pillow. "My old Landlady had a severe allergic reaction and passed away. Apparently, her youngest son was left the ownership of the building I live in, and he's a fucking prick."
Natsu gave Lucy a small, kind smile – which he knew she could easily see at this distance with her sixth sense – and shook his head lightly. "Well, if you need help getting him off your back. Just let me know. I may have a hair colour that's considered girly, but I can be extremely intimidating when I want to be."
"Intimidating? A big softy like you? Psshhh~." The woman erupted in a fit of giggles and clutched at her sides but gave him a warm smile once she had calmed down. "Thanks, Natsu. I'll call you if I need you. I don't exactly want to resort to violence with a civilian who only knows of my 'normal' side."
"Big softy? How about I show you just how wrong you are?" Natsu growled in mock anger as he pushed up from his chair and stalked over to the blonde.
"Mmm, please do~." Purred Lucy seductively as her ass rose up off the couch slightly. However, the man had other plans… smirking as he diverted to the door after coming so close to the couch that Lucy could feel his body's heat. "Hey~! Where are you going?"
"I'm grabbing lunch." Natsu replied matter-of-factly as he pulled the door open. "What? Were you expecting something else?"
"You're an arsehole, Sir."
"Oh. I'm well aware of that." The man laughed as he stepped outside. "I'll bring back something for you, alright?"
"Get me a sprite and a ham, cheese, and tomato toastie, please." Lucy called out as the door closed, leaving her in the room alone.
FTA Underground Parking, 7:34 PM
Natsu was leaning against a shadowy wall of the parking lot, near the elevator. He hadn't received a call or message from Ashlyn yet but he knew things like this took time. An elevator dinged on the far-left wall and opened to reveal his raven-haired friend. "Hey, Gray. You heading home?"
"Yeah. Your car's not done yet?" The man replied while adjusting the bag slung over his shoulder and walking over to the pinkette. "It's getting late… Need a lift?"
"Nah. Ash's car is still here." Natsu smiled lightly and pointed a few spots down from Gray's ZL1 Camaro at a rare Mustang Boss 429 that Ashlyn Everette had found in a barn and fully restored to factory condition. "Which means she's down below, still working on my car. It'd be rude of me to leave before she has."
"Suit yourself, Man." Gray shrugged and pressed unlock on his keys, causing his car to beep. "Let me know how she turns out."
"Will do." Natsu replied and gave the man a brief wave as he watched the raven-haired man head over to his car and drive out into the city. He checked his watch again and closed his eyes, contrary to his previous words, he was getting sick of waiting but he wasn't about to rush the woman and risk having his engine completely nuke itself.
It wasn't until another half an hour had passed when the wall behind him started to vibrate, the lift moving up the shaft. A few moments later, the doors opened and his black muscle car eased out of the large lift with the Head Mechanic behind the wheel with the windows wound down. She drove it over to the empty spot beside her Mustang and shut the car down. "Sorry that it took so long." Ash said as she climbed out of the car and threw the keys over to the approaching man. "I was getting the tuning down perfect."
"So, what have you got?" Natsu asked as he unlocked the boot and lifted it up, revealing two large NOS cans in the sides and Ashlyn's bag in the middle.
"We'll start with the Nitrous system." The woman replied as she grabbed her bag from the Black Mamba and transferred it to her own boot. "It's set up for a 200hp wet shot with E85 ran from a secondary pump. I figured since most places in the city sell E85 fuel that it wouldn't be an issue tuning for that, plus we can work more power out of it. You have a temperature control system on the cans to keep the pressure at the optimal amount, this includes a cooling system for summer which is runic-based and ran off ambient magic so you can leave the car in the sun without venting a can."
"That's useful for when I need to do shopping. The centre near my house is all open-air parking."
"The new gear set has been put in your tranny too, so you won't have any issues with breaking anything under the surge of power. Speaking of which, while I was doing the tuning, I set up a mode for flat-foot shifting so you can stay on the power while shifting. You can toggle between it and the other tunes using your multi-function display in the dash. You have Street, Sport, Racing, and Racing Flat. Street is for casual, economy-based driving, like if you want someone to drive and you know they aren't used to extremely powerful cars. Sport is snapper and has sixty percent of your total power available. Racing is everything including Nitrous, and Flat just adds flat-foot shifting." Ash walked back to the driver's door of Natsu's car and opened it for him. She leant down on the top of the door and grinned at the pinkette excitedly. "Come inside and get comfy."
"Is that an invitation, Ash?" Natsu grinned playfully as he strode over to the woman and slide down into the driver's seat. "So, what's new?"
"Well, the most obvious are the two buttons on the steering wheel." The raven-haired woman replied as she pointed at the labelled buttons. "The left button will purge your lines, priming them with liquid Nitrous Oxide. And the right button activates the jets, shooting the go-faster juice into the engine." She tapped two small lights that were mounted on top of the instrument cluster's cowl. "When the red light is on, you'll need to purge your lines, and green means the lines are primed. There is a sensor in the lines that'll let you know when you need to re-purge the lines by triggering that red light. I've also set up a warning notification in the MFD that'll tell you when you need to refill the bottles, just come down and we'll switch them out with new ones and refill the old ones. It's better to do it when the warning comes on as you'll get diminishing gains the longer you leave it."
"I'll keep that in mind, but even with a 200 shot of Nitrous, 40lbs should last me a reasonable amount of time."
"Both bottles are hooked onto the one system and are set up to draw an equal amount from both tanks." Ash informed the man as she moved to the inside of the door and sat down on the edge of the car's floor, beside Natsu's racing seat. "I took the liberty to hook up a five-point harness to your existing half-cage for both the driver and passenger. The standard 'Lap and Sash' seatbelts are still there, so if you are just cruising about you can use those. But for anything more serious, use the harness. Just smack the quick-release in the hub of the harness and it'll come right apart." She reached across the man, her sports bra clad breasts resting on the man's lap as she opened the compartment under the armrest between the seats. "Thank the gods that we modernised the entire interior in our girl. In here you have the on/off switch for your Nitrous system. I'd advise keeping it off – like it is now – until you need it. While I'm a hundred percent confident in my work, there is a chance that the lines, plugs, and whatnot could deteriorate over time. However, I've added that to my checklist for when I inspect and service the car. I'd rather not have my favourite agent's car turn into a bomb with him inside."
Natsu reached over the woman and turned the key in the ignition, cranking over the car and getting a roar from the engine. He grinned widely and sat back as he listened to his baby purr, his hand coming to rest on Ash's exposed lower back. "She sounds like a dream."
"Should run like one too." Ash smiled and quickly ran the man through how to select the tune set-ups in the MFD before standing up and stretching. "I'd love to come for a spin, but I gotta get home and get a little bit of rest. Oh, by the way, if you hadn't heard yet the races are starting up again at the end of the week. You should be getting messages on the usual app."
"I'll keep an eye on it. Have you got the LFA sorted out?" Natsu asked as he took his phone from his pocket when he felt a buzz against his thigh. He saw that he just received a message from Lucy asking him to come to her place ASAP. "Ah shit. I think Lucy needs help."
"Yeah, Lexie is all good to run about." The woman replied cheerfully as she closed the car door and stepped back so she rested on her own car. "You should hurry to blondie. Sounds like it's important."
"Yeah. Thanks again for the excellent work, Ash."
"Always a pleasure, Sal." Ash cheered as she slid into her own car and turned it over. She gave him a wave and drove out of her spot.
Natsu followed her out onto the road and to the intersection at the end of the block. While he was parked at the red light, he flicked through the MFD to find the Tunes section and stuck it into Racing Flat mode. Afterwards, he gave Lucy a quick call but it fell through which concerned him as the woman pretty much always answered his calls. He saw the light turn green in the corner of his eye and he gunned it around the corner, shifting through the gears quickly as he sped through light after light, taking the fastest route he could to Lucy's apartment building.
It only took him fifteen minutes and many red lights ran and road signs disobeyed before he came skidding to the driveway of the apartment building. He locked the car and made his way into the apartment building, slowly unzipping his black leather jacket to give him access to his weapons while keeping them hidden from the casual glance. Natsu could hear shouting coming from above where Lucy's home was, it sounded like a drunken man, and he could hear Lucy trying to de-escalate the situation.
Natsu found Lucy's door wide open and reached into his jacket, withdrawing his M10S from under his left arm. He heard Lucy's tone instantly change from cautious to warning, he knew she could see him ready himself for a potential firefight.
"Put the knife down, Pete… I don't want you to get hurt." Lucy warned the drunken man. "Do it now before things go from bad to worse."
"Oh yeah? What are you going to do, you blonde bitch?" Slurred Pete as he staggered towards the woman. "You're just some prissy rich bitch who thinks everyone is beneath her!"
"Do you really want to catch a bullet over this? Just because I rejected you? You do realise that dating my landlord is one hell of a conflict of interests, right?" Lucy stated as she glanced at the door and lowered her voice to a whisper. "Don't hurt him too much, he isn't usually this bad."
"Freeze!" Natsu imperious roar echoed around the room and everything, even the air froze dead in its tracks. The ticking clock on the wall fell silent and the drunken man found that he could no longer move even a millimetre and only the automatic functions of his body worked. The man swept into the room with practised silence, his pistol levelled with the back of the drunken man. He glanced his friend and noticed her eyes following his movement but she wasn't moving her head. "Ah, you're free to move, Luce."
"Thanks." Lucy cleared her throat as she regained control over her body. She walked over to the orange-haired drunkard and carefully removed the kitchen knife from his grip. "I did warn you, Pete. You were assaulting the wrong person; you could have easily lost your life had I considered you an actual threat."
The steely-eyed pinkette slowly moved around to the front of the man while keeping his gun trained on his head. "Talk. Who are you and why are you attacking Lucy?"
"I-I'm Lucy's landlord, Peter Sochi…"
"Ah, so you're the fuckwit that Lucy was telling me about. The one who took over ownership of this apartment building." Natsu cut him off and lowered his pistol to his side. He grabbed the drunk by the throat and threw him onto one of Lucy's dining chairs. "You're free to move but if you run, I'm putting a bullet into each of your knees." Natsu left the man to whimper as he placed his M10S back into its holster and removed his jacket, revealing his large combat knives and both guns. "Yo, Luce. You doing alright?"
"Who the fuck are you?" Pete yelped in shock as his eyes flicked around the armed man, but his question went unanswered by both Lucy and Natsu.
"Yeah, I'm fine. I just wanted your help in case things started going south, which they unfortunately did…" Lucy returned the knife to her kitchen and came back to her mentor. "Sorry to bother you."
"It's alright. You're lucky, I just got my car back from Ash just over fifteen minutes ago. Rushed over here as quickly as I could." Natsu dropped his jacket on the woman's bed and cracked his knuckles as he walked back over to Pete. "Now, about this Motherfucker. What do you want to be done?"
"After all the shit he's been giving me. I just want out of this place… But I'm still bound to the lease." Lucy sighed and plopped down on her bed. She propped her chin upon her hands with her elbows on her knees as she calmly watched the menacing pinkette. "It'd be good to get out of it. This place has gone to shit since the old lady died."
"Pack what you own and come to my place; I don't mind giving you a place to live." Natsu grinned back at the woman. His face fell into a stony mask once more as he turned to the frightened drunk. "I'm sure Pete and I can work something. Can't we, Pete?"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah!" Pete stammered rapidly as he quickly nodded his head. "W-we can nullify the lease since we are still working on the transfer! Just talk to the real-estate agent and tell him you wish to terminate your lease instead of transferring it to the new owner."
"Perfect. Now, go home and change your underwear Motherfucker. The adults have to have a little chat." Natsu grabbed the man by the collar and dragged him to the door, unceremoniously throwing him out into the hallway. "Scram, Bitch."
Lucy gave her partner an amused smirk as he approached her. "Well done, you big softy." She giggled softly before rising to her feet and giving the man a tight hug and a small kiss on the cheek. "Thanks. I'll take up your offer. Give me about five minutes, I want to get changed and gather my things. I'll meet you by the cars."
"I better move mine out of the driveway. I came in pretty hot." Natsu chuckled softly and scratched at the back of his head meekly. "And ran a ton of lights on the way here. I'm lucky no one tried catching me, though I guess most cops know the car by now and know that only the high-performance interceptors can really catch up to and keep with it."
"Go on. Go move the car." Lucy said in a playfully hurried tone as she grabbed his jacket and pushed it to his chest before lightly shoving him back towards the door. "I promise, I'll only be five minutes."
"Alright, alright. Jeez, Woman… give me a little break, will you?" Natsu murmured playfully in return before slipping the jacket on and closing the door behind him. He jogged down to the driveway and slid back into the driver seat, he backed out to the side of the road where he waited for the blonde with some rock music playing through his speakers. He was only halfway through an admittingly lengthy song when Lucy's new S2000 drove out from the driveway – the blonde behind the wheel. The salmon-haired man pulled out behind the woman and followed her up to the nearest on-ramp for the highway belt that weaves around Magnolia. His ringtone rang through the car and a glance at the screen in his dash informed him that Happy was calling him. "Hey, Happy. What's up?"
"Just wondering how much longer you'll be?" The exceed asked curiously. There were sounds of chatter in the background of the call which Happy quickly told to be quiet. "Sorry about that, I have some friends over for a study group."
"I got held up at work, Ashlyn was doing some work on my car and didn't finish until seven thirty-ish, then I had a message from Lucy asking me to come to her place ASAP. She was having some issues with her new landlord which we sorted out."
"Is she alright?" Happy asked quickly in a hushed voice as the voices faded away in the background and it sounded like he was walking up or down the stairs. "Though, I suppose I should be asking if he is alright."
"Besides quickly sobering him up, the landlord is fine. Lucy will be moving in with us while her lease is getting cancelled. She'll probably be sticking around for a bit too." Natsu informed his adoptive son as he glanced over at the clock. "Have you eaten?"
"Yeah, my friends and I all pitched in some cash to have some food delivered for us." The teen replied cheerfully as he pulled open the fridge and took out a can of soft drink. "How far out are you?"
"A few more minutes. I'm not sure if Lucy has eaten, I'll have to ask when we get home."
"Alright. I'll see you when you get home, Natsu." Happy cheered as he cracked open the cold can with a satisfying hiss.
"See you soon, Happy." Natsu replied before ending the phone call. He sped up a little and overtook his blonde partner, taking the lead as he drove back to his house. It only took the duo another five or so minutes to reach the Ebony Hills suburb and only a few short more to reach Natsu's house. The man rolled into his driveway first and hit the buttons for his garage, opening both doors to allow both him and Lucy to park within.
"Thanks again for doing this for me." Lucy gave the man a gentle smile and wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her face into his chest and soaking in his warmth and woodsmoke scent. "It means a lot, Natsu."
"It's fine, Luce. Hey, did you have anything to eat yet?"
"Yeah. I had actually just finished my food when Pete knocked on the door." Lucy replied as she loosely took Natsu's hand and led him to his kitchen. She pushed herself up onto the bench and smiled at the man as she crossed her left leg over right. "I'm guessing you haven't eaten?"
"No. I was going to grab something on the way home. But I've got some leftovers that I can reheat." Natsu pulled open his fridge and took out a container with some lasagne which he cracked the lid of and stuck it into the microwave. His jacket and weapons vanished from his body in a flash of dulled light. "Oh, I'm pretty sure which you'll choose but you can either make one of the spare rooms your own or you can use my bedroom."
"I'm sleeping with you." Lucy instantly replied, smiling brightly as she puffed out her chest and winked playfully.
"Yeah. I figured you'd say that. I'm going to tell Happy that we are home." The pinkette put the food on for a couple of minutes and walked out of the kitchen to the stairs. He lightly knocked on the door to Happy's bedroom and was quickly met with the blue-haired teen. "Hey Happy. Lucy and I just got back not long ago. We'll be downstairs if you need us."
"That's alright, we are basically finished here. We're just studying for a test." The exceed stepped aside and revealed the small group of students gathered around a small table set in the middle of the bedroom.
"Well, don't party too hard up here. You'll make the house fall apart." Natsu jested and turned with a chuckle, heading back to the kitchen where he was greeted with beeping and a stunning blonde rummaging through his fridge. "What are you after?"
"Do you have any chocolate?" Lucy straightened up and glanced at the man curiously.
"No. But in the bottom of the freezer, there is a tub of Neapolitan ice cream if you want some." Natsu pointed to the other door of the appliance and removed his lasagne from the microwave. He grabbed a knife and fork and headed for the lounge. "Eat as much as you want, but be warned; that's Happy's favourite."
Lucy closed the fridge and followed the man to the couch. "I think I'll leave it then. I don't want to upset the little guy." She turned the tv on and flicked through the channels to see if Magnolia's News were playing on any of them. By the time she finally found one that was playing the local News, Natsu had finished his food so she gently pushed him down onto his back on the couch and laid down on top of him with her cheek resting against his chest. "You're so cosy, Natsu."
"So you've told me." Natsu chuckled as he placed his hand on her lower back but it quickly fell to her ass when Lucy sat up and tucked her legs under her, straddling his hips.
"I should tell my mother where I am. Just so she doesn't try to head to my old place whenever she wants to visit." Her phone flashed into her right hand and she flicked through her contacts one-handed while she snuck the other up under Natsu's shirt, gliding her fingertips over his hardened muscles. She bought the phone to her ear as she waited for her mother to pick up.
"Hi, Lucy!" Layla cheered, happy to hear from her daughter. "How's work?"
"It's good. Our trip was successful." Lucy replied while slowly pushing Natsu's shirt higher until he got the hint and removed it, earning a satisfied smirk from the woman as she eyed his battle-scarred body. "I was planning on calling sooner but I've been doing a fair bit of training with Natsu which took up most of my time."
"Oh, so how is that boyfriend of yours going~?"
"Mother…" The blonde grumbled quietly while Natsu erupted in a fit of laughter. "He can hear you perfectly clearly, by the way… and I don't even have you on speaker either."
"Oh? Do you have the volume up?" Layla asked curiously. "Is he visiting you?"
"No, to both. I actually wanted to call you about that." Lucy softly squeezed Natsu with her thighs and glanced over at the TV. "Natsu has extremely good hearing, he'd hear our conversation from his kitchen. Speaking of which, I'm actually at his place. So, do you remember how I told you about how my landlady died?"
"What did you do, Lucy?" The Heartfilia matriarch instantly became concerned, worried if her daughter was hurt. "What happened?"
"The new landlord got drunk and started to hit on me when I got home. I told them I wasn't interested and went up to my apartment." The blonde started as she drew patterns on Natsu's chest. "I had dinner and there was a knock at my door. Turns out that Pete – who was reeking of alcohol – didn't get the message and I ended up shutting the door in his face. I sent Natsu a message and told him to come over quickly. After a few minutes, my door was unlocked by Pete using a master key and he became aggressive to the point he grabbed a kitchen knife and was threatening me with it. I was managing to keep him at a distance and didn't have to get physical up until when he heard a car screech into the driveway. Natsu came in shortly after and took control of the situation, scaring the shit out of Pete and strongarming him into allowing me to get out of the lease."
"So, you have moved in with Natsu?" Layla's teasing smirk can full force through her voice. "That's so cute!"
Lucy sighed heavily and dropped her head. "Yes. I've moved in with Natsu. He offered to give me a place to stay." The woman laid down against the man and buried her head into the crook of his neck, she placed the quietest kiss she could muster onto his neck before bringing her attention back to her mother. "And I took up his offer as he's one of the people I'm most close to at work, someone I trust implicitly, who I know will always be there for me. Case in point the offer he gave me."
"I would really like to meet him in person sometime soon. Maybe swing by the house when you are both free? Ooh~ why don't you bring some of your other friends along too? I would like to meet them too!"
"I'm sorry, Mother. But I don't think we'll have the time to do that for a few weeks. We're currently ready for…" Lucy's eyes slowly rose to Natsu's eyes, seeking permission to tell her mother what was happening. At the man's small nod, she smiled her thanks and continued. "The thing is, we might be close to a war between ourselves and Phantom Lord. We have been finding evidence of corruption at the highest levels of their company… I don't know how much more I'm allowed to talk about it, but yeah… We'll be really busy with the battle and the fallout."
"That's ok." Layla replied quietly, she was concerned for her daughter. "Is there… No, there wouldn't be… wait…" The woman rambled to herself.
"Is something wrong, Mother?" Lucy asked while propping herself up on her elbows. She glanced at Natsu's lips and subconsciously licked her lips as her heart rate picked up a little. "If you're worried about me, you don't have to be. I've been in good hands ever since I came here." At her words, a pair of devious warm hands slipped up under her thin white singlet and latched onto her large sensitive breasts. She fought hard against herself to prevent a moan from escaping her lips as Natsu caressed and squeezed her tits, she bit her bottom lip and pressed down onto his chest to squash his dastardly hands and restrict just how much pleasure they could give her. 'Speaking of good hands…'
"Just be careful… If you need extra help, I'm sure Leo would be happy to work with you."
"I will, Mother, don't worry about it." The beautiful blonde replied kindly yet she slowly ground her hips against the growing bulge in Natsu's pants, keeping her moans stifled in her throat as friction from their clothes worked wonders on her clit. "It's getting late, I should let you go, Mother. And I need to put my stuff away since I'm moving in here."
"Try not to keep the neighbours up~!" Layla sang teasingly before the call was shut off on her end.
Lucy groaned and pushed herself upright, sitting on Natsu's lap with her hands on his chest. Momentarily ignoring the growing wetness inside herself, she rubbed her face and looked down at the man under her. "She can be so annoying sometimes… but I love her nonetheless."
"Parents can be like that." Natsu chuckled and slowly glided his hands down her hourglass figure until they rested on her hips, making sure the singlet settled into a normal position since he could hear footsteps coming down the stairs and judging by Lucy's currently subdued behaviour, she could sense them too. "Did you want to run up to my bedroom and put your stuff away?"
"Yeah." Lucy wrapped her fingers around Natsu's shoulders and pulled him up into a heated kiss. She moaned softly into his mouth and lightly squeezed him with her thighs. Unfortunately, the pair had to part as they both sensed Happy and his friends about to enter the lounge room. Lucy quickly moved off the couch and straightened her clothes just as the teenagers entered the room. "Hi, Happy!"
Happy quickly crossed the short distance to the woman, his messy blue hair ruffling from the movement. The exceed wrapped his arms around the blonde and smiled up at her. "Hey, Lucy! Natsu said you'll be staying with us for a bit?"
"Yeah, my new landlord was being out of line, I had to get Natsu to help me out. We managed to talk him into releasing me from the lease." Lucy gave Happy a quick hug as Natsu rose from the couch.
"You guys got a way home?" He asked as he stretched his arms out above his head, his tattoo-like markings and scars on full display. "Lucy and my cars don't exactly have the space to transport the lot of you."
"Yeah, Lizzie's mum is coming in her minivan to pick us up." A light-pink-haired girl that Natsu recognised as Mercy, she was one of the girls from Happy's homeroom. She, along with most of the group of students, were staring wide-eyed at the salmon-haired man.
"What's up with the looks? It's not like I haven't been shirtless around you all at one time or another." Natsu chuckled softly and scratched the back of his head with a meek grin. "Or is it the new tattoos?"
"When did you get them?" Happy's friend Dave asked curiously as he walked over to the man and took a closer look. "Are they embers?"
"Yeah. I figured they'd go well with my fire magic." Natsu replied as he held up a hand and created a fireball which he threw over his shoulder and into the fireplace. "The tattoos are also magical, wanna see?"
Lucy slapped a hand to her face lightly but couldn't prevent the smile from forming at the lovable bastard's carefree attitude. And so, she just smiled while she watched the teens gather around the man and watch as his markings came to life – turning red and moving up to cover his torso and neck. She noticed his eyes remained their natural dark onyx colour, and she couldn't feel even a trace of the usual demonic pressure that was usually emitted, leading her to believe that he was actively suppressing his demonic powers to not scare the children.
"Pretty cool right? I had them done on the last business trip I was on." Natsu gave the kids a carefree fanged grin as he shut down the markings. "Anyway, I need to help Lucy sort out a room a get settled in. You all have a good night, alright?" The man grabbed his shirt and walked past the kids, following Lucy out of the room. He gave them a quick wave before heading up the stairs.
Lucy was waiting for him at the doorway to the master bedroom. She was pressed against the doorframe, half-hidden by the wall as she watched him walk closer. "You're such a show-off, Sir~." The woman whispered playfully and gave him a light shove when he reached her before grabbing his wrist and dragging him into the bedroom. "Thanks again for allowing me to stay here."
Natsu pushed the door shut with his foot as he leaned in a lightly kissed the woman. "It's fine, you can stay here as long as you like. But if you find that you are longing for a place of your own once again then I won't hold it against you."
Lucy smiled brightly and reached for the zipper on her skirt, quickly removing the garment which left her in the light white singlet, white lace underwear trimmed with gold, and thigh-high white socks. She placed the skirt on the end of Natsu's King-sized bed and started doing a series of stretches, which rapidly became more and more erotic due to her state of dress. She quickly started to blush under Natsu's intense gaze and felt slightly self-conscious, even though stretching in front of him wasn't anything new, nor was wearing very little or nothing at all, she strangely felt a little embarrassed. "Could you… um… busy yourself instead of watching me?"
"That's a strange way of asking me to jerk off for you." Natsu replied flatly, a mocking grin plastered across his face as he sat down on the edge of the bed. "But if that's what you're after…"
"No!" Lucy whisper-shouted as she launched forward and pinned the man's wrists against the middle of the bed. She quickly lost her footing and slipped, falling down on top of the man. "No… I was meaning that it just felt a little awkward…" The blonde murmured quietly against his chest with a healthy blush. She let go of his wrists and snaked her arms down around his torso as his hands came to rest on her hips. "Sorry, I'm just not used to displaying my private routine."
"It's ok, Luce. I wasn't trying to stare, but the way you were moving was just so captivating. You might deprive my brain of oxygen if you ever danced like a Belly Dancer." Natsu whispered caringly with a slight chuckle into her ear as he lightly rubbed her back. He gave her a tender kiss and smiled softly, gazing into her chocolate eyes. "If you need me to give you a little space, just let me know."
Lucy giggled softly and slowly got back to her feet. She filed away the suggestion in her mind, maybe Cana would know a thing or two about belly dancing. She'd have to ask her tomorrow. "You're fine. Just… please don't stare as hard as you were, it was very distracting."
Natsu pulled his phone from his pocket and sat up while Lucy went back to her stretches. He quickly sent off a message to Makarov to inform him of the situation that occurred at Lucy's home and that she was staying at his place for the time being. Just after he sent off the message, a pair of hands landed on his knees and Lucy's face appeared right in front of his. "All done?"
"Yup! So, where should I put my clothes?"
"In my walk-in wardrobe, there should be enough room in there for your stuff too."
"Alright." Lucy smiled and straightened up. She hooked her hands under her singlet and slowly pulled it up over her breasts and head, smirking softly as Natsu's eyes bounced along with her tits. She giggled and threw her singlet and skirt into Natsu's hamper and slowly ran her hands up her slides sensually. "Do you like what you see~?"
"Do you even need to ask?" Natsu grinned and rose to his feet. He placed his hands on her hips and lowered his head, pressing his lips to hers in a gentle kiss. The man was quickly shoved back onto the bed as Lucy broke the kiss with a playful grin. "Oh?"
Lucy licked her lips and crawled along the bed on her hands and knees until she was hovering above his legs. She unzipped Natsu's pants and slowly pulled them and his boxers off the man. The blonde hummed happily as she slowly dragged her tongue up the back of his cock, starting at the sack. She kissed the tip and grinned up at Natsu. "I kind of want to handcuff you to the bed."
Her eager eyes drew a bark of laughter from Natsu and he brought his wrists together up at the head of the bed. "Go on, go for it."
The beautiful blonde immediately appeared at the head of his bed and lightly grabbed his wrists, she brought out the magic cancelling cuffs that she kept stored away in her pocket dimension and cuffed his wrists around the bedhead, then slowly kissed her way down his body until she was back at his hips. "This is fun~!" She giggled while taking his member gently in her right hand and slowly beginning to stroke it.
Natsu groaned softly as Lucy's lips wrapped around the head of his cock, her tongue dancing around it while she sucked lightly on the sensitive tip. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the sensations that Lucy was giving him, from the gentle stroking of her hand to the little kisses she'd give every so often, the gentle sucks and the long, slow licks up his shaft and around his head. "Gods, Woman. What are you doing to me…?"
"Giving you a taste of heaven, the way only a Celestial Princess can~." Lucy lightly smacked the cock against her lips with a playful smile before taking the head inside once again. She moaned softly around the shaft, vibrating it pleasantly and sending sparks up Natsu's spine.
The salmon-haired man groaned and strained against the cuffs but didn't put any force into it to keep their little game going. "Once I get out of these cuffs…" He growled softly as he glared at the woman.
"You'll what~?" Lucy sang as she slowly sat up and stroked him faster. "Ravage me? Pin me to the bed and take me like a wild animal?"
"Have you ever heard of the saying 'don't poke a slumbering dragon'?"
"I'm more than certain that the big bad dragon is wide awake and most definitely enjoying himself." The busty woman purred as she slowly brought the man to the very edge of a climax before stopping just short of him shooting his load, much to his chagrin. "Uh-ah, not yet~." Lucy let the cock go and hooked her thumbs into the waistband of her underwear, slowly dragging them down her long legs and flinging them over into the hamper once they were off. She was only left in her thigh-highs now as she stood on her knees, hovering over Natsu's erect member. "I think I like seeing you all tied up~."
"Try not to get used to it." Natsu grumbled playfully as he looked away from the woman. However, his attention was drawn back to her when she delicately wrapped her hand around his shaft once again and started to rub the head of his cock along her silky-smooth slit, coating it well enough to be able to slide in. Yet, she took her time, slowly rubbing it from her clit to her entrance where she lowered herself slightly to squeeze the tip halfway inside before bringing it back out and running it back to her clit. "Oh, gods…"
Lucy giggled out a moan and slowly lowered herself down the shaft, groaning softly as the large member took up more and more space within her until it came to rest against her cervix and she was sat comfortably on his lap. "Yes~." She breathed and slowly leant down, trailing kisses up Natsu's chest and neck until she came to his lips where she gave him a slow yet passionate kiss. After the kiss, she gave him a little peck on the forehead and sat up, slowly starting to bounce on the man's lap. "Would you let me stay in control if I let you go? I kind of miss your hands on my body…"
"Alright, I won't take your fun away from you." Natsu conceded with a small smile but it grew into a smirk as Lucy reached for the cuffs. She was letting out a cute whine as she didn't want to get too far off him when there was a faint click from the cuffs and they fell down behind the pillow. "It's kinda pointless cuffing me if I don't want to be cuffed." The man chuckled softly as he placed his hands on Lucy's thighs and slowly ran them up her body as he sat up, passing over the front of her breasts and up her neck until they rested against her cheeks. "You're really beautiful, you know, Luce?"
The woman became slightly shy and bashful at the man's words but quickly recovered when his lips met hers once more. She threw her arms around his neck and slowly ground her hips against him, moaning softly into his mouth. "Oh, Natsu~."
Natsu slowly moved his hands back down to her hips and gave them a little squeeze. He lifted her slightly and she quickly got the hint, starting to bounce on his lap once again without breaking from the kiss and making them both moan into the lip lock.
Lucy could feel the pinkette start to throb inside her, once again coming close to his climax. She was drawing closer to her own, however, she knew that Natsu would pop sooner than her due to her earlier ministrations. It didn't bother her though as she almost always would cum right after due to the nerve-tingling sensation caused by Natsu shooting his load into her. The man's climbing body heat was already doing wonders on her sensitive body and she found herself tightening with every pulse of Natsu's cock. "Cum in me, Natsu~, Please!"
"Lucy~." Natsu groaned heavily as his grip on her hips tightened, he forced her down to the base of his cock as a strong throb forced her walls apart a little and a surge of semen shot into the deepest regions of Lucy's core, causing her pussy to clench around him like a vice.
As the heated goo shot against the end of her pussy, a shock shot all the way through her body and as if on cue she found herself in the midst of a strong orgasm. She screamed with pleasure as she arched into Natsu's chest and tightened her arms around his neck, her eyes rolling up involuntarily. "Fuck~!"
Natsu grunted and wrapped his arms around the spasming blonde, shooting spurt after spurt of sperm into Lucy and heating her core delightfully. He groaned softly as his tense balls slowly relaxed and the last shot was sent into his partner. Natsu panted softly and slowly stroked Lucy's back, feeling her loosen back up bit by bit until she had completely calmed down. "Ready for round two?"
"Give me… a few minutes…" She panted, her chest rising and falling which rubbed her breasts against the man's hardened muscles. "Can we lie down? I want to be spooned."
"Sure." Natsu smiled softly and let Lucy slowly turn around on his lap until her back rested against his chest. He scooted back and carefully brought them onto their side with their legs tucked up as he pulled the sheets over them. The lights clicked off in the background thanks to Natsu using Macro, allowing them to peacefully snuggle in the dark before they get back to enjoying each other's company.
"Mm, I think I'm going to love living here~." Lucy purred quietly while she played with Natsu's fingers, relishing the warmth that was cocooning her. "If this is how it'll be at night." She half-turned around and gave the man a quick kiss before turning back and settling in once more. "Yep, I'll definitely love it."
"You're welcome to stay as long as you like." Natsu whispered into her ear, his lips brushing against her skin as they moved. He slowly kissed down to her neck where he began to nibble on the crook of it.
Lucy whimpered and moaned quietly as the man's sharp fangs lightly poked and scraped at her pale skin, leaving little red marks. "Natsu~ people are going to see those…" She whined softly but made no move to stop him. When he shifted his weight and leant over her side, she looked up at him and leaned up slightly, giving him a small kiss, followed by another, which led to longer and longer ones.
Sorry it's taken so long to get this one out, personal stuff was just getting in the way and I couldn't find the motivation until recently to write. But I finally finished and I hope you all have enjoyed it.
As I mentioned at the start, I have revisited chapters one through nineteen and brought them up to the standard of these most recent ones while also standardising the way I right the sub-vocal communications throughout the story. I did make some changes that range from minor corrections to major rewrites, as such some of the chapters have grown larger with some gaining an extra one thousand words. If you wish to go back and re-read them then you'll be met with some new/expanded scenes that better fit the narrative and how the world has evolved since I started writing this story back at the start of 2019.
Again, I hope you have enjoyed this chapter, and if you are going back to re-read the previous chapters then I hope you enjoy those too. I'll see you all in the next chapter.