Meeting Natsu's family did not go as smoothly as Lucy would have hoped. It started out fine, but somehow - in spite of her best intentions - it went horribly wrong.

There was a plan. After months of nagging and begging (mostly on his father's part), Natsu finally brought up the fact that his family wanted to meet her. A certain amount of sadness settled over Lucy, knowing that he would never be able to have a similar experience, since her mother had died of cancer when Lucy was a child and her father passed away after a heart attack several months before she moved to Magnolia.

But this was about Natsu and his family, so she put on a brave face and agreed to go to his parents' house for dinner. It was scheduled for two weeks out, giving them (her) plenty of time to mentally prepare for what was to come.

Lucy decided to make a dessert to bring with them, purchasing all of the ingredients well ahead of time so she wouldn't forget anything. She had only attempted cheesecake once before, but felt confident enough in her baking skills that she altered the recipe to suit her needs. That, it turned out, is where things started to go downhill.

On the day before the dinner, she set everything out and diligently settled into her self-appointed task. Hours passed; she finally pulled the finished product out of the oven and had set it on a cooling rack when Natsu arrived at her place after his shift (her house was closer to his childhood home, and her bed far more comfortable than the one at his apartment). It looked and smelled perfect, which Natsu assured her as he planted a kiss on her cheek.

"Don't worry, they're going to love you."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I mean… who wouldn't?" He didn't think about the words before they were out in the open, his teeth clacking together as his mouth slammed closed.

Lucy simply raised an eyebrow at him. Neither had said it yet, but she could see it in the slight changes in their relationship recently. Not that she was complaining, she just refused to be the one to say it first. And it seemed Natsu was of the same mind; without discussing anything they had managed to turn it into a game that neither wanted to lose.

In lieu of responding to the obvious baiting, Natsu set down the bag of takeout he had picked up so he could have a little bit of fun before dinner. Attention focused solely on Lucy, he began stalking towards her position.

"What are you planning?" Lucy asked, knowing full well he would not tell her.

"Nothing." He smirked and took another slow, measured step forward to match the one Lucy took away from him.

"Natsu, whatever you've set your mind to doing, you better not do it…"

"I'm not planning anything. I told you something smelled delicious when I came in." Another step closer brought him almost within reach of his goal. "And I just want to take a little taste of it."

A banshee-grade shriek left Lucy as Natsu lunged for her. She somehow managed to avoid his grasp, darting past him out of the kitchen and into the living room. It was a valiant effort, but Natsu was stronger and faster, catching up in no time at all and tackling her to the couch.

The struggle did not last long, Natsu easily pinning Lucy's hands above her head as his weight kept her body in place below him.

"It's not nice to run like that, you know." His grin was wicked and Lucy shivered in anticipation as he leaned closer to her neck.

As always, she was not quite expecting what she got. His tongue was warm as it slid across her skin and he let out a hum of approval before his lips latched onto the same spot so he could suck at it. By the time he released her, Lucy was squirming and panting beneath him.

"Thanks for the snack," Natsu whispered, kissing the tip of her nose. "Just as delicious as it smelled."

His weight and warmth were gone before she could comprehend he was moving. She sat herself up in a daze, turning until she saw where he had gone. Instead of coming back with less clothing on, Natsu had walked over to pick up his duffel bag and headed towards her bedroom.

"Are you planning to finish what you just started?" Lucy asked when she was finally able to think again and followed him. Though she did take a moment to admire the view as he stripped out of his uniform - something she believed she would never tire of watching. "I really should put on some music if you're going to give me a show."

"I did finish what I started," he commented, reaching into his bag and grabbing the pair of lounge pants he had packed and sliding them on. "There was some batter on your neck. Dark chocolate peanut butter, right?"

Natsu laughed as Lucy flushed and stormed out of her bedroom. And he kept laughing through dinner, since she had not yet noticed the slightly purple mark he left behind with his earlier attentions. He knew he'd be paying for it later, but it was worth it to get a reaction out of her.

'Later' turned out to be as soon as they climbed into bed, and Natsu couldn't decide if he was upset or elated that he had shown Lucy exactly how to use his handcuffs. At least they had agreed to dinner with his parents instead of lunch.

"We don't have to do this tonight if you don't want to. My parents will be a little disappointed, but they'll understand." Natsu took Lucy's left hand, kissing her palm and doing his best to soothe her frazzled nerves.

"No. No, I'm alright, just a little nervous. I don't have a lot of positive experiences with meeting the parents."

She did not have to elaborate for him to know what she was talking about. Apparently, her ex's parents were just as shitty as he was. No surprise there.

She took one more deep breath, checked the position of the light scarf around her neck, and then got out of the car.

Meeting Igneel and Grandeeney was a flurry of hugs and warm welcomes and excitement that Lucy had not fully prepared for. They were both enthusiastic and energetic, and the whole thing was overwhelming at first. She was thanked for bringing dessert and hugged some more, all while being dragged deeper into the house.

"I hope you don't mind, word seems to have gotten out that Natsu finally managed to find himself a decent girlfriend, so a few other family members might be showing up after dinner." Igneel rubbed at the back of his neck as he informed him of this change of plans which he promised would be so tiny they would barely notice anyone else had arrived.

After a filling dinner of lasagna, fresh salad, and homemade rolls, that statement turned out to be a lie. The Dragneel's home was spacious and warm, but there was still no conceivable way nearly fifty people should have been able to fit inside and still have room for anyone to breathe.

Lucy met every aunt, uncle, and cousin Natsu had on both sides of his family. His grandparents had passed away when he was still too young to really remember them, and his sister was still at work or there would have (somehow) been even more people there. She felt a little bad, having only made one cheesecake, but Grandeeney managed to cut it in such a way that everyone who wanted to try some was able to get a slice. This turned out to be one of the most fortuitous things to happen that evening.

Natsu's family had pretty ironclad stomachs. He had always claimed it ran in the family, and after watching his dad eat with the same voracious appetite, Lucy believed him. Though not all, many on his dad's side had one other thing Natsu would have mentioned if he had known what was to come. Maybe his family could have been forewarned if his mind hadn't been wiped of all new memories after the extracurricular activities of the previous evening. But neither of those happened, so when a collective groan rose up in the Dragneel house from a near-synchronized tasting of Lucy's cheesecake, it was more than a little shocking when half the people were covered in hives by the time they finished their portions.

Peanut allergies really were a bitch.

As soon as Natsu realized what was happening, he called dispatch, gave his badge number, and asked for immediate medical assistance. Most of those with the allergy had an epipen with them, but some did not. The hospital was notified to expect incoming patients to the ER and what had happened.

Those who had more severe allergies were taken in via ambulance while the rest were driven by those who either had not partaken of the unknowingly deadly dessert or were immune to its effects.

Natsu stayed behind at his parents house with an inconsolable Lucy. Her tears had started as soon as Natsu made the first call, but the sobbing did not begin until everyone had left. Grandeeney had been kind enough to leave a glass of cool water on the end table closest to them before she left with a carload of family members.