sorry she's a little late! I kept falling asleep loool

notes at the end, please enjoy!

Lucy was something else. Something, no, someone that he absolutely needed by his side. He wouldn't be able to survive without her now that he'd had a taste of how sweet her innocence was.

Natsu didn't put much thought into who he fooled around with, accepting most anyone who seduced him into his bed.

When she came running down the street that night he was concerned, as anyone would be for someone they saw every day. He was ready to take out whoever might've been following her, and offered her a place to stay simply because he wanted to help her.

Lucy was kind and didn't judge him and his friends, even with the rumors that circulated around campus. He got good enough grades and kept to his circle of friends, so there wasn't much for staff to complain about. Especially when his father donated a good amount of money every year, keeping their noses out of his business.

So it absolutely was never his intention to sleep with her, he just wanted to give her a comfortable place to stay while she cleared her head.

When she asked if he would, he figured…why not? She wanted to feel something and he could offer her that solace, so where was the harm?

But Natsu had been taught enough to understand what it meant to have sex, even if he played around with a few people in his past.

He'd test the waters and watch her expression to make sure she felt safe; he didn't want to push her to do anything that made her feel uncomfortable. Natsu had a couple encounters with girls who thought they were ready for something and changed their mind, so he was no stranger to adhering to someone's boundaries.

He thought she was beautiful, of course, who wouldn't? And there was always something exciting about being the first one to undress a girl.

She was soft and shuddered at his every touch, the sound of her surprised gasps and delighted moans made his blood rush. He didn't mind thinking about her when he had to relieve himself later in the bathroom.

In all honesty he thought she was going to go home that morning, even when he was suggesting that she spend the day with his friends to unwind.

Natsu gave the warning to everyone that he didn't like clingy chicks. Mostly because the first couple of times he slept with Aceto he wanted his bases covered. And after Flare…Gray and Gajeel were prompted to keep an eye out for anyone that might try to attack him in the middle of the night.

He hadn't had a female friend in a long time, not to discount his relationship with Erza or Juvia. He loved them but they could be a lot, especially when their wants superseded the rest of the group. Shopping, romance movies, tasking baking sessions, silently following Gray around when he was running an errand.

Lucy was impressionable and in need of learning how to relax, so he could show her everything he found fun before anyone else got to her.

The thought came to him while they were kissing on his couch that he'd never had a girl in his life he could hang out with without certain expectations.

A random thought to have, sure, but he was trying to distract himself from the desire to grid her against his hard on.

She was like a fresh breath of air after having to swim through a long channel, and something he couldn't help draw his eye to.

He asked himself why he kissed her in the first place, even if it felt amazing to have her in his lap. Aside from the way she shifted against his body and followed every curl of his tongue, he looked at her and knew he wanted a kiss.

Just one, to last a second, to remind him how soft her lips were. And she moved forward for another, chasing his lips and hanging onto his with a delighted moan. Natsu was curious to explore her and Lucy was equally, enough to…take a look at what he was packing.

He definitely liked it a little too much that he was taking some of her firsts.

Natsu began to wish that she was his first, wondering what it would've felt like if he could surrender himself to her in every intimate way possible.

With every passing day they spent together, he clung to the idea of her more and more, and wanted to erase his past every time he looked at her.

It was obvious she was jealous that day at the mall with Lisanna. She was so cute, clinging to his arm and trying not to stare daggers at his childhood friend. He would've doubled over in laughter if not for the fact he was about to buy Lucy a bunch of lingerie and he didn't want to upset her.

He had just kissed the shit out of her in a dressing room and here she was trying to not obviously stake her claim with all of those kiss marks on her neck.

He was convinced that Lucy liked him, why else would she let him ogle her while she twirled around for him in practically see through underwear.

Even if he'd been a bit vague, she had to know if she was getting jealous and tempting him into bed with her.

Natsu expected a longer goodbye, after all, they came to mean a lot more than friends to each other. At least, he thought so.

Lucy barely acknowledged him as she went out the door, waving one hand, not even lifting her head as she stood waiting for the elevator doors to close.

He stood in his doorway blinking for an absurdly long amount of time, thinking her tear stained expression would return instead running towards him and not away.

Natsu ran, jamming his finger against the down button, hoping to get to the first floor before it was too late. Maybe she was standing outside, still looking back at the building and waiting for him to see her off.

But when he finally ran outside, he watched as Gildarts drove off from the curb, his heart sinking into his stomach.

Was that really the end of everything?

He was used to girls coming in and out of his life, but he didn't like having to say goodbye to Lucy. He couldn't say goodbye.

He contemplated on whether or not to follow behind the car before it got too far, but then what?

Ask her to be his girlfriend? He would eventually, there was no way he was letting her go now. But he wondered if that was what she wanted. Even with everything they did together, he was too used to people coming and going. Using him for one night to make themselves feel better or to try and gain something knowing who his family really was.

Natsu couldn't put Lucy in the same category as his past flings, but did she want something from him? Did she actually want him or went along with the atmosphere he undoubtedly created.

He had Gildarts find her phone number, keeping it to himself and wondering if he should call or send a text.

He wasn't normally so self-conscious, but it was hard to avoid the anxiety stewing in his stomach. There was a chance she wouldn't want anything to do with him and write him off before he could express how he truly felt.

Spring break came to an end amidst his ruminating, and Natsu was left with the option just to see her at school. Which he much preferred, he was getting antsy at the thought of seeing her face to face once more.

It took a lot not to stake his claim in front of that guy, whoever he was, that clearly had his eye on Lucy.

Mest, he would remember that name, Natsu would have to get someone to swipe his academic file. And maybe follow him around for a few days.

He could see the slight blush on her cheeks as they spoke briefly, Natsu again suppressing the urge to drag her into a hall closet and get it all over with.

But he wanted to give her time, asking to talk at lunch because there was no way he'd make it until the end of the school day. He needed to know if she wanted him in the same way he had to have her.

"...Do you like me?" He asked, swallowing the nerves that ached him as he waited for her answer.

She drew her eyes down to her hands, nervously toying with them before she spoke.

"W-What if I said yes?" Lucy still wasn't looking at him, keeping focus on her twiddling thumbs. "...What would that mean?"

"I'd ask you to be my girlfriend," The corners of his mouth fluttered into a smile, absorbing every inch of her growing embarrassment. "And I'd bring you to school, we'd eat lunch together, go home and study after-school, go on dates, lots of stuff,"

"Why do you like me?" She asked next, forcing their eyes to meet. "Is it because…of all those things we did?"

"I'd never date you for something so shallow," Natsu shook his head, closing the little distance they had left between them. "I like you and want to get to know you more as a person, Luce. We had a lot of fun together, aside from all the fun fun. I just want you to be mine."

I bit my tongue as her blush darkened, her eyes dropping down again as she struggled to find her words.

"A-And if I say that I l-like you, it won't mean that we have to…um…"

"Have to?"

She paused for a moment, taking in a deep breath before steeling her gaze. Gosh, every look she was giving him made him want to kiss her.

"I don't want to have sex. At least not yet, not until I think I'm ready. And I know that you—"

"Woah, woah, woah, you know I'd never force you to do anything you'd be uncomfortable with."

"I-I know, that's not what I was going to say…" Her lips pursed and she looked away again, whining a bit before pushing through her anxiety. "I just don't trust myself when I'm with you. So I'm worried we'll go too far too fast."

Natsu dropped to his knees, letting out the laugh that had been continuing to build up inside of him. He wrapped his arms around her waist, rubbing his cheek against her midsection. She was incredibly way too adorable.

"N-Natsu!"

"Please just tell me that you like me already! You're so cute, Luce, I'm gonna go crazy if your confession isn't the next thing to come out of your mouth!"

She pushed at his face and squealed as Natsu refused to stop rubbing against her, her struggling expression morphing into a tickled laughter.

"I like you, okay! I really like you, Natsu!" She laughed out loud sinking to the floor as her knees became too weak for her to stand on.

"That's my girl," He grinned broadly, enveloping her in a long overdue embrace. "I knew it, you know? Of course you like me, but I like you even more, Lucy."

thank you so much for reading this story! I honestly don't even know how I was able to keep up with the updates lmao but I think I'll be doing stuff like this more often!

lowkey might might might do a season 2!

I'm leaning more towards yes but I only have a couple of ideas, so no promises without a full storyline formulated!

I'm working on two stories that I hope to complete before publishing them, Trial of the Senses and Temptation of a Knight!

I'll also be working to finish Greedy Dragon, E.N.D Pan, and Girl on the Moon