The next morning Lucy spent the majority of her time staring up at the ceiling. She could hear Natsu sawing logs on the other side of the mattress as he passed out drunk last night and she refused to be the one sleeping on the couch or even his bedroom. She made sure to make a wall of pillows but that wasn't the only thing that bothered her. What bothered her was her dream last night.

She dreamt about a pink-haired boy that looked a little too alike with Natsu running around the beach, building sand castles, fighting with her about who gets to have the bucket, and she vaguely remembered seeing her mom.

This made her think back as she tried to remember: did she know Natsu? How come she had no memory of him? Or was this just a dream?

She turned her head to see Natsu holding onto a pillow, hugging it close to him as he drooled in his sleep. He was muttering nonsense under his breath as he wiggled around, whining this or that as slept. He was even adorable in his sleep.

Lucy just took a deep sigh as she got out of bed, making her way into the bathroom as she stared at herself in the mirror. Her golden hair stuck out like a bird's nest as the strap to her tank top fell off her shoulder, a pout and a look of irritation present on her face as she blew air to push her bangs away. She was quick to relieve herself and wash her face with some cold water as she made her way back to see Natsu had now sprawled out on the mattress, star fishing himself.

"This is my bed," she hissed, irritation building inside of her as she came over to try pushing him aside but he didn't budge. "Why did you even have to fall asleep here?! Your room is right next door!" she grumbled, finally getting some progress as he turned over on his side, mumbling.

Lucy only huffed as she sat down on the bed, brushing her bangs out her face as she panted. She soon yelped when she felt arms encircle around her waist, her body being yanked to a hard warm chest as she cried out.

"Na—Natsu!"

"Lucy," he mumbled, snuggling into her body. "Bed."

"Yes, my bed!" She tried to push herself free, blushing furiously as she felt his breath fan her neck. And she swore she could feel something poking her in the back as she tried to pull herself away from his strong grip. "Natsu!"

"Lucy," he groaned back, leaning back slightly to rub his eye. "You are so loud."

"Because you're in my bed and trapping me!"

"Why can't you just enjoy the moment," he said, irritated as he now opened his eyes. His voice was deep and hoarse, sleep still attached to his words as Lucy felt her embarrassment rise at his stare.

"D—d—don't you know it's improper to bring a woman into bed like this?"

"They usually like it," he snickered, making her gawk and punch him in the shoulder. It made him moan out as he curled up in pain. "Why…"

"Gosh, you are such a whore! And trying to court me into bed like this… I can't believe you!" She mumbled angrily as she crawled away from him.

Natsu couldn't help but stare as her behind wagged in front of his face, suddenly becoming aware of his morning wood as he shifted his legs to cover it. He moved his hard on to tuck it under his waistband, stretching his body as he moaned out. "How did I end up here?" He asked while looking around the familiar room, blinking away his sleep. "Did you seduce me into bed, Lucy?" He teased making her grow red and throw a pillow his way.

"In your dreams! You got drunk and fell asleep here!"

"I told ya, if you want it, all you have to do is ask nicely." He moved his arms to cradle his head, smirking at the flustered blonde.

"You're such a pig!"

"You're so fun to tease," he said, leaning over to her who sat away from him, arms crossed her chest. "Come cuddle with me a bit."

"As if!" She snapped, fighting to push down the blush that kept creeping its way back. "I only cuddle with my friends." She stuck her tongue out at him making him smile in amusement.

"Oh?" He said playfully, smiling to nobody in particular. "So, if we were friends, we could cuddle?"

"But we're not. You made that very clear last night."

"What else could we do if we were friends?" He laid on his stomach, swinging his legs back and forth as he cupped his face in his hands.

Lucy could only scoff, keeping her eyes away from the golden retriever of a man that laid beside her.

"Why do you care? We're not friends."

"Is someone upset they can't be friends with me?" He teased again, poking at her back. Lucy yelped and swatted his hand away, shooting him a look as he grinned back. "Oh, Lucy, you're always so uptight! Loosen up a little!"

"I am not!"

Natsu lunged forward and grabbed her squirming body, wrestling her back into bed as she cried out for help. Natsu just laughed as he used his weight to pin her down on the bed, feeling her stop fighting as she realized she couldn't do much. "Y—you're heavy!"

"I usually like to be held the morning after," he said, looking down at the red face of the woman he laid on top of. "It's kind of my thing."

"Get off!"

"Then can we cuddle?"

"No!"

"Then I'm fine where I am," he said, leaning his head down to lay on the pillow next to her head. Lucy felt suffocated as she felt his warm body press against hers, her heart racing inside of her chest as she caught the smell of him. His hair tickled her face and she squirmed, again, accepting defeat as she looked away.

"F—fine! Fine!" She gave up, a pout coming to her lips. "N—now get off!"

Natsu was quick to roll off her body, grinning victoriously as he grabbed her to latch himself onto her side. Lucy somehow felt like Gray as she had the look of discomfort and defeat painted on her face, staring up at the ceiling as she felt Natsu hold her.

"Does this make us friends?" Natsu teased as Lucy tucked her face into his chest so he couldn't see her face. "I know you really want to be." He twirled the ends of her hair on his finger. He could feel her take a deep breath to exhale slowly and hard, making him chuckle. "You're so fun to tease."

"You're so mean…"

"You are, too," he sighed happily, holding her close as her warmth mixed with his. He could smell her sweet scent she carried and the familiar feeling of her body against his made him relax. He felt at home… almost too close as he held her closer, pressing her soft body against his hard one.

"H—how long do we have to do this?"

"Until I say so."

Lucy only groaned as she started to push him away, fighting the arms that held her as she reeled back with some distance. "Natsu…" she growled, looking at him with hard eyes and a deep blush as her arm trembled to keep him away. "You…" she hissed as he smirked at her. "You need to find a girlfriend to do this with… this is really inappropriate."

"Well, I have you," he said, making her flush deeper. "Aw, you have such a cute face right now!"

"I'm sick of your teasing," she mumbled, frustrated as she shoved him away with enough force that he knew she wasn't playing anymore. "You… why are you being this way?"

"What way?"

"You're confusing in more ways than one. I don't know where you get off by doing this to me and treating me like this…" she trailed off as she sighed deeply again. Natsu just watched how she climbed out of bed, a frown mirroring her face as his eyebrows knitted together. "Unlike you, I don't frolic with men so easily and I am not one you can buy. Your fancy cars, the new wardrobe, the family villa… none of it impresses me. I grew up like this, too, so for you to be like this is beyond me."

"Like what?" He now sat up in bed, watching how she created distance between them. "I'm not trying anything or treating you in any way—"

"Yes you are! The worst part is, you don't even realize what you're doing!" She stomped her foot down like she was throwing a tantrum. "Do you treat all the girls like this?"

"No," he was quick to answer as he rose to his feet. "Do you think this is some scheme to get you to sleep with me or something?"

"Kind of seems like it," Lucy snapped, hands on her hips. "Gray even said so."

"Don't listen to that dumbass," Natsu clicked his tongue in disapproval, face scrunching up in disgust. "And whatever he told you, it ain't true. I'm not trying to buy you," he curled his fingers at the word buy. "And I'm not trying to slip into your pants by spending thousands of dollars, thats fucking ridiculous." He scoffed. "Especially when that shit is free…" he muttered in the last part as Lucy grew angrier.

"Then what is this!"

"Why are you looking so deep into it? Do I need a reason behind my kindness?"

"Yes!" she growled, ears burning red from anger. "Do you not realize that we are not friends? You made this very clear and the fact that we never even spoke a word to each other until a couple days ago should say a lot!"

Natsu shook his head as he crossed his arms across his chest. "That's not true."

"What's not true?"

"That we've never talked before. You and I—"

"Naaaaatsuuuu!" A voice echoed inside the home making the two freeze. Natsu seemed to grow sheet white as he heard the voice making Lucy make a face at him before her voice shrieked through the home once more. "Naaatsu!"

"Who is that?"

"I am not here!" He said as he looked around in a hurry, diving underneath the bed frame as he army crawled his way in. Lucy watched him disappear underneath the bed and she frowned, eyebrows knitted as she turned to look at her door as she heard the confused voices coming from down the hall. She peeked back to look at her bed one more time before she left the room, peeking down the hall to see Gray and Juvia along with Erza and Jellal coming out of rooms. They all looked confused and tired as they all ventured down the hall.

"Who is that?"

"Kind of sounds like Touka." Gray grumbled as Juvia followed close behind.

"Touka?" Lucy echoed, eyebrows knitted as she walked with the four down the hall. "Who is Touka?"

"Natsu's girlfriend."

"What?"

"Don't lie to her," Erza nudged Gray in the side, making him wince out in pain and groan, holding onto his side as Juvia squealed about her darling being hurt. "Touka isn't his girlfriend, Lucy." She offered her a reassuring smile making Lucy let out the breath she was holding in.

"She basically is," Gray mumbled as he moved away from the red-haired warrior who shot him a look.

The five of them came down the stairs to see a short silver-haired girl standing in the foyer, looking lost and annoyed as she looked around. She had long curly hair that reached her waist and grayish blue eyes that reflected her face. She wore a long white dress with a black corset, her sweet cute childish face pouting as she looked around.

"Touka?"

Whipping her head to see the five, her face instantly brightened up as she made her way right to Gray. "Gray! Erza! Juvia! Jellal!" She cried out, clinging onto the dark-haired male who tried to pry him off. Juvia's dark aura gleaned as she witnessed the smaller girl cling onto her darling as Erza grabbed the back of her shirt to pull her off the yelping male. "Erza!"

"Touka… what are you doing here?"

"Don't be so mean, Erza!" Touka pouted, kicking her legs back and forth. "I came to see my darling Natsu!"

"Touka, you're not supposed to be here by yourself." Jellal scolded, looking at the pouting girl. "Does your parents even know that you're here?"

"Once I told them I'm going to Natsu's, they didn't care!" She giggled, pink dusting her cheeks. "Where is he?!"

"He's not here."

Looking over to see who said that, Touka came face to face with an unfamiliar blonde who was looking right at her. Her face instantly dropped to a sneer, eyebrows knitted as she looked right at Gray. "Who the hell is she?"

Erza slapped the back of her head making her jerk forward, a yelp flying out of her lips as she pouted and looked up at the woman with teary eyes. "Erza!"

"Touka, that isn't nice. This is Lucy, she's Natsu's friend."

"Uh, actually," Lucy laughed awkwardly, rubbing the back of her head. "Just… acquaintances."

The four of them gave the blonde a weird look before Touka huffed, stomping her foot on the ground.

"I don't care who she is! I want to see Natsu! I came to see him!"

"Well, Lucy said he isn't here right now."

"Then I'm going to wait for him." She huffed, crossing her arms across her chest. "I came all this way to see him."

Erza and Gray just exchanged a look before they sighed, looking back at Lucy who raised a brow at them. It seemed like she knew what they were trying to silently say to her, making her nod and turn away, going back up the stairs as the silver-haired girl threw a tantrum. Her loud shrieks echoed in the halls of the large home as the blonde came back into her own room, seeing how Natsu stuck his head out to look.

"Is she gone?"

"Your girlfriend has requested your presence."

"She's not my girlfriend." He growled as he crawled out from under the bed, dusting himself off. "And she's only thirteen so that's fucking gross."

"Well, she came all this way to see her precious Natsu," Lucy snickered, a smug look on her face as he scowled at her. "The least you can do is show your face."

"She's a fucking menace. Juvia 2.0."

"She seemed to be in distress," Lucy gasped dramatically, making him glare at her. "Isn't that your thing? Maybe she could cuddle you." She smirked as Natsu rolled his eyes, planting his hand on his hips.

"Ha-ha, you are so funny." He said sarcastically.

"I know!" She giggled as she came over to open the doors to her balcony. "She's waiting for you downstairs. You should go say hello."

"Pass." He said as he flopped back onto the bed, face first as he groaned. "Tell her to leave."

"Not my problem," Lucy waved him off as the fresh ocean breeze came in. "I'd like to go into town today. Would like to go to the shops."

"I'll take you." He shot right up on the bed, lifting himself with his arms. "Let's go. Right now." He ran over to where she was, grabbing her by the arm as she jerked herself free from his grasps.

"No! I need to get ready," she scowled. "And besides, your girlfriend is downstairs waiting for you."

"Ah-ah," he held his finger up to her face. "Thirteen."

"Whatever, just leave so I can shower."

"Be my guest," he opened his arms out to hold it towards the bathroom, a smile on his face. Lucy just glared at him, a heavy blush painting her cheeks again. "Come on, we don't have all day."

"Don't make me go get Touka." She threatened making Natsu reel back as his face paled. He gulped and looked away grumbling.

"Fine."

Watching how Natsu left her room gave her a piece of mind as she let out a deep sigh, slumping her shoulders as she finally relaxed. She was quick to go to her bathroom, locking the door as she started her shower.

Her mind was racing as her heart throbbed, wondering what Natsu was talking about before Touka made an appearance. Has she spoken to Natsu before? Is he maybe referring to the times they might have said good morning or a quick hello in the hallways? And what was with him this morning treating her as if they were a thing? It made her blush heavily as she thought about Natsu's arms around her and his warm body pressed against hers. It made her feel a feeling she's never felt before as she felt a desire pool inside her stomach. She rubbed her knees together subconsciously as she imagined his tone chest and warm body pressed against her, again but this time, naked.

She felt hot and bothered as she tried to think about anything else but Natsu on top of her, sleek from sweat and their juices that mixed together.

Her nipples perked up from her excitement as she combed through her hair, blinking back the thoughts as she let out a sigh.

The amount of erotic books she read throughout her life wasn't nearly enough for her to be prepared for anything like that. Especially with someone as experienced as Natsu, she could never compare to his level of expertise. She was willing to give her first kiss to the flirt but was she willing to give herself up entirely?

She always imagined her first time to be in a spur of the moment, straight out of a romance movie type of intercourse. Her Prince charming would kiss her so gingerly as he eased himself into her. There would be sparks and a fire between them and it would be the most amazing thing just like her novels portrayed it.

Wrapping the towel around her body, Lucy brushed her teeth and went into her closet, rummaging through the clothes as she wondered what she should wear to their small outing. It made her think of Touka again as a small frown appeared on her lips, groaning out as she palmed her forehead.

"She's thirteen!" She muttered to herself, shaking her head back and forth.

Slipping on some lace panties and yet another sun dress that hugged her curves, Lucy tossed her hair into a tight low bun. She pulled her bangs out by her ears and applied some perfume before finding some sandals in the back of her closet. She carried the shoes in her hands as she tucked the sunglasses over her ears, perching them on her head like a crown as she left the comfort of her room.

Voices echoed throughout the home as she walked down the halls and stairs, coming to the kitchen where the entire group hung around. Donuts and fast food was laid out on the counter, everyone talking to one another as she came to inspect the food.

"You look good!" Yukino chirped as she leaned against the counter to look at the blonde. "Where are you going?"

Lucy could feel the stares coming from those around, especially the burning one coming from Touka who sat in the corner.

"A—ah… I have some errands to run." Lucy muttered awkwardly as she pointed at the food. "What's this?" She was quick to change the subject as Sting came over, grabbing a donut from in front of her.

"Breakfast." He said through food in his mouth. "Jellal went out and got us food 'cause Touka is here."

Lucy nodded as she looked back over at the silver-haired girl who seemed to be shooting daggers her way. Lucy couldn't help but feel sweat outline her forehead as she gulped, turning her head away to laugh softly.

"Don't worry so much about her," Gray came over to pat her on the shoulder. "She's usually like that when it comes to new girls."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" She whispered back, making him shrug.

Gray leaned in, looking like he was walking by as he whispered. "Idiot is waiting for you outside… he's trying to avoid Touka so you better dip."

Lucy only nodded as she reached for a donut, putting her hand up as she smiled nervously. "See you later guys!"

"Lucy, you're leaving already?" Sting whined from the counter, pouring coffee into a mug. "Can we come, too?"

"No," Gray was quick to jump in, pointing his finger at the blonde one. "Rematch. Pool in thirty."

Sting was quick to avert his gaze to the shirtless one, a smirk breaking out as he put his fist up. "Get your ass wiped, again!"

Lucy took the opportunity to slip away, donut in between her teeth as she scurried to the foyer. She made sure to close the door extra soft as she saw Natsu sitting in the convertible they came in earlier that week, sunglasses covering his usual mesmerizing eyes. She can see how his eyebrow raised, hopping into the car as she pulled the donut out of her mouth to hold it between her thumb and pointer finger.

"Where'd you get the donut?"

"Jellal bought them for everyone 'cause Touka is here." She buckled herself in, taking another bite.

"And you didn't bring me one?" He sounded offended as she scoffed.

"And why would I?"

"How about 'cause I'm taking you into town?"

"I can take myself if that's a problem. Touka is inside—"

Shifting the car into drive, Natsu was quick to step on the gas pedal as he sped off the driveway. Lucy's body jerked backwards as her head smacked the seat, a yelp flying out her lips as she turned her head to scowl at him.

"Gimme a bite of your donut."

"No way!" Lucy cried out, moving the donut away from his line of sight. "Get your own!"

"I couldn't! And someone was too selfish to think of anyone else but themselves!"

"That's not my fault!"

Grabbing her wrist, Natsu tried to bring the fried dessert to his mouth as he drove, head leaning forward while he watched the road. Lucy fought against him, arm trembling as she used her other hand to pull her hand towards her. "S—Stop it!"

"Gimme a bite!"

"Get your own!"

"I would if someone was nice enough to bring me one!"

Coming to a stop sign, Natsu pressed the brakes and came to a complete stop as he leaned in and swallowed the other half of the donut Lucy had in her hand. This made her gawk as he smirked at her, feeling good about himself as he started to cruise down the road again.

"You're such a jerk, Natsu!"

"Oh i'll buy you more you big baby," he waved her off. "That was pretty good."

"Yeah, and you ate the whole thing!"

Natsu could only laugh as Lucy crossed her arms across her chest, pouting the entire way as she grumbled about her other half of her dessert.

The drive into town was short as the couple arrived, parking the exotic car to exit out of the vehicle. There were more people out this time, shopping and eating as Lucy's entire face perked up, long forgetting the stolen donut. Natsu followed closely behind her as she was skipping towards the shops, her eyes wide and sparkling as she looked into the windows. It only made him smile softly as he watched her light up.

The rest of the day he followed behind her as he went in and out of stores, holding up clothes for him to see while he sat in the corner, grumbling about how much he despised shopping. He would buy her small things like jewelry and other items as he held the many bags she would hand him. He bought her a box of the donuts she rightfully swore were hers as they skipped down the cobblestone streets of Akane beach, the bubbly blonde all smiles and sunshine as Natsu struggled to keep up with her.

When it was late afternoon, the two sat at a small restaurant against the waters, sun beaming down as Lucy was all giggly and wide eyed.

She sipped on a cola as she looked out into the gleaming waters, tourists and locals laying by the beach below as the waves splashed gracefully.

"This place is so beautiful. I never knew we had such a place in Ishgar." Lucy said, sighing lovingly as she leaned against her arm. "I think I'd definitely come back to this place."

Natsu could only smile softly as he leaned against his chair, watching how her doe eyes sparkled.

"You're welcome back at my villa anytime."

Lucy turned to give him a wide smile making him feel heat rise to his cheeks, quickly looking away from her as it was now his turn to look into the ocean waters.

"I think I want to lay by the pool when we get back."

"Y—you want to go back already?" He sounded uneasy. "Let's just stay out all day." He suggested making Lucy frown and shake her head as the waitress came back with their meals.

"I've done all my sightseeing though, I want to lay by the pool."

"We can go to the beach."

"I don't even have a swimsuit."

"We can buy one."

"No," she shook her head, making him frown. "You just don't want to go see your girlfriend."

"How many times do I have to say she is thirteen." He groaned, rolling his eyes as he slapped the back of the ketchup bottle. "That's like, illegal and I am way too old to be into someone like her."

"You're only seventeen."

"Exactly." He pointed his fork at her before he stuck it in his mouth.

Lucy only rolled her eyes. "So, what is she to you?"

"She's just a family friend of ours," he grumbled, annoyance laced in his words as he aggressively cut his steak. "Her mom worked under my dad at one of our law firms. I've known her since she was seven years old so naturally she would fall in love with a handsome stud like me," he smirked as Lucy rolled her eyes while picking at her salad. "But she just follows me around everywhere and she's annoying."

"I think it's pretty cute," she giggled. "You have a fan."

"Yeah," he snorted. "How about you get someone like that and tell me if you'd like it?"

"I don't know, she's only a kid. It's all harmless. You shouldn't be so harsh on her."

"I wouldn't be if she respected boundaries."

Lucy could only laugh lightly as she watched Natsu rant about his family friend, somehow connecting it to Gray and Juvia.

"But Gray and Juvia are the same age and he actually does like her."

"Really? Doesn't seem like it."

"They've been sleeping together and been a thing for a while." he waved his hand around. "Gray just pretends he doesn't like it but you should see how protective he gets when it comes to her."

Lucy only smiled as she thought about the couple, feeling happy for Juvia and yet a pang of jealousy as she wished she could have someone like that. She felt like she was in a story book, reading about their love.

The couple ended their lunch rather quickly as they headed out the beautiful place, Natsu in tow as he grumbled about staying longer. He even suggested they could drive further down Akane beach and look in the tourist location but Lucy was adamant about heading back before the sun went down. Hopping back into the car, the two drove back towards the villa as Lucy enjoyed the view back. She didn't think she would ever get tired of this place as she continued to have a smile on her face, feeling the wind blow through the car.

"There's one more place I want to go," Natsu said as he drove past the gates of the community. "And I promise we can go back."

Lucy only quirked a brow as she observed the area, seeing how Natsu drove up a hill. The drive was rather quick as they came upon an overlook, a couple of hikers and cars parked in the lot as they stepped out. She could see there were people here and there, enjoying the view and taking photos as they approached the edge. Lucy was in awe as they came up to the overlook, the blonde rushing over to lean against the edge to see the violent waves. She looked out to see the never ending sea that sparkled in the sunlight, a couple of fishermen boats here and there along with jet skiers.

"Wow!" Lucy gasped out, eyes wide in amazement. "This is so beautiful."

"Yeah, it's a completely different view from the house." He had his hands shoved in his pocket as he looked out into the overlook. "One of the local treasures."

Lucy could only stare out into the ocean, eyes gleaming as she felt the ocean breeze tickle her nose. Completely unaware of Natsu watching her, a soft expression decorating his face as he felt enchanted by her look. He was quick to turn his head when Lucy turned to look at him, a wide smile on her face as he buried his face into his scarf.

"You're full of surprises," she mused as he turned to look back at her. "I'm sorry for judging you so harshly."

"You did?" He sounded shocked and a bit hurt.

"Well, what did you expect? You're a delinquent."

"Hey—!"

"But that's not all you are," she was quick to say as Natsu pouted. "All I'm saying is… thank you."

"You keep saying that."

"I know," she giggled, leaning against the railing to look out again. "That's all I could say… you've really opened my eyes to a lot of new things and I appreciate it. I appreciate you."

Natsu felt his heart throb inside his chest as his eyes widened, the blush furthering on his face as he scowled, turning his head away. He felt Lucy bump his shoulder playfully as he couldn't help the smile that came to his face. He tossed his arm around her shoulder and teased her as she laughed, the two of them expressing gratitude and endearment for one another.

"E—excuse me!" A nervous voice behind them spoke out, making them turn and look. A blushing woman came up to them, camera hanging from her neck as she approached them cautiously. "Um, I'm sorry to interrupt but I really wanted to give this to you." She held out a small photo. "I couldn't help but take a photo of you two…" she said bashfully as Lucy took the photo out of her hands.

It was the two of them with wide laughing faces, Natsu's arm slung around her shoulders as the sun behind them shined on them like a spotlight. The sparkling ocean was painted in the background and Lucy felt her face grow hot just by looking at them.

"Wow, nice picture taking skills, lady." Natsu said, peeking over Lucy's shoulder. "Thanks!"

"M—m—my pleasure!" she squeaked, face red as she stared right at the handsome man. "I—I do local photography here and I j—just couldn't help but capture the moment."

"T—thank you…" Lucy said, face also beet red.

The girl was quick to leave as Lucy stared at the photo, tuning out Natsu's teasing as her fingers held onto the photo. She couldn't peel her eyes away from the image as her heart throbbed inside of her chest. This is the type of pictures she would see online or in books of couples who vacation together and are in love. It somehow made her feel warm and jittery as she looked up at Natsu who was calling her name. They made their way back home quickly as Natsu pulled up, sweat outlining his forehead as he worried about dealing with Touka. He practically dragged himself inside as Lucy made a beeline to her room, photo still clutched in her hand as her heart raced.

Turning around to see Natsu toss all the bags on the bed, he let out a breath as he wiped his forehead.

"Jeez, you sure know how to run a tab."

Lucy only smiled at him as he flashed her another grin.

"I'm going to go get changed for the pool. Everyone seems to be already out there, I'll meet ya?"

"Okay," she nodded as he left her room. She was now standing in her room alone, heart pounding and cheeks burning. She somehow wanted to scream into her pillow and roll around on the floor in glee, feeling like a kid with a crush.

A crush? Is this what she would possibly call it? Or just… gratitude?

Changing into a white frilly bikini today, Lucy made her way out to the pool where her newly acquired friends all greeted her happily. They all ushered her over and asked about her day as her heart swelled, a wide smile on her face as she laughed and shared drinks with the girls as she spoke about her day trip. They even teased her about Natsu as her face popped red, denying anything and everything as they laughed.

Lucy still couldn't help but feel uneasy as she felt the burning stare from the child in the pool, seeing how she was sitting in a floaty with the boys.

But she was quick to change when she saw Natsu coming, the little girl splashing excitedly to swim over to the edge.

"Natsu!" She squealed happily as the pink-haired male grimaced. "Natsu! Natsu! Natsu!" she chanted her entire way to him, throwing herself into his chest as he stumbled backwards. "Where were you!" She cried out, a pout on her lips as the said male exchanged looks with the smirking faces of his friends. "You left me all alone! I was waiting for you!"

"I—I was running some errands," he muttered out as he pried the girl off of him, an annoyed expression painting his features. "What are you even doing here?"

"I came to see you!"

"Yeah… but what are you doing here?"

"Natsu, you're so mean!" She pouted, eyes becoming watery. "I wanted to spend spring break with you!"

"Touka, you can't possibly stay. We're doing older people stuff and you're not old enough for most of it."

"What? Like drinking and smoking?" She rolled her eyes, crossing her arms across her chest. "As if I've never seen that."

"Yeah, but it's not appropriate for you especially with no adult supervision."

"Erza and Jellal are here!" she said, pointing at the said couple who was mid conversation to stop and look. "They can look after me!"

"That's kind of selfish of you to think they would just because they're older. Touka, you need to understand that—"

"Oh, let the kid fuckin' stay," Gajeel scoffed, throwing his hand in the air. "She ain't gonna hurt anyone."

Natsu shot his cousin a dirty look as the silver-haired one squealed, twirling around in glee.

"Come on, Natsu! Let's play!" She grabbed his hand, dragging him over to the pool. Natsu could only give his friends looks of help as they all laughed at him, his eyes landing on the blonde who only snickered as he climbed into the pool with the little girl. "Natsu, let's play mermaids!"

Natsu reluctantly played mermaids with the girl as his friends teased him in the pool, splashes of water getting tossed around as they started to fight.

Lucy didn't know how or when it happened but she was hammered.

Well, not just her.

Everyone was.

There was yet another party in the Dragneel villa where a lot of the same people she met the first night had attended. The large home was occupied with sweaty drunk bodies and loud music as they danced the night away. Night fell soon after and with a well-deserved nap, Lucy was taken out of her bed by force to drink with everyone as she was handed this and that. And now with eight shots buzzing inside of her with a couple of cups of jungle juice, Lucy was stumbling and slurring into the night as everyone laughed.

Juvia was prone to cry when drunk as she followed Gray around, crying about how he could use her body in any way as she stripped her clothes off. Erza was an angry drunk as she declared she's the beer pong queen and the queen of everyone there as she stomped around, picking fights and having Jellal follow her around in a rush. Yukino became super flirty and had a trail of guys following her as she swayed her hips, giggling and purring at them. Lucy seemed like she was the only sane one as she mumbled nonsense, laughing loudly and practically screaming.

The boys couldn't do much so their only solution was to get hammered, too, which created this entire mess in the first place.

Touka never left Natsu's side since he got there which irked him as he never was able to have time with the blonde as he watched from a distance. He could see how trashed she was as she spilt her drinks and laughed out loud, her usual pale face glowing red from the alcohol.

He was usually one of the most drunk at parties but tonight he was barely buzzed as his only concern was Touka that was latched to his arm. He's told her several times to stop but she only cried making him groan, babysitting the girl who insisted she wanted to make cookies during a party.

So there he was, sitting at the counter with irritation building in his face as the said girl happily rolled out dough on the counter while his friends all partied.

His sharp senses and eyes followed the blonde like she was his prey, sipping on his cup as his attention darted from Touka to Lucy.

"Luuuucy!" A voice cried out making him snap his neck to see how Sting busted into the room with his arms held up high. "Lucy! You! Me! Flip cup!"

"You're on!" She shouted excitedly as the others joined in.

"I'm so good at flip cup!"

"I am the queen!"

"Yes, my dear, you are."

He watched how they all trailed outside making him purse his lips in irritation, barely seeing her silhouette.

"Natsu! Try this!" Touka's voice brought him back and he snapped his head to the smiling girl. "I made it into a heart shape just for you!"

"Touka," he said harshly, making her blink. "I think it's time for you to go to bed."

"What? It's only ten—"

Natsu shot her a stern look and she stopped, her eyes widened as her bottom lip quivered as he sighed, again. Frustrated, Natsu just ran a hand through his hair as he looked over to see one of his buddies. He called him over as the said adult stood in front of the Dragneel heir.

"Macao, watch Touka. I need some air."

"But Natsu—!" Touka tried to protest but Natsu ignored her as he swiftly left making his way outside where the crowd of people went. She watched him leave and huffed, stomping her foot down as she turned to look at the said drunk male who was ordered to watch her. She only growled and finished up her task as he tried talking to her.

Meanwhile, Natsu ventured outside where the fold-up table was set up, cups slinging the edges as everyone's respected teams stood around. They all whooped and cheered as they were going down the line, Lucy and Sting at the end of the table as they cheered on their teammates. He watched how Sting tapped her and leaned in close to say something as his eyes landed on the hand on the small of her back. He felt irritation build inside his chest as he made his way over to where Lucy was, standing beside her as she didn't even realize, cheering on Juvia who was on her team as the blue-haired student aggressively tossed the cup in the air for it to keep landing downwards.

"Come on, Juvia!"

"Stop doing it so hard!"

"Juvia, focus!"

Finally being able to flip the cup to the right side, the entire group cheered as now Gray chugged, tapping his cup to try to flip it while everyone cheered him on.

"Lucy," Natsu put his hand on her waist, making her whip her head to see the male.

"Natsu!" She said cheerfully as she turned to throw her arms over his shoulders. This caught him by surprise as he felt her press her body against his. "Natsu, where have you been all night? I wanted you to be on my team."

"I was kind of busy with Touka." He smiled sheepishly as he smelt the alcohol from her mouth. "Are you alright?"

"Lucy!" The shouts of their friends made her crane her neck. "Go! It's your turn!"

"Stop making out with that idiot and go!"

"O—oh!" Lucy cried out as she realized her team was ahead, the blonde quickly grabbing her cup to throw it back. Juices spilled down the corners of her mouth as the blonde wiped them away, placing her cup carefully on the edge to start trying to flip it.

Natsu just swallowed hard as she bumped her behind against him, the said male taking a step back as he felt a blush crawl on his face. Sting noticed and only snickered as they exchanged knowing looks. Natsu shot him daggers as the blonde was now caught up, throwing the drink back as he was now head to head with Lucy who was still struggling to flip her cup.

The crowd cheered loudly when Lucy was finally able to flip her cup, deeming her team as the victors as she screamed loudly, throwing her arms up in the air.

"Sucker!" She laughed, pointing at the sulking blonde who was going on about a rematch. "Natsu! Natsu!" She jumped over to where he was, placing her hands on his shoulders. "Didya see? I actually won! I won!"

"I know," he chuckled, placing a hand on top of her head. "I'm proud of you."

Silence was squeezed in between as Natsu looked into the eyes of Lucy, her wide sparkling eyes daring him to lean in as his heart raced inside his chest. He was not drunk enough for this and for some reason, Lucy's confidence made him nervous as the crowd around him disappeared. He felt like they were the only two left as he gulped, looking into the eyes of the drunk one.

He wasn't usually the shy one and he was always the one who pulled the first move whether it came to battle or relationships. But with Lucy… he felt his heart pound and stomach flutter like no other. He could clearly smell the alcohol coming from her but he could also smell her sweet scent she carried making his pants tight and throat dry.

And why was she leaning in to him like she's going to kiss him?

And why did he feel so nervous?

And why was Gray smirking at him like that?

"Natsu!" A voice snapped him out of it as he looked over his shoulder. He felt Lucy's shoulders drop as he looked back to the woman before he scowled to see Touka running out towards him, Macao running behind her to catch up. "Natsu, the cookies are done!" She said as she stood in front of them, her eyes narrowing at the blonde. "Why are you with her?"

"Oops, busted." Lucy giggled, making Natsu turn to give her a dirty look.

"Natsu, why are you with her?" She whined, pouting as she kept glaring at the drunk one. "She's not even pretty!"

"Touka, stop it."

"Your girlfriend is here." Lucy sang, teasing the scowling student.

"Yeah, so get off him!" Touka growled, coming over to shove Lucy away from Natsu.

Lucy yelped as the force of the push threw her towards the table, knocking into Sting as the two went tumbling to the ground. The table snapped in half as they knocked over all the cups, cries of surprise and worry flying through the air.

"Lucy!" Natsu cried out as he quickly went over to her, grabbing her by the arm as she laid on top of Sting.

"What the fuck!" Sting cried out as Natsu pulled Lucy off of him.

"Lucy! Are you alright?"

"Ouch," Lucy cried out as she winced when Natsu grabbed her by the arm. He flipped it around to see a gash running up her forearm, blood pouring down her arm. His eyes widened as he whipped his head to glare at Touka, the said girl looking back at him with wide eyes.

"Get the fuck away from us, Touka!" He shouted, making the crowd around stare. "You've caused enough problems!"

"B—but…"

"I said now!" He roared out, standing up to tower over the quivering figure. He waved his hands and immediately guys were to their side, ushering the young one away as Natsu went back to checking up on Lucy. Gray and Jellal were already to her side as they helped her up, Gray's shirt wrapped around her bleeding arm. They brought her over to where the bonfire was, sitting her down on the chair as Juvia rushed over with a first aid kit in her hands. He watched how Juvia carefully peeled the bloody shirt away from her, going to disinfect her cut.

"Someone get me a shot." Lucy moaned out, watching how blood dripped down her arm.

"On it." Jellal shot up from his crouching position, walking away as the others surrounded her.

Sting just whined in the corner while Rouge told him to get over himself, wet spots all over his clothing.

Natsu felt his blood boil as he watched Lucy only watched with a daze, the bloody tissues and shirt being tossed into the fire. He clenched his fist and he threw back his drink, turning around to stomp towards the house. Gajeel grabbed him by the shoulder to stop him making him whirl around and shoot him a look.

"She ain't worth it."

"She needs to learn her lesson."

"She's not going to. Drop it."

"No way!" He shrugged his hand away from his arms. "She could have seriously hurt Lucy! She needs to know that was wrong and not something she can do!"

"She's a fucking kid," Gajeel sighed, irritated. "She was reacting off emotion. And you're about to react off emotion too. Cool off and then go talk to her. Yelling at her and making her feel worse about the situation isn't going to help."

"He's right," Gray came over, looking between the two. "Touka is just a kid. She knows she messed up so no reason to go and yell at her and make her cry. Just wait it out."

Natsu looked away from them, scowling at nobody in particular as he clenched his fist. He squeezed his eyes shut and let out a groan, turning around to push past them to go right back to Lucy. He saw her with a pout on her cute lips as she whined about the bandages Juvia was wrapping around her. He came over and crouched down beside her, looking up at her with sorry eyes as she averted her gaze to him.

"You alright?"

"I'm so drunk I don't even feel the pain," Lucy laughed, making Natsu chuckle with her. "Juvia said it's nothing big. There's just a lot of blood because I'm drinking. Don't worry."

"She will be fine," Juvia said as she ripped the tape with her teeth. "Lucy did say she was up to her tetanus shot so she will heal and no major complications."

"Thanks Juvia," Natsu said as the blue-haired woman smiled before she collected the first aid kit to walk away. Natsu scooted over to be in front of Lucy, a frown mirroring his face as he looked at her bandaged arm. "I'm sorry."

"What are you sorry about?" She laughed lightly. "I told ya, I can't feel it."

Natsu just smiled before he started frowning slowly. "I feel like it's my fault."

"No it's not."

"Are you sure you're alright?"

"Yeah," she smiled at him. "I've had worse."

Natsu frowned deeper at the response as Jellal came back, two shots in his hands as he carefully handed Lucy one before holding it out to the pink-haired male. "I figured you might want this."

"Thanks," Natsu took it from his hands to throw it back immediately. He gave it right back to Jellal who nodded, looking back at Lucy who took it to make a sour face.

"Ugh! What is this?"

"Tequila."

"Yuck!"

Jellal and Natsu just laughed as Lucy stuck her tongue out, whining about the burning taste going down her throat. Natsu just couldn't help but keep going back to her arm, carefully brushing his fingers against the bandaged arm.

"I really am sorry."

"Nothing to be sorry about," Lucy smiled warmly. "Stop apologizing."

Natsu sighed deeply as he leaned in, pressing his forehead against her knees as he held her legs. Lucy felt the blush crawl up her neck as she looked down at the bowing student, looking up in confusion and concern as everyone watched them.

"N—Natsu…"

"I won't ever let you get hurt, again," he promised. "I apologize greatly for the trouble Touka had caused you."

"Natsu..!" She squeaked as he lifted his head up to lock eyes with her. "I—I said it's fine."

He was just quiet as he kept sighing deeply, a frown coming up to the blonde's face as she placed a hand on top of his head. This made him look up at her in surprise as she gave him a reassuring smile, her hand coming down to stroke the side of his face down to his shoulder.

"Natsu… can you do something for me?"

"What is it?"

"It's a full moon tonight," she said as she looked up at the bright moon above. "Could you get the pouch from my room? It's inside of the nightstand."

Natsu only smiled as he stood up, giving her a pat on her head before he left. He walked past everyone who asked what happened and if he was alright, anger building inside of him again as he entered the home. He walked straight to the living room where Touka sat, surrounded by those who were trying to comfort the crying girl as she sobbed into her hands.

"Natsu!" Erza growled as she saw him approach. 'How dare you yell at Touka!"

"Oh, that's funny," he scoffed as he stood in front of the group. "Did she tell you what the fuck she did?"

"Natsu," she glared, coming over to him. "That doesn't excuse your behavior and watch your language!"

"Yeah, Natsu! You don't yell at girls!"

"She fucking shoved Lucy and cut her arm open! She bled everywhere!"

"What?"

Everyone now turned back to look at Touka who was looking away in awkwardness, sniffling as she wiped the tears from her eyes.

"Touka, you failed to mention the most important part."

"W—well… she was all over Natsu and I just…"

"Touka, you don't ever put your hands on anyone." Jellal came over to crouch down and look at her with a stern look. "What you did was wrong."

"But Jellal—!"

"If you ever put your hands on Lucy again, I'm going to personally make it my job to make your life a living hell." Natsu came over, growling at the quivering girl who looked up at him in horror. "I'm calling someone to get your ass."

"No!" Touka cried out as she lunged herself onto the male who had his phone out. "Please! I'm sorry! I won't do it again!"

"I'm not the one who you should be apologizing to," Natsu hissed, nudging the girl off his leg. "I'm going to tell your parents what you did."

"No!" She cried out, tears rushing down her face. "Please! I'm sorry! Natsu! Please!"

"Natsu, don't you think you're being a little harsh?" Jellal came over to place a hand on his shoulders as the pink-haired one scoffed.

"Tell that to Lucy."

Jellal just frowned as he exchanged looks with Erza who just shook her head. The blue-haired male just sighed and let it go as Natsu called someone, requesting a car at his villa immediately so they could take the said crying girl home. Touka's wails echoed throughout the home as Natsu walked off, making his way to Lucy's room where he went straight to where she said she left the pouch. He held it in his hands to look at it, flipping it over to inspect it as a small smile came to his lips, remembering how excited she truly was to receive it.

He made his way back down to where she was, holding the pouch in his pocket as he could feel the music in his chest. He pocketed two beers as he made a beeline to the backyard. Lucy was all he could think about and he couldn't help but smile as he remembered how happy and bright she was today until the incident. He even blushed when he remembered how she wanted to kiss him before Touka ruined it.

It ticked him off again as he came back outside, coming straight to the bonfire where Lucy wasn't at. He was confused as he looked around for the said blonde, turning to see she was back doing a beer bong with Yukino in the corner.

He just sighed, coming over to where they were to tap the said blonde on the shoulder.

"Natsu!" Yukino squeaked, coming over to him, leaning in close as he reeled back. "Come do this!"

"Yes! You have to!" Lucy gasped, pointing at him.

"I have to?" He asked, amused.

"Yes, think of it as… payback for my injury." she gave him a crooked grin. Natsu could just scoff as he took the beer bong from the hands of Yukino who squealed, running over to crack open a beer to pour it in. He never broke eye contact with Lucy as he took the whole thing in a quick swallow, the jaws of the girls dropping as he burped. "T—that was fast!"

"How did you do that?!"

"When you're a pro like me, you can do anything." He snickered as he handed it back to Yukino. "Come on, Luce. I got the goods."

"Goods? You have drugs?" Yukino came over to lean in, whispering.

"No you freak," Natsu nudged her off, a scowl coming to his face as Lucy giggled. "I meant for the bonfire."

"Boring," Yukino rolled her eyes as she made a beeline to where her fellow peers were at.

Natsu just rolled his eyes at her as he gently held the hand of the hiccuping girl, helping her back to the bonfire.

"I'm not handicapped or disabled, I can walk." Lucy said, making him smile.

"I know. I just wanted to hold your hand."

Lucy could feel her heart race, feeling the warmth of his hand wrapped around hers as they came back to the fire. He helped her sit back down and he grabbed the empty seat next to her, dragging it closer. He dug into his pocket and handed the pouch to her making her light up, a smile coming back as he returned the smile.

"So, how does this work?"

"Like this," Lucy said as she just tossed it right into the fire for it to grow immediately. Natsu was taken back as he blinked, looking at the grinning drunk back to the fire that swirled wildly.

He just laughed as he pulled the two bottles from his back pocket, using his teeth to open it once more. He held it out to Lucy who cradled the bottle in her hands, a soft hum rumbling from her petite body.

"How long until we start seeing shit?"

"Uh, I'm unsure," she laughed lightly. "I guess we just wait."

"Didn't he say it changed colors, too?"

"Yeah but he didn't really specify how or when… maybe we should have asked."

"You're so gullible. This probably doesn't even—"

"Oh, look! It's changing!"

Natsu stopped talking as he watched the fire start to swirl a rainbow color, popping and growing into the hot flames. He felt mesmerized as he couldn't help but feel the heat produced from the fire, eyes widening slightly as he began to see it flicker. He could hold out a shape of hands being held, sparks of burnt wood popping out to reveal golden hair. The air was sucked out of him as he immediately thought of Lucy, her laugh echoing in his mind as he watched the flames dance so merrily away. Waves that mirrored a scarf flapping into the night sky, flowing into the darkness above. Eventually, the fire began to die back down, as a smoke circle in the shape of a heart floated into the air.

Both Natsu and Lucy watched it fly up into the sky, heads tilted upwards to see it disappear. They turned to look at each other, eyes wide and heart racing. They didn't know if they both saw the same thing but they both definitely saw something.

Lucy's lips were slightly parted as she struggled to make out words as Natsu felt his heart racing like no other. He didn't know what to say as they both stared.

He swallowed hard and broke eye contact, forcing out a laugh. "I kinda want s'mores, do you want one?"

Lucy only slowly nodded, bottom lip caught between her teeth as she looked back at the now small flames.

Getting up to snatch the bag from the table nearby, he sat back down and went right into roasting marshmallows on a stick. The two were dead silent the whole time, the flames popping once in a while to break it as the party went on. Natsu assembled a treat as he stuck the slightly burnt marshmallow in between the crackers, sandwiching it in as he held it out to his partner. Lucy just blinked at the dessert before looking back up at him, seeing how he avoiding eye contact.

"Thank you," she whispered, taking the treat to bite down on it. Natsu just went back to making another one, muttering a small response. Lucy had a string of marshmallows trailing from the treat making her giggle, breaking the silence between them as he turned to look at her. He couldn't help but chuckle as she had chocolate and marshmallows stuck to her lips and chin. She tried to wipe them away as she swallowed, licking at her lips. "Did I get it?"

"No," he laughed, pointing at his lip.

Lucy tried to mirror him as she wiped, smearing the mess even further. "Now?"

"No," he leaned in, licking his thumb to reach over to wipe her mouth. He smeared away the chocolate and smiled sweetly at her, his eyes low from admiration and thumb soft against her face. This made Lucy stare at him with a dumbfounded shy expression on her face, wondering if he was thinking she was.

And without thinking, she leaned in.

notes: i hope everyone is liking the new story so far! see you in the next chapter!