Prompt: We went to the beach and I kinda forgot to put sunscreen on so you have to put Aloe on me when we get home but be gentle AU
Characters: Lucy and Natsu

"Ow, ow, ow" Lucy whimpered as she waddled into her apartment, thighs kept far apart to keep her crisped skin from accidentally rubbing together. Everything was sore and painful.

"We made it, Luce!" Natsu cheered, following behind the blonde carrying all their beach bags and supplies. He propped the beach chairs against the wall before following Lucy the rest of the way into the apartment.

The poor sunburnt blonde gently laid herself down on the couch, arranging her limbs so nothing was touching. She'd been so stupid. Between trying to tan and genuinely just forgetting, the blonde hadn't put any sunscreen on.

"Barely," she whimpered out in response to Natsu.

The pink-haired man walked over to the couch with a glass of water, chuckling at the blonde. He pushed her legs to make himself room on the couch, despite her moans of protest. With a whimpering sigh, Lucy peeled herself up and forced herself into an upright position next to Natsu.

Lucy reached over and plucked the glass of water out of Natsu's hand. "Hey!" he protested as Lucy took a sip. She slowly lowered the glass and blinked her big brown eyes at him.

"Please, Natsu. I'm in pain."

Natsu snorted. "It's your own fault, you should have worn sunscreen."

"I was trying to tan," Lucy made out through gritted teeth.

Her pink-haired friend just cackled, rudely poking her crispy red arm triggering a yelp from Lucy. "You missed tan and went straight to lobster!" Natsu cackled, proceeding to tickle the blonde and call her "Lobster Lucy" in a silly voice.

Lucy would have laughed more if she wasn't in so much pain, her eyes watering as she fought him off.

"Natsu, please! If you're not going to help then just leave."

"Aww, don't be like that Luce. Look I'll stop tickling ya. Can I help at all?"

Lucy sniffed, looking at Natsu with still watery eyes. He met her gaze with his dark ones, his lip starting to do that pouty thing he always did when she started threatening to kick him out. He really was just a puppy dog at heart.

"If you wanna help…"

"Of course I do, Luce! What do ya need?"

Lucy sighed; she could use the help. She just wasn't sure Natsu was her first choice for what she needed help with.

"Okay, but you have to be gentle. Like REALLY gentle."

"Gee, Lucy. I didn't realize it hurt that bad."

Lucy just nodded; this was the worst sunburn she'd ever had. The nap she'd accidentally taken hadn't helped. No use dwelling on it though, they'd had an amazing time at the beach. It was now time to focus on the present and treating her skin, with the help of Natsu.

"If you go in the bathroom, there's a green bottle of Aloe Vera, it probably says 'After Sun Care' or something like that on it. I need to put it on and I could use help reaching my back," my poor, crispy back, Lucy finished in her head.

"I'm on it!" Natsu cheered, leaping off the couch and running to the bathroom. Lucy winced at the clattering noises; she could only imagine what havoc he was wreaking on her organized toiletries shelves. She yelped as she leaned back, the couch rubbing at her abused skin in the most unpleasant way. Priorities, she reminded herself. As long as Natsu could find the aloe vera it was worth whatever chaos he created in the process.

"Found it!" Natsu yelled, charging back into the living room. Lucy braced herself for impact but thankfully Natsu stopped himself from leaping on the couch.

"You said you need this on your back?"

"I need it whenever I'm burned –"

"So everywhere."

" – but I need your help reaching my back." Lucy finished, eyebrow twitching at his interruption.

"Gotcha, turn around then," Natsu said, squirting a large dollop of the aloe vera from the bottle. Lucy let out a little sigh as she turned her back to him.

"It's so goopy, Lucy!"

"Yeah, but it's going to help."

"Okey dokey!"

Lucy braced herself and gave a shaky breath as Natsu gently started applying the aloe vera to her back. She couldn't help the little sigh of relief as the cooling gel soothed her aching back. Natsu was doing a good job of being gentle with her, his large hands slowly spreading the aloe across her shoulder blades.

"How's that Luce?"

"Good, feeling better already. Do you think you can get my neck?"

Lucy felt tension leaving her body as his large hand moved it way up to the back of her neck. The cooling relief of the gel was heaven, and the gentle squeeze of his hand relaxed the muscles underneath. The blonde gave a small moan as she leaned into his hand.

"Feeling better?" Natsu teased.

"Y-yeah" Lucy stammered, pulling away slightly in embarrassment. It was hard to tell since her skin already felt so hot, but she might have been blushing.

"I can finish up," she said, turning to grab the bottle from Natsu who was seated on the couch behind her. He lifted the bottle over his head, effectively out of her reach in her current position.

"Nuh-uh, I haven't finished your back. Take off your shirt."

Lucy's brown eyes widened. "What?!" she squeaked.

Natsu quirked his head at her, one pink eyebrow raised questioningly. "You were 'tanning' in your bikini, right? Didn't your lower back get burned too?"

"R-right" Lucy stammered. She was definitely blushing now. Of course she'd been in just her bikini most of the day, she was fine with being in her bikini around Natsu and all her friends. It was just very different to have Natsu telling her to take it off. Plus, you know, touching her. She reached for the bottom of the white blouse, carefully peeling it up and off, wincing as the fabric scratched at her sensitive skin. She placed the shirt on the couch armrest in front of her, sitting in her white bikini top with her back facing Natsu.

Natsu whistled through his teeth, followed by the sound of the bottle of aloe squirting another dollop. "You sure did a number on yourself, Lucy" he said, applying the gel to her lower back.

Lucy's breath hitched at the sudden cold as her muscles tensed before slowly relaxing under Natsu's gentle massaging. His large hands gently rubbing the aloe over her sensitive skin, gently massaging away the tension she hadn't realized was there. The blonde let out a deep sigh, enjoying the careful attention of her best friend.

"I think I got it all, any other spots you need help with?"

Lucy jumped a little, his deep voice so close to her ear, his hands lingering by the small of her back. Hands she could easily imagine continuing to trace paths down the rest of her body. His breath tickling her neck, sending cold shivers from where it blew against the aloe vera.

The blonde was definitely blushing, she turned to face Natsu on the couch, looking at his face. He had his head tilted, waiting for an answer, a loose strand of pink falling into one of his dark multi-coloured eyes.

She could say yes, she could ask him to rub the aloe over her front, see what his hands would feel like massaging the cool gel over her chest, her stomach, her thighs…

"I got it," Lucy squeaked, taking the bottle from Natsu who shrugged.

"Glad I could help!" he said, getting up and stretching.

Lucy just nodded and made her way to the bathroom so she could take off her shorts and finish applying the aloe to her burnt body. The blonde caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror, face beet red. Partly from the burn of course, but also from her blushing. What had she been thinking just now?

She quickly applied some of the aloe to her cheeks, hissing as she felt the gel cooling her skin. The sensation helping to cool down her racing mind as well.

Who knew Natsu had such nice hands, or that he could be so gentle with them.

Well, Lucy knew now.

And she would need help reapplying aloe in the morning…