Chapter Fifty

The Night Beckons

"So," Mira said, puzzlement marring her beautiful features, "Because you aren't sure about this, you're purposely finding random things to occupy your time in the hopes that you become suddenly 'too busy', have I got that right?" She asked, watching the Dragon Slayer intently.

"That is the general idea, yes," he nodded, looking distracted.

"But, why? We're past the embarrassing part, what are you afraid of? Surely Lucy isn't all that frightening." She replied with one of her flirtatious grins.

"Afraid?" He suddenly looked up, "I'm afraid that I'll accidentally destroy her home from carnal activity. Mira, to the best of my knowledge, there have never been two Slayers like us. I can tell you that right now I can smell her a mile over there, pretty sure she's walking laps in front of the guild." He told her, trying to get her to understand just how deep that particular mechanic was.

"Why don't you just rip off the bandage, so to speak? Just go for it, get it out of your system and see what happens after." Mira smiled at him.

"You really are a succubus." Natsu glanced at her.

"You say that like it's a bad thing," she tilted her head at him, the lust in her eyes shining bright.

"And the problem isn't exactly what you think it is, either." He said, keeping a comfortable pace down the forest path.

The trees had begun to change to autumn colours. Bright orange, yellows, and maple reds decorated the forest floor all around them.

It was a colour palette that Mira had come to greatly appreciate, mostly due to the elemental nature of the man she walked beside.

"When I was with Erza last night, I removed her brand but she wanted to keep it, some kind of reminder, so I gave her a proper one, without a summoning contract attached to it. That night, she managed to enter my dream, she saw one of the memories that I've been having to live through again," Natsu continued.

"And this is something that you've spoken to Lucy about, I take it?" She asked, poising herself as they continued through the forest.

"It is," he nodded slowly, "She offered to let me stay at her place after I said that I'd probably worn out my welcome at the dormitory, so I had to explain to her that if I was there, there's a chance that she too may end up being pulled into a memory, and the way they're lining up, I'm afraid that she's going to end up seeing the moment Anna died." He told her with a sad sigh. He was getting tired. Tired of everything.

Hundreds of years and he'd only ever had himself to rely, only his own strength to get by. Now he had three pillars of support just waiting to help him. It was an overwhelming feeling.

"Ah, so it isn't the intimacy factor that's putting you off, you don't want Lucy to potentially see your memories?" Mira clarified.

"Pretty much, though, honestly, I really can't imagine either one of those things going my way. She even turned around and said that it was what she wanted, that if I was going to see these memories then she wanted to be there when I did," He laughed slightly.

"In the time I've known you, you've almost died several times and yet against all odds, somehow survived. I think you'll survive this," she told him with a warm smile as the two of them stepped out of the forest and back onto the path that led to Magnolia.

There weren't more than ten minutes away, and could even see the top of the guild hall poking out above the buildings that flanked it.

"Mira, stop," he said, grabbing her arm, and gently holding her in place. She looked worried, fearful that she'd said or done something that had upset the Dragon Slayer.

"I don't get it, I just do not understand how the three of you are just striding head-first into this weird relationship. I seem to be the only one who sees how utterly insane this all is," he said, looking at her with doubt in his eyes. She could see just how dismayed he was by it all.

The worry that had woven itself across her face had disappeared within an instant. This she could handle.

"We're in the middle of an emotional foursome and yet somehow without any signs of pretence, you're telling me to just go ahead and spend the night with another, the implications of which are blatantly obvious. I am so, so, confused," he said, letting out a breath that he hadn't realized he'd been holding.

"This feeling…" she started, averting her eyes from him, crossing her arms, "This feeling is stronger than anything, it's like a compulsion, it's as if I'm being actively drawn towards you. I can only guess that it's how Erza and Lucy are also feeling." she began, shifting from one foot to the other.

"I know I haven't been alive for as long as you have but I'm old enough to recognize what that feeling is. You can't expect to come barreling into our lives like you have and leave that kind of impression on us, not without consequences," she said, finally looking him in the eye. That challenging glint had returned once again.

"A consequence of my unwavering charm and charisma is that you lo-" a hand had been firmly clasped around his face for the second time that day.

"You need to learn when to keep that mouth of yours shut," she said, stepping closer, "Mr. King," she whispered in his ear, taking the opportunity to gently bite it as she did.

After she stepped away, she could see that it had the effect she'd wanted. "And you say that I'm making you hot," he grinned once her hand had been removed.

A small wreath of fire had enveloped him. It was faint, and not nearly enough to be uncomfortable to her. It rose into the air and faltered into steam in a matter of seconds.

"To answer the question you were trying to ask. I've felt that emotion before, I know what it feels like, just like I know what heartbreak feels like. This feeling I have with you, it's like it's been multiplied a hundred times over. I'm happy with where I'm at right now, especially without the need to put labels on things." She said, hoping that he understood exactly what her words meant beyond the surface level.

"You are at your core an extraordinary man, and unbelievably powerful. You always have and always will have people clamouring for your time and attention, and you will always be indifferent to the vast majority, but not to me, and not to the other two," she explained, walking past the edge of the first building that lined the edge of Magnolia.

"We have your time and attention. We didn't coordinate when you said yesterday that you planned to do nothing instead of choosing one over the other, we each came to the same resolution that instead of losing this chance, we would share it. There will be some finer details to figure out, but overall, we're all adults, we knew from that conversation yesterday exactly what it is that we're getting into." she said, stopping herself from passing the final building that led to the main street that fed straight to the guild hall.

She quickly pulled him back, drawing him in as she backstepped into the opening of a large doorway, hidden from view.

"Oh?" he asked, arching a brow as he stood over her, stepping forward as she stepped back. She was forced to a stop where she met the door to the building, his frame blocking most of the light from her view.

"I do believe that I was the one who caught you yesterday, and you said that you'd tell us whatever it is we wanted to know," she said, her voice coming out more as a hitched breath.

"Oh, that's not half as fun as I thought this was about to be," he told her with a genuine laugh.

"I want to know who you really are, but I don't want you to use words. I want the same thing that Erza and Lucy have, I want to see those memories while you do, that will show me who you really are underneath there. That bad mood of yours hasn't put me off yet, so trust me that I'll be by your side just as the other two are." she said, tapping the side of his head slightly.

"I'll think about it, but I don't know for sure why Erza was able to get in my head. Anything else?" he asked, pressing his forehead against hers briefly.

"I'm sure I'll think of something, but for now," she grabbed him by the collar and pulled his face the last few inches until they were pressed against each other.

He pushed forward, she was sure that if he put any more strength into it then the door she was leaning against would be broken free of its hinges.

After another tense moment of movement between their lips, they broke free. "Wha-" she said, lightheaded from the intensity of it.

"Let's go," he said, pinching her top between his finger and thumb, pulling her forward into a step. It didn't take more than a few seconds before the dizziness had faded.

"Amazing," she breathed, elated.

"So is that," he said, taking a moment to appreciate the beauty of the guild hall, standing tall.

At the doors was the woman whose scent he couldn't shake no matter what, standing beside the redhead whose bed he'd kept warm.

"This feels distinctly like I'm in trouble," he said with a grin, picking up the pace as the two of them approached.

"What took you so long?" Erza asked, tilting her head.

"Was I meant to be here?" Natsu asked, scratching his chin.

"Cana asked me to escort the master to the meeting with the magic council, I was told that he was at Porlyusicas and to head out once you'd returned to the guild, but that was half an hour ago." the redhead explained.

"She was asked to babysit me, so we took the scenic route." the Dragon Slayer smiled.

"Not causing any problems, I hope." Erza smiled at him warmly. "I'll see you all when we return," she said, gently placing a hand on his shoulder as she passed, taking the same route they'd come from.

"Not causing any problems, but definitely getting into trouble," Lucy said, a tongue running along a canine that hadn't been quite so sharp only a few days prior.

"Your senses are going to get you into trouble, I'll take Happy back with me tonight so that nobody asks any awkward questions," Mira laughed, winking at her as she headed into the guild, leaving the two Dragon Slayers alone.

There was a long moment where they simply looked at each other.

"I'm still not sure that this is the best idea," he told her truthfully. She slowly nodded.

"How long are we going to fight this?" she asked.

He took in a deep breath, realizing his mistake halfway through when his mind had been completely overtaken by her scent.

She punched him in the shoulder, walking past and down the street, walking the path she did every single day when she went home from the guild.

He immediately fell into step beside her, "Not long apparently," he muttered, watching her. At that moment, that single instance, it felt like there was nothing else in the world, simply the Dragon Slayer he was following.

"You're so powerful," he breathed out, not realizing that he'd said it out loud. She didn't stop walking, but craned her head, giving him a look that only spurred him on.

Before he knew it, he blinked and all of a sudden, his surroundings had changed. He was walking into her apartment. He looked around, suddenly out of his headspace while he'd blindly followed her.

"You may need the same little brand I gave Erza," he said, taking a moment to look around. It did little to distract him from the overwhelming pull he felt from her.

"Then give me one," she said simply, walking up to him. "Where did you put Erza's?" she asked quickly, realizing that questions would inevitably be asked if she ended up walking around with not only the Fairy Tail emblem on her hand but the image of a Dragon as well.

"Above the heart," he said, tapping his chest.

"Cute," she said. Her eyes conveyed nothing as innocent as 'cute' would ever be. Her gaze on him never faltered as she effortlessly pulled at the clasp on her top, letting the entire garment drop to the floor.

"I should… I…" he said, caught out by her confidence.

"Yes, you should," she said, feeling the warmth of his hand upon her. She felt the heat of his magic that left the small symbol of the Dragon, exactly where he'd said Erza's was.

Neither of them said anything for what felt like an eternity, neither moving, they simply looked into each other's eyes.

Then they hit the floor.

A/N: 50 Chapters before things got steamy, how's that for slow burn? Nirvana is up next, which will probably be explosively funny, at least to me. Review?