Rated M
M is for MATURE, people.
If I can pretend to be, then you can too!

DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING! This is all in good fun because Mashima-sama created a plethora of delightful characters I enjoy toying with.

Thank you for giving this story your valuable time guys! I LOOOOVE licking all of your beautiful faces!

Savwafair, this one's dedicated to you-you remembered me! *swoones*

Reviews seriously fuel me, it's my candy. Guilty pleasure? Naah, I'll stick with candy. 😘

*~.🌒.~*

Baby it's Cold Outside

It was strange, walking through Fairy Tail as a married man. It was like something had shifted, though not his form... Ever since he and the Juicy met, there had been a constant nagging that he may be forced to bid her farewell. A fear that met with its marvelous demise by incineration the moment he took her as his. And if by some unnatural predilection that might make her think that the mating hadn't been enough—he'd satisfied her custom too and wed. There. All boxes checked.

So now he had a mate, and a wife... in one juicy package.

He felt like singing.

The Mad Tea Party walked through Castle town, cloaked and incognito. The four of them together in a group garnered a much higher chance of recognition that could spell disaster for their current mission. It had been his flavorsome mate's ingenious idea. Typically he wouldn't have appreciated this sort of subterfuge, but he was feeling uncharacteristically agreeable today. Besides, as the Dormouse had so adequately put it: The Juicy's rescue, the Juicy's plan. Worked out pretty great too, since everybody else had also bundled up against the unseasonable cold. However, something about the town felt off. This was not a thing the Hatter paid much mind to in his current state, but fortunately there was another sniffer here much less distracted by honeymoon's high.

"Shrimp," Gajeel murmured to the tiny mouse roosting in his hood. It had been a pain trying to keep her awake—cold always seemed to effect her that way—but out of all of them, she had the most contacts here in town. So he'd led the party to a part of the city where he smelled his mate's old partners. "Think ya could dip over to those buddies of yours and ask'em why the town stinks of birds?" They needed information, stat.

Speaking past a yawn, he felt her whiskers brush his neck as a mousy nose poked through his mane. "Sure, wonder if Droy still packs cheese!" Scurrying down Gajeel, the mouse bolted to Lucy's cloak and climbed up the inside to reach the blonde's hood interior. "Thattaway Juicy!" Levy pointed.

"Stay here Natsu," Lucy whispered without so much as turning to her husband, praying Mira was right about a dragon's excellent hearing. As she followed the directions of the Dormouse, Natsu started to follow, then gagged when Gajeel grabbed the Hatter's scruff. "Pay attention Salamander," he mumbled with an annoyed tick.

The sight of his wife gaining distance bothered Natsu, "Hey! Lemme go Bolt for Brains!" Bothered him more than it should—even for someone called a mad hatter.

"Quiet down, Shit for Brains," The March Hare reciprocated in a whisper with a touch more volume. "Ure cauz'in a commotion!" All the while, the iron dragon was actively trying not to be a hypocrite, for the beast certainly didn't appreciate the fact that his mate had leaped from Lucy's hood to Droy's shoulder and promptly began to nuzzle the chump's cheek. Therefore, restraining Natsu was all the more challenging when the skinny guy next to Droy came dangerously close to spontaneous combustion when he said something that made Lucy giggle. Yes… these dragons had a very similar character flaw; let's blame it on draconic stereotypes and move on, shall we?

Redirecting the Mad Hatter to a group of children seemed to do the trick. Gajeel stood stoically at a convenient lamp post between where Natsu squatted with the kids in the snow while the women spoke to Levy's friends. He hated the way this hood plastered his ears down. Siphoning his mate's voice over the noise of town's buzzing wasn't working. Was it always like this? No way… something went down here. Gajeel hated cities. The sooner they left, the better. The place stunk.

Any imitation of a pleasant attitude had been whisked away by the time the ladies met back up with the March Hare. Levy had reverted back to her true form and held blocks of cheese in both hands, well, at least his mate was happy. She was all smiles as she took a rather unladylike bite and spoke to him with her mouth full, "What's Hatter doing down there?"

Lucy answered her question with another, "No way! Is he making stuffed animals out of the rest of Cana's robe?!"

That's certainly what it looked like! Kids congregated around him, playing and making cat noises with their brand new Cheshire cat plushies. Natsu laughed as he handed a little girl what looked like his ninth creation. The child squeezed the cat happily while spouting promises to love and cherish it so quickly it was masterful that she didn't get tongue-tied. It was to a sad choir of 'aww's' that Gajeel once again grabbed him by the scruff of his cloak, "Enough babysitting already, time ta get goin."

As an impatient iron dragon pulled a discontent hatter from the group of children, Lucy lingered a bit, admiring the joy her husband had shared. Albeit tainted a bit, since he obviously could have used far more of the robe's fabric to have made a more modest dress. Glancing back over her shoulder encouraged her to rush after the March Hare pointedly not waiting to see if she followed as Levy spoke to him about all the new cheeses Droy had acquired recently. He didn't release Natsu until they made it to a nearby secluded ally where he tossed the Hatter in first and let the ladies filter in after, all to Natsu exclaiming, "You got some nerve draggin' me around like a sack of potatoes, Lunch Pail!"

"Yea? Well we ain't here for you to play a damn nanny! Now shut up! What'd you guys find out?"

"Well…" Lucy shook a bit of the chill off, "I'm really not sure if it's good or bad news really."

"Oh man!" Levy interrupted. "Jet and Droy have put together this whole underground network, yet the only thing they've been able to figure out is that something got stolen from the queen."

"They didn't know anything about a prison break," Lucy continued. "But when I asked if that could be the case, Jet said it would make sense, since most of the guards converged around the castle's dungeon entrances."

"Oh!" Levy hopped, mouth filled with the last chunk of cheese in one of her hands, "and he kinda confirmed it when Droy remembered someone telling him that an investigation team came in after."

Gajeel frowned, "So is Time still locked up or not?"

The girls frowned right back at him. They really couldn't be sure.

"The Red Keep's dungeon is huge," Gajeel cupped his chin. "Not sure how long it'd take, sniffin' around down there tryin' to pick up his scent—'specially if we don't even know if he's still down there. Keepin' out sight's gonna be a pain in the ass too."

"He's not." Natsu stated.

All eyes turned to him as he straightened his hat. When he started dusting off his cloak instead of going on, Gajeel's frown broadened. "Care to elaborate, Salamander?"

After sticking a couple sewing pins into the hat, Natsu looked up at him and blinked, "On what?"

That was it! Gajeel went to grab Natsu by the front of his collar with the intention of boxing his ears, to yell at him that he needed to get his head out of the clouds. If they were gonna do all this crap for HIS little bunny-girl of a mate then he was gonna need to get his head in the game. Though he didn't get the opportunity this time because Natsu pivoted around his comrade's grasp on the balls of his feet and sidestepped behind Lucy, curling his fingers on her forearms. "Ehehehe, you should see your face!"

"Don't hide behind me!" Lucy squeaked, not liking the glare coming out of the March Hare's hood.

"How do you know Jellal's not down there anymore?" Levy asked quickly.

"Cuz kids talk," Natsu grinned at his Dormouse from over Lucy's shoulder. To his team's befuddlement, the Hatter continued. "Well, Sarah told Emma that Jace's big brother told Nadya's cousin—apparently the guy's always had a thing for her, goes and buys from her mom's bakery every morning—that his dad had only just gotten home because they were up all night looking for some high profile prisoner that got out." Landing an arm around Lucy's shoulders, his grin grew wider, "and I can't think of a higher profile person being kept down there. And it all fits together with the parade that went through earlier."

"Parade?" The girls asked.

This was when Natsu's grin ended, and his expression grew serious. "But I don't think it was a parade."

Gajeel growled, "Damnit…"

Lucy swiveled her head between the two, "Then what was it…?"

She could feel her mate's temperature rise as he clarified, "A war procession."

^.^

With no more leads to follow, tracking after the Red Queen's army seemed the best move. Levy and the March Hare lagged behind back in Castle Town. The solid-script mage planned to put the word out to the mice in the area. Enlisting city mice was a surprisingly efficient way to learn about anyone's comings and goings—or so she had told them with a wink and a confident smile. Therefore under the reassurance that they wouldn't be too far behind, it was the newlyweds we join following the trail on a wide, snow covered road. The two walked in silence along the busy path, still cloaked much to the Hatter's discontent. Focus was not his strong suit, between the hood clogging up his ears and all the transit on the path, his mind begged to wander from the task at hand. He stopped when the road came to a fork, kneeling down to examine a trail quickly getting swallowed by travelers kicking snow about.

While he examined the path, Lucy watched the road. Families pulling wagons, caravans of them. Perhaps a few carts were traders, moving their wares, though it was an easy observation to note that the majority of travelers were heading away from the city—with luggage in tow. Brown eyes lingered on a cat bundled up in a small girl's arms as she and an elderly man passed them by. "Hey Natsu?"

"Yea Juice?" He didn't look up, making an effort to discern if a particular scuff on the snow was deep enough to have been from an armored dodo.

"Didn't you say that people weren't allowed to move out of town?"

This lifted the Hatter's head, realizing the quality of people clogging up the road. He grew a smile and took one last glance at the tiles' marrings before lifting back to his feet. Dusting off his hands he shot his wife a grin, "Guess the people decided it's probably worth the risk."

Lucy looked back down the road from where they came, "Wouldn't they have had to pass a toll booth?"

"Smelled like a few of'em were unmanned, probably passed right through." Natsu stepped behind Lucy, wrapping his arms around her, instantly chasing the cold away. The two of them faced the fork in the road, "Whaddya think? Right or left?"

"Oh no, you don't know?"

Natsu shrugged, "Pretty sure the army split here."

"What? Why?"

Sighing, Natsu shook his head. "My guess would be that they're lookin' for the battlegrounds."

A foreboding chill went up Lucy's spine. But wouldn't soldiers—and a queen, for the matter—already know where such a place was? A question she voiced out loud as she started walking down the road to the left, curling an arm around the Hatter's.

Which won her a nonchalant shrug, "Wouldn't want it to hang around the same place for too long."

Oh. Sure. THAT made sense.

Thankfully, with the split in the road, traffic started to thin out significantly. Once their stroll was spaced out far enough for some semblance of privacy, Lucy asked, "How does this 'battleground' move?"

"Mice. Maybe a few squirrels." A shadow passed his expression, "Really doing Fairy Tail a service too."

"Ok… getting more confused now."

Stopping, Natsu led her off the road into the cover of trees and squatted down with her. Taking a stick, he drew a square with lines crisscrossing into a grid. "Levy told me about it once. They carry it tile by tile, til the whole place is moved somewhere else."

"But why?"

It didn't take but a few seconds for the son of Igneel to melt and dry a patch of the forest floor for them to sit on as he guided his mate to lean against his chest. The contented sigh she gave was its own reward for his efforts. "Lots of nasty, soaked into those battleground tiles. Leave'em sitting around in one place for too long starts to poison the land around it."

Lucy lifted her chin to see her husband's face, "Residual magic lingers there that much?"

"Not really…" Natsu sighed, trying not to get lost in his mate's chocolate gaze. If he was going to keep her safe, this was something she should probably know. "Violent death." As Lucy's brows angled to concerned, he tightened his grip on her and buried a steaming cheek into snow dampened golden hair. "A lotta people's died there, but script mages believe it was the fight between the JubJub and Mallymkun that tainted the tiles."

Appreciating how open her husband was being with her, Lucy pried for more, "Were they poisonous or something?"

"Nah," Lucy nearly jumped when she felt Natsu shiver. "But Mallymkun's mount was…"

Before the lady voiced the question he knew was coming, he answered in a whisper. "The Bandersnatch."

The Hatter's mother. This had Lucy turning around to completely face the one whom she loved. Cupping his cheeks gently, she kissed under his eyes where she knew tears should be, yet remained dry. Natsu removed her hands to grip them between both their chests. Despite good feelings this morning, thinking of the Bandersnatch again renewed previous concerns. Ever the gambler, he risked the question he'd been fearing of late, with a grip that tightened on his wife. "You're uh… you're not goin' anywhere, are you, Juice? Somewhere I can't follow?"

For the life of her, Lucy was unable to fathom where such a query came from. Though from the sheer vulnerability his eyes betrayed, she granted her beloved a brilliant smile, followed by a light kiss. "Never." Another light peck, "so long as you return the favor."

Placing his wife's hands on his neck, the side of Natsu's lips curled as he brought hot fingers digging into blonde locks; sealing such a deal with a much deeper kiss. It tickled him to swallow the giggle she spawned from his audaciousness. Lucy reciprocated, trying to press every bit of resolve she had into her actions as well as the bond they now shared. How could she ever leave this man who had snatched her from a queen's rose garden? She'd already lost too much time denying her heart. Never again.

The two of them had walked far, and the break they enjoyed on the forest floor stretched until the sun began his invasion on Fairy Tail's horizon, tinting the canopy's many gaps with endless streams of orange shimmers. Natsu's ear twitched, "Levy wants to know if we oughta find some shelter. Could get pretty cold tonight."

Lucy's head lifted, not the slightest bit cold in his arms, "Are they here?"

"Close enough to hear." Winking, he added, "but I smelled'em a while ago."

"Of course you did," Lucy replied dryly.

As Natsu rose, he brought his bride up to her feet as well. "Do you think we—" Out of nowhere they felt a deep rumble from the earth, as if shuddering, it stopped then began again, this time completely void of compassion. Lucy cried out in horror as a tree started to fall their way. Suddenly feet were swept out from under her and her face was smothered in a cold breeze as Natsu rushed them out of harm's way. The ground kept shaking, causing more and more trees to topple. Running without abandon, the dragon jumped onto a falling log and sprinted up its diagonal length to bridge the gap to a high hanging branch of a sturdier old oak. From there he braced himself. "Hold on tight!"

"Natsu, you aren't going to—"

The branch bent under their weight and assisted this mad hatter as he catapulted higher still. With feet aflame, he guided their descent to the edge of a higher level of the forest. At last in a less wooded area, Natsu crouched down, tucking his treasure's head into his chest. The shuddering breaths he felt her expel made him desire to turn the entire area into an inferno. At least until the trees learned to regret such blind hubris in attempting to cause his lady harm. Too long, the world shook for too long. Rabbits fortified their homes while nests were thrown from their trees, some poor squirrel's collection of acorns tumbled single file right onto Natsu's mop of salmon hair.

Much like all the rest of the forest life, the two lovers stayed where they were, clinging to each other's strength for several post-quake moments.

Finally… all was still.

o.O

It hadn't been long after Time crawled out of what appeared to be a natural hot spring, wheezing for air and cursing the cat that tried to drown him, that the world had begun to tremble. It started with mere ripples coming from the deep end of the pool, reflecting the red leaf weeper's natural light. Then surrounding trees began to shiver and echoes grew frightful enough to shriek. Petals broke from their branches—flexible branches that wriggled and squirmed like one might read in Lovecraftian horror. Though it was the growing crescendo of the echo spirits' terror that brought on a scream of his own. Slowly he removed his hands from his ears and managed to stretch them far. Screaming words in a language mortals have never known, he demanded the realm freeze.

Finally… all was still.

Nothing moved. Debris hung in the air, a wave of water ceased right before his eyes in perfect transparent clarity. Time may have been confident that his command was followed but that did not stop him from glancing around warily. After all, he couldn't be positive there wasn't a homicidal drunkard lurking about somewhere. Arms ached as he lowered them back down his sides and protested when Chronos, the Dimension Ripper manifested in his waiting hands. The large spear glistened against the water droplets its tip pierced, moisture clinging to roman numerals etched into the blade. A light-hearted giggle rang, quiet. To a less trained ear the sound could have been mistaken for the musical jingle of a bell, far off in the distance. Jellal swirled in a circle, unable to ascertain from where the mirth came. Echoes toyed with him, mimicking it from every direction. "Is that you cat? It does not matter where you hide. If your desire is to finish me off then don't hold back. I promise this will be your last chance."

The giggle sang out again, this time from behind. The Lord of Time turned his back to the stilled wave of spring water, spear raised. Ocean blue eyes as old as time rounded to witness a perfect melding of light and holy energy. Truly if the sun held no vehemence, this could be his twin. Fingers fell slack and legendary spear clacked onto crumbled rocks. This? This was the Mother's true aura?

She was at the edge of the clearing that housed the home of the Cheshire Cat. A graceful arm rose to lay loving fingers on a willow she stood next to. Such a tiny demeanor, clad in simple white gown and bare of feet. Her voice came softly, yet easily heard throughout the clearing. "She only sent the waters crashing to save our friends." Her smile was so sweet and pure, it was a task to keep mist from one's eyes as the maiden lifted her gaze to its branches. "As one of only three remaining Tree Herds, their roots run deep, but they are not invulnerable."

He found her… she's here! Standing not ten paces from him, complete and intact. His lips spoke her name, but his voice did not ring out. Knees threatened to fail as a wave of relief washed over Jellal. Thank all the powers that be….

Emerald eyes landed on him for but a moment, before the girl bent over slightly, glancing this way and that. "Where's my sweet kitty gone?" After a moment with no response, pale blonde locks sidled her frame as she straightened and looked at a specific spot in the air. "I do believe you are being rude, hiding those lovely colors from us."

Muttering more to himself than onlookers, Jellal spoke, "The Lost Dreamer."

Quick as a snap, the woman shot him a look dripping with deadpan. "It's Mavis, Lord Time, and I haven't lost a thing."

"Yes… yes of course…" Jellal managed to say without sputtering. "Lady Mavis—"

"Just, Mavis please."

"Mavis, I—"

"Caaaaanaaa," Mavis sang, lifting eyes back up to the same spot above them. "Time is ticking…"

"Heya mom…!" The Cheshire Cat manifested in her full pale skin, wearing a buttoned shirt and checkered wrap skirt. An ensemble much more modest than her typical attire. Time had not thought it possible for this cat, who typically dripped confidence, to have a voice quiver so. "Can I get you some sake?"

With the same blank stare she'd bestowed on Jellal, Mavis monotoned, "You know what I want."

Stifling a groan, Cana's lip wobbled just the tiniest bit, then poof! The brunette was full on striped, and… did her ears get fluffier? "Oh Meow-other!" On her knees, Cana pushed the top of her head into Mavis' waiting hand. "I meeeeeee-issed you so much! Do we get to play together meow?"

Jellal nearly fell over from surprise as the blonde squealed like a school girl and gave Cana's ear and chin a tickle, "There's my darling kitty! Oh I just love you so much! Yes I do!" Her voice lowered an octave and spoke past puckered lips, "you've been a naughty little pussy cat haven't you? Haven't you?"

"Meow! Not for mew," Cana actually started to purr. Purr! "Cana kitty just wanted to let mew sleep!"

"Is that right?"

"Meeeoooooow!"

"So it was all that bad man over there huh?"

Cana turned a full pouty face at Jellal and it made him turn pale. "That meeee-utinous meanie's been a total meeeew-nuisance for decades!"

"Oh my poor kitty!"

This unexpected change of his greatest obstacle regressing down to a pathetic house cat had the man drop his hold on time… only to have a wave of tepid spring water slosh right on top of him.

=^.^=

As though time had ceased and then put back on resume, Natsu lifted his head and scanned the area. Lucy continued to cling to him as he stated that it had stopped. Happy to allow his wife to continue her refuge within his cloak, he started sniffing. "Yo Anvil Head! Yall good?"

Giving Lucy's waist a quick squeeze, he grinned, "Seems like they managed. Come on, we're not makin' it any farther today."

~.~

Lucy had just finished shaking out snow and hanging their two cloaks when Natsu returned with wood for a fire. After scouting around, they'd discovered a ramshackle log cabin. Straightening himself from the small opening previously serving as a door frame, he greeted her with a happy nod and tossed his bundle into a humble fireplace. Half the living area was still usable, except for a chill breeze that would sometimes rush in during an updraft from the other half's collapsed ceiling. Smirking to himself, the Hatter flicked a flame hot enough to consume the damp wood. Then he began to shrug off his wet coat.

Once Lucy was sure the aged hat rack would endure their cloaks' damp weight, she turned toward the fire and sighed at its added comfort. Upon opening, her eyes drank in the masculine beauty her husband possessed. There he stood, left shoulder pointing in her direction as he started to dig into his removed coat's pocket. When he pulled his hat free, he gave his head a shake and a minute smell of burned hair drifted past the senses. With salmon hair now dry, the Hatter placed on his precious hat. Then he turned and passed by her, shooting a casual smile her way. Not realizing the fire was not the reason for her sudden rise in body temperature, the celestial mage continued to watch as he carefully hung his scarf over one of the cloaks. With that done, he rotated to face her as he begun digging into his coat pocket again.

With serpentine eyes now resting fully on her, Lucy tensed. "I um, seems like Queen Mirajane sneaked a few day's rations into my bag the other day."

"Hey that's great Juice!" Natsu grinned, his arm sinking deeper into what Lucy had assumed by now was a magic pocket. His mind drifted to the sound of hooved wildlife outside and found himself grateful that hunting wasn't on tonight's docket. The forest had had enough despair for one day.

The only sounds were the cackling fire and wind attempting to slip through the log barrier that housed them. Such a silence made Lucy feel that she needed to fill the void. "Have you heard anything else from Levy and Gajeel?"

"Sure I have," the dragon broke eye contact with an annoyed tick and started looking into his pocket.

Growing a slight frown, Lucy queried further. "Well? Where are they?"

"Cast Iron let us know that they found a cave off to the west about half a league from here." He was practically putting his face into the pocket now.

This was a surprise, "They're not joining us?"

Natsu looked up from his pocket, feeling a bit surprised that she assumed they were, "No way."

This brought the blonde a huff, "Well did they find out anything about Jellal?"

"Not a thing," Hatter's voice was muffled, back in his pocket. "Probably pretty safe to say that he got out, where ever he was bein' held."

Such a scant reassurance didn't sit very well, but there wasn't much to be done about it for now. A lesson her mother had taught her early in life was to try not to fret over things one lacked the power to change. A lesson she often struggled with. However, as she was now, damp, exhausted, and hungry, its meaning held more charm than usual.

"Aha!" The Mad Hatter chortled in victory, pulling a rather plush comforter from his coat pocket.

"Are you kidding me?" It was so alien to see something so much bigger than his coat come out of a pocket so small.

"Hehe," was all he responded with at her surprise and dumped his coat onto the floor.

Lucy huffed and tried to walk past him to hang up the abandoned garment, but her efforts were futile. You see, the dragon had other plans, and captured his wife into the blanket he held over his shoulders.

Protesting that his coat would start to smell, Natsu guided his captive back toward the fire and brought her to sit down with the blanket around the both of them. "There. Nice and cozy."

Realizing she could feel a sliver of what must be her husband's motivation through the new sensations she'd had since last night, aka mating bond (as her groom called it), Lucy's voice came in unaffected. "Did you tell Gajeel and Levy they couldn't come?"

"What?" Natsu scoffed, "I wouldn't do that!"

"...Oh of course not…" Lucy agreed mockingly.

"Well," Natsu started, suddenly concerned (and rightfully so) that she thought he was lying. Therefore he divulged stark truth. "When we were in hearing distance, Levy said they were comin', but then Sledgehammer," Natsu stopped to snicker. "That March Hare of ours said he wasn't gonna go anywhere near us fledgling mates tonight!"

Oh but the heated embarrassment he tasted through their bond was something to be put in the books. Lucy had grown stiff in his arms but it didn't matter to her doting husband. He knew exactly what telling the truth had done to her, and her mental state. Seriously, this bond they'd share from now on was going to be an endless source of new entertainments! Giddy would be an understatement… His chest began to heave in his effort to hold back a full on laugh and let it explode when she pushed him out of the blanket.

"Oh why don't you just sleep on the floor!" Lucy huffed.

Maintaining a steady laughter, Natsu rolled over and lifted to his feet. Earlier Lucy had unfolded tonight's rations from a handkerchief and set it on what most likely used to an ottoman; Natsu grabbed the bits of dried meat, cheese, and bread and moved to sit on the floor between his treasure and the fire. The flames tickled his back and his grin renewed as he replaced the handkerchief and food between them.

The star maiden assumed his refreshed smirk for obstinance but took a piece of cheese and brought it past her lips anyway. All the while keeping a pair of narrowed eyes trained on her brat of a husband. Not something Natsu seemed to mind as he loaded a hand with meat and bread and started tossing pieces into his mouth. In time—and silence—sharing the simple meal slowly cooled nerves enough for the mind to wash over the events of the day.

"All those people on the road today…" Lucy asked after a loud pop from the fireplace. "Think they're heading to the White Queen?"

"Doubt it." The uncommon quiet in his voice took her off guard and the mage lifted her eyes to meet his gaze. Natsu tilted his head with an easy curl to his lips and shifted back to sit next to her. However Lucy pointedly did not invite him back in the blanket. So there her dragon sat, arm propped against an upraised knee as he stared into the flames. She watched firelight tangle with the shadows of his profile as he continued. "The people of this world are no strangers to strife. Nah, we can smell when a battle's comin' by now." He leaned forward and tossed a few more logs onto the fire. "They wouldn't have gone to the whites. They're probably tryin' to get as far away as they possibly can before Chessmasters clash."

"Chessmasters…" Lucy mimicked, turning to watch the fire as well.

Natsu's eyes darted to look upon his mate without moving another muscle. Hmm. How was he to get back into that blanket filled with Juicy goodness? Nodding a chin at a door to his wife's right, "What's in there?"

"Hmm?" Lucy glanced over, "No idea. Its jammed shut."

"Oh yea?" Natsu lifted to his feet, "well we gotta check it out."

"Do we though?" Lucy asked, growing nervous. "Natsu, look at this place! That door might be load bearing!"

Natsu frowned when the door nob didn't budge. Giving it more force only ripped off the nob. Natsu growled at the door nob in his hand and...

"Natsu really I think—"

Kicked the door open.

Lucy winced, worried the whole house might come down. While the structure did moan, nothing seemed to sway. When she peeked her eyes open, the room was missing one fire dragon. "Umm… Natsu?"

His voice came from the other room, "Hey Juice! Come check this out!"

"Uh… no thanks. I think I'll stay right here with the fire."

After a moment without reply, Lucy craned her neck in hopes of garnering a better view. "Natsu…?"

Nothing.

The room beyond remained dark. Lucy sighed and stood, keeping the blanket tightly around her shoulders. Honestly! And here she thought that becoming immune to fire meant that she'd also never have to suffer the cold. Certainly felt that way last night… Shuffling to the doorway, she frowned, "You can't even light up the room? I know you're in there!"

Still nothing.

"Alright then." Rolling her eyes, the blonde turned around, "guess I'll make a torch then—"

"Oh no you don't!" Natsu pounced!

Lucy squealed when claws wrapped around her waist and pulled her into the room. The first thing he did was nuzzle a chilled cheek, then spun her against the wall. Under the cover of darkness, he began to nibble the supple skin of her neck. It started with quick, small nips, but evolved into scraping teeth and warm breath. Such heat shot down the opening of a blanket that was rapidly falling slack. Delicious was the groan that slipped past her lips as the dragon unraveled his lover's arms. A delighted sigh escaped him when those same arms welcomed and wrapped around him (blanket and all) and he trailed his lips to hers. Playfully nipping her lower lip, Lucy could feel the smile he grew when he murmured, "Kicking me out of my own blanket huh?"

The tip of his mate's nose traced up his cheek. "Pretty sure I told you to sleep on the floor too," she drawled.

His prized top hat fell to the floor as his wife's fingers dug into coarse hair. In a low rising growl, he circled her nose with his and spoke plainly, "Who's sleepin'?" A surprised squeak was he immediate reward for suddenly hiking both her legs to his hips. Lunging past her lips, he toyed with her tongue while one arm supported her weight. The other claw of the fire dragon pawed at her thigh, drifting toward the bounty he'd learned to covet. Swallowing both the sound and vibration of his wife's latest moan, intensity hot fingers reached past thin fabrics and anchored themselves within her. Lucy hissed at the glorious sensation, and reeled her head back as the blanket enveloping them fell to the floor. She felt the rumble of a dragon's chuckle as he settled teeth and tongue back on her neck. The sounds Lucy released was well worth his ministrations as she was pressed between a dragon and a wall. Natsu started to suck at sensitive skin as he felt her writhe under fingers enjoying her warmth. Ample breasts teased him with each titillating squish, causing his mouth to reek glorious havoc on the bridge of his mate's tender neck. Continuing his onslaught, legs tightened about his torso and he reeled at the scent of her arousal… but then he caught another smell coming from her lovely back. This particular aroma was not welcome—alluring as it may be. Halting entirely, Lucy breathed out, "Natsu?"

"You're bleeding," he murmured with concern and willed the wax candles he'd smelled in the room to ignite.

"What?" Lucy frowned past her desire. "I'm fine."

Natsu lowered his treasure onto the blanket and examined her back. It was as he feared, he'd been too rough with her against the wall's old wood. Lucy tried to initiate another kiss, but to her whimper, he pulled the striped dress up over her head instead. As he lifted it free from her head, cascades of golden hair made orange by the color of candlelight tumbled down her body and between her breasts. The beast had to take a moment to appreciate the sight. She was so beautiful. Glazed brown eyes leaned toward him, not done with him in the slightest, but he managed to roll out of the way and with a few quick motions had his wife's torso pinned to the blanket on the floor so he could get a better look at the damage.

Lucy squirmed, "Natsu! I said I was fine!"

She was struggling to get up, so Natsu leaned over her and spoke in her ear. He felt her body tremble as he spoke, "Hold still Juice…"

It pleased the fire dragon to no end that his wife actually obeyed. Wasn't sure how often that little miracle was going to happen. Scooping wadded blanket within creamy arms to lay her head on, Lucy sighed and waited. After planting a grateful kiss on the sensitive skin behind her ear, the dragon lowered his gaze to her back. What used to be smooth and luscious skin was now scraped in several places, some with thin trickles of blood spilling from them. Unsure if he desired to taste her life blood or rob her pain more, he did both as he planted a hot tongue onto the valley of his lover's back and, in a tantalizingly slow motion, slithered it all the way up. Natsu barely heard his mate's hum as his eyes reeled into the back of his head. After a quick nip at the bridge of her neck, he brought himself down again and did the same motion to the opposite side of her back. Carnivorous desire consumed him as his tongue made it all the way up to the lobe of her ear this time. This woman's blood was nearly a match for her fluids. Too damned tasty… The Hatter began to shrug off his clothes as he lowered back onto her. This time his lick began much farther south, directly at her core. Fire served him well as it removed the remaining barrier between them while he lingered there for a tick before he slowly—so slowly, dragged a feverish tongue upwards from her heat, between lower cheeks and straight up her spine.

"Naaaaa~tsu…." Lucy burned… just about willing to beg when she felt his volcanic breath back on her ear.

The weight of his body blanketed her in warmth far better than the cloth beneath. "Yea Lucy?" He pronounced her true name in a low voice, his lips brushing against her ear.

Whatever response she had tried to give was reduced to lustful gibberish as she felt solid fire rub against slick inner thighs. Her body convulsed and pale hips started to rise, searching for the tip of her husband's length, it was all she wanted in that moment, never had she wanted anything so badly. A want the dragon above her felt, tickling his psyche through their bond and considered making her hungry enough beg. Teeth latched onto her neck as a scalding hand reached under to claw her breast, gripping it tight enough to elicit just enough pain to spawn more arousal. Too greedy for more, the dragon gave in and plunged inside her. Lucy arched into him and cried out into the wadded blanket, at least until the beast above her wrapped fingers hot enough to brand around her neck. His index finger guided her chin upwards so he could better hear her pleasure while he repeated the thrusts he knew she wanted.

His chin rested in the crook of her shoulder and with every push he huffed steam down Lucy's chest. In a yearning for a better purchase, the beast pulled them both to their knees. His mate supported her weight on forearms as scalding hands settled for her hips. Natsu believed he was in control until his wife quickened the pace and he braced to keep up. Her behavior suddenly animalistic as she sated her own salacious needs and he groaned, making an effort to wait for her to release the fluids she continued to horde all to herself.

He wasn't going to make it— "Ahhhh…. Luuuuuce!" He curled his back over hers in an attempt to slow her, but much to his delightful frustration, Lucy straightened her back and pushed him down onto his rear with a grunt. Now with her head raised, the woman from another world cried out to the stars beyond the roof above as she lifted up, then right back down her lover's lap. Natsu pawed at her waist, breast, anything he could get a grip on as she sang. The lit candles around them pulsed as their lord tried to maintain control. His arms kept slipping on his treasure's moist skin as he tried to gain purchase. The press of her body constantly pushing him farther past the brink, gritted teeth leaked brimstone.

At last, he felt his lady's back arch and the blissful liquid he longed she release came spilling onto him and he met it with his own molten lava, his warmth reaching every crevice of his wife's need. The slow remaining motions she made him pierce her with after such was pure ecstasy. When her body finally fell slack, she leaned against his chest while he remained inside her. There the two of them sat, catching their breath from such carnal appetites. Natsu's eyes were more round than usual, as he continued to hold his wife close. He'd been putty in her hands….

And loved every second of it.

Ya know…
I really didn't think this chappie was going to grow into another lemon—at least until I caught myself writing it.

Have a lickable evening...

Seriphia
aka
Lick

*~.🌒.~*