Dragon Slayer mating season

Dreams

His dream started out as normal, he was fighting a monster alongside Lucy and Happy, he, of course, defeated it gaining hugs from Lucy and praise from happy before suddenly he was standing in a dark room, he smiled and sat down with enthusiasm. Randomly he would get dreams of his memories of his time with Igneel, he would be retaught some of the lessons, but this memory wasn't with Natsu fighting, writing, or training. Natsu sat with his little legs hanging over a cliff, looking out on a sunset, he blinked before looking to Igneel. Natsu smiles before seeing a saddened look in his father's eyes
"What's wrong dad?" Little Natsu asks, Igneel gives a small toothy grin before smoke blows out his nose.
"We dragons are given the gift of a companion, someone we have a bond with that is forever and unbreakable, and we have a season dedicated to finding this dragon. I can feel that the season is starting again" Igneel says his grin fading. Little Natsu jumps up
"Is the season now?! Come on then, let's go we gotta go find them!!" He shouts starting to climb onto the front leg of Igneel. Igneel chuckles
"No son I have already found her once"
"Then where is she if she's supposed to be around forever right?" Little Natsu asks. Natsu's stomach dropped.
"She died in a war, nothing you need to worry about yet, but you do need to know that one day, your dragon blood will fully awaken and you will find your own mate, don't let her go when you find her" Igneel spoke, his piercing glare coming down to face both Natsu's before Natsu woke up. It was only two in the morning and Natsu was now going to have a sleepless night.

Natsu finally couldn't take it any longer, tossing and turning in his bed or staring at the ceiling. He picked happy up and went out of their house, straight into Lucy's window. He laid happy on her couch still with his blanket. Then Natsu went to the edge of Lucy's bed to look over her peaceful face. Thoughts of future Lucy's death flashed through his mind. He looked at her hand, the pink mark still present, before his eyes met with brown ones. The hand he had been staring at came to ruffle his hair,
"Nightmare?" She whispers, Natsu shakes his head yes. Lucy's eyes searched his before she spoke again
"Go get Happy" she whispered before scooting over on the bed. Natsu grabbed the sleeping Happy again before getting into the bed. Happy lay between the pair as they began to speak
" Think you'll ever get past this Natsu?" Lucy asks she knew these moments were his only serious moments, the next day Natsu would be his old self. Natsu also knew that Lucy was okay with giving him the comfort he needed but would still kick him out of the bed in the morning. Happy never did mind waking up between the pair and was content with being surprised to Lucy's place in the morning.
"I don't know Lucy, my guild is my family, you are my family and I lost you. I lost you while I could have done something." He says closing his eyes as the memories raced through his mind.
"Well, we have a whole future ahead and nothing stops Natsu Dragneel not even the future no matter what awaits. But for now, he needs sleep because he will be getting kicked out of bed in the morning" she says smiling
"I'm counting on it," he says as both starts falling asleep.

The next morning however Natsu woke up Happy and they headed off to the guild while Lucy was still sleeping. So he wasn't going to get kicked out of bed after all. As he entered the guild he saw Laxus had just returned from his last job. Natsu ran up to him and slammed his fist on the bar
"Let's fight Laxus!!" He challenged, Laxus raised his fist and hit Natsu on his head causing the pink-haired man to fall to the ground. A certain shirtless ice mage chuckled next to him
"You don't learn anything do you flame brain?" Gray chuckled. Natsu sits up
"Who you calling flame brain ice princess!?" Natsu yells out
"You, you idiot," Gray says casually. Natsu stands up to get in his face, and the two boys ended up in a fighting mess. That was until Erza got in the mess to slam the boys' heads together
"enough" she simply stated before walking over their crumpled bodies and to Mirajane. Natsu recovered first and grumpily made his way to a seat and was surprised when Gajeel sat down in front of him.
"Alright listen up Salamander, I've noticed something off I can feel my power growing and like it's getting ready to burst at any moment. Was Do you see know what's going on?" He asked glaring down at Natsu. Natsu didn't answer right away to take a moment to notice his own power, he hadn't stopped to think about the way he was feeling today not that he ever does he was more of an in-the-moment and oblivious person or so he's been told. Natsu could also sense a tremendous amount of power being held back from him.
"It's dragon mating season I suppose, Igneel mentioned it once to me," Natsu said waiting on Gajeel's reaction. Gajeel took a moment to think this time
"I don't think it was ever mentioned to me," Gajeel stated shrugging, when Gajeel made no attempt to leave Natsu told him what he knew.
"I know that our dragon blood fully matures and we search for a mate, basically a companion for life and we gain tremendous strength and power. Igneel mentioned he lost his mate in the war. That's about all I can tell you" Natsu admitted, Gajeel nodded his understanding and left the table just as happy flew down to sit in front of him with a fish. Natsu smiled at his feline friend and glanced up to the guild doors when they opened to reveal a smiling Lucy. She scanned the room and Natsu waved her over, she smiled brightly and made her way to them. She sat down across from Natsu and quickly rubbed the top of Happy's head for a brief moment.
"Have you chosen a job yet Natsu?" She asked her brown eyes meeting his, he rubbed the back of his neck before answering
"Uh no, I wanted to fight Laxus but he refused so then me and Gray got in a fight and Erza stopped us but I recovered first so I clearly won this time!" He ended with enthusiasm she shook her head with a small grin on her face before getting up to go search the job board herself. Natsu watched her in interest his mind once again going back to thoughts of her death. She had hugged him after it was all over, he felt warmth from her touch and almost couldn't believe it to be real till she had spoken. Happy rid him of his thoughts when he spoke up
"Natsu?" He questioned now that he had finished his fish. Natsu looked at him and gave him a nod to continue
"How about we don't go on a job, I know Lucy is okay, but you are not and you've been getting worse, so maybe we should take this time to train instead so we all can get stronger" Happy suggested. Although Happy was a cat who seemed to mainly like fish and Carla he had some smarts hanging around his guildmates, he just chose to be more carefree like Natsu cause it seemed to cheer people up but when that cat got to using his head he could be smart. Natsu smiled
"That's a great idea Happy!" He exclaimed patting his buddy's head before calling out to Lucy
"OI! LUCY!" He shouted over the guild noise she turned to look at him and he motioned her over. So she made her way over to them, she crossed her arms and glared at him
"What was so important that you of all people would stop me from getting a mission?" She asked Natsu turned his head away from her to control his small blush before turning back to face her
" Well Happy and I had an idea, we haven't really gotten to train together and you have been complaining you don't have the time for it, so why don't you come to stay at our place and we can take some time off to train!" He suggested, Lucy sat down to think it over
"I still have to pay rent" she whined laying her head on the table. Natsu frowned and then lit up again
"Me and Happy have some jewels saved back. We can pay it off for you and pay us back next mission!" He exclaimed, Lucy looked up
"Are you sure?" She asked
"Aye!" Happy answered and that was all Natsu needed to grab her hand and drag her out of the guild and back to their place, Happy following close by.