Natsu's POV
Her chest is practically black! There were blotches of red and blue spotted on what I can only assume to be very tender places. Did I do that? How could I do that to her? I'm just dying and she doesn't seem to even care, "Calm down Natsu. So we can get out easier," she huffed at me. For real? I just... But... How?
I ended up doing what she asked me, anything and everything really. We got dressed in clean dry clothes, but I noticed Luce had put on another bikini. I watched as she called Loke to heal herself again. I tried to look away as Luce explained the situation to him.
"Princess, why does it have to be you?" he sighed; gaining my interest as well from where I sat on the bed next to her. No one has told me much about all of this and Wendy seemed to know more than I did but I haven't seen her since I woke up.
Loke and I looked at her and she just shrugged grinning like a cat with a mouse or better yet like Happy with a fish. Whatever the reason she wasn't going to tell either of us. I looked at Loke and he eyed me, I didn't have an answer for him so I just shook my head and shrugged as well.
He sighed again before healing her, making me look away. I did not point out the fact that I was the one who gave them to her, I'm pretty sure he would have killed me regardless of what Luce said if I did. As much as I like to fight I still do not have a death wish.
So now we are dressed and I just want to snuggle into her again but I refrain, I'm actually pretty proud of myself for controlling my impulses until Luce scolds me again.
"Natsu! You can't hurt yourself like that. What is it that you were going to do?" she asked me, what I really want to know is how she knew every time I held back. She hasn't missed one yet.
"But Luce, you don't like me like that? I don't want to hurt you," I tried to reason with her. She would just sigh and pull me into her arms, exactly what I was wanting to do anyway. We were on her bed and she was reading a book dressed in a bikini with a light blue crop top over top and a blue jean mini skirt, while I just laid around bored out of my mind trying not to get hard looking at her.
"Can we go somewhere please? Let's go to the guild! Maybe we can take a job? Luce?" I begged her until she finally closed the book and looked up at me after what seemed like hours.
"If we went to the guild can you tell me without a doubt in your mind that you won't run off or try to start a fight with Gray?" I couldn't avoid her gaze as she stared me down.
"I'll try, please?" I give in. I just want out of her apartment even if it's for only an hour or two.
She nods to herself before, "Good if you fail and pass out again I'll have Gray carry you back here and then you will owe him a favor, forever." I shiver at the thought before nodding, reaching to hold her hand, gripping it tightly in my own. I refuse to owe Gray anything.
When we left her apartment I moved my arm so it was around her neck. So it was like when I normally hang off of her in a friendly way, a more comfortable way. Or so I thought, it ended up being really difficult to walk like that. I caved and just carried her in my arms the way I like with her arms around my neck I couldn't help breathing in her scent as I ran. What is wrong with me?
When we got to the guild and I put her down she hooked elbows with me and I kicked the door in like always. Mavis I love this guild! We got a few stares but that was pretty normal and we made our way to the mission board, Luce is practically dragging me.
"Oi, Flamebrain! Where are you going?" Gray yelled from across the room. I pretended not to hear him as I remembered Luce's threat, only too easy to do with her nails digging into my arm reminding me as she pulled on me.
We got to the board and she had a firm grip on my arm as she pointed at a few different missions, most were super easy and wouldn't require fighting at all. I guess that is smart I can't really fight while holding onto her after all.
"This one is a eating competition in a beach town and this one is a duel magic competition where we would have to dazzle some kids at the zoo, hey it's at night so we could use a unison raid and light up the sky as a finale. What do you think, Natsu? They are in the same town and on separate days so we could do both if you wanted. Then we could go to the beach in between!" Luce chatted for a while and in the end those were the two we picked. She had no desire to compete with me but she said something about making it easier to budget the food bill so whatever.
We were just taking them down when I heard Wendy screaming at me. "Natsu Dragneel! What did I say?" I flinched how could Wendy grow up to be so scary?
"Huh?" I asked, honestly I haven't spoken to her at all since Luce and I came back from the escort mission so I don't know what she is talking about.
"Don't huh me! You're supposed to be on bed rest! And Lucy you are supposed to keep him there. Why do you ask for my help if you continue to ignore my directions anyway?" Wendy scolded us, she sounds too much like a certain pink haired old woman I know maybe it's just a healer thing. Damn I'm supposed to be on bed rest?
"Come on Wendy look," I hold up the missions for her to see. "We aren't even going to do anything hard just eating and entertaining some kids."
She reads both fliers and glares at Luce, "You just couldn't keep him in bed? It was only for a week! Even though he really needs three!"
Luce just sighs and says, "Natsu." As if that answered everything.
"Don't you 'Natsu' me! Do you even care if he dies? Because that is what will happen if you don't get him back in bed, NOW!" Wendy yelled. If by some chance she didn't already have every single person's attention in the otherwise silent guild, she did now.
"Die?" Luce and I say at the same time, what the hell?
"You heard me, now go!" she fumed, standing there pointing a finger at the doorway.
"I think, I should at least know how in the hell I could die! Wendy come on, what the hell is the matter with me?" I can't help getting upset and I almost let go of Luce. If not for her nails sinking deeper when I started to pull away I would have.
"Salamander!" Gajeel called out getting my attention. "You're going through the change." he looked me dead in the eye and I felt the blood drain from my face.
"Change." I whispered. All the energy I felt earlier was completely gone. I felt lifeless as I stood there. It explains so much and so little at the same time. I don't even care that Wendy just punched Gajeel in the face screaming about how fucking stupid he was for telling me.
"Natsu?" Luce's voice is the only one clear as a bell over all the noise in the guild. I look up at her, not for the first time thinking about how truly beautiful she is.
I try to smile but I can tell she isn't buying it. "I'm kind of tired, maybe in a few days we can go on those missions, huh?" my voice was hollow even to my own ears. "Can we go back to your apartment now?" I whispered to her.
She doesn't seem to know what's going on, "Natsu?" I hold up a hand.
"Please?" I ask her as I start to feel the first pinpricks of tears fighting to come out. I'm out of time.
She seemed to understand and nodded leading the way to the door ignoring Wendy's beating of Gajeel. I should be laughing my ass off, but I can't even really smile as I pick Luce up and run out the door. I can't hold back the tears for long and I need to leave as soon as possible.
"Oh Natsu, I wish I could help you." Luce whispered into my neck. She doesn't even know what the change is and she is completely worried about me.
I carry her through her bedroom window closing it behind us and lay her down on her bed. I look straight into her eyes and say the words I wish I could have told her before. "You can, but I didn't want it this way." I stopped and looked into her large honey brown eyes before saying them, "I love you."
Lucy's POV
"Please," he begged me looking up his eyes had started to glisten and it felt like my heart had stopped, the noise in the guild completely forgotten. I started to lead him to the door and he must have been having a really hard time because he picked me up and ran. I wrapped my arms tight around his neck, I wasn't afraid of him dropping me. No I am quite used to this, I just felt like just maybe it would help to keep him together just a little longer.
I could feel his grip on me tighten as if responding but I don't really think he noticed. His head must be swimming. What is the change? Why was Wendy so mad at Gajeel for telling him? Is there really anything I can do to help?
"Oh Natsu, I wish I could help you." I whisper hugging him as tight as I did.
This time I know he heard me the way he held me closer and I swear I heard him say something I always prayed he would but never has. "I love you." He had laid me down on my bed and was looking into my eyes now. Can I trust my ears?
"Natsu?" I breathe his name afraid that if I am to loud I will wake up and find it is all a dream.
He looked away and let out a large sigh and was rolling away but I just couldn't let it happen. I grabbed him and stared into his eyes. I am begging for him to say something anything at all that tells me that I actually heard what I thought I did. "Natsu?" I asked him again. He looks a little shocked his eyes are wide and if I didn't know better I would say he looked like he was about to break apart at even just one wrong word. "Please, what did you say?" I beg him again. I can't breathe the whole of the world seems to have stopped moving as I stare up at him.
"I love you," he says with a small smile as if he could keep going. "I know you don't feel the same but I just had to tell you, at least once-"
I pulled him down interrupting his stupid words with a kiss that I have been holding back for almost as long as I have known him. When I finally release him again I can't help following it up with smaller kisses but Natsu must have been pretty shocked because he just froze up letting me do whatever I wanted until I nip at his neck making him moan. I stop at that waiting to hear whatever he was thinking, praying I didn't go to far.
"Natsu?" I ask him afraid that I had upset him.
"Will you be my life mate?" his breathing shuddered as if he was waiting to be released.
"Ye-" I start to answer him but he puts his hand on my mouth stopping me.
"Luce, becoming my life mate means we would have sex and it CAN wait if you want it to. Just say soon instead if that's what you want. Do you understand?" he looked into my eyes and I nodded.
He released my mouth and I pull him into another kiss. "Yes. I want to be your life mate," I whisper as I kiss him. "I always have." I couldn't help pulling him closer rubbing along his neck gently pulling his vest off him and when it was gone I rolled him over. When his head hit my pillow I took off his scarf and wrapped it around his wrist tying him to my bedframe as I did.
"Luce?" He moaned as I kissed his lips keeping him from saying much else. I kissed down his neck running my tongue down his skin, occasionally nipping at him leaving soft red marks as I did. Nothing to noticable and nothing that wouldn't be gone in an hour or two.
I could feel his heart racing as I pressed against him, his breath shuddering under my every touch as if I had some kind of power over him. I lean down and whisper in his ear, "Do I have to do anything besides sex?" I lick along the edge of his ear down to his earlobe where I nibbled on it gently.
"Bite me, hard enough to get a little blood but it can wait until you're ready." He should have figured out that I was ready by now.
I have been so horny for days now, having to keep going and cleaning up or changing clothes so that just maybe he wouldn't notice. "Right now, I am very wet but I have been waiting a very long time to kiss you. Tell me now, do you want to wait or..." I trailed off as I slid my fingers down from his shoulders across his chest coming to rest on the v of his hips. I look up at him again to find him almost panting waiting for my next move or touch.
"You have kept me waiting a long time. You know that?" I asked him as I start to kiss along the path my fingers had followed. He didn't seem to be able to answer only being able to hiss or suck in some air as I teased him.
"You know you have spent the last couple days doing this to me." I moan into his ear before sucking on his neck again, I had found a very good spot to bite him but I was going to enjoy this. It wasn't until he had several hickey's coating along his sexy body that I looked up trying to get his attention again.
"Natsu, can I take these off now?" I asked him pulling at the waist of his pants sharply making sure I had his focus.
"Yes, please!" I hear him moan his voice breaking, his body already has a thin layer of sweat from his body burning up. I could see his excitement grow with each of my words or whatever movements I made. I had been taking my time but even so I knew I couldn't hold out much longer.
I pull his bottoms off not caring to drag this out any further, my own clothes following almost immediately. "Say it again." I whisper as I just barely graze a single finger along his shaft.
"What?" Natsu mumbled hardly able to think.
"Say it again." I demand. I'm not going any farther without him saying it. I waited and after what seemed like forever he realized what I meant.
"Luce, I love you." He breathed trying to lean forward and kiss me. Instead I pull away, much to his frustration and slide my hands up and then down his torso again.