A/N: "The target has landed! I repeat! The target has landed... and it... is... oooooon!"

Heeey y'all! Are you ready for this? The final chapter before this story comes to an end? Well I'm not... or am I? To be honest I'm not sure... I guess I'm just confused and tired :)

And yes I'm sorry this took forever to create and publish. I wanted it done sooner, but I... well I bought Dragon Age and it is awesome and uhm... my mage in World of Warcraft was furious because I suddenly started playing a new game ... and ehh... Sims 3 was harassing me about not paying it enough attention... so yeah... basically I'm sorry that my gaming habits stole my freedom o.O

As you read this chapter you might notice that it is slightly different than the others, but I kinda like it that way, to be honest. Maybe you'll see it, maybe you won't. Perhaps it's me reading it differently for some reason. In either case it's cute and I hope you enjoy it :) And be warned: it's all about the feeeels maaaan! "Like actuals peoples feelings...!"

DragonFairy93: This is the chapter where I kinda redeem myself and fetch a glorious halo. Bwahaha! Hejmdal is a good girl XD

Disclaimer: Fairy Tail belongs to Hiro Mashima.

Chapter 17: Salamander Prevails

"Ugh!" Natsu growled as he slammed the door behind him. He was still unreasonably mad and irritated by the turn of events that had unfolded in the cave. It was stupid, silly and utterly childish, but he couldn't prevent those feelings from overwhelming him. The feelings were like a bubble that surrounded him and sucked all of his willpower away and it was... so damn frustrating! Fucking hell!

It was almost like his lack of control had reverted him into a child, that wanted nothing more than to yell curses at the sky, while kicking innocent rocks.

"Bleeeeh!" he wiggled his tongue at the empty space around him, feeling even more silly about his unreasonable behaviour. Maybe it would help if he thought more thoroughly about the stuff that had happened, but he didn't want to. Naaa-aaah! No way! Stupid brain!

"Uhm... Natsu why are you wiggling your tongue?"

The dragon slayer jumped in surprise. He had completely forgotten that Happy had followed him back to their house. How the heck could he forget that? The cat's presence was right there next to him!

"Ehh... no reason... really... " slightly embarrassed he started scratching his neck "... I just feel... irritated that's all..."

"Ohh... I thought you might dislike it being so clean... I mean the floor is almost sparkling and... ohh..." the cat sulked as he pointed with his paw to a specific place on the floor "... you even managed to remove the spots where you dropped that huge piece of ham. That's... almost sad... I mean some might not see it as art but I did, because you could see where you dropped the ham and the spots where it bounced on the ground until it eventually landed on the couch..."

"Awww, don't worry about it. I'm sure I'll drop more meat in the future..."

"Speaking of meat..." Happy's eyes glistened mischievously "... if you accidentally dropped Lucy on the floor, do you think she would bounce like the meat did?"

"Hmm..." Natsu narrowed his eyes in thought "... maybe if she landed on her butt... I don't think it would work if she landed on her head. I mean her skull is hard like... like..."

"Your own head?" the cat giggled.

"What? No! My head isn't hard... is it?" confused the dragon slayer knocked his head a few times "Huh? Maybe it is?"

"... and you're an idiot..."

"Oy! I heard that!"

"Mmm-hm..." the cat hummed.

"Hey speaking of idiots... you uhm... said if I accidentally dropped Lucy on the floor didn't you?"

"Yeah?"

"Wouldn't that sort of require I was holding Lucy somehow?"

"Yeeesss" the cat sang while rolling his tongue.

"Why would I do that? I mean... for it to work I would have to hold her above my head... or in my arms... close against... my own... uhm chest..."

Holy crap why was he blushing again? Darn it... Natsu shook his head hoping the cat didn't notice the change in his skins complexion. But of course he did... nothing could escape the cat's curious eyes... fuck... stop blushing!

"Natsuuuu..." the cat sang in his oh-so-knowing voice "... whyyyy are you blushing?"

"I'm not! I'm just... feeling hot all of a sudden! Yeah! I'm gonna take a shower, kay?"

"Mmm-hmm... you're feeling hot? Has it anything to do with you thinking about Lucy?"

"Yes! No! Of course not! What are you... no... on second thought I don't want to know!" Natsu shivered involuntarily as he backed away from the cat heading towards the bathroom "I... I'll be back in few minutes... just need... to... clean... myself... shower... yes! Shower! See you soon!"

The cat sighed as he watched Natsu turn around on his feet and run towards the bathroom, where he slammed the door shut with a huge bang.

"Your head really is hard... and thick isn't it" the cat mumbled to himself as he walked to the kitchen. He was hungry... like starving hungry!

Happy opened the fridge and wasn't that surprised that it lacked fresh fish. But still... it hurt seeing it being so empty! A kitchen without fish wasn't a real kitchen!

"Hmm... what to do..." his stomach growled in response "... yeah get some fish..."

A sudden knock on the door made him jump. He had been so caught up in his thought of fish that he didn't hear anyone approaching their house. Who could it be...? He took a few sniffs …Ohhh!

"Come in!" The cat had huge stars of joy glistening in his eyes as he ran towards the door, which opened the same instant "And thanks for the fish!"

His cheeks was still burning hot even though the water that hit him was... well not ice cold, because he hated taking a cold shower... but it was still awfully chilly for his standards. So why... why didn't his blush disappear? It was stupid... stupid... stupid!

Wait... he took his head out of the water for a second … was there someone knocking on the door? Yeah there was... meehh, of course he had to get a visitor when he was in the shower... ohhh wait... Happy was there to open the door... neat! Then he had more time to work on his... ahem... face...

He briefly wondered who might be visiting them, when he smelled her distinctive scent.

Perfect... He smashed his head against the wall, groaning in annoyance … fucking... timing... why would she, of all people come right now? Did the universe hate him or something?

"Okay calm down..." he took a deep breath and plunged his head under the water, trying to focus on how the water felt as it splashed against his skin.

Seriously it wasn't like it was her fault that he was having... ehh... wait what was he having? An annoying blush that wouldn't disappear? Yeah sure, but it wasn't like he should even care about that in the first place. Right? So what if he blushed! It was a normal reaction to... to what? Well... his blush started when he thought about carrying Lucy. Ohh sure, he had noticed that it was becoming more frequent that he blushed when stuff happened that concerned the girl, but it was still puzzling why he did that. Could it be...?

"Bleeh!" he spat at his own thoughts, trying with all of his might not to think about that possibility.

But surely... it might be... noooo... come ooooon think about it! In the cave... didn't you?

"Shhh! Don't go there brain"

Yeah you did, you sly bastard! Yooou kissed her.

"I told you not to go there, damn it"

Now that the cat was out of the bag, he couldn't ignore it... but... surely the kiss in the cave meant nothing, because the only reason he did that was due to the fact she was dying and he was having a hard time controlling his feelings… right... riiiiiiight?

"Yes"

No!

"Yes!"

No!

"For fucks sake, shut up!" he smashed his head against the wall again, this time with enough force to earn himself a sore lump.

His trail of thoughts was getting him nowhere and everywhere way too fast to his own liking.

"Meehh..." he complained while resting his head against the wall "... this is a pain in the..."

Sighing he tried to calm his nerves by listening to his own breathing.

"You should do it Lucy!" Happy's voice boomed all of a sudden.

"... but... don't you think people might look down on me?" he heard her answer.

"Well you've already done it with him, haven't you?"

Wait... they did what? Who? Curious Natsu started paying more attention to the conversation.

"Yeah, but it wasn't a success Happy. It was... well really awkward if you ask me. I didn't even know what to do... well not in the beginning and then it just escalated"

"It's always awkward the first time"

"So I've heard..."

"Besides you secretly liked it didn't you?"

"I did..."

"And you want more!"

"Well... yeah... I'll admit it was kind of... exhilarating"

"Then you should do it again!"

"You really think so?"

"Aye! You're the perfect match!"

"Now you're exaggerating..."

"I'm not"

"But... don't you think another girl would suit him better?"

"No, it has to be you"

"Mmm... I'll admit I really want to do it again... you know it's like a guilty pleasure..."

"Well it's a guilty pleasure only he can fulfil isn't it?"

"Yeah, but that's mainly because there isn't anyone else with his skills..."

"Then just do it, okay?"

"Yes... yes! I will! I'll be Gajeel's girl one more time and see how it goes!"

"Aye!"

What the freaking fuck did he just listen to?! No... it couldn't be... hell no! Growling Natsu turned off the water and stomped towards the door. He was about to barge out when a sudden thought sparked in his mind. Lucy was out there... did he want to go there naked? Why the hell not?

For some reason he actually stopped in his tracks and before giving it a second thought he wrapped a towel around his waist, before opening the door.

"Like fucking hell I'll allow that to happen" he roared making both the blonde and cat yelp in surprise at his sudden outburst "You're NOT doing it!"

"But..." Lucy tried answering.

"No! He doesn't deserve someone like you!"

"It has nothing to do with him deserving me or not. It's just..." Lucy said while tilting her head to the side "... we have a nice chemistry together and even though it might not be perfect it's still fun"

"Since when?!"

"Since the last time we did it" she blinked in confusion "I mean there's still room for improvement but I actually liked..."

"Fucking shit! I don't want to hear the details..." he clamped his ears with both hands as if he was trying to empathise his words. To be honest that was rather difficult considering one of his arms was still in a caster. Furthermore it wasn't that pleasant because his hair was still dripping wet and dangling down his head, totally lacking its usual spiky appearance "...damn it!"

"Uhm.. Lucy I think I'll eat the fish outside..." Happy whispered as he tip toed away, vanishing like a ninja with his rather stealthy manoeuvre.

"Sure, see you later"

"Aye" and with that sentence the cat was gone, leaving the blonde and the pink haired boy in a rather awkward situation.

"Natsu..."

"Ain't listening! Don't want to hear it! La, la, la, la!"

"Natsu"

"... caaaan't hear you... naa-aahh!"

"Will you stop doing that!"

"La! La! LAA!"

"Stop it!" she said while gently placing her hands above his, trying not to hurt the cuts and bruises on them. Which was unsuccessful because he actually flinched at the touch. What Lucy didn't know though, was the reason he flinched was because he was surprised, and not because of the pain in his wounds.

"No! I said I didn't want to hear it!"

"Why not?"

"Because I..." he sighed and averted his eyes from her glare "... I would rather not know"

"But... if it makes me happy, then shouldn't you support me?"

"Maybe... but I don't want to"

"That's... that's just cruel and selfish! Other people might like it you know?"

"So what? I don't care what other people think"

"Ugh! You know if it is such a bother to you, then you should just stay away. No one if forcing you to watch us!"

"Fucking hell, who would want to watch that?!" he growled and in a swift movement removed her hands before turning his back towards her "You know what? Do what you want! I don't care!"

Ugh, annoying! So freaking annoying and stupid! Blinking he cursed at the water that kept dripping from his hair and down his face. Stupid hair... getting into my eyes... he blinked as a drop of water entered his eye. Jeez! Ugh! Unpleasant!

He felt so angry... ohh so angry... and yet there was a small amount of him that felt sad. Like a part of him had broken. His heart was beating faster and irregularly and it hurt both physically but also mentally. Really, like every time his heart pumped inside of his chest, it would spread the pain to his stomach and even his lunges.

Why? Why was it becoming harder to breathe? Instinctively he clenched his right hand above his ribs while taking a few steps, trying to get further away from the girl who was standing right behind him.

"Come on Natsu, don't you think you're overreacting?"

"No, I don't! What are you even doing here, huh? Shouldn't you be with that metal head instead of being here?"

"What? Why?"

"Tsch! You said it yourself, didn't you? That you liked... you know... with him... so why are you even here, huh?"

"What? You can't compare what I do with him and me being here!"

"Ohh yeah? Watch me!"

"Ugh! What is wrong with you?"

"Nothing, what's wrong with you?!"

"This is just stupid! How can you be so self-centred? I mean sure we didn't give the best performance the last time, but I didn't hear you complaining afterwards"

"You make it sound like I was there..."

"You were!"

"Hell no, I wasn't!" he turned around to face her and was surprised to see her body shaking in anger... and it looked like she was sad too? What?

"Hell yes, you were!"

"Beeh! I think I would remember seeing something like that"

"Well let me wake your memories then! I was wearing a bunny suit..."

"Damn it! I told you I don't want to hear about it!"

"... and Gajeel was playing on his guitar while singing... well like something that sounded like a cat that was being pulled by it's tail, but he's actually good with his guitar..."

"I said I don't..." he blinked in confusion "... what?!"

"Remember? You were definitely there. Okay I'll admit you were busy sulking about the guild not looking like it used to after we had to rebuild it, and shortly after our performance on stage, the guild went into a full blown brawl"

"... ohh... but what has that got to do with anything?"

"Moohh! It has everything to do with it! I was asking Happy if he thought it would be a good idea, if me and Gajeel started performing with our guitar and bunny duo"

"You... were talking about that? I thought... that... maybe... uhm..." he started rubbing his neck feeling rather uncomfortable all of a sudden "... other things..."

"Other things? Like what?"

"Ehh... hehe... " he grinned sheepishly feeling utterly stupid "... nothing..."

"Whaaat? Tell me" she smirked teasingly towards the now blushing dragon slayer.

"Uhm... I thought you were talking about you guys being... you know intimate..."

"Intimate?"

"Yeah, like... doing stuff..."

"What stuff?"

"Pervy things..." he crooked an eyebrow "... you know like... hanky-panky kissing stuff..."

"Ohh... oh!" her eyes widened in surprise "No, no, no! I would never do that! Eww!"

"Eww?"

"Yeah definitely eeeww! I mean seriously I would never... yuck!"

"Awesome!" he chuckled wholeheartedly with a toothy grin.

"Why is that awesome?" she smiled genuinely, slightly curious about his answer.

"Because that means..." he blinked a few times "... uhm... it means..."

"Yes?"

"Uhm... that I won't see you guys kissing at the guild? And that would be sooo weird, you know?"

"Yeah I get your point..." Lucy shivered visibly as if she was having some disturbing mental images "... yuck... really..."

"Mm-hmm..."

Pheeew, he dodged the bullet... He exhaled loudly ...Wait? What? He blinked at his own unreasonable thoughts. Dodged the bullet? What did he mean by that?

"You look confused?"

"Ohh... ehh... no... it's just I..." he bended his neck backwards and stared at the ceiling, like it was the most fascinating thing in the world. Damn it, why was it so hard looking at her all of a sudden?

"Just what?"

"It's nothing... forget about, kay?"

"Okay"

Holy mother of goat cheese, he felt uncomfortable right now. For some reason he wanted to get out of there. Run out of the house and away from this unpleasant atmosphere. But then again he wanted to stay there... silly emotions... not making any sense...

"You know, I don't want to sound rude, but why is there a lump on your head?"

"Ohh" he responded while gently poking the lump "I hit my head against the wall when I took a shower"

"Why would you do that?"

Aww snap!

"Uhm... there was a spider... and I... couldn't use my hands, because they're still wounded and stuff"

Hell yeah! Nailed it!

"Hmm..." she tilted her head and glared for a few seconds as if she was trying to determine if he was lying or not "... okay. Speaking of wounds, do you want help putting new bandages on?"

"New bandages?"

"Yeah you need to replace the old ones after taking a shower don't you?"

For crying out loud...

"It's okay I can just... I can fix it somehow, shouldn't be that difficult..."

"Tsch, as if! It should be practically impossible for you, with your left arm and all. Besides didn't you just use your head to whack a spider, hm? Now go sit on the couch while I fetch the bandages"

"It's okay Luce, you don't have to..."

"Sit!"

"Okay, okay... jeez..." he rolled his eyes signifying an annoyance he didn't truly feel. No, he was secretly thankful that she would help him.

A few moments later they were both sitting on the couch. Lucy carefully putting on new bandages, while Natsu tried sitting still so she could fulfil her task.

It wasn't that uncomfortable... really. The silence, her being so close. It wasn't! He wasn't squirming on the inside and he was not struggling against a blush that seemed to escalate across his skin. No sir! Everything was dandy and perfect!

… who the heck was he kidding! It was bloody torture!

Fortunately for him his hair was not as wet as it was when he barged into the room. Hooray, for small victories? No?

After a couple of minutes, Lucy finally finished her task and left him alone to go put the bandages away. When she was gone he let out a breath he didn't even know he was holding.

Holy fucking crap, what the heck was that all about? Pheeew...

He started rubbing the lump on his forehead unconsciously, while closing his eyes. He felt exhausted all of a sudden. Like his life energy had been drained, making him... well tired.

"You okay?"

Woa! When did she come back? And why was she standing right in front of him! Fortunately he didn't visibly jump, but he was startled mentally.

"Uhm... yeah I'm just tired, is all"

"You sure?"

"Yeah"

"It's just you seem a bit off... has it anything to do with what happened in the cave?"

"N... no... I don't think so?"

"I mean I know it happened earlier today, so if it's too soon to talk about, that's okay too"

It happened earlier that day? Yeah it did... hmm, his perception of things seemed to be really off, huh? Speaking of which why was she kneeling right in front of him looking like... like... a rock? Not an actual rock, no, he wasn't that weird, but she looked so confident and solid. Like he could tell her anything and she wouldn't run away while screaming with hands frantically waving above her head. Well... he had told her a lot that he would normally conceal deep within his heart, far from anyone to see... was that the reason?

Besides that she looked... not exactly sparkling but somehow alluring... like her aura was radiating her inner warmth and genuine feelings. How did she do that?

Natsu coughed a few times, trying to buy some time. He was so confused at the moment. Torn between telling her... everything? And sending her away. What to do, what to do...?

"No matter what I'm here for you, you know that right?" she said while smiling brightly towards him.

"I... know"

That smile... so warm and filled with compassion. Wait... was it him or did the temperature suddenly rise? No?

"Are you sure you're feeling okay?"

"Uhm... yeah...?"

"It's just your face is all red. I don't think I've ever seen it like that before. Are you feeling feverish?"

"No, no..." the air was suddenly caught in his throat when he saw her slowly reach a hand towards his forehead "... uhm! Well perhaps... is it me or is it hot in here?"

"Huh? I don't think so? Hey, hold still so I can feel your temperature"

"It's okay..." he tried dodging her attempt of reaching him "... besides I think I might have a higher temp... eeeehhh!" he squealed as she placed her hand on his forehead.

"Hmm... you're hot"

"Ey, don't say stuff like that!"

"Huh? Why not?"

"Be... cause... it's weird..."

"But... it's the truth?"

"Yeah well... never mind"

"O... kay?"

He shouldn't feel flattered but he did. Wow, was that a new low on his standard about how he wanted her to perceive him? Damn...

"So..." Lucy tilted her head while glaring at him, like she was waiting for an answer to something.

"So?"

"You didn't answer me? Do you want to talk about what happened earlier?"

"Ohh..." yeah he had actually forgotten about that "... I honestly don't know..."

"That's fine... however if it's okay can I say what I think?"

"Uhm, sure"

"I actually think you were right when you said that death wasn't the right solution. I mean sure, it's the easy way, but it's never the right path to choose. Don't misunderstand me I still think what we did was right, but that was mainly because it was cruel letting the creature live. And you saw it yourself didn't you? How hopeful the girl looked and sounded before vanishing? Of course we didn't know it would turn out like that, but when I saw her I was really glad we made that decision. She looked so... at peace..."

Now it was Lucy's turn to avert his stare. She was trembling slightly, almost as if she was trying to keep her feelings concealed within herself.

"I..." she exhaled shakingly before continuing "... understand that, you know? If I could I would give anything to get closure with my dad. Not that I want to die or anything, but I truly hope that I can deliver my feelings to him at some point, you know? That I..." she sniffed while hanging her head so her hair was covering her eyes "... wanted to see him again... and wanted... to say... thanks for believing in me too. For all the gifts he kept sending on my birthday, when I was away... to let him know... that I loved him too..."

Her entire body was shaking now and the smell of salt was a clear indicator that she was crying.

"I..." her voice broke painfully, making his heart clench in sympathy "... I... never told him that..."

"Hey..."

"I'm sorry... for getting all emotional and stuff..." she snorted while removing some tears from her eyes "... I'm so sorry..."

"Stop saying that!" he grabbed her chin with his hand and forced her to look at him "You have nothing to feel sorry for"

"But.." she looked so surprised and bewildered he almost felt torn about giving her a moral speech.

"No matter where he is I'm sure he understood your feelings. You said so yourself didn't you? That he had faith you would meet again and he believed that you would come back. Don't belittle his conviction! I'm sure that he knew how you felt about him"

"But..."

"When you heard about the incident at that guild that had been taken over... Love and Lucy? You ran there like hell was in your footsteps, because you thought he was in danger right?"

"Yeah?"

"Didn't you show him how much you cared through your actions?"

"Ye... yeah... I guess I did... but I also told him that I wasn't ready to forgive him yet.."

"But didn't he tell you that he would change?"

"Yes"

"And didn't he change after that?"

"He did"

"See? He did what he could because he knew that deep inside you loved him. I'm sure he wouldn't change if he knew for sure, that you didn't love him. So yeah, it's like I said you have nothing to worry about! Right?"

"Mmm-hm..." she smiled sadly towards him, with tears still streaming down her face "... yeah"

He was still holding her chin firmly and for the love of... something... he really wanted to let go, because she looked so damn fragile. But... then again... he was afraid to let her go. Like everything would crumble if he did.

It was almost like he was captured in moment. Staring at her smiling sadly, while tears was continuing to fall from her eyes. He wanted to do something, anything really, to stop her from crying. But what...?

"I... should get going..." she shook her head a few times before abruptly getting into a standing position "... I... "

He wanted to move but for some reason he was frozen stiff in his position and could do nothing but watch her as she turned away and walked towards the door.

"I'll see you soon okay... I'm sorry for the sudden outburst... I... I'll see you around"

Holy... shit! Why couldn't he move? Or just say something? Anything? Especially because it was quite clear from her shaking, that she was was far from fine.

And to be honest it hurt... really down to the bone, seeing her like that. It was like her feelings was being transmitted to himself or maybe it just evoked something inside of him. No matter what it was it hurt... it really fucking hurt.

"Wait..." he got into a standing position and was behind her a second later "... just wait"

"Huh? Why...?"

"Tsch, you said it yourself didn't you? No matter what I'm here for you... well... I'm here for you too"

"Thanks... but I... I'm fine..."

"Like hell you are!" Natsu practically growled as he grabbed her arm and turned her around so he could face her "You're not fine!"

"It's okay..." she whispered while glaring at the floor "... please don't worry about me"

"Look at me"

"... no..."

"God damn it!" he roared as he snatched her chin and forced her to look at him "Of course I worry about you"

"But..."

"Why are you being so stubborn all of a sudden? You were there for me when I was having a hard time, so why would you even think that I wouldn't be there for you, hm?"

"I... don't know... I'm sorry"

"It's fine... just... don't hide. I'm right here you know"

"I... thanks..." Lucy smiled genuinely towards him "... you're really dependable"

Daaaaamn! Why did she look so adorable and cute? Ugh... He really didn't think things through did he? Honestly... he didn't... one moment he was glaring into her tearful eyes and the next he... well... acted on instinct and captured her lips with his own.

Why? He had no clue... well yeah, instincts …perhaps?

How did it feel? Ohh like his entire body was exploding with fireworks. Heck yeah! It was freaking awesome! Way better than the last time because he could feel her warm lips responding to him. Or responding was exaggerating the turn of events, because she was frozen stiff... well... yeah... he would be shocked too if he was in her shoes... and if she was the one suddenly kissing him...

Holy shit what was he doing?!

He stopped his actions rather quickly and turned his head to stare at the wall. It was a pretty wall... harmless... it wouldn't hit him in 1... 2... 3... it wouldn't... hit... huh?

"Natsu..." her voice was so fragile that it made his heart clench painfully. This was it... ohh snap! He had heard that kissing before thinking about it might be disastrous, but to what extent? He didn't know...

"Ye... yeah?"

"Why... did you do that?"

"Uhm..." he turned his head to face her again. She was... blushing... was that a good thing? Well she wasn't crying anymore that had to be a good thing "... I don't know... it just... felt right?"

"It just felt right?"

"Yes...?"

She sighed while placing a hand on his shoulder "Have no one ever told you, that kissing a girl without her permission is... well a harassment"

"I... ohh... not exactly, no"

"So... did I allow you to kiss me?"

Ohhh darn it, he did NOT like where things were going all of a sudden...

"Uhm, no you didn't... am I in trouble or something?"

"Ohh yes!" she smirked teasingly "A bunch of trouble that might involve Erza kicking your ass"

"..."

Auch... that hurt more than he would like to admit. Of course he couldn't just push his own feelings upon her and automatically think she would feel the same...

Wait... was he...? Was he acknowledging his own feelings now? Great!

It still didn't answer whyyyy he didn't think things through? Whyyy... Well that was easy to answer. It was because he was a bloody idiot, that's why!

"But before that... Natsu I..." Lucy was blushing more fiercely as she continued "... I permit you to... you know... kiss me... uhm... again... if you want to"

"Okay I..." his brain tried to process her sentence a few times, but for some reason his mind just blanked "... what?"

"It's only if you... want to..."

"..."

"It's not like you have to..."

"..."

"... this is getting awkward..." she looked at her shoes before inching away slowly "... sooo... I... uhm... I guess... I'll get going then...?"

Get going? Why? Ohh... ohh crap, what was he doing?! This wasn't the time to have a minor breakdown. No, it was time for action! But... why couldn't he move?

He kept watching in horror and confusion as Lucy walked towards the exit... again! It wasn't until she took the first step over the threshold, that he snapped back to reality, from wherever he had been confined inside of his mind.

Once he did he took a second to mentally slap himself, before closing the distance that had come between him and the blonde. When he was close enough he grabbed her shirt and gently started to pull her back inside. Lucy didn't protest or say anything, but let him guide her actions. They didn't take many steps before they both stopped.

"I'm sorry..." he whispered but she heard him none the less "... I kinda spaced out for a second"

Lucy sighed before turning around to face him.

"That's okay... there's been a lot of emotions flying today, huh?"

"Yeah..."

She smiled brightly and for some reason the air got caught in his throat again. He had no idea why his body acted this way, because... well basically it was because he had no real experience, when it came to the touchy feely things. At least not to this degree... he had no idea that his feelings could be so vast, neither that it would be so difficult to fight against it. No, it was such a basic and mayor part of his primal instincts and it would surely do everything it could to guide his actions. Okay the word "guide" was a bit of an understatement, because Natsu was so used to trust his instincts and act accordingly to whatever they told him to fight against it.

What did this mean? That he couldn't escape its grasp. Of course he didn't know that, neither did it matter at the moment.

Time seemed to freeze for a second as they just stood there looking at each other, as if nothing else in the world existed. A soft breeze made Lucy's hair sway very softly, making it glisten like gold wherever the sunlight hit it. Her eyes were soft and practically sparkling with her own unique warmth and kindness, that was so characteristic for her personality.

For the second time, he felt himself getting devoured by his instincts and acted on impulse as he gently placed his hand behind her neck. She smiled in what could be perceived as encouragement and he didn't waste another breathe as he gently pulled her towards him and once more pressed his lips against hers.

He wouldn't lie, it felt more awesome than the last time! Maybe it was because she actually responded this time and it didn't feel like he was kissing a fish (seriously he did that one time because of a bet). Her lips were warmer and more soft this time, making it so much more enjoyable and thrilling.

The feelings rushing through his body seemed to intensify for some reason, making his skin prickle and shiver, as if he had just consumed the biggest meal and someone else paid the bill. Honestly it was the only thing he could compare it to and he already knew that it was insignificant, because what he felt right now was on a whole new level ,to anything he had ever encountered. It was new, fresh and by gosh, so much more than he had ever imagined.

His stomach was tickling like he had a million bubbles popping, when he stopped kissing her. It was really pleasant, even if it felt like his head was filled with hot air and floating above his neck.

Grinning almost sheepishly he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her as firmly as he could in his condition. The grin on his lips became even bigger when he a second later felt Lucy wrapping her own arms around his waist, hugging him back.

Everything was awesome! Actually he felt he could conquer the whole world with this new found confidence. It was... well how could he explain it, without sounding like a complete moron? It almost felt like he had become a huge dragon that could take on anything or anyone who might provoke him. It was a boost to his self confidence that he didn't know could possibly exist. And why would he? This was a new territory to him. Besides who knew that something like this, could make such a major difference, huh?

He gently squeezed her and she gently squeezed him back, making him giggle at the warmth that was spreading rather fast through his veins, making him blush ever so slightly.

Truly this was epic, amazing, cool... and a lot of other things that wasn't in vocabulary.

Her scent being so close that it seemed like it was wrapped around both of them, her aura so gentle it made his heart skip a beat, and her body so warm that he could feel her life pulsating against himself. Everything was so alluring and exhilarating!

"You're amazing, you know that right?" he whispered in a low husky voice.

"So are you" she said while rubbing her head gently against his chest.

"You are... special... you're like one of the amazing and unique people that exist"

"Thanks... is this your way of telling me you like me?"

"Mmm-hmm" he nodded, blushing even more at her direct attitude.

"Hehe, you're weird"

"So are you, weirdo"

"But..." she gently pinched him earning a small yelp in surprise from him "...you're amazing and unique too"

"Yay!" snickering he strengthened his hold on her before spinning around a few times on the spot, making her squeal in delight.

Right now everything was perfect. It was almost as if the events came full circle, meaning that the past was the past and the present the present. Okay not exactly, because he had definitely gained some benefits despite of the horrors he had experienced. With time those wounds would close too and he knew that the girl in his arms would make that transmission even faster. At some point he would look back at it all and grow somewhat comfortable with the decision they made in the cave. Not that he resented anyone for that, but he still had to acknowledge, that it was the best decision they made.

Coming to terms with the trauma he had been through would take time no matter what, but he was getting there a lot faster and healing at a faster pace because of her. He knew that without a doubt in his mind.

So even if all of this occurred because of one tiny mistake he was glad to pay the consequences. Of course he regretted even getting into that horrible situation that made him suffer, but it almost seemed insignificant, when it was compared to what he gained. So it was a mistake... yes... but it was a mistake he would always remember... and fortunately it was because of that, Natsu now found himself engulfed in a soothing and healing light...

A/N: I just realised that Natsu is only wearing a towel in the majority of this chapter... wow... I blew my own mind there o.O

Anyhow! This is it! Goodnight to y'all...

Natsu: "Oy! You can't just leave it like that!"

H: "No?"

Natsu: (sighs heavily) "No, you gotta thank people for sticking with you and stuff"

H: "Right... uhm... thanks for all the kind words in your reviews. It was amazing! And thanks to all who put this on favourite and everyone who followed this story! You guys are awesome!"

Natsu: "Yes they are!"

H: "I guess this is goodbye then?"

Natsu: "Naaaw..."

H: "Huh?"

Natsu: "You're really dense you know... haven't you been working on... like three other stories?"

H: "Oy! Have you been peeping in my private folders again?!"

Natsu: "Uhm... ehhh... no?"

H: "... idiot..."

Natsu: "... you're an idiot too..."

H: "Hey! That reminds me... where did Lucy pinch you, when you guys were hugging?"

Natsu (blushes profoundly): "I'm not saying! That's up to the perverted reader to imagine!"

H: "Ahem... fair enough? So yeah, I hope you enjoyed the story and I really hope you have a lot of fun during the holidays. Lots of love, kisses, hugs and chocolate covered hearts from me to all of you"

Natsu: "All of what she said from me too!"

H: "Byyyyyeeeee!"

Natsu: "See you in another story in 2015!"