Hello everyone! This was a request from my lovely gopher Taylor, who has been working really hard for me this past month. I know I haven't written anything in a while, but I have a reason for that which I'll explain after the story. For now, enjoy!

Oh! And for those who are wondering, this is sorta a sequel to my story "My Life's Art". But if you didn't read it, it can still stand on it's own as just a one-shot.

Disclaimer: The only thing I make claim to is this devilish plot =P

Warning: Get your tissues out, cause this is story is full of lemony goodness!

Miranda Rights

"Natsu Dragneel!" Lucy was furious. Storming through her spacious apartment, Lucy's dark eyes darted through the kitchen frantically. Her hands were trembling at her side, shoulders tense and breathing heavy. Not finding what she was looking for, the blond quickly turned and stomped her way into the living room. Her spine straightened at the sight of pink hair sticking out from the side of the couch. Sleeping peacefully, Natsu was curled in a fetal position on the sofa. Clenching her teeth, Lucy pushed herself over to the couch and yanked hard on the scarf around Natsu's neck. A loud swear rung throughout the room after Natsu's head collided with the hardwood floor.

"Lucy? What gives?" Natsu yawned as he pushed up to sit, rubbing one of his eyes tiredly. Though normally Lucy would consider her boyfriend's antics cute, the artist couldn't stop herself from yelling.

"You are an idiot, Natsu!" The loud roar from his unhappy partner made Natsu wake up much quicker than normal. Lucy's entire body was trembling as she watched Natsu slowly push to stand, his lean body rising over hers. Despite the emotion still coursing through her veins, seeing the bags under Natsu's eyes quelled some of her anger. Lucy and Natsu had begun dating their senior year of college. Four years later, the two were still going stronger than either had expected. Their friends were not nearly as surprised as they were; each one expecting the two's coupling years before.

That wasn't to say that the couple didn't have their problems. Lucy had forgotten their one year anniversary, a fact that Natsu never let her forget. In return, Lucy always reminded Natsu of the problems his jealousy caused at her art studio. Their hardest span was Natsu's first year working as a Magnolia police officer. The year included several weeks where the two would never see each other, and caused a rift in their emotional bond. But two years had passed since then, and the two had managed to form a schedule to include each other's hectic lives.

"Why now?"

"You were supposed to meet me at Lorenzo's, remember? We talked about it before you left for your shift yesterday." She attempted to jog his memory, throwing her hands in the air when he continued to look at her in confusion. "For Erza and Jellal's engagement dinner!"

"That was tonight?" Lucy nodded sharply, Natsu glancing up to the clock on their DVD player. Wincing at how late it was, Natsu slowly glanced back to his irate girlfriend and smiled. "I'm guessing you didn't bring back any food for me?"

"That's what you're worried about? Natsu, Erza has been your friends for years. How could you sleep through her engagement party?"

"It's not like I wanted to! They needed all hands on deck last night, so I got pulled into a double shift. I just got home two hours ago."

"A double shift? Was everything okay?" She knew she should still be mad, but Lucy couldn't stop herself from worrying in situations like this. Even as Natsu grinned and nodded his head, Lucy felt herself frown. Unlike her 9-5 art studio job, Natsu's police work never had set hours. Sometimes he would get out early, while others dragged long into the night. She had assumed that morning that Natsu was just running late and left him breakfast in the fridge. When she knew she wasn't going to see him, Lucy always made sure the fridge had a meal prepared. If she didn't, she knew Natsu would eat pure junk. He had probably assumed it was for dinner and completely forgot about Erza's engagement party.

"Don't worry about it; just another robbery."

"That's the third one this month. Was anyone hurt?"

"The cashier put up a fight, so one of the guys shot him." This was the first time violence had been used in the robberies Natsu had been put in charge of stopping.

"Oh my god. Natsu, these guys—"

"Are just getting really cocky. But Romeo and I are closing in on them. The Chief keeps yapping at me to be careful, but we're the best partners around." Romeo was a new officer that had been assigned to Natsu's watch three months earlier. Though he was new to the job, Romeo seemed to be a natural. He and Natsu clicked instantly, and Lucy had come home many times to the rookie cop sleeping on her couch. She always played mad, but made sure to always make extra food on days she knew Romeo would be stopping by.

"You really need to listen to the chief. He's been doing this a lot longer than you have."

"Don't worry, Luce! These thugs are nothing I can't handle."

"They're not thugs anymore; they're actual criminals. Criminals that can do some serious damage if you're not careful," Lucy said, disliking Natsu's casual shrug. Even in college, Natsu never took danger seriously.

"Relax."

"How can you say that?"

"Because I don't like seeing you like this." Natsu blinked when feeling his phone vibrate in his pocket. Natsu checked his phone and painfully winced. With thirteen missed calls and three voicemails, Natsu was not looking forward to listening to what the red head left on his phone. "Really, I'm more worried about Erza next time I see her…"

"You are something else." Natsu look away from his phone and back down to Lucy's laughing form, causing him to smile. Grasping her around the waist, Natsu dragged his shocked girlfriend closer to him before stealing a kiss. Lucy's eyes fluttered shut as she returned the kiss, the final ounces of anger disappearing between their lips. The overdue connection left Lucy breathless, her hands fisted into his shirt. At the flushed look Lucy gave him, Natsu smirked and lifted her off her feet.

"I'd like to be something inside you." A loving laugh filled their apartment as Natsu moved them into their room, kicking the door shut behind them.

It was two weeks later that Lucy felt herself being shaken awake.

"Lucy…Lucy!"

"Huh?" Lucy blurrily opened her eyes, glancing to the alarm clock next to her head. Groaning loudly, the blonde hair dropped her head back to the pillow. "Natsu, it's 3 in the morning."

"I know, but I just got called in by the chief." Forcing her heavy eyelids open again, Lucy noticed her boyfriend was in full uniform. He reached out, his knuckles sliding against the side of her cheek. "I just wanted to let you know I was leaving before I get seven panicked phone calls and Erza hunting all through Magnolia for me."

"I'm not that bad," she mumbled, brushing his hand away from her cheek. He laughed then stood up, grabbing his hat from the dresser as he passed. Lucy slowly sat up in the bed, shivering when the bed sheets dropped from her naked body. Knowing it was only Natsu in the room, Lucy didn't bother to cover herself. "Is it those robbers again?"

"Yeah, I guess one of our graveyard officers saw them breaking into a store. He chased them into a warehouse, and they're holed up in there. Chief just called me and Romeo in to make the arrest, since he knows it's our case."

"Can't you just let them make the arrest? This seems like a tense situation."

"I told you not to worry, right? I'll be home before you wake up." He fixed his hat, and then scowled as he looked back at Lucy. Before he could speak, his eyes glanced over her curvy form and languidly grinned. "You make it hard to want to go to work, you know."

"We just did it, you pervert," Lucy mumbled, rolling her eyes at a comment that once would have embarrassed her. Instead, she chucked his pillow at him before flopping back on the bed, yanking the sheets to her chest. "Go before Romeo makes the arrest without you."

"We're a team; he'd never go in without me!" She heard the pillow thrown back at the bed before Natsu's voice lowered. "Love you, Luce."

"Love you too," She mumbled, already letting her mind slip into dreamland. She barely felt a soft pressure against her forehead before darkness crept in, stealing her conscious mind. The rest of her night went peacefully, Lucy being awakened by the loud buzzing of her alarm. After slamming her hand into the snooze button two times, Lucy finally pushed herself out of bed in order to get dressed. Brushing her hair while she walked into the living room, the girl flipped the television on while securing her hair into two pigtails. She turned to enter the kitchen, but froze when realizing her normal programming was replaced by an urgent newscast.

"For those of you who are just joining us, we're following the news story that started early this morning. Magnolia police cornered two criminals inside of a warehouse, where they now hold a hostage."

"Natsu." Running into their room, Lucy stumbled to grab her phone off the charger before quickly dialing her boyfriend's number. She returned to the front of the TV, her hand tightening on her cell when it went to voicemail. Not giving up, Lucy redialed the number while listening to the news reporters.

"Gunfire has been exchanged throughout the night, but has ceased since the capture of an officer attempting to ambush the two through a back entrance. Police have refused to release the name of the captured officer, nor the condition of this man. We'll be keeping live coverage on this story as it progresses."

"Natsu…" Lucy's phone crashed to the ground as she ran to the TV, dropping to her knees and pressing her hands onto the screen. Though she knew he couldn't hear her, Lucy's voice rose while she searched for the pink hair in the sea of blue uniforms. "Natsu, where are you?!"

"Lucy!" Lucy's head shot up when her name was called, realizing someone was banging on her front door. Pushing herself to stand, Lucy looked back to the screen once more before quickly moving to open her door.

"Gray? Erza? W-what are you…doing here?" Lucy asked, the two friends pushing their way into the apartment. Gray's hand landed on Lucy's shoulder, a somber stare connecting with her confused gaze.

"We saw the news and knew that idiot was probably in the middle of it. Are you okay?" Lucy's body trembled at the question. Like Gray had sucker-punched her, Lucy took a sharp gasp of air. How could she be okay? Natsu was in danger, and possibly hurt. What if he was the one captured? Would they hurt him? Would they kill him? Lucy shook her head, trying to clear the painful image from her head. The movement made her dizzy, and she stumbled before Gray steadied her. "Lucy?"

"He didn't answer his phone," She whispered, pressing her palms to her eyes. Shaking her head again, Lucy looked up at Gray in pain. "He said he'd be back before I woke up! Natsu's never lied to me before."

"I'm sure he's okay."

"But what if he isn't?!" She yelled, closing her eyes tightly. When Gray fell silent, Lucy choked on her own tearful question. "What do I do if he's not okay?"

"Lucy, I found him." At Erza's calm voice, Lucy glanced over her shoulder. The red head was pointing at the screen, Lucy's eyes widening when seeing the flash of pink she had been looking for. Natsu was in front of one of the cruisers, being held back by several other officers. He was shouting something, but Lucy was too overwhelmed to even listen to the television.

"Thank God," Gray murmured, leading Lucy to sit next to Erza on the couch. Lucy instantly reached out, grasping Erza's hand in her own. The older woman didn't speak, but squeezed the shaking appendage in her own.

"It was his partner who was taken hostage." Erza explained, making Lucy's heart stop.

"R-Romeo?" She whispered, her heart breaking again at Erza's nod.

"Seems like he was trying to take them down before too many people got hurt." It explained why Natsu was acting so passionately. The two had a strong connection, and Natsu had always felt responsible for the rookie officer. It was easy for Lucy to see the guilt that now weighed on her boyfriend's shoulders.

"Natsu," Lucy whispered, her fingers vice-gripping Erza's hand. Movement on the television caught her eye, and Lucy watched as the reporters started to speak.

"A new development in the story; a smoke bomb has been thrown into the window of the warehouse. Two cops have entered the building with masks with—shots have been fired! I repeat, shots from inside of the warehouse have been fired."

"Whose shots damnit?" Gray's strained voice showed his concern over his friend.

"We've got to believe in Natsu; he wouldn't do anything to endanger Romeo or anyone else in his police force," Lucy said, trying to convince herself more than either of her friends. The three stayed silent as chaos ensued on the screen, a mixture of screams and police sirens blaring. The smoke from the warehouse now billowed out the windows, yet no more gunshots were heard. Erza's face was worried, though she didn't speak. Gray tried to keep from showing his fear, but his hand fisted on his knee. Lucy's eyes stayed glued on the screen, her heartbeat thumping in her ears despite her quiet whisper. "I believe in you, Natsu."

"This newscast station is relieved to announce that the two criminals have been taken into custody by the Magnolia police department." Lucy's relief was almost palpable as she fell back against the couch, her hand still holding Erza's despite the good news. "The officer, now identified as Romeo Conbolt, is being rushed to Magnolia hospital for further inspection. He is, however, alive and conscious. Officials will not release the names of the two men in custody. The chief has set up a press conference…"

"Thank god they got them." Erza glanced over to Lucy, who was still staring at the TV screen. "I suggest you keep the studio closed until Natsu comes home. You don't seem stable enough to continue business in a professional manner, and I'd hate to see your business suffer because of that."

"Yeah, you're probably right," Lucy replied, her focus continuing to go back to the TV. By now, from the random shots of video the news station had shown, she knew Natsu was one of the ones who went after Romeo. She had also seen blood on his uniform, though she wasn't sure who it was from. Had Natsu gotten shot? Or was she just overreacting? Lucy couldn't tell; her entire body felt numb. She knew she should have felt relieved with the capture of the two criminals. The threat was taken care of, and nobody had been killed.

But that didn't mean this would never happen again. It was a thought that haunted Lucy throughout the day. Even with Gray and Erza both keeping her company (they both refused to leave Lucy alone after such an event, and Natsu had yet to come home), Lucy couldn't stop her thoughts from going dark. Lucy didn't want to imagine her life without Natsu. In truth, she couldn't. Natsu was a part of her in every way possible; a world without him wouldn't be bearable. But Natsu's job was full of danger. Lucy never had really understood what that meant until today. If one thing went wrong, if Natsu took one wrong step…

"Are you sure you'll be okay? We can wait until he gets home." Lucy shook her head at Erza's offer, pushing both of her friends out of the door with a smile.

"He's going to be here in five minutes, he just texted me."

"If you two need anything—"

"You'll be the first person we call, Gray." With another gentle push, Lucy managed to get the two to leave. She slowly shut the door behind them, Lucy pressing her head to the wood and sighing. Taking a moment to collect herself, Lucy pushed away from the door and headed toward the kitchen. She was sure that Natsu hadn't eaten all day, and would be ready to eat the whole kitchen if she didn't start preparing something. She collected some ingredients, beginning to slice the tender meat when she heard the opening of their front door. Leaning her head back a bit, Lucy called out to her boyfriend. "Natsu, I'm in the kitchen."

He didn't answer her, making Lucy slow in her preparing of the food. After nearly a minute, Lucy started to get concerned. Normally, Natsu would be chatting her ear up about the work he had done during the day. He would glorify the role he and Romeo played, and have her in stitches by the end of it. Then they would sit at the table and enjoy a quick dinner before Natsu would somehow coax her into the bedroom. It was a little hectic, but Lucy never truly minded.

"Lucy." A shiver went through her spine when Natsu's somber tone brushed against her ear. She looked back at him, her eyes widening at the stoic expression on his face.

"You scared me," She whispered, trying to smile despite his odd behavior. Natsu had lost his uniform top somewhere in the apartment, along with his police belt and shoes. His pants were unbuttoned, exposing the black boxers she knew looked sinfully good on him. Knowing her thoughts were inappropriate for the situation, she glanced back to the meat she was dicing. "I saw you on the news. How is Romeo doing?"

"He got shot." His hands on her hips startled her, Natsu spinning Lucy to face him. He leaned her against the counter and captured her lips without warning. The touch was rough, his mouth not wasting time parting her lips. The kiss was sultry, with Natsu taking complete control over her body. His hands pressed on either side of the counter, refusing to let go of her lips. Lucy moaned quietly, shivering at the dominance he demanded. His hips rubbed into hers, a soft warmth starting to infiltrate her body. Slowly running out of air, Lucy pressed her hands into his chest and sharply pulled away. Gasping for air, Lucy looked up at him in surprise.

"Romeo got shot? Is he okay? Should we—" Natsu grabbed her arm, ignoring her panic to drag her toward their bedroom. She grunted when he placed her on the bed, peeking one eye open as Natsu threw his white tank top to the floor. She moved to sit when he crawled onto the bed, her eyes softening at the determined look on his face. Reaching out to touch him, Lucy gasped at the rough grasp around her wrist. The second wrist was soon captured, Natsu guiding Lucy to lay back on the bed. She accepted the kiss he gave her, her body shivering and her mind starting to drift. Something cold pressed against her skin, but Natsu refused to let her mouth go to investigate. It was only when Lucy heard a familiar clicking noise that Lucy tilted her head up and gasped. Natsu's handcuffs reflected the bedroom light, showing she was now trapped against the wooden head post. "Natsu! What are you doing?"

"I need you." His honesty stopping her before she could rant, Lucy glanced up at him in surprise. Her struggling hands fell limp on the headboard, and Lucy's eyes softened in understanding. She weakly nodded, closing her eyes when his kisses returned to her neck. His rough lips scraped her neck, coaxing a moan from his willing hostage. By now her hands had come alive again, but wrapped around the wooden bedposts when Natsu ripped her shirt. The tear would normally piss her off, but this animistic side of Natsu was making Lucy's panties dampen. He spread his hands over her stomach, slowly creeping his fingers toward her red bra. One hand slipped under the fabric, brushing her sensitive nipple with his thumb.

"Natsu," Lucy gasped, arching into the rough pinch of her nipple. She turned her head to moan against the pillow, her hands grasping the headboard when Natsu's mouth hungrily sucked against her pulse. With little effort Natsu pried Lucy's legs open, settling his bare chest against hers. Her head pressed back into her pillow when his teeth dragged down the length of her neck, sharply nipping at her exposed collarbone. Desperate to touch any part of him, Lucy's legs wrapped around his waist and yanked his pelvis into her own. Her skirt hiked up her thighs, leaving her dampened panties to smear against the front of his uniform. He growled into her shoulder, using his free hand to cup her ass and rock her hips into his own. Both moaned at the frustrating friction, cloth keeping them from their desired destination.

"I won't ever lose you." His words were breathed against the pale skin of her breast, Natsu kissing along the lining of her bra. Lucy groaned, arching her chest into the hot lips of her lover. When reaching the middle of her bra, Natsu glanced up at her and licked between the two swells of flesh. Her fingers dug into the wood of the backboard, heat filling her glare.

"Says the one charging into a criminal infested building." He scowled at her ability to form a coherent sentence, mentally promising it wouldn't happen again. Leaving the bra intact, Natsu slid down Lucy's quivering stomach. His nose drew a sensitive path to her belly button, Lucy gasping while her stomach dipped away from the touch. Placing a soft kiss against her belly button, Natsu broke Lucy's leg-grip on his hips. She wanted to ask, but her mouth was occupied with a moan when Natsu roughly grasped Lucy's thighs and lifted them up. Leaning down, Natsu pressed his tongue along the dampened slit of the underwear Lucy wore. Lucy cried out, her thighs quickly trying to close. His hands easily held her legs open, Natsu unrelenting in his assault against Lucy's covered clit. The friction between her underwear and Natsu's tongue was foreign and yet hot enough to make Lucy's toes curl. When the tip of his tongue darted against her clit, Lucy nearly broke the headboard to yank on his hair.

The pleasure left Lucy breathless, her mind momentarily hazing. Lucy barely felt her underwear being slid down her legs, but immediately felt the wetness of his tongue against her opening. She cried out his name, her hips thrashing in desperation to feel more. Natsu quickened the strokes of his tongue, slipping one of his hands down the sensitive skin of her thigh. The fingers trailed back up, finally resting against the slit of her warmth. Her eyes closed tightly at the feel of his fingers slipping into her, the added sensation of his tongue making Lucy lose her mind. Her mouth opened, but no words managed to come out. Instead, her heavy panting encouraged Natsu's lust-driven mind to continue thrusting his fingers inside her. The wetness of her excitement coated his digits and chin, but Natsu refused to relent. Nothing short of a hurricane would tear Natsu away from Lucy's seductive taste.

"Please," She whimpered out, her body jolting from an extremely forceful thrust.

"I know." Even as he said that, Natsu's expert tongue didn't give Lucy time to catch her breath.

"Natsu!" His chuckle vibrated against her clit, making Lucy's entire body tense. Panting from sexual frustration, Lucy's fingers were turning white from the pressure she used to restrain herself. Sweat covered her body, Lucy's hips losing any shred of dignity as she pressed up into Natsu's mouth. Smirking to himself, Natsu opened his mouth to take the enlarged clit between his lips and sucked. Eyes that were once glued shut shot open as Lucy tensed, her back arching like a bow. Lucy continued to cry his name like a prayer, her body shaking from the intensity of her orgasm. Natsu pulled back, but gave Lucy little time to catch her bearings before he was on top of her again. She gasped when his fingers trailed up her shaking arms, her body still sensitive from her orgasm. Their eyes met, Natsu's fiery stare catching Lucy's breath. The sound of metal dropping to the wood signified that Lucy was free, but neither moved.

"I can't live without you," The weakness in his voice echoed through their room, Lucy's shock giving way to compassion. Slowly her hands cupped his cheeks, pulling his mouth down to hers.

"I'm not going anywhere," She whispered, smiling sadly when his lower lip trembled against her own. She kissed him slowly, pouring every ounce of fear and desperation from her morning into their touch. The softness quickly gave way to passion, Natsu's hands grasping her arms frantically; as if afraid she would disappear in an instant. Lucy's mouth opened in the kiss when Natsu lifted her leg, leaving her skirt untouched. He unclasped his zipper, yanking his pants and boxers to his knees. A second later he was pushing inside of her, Lucy's lips leaving his own to moan. Natsu's head pressed against her heart, a puff of hot air spreading over her bra before he started to move. The pace was fast and rough, a deviant from Natsu's normal style. Lucy didn't care, the feeling of Natsu's body filling her rekindled the fire inside her belly. Nails dug into his back, incoherent whimpers urging the desperate man faster. His hands hiked her hips up, giving his deeper access into her warmth. She cried out his name, her legs parting wider to accept the thrusts his hips were producing. Their hips were bruising from the force, but neither seemed to care.

Natsu lifted his head again, his eyes focused on the pleasured-filled expression of the woman underneath him. He ground his teeth together as he increased the pace, unable to stop his animalistic desire to own her. This new side of himself both worried and invigorated him. His body roared with pleasure from the depth he was reaching inside Lucy, and yet his soul still ached.

"Lucy," He groaned out, his body shuttering when her body clenched down on him. She moaned loudly, her eyes fluttering open to look up at him. He didn't stop his thrusting, one hand grasping her thigh while the other pressed into the bed next to her head. Their eyes connected, Lucy hissing when Natsu's cock rubbed a sensitive area inside her. Letting a shiver pass through her, Lucy dislodged her nails from his back before trailing them over his chest. His hips snapped forward at the touch, ramming the headboard into the wall harshly. Lucy arched at the motion, her fingers slipping up his neck and grasping his hair. Tugging on the strands, Lucy used her legs to roll them over. The rhythm stopped, Natsu's chest rising rapidly as he watched Lucy's next moves silently.

Grasping his wrists in her hands, Lucy shivered when her hips started to rock against his. Forcing his eyes to stay open, Natsu felt his breath hitch when Lucy placed his hand against her heavy beating heart. The other hand was directed to her mouth, two fingers dipping into the moisture behind her lips. He found air impossible to pass through his lungs as Lucy rode him slowly, his fingers being lavished by her needy tongue. The soft nibbles of her teeth against his fingertips went straight to his groin, which was already in a tight heaven between her thighs. The warmth of her pussy slicked him up, her breasts jumping in her bra with each motion of her hips. His brain went haywire when she sucked his fingers back into her mouth the same moment her muscles clamped down on his cock, sending him close to the edge. Biting the inside of his cheek hard enough to draw blood, Natsu pivoted his hips up to watch Lucy's surprise turn into ecstasy. The tremble of her tongue against the sensitive pads of his fingertips broke the last string of restraint he had.

"Need these back," He growled out, wiggling his fingers in her mouth. She pressed her teeth against them possessively, but slowly let go when he sent her a demanding stare. Her eyes widened when he grabbed her, turning them once again. Holding her up by the ass, Natsu wasted no time pushing off the bed. He kicked his pants and boxers off before pressing Lucy to the closest wall he could find. The coldness of the wall stung Lucy's back, but she was left no time to complain when Natsu's hips started thrusting into her again. Having nothing but skin to grasp onto, Lucy's hands returned to Natsu's back while she held onto the man ramming into her. The pleasure was curling her toes against his ass, Lucy's mouth continuing to produce loud moans of encouragement. Natsu rammed his head against the wall, staring at the bead of sweat slipping down Lucy's shoulder to rest against her bra. The teasing line of sweat made Natsu growl, placing a possessive kiss against her exposed neck. Lucy tilted her head willingly, fingers twitching against his clammy back. The spring was wound high in her stomach, but her mind refused to let her release yet. The feelings of having Natsu possess her so desperately had Lucy's head spinning.

A strained version of her name passed against Lucy's ear before Natsu tensed, Lucy feeling his entire body shutter next to her. The sudden increase of thrusts against her sensitive warmth signaled Natsu's orgasm had taken hold of him. His erratic breathing was accompanied by a soft brush of his thumb against her clit. The double attack made her tense, Lucy screaming his name while her body spazzed against him. The pounding didn't stop, and Lucy could only whimper at the onslaught of stimulation. Her oversensitive body caused her legs to twitch, Lucy's fingers nearly drawing blood from the tough skin they dug into. Natsu's body slowly fell against her, his hand's presence against the wall the only thing keeping both of them up. Heavy breathing was exchanged between the two, Natsu slowly dragging his forehead against her shoulder. Lucy winced at the slight pain from the action, but didn't voice her objection. Instead, she slid her hands down his back before pulling him into a soft embrace.

"Are you okay?" Lucy asked softly, nuzzling the ear exposed to her. Natsu didn't respond, tightening the arm around Lucy's body before pushing off the wall. He wobbled for a second, but steadied himself when feeling Lucy's tightened grip on his back. Taking a strong breath, Natsu walked toward their master bathroom. Pushing the door open with his foot, Natsu slowly moved into the shower silently. Nervous when Natsu placed her on her own feet, Lucy didn't let him go far before she grabbed onto his arm. "Natsu?"

"I love you, Lucy." She opened her mouth to respond, but stopped when his dark gaze showed he wasn't finished. Reaching behind her, Natsu turned on the shower and let the icy water splash against his fingers. Staring at the stream Natsu's eyes drooped in guilt. "I thought if I became a cop, I could protect everyone who I loved. I feel invincible when I wear the badge, you know? But then, those…those bastards hurt Romeo…"

Lucy jumped when his fist slammed into the side of the shower.

"Natsu!"

"I couldn't do a damn thing. Even with all of Romeo's training, they were able to hurt him." Anger blazed in his eyes as he looked up at Lucy, his fists staying against the tile of the shower. "If anyone ever touched you—"

"But they wont! They won't, because you won't let them. I believe in you, Natsu." Her honestly shone in her eyes as she stepped closer to him, unafraid of the killer aura he held. Smiling, Lucy reached out to wrap her hand over his trembling fist. "I never worry about what will happen to me, because I know you'll always be by my side. You're the best protector I could ever ask for, Natsu. I've never doubted your skill. I entrust my life to you, for the rest of my life."

"And if I fail?" Her eyes were wide as she stared at the insecure man in front of her. In all the years she had known Natsu, she had never seen his pride this minimized. She hated it. Refusing to let the demoralization continue, Lucy shook her head.

"You're Natsu Dragneel!" She snapped, placing her free hand over her heart while scowling at him. "The Natsu I know would never think like that. The man who ran into a building to save his comrade's life never thought he wasn't good enough to be the hero. That's your job. Even when you fail the first time, you've never given up. You pull yourself up with strength only you possess, and you try again. And no matter how many times you fail, you always succeed in the end. That's the Natsu your comrades respect, and your friends admire. And that's the man I fell in love with."

"Yeah….fuck, you're right." Lucy squeaked when he yanked her into him, giving her a scorching kiss that left her knees weak. When he pulled away, his charismatic smile reappeared on his face. "This is why I love you, Luce!"

"It was nothing," she mumbled self-consciously. She laughed when he dragged their bodies back into the warmed water. Looking up at Natsu, Lucy felt her admiration swell at his intoxicating laugh. The two fell into pointless chatter while they washed, Natsu whining when Lucy refused to let him wash her hair. The two managed to make it out of the shower in one piece, Lucy finally cooking the food she had begun working on before Natsu came home. Her boyfriend sat on the counter, watching Lucy cook silently. She'd occasionally toss him a taste of the food, though she didn't expect much of a complaint over the taste. Natsu would eat five day old pizza without even noticing. When she finished cooking the dinner, Lucy forced Natsu to sit at the table and eat. With little effort, Lucy managed to get Natsu to start talking.

"Romeo thought he could ambush them, so he went in without back-up. He wanted to arrest them just as much as I did; he assumed I'd be right behind him. Before I had even realized where he was, he was gone. The chief wouldn't let me go in after him, and had half the damn squad hold me back."

"Well you are quite hard to handle when you're determined," She said, happy with the chief's decision. If Natsu had been let loose, there was no saying he would have came home in one piece.

"By the time we got in there, guns were fired. Knowing the rookie, he probably knew we were coming and made a smart ass comment to distract the thieves. Romeo got shot in the shoulder, but it wasn't anything serious. He was in a lot of pain when I visited him at the hospital, but they said he's going to be okay in a few weeks. I'm getting some temporary partner until he comes back, which sucks. I told chief I'd be fine on my own, but he keeps ignoring me."

"You're going back out there?" He arched his eyebrow at her, Lucy rephrasing her statement. "I mean, you're not going to take some time off?"

"Why would I?"

"I just thought you'd take a break or something. You went through something serious," Lucy replied, trying not to show her uneasiness with the conversation. She glanced down to her plate, swirling her fork through the sauce to distract herself. She knew that Natsu would return to police work; it was what made him happy at the end of the day. Still, Lucy was having a hard time with what had happened today. Having back out in the war zone so soon was making her stomach cramp.

"If I don't go back tomorrow, I'll be letting those guys win." She lifted her head at Natsu's logic, listening quietly. "They wanted to hurt Romeo and mess up our team. They wanted to go out with a bang. When they saw it was me who arrested them, they laughed. Like they thought they had broken me. I'm not letting them get that satisfaction; I'll work twice as hard to make up for Romeo's absence! If I can put away guys like that slime ball, then I'll be the one who gets the last laugh."

"Natsu…" He blinked when she moved out of her seat, lifting his chin with two fingers before kissing him softly. After lingering on his lips for a few seconds, Lucy pulled back and smiled. "Do me and Romeo proud, okay?"

"Of course! " He yanked Lucy into his lap, nuzzling his nose into the warmth of her neck. She shivered from the sensual touch, knowing a second round of sex was sure to come soon. His lips lazily kissed the hollow of her neck before mumbling, "But arresting people tomorrow is going to be tough."

"Why do you say that?" She asked, her voice wavering when his fingers slipped underneath the waistband of her pants. His hands found her ass, lifting her with him while they stood. Already knowing where he was headed, Lucy lazily draped her arms around his shoulders and sighed. She felt his grin against her pulse, making it jump in anticipation.

"After handcuffing you to the bed, how am I supposed to read them their Miranda rights without getting a hard-on?"

Tada! I hope that you all enjoyed this little one-shot of mine. It's not as big as most of my stories, but I still think it's a good read. So, how was it? The sex scene was probably the most graphic I've ever gotten, so I hope that you guys enjoyed it. The whole story was really fun to write, so please give me your feedback =D

Now for an announcement!

On June 1st, I will be posting a chapter to my new Fairy Tail story. This will be longer than my first few, so you're in for a real treat! As I said earlier, Taylor and I have been slaving away at this plot line, so I hope that you'll all give my new story a shot. The title of it will be "The Astrologist". That's all the information I'll give for now. If you want to know more, you better check it out on the 1st! See ya then!