This was a wonderful and lovely slow burn, thank you for sharing :D

I’ve spent ages trying to find a good NaLu fic - and this is it and more! Lookin forward to seeing your other works because after this one I was hooked.

Dear god, I'm almost reluctant to leave a review because there's so much to say and I don't think I can do it justice. But hope springs eternal and all that, right?

I love the way you've shown the progression of physical attraction. NaLu is a very slow-burn couple (it took us the last arc of the manga to get fairly consistent reciprocative hints that Natsu is attracted to Lucy) so the danger of making both of them OOC when it comes to these things is HIGH. And yet, if the manga had taken the route, your fic is about as close to a NaLu sexual awakening as it could've been. The differences in how Natsu and Lucy respond to the situation was done quite well. They're different people that tend to latch onto different things within the same issue. Natsu's confusion, panic, longing; Lucy's acceptance, misgivings, desire. It shows a great understanding of what makes them each their own person, and both "arcs" that were narrated from their perspectives felt authentic.

On the other hand, the thing that draws them towards each other beyond cursory attraction is the depth of their feelings. What I've always loved most about NaLu is that their bond is this inexplicably beautiful grey area between friendship and romance, and this fic showed all the respect that the former often doesn't get in a romantic story. There's a sense of belonging, of coming home, when they're together and it fits the Fairy Tail theme of "family", because family can mean your closest friend just as much as your lover.

I know this was primarily Natsu and Lucy focused but whenever other characters were introduced they played their roles fittingly. Cana and Loke are two of my favourites in FT and can I just how beyond thrilled I was to see them being the ones to give Natsu that much-needed push? Cana, wickedly taking it upon herself to educate him on female sexuality, while Loke is the patient one to make him realise the deeper meaning of the dream... *chef's kiss* The differences in how Gray and Erza react to Natsu's isolation, Lucy and Levy's little conversation, Mira and Lisanna taking him soup; even the minor characters were executed properly. And HAPPY, oh Happy... I really appreciated the moment he and Natsu got to themselves, the fact that he doesn't forgive him right away just because Lucy did, that he's always been blithely aware of the fact they like each other, that he keeps his vow of silence even when justifiably hurt by his friend's actions. Not a lot of people give Happy more character than beyond random bits of teasing or fish-talk; your fic actually acknowledges the fact that he's just as much a member of Team Natsu and that the dynamic between Natsu and Lucy shifts when he isn't around.

When they finally get together, it was so much more than smut. The feelings underneath, the way he resists and she pursues, the way he claims and she submits, the way he's earnest and so very keen to please (be still, my heart), the way her pleasure is written, the after-talk and the confession... they fit neatly together, like a jigsaw puzzle. Their coupling was totally worth the build-up because it showed that your first time is not about acrobatic maneuvers and fancy positions, it's about closeness and comfort and the feeling of togetherness.

In the epilogue, I enjoyed these things: the reveal that they're married, how Levy is the first one to start a family (like in canon), that the sight of her child is what sparks Natsu and Lucy's decision to try as well, the way Lucy asks him using the bracelet metaphor hahaha, her wearing his vest in bed (!), and the tiny peek into their future at the end (just enough to wrap things up but not go overboard).

Overall, what you've accomplished is a coming-of-age novella. There's so much psychological complexity to the characters and I particularly admire the challenge of seeking to articulate Natsu's feelings, given his very difficult-to-pin-down personality when it comes to these matters. (And a random aside that I couldn't decide where else to include: the idea of using heat-based terms for chapter titles is very clever. 'Hearth' is the perfect one to cap this off with!)

P.S. Belated congratulations on your own baby! (Although, I suppose I can no longer call him/her that when it's been at least six years.) When I saw your Author's Note about your family, it made me smile. Hope you all are doing well, and psst: advanced happy birthday to your child!

My far this is one of the best Nalu fics I’ve ever read️, and believe me when I say I’ve read A LOT. You had me hooked from the first chapter until the last. They were so in character the entire time, you got me wishing for an ending like this in the manga! Seeing Nalu having a happy ending makes my heart warm up. Hehe, words fail to express how much I loved this. You’re an amazing and talented author!

One of the sweetest story I've ever read! Thats just how I imagined Natsu's development.. Mashima you better read this

Like giant-spider on fire awesome! I just can't stop laughing at that. Natsu would totally say that!-

I don't know if you're still reading your reviews but I have to tell you that I simply love this chapter.
Loke is one of my favorite characters and you described him so very well.
It was unexpected to choose him of all Fairy Tail members to be the one who "saves" Natsu from his misery.
But after reading the whole chapter I think he was a great choice.
He cares for Lucy deeply and I'm sure he wouldn't just stand by and watch when Lucy is crying and hurting.

Thanks for sharing your story with us

I really enjoyed this fic! It was beautifully written and I am now going to binge read the rest of your works! Thank you!

congrats on the baby

haha I love Burnin For You

I really appreciate that they talk instead of going off assuming and getting angry. it's a nice dynamic

This is a really great story and I come back here every now and again to read it.

Loved it man. Thanks for this one!

Thank you for this it was amazing. Truly a gem in the Nalu community!

I forgot to comment this on the due chapter but when natsu brought lucy her childhood candy?! Boyfriend material right there. I need a freak like that. Also this chapter? Uff, natsu really is a natural here huh? Thank god