Fairy Tail was bustling as always: chairs being thrown, people being punched. It was the same old, same old at the guild and Lucy wouldn't have it any other way. However, it was a bit inconvenient trying to make her way to the request board. It was that time again, she thought with an exasperated sigh.

Rent.

It was the bane of her existence and the singular notion that could keep her glued to the request board no matter how tired she may be. As she released another sigh she hadn't known she was holding, it dawned on her that her fire-breathing best friend was often the reason she came home with a lighter purse than she would hope for. Her eyebrow twitched momentarily before the tension and pent up anger in her body dissipated completely, allowing her shoulders to fall slack. Out of all the troubles he's caused, he'd done so much more good. His heart was always in the right place, even if a klutzy mistake caused him to accidentally destroy an entire village. He was her partner and she loved him regardless.

With a sigh, Lucy returned her focus to the request board, yet couldn't stop her thoughts from wandering again. Lucy knew exactly how she felt for the dragon slayer. She knew that she could always count on him, could always feel a little more relaxed in the face of danger just by his presence. She had even noticed all the little hints he had dropped saying he felt the same way. While this should have encouraged her, she couldn't find it in herself to act on all this. He had never come right out and told her how he felt, so how could she really be sure? Throughout her childhood, Lucy had never known real friendship, but even she could tell that theirs was one in a million. There was absolutely no way she would ruin what they have now just because she couldn't pull herself together.

Lucy glanced sideways with an indignant huff, trying to regain her cool. It was then that she noticed Natsu, not even three feet away, glaring intently at the request board like its last name was Fullbuster.

"Oh? Natsu?"

"Eh?" His concentration seemed to break as his eyes moved to meet hers.

"Lucy!" His face broke out into an easy grin. "I thought I'd have to track you down! I've got just the job for us!" He declared enthusiastically, one hand extended to point at the accused job, the other balled into a determined fist.

While the 'tracking her down' comment renewed her twitching eyebrow, she couldn't help but appreciate the thought.

"Well, what's it say?" Lucy encouraged, her eyes glazing over and her mouth almost drooling at the idea of an easy mission and loads of cash.

Natsu gave her a look like he's seen all of this before, "That time of the month again?" He deduced, nodding to himself at his conclusion.

"What did you say?!" Lucy bit back a screech, slapping his upper arm forcibly.

"Ow, Luce," his face scrunched in a pout that she'd only ever seen on him and baby animals, "I was talking about your rent, not your weird girl problems."

"Oh." She gave a tiny, apologetic smile and turned to see what Natsu had set his eyes on this time.

"'Emotional Wizard Terrorizes City'?" Lucy questioned. "That doesn't sound like your usual style, Natsu."

He gave a simple shrug and commented, "Yeah, but we'll get to fight her eventually." The air around him suddenly became devious, "And from the sound of that," he smirked, snatching the flyer off the board and pointing at the giant, bolded word 'terrorizes', "it sounds like it'll be one hell of a fight!"

Lucy groaned dramatically, remembering how all the other jobs that got Natsu pumped went. She slid the paper from out of his hand and was thinking of returning it back to the board when she noticed something.

"S-s-six?!" She stuttered. Natsu's head turned to look at her, confusion apparent on his face.

"SIX….? S-s-s-six?! Six million jewel?!" She exclaimed. "Natsu, if we pull this off, that's three million each." She had looked up at him, but her eyes once again glazed over, dreams of money clouding her view.

"That's a lot, right?" He gave her a huge grin.

"We have to take this!" She urged.

Natsu gave a short laugh, "I knew you'd like it! Let's go, Lucy! I'm all fired up!"

Several hours by train later, the two had arrived in the town said to be plagued by this 'emotional wizard'. The town had recently evacuated, leaving the streets bare and giving off a terrible aura of loneliness. Seeing as there were no signs of life here and nightfall was fast approaching, the two were forced to walk a short distance out of town to find a hotel.

As the pair entered, they were surprised to find the hotel jam-packed with people. These must be the citizens of that poor town, Lucy thought. They must be waiting for wizards to come and help. Lucy hated knowing that these people were suffering, yet it brought a kind of relief to know that she could help alleviate their problems soon.

Warily, Lucy made her way to the front desk, with Natsu close behind.

"Are there any rooms left?" Lucy questioned hesitantly, it had suddenly occurred to her that – with this many people running around – the hotel could be full and she and Natsu would have nowhere to go, especially at this hour.

"Of course, miss." The employee gave a genuine smile and took their information. He then spotted the curious mark on both Lucy's hand and Natsu's shoulder.

"Are you two the ones who're gonna take down Maris?" He exclaimed, a sudden hopeful light gleaming in his eyes.

While the sudden outburst was embarrassing enough to Lucy, some of the other guests had taken notice, and it took another thirty minutes before the pair made it through all the emotional cries of 'thank you' and stories of being forced out of the village.

Lucy swiped her card in their door's monitor and entered their room with a sigh. Man, was she tired. They hadn't even started the job and she was already feeling beat. She dropped her bag off to the side and turned her gaze to the room itself, recoiling in horror when she noticed the one, singular bed placed in the middle of the room.

"No," she stated weakly, "not this again."

Natsu was beside her now, towering almost a foot taller than her, giving her that smile again as she looked up at him. "What? It's not like we don't do this all the time."

"Don't say that so casually…" She whimpered, not really putting any heart in her scolding. All she could think about was what happened when she woke up. She always felt so warm and toasty and right; and, when she opened her eyes, he was there, sometimes with her head tucked safely under his chin, sometimes with his arms circling her protectively. Either way, it always awoke something in her that she both feared and needed.

Lucy sighed and headed for the bathroom, "I'm taking a shower and when I come out, there better be plenty of room left for me."

While her words were threatening, Natsu beamed, mostly because he thought she'd try to make him sleep on the floor. Even though they'd shared a bed plenty of times, it was usually after Lucy told him to sleep on the floor. He simply snuck in the bed later when he was sure she was asleep. Maybe she didn't mention the floor now because she wanted to be with me? His heart surged for a moment before it hit him that Lucy didn't see him like that. With a frustrated grunt, he jumped under the covers, now only in boxers and stared at the ceiling. He could easily hear the soft pouring of Lucy's shower; it was soothing, being in an almost domestic setting with her, and soon he found himself dozing off.

When Lucy had finished getting ready for bed, she moved around to her side of the bed. She sat down facing Natsu, who had, of course, taken up more room than he was supposed to, and now there was barely any space left for her.

"Natsu." She whined.

No response.

"Natsu." She gently pushed his shoulder. Why did have to be such a damn heavy sleeper?

"Natsu, c'mon." She weakly smacked his chest. Her face heated involuntarily when she realized she had just brushed against bare skin. Unfortunately, she didn't have time to revel in it; a hand lazily secured itself around the small of her back and tugged, forcing her to be pulled flat against his abdomen. She could feel her heart beating uncontrollably. Light puffs of air fanned over the top of her head. Normally, she would just kick him away, but when she thought about it – is that what she really wanted? To push him away? Hell no. The sensation of his lips resting on her hairline and being pressed against his hard muscle were more than enough to make Lucy feel… complete.

The sun spread a lively serenity through the curtains, bringing an air of warmth to the small hotel room. Natsu was the first awake, his eyes drifting open and his arms tightening around Lucy.

…

Lucy?! Natsu thought frantically.

His nose was flooded with that smell. The smell. It was the only scent that he could not only pinpoint from miles away, but the only one he would label as utterly addicting. This is the smell that he would protect with his life time and time again if she needed him. Without a second thought to their less-than-friendly position, Natsu flattened her body against his, burying his nose in her hair.

The sudden movement caused Lucy to drowsily open her eyes halfway.

"Five more minutes…" She mumbled against Natsu's neck.

''Luce…" He breathed a laugh. "We barely have an hour before we need to get going."

Her senses were fogged with sleep, her drowsy system barely clinging to consciousness, and yet, that voice reverberated within her. Suddenly, she was alert – and she was noticing things. She noticed the breathless way Natsu had said her name. She noticed the gentle pressure he was using to keep her pressed to him. And she noticed how completely conscious he was while doing it.

He… wants this? A wave of warmth surged through her chest.

Natsu reluctantly untangled himself from her, dramatically crawling on his stomach to the edge of the bed and reaching out over the side into empty air. "C'mon, Lucy! We can do it!"

Lucy sat up and sent him an affectionate smile, inwardly laughing at him pretending to be unable to get out of bed.

Natsu looked over his shoulder and returned the smile before promptly falling face forward onto the floor.

The walk back to the town was surprisingly pleasant. Natsu enjoyed the smells of the Earth, of nature. He enjoyed feeling the sun on his skin and he especially enjoyed spending this time with Lucy. Thinking back, he felt absolutely satisfied with his choice in this mission. It was times like these when he finally felt at peace: no worrying about the guild, no worrying about Igneel. It was just him and Lucy against the world, and he couldn't get enough. So far, everything had been rolling smoothly for the duo, and Natsu couldn't help but feel like things were going to get even better – his instincts were never wrong, you know.

Lucy had been having a fairly pleasant time as well. While Natsu found interest in the clean, pine-infested air, Lucy's attention fell to the colorful flowers dotting the path. While she loved the fulfillment of helping people and earning money for her rent, sometimes it was just nice to relax a little. And if Natsu was there with her – even better.

As they reached the abandoned town only a few hours were left until evening, and a gentle breeze had begun to stir. In a more cheerful setting, the display of flowers dancing in the wind might have seemed soothing; however, with a ghost town spread behind them, Lucy couldn't help but feel unsettled. While she knew they needed to quickly dispose of this wizard for the townsfolk's sake, something about the atmosphere made her hesitant.

Natsu simply nodded, "Let's go, Lucy." His unwavering determination reminded her of their purpose here. She couldn't allow herself to think of this as "just a job", people needed them, and Lucy decided that this fact was so much more important than her faltering nerves. She turned to Natsu, an excited smile forming, and just couldn't stop herself from chanting, "I'm all fired up!"

The two decided against splitting up. Lucy brought up the efficiency of covering twice the ground at once. Natsu, however, was adamant they stick together. They didn't know this village and they didn't know what corner or alleyway this "emotion-controlling" wizard could be lurking behind. No matter how much time they saved, the risk wasn't worth it. Thinking back to the description on the flyer, Lucy guessed he was probably right. It had been said that this woman, Maris, had the clairvoyance to see which emotion out of the spectrum was strong in a person and amplify it to the point of weakness. In other words, we might just be fighting ourselves.

"Natsu, try to stay cool this time. This wizard can supposedly twist our emotions and we wouldn't want to lose just because we couldn't control our own heads. Are you listening to me?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm super cool. Hey, look!" He exclaimed. "That building sure looks suspicious, huh?" A devious grin overtook him, fangs bared, with fire drooling from his mouth.

Chills immediately ran up her spine at the sight of the wide, brick building that lie before them. Evening had finally rolled around and the dim, orange light somehow made the scene more unnerving to Lucy than the idea of being here when it was completely dark. She could see every eerie aspect of this place – and she could see it in detail.

The double doors looked as if they were struggling to even stay hinged; correction, one was attempting to stay bolted, the other looked as if it had been torn ajar.

Natsu swallowed a deep breath, "Yep. This weird scent is all over the place, but it's definitely strongest here." Before Lucy could even blink, Natsu was already next to the door that had been slightly out of place, attempting to budge it further.

"Natsu!" Lucy complained, "We need to think of a plan before we just go running in there."

Natsu, who had now completely opened the rusted door, laughed light-heartedly, "Aw, c'mon, Luce. We gotta take this chick down so the villagers can move back in as soon as possible, right?"

She couldn't argue there, but she could at least remind him what they were up against, "Fine. I just get this feeling that this woman isn't your typical mage."

The inside was surprisingly well-lit, due to the small windows lining the very top of the walls. It also shocked the pair that there was little to no furniture in the quite large expanse. At the other end of the room several cabinets and shelves stood clustered together. Natsu could distinctly make out the smell of alchemy brewing back there. So first this lady's screwin' with people's heads, and now she's messin' with potions and shit? Weird. Natsu was beginning to think Lucy might have been on to something. This lady's somethin' else.

"Oi! Show yourself." Natsu's nose never lied – someone was back there, and their scent was... unsettling at best. Not only was the aura around this place creepy as hell, Natsu was sensing almost every emotion possible all in one smell. What the hell is this?

From behind one of the shelves, a petite figure appeared. She seemed possibly only a decade older than the duo, yet gave off an intimidating air. She had long and wavy purple hair that fell to her mid-thigh. Her robes were alarmingly similar to those of a necromancer; however, Natsu couldn't smell anything like that on her. The woman, Maris, reluctantly closed the book in her hand, shooting an aggravated look their way, yet saying nothing.

"Are you the one who's been hurting all these people?!" Natsu fumed.

A smirk. A bright purple gleam took over her eyes momentarily before they faded back to their normal shade of dull gray. Maris made no sudden movements, but the almost cocky grin was unmistakable. Natsu snorted, egged on by this woman's seemingly uncaring attitude. Did it even matter to her what had happened to the villagers? How it felt to be forced out of your home, vulnerable and frightened? He wasn't going to allow it.

"Hey! I'm talking to you!"

"Heheh. And doesn't it make you positively angry to be ignored? Enraged, even?" Maris's features were distorted with malice. Her words rang out spitefully, immediately putting Lucy on edge. Lucy predicted that every word this woman said must have some meaning behind it. She controlled emotions and she was focusing on Natsu's rage? Not good. Especially since she knew her destructive, impulsive, and blunt partner all too well. "I sense an absolute abundance of rage in you, pinkie." Maris commented, eyes widened, her head tilted to the side. It was a sort of creepy posture, particularly when the pair had no clue what to expect from this mage.

"Don't call me pinkie!" Natsu stomped, one fist raised.

"So you intend to fight me, hm?" Maris called thoughtfully. "Save your breath. I know exactly why you're here." While the air around the strange woman had seemed at least deviously playful before, her voice now held a serious undertone that wasn't to be ignored. "You really shouldn't bother, but I can sense that you don't have it in you to back down." Her statements came out in a matter-of-fact nature. Lucy's jaw clenched, She can perceive our personalities at a single glance? "What is there to fight when the enemy is yourself?" Maris bellowed, a sinister giggle escaping her.

"I'm sick of hearin' your crap!" Natsu lunged forward, his fist ablaze. Lucy's breath caught in her throat. No. This is what she wants.

Maris outstretched a single hand. It shone in a brilliant shade of red as she muttered a single word, "Rage."

Immediately, Natsu fell on all fours, his fist now flattened against the floor in a struggle to hold himself up.

"Heheh. Rage, or rather, wrath. One of the seven deadly sins." She tsked. "I barely had to boost it at all. It seems you really are just a fountain of wrath." She noted.

Natsu had glowed that same, dazzling shade of red momentarily and he now kneeled, teeth clenched, breathing becoming harsh. He was seeing red, both literally and metaphorically. Anything and everything his eyes fell upon enraged him to no end. Since when did the shape of the concrete tiles beneath him become so infuriating? Not to mention the smells of this room – oh man, was he pissed! Natsu moved his head to look up at the mage who had caused this almost painful amount of irritation. It was maddening, and, on top of that, Natsu felt completely overwhelmed. His fists were clenched, his breathing harsh; this much rage made his chest feel tight. He was reduced to a shuddering lump of uselessness.

Lucy clutched at her heart. She had never seen Natsu look so sick. Even on train rides she knew he was at least going to be okay. But right now, she couldn't tell if he had been immobilized or traumatized.

"Natsu!" She gasped softly in shock. "Natsu, you've got to fight it!"

He turned to look over his shoulder at her, sending her a pain-staked look that nearly shattered her heart. Her eyebrows drew together, her heart pounded in her ears. The only thing that made sense to her in that moment was to go to him – so she did.

She kneeled in front of him, one hand brushing and holding back the hair that had fallen in his face, the other placed on the ground, holding her up. They locked eyes briefly before Lucy spoke, "You're strong, Natsu, you can fight this." Natsu's eyes stayed trained on her, but his face once again twisted as if he were in pain. "Lu-... ergh..."

"What is this?!" Maris's voice rang out, somewhere between singing and shrieking. "Is this what I think it is?!" Maris seemed beside herself in excitement. "Cancel!" She yelled animatedly with a circle of her hand. Natsu gasped loudly as he was released from the spell. Maris hurriedly shifted through her notebook, her face elated. "Yes! Yes!" She returned her gaze to the two wizards now sitting beside each other in the middle of the room. "I've toyed with nearly every emotion on the scale, but never have I had the chance to play with love!" She exclaimed.

The two partners instantly blushed and looked away from each other, muttering half-hearted denials under their breath.

Maris wasted no time in outstretching her hand once more. Natsu could tell that she was aiming at Lucy this time, and he wouldn't allow it. The amount of emotion he had felt at the hands of this woman was far too much and he'd be damned if he let Lucy go through that. He could tell that the effects of the rage had almost completely leaked out by now, and he began to stand. However, before he could even push himself up, Maris eagerly shouted, "Lovelust." A bright pink light enveloped both the woman's hand and Lucy's figure. "Lucy!" Natsu yelled desperately.

Lucy inhaled in shock, clutching the side of her head frustratedly. "W-why's my heart beating so fast?" She whimpered, eyes squeezed shut. Her world became light again as she felt someone gently grasp her wrist.

"Lucy."

She opened her eyes and he was there.

"What did she do to you?" His obvious rage at someone threatening her made her body feel unnaturally hot.

"nnn..." Her eyes fell to his collarbone, jaw locking. "Natsu... I- I can't..." Suddenly her hands found his shirt, fisting themselves there and pulling him closer to her. She looked up at him through hazy eyes and Natsu's heart was instantly pounding. The spell was cast on her why do I feel so... good. Realization was slowly dawning on Natsu, but was this really a positive thing for them? If these were Lucy's feelings, just amplified, then does that mean she really does want this? Steam left Natsu's ears as he wracked his brain for answers.

"Oh!" A sudden blushing wizard from across the room caught his attention. "Wow that was fast! Even by my calculations!" She scribbled furiously in her notebook, but suddenly looked up, an almost irritated expression on her face, "You two must have a lot of unresolved sexual tension."

"...!" Natsu's mouth fell open to say something but nothing came out. In any case, this chick had to be stopped. But would that make Lucy go back to normal? Whatever, he could deal with that later – right now he had to stop things from getting worse. He stood, readying himself, fists sparking with fire.

"Oh-ho, no you don't." Maris sang. "I haven't been able to study you thoroughly."

Natsu's face became a mixture of confusion and disgust. Study?

"Transfer!" Maris announced, her hands emitting the same glow from before.

A short-lived relief flooded Natsu as the impact knocked him on his back several feet away. At least Lucy wouldn't have to be this woman's toy, he thought. Within seconds, Natsu grasped what was about to happen to him. He opened his palms in a panic, staring at them in shock as they glowed a shade similar to his own hair. What was going to happen to him? He realized this time the emotion was love... or lust... or whatever the crazy witch lady had cast on him. He froze at the thought; he knew how strongly he felt for Lucy, and he easily recognized it as love. There's no other emotion that would make him feel like he would ride a train every day, with Gray, while starving just to hear her laugh from across the guild.

His teeth ground together, he could already feel his senses numbing. Will I be able to stop this? What if I force myself on her? Lucy... I don't want to hu-...

"Natsu!" The sound of her voice made something within him snap and, in that moment, he knew he was gone.

Slowly, Natsu's body rose to a sitting position, his bangs partially covering his face. His nostrils flared as a certain scent hit his nose and his head snapped up. His eyes were glazed over in an almost lethargic attitude as they locked on hers.

"Natsu?" Lucy repeated quietly.

His eyes flashed a look of worry and guilt before he grabbed his head, seemingly losing some sort of internal struggle. When he looked back up, his pupils had focused into reptilian slits, small scales now flaking his cheeks.

"...Lucy?" He called lowly. While a massive amount of adoration swam through him at the sight of his partner, this sense of unfulfilled want was overpowering. In a trance, Natsu stood, slowly closing the distance between them.

When he reached her, Lucy stood paralyzed. His expression was so serious and yet needy she just couldn't peel her eyes away. They stood there motionless for seconds until Natsu suddenly grabbed her wrists, pulling her to him with a growl.

"Mine..." A wolfish, strangled voice came out as he buried his nose in the crook of her neck.

Lucy let out a gasp in shock, turning her head slightly to look at him. Natsu's now narrowed pupils met hers as he licked a slow path from the base of her neck to just under her jaw.

Lucy was having trouble breathing – this was all just too much. She loved this idiot, and she took it that his reaction to the spell meant he felt the same, but did he even know what he was doing right now?

"Natsu." She whispered. In a split second his attention was on her. She gave him a pleading look, hoping he would understand. His face showed no change, and after a moment, was once again pressed to her neck. Panic arose when she felt his hands under her top, pressed against her bare skin. While she didn't dislike the feel of him on her, she had to keep reminding herself that he wasn't in his right mind. She stepped back slightly, attempting to break his surprisingly gentle hold on her, but he quickly tightened with a growl, pulling her back to him and nuzzling his face in her hair. Her already thrumming heartbeat turned out of control. She was trapped in his arms in every way; physically, Natsu didn't seem willing to let her go, and mentally... she was quickly forgetting the point of running from him. It just felt so right. Why was she fighting this again? Her thoughts were abruptly shattered when he pressed her body flat against his, captured her earlobe in his mouth, and softly moaned for her.

Her eyes shot open wide and her breath quickened. What are you doing to me? She thought.

With half-lidded eyes, Natsu brushed the side of his face against hers. His hands found her jacket and began to inch it off. Lucy squealed and grabbed it with both hands, looking up at Natsu's frustrated face – even through glazed eyes, a pout was forming.

"Natsu... Please... Don't..." Lucy whimpered.

He scrunched up his face in confusion. She... stop? Doesn't want to...? His tongue flickered over his canines indecisively. Much to Lucy's dismay, his features soon reverted back to their hazy state.

He moved one hand to the small of her back, the other lifted to cup her cheek as he slowly leaned in.

Lucy saw where this was headed and anxiously snapped her head down, her forehead resting against his chin and her hands balled into fists against his chest.

"Please," she pleaded softly, "not like this."

She lifted her head, tears already visible in the corners of her eyes. Of course she had envisioned this kind of thing with Natsu, she was in love with the fool for Christ's sake, but to have it happen like this – on some job in an abandoned building because some wizard was forcing him to – it just wasn't right.

The look of absolute heartbreak in Lucy's eyes lulled at Natsu's consciousness.

"Ah...? Lucy I..." He struggled to break through the spell, his brows were creased once again in confusion.

Lucy, however, wasted no time. She cupped his face in both of her hands, her eyes searching his desperately. "Natsu, please come back."

His pupils dilated and a strange aura stilled in the air around him before dispelling in a rush. Guilt, joy, and shock overtook his face as he embraced Lucy on instinct. His hold on her was tight and he thought for sure he'd lose her if he let go.

"Lucy! I can't believe I... I just lost control..."

Lucy smiled, gently stroking his back. "It's not your fault," she pulled away, "besides, we still have to do something about Maris."

Her eyes held a newfound warmth as she looked at Natsu. They knew how they felt about each other now – everything was out in the open and there was no doubt that each yearned for the other. The reminder about Maris had Natsu fired up again in a heartbeat, but as he noticed Lucy's gaze, he couldn't help but soften under it. He gave her that grin she loved so much, but this time, his eyes held a much deeper emotion.

"Alright. We can do this, Lucy."

As the two finally turned their attention back to Maris, they blushed, realizing she had been closely "studying" them the whole time. The emotion-controlling wizard stood in the same place she had before, now beet-red and clutching her notebook tightly.

"I... Uh... No one has ever broken any of my spells before." She sputtered, frozen in place.

In an instant, Natsu has rushed her. "Yeah, well, betcha've never been up against Fairy Tail wizards, huh?" He yelled triumphantly as he landed a single, fire-engulfed punch in her middle.

Maris's body slammed harshly against the back wall, but a tiny, genuine still made its way to her lips, "I see... so love is even more powerful than magic."

A weak laugh escaped her jaws before she passed out and her body slackened.

Back at the guild, the two partners were as inseparable as always; nothing had really changed in that area. However, Natsu now kept an even closer watch on her, while Lucy went just a bit easier on her scolding. Slowly, they became okay with all those little touches and gestures that had felt so taboo before. Neither had really found the courage to come out with those three words yet, but they were getting there.