A/N: Honestly, my goal was to get this out before the New Year, but I wanted the ending to be perfect and because of a crazy work schedule and the unfortunate need to sleep, I wasn't able to do that. As always, apologies, apologies, apologies for taking so long with the update. This chapter especially needed to be juuuuuuust right. I hope I accomplished that. Enjoy!

As always, HUGE thank you to everyone who has favorited, followed, and reviewed this story. You all make my day with your comments and have definitely helped to keep this story alive. I couldn't do it without you!

By the time they were finished, both of the wizards were more than a little relaxed, thanks to the hot showers, food, and sake. Even Happy, who had been stressed and worried throughout the day, was so tired he fell asleep at the table, his face buried in the polished wood as he snored softly. As they finished eating, Natsu grew quiet, watching his best friend sleep. He loved Happy, but he didn't want him near tonight, as awful as that realization made him feel. He needed… something. What was happening upstairs before they were interrupted? What had he intended to do, exactly, after Lucy kissed his forehead? As much as he needed answers to these questions, he knew he couldn't and wouldn't get them with Happy hovering so near. No, he'd have to arrange something else…

When Lucy wavered beside him, Natsu steadied her with a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Hey," he started, waiting until her bleary eyes met his. "I'm going to put Happy to bed."

Lucy's brow furrowed at his words, her thoughts running along the same path as Natsu's without her realizing it, or the implications behind such thoughts. "Where?" she whispered, her eyes lidded with fatigue.

Not with us, he thought, but instead shrugged, rising to his feet and carefully plucking his snoozing friend up from the table. Happy was so out his body was limp, his head lolling back until Natsu carefully supported it. His feet dangling limply in the air, Natsu brought him close to his chest in a gentle hug before moving him to the couch near the fireplace. Lucy saw his destination and beat him there, carefully setting up a small bed on a pile of blankets before Natsu gingerly set him down. A small coo of happiness left Happy then, as he curled into a ball, nuzzling his head against his front paws just like an ordinary cat would do. As Natsu watched, making sure he wouldn't wake up, Lucy stepped to his side, her fingers brushing his.

"You think he'll be mad?" he whispered, afraid any loud noise would wake him up.

Lucy shrugged, reaching down to gently run her fingers through Happy's fur on the top of his head and the nape of his neck. "I don't," she answered, and not just because she was hoping it to be true. Happy knew them and loved them just as much as they loved him. He'd know they kept him downstairs for a reason – even if they didn't know what that reason was themselves.

When she was finally brave enough to meet Natsu's gaze, she was only partly surprised to see Natsu watching her, his eyes dark and wavering in the dim light of the room, even if the rest of his expression was unreadable. "Come on, Luce, let's go to bed."

Without a word, she stepped forward, purposely allowing her shoulder to bump into his arm, and together they made their way towards the stairs, Lucy's heart flipping just as anxiously as her stomach even as she swayed on her feet. The repeated contact of her skin against his sent a bolt of nervousness through Natsu each time, sending his own heart into a wild race, until finally they'd reached the stairs. When Lucy groaned quietly beside him, he knew exactly what the problem was, even as they began their clumsy ascent.

Lucy's eyelids felt nearly as heavy as the rest of her. Although the sake certainly helped to relax her, she worried it may have relaxed her too much, as she found herself leaning heavily on Natsu to make it back up the stairs – her feet nowhere near as coordinated as they should have been.

Looping his arm beneath her shoulders to help her, Natsu smirked. This certainly wasn't a new experience for either of them. "Geez, Luce, since when are you such a lightweight?" he teased, squeezing her softly.

Grumbling, Lucy playfully glowered at him, her heart leaping into her throat at the light dancing in his emerald eyes, at the way he smiled at her, and at the feel of his solid muscles against her, holding her up. The smell of sake faintly mixed with the smoky scent of his magic, making her lean closer to him without realizing it. "I'm not," she lamely argued, swinging her hand at him as though she would smack him. She looked at it in mild surprise when she realized she was still holding the sparkling lavender jar of cream Shina had given her. What was it even for, anyway?

Natsu's smile faltered as he realized he might be dealing with drunk Lucy, which could be bad on a normal day, given her insistence on close physical contact when intoxicated. Given the circumstances and his mutual desire for such close physical contact, this could prove even worse…

Pushing deviant thoughts from his mind, Natsu threw their door open as they stumbled inside, Lucy losing her footing with a startled, "Oh!" He quickly turned to catch her, his hands firmly gripping her waist as she threw her arms around his neck with a giggle. "Hi," she grinned when he pulled her back to her feet. The quick movement caused the towel that had been leaning precariously on her head to tip and fall to the floor in a pile at their feet. "Oops." She pouted, her eyes on her towel as she rested her head against Natsu's chest, blissfully unaware of the hammering of his heart only inches away.

Lucy smelled of vanilla, strawberries, and sake, and Natsu had to resist the urge to close his eyes and inhale deeply. When she dropped her head against him, her hair cold and wet, it was a healthy shock back into reality, and he gently pushed her back, his eyes searching out hers when she looked up at him with a hooded gaze. The moment didn't last long before her drunken lack of attention span kicked in and she clumsily spun on her toes, nearly whipping him in the face with wet chunks of her hair and headed to the bathroom. After narrowly avoiding being whipped by hair, Natsu tried not to laugh while he followed her as she stumbled into the bathroom. To his surprise, she simply leaned against the counter and brushed her hair out, frowning when it was knotted in places after being confined in the towel for so long. Maybe she's not as drunk as I thought, he wondered to himself, his eyes narrowing in thought.

After messing with her hair for a few moments, Lucy became aware of Natsu's gaze, her eyes meeting his in the bathroom mirror. "What?" she asked, swiveling her hips with sass as she quirked one eyebrow at him. The movement was so automatic, she didn't even know she did it.

Taking the sass in stride, Natsu finally stepped into the bathroom, approaching Lucy as though he were approaching Erza after being caught eating her strawberry cake. He walked soundlessly, his eyes not leaving hers in the mirror, until he was right behind her. They were close enough to feel the heat radiating from the other's body but weren't touching – Natsu made sure of it – even when he reached around her to grab the tiny jar of cream Lucy had all but dropped onto the counter. He wasn't entirely sure what drove his actions, or where the inspiration suddenly came from, but he didn't question it as he slipped his arms around her waist, effectively trapping her between him and the sink, in order to open the jar in front of her. Her quiet gasp made him smile crookedly, even as he tried to hide it by ducking his chin.

"Natsu?" Lucy whispered, turning slightly to look at him. His chin was practically resting on her shoulder as he focused on the jar in his hands, or so it appeared. In all actuality, he could hardly focus on anything other than Lucy, and the way she stepped back from the counter in her surprise only to bump into him did not help matters.

"We're not finished," he whispered, dipping his fingers into the silky-smooth cream. From the smell alone, he knew it was a healing cream – containing aloe, vitamin E, and many other magical components to help Lucy's burns heal faster.

The low timbre to Natsu's voice (and the possible insinuations behind it) made Lucy shiver, and when he gently brushed her hair back from her shoulder, she tilted her head to the side, granting him easier access. His hands radiated warmth before he even touched her – the heat of his skin a pleasant contrast to the cooling sensation of the cream he gently dabbed on her burns. Her eyes closed on their own accord and she relaxed, leaning back into him without realizing it as he spread the cream with as much care as he would give a newly hatching egg. Before she knew it, his breath ghosted across her shoulder and he nudged her head with his own. It was a sweet yet purposeful movement, and she quickly dropped her head the other way, sighing pleasantly when he tended to her other side.

She was completely at his mercy, something Natsu registered in the dark recesses of his mind, but for the moment he was singularly focused on his task. Although he couldn't see a difference immediately (not like with Wendy's magic), he knew she was less pained by his touches by the way her body leaned into his, her heart rate slowing into a relaxed pace. When he was finished with her arms, he gently grasped her hips and spun her, turning her to face him so he could address her legs. The moment her silken mocha gaze met his, his heart stopped, his ears burning from the heavy way she looked at him. It would be all too easy to kiss her, to finish what they started before Happy interrupted, but she was drunk (and he really wasn't that much better off), and he wasn't about to let what they had change just because of some drunken tryst. Besides, if that was all it took, it honestly would have happened already. So instead, when his eyes fell to her slightly parted lips, he brushed the backs of his knuckles gently along her cheek, granting her a crooked smile, before dropping to his knees before her.

Natsu's tender touch made Lucy's heart turn summersaults in her chest, an involuntary shiver working its way down her spine the moment his fingertips touched her ankle. The last thing she'd expected when her towel fell off was for Natsu to treat her burns, although she supposed it made sense after what happened before they showered. Regardless, the soft touch of his fingers along her skin sent jolts of electricity back to her core and she squirmed beneath his touch, leaning heavily back against the counter. Without realizing it, she was gripping the edge so hard her knuckles turned white in an effort to keep from grabbing onto her partner, or worse yet, letting the sounds of pleasure and happiness building within her leave her throat.

His task complete, Natsu stood up. Lucy's eyes slowly opened when she sensed the change in his position, and he smiled gently, basking in the hazy look in Lucy's eyes and the new subtle undertone in her scent that made him want to bury his nose in her neck. They were close – so close they had to stand with their feet on either side of the other, but still weren't touching; not until Lucy gently stopped Natsu from recapping the jar. Her grip was gentle, her fingertips lingering against his as she took the jar from him, a look of determination flashing in her dark eyes. Their gazes locked, far longer than was usual, and Natsu was acutely aware of the not so subtle increase in Lucy's heartrate when she finally averted her gaze to the jar in her hands. The warmth in her cheeks did not escape his gaze as she dipped her fingers into the cool cream only to gently touch it to the wound on his chest.

Her touch was like a shock and he sucked in a breath, steeling himself to keep from staggering backwards with the force of it, despite her gentleness. She was scarcely touching him, and yet he felt as though he would burst into flames and ignite the entire room on fire at any moment. Her stuttering breath told him she felt the same and before he knew what he was doing, he'd plucked the jar from her, recapped it, and reached around her to set it back on the counter.

It was a mistake to lean closer, his intention to set down the jar, but the consequence a tightening of his gut that was impossible to escape as her scent nearly overwhelmed him. An image flashed in his mind, not unlike before, of him pressing her back against the counter, leaning her backwards with his mouth slanted over hers, and it was not unpleasant. Her hand, which remained gently touching his chest, was what stopped him when it trembled softly.

Rather than act on impulse, Natsu ran his fingers through her still damp hair, biting his tongue to clear his thoughts. While still wet, at least her hair was now tamed. "Let me dry it for you." It wasn't a question, and when Lucy simply looked at him, her cheeks turning an adorable shade of pink, Natsu's hands fell to her hips once more and he backed up, out of the bathroom and into the bedroom until his legs hit the bed and he sat down, guiding her along with him. Her lips were parted when she looked down at him, his hands still on her hips, and for a moment he thought about doing something completely different, especially when Lucy gently pulled her lower lip between her teeth. When he came to his senses with a gentle shake of his head, he scooted back on the bed, indicating the space between his legs for Lucy to sit once he finally removed his hands from her.

It wasn't the first time Natsu had dried her hair, although it was perhaps one of the few times he'd offered rather than needing to be asked; and Lucy realized this as she swallowed thickly, her eyes still on his as he looked up at her. The sake and the delicate way he'd treated her burns had muddled her thoughts to the point that she wanted to pounce on him. She wanted to feel his arms around her as they had been in town, to feel his breath caress her lips like before, but she didn't want it to stop there. However, the innocent way he looked up at her, his eyes wide and practically pleading, forced such wanton thoughts from her mind as she turned and primly sat before him, his thighs brushing against her hips. When his hands found her waist, pulling her back against him, she couldn't stop the gasp that escaped her, nor the flush of heat that rippled through her entire being and settled in her core. She would have been surprised to realize the same thing happened to Natsu, goosebumps breaking out on his arms from the close contact.

Moving with honed skill, Natsu warmed his fingers and worked them into Lucy's hair, starting at her scalp. It was a motion just like she did for him on dreaded transportation trips, his fingertips grazing her scalp before gently tugging through the silken strands of her hair. He didn't do it often, but he knew Lucy liked it based on the way she always jumped with glee afterwards, claiming he was nearly as good as Cancer, although he didn't like being compared to the Celestial Crab. This time was different, he could tell based on the way she tensed at his touch, her hands gripping the blankets at her sides so much so that her knuckles brushed against the insides of his legs. Her belly was obviously tight, with her breaths coming short and fast, even as she dropped her head back. Her reaction immediately elicited its own reaction from him, his gut tightening as his chest squeezed his heart. Shit, maybe this wasn't the best idea, he worried, biting his tongue as he dove his fingers back into her hair.

After several minutes, Lucy practically swayed with Natsu's movements, her eyes having drifted shut long ago, the tension finally gone from her body. "This feels so nice," she murmured.

Without pausing to think, Natsu blurted, "Hang on." He scooted himself back, resting his back against the headboard, and indicated the space beside him. "Here."

Even without him saying as much, it was clear Natsu was telling her to put her head in his lap. Normally she would have hesitated, would have thought their actions through a little more fully, but she was too tired, too full of sake, and too overjoyed with Natsu's presence to truly care. Without hesitating, she turned and flopped down beside him, resting her head on one firm thigh with a pleasant sigh. "Oh, how the tables have turned," she breathed as he immediately set back to work on her hair.

A smile graced Natsu's lips as he resumed his ministrations. "Yeah, but I'm not in any danger of you throwing up on me," he teased.

She scoffed, nuzzling her head into a more comfortable position. "You sure about that?"

He didn't answer her, just continued to gently dry her hair, even when he felt blindsided by the fact he hadn't asked her the most obvious question yet. Jerking his leg just enough to make sure she was still awake, he partially bent over so he could see her face. "So, Luce, what kind of key do you think you'll get?"

The question caught her so off guard, Lucy's eyes snapped open, her mouth open with a reply that wasn't ready before she closed it to turn and look at him. "Would you believe me if I said I have no idea?" she asked with a giggle.

Natsu lowered his brows in a mock frown. "You mean you haven't even thought about it?"

More than a little embarrassed, Lucy rolled her eyes, returning to her previous position so Natsu could continue to work his magic on her hair. "I haven't exactly had a lot of time to think about it," she answered quietly.

Her answer went deeper than her words, Natsu understood that, so he tried to distract her. "Well, then what kind of key do you want?"

Distracting herself by toying with the hem of Natsu's pants, Lucy considered her options. Of course it was something she thought about, and thought about often, even before the job came along with the reward of a key. "You know I'd be happy with anything," she answered, "But I think Pegasus would be great."

Natsu paused in his ministrations to look down at her, confused. "Pegasus?"

Shrugging, Lucy felt herself blush. "A flying horse, although I don't know if that's all the powers it would have," she trailed off in thought, her eyes drifting to the window, where it was now dark outside. "Given the rest of my spirits, I have no idea what it would actually look like. But maybe it would be possible to fly on its back? Doesn't it sound beautiful?"

Not following Lucy's eyes or imagining the Celestial Spirit she was talking about, Natsu kept his eyes on Lucy, on the wistful way her fingers brushed her cheek or lips when in thought, and how her eyes lit up just talking about her spirits, even just a potential one. "Beautiful," he breathed, a gentle smile tugging at the corner of his lips as he stared at her.

Lucy could feel his gaze on her and swallowed, slowly turning her eyes back to Natsu. He was still, almost eerily still, his hand paused in its movements, gently resting on her head affectionately. When her brow furrowed in confusion, her thoughts running as she thought he was talking about something other than Celestial Spirits, Natsu quickly realized his mistake and coughed, averting his eyes as color flooded his cheeks. "Did-did you just call me beautiful?" Lucy teased, but her voice was too soft and gentle to truly be haggling him.

Swallowing, Natsu popped his knuckles as though drying her hair had cramped them. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Frowning, Lucy rolled over with a huff, now facing his abdomen, so he could get the other side of her head. Of course he wasn't, you idiot, she cursed herself inwardly.

Seeing Lucy's expression fall, Natsu leaned forward, his fingers poised to caress her cheek once more until he thought better of it. Instead, he curled his fingers back into her hair, resuming his task. "Of course I think you're beautiful, Luce," he breathed, rushing the words out while still trying to make it sound like what he said was no big deal.

The words came forth so quickly and so quietly, Lucy almost didn't hear them. Once she processed what she'd heard, her mouth fell open as she gaped at her partner in disbelief. "Natsu," she murmured, feeling her heart rate pick up to a gallop.

Ever growing redder, Natsu tried to pretend he hadn't said anything, all but glaring at the empty and cold fireplace across from their bed even as he continued to dry her hair. When he did risk a glance at Lucy, she was smiling gently, her cheeks flushed, while remaining quiet. Despite her attempt at an outwardly cool appearance, she couldn't disguise what her heart felt; and she felt a loving warmth coiling in her chest. "Thank you," she whispered, so quietly it was almost hard for Natsu to hear, her fingertips absently brushing along the waistband of his pants. Her words came out suddenly and unexpectedly, her eyes widening with surprise once she realized what she'd muttered.

Natsu's eyes moved to hers, his pupils oddly dilated as his lips parted in a silent gasp. Her words had touched him like a caress, her actual touch not helping matters any, and with each passing moment he felt his decision to resist wavering. Regardless, he continued his self-proclaimed task, even after her hand stilled on his leg, her hair was dry, and he felt and heard her breathing sink into the slow, even rhythm of sleep.

Once Natsu finished with her hair, he easily slipped into the bed at her side, pulling her into his arms with practiced ease and burying his face in the crook of her neck to surround him with her pleasant scent. Even though he did it because she smelled wonderful to him and he wanted to be close to her, it was also a way for him to prove she was still there, still alive and whole and well; to dispel the images that still plagued him from his worst nightmare. It didn't take long for him to fall into the world of dreams either, a gentle smiling touching his lips.

A quiet sound woke Natsu in the middle of the night, his eyes slowly opening. Although it was still dark, the room all but pitch black, he could see clearly and perfectly with his dragon slayer senses. Leaving his head on his pillow, he carefully scanned the room for any threats and came up empty. Lucy was secure in his arms, his body curled protectively around hers as though to shield her from an unseen foe. Happy was still sound asleep downstairs based on the sound of his pleasant purring, and who he assumed was Shina was also sleeping in the lower level.

It took only a moment for the sound to come again, a quiet whimper that tore his heart in two the moment he realized it was coming from Lucy. She jerked in his arms, her head shaking side to side, and her heart racing. He scarcely had time to process what was happening before the salty scent of tears stung his nostrils, promptly followed by the acrid stench of fear and the dank smell of despair. "No! Please, don't!" she cried. Natsu's arms tightened around her, preparing to shake her awake, but Lucy was lost in her nightmare, her pleas falling on deaf ears. "Natsu!"

Back in the coliseum, Lucy and Natsu had run afoul of the clown once more, the clown's dagger-like fingers reaching for Lucy before Natsu pushed her aside, willingly falling into its grasp in order to protect her. He fell prey to its evil mind instead, his body wracked with pain as the clown tortured him, dragging sharp, knife-like nails against his skin until blood dripped from him, staining the sand at his feet.

"Lucy! Run!" he shouted, his voice harsh and commanding, but she ignored him. She wouldn't leave him.

She fought, trying to help him despite her terror, but then the clown plunged its clawed fingers into Natsu's chest. The same fingers that had slashed her belly clenched Natsu's heart and ripped it from him, his eyes fading vacantly before his lifeless body crumpled to the ground with a bloody, gaping hole in his chest. "Natsu!" she shrieked again, bolting upright. She buried her face in her hands, attempting to block the image from her mind, even as tears spilled down her cheeks unchecked.

"Lucy!" Natsu shouted, partly in surprise at her outburst and partly to get her attention. Her cries still rang sharply in his ears, her terror stinging his nose, as he reached for her. The sound of his voice snapped Lucy's gaze in his direction and the moment their eyes met, he froze. She looked mad, her eyes wide and disbelieving, even as her trembling hands sought him out.

The moment Lucy heard Natsu's voice, she realized she had had a nightmare, but it wouldn't dispel the images from her mind, nor make the feelings of pure agony leave her heart. As though to prove what she saw wasn't real, her hands trailed over his bared, intact chest, feeling the warmth and vibrancy that came off of him in turbulent waves. Each breath shuddered as she regained her composure, her feather-like touch making him shiver despite their current predicament. It was then that his paralysis broke and he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her tightly to him just as she threw herself into his arms, crying, "Oh Mavis, I thought-I saw-you were… I thought you were dead!"

"Of course I'm not. It was just a bad dream, Luce. I'm right here," he murmured into her hair, one arm holding her tightly to him while the other gently stroked her back in soothing circles. "I'm not going anywhere…"

Her insides quivering, Lucy gently nodded at Natsu's quiet vow. Even once the tears stopped, Lucy didn't want to leave the soothing embrace of her best friend and partner, while he clearly didn't want to let her go – his grip around her only tightening. When the arm that had been stroking her back moved, her breath stilled in her throat, her heart skipping wildly when his fingers gently cupped her chin and lifted it. His eyes sought hers out as though they held the keys to all the questions in the universe, and she was surprised to see how frightened he looked, even in the dark; his gaze flicking from one eye to the next while the gentle orange tint to his irises seemingly lit a fire wherever he looked.

It was then that Natsu slipped his fingers from her chin to her cheek, gently cupping her cheek in his hand before slipping into the silken hair at the back of her neck. Even as he searched her gaze, he was relieved to see the wild terror was gone from Lucy's eyes. Even though her heart was still racing, the scent of fear and despair had dissipated and changed back into her familiar calming scent, except for the new spicy undertone that set his blood ablaze. Without realizing he was doing it, his head drifted to hers, his gentle grip at the back of her neck slightly pulling her to him until they were so close their noses brushed against each other's. At the gentle contact, Lucy's eyes darkened, and she sucked in a quiet breath, causing Natsu's to flash in return.

One moment they were lost in each other's gazes, and the next, they'd closed the distance between them, their lips pressed together with wild abandon as they both pounced. A quiet, confused sound escaped Lucy as Natsu's lips slanted over hers, a sound that he returned just as he'd imagined – with a mixture of a purr and a growl that sent a bolt of heat straight to Lucy's core.

Although they were both remarkably inexperienced, there was little chaste about the kiss, their lips coming together like matching pieces of a puzzle. Although Natsu had wanted to kiss her with as much tenderness as he held for her in his heart, his body (and apparently Lucy's as well) had different intentions, throwing caution to the wind the moment she did not rebuff the kiss. Their lips had scarcely touched, scarcely shared their heat before they moved, deepening the kiss at the same time as Natsu's tongue gently traced her bottom lip and Lucy immediately allowed him entrance. She toyed with him in return, much to his pleasant surprise, and as their tongues danced together, quickly gaining in passion, his grip on her tightened.

Lucy lost her senses under Natsu's touch. She'd never imagined her first kiss would feel so… fiery, but the barely restrained ardor burning through Natsu lit her own being aflame and her arms wound around his neck, pulling him closer as one hand ensnared in the salmon-colored locks she so adored just as his plunged into hers. The ferocity in his kiss, the heat that rolled off of him as he explored her mouth with his tongue and she fought back to explore his, made her hum gently into the reckless abandonment of their kiss until she felt her lungs might burst for air.

They broke apart at the same time, although reluctantly, leaving their foreheads gently pressed together as they both panted. Their breaths continued to mingle, ghosting over lips that still tingled with warmth, even as Lucy gently brushed her fingers across her lips in shock.

Slowly opening his eyes, Natsu felt like a tightly wound spring, ready to leap away or snap, but not sure which. When Lucy simply looked up at him, her eyes wide with surprise, he brushed his nose against hers, something indescribable rippling through him when Lucy nuzzled his nose back. "Lucy," he breathed, his voice low and gruff.

The fingers that had been feeling her lip slipped back into his hair, and Natsu was lost. With a quiet sigh, he closed the distance between them once more, a quiet sound escaping Lucy in her pleasant surprise even as she immediately returned his kiss the moment his lips touched hers. Her heart soared to new heights when he gently leaned forward, pressing her back into the bed, quickly eliminating any and all distance between them. This kiss was surprisingly tame compared to the first, but the barely restrained fervor was a potent undercurrent, threatening to pull them both down with it. Where their first kiss was fierce, wild even; this kiss was tender and soft, gentle as Natsu was clearly cognizant of Lucy's wounds as he carefully kept his weight off of her abdomen. Her arms wound around his neck once more, pulling him closer as her tongue trailed over his elongated canines, making him groan from deep within his chest just before pulling away.

His lips left hers, but his forehead gently dropped, resting against hers as he so typically did whenever Lucy elicited such strong feelings within him. What he felt, what he wanted to say was bursting to be freed from the tip of his tongue, but he held it back, despite the way his blood pumped hotly through his veins and the pleasant way she sighed when they separated.

Natsu was like a warm campfire, surrounding her with comfort and heat that could nearly be overwhelming as much as it could be comforting. His kiss had built a different kind of fire deep in her belly, her eyes slowly drifting open out of disappointment when he pulled away. The way his irises burned back into hers, as much orange as emerald, shifted her disappointment as she toyed with his hair.

"Mavis," Natsu sighed, his forehead gently pressing more firmly against hers as he shuddered pleasantly, his eyes drifting closed at the way her fingers ran through his hair – his weakness she so clearly knew. Sucking in a deep breath, he gently nuzzled her nose, smiling softly when she giggled. That was when he finally opened his eyes. That was when he finally blurted words he'd wanted to say for so long. "I love you, Lucy."

Lucy's surprise was evident in the way her eyes flared, her body momentarily tensing beneath his as her heart thudded to a stop in her chest. When it restarted, running rampantly and pounding so fiercely he could feel it reverberating through his own ribcage, she giggled once more, nuzzling him with her nose. "I love you, Natsu."

It was his turn to pause, surprise evident in the way he pulled back, holding himself up with his elbows as his eyes searched hers in disbelief. There was nothing but pure adoration looking back at him, Lucy's cheeks pleasantly flushed as she smiled, her eyes dancing in the moonlight. He could now smell himself on her, and that knowledge made the deeply rooted protective side of him swell with pride. There was so much more he wanted to ask her, and he was sure she'd have the same questions for him, but the time wasn't right for such talk. It was time to communicate the best way he knew how – with actions. His own lips pulling back into a smile, he quickly dropped back to her, claiming her lips as his once more. The ease with which their relationship evolved, how right it felt, made him want to bellow his happiness while sprouting fire, made him want to hold her and never let go. But for now, kissing her was enough. Holding her was enough. Suddenly he couldn't understand why he'd waited so long, what he had been so afraid of. He loved her, and she loved him. He was hers and she was his. What more could he want? What more could he ask for?

To think a day would come when Lucy would curse the need for air was absurd, but she'd found it. Every time they had to part in order to breathe, panting for air before plunging back into their kisses, she cursed the necessity. As they became more accustomed to kissing one another, Natsu grew more playful, gently nipping her lower lip, pulling it between his teeth when they were separating to gasp for breath. His teeth were sharp, but somehow always gentle. He was like a wildfire above her, warm almost to the point of being a painful heat, but his lips against hers proved to be just the treatment for such a fire, even if they ignited it just as much as they soothed it. Like Natsu, she suddenly couldn't understand what she had been so afraid of, why she'd held herself back from acknowledging her burgeoning feelings for him for so long. She loved him, and he loved her. She was his and he was hers. What more could she want? What more could she ask for?

Time passed without their knowledge as they lost themselves to each other, blinded by their newly revealed love and basking in the comfort and warmth of each other. Even when sleep finally tugged at them once more, Natsu finally rolling to the side, he pulled Lucy with him, tucking her protectively along his side. Her leg naturally came up to rest on his, Natsu finding himself cursing his pants for keeping him from feeling the softness of her skin, but also acknowledging their necessity – he couldn't trust what he'd do if either of them were in less clothing, and that would be too much too fast. Regardless, the way Lucy easily snuggled into his side, her head on his chest and her arm draped across his abdomen felt right. He was at home in her presence, and when he carefully twined their fingers together, bringing her hand to his lips for a quick kiss before allowing his eyes to drift shut, he'd never felt more at peace. Until she turned to gently kiss the swell of his chest, however.

"Good night, Natsu," she breathed, her breath surprisingly cool against his flushed skin before she dropped her head back to his chest.

He nuzzled the top of her head before kissing her hair. "Good night, Luce." I still can't believe this is real, part of him thought as his mind began to drift into the dark abyss of sleep.

As though she sensed his worry, Lucy snuggled closer to him, her eyelashes tickling his skin before she sighed happily. "I love you," she murmured, relieved to finally be able to say the words out loud.

Exhaling forcefully through his nose in a quiet chuckle, Natsu gently squeezed her. He never imagined three little words could make him so unbelievably happy. "I love you too."

A/N: Ah! FINALLY! Haha! I know I'm not the only one thinking that, and for the delay in the update, I'm sorry. But hopefully the moment we've all been waiting for has made up for that. And sorry for the Game of Thrones reference, I've been binge-watching it lately and it just fit too perfectly!

As always, I do not own Fairy Tail or any of the characters. They all belong to the wonderful (but troll), Hiro Mashima.