Burn

"Cana, I really don't think you need any more reasons to drink…" Lucy cringed as Cana sat up on the guild bar, legs crossed and chugged another pitcher of ale like it was apple juice.

"I do if we are doing this!" Cana stared lovingly at the bar behind Mira where barrels of beer lined the walls in preparation to the celebration about to happen at Fairy Tail.

"It's a birthday party for Natsu, all he's going to focus on is the food," Like always. "Just wait until the party starts and you can drink until early morning." If she were being honest with herself, Lucy felt a little bitter about it. Who could blame her? Natsu was her best friend, for years, and she'd been interested in him for almost as long and the idiot hadn't noticed yet.

For the longest time Natsu was her introduction to guild life and her first friend, they were a team for years along with Gray and Erza but it was always Lucy and Natsu. Since the beginning. Lucy just wished he would see her the way she saw him, even Gray and Erza had noticed the longing looks she gave him. The two of them had begun discreetly pushing them into going on missions alone, Erza had even taken one for the team and taken the oblivious Happy fishing so Lucy and Natsu would be by themselves.

At first Lucy had been excited, thinking that Natsu would finally make some sort of move to show he was interested or at least make it clear if he felt the same way towards her. However in the two weeks it took them to get to Hargeon, finish their mission and get back to the guildhall, nothing had happened. If anything, Natsu had been more distant from her. Did the pink haired Dragon Slayer know she liked him and just didn't care?

Lucy was getting frustrated, rightly so too. She didn't understand what was happening in that hotheads brain. Was he really as unaffected by her advances as he played himself off to be? If that were the case why couldn't he just man up and tell Lucy, to her face, that he wasn't interested in starting anything romantic with her?

Lucy glared mercilessly towards the guildhall door. She needed to confront him, tell him what a douchecanoe he was acting like and ask him if he was really that oblivious that he hadn't noticed her crush. She had this unrealistic daydream playing out in her brain over the past couple of weeks. Her telling Natsu how she feels and the fire mage whisking her into his arms as he kisses her. That's where the innocents of the daydreams end. After that it was endless passion and hot and heavy sex on every surface in her apartment. His hammock had even made an appearance at one point in her head.

Lucy's face began to heat as she remembered a particularly racy dream on her kitchen counter, involving Natsu, whipped cream and chocolate syrup.

"Hey Luce, are you sick or somethin'? Your face is really red." Somehow, even while Lucy stared at the door, Natsu had managed to sneak in, grab a turkey leg from the refreshments table Mira had set up, and sit next to her without her noticing. Maybe he wasn't the only slightly dim one between the two of them.

"I'm fine! Happy birthday!" Lucy scrambled off the stool patting down her skirt for invisible wrinkles before wrapping her arms around his neck quickly enough that he couldn't return the hug. Natsu continued munching on the flavourful meat and taking a break once in a while to bite down on a crisp vegetable or two. "I see you've found the food." She said, completely unsurprised.

"Yeah." Natsu said, loud smacks of his lips and chunks of food clearly seen inside his mouth. Lucy once again cringed at the sight. Why did she find him attractive again?

"You're so gross! Chew and swallow your food before you start talking!" Jumping from her sudden tone Natsu gulped down the food with vigor.

Clearing his throat before speaking, "Sorry Lucy."

A few hours later Lucy was on her third glass of strawberry flavored liquor and her chocolate coloured eyes hadn't left the birthday boy. Liquid courage was a strange thing. Lucy had been debating with herself on whether she should simply lay one on him in the middle of the celebration or take him to the deserted upstairs. Currently the latter was winning. Before she could talk herself in or out of anything, Mira leaned across the bar, clamping her hand in front of her and smiling knowingly towards Lucy.

"How long are you going to keep waiting for that foodaholic to notice a beautiful girl like you?" Lucy had figured that Gray and Erza would eventually decipher her feelings, the four of them were together all the time afterall, but she still denied everything if anyone else said something about it. She opened her mouth to do just that, but before she could say anything, "Don't even try denying it. You look at that boy like Erza looks at a piece of strawberry cake."

"I-I do no such thing!" Mira tilted her head to the side. Giving her a look that clearly said 'I've been where you are and I can see that longing on your face a mile away, sweetie'.

Lucy hung her head in shame, not because she was embarrassed of Natsu or her feelings for him but because more and more people were finding out about her one sided affection, and none of them were the one person she wanted to know. She was starting to understand Juvia better by the day and it was frightening.

She shivered at the thought of stalking Natsu all day, everyday and tackling other girls to the ground shouting 'Love Rival'!

Lucy thought about it for a second, was there any point in trying to hide it when Mira already knew? Not knowing if it was the alcohol or just common sense but Lucy decided she might as well tell someone about her boy troubles.

"I don't know what to do, Mira! It's like he's completely blind to me when I try to flirt with him and he avoids me during missions because he would rather wreck a town than listen to me make an idiot out of myself. When we went on that solo mission to Hargeon last month it was horrible! He was so distant and I could tell that he was uncomfortable around me."

Mira drew back from the bar, a small sigh escaping her lips. "He's a teenage boy, raised by a dragon, which makes him worse than any regular dense boy. He doesn't express his feelings like we do, and you're his best friend. I'm sure he's just scared that if it doesn't work out he'll lose you, as his partner and his girlfriend." Lucy twirled the straw in her drink, A pout on her face as she looks into the empty glass.

"I guess you're right but if we never try to make it work because he doesn't actually acknowledge me then it can't fail or succeed." Lucy lowered her forehead against the cool wood of the bar, a distasteful moan slipping out.

"Then make the first move for him. You know how he gets when he's confused and he can't punch this problem. I know you've flirted lightly but why don't you try making a greater gesture? Like, maybe, I don't know, telling him you like him." Mira made it sound so easy. As if Lucy could simply walk up to him right now, tap him on the shoulder, and blurt out that she had an embarrassingly large crush on him and wouldn't mind if he wanted to lick chocolate off her.

Then again why not?

It wasn't as if he would laugh in her face and talk about it with Gray behind her back like it was the juiciest piece of gossip. Or would he? Lucy chastised herself, Natsu would never do anything like that to her or any other girl who was in her situation. The thought of another girl hitting on him made a hot ball of lead build up in her stomach.

"You know what? You're right. I'll go talk to him right now." She stood up from her stool and building up even the smallest amount of courage in her body, Lucy strode across the guildhall where Natsu was.

Her eyes following Natsu as he gestured wildly at Gray. Lucy guessed it had something to do with the fact that Gray had once again stripped down to his boxers and was standing in front of the food table. Lucy spotted Juvia sitting with Gajeel and Levy, they were trying to engage her in conversation but she was too preoccupied with a shirtless Gray to hear them. Is that what everyone saw Lucy as?

When Lucy was close enough to her fire dragon she lightly grabbed his elbow. Natsu's pink head swung around to her. A look of confusion colouring his features for a moment before the look bled away, quickly replaced by a jubilant grin. It melted her heart.

"Yo, Luce, what's up?"

"Can you come upstairs for a second? I need to talk to you." Lucy had no idea what exactly she was supposed to say to him. She hadn't really thought that far ahead, she was trying not to think at all, just act. Afraid that if she thought about what she was doing she would talk herself out of it and have Virgo bury her. She couldn't do that, this was far overdue.

"Sure." Dropping his mug and half eaten pie tin onto the tabletop behind him. Natsu twisted around to the stairs. "Lead the way." Lucy climbed the stairs with a mixture of dread and excitement setting her nerves on fire.

They walked to the last door on the second hallway floor, the infirmary. There was no one there, and if there had been someone admitted they were downstairs partying with the rest of the guild. There were two things Fairy Tail mages could never lay down and take, injustice and copious amounts of alcohol consumption without them.

When the door closed behind Natsu, Lucy stared down at her twinging feet. How was she supposed to start this conversation anyway? Mira hadn't told her that and suddenly Lucy wished she had forced the Take-Over mage to do this instead of her.

"Um, Lucy?" She turned back towards him. "You said you wanted to talk about something?" Natsu was focused on his black boots, his feet shuffling in place nervously. Was she imagining it or was his adorable face flushed?

"Natsu, I just wanted to say…" Stepping across the small space between them hesitantly, Lucy reached up her hands to lay them on his reddening cheeks gingerly. His face felt scruff underneath her soft fingertips and she wanted to giggle. "Happy birthday."

His eyes fluttered quickly between her face and his feet as Lucy's warm lips connected to his slack ones. Her hands wrapped around his neck, digging into his hair, scratching gently against his scalp. The longer Natsu remained unaffected and stiff under her touch, the more Lucy realized that this was what rejection from him felt like, but she refused to give up.

Moving her lips she tried to coax any type of reaction out of him. Pressing her body as close as she could to him, his skin felt overheated and burning against hers. Lucy could taste the apple on his breath from the dessert he had been eating earlier and his hair was softer than the gelled spikes he usually wore would suggest.

Natsu's arms came around her and grasped her arms. Hope built up in her chest, fluttering and filling the space like a breath of air, that he would finally respond to her. He began pulling her away from him. Hurt spread through her, at least she made the first move and tried to express her feelings. When she was far enough away she covered her face with her hands, trying to hide the crimson flush colouring the pale skin.

"I'm sorry, I just- I didn't mean- I shouldn't have done that," She squeaked shamefully behind her hands. Lowering them away from her eyes to peer into his, begging him silently not to push her any further away from him.

"No, you shouldn't have. I should have." Ripping her rigid hands from her face, Natsu leaned over and took her lips with his, fingers curled around her wrists. It started as a soft caress, flesh pushing and nipping at tinted skin. Soft sighs sounded through the room. Their kisses were malleable, molding their bodies together around the innocent touch of their lips.

Pulling her hands away from his, Lucy dug her fingers in his hair again, pulling his head forward, the light gasp allowed her tongue to enter the warm cavern of his mouth with ease. The new sensation drove her further and further into his hard body. She swept the inside of his mouth, a small gasp when his tentatively met hers. The muscle moved with growing aggression.

Pulling away from the heat to take a breath of air, Natsu and Lucy were still pretzeled around one another, too afraid that if they let go of each other whatever spell had pushed them into kissing would wear off. Their foreheads stuck together by perspiration, Lucy's eyes were closed, allowing Natsu to study her face closer than he'd ever had the chance to before.

She had a litter of golden highlights over her skin from the skylight fallings from the window, they contrasted with her ebony lashes as they danced delicately on her cheekbone. A beautiful dusting of rose coloured her cheekbones and her lips were bruised from his kiss. Natsu felt like he had been hit with Laxus' lightning again by the sheer beauty that Lucy radiated.

How had he gone so long without this? Without holding her and kissing her?

Natsu had felt something stirring in his chest for the last few months around his pretty blonde partner. Lucy was his best friend and he always thought she was amazing, but he had realized that she wasn't just that, she was the epiphany of beauty. She was smart and funny and he loved her smile more by the day. Sleeping in her bed wrapped up in the soothing strawberry scent made his heart leap into his throat, but it scared him.

What if he told her about the weird skips his heart did when she looked at him and Lucy thought he was an idiot? What if he tried to hold her hand and she laughed at him? What if he told Lucy she looked pretty and she told him that he smelled like charred fish?

When they went on a mission on their own for the first time since his feelings popped up he had been so awkward! He had been trying so hard not to be weird or make Lucy unhappy in anyway. He had tried to be gentlemanly but the only thing he succeeded in doing was making her suspicious that he had done something reckless again.

His gaze followed the ridges of her face. Her parted lips and shallow breathing brought a smile to Natsu's face, he was the reason she was breathless and her cheeks were covered in a brilliant blush. Lifting his forehead from hers, Natsu tilts his face to the side of her neck, his heated breath following over her skin. Pressing hot, open mouthed grazes to her salted skin.

"Natsu," Lucy whimpered when he reached a sensitive area on her collarbone, her eyes still shut as the boys fingers massaged her hips.

Tightening her arms around his neck Lucy pushed Natsu towards the door. Not expecting the sudden move, he pulled away from her neck with blinking eyes. The wood stabbed into his back painfully but Natsu didn't notice, his sole focus on the girl pressing him into the door. She smiled shyly but there was a golden glint in her eye that made Natsu gulp down his words.

Lucy ran her fingers down his bare chest, thumb skimming over his pebbled nipple, pushing his open vest to the sides, her mouth following the path down his throat. Her hands tugging the waistband of his pants. Natsu's head rolled against the suddenly helpful door.

Kneeling down Lucy slowly unclasped his silver belt buckle and unzipped his pants. Natsu was too mesmerized with how she took control to bother really seeing what she was doing. Her nimble hands working down the fabric until it was pooled around his feet. The only barrier between Lucy's wandering fingers, chocolate eyes and his stiffening member was a pair of blue boxers that were tented beyond Natsu's ability to disguise arousal.

He gulped down air and felt his muscles tighten when her lips wandered over his stomach, nibbling on the feverish skin before licking him to sooth the bites. Her tongue swirled patterns into his toned flesh and Natsu lightly fingered the strands of golden hair.

She made brief eye contact with him, desire met passion as their mutual concupiscence continued to devour them, chipping piece by piece away of their armour. Pulling the last article of clothing away, Lucy bit her lower lip as she stared. His masculinity stood at full attention a few inches from her face, thick veins running across the extensive surface and a lighter tone layer of skin covered the tip of his penis.

"Luce, you don't have to-" He was cut off as Lucy's hand wrapped lightly around his hardness. "Do that," Natsu hissed.

The muscle pulsed underneath her touch and above her, Natsu made groans and said words she'd never heard him say before. As her hand pulled up to his head she slid her thumb on the slit oozing clear precum. Squeezing her legs together, Lucy hadn't realized that seeing Natsu's lust induced face would be such a turn on for her.

Rubbing her thighs together she tried to keep her full focus on him. It was his birthday after all. She could feel herself getting wetter as her fingers slipped along his thickness. The silk of her underwear was beginning to scratch at her core in a roughly erotic way.

She leaned over and swiped her tongue from the base of his cock to the dripping head, not expecting the slightly bitter taste or loud moan that resulted from her action. She wrapped her mouth around his head and hallowed out her cheeks. The noises Natsu was making urging her forward. Twisting her tongue around the head as she bobbed her head and humming the closer she got to the base. Natsu's hands flew away from the door, fisting them into her loose blonde waves and rolling his hips to her mouth.

Lucy was thoroughly enjoying the feel of him in her mouth when Natsu began to pull at her to stand. Lucy wasn't about to let him come anywhere other than her throat right now.

"Fuck! Lucy, Gods, I'm about to- Gaa!" Natsu cried out.

She brushed his hands away from her head and sped her movements. Moving her head faster on his cock and playing with his balls with her fingers. He became boneless, relying on the wall to stand, as his seed flooded her mouth. Lucy swallowed the sharp tinged liquid. The tart flavour remaining on her tongue as she stood from the floor. Freckling light kisses on his face and neck, Lucy waited until he came down from his orgasmic high.

"Are you okay?" Lucy asked slowly, her head tilted to the side as she watched him catch his breath from his orgasm.

"You're amazing." Natsu was glowing and his eyes were becoming darkened with lust. "And wearing entirely too much clothing."

His arms came to the front of her tank top, unceremoniously shredding the material in two pieces. Lucy gasped when, with the use of inhuman strength and speed, Natsu lifted her off her floor and pressed her roughly against the door in his place. Wrapping her legs around his hips put her in the position to feel his stamina returning. She nudged her hips forwards, running her entrance against his immense length and girth. She despised the nightmarish material that acted as a barrier between their most intimate parts.

Whimpering at the tight grip Natsu kept on her thighs. His dull fingernails scratching her skin but holding her tighter still.

Natsu crushed his needing mouth on hers, tasting the remnants of himself as their tongues tangled against her teeth. Their hips falling into an erotic rhythm and Natsu ground himself harder against his partner.

Natsu pulled away as Lucy's head fell back, moaning loudly at a particularly hard push at her heat. Forcing her skirt further up her waist. His hand snaking between her legs. "You're so wet, I can feel how much you want me here. Between your legs."

Rubbing her through the fabric of her underwear, his fingertips dampening at the contact. His finger brushed Lucy's clint and she pulled his hips against hers. Natsu chuckled darkly, his breath hot on her neck. "Natsu, please, I need you."

"Do you want me to fuck you, Luce? Do you want my fingers inside you? I can smell you. You want my cock inside you, don't you?" Lucy's eyes were wide as she listened to her best friend whisper dirty things in her ear. "Little Miss Prim and Proper wants to be fucked against the infirmary doors with our whole guild downstairs?"

"Natsu-" He didn't let her finish, his fingers ripping the panties covering her to strips. Natsu ran his digits on her outer lips. Plunging his forefinger into her soaked entrance without a second thought. A pained moan escaped her parted lips but her hips instinctively rolled. Natsu kissed along her neck as his hand moved slowly in and out of her hot depths. Adding another finger, stretching her walls in preparation for him.

Her head was lolling from side to side, her inner walls were hyper aware of the curling against her womb. "Please- please, Natsu."

Her pleas caused a growl of possession from the Dragon Slayer. Tugging his fingers away he ripped away the lingerie covering her breasts. Lucy groaned at the sensation.

In one swift move, Natsu had sheathed himself inside her. A fire lit inside of her, burning away the very fiber of her being. Every nerve in her body was alive, her walls clamping down on him. Lucy's legs were shaking, the only thing keeping her in place was Natsu's hands holding her up. Tears were rolling down her face and he hadn't moved a single inch yet.

"Are you okay?" Natsu asked lowly.

"Move." Natsu was a little apprehensive, not wanting to hurt Lucy. Lucy began to slide her hips forward, pushing him slightly into her once again. "Move, please."

Grasping her sides in his hands Natsu withdrew from her and thrusting violently back to her womb. Lucy screamed, biting down on his shoulder to muffle the sound. Continuously jerking, giving her what she asked for. The scrapes against his neck turning him on more.

"Fuck, fuck! Harder." Natsu compressed her into the wood, aiming higher into her, hitting a wonderful spot inside her. Infinitely thankful that the music downstairs was too loud for the rest of the guild to hear the vulgar language Lucy shouted.

They came up into their high together, Natsu spilling his seed inside her, fluid sliding down Lucy's thighs and dripping to the floor. Lucy was surprised Natsu was able to stand after their mutual orgasms, let alone hold her up too. Running her hands through his hair she kissed his hairline. Natsu sighed into her collar.

"Why didn't we do that before?" Natsu's lips moved against her sensitive skin.

"Because you were blind to any advance I tried to make towards you?" Lucy snickered back. Natsu pulled out, dropping her gently onto the floor, they began to readjust their clothes.

"By far the best birthday present I've gotten. Mira's promise of unlimited fire chicken for a week doesn't hold a candle." Natsu kissed her shoulder.

"Oh, I'm so glad sex amounts to fire chicken in your mind, baby." Natsu grinned at the pet name as he buckled up his pants. "We have a problem," Natsu looked up from his belt to Lucy holding a scrap of cloth. "I can't wear this."

Handing her his overcoat, neither of them could drop the ridiculously happy smiles on their faces. They walked back down to the party holding hands. Natsu leaned against the bar, Lucy pulled tightly towards his chest.

Leaning up towards his ear, Lucy whispered, "Happy birthday, dragon-boy."

"Thanks, princess." Natsu kissed her swollen lips sweetly and grinned. "I hope you know I'm never letting you go."

Snuggling back into his warm chest, Lucy sighed. "I'm not complaining."

If anyone in the guild was surprised by their closeness they didn't say anything. No one even commented on their new state of intimacy and dress. Mira sent a secretive smile towards Lucy's back. Checking her off her mental list.

I hope you enjoyed that oneshot birthday lemon, I also have a Jerza oneshot up so check that out! I'm actually pretty new to writing Fairy Tail fanfiction so I don't know if this is any good.

- I just started writing a Gray/Lucy story called Frozen Starlight!