A/N: Yo! This in a rare departure from my typical writing style, is just one in a series of harmless AU oneshots that an old friend challenged me with. I'm pairing a certain blond up with nearly every female character in the realm of Fairy Tail in a series of one-shotters, and, that included the Celestial Spirits. Our foxy blond may be a tad OOC at times, but hey, consider the obscure past(s) I'm giving him, that I'm giving him, I have some margin for error. Anway, all you shippers out there, read, review and, of course...

...ENJOY!

Maiden

As always, the stars were strewn across the sky when she saw him.

As always, he greeted her with a warm embrace. As always, a kiss, a smile; a tender love as fierce as the fire and the flames that comprised his element and his constellation. As always, she returned his passion tenfold, her body welding against him; her lips daring to-gently-move across his own, her tongue dancing with delight and exultance while he held her tight without a word; because no words were necessary.

The smooth skin of her cheek brushed against his scruffy, whiskered one. His hair filled her nostrils with the clean scent of delight and disbelief. She hugged him fiercely, the notes of strong hard arms joining with supple firm stomach and back merging with the pure feminine softness of her chest pressed against his making a chord of perfect acceptance.

Tentatively, he lifted his hands from his sides and touched her back. She tasted salt on her lips, the bitter acrid taste serving to sour the moment before she realized the truth of what it was. A tear, her tear. Her chest convulsed uncontrollably, and suddenly she was sobbing. He grabbed her and she squeezed him harder still. He felt her crying too; staccato breaths shaking her slender frame, and he held her. And for a moment, just a moment, the world was reduced to a single hug of reunion, joy, and acceptance.

"Welcome home, love." When he spoke, his words set her very heart ablaze. Home. Yes, this was their home. Forever and ever and ever. He would always be waiting for her here, waiting for her to come home, to return from whenever she was summoned by her mistress; her princess, Lucy Heartfilia. He always waited for her, no matter what. Just like a knight-no, just like a prince. Her prince.

An ironic term, when one noted his strangely ornate dark garb of red and orange and black. His worn, ragged cloak that he always wore about himself, removing it only when they were intimate, as they were now. He was hardly ever rough with her, although he knew of her rather...unusual tastes. The word "punishment" simply did not exist in this one's demeanor, or his vocabulary.

Not to mention his appearance.

He was a handsome youth, if intense. His blond hair was disheveled, his blue eyes intelligent, his features balanced. Whisker marks tripled each cheek cheeks that had once dimpled with a constantly bright and enthused grin; no matter the situation, no matter the mission. Now, he was intense, his visage free of the baby fat that had cursed him in his younger years. Chiseled and nigh but expressionless, that face squinted against the perpetual starlight that was their world; while nine tails of crimson fur curled round them both and sheltered them from the cold.

As always, he was warm. As always, his warmth stirred such feeling within her, such passion that her heart could scarce contain it. Tonight, as she often did every night, she chose to act on this passion. She permitted herself a ghost of a smile and turned; wriggling within his grip to face him properly. He stared at her inquisitively, his chin dipping ever so slightly as the fingertips brushed across her wrists; the act of which sent elecrtic shudders down her spine.

She reached up, up, up, standing on the balls of her feet, to the tips of her toes, so that she might thread her hands through his hair. So that she might reach through the mess of ragged blond locks and caress the two cat-like ears hidden within. Of course she would never say such a thing aloud, even if her demeanor did not permit such a thing, that she knew these were not the ears of some tabby cat, but rather, the ears of a fox.

The ears of a kitsune.

He'd come to this realm what felt like centuries ago, but in the human world, she supposed their time together could have amounted to three years. No perhaps came wasn't quite the right word. He'd simply appeared one day, standing there in the eternal abyss of stars that was their realm; the realm of the Celestial Spirits. Of his place of origin, of what constellation he represented, what key he bore, even of what home he'd originally had, she knew nothing. Rather, back then she had known nothing. He'd simply arrived one day, staring listlessly at the sea of stars as the others watched him from afar. And she, she alone had dared to speak to him that first, fateful day.

Now, after what felt like an eternity together, she knew him almost as well as she knew herself. Granted, she had yet to unlock all of his many secrets, but he was now nearly tame; whereas before he'd been little more than a wild beast wherever she was concerned. He rarely spoke to her, unlike Loki, unlike the others, but when he did speak, his words conveyed such emotion that only a sentence or so was necessary. She didn't mind. She simply took comfort in his presence; a force as constant and ever-present as the starry sky which surrounded them tonight.

Tonight, tonight she decided to ask him about his key. Tonight, she dared to inquire as to whether he would be willing to lend his services to the same master she served, this girl who saw spirits as friends, as people, not tools to be used whenever she saw fit. This was a sore subject for her beloved. She knew this, and it was with great caution that she broached the subject tonight.

"My key?" He blinked, his eyes widening marginally as she phrased the question. He tensed, his entire form becoming rigid and unyielding; so unlike the ever-changing flame for which he was so well known. Sapphire flickered into slitted scarlet and he snarled, his lips parting to expose a gorgeous white grin as alien to her as it was deadly. Would that she had known he was this averse to shackling himself to a wizard, she would never have broached the subject. But it was too late. Much, much too late.

He pulled away from her, disdain and disgust marring his handsome features. He scowled down at her from the sudden chasm that had sprung up between them as he swept his hand up and through his hair, the blond mess perfecting itself at the touch of his fingertips. She cringed, recognizing the gesture, the sign of his distress. She'd angered him, she knew this now, but she feared there was little she could do to quell his wrath.

"Me?" He began slowly, his eyes narrowing, "Give a human my key?"

Abruptly, she realized his smile had returned.

Then he laughed, and it was as if all those ugly emotions had never existed to begin with. He drew her close, and all her worries and concerns withered away as he took her in his arms and held her, cradling her close to his chest with one arm, while the other nudged up under her chin and raised her gaze to meet his own.

"Now you're just being silly, love." he said, his lip just grazing the outer lobe of her ear as he used the affectionate suffix. "I already told you, I'm never going to be a slave to anyone ever again. Not then, not now, not ever." She saw the power in his gaze, the power that allowed him to rival Loki; the leader of the Twelve Zodiac Spirits. If he wanted to, he could annihilate her, Loki and the others, and perhaps even this dimension, if he so wished. She knew-believed-that such wanton destruction was not in his nature nor it hers, but the potential to do so, still frightened her nonetheless.

She tried to explain to him, tried to make him see, in her own way, that her mistress would never treat him as a slave. She understood them, she understood that all Celestial Spirits were not tools to be used at one's fancy, but actual individuals who were worthy of respect and confidence. He would have none of it. His hatred for humans, for human and humanity alike, was simply too great. Short of asking him herself on her behalf, she feared nothing would be able to convince him. She sorely wished that there was some other way, as she did not wish to invoke such a rite of him, not from him, not while he was in such a serious state as this.

And yet, for her sake, and for the sake of her princess, she asked him anyway.

She begged him to reconsider, to lend his strength to her mistress now, when she needed it the most. She did her best to explain the situation to him, to make him understand that, without his aid, her hime-her most beloved princess-would surely perish. She watched as her words sank into the fine features of his face, watched, as they struck a chord somewhere deep within him, watched; as they twisted his visage into a rictus of fury and pain.

"Grimoire Heart?" He repeated the name of the Dark Guild she had given him, the guild that was currently assailing Tenrou Island in search for something. What that something was, she knew not. She only knew that her mistress was nearly out of magical power, and that she was in desperate need of assistance. She could no longer summon her Celestial Spirits in her current state, and if something was not done soon, the agent of Grimoire Heart would kill her, and all of her contracts would cease to exist altogether. She pleaded with him, her hands fisting against the lapels of his jacket, her normally stoic visage now warped with fear and utter anxiety for her mistress. He had to do something. He was the only one who could do something, anything, to save her princess. She knew this; because she knew that he knew this, and yet he stood firm and did nothing. Nothing at all.

He paused for a moment, her heart sinking for a moment, then sighed. He inclined his head a fraction of an inch, the motion almost imperceptible in the sudden darkness of the room that they shared together. His forehead kissed hers for the span of two beats, his warm breath laying itself across her cheeks for the briefest of instants. Then they pulled apart, and she saw readiness in his eyes, the willingness to do battle; battle as she'd never seen before.

"Thank you." She smiled, then leaned forward a little more to give him a gentle kiss on his whiskered cheek. He looked at her in surprise and then he saw a kind of relief settle over the girl, her face easing, her shoulders losing their tightness. Seemingly satisfied, she leaned back once again, doing her best to ignore his sudden surprise and, perhaps, her own cherry-pink blush.

She pressed her back against his chest and kissed him then, and it was wonderful.

His response was immediate, and it was pleasing, and it came with such speed that she couldn't help but wonder if he'd resorted to using that. He grabbed her and flipped her onto the bed next to him. He was strong and so quick, there was no chance for resistance. She gawped up at him, lips parted in disbelief at the sudden reversal. She'd forgotten all about that indefatigable speed of his and his ability, actually, and now it cost her most dear. He pushed past her flailing hands and kissed her neck, moving slowly downward. And then lower on her neck and then he was pulling down the frilly dress she'd gone to all the trouble of wearing and her hands weren't flailing anymore and his lips...

...were gone.

She knew he was gone, if only for the sudden lack of warmth that enveloped the room. Without him, her world was cold and dark. So utterly bland and lifeless. She felt a sudden breeze caress her cheek just then; followed by a distant tremor in the distance, emerging as a slow, subtle vibration that worked its way up her heels and into her hips, leaving her shuddering as the sound of faint laughter traversed across the realms between them.

Whatever dark force had been assailing her mistress abruptly vanished, torn into so many shreds that not even the faintest glimmer of magic remained. She almost felt a tiny twinge of sympathy for the offending party that had stoked the righteous flames of her lover's wrath. Almost, but not quite. They deserved their fate; and they deserved this, whatever ignoble death her love decided to inflict upon them. Then, finally, there was relief. Relief, dynamic, powerful, overwhelming relief, flooded through the connection that bound her to her mistress, stemming from such joy and acceptance that even she couldn't help but smile; because she recognized the source behind it. He'd done it after all. He'd given her mistress his key, and formed a pact with her, permitting himself to be summoned once-once!-a month as was defined by the terms of his contract.

For the smallest span of a second, she allowed pride to swell within her breast. She'd done it. She'd convinced him, swaying his opinion toward the humanity he'd once been a very large part of. She knew this, and she marvelled at her own powers of persuasion. Then the moment passed and she returned to her normal servile self in the absence of his presence. But only for a little while.

"It is done." she all but melted into his arms as he materialized behind her; falling back against the warmth of flesh and fur he provided as he cradled her petite form close. He offered his shoulders in a shrug, in recompense for his temerity, and she forgave him for it a thousand times over. She would always forgive him, no matter the deed nor their matter of consequence. Such was the power of their bond, a bond so powerful that it transcended space and time, sundering entire worlds with its power. It was unbreakable unshakable, and unstoppable and nothing would ever separate them.

"Naruto-kun?"

"Hmm?" He purred softly as she stroked his ears, his tails lying limp around them. She rarely used his name anymore, and yet she still adored it. Almost as much as she did him. Everything about him. From his occasional erratic outbursts, to moments such as these; moments of kind, stoic silence, such as now, when he held her. Moments like as these, when they were not being summoned, when they could simply rest and just be, made their lives truly worth living.

"We'll be together now, won't we?" she asked, finishing her question.

His first response was to hold her even tighter than before. His second response was to laugh. Laughter, soft and rich and full of so much warmth and mirth that it stole breath away, brought tears, unbidden to her sapphire eyes. She didn't need him to say it, after all. Because she knew. She already knew. She'd always known, she'd just wanted him to say it; to offer her an outward sign of affection that didn't stem from lush or "punishment" or anything other than mutual affection for one another. A display he'd just given and offered, for all the world to see.

And it was only then, only then that Virgo The Maiden, knew her mistress would live to see the next sunrise. And the next. And the next, and still, the next. But for now, there was only him and her and her slightly swollen stomach that would one day give birth to the greatest of gifts. It would only strengthen their bond even further than before and, here, with him, she was content...

...for all eternity.

A/N: I know, warm and fluffy, right? Nobody's bothered to thoroughly explore the Celestial Spirit Realm in Fairy Tail as of yet, so I thought to myself, hey, why not? And yes, Virgo is pregnant! (If that is even possible for Celestial spirits?) And for all of you Fairy Tail fans, I tried to incorporate Virgo's personality as best I could, and kept her as her tried and true self!

Don't forget to review! I am writing these solely for the benefit and the enjoyment of you, the readers! Also yes, Naruto DIED in his universe, and was then reborn with himself and the Kyuubi as one, hence his now outlandish appearance. I won't say how he died exactly, but suffice to say that he died during the Shippuuden timeline.