(AN: Okay, so I know I should be working on my other stories, but this idea was another persistent bugger that I had to write it. I've been working on this for two weeks and instead of waiting to post it as I thought I should, I wanted to post it earlier to thank all the the support I've gotten from the Fairy Tail community. Seriously, I've loved every single review. I hope you guys enjoy this little bit of seductive Natsu.)

WARNING: THIS DOES CONTAIN EXPLICIT SEXUAL MATERIAL

If You Can't Take the Heat

This wasn't supposed to turn out this way, Lucy thought dimly are she stared at the boy looming over her, a feral grin on his handsome face and his dark eyes twinkling in amusement. How did I lose control of this situation so quickly again?

Oh yeah, she remembered dazedly. I bit off way more then I could chew

Two Weeks Earlier

"Hey, Lucy. Can I ask you a question?"

Said girl looked up at her friend behind the bar with a curious smile and a tilt of her head, her blond hair falling forward to brush against her rosy cheeks.

"Yeah, of course you can, Mira-chan."

The white haired girl behind the counter paused and looked to be in deep thought as she contemplated how to phrase her question. Her blue eyes connected with Lucy's brown ones searchingly. Absently, her hands wiped down the already spotless bar top.

"Have you ever thought that Natsu was…attractive?"

Lucy choked on her sip of water, her eyes beginning to tear up as she struggled to get air through her passage ways. Beside her, Gray looked up in alarm and wacked her back harshly to try and help her. Coughing weakly, she sent a grateful smile his way, which he returned a little hesitantly before turning back to his conversation with Erza.

Turning back to Mira, Lucy's eyebrows slammed together as she frowned at her friend. "What did you just ask me?" she asked incredulously.

Mira smiled a little, looking over Lucy's shoulder to make sure Natsu was still occupied with his heated 'discussion' with Gajeel. She turned back to Lucy and leaned forward a little, gesturing for Lucy to do the same.

When Lucy was close enough, Mira asked again, her voice a low murmur in the typical loud atmosphere of the guild. "Have you ever found Natsu attractive?"

Lucy stared at her friend as if she had grown another head. A blush stole up her neck and colored her cheeks a vibrant red as she looked away from the other woman's knowing gaze. Deciding to be honest, even if it was embarrassing, Lucy confessed, "I mean sure. How could a girl look at him and not think he was attractive? But that doesn't mean I'm attracted to him."

Mira chuckled and leaned back, reaching down to grab a beer mug and begin cleaning out the dust that had collected inside of it. Sneaking her friend a secretive look, she had to suppress a smirk and feigned innocence. "Well, even though he's like a brother to me, I've always known he was attractive. And I can't help but wonder…"

Unconsciously, Lucy leaned toward her friend, her brown eyes wide and curious. "Wonder what?"

Finally allowing the smirk to cross her features, she lowered her voice a bit. "I always wondered what he would do if someone tried to seduce him."

Lucy reared back as if she had been struck, "What?" Her shout caught the attention of the topic of their conversation.

"Hey, Lucy," he called, leaning back from the table to catch her eyes. "You okay?"

Flashing him a weak smile, she only nodded in response before turning back to Mira, who was trying unsuccessfully to muffle her chuckles. Natsu frowned in confusion as he watched the two girls converse. He saw Lucy whisper something urgently to the still laughing Mira, her face a bright red. Shaking his head, he decided to ignore them in favor of turning to challenge Gajeel to another fight, though the other Dragon Slayer only looked at him in boredom.

"Why in the world would you wonder something like that?" Lucy hissed to Mira. Chuckling, her friend only shook her head.

"It was just one of those things that popped into my mind during a slow day. Wouldn't it interest you to watch him get seduced? He's so oblivious when it comes to the opposite sex; I think it would be worth watching him get so unraveled and flustered." She shrugged and grinned at Lucy. "I meant nothing by it."

Settling back down, Lucy frowned down at her glass. Mira watched as her young friend sent lingering, searching glances at her distracted partner throughout the rest of the day and chuckled to herself.

Maybe now those two will realize what everyone else in Fairy Tail has already realized.

"Hey, Lucy! Let's go on a mission!" Natsu called as he sauntered up to the bar, resting an elbow on its surface and leaning almost too close than was socially acceptable to his partner. Lucy didn't seem to notice as she frowned up at him.

"You can't just walk up to me and tell me we're going on a mission! What if I had plans already? Believe it or not, my life does not revolve around you and taking missions!"

Natsu frowned and leaned closer to her, his face only a few inches from her own. Neither of them seemed to notice how they casually bumped body parts and leaned closer to each other as they bantered back and forth.

"Don't tell me you have a date! Why do you even bother with these guys? They're all weirdoes anyway!"

Lucy scoffed and looked away from him. "You tell me I'm a weirdo all the time, idiot."

"But that's different. You're…" he paused as he tried to come up with the right way to say what he wanted. "You're a cute kind of weird," he settled on with a satisfied grin, nodding to himself in agreement of his words.

Mira rolled her eyes when Lucy blushed and looked away from her partner, even though she leaned back against him so that their shoulders rested against each other, but couldn't quite hide her small smile.

They're perfect for each other.

As the days passed, Lucy couldn't seem to get Mira's words out of her mind.

I think it would be worth watching him get so unraveled and flustered.

Those words seemed to be driving Lucy to the brink of insanity. As she watched him fight their enemies, fight their friends, full of bluster and passion, she began to wonder. What would it be like to see him flustered and unraveled? She had never seen him embarrassed, never seen him really caught off guard outside of a fight with an unexpectedly tough opponent.

What would it be like to watch him blush and stutter, trying to find the right words to say? What would it be like to see him throw caution to the wind and be overcome by his instincts?

A blush coated her cheeks as she imagined his face filled with passion. His eyes heavy lidded and clouded with desire. His lips pulled up in a confident but warm smile. His warm hands as they grasped her shoulders and-

Shook her awake. Blinking she realize she had been day dreaming and that Natsu was gazing down at her with a concerned frown.

"Lucy! What's wrong? Are you okay?" he asked hurriedly. Smiling wanly she reached up to clasp one of his hands on her shoulder and nodded.

"Yeah, sorry. I just spaced out there for a minute."

Giving her a doubtful look, he took a step back. "Okay, just making sure. You're face was getting all flushed. I thought you were getting sick."

Chuckling weakly, she turned her gaze away from his and focused on the food in front of her. They had stopped at a hotel that night after they had finished their two day mission before heading out early the next morning back to Magnolia.

She stifled a groan as she realized where her thoughts had taken her before Natsu had gotten her attention.

I can't believe I just thought that about him! He's my partner! How could I have pictured him…and me…

Shaking her head in denial, she gave up pretending to eat her food and pushed her plate away. Looking up at Natsu with a bright smile, she got to her feet.

"I think I'm going to turn in early."

Happy, who was munching happily on a fish, looked up at her with a frown. "Why? Natsu did all the work. You didn't do anything."

Not bothering to dignify that with a response, she simply waved and murmured a 'good night' and headed off to her room. Happy and Natsu exchanged a concerned look.

"She didn't even yell at me," Happy said with worried eyes.

"Yeah. Usually a comment like that would have made fire come out of her eyes. But this time, nothing. I think she might be getting sick."

Happy nodded in agreement and then went back to his fish, deciding to push the matter from his mind. But Natsu wasn't so lucky and gazed to where Lucy had disappeared with a frown.

"I hope Lucy is okay," he murmured to himself, but then he caught Happy trying to sneak one of his fish from his plate and forgot his concerned thoughts in light of fighting the flying cat for his food.

Sighing, Lucy stretched her hands towards the sky with a small grin. The day looked like it would be pleasantly warm and clear of any clouds to obscure the brilliance blue of the sky. Leaning down, she tugged on the laces of her tennis shoes to make sure they were nice and tight before setting off down the cobbled street at a light jog.

As the months at Fairy Tail had passed and she and Natsu came up against harder and harder enemies and jobs, Lucy finally decided that getting stronger with her magic wasn't the only way to make sure she was batter on future jobs. While watching Natsu train in her living room, she had noticed that he never did any running of any kind. When she'd had questioned him about it, he had seemed confused, as if surprised that running without being chased or chasing something was another way to train.

They had started off together, but with his Dragon Slayer abilities, he quickly surpassed her. But occasionally, he would join her in the mornings that she felt the need to work off the dinner from the night before.

As she passed the river, she waved to the fishermen that called out to her, keeping her pace even and confident. Her blond hair swayed with each of her steps within its confines of the rubber band she used to hold it up.

While the comfort of jogging and working off excess energy settled her, her mind began to wonder back to how strange she had come to feel in Natsu's presence. It wasn't the same thing as it had been the last time Mira had tried to set them up. Then she had been mortified that he might have feelings for her when she clearly did not have feelings for him in return. It had made her panic and over think her actions.

Now, however, she didn't think about what she would do so much as what he would do. Often, while she was alone at the guild or in her apartment at night, she would find her mind wandering back to the image she had conjured up during their last mission.

As the days had passed and her thoughts of the Dragon Slayer refused to abate, Lucy began to realize that, yes, she was attracted to Natsu. But to be honest, this didn't surprise her nearly as much as she thought it would have a week ago. After all, he was a healthy, attractive teenage boy with a deep sense of loyalty and didn't shirk his duties when it came to his family. Not to mention that heart stopping smile he would often sport when he was happy, which was more often than not. What girl wouldn't be attracted to him on at least a basic level?

So, when she thought about it, it really wasn't much of a surprise that she was attracted to him. But what did bother her that she still couldn't come to accept was that she was beginning to like him as more than a friend, even an attractive one. She found herself wondering what he would think of an outfit before she would put it on. She found herself trying to draw his attention to her more often then she used to and trying to notice how often he did notice her, which sadly was not as often as she would like.

Her heart beat was beginning to accelerate as she reached road that lead to Fairy Tail and her breathing had become much more labored and the muscles of her legs began to burn.

Finally getting sick of her troubling thoughts, Lucy decided to do something about her discovered feelings for her partner. After all, she was an attractive girl that knew she was attractive. And even if Natsu was the most oblivious boy that ever walked Earthland when it came to the opposite sex, she honestly felt that if she worked at it enough, she could get the reaction she wanted out of him.

Or at least, she hoped so.

Slowing to a stop in front of the doors to Fairy Tail, she wiped a hand across her brow where a fine sheen of sweat had collected and decided to make her way inside and get a cold glass of water before heading home to shower and get ready for the day.

Pushing the doors open, her eyes automatically scanned the present faces for her partner and her eyes lit up when she spotted him at the bar, chatting casually with Mira and seeming as if he were waiting for something, if his frequent glances to the door was anything to go by.

When he spotted her making her way over, his face split into his typical carefree grin and he straightened, his eyes racking over her appearance with, unfortunately, only friendly curiosity.

Stage One to Operation Seduce Natsu, Lucy suddenly decided, is to get him to notice that I'm a girl and not just his partner.

"You working out this morning?" he asked, his smile still in place while she joined him at the bar. Knowing she would cramp if she sat down, she smiled at him and remained standing next to him, asking Mira for a glass of water before answering him.

"Yep. What about you, you lazy bum?" Giggling she teasingly poked his stomach, trying not to notice how warm his skin was against hers and just how firm his stomach really was. "I think you're getting a little fat there, Natsu."

Pouting, he looked down at his stomach where she had poked and experimentally grabbed at the flesh. Feeling nothing but muscle and skin, he turned his pout up to her. "Hey, I'm not getting fat!" To prove his point, he stripped off the little cover he did have in his vest and flexed his biceps proudly. "There's nothing but muscle on this body!"

Lucy bit her lip and couldn't stop the small flush that painted her cheeks a light pink. Looking away, she downed the water offered in a few big gulps to wet her suddenly dry mouth.

Damn you and your sexy body, she wanted to say, but instead only muttered, "Geez, Natsu. I think you're hanging out with Gray too much. Now who's the pervert? Are you going to start stripping at random intervals as well?"

Laughing, he shrugged on his vest again and leaned against the gleaming wood of the bar, his eyes bright with amusement and making her grin back at him. "Nah, just making sure we were on the same page on how I'm not fat."

Shrugging in mock indifference, she placed her now empty glass on her bar with a smile to Mira, who was watching the whole exchange with a small smirk. "Whatever you say, perv." When he frowned at her and pretended to pout, she felt a rush of victory.

Time for her first move.

Leaning forward, she placed a hand on his shoulder and made sure his attention was entirely on her before she let a secretive smile tip up her lips and lowered her lashes to mask her wicked glee. Licking her lips, she whispered in his ear, "Don't worry, Natsu. A good view is always…appreciated."

She turned to leave the guild, leaving behind a sputtering Natsu and chuckling Mira. Pausing briefly outside the doors to stretch her already tensing hamstrings, Lucy started out at a jog back towards her apartment, ready to take a nice long shower and getting dressed in something besides running shorts and a sports bra.

As she made her way down the road, a small smirk tilted up her plump lips the slightest bit and her brown eyes twinkled mischievously.

Stage One has commenced, she thought, chuckling.

Okay, Lucy. Time to put our plan into action, said girl thought to herself before taking a deep breath and finally stepping from the safety of her bathroom into her living room where the object of her scheming sat waiting for her appearance.

When Natsu looked up she had to hide a small smile when he frowned at her. She stood in an oversized t-shirt that she had found in the back of her closet that she usually used to go to bed in that fell to just above her knees and a pair of flip flops. Underneath the t-shirt, she wore one of her favorite swimsuits, but he didn't know that.

They had decided that night, since Natsu had appeared unannounced as usual in her apartment, that a midnight dip in the guild pool was the perfect solution to the heat of the night that just didn't want to cool down even with the passage of the sun and the fact that her air conditioning was broken.

Natsu himself only wore a pair of swim trunks, even forgoing his ever-present scarf in the heat. His muscled chest gleamed in the dim lighting with a faint sheen of sweat and made her mouth water slightly. When he got to his feet, his stomach flexed and bunched underneath his tanned skin and Lucy had to look away before he caught her staring. Just because she wanted to mildly seduce him didn't mean she wanted to be seduced by him.

Shaking her thoughts out of her mind, she turned back to her partner with a small smile as she reached forward to grab her towel and raised an eyebrow at his frown.

"What?"

His frown became a little bit more pronounced. "That's what you're wearing?"

Pretending to be confused, she looked down at her outfit then back at him. "Yeah. So?"

Instead of answering his question, his eyes met hers and narrowed. "Who's shirt is that?"

Tilting her head to the side, she frowned. "What does that matter?"

Pouting, Natsu looked away from her intelligent eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. "Never mind. Let's go."

The walk to the guild was a silent one, though not an uncomfortable one. Natsu walked slightly ahead of Lucy, his arms still crossed and a pout still prevalent on his handsome face. Lucy stared at the back of her partner's head with a small frown. Just what was his problem anyway? Since when did he care what she wore or who it belonged to for that matter? In fact, he had been acting strangely for the last few days. Ever since Lucy had begun her little 'operation.' It wasn't an uncommon occurrence to see them together before this started, but now it seemed as though they were never apart. Whenever Lucy went home, either Natsu would walk her there and stay or he would pop up at random intervals during the night. The last three days he had stayed over at her apartment instead of at his house with Happy. She had also noticed that whenever Lucy started talking to a boy, he would pop up and stand silently behind her, a tense aura surrounding him.

If Lucy didn't know any better she would almost say he was getting…possessive over her. She shook her head with a laugh. No, that couldn't be it. She was probably thinking too much of it, like she had the last time Natsu had started acting strange around her. It would probably turn out to be him wanting something from her. Regardless, whatever the cause was, it would come out in the open soon enough so there was no reason to worry about it.

"We're here!" Natsu said suddenly and picked up his pace. Sighing, Lucy did as well and couldn't contain a grin at the sight of the pool, the heat of air already making her clothes feel sticky against her body. With a shout of triumph, her partner sprinted off, launching into the air and landing in the cool water with a resounding splash. Laughing, Lucy held up her hands to fend off stray drops of water and headed to one of the chairs lined along the pool edges.

Looking around, she noticed that everything was dark and silent, a strange change from how it was during the day when the guild members occupied the area. Even Mira had gone home by the point in the night, so Lucy and Natsu were truly and completely alone.

Grinning, Lucy waited until Natsu had surfaced and turned to face her with a big grin before reaching down to the hem of her cover and began to pull it over her head. Against her will, her face began to heat up in a flush when she felt the hot air touch her bare stomach and legs as a breeze sifted through the area. Her bathing suit was a bikini two piece that wasn't nearly as revealing as several of the ones she had seen the other women of the guild wear around the pool. Instead, it was a very simple and understated purple suit that complimented her curves, but wasn't too revealing.

Natsu's lips parted against his will to allow a shallow breath of air through when he saw her. As she tugged the material of the cover away from her body, her taut stomach flexed and stretched as she lifted her arms and the material of her top slipped the slightest bit to reveal a sliver of skin that was paler then the rest. Disturbed, he quickly turned away and dove underwater to try and calm his heart and refocus.

When her head emerged from the other side, she was disappointed to notice that Natsu had turned away from her, clearly unimpressed by her little show. Sighing, she set her cover down and kicked off her sandals, walking over to the edge of the pool.

He reemerged a few feet from the edge of the pool and saw her sitting on the concrete and dangling her feet in. Smirking, he swam toward her. "What? Are you not getting in?"

She smiled at him and flicked some water towards him with her dainty foot. "Not yet. I just was to enjoy the warm air a little more."

He stopped in front of her, only a few inches from her knees and it seemed as though he were unaware that if Lucy were to shift a little bit, he would be between her slim thighs. "Are you afraid to get your hair wet?" he asked mockingly. She huffed at him and narrowed her eyes.

"As if. I'm not afraid of anything."

He scoffed at her and stepped back a little bit. Grinning, he beckoned her toward him. "Then prove it, Little Miss Princess."

Slightly irritated, she decided to, in fact, prove him wrong. She stood to her feet and took a couple steps back to give herself some room. "Fine. I will then."

With that she gave a few running steps before launching herself into the air and straight towards him. He yelped and ducked away, barely missing her cannon ball, but not missing one of her arms and got dragged down with her.

Kicking to the surface, Lucy took in a gulp of air when her head broke the water. Water streamed from her drenched hair and down her face and obscured her vision momentarily. She wiped it away and looked around the pool for her pink haired friend. The light stone from inside the water and showed its depths clearly. Little bits of wood still float in the water from one of the fights at the pool side earlier that day, but still Lucy did not see her friend. Frowning, she turned in a circle, but saw no shadow of him.

She gasped around a shriek when she felt a hand snake its way up her left leg and barely had enough time to gather air into her lungs before she was dragged down.

Opening her eyes underneath the water, she scowled at a grinning Natsu that waved at her a few feet away. With her blond hair floating around her face and her cheeks puffed comically with air, Lucy looked every bit the disgruntled mage. Snickering internally, Natsu swam lazy circles around her, his body inches from her own and occasionally brushing against her, but dancing away before she could truly register the touch.

Lucy's lungs began to ache with the need for air and made her kick to the surface. Gasping, she saw Natsu pop up beside her, his grin still in place.

"What was that for Natsu?" she pouted, wiping her hair from her face and scowling at him. He laughed and shrugged.

"Just couldn't help myself, I guess."

Sighing, she said nothing and only dove under the water once more, kicking away leisurely and enjoying the cool water. Lucy had always enjoyed water. It made her feel weightless and as if nothing could truly harm her. Floating on her back, she sighed and stared up at the stars. Distantly, she heard the rustle of water and heard Natsu's breathing beside her. Turning her head, she grinned at him, finally relaxed and her 'mission' the farthest thing from her mind. Tonight, she wouldn't try to make her friend blush and get flustered. Instead, tonight she would simply enjoy his company and have fun.

But her relaxation was cut short when, as she was about to dive back under the water, she felt the muscles of her left calf constrict painfully and cried out in agony. In her pain, Lucy forgot to keep herself afloat and her head sank below the surface quickly, drowning her cry of alarm.

Her eyes snapped open when she felt a strong arm snake around her waist and pull her to the surface once more. Looking up at Natsu, she blinked the water from her eyes. He pressed her against his body so he could keep them both afloat and swam to the shallow end of the pool. When his feet touched the concrete bottom, he swept an arm under her knees and another around her waist, cradling her against his chest.

Lucy's heart pounded loudly and quickly in her ears and her breathing couldn't quite settle as he carried her out of the pool and set her down on a lounge chair.

Crouching in front of her, his brows furrowed in concern, Natsu asked her, a small hint of fear in his voice, "What's wrong? Did you step on something?"

Sucking air through her teeth as another contraction of pain radiated up her leg, she could only shake her head and fist her hands at her sides. "Cramp," she panted as the pain abated enough for her to talk. "Cramp in my left calf," she gritted out between her tightly clenched teeth.

Her eyes widened when he sat on his bottom in front of her and grasped the indicated leg, pulling her forward so that the heel of her foot rest in his lap. A blush crept up her cheeks and Lucy tried to jerk her legs out of his warm grasp and was rewarded by the muscle of her leg cramping further and making her rear back in pain.

He gave her a disapproving frown and held tight to her ankle. "Stay still, idiot, or you'll make it worse." Shaking his head, he ran his palm up her muscled leg and made goose bumps erupt along her body and an involuntary shiver rack her spine. As his fingers heated up and he began to gently kneed the cramped muscles, occasionally rolling her ankle to stretch the ligaments, only one thought broke through her dazed, lust induced fog, Man, I'm glad I shaved my legs this morning.

Against her will, as he worked on the muscle, her shoulders began to relax and she laid back in the lounge chair, a sigh escaping her lips and her eyes slipping closed. She could seriously get used to having those strong, talented hands on her all the time, she mused with a small smile.

And boy, were his hands so warm.

Only when he pat her on her knee and she jerked awake did she realize she had dozed off with his impromptu massage. Sitting up, she was gladder than ever for the dim lighting when another damn blush coated her cheeks. If she kept it up, she was afraid that her face would be permanently red around her partner.

And the last thing she wanted, was to have to explain to everyone exactly why she was reduced to a blushing, flustered puddle of female hormones whenever she came within a foot of her teammate.

Natsu got his feet and stretched his arms over his head with a loud yawn. And try as she might, she could not help but steal lingering glances at the ripple of his muscles as he did so. Cursing herself and her hormones, Lucy got to her feet as well. Limping slightly, as she was hesitant to put any weight on her left leg in case it cramped up again, she retrieved her cover from the concrete and slipped it over her head.

She turned to her friend, but couldn't quiet meet his amused eyes and busied herself with slipping on her sandals as she spoke quietly, "Thanks, Natsu."

He chuckled and laced his fingers together behind his head, tilting his head in a fashion that made her want to hug him to her chest desperately. "No problem, Lucy. You need to eat more bananas, Little Miss Princess."

Crossing her arms over her sizable chest with a small pout, she turned away from his amusement and began the way back to her apartment, him falling in step behind her. "Duly noted, Dad."

Stepping forward, he draped an arm over her stiff shoulders and pulled her against his side. She felt the warm vibration of his laugh and it sent a shiver dancing delightfully down her spine. "Don't be like that, Luce. I'm just saying that because I care for you. That and I don't want to have to give you CPR if you drown in the pool."

She laughed weakly and looked away from him. "Yeah, that would suck." But inside her mind, she wondered, what would it be like to be kissed by Natsu? Would it be hot or gentle? Would he be clumsy and inexperienced or passionate and eager?

Another cursed blush painted her cheeks and Lucy had to pull away from his heat in an attempt to cool herself down from her heated thoughts.

Stop it, Lucy. Remember, this is just a silly, harmless game. Just because you're attracted to him doesn't mean you have to have dirty thought about him. He's your teammate!

Turning to steal a glance at his relaxed and grinning face as it was tilted toward the clear sky, she couldn't help but wonder, but what would it be like?

When they arrived at her apartment, she turned to look at him when he didn't step towards the door to follow her inside.

"Are you not coming in?" she asked, tilting her head and making a few wet strands of her hair brush across her slightly flushed cheeks. Natsu had to hide his hands behind his back to keep himself from brushing them aside. Instead, he simply grinned at her and rocked back on his heels.

"No, I think Happy is probably getting pretty irritated with me. I was supposed to be home awhile ago."

Smiling, she crossed her arms underneath her chest and leaned back against her door. Even though it was an innocent enough action, it made him notice just how much tanned skin her cover left open to the warm air and how the wet material of her swimsuit had already soaked the cotton around her breasts displaying how the cool water had made her nipples stand out. Swallowing, he had to look away before he did something stupid like blush.

"I told him he could come with us, but he said no," she said, breaking into his thoughts.

"Well, you know how cats are with water," he chuckled a little weakly. Taking a step back, he lifted a hand in farewell and prepared to leave. "I'll see you tomorrow, Lucy."

"Hang on, Natsu." Pausing, he watched with a small wave of curiosity as a blush made her flushed cheeks even redder and she stepped toward him. His breath caught in his throat as she placed her small hands on his bare shoulders, sending sparks flying down his nerves, and brought herself onto to her toes, leaning towards him. His eyes slid closed as he felt her breath fanning across his face and had to contain a small surge of disappointment when her lips simply brushed innocently on his tan cheek briefly.

"Goodnight," she whispered against his skin before her warmth left completely.

Opening his eyes, he saw her give him a small, shy smile before disappearing behind the door to her apartment with a soft click.

"Goodnight," he murmured to the night air and unbeknownst to him, a silly grin pulled at his lips and a warm blush coated his own cheeks as he turned to head back to his house, the feel of her lips still warm on his skin.

"Hey, Happy?" Natsu spoke up one night, making his friend float over to him and land soundlessly onto of his pink locks. They had been sitting in a comfortable silence throughout the evening, Natsu's thoughts still on the strange way his stomach had fluttered when Lucy had kissed his cheek.

It was really weird. After all, it wasn't the first time that she had done that. And that certainly wasn't the first time they had hugged. They had hugged hundreds of times before that, but never before had he been so…aware of her.

I've never felt this way before, he mused, his brow furrowing as he stared sightlessly out the window of his house and into the dense forest surrounding it. It's not like I didn't know she was a girl before. But now…I don't know. I just seems like she's so much more now…

"Natsu?"

He lifted his head when he heard his friend call to him and realized that he had been silent for quite awhile. Grinning sheepishly, he cupped his chin in the palm of his hand. "I was just wondering if you'd noticed how strange Lucy has been acting lately."

On top of his head, Natsu felt a small vibration as Happy hummed in thought. "How has she been acting strange?"

Natsu sighed and looked back out the window. "I don't know. She's been giving me strange looks sometimes. And whenever I really come near her or touch her, her face gets all red." Reaching up, he pulled Happy from on top of his head and placed him in his lap so he could look into his eyes. "Do you think she's getting sick?"

Happy couldn't help but roll his eyes as his foster father. Sighing, he sat down in Natsu's lap and decided that this was something that he couldn't just blurt out. After all, he had been telling Natsu that Lucy like him for years, but he still didn't get it.

"Has she smelled sick at all?" Happy asked at last and watched Natsu's face closely. Said boy blinked and narrowed his eyes as he thought about it. Finally, he shook his head and Happy couldn't help but notice that a small smile played on the corners of his mouth.

"No. If anything, she's been smelling…I don't know, nervous almost. And sometimes when I'm around her, I smell something else on her when she gets all red, but I've never smelt it before, so I don't know what it could be."

All I know is it smells delicious, Natsu thought, but shook it away. Now wasn't the time to be thinking about that.

Nodding his head, Happy had to hide a small smirk.

This is going to be harder than I thought, he thought with a smile.

"Okay, so she's not sick, but she's been blushing around you and smells nervous when you're near her. What could that mean?"

Natsu raised a hand to rub the back of his neck as he thought about it. What would make Lucy nervous? The last time he had smelt her being so nervous and blushing was when she had been dating that one guy…what was his name? It didn't matter, but whenever she had been near him, she had gotten red and smelled nervous.

At his conclusion, confusion began to cloud his face.

"The last time Lucy had acted this way was when she was dating that one guy…but even then she didn't have that other scent on her."

The one that makes me want to pick her up and carry her away so I can ravish her.

He looked down at his exasperated friend.

Happy rubbed a paw down his face and sighed. "Natsu, sometimes I wonder how you get dressed in the morning," he muttered softly so that his foster father couldn't hear him.

Suddenly, it clicked and Natsu couldn't help the small blush that crawled up his neck. Was it that Lucy…liked him? She only ever acted that way whenever she was around a guy that she liked a lot, like she had with that guy she'd gone on those dates with.

But if that was true, then why did he get the feeling that it was…more than just her liking him? Because sometimes, she would get a weird look in her eye and start doing and saying things that made him blush and he couldn't help but think were…extremely hot.

When that thought ran through his head, his eyes widened in dawning realization. Happy watched from his foster father's lap as an expression he had never seen before graced his features. A look as though Natsu had caught the scent of prey.

A devilish smirk pulled at his lips and Natsu chuckled to himself.

Despite what everyone believed, Natsu wasn't completely innocent. He'd had his share of girls over the years. Granted, it wasn't nearly as many as Gray or Loke, but that didn't make him completely inexperienced. And even beyond his past relationships, he had certainly been hit on by enough girls to be able to pick up the signs of it, albeit a tad slower than he should.

So, Lucy was trying to seduce him, was she?

His smirk grew a bit feral and his fangs glinted in the waning moonlight, making Happy feel a bit sorry for Lucy. That look had never meant anything good in all the years Happy had known Natsu.

Well, two can play at that game, Little Miss Princess.

"Hey, Lucy. Can you help me out a bit here?" Gray called from her bedroom as Lucy put the finishing touches to her make up in the bathroom. Sighing, she rolled her eyes and capped her lipstick.

Tonight was the beginning of a new tradition. Master had decided that with all the intense missions that had been doled out the last few months that one night of relaxation was needed, so he had proposed a sort of Fairy Tail Ball. Making it a formal affair gave Lucy an excuse to wear the brand new dress she had bought a few weeks ago with a certain pink haired Dragon Slayer in mind.

It was a simple black strapless gown that hugged her curves like a second skin with a slit that allowed sneaks of the tanned skin of her legs as she moved. Her hair was curled and piled on top of her head to display her long slender throat and shoulders, leaving her bangs to tease her eyes. Over all, she couldn't help but feel hot when she wore it.

Not to mention the new set of lingerie that she had bought to go under it.

Blushing slightly, but feel a surge of confidence, Lucy stepped back to scan over her appearance one last time before stepping from her bathroom to help her hopeless teammate.

Gray had showed up an hour before with a pile of clothes and a look of panic. It turned out that this ball would be his and Juvia's first date and the Ice Mage had panicked on what he should do. Knowing how much Lucy adored to play matchmaker, he had run to her for help.

Stepping into her room, she couldn't help but gasp slightly when she caught sight of him. He stood in front of her full length mirror, scowling at his reflection as he fiddled with his tie. The light gray button up and black dress pants that Lucy had picked out suited his coloring perfectly, bringing out his dark irises and his midnight hair.

When he heard her shift, Gray turned to her with a small frown. Looking at his expression, she gave him a gentle smile and stepped forward to help him. Tying the piece of formal wear with quick and deft hands, she smoothed her palms down his front to get rid of a few wrinkles and adjust his collar before she stepped back. Looking him over, she couldn't help but feel her eyes tear up.

Seeing her eyes begin to water, Gray panicked, looking around the room as if looking for an escape. He took a slight step toward her. "L-Lucy. Don't cry. Come on," he said, taking another step toward her and laying his hands on her shoulders.

She laughed weakly and waved his concern away. Blinking rapidly, she tried to stop the sentimental tears that wanted to fall. "It's nothing really. You…You just look so damn cute and I'm so excited for you and Juvia…" she trailed off and laughed again, wiping a hand underneath her eyes to make sure her mascara hadn't smeared. "Don't worry about me. If we don't leave now, you'll be late for your date, mister."

Gray heaved a relieved sigh when he saw her tears dry up and she flashed him a genuine smile. For a second there, he had been afraid she would start bawling and there was nothing that made him panic more than the tears of a female teammate.

Grinning, Gray offered her his arm gallantly and Lucy took it with a mock curtsy. "Why thank you Mr. Fullabuster."

"You are welcome, Miss Heartfillia."

Laughing, they left Lucy's apartment and headed the three blocks to the guild.

When they were within sight of the guild, Lucy couldn't help but scan the faces for the pink head of her favorite Dragon Slayer. She had to squash a surge of disappointment when she didn't see him. At the doors, she turned to her teammate.

He was staring into the mass of guild members, a nervous light in his eyes. "Gray," she called softly. When his eyes met hers, she gave him a bright smile. "I'm sure you'll do fine. Now go, before you make that poor girl think that you changed your mind."

He grinned and leaned down to kiss her cheek before disappearing into the crowd to look for his date. Looking after him, Lucy couldn't help but heave a sigh. They didn't know how lucky they were to know where they stood in their relationship. Granted, Juvia had known long before Gray had, but at least they were together now.

Which was more than Lucy could say for her and Natsu. While Lucy had finally come to terms with the fact that she was attracted to her friend and did like him as more than a friend, she couldn't help but feel as though nothing had changed between them. Even though she had tried to seduce him, had done just about everything she had known to get him to look her way, he had yet to even show a sign that he'd noticed anything at all.

"What are you sighing about, Little Miss Princess?" a gruff voice asked next to her ear. Gasping, Lucy spun on her heel and saw Natsu standing behind her, his hands in his pockets and a smirk playing on his lips. He wore a simplistic black button up and slacks, but the top two buttons had been undone to give a peak at the warm skin underneath. His pink locks were as chaotic as ever and his dark eyes sparkled down at her. There was no denying it; he took her breath away.

"Natsu," she breathed and felt a blush warm her cheeks, but she forced herself to maintain eye contact with him. "When did you get here?"

"A few minutes ago. I saw you with Gray." Something in his tone changed and Lucy frowned. "Are you two here…together?"

A laugh bubbled out of her throat against her will. "No! Are you kidding? Of course not! He just needed help getting ready because tonight is his first date with Juvia."

Natsu frowned and looked away from her smiling face. "Well, couldn't Erza have helped him or something? I mean, why did you have to do it?"

She tilted her head a little bit and couldn't stop the little bubble of hope and glee that surfaced at his tone. "Why, Natsu. Are you jealous?"

Instead of scoffing and objecting like she expected him to, he turned to look down at her, his eyes shadowed and with an expression she had never seen on his face before. Her smile fell and she could feel her heart rate begin to speed up and her blood begin to heat in her cheeks. Reaching up with one hand, he skimmed one finger tip from the skin just below her earlobe to trail lightly down her throat. Her breath caught in her chest and goose bumps broke out along her arms.

When he spoke, she felt a shiver dance down her spine at his husky voice, "Maybe I am. What would say to that, Princess?" he asked, stepping a little bit closer to her.

Her eye lid grew half mast as she tried to control her breathing. "I-I would say it was a w-waste of time," she breathed.

She started slightly when she felt his chest brush against hers as he stepped close enough for her to feel his body heat. A spiral of warmth began to gather in her stomach as he bent his head down and brushed his lips across her cheek, much as Gray had done. This, however, was not a friendly brush of lips. This was a seduction tactic and Lucy felt her hands begin to tremble and her lips part slightly. "I would have to disagree, Lucy," he breathed against her neck as he dipped his head to breathe in her scent and nuzzle the junction of her neck and shoulder teasingly. "Being jealous over such a beautiful woman is never…" he blew a hot jet of air along her collar bone and Lucy had to bite her lip to hold in a moan. "a waste of time."

What in the hells is he doing to me? A part of Lucy's brain screamed in reaction to his attention, while the majority of her simply sat back and enjoyed the feeling of his heat so close to her and his soft lips grazing the sensitive skin of her neck.

Wherever this is coming from, she thought distantly as she felt him smirk against her throat. Please, don't let him stop.

Growling in satisfaction, Natsu couldn't help himself from feeling a surge of arousal so powerful it almost made him succumb to her at how utterly she gave herself to him; like warm putty in his hands.

She's all mine now.

"After all," he continued as his hand cupped the back of her neck to tilt her head back so he could gaze directly into her dazed, passion muddled eyes. "A good view is always…appreciated."

At his words, Lucy gasped and she stiffened his arms. "N-Natsu?" she asked hesitantly.

Crap, he's onto me! What do I do?

She raised a hand to press against his firm chest, perhaps to push him away or give her something to hold onto as he skimmed his lips across her cheekbone to her ear. "Maybe now you'll think twice before you try to take on a dragon," he whispered against her skin.

She was about to rear back and escape from his maddeningly hot embrace, but stopped when she felt his lips press a scorching, open mouthed kiss on the patch of skin just below her earlobe. She shuddered when she felt his lips part and allow his wet tongue to trace her skin and couldn't smother her moan when he puckered those lips and pulled on her skin, undoubtedly leaving a mark. Feeling his teeth graze the mark a moment before his tongue laved the sore area, she sighed. But a moment later, his lips and his warmth were gone, leaving her dazed and blinking to clear her fogged mind.

Looking around, she saw that he had thoroughly disappeared and felt her knees finally give, making her lean against the side of the guild so she could catch her breath.

Holy crap, she thought, feeling a mixture of excitement and dread swirling in her stomach. I am so screwed.

Never before had Lucy been more grateful than she was at the moment to be home. Sighing, she closed the door to her apartment and set her clutch down on her desk. The ball had not gone well at all. The entire night, Lucy had been tense, constantly searching the heads for a specific head of pink hair.

It wasn't that she was actively avoiding him. She was trying to avoid him. It seemed as though as soon as she would relax and begin to enjoy herself, she would feel his heat on her back, his warm breath on her neck, sending shivers of delight down her spine and making her tense before he was gone. She had spent the entire night in a state of suspended hyper awareness and semi-arousal.

To say it was frustrating was a colossal understatement. It was more along the lines of agonizing.

But now she was in the relative safety of her apartment and she finally felt her shoulders relax. Groaning when she kicked off her heels, she reached behind her to reach the zipped to her dress, but it wouldn't seem to budge. Frowning, she tugged a little bit harder, but was afraid of tearing it and it remained stubbornly stuck.

"What the-" she cursed under her breath and tried to wiggle the zipper, but to no avail. She was just about to attempt to shimmy out of the dress when she felt a rough pair of hands cup hers around the zipper and familiar warmth at her back. She froze and felt her blood begin to heat.

"N-Natsu," she murmured. Behind her, he clicked his tongue in an almost reprimand.

"Lucy, Lucy. You seem to be having a little bit of trouble, Princess." His husky voice sent a wave of awareness so acute she could make out the ripples of his muscles through their clothing as he stepped closer to her. She felt her breath hitch when he skimmed his lips along the line of her shoulders and cursed herself for trembling visibly.

This man had been torturing her all night. By all rights she should be furious with him, or at the very least irritated. But she felt none of those things. If anything, his attentions had made her happy, frustrated and aroused to the point of pain, but happy none the less. This was a side of Natsu that she hoped she would be able to see far more often.

Natsu grinned in triumph when Lucy simply let her hands fall limply to her sides and absently tilted her head to the side to give him better access to her neck and shoulder. Throughout the entire night, he'd had to restrain himself from taking her so many times he'd lost count. Every time she sighed in contentment or suppressed a moan of approval, he felt his arousal spike to new levels. But he held himself back. After all, there wasn't anything a predator loved more than to play with their prey before going in for the kill. It was more fun that way.

Placing a series of open mouthed kisses along her shoulder, up the side of her neck, Natsu felt the zipper in his hands catch for a moment before giving and allowing the material of her dress to part down her back. Reaching forward with one hand, he skimmed a finger down the exposed skin and elicited a quiet gasp from the silent woman in his arms. He pressed his lips against the area where her jaw met her neck and parted his lips to allow his tongue a brief taste of her skin.

"N-Natsu," she whimpered, feeling her knees begin to tremble from the sensory onslaught.

He hummed in response and continued his perusal of her neck, his teeth coming out the nip at her skin at random intervals and making her tilt her head back to rest against his shoulder as her body broke out in goose bumps. "Why?" she had to clear her throat to rid it of its huskiness. "Why are you doing this?"

The Dragon Slayer paused and settled his chin on her shoulder as he thought about it. Lucy took the time to get her breath back and attempt to clear her mind of the passionate daze he had put her in. Turning her head, she could just make out his thoughtful face from the corner of her eye as he thought over her question. She caught the gleam of his teeth in the dim lighting a moment before his hold shifted to her slim waist so he could twirl her to face him.

Gasping, Lucy lost her balance and fell heavily against his chest. Easily taking her weight, he reached forward to tip her chin up so he could look into her wide brown eyes. His smile was large and slightly feral as he grinned down at her.

"Because, Lucy Heartfillia, I want you." He leaned forward to place a kiss on the corner of her mouth and made her lips part in anticipation. "I want all of you. And by the end of the night," he whispered, placing a series of kisses along her cheeks and eyelids, making said eyes flutter closed. "I plan on know every." He kissed one eyelid. "Single." He kissed the other. "Part." He kissed one corner of her mouth. "Of you." And he kissed the other corner of her mouth, making her lips tremble and ache for his own.

Lucy felt her face flush with his words and brought her hands up to his shoulder to pull away enough to look into his eyes. He allowed her to pull back with no objection and watched as she searched his eyes for something, her face solemn and serious. He grinned down at her, his hands coming up to absently rub the soft skin that was bare from the opened zipper.

Having apparently found what she was looking for, Lucy smiled up at him a tad bit shyly. She skimmed her hands up to cradle the base of his neck, her thumbs smoothing circles in his warm skin. Her touch made his skin tingle delightfully, his eyelids dropped to half mast and a growl rumbled in his chest in satisfaction.

"Just so you know, this means more to me then just some one night fling," she murmured quietly, her gaze never leaving his. At her words, his grin softened slightly and he pressed her forward so she rested against his chest.

"Of course I know that. Just like you know this isn't just a one night stand for me either. It's far more than that and we both know it."

Nodding against his chest, Lucy felt a wave of happiness swamp her chest and closed her eyes on a sigh of contentment.

Natsu slowly began to walk them both backward, toward the bed, as he murmured his next words against her neck. "Well, since we're both on the same page. How about I get that cumbersome dress off?"

Lucy lifted her head and couldn't quiet contain her flush of embarrassment and excitement that took over her face at his words and the promise she could hear in his tones. He grinned down at her, his eyes heavy lidded with desire and affection. Circling her arms around his neck, she pulled him down so that her lips hovered centimeters from his own.

"Then what are you waiting for, Mr. Dragon Slayer?"

With a small growl, he finally pressed his lips against her own, as he had avoided doing all night, knowing he wouldn't be able to hold back if he did. At the taste of her, he groaned and wrapped his arms around her trim waist to press her flush against him.

Lucy ran her hands up his neck to bury them into his soft pink hair and gripped there. She'd been kissed before, a few shy pecks from a few guys when she was younger, but never before had she been kissed like this. Natsu devoured her fully, leaving nothing in his wake except passionate eagerness. When his lips parted to run his hot tongue along the seam of her lips, she parted them on a gasp of surprise. He didn't waste a moment and eagerly began to explore the recesses of her mouth.

God, she tasted more heavenly then he'd ever dreamed. He knew as long as he lived, he would never tire of the taste of her, the feel of her. Her muffled mewls of discovery and excitement where nearly driving him over the edge. Keeping one arm wrapped around her waist, his other hand skimmed down her hips to find the opening of the slit in her dress and plunged in to feel her smooth skin. His hand ran up her soft thigh to cup her bottom and press her hips flush against his.

Tearing his mouth from hers to greedily gulp in a lungful of air, he quickly attached his mouth to her throat, nibbling and sucking along the way. All the while his free hand trailed down to join its twin in pressed her against him, eliciting a shaking moan from her throat.

"Do you feel what you do to me?" he rasped against her neck as he bucked against her. Lucy's mouth opened in a silent gasp and her eyes flashed open when she felt his very prevalent arousal pressing against her. Her hands were impatient and shaky as they came forward to tug at his collared shirt, desperate to feel his skin. With a grunt of frustration, she gripped the ends of the material and pulled, sending buttons flying and freeing his skin for her. At the sound of his shirt tearing, he chuckled against her neck.

"Eager are we?" he asked teasingly as he pulled back to look down at her flushed face. She grinned up at him, running the flat of her palms along his chest.

"You have no idea how long I've been picturing this, Natsu."

He smiled down at her, reaching up to cup the side of her face and making her movements slow to a stop. "If it's as long as I've been picturing, then it's been too damn long."

She grinned and nodded. Standing on her toes, she wrapped her arms around his neck to bring his lips back down to hers. This kiss wasn't nearly has heated as the other had been, instead slowing to a tender pace. Lucy felt her heart clench in her chest as he placed a series of light pecks on her lips before he pulled back completely. She whined slightly at the loss and let her eyes flutter open to look at him. He grinned in response and gave the material of her dress a significant tug.

Against her will and even though she knew she wanted this, a blush stole up her neck and she found her hands were reluctant to do as he wished. Biting her lip, she pulled the silky material of her dress up and over her head, leaving her in nothing but her lacy pink strapless bra and matching set of panties. Despite all her earlier confidence, she couldn't quite stop herself from wrapping her arms around herself to hide her skin from his view.

He frowned slightly down at her and gently pried her arms apart, putting them to rest on his shoulders so he could look down at her without any obstructions.

"Let me look at you," he said with a small smile. She nodded and leveled her gaze on the column of his throat so she couldn't see any expressions that passed over his features, absently twirling a piece of his hair around her index finger.

Natsu ran his hands up and down her sides, his eyes drinking in the sight of her. She was exquisite, from her bashful face, to the dip of her waist and flare of her hips, all the way to her pink toenails. Reaching up, he ran a finger between her sizeable breasts to pluck at her bra. Grinning, he caught her gaze with his.

"Is this new?"

She blushed again and nodded wordlessly. He chuckled and brushed a thumb over her covered nipple, making her gasp and arch into him. "I like it," he murmured. "But I'll like it even more off of you."

With that, he brought his hands to cup her bottom and lift her up against him. Squeaking in surprise, she tightened her grip around his neck and automatically wrapped her long legs around his waist as he walked them to the bed.

Natsu had to bite off a moan when she wrapped her legs around him, bringing her heat against him. Instead of tossing her onto the bed and ravishing her like he wished, he braced one knee on the mattress and softly placed her on its surface. Reluctantly, he pulled away from her warm body and felt a surge of pleasure when she pouted as he stepped away from her.

Quickly, he shrugged off the remains of his collared shirt and reached down for his buckle, but stopped when dainty hands got there before him. He snapped his head up to look at Lucy who now kneeled on her knees on the bed, her face still flushed but her eyes earnest.

"Let me," she murmured. Wordlessly, he let his hands falls to his sides and nodded, biting his lip to keep himself in control. His stomach muscles contracted when her knuckles brushed against the sensitive skin of his navel and he fisted his hands, his eyes squeezing closed.

Though Lucy could feel her hands shaking and a raging blush on her cheeks, seeing him visibly fight for control at her touch gave her enough confidence to keep going. Unbuckling his belt, she carefully pulled it out of the loopholes, making his hips tug toward her slightly. Reaching for the button on his pants, she felt him stiffen and had to hide her small smirk of satisfaction. It was good to know that she pushed his limits just as much as he pushed hers.

Finally freeing the button and sliding the zipper down, she tugged on his pants and slowly let them slide down his hips, leaving him in nothing but his boxers. Lucy felt her flush intensify to new levels when she came face to face with the evidence of just how much she got to him. When he chuckled, she looked up at him to see his eyes were dark and smoldering down at her, his lips twitched up in a small grin that took her breath away.

Gently, he stepped closer to her, making her lean back slightly as he began to crawl over her on the bed, his face inches from hers and his smirk growing with each second. Laying her completely on her back, he kissed her hard on her mouth for a moment, enough to send her mind back into the fog of desire.

"Do you see what you do to me, Princess?" he rasped against her lips. She could only sigh in response as he let his body pressed against hers and gently press her into the mattress.

He pulled away from her bruised lips and began to trail heated kisses down her throat, down her chest to rest just between her breasts. When he paused, Lucy let her eyes flutter open to look at him and saw him frowning down at her bra, his eyes frustrated as he looked for a way to take it off.

She chuckled and felt suck a powerful surge of affection that it almost made her cry. He was just too much sometimes. Arching her back, she reached behind her and unclasped her bra and pulled it off of her, flinging it into some dark unknown corner of her room and leaving her bare to his eyes.

He grinned up at her for a moment before turning his attention back to her breasts. Humming in the back of his throat, he began to trail more kisses around each breast, making her whimper.

Her eyes snapped open and her lips parted on a silent cry when his hot mouth finally found its way onto a nipple and he gave a hard suck before soothing it with a few hot licks of his tongue. Her back arched and she fisted her hands into his pink mane. When he chuckled at her, she felt it all the way to her core and whimpered at the feeling.

"N-Natsu," she whimpered as he moved his attention from one breast to the other. Her eyes squeezed shut and she could little else but pant and arch into him. Her breathing became erratic when he began to trail his kissed down her stomach, down her naval and paused at the lacy lines of her panties. Her heart began to hammer loudly in her ears as anticipation made her fist her hands in the sheets by her head.

He loved watching her writhing beneath him and it made his mouth water as the intoxicating scent of her arousal doubled as he grew closer to its source.

Tugging her panties down her long legs to drop to the floor, he turned his attention back to her, licking his lips in anticipation.

Lucy hadn't expected to see stars behind her lids when he finally pressed his mouth against her. She arched and thrashed helplessly as wave after wave of pleasure shot through her and sent her reeling.

"Natsu…oh my-Natsu," she cried as she felt the heat begin to build in her stomach, and though she didn't know what would happen when it reached its peak, she sought for it desperately.

But just as the heat in her stomach coiled to the point of breaking, he pulled away from her with a satisfied smirk. She cried out in alarm when she felt his heat leave her and opened her eyes in time to watch him shuck his boxers before settling back on top of her. Looking down at her flushed face and bruised lips, Natsu couldn't stop himself from leaning forward to claim her lips with his own. He pulled back long enough to lock eyes with her while he positioned himself at her entrance and stopped. She bit her lip and nodded wordlessly, wrapping her legs around his waist and pulling him into her.

She squeezed her eyes shut when she felt the stab of pain in her lower stomach and felt Natsu freeze above her as he placed kisses along her cheeks, whispering apologies and words of encouragement.

Natsu couldn't quiet stop himself from feeling a sense of triumph that he was her fist, would be her only. But seeing the pain in her features, he couldn't help but feel guilty at just how good she felt. It took all his willpower not to press further.

When finally the pain subsided, Lucy gave an experimental roll of her hips and sighed at the feel of pleasure that it induced. Above her, Natsu panted heavily and braced his sweating forehead on her shoulder while he tried to control himself.

Intently, she rolled her hips into his once more and moaned. At her movements, he looked down at her and when he saw her encouragement, couldn't quiet stop himself from burying himself into her as far as he could, making both of them groan in pleasure.

Hesitantly, they began to move together, but gradually grew confidence and speed. Wrapping herself around him completely, she felt the heat, the pressure build up in her stomach and desperately sought its end. Lifting her hips to meet his, she bit into the skin of his shoulder to muffle her cries.

Feeling himself near his end, Natsu dipped his head to swallow her scream and groaned into his mouth as he quickly followed her over the edge.

Later, cradled against Natsu's bare chest and underneath the covers, Lucy absently traced patterns into his skin and smiled. Tilting her head up, she saw his content smile and closed eyes.

"Hey, Natsu," she asked softly.

"Hm?" he asked lazily, his hand stroking her from the back of her neck to the top of her thighs and back again.

"Where did this all come from? I mean, I never knew you had it in you, not that I'm complaining."

Cracking one eye open to look down at her, his grin became large enough to take over his whole face. "Believe it or not, Lucy, I am a man and I do have hormones. Granted, I don't listen to them very often, but I'm glad I did tonight."

She hummed in agreement. "But why now? I mean, you've never shown any attraction to me before?"

His grin turned into a mischievous smirk as he rolled them so he lay on top of her. "Well, Lucy. I may ignore my hormones, but that doesn't mean I'm completely oblivious. You're little plan to seduce me only worked because I had planned to seduce you months ago."

She gaped up at him. "So you knew the entire time what I was doing?"

He chuckled a tad bit sheepishly. "Well, not at first to be honest. But once I did figure it out, I just figured I would show you that your feelings were returned, you know?"

She laughed at him and pulled him down for a heated kiss. "Oh how thoughtful of you."

He grinned against her lips. "I'm nothing if not thoughtful."

(AN: Well that is officially my longest one shot and my first lemon to boot. I thought about breaking it up, but then decided against it because I'd intended for it to be a one shot all along. Well I hope you enjoyed it! Thanks for reading!

Update 1/06/13: I now have the honor of having this fic translated by the wonderful brubbs into Portugese! Holy crap! If you are familiar with the language, go check it out with the link I've posted on my profile and give her your support! All my love!)

Jane