Disclaimer: Everything concerning Fairy Tail is owned by Hiro Mashima. Nothing belongs to me, except the plot of this story.

Author's Notes: As I had promised, here's my latest chapter. I was surprised by how well-received the previous chapter was—it makes me so happy. I think chapter 7 was the hardest to write, all because I needed Natsu and Lucy to be kissing the entire time during the contest (I mean, really, how can I narrate that from Lucy's perspective?!), and I had a problem with how I was going to show the other couples as well. And then I thought—Max. Problem solved.

As always, thank you so much for your supportive feedback. I take into consideration every message you leave me. I guess nobody really saw that cliffhanger coming, huh? Why did Natsu leave? Isn't he just in the kitchen or something? (Vaneles, that one made me laugh.) Well, you'll find out.

Senbei x Cup Ramen, writing the contest part was a huge challenge! I think that was what caused my mental block to begin with—there was a time when I couldn't figure out how to make the contest part work at all. The kiss scenes, however, they're the most exciting parts to put on paper. But I always need to set the writing mood and I'm not always in that zone, haha. Thus, the music. As for helping you, I'd be glad to!

Lessons

Chapter 8 - In which the end is the beginning

That night, Natsu came to Lucy in her dreams.

This occurrence wasn't so unusual in itself; since she'd started training with Natsu, he'd become a regular fixture in her dreams. It unnerved her in the beginning. Natsu was her friend, true, but she felt he had no business butting into her private musings, dream or otherwise. Yet somehow his imagined form always displayed the effervescence he had in real life that it became difficult for her not to let it pass. Not that she had a choice in the matter of what she could dream about anyway—but having him there always managed to make her feel energized in the mornings.

Tonight, though, something was different. Perhaps it was because she had gone to bed feeling dejected and confused that her subconscious mind tried to comfort her by summoning a version of him that she needed. He came to her subdued, worried, his eyes hard to fathom in the darkness. It was like he materialized from a hidden crack in her mind, interrupting another muddled dream as quickly and as unexpectedly as he had appeared, swooping in to hold her. His lips met hers in a very light kiss, his tenderness almost tearing her apart. He was so tremendously warm. In dreams or in real life, that aspect of him never changed, and she was convinced it was largely what soothed her from her qualms every time.

She didn't know when the dreams ended, or what roused her to the surface of wakefulness, but when she opened her eyes, it was still night. As her eyes adjusted in the dark, for a moment the room swayed, and she didn't move, waiting for the rolling sensation to pass. Unwittingly, her gaze found the open window—the thing that had caused her so much indirect grief tonight. The gauzy curtains flitted in the wind. The soft breeze held the bite of early autumn, but, odd, she didn't feel cold at all. In fact, she was very, very warm. Thinking that she was still in the vestiges of her dream, she moved, and then she found the source of all that surface heat.

Natsu.

He was pressed against her back, holding her tightly to his chest, his body curved around hers. She felt his soft breath on the back of her neck, and her whole body reacted quickly, goosebumps breaking out all over her skin. And once she acclimated to his presence in her bed, she began to register his nearness: they were touching everywhere—her back and his chest, her bottom and his pelvis, her thighs and his. Even the soles of her feet rested on the tops of his. One arm rested underneath her head, the other was wrapped around her waist, his hand on her stomach. As gently as Lucy could, she put her hand over his to hold him there. And as though in response, he stirred, gathering her even closer to him. Her toes curled against his feet. She felt him take in a deep waking breath.

"Lucy?" His voice was low but rough, sleep-tinged. "You awake?"

She nodded. She thought of a dozen things to say but all she could muster was, "You're here?"

"Where else would I be?"

He'd said it so simply, so matter-of-factly, as though there was no other place in the world where he belonged, as though it was his truth. It made her smile. "But earlier," she murmured lightly, "you left. You weren't here when I came out of the bath."

"Ah." He snickered, the gust of his breath fanning her shoulder. "I went to the public bath house. I kinda stank of beer. Didn't want you to smell me like that."

"Oh." She grinned in the dark. Funny how their thoughts had been in sync the whole time.

"Don't you want me here?" He asked when her silence stretched on.

She tightened her hold on his hand, hugging his arm snugly. "I want you here."

"Good." He buried his face in the crook of her neck, and the feel of his mouth below her ear sent shivers all over her body. "You're trembling," he observed. "You cold?"

"N-No..." Lucy shut her eyes tight, thankful for the dark. Her face was turning a hundred shades of red, it felt like. But how could he be so calm in this situation, though? She was so aware of each and every place where his body touched hers. His breath on her skin alone sent her reeling.

Natsu said nothing but kept holding her. A few short seconds later, Lucy felt him grow several degrees warmer. Instantly, she knew what he was doing, but it still filled her with a sense of wonder—she didn't even know he could manipulate his body temperature like that. What a very convenient magic he had.

At the thought of his magic, she perked up. "Natsu?"

"Hmm?"

"I'm sorry that we lost the contest," she said, a little sad.

He smirked against her skin. "Nah, it's okay."

"But you wanted to win that prize so much."

Natsu chuckled. "Can't be helped, yeah? When Elfman is apparently a kissing genius."

He'd said it so offhandedly that it made her giggle. "I think it was Ever who had that whole situation under control," she countered, remembering the woman's knowing expression when they had won.

"That's what I thought too," he agreed. "Turning Elfman into stone, though—that was a good move. It saved him from all that crazy struggle."

She turned her head slightly toward him. "Are you saying you struggled?" She asked doubtfully.

"Are you being serious right now?" He scoffed. "I was trying not to manhandle you the entire time we were up there. That was a lot of work, y'know."

The thought of him struggling to restrain himself while he kissed her made her grow even warmer than she already was. "And still we lost," she said morosely. "But... Maybe if we asked Master about those hot springs, he could tell us—"

"You thought I wanted to win because of the hot springs?"

"Didn't you?"

"No, you weirdo," he said, disbelief coloring his tone. "I don't care about some lousy hot springs."

"But—"

"You wanted to go to that island, didn't you?" He asked. "I saw how much you wanted it—it was all over your face."

Lucy blinked. "You wanted to win it because of me?"

"Of course!"

She bit her lip. Pleasure, unlike any other, washed over her.

"Maybe we could just make a trip of it," Natsu went on. "Ask the old man where that place is."

"It's a private island resort, Natsu. It would be a very expensive trip."

"Then let's take on a mountain-load of missions," he answered. "Like it's hard."

"I think we'd have to take on S-class missions to be able to afford that place," Lucy pointed out.

"What!" He huffed out a disgruntled noise. "Jeez. Well, why did you wanna go there so badly anyway?"

Her mouth went dry. She wondered how this would turn out if she just told him the truth. Would he run? Would he brush her off like she'd been fearing? She swallowed past the lump that formed in her throat. And all of a sudden, she realized she couldn't say it. Because if she did and he left, it would really, really break her.

"Lucy?"

"I—" She paused, fighting against the lie that almost slipped out of her mouth. What the heck was she doing? Natsu deserved the truth. If their situations were reversed, she'd want to hear what he had to say all the same. She sighed. "I wanted to win it because it would have meant we'd go there together." Alone, she almost added.

"Oh."

That single word hung in the air between them. She held her breath, waiting for him to say something more, but when the minutes passed and he remained quiet, she felt the sudden awkwardness seep into the moment like water in a sinking boat. He was going to reject her. She could feel it coming.

"Can I ask you something, Lucy?"

It wasn't what she expected. His tone was light, hopeful even. "Sure," she mumbled.

"Can we keep training?"

She frowned. "What?"

He let out a deep breath. He shifted, withdrawing his arms from her as he moved to sit up. Rolling onto her back, she looked up at him. In the dark, she couldn't see his face clearly, but she could make out the distinct shadow of the furrow on his brow.

"I wanna keep training with you," he said, bracing his arm on her other side to lean over her.

"Okay..." She didn't know what to say to that abrupt declaration. "But Natsu, the next contest would probably be—"

"I wanna keep training with you," he interrupted, "and I want you to keep training with me. Just me." He visibly swallowed. "For the rest of our lives."

She stopped breathing. She stared up at him, her heart throbbing painfully. "What are you saying?" She whispered.

"I'm saying I love you, Lucy."

She couldn't believe it. Did he just—? But surely, she heard that wrong. Surely, he had meant something else. "O-Of course you do, Natsu," she replied with a tremulous smile. She pushed herself up off her back, feeling all too vulnerable looking up at him from her position on the bed. "We're nakama—"

"You're not just a nakama, though," he said. "Not to me."

She gaped at him. His gaze was steady and intense. She tried to say something, anything, but words failed her.

"Do you remember that day when we confronted Rogue?" He asked then. "During the Games?"

She nodded. How could she forget? It was the day the world almost ended.

"I was so careless," he said, his voice gruff, "trusting him like that. But when he...when he killed you—" He paused, seeming to catch himself, gritting his teeth. "—that was the worst. And I did nothing. I just stood there and watched like an idiot."

Her chest tightened. It wasn't a memory she savored—she'd more than willingly forget it if she could. Watching herself die like that had been nothing short of a trauma to her. But never once since it happened did she consider how others had felt about it, how Natsu had taken it. She looked at Natsu now with a newfound sense of anguish. "But you couldn't have known, Natsu. None of us knew what Rogue was up to."

"Until it was too late." He shook his head as if to clear his mind of the memory. "Lucy... I don't want to lose you like that again. Ever. Do you understand?" He reached out and held her face in his hands. "You're the most precious thing in the world to me."

Lucy held his gaze, and even in the shadows she saw the truth glistening in his eyes. His words, so pleasantly unanticipated, shone like a light in the darkness, encasing her in its warmth, making her breathe more freely. Her throat tightened, and hot tears stung her eyes.

"I-Is it the same for you?" He asked when she didn't speak. "I mean... Do you love me?"

She let out a startled laugh. "Natsu, you idiot!" And with that, she leaned forward and kissed him full on the mouth. He made a strangled, surprised noise at her attack, but as always he was quick to respond, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her in.

"That's a yes...right?" He asked when they pulled apart. Tilting his forehead against hers, he looked at her almost despairingly.

Lucy smiled. "What do you think?"

"Hell, I don't know." He grimaced. "Half the time, I say or do the wrong thing with you. For once, I want to get this right." He cocked his eyebrows upward. "So be straight with me—is that a yes?"

Of course, he'd be thick enough not to know a 'yes' if it bit him in the armpit. But he deserved nothing less than full disclosure. Lucy smiled. "Yes, Natsu," she said. "That's a yes. I do love you."

His breath hitched. He stared at her, looking a bit dazed. "Wow," he murmured. "C-Can you say that again?"

Her eyes narrowed. "Are you playing dumb?"

"No!" He tightened his arms around her. "I just wanna hear you say it again."

"I'm not going to say it again if you don't say it to me first—"

"I love you, Lucy!" There was no doubt as to how loud he'd yelled the words to her that even her neighbors had probably heard him.

She giggled. "And I love you, you fire-breathing dumbo—" She squealed when he tackled her down on the bed and mashed his lips on hers. And she wasn't giggling for long. Things became intense and frenzied between them in the space of a few heartbeats, and Lucy found herself responding to his passion without any of the usual misgivings holding her back. Somehow, it made kissing him now better than during all of their past training sessions combined.

Still, it wouldn't be a classic make-out moment for them without Natsu being Natsu, and in the midst of things when he was feeling her up over her nightgown and she was on the brink of losing her mind, he raised his head from her neck and swore the loudest oath she'd ever heard him utter.

"Why the hell do you wear these damn things to bed?" He asked, seeming a little annoyed, his hand running over her stomach and feeling the silk of her nightgown between his fingers.

"Huh?" Lucy opened her eyes and tried to focus on what he was asking. "What?"

"You always wear these flimsy, see-through things to sleep," Natsu went on. "What for? I mean, I get that they feel nice and all, but they can hardly keep you warm, can they?"

She struggled to bite back the laughter that threatened to bubble out of her. "Because," she started, swiftly flustered, "they look good on me."

Natsu's forehead crinkled, his hooded gaze roving down her front. "Huh."

The way he was looking at her made her stomach flutter wildly. She pursed her lips, suddenly uncertain. "Y-You don't think it looks good on me?"

"Are you kidding?" He met her eyes. "It makes me wanna nibble on your hips and your thighs and your—"

"Okay!" She clamped her hand over his mouth, her face flaming up even more. She might've set herself up to get that kind of answer from him, but who knew he'd be so utterly shameless? "There will be no nibbling of any sort tonight—"

"Why not?!"

She didn't know how she could explain any of it to him, how that sort of contact could change things even more between them. Natsu's propensity to dive head-first into any situation was very useful at times, but when it came to physical intimacy, Lucy believed they could benefit from proceeding from this point on at a more sedate, leisurely pace. After all, they had already succeeded in escalating the state of their relationship from friendship to something more in just five days. She took her hand off his mouth and gently placed it on his cheek. "I think that kind of thing requires a different sort of training, Natsu," she said, "and maybe we're not ready for all of that yet. I mean, this is still very new to me—and I kind of like being like this with you."

"Hmm." He turned his face toward her hand to nuzzle her palm. "You're right. I like doing this with you too, though it wouldn't hurt to also do some nibbling, y'know." As if to prove his point, he bit on the fleshy part of her hand. She stifled a gasp. "But Lucy," he murmured, creeping up closer to her, "when that time comes, we don't have to be trained by Loki. Do we?"

"What? No!" She shuddered at the mere suggestion. "Mavis, no. When that time comes, you'll figure out what to do."

"Me?" His eyed widened. "You mean, I'll be doing all the work?"

"Okay, I'll help you a little," she said, "but you'll have to impress me first."

"Oh, then it's going to be a piece of cake," Natsu replied, beaming down at her. "I already know most of your sweet spots."

"Natsu!" She yelped, horrified. He cackled merrily. She looked away, huffing at him in embarrassment. "I swear, I should just gag you right now."

"If you gagged me, I wouldn't be able to kiss you," he said, dipping his head down so that his lips hovered just inches over hers. "And I already wanna kiss you again. Can I?"

Forgetting her indignation right away, she sold herself rather cheaply by raising her lips up to his. "I'd be mad if you didn't."

So he did. And for the next few hours, no more words were exchanged between them. There was no longer any need.

If Lucy had any expectations about the following morning, it would be that Natsu would nuzzle her awake and coax her into having breakfast with him at the guild. There would be a bit of kissing, a bit of touching, and eventually they would nudge each other albeit unwillingly out of bed. That was what she had imagined. But never did she anticipate that she would be rudely woken up by the sound of boisterous, obnoxious laughter coming from someone that didn't belong in their cozy little bubble.

"So this is how it is."

"Shut your damn mouth. She's sleeping." The low growl rumbled under the spot where Lucy rested her ear. She shifted her head on her warm, dragon slayer pillow and groaned, yearning to fall asleep again and have this part of the day restarted.

"Not anymore, she isn't," she croaked.

Natsu's hand curved around the nape of her neck. "Lucy?"

Tentatively, she opened one eye. She wanted so badly to be only imagining things, to be waking up with just Natsu to welcome her back to consciousness. What she didn't need was to see Gray's smug face looming over them at this hour in the morning. "Ugh."

Gray laughed again, seeming to enjoy himself at the sight of them. "You two have no shame whatsoever," he scoffed. "How long has this been going on?" He motioned toward their entangled bodies on the bed.

"None of your damn business," Natsu snapped.

Lucy knew in the deep recesses of her foggy mind that she ought to be embarrassed at having been caught in bed with Natsu. But somehow she couldn't summon the right energy to be huffy and indignant, not when she was so deliciously nestled against Natsu's hard frame and he in turn wasn't letting her go. Besides, it wasn't the worst thing in the world. So what if Gray saw her and Natsu in bed together? Let him think what he wanted. She burrowed her face into Natsu's neck instead. "Can we just ignore him?"

Natsu chuckled. "Good idea." His arms tightened around her.

"Hey!" Gray kicked at the side of the bed hard enough to jar the wooden bed frame. "Not that I relish watching you two being all sappy and lovey-dovey, but I'm here to get you out of bed because you're late for today's meet-up. Erza sent me."

Natsu groaned. "That woman's a pain in the ass."

"Tell that to her face," Gray muttered, kicking the bed again. "She's extra crabby this morning."

Lucy closed her eyes, unwilling to let the day and Erza's omnipotent influence intrude on her bliss. She snuggled against her fire dragon slayer, pulling up the covers over them. "Go away, Gray."

"I'd be glad to, Lucy, really," Gray replied, "as soon as you and Lover Boy here get up. So come on."

Neither Lucy nor Natsu budged an inch.

"Jeez, are you guys looking to do a quick morning romp or something?" Gray asked in disgust. "If that's the case, I'll give you five minutes. I'd bet Natsu could finish sooner than that—" He guffawed, shaking his head as he stomped out of the room.

Lucy's face had gone scarlet at the crude joke, and she should've retaliated—thrown something at him, even—but instead she remained lying there against Natsu, reveling in his warmth. Gingerly, she lifted her gaze up to his face and was wholly surprised to find him, of all things, blushing.

He met her eyes. "I don't finish that fast, just so you know," he grumbled, seeming flustered.

She giggled softly and was again struck by the strength of her feelings for him. He grinned back, his features softened by his bright boyish smile and the way his pink bedhead hair stuck out every which way.

"G'morning, Lucy," he greeted.

"Good morning, Nat—" She'd barely finished her own greeting when his lips found hers. He kissed her tenderly, cradling her face in his hand, and all thoughts of Gray and Erza dissipated from her mind. With his guidance, it became all too easy for her to lose herself in the kiss. She wondered if she would ever grow accustomed to this—to being happy, to being loved. Hopeful, she silently prayed for this moment to never end.

He rolled over her in a swift, trained motion, pinning her down on the sheets with his weight. His mouth trailed from her lips to her chin, grazing her skin with soft affectionate bites. She gasped through her teeth, her breath growing shallow, her mind and body beginning to center on a relentless sense of want. When he nuzzled the side of her neck and took her earlobe between his teeth, she nearly came undone. She called his name in a breathless moan, causing him to raise his head and curse under his breath.

"Let's just stay here all day," he declared, his voice coming out ragged and choked.

She blinked up at him and saw her own yearning mirrored on his face. She licked her lips, and his eyes followed the movement of her mouth. "I'd love that," she whispered, "but what about Erza and the others?"

"Ah, hell." He clenched his jaw and leaned in, catching her lips in a frantic kiss before completely tearing himself away. He sat up quickly and glared down at her. "Then we really need to get up now."

"Okay." Resigned and barely satiated, Lucy stayed where she was, limp against her pillow, her limbs too slack to be forced into any kind of movement.

Natsu's gaze skimmed over her splayed form. "You're killing me here, Lucy," he griped.

She tried to level her breathing as she sought to calm her racing heart down. "What do you mean?"

He looked at her pointedly. She affected an innocent expression, which proved to be a mistake because the next thing she knew, he was flipping the hem of her nightgown up over her waist and bending his head down to plant his mouth on the soft spot above her hip. She yelped in shock, her hands flying to grab at his head.

"Natsu?!"

His laughter came out muffled as he kissed the fleshy curve of her hip, nipping at her skin with his teeth. A sharp jolt tingled down her spine, making her quiver. She could've easily stopped him, knowing he was going too far, but overtaken by her own desire, she let him do what he wanted. He laved the sensitive place with his lips and his teeth until he'd left a mark, all the while soothing the raw spot with his warm breath. But when his mouth slowly moved upward to her stomach, Lucy coiled like a spring, sitting up and effectively nudging him off her. She was shaking. "I-I'm up!"

Natsu's gaze was hooded when he met her eyes, his nostrils flaring as he took in deep, even breaths. He put his hand over his chest as though to feel his heart. "What are you doing to me, Lucy?"

"I should be the one asking that question," she said in a trembling breath. Her own heart was threatening to jump out of her chest.

"I want you." His eyes widened at his own words, and he seemed puzzled by his body's impulses. "I can't explain what I want to do with you, but I know I want you."

A hot flush crept into her cheeks. She'd always been so unwilling to believe that he desired her, despite his varied reactions to her kisses. Why did she ever think he was so unaffected by her? It was such a stupid, girlish thought. "I-I want you too, Natsu." Her own confession wasn't so bravely spoken; she suffered a hundred degrees' worth of blushing for it.

"But you wanna wait, right?"

She nodded adamantly.

Natsu pursed his lips. "It's gonna be hard for me, that's for sure, because right now I kinda wanna pin you down again and tear that damn dress off you..." He grinned as she turned an even deeper shade of red, and he shrugged. "But, okay. Let's wait."

In spite of his cheerful tone, Lucy could tell that he was resigned to the idea of waiting, but perversely, his easy grace made her feelings for him swell even more. Caught up in the rush of emotion, she looped her arms around his shoulders and brushed a quick kiss on his cheek. "Thank you."

He tapped his forehead against hers. "Would you do me a huge favor though?"

"Of course," she said. "What is it?"

"Would you start wearing sweats to bed like a normal person?" He grumbled. "Because that would really help."

Lucy smirked. "Okay," she agreed, failing to mention that the only sweats she owned was a pair of velour hot pants. But she'd broach that subject to him on another day. Or, better yet, she'd show him.

"Are you lovebirds done yet?!" Gray's shouted from the street, his goading, irritated tone echoing toward them through the open window. "I don't wanna be in deeper shit with Erza than we already are!"

"What a pussy," Natsu grumbled under his breath. He raised his eyebrows at Lucy, smiling gingerly. "I guess we really do have to go."

The last thing she wanted was for them to leave this room. It was their sanctuary, their escape from the outside world. She resisted, stubbornly holding onto him and shaking her head.

Natsu smirked mischievously. "We can always continue later, you know."

"Shut up," she said, unable to stifle a smile. "Is that a promise?"

Natsu barked out a laugh.

Lucy withdrew her arms from around his shoulders and sighed. It was just a helpless situation, one that they got into themselves. She longed so much to stay with Natsu under the shelter of her blankets, but she didn't relish the idea of risking Erza's rage, either. The thought of the redhead mage barging into her room and catching them in the middle of their business made her shudder. "Let me just get ready."

Natsu bobbed his head in a nod, his fingers brushing against her cheek in a brief caress. "I'll wait outside with that ice idiot."

With Erza's current mood in mind, Lucy took a quick shower and dressed hurriedly, skipping her usual makeup, knowing that the Requip mage would have them working their butts off for the whole day. She put on a pair of cutoff shorts and tucked her pink tank top into the waistband, seeking to hide the reddish bite mark that Natsu had lovingly branded on her hip. Nobody needed to see that.

"Lucy!" Gray yelled. "What the hell's taking you so long?!"

She grabbed her things and bounded out of her apartment, almost tripping on her heels as she skipped over to where Gray and Natsu waited on the street. "I'm here. Let's go."

Without another word, Gray turned and stalked off, his strides long and impatient. Natsu shrugged at her and followed the grumbling ice mage, leaving her a few strides behind. She gaped at his back, feeling a little shunned. And before she could let the hurt feeling take over, she started to remember. All of this was new to both of them. In time, they would learn to integrate each other's habits and routines into their own personal lives, but for now she needed to be patient and make allowances for Natsu's lack of knowledge. That meant she would probably need to take the lead in most situations. She smiled to herself and trailed after him, only too happy to do it. When she was able to catch up to him, she slipped her hand in his.

He seemed startled as he turned his gaze from her grinning face down to their linked hands. A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. He pulled her to his side, threading his fingers through hers, his grip firm and sure.

Another lesson learned.

There would be hundreds more, Lucy was certain, still hundreds more to go over and understand before they could settle in and feel grown and at ease with each other. No one knew for sure how long their journey would take, or how difficult their joined path would be, but somehow it was a comfort to know that they would be learning those life lessons together, one step at a time.

END.

A/N: Yes, this is the final chapter! I'd always meant for this story to be short and sweet. But no worries, I'll be writing a follow-up fic, though I haven't come up with all the plot details yet. All I have right now is an idea. A few ideas, actually. I'm also looking to write an Ao no Exorcist fic because I ship Rin and Shiemi so hard.

Anyway, has anybody read the latest FT chapter? Oh my god, the hot springs! And them all being naked together! I liked how Natsu and Gray were like "ehhh" when Lucy and Wendy reacted to them seeing their bodies. It's just so like them, haha. But I would have loved it even more if it were Lucy that washed Natsu's back, haha. It's giving me rotten ideas.

Again, thank you for reading this story guys. Until the next story! I'll try to make it more interesting.