Natsu x Reader Mating Season

When Things Don't Go As Planned

Natsu hadn't expected that he would do exactly what he'd ended up doing. He'd thought that he would only think about you a little more than usual, or that he'd feel the desire to spend more time with you. Honestly, how bad could the mating season possibly be?

Terrible. It could be absolutely terrible.

Erza escorted him out of the cell, keeping in close proximity of him and never taking her eyes off of him. For a little while, she continued to hover around Natsu, probably expecting the entire bar to go up in flames should someone say something that he didn't agree with. He felt like he was being suffocated.

But looking at you was like coming up for air. He drank in the sight of you. God, you were beautiful. His insides seemed to grow warmer and warmer the longer that he stared at you. He felt strange, though. Whenever he normally looked at you, he became slightly nervous and awkward, but when he'd actually start talking to you, those feelings would be replaced with happiness and admiration.

This was different. With those same feelings, he felt a sudden wave of lust come over him. Just from looking at you. It wasn't uncontrollable, but he found himself whining internally at the fact that you weren't close to him, that you weren't talking to him, that you weren't in his arms, that his hands weren't in your hair, that his lips weren't on yours.

"Natsu," Erza said suddenly. "I see you've noticed (Y/N). How are you feeling?"

Natsu swallowed and blinked, trying to get you out of his head for a moment. "N- ahem- normal. I feel normal. Still unaffected."

Erza raised an eyebrow. "Mm hm. Well, since you like her, I'm sure you'd like to talk to her."

Panic strung itself through Natsu's mind. Of course he wanted to talk to you, but who knew what might happen if he did? If he was feeling all of these things just from thinking about you, what would he do if you two interacted?

Calm down, he told himself. It's just a talk. No big deal.

"Yeah, sounds good," he agreed.

Erza waved you over, and you approached her and Natsu. The dragon slayer's eagerness grew with every step you took.

"Hey, guys!" you greeted. You felt more nervous than you usually did when you were near Natsu. Why had Erza and Gray let him out of confinement? Were they testing to see if you were his mate? What would happen if you were?

"Hello, (Y/N)," Erza replied regally. She glanced at Natsu and nudged him with her elbow when he didn't speak up.

"H-hi... (Y/N)," he said. Oh, Lord, even your name tasted good on his tongue. Was this really his mating instincts in action? He couldn't recall a time when just your name had impacted him in this way.

Suddenly, Gray appeared beside you, standing close to you. The ice mage stared at Natsu, and without breaking eye contact, he ever so slowly inched closer and closer to you, trying to see what Natsu would do.

Natsu felt his blood begin to boil. He was fighting the urge to rip you away from Gray and run away with you over his shoulder. He wanted to hide you so no one would ever find you and try to steal you away from him.

(Y/N) isn't an object, he reminded himself. You don't own her. She isn't yours. You aren't even dating!

But there was very little he could do about his emotions. He could only attempt to control them.

You looked at Gray, trying to get an idea of what he was doing. He didn't even speak to you, he just glared at Natsu. Oh, well. That was normal enough. You just wondered when a barfight would break out between the two.

Your thoughts were interrupted by an arm snaking around your waist and yanking you backward. Your back collided with someone's chest, and the arm secured you there.

"Hey, pretty lady," Loke greeted, flirtatious as ever.

Before you could even roll your eyes, Natsu had torn you from Loke's grip and pounced on him.