His scars tell a story.
Lucy reads it with her fingers, nails softly outlining the marks tracing the shape of his bare shoulder, fingertips floating just above his skin and her touch feels so tender, so ethereal… almost as if she wasn’t touching him at all. His wounds tell a story she has learned to memorize over the years, the story of a boy with a broken heart trying to find his father and someone who's willing to mend his broken past. She can find herself on his marks as well—fingers tracing the cross-shaped scar that Future Rogue had carved on the left side of his abdomen, all because of her and his promise to her.
Protect the future.
She can read their story on his skin just by touching him, she can remember, and feel, and love… it’s all there, right in front of her.
The morning sunlight feels like golden rain caressing his features, and her hand suddenly stops when it reaches his lips, softly parted and breathing smoky life. Her fingertip caresses his lower lip, his chin, the rosy tone of his cheekbones… Lucy can’t help but smile a little, heart fluttering furiously.
“Natsu,” she whispers.
He stays the same, with his arm under her head and the other weekly wrapped around her waist, keeping her close to him. She smiles softly, head popping up on one hand as she leans closer to his face, lips brushing his cheeks.
“Natsu,” she repeats, her breath tickling his skin.
His eyebrows frown a little, babbling.
“Mmrphh…”
“Wake up,” she mutters, spreading kisses across his face, ending at the corner of his lips.
He grimaces again, readjusting the grip of his arm around her waist, pulling her closer.
“W-Why…”
Lucy sighs, going back to her old position and landing her gaze to the only window inside that abandoned building.
“Because,” she says, resting her head against his arm. “It’s already morning. We have to go back. We lost them, and got separated. I bet they're still worried and still looking for us, especially Happy."
Natsu frowns, confused. And seemingly more confused when he feels the heat of their bodies collided with each others. Soft skin touching his rough ones. Their breath mingles with each other. Pale skin matched perfectly with his tanned skin, such a good contrast.
White blanket wrapped around their... bare and raw bodies.
What? Natsu frowns deeper. Bare? Naked?
And then memories of cold night hits him. It all happened so suddenly. In the heat of the moment, and in the height of their emotions as Lucy opened up on what she had felt when he left her for a year with nothing but a note.
They were on a job last night when something happened that separated them from the others. Can't track them down for whatever reason. Sun slowly dying as the moon gave life to the darkness. Taking shelter in an abandoned building. Cold night. Teasing that eventually turned into deep conversation. Only to find himself taking off his clothes as she did the same thing. Giving each others a scar that would last a lifetime through biting deep into the shoulder. Fangs teasing her neck and behind her ear. Burying deep inside of her to let her know how many times he had dream of this. And scratching and moaning to let him know how she feels the same way. The cold floor can't even stop them from taking and giving their love and desire for each other.
And he didn't want to go back yet. He wanted to feel more of her. They—
"—need to go back now."
He nods, lazily, but doesn’t make an attempt to get up or even open his eyes. He stays like that, breathing slowly, and Lucy doesn’t think she has ever seen something as peaceful as this. Her hand reaches out to touch his hair, brushing it slightly, his lips drawing out a sluggish smile that makes her heart stop.
