Sensory Overload

Chapter 5

     The walk to Lucy's apartment was rather brisk and determined. Happy had finally caught up with them but he was sure to keep his distance due to the increased episodes of Scary Lucy and even worse Scary Natsu.
     Lucy was more or less just talking out loud to herself, "So apparently my sense of smell and hearing have become stronger. The only other thing that has been odd is I ate like beast this morning. Have you noticed anything strange?"
     "Ya, what the hell - you totally ate all the good stuff!" Natsu looking over at the woman walking by his side, he couldn't help be get lost her appearance. Blonde locks were carelessly scattered around her face, her cheeks were rosy from the cold brisk air and the dainty slope of her nose was beginning to match the color in her cheeks. The shapely lips were turned up into a half smile. He preferred her bright radiant smile but really, any smile would do it for him. It was then that she turned to face him and his breath was taken away. Her eyes were large and bright with tears collecting at their edges from the cold wind. He could stare into those soft brown eyes until the world evaporated around them. 'Ugh what gives, this is starting to happen way more lately' He quickly looked away from the beautiful face out of fear that she would read his mind. "Honestly Luce, do ya think I would notice all those little details like you do?"

     "Natsu, I think you need to give yourself more credit." the howling gust of cold chilled Lucy to her bones and an involuntary shiver spread over her body resulting in a bit of chatter in her teeth. As if on cue she realized Natsu stepped in a little closer to her and used a touch of his magic to increase his body heat to warm her. "Thanks" was all she could manage to get out before she felt the swell of heat at the center of her body radiating outward. The heat flowed in all directions, up to her cheeks, down to her fingertips and even down to the tips of her toes. The sensation was amazing and it mirrored the tingle of magic she felt when she called her spirits but this sensation was devoid of magic, it was just a gentle warmth. It was then that it clicked into place 'his hunger, his heightened senses, his heat... NO WAY.' Her thoughts were interrupted by a small voice up above her head.
     "Lucy, you look steamy... are you thinking about Naaatsuuuu?" Happy knew it was going to get him into trouble the second he said it but he enjoyed nothing more than getting Lucy all riled up. "SHUT IT CAT! I'm not in the mood!"
     "I bet you're in the mood for something else Lucy, maybe a little smoochy smoochy" at this point he knew he in trouble so he flew up just out of her reach and made a beeline for her front door which was quickly approaching.
     "YOUR FRIGGIN' DEAD CAT" she started running after the little flying blue troublemaker.
     Natsu couldn't help but let out a giant belly laugh at the scene they were making. It was times like this that he felt an extra surge of affection for his best friends.

     Once inside Lucy shrugged off her outerwear and hung it up neatly by the door. By the time she walked into her living room Happy and Natsu were already plopped onto her couch. Natsu was already snoring, no surprise there. Figuring he would be napping for a while she decided to make her way over to the desk, the best way to sort things out is to write it down. Sometimes it is easier to see things on paper and she always felt she could think more clearly if she got it out of her brain. Before she could scoot her chair in though she felt a small tug on her skirt. She looked down to see Happy with a very remorseful look.
     "Hey Lucy, I am sorry I teased you earlier." Happy could always pull on her heartstrings just as easily as he could infuriate her. She picked him up gently and placed him in her lap "It's ok Happy, I am sorry I have been extra snappy, but this tattoo thing is really starting to get to me.... I have a question for you though, since you guys left my house the other day has Natsu been acting any different?"
     Happy took on a serious tone realizing that this was an important question "Not really, the only thing I can say is that he seems to be thinking a lot more. He won't admit that though."

     "Ya, I know he won't." She smiled at him absentmindedly scratching behind his ears. "Oh, I almost forgot, I have a little something for you in the ice box, it's one of the only things I didn't want to eat this morning." She winked at the excited face looking back at her. She watched as Happy fluttered off to the icebox to retrieve the Mackerel she picked up for him at the docks the other day. She may get mad at him often but she knew under the teasing there was always some semblance of truth and affection.
     Lucy re-focused her attention to the pen and paper and wrote out a timeline of events. Satisfied, she flipped the page over and drew two columns with each their names at the top. She listed all the odd happenings in her column. She opted to leave out the strange increase in feelings. Those always come and go on a monthly basis and thusly chalked it up to the feminine whiles of her hormones. She then jotted down what she knew on Natsu's side. Looking at his column, she decided that 'Happy observed more thinking' was not nearly enough information.
     She tapped her pen to the page, there was no way that she was taking on Natsu's traits and he wasn't taking on any of hers. Granted, she was a thinker so it does make some bit of sense somewhere, about as much sense as random tattoos appearing.
     Still in thought she got up and walked over to the napping Dragonslayer. Scratching her head staring down at him she decided to try something. She knew his ticklish spots and they were always well guarded, now would be her chance to test her thoughts and maybe exact a little revenge.
     The first target was the crook of his arm. Lucy very slowly and gently grazed the back of her finger tips along the soft underside of his elbow, as she did so she noticed that the same area on her was feeling a gentle ticklish sensation. She felt a wave of wonder and fear at this discovery. Natsu was too deeply asleep to really stir but he did flinch slightly.
     She felt the need to test again, after all maybe it was a fluke. She went to another well known ticklish spot. She knew for a fact that this spot was way more ticklish because he always freaked out and shivered away from anyone who found it. She leaned over a little closer to his head and with her delicate fingertips she gently traced his hairline behind his ear. The sensation shocked her system instantly, she was expecting to feel something ticklish but instead she got a pleasurable shiver down her spine that led straight to the core 'you sneaky bastard that's no ticklish spot!'

     In the exact moment that she realized what the sensation was, her wrist was grabbed. Lucy's eyes flew to Natsu's face to see that even though his eyes were closed, he had smile that read exactly what she just realized. She hit his weak spot, the one that would turn things from innocent to wicked in no time flat. His eyes opened and locked on to hers, she was transfixed, not knowing if she should be excited, scared, or emboldened. All she knew is that she had to break away from this moment before anything could be said or acknowledged. She jerked her wrist back, straightened herself up and turned for the bathroom shouting over her shoulder "Would you please quit your snoring, I am trying to think!"
     "Awwe come on Luce, I thought you wanted to have a tickle fight" Natsu sat up scratching the back of his ear snickering to himself.
     "You wish ya jerk!" she retorted from behind the bathroom door. Flustering from behind the door she couldn't process fast enough the rush of thoughts, emotions and sensations. Then, as clear as day she heard Natsu mutter to himself "you have no idea." At this moment Lucy did the only thing she could think of to break the potential train wreck of hormones and emotions that were flooding her and possibly flooding him. She pinched her forearm as hard as she could to recenter herself. Instantaneously she heard "ow - fuck what the hell." It was at that moment she became resolute in her decision to not tell him what she figured out - they could share sensations and feelings.