The Dragon's Mark

I Should NOT Be Feeling This Way

She was surprised when Natsu insisted on not only buying Happy's chocolate, but her own as well. Lucy selected one from the bag as they made their way back to the hotel. Taking a bite, she moaned at the smooth creamy taste. "Here, you HAVE to try this!" she insisted, holding it up for Natsu to take the rest. He leaned forward and took it in his mouth, his lips brushing her fingers. An erotic thought crossed her mind, but she quickly shut it out.

Natsu found himself intrigued by her little moan. If chocolate could do that, what could he do to bring that sound again from Lucy's lips? Wait, what am I thinking? He thought quickly. This is LUCY we're talking about.

Yeah, Lucy, a voice in his mind repeated. Lucy. The one you'll be alone with tonight. It's the moment you've been waiting for.

"Natsu? Are you okay?" Lucy asked, looking at her friend in concern. He was mumbling something, but she couldn't make out what he was saying.

Natsu gave an awkward laugh. "Oh, nothing. Thinking about the job tomorrow," he lied.

Lucy didn't think that was it, but if he felt as awkward as she did sharing a room - just the two of them, no blue cat serving as a chaperone - then that would explain things.

As they got closer to the hotel, the crowd thickened and walking side by side, holding hands, became impossible. Natsu gently guided Lucy in front of him, placing a hand on each of her her hips so they wouldn't get separated.

Oh boy, thought Lucy, I should NOT be feeling this way! She was all too aware of where Natsu's hands were and her thoughts began to slide in a direction she wasn't sure she was ready to go.

His hands resting on her slightly swinging hips as she walked, Natsu felt like letting out a groan. I should NOT be feeling this way about Lucy! This is LUCY. However, his body was sending him different signals. You know this was meant to happen. It's meant to be. She's your mate, a voice whispered in his head.

What? My mate? Natsu argued silently with the voice. I'm not ready for anything like that! Settling down is for old people!

Don't be a fool! The voice argued back. Do you want to lose her? Have you not noticed how others look at her? If you don't claim her now, they will!

Claim her? Natsu questioned. What the hell does that mean?

Think about it, fire dragon. We only find one mate. She is meant to be yours. Why else is she in your life? Why else would fate have you two meet and work together? Can you see her with someone else?

Natsu felt anger pulse through him at the thought of Lucy with someone else.

"Um, Natsu?" Lucy asked in a small voice. She had been fighting her thoughts as well but suddenly realized how silent Natsu was, and how his hands had suddenly tightened their grip on her hips.

"Oh, sorry, Luce," Natsu said, letting his hands fall to his sides since they were in the hotel lobby where it wasn't so crowded. He wasn't sure what he was apologizing for, but felt it was the right thing to say. He grinned at her, pushing the voice aside, saying, "Want to race up the stairs? Last one has to take the cold shower!"

She was relieved he seemed to be his old, immature self. This quiet, introspective Natsu made her uncomfortable. "You're on, buddy! Eat my dust!"

Knowing how Lucy loved her hot showers, he let her win, but barely. Wow, she's really gotten in great shape, he thought as he admired her at the top of the stairs, grinning at him.

"All right!" she claimed, throwing an arm in the air. "Sucker! Enjoy your cold shower!"

"Oi, Luce, if you didn't take so long in the first place..." Natsu began, anticipating the punch in his shoulder he got.

Laughing and a bit breathless, they reached their room and went inside.

Erza was right, Lucy thought, after her shower and changing into her sleeping shorts and tank top. She was used to having Natsu around at night, so this wouldn't be a big deal, right? At least she got a bed and not the sofa - not that she and Natsu hadn't slept in the same bed before. He always offered - she just felt safer on the couch.

A burst of steam escaped the bathroom as Lucy walked into the bedroom. "I think I saved you a little hot water," she teased, seeing Natsu laying on top of the bed, his hands behind his head.

He didn't speak, so she walked over to him, and sat down next to him. "Why so lost in thought, Salamander?" she teased.

Suddenly, Natsu had her pinned under him. It was so quick, she never saw it coming.

"Lucy," he whispered before placing his lips softly on hers.

"Natsu?" she questioned softly when they separated.

"Is this okay?" he asked. He knew how he felt about her and after some heavy thinking while she was in the shower, he was pretty sure all the signs pointed to her feeling the same about him.

"Um, yes?" she answered breathlessly, not sure why it came out as a question. Hell yeah this is what she wanted! She had felt this way so long for the dragon slayer - although she hadn't realized it until lately - that she reached up and placed her mouth on his again.

He groaned and deepened the kiss, pressing her with his body to the mattress. She parted her lips and let their tongues mingle and explore. She felt Natsu's hand travel from abdomen on up.

Suddenly, she pulled away, blushing hard. "Um, Natsu?" she whispered, knowing his hand hovered mere centimeters from her right breast. "I, um, haven't, um..." how could she tell him?

He gave her a gentle smile and lightly ran his finger down the side of her cheek. "I know Lucy. I've always known. It was always meant to be you and me."

She wasn't sure exactly what he meant, but the words made her body flare in response. How could she tell him she had never done this before? Wait, had he?

As if reading her mind, he made a soft sound she thought sounded like a growl. "Lucy, I've been waiting for you. I think you've been waiting for me. We just didn't know it until now," he sighed. He wasn't sure where the words were coming from. Possibly the voice inside his head, which he realized was his inner dragon. It pressed on him now, telling him to take her now, but take her gently, take her slow. He mentally rolled his eyes. Yeah, like that made sense.

He continued to gently kiss and explore Lucy's body with his fingertips. Hesitantly, she also began to explore with her fingertip - his hard abs, the scars from the battles, the muscles in his arms.

Heat flooded through her with the bodily contact and she suddenly wished she wasn't wearing so many clothes. Natsu gave a small chuckle as if reading her mind again and soon there was nothing constricting their exploration of each other.

"Natsu," she groaned softly, his lips and teeth nibbling on her neck, his hands massaging her breasts. Slowly his lips trailed down her body, exploring where his fingertips had gone before. Lucy gasped as he found each sensitive spot.

Suddenly, as if a flame had started to ignite in each one of them, they became more frantic in their exploration and Lucy cried out while Natsu gave a low growl of pleasure. He felt his fangs extend and by instinct, licked and kissed Lucy's neck, giving her a small bite as he entered her. She cried out first in pain, which quickly turned to pleasure as Natsu began to suck on her neck where he had bitten her. Slowly he began to move inside her again until she joined him by lifting her hips back and forth, meeting him with each thrust. Their speed increased until she first cried out, with him following with a low growl of his own.

They lay, still interlocked together, for a while, each waiting for their heartbeat to slow down, for the hot flame inside their body to cool. Slowly, Natsu withdrew and lay next to Lucy, pulling a sheet up to cover them when she shivered.

Now that they had finished, he couldn't bear to physically lose contact with her. His fingertips continued to stroke her cheek and arm, his thigh pressed up against hers. He felt if he couldn't touch her, something bad would happen.