Wheels of Fire

Joyriding Through Fiore

Lucy woke up to heat. There was something hot at her back, and she felt pressure over her ribs. Then, in the midst of sleepiness, there was warm air on her neck. It tickled, and she giggled drowsily. Then she heard a low hum from a man. She jolted fully awake to see an arm draped over her, knees curled up against the back of her knees, and feeling gentle breathing at her neck. She was in bed with someone. She glanced around and saw the pink hair.

He's in my bed again, idiot!

Fury spiked through her. How many times had she told Natsu not to sneak into her bed? How many times did she have to punish him for being so intrusive? She was ready to kick him out, when she paused. Her mind woke up a little more. Sleeping on his side, she saw the neck ... with no scar.

Edo-Natsu! I asked him to come to my bed. Oh God, last night! I ... I did ... that! Then he wanted to do more with me, but I told him to just hold me while I slept. I remember now.

She smiled and blushed. Her fingers went up to her lips, unable to believe that she had really done such an intimate thing. It made her feel hot inside, and she almost wished she had boldly agreed to let him do more.

She wanted to run off to the bathroom, but that meant climbing over the sleeping boy. She could just imagine trying, him waking up with her straddled over his hips, and he would open his eyes to see the wrong impression. Lucy had read enough manga to know the stereotypes and avoid them.

His eyes tensed up for a moment. She froze, worried he might wake up, unsure what she could say to him, how to act around him now that they had gone this far in their relationship. Sleeping together! No sex, granted, but ... she had been tempted. Oh so tempted!

"Dun wanna go," Edo-Natsu mumbled in his sleep. "Stay ... wiff Wucy."

Lucy laughed quietly at how childish he sounded. A tiny piece of her still worried if he meant her or Ashley. She would probably always fret about that, just as he would always wonder aboutif she meant himself and Dragneel. It could not be helped.

He said two more words that Lucy could not really make out, although she thought they were "open road." Was he dreaming about the car? They were supposed to go driving that day. She wondered if he would be wild again. A part of her hoped so. Maybe if he was less timid, she could be too.

Her hand drifted to his neck. When he was asleep, the similarities between him and Salamander were really unnerving, yet this neck told her the truth. This smooth, flawless neck!

He stirred at her touch, blinked in the sunlight coming from the window, and gazed up at her.

"Princess?" He sounded so groggy, as if not sure if she was a dream. Then his eyes widened, and he gasped in a moment of panic.

I'm in her bed! How did I get into her bed?

Slowly, the terror drifted, replaced by intense blushing. Lucy realized he must also be remembering last night and just how they wound up sleeping together.

"Sleep well?" she whispered, stroking his neck again.

He nodded, closing his eyes as he savored the feel of her gentle fingers. "Mmh. You?"

She smiled. "You're a quiet sleeper."

"Well, that's good," he laughed. "Gray Surge says I talk in my sleep."

She decided not to mention what she had heard. "Are you ready to drive later?"

His eyes widened in excitement. "You still wanna?"

"Of course. I've been looking forward to it all week."

"Good! Great! I wasn't sure ... I mean, after last night..." He broke off his words and blushed brightly, looking away in a vain attempt to hide his happiness.