400 years

70

Natsu's cheeks were starting to flush, as he huffed, "Just avoid the heck."

'Haha! Right~ The Demon Lord is ticklish!' Yet as I looked in those hotly defensive eyes, I couldn't help but want to tease him.

"Hm." I sat up, playfully crossing my arms. "I thought you were mine. However I desired?"

"The neck is off limits. I always agreed to your limits."

"Your absolutely right. So how about this-."

I leaned back down, and grazed my teeth over the lobe of his ear. Natsu shuddered underneath me.

"N-not the ears, either!"

"So sensitive, Natsu!" I chuckled.

"Are you mocking me? Courageous for someone who's sensitive stop isn't unknown to me." Natsu leaned up, and nipped at the edge of my ear. Together we writhed in the futon. A bundle of smiles and laughter all twined together.

I loosened his collar, kissing down his chest. He pushed up my skirt, kissing my legs. A passionate game of mural conquest.

With lips, tongue, and teeth, I stole the heat of his shoulders, his chest, his abdomen. Every part of him.

"Damn, if this was what was waiting for me, perhaps I should have thrown our games of Go much earlier."

"Yeah right." I snickered, as I kissed my way back up his taut stomach. Natsu embraced me, pulling me down against him. Nose to nose, both of us gasping with excitement.

"When I'm with you, I feel a desire to have you that breached the depths of my bones."

"Yeah, there's a simpler way. Natsu Dragneel, Your happy."

"This is happiness?"

I nodded, "Yes, and I feel the exact same way." I coaxed him breathlessly.

Grabbing my hips tightly, and pulling me close, Natsu entered me, indulging my body with the heat I'd just given him.

"Ahh~ y-yes!"

My thoughts melted away, leaving pure feeling. I clawed at Natsu's back with curled fingers, in utter rapture.

"Luce-." The hoarse, rasping way he called my name made my heart beat painfully fast. "I love you-." His confession breathed against my lips.

We kissed, our mouths joined as our bodies were. We forgot all about time, unwilling and unable to stop. Warming and warmed by each other, we were both lost in sheer, blissful happiness.

~*~

As we reached Dragnof Castle, the tenshu rose into the clear blue sky. Natsu and I dismounted our horse in front of the gates. 'It's been so long!'

"Lucy, what are you looking at?"

"Oh just Dragnof. When you mentioned dying, I wasn't expecting we'd come back here." 'The first time I saw this castle, I wanted to sock Jellal on the jaw and make a break for it. Amazing what a difference three months can make. For all of us. How I've missed this place.'

"Haven't you looked enough? You'll be seeing it every day from now on. This is your home, after all."

"Yeah, well it's nice to admire your home from the outside too." I smiled at Natsu and he smiled at me.

But even though these simple, freeing moments, were now finally ours to have.. The relaxing calm in the air wouldn't last long..

"Hmm? Don't tell me they-?" Natsu narrowed his eyes in disbelief as he looked beyond the castle gates. "Running towards the gate, are they? Hmph, they exaggerate the importance of my return."

I followed his gaze and gasped in joy. 'Everyone's all here!!' There was Erza and Jellal smiling and looking like a couple, for once. Sting and Rogue, looking like the best of friends, as usual. Wendy, and Levy, followed by Gajeel, who was letting a hint of his own happiness show. 'Aww! He's got the babies bundled, and tied to him!!'

Happy was flying, while waving enthusiastically at the two of us, if he would've been running, he'd be hopping with excitement.

"It's so nice to see everyone again after so long! Come on, Natsu!!"

"It hasn't been that long."

Delighted, I ran to greet them all. But Natsu grinned at my behavior and continued at his own pace. "Honestly, You're too happy about this." His light hearted comment drifted behind me as I reached our hoard of friends.

"I missed you all so much!"

"Lushee!!"

"Lucy!" The group yells in unison.

'Ack!'