Work Text:
A winter afternoon in Magnolia. The sunlight filtered through the floor-to-ceiling windows, lazily spilling into the living room and coating everything in a layer of warm gold leaf.
Lucy was curled up on the soft, cream-colored fabric sofa, her arms wrapped around a blue teddy bear (Natsu’s gift on 14th March) nearly as large as she was. She seemed to sink into its plushness. She wore a deep wine-red velvet slip dress, with Natsu’s black knit sweater draped carelessly over her shoulders. The oversized collar slipped to one side, exposing the delicate curve of her shoulder and collarbone. Beneath the hem of the dress, her slender ankles peeked out from under a dark brown fringed blanket. She was engrossed in a thick book, her fingertips occasionally pausing to trace a favorite passage..
Soft clattering sounds drifted from the kitchen—Natsu was busy fussing around in there. A moment later, he emerged carrying a wooden tray. On it sat two mugs of steaming hot chocolate topped with snowy white marshmallows, alongside a plate of fresh butter cookies. The edges of the cookies were a perfect golden brown, and their aroma quickly filled the room.
Thinking about it made Lucy want to laugh. Cooking had never been Natsu’s strong suit —aside from using his fire to grill meat for himself and Happy. But because he knew she had a sweet tooth, he had eagerly signed up for a baking class with Mirajane. After an entire month, his achievements amounted to exactly two things: hot chocolate and cookies.
Naturally, Lucy, of course, had no intention of dampening his enthusiasm. She set her book aside, her eyes brightening at the sight of the tray. "It smells amazing! Chef Natsu’s skills have improved leaps and bounds~" She reached out to snag a warm cookie.
"Careful, it's hot!" Before she could touch it, Natsu set the tray on the coffee table. He caught her slightly chilled fingers in his warm hand, rubbing them gently. "Why are your hands so cold?" He frowned, his gaze narrowing with a sudden, focused tenderness. "Warm up first."
Lucy squinted at him with a grin, her fingers mischievously scratching his palm. "I know, I know."
The gesture sent a flicker of heat through Natsu. He cleared his throat before letting go, pushing a mug of hot chocolate toward her. “Drink it while it’s hot.”
They both leaned back against the sofa, mugs in hand, enjoying a rare moment of stillness. Lucy took small sips, the sweet warmth spreading through her chest. She squinted in satisfaction like a cat basking in the sun.
Setting her mug down, Lucy fished a game controller out from the sofa cushions and tilted her chin toward him. "Want a round?"
Natsu grabbed the other controller, a grin spreading across his face. "Sure. What are we playing?"
"Super Mario!" She expertly selected Luigi in his green hat, while Natsu picked the red-capped Mario. The game began, and the pixelated characters started hopping across the screen.
"Left, left! There’s a hidden coin there!" Lucy’s eyes were glued to the screen, her mouth busy commanding the troops. "Roger that!" Natsu played the role of the "obedient partner" perfectly, striking wherever she pointed. His eyes flickered between the screen and Lucy, but most of the time, they unconsciously lingered on the vivid, animated profile of her face.
By the third stage, the difficulty spiked. Lucy’s Luigi had just dodged two Piranha Plants when a stray Koopa shell sent him shrinking down. Luckily, Natsu’s Mario lunged in for the save, stomping the turtle and releasing a mushroom for her. Lucy didn't hold back the praise: "Well done! You get a gold star." Natsu laughed. They worked in perfect sync—one gathering coins, the other clearing out enemies.
As they reached the Boss stage, Bowser lunged across the screen breathing fire. Lucy leaned forward anxiously, and Natsu moved instinctively, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and resting his chin on the crown of her head. "Don't rush. Wait for the fire to stop, then jump," he murmured, his voice low and soothing.
Lucy felt the weight of him against her and his breath near her ear; her heart skipped a beat. Her thumb faltered on the controls, and Luigi walked straight into a fireball. A giant "GAME OVER" flashed across the screen.
"This is all your fault!" She turned to glare at him. Natsu looked the picture of innocence. "What did I do?"
"You were leaning too close! You ruined my focus!" Lucy pushed against his chest, but the movement was soft, more like a pout than a shove. Instead of backing away, Natsu leaned in further, pulling her fully into his arms. He let out a low chuckle. "Then why didn't you say something earlier?"
Speechless and with her ears turning red, Lucy looked away and muttered, "Another round!"
"Fine," Natsu said, releasing her just enough to pick up his controller. "But this time, let’s make it interesting. A bet."
She looked at him warily. "What kind of bet?"
"Whoever loses has to do one thing the other person asks."
"Deal! You're on!"
The game restarted, and this time, they were both dead serious. The coin counts stayed neck-and-neck. In the final stretch, Lucy was ahead by three coins. She smirked. "I’m about to win~"
Just as the words left her mouth, Natsu’s Mario suddenly accelerated. He pulled off a perfect chain of shell-bounces, shattering a row of hidden blocks that rained coins. The score flipped instantly. As the flag dropped at the finish line, the screen clearly displayed: Mario Wins.
Lucy: "..."
Speechless! She knew this man was up to no good!
Natsu set his controller down, a triumphant glint in his eyes. "The loser has to accept the penalty."
Lucy tossed her controller onto the sofa with a huff. "Fine. What do you want?"
Natsu didn't say a word. He simply leaned in, his hand coming up to tilt her chin. His warm thumb brushed lightly against her soft lower lip. The signal couldn't have been clearer.
Lucy’s face flushed a brilliant crimson. "Natsu... you... don't..."
"Hmm?" Natsu arched an eyebrow. "Trying to back out of the bet?"
"As if!" Flustered and stubborn, Lucy closed her eyes and leaned in herself. The moment their lips touched, Natsu’s hand slid to the back of her neck, holding her steady and deepening the kiss. It was a kiss that was both tender and fierce, tasting of sweet chocolate and his own clean, distinct scent. Lucy’s hands instinctively bunched into the fabric of his sweater as she melted into his embrace, letting him take over.
After a long moment, Natsu pulled back reluctantly, his forehead resting against hers. His breath was hitching, his voice dropping into a husky, seductive register. "Want to play again?"
Breathless and starry-eyed, Lucy’s mind was still a blur of warmth. She answered subconsciously, "Play..."
Natsu gave a low, suggestive laugh, pulling her tighter against him. "Then let's... play a different game."