Archive of Our Own

“Is it really such a big deal?”

Lucy’s scream almost shook the windows off.

She was being waaaaaay too dramatic.

Okay, so maybe he’d entered through her open window without announcing himself, tiptoed across the room completely uninvited, and stood silently behind her shoulder for the past five minutes, but he hardly believed that warranted a yell as loud as hers.

If you asked him, it was her fault for not going to the guild the entire day and leaving him to find his own entertainment—which he had, but slamming a fist in Gray’s face wasn’t as interesting as it had been the first three thousand four hundred and ninety-seven times. It was also her fault for telling Happy about a new fish market at the edge of the city, where his little blue friend had gone with Wendy to secretly shop for a fish Carla would like. And it was also her fault for leaving the window open. That was the same as an invitation in his head. 

His hands automatically plugged his ears when the blonde went on what seemed to be the third endless rant of the week—the first being when he accidentally shoved her in a lake, and the second being when he’d eaten her burger while she was in the bathroom—and just stared at her.

She was shorter; her eyes only reached up to his mouth but she was making good use of them as she glared so hard he was sure she’d pop a vessel, and her arms waved around so wildly he thought they’d tear away from the rest of her body. He could tell she was saying something by the way her mouth moved at rapid speed, but even his dragonslayer hearing had a hard time grasping her words as he pressed his palms even further against his ears.

The blonde yelled and yelled until finally she exhausted herself the way he’d seen her do countless times before, and plopped back down on the chair at her desk, returning her gaze back to the magazine he’d seen her examining earlier.

“Is it really such a big deal?” He asked again, bending down to stare at the page she had open in front of her. He could see from the way her back tensed that she was not having it today.

“Natsu, you haven’t heard a word I said, so I’m not going to answer your question.”

His hands moved to place themselves on the desk, circling both sides of her body as he leaned against her back and stared at the same article she’d been reading since he’d came in. He felt her inhale loudly, aware he’d trapped her against the desk, but she didn’t say anything, instead choosing to ignore him.

Natsu hated being ignored.

And what was the deal with the stupid magazine anyway? He knew she was a fast reader; she’d read an entire book down in the freaking sewers on the first quest they’d been together. But now she was hung up on a small article? He read the title again for the third time.

First kiss magic: the importance of doing it right

His cocked his eyebrow in confusion yet again, not understanding why someone as strong as her, with as much friends in her guild and quests at the board and jobs to do and monsters to slay, was even interested in something as banal as that. There were a lot of cool adventures to be had, and sitting down in your house on a beautiful day just staring at words on a paper was not one of them.

“Lucyyy,” he whined again, positive that if he did so enough times, he would crack her armor, “I asked you a question.”

She pinched the bridge of her nose and took a few deep breaths before mumbling a single, “What?”

He grinned, knowing that no matter how mad she was and how absorbed she was in different things, he could still catch her attention and make her listen.

“Is the first kiss thing really such a big deal?”

She tensed up again, he could feel the air around her shift as she tried to remain indifferent; but the way her muscles contracted against her clothes and her breaths deepened, he could tell she wasn’t relaxed. Natsu had spent a lot of time by her side, and every change in her body—no matter how small—was enough for him to understand that there was something going on. He watched as she raised a hand to brush a lock of hair away from her eyes, the same hand flinching when the back of it grazed the inside of his arm. Something was making her tense, and he couldn’t understand what.

“Well,” she said, and even without seeing her face, he could tell she had that misty look in her eyes that she sometimes got when she was embarrassed, “For some people it is.”

He didn’t know what to make of that, and instead looked back at what was definitely a copy of Sorcerer Weekly—the only magazine he knew she read—and skimmed though the first few lines.

Every mage knows the importance of a first kiss. After all, it only happens once in a lifetime. It’s a sacred event many people dream of, but the reality of it hardly ever lives up to our expectations. Like all other magic, the art of kissing needs training and focus in order to be done properly. And the first kiss is just the start. Here are five tips for all mages out there looking to secure the best first kiss.

His brow lifted in confusion. What was there to train about? You just touched your lips with someone else, right? Nothing complicated. Fighting bandits and burning down cities and picking a good quest seemed a lot more difficult to him than just pushing your own face into another. And what was the appeal anyway? What did they get out of it? Someone else’s spit on your mouth and breath between your teeth?

But the way she still stared at the article, refusing to turn the page even though he was sure she’d read the entire thing a hundred times by then, told Natsu that maybe Lucy was one of those people who cared about kissing.

“So what’s so good about that anyway?” He asked, already bored out of his mind. He’d come to her place to get some entertainment, not to stare at a piece of paper. And besides, if it was so important than she should have no problem explaining why. And yet she didn't. Well... it wasn't like he wanted to know what it would've been like for her. Or when. Or with who. Or for how long. 

He leaned down even further, his cheek touching hers as he squinted at the words. There were five steps to having a good first kiss, but why was she interested in that now of all times? Hadn’t she already—

“I don’t know,” she mumbled, moving her head slightly to the side so their faces weren’t touching anymore, “That’s why I’m reading this.”

Now it was his turn to be confused. He turned his head to look at her, his lips almost brushing her cheek. If he’d pucker them a little, he’d give her a small peck. But even someone as oblivious as him knew that a kiss on the cheek wasn’t the type of kiss the article was talking about.

“You’ve never kissed anyone before?” He finally asked, his heartbeat quickening for some reason.

A faint blush creeped its way across her face, her breath shaky as she mumbled a soft—you need dragon slaying hearing to pick it up— “nope.”

Now that was news to him.

He’d seen the way other men looked at her enough times to know that Lucy was just as pretty to everyone else as she was pretty to him. The way some of those guys stared at her made him think they would tear apart her clothes if they could. He’d had multiple headaches because of them, and when Happy would tease him, he’d give the most rational—and in his mind completely true—explanation he could: Lucy was his teammate and he didn’t want other people ogling her.

But she’d never kissed anyone? Even with all those options? Even with one look from between her eyelashes being enough to lure every guy in and make them do her bidding?

For some reason, the idea made him giddy. He had to fight back a grin.

Natsu chalked it up to satisfaction that they were both in the same boat. He’d never kissed anyone either, not that he’d wanted to. It was a waste of time in his book, but the sole fact that she was the same as him made him happy. He probably just didn’t want her being ahead of him. Yes, he wanted both of them to explore the world at the same time, nobody running in front of the other.

“What are you thinking about?” She asked, and he felt his body tense up for the first time since he’d entered her room. There was no way he was saying any of his thoughts at the moment. She’d probably yell at him.

He just shrugged noncommittally, returning his attention back at the article and focusing on reading it instead of talking about kissing and stuff that made him uncomfortable.

He read it once, then again, then once more, the text being so short he could learn it by heart. Sorcerer Weekly wasn’t exactly famous for their extensive literature, and instead most of the time people bought it to check out the photo spreads of famous mages.

“Can I get up?” She asked suddenly, and he moved to let her leave the chair. She walked to the kitchen, and he trailed after her, glad to be rid of the tense atmosphere that had somehow enveloped them in her room.

“Do you want to eat something?”

He grinned. Now that was more like it.

“I always want to eat something!”

Lucy just nodded absentmindedly, and he watched as she took out some stuff from the fridge and started making them sandwiches. It was something he’d seen her do a lot of times, most of them in that very same kitchen, when he’d crashed in demanding food because he’d spent all his money. And for all her complaining about his eating and her bills and her rent and her grocery money, she always made him something. The fond memories made him smile, but they were also what made her current activity seem weird.

She’d made him a lot of sandwiches over the years, but she was never as clumsy as she currently was. She’d missed the butter a few times, the knife scaping against the counter instead of the creamy lump. Then she’d cut one slice of ham too thin, and the other too thick, and just piled them on randomly. And she’d forgotten his tomatoes. Lucy never forgot his tomatoes. Then the cheese slices ended up on top of the final piece of bread for some reason.

He watched her worriedly, and it wasn’t until she’d placed both of their plates—mismatched, something she never did—down on the table, that he decided to say something.

“Are you feeling okay?”

She turned to look at him, her eyes finally clearing out of whatever mist they’d been in, “Oh, yes, sorry. I was just thinking.”

“About the kiss thing?” He asked, as casual he could, as he slid his plate closer to himself, and took a bite of the sandwich. Even though it was nothing like the others, it was still very good. Lucy must have some secret incantation she whispered any time she cooked, because it was always divine.

“Uh, yeah,” she muttered, busying herself with putting the cheese back inside her sandwich, the way it was supposed to be.

“How come?” He asked again, looking around the room, anywhere but at her. He couldn’t understand why the conversation was so uncomfortable to him. And he also couldn’t understand why he wasn’t letting it go.

“Well,” she thought for a moment, one finger twirling a lock of blonde hair, “I just wonder when it’ll happen to me, that’s all.”

“Isn’t that something you decide?”

She looked up from her food, and he felt his heart stop. Well, it probably didn’t, since he was still alive, and sitting across from her. But something clenched in his chest nonetheless.

“Well, sometimes someone else decides for you.”

Natsu felt the room temperature rise up, not sure if it was due to his own flames. It was like he sensed some sort of danger. He cleared his throat, his voice a bit raspy from the sandwich or the conversation or the atmosphere or the light breeze filtering in from the window, “Is that why you shoved Happy in my face that one time?”

The smile his question earned told him that he didn’t need to explain to her which time he was talking about. She remembered the day Asuka had tried to make them kiss—which thinking about it now, was totally inappropriate considering it would’ve been Lucy’s first kiss—and the way she’d put a stop to it using his best friend’s lips.

“Wait a minute… was that my first kiss?” He asked, completely mortified. Really? Happy? He'd much rather... well. He was right. That was danger he was sensing. 

She chewed on her food for a bit before replying, “I don’t know. Was it?”

“I don’t want my first kiss to be with a cat! No matter how much I love Happy.” He was grasping for straws, even though he could’ve sworn he didn’t care about all that stuff a few minutes ago, “And besides, it was nothing like in your magazine! We didn’t do any of the five steps!”

She finally chuckled, the tension easing up a bit. Yes, that was what he wanted. Just some light jokes and some silly fun with his teammate.

“It doesn’t count, right Lucy?”

Then why the hell was he still talking about it??

“I don’t think it counts,” she smiled, “And if I’d known it was your first kiss I wouldn’t have done that.”

“What would you have done?”

He suddenly felt the air charge with electricity, the hairs on the back of his head standing up in alarm. Was Laxus nearby?

His eyes found hers, but even though her expression was usually extremely easy to read, this time he couldn’t for the life of him tell what she was thinking. Time stopped. Or she'd stopped it. It felt as though they were the only two people in the world. Just him. And her. And them. Like it always was. 

Instead of replying, Lucy finished her food quickly—another sign that something wasn’t right—and dumped both of their plates in the sink. He followed her into the bedroom, his mind trying to come up with a conversation. The atmosphere was weird, and he needed to bust out one of his signature stories to liven it up a bit.

Maybe he’d tell her about the time Macao turned into a Vulcan and he had to beat him to a pulp to turn him back… wait. She’d been with him back then. She’d helped, too. Okay then, maybe he’d tell her about the time he and Happy went to catch flying fish, and how horrible they’d tasted. No… she’d been there for that as well. Okay… how about the time Mira taught him transformation—he transformed into her.

Natsu looked at Lucy. Whatever story he’d thought to tell her, she was a part of it.

Since when did so much of his life revolve around her? If he really thought about it, she’d become something very important to him during the past years. It felt like no matter what was going on, she was right there. A constant.

She was leafing through the magazine. He was staring but she didn’t notice, absentmindedly skimming through the articles and the photos of half-naked men and women on every other page, pausing to peruse the ads for new magical clothes or accessories. He willed his mind to come up with something to say, but he drew a blank.

He couldn’t think of a single adventure she wasn’t a part of. He was always with her. He had other friends too, great friends, the ones you only get once in a lifetime, but Lucy was something different. They always did everything together. Everything.

Something in his mind clicked.

Everything... Then why not...?

He felt his face go hot, and waited for Lucy to read his mind and squeal and kick him out, but she seemed to be bent on ignoring him. Now that such a thought had entered in his brain he couldn’t seem to get rid of it. He thought about it, turning it over in his head, unsure if it was something worth risking.

But this was Lucy. He’d risk anything for her.

He probably should've thought about it more, but Natsu was a man of action. And once the idea was in his brain it was too delicious not to at least try. 

“I’m going to go to the bathroom,” He declared, watching her raise an eyebrow in confusion. Natsu wasn’t the type to announce stuff like that. She just shrugged though, and he shuffled into the bathroom with a guilty look on his face. He stared at the mirror, then rummaged around, finally finding what he was looking for. A deep blush stained his cheeks as he squeezed Lucy’s toothbrush in his hand.

It felt incredibly intimate, and he knew she would blow a fuse if she knew he was doing this, but he would buy her a new one right away. Just as soon as… his little experiment ended. He’d buy her ten if he had to, all in different colors or whatever girls liked.

Natsu felt his throat close up as he squeezed the toothpaste on, his hands shaking. He gave one last glance to the mirror, shocked at his embarrassed expression, and then brushed his teeth as silently as he could. He tried not to think about where that toothbrush had been and instead focused on counting the tiles on the walls.

Step one: make sure your mouth is clean!

Nobody likes to smell your lunch when receiving a kiss. Make sure to brush your teeth thoroughly and rinse twice as much. Lick the inside of your wrist and smell it to make sure you have a nice toothpaste scent instead of anything else.

Natsu turned the water on and washed the toothbrush, almost wishing he could dunk his whole head under the faucet to cool off, but then Lucy might ask questions. Or maybe he could just use his fire to dry off and—

He shook his thoughts away, throwing the toothbrush in the garbage. He didn’t want her to accidently use it and then kill him when she found out what he’d done. Plus, the thought of Lucy brushing her teeth with the same toothbrush he’d used made him feel a bit weird inside. A good kind of weird, but still. 

Natsu pushed the door open one inch at a time, checking to see if he’d get caught in the act, but she was still reading the magazine. He tiptoed across to room to sit down on her bed. He breathed in, then out, trying to relax even though what he was doing felt as dangerous as fighting a dragon. He tried to make his voice sound as casual as possible.

“You gonna sleep soon?” He asked, looking anywhere but at her.

“Um… it’s not even dark yet,” She commented, clearly weirded out.

Well, it’s not like he had anything to say to that. There was still at least an hour left before nightfall, but if he waited for so long, he knew he would lose his nerve. He had to act fast before he chickened out. Natsu patted the bed on his side, catching her eye as he tried to smile reassuringly.

“Why don’t’cha come here?”

She was so confused it made him even twice as scared as he was, and he tensed up when she left the chair.

“What’s gotten into you?” She asked, walking over to where he was sitting. She stared at him for a few minutes, and when it became clear he wasn’t going to respond, she sat down next to him, her eyes filled with worry. “Is everything okay? You’re acting weird.”

His heart was beating so loud he thought she could hear it even without dragonslayer hearing. Natsu’s gaze dropped down to her little mouth then snapped back up at her eyes again. If she noticed this little lapse she didn’t show it. Instead, her hand came to rest on his leg, and he felt his whole body turn to stone. He always tried not to pay attention to her that way, but it was becoming increasingly more difficult not to. 

From where he was sitting, she looked incredibly soft. But Lucy was always like that. He’d touched her a few times, in a few different places, sometimes accidentally, sometimes out of curiosity, but she’d always squeal and push him away. He watched her, wondering if she would do the same this time.

Suddenly he felt his resolve wavering.

He’d let that stupid article get to his head. That stupid magazine and those stupid writers made him think about things he shouldn’t. And when he’d realized that they did everything together? That had just tipped him over the edge.

Then we should do this together too, he’d thought. It made sense in his head. There’s no one else I’d do it with. Plus it would be her first time too. She wants to do everything with me, and I was her first partner, so it makes sense.

Okay, so maybe he'd thought about it before. But just one time. Okay, just a few times. But Natsu knew better than to test the limits of their friendship. Then... why? 

His eyes dropped down to her mouth again, and this time she noticed.

Step two: set the mood!

Don’t just go in for a kiss on a random Tuesday at a random place. You need to get the other person to relax, maybe after a nap, or after a candle-lit dinner. Show them that you are thinking of them romantically, and lead them into the moment.

Well, he had absolutely no idea if it was Tuesday or not, and she wasn’t about to take a nap.

“Lucy,” he started, his eyes unable to disconnect from the pinkish gleam of her mouth, “Do you have a candle?”

Her lips moved and he watched them with startling intensity, “Maybe somewhere in the cupboard.”

Something had happened to her voice. It sounded like nothing he'd ever heard before. It had a special ring to it, and he wondered if he was the only one with the privilege of listening to it.

Wait... the candle. But if she got up to look for a candle the mood would be ruined, he calculated. Plus, this was good enough, right? It’s not like he could turn into someone he wasn’t and become romantic overnight? And besides, they always had fun when they were together. She’d told him that. So it was probably okay. They were together and they were close and that was all that mattered. He’d make do with the rest.

But that just meant that he’d arrived at what seemed to be the hardest step.

Step three: ask for consent!

Nobody likes to be pressured into anything, so you need to make sure the other person wants it just as much as you do. If you don’t get a clear confirmation, you shouldn’t do anything.

That was what it all boiled down to. But he froze.

Natsu hadn’t expected he’d get that far. His hand moved to cover the one she’d rested on his leg, and he watched a small streak of red slowly creep up her cheeks. Lucy was smart, she knew where this was going. But he still needed to ask.

Natsu finally looked into her eyes again, a bit surprised to find them hooded in a way he’d never seen them before. It just made him want it more.

“Lucy,” he started, his voice coming from somewhere below them, a new sound he hadn’t known he could make, “Can I…” But the words caught in his throat. What if she rejected him? What if she was creeped out and scared and slapped him and then he never saw her again? But she was sensing what was coming, right? She would’ve pushed him away if she didn’t want it.

“Lucy,” he tried one more time, “If you say no it’s okay, we’ll just ignore the whole thing,” His voice was as nonchalant as he could make it, and he even chuckled lightly to make her think it wouldn’t be a big deal, although it would probably ruin him from ever trying something like that ever again. “But I think…” And he went blank again. Why the hell was it so difficult? He looked at her as if expecting her to come up with the answer to a question without him having to ask it, but it was unfair. He’d started the whole thing and he needed to man up and finish it.

“You know how we always do everything together,” He mumbled, trying a different approach, “Well I think we should try your kiss thing together too. You know… get it out of the way and—” Well that just sounded wrong. Like he didn’t care. And he was realizing just how much he cared.

He cleared his throat, “What I want to say is, I wouldn’t want to get kissed randomly again,” his mind flashed to Happy, the contrast with the current situation seeming huge, “By someone else. And I think…” He paused for a moment, searching for the right words, “You shouldn’t just kiss someone else either. Let’s just do things together and—”

She raised her eyebrow in question and he stopped. Why was he beating around the bush? Natsu Dragneel always charged straight ahead. His free hand moved to clutch his scarf for courage. 

“I want to kiss you,” he blurted. Her eyes widened in surprise. She probably wasn’t expecting him to just go out and say it like that. The seconds stretched into oblivion, her lips trying to form words but no sound coming out.

He felt the corners of his mouth lift, smiling. Well look at that, someone managed to make the Lucy Heartfilia speechless.

But then she looked at his lips and he tensed up. He could feel sparks flying in the air, his own fire raging against his body, begging to be set free. Natsu ignored every thought in his brain as he touched his forehead to hers, the coldness of her body sending a shiver down his spine. But she still wasn’t saying anything.

He couldn't take it anymore. 

“Lucy,” his voice was a whisper, “If you don’t say no right now, I’m going to do it.”

And Natsu welcomed the silence.

Step four: just do it!

Lean in, and do it! A good kiss has to be slow, so be sure to gently touch your lips with your partner, and then pucker up and push them together. Don’t know how? Don’t worry, you’ll know it when you feel it. This is the time to let instincts take over.

Well, if he believed in anything, it was his instincts. They had saved him countless times before.

Natsu dropped his head down just a little bit lower, his nose uncomfortably pushing against hers. The article hadn’t mentioned anything about that! Stupid Sorcerer Weekly, and their stupid half-assed writing.

But then, so slow it was almost incomprehensible, Lucy’s head tilted to the side, her small nose brushing past his, their mouths just a whisper away from each other. An opening. She’d done such a small thing, but it was plenty. It was just enough to tell him it was okay.

He resisted the urge to lick his lips, and closed his eyes. Her breaths had quickened, short and shallow things, his heartbeat increasing by the second. Natsu squeezed her hand, still wary. After what felt like a lifetime, she squeezed back.

All reason left his mind.

He let his lips press against hers, unmoving. The only thing he could focus on was how soft they were. It was like kissing a snowflake, but this was softer and warmer and it was Lucy. His very own Lucy. And it was another adventure together.

The two of them. They way it was supposed to be.

When he was sure she wouldn’t kick him into next week, he let his mouth move, catching her bottom hip between his. Now this was new to him. It was calm, and it was exciting, and it was magic. Why hadn’t anyone ever told him before? Well, a few people had tried but they should’ve been more convincing.

Her own lips finally moved to push against his and something exploded in his body. He fought to keep still and keep his flames down and don't burn the house and absolutely don’t break this kiss. Who knew if she would let him do it again? He had to grab this opportunity by the throat and never let go.

Which brought him to…

Step five: open wide!

Unless you’re a six year old, a kiss needs to deepen before it has its’ full effect. Open wide and let your tongue run wild in their mouth! Well, maybe not too wild, but enough to get their knees week and their heart beating!

If you do all these steps, success is guaranteed!

Happy kissing!

Okay, thanks for nothing? How the hell do you just shove a tongue in someone’s mouth? Igneel had taught him a lot of things, but this wasn’t one of them.

Suddenly, she pulled back.

Natsu felt his blood turn cold and his mind panic as he opened his eyes and stared at her in horror. That was it?? She didn’t like it? Or did she not like him? Maybe if it was someone else, someone who knew what they were doing and—

He felt her hand leave his, and he knew he had to do something. They hadn’t even finished all the steps! And for all his bitching and moaning about not liking romance and kissing, it turned out to be one of the best things he’d ever tried. And if it wasn’t her well… there was no point.

“Natsu,” she whispered, and he felt his knees go weak, thanking himself for having the good sense to sit down, when she continued, “You need to relax.”

But her words just bounced right off of him. His mind was running wild with ways to apologize, ask her what he’d done wrong and find a way to fix it. And then he’d try again. Now that he knew what it was like he had to try again. But better this time. He’d read the article again and—

Her hands moved to set themselves on his shoulders, and he complied when she gently pushed him down so he was lying on the bed. “You need to calm down,” she started, “If you don’t like it then—”

“Lucy,” he moved to circle her waist, pulling her until she was lying right on top of him, her head an inch away from his. His voice was breaking, “Please.”

She smiled. She smiled and that was all it took for him to kiss her again, but this time, when his lips parted, hers did as well. He hesitated for a second, his tongue coming out to just lightly lick her bottom lip, and she made a sound.

It was something between a sigh and a whimper and it drove him crazy.

Without thinking, he pushed further in, begging for access. She allowed it, her own tongue meeting his in the process and Natsu finally understood why dragons loved caves. If all caves were like the inside of her mouth then it made sense to hide treasure there. And boy oh boy, treasure it was.

She tasted like nothing he’d ever had before, a mix of rain and sunshine and magic and Lucy. He thanked the article again for making him brush his teeth even though he couldn’t taste the food she’d eaten on her tongue. They’d had the same lunch and yet she didn’t need to brush her teeth or to rinse or anything. She was absolutely delicious. The taste was so good he was tempted to just stay like that forever.

Their movements were clumsy at first, his tongue scraping her teeth and her mouth shrinking in his. But then they found their own style, like with everything else they did, and he felt the last wires holding his brain in place disconnect when her tongue swirled around his own.

He could tell he was making noises but he couldn’t find it in him to care. Instead, his ears focused on her, and he felt like his hearing was heightened just so he could listen to her. A story he’d heard as a child flashed into his mind.

Granny, Granny, why are your ears so big?

So I can hear those soft little whimpers—well that’s not how it went.

But his thoughts were thrown out the window when he felt her hands move. One of them clutched his shoulder for support as the other settled itself into his hair, and he bit back another groan. His stomach was doing summersaults, and for a moment there he wondered if his motion sickness had kicked in. It wouldn't surprise him. This was a hell of a ride. 

Aware that he should be doing something as well, Natsu moved to rest his palm on the small of her back and pulled her closer. It earned him another little moan and the world split in two. His other hand fount its way to her cheek, and he felt he liked it there. It was easy to maneuver her head, tilt it back so he could explore even further, let his tongue go wild and free and make her mouth his own. He felt the material of her already tiny shirt pull up a bit, and his hand came in contact with the bare skin on her back, something about the sudden touch making his fingernails dig into her flesh a little.

He was about to apologize, but the sound she made stopped him in his tracks. Natsu felt that he’d reached the height of his life. No matter what happened it would all be downhill from there. Life peaked now and he had to savor every second of it.

They came up for air a few times and then just dived right in, the temperature in the room rising with every minute, his body heat doubling. This was nothing like fighting monsters but his heart was beating just as hard. He wanted more, now that he tried it, he needed everything she was willing to give him. It was long overdue. He'd earned it. 

Both of his hands cupped her cheeks, pulling her in as close as possible, their foreheads touching and their breaths mixing, and he suddenly had an idea. His teeth caught her lower lip between them and he bit down until she her moaned in his mouth and he felt like he would die.

She finally couldn’t take it anymore and pulled away. They both fought to catch their breath, greedily gulping down air as he watched her chest rise and fall with every inhale and exhale. Her mouth was swollen, pink and wet and bruised and he couldn’t help but smile. He’d done that. She was panting and blushing and shaking because of him. Natsu wanted to go in for more but the way she dropped down on his chest stopped him. He felt his muscles relax with the rhythm of her breathing and he sunk deeper into the pillows, staring at the ceiling and wondering why he’d never done that before.

“This isn’t just a one-time thing, right?” He asked. There was no way he was letting go of it now.

She was silent for a moment, still trying to level her breathing before she responded, “Well that… depends.” Her finger twirled circles on his bicep and he marveled at the way she touched him. It wasn’t like any time she’d touched him before. “Do you mean us or do you mean with other people?”

He blinked, completely confused. “What do you mean with other people?”

“Well… do you want to kiss just me or others?”

“What others?”

“I don’t know… someone else?”

“Like who?”

She didn’t reply, and he thought for a moment. In his mind, there was nobody else he could do something like that with. He knew she was his Lucy and the guild knew it and on some subconscious level she had to know it too. It was obvious. From day one. No matter how much they convinced themselves they were friends only. So, if he wanted to do something… like that… there wasn’t literally anyone else he would do it with.

And then he thought about her. She had tons of options, and if she wanted to, she could probably lock lips with a lot of—his chest clenched. Okay, so that’s what she meant.

“You can’t kiss anyone else, Lucy.”

Her head was nestled under his and he couldn’t see her face. “You can’t just order it like that.”

He thought for a moment, “Okay, I don’t want you to kiss anyone else.”

A light chuckle tickled his neck, “That’s better.”

They laid in silence, night falling outside and the room going dark. His mind was running wild with replays from the kiss. He had to remember to thank Gray for not wanting to fight a lot today. And Wendy for taking Happy to the fish market. And Lucy. Oh how much he needed to thank Lucy. For that. For this. For everything.

Her breaths had evened out, and she slept in his hands. Natsu was too excited to sleep, but he laid there for an entire hour before he realized they hadn’t finished their conversation.

“Lucy,” he whispered, feeling a bit guilty for waking her up from what seemed like the most blissful sleep of her life. She stirred, and he called her name a few more times before one brown eye popped open.

“This better be good,” she mumbled, shutting her eyes closed, but still waiting.

“We’re together, right?” He asked, wiping his palms on the bedding to get rid of the sweat, “I told you we’d be together forever, but I mean like… together together.”

Without opening her eyes, she smiled, her voice damp with sleep, “If you want me.”

As if there was any other option. 

The grin that broke out on his face caused his cheeks to hurt, and he squeezed her even tighter, pulling a blanket over both of them. He buried his nose in her hair, inhaling that smell he’d come to love all those years ago. He felt her drift off to sleep again, and decided to do the same.

Maybe Gildarts knew what he was doing when he collected a whole bag of those magazines. Sometimes the editors of Sorcerer Weekly struck gold.

The way he had. All those years ago. 

When he met her.