midnightstar | Happy Holidays Charlie Brown! .. oh wait wrong canon

Christmas and Thanksgiving were going to be difficult holidays for Regina and the kids. They had, for the most part, mended from the deaths of their friends, but this would also be the first Christmas slash Thanksgiving without them. So for that afternoon, she decided to let Natsu distract the kids and the dog for the time being. More than likely they were bundled up and jumping in piles of leaves outside, or begging Natsu for more demonstrations. As for herself, she went to help distract Regine with preparing food. Happily, Regina only took Lucy's bright smile for her natural demeanor and not for any other reasons.

On the other hand, Lucy hadn't been able to stop smiling since the night she and Natsu were.. er.. very intimate together. Assuming she didn't drift off into a dreamy spacey mode when she thought no one was looking. And if she actually saw him, forget it - it took everything she had not to grab him and hold him close. Heck, before that night she had difficulty keeping her eyes off him - it was more so now. SO it was probably for the best that she had something like cooking and entertaining Regine to occupy her attention.

If Regine noticed the way Lucy's conversation chatter kept turning to the topic of Natsu unconsciously, she didn't mention it, though she did seem amused for some reason. Currently the ladies were discussing options for the dinner - the kids wanted to start eating spicier food to - obviously - be more like Natsu after all.

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They were a few precious moments that stretched on into infinity. A few moments where it truly felt like both himself and Lucy had become one down to their very essence. Natsu lowered his head and his eyes drifted closed as he used whatever strength he had left to keep himself above Lucy and not just flat out laying on top of her.

Which was so utterly rewarded when he saw that smile. The adoration in her eyes. If he had been standing, it would have knocked him flat on his ass, something that many others had tried to achieve by force with him in the past. And she was doing it so easily and effortlessly. He felt her cool hand against his heated skin. He pressed his cheek against that hand and closed his eyes before opening them half way again, showing her another rare expression that only she could bring out of him. And to add to it all he murmured three simple words.

"I...love you."

Those three little words still made her happy, hearing it as much as knowing on an instinctive, emotional level how much he loved her. That one person could make her so radiantly happy, she didn't think it was even possible - but if anyone could, it made sense that he could and not just because they were involved.

It was because he was Natsu, her best friend, her trusted partner in everything. Who knew her best out of everyone. If anything, those three words intensified the loving look on her face, her smile widening, unable to turn off that loving glow even a little. Her thumb stroked against his cheek gently, drinking in the sight of that soft expression she loved so much.

She licked her lips slightly, swallowing as she managed to murmur back in a soft, if hoarse voice, "...I love you more."

He didn't say it just to make her happy though. That was what added to the sentiment even more. Whenever Natsu said something to Lucy those were his honest thoughts and feelings laid bare to her. Unless he was out to prank her. Then he might have bent the truth a little bit but never maliciously. All in the name of fun~

But he would be lying if he didn't absolutely love the way her smile grew just that much more brighter whenever he said those words. She was dazzling to behold, shining brighter than any hoard of gold a dragon could hope for. Feeling that thumb against his cheek, he playfully turned his head to capture that finger between his lips. They'd just shared a mindblowing intimate moment and he still had it in himself to play with her.

"You gotta. I mean you're bright enough to turn this place from night to day right now~'

Yes, well, pranks were always a free pass when it came to bending the truth and teasing each other. But she always loved how honest he was, knowing how sincere he was when he spoke, and not just saying things in the heat of the moment. That was how he was. An.....d... what is he doing. Lucy giggled silently when he caught her thumb, giving it a little wiggle, playfully. Typical that she would still play with him even after how much they'd been through from today alone. "Heee, I do - but... I think you're exaggerating a little there." She teased. Well, how much she loved him, and vice versa, probably couldn't be measured in any kind of amount anyway. Not that it mattered.

Natsu playfully sucked on the thumb when she wiggled it tantalizingly like that. Even though they'd just finished they still had enough energy left to play like this. Silly little games as they were, they also brought them even closer. If that was even possible.

"I don't think I am. I could get a mirror if you don't believe me~"

It had to be possible, since each time they got closer they just found new ways to adore each other. It was an endless cycle of pure happiness.

She squealed when he sucked on her thumb, breaking into soft giggles, "Stop that~!" She teased, tugging on her hand playfully. "I think you are exaggerating," she paused, just in case he did make good on that 'threat', "And no mirror." She grinned, sticking her tongue out at him.

And he had no intention of changing that ever. Why would he when she brought so much joy to his life?

He sucked and nibbled on the thumb before she finally pulled it away. The look on his face was anything but repentant as he gazed down at Lucy. He raised one hand and gently placed it over her cheek in return and leaned in even closer.

"Well you can think what you like. I'll still do the same and think you're just that bright with how happy you are right now~"

It would be a dumb move if he ever did. Assuming she would even accept it. "Awwgh - you are so -weird-." She made a face at him, laughing as she managed to free her thumb from his mouth. "-My- weirdo." she added as an afterthought, gazing fondly at him as she covered his hand with hers.

"Well it's impossible to make you think otherwise, especially now. And I wouldn't want to make you think otherwise. Being with you just.. makes me so unbelievably happy I could just burst."

Well she would never have to worry about that. He chuckled fondly when she called him hers. As if that wasn't something he already knew but that didn't mean he didn't love hearing it from her lips.

"Bursting would be a waste. Then I can't make you even happier~" He insisted with a mock frown. It was his goal after all to make her happier than anyone else after all. Even if he hadn't admitted such a cheesy goal to Lucy herself.

"Even happier?" She grinned, finding that mock frown just.. -cute- on him. "Even happier...?" She chuckled softly, moving her hand to the back of his neck to give him a little tug closer to her. "You're going to make me burn up one of these days." She teased.

He wasn't trying for the cute factor but if it got him more of those stroking hands over his neck and in his hair.

"You mean I didn't just now~?" He teased with a chuckled and leaned in to press his lips to Lucy's jaw but only affectionately and nothing else.

She lit up with a blush at the question, "Natsu..!" .. okay he did have a point, after all of that. Although her saying his name hardly was admonishing, but more of an 'oh you scamp' tone. Proven when she chuckled softly, brushing her hand through his hair with a mock put-upon sigh. "Honestly, you really are too much."

He joined her in the chuckling, knowing full well that she wasn't nearly as reprimanding as she should have been. Natsu let out a sound that was very close to purring when her hand started threading through his hair again.

"I could say the same to you. The way you were acting when you were on top of me. You have no idea how hard it was to stay still."

She smiled softly at the near-purring noise, "Hrrm. Really... I wonder how long you would have really held out if I didn't let you see." She grinned, giving his hair a light fluffing with her fingers. "To be honest, I was a bit surprised you managed to hold out for as long as you did."

"I wanted to see how far you'd go. Couldn't risk you stopping now could I?" Matsi amswered with a pointed glance. Natsu turned his lips to press against her other lower jaw still.

"But if you'd gone much longer I would've had you on your back before you knew it."

She chuckled quietly. "Oh, that so?" She playfully scoffs at that statement, "Guess we'll never know." Well, if she pulled that move off on him again maybe. She filed that comment to the back of her head with a grin, letting out a blissful little sigh at the feel of his lips against her lower jaw. "Mm, I feel like I should apologize for all of .. this though." She grinned, looking utterly unapologetic as she brushed her hand over the love bites covering his neck.

"Apologize? Why? I liked it when you were like that. I liked it a lot~" Natsu answered, his voice dipping lower with a purr before returning to its usual chipper tone. He could so naturally transiton between the various states of emotion.

For a second, she's at a loss for words, and not just because her throat was dry. Did he really have to do that thing with his voice like that? She cleared her throat a few times, marveling at that ability of his. "W..well I..kind of got a little carried away. I mean.. just hearing how you were responding it was really hard to stop." She grinned a little more, sheepishly. "I almost didn't."

He totally did, whether on purpose or not. It just came that naturally. Natsu grinned at her's leaning in for another nuzzle against her neck as she confessed how hard it had been to hold back.

"Then maybe next time you shouldn't~"

She chuckled against his ear as he nuzzled against her, tilting her head to nuzzled her nose into his hair briefly. "Maybe I won't. We'll see." Of course she had Plans(tm) that would probably get thrown out the window once she started.

She absently stroked her hand through his hair, almost fascinated by the soft feel in spite of the spiky style. Even his -hair- was a contradiction, who knew?

Natsu chuckled next to her ear this time. Again it was hard to tell if it was an accident. He finally pulled his face away from her neck. He felt very happy with himself.

Their very relationship was a contradiction. Lucy's official taste in men was so far from Natsu's traits that one might even think Lucy might not even have known what her taste actually was.

She often wondered if what he did was intentional to get a reaction out of her, or accidental because it was natural for him to. She'd have to say though, she was completely wrong about what she thought her taste in men was -- at least when it came to looking for princely kind of guys. In fact, thinking more about it, she couldn't help but smile a little more as she watched him. He.. really was perfect for her, and it amazed her it took her so long to see that.

He saw that smile out of the corner of his eye and pulled away so he was facing Lucy properly. "That smile is really unfair you know~ I would do anything for it~" Natsu murmured softly and cupped Lucy's cheek, stroking the corner of her mouth with his thumb before leaning in for another lingering kiss.

His comment on her smile only got her to smile more, "Then you know how I feel around you every day, when you smile at me, or say my name, or hold me in your arms." She murmured back, "I'm completely weak to you.." her hand rested against his side as she smiled into the kiss, leaning into it and utterly melting, almost following after him when he had to break away for air. Her own breathing coming in breathless pants, she licked her lips briefly, her voice barely above a whisper. "It ... maybe we...I mean --" Great he broke her brain.

He didn't need to answer her words, instead choosing to melt with her into that sweet kiss that was filled with so much joy and love. Love aimed at the other and so in tune that it might as well have been a single great emotion.

He gazed into her eyes as she struggled to catch her breath. Her words were faint but with his hearing her heard them loud and clear.

"Anything. Anything you want, Lucy"