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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Natsu quickly rolled over when he saw her buckle and fall to the floor. Oh he'd REALLY done a number on her. He felt a bit guilty but also a bit proud. Natsu chortled at her defense and slowly got to his own feet.

"Come on let me help you up." He said and offered Lucy a hand up.

Lucy giggled a bit herself, taking his hand to get up, a little unsteady at first. "Thanks," she said, sheepishly, leaning on him as she reached down to tug the sheets off. "Uh... I think there's no salvaging these," she coughed delicately, folding them up into as tiny a square she could manage. "... would you mind?" She'll just let him take care of the burning of the sheets, while she went to get the spare set. Thank goodness Regina always kept the rooms stocked with extra clean sheets.

"Ya want me to burn em up literally? Okay leave it to me." Natsu answered with a nod and brought the sheets to a part of the room where they wouldn't' risk setting anything else on fire. Not that he would allow it to happen anyway given his control.

"Yeah, well... it's either that or just throw them out or..." Nope, burning is the way to go. She absently started to grab her robe and slip it on, though ... she questioned herself why she bothered.

Ah well. She padded over to the closet, pulling down a change of sheets, and then wobbled back to the bed, proceeding to fit them in place, smoothing the heavier blankets on top while Natsu was disposing of the torn sheets.

Natsu kept his hands around the fire, making sure to contain it so that nothing else burned. Lucy would have to open a window though after she was done with the bed since the had to get the smoke out after all.

"So we takin a bath after this?" Because clearly washing up together was the best idea.

"What...?" She blurted abruptly, startled by the question. Oh man, washing up together after that was ... SOOOOO not a good idea.

"I.. *I* am going to take a shower..." she managed after her surprise wore off. "...after all what we did already I ...really don't think it'd be a good idea to... you know." Wash up together.

Definitely, DEFINITELY not a good idea. Fastening the robe around her with her belt, she padded over to the window, pushing it open a crack.

Her blurted reaction only made him grin slyly as the light of his flames danced over his features.

"Afraid you won't be able to keep your hands off the goods~?"

Oh that was so not fair. She giggled at that sly smirk, but rather than respond to it, she decided to get even. Leaning against the wall by the window, she tilted her head, "Maaybee. But I think the better question is..." She shifted into a sultry post, grinning back with her fingers toying with her hair. "Could you?" She'd throw in a rebellious 'nyah' there, but that would ruin the effect of her teasing comment.

Oho so she wanted to play hard ball did she? Natsu would rise to that challenge though he did have a moment of pause when she leaned like that and looked in his direction with that sultry pose in tow.

"Nah probably not. Difference is I wouldn't try to resist it in the first place~"

Lucy giggled, straightening from the pose, and winking playfully at him as she crossed over to the bed, smoothing the sheets one last time. "Then you see why bathing together would be a bad idea, right?"

"Fiiiine I'll let you off the hook. This time~" Oh he would get her in the bath too at some point. And he knew that she'd imagine the possibility given that vague ultimatum he'd just given her.

Lucy's grin only widened in amusement - or maybe the image that accompanied that ultimatum, "This time, hmm? We'll see," she teased. Yeah, she knew full well he'd get her in the bath at one point, but she could still pretend to play hard to get. She enjoyed teasing him mercilessly. She strolled past on her way to the bathroom for said shower. "I'll be out in a minute." Then he could take his, because she was sure he needed a shower too.

"Oh you bet we will~" Natsu answered back before he started rummaging about for a towel for himself. Natsu did watch Lucy disappear into the bathroom, remembering that lovely view from behind.

Lucy laughed again at that oh-so-confident response from Natsu, shaking her head. But nice hot showers need to be had, and in moments she was enjoying a nice hot shower. Maybe a little too hot since when she came out she was a little pinker than before, towel wrapped around her body and a robe slipped on to hang off of one shoulder. "Ah, that was invigorating...~!" And nice clean sheeeeeets. "Your turn~! o/~"

Natsu felt the door swing open as the steam poured out along with a rosy skinned Lucy. Natsu smirked to himself before turning his eyes up to meet hers. He quickly noted that exposed shoulder and had to admit for a moment that she'd managed to leave him speechless because of how good that small detail looked on her.

"Oh uh yeah guess I'll go now."

She didn't fix it either - why bother when it was going to slip anyway, right? Watching him looking speechless at her made her grin a little more, "Hurry up if you still want me to hold up my end of the bargain." She called after him, giggling under her breath. 'If'.

Natsu let out a low warning growl hearing her teasing but just slipped inside the bathroom, quickly getting into the shower and making the utmost effort to get cleaned up as fast as possible. He wasn't letting her backdown dammit.

Lucy grinned faintly as she watched him head into the bathroom. Silly dragon, she didn't -really- intend on backing down. But giving him a little incentive to hurry up and rejoin her was reason enough to let him think it. While he was in the bathroom, she stretched her arms over her head, sighing softly as she proceeded to towel dry her hair. One leg crossing over the other, he would be greeted by the warmth of a smiling Lucy. ... who was wearing nothing more than a towel and a robe hanging off of her shoulder. Oh right...

Even by rushing, it still felt like he didn't make it back fast enough. But even then he wasn't prepared for the lovely sight waiting for him when he opened that door. He had one hand rubbing a towel over his now not so spiky salmon hair while the other rested idly over the knot of the towel around his hips. How would she take that attack!

Oh.

Boy, she was just as unprepared for that sight, her gaze drinking it in with a slow smile. Her heart skipped a beat - if she'd have to describe it, she'd have to say it was like she fell for him all over again, every time she looked at him. And that was a feeling she'd never get enough of.

"All squeaky clean?" She inquired with a teasing grin. That he rushed just so she wouldn't back out of her promise still tickled her immensely.

Oh he saw that lingering look and reveled in that reaction as he had the right to of course. To her question he chuckled and let the towel slide off his hair.

"Yup. Though if you don't believe me you're welcome to test it yourself." Even if that carried the risk of getting both of them dirty again if Lucy wasn't careful.

That was a very risky offer! She just had to be careful, that was all. And not look at him in any kind of way that would indicate her wanting him. "Hmmm, maybe I will." she grinned, getting off of the bed and stepping over towards him, a hand brushing against his side. "I think you'll pass the squeaky clean test." She grinned.

Risky indeed but he wasn't trying to play safe. Come to think of it did he ever play safe? The answer to that was likely a resounding no. That being said he didn't move from his spot, luring Lucy in to see what she'd do for the 'test' "Oho you think so hmm?"

That would be a huge no. He probably didn't even have the term in in his vocabulary. "Mmhmm," she grinned, "I could be wrong though." She let her hands slowly wander over his chest, as if inspecting the lines of his body for specks of dirt. The fact that she loved the feel of his body was an added bonus. "You did rush through that shower after all."

That was probably the truth. But then it was clearly not something that was to his disadvantage. After all Lucy kept coming back for more with him. He felt those fingers trace the muscles on his torso, eliciting a few shudders of delight and anticipation.

"Well you gave me a good reason to rush~"