midnightstar | DA KIDLETS because i miss them so

Now that the weather was warmer, the kids were no longer so restless (not that they could be too restless with Natsu around to play with) and were eager to go out and on adventures of their own, both with their older sis/bro/not parents and without. Regine was kept busy helping to tend the guild in their absence, though occasionally she got dragged off by the children for adventures, on days that Natsu and Lucy had work to do.

Although lately there'd been a lot of jobs, so Lucy, at least, hadn't had time to spend with the kids quite so much. Which was why she had suggested taking the kids to the beach for fun, sun, fishing, and whatever else they wanted to do. Good plan, yes? Yes! Nev'd been up since the crack of dawn, full of excitement, and vigor, like a tiny fire-less Natsu. Justyne, on the other hand, had slept in a little more. Lucy just had to put a few final touches on her appearance - since her hair had gotten much longer in the last few months. "Twenty jewels say that Neveren will be knocking on the door in five minutes." She called over to Natsu with a grin.

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Lucy was about to inform Regina that no, she wasn't tired at all, when Natsu snagged her hand and she was reminded that she didn't get to spend as much time with him as she wanted either. So with a chuckle, she gave a wave to the other woman, closing the door behind them. "She must have gotten a lot done today, not having to worry about what the children were up to," she grinned, squeezing his hand.

"I bet. But it was worth it on our end too. Seeing you play around with them like that. I could watch that forever you know" Natsu said, leaning in to playfully nip at the air close to her cheek.

Lucy giggled, rewarding him with a small squeak of surprise when he nipped at the air near her cheek. Playfully she gave him a shove - even though he wouldn't budge if he didn't want to, and she knew that well by now. "Hahaha~, as if you were the only one watching. Seeing you and Nev working together to take down our little fort -" she giggled.

"Well you didn't see us that much. Spent most of the time digging up under ya before you were any the wiser~" Natsu grinned cheekily and nuzzled lovingly against her cheek this time.

Grinning, she raised her free hand to fluff through his hair. "Yes, and you're filthy because of it. Even after Aquarius' bath." She teased, leaning against him. A little dirt wasn't going to stop her from getting nuzzles, after all.

"It was totally worth it~" Natsu admitted without shame and finally pulled away but only barely. Natsu lead her up to their room without any more delay. "So about that second bath I need?"

She grinned at that shameless response, following along after him, "Mm, hmmm? What, you want me to wash your back?" She teased. No, she remembered a certain conversation he'd hinted into earlier.

Ohohoh she started this game. And he would take her up on that. Natsu chuckled and leaned in closer still taking a good whiff of her scent.

"Welll if you're offerin~"

Whoops, she had only been teasing about that~! And now he was getting closer, which always threw her off, even now. "Well..." she said slowly, grinning, "You can't reach your back on your own, right...?"

"Then I should do yours too~ Since you did get pulled into the sand with me." AS if it hadn't been him that pulled her down. THe dragon was clearly innocent. The princess was such a bad influence.

She was totally okay with that offer; she'd have said so if his follow up statement hadn't made her burst into giggles. "And I wonder how that happened?" As if she didn't know her dragon wasn't totally guilty and trying to pin the blame on cute little her! The nerve of some people.

" I think it was because you had Virgo dig a tunnel to kidnap my second in command~" Natsu answered with a grin from ear to ear before leaning in to tease the tip of her ear with his lips.

She grinned, looking a little too smug when he pointed that out. "Well you have to admit - you never saw it gkliiiiiiiii-" Now,... that wasn't even any word in the language anywhere, but she didn't see him teasing her ear coming either, so her words sort of got letters got mushed together from the surprise.

"No...not that I don't enjoy the attention, but-- c...can't you wait until we're at least behind closed doors before doing something like that?" She sputtered at him. Think of the consequences man~!

"Now why would I do that? AFter all Regina should still be struggling to get the kids in their pj's." She would rue the day when he picked up on all of her smartalec habits and lines. He was already starting to be an expert at this sort of thing. The transformation almost uncanny and yet still very natural.

"Ahaha, That's an answer I think I'll keep to myself." she made a face at him. Hmph, he wanted to be the incorrigible, unashamed troublemaker she knew and loved, she could tease him back just as much. "And you'll just have to wonder and wonder," she reached up to tickle her fingers at the back of his neck, "And it'll be my s-e-c-re-t~."

"ohohoh the star queen thinks she can keep secrets from her dragon king hmm?" Natsu purred softly and leaned into her hand despite his haughty words. Oh yes he was offering her his neck for tickling petting or scratching.

Lucy stifled a soft laugh, tickling her fingers up his neck as he offered that spot for her more. "Mmm, she does~!" she teased back, "And there's no torture the evil dragon king can do to pry them from her sweet lips," she added, giggling as she shifted her hand from tickling him to petting gently.

By then they'd reached their destination, and Lucy reached forward with a hand to push open the door, still amused.

"Ohohoh that sounds like a challenge to me~" Natsu chuckled but then broke into a purr rumbling from the bottom of his chest. He pulled her in by the waist through the door then quickly closed it before leaning in for a quick nip at Lucy's throat.

Giggling, Lucy nodded, "Maybe i-eep~!" Really she should expect him tugging her along like that more often, but the end result always left her incapable of speaking. Now was no different, though she chuckled softly, bracing herself against the door he closed, her voice lowering into a teasing purr of his name. "Natsu..." She hummed faintly, tilting her head up to let him reach her neck more easily while she ran her fingers through his hair.

She would feel his lips form a cheeky smile against her neck. Oh how delightful it was when he could cut her off like that. Pinning her up against the door was more or less natural at this point having grown too impatient so many times. But he didn't take to messing with her clothes just yet instead letting his lips roam all over her neck and collar.

She'd been unable to get close enough to Natsu for long all day, she wanted to immerse herself in everything that was him. Shivering slightly, she curled her arms around his shoulders, craving the feel of him in her arms. She could feel that cheeky smile too - she'd 'allow' it, catching her breath in soft gasps now and again, her fingers making his messy hair that much messier.

"Not so worried about the noise any more are you~" Oh yes he was rubbing it in. How easily he could unravel her while sating that burning hunger that had been building up while he was playing around with the kids and unable to really play with the one who had an certain claim on his heart.

Boy did she ever blush at that question. "I'...we're not being loud," she huffed against his chest, nuzzling against him. "So there's nothing to worry about.." right now. Although she knew from experience that Natsu had a gift of drawing out those loud noises from her- noises she didn't think she had even been capable of making.

He laughed at her huffy argument. Those puffed up cheeks were just precious and it made him want to nip and kiss them so many times. ANd he likely was going to do just that. Right now though her neck was a far more inviting target for his affections.

It was difficult to be huffy when he kept defusing the huffiness! She giggled, though her amusement was cut off by the soft purrs he drew out of her from his affections. She pulled him closer, tightening her fingers into his hair and nuzzling against his neck in turn. She let out a low sigh, "It feels like it's been too long since I've felt your arms around me like this." Him holding her on the beach didn't count - it was only for a few seconds!