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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" Well it's not like lying about it would be any better." Natsu pointed out cheekily before he let his hand wander over Lucy's stomach. "Oh it's all very real though. Here let me show you~" Natsu purred and then claimed LUcy's lips with an eager hungry kiss as he led them both closer to the spacious tub they'd gotten shortly after going official.

She giggled at his cheeky comment. But oh that purred response, and that kiss - it was leaving her breathless. As if she were so close to heaven she could grasp it with her hands.

In short, she whimpered and melted against him, responding to the hunger in hiss kiss with her own eagerness, instinctively following him as he moved. One arm curved around his neck, her hand slipping up to his head, grasping a fistful of hair.

Each tug and pull on his hair, earned Lucy a rumbling grown of approval. He knew the stronger she pulled the better his performance was to push her that far. After a while he had to break for air or to be more precise had to break for air for Lucy's sake.

"Mmmm I think the tub's ready for us~" He said as his hands moved up over Lucy's front on the way towards her large lovely breasts.

When he pulled back to let her get some air, she was out of breath, staring at him with an utterly infatuated, though dazed, look on her face. "Huh? What...? Bath?"

Oh. OH. Right, bath! She blinked, realizing that yes, they're in the bathroom about to ...to bathe together. She shook her head a little to restart her brain, clearing her throat as she glanced at the tub. Plenty of room for the both of them, and then some. At the time she'd wondered why they would even need something so big, but, she wasn't going to complain about it. Far from it. "Yeah, it looks like --" she reached over to turn the faucet off. Phew.

"So you wanna get in first?" As if it really mattered. Natsu had every intent to hold her close with her back to his chest once they got settled in but giving her that choice was all he really wanted at that point. Letting her steer things just a little bit~

As far as Lucy was concerned, getting in first would give her more time to get used to the temperature! It wouldn't matter to Natsu, since he was used to the heat. Which she always liked teasing him about cheating with it.

"Yeah, I'll get in first." She agreed, turning to step into the tub which - thankfully had cooled enough that she only squeaked a little at the sudden change in temperature. Oh, she loved a hot bath~!

Natsu only half turned away from her before she slipped into the tub. Something she might have missed before he turned back around to step out of his trousers and into the tub with her. His vest was long gone crumpled on the floor in their room somewhere.

He moved up around Lucy and settled comfortably putting himself between Lucy and the tub.

"Mmmm this feels nice and toasty~"

She did miss it in fact, which was probably a good thing in hindsight. That body of his was too much for her~! It was hard enough to keep her hands off of him when he didn't have his vest on. Heck, if the kids hadn't been with them on the beach she'd have been all over him.

Lucy grinned, marveling and wondering how he could -still- have the same effect on her as the first time she fell in love with him, even now. All he was doing was holding her - granted they were both naked, but... still. "Hmm, I have to agree it is - especially this close to you," she let herself relax against him, glancing over her shoulder. "Although it'll make your bathing a little difficult." She teased.

"Well technically only for me. Since in your case I can help you with the washing~ After all I can reach eee~verywhere when I'm this close to you~" Natsu pointed out letting his hands wander idly over Lucy's arm as a faint teasing smirk tugged at his lips.

"Of course that's always the case while I don't get distracted~"

Lucy paused for a moment. Eeeeeeverywhere -- well he actually could, now that she thought about it. He had the longer reach and she was behind held particularly close. Still, she reached up with her hands to try and loop her hair up a little out of the way of the water.

"Oho, and do you think you can keep from getting distracted?" She inquired innocently, with a ~~cocky smirk~~ sweet smile as she let her hands rest against the edge of the tub. It's not like she'd do anything to distract him. Not her noooooo sir.

growth spurts were fun like that given there didn't used to be much of a height difference when they met. Now Natsu could wrap her in his arms and hold her close and safe. Yup he was quite happy with that setup.

"Well I would do my best." Not that he expected to succeed. Lucy by far had the easiest time in distracting him after all. Everything she did from the swish of her hair to even the way she walked. It had proven distracting more than once.

She could say the same about him. It didn't take much to get distracted by him. Although she had a pretty advantageous position where she was too if she let herself stop thinking enough to use it.

Instead she fished around in the water, "Well I still have to keep my promise to wash your back so don't think you're going to get out of that." As if. "In the meanwhile," she held up a soapy washcloth, grinning, "Let's see how you do." CHALLENGE. She wouldn't even cheat..! Maybe.

Natsu tended to make use of that advantage more often than Lucy. It just was such fun to see her reaction to it. But she was laying down a challenge of her own now so naturally he would rise to meet it. AT least that was the plan as he took the washcloth.

"Well you better try your best to not fall asleep while I do it~" he teased back and started dragging said washcloth over her back.

She never disappointed him either, intentionally or otherwise, when it came to her reactions. "Me? Fall asleep? I'd never dream of it -" and it was extremely tempting to pretend to fall asleep against him right there, but his hands were dangerous close to her ribs for retaliation. She leaned forward a little with a soft humm - it still felt weird to have someone else washing her back like this, but being that it was him - it felt perfectly natural too. Even if she was blushing slightly, thinking things that were probably not pure.

He heard the hum as well as the steady calm beating of her heart given how close he was. Knowing he could bring her such peace and tranquility was a reward in of itself but a dragon was also greedy so that proved hardly enough. So he moved his washcloth over Lucy's back meticulously making sure to be thorough but also quick. Since he still had her front to do and he would have to move fast before she caught onto his sneaky intent.

She didn't know what she was worried about - or embarrassed out, actually, would be a better term. He was behaving himself quite nicely - who knew, maybe she'd actually be able to get him clean and reward him for good behavior.

She forgot how sneaky and greedy he was sometimes, rather enjoying the feel of the washcloth swathing over her back - at least he could presume that, from that soft purr.

The dragon's plot was slowly coming to a head as his princess relaxed and entrusted herself to him completely. Her smooth slender neck was already beckoning to him quite a bit. He knew how it felt to attack that particular weakspot of hers. He could really make her sing.

"You're not gonna fall asleep are you~" He smirked cheekily, leaning in closer until his chest was really pressing up against Lucy's back.

"Could you blame me if I did? You're so comfortable." She teased. With him leaning forward like that, she couldn't help but relax her body against his, all but going limp since she trusted him not to let her slip into the water.

She giggled, stretching a little and shaking her head, "I'm not going to fall asleep, promise. I'm just relaxed." He wouldn't let her fall asleep anyway, she was sure.

Nah and I like how you just relax around me." It gave him plenty of openings. Like the way his hands started focusing on Lucy's shoulders and then her arms but starting with small steps leading up to something bigger. Something more enjoyable.

"Alrighty then. Let me help with that~"

Oh. "Natsu..." She purred faintly. "Why would you want me to get -more- relaxed? If I do that then I really might fall asleep." She chuckled. Well that was an exaggeration - she wouldn't possibly fall asleep like this.

Silly Lucy, getting so relaxed and trusting, why would she eeeeeeever think he was plotting something literally behind her back?

Because you can make that cute face when you're so relaxed~" Natsu pointed out without shame just as his hands started exploring lower down her arms and his lips drew tantalizingly close to Lucy's ear now.

She grinned, "But I'm...we're not supposed to be relaxing in the bath...r.." Oh hey, his lips are awfully close aren't they? "r-remember?" She should pull away and swat water at him to remind him to clean hisself, but she didn't have the heart to. Besides her hands were distractedly brushing against his leg, and the closer he was getting the harder it was to remember the original goal - hers at least.

"Well if you'd rather I do something else, then all you need to do is-" Natsu paused for effect and breathed his next sentence straight into Lucy's ear. "-say the word, my queen~" Just then his hands left her arms and instead pressed up against Lucy's sides while the washcloth floated discarded on the surface.

THAT. Was. Unfair. He KNEW how she reacted to that, darn him! She let out a whimper, whining his name softly, "Naattsuu..." She reached up, her hand sliding behind his neck, turning her head slightly, "Tha.. that's not fair," she murred softly. "You know it's hard for me to think when you do that..." Now all she wanted was him.

"Then don't think. Do what you want~ Anything at all~" He was such a bad influence but his kind of bad was so tempting and it felt so right it was just too much for poor innocent Lucy. Somehow he'd managed to grasp that weakness of hers and didn't hesitate in exploiting it whenever he had the chance.