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Wheels of Fire	By : Rhov Category: +. to F > Fairy Tail Views: 22712 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 2
Disclaimer: Fairy Tail is the property of Hiro Mashima. I make no money, I just do this for my own pleasure.

Chapter List
- 17
- 18
- 19
Chapter 18
Joyriding Through Fiore
Lucy woke up to heat. There was something hot at her back, and she felt pressure over her ribs. Then, in the midst of sleepiness, there was warm air on her neck. It tickled, and she giggled drowsily. Then she heard a low hum from a man. She jolted fully awake to see an arm draped over her, knees curled up against the back of her knees, and feeling gentle breathing at her neck. She was in bed with someone. She glanced around and saw the pink hair.
He's in my bed again, idiot!
Fury spiked through her. How many times had she told Natsu not to sneak into her bed? How many times did she have to punish him for being so intrusive? She was ready to kick him out, when she paused. Her mind woke up a little more. Sleeping on his side, she saw the neck … with no scar.
Edo-Natsu! I asked him to come to my bed. Oh God, last night! I … I did … that! Then he wanted to do more with me, but I told him to just hold me while I slept. I remember now.
She smiled and blushed. Her fingers went up to her lips, unable to believe that she had really done such an intimate thing. It made her feel hot inside, and she almost wished she had boldly agreed to let him do more.
She wanted to run off to the bathroom, but that meant climbing over the sleeping boy. She could just imagine trying, him waking up with her straddled over his hips, and he would open his eyes to see the wrong impression. Lucy had read enough manga to know the stereotypes and avoid them.
His eyes tensed up for a moment. She froze, worried he might wake up, unsure what she could say to him, how to act around him now that they had gone this far in their relationship. Sleeping together! No sex, granted, but … she had been tempted. Oh so tempted!
"Dun wanna go," Edo-Natsu mumbled in his sleep. "Stay … wiff Wucy."
Lucy laughed quietly at how childish he sounded. A tiny piece of her still worried if he meant her or Ashley. She would probably always fret about that, just as he would always wonder aboutif she meant himself and Dragneel. It could not be helped.
He said two more words that Lucy could not really make out, although she thought they were "open road." Was he dreaming about the car? They were supposed to go driving that day. She wondered if he would be wild again. A part of her hoped so. Maybe if he was less timid, she could be too.
Her hand drifted to his neck. When he was asleep, the similarities between him and Salamander were really unnerving, yet this neck told her the truth. This smooth, flawless neck!
He stirred at her touch, blinked in the sunlight coming from the window, and gazed up at her.
"Princess?" He sounded so groggy, as if not sure if she was a dream. Then his eyes widened, and he gasped in a moment of panic.
I'm in her bed! How did I get into her bed?
Slowly, the terror drifted, replaced by intense blushing. Lucy realized he must also be remembering last night and just how they wound up sleeping together.
"Sleep well?" she whispered, stroking his neck again.
He nodded, closing his eyes as he savored the feel of her gentle fingers. "Mmh. You?"
She smiled. "You're a quiet sleeper."
"Well, that's good," he laughed. "Gray Surge says I talk in my sleep."
She decided not to mention what she had heard. "Are you ready to drive later?"
His eyes widened in excitement. "You still wanna?"
"Of course. I've been looking forward to it all week."
"Good! Great! I wasn't sure … I mean, after last night…" He broke off his words and blushed brightly, looking away in a vain attempt to hide his happiness.
"Did you think I'd be angry at you?"
"I…" He stopped and lowered his eyes. "I was really hoping you wouldn't be." He shifted around in the blankets a little. "Can I … maybe … kiss you good morning?"
Lucy giggled softly. "Sure, you can do that."
His eyes brightened instantly. However, he looked a little hesitant. He could not remember ever kissing a girl who had just woken up.
No … there was that time with Levy, before Gajeel arrived. They had done a mission together, they could not afford a hotel, so they slept in the four-wheeler. They also had a little fun in the back. Just a little messing around, kissing and touching, nothing serious, merely two teens letting off some steam. When they woke up the next morning, he kissed her and, as a joke, told her that by the hallowed laws of race car drivers, this made them officially married. She punched him. Hard! She never rode alone in his car again.
He would not mind making that sort of joke with Lucy Heartfilia. If only it was a true law.
He pushed aside those memories. If he ever told Lucy about how much he actually had done in his car, and with how many girls, she would probably hate him. It was never anything serious, never went too far, but he had a feeling that Lucy had not done much of anything. He liked that about her. She did not mess around with the feelings of her fellow guild members. She didn't even date them! There was something admirable about that sort of innocence.
He looked down at her, still lying on her pillow, her blonde hair scattered around her. She was watching him, waiting, with nervous anticipation tugging on her lower lip that she kept licking discreetly and pulling slightly into her mouth, worried about chapped lips. This innocent and slightly bashful Lucy was what he loved about her. She was not so different from himself. She was more like the sort of person he aspired to become, if only he could overcome his lack of self-confidence. She was not some bombastic or annoying person, just kind … loyal … sweet!
As he leaned over her, Lucy looked up at those dark sage-green eyes lowering with a longing that far exceeded what she knew he would tell her. Part of her wished Edo-Natsu would want more, and part of her was glad he held himself back, because she certainly did not trust her own ability to control herself.
His pink hair drifted down as he leaned in closer. The tips brushed over her face, tickling a little, and soon she could feel air coming from his nostrils. She held still, and her eyes began to lower as he drew so close, she could no longer see him clearly.
He watched her eyes close in anticipation. A quick lick to his lips to make sure they would be soft, and he bravely placed them against hers.
A good morning kiss!
He had no idea how long to hold it. As seconds ticked away, he just knew that he did not want to pull away. If he did, they would have to part. She would clean up, he would make breakfast, they would eat…
Ah, but then they would ride together!
So after a long and simple kiss, he leaned back up. Her cheeks were flushed, and with her messy bed-head hair, it was unendurably erotic. Not thinking, he leaned down again, kissing her harder. When he gave a small lick to her lips, hers remained firmly shut.
Oh … right. Morning breath. She was probably afraid of something like that.
"Sorry," he whispered as he pulled back. "Coffee or tea this morning?"
It took Lucy a moment to get her head out of the clouds. "Ah … um … coffee might be nice."
He nodded, pulled the covers away, and swung his legs over the edge of the bed. When he looked back around, he saw Lucy's tiny nightgown bunched up at her hips, showing the underwear she wore with it.
He knew women did not wear underwear like that to bed, not unless they expected something more than sleeping. He began to worry now. Had she wanted more? Did he mess up by just holding her, not touching her more intimately? Yet he had offered, and she said she only wanted to cuddle. If that was true, why had she worn such sexy underwear to bed?
"Um … bathroom first," he decided, and he hurried away before Lucy saw his morning arousal.
Breakfast was thankfully without too much awkwardness. While Lucy showered, Edo-Natsu glanced at a map of Magnolia and the surrounding countryside. It was something he picked up on his test drive the night before, when he drove to a store for various supplies they might need: duct tape in case anything came loose, a solar powered flashlight since he could not use magic, some tools to fix a flat tire, and other items he had already stored in the car.
Finally, it was time to take a joyride. Lucy packed a basket of sandwiches and got a blanket for a picnic. Edo-Natsu had a route planned out with interesting places to visit that were accessible by car, but just a little too far out of the way for a trip by foot. As they loaded the car, he prattled on about the areas he picked. Lucy had heard about most of them: a waterfall a few kilometers out of town that was not near the train tracks and too far by foot, a winery estate that Cana had raved about for ages, and a winding road up the coast with lots of pullovers for picturesque views. Lucy giggled to herself as she saw his excitement, and she had to admit, she was also feeling giddy for this long drive around the countryside of Fiore.
Edo-Natsu dashingly opened the car door for her and let Lucy take her seat. She blushed at such gentlemanly manners, sat in the passenger seat, and buckled her seat belt while he hurried around the car. She saw Edo-Natsu take a deep, calming breath before opening his door and sitting down.
"Here we go," he said, his voice tense with anxiety. His hands shook as he turned the key, and the engine roared to life. Like a switch, all timidity vanished, his eyes narrowed slightly, and a smirk curled onto his mouth. He lowered the goggles over his eyes. He was truly Fireball Natsu once more.
"Hold on tight, babe," he warned slyly. "We're gonna fly now. Go Fire!"
With squealing tires, he bolted down the street, and Lucy screamed as she clutched her seat belt. Edo-Natsu laughed wildly. Once her heart calmed down, Lucy glared over, ready to yell at him about driving safely. However, the childish joy in his face was too cute. She would scold him later. For now, she let him have a little fun. In no time, they were out of the city limits and on the open road.
"This is what I missed," he said, grinning excitedly. "The freedom of a car, the open road, simply cruising with no worries, no troubles, no people to beat me up or make fun of me. Just me and my car." He looked over at Lucy. "Remember the first time we rode together in Edolas?"
"I remember you kicked me out of your car rather rudely," she pointed out.
"Yeah, sorry about that," he laughed lightly. "I just didn't want to get my hands dirty in what you were planning. You gotta admit, attacking King Faust, overthrowing the government … it was insane! Still, cruising was fun, right? Haha! Except Other-Me vomited in the backseat. Took me days to clean the stench out." He reached over and squeezed her hand. "Now I can really go cruising with you. I sort of wanted to back then, but there was that kid-version of Wendy, the Exceeds, and that vomiting flame-brain in the back. But you … you were hot!"
Lucy blushed and looked away. He was being a bit too bold now.
"I thought so even back then. You weren't like my Lucy at all. I really wanted to cruise, just you and me. Still, I knew what you guys had planned. I thought you were going off to your deaths, so I didn't want to get close. That's why I was rude. Plus, I was different back then. The only thing I cared for was my car. The guild … it was a good excuse to drive at insane speeds. They paid for my lacrima fuel, and that was enough for me. I didn't hang out in the guild hall like the others. I just … cruised. I drove whenever I could. I wanted to run away from everything: from my fears, from my past, from any emotional attachments. Just keep driving down that road and escape it all. Yet, at the end of the day, I had to return, I had to get out, and all that crap came crashing back. The open road was the only thing I wanted, the only place where I could be me! Until now, Princess Lucy."
"I said don't call me that," she mumbled bashfully.
"The only place I want to be is near you, because even without a car, I feel bolder when you're with me. Having you here, having this car and you at my side…" He squeezed her fingers tighter. "This is a dream come true. I love you so much for giving me this chance."
"Oh, Fireball," she sighed.
"If I wasn't driving, I'd kiss you," he declared. "But let's get going first. I'm gonna give you the ride of your life."
She smirked seductively. "I look forward to it."
He chuckled and focused back onto the highway.
Their first trip was to the waterfall. The road to a deep gorge was narrow and curvy, built into the hills and following the meandering lines of nature. When they arrived, the falls was just beyond a short trail. The glint in his eyes changed only a little when he got out of the car and raced around to open the door for her. Edo-Natsu grabbed Lucy's hand and laughed playfully as he pulled her forward. She trotted after him, liking this sort of behavior much more.
Finally, the trail ended, and up ahead was a tower of water falling like liquid crystal. Lucy looked up at the falls and felt the cooling mist on her cheeks. All around, a gorge had been carved out over the eons, with rocks covered in spongy moss and plants striving to live in this misty realm of water and rock.
"It's breathtaking," she whispered.
Edo-Natsu pulled out a camera. "Picture, picture!" He looked at it a little bit, trying to remember what the sales clerk said when she explained how Earthland cameras worked. Then he raised the camera to Lucy. "Smile!"
Lucy grinned and held up a peace sign. The camera flashed, and Edo-Natsu looked proud of himself for pushing the right button. Lucy took the camera, and she in turn took a picture of Fireball by the falls. His grin was so broad, so relaxed. With no one else around but her, he had no reason to be timid.
"Together now!" He took the camera, held it out in front of him, and yanked Lucy right up against him until they were cheek to cheek. She blushed at the closeness, but managed to smile before the flash went off.
They stayed only a few minutes, enough to explore the area around the falls, but otherwise there was not much to do. Neither thought to pack a swimsuit to wade out into the splash pool, and they were both too reserved to dare skinny-dipping. As the wind picked up and the spray blew more, they returned to the car. Edo-Natsu's personality was already rather open, so Lucy hardly saw any change between the driver and the man outside of the car.
They traveled back down to the main highway and onto a straight stretch of road. Lucy wondered where that winery was. It was not quite noon yet, but the anticipation of the drive meant she ate very little during breakfast, so she was getting hungry.
"I'm gonna test her limits," Fireball suddenly warned. "Nothing I'll do is dangerous, although it might appear so. Just trust me, okay? I need to know what she can do."
Lucy smirked. "She, huh? Why is it that men refer to their cars as female?"
"Because they're difficult to manage."
She humphed at that!
"You can't train them like a tanchimo or other racing animal. You care for them, spend all your money on them, they usually act up and never do what you want, but when car and driver work together in perfect unison, you can really make her purr."
Lucy's cheeks went bright red at his explanation. Purr, huh? She had felt like purring last night. She wouldn't mind purring again!
As he pressed the gas pedal more and more, accelerating to racing speeds, he laughed, as if driving so insanely fast was perfectly normal. "Having fun yet, Princess?"
She was! Even such an insane speed thrilled her and made her heart race. Faster and faster! The scenery around them blurred. Then she heard a noise in the engine.
"Three hundred and twenty kilometers per hour. Not bad." He began to take the speed back down.
"That's insane!" Lucy cried out. "Who the hell drives that fast?"
"You never know when you'll need to," he answered seriously. "I wouldn't push her past three hundred, though. She was really rattling. Now to see how she takes curves."
They came to some foothills, and the road became tortuous as it winded around. Fireball took a curve in the road so hard, Lucy swore they went onto two wheels. She grabbed her seat belt to hang on, but Fireball still looked calm and focused. Driving this crazy did nothing to him. She got the sense that insane stunts like this really were an everyday thing for him. She wondered what sort of driving missions he used to do in Edolas. They were a dark guild, so surely they did missions … even if illegally.
She realized, they rarely talked about Edolas anymore. It used to be that speaking about the people back in his home was the only way to get the boy to talk. Now, it was more like both were carefully avoiding that subject. She did not want him to get homesick, and he probably did not want to feel the guilt that, deep in his heart, he had decided he wanted to stay in this dimension.
As Lucy sighed to herself, she took her eyes off his focused face and back onto the road. Just then, she saw a deer leap out onto the highway.
"Natsu, watch out!" she screamed.
"Shit!" he shouted.
His foot slammed hard on the breaks. Tires squealed, smoke burned, and Lucy was flung forward hard against the seat belt. At the last moment Fireball swerved to avoid the deer, then spun out. White-knuckled, he clutched the steering wheel, counter-spinning it as he clenched his teeth. At last, the car came to a stop, and the deer bounded away into the trees.
In the car, Edo-Natsu was panting from the adrenaline rush, and his heart thumped painfully hard against the wall of his chest. He looked at where the deer had been standing. The car left black curls in the road from the spin-out, and now they were facing the wrong way.
"Breaks work," he muttered wryly. Slowly, his clenched fingers pried off the wheel. "Princess?" She was silent with her head resting against the side window. "Lucy!" he shouted urgently. He threw off his seat belt and crawled over to her seat. He felt her cheek and saw she was still breathing. "Lucy, are you okay?"
Slowly, her head raised up. "Well, that was an adventure," she whispered wearily.
His face still looked fretful. "Are you hurt anywhere?"
"I'm fine, Natsu. Maybe…" She pulled the seat belt away and rubbed her chest. "Maybe some bruising, but I'm not hurt bad. That was some good driving. I'm really glad you didn't hit the deer."
"An animal isn't worth your life," he said softly, still touching her. He felt her arms carefully, and then felt her neck. He figured she must have whiplash, but she did not even flinch when he touched the muscles. "Slowly move your head around. Any pain?"
She obediently tilted her head from side to side, then front to back. "Ow! A little."
After something like that, she supposed she could have ended up badly injured. Without the seat belt, it was highly probable she would have been tossed through the windshield. She was glad he bolted those restraints down so well. Then she looked up at him. He had crawled over so quickly and straddled over her seat, his knees on either side of her, so he could be close enough to feel for injuries and look at her eyes for any signs of trauma.
He was … practically on top of her. His hands were wrapped around her neck, and his face was … so … close.
"Natsu," she whispered.
He glanced down, seriously worried if she was hurt, but the flush to her cheeks spoke of something else. Only then did he realize what this looked like. If they had been outside of the car, he would have squeaked in terror, leaped away, covered his head, and begged for forgiveness. Now though, especially after such a scare…
He ran a finger over the diagonal friction burn from the seat belt, right over her chest. Lucy's breath caught softly, and her breasts pressed out a little, eager to be touched more. Then he leaned down and kissed that pink line to take away any pain, soft kisses from her shoulder down her upper chest, nibbling toward her breast. She moaned softly and closed her eyes as her body heated up from his tender sensuality.
"Lucy," he moaned into her skin. He raised his face back up, hovering close in front of her, staring at those soft pink lips. His eyes lowered, and slowly he began to lean in.
"Are you guys all right?"
Fireball pulled back quickly, and Lucy blushed crimson at being caught. He scrambled off of her and back to his own seat as another car pulled up and stopped. Two doors opened, and worried voices called out again. Lucy was stunned to see a familiar small man being chauffeured by a dashing dark-blond gentleman.
"Ichiya, Hibiki!"
"Lucy," the playboy cried out. Instantly, Hibiki was by her window. "Oh, precious Lucy, are you all right? We can call in the Christine and have you air-lifted to a hospital. Or I can tend to your wounds right here, healing you with my adoration."
She drew back with a sour face. "No, I'm … fine … really."
Ichiya came over and sniffed her, grossing Lucy out even more. "That perfume of youth is heavenly on you this morning and can shield from all harm." Then he smelled Edo-Natsu. "Your perfume is not of that fiery aroma of youthful passion. I smell no magic in you at all. Who are you, young man who looks like my Salamander friend?"
Hibiki only then realized someone else was in the car. "Natsu? I thought you get carsick."
"This is … um…" Lucy looked to Fireball, who was glaring at having been interrupted by two flirtatious men. "He's an alternate universe version of Natsu Dragneel. It's a long story. I'm caring for him while he's stuck here."
Ichiya trotted over to the driver's side door and sniffed Edo-Natsu some more. "Ahh, Master Bob mentioned Master Makarov's queries into inter-dimensional travel. Quite a different perfume exudes from you, boy. Not of fire, but of speed: youthful passion at its fastest and most furious."
Edo-Natsu warned darkly, "Get your fat nose outta my face, old man."
Ichiya looked heartbroken. "Old? I'm not old yet. I'm barely thirty-six. I still have a remnant of the perfume of youth in me."
"A deer ran out in front of us, but no one got hurt," Lucy assured them. "We really should get going. We have to be somewhere."
Hibiki reached around and touched the back of Lucy's neck. "Perhaps I should give you a massage. Surely, after such reckless driving, your neck must be in pain."
"Hey!" Edo-Natsu snapped possessively.
"It's a little sore," she admitted, "but I'll be fine. I'll get an ice pack when we get to the winery."
"Peacegardens Winery?" Hibiki asked in surprise. "We've just come from there. Master Bob sent us to pick up a shipment of their seasonal wine." Those seductive brown eyes looked from Lucy to the pink-haired driver. "Are you two on a date?"
Ichiya nodded seriously. "That is what I smell. The perfume of love!"
Lucy looked even more flustered. "A d-d-date? No! No, of course not. It's not like that at all."
"I see." Hibiki grabbed Lucy's hand and kissed it. With a sensually low tone, he asked, "Would you like to make it one … with me?"
Before Lucy could get over her shock—Did Hibiki really just ask me out?—the tires squealed, the car surged forward, and Edo-Natsu spun them around one-eighty to face the right way. Then he zoomed between the two Blue Pegasus wizards, barely missing them. As he passed, Edo-Natsu flicked his middle finger out the window.
"Idiot!" Lucy yelled. "You could have hit them."
"I had a five-centimeter clearance on either side," Edo-Natsu grumbled peevishly.
"Well, I don't have my seat belt on yet." She yanked the buckle around her. "That was way too reckless. I already have a sore neck. I don't need you whipping the car around like that."
He kept his speed up, clenching the wheel. "Who were those two?"
"They're from Blue Pegasus, a magic guild in Earthland, Ichiya and Hibiki…"
"I know their names," Edo-Natsu shouted angrily. "Ichiya and Hibiki: the two most notorious gangsters in Edolas, the boss of Traia Underground and his blood-thirsty lieutenant. What are they to you? Friends? Allies of Fairy Tail?" His narrow eyes slid over. "Former lovers?"
"What?" she screamed.
"Lucy Ashley and Mister Hibiki in my world were … intimate."
"Oh, hell no! He's a playboy, and I hate that sort."
"He definitely knows you well."
"The Trimens and my team once worked together on a big mission. Hibiki is … a friend, if even that. That's all."
"Then why did you lie to him?"
"Huh?"
"About us. Saying this isn't a date. Or do you not see this as a date? Am I really just some outsider you're forced to babysit? Are you doing this purely to humor me?"
"Natsu, no." This side of him shocked her. He was possessive, jealous, angry, and Lucy had no clue how to deal with it. "I just … I panicked, okay. Their guild and ours have close ties. Ichiya will likely mention this to Master Bob, who is good friends with Master Makarov. Then everyone will know. I'm not sure I'm ready to let everyone know about us. They…" She turned away to look out the window. "They wouldn't understand," she mumbled.
They were tensely silent for a few minutes. Lucy looked out the window at the passing scenery, while Edo-Natsu raced down the highway with a grim tightness to his jaws. Slowly, the death-grip he had on the steering wheel loosened, and he took the speed back down to a gentle cruise.
"I'm sorry," he whispered. "It's just, seeing those two again…" He sneered in anguish. "Fairy Tail was betrayed by the Traia Underground. We used to work with them. Lucy and Mister Hibiki … like I said, they were close. She had given him some of Levy's guns as thanks for financially bailing out the guild. She didn't know he was with the Mafia. They used the guns to massacre many innocent people, and Fairy Tail was blamed for arming the Underground. Lucy went after Hibiki, just to yell at him and maybe punch him a couple times, but … well, no one hits a Mafia boss's second-in-command and just walks away. Hibiki … he … hurt Lucy. Badly."
"He raped her?" she whispered in horror.
Edo-Natsu could not even confirm it without fiery rage surging in his chest from the dark memories. "I had driven her there that day. I realized something was wrong, things were taking too long. Then I heard yelling. I thought she was beating them up, not too weird considering they betrayed us, until … until I heard her screaming in pain. I crashed my car through the building to break in there. Somehow, I managed to rescue her, but … not before … he and his men had…" Edo-Natsu shook his head, close to tears.
Lucy reached over and patted his leg. "I can't imagine Hibiki harming any woman. He adores ladies."
"Yeah, well, it seems some things in this dimension are a lot better than my own." He moved past the dark memory. "I guess I shouldn't have done that to those two. They were worried about you, and they seem … nice," he grudgingly admitted.
"I wouldn't want to spend too long around either one," she admitted, "but Hibiki is nice when he finally stops flirting. He's reliable, at least."
Edo-Natsu said nothing more. He had almost ruined this whole day, first with recklessness, then with jealousy. He sincerely hoped he could recover a little of the romance during their picnic at the winery.
End of Chapter 18
A/N: Fireball's explanation on why cars are referred to as female (at least in English) was taken verbatim from my husband. I was stuck on that line, so I asked him "Why is a car a SHE?" He immediately said, "Because they're difficult to manage." I scowled at him, then realized that would be Lucy's reaction.
Three people have already asking me about Nichiya being Edo-Ichiya. I stated in Chapter 1 (waaaaay back) that in my imagination, Nichiya was just a lookalike, NOT Edo-Ichiya. This is based on the fact that we have seen no other examples of Human/Exceed lookalikes. Otherwise, somewhere in Earthland is a Human version of Happy saying AYE SIR all the time, except since he's opposite, maybe he'd be called Grumpy. Grumpy Cat! ^_^
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