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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
- 6
- 7
- 8
Chapter 7
A Week in Earthland
Four Days To Go
Lucy woke up momentarily shocked to find herself naked in bed. She never slept naked! Especially not when she could wake up to find Natsu in bed with her.
Natsu!
Suddenly, she remembered why she rushed into bed so quickly and stripped out of her clothes. How was she supposed to face Edo-Natsu after hearing him making moaning noises like that in the bathroom? Merely remembering it made her cheeks burn. Grasping the covers to her chest, she bolted up and looked around her apartment. The shikibuton was folded up, with the blankets on top and his pajamas on top of those. She glanced around nervously. She had slept naked, and he was at the foot of her bed. He could have seen her. He must have seen her!
Or maybe not. She had woken up with her blankets pulled to her chin, so maybe he did not know. She grabbed her housecoat and tied it extra tight around her. That should work until she could find clothes.
"Just four more days," she whispered to herself. Then she headed to the kitchen. Today, she smelled bacon and frying vegetables.
"Morning, Princess," Fireball called out cheerfully. "Spring veggie omelet with bacon and buttered wheat toast. Is that okay?"
"Y-yeah," she muttered, staring at him uncertainly. Was it just her, or did he look happier, more relaxed? His instant smile rather than cringing fear was awfully suspicious.
When the pink-haired boy heard her unsteady voice, he looked away from the stove and over to her in concern. "If you want something else, I can cook it. Let me know what you feel like. I can add meat or rice or just about anything. Just tell me."
"No … no, it's fine, really," she insisted, and quickly slipped into the bathroom to escape from him.
She could hardly help but search the bathtub, worried that he might have left a mess behind. However, the entire area was cleaned to a shine. She might have thought it was too clean, except this was how Natsu Dragion left the bathroom every night. Or had he been doing that every night, too?
After she dressed and took care of her morning needs, she sat at the dining table, still worried about what to do regarding this problem. There was no delicate way to bring it up. Besides, could she really insist that he not work off whatever lust he felt? If she did that, what if Edo-Natsu turned that lust onto her? That would be far worse. She was just coming to a decision to let the matter go when a steaming mug of coffee clacked in front of her. Lucy jumped and quickly drew away from her house guest.
"You look like you didn't sleep well," Edo-Natsu said, and he took a seat beside her with a concerned look on his face. "Did you have a nightmare? Was I snoring? If I'm too loud, you just have to tell me to be quiet."
"No, you're … you're definitely quiet," she muttered. Lucy blushed as she remembered how she had placed her ear against the door to hear him. If she had not been spying, she never would have known.
"Is anything troubling you?" he asked, truly sounding like he sincerely wanted to be of assistance.
"It's nothing," she said, waving the matter aside. "I … I don't know what to do today. We saw most of the town already."
"Well, what do you normally do?"
She grimaced as she realized that her days off were actually quite boring compared to the insane adventures she went on while working with her teammates. "Usually, I sit at home to write my story, or go to the guild to talk to people. I also like going to the bookstore, but I'm short on money now."
He hummed, then Fireball got up again to dish out breakfast. "How about we just stay in today? We did a lot of walking yesterday, and my feet got really sore." He grinned back at her. "Hey, maybe you can call out that little white dog again. He was funny. I'll stay out of your way, I promise."
"Oh … okay," Lucy muttered. She had sort of hoped to go to the guild so she could get away from him, maybe whisper her concerns to Levy and see if she had any advice. With how stressed out she felt already, she had a feeling she would not get much writing done today.
Still, they stayed in. It was hot outside, so Lucy was not really in the mood to go out after noon anyway. Edo-Natsu stayed away from her while she was busy. If he and Plue made too much noise, he was quick to apologize.
It was a long day, and to Lucy the stress of being together was driving her crazy. She kept glancing to him, but her eyes always wandered down to his crotch while lewd images haunted her mind. Through lunch and dinner, she had to face him, but they were both bashfully quiet.
When finally it was time for bed, Lucy asked to take a bath first. She did not trust what sort of mess might be waiting for her if she went second. She still felt weird soaking in her tub, wondering if he had done the act here or standing somewhere else. She bathed quickly and got out. While Fireball was in the bath, she stood near the door, listening in almost the whole time. She heard splashing, some soft hums of songs, but nothing suspicious.
Edo-Natsu eventually came out dressed in pajamas. They said very little to one another, and eventually Lucy said it was time to turn the lights off. Edo-Natsu pulled out the shikibuton, unfolded the mattress, and neatly laid out his blankets before climbing onto the bed. Lucy watched him, feeling a little guilty that he had to sleep on the floor, but he had yet to complain. Either her shikibuton was soft, or he did not have the nerves to complain. Likely the second option. She crawled into bed and hoped she could get at least a little sleep despite her worries.
Three Days To Go
The next day, they went to the guild. Lucy decided not to mention anything to Levy. It was a naughty secret she would keep to herself. After all, it was probably a one-time thing. Fireball definitely was not the sort of person who thought only about sex. He seemed to be as clueless about romance as Salamander.
Edo-Natsu tried to avoid others. He sat in a corner and looked around at everyone. This guild was bigger than the one back home, since so many of Edolas' Fairy Tail members had been killed by Erza Knightwalker and her troops. Here, he saw faces that were like ghosts. Other members were completely unfamiliar.
Seeing Laxus, Evergreen, Bickslow, and Freed made him want to cry. Laxus had been like a big brother to him at one time, and he died protecting Natsu from Knightwalker. Part of him wanted to go up to Laxus, hug him, cry into his chest like he used to do, and feel the man's arms hug him tightly. However, the lightning scar on Laxus' face and bulging muscles covered in tattoos were reminders that this was Earthland's Laxus, not the close friend he lost long ago.
Then one face that always troubled him a little walked up, a tiny old man with a bushy white mustache. Makarov handed Edo-Natsu a lollipop identical to his own candy, which confused the boy at first.
"It's a gift," the Master insisted. "Don't worry, I haven't licked it."
Fireball laughed nervously as he took the candy. "Th-thanks."
"How are you and Lucy getting along?" asked Makarov.
"Oh … um … pretty well, I guess. She's easy to get along with."
"Good, good. I'm glad you came today. I haven't seen you since you first arrived."
"Oh! Uh, s-sorry," he said, cringing down. "We … we've just been … y'know, relaxing. Oh, but she showed me around the city a couple days ago. That was pretty neat."
"That's sweet of her," Makarov said, smiling with a friendly, grandfatherly face. "I see you have some of Natsu Dragneel's clothes too." He pointed out the single-sleeved shirt Edo-Natsu wore.
"Yeah, it's a little baggy." He pouted, knowing that was because his muscles were smaller. He also thought the style was weird.
"Are you getting along well with others?" Makarov asked as he licked his own lollipop again.
"I … well…" He looked around at the guild again. "It's weird, you know. They look the same, but they act opposite from what I know. At least I know Lisanna, and Mira acts exactly the same."
"Then you should talk to them more," Makarov suggested.
"Yeah, I … I guess I could," he muttered. He slowly walked over and stood a little behind Lisanna. She had been one of the people he could always talk to, and he had to admit, he once had a bit of a crush on the old Lisanna, the one who died before this Lisanna arrived. He could barely remember that original version of her now—they had not been friends at all, he only stared at her from afar—so whenever he thought of Mira and Elfman's little sister, it was this Lisanna who came to mind now.
"Um … uh … s-sorry…" he stuttered. Approaching others was the hardest thing for a shy person like him to do, even if it was a friend.
Lisanna looked around, and instantly she smiled. "Natsu! I'm so glad you're here. We hardly got a chance to talk so far. Come on, sit over here." She grabbed his hand, making the pink-haired boy blush, and yanked him over to the bar. "This is my brother—my real brother—Elfman, and my sister Mirajane. She's a lot like the Mira-nee back in Edolas, so you can treat her exactly the same."
"It's manly to make new friends," Elfman declared.
Mira smiled and handed Dragion a cold drink. "I've heard many stories about you from Lisanna, Fireball Natsu. Perhaps the two of you should go out some time and catch up." She gave him a wink that made the boy's throat clench tightly.
"Oh … no, no I … I c-couldn't," he stuttered, blushing all the way up to his ears. Right then, he wished he had Salamander's scarf so he could hide his face in it.
"Mira-nee, stop teasing him," Lisanna scolded. "Still, I'd like to sit and chat with you sometime. I love being back home, but I guess I'll always miss the friends I made over there."
"Yeah, I … I sorta know what you mean," he mumbled. "If I leave here, I'm gonna miss Earthland and its people." He gave a brief glance back to Lucy Heartfilia.
Lisanna held up a finger. "Not if. When!" she told him and winked her eye. "You can't give up hope of returning, not like I did. I honestly didn't think it was possible to get back home. Yet here I am." She grinned as she spread her arms out.
Elfman thumped down his beer mug. "If you're a man, you don't give up hope."
Edo-Natsu shrank a little under the hard gaze of the muscular giant.
Lisanna nodded in agreement with her behemoth brother. "If I can make it back to my family, you can make it back to Edolas and your friends in the guild."
"Yeah, I … guess so," he muttered.
The guild hall was as noisy as ever, although somehow not a single fight broke out. Lucy realized that the guild was more peaceful without Natsu setting things on fire and challenging everyone to a fight. She missed him most when she sat here. It felt empty without the Fire Dragon Slayer. Gray and Gajeel looked bored. Romeo frowned with worry while asking Wendy for all the information she knew about Edolas. Happy sat in a corner, curled into a blue ball of fluff while avoiding everyone in a fit of depression. The guild simply was not the same without Natsu.
After a couple of hours spent talking with Levy, Cana, and Juvia, mostly answering questions about her extra-dimensional house guest, Lucy was startled by Lisanna bouncing right up behind her.
"Lucy!" the white-haired girl shouted happily, making the blonde jump. "Hey Lucy, can I steal Natsu away?"
Lucy swallowed hard at that. "St-steal him?"
"Yeah, just for the night."
Lucy's face paled a little. "You want him … for the night?"
"Sure," the petite girl said with an innocent grin. "Mira-nee is making hotpot, and I invited Natsu. He wants to come, but he's scared of asking you. You still remind him of Lucy Ashley, and she's definitely a scary lady."
"Oh." Lucy frowned, a little sad that Fireball was still uncomfortable around her. "Yeah, sure, he can stay with you guys for as long as he wants."
"Aww, thanks, Lucy." Lisanna tittered and ran back over to her siblings.
Cana set down her beer barrel. "Ehhh? Isn't Lisanna being a lot more friendly to that Edolas boy than she was to our own Natsu?"
Juvia had to agree. "Of course, she lived with Fireball Natsu for years. It's not surprising that they have such a close relationship, probably a lot closer than she feels for any of us after only a short time being back in Earthland."
Lucy frowned, feeling like she was losing something. She looked at the pink-haired boy, wondering why she felt so sad. Edo-Natsu glanced back at her once. He blushed at seeing her watching him and gave Lucy a tiny smile. Just then, Elfman slapped him on the back, jolting Fireball back into the Strauss family's conversation.
"At least you'll get the house to yourself again," Levy said cheerfully to Lucy. "You were complaining about that just now."
"Y-yeah," Lucy mumbled petulantly. "I think I'll head back home. It'll be nice to eat alone again."
"Nice?" scoffed Cana. "I hate eating alone. That's why I always come here."
Levy giggled. "I thought it was for the beer."
"That too," Cana admitted. "Drinking alone is even worse."
Lucy left the guild hall, summoned Plue to accompany her, and walked along the river's edge back to her home, kindly waving at the boatmen who shouted at her to be safe.
Inside, the house was quiet. Lucy saw the shikibuton folded up neatly, with the blankets stacked on top. The only thing of his scattered around were some of his and Salamander's clothes. She picked up the outfit he originally arrived in and held it to her nose to sniff. Despite having been washed once already, it had a unique aroma, something like machine oil, rubber, and dust.
"It'll be lonely when he leaves," she realized quietly. "I guess … I'm getting used to living with someone. It's kind of nice."
She looked through her cabinets, but suddenly she did not feel like cooking. How could she possibly beat the gourmet meals Fireball could whip up with ease? She dreaded being alone at all. Being like this felt miserable, yet she also did not feel like heading back to the guild. That would be like admitting she missed the shy boy.
There was one way to keep herself from being lonely. She pulled out a golden key.
"Open the Gate of the Lion! Leo!"
Loke appeared dressed impeccably and bowed like a prince before his lady. "How may I be of service to my charming princess?"
Being called princess again felt good. "I'm … lonely," she confessed.
Loke raised an eyebrow to hear her say those words. He glanced around the silent house. "Isn't that Edolas lookalike here?"
"No, and it's too quiet. Loke, could you maybe…" Lucy looked aside, not sure if she was going to regret asking. "It's not a date," she insisted immediately and firmly, "but … could you take me out somewhere, just so I can have some company?"
The loyal Lion smiled and sighed silently in understanding. "Of course, Lucy. I'll even try to keep the flirting down to a minimum."
She had a reproving pout, but a tiny giggle still slipped out. "Gee, thanks … hehe!"
He raised her hand to his lips and kissed her fingers nobly. "It's my pleasure to make my master happy."
Loke took her to a fine restaurant, paying for it out of the Jewels he still had saved up from his time posing as a human. Then Lucy and Loke took a long and—she hated to admit it—very romantic stroll along the water. He let slip a few flirtatious pickup lines, but he always apologized after saying them. After a while, Lucy did not mind his compliments. It felt good to have a man admire her.
"Hey, Loke," she said, holding onto his arm and leaning against him as they walked slowly along a shop-lined promenade. "When you were in Fairy Tail for three years, you made a lot of friends. Then you went back to the Spirit World. How do you feel about the people in Fairy Tail now?"
"Well, I like all of them still, of course," he said. "You especially."
"There you go again," Lucy grumbled, but she smiled happily to hear it. "So if, let's say, I was suddenly tossed into the Spirit World, you'd like having me around, right?"
"It was a dream come true to see you that one time," said Loke.
That troubled Lucy a bit.
"Ah." The Lion realized the problem. "This is about Lisanna and Dragion, right? She was trapped for years in a different world, made friends, then managed to make it back to her own world. Yes, I know the feeling well," he admitted. "Now, here comes someone from that other world, someone she felt close to, someone she worked with, lived with, befriended, possibly had feelings for him. I sympathize for Lisanna, to be honest."
Lucy looked over in surprise. "Sympathize?"
"In my case," Loke said, looking up at the stars, "I can come back whenever you need me, and if I'm determined enough, I can break through the gate on my own. I can see my old friends whenever I want. For Lisanna, that's impossible. Now she gets a tiny view of that other world, a mere tease, yet she herself can't return to those friends she left behind. She knows Dragion will leave soon. It's not too surprising that she wants to hog him for herself. If I was in her place, trapped in the Spirit World, and suddenly you or Gray or even Natsu ended up there, I would hoard you, drown you with questions about my friends here, want you totally to myself since I know you best. I wouldn't want to share you with anyone. You people are my friends, and I take friendships like that seriously."
"I … I guess you're right," Lucy mumbled.
Loke had a good point. She knew Fireball and Lisanna had lived together in Edolas, so of course they had a past together. It was only fair that Lisanna should have her Edolas friend more than Lucy, who was merely ordered by Makarov to keep him safe. Still, she hated feeling like she was losing him to another woman.
'It's sort of like how my Natsu and Lisanna also had a past, something I can't share because I only recently joined. It's not fair! Even with this Natsu, he has a link to Lisanna that I can't touch.'
Loke walked her home and stayed around until Lucy finished getting ready for bed. He tucked the blankets around her, smiling pleasantly the whole time. Although normally this possessive side to Loke was annoying, today Lucy actually enjoyed it.
"Shall I stay with you all night?" he asked. "I could sleep at the foot of your bed like a cat."
Lucy glared at him. "Do and I'll sic Aquarius on you."
He leaned over and pressed his forehead against her brow. His nose lightly caressed hers, making Lucy blush at how close he was. "I hope you dream of good things, Princess. You don't ever have to feel lonely. I'm just a gate away."
"Loke," she said drowsily. "Thanks. At least I know I'll never lose you."
"You better not," he teased, tapping the keys that sat by her nightstand. "I'll be very upset if I end up with an owner that's not so cute and caring."
She shut her eyes. "Don't stay out all night. You'll be weak."
"I'll only stay until you fall asleep," Loke whispered as he gently brushed his fingers over her brow, soothing out all the troubles she had felt during the day. "Sweet dreams, princess."
Lucy sighed at his caresses and finally dozed off. Once Loke heard her breath getting deeper and more even, he kissed Lucy on the cheek and vanished into a pillar of golden sparkles.
Two Days To Go
The next morning, Lucy woke up and missed the smell of coffee already brewing. She had to make her own breakfast, and she opted for only cold cereal. She left the dirty dishes in the sink for later, then dressed for a day at the guild. She had honestly not expected to see Fireball there, but the pink-haired boy waved bashfully when she entered. Even more surprising, he was sitting with Gray and Juvia, not with Lisanna and Elfman.
"How was your sleepover?" Lucy asked him, trying hard to keep her voice casual.
Edo-Natsu shrank down a little and could not meet her eyes. "It … it was okay. It was just dinner. They're a lot like the people back at home, except for Elfman, but he's not too bad once you get used to him. However, their couch is really uncomfortable." He cringed down so low, his face almost hit the top of the table. "I know I'm a big pain for you, but … well … do you think, maybe … maybe I can stay with you for the rest of the week?" His face drew up and he covered his head, ready for a hit. "I'll clean and cook and I won't make noise and I'll keep to myself, I promise," he cried out desperately.
Gray had to laugh at him. "Sheesh, Lucy. Do you really treat him so badly?"
"No," she stated flatly, rolling her eyes slightly.
"No!" Fireball exclaimed, looking at Gray with huge eyes and grabbing his arm, which stunned the ice wizard. "Princess is really sweet. She never hits me, she compliments my cooking, and she lets me do whatever I want. She's wonderful, absolutely the perfect woman!"
Suddenly, Fireball froze and paled so much, it looked like he was ready to pass out in mortification. Gray's eyebrow shot up, Juvia looked amused, and Lucy blanched slightly that he had said all of that.
Edo-Natsu trembled and looked around at the three of them in horror. "I … I didn't mean … well, I did mean it, but … but I…"
Lucy rubbed the frustration out of her brow. "You can come back."
His green eyes lit up. "I can? Really and truly?"
"Yeah. It's too quiet, and you cook the best breakfasts ever."
"Yay!" he cheered, then shrank down again. "I mean … th-thank you very much."
Lucy giggled at him. "You're almost cute when you get excited like that." Then she walked over to the bar to order a drink.
That night, Lucy did not mind when Edo-Natsu took a bath before her. She did not listen in or anything. She sat by her desk, pulled out some paper and pen, and began to write.
Dear Mama,
My bashful house guest is back, and oddly enough, it feels good to have him back in the house. I used to think that living alone was a mature thing, and the loneliness proved I was growing up. Now, I find myself happier with someone nearby. It feels … comfortable with him around. I didn't realize this until he was gone. I wonder how I will feel when he leaves in two days. I'm sure I'm going to be sad. Fireball and Salamander are simply too different. Dragneel makes a mess and eats up my food. Dragion cleans everything to a shine and cooks fantastic meals. I still miss that fire-idiot, but I know I'll miss my Fireball as well.
Lucy paused and looked at what she had written. "My Fireball?" she spoke aloud, confused why she had written it that way.
Then she heard the bathroom door open. She folded the letter and put it away with the many others she wrote to her deceased mother. Edo-Natsu stepped out with only a towel wrapped around his middle. Lucy instantly blushed to see him half-naked like that.
"I forgot my clothes. S-sorry."
He rushed through the room and grabbed a pile of clothing. Lucy still stared as he hurried back into the steamy bathroom. He shut the door, and she heard him sigh loudly, probably from holding his breath. She shook her head to clear away the perverted thoughts.
"Stop it, Lucy. Stop it! He's leaving in two days, so … just … no! Don't even think about it."
She still did.
He came out wearing pajamas and apologizing. He set up his bed, she climbed into hers, and it took a long time to drift off to sleep.
Her dreams that night were filled with erotic thoughts. She groaned in her sleep at sensual phantoms until one fantasy took solid shape. She dreamed about Edo-Natsu taking her into a shower. She knew it was Dragion by the lack of a scar, but he was wild in this dream. The timid personality washed away, leaving behind something daring, a personality she knew was hidden deep within him. She had seen it briefly in Edolas when she rode in his car. Now that cocky attitude was back.
"You love this, don't you, Princess?" he chuckled, his eyes lowered and lusty. Fireball's hands caressed her under the hot sprays of water, a possessive sneer on his lips, while she hummed at the gentle touches and hot kisses.
"Natsu," she moaned. That assertive personality, a man who took control, was something she loved, yet neither Dragneel nor Dragion seemed to be the sort to do that. One was clueless, the other timid. Yet in her dream, he was everything she wanted, and he touched her in ways no man had ever done.
Meanwhile, Edo-Natsu stood watching Lucy moan in her sleep. He had woken up from the sound, rose to see if she was having a nightmare, until he heard her mumble in her sleep.
"Mmm … Natsu … more." It was definitely not a moan of some terrifying dream, but a sensual voice laden with lust.
"Dreaming of him, huh?" he grumbled jealously.
Lucy's body squirmed on the bed, and he watched as her hand drifted over her chest. Dragion knew he should go back to bed and let her have her fantasies, yet part of him wanted to wake her up so she would stop dreaming about that other Natsu. His face tensed up at hearing her moan again, and he looked aside in dejection.
"What was I hoping for, anyway?" he whispered, and left silently to rummage through the kitchen for a midnight snack.
One Day to Go
The next day, there was a festival in the neighboring town, so Lucy and Edo-Natsu went with Gray and Erza. During their last mission, their team had discussed going to this festival together. Now, it felt weird having Fireball in their group instead of Salamander. He clung to Lucy, stayed far away from Erza, yet he and Gray surprisingly got along well.
"He's not as annoying as that flame-brain," Gray had to admit as he and Lucy ate dango balls while Fireball was in the bathroom. "He's actually a pretty nice guy. Too bad we can't keep him and ditch the lizard boy."
"Gray," Erza warned. "That's not nice. What would you think if Natsu really can't return?"
Gray thought about it, then shrugged. "Party at my house?"
Erza glared at him, but Lucy laughed softly. She was glad that she was not the only one who liked this type of Natsu.
They played games, ate lots of food, and listened to music. Lucy won a wrist band in one of the games, and since it was red with flames, she gave it to Edo-Natsu. He wore it proudly for the rest of his time in Earthland. The boy slowly began to warm up to the idea of having fun, although he still clung to Lucy's arm. She decided she did not mind too much. He was sort of cute. They stayed until night to watch fireworks, then slowly the four walked back to Magnolia.
"We should have rented a four-wheeler," Gray complained as they trudged along the dark road.
Edo-Natsu perked up. "Four-wheeler? You guys have real, working four-wheelers?"
"Yeah, but you have to be a wizard to use them," Gray told him, instantly crushing the boy's hopes.
"Oh. I guess … it's also magical, huh?" he mumbled.
"Earthland cars run on the magic within a wizard's body," Erza explained. "The SE-Plug converts magic into fuel for the vehicle."
"Oh," was all he said, obviously depressed to hear that even here, fast transportation was out of his reach.
That night after her shower, while Lucy brushed out her wet hair, she heard Edo-Natsu in the bathroom again panting and grunting. She froze and blushed for a moment, but then a sense of frustration swept over her.
"I know he's stuck here, but does he really do that twice a week?" she grumbled. "I wouldn't let anyone else do something like that, so I … I need to … to lay down the law. Yes, I need to be firm about it."
She marched over to the bathroom with a determined face. However, first she stopped and put her ear against the door.
"Oh Lucy … yes, like that," he whispered, hissing heatedly. "Oh God. Please, stop."
"Stop?" Lucy Heartfilia wondered quietly.
"You know I hate it, and I love it. Oh Lucy, you make it hurt so good."
"Whoa, total masochist!" she breathed, squirming a little at the thought. "No, I need to be firm. He can't keep doing this." She raised her knuckles to knock.
"Damn … Lucy … right there! Harder … deeper … make it hurt more."
Lucy found it nearly impossible to breathe, let alone shout at him. Deeper? Hurt more? Just what did Lucy Ashley do to Natsu Dragion? Immensely perverted thoughts invaded her mind.
"A little more. Just … just a little more. Nnngh!"
Instead of knocking, Lucy twisted the door handle and peeked inside. She wanted to see him, to view that moment when passion reached its limit. She was—she hated to admit it—extremely curious to watch him shoot off in ecstasy.
Instead, she saw Fireball sitting on the edge of the bathtub, one leg crossed over the other, his foot in his hands, as he gave his heel and toes a vigorous massage.
"Oh God, yes, that hurts good," he moaned as his fingers pressed hard into his feet.
"What the hell…?"
At her words, Fireball jolted, slipped, and slid right back into the tub. Lucy saw his head slam into the ceramic edge and gasped in worry. He gave a moan of pain before his whole body sank into the water with the sound of bubbles.
"Fireball!" she screamed. She still waited by the door, but he was not coming back up. "Natsu?"
She ran forward without even thinking and looked down into the bath water. His head was underneath, his pink hair floating loosely, his eyes closed, and his mouth gaped open with bubbles floating out.
"No! Natsu!"
She quickly grabbed him up by the armpits. To her surprise, he was very lightweight. She easily brought him up, but his face was slack. His entire body was dead weight in her arms.
"Natsu!" she shrieked, shaking him. A bit of water came out of his mouth. "No … oh please, no!"
Lucy yanked the boy out of the tub. He flopped onto the tiled floor, yet still he did not move. She barely had time to realize he was totally naked. Her attention was on his face and the little bit of blood that mixed in the back of his pink hair. He had hit his head harder than it looked. She flipped him over to his stomach and hefted him up a few times under the ribs, getting some water out of his mouth, yet still he was not breathing.
Lucy looked around fretfully. What to do? What were you supposed to do in these situations? Think, Lucy, think!
"It's … that, isn't it? Mouth-to-mouth."
She spent only two seconds thinking it was weird, a type of kiss, yet her brain only allowed those two seconds before a direly serious side kicked in. The paleness of his skin, the chest that was not moving, and her fear for his life overwhelmed her sense of propriety. She put Natsu on his back, pulled his jaw open, pinched his nose, then clamped her lips over his, making sure the seal was tight. His lips were cold, and that worried her. Natsu Dragneel had always been so hot. Feeling the boy's skin ice cold sent a shiver through her spine. Then she breathed as much air as possible in.
The chest lifted only minimally, and the air came right back at her. She pulled back and felt his neck. There was still a faint pulse, but no attempts to breathe on his own.
"I know you're alive, Natsu," she whispered.
Lucy bent over him again and filled his lungs with more air. She thought she felt something and pulled back. A little water gurgled up. She rolled him to his side to get it out, yet still he was not breathing, and the pulse was fading fast. Lucy took another big breath and forced it into his mouth.
"Please, Natsu," she sobbed in dread. She was no longer thinking that if Dragion died, Dragneel might not be able to return. Right at that moment, she was only thinking that she did not want to lose a boy who already became a good friend. "Please, breathe. Wake up."
Despite tears in her eyes, she took a deeper breath and puffed it in. This time Edo-Natsu jolted and sputtered. She helped him to roll over again, and he vomited a large amount of water. He gagged and gasped for oxygen while Lucy helped to hold him up a bit.
"L-Lucy?" He looked up at her and saw the friendly eyes and long, wet hair. "Princess! You burst in and scared me."
"I didn't burst in," she protested, but he began to cough some more. She hit his back, and he spit out a little more water. Then Edo-Natsu leaned back against the tub and caught his breath. Once Lucy was fairly certain he was okay, she finally asked, "What the hell were you doing, sitting on the edge of the tub like that?"
"Huh?" he said, choking slightly. "Foot massage."
She blinked. "Foot … foot massage?" she whispered.
"Well, yeah. That was a lot of walking we did today. Since I'm used to driving everywhere, my feet are a bit tender. Lucy Ashley gives really awesome massages. They hurt a bit, but then it feels really good. I can't give myself ones like she does, but I can sort of do it." He smiled up at her, still looking like a drowned pink rat. "Maybe I can give you a foot massage."
Lucy's mind was a total blank. She had been thinking perverted thoughts ever since that one time. She had been dreaming erotic fantasies and even touched herself thinking Edo-Natsu was jerking off to thoughts of "Lucy," whichever Lucy that might be.
She had been the perverted one!
"I am so stupid," she muttered, and she dropped her head in shame.
Then she saw Fireball … fully! For a few seconds of utter shock, she stared at the soft, wrinkled shaft flopped against a patch of curly dark pink hair. With a face beet red in embarrassment, she stood up so suddenly, she almost slipped in a wet spot. Edo-Natsu quickly rose up and took her shoulders to keep her from also falling like he had done.
"Are you okay, Princess?"
He was holding her. He was so close! His thing was mere centimeters away from her body. She stood frozen, wondering what she could possibly do after discovering just how sick her mind was. She had thought she could—no, had wanted to—see him in such an intimate moment, yet here he was, not even a little hard as he stood naked next to her.
Certainly, this was the ultimate sign that he had no romantic interest in her at all. If a man was sexually attracted to a woman, he would be at least a little aroused when standing naked beside her, right? Edo-Natsu was totally flaccid.
"I'll … I'll prepare something for your head," she said in a tight voice, wishing she could flee.
"Huh?" Fireball reached back and saw the blood on his fingers. "It's probably just a scratch. It doesn't hurt much, really."
"Still, I'm at fault, so … so I'll … I'll deal with it." Then Lucy ran off and slammed the door behind her. She rushed into the kitchen and hid, resting her head heavily against the wall. She tried to calm herself, yet she panted and gnashed her teeth. "Oh my God, I am such an idiot," she whispered in mortification. "You stupid, stupid, stupid Lucy! And he's going home tomorrow. Who cares even if he was doing that? Now he thinks you're a total perv. Idiot! Stupid Lucy!"
Meanwhile, Natsu Dragion stood in the middle of the bathroom looking confused. Why had she peeked in on him? Lucy Ashley did that all the time, but he was used to that now. Was this Lucy also a pervert? He realized she had saved his life just now, even if his slip into the bathtub was partially her fault. For that, he felt thankful. Yet why had she looked so ashamed?
Suddenly, he felt a draft, looked down, and realized he was stark naked. Although alone now, he quickly covered his privates and blushed fiercely.
"Damn. She saw it. She saw it!" Now he was glad Lucy was gone as the thought of what had just happened between them made him get a bit aroused. "Stop it, Natsu. I can't think about her that way! I'm going home tomorrow."
He grabbed a towel and dried off. As he went through the motions of getting ready for bed, he calmed his hormones. Then he glanced into the mirror over the sink and frowned at his reflection.
"What's wrong with me? Why … why don't I want to go home anymore? Of course I want to go home! Still … I guess I wouldn't mind staying."
He looked over to the bathroom door again. His eyes softened as he thought about Lucy, how gentle she was, the care she had shown him this whole week, and how relaxed he felt being around her, as if his chronic anxiety melted simply by being near her. He bit his lip as he struggled with the dilemma.
"Porlyusica was right. If I stay too long, I'll never want to leave. I guess it's a good thing I'm heading home tomorrow." He tried to say it in a cheerful way, yet still he felt a pang in his heart.
The End of the Week
Levy and Freed looked intensely at each other.
"You better not tire out on me," he said with a cocky smirk.
"Oh, don't worry," Levy chuckled, leaning in close to his face. "I plan to last as long as you need. It's you who might end this prematurely."
Freed chortled. "Me? Not a chance. I can last all night long if I have to."
"You really think so?"
Freed leaned in even closer to the blue-haired girl. "Once I start my magic, I don't tire out."
"Hey you two!" Gajeel stomped in and put a possessive hand down on Levy's head. "What's with the talk?"
Freed straightened up. "My runes are ready."
Levy yanked out her pen. "Let's do it!"
At another table, Edo-Natsu wrung his hands nervously. That whole morning, he could hardly stop fidgeting, and it was beginning to annoy Lucy. Just as he seemed to be warming up to her, the possibility of leaving had him right back to his timid self.
"C-could I really go back?" he asked, twisting his fingers together. "Do you think it's possible?"
"Of course," Makarov said into a mug of something frothy. "The question is, do you want to go back?"
"Well, yeah!" the boy cried out, but he shrank down. "That is … well … I miss home, but I'm having fun here, so it's okay if I stay a little longer." He did not want to admit that this dilemma had him fidgeting all night long. "Earth-Lucy is really nice, nothing at all like my Lucy. It's also nice to have Lisanna around again. Even that old lady Porlyusica is sweet too, isn't she?"
Makarov spit his drink out with bugged eyes. "Porly- … erm … uh, yes, I guess she's an endearing woman…" Then he grumbled into his mug. "…in a hate-all-humans sort of way."
Over by Levy and Freed, the runes began to glow. Between Levy's magical Energy and some electricity half-heartedly provided by Laxus poking the runes while grumbling, the runes flickered and then showed the face of some droopy-eyed man.
"It's you guys!" the man gasped, and he spun around in his chair. "Get the king! The king!"
Fairy Tail gathered around, and Makarov made his way to the front with Edo-Natsu reluctantly in tow. A minute later, King Jellal's face came up on the screen. Fireball instinctively cowered back.
"Thank goodness, it worked," sighed the man with a tattoo over his eye. "It's good to see you again, Master Makarov."
"Same to you, Mystogan. Have you found Natsu?"
"I apologize," he said humbly, bowing his head. "They were attacked before Erza Knightwalker could reach them and transported again. There's no telling where they ended up. However, we found someone who knows what's going on."
A familiar face came up to the screen.
"Is that Gajeel?" Levy asked, freezing her writing.
"Don't stop now," Freed warned her.
"Yo!" Gajeel Redfox grinned. "Gehehe! I didn't think I'd see you again."
Edo-Gajeel pushed his glasses up his nose. "Yes, well, I'm always glad to be in the middle of a great story. You're as dashing as ever, Earthland-Me."
"Back at ya, Edolas-Me!"
"Two Gajeels," Levy drooled. Laxus smacked the back of her head when she stopped writing her magic. "Ah! Sorry." She focused and put extra energy into her work, yet Levy could hardly help but stare as she thought naughty things about two Gajeels.
"So what's going on?" Erza demanded.
"Ah yes." Edo-Gajeel pulled out a booklet to check his notes. "From my understanding, Natsu Dragion got transported to Earthland by Levy in an accident. She was running a diagnostic on her latest attempt at a personal sub-dimensional transporter, something so individuals could get out of dangerous situations and return instantly to Fairy Tail headquarters. Ever since the magic extraction of X784, Levy has been working on a way to create rifts in space—wormholes—using particle acceleration as opposed to magic. For unknown reasons, the transporter activated, and Natsu was the closest subject. It locked on to him and transported him."
Edo-Natsu sighed in relief. "So it really was just an accident." He had been fretting about that for a whole week.
"However," Edo-Gajeel went on, "instead of using a wormhole to pierce from one location to another, the signal was interrupted by a massive magical surge in Earthland that, coincidentally, was also created by the Natsu of your world. Such a one-in-a-million chance is something Levy hadn't even considered when building it."
Lucy huffed a little. "Massive magical surges from Natsu are hardly one-in-a-million."
"Gehehe!" Edo-Gajeel chuckled. "Your Natsu sounds rather interesting. Anyway, Levy believes the magical surge reflected back onto the wormhole, forcefully switching the bodies of Salamander and Fireball." He flipped a page in his notebook. "Upon arriving in Edolas, Salamander showed confusion and belligerence."
"That's normal for him," Gray grumbled.
"He began to attack the members of Fairy Tail. He attempted to run away several times, yet each time he was caught and forced back by Lucy Ashley. Levy believes that, in order to switch the two back, there must be an equal balance. During one of his escapes, Salamander attempted to use magic. He has only the ability to light a flame on the tips of his fingers, yet it astonished some nearby villagers. Rumors spread throughout the district. Before the royal escort could arrive, bandits showed up who wanted Natsu Dragneel for his magic. I was outside chronicling the gathering of various enemy gangs, all bent on seizing the Dragon Slayer. At that moment, Fairy Tail suddenly vanished. I'm afraid I don't know where the guild ended up this time."
"We're scouring all of Edolas for them," King Jellal assured the group. "I'm afraid there's nothing I can do at this time, not until we can locate them."
Makarov pouted. "I understand. I'm thankful you're still willing to help."
"Of course I am," the king said, smiling gently. "I still bear the Fairy Tail mark. I would never leave one of our own behind. We'll meet again in exactly one week. I sincerely hope we'll have more information by then, and with any luck we'll have Salamander in safe custody."
"Until then, Mystogan," said Makarov.
Then Levy, Laxus, and Freed ended the magic, and the screen winked out.
Makarov sighed and turned to Edo-Natsu. "I apologize for getting your hopes up."
"No, it's … it's fine," the pink-haired boy said bashfully. "I understand, and it's no one's fault. Besides," he admitted, glancing over at Lucy, "I'm having fun, although Cana scares me and Gray … I can't get used to the guy running around half-naked."
Juvia popped up right then. "Why don't you like Gray-sama?" she screamed.
He cringed back. "I … I didn't say that. I do like him. A lot!"
Juvia blushed. "You … like Gray-sama … a lot?"
"Yeah. In Edolas, Gray Surge and I were really close."
"Really close?" Juvia's imagination went wild, picturing Gray and Natsu in a wild boys-love tryst, with Gray stroking back the pink hair and whispering naughty things to the blushing Dragion. "Nooo, Gray-sama! First Lyon, now Natsu?"
"Huh?" Fireball asked, wondering what her problem was. "Anyway, I want to be friends with Gray Fullbuster too, but … well … his clothes…"
Juvia was sucked out of her yaoi fantasies. "What's wrong with Gray-sama's clothes? Juvia likes how Gray-sama dresses."
Mira came up to them. "But he isn't dressed often," she pointed out with a titter. She handed Juvia Gray's lost trousers. "Make sure he puts these on."
"Gray-sama's pants!" the rain woman exclaimed in bliss. Then she burrowed her nose into the crotch. "It smells just like Gray-sama."
Fireball Natsu cringed away and drew closer to Makarov. "Yeah, and … and this version of Juvia scares me too."
"They're a good group of brats," Makarov assured him.
"I know," he muttered. "It's just hard to get used to all the changes."
"Natsu!" Lisanna called out.
He looked over in shock, then laughed. "You're the only person here who calls me by my first name naturally."
She grinned amiably at him. "Because I know you as Natsu just as well as I know the other Natsu as Natsu. To me, it's easy to sort out in my head which is which."
He smiled sadly and looked down. "I guess so. I miss hearing my own name, sometimes."
Lisanna giggled softly. "Then I'll have to talk to you more and say your name a lot … Natsu."
He blushed slightly at her playfulness.
At another table, Lucy sat with Cana and Levy. She kept looking over to the bar where Edo-Natsu sat talking to Lisanna again. Cana glanced over to Levy, who shared the same smirking expression.
"Hey, Lu-chan," Levy said, yanking her attention away and back onto the girls. "You keep staring at Edo-Natsu."
"Yeah," Cana teased. "Rather intensely."
Lucy waved her hands in front of her while shaking her head. "Oh, no, no, no! You're misunderstanding. I'm making sure he stays out of trouble," she insisted. "That's my job, right? To keep an eye on him so he doesn't get hurt or lost or—"
Happy's head popped up. "She lllllikes him."
Lucy pouted and folded her arms. "Where have you been this whole time, you stupid blue cat?"
"Living with Charle," he sighed dreamily. "Wendy said I could stay with her since I couldn't buy more food. I was thinking about living with Lucy, but she's already got a guy she likes living with her, so I figured you two needed some alone time."
"That's ridiculous!" Although Lucy stubbornly looked away, she also did not deny that she liked Fireball.
Cana and Levy exchanged worried looks.
"Lu-chan," Levy whispered, leaning in so others would not hear. "Remember, he's from another dimension. He'll have to go home eventually. You really shouldn't get too attached."
"Yeah," Cana agreed. "Like, you shouldn't give one another pet names, or go out to dinner together, or treat him special."
Lucy laughed it off. "Of course I know that." Yet she could hardly help but realize that she had done all of those things over the past week.
Fireball suddenly ran up to her. "Princess! Princess! Elfman says there's a car race tomorrow and I really, really, really wanna go. Can I? Pretty please?" he asked with imploring eyes.
"Princess?" Cana asked, freezing with her beer barrel halfway to her mouth.
Lucy blushed at such a cute expression. "All right, fine. If it'll make you happy, then we can go."
"Yippee!" Natsu shouted, and he hugged Lucy. Instantly, he let go and leaped back. "Ack! I … I'm sorry for touching you."
"Hey, I'm not Lucy Ashley, remember? Natsu hugs me all the time."
"Oh…" He pouted a little. "I guess you two are close enough for things like that. Well, thanks! I want to talk to Elfman more. Is that okay?"
Lucy laughed. "You're not a little kid. You can talk to anyone you want."
He ran off, but Cana had a smirk on her face while Levy looked concerned.
"What? What is it?" asked Lucy.
Levy sighed. "It's rather obvious, isn't it? He calls you Princess, you call him Fireball."
"We've been doing that all week. It's easier," she insisted.
Cana gulped down her beer. "Despite our warnings, you're already treating that guy special."
"Master told me to," she squeaked out.
Cana chuckled into her barrel. "That guy has a crush on you, and you're obviously falling for him."
"Am not!" Lucy yelled, yet she still blushed.
Happy giggled again. "They llllllike each other."
Lucy screamed angrily, "Will you stop that?"
Levy sighed in pity. "Just make sure you don't get too attached. After all, hopefully he can go home in a week."
"I … know that," Lucy mumbled, yet already she liked having Fireball around. She did not want to feel lonely anymore.
That evening, she and Fireball walked home together. Lucy felt self-conscious now, walking down the street with him humming beside her. Her stomach became jittery as she worried about how she was supposed to last an entire extra week with this guy.
He cooked dinner while Lucy tried to write, yet she caught herself staring at him from across the room. She scolded herself silently.
'I have to be a better hostess. I can't be some perverted woman who takes advantage of her guest. But damn, why does he have to look so hot wearing my apron?'
She sighed as she realized that this was going to be one hellish week.
They ate dinner, got ready for the night, and Lucy went to bed a little early, leaving the desk lamp on for Edo-Natsu to read. Half an hour later, she saw the light in the room wink out and heard him shuffle into bed. She stayed awake almost all night, staring at her ceiling, wondering how she was going to get through this sort of temptation. A worry began to nag her too. If Edolas' Fairy Tail thought they were being hunted again, they would go into hiding. Last time, they managed to outrun Knightwalker for years.
What if that happened again? They did not know that King Jellal was trying to get Natsu Dragneel to send him home. If they were getting attacked by bandits, of course they would think that the king was also after Natsu for evil purposes. Which meant it boiled down to a battle between Erza Knightwalker's ability to track them and Edo-Levy's ability to get Fairy Tail to escape successfully. A cat and mouse game like that could go on for months, even years.
What if Mystogan got frustrated and called off the search? Really, there was nothing forcing him to send out his legions to track down a single wayward Earthland man, only his sense of loyalty to Makarov and Fairy Tail.
What if Natsu Dragneel never came home?
What if Natsu Dragion was trapped here forever?
Meanwhile, Edo-Natsu laid on the shikibuton wide awake also, fighting between being happy that he could stay with Lucy Heartfilia a little longer, and feeling guilty that he was not as eager to go back home as he probably should be.
'How am I supposed to last another week here?' he wondered. 'I already love it here too much. I love … her.'
He pressed his fists into his eyes to force out the thought.
'Stop it, Natsu! She's in love with Salamander. You can't replace him. Besides, you'll be leaving soon … maybe … if Knightwalker can catch the guild. If Lucy and Levy have anything to do with it, those Fairy hunters will never catch Fairy Tail. That means they'll never get Salamander to Royal City. Which means I'll never be able to go home. That makes me sad, but … but why am I also okay with that? If I can't go home, I can stay here, stay with her… No! Stop it, you idiot! Stop being happy while thinking that way.'
He sighed and looked around at the bed. She was just a few steps away, yet the distance between them was worlds apart.
'Sheesh … I'm in big trouble.'
End of Chapter 7
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Wheels of Fire