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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
- 7
- 8
- 9
Chapter 8
Fireball's Mistake
The next day, Lucy took Fireball Natsu to the guild early in the morning. They ate breakfast there while waiting for Elfman to arrive. Gray, Gajeel, and Levy also decided to come to the car race, although Levy mostly came to keep Lucy company since she knew her friend would be bored at such an event.
They went to the train station, and again Edo-Natsu was excited. His personality completely changed once he got on that train, and it annoyed Lucy a little. He was cocky, sly, a little too self-assured, and she could hardly stand it when he flirted with the stewardess who brought them drinks. She no longer knew whether to think of him as timid or rambunctious. Like this, he was almost like her own Natsu, except way worse.
The train came to a stop, and Lucy immediately stood. "Let's get off this thing."
Edo-Natsu chuckled. "My, you sure are in a rush. Relax!" He suddenly slapped her on the ass, making Lucy stiffen. "Life's a journey, not a destination, babe."
Gray saw the furious look on her face and whispered, "Dude, you are so dead."
"Fireball," Lucy said between clenched teeth, keeping her face toward the exit so she could avoid seeing what she was sure must be a smug look on the Edolas boy's face. "If we weren't in public, and if I wasn't supposed to keep you from getting hurt, you would be pounded into a pulp right now." She glared around her shoulder at him. Sure enough, he had a mischievous gleam in his eyes. "Don't ever touch my butt again."
"Did it get you that worked up?" he teased. "You like getting spanked, don't you? You put the 'Mmm-mm' in masochist."
She sneered a little in disgust before stomping away. Levy chased after her, but not before quickly shooting Fireball a dirty look.
Gray shook his head. "You should be a little less bold, idiot. You have to live with her, after all."
Edo-Natsu chuckled softly. "Oh yes, indeed I do. I look forward to a whole extra week with her, living together, eating together, practically bathing together. She's already seen me naked, you know."
Gray's eyes narrowed suspiciously at him.
"What's wrong, Gray? Jealous?" Fireball asked with a cunning smirk. "Juvia won't like that, will she? Of course, if you're opposite from my Gray, you probably hate Juvia."
"I don't hate her."
"Oh?" He chortled softly. "But you don't love her either." The pink-haired teen leaned into Gray's face and whispered, "Do you, perhaps, love Lucy?"
The ice wizard glared at him. "Lucy is my friend. So is Juvia."
"Just friends?" Edo-Natsu asked slyly. "That's so boring, and that doesn't seem like you at all."
"What doesn't seem right is how you've been acting since you boarded this train. Aren't you going a little overboard?"
"Am I?" wondered Edo-Natsu. "Maybe because it's been such a long time since I've been on transportation like this. You know, back home, all we have are tanchimos. They're dumb creatures, and although they're one of the fastest animals you can ride over land, they aren't anywhere near as fast as my car used to be. You can only push them so fast, and then they tire out quickly. All I get are a few minutes of freedom, nowhere near what I used to be able to feel. Maybe it's because Yusō is more like a friend now, but I just don't get the same feeling. When I'm riding him, I simply don't feel like I'm on transportation at all. It's … rather depressing." His eyes flashed up. "So if I want to have a little fun while on this train, just let me and stay the hell out of my way, ice stripper." Then he turned around and stormed off.
Gajeel stepped up beside Gray. "If Natsu comes back home acting like that, I'm gonna kick his ass so hard, he'll fly right back to Edolas."
"You have my permission," Gray grumbled.
Then they heard a shout and crying up ahead. Gray, Gajeel, and Elfman ran forward to see what was going on. Fireball got all the way to the door before chickening out. He was now struggling against one of the conductors who was trying to get him off the train to allow other passengers to exit.
"No, I don't wanna get off the train. I was mean to Lucy, and if Lucy gets mad she's gonna hit me. I can't even look at her if I'm not on transportation. Noooo, I don't wanna get off, you can't make me, don't wanna…"
Gray glanced over to Gajeel. "How about you kick him only as far as out of the train station?"
The Iron Dragon Slayer grinned widely. "Gehehe! With pleasure."
Edo-Natsu threw his head back and cried, "Lucyyyyy!"
Out on the stairs leading down from the station, Lucy paused and looked around. "Odd, I thought I heard someone call for me."
Levy smiled at her. "Maybe someone's talking about you. Could be a cute boy."
"Yeah right," Lucy sighed. "It couldn't be good talk, and I think I'd just sneeze then. No, it sounded like…"
Suddenly, a pink comet whooshed past her, blowing her hair to the side. There was a thud, and the wall nearby cracked at the force. Slowly, Edo-Natsu slid down.
"Fireball!" Lucy cried out.
His head swam with stars. "I wanna ride the choo-choo again, Daddy." Then he fell to the ground.
Lucy covered her face and growled. "Why me? Why do I always end up stuck with guys like this?"
Levy giggled. "Poor Lu-chan."
"I'll trade you Dragon Slayers, Levy."
"Nope, you're stuck with this one and I'm stuck with mine."
"Except this guy," Lucy said, looking down at the dazed boy. "This isn't my Dragon Slayer. I don't even know how to handle him."
Edo-Natsu slowly woke up and looked around in confusion. The train, that wonderful lifesaver of transportation, was nowhere to be seen. Instead, there were two legs … two very smooth, pale, slender legs. He gazed up them to a short skirt fluttering in the breeze, a bit of shadow, but within that shadow he saw something plump, soft, yet hidden by the cutest little bit of cloth.
'Panties? I'm on the ground. Am I looking up at someone's panties?'
Then the legs bent, the skirt hid the view, and chocolate brown eyes stared into his dazed ones.
"Are you all right, Fireball?"
He grinned stupidly for a moment before realization dawned on him. Those eyes…
"Kyaaaaaaaa!" he shrieked, startling Lucy. Edo-Natsu curled into a ball with his face to the ground and covered his head, expecting a harsh beating. "I'm sorry, Lucy. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be rude on the train or flirt with that waitress or smack your b-b-b-butt or say those things to Gray or see your panties. I'm soooooo sorry!"
Lucy adjusted her skirt, self-conscious about the underwear comment, but she felt sorry for the boy now. He looked like a dog who had been beaten too many times. She knew this was probably due to Lucy Ashley's harshness around him. She wished she could erase all those years of abuse, anything to get this cowering boy to smile once more.
"Hey, it's all right," she assured, patting his pink hair. "You were on transportation again and got excited. I forgive you."
He looked up with tear-stained eyes and a confused look. "You … you forgive m-m-me?"
She gave him a sunny smile and nodded. "I know you're not like that deep down inside."
His head fell again. "Yes, I am. I just can't show it normally."
"So, you really do want to smack my butt?"
He cringed down and sniffled. "No. Maybe. I don't know. I … I just feel different when I'm on transportation."
"Well, so long as you don't do it again, I'll forgive you."
He looked up again with a hesitant smile. "Y-y-you will?"
"So long as you're a good boy and behave for the rest of the day."
Fireball grinned eagerly and rose to his knees. "I'll be good, I will!"
Kneeling like that, smiling so happily, Lucy could barely help but giggle at the image of Edo-Natsu being a little dog who had just been praised. She even scratched his head, and the boy closed his eyes happily.
Levy leaned over to Gajeel. "I think she figured out how to handle him."
The Iron Dragon Slayer merely huffed in reply.
They walked to the racetrack and looked around. Gajeel went to an area behind the garages where race teams dumped old parts. He began to pick up the discarded nuts, bolts, pipes, and levers, eating them with satisfaction. The others watched a few races, and then went walking around. There was a car show in one area, and Lucy loved looking at some of the classic models.
"My parents had a car like this," she cried out to Levy.
"Hey, Wheel-brain," Gray called over to Edo-Natsu.
Fireball looked up, glanced around at the crowd, and then pointed to his chest. "Did you mean me?"
"Yeah, your other version is Flame-brain, so you're Wheel-brain."
"Just … just call me Fireball," he muttered bashfully.
"Whatever. Look, you can sit in this car. It's a prototype, so they want the public to check it out."
Natsu Dragion liked walking over to the car with Gray Fullbuster. It was almost like they could be friends, like his friend Gray Surge back at home. Gray motioned him to step up to the sparkling new car and insisted it was okay if he sat in the driver's seat. Hesitantly, Edo-Natsu sat on the leather seat, adjusted the legroom a bit, and looked at all the levers and switches.
"It's almost identical in design to the four-wheelers back home," he realized, feeling a little excited.
He grabbed the wheel. The grip was familiar. He closed his eyes, and he could almost feel the rumble of the engine, the bumping of the road, the thrill that speed gave him, greater than any drug, releasing what he felt was his true personality. His father had been a famous race car driver, and if Porlyusica was right, his grandfather had been a mechanic. Cars and machines were in his blood. He thrived on the thrill of driving. Riding on a train, even galloping on his tanchimo, simply did not match the excitement of unlimited speed and the freedom of the road.
Then he realized, even this was not the same. The car was not turned on. That moment of thrill ended, and Fireball realized that all he was really doing was sitting in a dead machine.
"I can't drive it anyway," he muttered.
Gray sat in the passenger seat and inspected the knobs to adjust the comfort of the chair. "Yeah, it takes an SE-Plug. That's the strip over on the side." He leaned over Edo-Natsu and pulled forth the arm strap with a tube connecting it to the dashboard. "It siphons off a wizard's magical power. Because of that, only wizards can drive these things. All the drivers you see here today are wizards."
"Magic," Fireball muttered. "Everything in the world is magical. Except me." He ran his hands over the wheel again. "I finally get in a car, but it's as dead as my own."
Over by the classic cars, Levy leaned over to Lucy. "You seemed to be doing well training that Edolas kid."
"Training?" Lucy asked. "I just forgave him, that's all."
"He was like a puppy."
Lucy blushed as she remembered she had thought the same thing. "He's got a cute personality. I don't really mind his assertive personality either. He just went a little too far today. The poor guy had been deprived for a long time."
"Like a starving dog who bites but then acts passive once you feed him."
Lucy snapped at Levy, "Stop comparing him to a dog! Fireball is Fireball. He's not a dog or a puppy. He's just … he's…"
Levy leaned in with a smirk. "He's what?"
Lucy turned silently and stormed away. She could not understand why her cheeks were blushing so brightly, and why her stomach had twisted into knots. The Fireball on the train had been annoying, but also a little familiar. The Fireball outside the train station had seemed pathetic, but also endearing. She liked and hated both versions.
"So, you really do want to smack my butt?"
"No. Maybe. I don't know. I … I just feel different when I'm on transportation."
What had he meant by "maybe"? Did he really, secretly, deep down under those layers of cowardice, want to spank her? The thought of being tossed over his knee and spanked made Lucy's face turn even brighter red and her stomach coil. She felt her breath quickening and her heart pounding so hard, she was glad the racetrack was noisy so others could not hear the thumps.
She saw Gray get out of the prototype car, and she walked over there. To hide away and calm down, she sat in the passenger seat where he had been. She leaned back and gave a long sigh.
"That idiot," she muttered.
"Who's the idiot?"
She jolted at the voice and looked over. She had not noticed that someone else was also in the car, and her stomach did a flip when she saw it was none other than the boy who was frustrating her.
"Was it Elfman?" asked Fireball. "Or some stranger? Or…" He leaned over to her with a devious smile. "Is it me?" However, he immediately backed down. "Sorry."
Lucy was confused. One moment, he looked like the assertive Fireball, the next he was bashful again. Then she realized it was due to this car. It was technically transportation, but it was not running. She felt truly sorry for Fireball, and she wanted to make him happy somehow. She called out to the employee showing off the prototype.
"Hey, can we start it up? I'm a wizard." She showed the man her Fairy Tail guild symbol on her hand as proof.
"I suppose you may test out the engine," the haughty man said with a snooty tone. "It's the latest in streamline performance, a gentler SE-Plug, new material which tenderly grips at the wizard's arm without chaffing it." He helped Lucy to put on the SE-Plug. "A much nicer design, wouldn't you say?" he asked with a smarmy grin.
"I've actually never driven one of these before," she said, laughing nervously. "I always wanted to, though."
"Oh, it's very delightful," the man said, clasping his hands gleefully. "You simply put on the SE-Plug like so, then press that button."
Edo-Natsu pressed the ignition button on the console, and the car purred into life.
"It's on," he whispered in awe. Slowly, a smile spread over Fireball's face, and a wild gleam lighted up his eyes. "It's running."
"Tickles a little," Lucy said, looking down at the strap around her arm as she felt the tiny siphoning of magic that tingled from her shoulder down to her fingertips as the magic flowed through her.
The salesman smiled amiably. "Although it's meant for daily driving, it can be used in races as well. The design allows maximum speed with minimum magic usage. In the past, four-wheelers practically gulped a wizard's magic power if pushed too fast, but now—"
Suddenly, Edo-Natsu floored the accelerator and pulled out of the show area. Lucy screamed, and she quickly shut her door, barely avoiding a woman with a stroller.
"You idiot! What are you doing? Stop!" she shrieked.
However, Fireball Natsu was back with a gleam in his eyes. "I've been yearning for this feeling," he said, growling like a hungry dog.
He maneuvered through booths and crowds with surprising agility. Lucy screamed, covered her eyes, peeked out in terror, and screamed again every time it looked like they were going to hit someone. However, Fireball steered the car so well, not a single person was hit, and only one barrel was knocked to the side.
Then he suddenly yanked the wheel hard, and Lucy felt them bump over some sort of barrier. In horror, she realized they were on the racetrack in the midst of a new race. Just as the light turned green, all the cars began, and Fireball joined them. His fingers gripped the wheel tightly, he lowered his goggles, and he pressed a little more on the accelerator.
"Fireball," Lucy tried to yell, but she moaned as she felt the effects of the speed he was using. "Ow! You … you've gotta stop. I'm not used to this."
"Is this your first time, Princess?" He laughed wildly. "A driving virgin! I guess I get to break you in, huh?" He glanced over briefly at her, and his smile was just like Salamander's. For some reason, it made her stomach flutter even more.
Lucy blushed brightly and gulped. "Idiot," she muttered under the roar of the engine. She reached toward the SE-Plug, ready to unstrap it.
"Pull that off and we'll likely crash," Fireball warned sharply.
This aggressive, assertive, and slightly perverted personality … she hated to admit it, but it totally thrilled her! The terror of his reckless driving, the awe at how masterfully he operated the vehicle, and the excitement of the race made Lucy's heart pound wildly. He glanced over to her and laughed. His narrow eyes made her feel tiny and helpless, yet they exuded such confidence that she felt like she could surrender herself to this young man and let him do whatever he wanted with her. Then his eyes quickly went back to the racetrack, and Fireball's face hardened with determination.
Lucy saw the fighting look Natsu sometimes got, and that excited her too. She felt tired from the magical drain, but she wanted to watch his face, that fierceness, that fighting spirit, that stubborn determination to be the best. She felt sleepy, far worse than when she used six Gold Keys in one day. Her head began to buzz. Her body felt numb and tingling. It tickled her all over and made her hum sensually.
"You like this, don't you, Lucy? Does it excite you?"
She could not speak. Her mind was drifting away as her magic power was sucked out. She rested her head against the window and kept watching Fireball for as long as she could.
At the edge of the racetrack, Gray and Elfman ran to the barrier. They saw the prototype car swerving between professional drivers, easily surpassing them.
"That speed is suicide!" Gray cried out in horror. He began to climb over the concrete barrier, but a security guard held him back.
"Easy there, kid," the guard warned. "The race is in progress. You can't enter the track."
"Our friend is out there," Gray shouted, but the guard would not budge. Gray was about to freeze the stubborn man when he heard running feet behind him.
"Gray!" Levy yelled, and she came jogging up with Gajeel not far behind. "What happened? Where's Lu-chan?"
"That idiot wheel-brain is using Lucy as a power source," he explained. "He doesn't get it. Those drivers are wizards. They can feel the drain."
"Drain?" asked Levy.
Elfman explained, "Racing is a manly sport. It's a delicate balance between pushing the speed and keeping oneself at an ability to drive safely. Edo-Natsu isn't the one using the SE-Plug, so he won't feel the drain of magic. Only Lucy will, and he didn't seem like he was in his right mind to be a man and listen to her. He's not slowing down, which means Lucy can't get him to stop. Making a woman like Lucy suffer is totally not manly!"
Gray sneered, watching the prototype car outrun the other race cars. "At those speeds, she could die."
"So what do we do?" Gajeel asked, cracking his knuckles to prepare for a fight.
"Nothing," Gray realized with bitter reluctance. "If we forcefully try to stop the race, people will get hurt, and Lucy might end up in a crash. That could definitely kill them both and maybe other innocent bystanders. The race is almost over. His car is still going fast, which means Lucy is still all right, but she's not going to be fine after this, not at those speeds. We need to get Lucy out of there immediately and have a medical team ready."
"Understood," said Levy. "Gajeel, we'll round up some healers." The two of them raced off to find help.
Gray grabbed the edge of the barrier until his knuckles turned white. "Lucy," he said between gritted teeth. "If she's hurt, I'm gonna kill that guy."
Elfman knew how he felt. He had the same feelings of fierce protectiveness toward his sisters. "Don't hurt him too badly. We still need Fireball to get Natsu back."
"Fuck Natsu! He can stay there for all I care. But Lucy…" Gray's brows drew down hard. "Lucy's strong. She'll survive this," he said to convince himself and try to calm down before he did anything stupid.
Back in the car, Fireball gave the engine one last boost, flooring the accelerator as he pulled away from the pack and sped toward the checkered flag.
"Woohoo! Victory is mine," he yelled as he passed over the finish line. "How was that, Princess?" he cried out happily.
When he looked over, Lucy was slumped in the passenger seat, her face drained of color, the arm with the SE-Plug hanging limply down.
"Princess?" he asked, but she gave no response. "Lucy!" He reached over, but her skin was icy cold. "Shit, no!"
He panicked, cranked the wheel, and made the car spin into the grassy center pit, leaving a curly mark of wheel tracks until finally coming to a stop. He quickly unstrapped her from the plug, and the car instantly went dead. He pulled her into his arms and brushed back her sweaty hair.
"Lucy, wake up!" Her whole body felt cold and limp. "Oh God, no. I … I didn't mean…" He leaped out of the car and looked around at the stadium full of cheering people and cars slowly leaving the track. "Help!" he screamed. "Someone, it's an emergency." Now out of the car, that horrible timidity returned. He felt like cringing down and crying, but his fear for Lucy overwhelmed that instinct. He leaned his head back and shouted, "Somebody, help her. Please!"
Gray and Elfman rushed forward, and with them came some security guards. Elfman pulled Lucy out of the car and lifted her into his arms.
"Ooph! She's heavier than she looks," he grunted, yet still the Take-Over wizard ran off the field to get Lucy to a healer.
Gray watched them go. He saw Lucy's face for only a moment, and the sight of his friend so drained, almost dead, infuriated him. He spun over to Edo-Natsu. "What the fucking hell were you thinking, you goddamn idiot!" he roared with fury he rarely felt toward anyone, even Natsu Dragneel.
Fireball had collapsed back into the driver seat, crying heavily with snot dripping down. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I didn't mean it. I wasn't even thinking. I … I wasn't thinking. I'm so sorry. I never want to hurt Princess. She … she's so kind and … and I … I went and did that! I'm sorry," he wailed.
Gray was ready to punch him until he realized Edo-Natsu was cowering like that while still inside the car. "You're bawling like an imbecile, but you're sitting in transportation? What's up with you?"
Edo-Natsu looked up with a grossly moist face. "Of course I'm crying! Anyone would cry if they hurt someone they really like."
"Really like?" Gray asked suspiciously.
However, right then the security guards arrived shouting at them not to move. Gray sneered at their weapons, then looked down at the sniveling boy. Despite a part of him that wanted to leave Edo-Natsu to get beaten and thrown in jail, he knew he had to take care of him in Lucy's place. Until she was better, Gray would take on her job.
He pulled a piece of paper out of his wallet, slapped it onto the windshield of the car, and grabbed Fireball's wrist to yank him out. "Run!" he ordered as he pulled him away.
Edo-Natsu tripped after him. "W-w-wait! What are we…?"
"You wanna get arrested? You stole a prototype car, broke through a secure area, illegally entered the racetrack, and endangered the lives of all the drivers. If you want to keep out of jail, run!"
Edo-Natsu smiled that Gray was helping him out.
'So, he's a good guy after all.'
"What was that thing you left on the car?" he asked Gray as they leaped over a barrier to escape the racetrack.
"Something I keep with me no matter where I go," the ice wizard replied.
Back at the car, the guards looked around for evidence of who the perpetrators were. That was when they found the paper on the windshield.
My apologies for the inconvenience. Please charge any damages to Fairy Tail.
The captain of the guard crumpled the paper in his fist and sneered. "Damn those Fairy Tail wizards!"
Lucy woke up to the smells of her own home. The bed under her was soft with the pillows perfectly fluffed how she liked them. Natsu claimed her room smelled good. She only recognized it after being away from her house for a long time, yet for some reason she smelled it now. It was a scent of vanilla and some flower; Natsu probably knew which. She figured she should ask him one day, what was it about her house that made him love it there. He usually said "because it smells like Lucy." So what did she smell like?
As her eyes slowly opened, she saw fuzzy pink hair and a blurry face looking down at her.
"Natsu?" she mumbled slowly as her mind crept out of the dream world.
Someone squeezed her hand. "Yeah, I'm here, Lucy."
His gentle voice made her smile, and her eyes began to close again. If it was Natsu there with her, then she was safe.
"I'm … I'm s-s-so … so sorry."
Hearing him apologize made her curious. Why sorry? What happened? Why did she feel like she just ran a marathon?
Then flashes of that race came into her mind. She opened her eyes again. It was still Natsu, but the expression was something she had never seen on Natsu Dragneel's face. The area from his eyelids down to his upper cheeks was puffy with swollen pinkness as if he had been crying hard for a very long time, and under this eyes had turned dark from lack of sleep. His lips were pale from being pressed together in worry. Even now, with his face dry and relief tugging a smile, he looked like he was on the brink of tears.
"Fireball," she realized.
He began to open his mouth, yet closed it again. He realized Lucy's smile a moment ago must have been because she thought he was her Natsu. That made the Edolas boy a little sad.
Yet why should he be sad? Surely she wanted to see her friend again. Once Salamander returned, she would probably grin wildly, call out his name with joy, and leap into his arms.
He swallowed something bitter in the back of his throat at the imagery. Of course Lucy wanted Dragneel back! She did not want some meek idiot like him. She was stuck at home because she had to take care of him, some poor lost fool from Edolas. She could not go on missions because of him, because the leader of their team was gone, and it was all his fault. And now … now she was lying in bed, pale, weakened, and she had been so close to death, all because he had been a selfish, foolish, idiotic jackass who nearly killed her.
Of course she wanted her Natsu back. She probably hated such a stupid Fireball like him.
"I don't even know how to show you how sorry I am," he said softly. "Bowing my face to the ground won't be enough. Not even getting hit a hundred times would show how horrible I feel for hurting you."
She squeezed his hand. "You didn't know," she said in understanding.
His brows tensed together tighter. "Exactly. I didn't know. It was a vehicle I wasn't used to." He swallowed back tears of self-loathing. "My dad taught me, whenever you sit in a new vehicle, give it a test drive. Even if you're being pursued and you jump into a stolen car, don't push the engine to its limits too soon. You never know at what point the lacrima fuel might destabilize, or the wheel axles might snap, or the steering wheel column might lock up, and then you're in even bigger trouble."
"Igneel taught you about stealing cars?" Lucy asked, unsure whether to laugh or feel sorry for his childhood.
"Once that car started up, it was like my mind blanked out. I thought I'd be fine just feeling the engine, but as soon as I felt it rumbling … I wanted it. I needed it!" he exclaimed passionately, and Lucy saw a little of that wild face. It made her swallow dryly. "I wasn't thinking, I wasn't used to the car, and that race … it took over my thoughts. I felt like I was back home. In our races, we push the car to its structural limits, and when we run out of fuel we make a pit stop for more. But … but I wasn't thinking. You were the fuel, and I selfishly used you up. I guess that's how everyone in Edolas is like, using up magic without thinking of the consequences. No wonder King Jellal took all the magic away. We don't deserve it, just like I don't deserve to drive a car," he muttered sadly.
"Fireball," she began.
He cut her off with tears. "I almost killed you! I … I didn't realize how … how hard it might be for a wizard to use magic. I thought it was something you guys did without much thought, without anything physical. I figured you Earthland people had endless amounts of magic, and you can drive forever without stopping. I … I got carried away. I haven't been able to drive a vehicle in ages, and I went a little crazy. I ended up hurting you." Tears poured from his eyes, and his lips tightened to hold back the sobs. "I never wanted to do that. You … you've been so kind to me, and I … I sorta li- … I mean…" He dropped his head, cutting off the words he wanted to say. "I can't believe I almost killed you, all for a stupid race."
"Hey," she said gently, and Lucy wiped the tears that tumbled down his cheeks. "Seeing Natsu cry is … really rather awkward," she admitted sheepishly. "Besides, it was sort of fun … when it wasn't scary as hell," she amended. "Also, you look good when you're having fun like that."
He sniffed moistly and looked up in confusion, only to see her blush and look away. "P-Princess," he whispered in wavering hopefulness.
"I forgive you," she said and finally looked back at him. "How about once I rest up a bit, we have another fun day out? I'll rent a car for you to drive, but only if you promise to keep the speed down. Maybe … maybe you can teach me how to drive. I've never done that sort of thing, and I think it'd be fun to learn."
His face brightened up. Lucy chuckled that he had the same huge smile as Salamander. Then Fireball suddenly leaped onto the bed and smothered her in a crushing hug.
"You're the best, Princess!"
She laughed and decided not to shove him off, that way he would not see how red her face was right then. Instead, Lucy wrapped an arm around him and hugged him back. Holding him felt good. He was not as burning hot as Natsu's body felt, but he had an interesting smell to him, not one of fire and dragon musk, but something unique, motor oil, the dust of the road, the smell of a machinist's garage.
Through his shirt, she could feel that he was not as muscular as Natsu Dragneel. She had hugged Natsu—or got crushed in one of his hugs—enough times to know the sinewy feel of his arms, chest, and back. Fireball was skinnier, her arms wrapped around him more, and his back was bony rather than muscular. Not that skinny was a bad thing! It just reminded her more and more that this man was nothing like Salamander … and she sort of liked that about Fireball.
"It's … it's fine, really," she stuttered. "Although, could you loosen up a little? You're squishing my chest."
Suddenly, he became aware of the softness under him, two mounds of plumpness that he had unknowingly smothered. He pulled back quickly, and those twin mounds bounced right back into shape. He could hardly help but stare at them, mesmerized by them. Lucy rubbed where he had crushed down on her breasts, and he watched her hands stroking herself. His fingers practically itched to touch her, yet he clenched his hands to stop himself.
He forced his eyes up to her face instead, but even that looked erotic, her cheeks red, her eyes averted bashfully, her lips pouting at such awkwardness. She looked absolutely adorable, cute in a way Lucy Ashley never looked. This was an expression he had never seen from this face. Such a bashful look on the face of a woman he had come to fear … aroused him.
He looked away with a feeling of shame. Then in horror, he realized he was still straddled over her hips and very, very aroused. A bolt of terror shot through him, fear that maybe Lucy could feel his lust, dread at what she would think about it, if she would hate him, feel disgusted at him, or even worse, if she liked it.
What if she liked him? What if she wanted him? He had no clue how to act around women. He had never even had an actual girlfriend, only a few ladies he had picked up in his car, nothing substantial. Besides, she was from another dimension.
Still, his stomach coiled tightly when he looked down at her, her eyes turned aside coyly, so innocent lying there under him. If he leaned over, if he covered her with his body, what would she do? He could almost imagine it, her trepidation, the nervous quaver to her voice, her eyes tattling her desires…
He quickly pulled away and sat tightly on the edge of her bed, squeezing his legs together to force down his erection.
For a moment, both were quiet and awkward. Lucy knew what she had felt, that pliant hardness and the heat that radiated from it. It terrified her. With Natsu, she rarely worried about him. Sure, he could be perverted sometimes, but he never gave any hint of being sexually attracted to her.
But this guy … Fireball was a mystery, and she had let her guard down. She was curious about him. His face was so like Natsu's yet his body was different. She looked aside, knowing that looking at him would make her stare at his body and wonder about what other changes Fireball had compared to Salamander. Particularly down there. She had seen him naked once already, but that was flaccid. How did he look fully aroused? Just how big did he get? She scolded herself for even thinking about such perverted things again, yet her mind still boiled with lewd curiosity.
"Um … Princess," he began hesitantly.
She gulped and looked up at him. She hoped he would not say anything that might make her distrust him. She had to live with him for at least another week. Another part of her waited with eager anticipation. She hoped he said something to make her heart flutter. She wanted to know his thoughts, his feelings, why he had gotten so suddenly aroused. She wanted to know … and she dreaded to find out.
"I … um … well…"
Suddenly, the door burst open. Gray and Erza came in with Happy, Charle, and Wendy behind, all of them with get-well gifts.
"Eek!" Fireball cringed as the two Exceeds flew in. He scampered far away from Lucy's bed and sat in the opposite window as if ready to leap out.
Lucy gave a long sigh as the tension of the moment completely dispersed. Then again, that might be a good thing. The last thing she wanted was a fling with a guy she knew would be leaving soon.
Happy dropped down onto her bed. "Lucy, we were so worried," he sobbed.
Charle huffed in annoyance. "He wouldn't shut up all night."
Gray sat on the edge of the bed and squeezed Lucy's hand. "I knew you were strong enough to make a full recovery."
She smiled back. "Thanks, Gray."
Erza sat on the chair Fireball had been using. "You should still rest for a day or two. The drain on your magic was significant."
Wendy agreed with lots of rest for her patient. "If it weren't for those emergency crews on standby, we might have lost you."
"I admit, I'm still sleepy," Lucy said wearily, "but I feel fine, really. Fireball cooks really well, so he can help out around the house while I recover."
The pink-haired boy grinned, hoping they would forgive him as well. However, Gray gave him a glare that sent icy chills down Fireball's spine.
"You bastard," the ice wizard sneered. "I can't forgive you for doing that to her."
Edo-Natsu made a squeaky noise and cowered down.
Then Erza loomed in on him. "There's a saying: Let the punishment fit the crime. I think we can come up with an appropriate punishment for nearly killing Lucy."
"Waaaaaah!" he sobbed. Suddenly, Fireball jumped out the window. "It's Knightwalker! It's Knightwalker!" he screamed as he ran down Strawberry Street flailing his hands in terror.
"You guys," Lucy sighed, shaking her head at their intimidation, yet she knew they meant no harm. It was easier to mentally terrorize the poor Fireball than physically hurt him.
End of Chapter 8
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Wheels of Fire