"Natsu, time to get up." Natsu heard what his brother had said, but still refused his wishes. Zeref sighed, shaking his brother in another attempt.
"Natsu, Makarov will-"
"I'm up." Natsu stated bluntly, sitting up on his cot. He began to rub the sleep out of his eyes. "What time is it?"
"6 AM."
Natsu scoffed. "Why'd he let me sleep in?"
"He knew what today was."
At Zeref's statement Natsu's eyes widened slightly, the tiredness he felt soon turning his whole mood somber. He reached for his uniform jacket, needing to get to the pocket that rested over his heart. Once inside, he grabbed the picture that he always kept there rubbing his thumb over it as tears collected in his eyes.
Zeref coughed, trying to relieve some of the awkwardness. "I'll leave you alone, be ready in 10."
Natsu didn't even bother watch his brother retreat out of their small housing unit, he was to focused on the picture that was in his hands. The tears that had burned the back of his eyes now starting to fall in small drops on his most treasured item. It was a picture of Lucy on their wedding day. She was stunningly beautiful dressed in a white princess styled dress, her brown eyes glowing with unshed tears, the curly loose blonde locks… and last but not least her smile that had shown how happy she truly was.
He brought the picture up to his lips, before tucking it back away in his pocket.
"Happy anniversary, Lucy."
"D-Do you really have to go?" Lucy cried, her face buried in his chest giving out heart wrenching sobs. Natsu was no better, his face buried in her golden locks, his own tears soaking her hair.
"You know I have to, Lucy."
Lucy unburied her face from him, looking up at him with her tear stained eyes. "I can't live without you…"
"Its not forever Lucy." He brought his hands up to her face, brushing some of her warm tears away with his thumbs. "I'll be back, I promise."
"B-But w-what if you-"
He cut her off putting his finger over her lips. "Lets not think about the negatives. Lets just… enjoy each others presence while we can." Lucy couldn't speak due to the sobs taking over her body once again, so she just settled pushing her face back into her husbands chest. Holding him tightly quite possibly for the last time.
"Man, this bites." Gray complained from his post outside a warehouse. "No action whatsoever today." Natsu remained unusually silent at his best friends comment. Concerned, Gray looked over to Natsu spotting how his shoulders sagged and the thrill of battle lost in his eyes.
"Natsu?"
He snapped his head over to his partner. "Yeah?"
"You okay man?" Natsu remained quiet for a long period of time, Gray thought he wasn't going to answer back to him. When the ink haired soldier was about to scold him, Natsu spoke up.
"… Its mine and Lucy's one year anniversary today."
Gray froze in his spot, fully understanding what was wrong with his friend. Giving him a look of sympathy, he placed a hand on his shoulder. "Thats rough buddy. First anniversary is always the most important."
The pink haired soldier looked at him from the corner of his eye. "You're not helping."
Instead of replying, Gray removed his hand and just sat there in silence with his best friend. After a few moments, Gray noticed Natsu's hand moved to the pocket over his heart already knowing what he was going to get. He seen him pull out the all too familiar picture, staring at it lovingly.
"I bet she wants to be with you as much as you want to be with her."
The corner of Natsu's lip turned into a smile. "Yeah, I know. Makarov's letting us Skype later."
Gray looked up into the afternoon sky, mind running with thoughts of Juvia. "Even if you guys aren't together physically, just remember that she's always with you."
Natsu let a lone tear fall down his tanned cheek. "Yeah, I know she is."
"Attention class, we have a new student today." The class looked up hearing what the teacher had said. "Miss, would you please introduce yourself?"
"I-I'm Lucy Heartfilia." She stuttered out, face turning a dark shade of red. Some males in the classroom chuckled at her cute stuttering, eyeing her hungrily.
Never to be one interested in how a woman looks, Natsu could not deny that the female standing in the front of the classroom was quite the looker. With her long blonde hair, big doe brown eyes, her black leggings that hid underneath her super sized maroon sweatshirt that ended at mid thigh. Everything complemented her so well and she… intrigued him.
So when the teacher sat her next to him in that empty seat, Natsu did what he did best.
"Yo, I'm Natsu."
He noticed how she smiled back shyly at him, red still lingering on her cheeks. "Lucy."
Who knew after that one hello their fate together was already decided?
"Happy anniversary Lucy!" Natsu shouted from his side of the computer. He seen her smile for the first time in four months, it made his insides burn with longing at how long it has been since they've last seen each other.
"Happy anniversary Natsu." She replied, voice hoarse. Natsu's eyes furrowed in concern.
"Are you okay Luce?" Lucy wiped her eyes for any stray tears. She told herself she wasn't going to cry, but she just couldn't help it.
"Yeah I'm just… happy to see your face again."
Natsu chuckled. "You're such a weirdo. You have a house full of pictures of me."
Lucy started to shake again, unable to contain the sobs any longer. "Its not the same…"
"Hey Luce, baby look at me." She did as she was told, heart sinking further into her chest as she seen his own tears. What hurt even more is that she knew he was trying to be strong for his sake by putting up the fake smile he wore so well. "Its not the same for me either. I really want to be there with you, start the family we've always talked about. We're still going to… but its just gonna be delayed."
"Actually, its not." Natsu's eyes widened.
"Wha-" Natsu gasped as he seen Lucy stand up and turn to her side, seeing the large bump her stomach had become. "Lucy you're-"
"I'm four months." She rubbed her stomach lovingly. "I found out about three weeks after you left. I didn't write it to you, because I wanted you to see it."
"I love you." Natsu blurted out, his tears falling down his cheeks at a rapid pace. "Oh Mavis Lucy I love you so much oh man, you're… pregnant. I'm going to be a dad."
Lucy smiled through her tears. "Yes you are Natsu."
Natsu tried to let all the information sink in. He couldn't believe it. Lucy was pregnant? He was going to be a father? Oh Mavis…
His expression instantly turned into one of disappointed and didn't go unnoticed by his wife.
"Natsu?"
"I… wont be there for your pregnancy." It was always one of his biggest dreams, being there for Lucy and going through the whole nine month process with her. But no, here he was stuck in another country away from her.
"You're doing something better Natsu. You're fighting for our baby's future." Her words hit him hard. She was right, he was fighting for their baby's future. Still, she needed him there… but he couldn't be there.
"Natsu! Times up!" Natsu looked over his shoulder at Makarov who gave him a stern look. Sighing, he shifted his gaze back to his wife's noting how her eyes were filling with tears.
"Hey, I'll be back soon okay?" Lucy didn't respond, just nodded her head. He let the tears slip down his own face. "I love you."
"We love you too." Natsu's heart warmed when she said we. Lucy and his baby… Natsu still couldn't get over the fact she was pregnant. As they hung up, Natsu's shoulders slumped as he began to stand up, walking over to Makarov.
"It'll be alright Natsu, you're almost done here." He turned and walked out of the room. Natsu put his hand over his heart where his wedding picture rested.
"Not soon enough." He said to himself before following suit of his general.
"Mrs. Dragneel! What are you gonna do on maternity leave?" Lucy heard one of her students ask. She was currently sitting on her desk rubbing her seven month pregnant stomach.
"Well, I'm going to eat, sleep and give birth." She joked, causing her sophomore students to laugh. "And hope that my husband will be able to Skype with me." She looked down at her wedding ring, thinking of Natsu. It's been three months since she'd last seen his face and seven months since they've physically been together.
"Ahh, don't worry Mrs. Dragneel. We'll go visit you and your son in the hospital!" Lucy smiled at her students words.
"Thank you I appreciate it-" A knocking at the door interrupted her. "Come in!" Lucy shouted as her and her students watched at their librarian, gym teacher and science teacher fill the room.
"Levy? Erza? Juvia? What are you guys doing here?" Lucy questioned, seemingly confused as to why her three closest friends decided to make an appearance. They all smiled at her knowingly, causing the blonde to scrunch her eyebrows together in confusion.
"What are you-" Her heart seemed to have stopped as another figure entered the doorway. She couldn't move, she felt frozen in the sitting position on her desk.
"N-Natsu?" She stuttered, barely able to ask the question at the way her throat seemed to be swelling with overwhelming emotion. She knew it was him, she just couldn't believe it was him. He was here, in the same room with her after seven months.
"Hey Luce." She loved the way her name came off his tongue as smooth as ever. The tears began to fall as she abruptly stood up starting to make her way towards the man she fell in love with all those years ago.
"Natsu!" Lucy shouted as Natsu met her halfway in a bone crushing hug, the two sobbing into each other. They ignored the clapping and the shouts of pure joy from the others in the room, focusing only on each other.
"You're here… you're really here." She cried into his chest. He held her tighter, kissing the crown of her head.
"Yeah Luce, I'm here." He moved his arms from her shoulders to pace his large hands on her protruding stomach, caressing it in a loving manner.
"And I'm never leaving again."