"Come children, come children. Gather round now, I've a story for ye," the old woman hobbled to the worn rocking chair that sat in the corner, her cane making a dull thud every time it tapped at the aged floorboards. With a groan that matched that of the chair, the woman settled back and wrapped her shawl more firmly about her shoulders, warding off the winter chill that managed to work its way through the wall.
"Grams, grams! Look what I can do!" a little girl shrieked as she held herself up by her palms, heedless of the skirts that tumbled about her face.
"Heaven's, child! Put yerself right this second! I can't be talkin' to an upside down face, now, can I?"
Giggles abounded as a little boy reached and pushed the girl over. Righting herself with a huff, the girl sat up and glared at him, which was responded with a cheeky grin.
Masking her own smile with a stern look, the old woman tapped her cane upon the ground. "Come now, come now. If ye want a story, then ye need to sit and calm down, elsewise I'm not sayin' a word."
This method of motivation seemed to work well enough, as the children quickly settled, the only sounds now being the occasional outbursts to get out of the way, or get off a foot.
Smiling, she settled back into her chair once more, gently rocking back and forth as she collected her thoughts. Finally, just as the children were about to become restless, she spoke using the voice that had long since earned her a reputation of best storyteller in the village.
"When I was a wee lass, I worked for a grand lady in the great city of Magnolia. Keep in mind, now, that this was long before ye, and even yer older brothers and sisters were born; when my eyes were bright, and full of wonder as they took in the sights that only the largest city in the world could offer. Of course, at that point in my life, I had never seen another city but Magnolia, being the country girl that I was.
"Now there was a lady- Katia her name was. She was very elegant; a very proper lady. Stubborn, too, for that matter. Her husband had died a while 'fore I came, and (just to spite the taxmen, I daresay) she took over his business and raising their son. La, Katia was fierce. Taught me how to read and write, she did. For all that I was naught but a serving girl, we became close." The woman trailed off, a small smile flitting across her face as her gaze focused somewhere far in the past.
It was a small tug on her skirts that managed to bring the old woman back to the present, only to find seven pairs of bright eyes staring at her in avid curiosity. The woman chuckled and cleared her throat.
"Now then, her lad, a fine boy he was. La, he would have been naught but a boy of 15 when I came to them, and already he had half the city pining after him. Alas, all of his admirers could have been sticks in a forest for all the notice he took of them. Sometimes I had to wonder if that boy knew what romance was, until I met the reason he managed to disappear at some point each day.
"The lass's name was Lucy, and a closer pair I still have yet to find. If young Natsu wasn't at home, all ye had to do was to find him was to search out her golden head in the browns and grays that were the docks. Joined at the hip, they were."
"Grams, what does that mean?" a small voice asked from the back of the room. It's source? A shy young boy, but one she had discovered had an unquenchable curiosity once unleashed.
"It means they are close, Nithyan, always together through the good and the bad." she answered
"How do I get joined at the hip?" Little Salma asked, her voice rising higher in her excitement. She was the romantic of the group (much like her mother, for that matter).
Holding up a hand, the woman staved off any more questions in order to continue her story. "He was careful to keep it from his mother. After all, any connection between the wealthy son of a merchant and the daughter of a lowly fisherman is seen, even today, as undesirable. I think Katia knew, though, and I don't think she minded. Instead, I think she was happy to see young Natsu have a friend and to see him remain innocent as long as he could, at any rate. Times were tough, then, and they weren't getting easier."
"Natsu! Stop running so fast!" Lucy shrieked as she was jerked after him.
"No, you've got to see this!" he called over his shoulder, not relenting in the grasp he had on her arm.
In, out, over, and under, they wove their way through the workers on the docks. Many just smiled and shook their heads, well used to the antics of the pair. With almost supernatural precognition, the workers would move out of the way of the rushing pair and continue on with their day, unperturbed.
"Lucy! Happy birthday!" called Levy, one of Lucy's friends, from where she sat mending a net with her mother as she chatted to Gajeel who, presumably, was taking his lunch with her. Lucy grinned and made a mental note to talk to her about that later, but didn't have much more time than to send a quick "thank you" over her shoulder before she was further rushed along by Natsu.
Finally, just as Lucy felt as though her ribs would burst at the sides, Natsu stopped before an opening in the cliffs that made up the southern border of the town. Turning, Lucy crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow at him. "You dragged me through town and nearly made me break my neck climbing that path for a dank cave?"
"But, it's cool!" he whined, tilting his head and giving that grin that she couldn't seem to build an immunity to.
Shaking her head with a small smile, Lucy sighed. He was an idiot, but she loved him and would likely follow him to the ends of Earthland, if he but asked her to. "Okay, okay," she said, "show me what's so special about this cave."
His grin widened and he reached down to grab her hand, gently tugging her forward towards the entrance.
To say she was apprehensive would be an understatement (who knew what awaited them in the dark?), but as long as she was with Natsu, Lucy felt as though she could brave anything.
The cave walls were narrow and dark, and it was only the feel of Natsu's fingers intertwined with hers that kept her grounded. In spite of his presence, Lucy began to feel as though the walls were pressing in on her and clutched tighter to Natsu, receiving a reassuring squeeze in return. Finally, just as she felt she would go mad, the cave opened up into a large, dry, and surprisingly well-lit cavern. The limestone walls were polished smooth with the passage of time and they gleamed in the sunlight that streamed in from the natural skylights in the roof. In the center was a pool of water, its center such a deep, pure blue that she couldn't even begin to guess its true depth, as unfathomable as the ocean that lay naught 200 feet behind her. What caught her attention, however, was the blanket spread at the pool's edge, breads and cheeses and fruits laid out haphazardly next to the basket in the corner, and the small, cloth wrapped bundle complete with a small bundle of wildflowers that took the place of honor in the center of the entire ensemble.
"Happy 18th Birthday, Luce!" Natsu said, his grin slowly fading as the blonde at his side remained silent.
Slowly, her smile grew until she whirled around and tossed her arms around his neck, "It's lovely and I absolutely adore it. Thank you Natsu."
Relieved, he smirked down at her, "Well, that's good. I think I'd have to toss you in the pool if you didn't like it,"
Glaring at him for ruining the mood, Lucy didn't bother to dignify his teasing with a response as she made her way over to the surprise picnic. Before she could take more than a couple steps, however, an arm around her waist halted her progress and spun her around. A pair of warm, welcoming lips melted her irritation as Lucy sighed into his embrace. It was so frustrating how she couldn't seem to hold a righteous anger with this man, but no one else had this ability to make her feel light as air, so she supposed it was a good tradeoff.
Breaking away, Lucy smiled lazily up at him while he continued to grin at her with that infuriating smirk. Rolling her eyes, she laughed as his gaze flitted to the food, and back to her, looking for all the world like a starving puppy. That was one thing that had never changed about him in all the years they had grown up together. For all that his friends and loved ones took precedence in his heart, food always came at a very close second (and often superseded others in the short run).
"Come on, idiot. Let's eat."
"You read my mind, Luce, as always!" he exclaimed as he tugged her towards the blanket.
"More like heard your stomach," she teased, grinning at his put out expression, which was quickly replaced by excitement as he sat down, tugging her after him, and began to dig in.
Lucy grabbed what she wanted, knowing from many past experiences that she wanted food, she would just have to take it before he inhaled everything. Really, she had no idea where he put it. Considering the amount he consumed on a daily basis, he should have looked more like the chubby butcher's boy than as trim as he really was.
Rolling her eyes again, Lucy resettled her skirts and reached over to wipe a crumb from his cheek. Other than casting a quick glance her way, Natsu ignored her. Smiling to herself, Lucy squirmed to find a comfortable spot before setting to her lunch in the companionable silence that often surrounded them.
Stomachs full and laziness presiding in the cool relief from the summer sun outside the cave, Lucy and Natsu reclined on the blanket, their sides pressed closely to one another. Not for the first time, Lucy reflected on how detrimental these sort of actions could be to her reputation which, being the daughter of a fisherman as she was, was just about all she had to her name. However, as much as she thought on the differences between appropriate and unseemly behaviours, she could never bring herself to care when Natsu was involved. Perhaps that was one of the things to draw her to him. He was her childhood friend and they had grown up together, and for all the differences in their station, he never acted as though barriers existed between them. Outside, in the real world, Lucy was confined and stifled. With Natsu, she was free. She could talk with him, be intelligent with him, act like a child with him, run with him. He was her joy, she was his, and they were content to take pleasure in that fact.
"Luce?" his voice rumbled next to her ear, almost deafening in the silence of the cave, "I love you."
Turning her head, she smiled and sat up, pressing a kiss to his lips, "I love you, too, forever and a day."
He grinned up at her before threading his fingers in the hair at her nape and pulling her down for another kiss. "That's good," he whispered against her lips as his free hand wrapped itself around her waist.
Sighing happily, Lucy curled up against his side, allowing the lazy, slow, sweet kisses to consume her for many minutes before she finally pulled away. A slightly sad frown crossed her features as she looked at how far the shafts of light from the ceiling had moved along the cavern floor. "We've been here a while, and we should probably go back. I promised mother that I would help her mend nets tonight, and Levy told me she would stop by with Erza for dinner."
With a protesting groan, Natsu let his head fall back against the blanket. "Yeah, Mother wanted me home around dusk as well. Said she needed to talk to me about some things. Probably just wants to try teaching me some more about keeping books. It's so boorrrring" he complained.
Giggling, Lucy poked his side, grinning as he cracked one, unamused eye at her. "Boring, but necessary. You don't think I actually like mending nets, do you? Now come on, lazy bones, let's get this cleaned up."
He blinked at her for a few moments, relishing in the site, before suddenly sitting up, a gasp on his lips. "I forgot to give you your present!"
Looking at him in surprise, Lucy tilted her head, "The picnic wasn't my present?" she asked.
"No, well, yes. Ugh, here" He said, grabbing the cloth-wrapped bundle and shoving it at her.
She giggled, he always became so inarticulate when he got excited. Shaking her head, Lucy made short work of unwrapping the handkerchief that hid the contents from view. A medium sized wooden box sat upon her lap, her initials gracefully engraved on the front above the small, bronze clasp. The lid was inlaid with a series of different woods, coming together to form the picture of a dragon, curling itself above the box, protecting its contents. Laughing, Lucy smiled at Natsu, loving how he had remembered the fascination she had with the creatures, contrary to what the church would like.
"It's beautiful, Natsu, I love it," she said, leaning forward to press a kiss to his cheek.
"That's not all," he said, eagerly, "Open it,"
Raising an eyebrow at him, Lucy gently undid the clasp and lifted the lid, before she gasped. Nestled in the velvet-lined interior were a series of quills compete with paper and two inkwells.
"Natsu, this is too much," she whispered as a finger ghosted over the soft quills and glassy bottles.
Natsu scratched the back of his head, a signal to her that he was feeling a touch embarrassed. "It really isn't. For all that I was the one to teach you to read and write when we were kids, you became a better writer within a few years than I could hope to be. Besides, growing up you were always making up great stories that entertained me when I was bored. Just figured you might want to write some of them down."
Lucy bit her lip and looked down at the materials again. How she longed to be able to accept them, but one pressing wall stood in her way. "But Natsu, women can't write books, let alone women who are the daughters of fishermen. Already we're not encouraged to learn things beyond how to take care of a house. I don't know how I could use them as they deserve."
Natsu scoffed and glared at her, "Stop talking like that. Your stories are really good and they deserve to be written down, period. And if you really want to be published, then the answer is easy. Turn into a man. Sign the documents as Louis Heartfilia or something and I'll send them into a publisher. They'll be a hit, just you wait."
Carefully closing the lid, she set the box aside before leaping at Natsu, throwing her arms around his neck and tackling him to the ground. "Thank you, thank you so much. It's the best gift I've ever gotten," she whispered into his ear before pulling back to kiss him again.
Minutes passed by as they relished each others company, and, this time, Natsu was the one to pull back. Leaning his head against her shoulder, he took a few deep, stabilizing breaths before clearing his throat. "Come on, we should get you home."
Nodding, Lucy gave him another quick kiss before standing up, holding a hand out to help him up.
They gathered the remnants of their lunch, before leaving the cavern behind them. Back in the outside world, they could see the sun nearing the horizon, and, a little guiltily, thought that they had spent a little too much time in the cave. However, neither would trade the time together for the world.
Once in front of the doorway into her home, Lucy reached forward and grabbed Natsu's hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Thank you. You've made this the best birthday I've ever had." she said quietly, before kissing his cheek and disappearing into the warmth and light of her small home.
A broad grin and a sense of accomplishment boosting ego, Natsu turned and made his own way home. If there was a bit of a skip to his step, no one was left on the streets to comment on it.
So I'm trash who's sort of starting this new piece before I've finished a couple others and I'm sorry. I actually wrote this back in December and then my computer crashed before I could upload it. However, I can't promise when the next chapter will come. I've got a bit of a heavy course load this semester, so, between classes, homework, and work, I don't have too much free time. I do promise to work on it when I can, though! I also have an Archive of Our Own (though I haven't gotten around to putting my work up there) and I have a fairy tail blog on tumblr under natsusleftwenis. All of my work is posted on my tumblr, as well as here, and can be found under the tag "Wenis Work"
This particular fic has sort of been a long time in coming, though perhaps not always in this format. It's based on the story told in one of my favorite songs and I've kinda wanted to write a thing for that song for a few years now, and it was only recently that I thought about turning it into a Fairy Tail AU with my OTP (cause I'm Nalu Trash, im sorry). I'll also be writing one or two short one-shots for the upcoming Gajevy week, but a lot of my motivation for that is that GajEvy week is happening over my birthday so I'm really excited to participate cause I love that ship almost as much as I love Nalu. Anywho, Hope you enjoyed the beginnings of this story! Reviews are highly appreciated, as are favorites! I love to hear feedback from everyone on how they think I did, for better or worse!
Have a wonderful day!
~Mix