Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or any of its characters!
"Hey, Luc!" I looked over my shoulder to see the pink haired Dragon Slayer, along with his blue cat flying beside him. They appeared in a rush though their faces were plastered with big smiles. My heart fluttered as my chest grew warm, all thanks to the knuckle head. He hurried down the corridor, pushing past the busy guild members before they skidded to a stop beside me. His eyes were bright and full of life as he stared at me, I always got the feeling that he was seeing straight through me, as if there was nothing he couldn't coax out of me. To him, I was an open book and in an odd way, I really disliked the feeling. I felt exposed and vulnerable, however I was glad it was him I felt that way around.
He seemed to be waiting for me to answer so I ran my fingers through my hair as I budged over, allowing him to take a seat on the edge of the bench. Cana was sat on the table hugging a barrel of booze while Levy and Erza sat across from me, the red haired mage was enjoying a slice of her favourite cake while Levy had been chatting to me. "What's up?" I asked, though Natsu seemed reluctant about sitting down. "Natsu?"
"Urm," his cheeks grew pink as he gave his cheek a nervous scratch, it was a bad habit of his which told me he didn't want others to hear what he had to say. "Can we go somewhere private?" As if to confirm his unease he gave reluctant glances towards the other guild members, as if he were desperately keeping something embarrassing from them. Though that didn't help me get any closer to a reason why he'd want to tell me about it, especially since he was the hardest person to embarrass.
I shrugged, looking over to Levy with a smile. "Is it okay if I go with him for a bit?" I knew they weren't the kind of people to turn around and say "no" though I'd been brought up to be courteous so I figured it was only polite to ask. Levy gave a little chuckle before waving me off.
"Of course, have fun, you two." There was a certain singing in her tone which told me she was having naughty thoughts which only made me question our friendship, though I loved her enough to overlook such a thing. I flicked my hand against Natsu's chest to signal that he needed to back off for me to get out of the booth, which he did. Although as I got to my feet I caught the sly look in Happy's eye which only aroused concern.
I decided not to start quizzing them while we were still in the guild hall since he'd gone to the trouble of calling me outside, though I wasn't in a great mood thanks to a bad night sleep so I worried his answer would only end up annoying, considering the last time he'd acted in such a way was about some stupid buried treasure I wasn't above thinking the whole thing to be some kind of prank.
Once we were outside the guild I looked up to see the clouds starting to cover the sunlight, it was only mid-afternoon yet it was already starting to look like a dim evening, it was rather a strange day for the beginning of summer, the weather had grown a little unpredictable for my liking. Though it was still reasonably warm thanks to the lack of a breeze and there was plenty of life buzzing about. Some human and some animal, I could see a few stray dogs sniffing around the garbage not to mention the blue cat which was flying around like some radar.
"So, what's up? Is everything okay?" I asked with a smile as I turned to him. His expression had shifted from excitement to suspicion as he scanned the street. He reached up and grasped his scarf in his right hand as he wiped the sweat from around his mouth and then from his forehead. I'd failed to notice the signs of exertion since I'd been so taken aback by his sudden entry into the guild, though it only made me question if he was digging for gold once again.
His eyes focused on me and he shook his head as Happy landed on the floor beside him. "Not here, Happy will you take her home? I'll meet you there." Something told me it wasn't something silly, he had the look that he got when he was facing an opponent or protecting someone he loved, I got the feeling he meant business which only served to worry me. I just couldn't work out why he was being so cryptic and secretive.
"Aye!" Happy chimed as he jumped up, giving a flap of his wigs as he circled around and grabbed the back of my shirt. Since the weather had been changing since the morning I'd gone with a functional outfit, a plain, white, button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up with my favourite blue skirt and boots, not to mention the pale yellow, hooded jacket which I had tied around my waist. It had already proved a good choice when I'd grown cold and had been able to roll down the sleeves and pull the jacket on to warm up.
I was shocked by the sudden command so it took me a moment to realize what he'd said. "Wait- Whaat!? Natsu, what the hell!?" I squealed as I was lifted from the ground and thrown into the sky by the Exceed. Within seconds we were high up, at least two hundred yards from the floor and I could only see the pink of Natsu's hair darting in and out of the crowd. I was actually grateful for his noticeable appearance since it helped to pick him out among all of the other people which cluttered the streets. "Happy, what's going on? Put me down!"
"I'm sorry, Lucy. Natsu told me to... But don't worry! He's got a plan." Even though he was attempting to sound serious I could hear the snicker in his words. It unnerved me but also got me a little intrigued and excited, I wanted to see what the two had gone to so much trouble for. Though I couldn't help the sigh which escaped my mouth, it was typical for those two to attempt such a fishy affair.
We were in the air a grand total of three minutes however I spent an extra five minutes stood by the front door of Natsu and Happy's small house awaiting the dragon slayer to arrive and let me in. I was almost dreading the entrance into the shack, it was sure to be messy, not to mention smelling of dirty underwear. Despite having a sharp nose as a Dragon Slayer his own stench never seemed to bother him, nor the mess which always seemed to consume his home. Though considering the amount of time he spent at my apartment I didn't suppose he was home a lot to notice the condition of the place.
My team-mate came running up with an apologetic look, it was obvious he'd underestimated his partner's speed and had assumed he would've been able to keep up. Oh, how naive he was. "Sorry to keep you waiting!" He panted as he took a moment to regain his breath. I giggled lightly as I awaited his recovery and observed his effort. Even I could see he'd pushed himself to make it in such a quick time, even if it was slower than the flying feline.
"No problem, now what's so important you took me away from everyone?" I glared at him suspiciously as he stood up once more, wiping his face free of sweat for the second time. He was unable to hide his wide grin as he stepped around me and began fiddling with the door. I pouted slightly, getting annoyed with the sudden secretively so I bent down and picked up Happy, hugging him to my chest as I waited to find out what the big secret was.
"Lucy?" Happy asked. I noted the concern in his tone as if he were worried I was going to try to crush him to death, not that I hadn't contemplated doing such a thing before but I felt a little offended that he couldn't read me well enough to know that I just wanted a hug. I gave his head a gentle pat to try and reassure him that I wasn't going to choke him or anything so malicious, though he didn't seem fully settled.
"SURPRISE!" Natsu yelled. I looked up from the cat in my arms to Natsu who was holding the door open for me, even though I couldn't see the full interior I could still see a huge change from the last time I'd laid eyes on the messy bomb site. I also quickly realized why Happy had been nervous about being in my arms for the big revelation.
My eyes scanned the organised bookcases and the hammock which had been taken down, not to mention the completely clear floor and dusted walls, though that wasn't what caught my eye the most. What drew my attention from all of the hard work that had gone into cleaning the place up was the Happy Birthday banner which was hung across the far wall. I could tell straight away it was hand made because I could recognise Natsu's writing, plus the fiery design gave it away a little bit. The letters were all coloured in a bold red while the background was a royal blue, the colours complimented each other in a surprising way which I would never had expected them to.
My arms tightened around myself as I felt the tears form in a glossy coating over my eyes. In truth I'd been unable to sleep the night before because I was so excited to celebrate my eighteenth birthday with my nakama, my first birthday as a member of Fairy Tail, yet nobody seemed to remember what day it was. They'd all forgotten about my birthday. It had saddened me and left me feeling grumpy, despite the fake smile which I'd held onto so that I didn't make them feel bad for not remembering.
"Ah, Lucy!" Natsu gasped as he whipped Happy from my grasp, allowing the cat to breath once again. I sniffled and released him without a fight as I began rubbing at my eyes, desperately trying to get rid of the tears. "Do you like it? I know it's not my best work..." He gave a soft chuckle as he stepped closer, a grin on his face as a blush covered his cheeks.
I sniffed in my sobs and nodded. "It's perfect, thank you!" I hadn't realized just how much it meant to me but I was unable to stop the outburst in emotion which just made me feel bad, I was sure Natsu thought he'd upset me in some weird way. But that was Natsu, he was so dense yet thoughtful that it made both my head and heart ache. He was such an idiot that I wanted to hit him but he was so carefree and full of life that I wanted to hug him, he sure knew how to mess with my feelings.
He gave my back a gentle pat as he hugged me gently, willing me to stop crying. "I asked everybody to keep their celebrations for tomorrow so you'll have the party at the guild then, today is just us, okay?" I nodded and rested against him for a moment as I sucked in a deep breath, attempting to calm myself enough to stop sobbing. "We didn't forget." His words were like a whisper but they were so strong it was hard to tell. Being him, he couldn't help but chuckled at me as he gave my head a pat. "Now come on, it's your birthday! Cheer up!"
"It's your fault," I sniffed as he wiped away my tears using his scarf. "Really though... Thank you, Natsu!" I beamed as I flung my arms around him, pulling him close as I hugged him tightly. He seemed shocked at first but quickly relaxed and returned the gesture, his arm wrapping tightly around my waste as he rested his head against my own, taking a breath of my hair as I enjoyed his warm scent.
We continued the embrace for a few moments before I broke back, suddenly embarrassed about being so close to him though he didn't seem bothered at all. "Which do you want first, cake or present?" Happy had already found some paper-party hats and began distributing them to us as he blew on a party horn, making little tooting noises as he did. I hesitated for a moment before putting it on my head, sure I looked strange with the small piece of string hugging my chin, though the two didn't seem to mind. Natsu wore his with pride as he stepped deeper into his den.
"Cake! I'm actually rather hungry." I smiled as I followed him in, shutting the door behind me. It felt as if I were in a completely different house than all the other times I'd been there, Natsu had never bothered to go to so much trouble to have guests so I felt rather special that he'd bother to clean up so much just for my birthday. "Where did you buy it from?"
"Mira made it for us!" He grinned as he sat down in the middle of the floor beside the table which centred the room, reaching to a small box which was in the middle of the wooden circle. "She said she had to do a practise cake for tomorrow so that's what we got, I hope that's okay?"
I nodded as I sat across from him, watching as Happy peered over the edge, staring at the cake with such desire that he began to salivate. I was so happy to of had such a thoughtful gesture done for me though at the same time it made me a little worried since Natsu wasn't the type to keep such a thing from me. Normally he would've been bragging about what an amazing party he had planned that he wouldn't of shut up for a week beforehand. Though I decided not to think anything of it, guessing somebody had convinced him into keeping it a surprise to make it more memorable. "It's fine!" I smiled as he turned the box around, having ripped off the lid and pressed in eighteen candles, nine of which were blue and the other nine were pink - my favourite colours - each with a white spiral pattern running up them. Without hesitating Natsu used his magic to light each of the candles before himself and happy began to sing:
"Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday dear Lucy.
Happy birthday to you!"
With the song finished the two waited expectantly for me to extinguish the candles, which I did. I pulled in as much air as my lungs would allow and then blew it out at the candles. I closed my eyes tightly and decided upon my birthday wish.
I want to stay by his side... I never want to leave Fairy Tail! Please, let me say here like this.
However thanks to Natsu's strong flames it took me three times before they were completely out which left me feeling a little light headed and out of breath. "Wow, Lucy! Happy Birthday!" The cat and dragon slayer clapped before they began to pull out the candles before any melted wax began to drip onto the icing. I smiled brightly as I gazed at the two fondly, they really were my family and I knew in that moment I would do anything for the two of them, not to mention the rest of Fairy Tail. "Alright, time for some cake!"
"Aye!" Happy beamed as he sniffed the slice given to him on a small plate. I took my piece and also gave it a sniff, it was easy to pick up on the sweet hint along with the smell of icing however I could also smell some vanilla and chocolate which just got me excited about biting into the soft sponge.
Natsu devoured his slice of cake in one mouthful while Happy seemed to face-plant into it and the two of them ended up just watching as I took my time, enjoying the sweet flavour of the desert. Once I was finished the pink haired mage thrust a small box in my face. His cheeks were the same colour as his hair but he had a cocky grin that got my attention.
Slowly but surely I opened the silver box that was no bigger than the size of my hand. I was sure my eyes would be sparkling as I set my gaze on the piece of jewellery the box contained. Carefully, I pulled it from the case and laid it on my hand, studying it carefully, consuming every detail of the intricate piece.
"Wow, Natsu! It's... perfect." I gasped as I gazed down at the cool metal necklace which sat in the palm on my hand. It was in the shape of our guild's mark and opened up into a locket. Once opened two pictures came into view, one of myself, Natsu, Happy, Carla, Wendy, Gray and Erza while the other one was of the entire guild piling on top of each other to fit into the small space. At the front of the crowd I could see an extra small Levy, Cana and Juvia along with Mira and Gajeel. I could see everyone else, too, but not as clearly as those in front. Apart from Laxus and Elfman, those two were big enough to be seen from a great distance, no matter the size of the picture. The Master was there, too. He was hovering to the side of his grandson and as I continued to gaze at it I noticed more and more of the members among the horde of mages.
"I'm glad you like it," he grinned with a childish flush of the cheeks. "Hey, can I tell you something?"
Due to my complete joy at receiving such a gift I completely missed the serious tone which engulfed Natsu's voice as he spoke and simply nodded. "Sure!"
"Well... I wanted that necklace to mean something... something more than a birthday gift." He hesitated, his eyes aimlessly wandering around the room and I could practically see the wheels spinning in his head as he searched for the words.
However, Happy spoke for him. "He likes you, Lucy!" the cat said, not being sly and rolling his tongue on the word "like", not being at all sly in it at all. He was serious.
"You mean like to show that we... I mean, as if to show that we were... Boyfriend and... Girlfriend?"
The dragon slayer nodded, slowly and shyly, showing me a glimpse of how cute and childish he could actually be. "Yeah, exactly like that."
I felt as if I were frozen in place, unable to think or speak as my mind replayed what he'd said... What he was saying. "Ask me properly."
"Wh-what!?" He eyed me in suspicion. "What are you saying?"
I sighed, "Ask me to be your girlfriend, properly."
"You're just out to embarrass me, aren't you?" I nodded. "Fine," he sighed before taking in a deep breath as if sucking in all his strength. "Lucy Heartfillia, will you please be my mate?!"
"Mate!?" I spat the word in shock, "I said girlfriend, not mate! That word's way too embarrassing."
He pouted light a child as he grabbed onto his feet, rocking back and forth lightly and he averted his gaze. "But I want you to be my mate, it's the same thing." The childish teenager gazed at me, his eyes unwavering as he awaited my answer.
I didn't know what to say, I knew what I wanted to say – yes! Forever and always, yes. Over the past year I'd been feeling closer and closer to the dragon slayer to the point where his cheeky grin and strong form made my heart knot. But my mouth didn't seem to be working while my brain was working too much, too fast…
Mate? Are you kidding me! How cheesy… Though I suppose he is a dragon slayer, Dragons would mate rather than date, wouldn't they? Oh, what does it matter?! He may be a Dragon Slayer but he's not an actual dragon, I'm being silly! Why can't he just be normal and ask me out… normally. Like normal people do... Who am I kidding, Natsu is as far from normal as a person can get. Though, he did go to so much trouble for me just because it's my birthday…
I sighed before smiling warily at him. "Natsu, I love you." That was my answer, the single and simple truth among the confusion of words.
"I love you, too, Lucy."
A/N: Just a little one shot I came up with a while ago which I never finished. Hope you like it :)
As always, please leave a review and let me know what you thought!