Dinner Time

"Lucy, I don't want to come in." Natsu said, staring at the big mansion on front of him, the wooden doors frightening him.

"Natsu, it's okay," Lucy put her hand over his bicep reassuringly, trying to stop the teasing smile forming on her lips.

The fact that he was so nervous about meeting her dad for the first time since they started dating was rather cute. He kept playing with the hem of his navy blue sweater with his gloved hands, hiding his face behind the scaly scarf his father gave him when he was a kid.

"He's gonna kill me." Natsu sentenced.

Lucy rolled her eyes. "Of course not. He loves you, remember?"

Jude always teased them when they only were best friends. She didn't see the difference now. He'd been very enthusiastic about them dating now when she told him the news.

"You were nervous when we went to have dinner with Igneel in that restaurant yesterday," Natsu pointed out.

Touché.

"It's not the same thing," Lucy tried to say.

Natsu frowned at her. "What's so different?"

Lucy eyed the porch of her mansion, searching for an answer. When she found none, she sighed and kissed his cheek.

"Everything will be fine." Lucy assured him. "Even my mom loves you!"

Natsu squeaked, his dark eyes widening with fear.

Lucy's owe eyes opened, alarmed with his sudden reaction. "What's wrong?"

"I completely forgot your mom is here now."

Lucy sighed, slapping her forehead. "She knows you, Natsu. I don't get why are you so afraid of them so suddenly. You practically lived trespassing my house for years."

"But we weren't dating back then!" Natsu argued, obviously determined not to go inside.

But Lucy had enough.

"Natsu." she said, voice threatening that made him look at her even more frightened. "It's snowing. I'm cold. My parents are waiting for us inside there. I'm freezing."

Without waiting for his reply, Lucy opened the door and pushed him inside, closing it back behind them. She sighed contently when the warm of the house started to work on her, bringing her back from her frozen state.

The chandelier shone above them, giving the place the old scent her parents loved. The red carpet on the floor, the 1980's mirrors with golden frame, the expensive jar that Natsu broke when they were 12 and now was repaired; everything formed a familiar atmosphere that Lucy hoped Natsu wouldn't break again.

But as she got rid of her black, warm coat, she understood Natsu's nerves. It was the first time she bought a boyfriend to meet her parents -because he was, indeed, her first boyfriend and best friend. She was afraid things would turn awkward.

Though, before she could express her thoughts at Natsu, her mother came in with a red dress of those she loved to use, her blonde hair tied up on a braid. For a forty years old, Layla looked like her sister.

"Hey, mom," Lucy smiled, greeting her mother with a hug. She never got tired of doing that, after two months of being apart while Layla made some business in Alvarez.

"My beloved Lucy." Layla said. "And Natsu! How are you?"

Lucy watched with amusement and horror as Natsu turned pink and awkwardly hugged Layla back, shooting Lucy an alarmed look.

Natsu cursed her when she burst into a fist of giggles.

Layla broke the hug and smiled, oblivious at their interaction. "Let's go the dinner table. Your father is waiting for us."

Lucy watched as her mother turned around and left. Natsu immediately hurried up to her, "I can't do this."

Lucy raised her eyebrow, the corner of her lips still upwards. "C'mon, where's the brave Natsu Dragneel I know and love?"

"Obviously not here." Natsu said.

"Natsu."

"Okay, okay, fine." Natsu said, taking a deep breath. "I'll do this."

Lucy observed closely the determination in his gaze, but also the neverending nervousness and fear he'd gotten since she told him it was time to go to her house.

Sighing, Lucy took his hand in hers and bumped into him jokingly. "It'll be okay,"

"Right…"

Before his determination crumbled, Lucy dragged him into the dining room. A large mahogany table, with fancy porcelain dishes and metal cutlery and glasses that looked like crystal awaited them. It followed the house's decoration.

Thankfully, for the occasion, his father decided not to sit at the end of the table, but right beside her mother. That left Lucy and Natsu sitting next to each other, which may helped him a bit. At least, Lucy hoped.

When they entered the room, Jude stood up from his chair, Layla already at his side.

"Lucy, Natsu!" Jude said, smiling. "It's nice to have you guys here!"

Lucy gave him a quick hug over the table, while Natsu shook his hand.

Maybe Lucy imagined it, she didn't know, but she saw a spark of strict criticism flashing on his brown eyes. Natsu shivered at her side.

"Let's sit down!" Jude said cheerfully. Everyone followed his example.

"The food will be ready in a few minutes," Layla said politely.

"How are you two doing, living together and all that?" Jude asked.

"It's great," Lucy smiled. "We're doing perfectly."

Jude looked over at Natsu, waiting for him to say something. Lucy prayed he didn't mess it up.

"Uh… we've been great!" he smiled.

"I see…" Jude said. "So young, and yet already moving on together…"

They were 23 and knew each other for over than ten years, and he knew it. Lucy shrugged.

"But you know I'd love to help with whatever you need, money or job," Jude said.

Lucy arched her eyebrow. "We're fine, dad. But thank you. Natsu's working at the firework company of Igneel and I'm months away from finishing college!"

Jude narrowed his eyes at him. "I see, Natsu." The boy did his best not to squirm on his seat under his gaze. "What do you do, exactly?"

That seemed to cheer him up. Natsu loved talking about his job with his dad -his eyes lit up and his face unconsciously broke into a big smile. It looked like all of his worries faded away.

"I create different fireworks with Igneel!" he said. "He taught me all I know!"

His enthusiasm was contagious, and soon the whole Heartfilia family was smiling.

"What kind of fireworks?" Layla asked.

"All of them!" Natsu exclaimed. "Different colors and shapes and size!"

Lucy giggled. "He did the ones that were used on July 4th,"

Jude's eyes widened in surprise. "Oh, really?"

Natsu's cheeks turned pink from the attention he realized was receiving. Lucy loved him more and more.

"Well, yes," Natsu said sheepishly.

That moment the doors at their side bursted open, four waiters holding a silver tray. Without saying something, the put each one in front of them.

"Cool!" Natsu said, like a little kid. Lucy forgot he never stayed for dinner with them, and when he did, she was the one to make it and bring it to her room so they could eat alone. His eyes shone with excitement at the treat.

Their meat with salad looked delicious.

"Thanks for the food," her father said.

"Thanks for the food!" the rest of them echoed, before Natsu attacked his food.

Lucy ignored him, already used to his barbaric manners when it came to eating, but her parents looked at him shocked.

"So…" Layla said. "When did you two became a couple, exactly?"

Lucy swallowed her food and smiled. "Around six months ago."

"What?" Jude asked. "But you moved together like two months ago!"

"So?" Lucy asked, blinking.

"Isn't that a bit too fast?" Jude asked.

"Of course not." It was Natsu the one to answer that, a bit of sauce around his lips. "We know each other since we're kids and I'm pretty sure I want to spend the rest of my life with Luce."

Jude and Layla fell silent, looking at him, still shocked.

Lucy blushed furiously and slapped his arm. "Don't go around saying things like that so blunty!"

"What? Why? It's the truth." Natsu said innocently.

"Even so! I don't say I want to spend the rest of my life with you too out of the blue!" Lucy said.

"You just said it!" Natsu argued.

"It's your fault!" Lucy replied.

The giggled of Layla cut off their fight. The couple turned around to see her.

"My, my," Layla said. "My daughter is in good hands,"

"I guess so…" Jude said, still surprised by their words, but he guessed he agreed with his wife, after all.

"But it surely took time for you two to realize it." Layla teased.

"Mom!" Lucy blushed harder.

"You can call me Mom too if you want, Natsu."

"Sure thing, Mom," Natsu grinned.

"Natsu!" Lucy said flustered.

The rest of the dinner went on like that, Jude observing from afar. It was obvious even to him how in love the boy Natsu was with his daughter, and it warmed up his heart. At least the boy to steal her heart was someone reliable that he knew, and not a random pervert.

But that didn't stop him, when the dinner finished and they were saying goodbyes and Jude hugged his soon to be son-in-law, to murmur, "You hurt her and I'll send the whole FBI after you. Got it, kiddo?"

"Aye."

A little something I wrote! Sorry if it's rushed, but I hope you still enjoyed it!