Merry Christmas everybody! I hope you enjoy my very first Christmas one-shot! A thanks to Marvista Entertainment and Netflix for the holiday spirit! XD If anybody hasn't heard of them, and adores romance movies and would like something to watch this wonderful holiday, totally look up these movies on Netflix, or any other form of video watching you have - (I only know of these movies being on Netflix): A Christmas Kiss, A Christmas Kiss II, The Spirit of Christmas, Merry Kissmas, and Christmas Belle. They are kinda low-budget, just as a warning, but the storylines and feelings put into the movies are amazing. Lowest budget was probably the first Christmas Kiss, as it was in 2011, so be sure to watch that first if you are in fact interested! Ok, now that I've wasted a few moments of your time, on to the story!
"Merry Christmas, Lucy!" said a young couple to their daughter.
"Merry Christmas, Mama, Papa!"
"Are you all ready to go?" said the mother.
"Uh-huh!"
"Okay, off we go!" said the father.
The three of them piled into the luxurious car, and left the thriving mansion full of servants and staff who waved at the leaving family.
Houses go by in the distance, some as grand as the mansion, while others begin to dwindle in their grandiosity. Soon, the city comes into view, well-kept apartment buildings now the scenery outside the car window for the 6-year old girl.
Eventually, these too fade away, leaving nothing but older homes and buildings in need of repair. It is here that the car pulls to a stop, in front of a little place called the Salvation Army.
The little girl, Lucy, happily jumps out of the car, eager for what was to come next. Because each year, before they opened their own presents on Christmas morning, they went to the Salvation Army and helped them prepare meals for those who needed them. It was here little Lucy really enjoyed spending Christmas. Not only did she feel really happy about doing it - despite not fully understanding the need for it - it made her mother and father happy that she was happy, so, that in turn made Lucy happier. On top of this, it was one of the few times a year she was able to see a certain little boy she'd known since the first Christmas they'd come to helping out at the Salvation Army.
She searched him out, easily spotting his wild pink locks in moments, and quickly made her way over to him.
"Hi Natsu!" Lucy said with a large smile on her face.
"Hiyah Luigi!" the little boy responded.
"Lucy!" she glared at the boy, Natsu, as he just grinned his face-splitting grin.
"Why hello there, Lucy, don't you look pretty today!" said the woman standing above Natsu.
"Thank you Mrs. Dragneel! Mama helped me pick it out!" Lucy said as she did a little twirl in her pink dress - one that was almost identical to the same color of Natsu's hair, something the boy failed to notice, but his mother, however, did not.
"Merry Christmas, Natsu," Lucy said, folding her hands in front of her as she suddenly acted like a shy little girl.
"M-Merry Christmas, Luce," was Natsu's quiet response.
"Hello Grandine. It's been awhile, hasn't it?" said a voice behind Lucy.
"Mama!" The girl said happily as she spun around and hugged her mother.
"Indeed it has, Layla. Where is Jude?"
The older blonde laughed and replied, "Probably talking business with your husband like they always do."
Grandine laughed as well, then the two of them left to chat, leaving the two youngsters alone to play with the other kids. However, as they typically did, they stayed away from the other kids. Not because they saw themselves as being better - no, their parents raised them better that that. They stayed away because not only were they both uncomfortable with new people, but they didn't want to be treated as a 'couple' like they were when Lucy was 4.
The two children went to the other side of the building to do what they always did - play games until it was time to go home.
Neither were aware that this day would change their lives forever.
12 years later
As Lucy was cleaning up her house, she came upon an old photo album among various items - her mother's things.
I thought Father destroyed or sold everything that belonged to Mother?
She brushed off the dust of the album as people from the Salvation Army came in and out of the room, removing the items she'd told them was okay to take. After dusting it off, Lucy saw the name of the album: Lucy's Christmas Spirit
Her eyes widened, and her hands shook a bit as she opened the cover. Tears were brought to her eyes as she saw the first page - her very first Christmas. Of course, she didn't remember it, as she was still just a little baby, but the photo next to it took her by surprise. It was a picture of her mother, Layla, holding Lucy, and another woman she almost instantly recognized as Grandine Dragneel. On the next page was just one photo - a group photo of Lucy's mother and father, and The Dragneel family - including Natsu Dragneel. The boy was only a few weeks older than she was, still wrapped in his mother's arms like she was in the photo. An unhappy memory resurfaced, rearing its ugly head as she remembered - Grandine had suffered the same fate as her mother, a car accident, only a year after Lucy's own mother passed. That day was like losing her mother all over again, as Grandine had always treated her like the daughter that she'd never had. She of course went to the funeral, which ended up being a very big mistake. Her father and Igneel Dragneel had gotten into a large argument at the get-together after the funeral. To put it simply, the Heartfilia's and the Dragneel's never saw each other again. Or at least, so their fathers thought. Every weekend and any day off that they had, they would go to the same place - the old building that used to house a branch of the Salvation Army, where they first met all those years ago. It wasn't until the two of them moved out of their parent's home and to the college campus that the two fathers knew of their children's 'betrayal'. By then it was too late - they were the best of friends and impossible to separate. The friends they'd made throughout their lives had no idea the two even communicated, let alone were best friends.
Lucy smiled as she fingered the photo album, flipping through page after page, tears blurring her vision as the happy memories flitted through her mind. And as though some kind of radar went off in him, Natsu appeared at the doorway.
"Everything okay, Luce?"
"Hm? Oh," she laughed as she wiped the tears, "Yes. Come, look at this," she said as she waved him over and flipped back to the first page of the album.
"My God," he said, stunned as he sat next to her, "is that really us?"
"Yeah - our first Christmas,"
Lucy leaned into Natsu as she once again flipped through the pages with her best friend and co-star of the album sitting next to her. They laughed at some photos, and were silent for others.
However, the last page, was a note. Lucy recognized it as her mother's handwriting.
Lucy, I hope this reaches you in good health. I know one day I'll be gone, so I wanted to share one piece of advice that I've always lived by: Follow your heart, forever and always. It will guide you exactly where you need to go - and I think we both know just who it will lead to, isn't that right Lucy? I hope you'll continue this album with the start of your own family someday. With all my love, Mom.
"And who is she talking about?" Natsu asked her once he confirmed she finished reading the note.
Lucy smiled brightly as she looked at him.
"You, of course. I think everyone knew back then we'd eventually be together," Lucy giggled as the man next to her drew her into his lap and kissed her on the cheek.
"Even the kids our age knew," Natsu said as he brought her closer to himself.
"Sure did," Lucy agreed as she snuggled more comfortably into him.
They sat there for a moment, Natsu playing with her fingers, more specifically, the with the sparkling diamond on it.
"I'm really glad you asked all those years ago when we were in college," Lucy murmured as she knew exactly where his thoughts were leading.
"I'm really glad you said yes,"
Lucy giggled once more as she said, "Were you really expecting any other answer?"
"Well..."
She smacked him lightly on the arm as he laughed.
"No, I wasn't expecting any other answer. Not only because I knew of your feelings towards me, but also because even if you said no, there was no way in hell I was gonna let you get away."
Lucy couldn't find any words to say - a rare thing for such a highly accomplished author as she.
After a while of comfortable silence, Lucy began to try to get up - try being the operative word as she said, "Well, we'd better hurry up and finish, otherwise this little one here is gonna be popping out before we've even moved into the new house!"
Natsu helped her, despite her protests, which he calmed by once again telling her that being 7 months pregnant was bound to throw off a woman's center of gravity. Thankfully, Lucy only took that the wrong way a few times, when she was extremely emotional.
Soon enough with the help of the Salvation Army, they'd finished clearing out Lucy's late father's mansion, something that needed to be done for at least a few years.
They moved into Natsu's old home, as the property had been remodeled to accommodate a growing family, which was exactly what Natsu and Lucy Dragneel were. With twins on the way, their hands were bound to be full very soon. And sure enough, come December 23rd, two healthy babies were born - a boy and a girl.
xxXXxx
I'm not really sure how that one turned out, but yeah... not even really sure how Christmas themed it is, but hey, this is what I do for Christmas - volunteer at the Salvation Army. Ya'll have a Merry Christmas, and stay warm, as Florida has decided to not participate this winter *awkward cough* cause its like 75 degrees outside as I type this...