This one-shot is dedicated to my absence online to Fanfiction. I know it's been a long time, but I have a lot on my plate.
Fairy Tail ONE-SHOT
Disclaimer: If I owned Fairy Tail I would be rich, but here I am writing this for free.
One-Shot: There Is No Rush.
"Are we done yet?" Natsu grumbled, dragging a stick behind him in the dirt.
Lucy thought he ought to be hit with it, for getting them in this mess.
The sun was beating down upon the glade, coating her brow in a shine of sweat. Her shirt with underarm stains, she could smell herself well enough, so she knew Natsu could.
They were guiding goats back to a farmer's land. It was their job to return them. Of course, a simple task like this hadn't been the primary objective when accepting the mission. They were to rid a simple low lying monster from the lands that were terrorising, and devouring livestock. And in their mission, they had scared away the goats of the employee.
When they had returned to the Farmer's house, he looked exasperated, and slightly apologetic. "My goats …" he started explaining, wiping away their triumphant smiles.
"Only poor people have goats," said a voice in the Mages head, "And his harvest isn't doing well, he needs the Goats."
Of course, killing your livestock to sustain yourself is a hard spiral to break out of. It would be harder to breed, thus, less goats in the future.
They needed to be more cautious to not scare them further. And to return them, they had to try and heard them back. In the beginning Natsu tried to steer them with his fire, releasing large bursts of it into the air, confident they would run in one direction towards the house. Instead, they spread out, increasing the difficulty of returning them.
So, Natsu couldn't use magic, and now he used a stick as a whip to guide them. A great lot he was doing right now.
He had left one long snake trail behind with it.
Lucy ground her teeth and slapped her hands together. They blared at her, but trotted further down the glade. Not scared of her, but anxious to get closer. Natsu was further behind her.
"C'mon Luce, I didn't think they would be so flighty around me, they must sense the predator in me. They're prey animals, you know."
"We could have been home by now," the sun directly upon them, "I just want to go home."
Turning her head to peak at him over her shoulder, Natsu pouty expression changed to sympathy, "Yeah, well, let's get this finished and leave."
It took them twenty minutes to return them back. The farmer thanked them and waved them off, and then it took them an extra twenty minutes to arrive at a station.
"You know, I was thinking, Lucy, when we have kids, I want to live in the country, far away from people."
"What about the Guild? Won't you miss seeing them so frequently?" Imagining Natsu leading a quiet life was a thinly veiled joke. He as far from ever being hebetudinous.
"Yeah, but it's not like we won't see them. Y'know? They'll be the Aunties and Uncles and Makarov will be the grandpa …" he spoke in fervour, painting his fantasy in Lucy's mind. Lucy squeezed her eyes shut before quickly opening them. Head angled upwards as she blinked away the salty tears that began to prick her eyes.
The diamond ring had hugged her finger for three years. They had been married for a long time, been officially together for five. Team partners for seven. They had been inseparable for almost a decade.
Levy and Gajeel had Children, two. Mira and Laxus waiting for their third. Cana was now trying with her Husband. Everyone seemed to be having kids …
… The Writer ignored the barely hidden pesters of questions from her friends. 'You and Natsu have been together for some time, yeah?' they would say, before talking lightly about their own children, and the great gift they were. And the questioning eyes as Lucy waved them away, 'Yeah, one day,' she would say before giving herself another task to make herself look busy.
Lucy could hear them, the gossip that flower like water into a conversation, a simple wonder on the mind spoken aloud. They were starting to wonder … not be concerned, but wonder, if the Celestial mage was barren.
"A nice little farm house, or something cosy. What do you think?"
Biting her bottom lip, "Natsu, are you ready for children?"
Without pause. "Yeah, I'm happy to have a family. Are you ready?"
"Are we a family if it's just the two of us?"
Lucy couldn't see his face, but sensed him frowning as he stared at the back of her head. "We're family, Luce."
"And we don't need to have children, to be one. Yes?" Not a question.
"Yes. Lucy, there's no rush to have children. I want them when you want them. But now I'm wondering … do you want them? Children?"
Stopping, Lucy turned to look at him, sucking in one large breath. "Would you love me less, if I didn't want them? I'm not saying I don't want them –"
"Lucy," Natsu interjected, eyes holding hers firmly. "I won't love you any less. If you do or don't want children, it's completely up to you. I'm happy however you want us to live out our days."
"I want them," she watched him carefully, for a jump in his jaw, a twitch in his neck; a small indication he was hiding his happiness to spare her feelings. "But, I want to wait, just a little longer. We're both young. And with all our friends having Children, I'm feeling pressured, and I know you always wanted children, and now that Gajeel and Grey are, I thought, you might but a rush on it."
Natsu's face dropped.
A moment later he closed the few feet of distance between them and pulled Lucy into an embrace. "Don't ever feel pressured. Don't worry about others. I just want what you want, because I want you to be happy more than anything else. Can you do that, for me?" A smile tugged at his lips.
"For you, anything." Tilting her head up, they closed the distance between them. They kiss soft and sweet. Soothing.
XXX
Two years later.
Natsu pressed the palm of his hand to Lucy's stomach. "When will I feel something?" He asked.
The news of Lucy's pregnancy had begun two weeks ago, and just between them. Lucy didn't want to tell the Guild yet, wanted to stay within her quite oasis for a little while longer. Peace was so rare in the Dragneel household, the Guild, worse so.
"Natsu, I'm only two months, I haven't even felt anything." She said, grinning down at her Dragon, who his rested on her lap as he stared at her belly.
"I can't believe I am inches away from a life I made," his voice turned to awe.
"Yeah, all you, you're doing the big job of creating here." Lucy smirked, running fingers through his soft locks.
"Some credit here, I donated to the cause."
Lucy chuckled, leaning her head against the back of the couch. This moment, was perfect. Nothing out of place –
"Natsu! Lucy! I bring presents!" Shouted Erza, her voice difficult to tell between excitement or commander.
The blonde's head snapped down, "Natsu …."
Natsu had safely sat up and scooted out of arms reach, "When I say it was an accident that it slipped out, I mean it." Holding up his hands.
"Open this door … wait a second I think I still have the key you gave me a few years ago …" The sound of Erza shuffling behind the door made Lucy's eyes pin further on her husband.
"I promise! Accident!"
"I think I found it!" The Equip mage called, "Wait, no, this is the one that goes to Grey's house, lemme try this one … nope," Lucy was at least thankful the door was still on the hinges. "I have a winner!"
The door swung open, and Erza pooled through along with Levy, Mira, Juvia and Cana on her heels.
"Natsu!"
"They gossip!"
"Congratulations!" The women spoke, delivering presents around the Spirit summoner.
"I - "Lucy started.
"We are so happy!" Erza begun. Motherhood had done something to the woman, she was softer.
And possible more short tempered.
"For a while there I was beginning to get worried," Mira chimed, brushing her silver strands behind her ear.
Levy bounced her own son on her hip, "You'll won't be able to believe how big of life changing moment it is, like, of course you know its big and life changing, but I don't think I've slept in seven years."
Natsu stood up, a nervous grin on his face, "Come on ladies, are you trying to talk us out of it."
"Thanks for the gifts!" Lucy quickly said, feeling ambushed.
"We're so happy," Erza said again, "We were starting to think …"
A vein started throbbing in the Key Masters temple. "No need to worry, there was nothing for you to be worried about, we just decided to start now."
"We actually decided two months ago, it didn't take very long to try," Natsu boosted with pride.
It was true.
The month they started trying was the month Lucy fell pregnant. Natsu was slightly smug over that.
Cana snorted, her presence almost forgotten.
"Well, I'm here to wish you good fortune," Cana grinned.
The married couple gave Cana the look, "The booze is in the cupboard above the fridge."
"Well, since Lucy can no longer drink it …" she waltzed away. "What a damn shame, Luce." Her voice humming with happiness.
They talked for a little while before the women left.
"So," Natsu said after a beat, "What do you want to do now?"
Giving Natsu a long look, "You know I'm an animal in bed …" Running her hands up his chest and onto his shoulders.
"So, you want me to bring you food and want a back rub?"
Lucy's coquettish demeanour melting into one of satisfaction.
"Love you!" She skipped away to the bedroom.
Natsu moved to the kitchen, "I'm gonna be a father …" his voice low and filled with awe.
Things really were going to be life changing around here.
Hours to Write. Seconds to comment.
Authors Note:
I have moved state to get work. I'm busy, and most of my shifts end late at night, so I'm tired at my usual writing time. And I've moved back in with my mother, until I can pay for the Bond for a house my best friend and I are moving into. She's a Uni Student near Giffith, and I'm just a worker now, so we need to get one in the city. Which is Hella expensive, so I'm with my mum to save money.
So please understand I'm busy saving money for the bond and other Household items.
Also, Mum doesn't have internet. Which is why I haven't updated for a while.
More updates will be coming soon!