"The woman cries before the wedding; the man afterward."
-Oliver Wendell Holmes
Summary
A few years after everything had happened, the famed power couple of Fairy Tail Natsu and Lucy are having "The Wedding of the Century" as the magazines put it. As preparations are set, the guests arrived, and the countdown to the aisle starts, join Fairy Tail as they embark on a different type of adventure!
A Very Fairy Wedding
by
Magnafeana
Chapter One
Bells A-Ringing
Lucy Heartfilia was getting married today in less than a few hours nonetheless. She would not be a Heartfilia for long but a Dragneel. That thought made Lucy smile in her stirring form.
Waking up in the morning was hard for her. Most of the time, she slept in until her alarm clock of a fiancé would rouse her either from trying to cook her food, from his shower, or from him simply giving her a kiss and joke about her morning breath. But today, she had no Natsu to try and make her favorite breakfast—which would result in burnt food and roaring flames threatening to murder the kitchen—or to take such hot showers the fire alarm would go off in a panic, or would give her a good morning kiss and make a comment about morning breath.
For the day, she had her friends to wake her.
"Lucy!" came a singing voice. "Time to get up! It's your big day!"
Lucy groaned and snuggled into her covers. "Then I guess I'll get married tomorrow," she decided sleepily. "Just a few more hours, Mira, okay? Good night."
"Oh hell no! If I have to wake up at this un-Godly hour, so do you!" came Cana's definite voice.
Just like that, all the warmth Lucy savored due to the loss of her heat source of a Dragon Slayer was gone in a flash, leaving her defenseless against the rush of cold. Lucy groaned again, curling herself in a ball and shivering. She wanted Natsu back. He would never make her cold, but offer to keep her warm. Several times, he added innuendos to each offer and those always made her laugh.
"C'mon, Lu! Time to get up!" came the chipper voice of Levy.
Lucy unraveled herself from her self-created ball and blinked her eyes open. She could make out the smiling faces of Mira and Levy as they stared at her expectantly. She smiled tiredly at them. "All right, I'm up, I'm up," she chuckled in a rasp.
Erza came into the view with a nod of approval. "Good. We have a lot to do before the wedding."
Lucy slowly sat up and stretched her limbs. She looked around to see herself not in the apartment she called home but in a hotel suite. Not just a hotel suite, but the master bedroom of a suite with baby blue walls and a personal living room. Lucy was not sitting on the bed she used to come home to every night, but sat on the bed that was not made for a permanent owner.
Sitting at the foot of Lucy's bed was a quiet young girl with hair as blue as her father's and eyes as brown and lovely as her mother's and a mug in her hands. She gave Lucy a small smile. "Good morning, Aunt Lucy," she greeted warmly.
Lucy smiled. "Good morning, Aine," she helloed.
"This is for you."
The mug was then forced into Lucy's hand and she didn't need to look at it to know the flavor. It was Lucy's favorite coffee: a Perench Vanilla Latte. It was iced, just the way she liked, and on the mug were the two little words "I Do". They may have been only two words, but they changed lives.
Lucy smiled at Aine. "Thank you," she appreciated, taking a sip of her coffee. After swallowing her first gulp, she sighed in content. "Just what I need to start off my day."
"I put a few drops of vodka in there. Just to get you to loosen up a bit," Cana added proudly.
Lucy smiled at the Card Magic Mage, who was sitting on the floor with her infamous keg and still able to be sober after drinking three-fourths of its contents. "Thanks, Cana." She looked up at Mira and Levy, blinking at their strange expressions. She raised an eyebrow. "What?" she asked warily.
Levy shared a look with Mira. "Well…"
"It's just a little hard to believe you're getting married to Natsu," Mira finished with an apologetic smile.
Lucy finished another sip of her coffee, eyebrows raised in interest. "Why?" she managed to ask.
"Think about all that's happened," Levy urged.
"You seemed upset with him when he went away for a year," Mira pointed out.
Lucy remembered the resentment she always carried against Natsu back then. How she would make snide comments about his abrupt departure. In retrospect, it was childish of her to say such things, but it hurt at the time. He only left her a mangy note as his farewell to her, leaving her teamless and jobless. To a certain extent, she blamed him for Fairy Tail's fallout. But eventually, she put that all behind as he gathered Fairy Tail again.
"Yeah, but I see now why he left," Lucy said, tracing the mug absentmindedly. "Without him getting stronger, how else was he supposed to save his brother?"
Everyone in the room could not argue with that. Even Cana looked somber at the memories.
Lucy broke into a nostalgic smile. It was tainted with sadness, but it was still wistful. "We've come such a long way," she whispered. "Everything was so different back when we were teenagers."
Levy chuckled. "I still remember the day Gajeel was so excited to 'arrest' Natsu."
Erza smiled. "That was quite a sight." She frowned as she looked at Lucy. "I still apologize for abandoning you, Lucy." She suddenly bowed in front of Lucy. "Please punish me!"
Lucy laughed nervously at Erza's behavior while Aine watched in confusion as her mother pleaded to be punched for her behavior. "It's all right, Erza," Lucy soothed. "We're all back together now and that's what matters." She laughed again. "Though you guys are right: it's hard to believe Natsu would marry me."
"Well, Juvia didn't think Natsu and Lucy would make it when Lucy got called away on a special request mission and she and Natsu fought." Juvia entered the room with Gary holding her hand. Everything intrigued his pools of mysterious dark blue and one finger in his mouth. Juvia gave Lucy a rueful smile. "Juvia apologizes. She had to bring Gary down with her because he wanted Juvia," she explained.
Lucy dismissed the apology. "No, it's fine. I don't care." She frowned. "Yeah, I remember that. That was one heck of a fight. It got blown out of proportion and I was so close to calling the wedding off." She sighed, looking off to the side as she took another few sips of her latte. "I guess we were both highly stressed."
Levy sat on the bed to give Lucy a consoling pat on the leg. "Hey, we all were. It didn't help with Dan suddenly appearing and trying to woo you," she said. "Remember how mad Natsu was that day?"
Lucy groaned. She used a free hand to rub her forehead as if trying to smooth away the memories. "He never loses that impulsive streak, does he?" she questioned aloud.
Erza smiled at the comment. "Of course not. He is Natsu after all," she pointed out.
A loud clap startled the small group and all eyes turned to Mirajane Dreyar, her face gifted with her always-present smile. "Okay, girls, we only had limited time to get everybody ready and to the gardens for pictures. So let's get to it! Bridesmaids in the bathrooms now," Mira began instructing. "Levy, go to the boys' suite and check to see how they're faring. If they're not awake, make them get up by any means necessary. I am going down to the church to make sure everything is in place after I get changed. Lucy, you are to get a shower and get changed. I'll come back to do your hair and make-up." She smiled at everyone, tilting her head a little bit. "Is everyone understood?"
No one dared to answer verbally—not even Erza. They all nodded their affirmatives.
Mira clapped in excitement. "Great! Let's get to it!"
The orders were carried out swiftly. Levy bolted out the bedroom and out of the suite in search of the boys' suite to assure everything was running smoothly. Juvia left Gary with Lucy and Erza left Aine with her as she, Cana, and Juvia filed into the bathroom down the hall where the make-up artists and hair stylists were waiting to make the three of them more gorgeous than they were already. That left Lucy with her half-finished coffee, and her niece and nephew staring up at her with wide eyes.
Lucy set her mug on her nightstand and looked at the two of them. Gary was every bit of his mother and father. He had retained the messy black hair of Gray Fullbuster, along with the dark eyes that were not as serious but as observant like Juvia. His personality was neither as laid-back as his father nor overzealous as his mother, but rather he loved to study everything in interest, yet in silent interest.
Aine was more like her father than her mother. Her blue hair only ended almost at the start of her bottom and her kobicha eyes were reserved of emotion. She tended to speak eloquently like her father, but remained mostly shy in her nature. It was entertaining when she would smile or laugh. It was not a common sight to see. However, while she was reserved, she was known for her streaks of rage similar to her mother. Her magic power was incredible with her being a natural Requipter. She used it only when she became truly irate with people's arguments. Erza had certainly been proud to see her daughter a seeker of justice, but such power embarrassed Aine.
Lucy grinned at them as she reached to bring Gary onto the bed. She peered into the curious eyes of her niece and nephew. "You know, I'm getting married today," she reminded them.
Aine nodded. "To Uncle Natsu," she confirmed.
Lucy nodded, her grin broadening. "Yup. And I'm really happy right now. So you know what I want to do?"
Aine leaned closer, and Gary peered at her unblinkingly with eyes even more curious. "What?" Aine asked.
Lucy stood up from her position, hands on her hips, and looked down at them with mischievous eyes. "I want to jump on the bed!" she declared. "Come jump with me!"
Aine smiled brightly at Lucy's suggestion while Gary lips curled into a ghost smile as the two stood up. The three of them huddle in a close-knit circle. Lucy looked between the two of them. "One," she counted.
Aine nodded. "Two."
"Three!" Gary smiled.
With that, the three of them howled their laughter as they began to jump all around the bed, hair flying everywhere and their smiles infectious. The three of them joined hands and jumped around in a never-ending circle. Lucy could feel her happiness explode from her body. She was getting married! She was finally getting married! She had the right to jump on her bed to celebrate her wedding day!
"Lucy, are you going to—?"
The three stopped and stared wide-eyed as the eldest Strauss sibling stopped at the bedroom entrance, her mouth opened in surprise. Her eyes shifted from Lucy to Aine to Gary than back to Lucy. For a moment, she froze. But her frozen expression melted into an amused one. "Giddy as ever, I see," Mira laughed.
Lucy smiled, shifting her weight on the bed. "You bet I am! I'm getting married!" she proclaimed.
Mira shook her head in mirth. "I know. Now, please get in the shower, Lucy. We have a big day ahead of us today. And Aine and Gary, why don't you come with your auntie Mira, hm?"Aine and Gary nodded obediently and slid off the bed, accepting the free hands of their aunt. Mira nodded at Lucy. "I'll be back. Remember: I want you showered when I get back. Can't have the bride smelly, can we?"
Lucy sighed and shook her head. "I guess not," she supposed. "Besides, Natsu would complain the whole time."
Mira hummed her laughter once more, guiding the two children out of the room. "We'll be back, Miss Heartfilia," she said in farewell, closing the door behind her.
Lucy jumped once more and rather than landing on her feet, she landed on the bed on her rear. She fell back on the bed, head resting on her disarrayed pillows and eyes looking at the ceiling. She couldn't contain her smile.
Miss Heartfilia.
Well that would be changing very soon.
Gajeel poked his head out of the bathroom with a toothbrush in his mouth when he heard obnoxious knocking from the door. He grunted, irritated by the incessant noise, and lumbered over to the door to swing it open with a red-eyed glare—
—which he lost in a second when he realized it was only Levy.
Gajeel stomped back into the suite. "What do you want?" he grumbled as he rushed his teeth.
Levy ignored the prickly tone and leaned against the doorway. "Mira sent me to make sure you're all up." She peered into the suite to notice the empty beds. She could not hear the usual sound of Natsu's snoring or the telltale signs of a fight breaking out. She could see Pantherlily snoozing away on a bed she assumed was Gajeel's, and Frosch and Lector were snoring away on the floor. Lance seemed to be awake along with Mystogan and the two were watching something on Lacrima-Vision. They were both in their pajamas and did not even acknowledge their aunt.
Levy's eyebrows furrowed in worry. "Gajeel, where's everyone else?" she questioned.
Gajeel spat into the sink and rinsed his mouth before answering. "Laxus went down to the bar for a morning drink. Rogue went to go meet up with someone for brunch at some place close to the hotel. Sting and Yukino are out doing some errand shit. And Natsu took off an hour ago with Gray and Happy. Dunno where they went."
Levy's eyes narrowed. Normally, it would mean she was upset or angry or deeply concentrated. But this time, it only meant her worry increased. "What do you mean you don't know?" she demanded.
Gajeel shrugged carelessly. "It means I don't know," he repeated as if the answer was obvious. "Salamander and Fullbuster went out. End of story. Didn't say where they were going."
Levy studied him for a moment before she sighed, rubbing her temples. "So what you're saying is you have a theory of where they went, but you're not going to tell me?" she asked.
Gajeel grinned. "You're starting to learn how to speak my language."
Natsu was still in the same spot. He was still sitting on the sand, just a little ways away from where the damper sand lied, indicating the high tide could only reach that point. He was still staring at the horizon. He was still listening as the waves made love to the sand tenderly then roughly then tenderly again. He was still inhaling the soothing scent of the sea—sea salt, stench of fish, and wet wood. Gray stood to the side of him with his hands in his pockets and eyes locked on the same horizon, yet a different horizon.
They did not talk—they only stared at a scene their eyes interpreted differently. Happy was perched a little ways away, eyes darting from Gray to Natsu with a frown on his face. For the first time, he didn't understand the man who had become a father to him nor the best friend Natsu called "rival". All he could do was watch them in silence.
Gray was the first to speak up. His voice was not jeering toward the Fire Dragon Slayer. Rather, it was grave. It was as if he was preaching the eulogy of a person they had lost. "Acnologia is dead," he said.
Natsu didn't nod. "He is," he agreed quietly.
"But he killed Igneel," Gray recapped.
For a moment, grief flickered in Natsu's eyes, but it diminished with a heartbeat. "Yeah," was his reply.
Gray did not spare Natsu a glance. "Zeref may be gone, but demons could still out there."
Natsu did not respond this time.
"Zeref was your brother, Natsu. No one can forget how you are E.N.D."
Natsu clenched his fingers together.
Gray sighed, taking his hands out of his pockets and crossing his arms against his naked torso. "People are going to try and get to her—maybe even get her to get to you. She's going to get hurt. She's going to cry. She's going to bleed. She's going to go through pain." This time, Gray Fullbuster made a move. He stepped in front of Natsu and crouched so they were eye level. Midnight black glowered pensively into onyx eyes that flirted with emerald. Both mouths were curved into a frown.
"I'm not asking you to protect her from getting hurt and going through pain," Gray said. "No one can do that. You can try, but no one can shield her from the real world."
Natsu nodded in his silent agreement even though it was unnecessary.
"But what I am asking you to do is to be there for her when she get's hurt," Gray said, his tone soft. "I want you to wipe away her tears. I want you to make sure you help her get better when she's hurt. She's going to need you. And you can't back away from that. Ever," he stressed. Gray's eyes hardened. "Can you do that?" he demanded. "I need a promise here and now. If you can't do any of that for her—for me—then I will stop your wedding, and she can come live with Juvia and I instead of wasting her time with someone who won't be there for her. I need a promise from you. I need to know I'm letting her go to someone who can do that for her."
For a few moments, Natsu stared at Gray. Happy watched tensely as the two men stared at each other, one with utter solemnity and the other with emotions unreadable. Neither of them spoke. Happy knew it was Natsu's turn to speak, but the Fire Dragon Slayer was saying nothing. He only stared.
Then Natsu opened his mouth. "I want to protect from everything," he murmured with quiet passion and insistence. "I want to make sure she's always safe. But I know…" Natsu paused. His voice had cracked, exposing his vulnerable side for only a second. "I know I can't do that," he confessed. His voice was quiet and somber. It was rare for such a feat to happen with his persona a bubbly one, but he was able to control his voice from the obnoxious volume to a faint sound. "She's strong enough to handle her own. She wouldn't want my help even when she needs it. She'll get hurt even if I try to protect her. She'll cry. She'll get mad." His onyx eyes were no longer undecipherable, but were filled with fiery resolve. His frown expanded into his fired-up grin, something he wore only when he was serious on a matter. "But I promise I'm going to make sure if she cries, I'm there to hug her. And if she's in pain, I'll bandage her wounds like she would do to me. I won't leave her alone on the anniversary of her mom and dad's death; I'll be there with her. And anytime she doesn't want to say anything, I'll just sit by her so she knows I'm there." His grin broadened. "You got a promise on that one, Gray," he consented.
Gray smirked at him as the two locked hands. It was a symbol, an action, which represented the bond between best friends—almost brothers. "Good. Don't screw up, moron. I've been working on some new Ice Devil Slayer moves that might leave you knocked-out for weeks," he cautioned.
Natsu chuckled. "Yeah. I get it. But don't think I'll go down that easily, loser," he joked back.
Happy watched with an emotion between confusion and relief as he observed the two frenemies interact with one another. Their threats were playful, but with a darker intent. Happy could tell Gray would try to hurt Natsu were he to not deliver on his promise and Natsu seemed to understand the fact completely. He even accepted a punishment that would never come. The two were the same men Happy had grown up with: hot-tempered at times, lazy, mischievous, and always trying to one-up the other. But they had changed in their years. Their arguments were less and their understanding for the other had grown. No longer were fists used as their way of communication—they could glance at the other and know what the other was thinking.
"Natsu!"
Both Gray and Natsu turned around to see Happy flying toward them. Natsu sent Happy a sunny smile and was about to call out to him when Gray's voice stopped him.
"Keep loving her until the very end, alright?"
Natsu turned to give Gray a look full of confusion. "You don't have to tell me what I've already planned to do."
Lucy stared at herself in the mirror. She could not stop smiling at her reflection. Her chocolate eyes making love to swirls of amber were lit up in happiness. Mira was a Goddess at making her look amazing. Due to her being a former model, Mira had learned tips from the stylists of Sorcerer Weekly on how to look her best in any situation and the Grand Magic Games with the wedding challenge really had Mira inspired. Her make-up was not heavy, but after Mira applied a light coat of blush and some tango pink lipstick, Lucy could see she shined even more radiantly than before.
Cancer had appeared to do Lucy's hair. All he did was give little waves and slight curls to the ends of her hair, tucking a lock or two behind her ear, but she looked beautiful even with minor changes. But she still could not believe today was her wedding day.
"Hey, Lucy! Check out how hot we look!"
Lucy turned around to view her friends and her eyes widened. "You look fantastic!" she gushed.
Cana struck a pose, winking at Lucy. "I know," she smirked.
They all really did live up to Lucy's description. Cana's hair was tied into a ponytail with a few locks of brunette hair free from the ponytail and resting at the sides of her head. Her make-up made her look as if she was from the olden times of Midi with eyeliner that made her seductive brown eyes sharpen, and her beautiful olive skin looked touchable, yet unreachable. She was in her bridesmaid dress: a pink lemonade sweetheart princess knee-length chiffon dress with the matching heels she had bought a few days after getting her dress ("Heels make the ass look better," Cana had claimed at the store). The dress did wonders to Cana's figure, showing off her voluptuous chest for men to gawk at.
Levy's hair was down for once, resting comfortably a little below her shoulders. Her blunette hair was given more volume with a few curls but nothing too fancy. She was never the type who wanted fancy looks. Her make-up was light, like Lucy's, with only blush applied and lipstick that resembled the same color as her lips or perhaps a shade darker. Her dress was in an empire halter knee-length chiffon dress the color of a light daffodil. While Levy was not as big chested as her friends, she used her curvy figure and milky legs to her advantage and the dress made her look angelic, yet desirable.
Juvia differed from her look altogether. Her hair was pin-straight, lengthening all the way down to her lower back. Her blue eyes were accentuated by a little mascara, but other than that she had forgone make-up. Her dress was the same as Cana's, accentuating every curve she had to offer, but her shoes were different. Rather than heels, she preferred white flats. Gary wore a small tuxedo with a finger still in his mouth, and his hair able to be tamed and groomed into a sleek look—unlike his father's hair.
Erza looked radiant in the same dress as Levy and Cana. However, her hair was in an intricate up-do Lucy had only witnessed a few times for missions requiring fancy looks. She needed no make-up to make herself shine. Like Cana, she wore high heels the color of a polar bear. Next to Erza was Aine dressed in a dress that seemed like a smaller version of her mother's dress. Her long hair was braided beautifully down her back and white sandals were strapped to her feet. Mystogan was also next to Aine and his red hair still was messy as ever. He did not look reluctant in his suit, but he seemed unwilling as his mother tried to tame his hair.
Mira had outdone herself. The woman had always been the concept of beauty, but she was so much more. Her face remained untouched. Her smile was in place and her shimmering cerulean eyes dazzled like always. The snowy white hair Lucy admired was fully down and pulled into a ponytail that travelled over her shoulder and ended at her chest. Her dress was the same chiffon daffodil as Levy's, but the dress had varied. It was an empire sweetheart asymmetrical forma ball dress with ruffled breading. Comfortable heels were on Mira's feet, the same color as her hair. She was a sight to behold.
Lucy gave a watery chuckle, her hands covering her mouth as her eyes teared up. "You all look so gorgeous," she breathed.
Levy raced to her side and gave her a hug. "Oh, Lu. You're always so emotional in times like these," she teased.
Lucy wiped away strayed tears and breathed a laugh. "I guess so. You all look so pretty though. I really mean it," she vowed.
Cana grinned at the compliment, hands on her hips. "You know it. I hope I get lucky tonight in this," she muttered, looking down at her dress thoughtfully.
Erza frowned at Cana. "I hope the dress doesn't rip. We're only renting these, remember?" she reminded.
Cana waved off Erza's words of caution with a flick of the hand. "I know. And if Bacchus rips it, I'll pay for it," she offered generously.
A flash of golden brilliance interrupted the mood of the room, and everyone squinted their eyes to recover from an abrupt light while Gary hid behind his mother's legs, eyes opened curiously. In place of the golden light was a man in a tuxedo that was worn casually rather than for the occasion. Dark eyes were hidden beneath tinted sunglasses as he gave a smile to the people in the room.
"Hello lovely ladies and Gary and Mystogan," he greeted in a low purr. "My, my, you're not dressed up for my beautiful master's wedding, are you?"
Mira tittered. "I'm afraid so, Loke. It seems Lucy is getting married to Natsu," she informed him with a playful smile.
Loke feigned a look of shock and hurt when his eyes darted to Lucy. A hand clutched the material over his heart. "Lucy, I thought you loved me over him!" he cried.
Lucy rolled her eyes, but a smile remained on her lips. "What do you want, Loke?"
Loke's smile turned into an instant frown, catching the attention of everyone in the room. "I actually need to speak to you alone, if you have the time," he declared, glancing at the others meaningfully.
Lucy nodded and before she could request them to leave, Mira was already shooing everyone out of the door. "We have to go to pictures anyways," she said over her shoulder. She tossed Lucy and Loke a wave. "We'll see you guys a little later!" With that, the door closed, leaving spirit and master alone.
Lucy leaned back and crossed her arms. Her eyebrows slammed together and she frowned. "So what's wrong? Are you okay?" she questioned.
Loke pushed up his sunglasses and nodded. "I'm okay. Nothing is wrong, per se," he announced.
Lucy raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean by 'per se'?" she asked.
Loke smiled at her. "You see, we haven't given you your gifts, and since we wouldn't be able to until after you return from your honeymoon, we thought we'd give them to you now."
"'We'?" Lucy parroted.
Without warning, light appeared, shining more brightly than Loke's entrance light. Lucy had to shut her eyes before it blinded her. She could feel the light ebbing away and more presences in her room.
"Good afternoon, Princess. Is it time for punishment?"
"Luuuucy! Great to see you and that rockin' body!"
"Long time, no see, eh, baby?"
"Hello hello, Lucy! I'm at your service."
"We are! Ey, Lucy! Happy Wedding Day!"
"Good—"
"—afternoon—"
"—Miss—"
"—Lucy!"
"Hello, Miss Lucy. I'm sorry for the intrusion."
"Hello, Lovely Lucy. It's good to be baaack."
"Hiya, Lucy! You haven't summoned me for any songs in such a long time! I'm glad I get to play at the wedding!"
"Ah, Lucy dear! Good…to see…you…"
"Good afternoon, Miss Lucy."
"Puu-puun! Puun!"
Lucy looked around to see everyone one of her spirits with her. It did not matter if they were a golden Celestial key or a silver key—they all stood in front of her with a warm smile. She looked at each of them with wide eyes. "Wha—? What is all this?" She looked at Loke for an explanation.
Loke moved toward her and got down on one knee, grasping her hands with his own calloused ones. He gave her a smile full of teeth. "Don't worry about using up magic by the way. You're magic has gotten so strong that any of us can all summon ourselves. We all wanted to wish you a happy wedding day."
"It's not everyday we are in the hands of a kind master," Sagittarius said, nodding.
For once, Aries was not in the timid stance she was always took. Her hands were interlocked behind her back and a sweet smile was on her lips as she looked at Lucy. "You've made us feel loved. You call us your friends." Lucy saw a flash of painful remembrance sheltering in the dark eyes of the Ram Spirit. "Our old masters thought we were only tools. But you didn't."
Capricorn smiled as he walked up to Lucy and laid a hand on her shoulder. While she couldn't see his eyes behind his black sunglasses, she could tell he was looking at her with pride. "You resemble Lady Layla so much, Lucy. You have a kind heart. You trust your spirits, and we trust you."
Lyra winked at her. "So we want to return the favor for ya, 'kay?" Plue and Pyxis jumped up and down, gesturing their excitement on the matter.
Lucy looked at the Lyre Spirit in confusion. "What do you mean?" she wondered.
It was Virgo who answered in her usual emotionless voice. "Princess, each of us has a gift for you created out of our own magic. We would like to present them to you," she informed.
Lucy looked surprised. "A gift for me?" she echoed. "But you didn't have t—"
Loke raised a hand, effectively cutting her off. "No, we didn't," he agreed. "But we all wanted to. You even invited us all to your wedding."
"Well, yeah. You're my friends," Lucy said as though it were obvious.
Loke's smile widened. "I'm glad we are." He looked over his shoulder. "Taurus. Want to go first?"
Taurus grinned. "Of course." Loke stood up and retreated to his original spot while Taurus took his place. His smirk was not lecherous as it always was nor displaying the cockiness he had during a battle. He was genuinely smiling. "Well, Luuuucy, I have a perfect gift for a perfect master."
Lucy smiled. "Taurus…"
The Golden Bull Spirit held out his hands and for a moment, white light briefly glower in-between his palms. Lucy watched in fascination as the white glow took the form of something. She squinted when she thought she saw the outlining of a dress. However, when the shape was completely formed and color was added to it, her jaw dropped.
"T-Taurus!" she gasped.
Hearts appeared in Taurus' eyes, and he was drooling as he held up Lucy's gift. It was a black lace-up bustier that seemed too translucent to cover anything. It was something Lucy had seen once in Erza's closet. However, her friend had blushed heavily and always denied she had such wear until she finally owned up to it and said it could be useful some day. The bustier did not make Lucy blush. All she could do was clench her knuckles, her eyes shut tight.
"Please, wear this when you summon me, Luuuucy!" Taurus begged. "I'll be mooooooving much faster to save your rockin' bod if you doooooo."
Lucy snapped her eyes open, pointing accusingly at her spirit. "You lecherous cow! Lucy-Kick!" Within seconds, Taurus was passed out on the floor with the bustier lying limply across his chest and his drooling mouth twitching in a pleased smile.
Lucy glared at him, crossing her arms. "Pervert. What type of girl does he take me for?" she growled. She looked at the rest of her spirits. "All right. Anyone else?"
Virgo nodded and turned to Gemini. "Gemini, can you please turn into Princess for me?" she asked.
Gem nodded. "Of—!"
"—course!" Mini finished.
The two touched each other and white overcame them both. In a matter of seconds, the two had combined and Lucy as staring at a doppelgänger of herself. However, rather than a robe, she was dressed in a white towel.
Virgo looked back to Lucy. "Princess, this is my gift to you." She turned back to the Gemini-Lucy. "Gemini?"
Gemini-Lucy smiled brightly at Virgo and nodded. A puff of smoke erupted around them and once it was clear, Lucy believed her eyes would be scarred. There she—or Gemini—was, dressed in a satin and Chantilly lace baby-doll. Lucy saw the Gemini-version of herself strike a seductive pose, her cleavage being exposed. Gemini-Lucy raised the bottom of the baby-doll for Lucy to get a peek of the red thong underneath.
"Princess, I figured you would use this on your honeymoon with Natsu," Virgo explained without any hinting of shame.
With the artificial blush, Lucy appeared like she had a faint, residual blush on her cheeks. However, Virgo's words made Lucy's face feel hot and her cheeks to redden in embarrassment. "Virgo!" she whined.
Virgo tipped her head to the side in one lucid manner. "Is it punishment time, Princess?" she asked.
Lucy shook her head, trying to rid herself of the images. "No! Just next gift, please!"
Sagittarius stepped forward. "Alright. I will go next, hello hello." He looked at Gemini with a nod and a puff of smoke appeared around them again.
Lucy wanted to faint.
Gemini-Lucy replaced the baby-doll with another sexy number of an embellish heart teddy. For clothing that was used during seduction, it was the color of virgin white, a contradiction in itself. Gemini-Lucy struck another pose, squeezing Lucy's breasts together in an appealing fashion.
Sagittarius grinned at her, giving her a thumbs-up. "I figured you and Natsu-fellow could put good to use to this, hello hello."
Lucy stuttered, "Th-Thank you, but next gift!"
Each gift was even more terrifying than the last.
Cancer had given Lucy a lingerie set, smirking how she could woo Natsu. Lyra had formed a ball that would play mood music if such a "mood" arose. Horologium and Grandpa Crux had given Lucy a book comprised of knowledge they scoured. At first, Lucy was thankful for the new novel she could read. But when she saw the cover, her eyes widened. It was a sex book, something Lucy thought only Erza or Cana would have in their houses.
What did her spirits think she and Natsu did when they were together?
Though Lucy could not deny Natsu and her has steamy nights in her bedroom.
Thankfully, Aries had given Lucy a pillow made out of her finest wool, promising Lucy would never have nightmares or sleepless nights when she used it. Capricorn gave Lucy an old music box he had given his mother on her nineteenth birthday. It played an old tune Lucy had never heard before, but at the same time it was as if there were traces of familiarity woven into the song. Plue and Pyxis presented their gift together: an adorable choreographed dance.
Scorpio went second to last. He presented Lucy with a sand art portrait of her and all of her spirits, all of them smiling in the picture. Before he retreated back to his spot, he gave Lucy something else: a levitating sphere of water that reflected the deep blue sea and its flora and fauna.
"Aquarius made this for you," he whispered to her, handing her the sphere of water. "I just wish she could be here to give it to you."
Lucy offered him a sad smile and patted his cheek. "I know," she murmured to him in a soft voice. "I miss her too."
Scorpio nodded solemnly and moved back to his spot as Loke took his place, smiling down at his master. "Well, well, Lucy, it seems I'm the last left." He grinned mischievously. "Got any guesses as to my gift to you?"
Lucy scowled at him. "I swear, Loke, if you're going to give me lingerie…"
Loke chuckled and shook his head. "Nope."
Lucy raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Really? Is it one of your rings then?" she guessed.
"If I tried giving you a ring, I don't think Natsu would be too happy with me," Loke mentioned.
Lucy laughed. "Right. Well don't keep me guessing here. What is it?"
Loke extended a hand to her face with the palm facing the ceiling. For a moment, nothing happened. Then a golden light flickered to life in his palm, debating as it morphed into different shapes. Finally it settled on the form of an orb of gold, burning brightly in Loke's palm. It was as if the sun shrunk, its soft waves of light radiating from the ball of light.
Lucy stared at it in confusion. "Loke?" she asked hesitantly.
Loke used his other hand to brush a rebellious strand of hair behind Lucy's ear and gazed at her affectionately. "This is something I would never do on any occasion. But after begging the Celestial Spirit King, he allowed me to do this. Especially for such an 'exceptional human girl'," he joked.
Lucy did not say a word, but continued to peer at the object in utter curiosity and amazement
"Lucy, this is one of my stars in my constellation," Loke explained. "This is Rasalas. She's not strong enough to take a human form, so she can only stay in her original star form, but she'll help you if you need her. She doesn't have her own key, so she'll be staying in the night sky, but I give you permission to summon her anytime you need to." He rubbed the back of his neck nervously, something Lucy saw him do never. "Sorry I couldn't get one of my brighter stars for you. The Celestial Spirit King—"
Loke was startled when Lucy brought him in for a hug. She laced her arms around his back and her smile was bright, was thankful, was loving. She snuggled into Loke's shoulder. "Don't even worry about it, Loke," she whispered. "You didn't have to get me a star. Always trying to impress the ladies somehow."
Loke laughed quietly. "I guess so," he supposed. "Finding a gift for the perfect master isn't easy."
"You didn't have to get me anything," Lucy gently reminded. "Just having you as a friend is enough for me. You know that."
Loke pulled away, Rasalas still in hand. "I know," he admitted, "but I still wanted to."
Lucy smiled at him. "You're such a loyal lion, Loke. I couldn't have asked for a better leader of the Zodiacs."
The church was filling up and filling up fast. Akane Beach only offered one church to its residents. It was massive, to be frank. There was no other word to describe it. It was huge. It was a structured cathedral the color of the first snowfall as if to represent the pure color of the sinless. It had tall towers with stained glass depicting biblical scenes the way the artist interpreted them. A pond was placed in front of the cathedral with purposely-planted flowers outlining the grand church, looking vibrant.
The inside was grandeur. The floors were polished marble and reflected the light of the outside. Rows upon rows of mahogany benches were set up with kneelers that would not be used today. Pink carnations, white roses, and yellow daffodils were attached to each row of seats. Ribbons slithered up the poles to look pleasing to the eyes. The altar was given a large bay window to allow the audience to look out into the open ocean and witness its wonders.
Other than having a dome ceiling with carvings, there was nothing too special about the altar. It was on a wooden platform that took only five stair steps to reach. The priest was already settled in, a bible place in front of him and his eyes roaming around in interest. Guests had flooded in already. The King and the princess of Fiore were in the front seat with their guards flanking them at all angles, indifferent looks on their face. The church was packed with more guests watching from the lacrima screens outside, at the resort, or back in Magnolia.
It was definitely the wedding of the century.
Two rooms were available on either side of the church, one for the groom and one for the bride. And both were taking their intense anxiety in different strides.
Mira rushed back into the bridal suite of the church, looking calm as ever rather flustered, as most people would be. In her hand was the program for the wedding and in the other was a watch. "The church is filled," she informed.
Bisca looked up from curling Asuka's hair. "Do we have reserved spots for our friends?" she asked as she stopped her magic reached for the brush.
Mira nodded as she strode into the room. "I made sure we had seats left for our friends in other guilds. We should be good," she assured.
Levy sat in her seat with her gale-force reading glasses and a book in her hand. "I didn't think we would have as many people as we did," she confessed as she flipped the page. "I mean even a few of the Ten Wizard Saints of old and new showed up. That's impressive."
Juvia nodded as she snuggled Gary closer to her. "Juvia still can't believe this is happening. It was only yesterday when Natsu and Lucy began dating."
Cana chuckled. "Yeah, after we explained to him the whole dating process," she put in.
Erza finished the finishing touches on Aine before she made a comment. "I never thought Natsu of all people would get married," she said in admittance. "I didn't think dragons got married."
"They don't," Levy said, closing her book. "According to Gajeel, they don't necessarily get married. It's more or less like they have sex with one person and then they can't screw any other person but that one." She paused, a disturbed look on her face. "God, I sound just like him too."
Erza promptly covered her daughter's ears with a blush coating her cheeks. She whispered furiously, "You mean the two of them have—!"
"No!" Levy interjected in exclamation. "They haven't. Or so Lucy told Cana and I when Cana interrogated her."
Cana shrugged, sipping her booze out of a wineglass rather than her keg. "I wanted to know if he was good in bed. Looks like I'll have to wait until after the honeymoon to find out," she sighed.
Juvia sighed in relief. "Thank goodness. Juvia believes it is a little surprising to see Natsu wait though."
"I think it's romantic of him," Mira sighed dreamily.
The door to the bridal suite opened to see a frazzled Laki panting at the doorway. "Is Lucy…ready yet?" she said in intervallic breaths. "We…were thinking…we could…get pictures…of her and the bridesmaids…before the wedding."
"Lu! Are you ready yet?" Levy called to the bathroom.
"Just… Just a second," Lucy said quietly, her voice wavering.
The door was opened to reveal Lucy. However, rather than her dressed in her wedding dress and her veil in her face, there she stood in her robe. Tears were leaking out of her shimmering chocolate eyes, but thankfully her make-up remained unaffected. Her mouth was not curved in the precious smile she always wore. No, her lips were trembling.
Everyone's eyes were stunned at her appearance.
"Lucy…" Mira whispered.
Lucy hiccupped, a hand going over her mouth. "I can't do this," she sobbed. "I can't get married."
Mira was the first to reach Lucy as the girls hovered around her with troubled expressions and Gary observed his aunt in concern as well. Mira's arms were around the blonde in a matter of seconds, pulling her in for a comforting side-hug. Cerulean eyes glittered in worry. "What's wrong, Lucy?" she asked in her soothing voice. "Why can't you get married?"
Lucy trembled as she sniffled. "I can't, Mira. What if I can't be the wife Natsu deserves? What if I can't make him happy forever? What if—?"
Erza rubbed Lucy's back with a soft, reassuring smile on her face. "Don't think of the 'what if?'s, Lucy. You know Natsu loves you."
Lucy shook her head. "But I can't stop," she sobbed. "It's just so much! I love him so much, but what if he decides he gets tired of me? What if I can't protect him?" She sniffed. "My parents aren't even here to walk me down the aisle."
Levy's eyes softened at Lucy's broken look. "Oh, Lu…"
"All right, everyone. Juvia says its time to get out," Juvia announced. Her firm eyes looked at each other the women around her. "Juvia says everyone can go help with any last minute set up. Juvia will go get Juvia's precious Gray to talk to Lucy. Everything will be fine."
Silently, the girls filed out of the room, giving Lucy one last concerned glance before departing the bridal suite. Erza took Aine with her, whispering hushed words into her daughter's ear when Aine kept looking at her aunt Lucy. Juvia left the room in search of Gray with Gary perched in her arms, dark eyes never leaving the trembling figure of Lucy even as he was taken out of the suite.
Mira was the last left. She guided Lucy to the couch and sat herself and Lucy down, rubbing Lucy's shoulder in comfort. "Lucy, it's going to be okay," she soothed. "Natsu loves you."
"It might not last forever," Lucy retorted bitterly.
"I thought you believed in happily ever after," Mira pointed out. "Everyone is entitled to such a thing, remember?"
Lucy laughed a humorless laugh. "'Happily ever after'? I used to believe it was real, Mira. But life doesn't work that way. Look at Erza!"
Cerulean pools softened with sadness. "That's different," Mira argued.
Lucy turned to Mira with such hopeless chocolate eyes. "How is that different?" she demanded. "Everyone is entitled to their happily ever after. So why couldn't Erza? How do I know I'm ensured mine when a woman who is like my older sister didn't get one? Tell me, Mira," she pleaded.
For once—just this once—Mirajane was silent. She had no motherly words of wisdom couched in consolation to give. She did not have the strength to embrace Lucy tighter. There was nothing she could say to such an imploring demand. What could she say? Erza was entitled to her happiness, but did not get it. That did not mean Lucy was not bound to get hers, but what could Mira say that would assure Lucy?
A soft knock on the door was all Mira needed to pull herself out of her silence. She reluctantly let go of Lucy, allowing the blonde mage to curl up on the couch and wipe away her tears, and opened the door. Gray was standing there, hands shoved in the pockets of his black dress pants. His tuxedo was the same obscure black as his hair and he opted his necklace and the dagger-like cross charm rather than the tradition tie. His eyes looked urgently at Mira. "Juvia came and told me what happened," he explained in a rushed murmur. "Is Lucy still here?"
Mira nodded somberly. She brushed past him on her way out. However, Gray could hear the words Mira whispered to him as she left: "Please fix this."
Gray stepped inside the room to find it void of any women except for the bride—or rather a crying bride. He walked over to her and crouched in front of her, offering her a soft smile and a hand to smooth out her hair. "Hey," he greeted.
Lucy sniffed and offered him a sad smile. "Hey Gray."
"So what's this I hear about you not marrying that idiot?" Gray wondered. "Aren't you totally in-love with him or something?"
Lucy breathed a laugh and rubbed a few straying tears. "Of course I love him. If I didn't, I wouldn't have said 'yes' and neither of us would be here." Her smile faltered and her eyes averted Gray's stare. "But it's like I don't know what our future is going to be like. And that scares me."
"That's what this is about?"
Lucy looked up to see Gray staring down at her with a raised eyebrow and a grin. "You do realize you joined Fairy Tail, right? We don't exactly have a set plan for anything."
Lucy smiled at that, but it faded after a few moments. "I meant my future with Natsu. I mean what if he gets bored of me?" she questioned.
Gray snorted. "Natsu could never get tired of you. Considering the moron chose you to be his partner and came back to you first when he returned from his trip and, even after Lisanna came home, he was still only going on missions with you and breaking into your house, I don't think he could ever get tired of you," he assured, memories of the past making an amused gleam in his eyes.
Lucy sniffled. "But he could always change his mind," she pointed out despairingly.
Gray chortled. "I doubt the idiot could think that much."
"What if I can't protect him?"
"You don't have to protect him all of the time," Gray reminded her gently. "You just need to be there for him."
"What about 'happily ever after'?"
Gray raised an eyebrow. "What about it?"
Lucy looked at him with sullen eyes. "How do I know I get my happily ever after with him? How do I even know it exists?"
Gray stood up and plopped next to Lucy on the couch. In response, Lucy sat up and instantly rested her head against his shoulder. Gray, in turn, wrapped an arm around her, stroking her shoulder and resting his head on top of hers. He sighed. Not the type of sigh that was due to sadness or irritation or weariness. This sigh did not belong to an emotion.
"You know I don't believe in fairy tales," he started.
Lucy nodded.
"I can't tell you 'happily ever' after exists because you're right—no one knows what's down the road. I don't know what's going to happen when you get back from your honeymoon. Hell, I don't know what's going to happen twenty years from now. But we're Fairy Tail, right? We take everything one step at a time. We don't have a plan? Well screw plans. We just kind of charge in and live in the moment. Remember when you decided to help Éclair and Momon?"
Lucy sniffed and gave a watery chuckle. "Yeah. I wasn't thinking about plans or anything. She just needed help, and I thought we could do it."
"And we did," Gray added.
"Yeah," Lucy frowned, "and she died because of it."
Gray nodded. "But she died happily, didn't she? She never regretted meeting you. And you never regret helping her, do you?"
"Of course not!"
Gray held her closer. "And remember the time you and Natsu snuck off with that S-Class mission back when it was your first year at the guild?"
Lucy smiled at the memories. "I do. Natsu and Happy thought it'd be fun. And then you tagged along. And then Erza came. It wasn't exactly well-thought out," she sheepishly confessed.
Gray gave a one-shouldered shrug. "Yeah, guess not. But you got a new key out of it," he reminded her.
Lucy's smile widened. "Yeah. Sagittarius. Even though we didn't get any reward money, it was still worth getting a new friend."
"And even the thing with Eclipse and the Acnologia and Zeref and the Dragon King Festival and all that crap. We didn't know what was going to happen. But we were going to do everything in our power to win or go down fighting. And we ended up winning, didn't we? Sure, we lost some friends. Natsu lost Igneel. The dragons were wiped out. But we saved magic. We defeated Future Rogue, and Future Lucy was given a chance to save the future and reunite with the other Fairy Tail."
"It's because we're Fairy Tail," Lucy reasoned. "We protect our family and friends till the end."
Gray snickered. "Yeah. That and we're pretty damn stubborn. The Magic Council would have disbanded us if it wasn't for Gramps."
Lucy laughed along with him. After a few moments, their laughter eased into a gentle silence. It was just the two of them with Lucy in the comfort of Gray's arms. Many a time the Ice Mage and the Celestial Spirit Maiden would have moments like such. It would be just the two of them, cheering up the other when times were tough and they were down. Their sibling bond was something they were proud of. They exchanged words through gestures or could console the other in words other would never be able to say. They were brother and sister from another mother and mister.
"So you're still going to marry the moron, right?" Gray checked, pulling away to look Lucy full in the face. "I don't see anymore tears. Hope that's a good thing."
Lucy laughed. "Yeah, yeah. I'm still going to marry him."
Gray nodded his approval. "Good. Go get dressed, and I'll try to make sure he doesn't burn his tuxedo off. Deal?"
Lucy smiled. "Deal."
Gray nodded and stretched as he stood and walked out of the room. He paused when he heard Lucy's voice call out to him. He turned around to see her looking at him with a soft smile.
"Thanks, Gray," Lucy mumbled.
Gray gave her a grin as his acceptance of her gratitude and closed the door behind him, leaving Lucy to her lonesome. She looked around the room, eyes landing on the time. Her eyes widened. She really needed to get ready if she wanted to get down the aisle on time!
The groom's suite was similar to the bridal suite with a main room and a bathroom. However, rather than women in dresses, it was filled with men in tuxedos and three male Exceeds dressed in their finest wear while the one female exceed continued in her beloved costume and two young boy in suits like their fathers.
The man of hour was pacing back and forth, accidentally raising the temperate of the room with his frazzled nerves. His feet had begun leaving burn marks on the floor. The groomsman with red eyes and short dark hair seemed disinterested in the groom's constant pacing and was more interested in his Exceed than anything. The other groomsmen watched with amused or agitated eyes, observing as the groom went in an endless cycle as if the action was on an eternal loop. The two young boys seemed too immersed in their little game of cards to notice.
"Pacin' ain't gonna help anything, Salamander," Gajeel grunted, crossing his arms.
Natsu shot him a glare, trying his level best not to let his magic get the best of him and explode from his body. He rather not have Lucy refuse to marry him because he couldn't control his emotions and burned his tux. "I realize that, Metal Face," he snapped. "But what else am I supposed to do?"
"It's kind of seeing you all riled up, Natsu," Sting commented with a teasing grin. "Never would I see the Salamander of Fairy Tail nervous."
Natsu moved his glower over to the blonde White Dragon Slayer, but his blush didn't help him look intimidating. "Shut up, kid," he growled. He looked over to Laxus for support. "What were you like on your wedding day?"
Laxus shrugged. For once, his headphones were absent. "Not like you. But I kept sparking off a few volts. The church almost lost power."
Natsu rolled his eyes. "For an S-Class wizard, you should learn to control your emotions better," he scolded.
Laxus narrowed his eyes at the Fire Dragon Slayer. "Like you have any right to scold me," he scoffed. "I recall beating you with one punch last time we fought."
Natsu bristled. His hands tightened into hard fists and he could feel his skin beginning to heat up, his fire itching for an exploding release. "We can go right now. I'd love to see who'd be the unconscious one this time."
"I don't think Lucy would be too pleased if you fought today," Rogue put in, still observing his green-furred Exceed.
Happy's eyes widened. "Just imagine Lucy going into Erza-mode."
The whole room—even Laxus—shuddered at the terrifying thought. Even though Lucy mainly smiled in any situation, when she was pressed she could enter a rage that could be rivaled with Erza's own, and no one could hope to come back unscathed.
The door opened, and all heads looked up to see the face of Gray Fullbuster. In an instant, Natsu was in his face, anxiety rooted in the orbs of onyx. "Well? Is she okay?" he pestered.
Gray pushed Natsu a few inches away from him and nodded . "Yeah, she's fine," he assured vaguely, entertained seeing his rival panic. "And cool it down in here, Flame Brain. I promised Juvia I wouldn't strip, and you're making it hard to not."
Natsu sighed in relief, allowing the temperature to fall back to its original state. "Thank goodness," he breathed.
Gajeel lifted an eyebrow in amusement. "What? Did you think Bunny Girl would desert'cha, Salamander? Wouldn't be surprised," he taunted.
"Shut it, Metal Face. Lucy loves me! She wouldn't do that," Natsu retorted with utmost confidence.
Sting seemed content with answer, lying back on the couch with his hands behind his head. "Glad you believe in Blondie, Natsu. I didn't think you were into the whole 'wedding' thing to be honest."
Natsu raised an eyebrow. "What's that supposed to mean?" he demanded.
"Face it, Salamander: you don't have one romantic bone in your body," Gajeel acknowledged, ignoring Natsu's scowl. "Out of everyone in this room, you'd be the least likely to get married. Or at least without givin' Bunny Girl some blackmail or getting her pregnant."
Natsu's scowl turned into a childish pout as he crossed his arms. "I wanted to have se—" He stopped himself when he saw Laxus' heated glare and seeing his young nephews give him their undivided attention. He decided to alter his sentence. "I wanted to sleep with Lucy?" The words came out in the form of a question, and the question was directed for Laxus for his approval on the terms. The two men glanced to see the boys going back to their game, uncaring of the conversation. "But she said we had to wait. And anytime I would even get close, someone would ruin it!" He set each one of his groomsmen with a glare.
Gajeel gave a dismissive shrug. "Sorry, but I ain't waitin' for you and Bunny Girl to…sleep together"—Laxus nodded his approval at the term once more—"if the old man gives us an assignment."
"I don't even like the thought of you two doing…well, that," Gray professed, stressing his last word with disgust. "And if Erza and I have a mission picked out, we're coming for you guys either way. We're a team."
"You should've done what I did, Natsu," Laxus advised. "Go far enough that no one would get in the way and set up a barrier with your magic if they tried."
"I tried though!" Natsu insisted. "But Lucy said she would get in major trouble if I put a fire ring around her apartment, and she didn't want to do anything at my house because she claims its 'messy'." He used the term "messy" with air quotations, frowning all the while.
Gray patted Natsu on the shoulder. "Don't get so worked up about it. Now you have the whole rest of your lives to sleep together."
Laxus smirked. "You have a whole week with Lucy on your honeymoon to start," he reminded. "Do you know where you're going?"
Natsu thought about for a moment before shaking his head. "Nope. Mira and the Master said it'd be a surprise," he said with a shrug as if the matter was not important to him. He grinned a moment later, his eyes gleaming with naked desire. "I don't care where we go though. As long as there are no more interruptions."
"All right, there are kids in the room," Gray reminded everyone, "and I don't want to hear any of Natsu's perverted thoughts, so—"
"Who you callin' pervert, Stripper?" Natsu hissed.
"—let's get this show on the road," Gray finished, flashing Natsu a warning look. "As much as I didn't think I'd say this, Natsu, it's time for you to go down the aisle." He gave Natsu a questioning look. "You ready, man?"
Natsu nodded. "Of course I am."
Gajeel stood up and stretched, walking out of the suite with Lily trailing after him. "Alright. Let's get this over with," he muttered.
Rogue followed Gajeel silently with Frosh in his arms and Sting right behind with Lector perched on his head. Gray was the only one who remained while Natsu's eyes were averted on the floor, his hands curled into fists.
Gray grinned. "Wow. Didn't think I'd ever see Natsu Dragneel scared," he mocked.
Natsu's head shot up to meet the jesting pools of midnight blue with glaring onyx. "Shut up, Ice Freak," he growled. However, he lost his angry gaze and looked down at the floor, hiding part of his face in his scarf. "So what if I am?" he mumbled through the fabric. "Doesn't mean I'm chicken or anything."
Gray's jeering grin melted into the same soft smile he had given Lucy. He approached Natsu and clamped a hand down on his shoulder. "Its okay if you're scared, y'know. It's not going to kill you."
Natsu sighed, running a hand through his messy spikes of soft pink. "Yeah, I know. Look, I'll be out in a sec, okay?"
Gray stared at him for a moment before nodding slowly. "Sure," was all he gave Natsu.
The minute Gray closed the door behind him, Natsu dropped onto couch with his head in his hands and his eyes focused on the ground. Marriage. Igneel had taught him little about the affairs of humans joining together. He instead taught Natsu the values of a mate and the dragon ritual that presided with it. But their training more focused on getting Natsu stronger rather than him focusing on finding a mate. When Lisanna played House with him and acted as if they were married, the game seemed fun to Natsu, even if he had no idea what it meant besides becoming Happy's father. But after more years with the women of Fairy Tail, Natsu quickly came to understand what marriage meant—it was uncool and for girls. The thought of marrying someone never crossed Natsu's mind as he continued his work with Happy and trained to grow stronger, trying to find any tips on where to find Igneel.
That was until he met Lucy Heartfilia.
Breaking her from the spell was something he hadn't meant to do and rescuing her had been accidental as well. However, dragging her back to Fairy Tail with him had been on purpose. Impulsive? Perhaps. But he had intent behind his actions. He saw a new friend. He saw his newest addition to his team. And at the time—even if he had not realized it—he had found his "Misses Right" in Lisanna's words.
Their friendship was something he valued and would never want to lose. But unconsciously, his feelings began to shift from just wanting to be her friend. He began being lonely in his house—even if Happy was with him—and crashed into Lucy's house so his loneliness would disappear. His days would be ruined if she declined a job offer with him or if she was sick and could not attend parties or the Blossom-Viewing Festival. He began getting closer to her, pushing the boundaries of where friend ends and lover begins. Even as they faced their alleged deaths and thought the world would end, he had to hold her hand to know they would die that way.
When they awoke from their seven-year slumber on Tenrou Island all those years ago, he could not help but to remain by her side. Everywhere he went, she went. Everywhere she went, he went. Even after Lisanna came back from Edolas seven years prior, Natsu hd not stayed away from Lucy for too long. He traveled with her when she received word of her father's death and was there to console her. He followed her on her adventure to find the pieces of the Infinity Clock and caught her as she fell from the sky like a falling star. During the Grand Magic Games, he watched her fight with pride and encouraged her even when she felt as if she could do nothing for their team. He was the first who wanted to rescue her from her capture and managed to do so. Although, when Future Rogue stepped into the picture, his happiness was gone.
He lost Lucy.
It may not have been his Lucy, but as Happy had said that day, "Lucy is Lucy". He failed her. He could not protect her. He let her die. He could not protect her future.
And that hurt him badly.
He realized how weak he was, how little time he had left with Lucy. He realized he could no longer watch her fight from the sidelines. He helped, subtly, with everything. When she found Éclair and Momon, he followed her as she raced out to find the two and he was the first to decide he was going with her no matter what. He held her as she mourned over the death of their new friends, not because Éclair wanted him to, but because he knew he had to comfort her. He wanted to comfort her. He protected her at all costs. During their battles in Tartarus, he had been knocked out, leaving Lucy to battle their enemies to herself. And when he awoke, he had been so damn proud of that woman. She had defended her family. She was willing to sacrifice everything for the people who gave her another chance at life.
She was amazing.
But did he deserve someone so amazing?
A knock on the door roused Natsu's from his thoughts and he growled when he heard the door open. "Go away, Gray," he snapped, not bothering to lift his head.
"'Gray'? I didn't think I resembled him too much."
Natsu's looked with wide eyes at the man entering the room. He was the same as ever with orange hair slicked back and a black cloak concealing most of his body. But his eyes looked more experienced than before. He had new scars, Natsu noticed. He looked more rugged than before, but the smile on his face hadn't changed.
Natsu leapt from his seat to rush to the newcomer. "Gildarts!" he exclaimed.
Gildarts gave a deep chuckle, reaching out hand to ruffle Natsu' hair. "Hey, kid. Heard you were getting married, so I decided to see if it was true," he explained. He narrowed his eyes like he was searching for something. "You didn't blackmail her into this, right?" he checked.
Natsu frowned. "Why does everyone keep saying that?"
Gildarts laughed. "Good to see you anyways. Never thought I'd see the day when you of all people got hitched."
Natsu sighed. "People keep saying that too," he muttered. Louder, he addressed Gildarts with a question. "How's traveling been?"
Gildarts shrugged. "Same old, same old. Beautiful women. Lots of new opponents to fight. I'm always discovering something new." He flashed Natsu a grin. "Seems like you're going on the ultimate adventure to me."
Natsu sighed again, his shoulders slumping. "Yeah. Guess I am," he supposed.
Gildarts raised a curious eyebrow. "What's with the face, kid? You're getting married, aren't you? Shouldn't you be happy?"
"I am," Natsu admitted. "I'm happier than when I get charcoal fire. But"—he buried his mouth into his scarf—"I just didn't think this would ever happen," he mumbled. "It just seems too…unreal."
Gildarts nodded in understanding. "Yeah, I get it. I was like that when I got married."
Natsu looked at Gildarts with intrigued eyes. "You were?" he asked, the question sounding slightly like he were a child.
"Yeah," Gildarts nodded. "A long time ago. I loved Cornelia with all my heart. But I didn't really understand everything that was happening until it happened."
"Were you…?" Natsu paused, an embarrassed blush forming on his cheeks. "Were you scared too?" he probed in a quiet voice.
"More than you'd imagine," Gildarts confirmed. "I was terrified at the time. But, in the end, I was more happy than anything." He sighed, scratching his stubbled chin. "But I guess when I look back on it, I got married too young."
"Really?"
Gildarts shrugged. "My love for Fairy Tail and my constant work were always in the way. I needed to travel the world. I loved Cornelia, but I loved my work too, and she eventually left me because I couldn't give her the attention she needed."
Natsu looked down at the floor as he processed the newfound information. Giving Lucy the attention she needs… Could he do that for her? He had to admit to himself that he enjoyed the thrill of the battle. He loved going on missions. He loved Fairy Tail, his family, his friends. But would he still have time to be there for Lucy when she needed him?
A hand on his shoulder startled Natsu out of his thoughts. Shocked onyx met with assuring raven. "Don't get worked up over what I said, Natsu. You remind me of me when I was younger. But you won't have the same problems as me."
When Natsu's silence was interpreted as encouragement, Gildarts kept talking.
"You love to fight. And that's good. Getting stronger isn't something you should be ashamed of. But Lucy loves to fight too, even if she doesn't express it. Cornelia wasn't into missions. She wasn't a Fairy Tail member in the first place. I loved her, yeah, but I didn't realize how different we were. Lucy loves Fairy Tail. She goes on missions with you even if you don't have to ask." Gildarts stood up straight. He smiled down at Natsu with a fatherly look. "You've got nothing to worry about, Natsu. I know you're ready for this."
With that, Gildarts turned around, black cloak whipping behind him. Before he exited the room, he gave Natsu a few more words: "We're Fairy Tail, remember? We've got the backs of our family. And Lucy has your back too. Don't forget that."
And in an instant, the S-Class Mage disappeared.
Natsu stood in silence for a moment. Lucy had his back.
"I don't want…to run away by myself…because no matter what…I'd rather be together with everyone."
"Because I'll always believe in you."
Lucy did have his back. Through it all, by his side was she, encouraging him, motivating him, defending him. How could he worry about never being there for her? She was always with him.
Natsu grinned.
It was time for him to get married.