Disclaimer:I do not own these characters. I just manipulate to do my bidding! mwhaaaaaaaa! lol
All mistakes are of my own, so if you see any let me know. Please and Thank-you.
XXX
Lucy Heartfilia submerged herself into the hot bath. The mountains of bubbles glittered over her body. She relaxed in the water, allowing her mind to wander.
Natsu has been acting strange, she thought. Asking me to meet him at the park, even though he's been blowing me off for the past week. What's his deal? Ugh, she sighed, sinking lower into the bath. I can't worry about that right now, next month's rent is almost due and I need a job. Maybe I can do a job with Wendy and Carla, we haven't worked together in a while. Erza? All her jobs have huge rewards. Bet she doesn't worry about money, like me.
She dunked her head under the water and let out a little frustrated scream. No, I can't work with Erza, she thought. She's way too intense and I'd hate to jeopardize one of her missions. Lucy finished her bath in silence. She didn't like the direction her thoughts were going.
After trying on five outfits later, nothing in her closet looked right. She settled on a plain grey t shirt and pink shorts.
Once outside, Lucy followed along the river. She walked slowly, since she had plenty of time to spare before meeting Natsu. Her stomach growled when she got close enough to smell the bakery. Having skipped lunch and it being close to dinner time, her tummy was a bit upset at her and was very vocal about it.
She entered the little bakery, with its warm décor and sweet air. Paintings of desserts lined the walls all the wall up to the register. She ordered a large cinnamon roll and took a seat with her back to the door and waited. A few minutes later a server came out with a steaming plate of sugary delight. The icing dripped off the top, like sweet tears. One bite in and all her troubles were pushed aside. The treat was so warm and soft, it melted in her mouth. Sounds of satisfaction escaped her mouth with every bite and she closed her eyes, savoring every last bite.
"Lucy?" asked a female voice she recognized. She opened her eyes to see Erza standing in front of her, with two small cake boxes. "I take it; you did not like the surprise."
"Erza! " said Lucy in surprise. A small piece of cinnamon roll went down the wrong pipe. "What do you mean?" she chocked, tearing up and coughing.
"Well you are here by yourself, enjoying that treat, as if it was the best thing about your day."
"What's wrong with a cinnamon roll being the highlight of my day?"
"I just thought you and Natsu would have, you know. Gone somewhere."
"What? Natsu got a job? Without me? That JERK! I'm going to kill him!" Lucy fumed, standing up from the table. "How dare he? I've been asking him all week to go on a job with me and he just, -just. Ugh!" she stuffed the last little piece of cinnamon roll into her mouth.
"I was under the impression that it was more of a recreational task than work, but I can see how others would think it's work."
"Wait! What?"
"Excuse me?"
"Erza, what exactly are you talking about?" Lucy said in suspicion.
"You and Natsu of cour—se" She said, cutting herself short after catching on to Lucy's confusion. "Actually, pay me no mind. I was never here. We never spoke," Erza said backing slowly out of the bakery, waving her hands in small circles in front of her. "This is all an illusion. Okay, bye!" And she ran out of the bakery in a flash.
Lucy just stood dazed and confused. What just happened, said the voice in her head. She left and bakery and headed straight to the park. She needed answers and she wasn't going to get anything out of Erza, let alone find her, so Natsu was her best bet.
"Hey Lucy!"
"Isn't it all so exciting! Like right of a book." said Wendy and Levy, coming toward her from outside the park.
"Exciting? What's going on?"
"Oh no! You don't know yet." Gasped Levy, pulling Wendy pass Lucy. " I'm soooooo sorry. We have to go,'kay." And they sped walked away from Lucy, glancing back to see Lucy still staring at them, confused and angry.
"WHAT IS GOIING ON!" she yelled.
Lucy stormed into the park on the hunt. She searched behind every tree, under every rock she could lift, but could not find Natsu. Finally, she sat down on a fallen log to catch her breath and think.
Crickets began their warm up for their nightly performance. The wind carried the light scent of peach blossoms. And the night was cool. Lucy relaxed into a trance, once she calmed down. The sound of a stick snapping behind her, made her jump. She turned around to find Natsu, looking like a little kid who just got caught with their hand in the cookie jar, before dinner.
"Hey Luce, You're early." He said, scratching behind his neck. "Thought I told ya a later time."
"You did, but I had some time to spare, so I came early." She lied.
"Oh. Great." He mumbled taking a seat next to her on the bench.
As he sat, Lucy got a whiff of him. He smelled of fresh linen and cinnamon and spice.
"You washed?" asked Lucy, taking his scarf and smelling it. It didn't smell like sweat and nature, like usual.
"Yeah, used that soap you brought me." Said Natsu, pulling his scarf from out of her hand.
Now that he was close, she could see how much work he put into his appearance and she noticed everything. The many colors in his hair – dusty rose, blond gold, and a hint of light brown at the roots, were neat, unlike his normal mess. He rubbed at the stubble on his jaw, so she could see that his nails were even clean. His eyes reflected the fading sunset back at her and she could get lost in them.
"Look Lucy," he said, braking their eye contact and staring straight ahead." I don't know how to say this. I was hoping I would have more prep time." He turned back toward her and took a deep breath. "I'm not good at this, okay. I can turn a town to dust and beat anybody I'm up against, but this— "he motions between them, "I can't do"
" What are you saying? You don't want to be partners with me anymore?" she could feel tears begin to well in her eyes, threatening to fall. Her emotions were all over the place, for some reason. She pulled away from him, but Natsu quickly grabbed her hand and held it in both of his.
"NO! That's not what I'm saying. Damn! I'm really bad at this." He said quickly, squeezing her hand. "Let me just speak,'kay? And just listen."
She nodded at her best friend, with tears falling.
"I've lived most of my life wandering around, lookin' for anything: Igneel, a good fight, a job. And I'm pretty good at it and I always find what I'm lookin' for. Shit this is hard. The one thing I wasn't lookin' for was—you." He paused, searching her eyes for any sign to stop talking, but couldn't find any. "All the good things in my life, I ain't have to look for. I came across Fairy Tail and Happy fell out of a tree. Then there's you."
Lucy wiped the tears from her eyes, with her other hand, trying to grasp the whole situation. Natsu, a clean Natsu, was sitting next to her, holding her hand between his, and speaking words that she couldn't hear over her hammering heart.
"I wish you had come at the time I said." Continued Natsu. He reached into his pocket and pulled of a small ring. A simple gold band with a red flat stone welded on top.
"This is a dragon scale," he said," actually it's Igneel's scale. A couple fragments were left behind when he—when he, um. I want you to have this." He stumbled, his voice caught in his throat. He placed the ring into her palm and closed it. "I wanted to wait until it was fully dark, cause it's really cool in fire light and this park has the most fireflies in all of Magnolia."
"I'll wait." Lucy whispered.
"What?" asked Natsu, is surprise.
"I'll wait for the fireflies. It's my fault for coming so early anyway." Said Lucy grabbing his hands again, this time with confidence and staring straight into his eye. "How much longer until they come?"
"Not much longer. I see a couple already, but not enough." He spoke softly, staring back into her eyes.
They sat in silence, staring at each other, waiting. With each passing second Lucy could feel her mouth stretch wider and wider into a silly grin. Stop grinning like that, she thought. You look like a fool!
"Okay, you can open your hand now."
Without her notice, the park filled with fireflies, the crickets were in the middle of their orchestra, and the full moon shone brightly in the sky, competing against her constellation friends.
The ring left an imprint on her palm. The scale reflected the light of each firefly that flew past it—reddish gold, burnt orange into bloody orange, buttercream, and violet.
"It's beautiful." She said.
"Are you going to wear it?"
"Yes," she said, fumbling you put the ring on her finger. Her hand was trembling so much that she missed her finger.
"Let me," said Natsu, taking the ring from her and placing it on her finger. "It's not too tight?"
"No. Not at all."
"Good. Your hand ain't much different than Erza's and it fit her."
Lucy started laughing at the thought of Erza trying on the ring and then back to the conversation they just had in the bakery. She didn't expect this night to turn out like this. Being here, with her best friend and being asked to marry—wait a minute, she thought, Is this a proposal?
"Is this a proposal?" asked Lucy, wanting to be clear.
"Um, this is me sayin', you are very important to me and I hope you continue to be my partner and teammate."
"That doesn't sound like, 'Will you marry me'", Lucy said skeptically.
"It doesn't?" he asked apologetically.
"Nope. Not even close."
"Damn. I told you I ain't good at this."
"Just say it, Natsu. Will. You. Marry. Me."
"Will you— "he dragged.
"Marry," she encouraged.
"Marry— "
"We are also there."
"Me?" finished Natsu, finally. His nerves had finally came undone and his cool demeanor was ruined. As if his body was ready to give up, his hair started sticking up ever-which way. Lucy hugged him with too much force and they fell behind the log.
"Yes, I will marry you, Natsu Dragneel." She said, stressing the syllables of his name.
"I'm fired up," he murmured, and kissed her. He pulled her closer on top of him and gave her fire kisses. Hot and consuming. Lucy gave in to them, winding her fingers through his hair and returning just as much intensity into her kisses. She broke apart to come up for air, his kisses always took all the air from her lungs.
"Let's go get something to eat." She said suddenly.
"Okay, cause I'm starving. Haven't had food all week."
"My place?"
"Sure, that café near you has some of the best buns." he replied, pulling himself up. He got up and dusted him clothes off. Then helped Lucy up. She pulled a couple leaves out of this hair, with a chuckle.
"And you were so clean."
"Hey! You're the one who knocked me over," grabbing her ringed hand and started walking out of the park.
"But still— "
"Plus, I'll just wash with you, since you're so clean all the time."
"NATSU!" gasped Lucy, turning red.
What? Your tub is big enough for the both of us."
"Oh my—plus I may not have that apartment for much longer. Rent's due and I'm broke." She whined.
"We'll just take a good job tomorrow. I like your place. Happy likes it too."
"By the way," Lucy said looking around," where is Happy? He's not hiding in a bush or something."
"Nah. When I left he was heading to the guild hall. He wanted Mira's fish fry."
"Oh. Okay." She replied, pulling in a bit closer to Natsu.
They left the park hungry and excited for the future, hand in hand.
XXX
How did you guys like that cheddar platter?! Sharp, right? lol I joke, I joke. I kid, I you are familiar with my writing, then you know i'm usually a Laxus/Erza writer, but this story just flowed. This was actually suppose to be apart of my other story 'Fairy Tail: Erza and Laxus' and it was going to be lightening bugs, instead of fireflies( which are the same bug, I believe). Super cute right? It is what it is. Anywho, Thanks for reading and let me know what you think in the comment section. Also check out my other stories.