Thank you to NaruSaku-Charlie7 and skelekc for reviewing! Both of you made my day! Especially with the nice things you said! So, I pushed myself to get this out for you both. I actually kinda smiled as I re-read this one and there wasn't much that I felt needed to be edited. I tend to have a difficult time with humor (if you've read some of my other works) so I was rather proud of myself for this slightly humorous and fluffy piece. I hope you guys enjoy it!

Disclaimer: I don't own, I just play around with the characters for my, and your entertainment!

Month Four: Cravings

Natsu woke up to the sound of rummaging in Lucy's kitchen. He shot up at first in alarm, thinking that it could be a prowler and raised his fist, flame in hand, ready to protect his soon-to-be family. Happy wasn't with them tonight, as he'd instead gone on a mission with Wendy and Carla, so he knew that the Exceed couldn't have caused the racket. That was when he noticed that Lucy's side of her bed was vacant. "Lucy?" He called out, stretching and yawning as he got up to see what she was doing. "It's so late, what's wrong? You should be in bed."

She smiled timidly at him, turning her attention back to what she was cooking in the frying pan. "Sorry, did I wake you?"

He shook his head. "Don't worry about it. So, I ask again, what's wrong?"

"I couldn't sleep. I woke up and wanted some of those chocolate truffles you got me last week. Then, while I was eating them, suddenly I realized..." Her eyes widened in excitement as she talked about her culinary discovery. "Know what? Truffles would go amazingly with steak, wouldn't they!?"

At this, Natsu couldn't help but burst into laughter. She was so cute. With how her eyes lit up when she talked about food, almost like he and Happy, and then especially with her strange sense of taste. "Luce, you're so weird!"

The blonde pouted. "I am not!" She thought about it for a few moments though and sighed, turning the stove off. "I guess steak and truffles is weird, now that you mention it." She almost sounded depressed. "There must be something wrong with me to crave something like that..."

The Dragon Slayer snapped his head up at that statement. "No, there's nothing wrong with you. It's normal." He reached for the knob on the stove to turn it on, but then shrugged and held the frying pan in his hand, using his own magical heat to cook her food instead.

"Just forget about it, really, Natsu."

"No, I'm not gonna forget it, Luce! The baby wants to eat, so of course I'm not gonna starve him or her!" He argued heatedly. "What kind of a dad would I be then?"

She looked confused. "What are you talking about?"

"Cravings! Bisca told me about them!" He puffed his chest out, proud of the fact that he knew something that Lucy didn't. "She told me that she used to get the weirdest cravings when she was pregnant. She also warned me that you'd probably start with that too! And she told me that it would probably get crazier the further along you get. She said it was because the baby needed it, so I figured that our baby just really wants steak and truffles, right?" He grinned. "So just leave it to me!"

Sighing, Lucy hid her face in her hands. "Natsu... I don't even..."

"Just sit down and let Daddy cook!" There was almost a scary gleam in his eye when he spoke.

"Please, please don't burn the kitchen down," she begged.

He pointed to the table and chairs. "Sit!"

"All right, all right, I'm going," she muttered and plopped herself into a chair. She didn't have to wait long before a plate was set down in front of her.

"There, steak and truffles. Dig in!" He smirked and sat down in front of her at the table. He leaned forward on the table, resting his head on his arms and watched her closely as she devoured the strange meal, a smile present on his face.

She noticed his expression as he looked at her and stopped eating immediately, face burning in embarrassment. "W-what? Do I have something on my face?"

"You're cute, Luce."

"It's kinda hard to eat with you staring at me like that. I feel like a pig," she admitted sheepishly. "Oh, I know!" She brightened up and lifted her fork with both a piece of meat and a chunk of chocolate caramel from the truffle stuck to it, extending it to him. "Would you like me to share some with you?"

"Nah, truffles and steak is too weird for me. Besides, you and the baby need it. Since you feel so nervous with me watching you, I think I'm gonna try to get back to sleep."

"Thank you, Natsu. I'll join you soon."

Over the next few days, the cravings grew, too, just as Bisca had told Natsu they would. And as they did, Lucy grew less shy about them. Which on one hand was good, but then it was also bad for Natsu as well. Butterscotch mixed in with an omelet, teriyaki-dipped cookies, mint-flavored stew... He spent more and more nights eating at the guild, being unable to eat the strange things Lucy was cooking up for herself. Now, Natsu loved food. But whatever Lucy had been cooking for herself lately, well, he could hardly classify that as food.

He came back one night after a job and heard Lucy in the kitchen humming to herself as she cooked. "Hey, Luce, I'm home!" He had started to refer to her place as home because he spent almost all of his free time at her apartment.

"Natsu, welcome home!" And of course she accepted it readily. After all, she had told him that she wanted to stay with him, wherever they may be.

He approached her and hugged her from behind. "What's for dinner?"

His stomach clenched when he heard her answer. "Spaghetti and rice balls! Doesn't that sound good?"

"Eh?" She's cute, but these cravings are gonna kill my stomach... He thought. Worse than trains ever could! With a nervous chuckle, he spoke up, "I think I'll just have some spaghetti. I don't need the rice balls."

"Hmm? Oh, okay. I had poured the sauce over everything already, but I'll remake it."

He swallowed hard before resigning himself to his fate. "Don't worry about doing that. I'll eat what you have made already."

"Are you sure?" She asked worriedly. "I'm sorry, I know my cravings have been a little off lately."

He nodded and took the food from her. "It's... okay. I'll deal with it." After all, I don't see how it can get much worse, he thought as he lay down in bed beside her watching her sleep. It'll all be over soon. With those comforting thoughts, he fell asleep.

"Natsu! Time for breakfast! Pickles and ice-cream! Doesn't that sound amazing right now!?"

"What!?" On second thought, this won't be over soon enough, will it...?

Author's note: I hope you guys liked it. I had lots of fun with this chapter. It kinda went the drabble-ish route again but that's good, ne? Review if you liked, or even if you didn't! I love to hear from ya! Thanks and see ya soon! ~ Hallie