Okay, first! I am very sorry for being gone so long. I have no excuse other than a lack of inspiration. I felt you all deserved something of quality and I just couldn't muster up the drive for anything like that for a while. So please forgive me! And take this heart-wrenching one-shot as a token of my love an apology

This one-shot was *inspired by Heaven by Bryan Adams

*loosely


"Hey," Lucy cooed, gently stroking his soft grey hair, hair that used to be pink, more vibrant than the day dying on the horizon.

The aged dragon slayer lying before her on the bed stirred at her voice, more familiar to him than the softly creased skin on his hands. He blinked up at her with tired, smiling eyes. The same eyes that had broken the love spell on her when they met so many years ago now.

Natsu made room for her on the bed and took her in his arms, pale blonde hair splaying around her like a halo. He'd always thought she was an angel, but never more than now, so close to Heaven.

"Remember those days when you still had that tiny apartment in town? I miss that apartment." He said, tracing her features, softened with years; hardship and happiness around her mouth, concentration and surprise on her forehead. Special smiles around her eyes.

"Of course I do, you spent more time there than I did!" She retorted, lightly slapping him on his faded guild mark.

"We were so young."

"We did so much," She affirmed with a warm smile he knew was for their past. A smile for the memories they had made together when they were free to go wherever the requests took them.

"I was so afraid of losing you then. Sometimes it felt like you were always being taken away from me." The confession slipped from his lips into the night air.

"Weirdo, I've always been right here. I'll always be right here. Who else would put up with you but me?" She said, head-butting him and staying there, reveling in the feeling of his forehead against hers.

He had long since stopped trying to hide his emotions from her, Lucy, who saw through him like glass. He drew her closer, wrapping his loosely-defined arms as tightly around her as his muscles would allow.

He knew how lucky he was to have found her that day. He never thought about love, or anything but finding his foster father for that matter. He would have eventually found himself here, alone without her or the ability he took so for granted in those days.

Natsu thought about the day she became his forever. Standing there, watching her walk towards him in a cloud of white fabric, he knew that's all he would ever need. Everyone called him her rock, but they were wrong. It was Lucy who anchored him, brought him down to earth when he began to drift, unable to discern friend from foe. It was Lucy who made him see when he was wrong and give him the strength to fight when it felt like there was no point. And when the dragons finally came back, it was Lucy who found the courage to speak when he was speechless.

When Erza died in battle at 72, it was Lucy who reminded him that there was no other way she would have rather gone, of the decades of memories they had of her, making him laugh when he most wanted to cry.

It was Lucy, who only six years after that, held him as he cried for Gray who had died of old age. She didn't speak then, but let him remember his best friend and greatest opponent.

And it was Lucy who stayed with him at Happy's grave for hours, even when it started to rain.

Natsu remembered the day Lucy finally managed to buy her childhood home back*, pride swelling within him. His mate made her dream come true. His mate was strong and confidant and beautiful.

"I love you, Weirdo." He whispered into the crown of her head, breathing in her scent as sleep crept in at the edge of his consciousness.

"Love. . .too." She returned lightly.

It was there, wrapped in each other's arms that they were found hours by the dawn, having found Heaven.


*This was an anime-exclusive moment, I believe. If you've only read the manga, I don't think there was the Infinity Clock arc, which is where Lucy mentioned the desire to one day re-purchase her childhood home.

Sorry it's so short, but I couldn't keep going, I was a mess.