AN: Well, here it is the final chapter. The epilogue. Thanks so much guys for reading and following and commenting and reviewing we super appreciate it. We hope you continue to like the fics we collaborate on and post here in the future also. As always let us know what you think of the end and how you liked it. Again a big thank you and we hope you find this a satisfying conclusion to The Housekeeper.


Lucy yawned as she sat up in bed, the sheet pooling around her waist. She looked over and saw that is was ten o'clock as she stretched before getting out of bed. She sighed softly, knowing Natsu was at work, as she went and grabbed a towel. Lucy walked into the bathroom and looked at herself in the mirror and slightly frowned as she looked at some of the hickeys and love marks that adorned her body. He liked her breasts, not that she minded. Really, he liked everything. Natsu was insatiable. A smile began to form as she shook her head softly, thinking about her lovable boyfriend. She took her shower and then dried off, wrapping her body in the towel. She couldn't help but smile as she walked through the apartment. Nearing the kitchen, she bent down to pet Happy who had trotted around the corner to greet her. She walked into the kitchen and squeaked in surprise at seeing Natsu sitting at the table with some coffee and reading a newspaper.

"Morning." he smiled at her as she walked in, his look turning lustful. Lucy had grown accustomed to that look but she didn't mind it. In fact she rather liked when he looked at her that way because she knew it said so much more than just 'I want you'.

"Natsu? What are you doing here? I thought you were at work!" she said a bit angrily.

She didn't want him to miss anymore work since he had already made it a bit of a habit. He had skipped out on work a few times due their passionate late nights. They would either pick up their nightly activities the next morning or sometimes she would, to her embarrassment though pleasurable as it was, be too sore to move the next morning. He too at times had been too tired to move a muscle a fact she was rather proud of.

"Don't worry about it Luce." he said brushing off her concern. "I took the day off. Everything is fine."

"Right." she said suspiciously and Natsu played at being hurt, shedding a small tear.

Lucy just shook her head and walked further into the kitchen to make herself something to eat. It had been a little over a month since she had officially moved in with her lovable idiot. Not long after deciding to actually fully move in with him she finally returned back to her apartment for her things and to square things with the landlord. He had wanted to be with her but work had prevented him much to his dismay. She wasn't alone though. When she went to take care of her apartment, Erza, Levy and Mira went with her. Though at times it felt like they were her bodyguards which was rather strange but she was glad to have them. The girls had dubbed moving in with Natsu as a reason to buy new things and so took her shopping. Well, it was more like they forced her to shop. It was a pain but it was nice that she had real friends now. Lucy smiled as she thought back to that day and a particular conversation.

"Now that we know what kind of lingerie Lucy likes we should get new stuff so you can show off to Natsu." MIra smiled happily at Lucy from across the table.

"Wh-what?" Lucy asked surprised by the directness and looking around hoping no one else in the food court had heard that.

"Something cute and sexy that'll blow his socks off." Levy chimed in.

"Something lacy since it seems Lucy likes that." Mira smirked as Lucy's face flushed.

"A splendid idea. Men do like their girls in lingerie." Erza nodded approvingly. "Though really they like them anyway." she said under her breath with a smile.

"Uh, anyway say Erza there's something I've wanted to ask." Lucy said trying to change the subject from her lingerie but simultaneously actually having something to ask her.

"Oh?"

"Did you know?" she asked looking at her. "Did you know that Natsu and I...that we would…"

"Become a couple?" Erza finished. "No, I didn't."

"I did! I knew the second I saw you." MIra smiled.

"Honestly, I was really just looking for someone to clean his apartment. I mean you saw it." Erza said. "I didn't care if it was old lady covered in warts as long as she was right for the job. I met quite a few interesting characters but you were the best choice and like I could trust you." she said with a smile. "Though when you walked in I had realized you were right up Natsu's ally. I'm sure you saw his magazines. He never was good at hiding those."

"Y-yeah." Lucy said with a mad blush remembering the lewd magazines that featured busty blondes that she had found in his bedroom. "That was kind of weird."

"You seemed strong and kind so I figured you'd either reject him and stand your ground or something might happen"' Erza continued. "I know how Natsu can be but he's also a gentleman and knows how to treat a woman when it comes down to it. And I know, even if he didn't, that he was lonely and could've used someone in his life. He's not a bad man and any girl would be lucky to have him and if you had turned out to be that girl...Well, I know we had only just met but I felt like maybe that wouldn't be such a bad thing."

"Th-thanks." Lucy blushed and returned to her food. "I really...I really do love him."

"Of course you do. And he loves you." Mira said.

"Yeah, he wouldn't stop talking about you. He was head over heels from the second he met you." Levy laughed and Lucy blushed.

"Oh, you two are so cute together. You'll have a great story for your kids." Mira squealed and Lucy's blush deepened.

Lucy shook her head slightly at the memory. Kids. Not right now but maybe one day...it might not be so bad to have a family with Natsu. She focused on her task of breakfast and continued with the preparations. She did her best to ignore Natsu who had just been staring at her. She was pretty sure she knew what he was thinking. Nowadays it was ever only two things it seemed. Food and sex, and given that it was the morning it could've been either one. He continued to eye her as she moved about making breakfast, wearing just the towel. She might as well been naked and in Natsu's eyes she already was. Oh how he wanted to rip off the table and set her up on the counter and make her moan. Or take her and bend her over the table and have his way with her, making yell out his name. That was one thing he had learned very fast. Lucy was loud and oh how he liked that. He loved hearing all the sounds she made, his name on her lips laced in a moan. He wanted to hear her now he wanted to feel her and make love to her.

Natsu got up from his spot and walked up behind her, placing his hands on her shoulders. He began to kiss her shoulder as his hands slid down her sides finding the end of the towel. He slid his hands under the towel and up her thighs as he kissed across her shoulder and lightly sucked on the nape of her neck, a weak point of her. Lucy whimpered and allowed a soft moan.

"Oh, no." she said pulling back and stopping him while she could. She couldn't let him continue or she was going to end up pushing down him onto the table and getting on top of him. "Out!" she said turning around and pushing him back and out of the kitchen. "No distractions. I don't want burnt waffled like the other day."

"Alright, alright." Natsu said as she gave him one last shove back.

He pouted as he left her to breakfast and sat on the couch to wait. He hated getting riled up like that and being denied. Thankfully it wasn't that often of an occurrence. As he slouched on the couch he looked over and was greeted by a plushie. An old one. Lucy must've brought it when she moved in. he hadn't really noticed before since he was so excited about her moving in. He looked at the plushie, a white snowman with an orange carrot-like nose, a bit more closely. He picked it up inspecting it.

"Hey Lucy." he called for her.

"Hmm?"

"Where did you get this?" he asked walking up to the kitchen with the plushie in his hands.

She turned around and smiled at seeing the plushie. "It's an old story." she giggled with a feel of nostalgia. "Honestly, I don't really remember but I've had him for as long as I can remember. Whenever I was feeling sad or down Plue, the plushie, always cheered me up. I feel bad cuz I had forgotten about him when everything at the party with Dan happened. Maybe it was cuz you came to my mind first." she said a bit embarrassed and blushing at the statement.

"Hm." Natsu said hearing her but he was lost in his thoughts.

A seven year old boy cursed to himself as the prize dropped into the box. He had spent so many coins at the damn claw machine and he still couldn't get what he wanted. Of everything he could get he got the stupid messed up snowman. He was going for the red dragon how did he end up with this plushie? Whatever. He sighed heavily as he pulled it out of the slot and began to make his way to his friends. On his way to meet up with them he could hear a girl crying. He looked around until he finally found the source and he walked over to her. It was a young girl, probably about his age who was wiping the never ending tears away. She was down on her knees sobbing.

"What's wrong?" he asked as he hesitantly walked up to her.

Her sobs began to quiet down and she looked at him with tear filled brown eyes.. A blush began to form on his face for a few seconds. He thought she looked kinda cute. He smiled nervously at her as she continued to calm down.

"I lost my special doll Gonzalez." she finally said wiping at her eyes.

"Uh...Gonzo-Gonzalvez?" Natsu said thrown off by the name. "That's a weird name."

"No, it's Gonzales! And it's not!" she said angrily and then pouted. "It's a pretty name." she sniffed and tears began to well up again at the thought of her lost friend making Natsu panic. He hated seeing girls cry.

"Hey, don't cry it's just a doll. You can get another one." he said as he continued trying to calm her down but nothing worked.

"No...it was a gift from mommy." she cried. "She gave it to me before she…"

Natsu had opened his mouth to say something but upon hearing that closed it. He knew what was behind those words better than most. He knew the look that her face had taken on. After all he'd seen it on himself after his father had died. So he knew the pain at least. If he had lost his scarf that his father had given him...Well, he'd probably react in the same way that she was. He looked around and saw the odd plushie he had won still on the ground. He had dropped it when spotting the girl. He walked over and picked it up, dusting it off as he walked back to the girl. She looked up at him with a questioning look as he held it out to her.

"Here." he said with a small blush on his cheeks. "Take it. It's yours." he gave her his signature toothy smile. "I know it won't replace your doll but if you want...you can have it."

"You...You're giving it to me?" she asked with a blush as she eyed the doll.

"That's what I said. Take it already." he said getting a bit impatient.

She pouted and grabbed it out of his hands. She held it out in front of her and looked at it. A bright smile formed on her face and Natsu blushed harder. She looked beautiful with a smile.

"Plue." she smiled at the doll and then turned toward Natsu. "His name is Plue." Natsu snapped out of his daze.

"That's a weird name." he said and she giggled as she stood up.

"Thank you." she said, her smile getting wider.

"Your welcome." he said in a low voice, blushing again as he scratched the back of his head.

Natsu snuck up behind Lucy, still holding Plue and he snaked his hands around her waist. He leaned down and kissed her shoulder making her squeak in surprise. She turned her head a bit to look at him as she giggled, the sound music to his ears. He exhaled softly and closed his eyes.

"Thank you." he whispered and then opened his eyes.

"Uh...you're welcome?" she said slightly confused as he let go of her and walked back to the living room. "Breakfast is almost ready."

Natsu sat Plue back down on his spot on the couch with a smile. Even if she had forgotten, he would always treasure the memory. He would never forget about the sad blonde girl that he had given a white plushie to. It was why he was always looking at blonde haired girls. All because of one he found by chance, crying. It had changed his life. Yeah he thought she was cute in the innocent way that kids did, understanding things like pretty and beauty. But it stayed with him and continued to grow and as he got older and puberty hit and the teen years came he found girls a lot more than just pretty. He found them sexually attractive too, specifically blonde girls. Natsu smiled softly thinking back to something Gray had told him.

"I think I finally know why you're so crazy about Lucy." Gray said one afternoon. "I remember back in high school when we started looking at those dirty magazines you were always looking at the blonde girls with big boobs. So it stands to reason that Lucy is just your type."

"That has nothing to do with it." Natsu grimaced. "The reason I like blondes so much is cuz…" No, it happened so long ago and it was too embarrassing to tell Gray or anybody about it. He'd never hear the end of it. It wasn't why he liked Lucy so much either...well, maybe a little bit but he liked Lucy so much because...it was Lucy. No other blonde girl could come close to her.

"Thanks for taking care of her all this time buddy." Natsu said smiling at Plue.

Natsu crouched down and looked at the plushie. He was old and worn. It seemed as though Lucy had refused to get rid of him so she patched him up and fixed him in anyway she could. This resulted in him having small patch jobs that contrasted with his white color. Natsu was glad that she treasured him so. Huh, might be a nice spot to hide a ring. He thought to himself as he inspected one of the loose patches of cloth that was sewn onto Plue. He thought of a diamond engagement ring he had seen that was so befitting of Lucy. He could already picture it on her finger. And now he had found a hiding spot.

He patted Plue on the head before standing up and walking back into the kitchen. Maybe one day he would remind Lucy about the real first time they had met. Plue watched as Natsu joined Lucy in the kitchen so they could have breakfast together. Yes, old and worn and slightly dirty but there he sat with a bright smile on his face. Happy jumped up on the couch and layed down, cuddling up with him with a small meow.

The apartment was neither the mess Lucy had first seen when beginning her job, that she no longer had, and it wasn't the pristine like she would leave it after cleaning. It was a home, a home lived in by two people madly in love and who had started their lives together. The emptiness and loneliness that Natsu never returned to since Lucy had moved in and in fact the apartment felt like an altogether new place. The small changes Lucy had made to the apartment, truly making it theirs, were welcome. It made it clear that Lucy lived there and Natsu quickly found that he liked that. He liked that everywhere he looked in their apartment there were signs that Lucy was there, with him. A small breeze blew in through the window making the cream colored curtains gently flutter. The pages of the newspaper Natsu had left on the coffee table fluttered and turned finally stopping at an article where the headlines could be read: Breaking News: Zentopia Corporation Brought Up On Charges For Illegal Dealings

"The End"