A/N: I made it! This is the last chapter (though I am considering a short little epilogue). Thank you all so much for joining me as I wrote my longest fanfiction ever! I'll probably go back to one-shots for a little, while I think up my next one but I definitely want to keep writing.

Thanks to everyone who took the time to post a review, they mean so much!

Keep reading,

ChildofBooks

"N-Natsu?!"

Lucy nearly dropped the bag of pop she was holding. She managed to hold onto the bag and blushed as she saw the blue-haired teen giving her a weird look. She realized her physical reaction of shock to finally hearing Salamander's – NASTU'S name probably seemed strange considering she was being introduced as a good friend. Oh stars, someone just make her disappear.

"You ok there, Luigi?" the pinkette practically purred as his face lit up with a mischievous grin.

He knew. This whole time, he KNEW that she hadn't known his name. Which meant he had purposely been hiding it from her! That sly, demonic, fire eating –

"Luigi?" the girl asked, her head tilting in confusion as she watched her brother and Lucy.

"It's LUCY!" the blonde snapped at the pinkette ready to attack him with one of her "Lucy punches" but he took advantage of her arms being weighed down by pop bottles and rushed into the house, pushing past his little sister who was very confused.

Lucy took a deep breath to try and steady the twitch that was developing in her eye. Oh, he was so getting a piece of her mind when she could corner him. That Natsu…

"Umm"

Lucy snapped her attention to the teenager, blushing like crazy.

"Sorry about that, I'm Lucy, you must be Wendy, right?" the blonde said trying to free a hand to extend to Wendy who's confused face melted into a smile.

"It's great to finally meet you, Lucy!" she said shaking the offered hand and pulling her into the house. "Come in! I'll show you where to put the pop"

Lucy relaxed a bit as she was led through the house and out to the backyard where the party was being set up. She and Wendy arranged the drinks on the table next to the pizzas, Natsu having already gone off to talk to his dad, Lucy spotted them on the other side of the yard – Salamander looked a lot like his dad who was taller, his hair a flaming red. The two were very animated as they talked.

Lucy brought her attention back to helping Wendy, excited to talk to the young girl who so far had been very sweet – nothing like her childish, prankster, brother.

"And who is this?"

Lucy's head snapped to the woman staring at her, a woman with pink hair that matched her friend's perfectly.

"This is Lucy, Natsu's friend!" Wendy chirped happily to her mother.

"Nice to meet you," Lucy said warmly offering her hand to the woman who shook it firmly.

"Nice to meet you, Lucy. You can call me Grandine"

Lucy smiled and before she knew it the three of them were in a delightful conversation where Lucy got to hear more about Natsu and his family and all their crazy adventures. She couldn't remember her own family ever getting into as much trouble as the Dragneel-Marvell clan, but it sounded like a lot of fun.

She was eagerly listening to the story of how Natsu had snuck onto a firetruck just to get motion sick when she felt a hand on her butt.

The blonde blinked, then whipped around to see a small and ancient man who giggled at her. Had he just -?

"Grandpa!" Wendy scolded the old man who just chuckled and gave Lucy an innocent smile.

"Just my way of saying hello," he said before wandering off, Grandine following and scolding him.

Lucy laughed off Wendy's apologies, she had technically been warned.

After that, there was a lot of fun as the rest of the Fairy Tail gang arrived and they busted out the party games – water balloons, limbo, Bingo, and giant Jenga. Everyone giving it their all and being perhaps a little too competitive. Natsu's dad was terrifying although his kind smile made up for it.

Of course, Salamander partnered up with Lucy and she was too caught up in the games to remember that she was mad at him. Besides, it was hard to hold him back when he was all fired up!

After a loud and slightly off-key rendition of Happy Birthday, Lucy collapsed on a garden bench with a slice of cake, watching everyone who was left find comfy places to eat cake and chat. She jumped a little when Natsu flopped next to her, casually tossing an arm over her shoulders, providing some warmth against the cooling evening air.

"So did you have fun, Luce?" he grinned at her.

It was at that moment, Lucy remembered she was upset with the cocky pinkette.

She swatted at him as he chuckled and tried to protect his cake from her.

"You knew! This whole time, you knew that I didn't know your name and you didn't tell me?!"

He laughed, "You didn't ask!"

Lucy pouted and crossed her arms. "I was embarrassed"

"You're such a weirdo Lucy. Heck whenever I forget your name, I just call you random things until you correct me"

"How could you forget my name?"

"You forgot mine!"

"I never knew it in the first place! You never told me your name!"

Natsu frowned at her, "Sure, I did"

"You absolutely did not!" Lucy argued.

"Did too!"

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"Did –" Lucy burst out laughing, she couldn't finish. Natsu joined her and the two were laughing so hard they couldn't breathe, leaning onto each other for support.

Eventually, the laughter died down as the sun set and the porch lights were turned on. The stars just coming out to dance. The two sat on the bench and ate their cake, enjoying each other's company as many of the other guests went home.

"Mom wants to know if you two are staying the night" Wendy chirped at them as the woman in question helped Igneel tidy up the tables that had been brought out.

"Oh no, I couldn't possibly intrude" Lucy tried to say but was interrupted by Salamander's eager response.

"Heck yeah! We still have the tent and sleeping bags, right?"

"Of course! Should I tell Dad that we need the fire pit for marshmallow roasting?"

"Duh!"

Lucy giggled as Wendy ran off to get her dad and presumably the marshmallows.

"When were you going to tell me that this was a camping trip?" she teased her pink-haired friend who had the decency to blush.

"Whoops. I figured it would be fun but you don't have to –"

"No, you're right. It does sound like fun" Lucy smiled at him, her heart doing a little flip when he gave her a huge smile back, his whole face lighting up.

The two helped set up the tent and camping gear while Wendy and Igneel set up the fire pit. They had a great time roasting marshmallows and telling stories, although some of the ghost stories got too scary for Wendy and she went inside to join her mother. Eventually, Igneel also went inside complaining that he was getting too old for sleeping on the ground.

Then it was just Natsu and Lucy lying under the stars, Lucy pointing out the constellations to him and telling him the stories that her mother had taught her. Their arms touching and the blonde drawing comfort from his warmth.

"Natsu?" she asked.

"Yeah, Lucy?"

"How do you spell your name? I have to write it down before I forget"

He cackled and Lucy swatted at him trying to avoid getting hit as he rolled around. Eventually, he calmed down getting comfortable again, sliding an arm under her neck, letting her rest her head in the crook of his shoulders.

"It starts with an N if that's what you're really asking" he teased.

Lucy let out a squeal of embarrassment and buried her face deeper into his chest, feeling the vibrations as he laughed. His arm holding her in a hug as she squirmed. He tilted his head down so his chin was resting on top of her head.

"Do you think I'm your soulmate, Luce?" he practically purred.

Lucy let out a huff, craning her head so she could look at him, "As if!"

"Why not?" he waggled his eyebrows at her making her giggle.

The blonde just shook her head but then gasped when he slid out from under her, instead looming over her, blocking out her view from the stars.

"Are you scared of dragons?" he growled.

Lucy's lips quirked into a challenging smile. "What dragon, I only see a Salamander!" she teased.

She regretted it instantly when he rose to her challenge and with a playful roar and started tickling her. She gasped in laughter and tried to tickle back but he was immune, and she was reduced to laughing gasps as she admitted defeat.

With his own giggle he flopped down next to her, his arms open and she hesitantly snuggled back in, mostly for the warmth against the cold night. His yawn ruffling her air and she giggled. The tickle fight had tired them out and before they knew it, they were falling asleep.

Lucy's last thought before fully losing consciousness was that whether or not Natsu really was her soulmate, she couldn't see herself being with anyone else.