Responsibility
Summary: Sometimes good things can happen when you're not busy being responsible.
Rated T for foul language, suggestive themes, and adult situations.
Genre: Humor, Romance
Pairing: Natsu/Lucy (Nalu)
Word Count: 6.1K
Natsu wasn't the most responsible person in the world.
He didn't claim to be, and for most of his life, he didn't try to go out of his way to prove people wrong when they called him out on it. He knew who he was, and so did his friends. He was often known as a troublemaker in school, mostly getting in fist fights to defend people being bullied. It ultimately ended with him in detention or suspended, but he didn't care.
He didn't always think ahead, but his heart was in the right place.
He just wanted to have a fun and enjoyable life, but sometimes he needed to be more careful and thoughtful, instead of wild and passionate. He had a fiery personality. Anyone could see that after spending five minutes with the man. It was what got him so much attention, some bad, but mostly good.
One night in particular stood out in Natsu's mind, seeing as it continuously popped into his head from time to time. He had been out drinking with his friends, celebrating his roommate's girlfriend's promotion. All their friends decided to go out to dinner, followed by a night out on the town.
They ended up in a bar they had never tried before, but a few minutes there was all it took for them to feel right at home. The music was great, the alcohol was excellent, and the atmosphere was warm and comfortable.
Just like the arms of the woman Natsu went home with that night.
Now, Natsu didn't normally do one-night stands. In fact, that was his first and only time bringing home a woman he barely knew. He couldn't help himself, not thinking about the consequences of his actions. Like stated before, he wasn't the most responsible person in the world.
Lucy.
She was someone Natsu hadn't been expecting. He met her out on the dance floor, the two clicking as soon as they made eye-contact. Of course, that was probably due to the fact they were both buzzed. He didn't believe in love at first sight, but whatever he felt that night, he swore it was close enough. It didn't take long for him to start falling for her.
Literally.
He fell flat on his face because he couldn't take his eyes on her, resulting in him tripping over someone's purse that was on the floor.
She laughed before helping him up, electricity buzzing through his veins as soon as they touched.
Lucy was beautiful, her golden hair pulled into a messy bun, a few locks loose to frame her face. Her eyes were dark and alluring, inviting him in when she batted her long lashes at him. He couldn't for the life of him remember what she was wearing or how many drinks they shared together after they met, only knowing she was someone he wanted to get to know.
After she helped him up, the two got to talking, joking and laughing about what happened to lead them both to that bar that night. Natsu got lost in her eyes, and later that night, they got lost in each other.
His friends had ditched him at some point in the night, and Lucy didn't bother looking for her friends. They shared a kiss after Lucy told him the song playing was her favorite, and they walked out of the bar hand-in-hand after a few more songs had passed.
They went to his apartment since his roommate would be with his girlfriend that night. They took an Uber to be safe, neither capable of driving. Not only that, it allowed them to continue their kiss from earlier without interruption.
Natsu still cringed to this day when he thought about it, hoping the Uber driver wasn't offended by their lack of self-control. He liked public displays of affection, but not when it came to making out. Holding hands and pecking were perfectly fine in his book, but he knew how gross it could be having people shoving their tongues into each other's mouths with an audience around.
However, by then they were drunk, and Natsu didn't give a flying fuck about anyone but the gorgeous woman embracing him back.
The rest of the night was more of a blur for Natsu, but the parts he remembered, he treasured. Him and Lucy ended up in his bed, giggling and moaning as they explored each other, coming together in a way Natsu reserved for much later in a relationship. He had never had sex with someone so soon, but it didn't feel too fast when he was with Lucy, every moment an adventure.
Natsu wasn't too clear on their details of their night together, but he remembered the next morning all too well. She must have woken up first, the spot next to him warm but empty. He had just missed her, the woman taking off before he could wake up.
He remembered sitting up in his bed, his head pounding from a hangover. In his pained state, he didn't notice the note sitting on his nightstand, Natsu too busy getting up to grab something to dull the ache. He returned to his bed a moment later with two pills and a glass of water, using them to help him get better.
Since he didn't have work until later that day, Natsu slipped back under the sheets, deciding to deal with reality after he recovered.
However, that had been his downfall.
In his sleep, Natsu had knocked over his glass of water, ruining not only his phone, but the note a certain blonde left behind, containing her phone number.
Natsu had cursed when he woke up, trying but failing to fix his phone by putting it in a container of rice. When he found the note, he knew it was useless. The only numbers he could make out was the area code and a '4', but six of the numbers were smudged beyond repair.
Lucy had wanted to keep in contact, but he had no way of reaching her.
Berating himself had done nothing to solve the problem, and trying to remember key details of that night were harder than he thought. The night was fuzzy in his memory, and the more he thought about it, the more distorted it got.
He was left with limited memories of her, but the ones he had, he held as tightly as he could.
There were a few physical reminders of their night together, but they didn't bring him much comfort. The floral perfume clinging to his sheets would eventually fade, and he would need to wash his shirt to get her shade of lipstick off his collar.
The only thing he could save was the sock she lost under his bed.
The scariest part of that morning for Natsu by far was he didn't even find a used condom anywhere around, but he had messed up before by flushing a condom down the toilet when drunk, so he hoped that was the case this time. He always had protected sex, so he was pretty sure they were covered last night.
Natsu wondered if Lucy would show up at his apartment later that day, hoping he would get a chance to successfully exchange numbers with her and get to know her better, but she didn't. She didn't even come back for her sock, which was a shame because it made her seem cute. Who wore snowman socks in the summer?
Only a weirdo would.
He held out hope that he would see her again, but, five long months passed, and he hadn't heard a word from her.
At first, Natsu thought to look her up, but he couldn't find her. It didn't help that he couldn't remember her last name, Natsu only knowing it started with an 'H'. He looked through the phone book without any luck, not finding anything remotely similar.
He couldn't go to her work to find her either. Not only would that come off as creepy, she didn't tell him where she worked. She just said she was in publishing, but that could mean anything. He didn't want to give up, but the more time that passed, the more discouraged he grew.
His friends told him to give up, to move on and learn from his mistakes.
"One night stands don't work out," Erza had said, giving him a sad shake of her head.
"She probably took one look at you in the morning and ran," Gray had laughed, earning a punch to the stomach from an angry Natsu.
"She left me her number, so clearly she wanted to talk!" Natsu argued back, but that didn't stop the teasing.
"Just get over it. It's not like y'all had something meaningful," Cana had said, her words being the most hurtful.
Natsu thought their encounter was meaningful, even if his friends didn't think so. They didn't hear the softness of her laughter or see the light in her eyes. Natsu felt a connection, and he wanted to feel that way again.
On the third month, Natsu had given up on trying to find the mystery woman. If it wasn't meant to be, he had to let her go. Thinking about her only made his longing worse. His skin still buzzed when he thought about her, his cheeks tinging pink when he remembered the sounds she made that night, but they would only be hazy memories in the back of his head.
He thought they had a true connection, but it wouldn't be the first time he made a mistake.
Two more months passed, those feeling just as long as the others. At least once a day, Lucy's face would flash into his mind, urging him to go find her. He ignored that voice in the back of his head, knowing it would only lead him to trouble. No good was going to come out of wondering what could have happened if he had her number, so he had to stop thinking about her, no matter how hard that seemed to be.
He was trying to be responsible, but that could only last so long.
"Fuuuuuuuck!" Natsu groaned, dragging his hand over his face as he stared at the smashed cake on the floor. Icing was everywhere, the box the cake came in crushed beyond repair. "Gray's gonna kill me!"
Gray had trusted Natsu to get the birthday cake for Erza's party, something Natsu had begged for. He wanted to show he was getting better when it came to doing things right, but old habits die hard.
What?
It wasn't his fault a fly was circling his head. He thought he could swat at it while balancing the cake with one hand. Clearly, he had been wrong, but he had good intentions.
"Damn it!" he grumbled, pulling out his phone to call the bakery again. He tried ordering a replacement cake, but the lady on the phone told him it would take at least six hours to prepare the same kind. The party would be over by then, so Natsu hung up and called the local grocery store, seeing what they could do.
Erza wasn't the biggest fan of sheet cake, but considering it was better than nothing, she would have to deal with it.
After placing his order, Natsu grabbed his jacket and headed to the store. It was cold outside, winter right around the corner. He didn't mind the cold, but he liked his new jacket and wanted to show it off as much as possible.
It was another irresponsible thing he had done, purchasing a jacket with a high price tag all because it had a cool dragon on the back. His friends had scolded him for his decision, so he wanted to show it was a good investment, wearing it whenever he could.
Despite things not working out with Lucy, he was glad that night happened. After it did, he tried making an effort with himself, trying to be better and more responsible. It didn't always work out, but he was trying, and that was what mattered.
However, even after showing them it was useful, they still called him dorky, saying the jacket was a crime against fashion. He responded in the way that came naturally to him. He flipped them off and told them they had no taste. That produced a laugh or two, his friends used to his behavior.
They all messed with each other, but it was only because they trusted and cared for one another. Natsu wouldn't go pulling pranks on strangers, but he showed his love and appreciation for his friends by screwing with them, and they did the same.
Natsu sighed when he entered the grocery store, his legs giving him a good throb from the run. He lived four blocks away from the store he frequented a lot, so most of the time he walked. His car was in the shop, the rim bent after he let his little sister practice driving it.
Once again, Natsu wasn't very responsible, but he had good intentions.
He headed to the bakery section, frowning when he was told he would have to wait fifteen minutes before they put the finishing touches on the cake. He nodded, knowing there wasn't much he could do. He had an hour before he had to be at the party, meaning he was cutting it close, but he shouldn't be late.
Deciding he had nothing better to do, Natsu took to the aisles, wanting to get some light shopping done in the meantime. He found himself with the snacks, his belly growling as he looked over the different options.
Despite wanting to get only a few things, Natsu filled his cart with various foods, ranging from chips to cookies. His high metabolism combined with his regular exercise kept the weight off, but his friends warned one day he wouldn't be so lucky. Until that day came, he would engorge himself on all the desserts and treats he could get.
Natsu sent a text to Gray, asking if he needed anything from the store for the party. He lazily scanned the shelves around him, waiting to get a reply.
When his phone chirped at him, he checked his message, nodding at the short list of items Gray requested. He got to work, making his way out of the snack aisle towards the fruits and vegetables.
Erza was obsessed with strawberries, and apparently the ones Gray got were starting to go bad since he got them too early.
Natsu's eye twitched as he passed by an aisle, hearing the sound of a screaming baby not far away. It made his ears hurt, his teeth clenching as he moved on, hoping to get away from the loud sound quicker. His ears were sensitive, and he could only handle so much before he got irritated.
He didn't blame the child or their parents, knowing sometimes it couldn't be helped. However, that didn't mean he wanted to hear it. The crying served as a reminder he wasn't ready for children, something he had known for a while.
He didn't have the patience to be a parent yet, not to mention he was still working on being responsible. Maybe one day he would be better, but until then, he put the idea of having a kid on the back burner.
Besides, he would want to find a partner before he seriously considered having kids, and currently he didn't have anyone in his life. His last encounter had been roughly five months ago, and since then he hadn't so much as gone on a single date, let alone found someone he wanted to spend his life with.
Natsu took a deep breath before pushing down those ill thoughts, knowing he needed to be in a good mood for Erza's party. She was bound to be nervous seeing as she was finally introducing them to her boyfriend she had been hiding from them, so him being in a sour mood would only make things harder on his friend.
He cheered up when he found the items Gray requested, placing them gently in his cart before making his way back to the bakery. It was almost time for the cake to be ready, and he wanted to get it and go check out as quickly as possible.
Natsu was two aisles away when he froze, eyes widening as he pulled his cart backwards, slowly peeking down the aisle he just passed. He thought his eyes were deceiving him, but he realized they were working just fine when he glanced to his side, shocked to see that stunning blonde hair draped down a woman's back.
He swallowed, knowing there was a good chance it wasn't Lucy. He had been fooled before, and each time he fell for it, it became harder to move on. Natsu considered just going, ignoring the woman for his own sanity, but his feet wouldn't budge, needing to verify it wasn't her before he could leave.
He blinked, throat tight as he turned his shopping cart towards the aisle, surprised when he was able to move. Natsu entered the aisle, only to stop again after a few steps. Clenching his teeth, he debated his options, knowing which was the logical choice and which one he wanted to make.
How many times had he gone out of his way to check to see if someone was indeed Lucy, only to find out he was wrong? He didn't know if he could take the disappointment again, and honestly, he was feeling a little pathetic at this point. Why couldn't he just let her go?
'Because,' he thought, frowning as he moved forward again. 'She left me her number. She wanted something more...'
Natsu swallowed before nodding to himself, knowing it was worth the slight disappointment to at least pass the woman to see. Lucy had wanted him to contact her. Though, he did wonder if she would be pissed he hadn't talked to her sooner.
She probably thought he blew her off, chalking it up to being just a one-night stand like his friends did. It couldn't be further from the truth, and knowing she was out there, thinking that of him, it made his stomach twist and his chest heavy.
He wanted to see her again, if only to make sure what he felt that night was real.
Natsu let out a growl of frustration as he looked over his shoulder, knowing he needed to get moving. He was going to drive himself crazy looking for her.
Natsu turned his head forward, ready to leave the aisle when he noticed the woman was looking at something on the aisle, her side facing him. His breath hitched, eyes fixed on her familiar face, his heart stopping for a second before resuming at a fast pace.
'It's... her.'
He rubbed his eyes, making sure he wasn't seeing things. He would recognize her face anywhere. She was glowing, her eyes soft as she grabbed a can to read the back of it. Natsu didn't notice anything but her face, shocked and frozen as he stared.
He wanted to say something, to wave or walk up to her, but his feet remained rooted to the floor. She was just as stunning as the night he met her, even in her slightly baggy shirt and sweatpants. As Natsu's eyes fell downwards, he smiled, thinking she looked cute in her comfortable clothing.
Natsu took a deep breath before forcing himself to open his mouth, but he didn't get a word out before his eyes were blown wide open.
Lucy hadn't done anything remarkable, merely reaching up to grab something from a higher shelf. However, his attention was drawn to her stomach in an instant, the hem of her shirt rising just enough to reveal the very noticeable bump on her belly.
Natsu swore all the blood drained from his face in an instant. He found it hard to breathe, his chest constricting and stomach churning. The last time he had seen her, Lucy's stomach had been flat, no bump in sight. He wasn't an idiot, recognizing what had happened to her within seconds.
She was pregnant, and by the looks of it, she was quite a few months along.
Natsu's knuckles turned white as he gripped the handle of his cart, his whole body tense as he continued to stare. He didn't know what to say, his brain threatening to shut down at any minute. He struggled to comprehend what had happened despite knowing there was only one thing that could cause that to happen to her.
Lucy turned away, putting the item in her cart while also helping Natsu think. Once he lost sight of that bump, his mind started racing, trying to do the math in his head. He didn't have a lot of references to go on, none of his friends had been pregnant before, so he didn't know how long it took to show. Lucy's belly wasn't huge, but it wasn't small either.
He needed more time to process what he had just seen, but once he saw her take a step away from him, he panicked, shouting, "Wait!"
Lucy jolted, turning around to see Natsu standing there, breathing heavily while clinging to his cart. He looked frazzled, but that didn't stop a small smile from spreading over Lucy's face as she lifted a hand to him. "Oh, hey, what brings you here?"
Natsu couldn't respond, stunned by how much he missed her voice. It sounded so much better in person than his memories, so much clearer when he was sober.
He didn't have to say anything, Lucy chuckling to herself as she shook her head. "Silly question. Obviously you're shopping." She looked down at his cart, then back to his face. He hadn't said a word, his panicked expression remaining the same. She raised a brow, visibly uncomfortable as she added, "How... are you?"
Natsu opened his mouth, but nothing came out. He swallowed, slowly peeling his fingers from his cart before flexing them. They hurt from gripping the handle too long, his pulse in his throat as he tried getting control over himself. "I..."
He couldn't think of anything else to say. He didn't want small talk, he wanted answers. Natsu forced himself forward so they were closer, not wanting to shout across the aisle when he finally asked, "How far along are you?"
Lucy's eyes widened, shocked he would ask that without so much as a proper greeting. She placed a hand on her belly, her voice reserved as she said, "Almost five months."
The air left Natsu's lungs without warning, causing him to struggle to catch his breath. That had been the answer he was dreading, but no matter how irresponsible Natsu was, no matter how much he wanted to be selfish and live his life for him instead of a kid, he had to own up to his actions and take responsibility.
He spoke around the lump forming in his throat, wondering what his parents were going to think when he told them. He doubted they would freak out more than he was. He was ready to pass out at any moment. "Is..." He straightened up, voice tight but firm. He needed to know, even if part of him was scared of the answer.
"Is... is it mine?"
Lucy blinked twice before looking where Natsu's eyes fell, right to her belly. She immediately broke out into laughter, shaking her head as she covered her mouth with a hand. "No, Natsu," she said, light flickering in her eyes, amused by the shocked expression spreading over his face. "They're not yours."
Natsu gaped as she continued laughing, clearly getting a kick out of his reaction. He almost huffed in annoyance, but her next words made his world come to a stop.
"They're not even mine."
Natsu's jaw dropped, unable to form a sentence for a second. He missed it the first time, be he caught it the second. "You, they're?" He looked down at her stomach, brows pinching together. "I... don't get it?"
Was it a costume? Halloween had come and gone, but maybe Lucy got a kick out of wearing a fake baby bump around town? He remembered thinking she was funny when they shared their night together, but he didn't think she had that kind of sense of humor.
Lucy smiled, lifting her hand to push some loose locks of hair out of her face. Her cheeks were red from laughing, the woman taking Natsu's breath away once again without trying to. "I'm a surrogate," she said, giving him a moment to digest that before adding, "One of my friends can't have kids, so I'm helping."
Natsu's gaze fell to her belly again, his tension slowly fading as he realized he was not going to be a father. He wasn't ready for that. He already knew it, but coming face to face with the possibility made it all too clear to him. He needed more time before he wanted to go down that path.
"I'm having her twins," Lucy said, snapping Natsu back to reality.
He looked up at her, unable to wipe the look of surprise off his face. "Oh?"
She nodded, lightly patting her belly before nodding towards the shelves. "Yeah. These little guys want to eat all the time, so I've been trying to find healthy stuff so I don't gain too much weight."
"You look great!" Natsu blurted out, immediately cringing when he startled her. "Sorry," he mumbled, clearing his throat before awkwardly tugging at the collar of his jacket. "So, you're having two boys?"
Lucy shrugged. "I think so. Doctor can make out one of them as a boy for sure, but the other's always hiding. Their dad thinks they're both going to be boys, but the mom's hoping for one of each."
"Th-that's cool," Natsu started, unsure what he should say.
He finally found Lucy, and he didn't know what to do. Seeing her pregnant had caught him off guard, and to find out the kid, no, kids weren't even hers? It was a bit too much for him, but he knew better than to turn around and run.
Natsu couldn't help but steal another glance at her belly, finding the whole situation strange. He had been drunk the night they met, but he thought he might have remembered if she mentioned being a surrogate.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Natsu asked, seeing the confusion mar Lucy's face. "That night? I don't think you mentioned anything about a pregnancy."
Lucy snorted, her lips tugging into a soft smile as she tilted her head. "I didn't think that was the best thing to say to a guy I was trying to impress," she said. "I—"
"Excuse me."
Lucy and Natsu both turned to see an older gentleman trying to squeeze by them. They both muttered apologizes while Natsu pushed his cart to her side of the aisle, getting out of the way for the man and anyone else who wanted to pass.
That put him closer to Lucy, merely a foot or two away. He felt that tension again, but Lucy's chuckle eased him once more.
"Anyways... I thought you'd run off if I told you, so, I figured I'd keep it to myself. It didn't happen until a week later. I would have told you... if you called."
"Shit." Natsu cringed, remembering he was the one who left her hanging. She had left her number, leaving it up to him to decide if he wanted to pursue her or not. He could only imagine how she felt when he never called her.
If he had been in her shoes, he would have felt pretty crummy.
"About that, I—"
Lucy shook her head, cutting him off. "It's fine, I promise. I'm sure you had your reasons for not calling, and I'm okay with that. I've already accepted it was nothing more, so there's no reason to feel bad." When Natsu didn't look convinced, she said, "Seriously, it's alright."
"But that's not it," he pleaded, the tension vanishing as he explained his morning after. "I had this huge headache, so I took a painkiller to help, but I was stupid and left the water on the nightstand and I never saw the note before and then I must have kicked or knocked over the water when I went back to sleep, 'cause when I woke up the note was soaked and I couldn't read the number to save my life."
He grumbled as he pulled out a phone from his pocket. "And then I had to get this thing because I ruined my phone, but honestly I was more pissed about not gettin' your number."
He met Lucy's eyes, seeing them wide but not angry. Most of what he said was rambling, but she followed along just fine. She breathed out through her nose before slowly nodding, her smile returning to her face. "So, you did want to call me?"
Natsu nodded without hesitation. "Yes. I even tried to look for ya when I couldn't figure out your number, but I couldn't find anything helpful."
"Sorry?" Lucy said, giving him a shrug.
Natsu shook his head, knowing she had nothing to be sorry for. "It was my bad. I really did wanna call you." When he saw her blush, his confidence grew. "I had a lot of fun with you, and I thought, maybe we could, I dunno... Get to know each other?"
"Sober," he quickly added, a nervous chuckle following. "I liked drinking with you, but I'd rather hang out with you sober."
Lucy bit her bottom lip before nodding. "I would've liked that too."
It took every ounce of energy Natsu had not to let his shoulders fall. "Would've?" He tried keeping the disappointment from his tone, but it was no use. 'Does that mean I'm too late? She doesn't wanna see me anymore?'
Lucy leaned back a few inches, gesturing to her belly. "Well, I'm sure this isn't what you were wanting."
Natsu shook his head, deciding honest was the best policy. "It's not... but I don't mind."
"You don't?"
"Nah." He grinned, this time the expression coming naturally to him. "I still wanna hang out with you, if that's okay?" He wanted to see if something between them was a possibility. He remembered liking her, and clearly she was a generous person if she was willing to let her friend use her body to make a baby.
Plus, it wasn't her kids she was carrying, meaning once she delivered those babies, she wouldn't be a mom. He didn't have anything against mothers, but he wasn't ready to settle down like that right now. He had a lot of living he wanted to do for himself before having children of his own.
If he had a kid he would do everything in his power to make sure they had a great life, but since it wasn't on the table, he didn't have to think about it now.
"Oh... okay," Lucy said, giving him a soft nod. "But only if you want to."
He didn't hesitate. "I do." With his phone still in hand, Natsu reached out and handed it to her. "Can you put your number in? That way there's no chance of me losing it?"
Lucy chuckled, shaking her head at herself as she tapped at his screen. A few seconds later, a vibration came from her purse in her cart. "I sent me a message, so there's no excuses this time." Her voice held a teasing tone as she winked.
Natsu couldn't help but grin, accepting his phone as his day drastically improved. He almost forgot what he was at the grocery store for. 'I can spare a few more minutes... for Lucy.'
"Can I ask when you're due?" Natsu looked at her belly, then back into her eyes. He was merely curious, wondering how long she would be pregnant.
"April of next year," Lucy answered, not minding the question. "But part of me wants them to come out sooner."
"Why's that?" he asked, raising a brow.
Lucy snorted before kicking out one of her feet. "My feet are starting to swell, the morning sickness is not a good way to wake up to, and I can't eat half the stuff I like."
She sighed before gesturing to her face. "And people keep saying, 'oh, look how you're glowing!'. What they don't know is that's just sweat! I'm constantly burning up, even in December."
"Is that why you don't have a jacket on?" he asked, trying to smother his laughter. Despite Lucy seeming frustrated, she was also cute. He hadn't spent time around pregnant people before, but he had a feeling it was going to be an interesting ride hanging out with Lucy while she was going through this adventure.
Lucy nodded, tugging on her shirt to lower it more. "And I'm about to break and just go buy some maternity clothes. I've been trying to put it off for as long as I can, but I think I need them now. I can't even wear my dresses anymore."
She frowned before a small smile surfaced on her face. "But it's for a good cause. My friend's been wanting to start her family for so long, and I didn't like seeing her sad."
"That's really nice of you," Natsu said, earning a shrug from her.
"She would do it for me if the roles were reversed."
Light flickered in Natsu's eyes, his chest warming at the thought. He valued friendship and family above all else, and to see how far Lucy would go for a friend, that only made him like her more.
Lucy took a deep breath, adjusting her feet a few times in an attempt to make them not hurt as much. She looked up at Natsu before holding back a laugh, finding his earlier reaction amusing. "So, you really thought you knocked me up or something?"
Natsu's shoulders shook as he suppressed a laugh. "Yeah, that scared the fuck outta me."
"I bet." She pushed her hair back before tying it up, all while keeping her eyes on him. "If you had though, I would've come back. Whether you called or not."
"That's good to know." Natsu would have hated having a kid out there without knowing about it. He believed Lucy when she said she would have told him. She seemed like her heart was in the right place, though she also seemed way more responsible than him.
Before Natsu could open his mouth to say anything else, a voice came over the loudspeaker, calling for him.
"Natsu to the bakery, your cake is ready."
Natsu looked up at the ceiling until the voice cut out, his gaze falling on Lucy. "Shit, I gotta go." He wanted to frown, but he reminded himself they exchanged numbers properly, so he didn't have to worry about never seeing her again. "I got a party to get to, but after that do you wanna hang out?"
"Sorry," Lucy said, her lips twisting as she held back a frown. "I promised to hang out with my friends later today. Maybe tomorrow?"
Natsu nodded, eager to hang out with her as soon as they were both available. "I get off work at three. We can grab a late lunch? Or dinner?"
"Dinner sounds great." As if to solidify her point, her stomach growled, causing both of them to laugh. "I swear, I haven't felt full in months." She looked back at the shelf before grabbing another can of food, one she had picked out earlier.
"Well, then let's go to a buffet tomorrow?" Natsu suggested, wearing a toothy grin. "There's one a mile away from here. They got the best steak and potatoes."
Lucy almost moaned from the thought. "Deal! Meet you there at six?"
Natsu didn't bother concealing his blush. "It's a date."
With a giddy smile, Natsu said his goodbyes before racing off towards the bakery, almost laughing at himself when he had to go back to the aisle to retrieve his cart he had forgotten. Lucy was no longer in the same aisle, but he didn't mind. She was no longer a fleeting memory, a one-night stand that would lead to nowhere.
He had a date with the woman that made his heart race and chest warm.
He was even happier knowing she wanted to see him again too. He hadn't been too late, and despite him messing up the note she left the morning after, fate seemed to want them together.
Natsu was almost glad he smashed Erza's cake, otherwise he wouldn't have wound up in that store at the perfect time.
Maybe, just maybe, he didn't always have to be responsible.
In case anyone was wondering, Lucy's being a surrogate for Levy and Gajeel.
I headcannon that someone had a back up cake because they figured Natsu was going to mess up somehow. And if he managed to pull it off, then that just meant more cake to go around!
I actually started writing this in December of 2017, but I never finished it and forgot about it. I recently found it and decided to try again at it, but I rewrote what I had because I wasn't satisfied with it. Originally this was going to be called 'Surrogate', but I figured that would give the name away immediately, so I changed it to something more vague. I hope you liked it. I wanted something lighthearted and funny, and I hope I delivered. (Haha, pregnancy pun) Anyways, let me know what you thought of it!
Happy Valentine's Day! Or as I'm calling it, Happy it's totally okay to be single Day! Hope you're having a great day regardless of your relationship status.
Thank you for reading! Let me know what you thought! Have a great day/night!