Chapter 6
"AHHHHHH!" Natsu shouted at the top of his lungs until a flying boot came to hit his head, "OW! Who the fuck-!"
"Shut up Flame ass!" a deep rusty voice shouted back, making Natsu look further to his parents and saw his cousin, Gajeel breathlessly shouted in annoyance. Soon enough, a fit of laughter came to echo the living room and Natsu infuriatingly huffed before his family
"What was the scream for Natsu-san?!" Sting asked laughing as he held his stomach in pain because of laughter
"Shut up Sting!" Natsu snapped at the man before walking past his parents, who was still trying to stop their laughter.
When Natsu walked past his mother, Grandine cleared her throat and tried to compose herself. And when she did, she looked back at her son, "Well, where is your fiancée?"
Natsu looked back at his mother with a surprised expression but then he tried to compose himself immediately, "Uhh…she's at home, asleep"
"Were you and Lucy-nee on a date today?" Wendy animatedly skipped to her brother
"It's a secret kiddo," Natsu said as he ruffles the hair of his sister, which irked the young teen, "Mom! Natsu-nii is mean!" Wendy swatted her brother's hand before she ran up to her mom, who just smiled at her daughter.
Soon enough, Grandine walked towards her son and gave a kiss to both of his cheeks before grasping it both and had him look at her straight in the eyes, "I am so proud of you son. I can't believe my son is getting married…" Grandine almost had her tears falling in happiness as she stared at her son. As for Natsu, well, he was definitely uncomfortable knowing that everything his mother was saying was just a rumor. But since he promised Lucy to act as her fiancé for that day, he just tried to cover up his uneasiness with an awkward laugh.
"Ha-ha-ha…Me too…Can't believe I'm getting married" Natsu sarcastically said as he stared back at his mother who doesn't seem to notice his tone. Surprising the man, Grandine suddenly pulled Natsu in a hug, which Igneel quickly joined in. Soon, the young Dragneel daughter came to follow, along with their cousins.
"Uhhh…you guys can let go now…" Natsu said as he had his head tilted upwards as if he was suffocated and he was trying to find air to breathe
"Right!" Sting shouted as he separated himself to the group hug, making the others follow along, "that was awkward..." Rogue commented as he stepped away from the group and stood next to the blonde man.
When Gajeel was no longer in the hug, he suddenly mumbled to himself as he looked away from everybody, "Why the hell did I join that hug? Uh, gross, I got Salamander's stink"
"Oi metal head, if there was someone stinky here it's your rusty breath!"
"Shut up fire breath!"
"Iron head!"
"Ash brain!"
"Screw brain!"
"Shut up you idiots!" Igneel then bellowed making the two men cringe in pain because of the loudness of his voice
"Shut up old man!" Natsu and Gajeel shouted at Igneel who suddenly raised his brow as he stared at the synchronized men
"Stop copying me!" Natsu and Gajeel both shouted at one another as they pointed a finger at each other's face, "Shut-up . . . I mean it!"
When the two was about to pounce on one another, Grandine then clears her throat really loud making the two men gradually look at the older blue haired woman, "Are you both done?" Grandine asked as she places her hands on her hips, "Because I want to celebrate your engagement, Natsu"
"Right…um," Natsu nervously stood and glanced around the living room. When he finally found a cup, Natsu raised it and he stutteringly cheered, "C-cheers to…me. I'm…I'm engaged"
"Yehey! Congratulations!" Grandine and Wendy giddily cheered as they made a small dance in their spot, making the boys just shake their head in disbelief.
As the party went on, with a few more neighbors coming in after knocking to Natsu's apartment to complain about how noisy it is, Natsu was able to slip away from everybody. He quickly hid in his room and paced in his room, ranting about how his situation was getting out of hand.
"This is not happening…" Natsu mumbled to himself as he crossed his room but quickly turned when he nearly reached his door, "My parents know I'm engaged..."
"How the heck did they know this?" Natsu continued to ask himself despite being aware that no one could answer his questions, "Lucy…" Natsu suddenly snapped out of his hysteria when he suddenly recalled his best friend, "I need to call Lucy" and with that Natsu quickly checked his whole body as if to feel where he placed his phone, and when he found it in the back pocket of his pants, he quickly dialed Lucy's number.
With a few rings, Natsu began to nibble on his thumbnail in nervousness. And when he caught himself, he quickly swatted his hand away and waited instead for the call to be answered. When the last few rings were about to sound, a sleepy voice suddenly greeted, "Hello?"
"Luce!" Natsu instantly shouted in his room once he heard his best friend's voice. He was just grateful that the house was too noisy to hear him shout out loud
"Natsu~ I'm sleeping…" Lucy moaned in irritation after hearing the loud exclamation of the man
"Don't you think I know that? I literally tucked you in" Natsu said as he suddenly halted in his pacing but he began to pace again, "Luce, I need help"
"Can't that wait 'til tomorrow? Does it have to be now?" Lucy whined at the other end of the call
"Luce, I wouldn't call if it isn't emergency okay?"
Lucy just then groans at the man, which Natsu just ignored since he knew that his best friend would just agree in the end. When Natsu heard Lucy sigh tiredly, his smile suddenly began to appear, "Fine what?"
"My parents know that I'm engaged already…" Natsu immediately stated, and he couldn't stop himself from shivering in shock when he said it
"So? Who are you engaged anyways…you didn't-"
"Luce!" Natsu scolded making the blonde cringe out loud at the other end of the call
"What?!" Lucy shouted back this time after hearing the loud shout of her best friend
"Luce, don't you get it… my parents are here! The rumor has gone wildfire!" Natsu then waited for Lucy to react as he was suddenly greeted by the silence of the woman, "Hello? Luce? You still there?" Natsu cautiously called out
"Oh my god…" Lucy said back with pure shock in her voice, making Natsu sigh as he thought that Lucy was being a weirdo again, "How did that happen?"
"I don't know…what are we going to do about it?!" Natsu exclaims his distress as he began to pace in his room again, "Luce, I told you, the more people that will believe this lie, it's going to be hard to fix it"
"I heard you once already! Don't you think I'm worried too?!" Lucy responded angrily as she began to stand up from her bed
"Uh! Luce! I don't know what to do, even my neighbors are here to celebrate my congratulation party" Natsu replied with wide eyes as if to emphasize his point, which Lucy expected him to look like
"Okay, um…how about, just keep the front act or something…" Lucy said as she began to fidget in her spot and nibble her nails. When Lucy suddenly thought of an idea, she dropped her hand and added another statement, "Just go along with the flow, and we'll talk about it tomorrow morning"
"That's what I'm doing right now…I hope I can hold them off" Natsu said defeated as he dropped to his bed to lie down. When Natsu was resting on his back, he looked at the ceiling and continued his conversation, "Luce help me out…"
"I will, I promise. I'll be there first thing in the morning" Lucy replied softly and calm as he is
"Okay…I'll wait for you" Natsu began to smile to himself as he closed his eyes, "See ya, Luce!"
"Bye"
"Bye, good night!" And with that, the call ended. When Natsu lifted his phone to stare at the screen, he finally felt assured that everything will be better soon, especially now that Lucy will be helping him out. Before he could close his eyes to sleep, a loud voice began to boom outside his room, asking him to step out of his room and party with them. Sighing exhaustedly, Natsu then sat up and mumbled to himself before he stood up, "Well, here we go…just go with the flow" soon enough, he walked out of his room and joined everybody to the party.
As soon as the sun came up, Lucy was on her way to Natsu's apartment. And within few minutes, the blonde heiress has finally pulled over in the man's driveway. As Lucy parked her car in front of Natsu's apartment, the blonde looked around first and checked the place. She was making sure that no media has followed her to make new gossips about her engagement. She decided to end the lie because she couldn't take it anymore to drag her friends into her careless actions, especially Natsu.
When Lucy thought that the street was clear from media, she softly opened the door of her car and stepped out of it. As she strolled to the front door, she pressed the buzzer of the house and waited for someone to open the door. But as few minutes go by, she was still standing outside of the apartment, making her irritated somehow, "Fine..." Lucy mumbled to herself, pissed, as she fished out her keys from her bag.
Long before, when Natsu got his own apartment, he invited the blonde over to his place. It was on her birthday when Natsu broke the news to her that he would be staying in Magnolia to handle one of the businesses of his parents. He was so excited to tell Lucy that he had a gift for her, and of course, for Lucy, she was ecstatic about the idea because Natsu has never given her any gift on her birthday. Thinking it was some bag or new shoes, she was surprised to be handed a small box. Lucy asked him what it was but then Natsu just told her to check it out. And when Lucy did, she was stunned to see a key. And Natsu only said he was so happy to give Lucy his house key because anytime he could ask her a favor to clean his place.
"Uh," Lucy sighed annoyed as she slips the key to the keyhole, "I said to myself I wouldn't use this key, damn this baka…" Lucy finally turns the knob and swings the door open. Once she did, she cautiously entered the home and observed the place. When she closed the door, the living room surprised her with an extreme mess. Beer bottles were everywhere, chips scattered on the floor, spilled drinks on the table and even food wrappers left unattended.
"My goodness, what kind of party happened here?" Lucy asked to no one in particular as she stepped inside slowly.
When Lucy finally settled to the idea that she couldn't leave the place like a mess, she decided to put down her bag on a clean table and begin to clean up the place. As she took the broom and dustpan in the kitchen, she quickly cleaned the mess in the living room. Soon, she started cleaning the tables and threw all the waste in the kitchen. Within an hour, the place looked new once again and that is when Lucy was able to sigh contentedly.
"Well, this looks like a home again…" Lucy said as she stared at the clean living room. As she was able to scan the stairs, she began to wonder, "It's," Lucy then looked down to her wrist watch, "already 8:45 and no one is awake yet…"
With her curiosity, she walked towards the stairs and went up. As she strolls in the hallway, knowing that the first door is Natsu's bedroom, Lucy didn't hesitate to push open the door. And when she entered, she witnessed Natsu sprawled on the bed, with his chest against the sheets. Natsu was not wearing any shirt, as his usual habit when he sleeps, his boxers were hanging low on his hips, making his back dimples visible. And so when Lucy stood at the door frame, she was stunned by what she saw
"What the hell happened to this room?!" Lucy whispered shouted as she gawked at the mess of the room. Natsu's t-shirts were everywhere on the floor, his boxer short was hanging in one of the chairs, his scarf was placed on his table, and his pants were piled on the floor.
"The last time I clean this room, everything was in place. Now just within a week, everything is back to being a mess" Lucy commented madly as she stomped into the room and began to pick up the clothes, "Seriously Natsu, what are you going to do without me?" Lucy continuously ranted as she began to place all the dirty clothes in the laundry basket.
As Lucy continued to clean Natsu's room, the blonde barely noticed that someone has finally woken up. When Grandine slowly walked in the hallway, she suddenly noticed that Natsu's bedroom was open and she was sure she was hearing a female voice inside. So following her curiosity, Grandine walked silently and peeked inside.
As soon as Grandine leans to check the room, she was surprised to see a familiar blonde woman inside the room of her son. And when she noticed what she was doing she began to think to herself, "Oh my god, Lucy is really a wife material. Look at them, just now, Lucy is taking care of her soon husband, I can't contain this happiness anymore!"
"AHHHHHHH!" Grandine began to squeal in excitement, which surprised the blonde who quickly squealed as well while turning to look at the squealing woman. As Lucy face to face squealed with Grandine, soon, people came to rush in and Natsu quickly stood up from his bed in panic
"WHAT!? WHAT!? WHAT!?" Natsu shouted in panic as he turned looking around the place for any danger and when he found none, he quickly called the two women's attention, "MOM! LUCE!"
And with that, the two women shut their mouth and wide-eyed at each other. When Lucy and Grandine finally realized that they were ridiculous for shouting, the two began to laugh awkwardly and sheepishly smiled at one another
"What the heck was the shouting all for?!" Natsu asked his mother and best friend as he looked at them both
"Yeah, mom, what was all the shouting about?" Wendy asked sleepily as she rubbed her eyes
"Oh, I'm sorry. I was just expressing my excitement" Grandine said as she smiled shyly at her children then back to Lucy, who began to look confused
"Excitement? Dine, what are you talking about?" Igneel then asked his wife as he grasps her shoulder when he noticed that his children were confused as him
"Her," Grandine then pointed at Lucy who was surprised with the older woman, "Me? What did I do auntie Grandine?" Lucy asked defensively to the woman before she glanced at Natsu who raised a brow at her
"Nothing, I was just . . . excited" Grandine then smiled contentedly as she looked at her husband, then to her children and Lucy
"Mom, if your excited you don't have to scream at the top of your lungs in the morning." Natsu coldly scolded at his mother who just laughed sweetly at him, "And for you Luce, why the heck was you screaming too?"
Lucy was baffled as she pointed to herself, "I-I-I was scream because-because Auntie Grandine was screaming. I was simply surprised" Lucy defeated as she looked at Natsu who was scrutinizing the blonde
"You sure?" Natsu asked suspiciously
"Wha-Yes, it's true" Lucy sternly said as she placed her hands on her hips
"Then why are you holding my brief?" Natsu asked again curiously as he shortly glanced at the item Lucy was holding. When Lucy looked down at her hands, indeed, she was holding Natsu's brief and so she quickly threw the item at Natsu's face as she blushed furiously. And with that Natsu started to laugh out loud, making the others giggle as well as they noticed Lucy was turning red.
"Baka! I was cleaning your room!"
"Aww sweetie, it's fine…" Grandine said to the blonde who just gawked in stun, then Grandine looked up to her husband, "It all starts with that…holding your fiancé's brief. If I know, you've seen each other without clothes"
"Mom! / Auntie!" Natsu and Lucy shouted in unison at the blue-haired woman, as they blushed hearing the woman's comment
"Mom" Natsu then repeated as he firmly gazed at his mother as if to tell her not to say those embarrassing comment
"Oh, you two are so cute… Well, we better go. Come on, I'll make breakfast for everybody" And with that Grandine pushed Igneel and Wendy away from the door and headed down to the kitchen.
When the other Dragneels were out of sight, Lucy finally exhaled deeply as she shook her head in bewilderment. Hearing her sigh, Natsu glanced at his best friend and sheepishly grinned at her, "Hey, just don't mind what mom said…"
"Well, yeah. I mean there is no reason for me to take that seriously, right?" Lucy replied as she walked to the bed and dropped herself to it. As Lucy laid down on the bed, Natsu quickly drops himself next to the blonde, "So…" Natsu trailed off before looking sideways at the blonde
"Please…don't talk about your brief…" Lucy said embarrassed as she slowly closes her eyes as if to hide. With Lucy's comment, Natsu couldn't stop himself from laughing as he recalled that moment. As he turns to his side and drapes his arm to the waist of the blonde, Natsu quietly whispered in Lucy's ear, "Don't worry, I won't tell anybody about that…"
"Uh! Shut up!" Lucy then slapped the man's arm that was placed in her stomach, who began to laugh again. Natsu then tightens his grasp to the blonde when he calmed down from his laughter. He nuzzled his face into the crook of the neck of the woman, making his breath tickle her. Of course, with this position, Lucy couldn't help but blush because it was too intimate for them
"Na-Natsu…" Lucy called softly as she tried to check if he was awake. When Natsu hummed in response, Lucy softly tapped the man's arms, "h-hey, wake up…umm…you better let me go before your family sees us like this…"
"So what…" Natsu mumbled in her neck
"Natsu…just-"
"No" Natsu stubbornly disagrees, and instead he buried himself closer to the blonde who was now overly blushing, "I want to sleep"
"Well, you can sleep without me…" Lucy then tried to pry off the arms of the man but it wouldn't budge
"I can sleep better if I hug you…" And with that Natsu tightens his grasp making his hand slip under the shirt of the blonde, so technically he was holding the bare stomach of the blonde. Feeling his warm hands against her skin, Lucy was furiously red-face already. No matter how much she wanted to get out of their intimate position, she just couldn't slip out. And so, she just lied there in the bed with Natsu hugging her.
As few minutes flew by, Lucy decided to get Natsu's attention by telling him something about the fake engagement. "Hey, Natsu…" Natsu hummed once again, making Lucy continue herself, "I'm planning to tell them the truth"
"You what?" Natsu then lifts his head to look at the blonde, who then slowly looks back at him
"You heard me right…I'm going to tell them the truth already" Lucy then softly smiles at the man who suddenly perked in excitement
"Don't worry Luce, I'll watch your back and defend you" Natsu quickly pecks the lips of the blonde who was then stunned at the man's action. Soon enough, Lucy knuckles out the man in the head who flinched in pain, "What was that for?" Natsu asked as he held the bump in his head
"Why'd you kiss me?!" Lucy retortingly countered
"And why not?" Natsu asked puzzled, "I always do that…"
"Well not in the lips you idiot!" Lucy finally squirmed out of his grasp and stood away from the man, "You know, that was my first kiss!"
"Aww come on…that is not your first kiss" Natsu teased as he sat up in his bed
"Uh, Natsu… You know I never had a boyfriend. I never gave away my first kiss" Lucy then crosses her arms over her chest. After what Lucy said, Natsu suddenly tilted his head in wonder as he recalled a memory before. "So, when I kissed you back in college, on the beach while you were asleep…that was your first kiss?"
"You what?!" Lucy widens her eyes in anger before she attacked the man. Lucy straddled the man by his hips, as she pinches the man by his waist and arms. Natsu just laughed and flinched at the pinches that Lucy was doing.
As the two continued, they didn't notice that Wendy has gone upstairs to call them. So when Wendy came in to peek, the young bluenette girl was surprised to see Lucy on top of his brother who was laughing his heart out
"I'm so sorry to bother you!" Wendy exclaimed as she turned and slumped herself to the wall next to the door frame, "I-I was just t-told to call you both f-for breakfast…"
"Oi Wendy where are you?" Natsu called on to the young girl. Wendy contemplated first whether to peek again or not for she was called by her brother. But giving up to her good manners, she slowly leaned and peeked, with a hope that they were both sitting in the bed. But alas, Lucy was still sitting on her brother's hips, while her brother's hands were holding Lucy's hips.
"A-a-ano…gomen!" Wendy shyly bowed to Lucy and Natsu before she ran down the stairs. Looking at one another, the two just shrugs off the shyness of Wendy since the young girl has always been the shy type. And so, Lucy lifted herself of the man and walked over the man to jump out of the bed. When Lucy was standing, Natsu quickly followed the woman and stood next to her.
"Well, put on your shirt. It's breakfast time already" Lucy then handed a shirt to the man who gratefully took it, "Thanks, Luce…I don't know what I will do without you"
"Of course…I pity your future wife" Lucy said as she turns away from the man, and when she was near the door Natsu replied back with a mischief grin
"Technically, you're my fiancée, so you're like my future wife" Lucy then glares back at the man who just kept his grin to his face
"Shut up," Lucy said then she turned away and headed out
As the whole family gathered around the dining table, everybody happily chatted one another. There, Natsu discovered that his cousins left right after the party along with his neighbors. Then, the married couple mentioned that they would be staying in Magnolia for the meantime.
"So, where will you all stay? In my place?" Natsu asked before he shoves his spoonful of spicy omelet to his mouth
"Of course not baka, in our old home," Igneel replied back as Grandine nodded in agreement
"True, and besides we don't want to disturb your private moments together…" Grandine then eyed Lucy and Natsu, who both turned pink, "Oh, you two are so cute. You both still get all flustered when people make comments like that…"
"Well, what do you expect Mom?" Natsu annoyingly replied before he buried his face to his food
"Well, since you two are getting married, I expected that you two will be comfortable hearing such comments. But I guess, that is really what happens when you're both deeply in love, no matter how long you've been together."
Natsu and Lucy secretly then gulped as they felt nervousness for thinking where the conversation was leading to. And as they have expected, Grandine dropped the bomb, "Oh, by the way, I never knew that you two were dating…how long have you been together?"
The two then audibly gulped as they just stared at the curious older bluenette. And to make it worse, Igneel had to point out a fact, "Yeah, the last time you told me Natsu, you weren't dating anyone"
". . . Well," Natsu tried to cut off the silence as he looks at his father and mother, who were both waiting for an answer, "We-umm…we…"
"We kept our relationship secret" Lucy continued for Natsu when she noticed that the man was unable to come up with an excuse. Before anyone could ask again, Lucy quickly grasps the man's forearm and asked the married couple, "Do you mind, if we," Lucy then points to herself and Natsu back and forth, "could talk for a minute…"
"Uh, of course…take your time" Igneel replied suspiciously before looking at his wife who just shrugs off the idea.
And so Natsu and Lucy stood up and headed for the stairs to go to Natsu's bedroom. When the two was inside the room, Lucy quickly turned to look at Natsu, "Okay, we have to tell them now…"
"After what you said?" Natsu asked sarcastically, making Lucy awkwardly smile back at him
"I had no choice…because you were struggling and-and I assumed you were going to lie as well…"
"Okay…fine, so what is your plan" Natsu then stood up straight as he looked at the brown orbs of the woman in front of him
"Uhhh…straight forward I guess?" Lucy said somewhat asking back making Natsu sigh defeatedly
"Well, you're the best thinker between us two, so okay." Natsu then smiled at the woman before grasping her hand and pulled themselves out of the room.
When the two returned and slowly sat down at the dining again, Grandine suddenly looked up in excitement as she breaks a new news, "Guess what?!"
Natsu and Lucy looked at each other first before looking back at the older woman and Natsu replies back, "What?"
"Your grandma is coming to Magnolia by Monday!" Grandine exclaims in excitement
"Wo-woah…wait, do you mean…"
"Yes Natsu-nii, grandma Porlyusica said that she will come down to meet Lucy-nee and see the engagement ring" Wendy answered for her mother who just nodded in happiness
"Um…before anything else-" Lucy started but she was quickly cut off by the pinkette, "Can you excuse us, two…again?" Natsu asked as he looked at his parents, who was now all curious
"Um, okay…" Grandine just agreed and with her approval, Natsu quickly pulls Lucy to her feet and dashed to the bedroom again.
When the door was closed, Natsu abruptly looked at the stunned blonde and said, "No"
"..." Lucy was clueless as she listened to the man in front of her, "Okay, um…No is for what exactly?"
"No, we can't tell them the truth," Natsu said sternly with nervousness in his body
"And why not? It's better to tell them now before your grandma even comes." Lucy reasoned as she looked at the man in worry
"Exactly," Natsu widens his eyes as he tries to emphasize his point, "We can't. Grandma hates humans"
"Wait what? She's human, right…so? She hates herself?" Lucy asked confused making Natsu groan in annoyance
"No...uh! how do I explain this…" Lucy just then stares at the stressed out man but then he looks up and began to explain, "Okay, grandma Porlyusica is not fond of other people. So, coming here in Magnolia is very stressful and annoying for her. So, deciding to come here, is like worth having a party. Now, telling them that this is a fraud would make grandma want to kill us. As in literally…"
Lucy unconsciously gulps in nervousness as she listens to the man who was visibly trembling in nervousness, "O-o-okay…maybe not kill us? I-I-I think th-that's too exaggerated…" Lucy laughed nervously but it quickly died down when Natsu shook his head, "How I wish…I've seen grandma get mad and shit, it's scary"
"O-o-okay, we won't tell! I'm-I'm easy to talk too" Lucy nodded before walking past the man and headed down the stairs.
Soon, the two was back at the dining and everybody's attention was on them. When Natsu and Lucy were settled down, Grandine quickly asked what happened, "Okay, so what happened to you two?"
"Nothing…just um, some clarifying to do," Natsu said before he began to eat is cold food
"Hmm, okay…So Lucy, what were you about to say awhile ago?" Igneel asked as he leaned against his chair and watched the blonde stiffen
"Oh, uh…nothing. I just, I just um, wanted to thank you…all for accepting me" Lucy then smiled as to cover up her nervousness and with Wendy's comment, the blonde began to relax, "Of course Lucy-nee! You have been my older sister I never had. We will always feel grateful for you being part of our family"
"Thanks, Wendy…" Lucy then smiles genuinely at the young girl but it soon faded when Grandine began to ask again, "So, how long have you two been? You still haven't answered my question…"
And with that Natsu and Lucy looked at one another with fear in their gaze. When the two synchronized looked back at the blue-haired woman, the two awkwardly laughed first before the both answered
"Four years (Five years)," Lucy and Natsu said at the same time but when they realized that they said two different answers, they tried to fix the problem, "Five years (Four years)"
"Something between, four or five years…so long ago, I barely remember…" Lucy says as she adds to their false story they were telling. With their unalike replies, Grandine, Wendy, and Igneel gazed at the two with curiosity.
With the look they were getting, Lucy and Natsu knew that they were in great trouble in making up this fake relationship. And so, the two coordinatingly gulped in nervousness as they waited for another question.
To be continued…
