Hello all! Here is the newest installment of My Fake Fiancee! Thank you for all the favorites, follows and reviews. I'm glad so many of you like this story; I even got my first reblog on Tumblr (thanks piglets14)!
I hope you enjoy this (it's longer than the other chapters) and even better news... I ordered a new laptop and it will be in on Friday! So next month prepare for new MFF chapters as well as My Rockin New Life! Don't worry thats not over!
Anyways, enjoy and as always please review, I reply to them all. Thank!s!
So much for quiet, Natsu and Lucy thought simultaneously. Natsu couldn't help but let out an angry grunt as his mother squeezed him tighter. Natsu looked passed his mother and father, who were still engulfing him in a hug, to stare at his so-called fiancée. He gave her a look and she looked back with the same thought… oh Mavis.
"Hey, dad…" Jude released a hold of his daughter to look at her. "What happened to keep it quiet?" she asked her father.
Jude sighed, "I'm sorry I went against your wishes, Lucy. It's just that… these last few years have been so difficult that getting any kind of good news was worth celebrating." Lucy's shoulders couldn't help but slump a bit. She knows it's been tough for both of them; once her mother died, things kinda fell apart.
Her father poured himself into work, which drained his physical energy and almost completely zapped his mental energy. He would be absent on various business trips to keep the thoughts of sadness out of his mind and to distract him of the reality he would return to a broken home. Lucy couldn't handle the fact she 'lost' both her parents at once, so she decided to leave Magnolia.
Lucy went abroad for college and decided to remain in the city afterwards. She had established some kind of life there all the while her father was slowly losing his back in Magnolia. She returned suddenly one night when Mrs. Spetzo had found him collapsed in his office. Panicked, they rushed him to the hospital only to find out he was simply overworked. Jude claimed the doctor made a bigger deal of it all than necessary but Lucy didn't buy it. She could see he had lost some muscle mass, he had difficulty moving around, he was starting to forget things and he always appeared tired.
Part of her regretted being away for so long and for lying to him but… the way he looked at her now, she finally saw a happy smile.
"It's also partially my fault dear," Mrs. Spetzo commented. "You're father told me and we were both so excited for you and Natsu so we called Grandine and shared the news."
"We couldn't be happier for the two of you!" Grandine replied as she took both Natsu and Lucy into her arms for a group hug. Jude, Wendy, Igneel and Mrs. Spetzo took the opportunity to join in on the group hug; after all, they would all be family soon right? Natsu couldn't help but roll his eyes, sometimes he couldn't handle his mother's over emotional actions. "Okay, but you kept it in the family, right?" he asked.
There was a big pause before the group slowly released their hold on the couple. "Well…" Igneel began.
"Well what?" Lucy softly asked, dreading the answer to follow.
"Well… as you know we host the annual festival barbecue at our house tomorrow night to kick the celebration off…" Igneel began.
"Yeah… and?" Natsu asked inquisitively.
"And we told the town we had some exciting news to share!" Grandine finished.
"Mom!" Natsu yelled and Lucy hid her face.
"What?! Like Jude said, we have cause to celebrate!" Grandine said as she walked away from the group towards the exit. "Besides, I've told a few people myself!" Grandine added right before she left the room. Igneel patted his son on the shoulder and chuckled before following behind his wife with Jude and Mrs. Sptezo close behind. As the adults walked around the corner, Natsu and Lucy let their shoulders fall forward and they outwardly sighed. Worried, Lucy looked over to Natsu but was surprised to see a simple grin on his face as he looked back at her with soft eyes.
Natsu opened his mouth to speak but before he could, his younger sister, Wendy, ran up to him and encircled him in a hug. "I missed you!"
Natsu chuckled and returned the hug, "I missed you too, Wendy." Wendy released her brother and turned to hug Lucy, who was equally shocked and pleased. "It's good to see you, Wendy."
"Kids, let's go!" Grandine called from afar.
"Coming!" Wendy shouted as she skipped off. "Well…" Lucy looked up at Natsu who was fully smiling now. "Shall we?" he asked as he held out his hand to her. Expressionless, she reached out and took a hold of his hand. As they walked off, Lucy wasn't sure whether to feel nervous for what this week held or secure knowing Natsu was here with her.
…
The car ride was relatively short but extremely awkward. Lucy mostly remained quiet in the back seat with Natsu as they rode in the car to the Dragneel house. She just watched as her dad happily told her of how he had been bragging to his poker buddies about how his daughter was getting married and to the mayor's son. She was so amazed at how overflowing with pride he was of her; she had never seen him like that before… well except when her brother got married but she was never really sure if he was ever proud of her. The joy of the moment faded when she thought about how all this was based on a lie… there goes the pride.
As they began driving through town, Lucy looked out the window to see how her little hometown had changed since she had been gone. Magnolia still had the small town vibe, which she always loved. Most of the buildings were the same with name changes or a different shade of paint. She watched as the store fronts passed them by and people walked down the street; when they saw the car and recognized them, they waved enthusiastically. Just how many people in this town heard about her and Natsu?
She took comfort in seeing the Dragneel house hadn't changed from her childhood. The beautiful two-story Victorian house stood out among the green trees surrounding it. The car turned onto the long, gravel driveway that wound back behind the residence to the garage. Lucy caught a glimpse of the full 20 acre property right before they parked the car in the garage.
Natsu and Lucy got out of the car along with the rest of their families. "Are we staying here?" Lucy asked Natsu in a whispered tone.
He shrugged, "I was planning on it but seeing as how things changed…" He rubbed the back of his head. "My dad doesn't have room at his new place." Lucy added.
"Well, where were you gonna stay?"
"I was thinking of staying with my brother."
Igneel couldn't help but overhear the couple's discussion and asked, "What's up, Natsu?" Wide eyed, Natsu looked at his mother and father.
"Well, I was planning on staying in my old room but we understand if you don't want Lucy and I to stay together in the same room." Lucy smiled in agreement, good thinking, Natsu! Grandine and Igneel chuckled, catching Natsu and Lucy off guard. The two looked at each other just to make sure they weren't crazy in what they said.
"Don't be silly, Natsu, you both are adults so we don't expect you to stay in different rooms." Natsu and Lucy gulped. "Well… surely Jude would prefer it if we stayed in separate rooms," Natsu almost pleaded.
"It's fine, Natsu. I trust you with my daughter." Great… there goes that.
"You both can stay in Natsu's old room." Grandine smiled.
"Mom…" Natsu groaned as he gave her a look.
"What? It's not like she has never seen it."
Natsu walked over to his mom to speak to her in a hushed tone, "I can't stay in my childhood bedroom with Lucy… that's weird. What about the guest room?"
Igneel leaned forward to interject, "Your cousin is staying there with his girlfriend." Natsu sighed in annoyance, there had to be some solution?! Igneel smirked at his son; he placed his arm around his son's shoulder's and drew him in close, "I get it." Natsu looked at him confused. "You just want to have your privacy." Igneel followed the statement with a wink.
Natsu immediately blushed, "DAD!"
"Well if it's privacy you seek, the two of you can stay at the office." Jude offered.
"Office?" Natsu asked. Lucy placed her hand on Natsu's arms as a way to take control of the situation. "That would be lovely, Daddy. Thank you." Jude handed Lucy the spare key happily. Lucy began nudging Natsu to get him to grab their luggage. "Well, Natsu and I are going to go to the office and unpack."
"Just make sure you're back by 6! We have dinner planned!" Grandine called to them as Natsu and Lucy began walking away.
…
"So why are we staying in an office?" Natsu asked as the two were walking through town.
"When my dad started to get sick, he couldn't spend as much time working so the business ended up going belly up. He sold the house and got a small two bedroom house just big enough for him and his caretaker. He needed a place to store everything and somewhere to try to work so he got the office." Natsu gave her a look like 'you never answered my question.' "It's not an office space, it's a studio apartment he got for cheap. It's got a kitchenette, a bathroom and enough space for a bed." Lucy finished just as they walked up to the entrance. "Plus, it's private and not far from your parents' house."
The keys jingled as Lucy slid them into the lock and turned the mechanism. With a small pop, the door opened and the two went inside. It was pretty much how Lucy described except most of the apartment was filled with boxes. Luckily for them, Mrs. Spetzo took a regular effort to clean and organize the space.
Natsu set their bags down near the table set up in the kitchen area of the room while Lucy walked over and threw herself down onto the futon that acted as a couch. "I'm sorry about all this," Lucy apologized.
"For what?"
Lucy sighed and sat up, "This. My dad, your family, the over excitement of our engagement, having to deal with the whole town…"
"I don't thing their reaction is all that overdone."
Lucy glared at Natsu, "What are you talking about?"
"I'm saying I think this behavior would be normal when hearing your child is engaged."
"But it's not real?!" Lucy threw her hands out in frustration. Natsu strode over to Lucy, "I know but they think it is so right now, that's our new normal, well… for this week anyway." He sat down beside her and watched as she furiously gripped her hair in her fists.
"Luce," he stated as he gently undid her tight grip on her head, "It's fine, don't worry about it."
"Don't worry about it?! We are lying to our families."
"Yes, but honestly I'd rather lie and play fiancé than deal with the disappointing truth of how I'm a failure to them."
"You're not a failure, Natsu." She spoke softly.
"Well I may not be a failure but I am a loser. Sucky job, horrible living arrangements, no friends…"
"Then, I'm a loser too. I mean what kind of person brings their married boyfriend home to meet her dad…" Natsu and Lucy chuckled.
"Then us losers better stick together." Lucy and Natsu smiled at one another; a small moment of peace before the chaos ensued.
…
Natsu and Lucy awkwardly sat next to one another in silence at the table as their families shared stories back and forth of the two when they were younger. Somehow marrying a childhood friend seemed more embarrassing since their parents would know everything and that means EVERYTHING about you.
"Who knew that all those games of house when you were younger would lead to you having a home together," Grandine fondly stated.
"Pretty sure that had no bearing in our engagement," Natsu muttered as he played with the peas on his plate. Considering it's a sham.
"I think what my wife is getting at is you always felt at home here as part of our family and now we are so happy to make it real," Igneel clarified.
"Thank you for always making me feel welcome," Lucy responded. She was genuinely touched; she had always loved the Dragneels and honestly spent more time at their house than her own growing up. She was there so much Lucy practically lived in their guest room. So many times in her life, she had wanted to be a part of their family because she missed that feeling… of belonging to a family.
"We can't wait to see our family grow!" Jude added. Content with her addition to the conversation, Lucy took a bite of her food. Natsu had been trying to stay out of everything but stuffing his face with food and drink.
"So when can we expect our first grandchild?" Grandine jeered. Natsu spit out the water he was drinking while Lucy began coughing on the food she was trying not to choke on. "Don't you think it's a little early to be thinking of something like that?" Natsu added.
"Irene is already a grandmother and Erza and Jellal aren't much older than you two."
"Yes but they were married two years before they had a kid," Lucy reasoned.
"But you are young and in love, I'm sure it won't take long," Grandine winked.
"If they haven't started already," Jude tacked on. Both Natsu and Lucy blushed madly but this time Lucy yelled at her father. Wendy and Igneel chuckled with one another as Jude and Grandine continued to embarrass their children.
"Can we talk about something else, please?!" Natsu pleaded.
"Where is your ring, Lucy?" Wendy asked. The room seemed to go silent and while Natsu and Lucy could hear their hearts beating out of their chests. With wide eyes and sweating profusely, Natsu answered, "Ummm… we were saving up to buy a real ring for her since she deserves the absolute best and that's what I want to give her." Everyone's heart seemed to melt at the heartfelt answer, bringing some relief to the couple.
"So were you thinking of moving back here to start your family or were you going to move in together in the city?" Grandine began.
I can't take much more of this, Lucy thought. Lucy pushed back her chair from the table to excuse herself but whispered, "Natsu, I need to talk to you." Lucy got up quietly and left with the pinkette following close behind.
Once they reached the living room, Lucy turned quickly and glared at Natsu. "What the heck is wrong with your mother?!"
"My mother, what about your dad?! With that comment, they are bound to think this is some kind of shotgun wedding!"
"Like I'd ever have your child!"
"Like I'd ever want you to have my child!"
"Any guy would be lucky to be with me!"
"Look at me, I'm Lucy, I'm weird and I can get any guy I want, but only if he's married!" Lucy gasped in shock but quickly retaliated. "I'm Natsu, I'm a 27 year old dead beat who can't commit to anything, especially a relationship."
"I can to!"
"Prove it!" Lucy yelled but the two stopped when they sensed they were no longer alone. They slowly turned their heads to see Grandine, Igneel and Jude standing in the doorway. "Umm… Lucy?" Grandine began, "Will you help Wendy and I in the kitchen for a moment?"
"Yeah, sure." Anything to get away from this conversation. Lucy walked past Natsu and through the two fathers to follow Grandine into the other room. Natsu walked into the living room and plopped down on the couch next to the window.
Knowing, he had to wait for Lucy before they could go back to the apartment, Natsu decided to kill time by playing on his phone. He flipped through the messages he had from his high school friends; they were all so excited to see one another and gush about their lives. Natsu was too enthralled by his phone to notice Jude wheel up to him.
"Natsu…" the pinkette looked up and was confused to notice Jude sitting there.
"Uh, yes sir?"
"I know I haven't always been the best father to Lucy…" Natsu opened his mouth to reassure Jude but he continued, "No, arguing, I wasn't the best and I am living with that mistake now. But in my carelessness, you were always there to watch over her and take care of her and for that I am eternally grateful." Natsu's shoulders fell slightly. In a very distant past, Natsu remembered Jude was a wise and gentle man but he hadn't seen that side of him in years.
"It was my pleasure," Natsu softly spoke.
"For that reason, there is no doubt in my mind that Lucy will be okay once I'm gone… because she'll have you." His chest began to tighten. He'd never heard such words from Jude before; even at their graduation all he received from the man was a silent handshake.
"I see the way the two of you look at one another and she seems most comfortable and happy when she is around you. I am so proud of the woman she has become and I am honored to have you as my son-in-law." Natsu watched as Jude reached in his pants pocket and pulled out a small, black box.
"Don't worry about saving up for a ring." Jude stated as he hadn't Natsu the box. Slowly and carefully, he opened the lid to see a gorgeous diamond ring with cut out stars in the band. "Is this…" he began to question but Jude simply nodded.
"This was Layla's… Lucy always loved this ring, she would say the diamond glimmered as brightly as a real star." As Jude spoke, Natsu stared into the ring allowing memories of Layla to flood his mind. "I proposed to her with this ring when we were about the same age as you and Lucy. She came from a well off family and I was on my own so I didn't have much… but together we built a life and a home. I hope the two of you can do the same."
Natsu looked back up at the man and met his gaze. "Just promise me you will take care of her for the rest of your life… then I can rest easy." Switching his focal point between Jude's eyes, he swallowed deeply and clenched the box in his hand. "I promise."
…
The walk back was silent, fueled by a multitude of emotions from the course of the trip so far. Natsu couldn't help but clench the box in his pocket and stare down at this feet as he walked. The box, probably weighing a bit more than a pound, held a huge weight in his hand. This due not just because of the promise behind it but also because of the promise he made.
He stole a glance at the blonde as they strode through the night. Her hair gleamed in the lights of the street lamps they passed beneath but what struck him was the light in her eyes. No matter what Lucy faced, she came out on top and while she was facing it, she had such a fire a drive to get through. She used to tell him a star burned brightest as it fell and boy did she sure shine in this moment.
The two remained silent as Lucy stopped to open the apartment door and then as they walked inside. The two climbed the steps until they reached their destination and walked in; however, they were not alone. Lucy stopped when she saw her brother sitting on the futon. At first she was surprised to see him but then worry set in when she saw how angry he was.
"Hey, Sting… good to see you." Natsu spoke. Sting stood, his fists balled, his eyes piercing and his shoulders flexed… he did not look happy. Lucy was confused because Sting loved Natsu; he always looked up to him as a role model and even tried to one up him at times. But now was not the admiring gaze he usually wore with Natsu, to Lucy it seemed he was almost pissed at him.
"You slept with my sister?!"
