A/N: Yo! Hope you're all safe and well! I was up in the mountains recently, in a nice secluded cabin and it was such a much needed mental break from everything, but of course my brain couldn't help but think of OTP situations and here we are. Just a little something soft, fun, and sappy 'cause my soul needs it right now.
Hope you all have a safe and happy Christmas, and any other holiday you may celebrate, enjoy! (＾ω＾)
"Luce! Have you seen my blue jacket around anywhere?"
"Which one?" Lucy poked her head into their bedroom.
Natsu paused from rummaging through the closet, turning to her and running a hand through his messy hair. "Y'know, the thick dark blue one with the hood and cool pockets? I was gonna take it up there, but I can't find it," he sighed.
"Hmm, sorry, I haven't seen it lately," Lucy said, sitting on the edge of the bed.
"Maybe I left it at dad's the last time we were there?"
"Natsu," Lucy laughed, shaking her head, "you have tons of other hoodies and jackets to take with you."
"Yeah… but not as cool as that one," he pouted dramatically.
Lucy rolled her eyes, grinning. "C'mon, you goof, I'm almost done packing up the kitchen and bathroom stuff," she said, standing and pressing a kiss to his pout.
"Alright, alright," he sighed, "I'll pack a couple extra hoodies since you're probably gonna take them anyway," Natsu smirked.
"Hey, I'm not gonna deny it, because that'll probably happen. Not my fault your hoodies are so soft," Lucy laughed brightly, and Natsu couldn't help but pull her close and kiss her smile.
They eventually finished packing and set off in Natsu's Jeep.
He'd found his "cool" jacket after all. In the hallway closet he could've sworn he already checked.
It was Christmas eve morning and they were heading up to the small quaint A-frame cabin Natsu's parents owned up in the local mountains. Peaceful and secluded, with very few neighbors around.
Natsu loved it out there ever since he was a kid and he and his younger sister, Wendy, would go up with their parents in the summers.
Though, it was especially beautiful in the winter. With the snow, warmth of the fireplace, with the sound of the strong mountain air swirling through the thick trees around them at night.
He hadn't had a chance to go this year yet, dealing with a crazy pandemic and all and having to navigate their new work routines. But the thought of being able to take a break from being in quarantine in their apartment for what seemed like forever, escape the crowded city, and the apocalyptic mayhem of people hoarding toilet paper and everything else at every local store, just for a while, definitely felt needed right now.
Lucy had been able to do most of her work from home for her research, only needing to go into the astronomy lab at the university when she needed certain materials.
Natsu's company had also set him up with the things he needed to work from home. Despite all the uncertainty with everything going on, he was grateful things were still busy in the software engineering world, with all the upcoming games they were working on.
With all that, they hadn't really left the apartment much. Aside from grocery trips, take out, or volunteering at their local kitten rescue on occasion. Not as much as they used to right now, but they still wanted to help out as much as they could. They always had a soft spot for animals after all. Especially cats.
Not having to commute everyday was a plus, but the ongoing days blurring into each other, and still heavy workloads still got to them, along with the stress of the looming virus. They were just eager to take a break for a bit and the cabin sounded like the perfect place.
Both Lucy and Natsu's parents had decided to spend Christmas at home. Their parents were older and the couple didn't want to take any chances for them. Especially with Layla getting sick on and off during the year and Igneel's back issues flaring up again. Natsu's dad still worked too hard on his projects around the house, insisting he never needed any help.
Natsu had gone to drop off their gifts and some of their friend's gifts yesterday, his mom insistent on giving him too many containers of food and sweets. Not that he was complaining much really, his mom's cooking was always amazing and he couldn't wait to dig into the cinnamon tarts she always made for the holidays.
Three hours and a couple of off tune playlist singalongs later, Natsu slowed, pulling into the icy dirt driveway, crunch of snow underneath the tires, finally arriving at the cabin.
"And we're here!" Natsu gave Lucy a bright grin, shutting off the engine and stepping out of the car. He groaned a bit as he stretched his stiff back from the drive. "I can grab the bigger bags, Luce. Lemme just get the door open."
Natsu pulled his jacket tighter around him as he made his way to the front door. He took a moment to admire the fresh sheets of snow that lined the ground, dusted the trees, and the roof of the cozy cabin.
He breathed in the crisp air, the bright sun giving a hint of warmth as Natsu unlocked the door, flicking on some lights, smiling softly at the familiar sight.
Despite the amount of work done on the cabin over the years, it would always feel like his home away from home. Even more so since Lucy started coming up here with him.
She had instantly loved it when Natsu had brought her up here for the first time after they'd been dating for a while a few years ago. It already held some fond memories for them and he loved when just the two of them could escape up here for a while.
Natsu quickly went back to the car to help Lucy bring in the rest of their stuff, then reached for the crate that was tucked in the backseat.
"Alright guys, ready to start our stay-cation?" Natsu grinned, finger scratching one of the small kitten's heads through the gate.
They gave soft meows in reply.
The new foster kittens, Happy and Luna as Natsu and Lucy couldn't help but name them, had needed a lot of special care when they were brought into the rescue almost two months ago now, only a few hours old when they were found. After several weeks, they were doing much better but still needed to be monitored a bit until they found a permanent home and Natsu jumped at the chance to foster them.
Lucy couldn't help fall for them right away either when Natsu had first told her about them, and the radiant smile she gave him when he came home with them two weeks ago made it all worth it.
It always made his day when the cats and kittens were able to find a new temporary or forever home so he loved that they were able to help this time.
Natsu got them set up with some of their special food and plush bed and blanket after he got the fireplace going to warm up the house.
He walked over to where Lucy was in the kitchen, wrapping his arms around her waist, pressing a kiss to her neck before nuzzling her hair.
"Mm, those sandwiches look good… but not as amazing as you."
Lucy laughed, leaning back into him. "It's been a while since one of your cheesy lines, I was getting worried," Lucy teased.
"Ah, you're right, I've been slacking," Natsu laughed into her hair, "I'll make it up to you, don't worry.
"I'm sure you will," she giggled. Lucy turned in his arms, palms smoothing the material of his dark flannel shirt over his chest. "But I knew you were probably getting hungry soon so figured I'd make us a little something now that we're settled."
Right on cue, a loud rumble sounded from Natsu's stomach, making them share another laugh.
Natsu wound his arms around Lucy's waist, warm full curves under his palms. "As always, ya know me so well."
"Mm, I'd like to think so," Lucy smiled, amber eyes bright and full of soft affection as her arms slid up around his neck. Natsu hummed in content when her fingers sifted through his hair, nails softly scoring his scalp at the back of his neck.
"I love you," Natsu said softly, leaning to rest his forehead against hers.
Lucy's smile was bright and warm, soft palms cupping his face as her thumbs brushed over his cheekbones.
"I love you too," Lucy whispered back, closing the distance and capturing his lips with hers.
Natsu sighed into her. The kiss slow and sweet.
His heart swelled for the amazing woman in his arms. Kind, smart, funny, gorgeous, and so much more.
They became quick friends ever since Lucy helped him pick up his things after tripping on an icy patch of cement on his way to the library one day where they met in college. He offered to buy her some warm coffee as a thank you at a nearby shop and they became quick friends and regulars were they would meet for study sessions and Natsu couldn't help but fall. Now, they got to share their life together and it was more than he could ever ask for and she would always hold his whole heart.
They stepped out onto the small back deck after lunch, admiring more of the tall looming trees and plush snow that crunched under their feet.
Lucy sighed happily, leaning against the railing. "I always love it out here."
"Mm, me too. Maybe we should just move up here," Natsu grinned, moving to brush off the snow from the BBQ in the corner and small table and chairs.
Lucy laughed, turning back to him, looking beautiful among the sun and sparkling snow. "That sounds amazing right now actually. Escape all the craziness for a few months."
"It really does, I could get some internet set up so we could work from up here," Natsu said, still grinning brightly.
"Sounds very tempting, but let's just enjoy this break first," Lucy said warmly, "just you, me, and the kitties." Lucy pulled him close for a hug and kiss to his jaw.
Natsu's expression softened, holding her tight. "Sounds perfect," he whispered between them, pressing a warm kiss to her temple.
As long as he was with her, anything was perfect.
It soon got dark and the rest of the night was spent eating too much food, playful kisses as he tried to help Lucy bake some cookies, and cuddling with the kittens in front of the fire as they watched cheesy holiday movies on the old DVD player in the living room until he felt Lucy's even breathing.
Natsu shut off the TV, gathered Lucy in his arms, and moved to head upstairs to the main bedroom, making a soft sound for the kittens to follow. They gave eager mews, stumbling a bit up the couple of stairs to the room.
Natsu chuckled softly as they scrambled to claw up onto the bed, and up onto the ledge of the large window beside it.
They stood out against the dark night through the window. Happy was a gray and silver-ish tabby with some white on his paws and tail. Luna was mostly white, with some gold on her face, the top of her head, and along her back. Both energetic and curious and irresistibly adorable.
He got Lucy settled on the bed, tucking some blankets over her with a soft kiss to her cheek before tugging off his jeans for some softer pants and shirt, brushing his teeth, and flicking off the lamp by the bed. Glad Lucy had already changed so she was comfortable, not having the heart to wake her up after the long day.
Natsu settled under the covers. Lucy immediately reached for him, resting her head against his chest, arm around his waist. The warmth of her against him soothed his mind, her even breaths tickling the skin of his neck as he breathed a deep sigh of content.
He felt the kitties jump back down onto the bed between their tangle of legs, kneading the fabric of the comforter before settling against each other and purring, making Natsu smile softly. He tugged a smaller thin blanket over them in case they got cold and let sleep pull him peacefully under.
The next morning, Natsu slowly woke to the warmth that surrounded him and a soft kiss on his forehead. He blinked awake and found Lucy already awake and giving him a warm smile that still did funny things to his heart, her fingers pushing back his probably messy hair from his face and curling some around his ear. It was getting long but he figured he might as well let it grow out.
He sighed and leaned into her palm as she caressed his cheek. "Merry Christmas, handsome," she grinned.
Natsu gave a wide smile back, pulling her closer against him. "Mm, merry Christmas to you too, love," he rasped warmly, leaning in and giving her a sleepy lingering kiss.
He pulled back, pushing back some of her own soft gold locks behind her ear. "How'd you sleep?"
"Pretty well, you?" Her fingers brushed across the stubble along Natsu's jaw.
He hummed in agreement. "Hungry?"
Eager meows answered for them from the window ledge, making them laugh.
"Alright, alright," Natsu groaned as he stretched and rolled onto his back.
Happy jumped down, moving to sit on Natsu's chest and mrowling expectantly. Luna had already made her way over to Lucy, kneading on the blankets over Lucy's thigh as she pressed her head into Lucy's palm for pets. Lucy's soft laugh made his heart swell with affection.
Natsu scratched behind Happy's ears. "As much as I would like to stay in bed all day, you gonna get off me so we can get up?"
Natsu breathed a chuckle when Happy just chirped in reply.
They eventually made it downstairs, settling in the living room after making some breakfast and giving the kitties a special treat of wet food and treats.
Natsu sat on the rug in front of the couch by the fireplace, laughing brightly as he played with the kitties with the new toys they got for them.
"Luce, I love them… I think we should keep them."
He looked up, catching a wide knowing smile on Lucy's face. "You know, I was actually thinking the same thing recently," she said, "but they're getting bigger and I just worry that our apartment would be too small for them. There's barely enough room for us, but I… I really don't want them to leave." Her expression shifted, voice getting a little softer as her fingers picked at the threads of the blanket over her lap.
Natsu bit his lip. He had wanted to surprise her later after dinner with some wine maybe, but now could be a good time as any.
He moved to sit beside her on the couch, taking her hand in his with a soft squeeze.
"Well, y'know that house we loved… that we put a bid on the other week?" he said, hoping his nerves didn't show in his voice too much.
"Yeah…"
"I was trying not to get my hopes up but they, uh, they called me the other day… and we got the house."
Lucy held his gaze for a few quiet moments, amber eyes wide and hopeful, grip tight on his hand. The pops and crackle from the fireplace the only sound in the room.
"R-Really?" she breathed.
Natsu grinned brightly, thumb brushing over the back of her hand. "Really."
Her eyes glossed over a bit as she breathed a shaky laugh, then threw herself into his arms.
"Oh, Natsu! That's amazing!" she cheered, hugging him tightly.
Natsu held her just as tightly, grinning so wide his cheeks already felt sore but it was all worth it. He brushed away the few happy tears from Lucy's skin when she pulled back a bit.
"It really is, Luce. I can't wait."
Lucy sighed happily, holding his face in her palms as she gave him a quick sweet kiss. "I can't wait either," she whispered against his lips. "You just could have told me sooner!" Lucy laughed, pushing his chest playfully.
Natsu smirked. "I could've, but what kind of Christmas present would that have been." Lucy rolled her eyes.
"Of course," she grinned, looking over to see Happy and Luna had found an empty box to explore, expression softening, "they're gonna love it over there too."
"Oh, they totally are. I can already see all the trouble they're gonna get into." They shared a warm laugh.
"You know how much I love this house, but I think it would be nice to keep it as our little escape for a while longer… we're finally going to have a home of our own."
The light and joy in Lucy's eyes was infectious. He loved seeing her so happy and he would always do everything he could to make sure she always would be.
"We are," Natsu smiled softly, "it's always cool knowing we have a space like this to escape to. We can bring the kids up here with us one day and…" His eyes widened. "I-I, uh, I mean if that's s-something you still want? I know, um, know that we haven't talked about it in a while but if it's not, that's totally fine and I don't wanna pressure you or anything I-"
"Natsu." Lucy paused his rambling with a reassuring smile, and palm caressing his cheek. "I do still want that with you… always."
Warmth spread through his chest, her touch and words soothing his nerves. Natsu took a steadying breath, wrapping an arm around Lucy and bringing her flush against him with her legs across his lap.
"You're my forever too," he whispered before capturing her lips in a deep kiss that he hoped poured every ounce of love and everything else he held his heart for her that he couldn't put words to.
Lucy breathed a soft sound into him, palms sliding up his chest and threading her fingers into his hair to pull herself closer and deepen the kiss.
Here, in one of their favorite places, snow lightly falling outside, the kittens purring in their bed by the fireplace, with the love of his life in his arms, the thought of building their future together, his heart felt so full with happiness, it could burst.
Now, he just had to plan out what he wanted to say when he gave her the bigger surprise that was hiding in his bag for New Years while they were up here.
He hoped with all his heart that she would say yes.