Natsu and I's rendezvous continued in the weeks that followed. Each more secretive and deadly than the last. While most of our meetings happened at night, we would change the time of our meetings often in order to prevent a pattern being formed.
I'm not going to lie, it was a dream. Waking up in his arms, was a pleasure i never let myself think about before, but now it was my reality, it was getting harder and harder knowing that this wasn't for forever. And the eyes that I'll wake up to in a few short weeks, will not be his.
"Hey, what's wrong?" Natsu yawned, stretching his body like a cat.
"No, nothing's wrong" I lied, suddenly finding the pattern of the quilt far more interesting than his face.
"Luce, I know you better than that. You can tell me" he said, intertwining our fingers and kissing the top of our clasped hands to reassure me.
After a few silent moments I said "I-I, its just so hard, I don't want this to end, but I know it has to one day, and I just really don't want that" tears exploded fiercely down my face, making my cheeks red, "I just love you so, so much, I don't ever want to loose you."
His hand found my cheek and wiped away a tear. "Lucy, look at me. We'll work it out ok. We'll find a way, even if i have to steal ya away in the night like a dragon" A small smile from me. "So don't ya worry about it. Your mine. And now I'm not going to let ya go"
Heat bloomed in my chest at his words and I found myself leaning in and kissing him. The kiss was slow, and purposeful and claiming. Our tongues meeting in the middle. I grabbed hold of his shirt and pulled him on top of me as I laid down. Without so much of a hesitation, he moved with me, one hand perched by my head, the other still on my face. That hand moved down my body, hitching up my night dress until he rested it on my hip. His hand was cool on my skin and I began to ache between my legs when-
"Princess Lucy, get out of - oh my. Oh get off of her boy, you've had plenty of that all night".
"Aquarius, I-I, please don't tell anyone" I pleaded pushing Natsu off of me. Aquarius gave me a judgemental look, before sighing,
"Surprisingly I don't want your head on pike, but I will, if you don't get yourself cleaned up and dressed. You have your second fitting." Dread coiled in my gut and nausea riled up my throat, as Aquarius turned on a heel and walked out.
"I am so sorry Princess, I must of made a mistake with the measurements last time, the dress is a bit too snug around your middle."
"Nonsense. You've made no such mistake. Our princess here has been spending far too much time distracted on other things than on her health recently." Aquarius chided giving me a knowing glare. I swallowed a lump in my throat and looked down at the ill-fitting dress. It was a cacophony of lace and satin, with huge puffy sleeves that were like clouds that met a tight decorative bodice, that was somehow too tight to tie at the back. The skirt reminded me of a dining table, and only because it was big enough in circumference to sit a family of six. It was split into three separate panels; the outside panels were a plain white satin, while the middle panel was decorated flamboyantly in lace and jewels.
Most girls would dream of a dress like this on their wedding day, me on the other hand despised it and what it meant for my future. Under the extravagant fabrics was an invisible manacle that will be chained to a stranger the moment I say I do. I might as well go up the aisle in prison rags.
"I'm probably just bloated after my breakfast this morning, I'm sure it will fit on the day." I sighed, giving the seamstress a small smile. She gave me an unsure smile back, and biting her lip went behind me.
"If I add an extra panel here," she addressed to Aquarius, pointing to the back to the bodice, "the dress should fit no problem if such issues arise on the day." Aquarius nodded in agreement and that seemed to be enough to appease her.
"Ok, lets get you out of this dress before you rip it" I stuck my tongue out at Aquarius and the seamstress tried to hide a laugh.
As I stepped out of the gown, I was struck again with a sudden rise of nausea. It coiled around my throat and I had to place a hand on my mouth to stop from throwing up. The dress is so awful I was going to empty my stomach because of it, or the stress for the wedding was most likely causing it. I swallowed it back and regained by composure but Aquarius noticed everything. She eyed me in a way she never had before and I wanted to run and hide.
"I think I'm going to go lie down for a bit" I said, before wrapping myself in a dressing gown, and leaving the room as fast as I could.