AN: I am back from the dead? Right now think of me as more of a historia then true resurrection. One evil glare might make me leave... Lol. Stuff with my school caused me to leave. Dislike leaving these stories unfinished so I plan to finish them. Guess we will see what happens. This chapter is not what I initially wanted to write for this chapter. It's more filler that I just wrote while I push back the baby shower to next chapter. Thanks to all my reviewers, I will list you guys next chapter as a thank you and maybe answer questions.
Chapter 15: Baby blankets and Bridal quilts
A sigh left her lips as Lucy checked her reflection, before dipping her hands in the water basin beside her bed. She found herself oddly depressed. Where had her stunning good looks gone? Of course, she still looked good but her skin was tan, rough, not silky white. Huge bags hung under eyes that had seen too much. Pinching her cheeks to bring some color back, she tried to make happy expressions in the mirror.
"It's not working." The blonde muttered. She had woken early this morning to prepare for the girls arriving. It was a rare time to dress up for the ranch. And she wanted to look her best.
Of course, she had to do morning chores before they got there.
It wasn't like she wanted to dress up for anyone.
Slipping off her nightgown, she rinsed off before changing into a chemise. Eyeing her petticoats, she decided to put them with her purple lacy dress that hung on the rocking chair in the corner. It wasn't good her to be outdoor task in a dress without proper undergarments with so many unmarried men around. She put her silk slip over her chemise and then a thicker wool slip over that before putting on a blue skirt and black vest with a white button up blouse.
Brushing her hair, she told herself she was definitely not dressing up for a certain pink haired man that was around the ranch.
Lucy had to smile when she walked out of her room. Her and Natsu had been getting along really well lately. Granted things were still highly awkward between them. Yet she didn't feel the overwhelming need to apologize to him on a daily basis.
Basically a very weird truce between the two of them.
In fact, he had started taking the fiancé role too far, acting the part whenever anyone visited. Just yesterday, the man threw an arm around her and nuzzling her head in an affectionate way when Reverend Atlas Flame had visited to drop Flare off for the baby shower. Lucy had been mortified, especially when the preacher began to lecture about fornication. As a true lady, she held in her reaction and her head high until the good preacher left. Then she had chased Natsu around the house, trying to beat him with a cast iron skillet.
The girl bristled as she descended the stairs. Nosy busybodies had been arriving all week to congratulate her on her engagement.
At least the feud seemed to be paused for now.
Not a peep out of Phantom S.
Maybe being engaged to a stranger made their rivals think twice before bullying them. Although she didn't think anything would ever frighten Erza or Irene.
Frowning, Lucy made her way to the kitchen. Nobody was up. The scraps of material for the sewing of Mira's baby blanket lay on the kitchen table. Not wanting to deal with that, she grabbed her egg basket. Her thoughts turned to what they would do when Natsu left. Happy was on his feet. He had also come along way and was healthy enough to be put in the barn with the other horses. The blue horse still would not be carrying anyone for a while. Nor walking for long distances.
The pink haired ranger was still stranded at Love and Lucky.
Stepping outside, she basked in the cool sunrise. A rain must have traveled through during the night because everything was wet.
The blonde girl made up her mind to cook enough breakfast that would last past lunch for the boys to keep them out of the house – ham, fried chicken, egg and onions, cornbread or biscuits, and huckleberry pie. She would deliver it to the bunkhouse to keep them men away from the party.
She was so immersed in her thoughts that she didn't notice the gigantic mudhole she stepped in.
"Really?" Lucy hiked up her skirt, tying it to her waist. "Modest be damned." Now all you could see from her knees down was the white of her slip before turning to the green stocking and brown boots. She winced, "I didn't think my unmentionables needed to match. Oh well. Life is short."
Slowly, the girl slopped her way through the chicken coup to where the hens nested. The king rooster saw her coming. He crowed a warning at her.
"Oh hush up." Lucy shooed him away. "Or I will feed you to Loke."
After collecting the eggs, she trailed to the garden, wrapping up her morning chores. Halfway through pulling green onions, she slipped.
"I guess I am bound and determined to get dirty today!"
Picking her food up she realized after a large suction sound that her boot was stuck in the ground even though her foot was now in the air. She balanced on one leg while trying to take off her stocking. Then setting the bare foot down, Lucy grimaced at the texture of the wet soil between her toes.
Then she heard him. Whipping her head around at the same time Natsu's voice called out, "You look like you were on the wrong side of a pig fight."
And there he was, leaning against the garden fence post with his arms folded and amusement in his face. Lucy raised her hand to brush a stray hair away from her ace and then scowled upon realizing her hands would get dirt in her hair. Her arm just stayed in the air awkwardly as she tried to figure out what to do.
Natsu smiled at her. A bit of fang showing in a slightly haughty, superior way.
"Isnt it common practice to bury seeds not shoes?"
"I hear something…. Maybe a rattle snake over yonder." Lucy gestured with her empty hand toward him. "A pink haired one. Too bad I left my gun at the house."
"Hate to break this to you, sugar, but snakes don't have hair. They have scales. And if there is a pink snake in this world, I want to see it." He laughed at that point. Fuming, Lucy flung her only weapon at him which was her dirty stocking. It didn't even make half the distance.
Lucy pulled the other boot out but she preferred not putting it back on.
"Do you require some assistance?"
He climbed over the fence but didn't step too far into the mirk. Reaching out, he offered a hand. She took it. The warmth of his hands encasing hers. The maiden smirked as he pulled her up. As soon as Lucy got close to him, she hooked her foot around his ankle while pulling his arm. Unexpectedly he dropped…
Taking her with him…..
"What was that for?!" He growled flinging his arms.
She shrugged.
"If you can't beat them… join them." Lucy smiled as her hands slung a ball of dirt that hit him square in the chin.
"Now that's humor." She laughed at his incredulous expression.
He stared at the offending brown spot on his vest for two seconds before her laughter hit him. A grin of pure evil swept his face.
"Well you know what they say, 'imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.'" Natsu dumped a handful of mud on her head.
Lucy squealed, dusting off her head.
"Can't handle the heat? Don't play with fire." Natsu snickered as he leaned back on an arm.
"Think we are playing with mud, not fire."
Lucy rolled closer to him until their legs were practically touching. Her fingers dug into the dirt.
"I can handle anything you dish out." She smeared his face with her dirty hand.
"Are you eight now?"
"That would make you a cradle robber since we are engaged."
He watched her with ease. Not trying to stop her or even retaliate. Her heartbeat grew louder in her ears when she realized she was subconsciously tracing his jawline and mouth. Of course, it wasn't romantic in the slightest since now had lines of a mud mustache.
He grabbed her and wiped his face on her blouse - right on the inside of her vest too.
"Hey. Pervert!"
"Sorry." His tone wasn't apologetic in the slightest. "It was the first thing I saw that was clean. You know since someone dirtied my clothes. And 'if you can't beat them, join them.'"
Giggling, she tackled him.
"It's war now!"
After fighting in the dirt like two five year olds, they climbed over the fence. Natsu held out an something to her, "You forgot this."
As soon as her eyes dropped to it, her face turned beat red as Lucy realized she forgot her stockings and boots and basket of food. She glanced down to see her muddy toes.
Her dad would have scolded her proper for this kind of scandalous behavior. Being barefooted in the presence of a gentleman… Well a man….
Because let's be honest.
There's nothing gentle about Natsu.
He was all fire and muscle.
When the two finally walked back up the house, Levy was up with coffee steaming, flipping pancakes over the stove. As soon as the little bluenette heard their sloppy footsteps on the porch, she barricaded the door.
"No! No! You two go wash up."
"Let us in!" Lucy banged on the door.
Natsu clapped his hands in an upward pleading motion and whined, "Levy!"
"Neither one of you are stepping in this kitchen."
The pair shrugged before walking in the direction of the pump.
Levy yelled out as they turned "And I think the expression is 'rolling around in the hay,' not rolling around in the mud. But both practices are pretty dirty!"
A noticeable blush made its way to Lucy's face when Natsu offered to wash her legs at the water pump.
"How about no?"
"Suit yourself." Then his shirt came off. Leaning over he started pumping water before using his bandana as a wash cloth. Then he shook himself… like a dog.
Splashing her.
"Hey!" She yelped before he grinned. "If you weren't so close, you wouldn't get wet. Or do you normally watch men bathe?'
The girl even more flustered now hastily turned as he boomingly laughed. In fact, she had been watching him like a pervert. The water glistening down those abs. The careful movements of his hands as he wiped the filth away.
"Well since I will soon be your husband. Isn't this something that is ok?"
"Just hurry up." Lucy shrieked without trying to cover the high pitch in her voice. As soon as he was done, she shooed him away. The blonde then sat on the edge of the trough using it as a bath.
The girl propped her foot up the side to splash water on her leg. Rinsing the grime, Lucy secretly enjoyed the thought of the heat of her fingers being his, touching her inner calve.
After finishing, she went to the house where the boys had already eaten. Natsu was nowhere to be seen. Levy smiled at Lucy while they ate breakfast. "So are we expecting some pink and blonde haired babies before this fake engagement is over?"
Lucy threw a dishcloth at her. Flare demanded to know what they were talking about as Mira rubbed her tummy. "This house needs more babies."
"I thought this was only pretend?" Levy and Lucy had informed Flare of the fake engagement the previous night. Swearing the poor girl to secrecy even though her father was a pastor.
The pinkhaired boy walked through the kitchen door with a "yo." Lucy shook her head to Flare as a way to get the girl to be quiet. The redhead didn't take the hint.
"Mira just said we needed more babies. Pinky? Are you trying to seduce Lucy?"
Next Chapter: Why Do We Need Men, Again?