First, I would like to thank everyone who reviewed my last few chapters. You have no idea how encouraging you were to me, thank you so much. I can't wait to hear what you think of this chapter. I never imagined I would be getting such a response from my first attempt at fan fic. I want to apologize that it is taking me so long to finish Nalu Fluff Week. I've been dealing with eye pain associated with physiological anisocoria. If you wanna know what that is, look it up.
Secondly, I would like to give all of you some insight into why I chose a hospital AU. It's true that most of what I know about people working within a hospital comes from the show Scrubs, but that is not all. Two years ago my mom had been hospitalized for months with a very rare and deadly cancer- five ring signet cell adenocarcinoma of the appendix. Don't worry, she survived and is doing great. A lot of what I write in this AU comes from my experiences associated with dealing with her cancer and various other ailments faced by my family. This chapter is inspired by a benefit I volunteered at. The money raised by that organization gave my family thousands of dollars towards my mother's medical bills. That being said, this AU, as well as Fairy Tail, is close to my heart.
Lucy's heart swelled when she looked out of her third story window to see thick crowds of people pouring into the parking lot below. She had been urging all of her patients and their families to come to the Fantasia Benefit Festival for weeks now. She wanted to do everything she could to get a big crowd donating to a great cause. The benefit is held every year to help cover the medical costs for patients with severe financial need. So many of her oncology patients relied, at least in part, on the money that flowed in through Fantasia. She never wanted to have a patient deny service because they could not afford treatment.
Overall, Saturdays were rather light days for Lucy. Most doctors didn't offer Saturday hours, but Lucy wanted to make herself more available to her patients. Mostly, she would just work a few hours checking up on those who were forced to spend their weekend in a hospital bed. Occasionally she would have an appointment or two with those whose busy schedule made it difficult to come in during the week. On this particular Saturday Lucy was spending time with Bisca Connell and her young daughter Asuka.
Bisca and her husband Alzack have both worked at FTAMC since they graduated from medical school. That was, until Bisca's breast cancer was discovered and she had to stop working to receive treatment. The couple had spent years pining after one another, which served to entertain anyone around them. It was impossible to deny the two were made for each other. They're both gunslinging, adrenaline-loving ER doctors. After they finally admitted their feelings and tied the knot, they ended up having a baby girl.
Asuka had always spent a lot of time at the hospital, since both her parents worked there. She had come to be loved by every staff member of Fairy Tail, who treated her like one of their own. However, since her mother had gotten sick, a place that was once filled with adventure and friendly faces had now turned sad. This last week in particular, the hospital has felt like her prison. Bisca had gone in for a mastectomy, meaning she would have to be in the hospital for almost two weeks to recover before she could be sent home. At the same time, Alzack had to continue his full time schedule. At night he and Asuka would stay with Bisca in her hospital room, returning home only a few times while she rested. This afternoon, Lucy was talking to Bisca about the amazing progress she has made in the last week while Asuka stood on her tiptoes at the window, looking down at the festivities occurring below.
"Miss Doctor Lucy..." Asuka interrupted, still peering out the window, "When does my daddy get off work?"
Lucy stood from the seat she had pulled up to Bisca's bed and joined the little girl by the window, bending down to her size. "Not for a few hours, honey. But don't you worry, we won't keep you cooped up here with so much fun happening outside!"
"That's right, Darlin'. Lucy and Natsu are gonna take you down to the carnival when they get off work in a little bit. You'll have much more fun down there." Bisca looked at her daughter with a tired smile. She couldn't help but feel bad for the little angel, being stuck in a hospital all day.
Asuka's eyes grew wide with excitement. "Mister Doctor Natsu is coming with us!?" The three-year-old clapped her hands together. "Do you think he will play dragon with me? I should grab my gun!" She took off towards a bag sitting in the corner and pulled out a toy pistol, pretending to aim. The older females watched her and giggled.
Elsewhere, Natsu was entering the staff room followed by Erza and Gray. The surgical trio had just finished up a procedure and were ready to end their shifts. Gray and Erza had been tortured all day by Natsu's pyro-manic chatter. Like every year, Natsu was in charge of the festival's fireworks, and like every year, he wouldn't stop talking about it. However, there was still one piece of information Natsu is keeping from them. This refusal didn't sit well with a certain overbearing redhead. Natsu was still running his mouth about the different chemical reactions that create the beauty of fireworks when he reached into his locker to grab out a change of clothes. Erza had somehow already changed, while Gray had only managed to strip off his pants.
"ENOUGH." Erza reached the end of patience."We don't care about any of that. Just tell me how you were able convince Makarov to let you use homemade fireworks this year."
"Well duh, I'm not gonna charge him for it. It's cheaper than that mass produced stuff. Besides, I can pull off shapes and figures they won't release to the public." Natsu offered his excuse, hoping it would satisfy the intimidating redhead. She wasn't buying it.
"That's not it. I happen to know the fireworks retailer we've used in the past would always donate products for a nice tax break. You've been trying to convince him to let you do this for years. So why would he agree now?" Erza took another step towards Natsu, sporting her famous glare.
"Listen, flamebrain. We're not letting you out of here until you tell us." Gray, who was now just down to his signature cross pendant and boxers, interjected while covering the only exit.
"Is that so, stripper? Blocking the exit won't do anything. I can get passed you any time." Natsu pulled a fist as he took a few steps towards Gray, who was in full fighting position. Erza was steaming as she wondered how she was ever put on a team with these two morons. The boys had leaped at each other and were rumbling around on the floor, fists flying. The exhausted female cleared her throat louder than one would think humanly possible. Natsu and Gray froze in terror for a minute before pulling away from each other, settling in opposite sides of the room.
"Natsu, you better tell us what you are up to before I pull out my fists." Erza spoke calmly and clearly, making Natsu pale. A smirk grew on Gray's nude body. "Also, GRAY. CLOTHES." Gray looked down before his eyes grew wide with terror, searching for his underwear.
"But Erza," Natsu whined, "It's a secret. I only told Gramps, and he liked it enough to let me use my own fire this year." His head hung down, fists clenched at his sides in defiance.
"Secret or no, you must tell us. We are your team, who can you trust if not us? Gray and I swear not to tell a soul." Erza looked pointedly over to a newly dressed Gray.
"Uh... yeah. Promise." Gray confirmed.
"Ugh. Fine. But you really can't tell anyone. It's supposed to be a surprise..." Natsu folded his arms over his chest and looked over to Erza, who eagerly awaited more information, "a surprise for Lucy."
"Lucy?" Gray asked from his lax position leaning against the wall, "What does Lucy care about fireworks?"
"I see..." Erza tapped her pointer finger on her chin in thought for a minute before gasping, eyes widening to stare at Natsu's back. He had turned to grab his clothes out of the open locker in front of him. He closed the small metal door and turned to face Gray and Erza once again, a small black box in his hand along with the folded clothing.
"I'm gonna ask Luce to marry me tonight."
"You guys didn't have to follow me up here." Natsu, now dressed casually in a black shirt and dark wash jeans, tried to shake off Erza and Gray. The two were trailing behind him as he made his way down the oncology floor to meet Lucy at her office.
"But, Natsu, you're not giving me any details!" Erza insisted in a whisper, not wanting a certain blonde to hear them.
"You guys have only been together for like ten months, isn't that kind of fast?" Gray questioned.
"Not everyone can move at your whirlwind pace there, Ice Princess." Natsu hissed back at him. "I told you what I'm doing tonight, Erza. What more is there to know? You'll see it all go down in a few hours."
Natsu stopped in front of Lucy's closed office door and knocked while Erza and Gray stared at him from a few feet away. A minute later, the door opened to reveal the blonde doctor in her street clothes, a white cotton tshirt and jean shorts. In her hands was a small blue cat.
"Happy! I missed you buddy." Natsu took his pet in his arms and stroked him gently. "Thanks for keeping him in your office for me, Luce. It's better than having to run home and pick him up for the booth later." Natsu released Happy back into Lucy's office to wait for his big performance in a few hours.
"That damn cat," Lucy had to keep herself from bubbling with anger, "I don't know how to begin to describe the hell he unleashed in my office today. It's almost like you managed to teach him pranks." Lucy wrapped her arms around Natsu and pushed herself up to give him a quick kiss as he relished in her words as though they were a compliment. Placing her heels back on the ground, Lucy noticed Gray and Erza standing just a few feet from them. Her cheeks turned a light pink as she noticed their intense stare. "Hey guys," she offered cheerfully at her friends, "Are we really that funny looking?"
Erza's face blushed furiously at her own behavior. She had no idea how to behave in front of the blonde and not spill the delicious secret Natsu had just shared. Before she could say a word, Erza took off down the hall to the stairwell, leaving Gray behind. Gray paled and pushed up cool fake smile, running a hand through his hair before jutting a thumb out towards the direction Erza had just taken off in. "I, uhh... should really follow her... Later Lucy, flamebrain." Gray disappeared down the hall.
"Those two sure are acting weird." Lucy folded her arms under her chest and stared accusingly at Natsu.
"They're always like that, if you ask me," Natsu shrugged and grabbed Lucy's hand, starting towards the patient's wing, "So we gotta go pick up Asuka, right?"
"Yep, she's waiting for us to take her out to Fantasia."
"You said Bisca's doing well, right? Think she'll make it?" Natsu's tone was solemn and his body stiffened a little bit as they walked.
"Yup. I really think she will be alright. She still needs to go through another round of chemo, but it looks like she will make it. It's just a long and weary road."
"Good, we were all worried for a bit when we opened her up and found so much cancer inside her... It was a good thing Guildarts was available to come in the OR that day." The blonde stopped walking, pulling Natsu back to a halt before giving him a firm kiss on the lips, her free hand landed on his cheek.
"You did a great job, Natsu. You saved her. You save lots of people. I know you're not used to being so close to your patients, but it amazes me how far you will go to save the lives of those you love." She gave his hand a squeeze before they continued their journey down the hall.
The couple arrived at Bisca's room to find the door open and a very excited Asuka bouncing in her chair. The young girl was clutching her toy pistol as she listed off all of the festival events she wanted to attend to her mother. Natsu and Lucy entered the doorway unnoticed by the little girl, but received a wink from her worn out mother. Natsu jumped right into babysitting mode. "Oh no, Lucy, she's armed. Don't let her get me again!" Asuka's excited smile grew as she leaped out of the chair to rush Natsu.
"Mister Doctor Natsu!" The male tried to hide behind Lucy. The small brunette giggled, "You can't hide from me, you mean old dragon!"
"Luce! She's gonna get me! You have to get me away from here!" Natsu ran to hide on the other side of the doorway. Asuka followed in tow, posed to blast the dragon to smithereens. Lucy shook her head and laughed, exchanging glances with Bisca before the green haired female closed her eyes, a smile lingering on her lips.
"Alright, you two. Let's get going. There is all kinds of fun waiting for you down in the parking lot." Lucy closed the door to on her way out to let her patient sleep.
Outside the first shift of fun was in full swing. People were everywhere, enjoying the festivities. On one side of the parking lot was a stage where the FTAMC pediatric team was set up, putting on a strange performance of Peter Pan. Laxus played Peter, who was currently in a sword fight with a hook-handed Freed. Bixlow and a few of his patients from the children's wing played the lost boys, tied to what was supposed to be the mast of a pirate ship. A few other children from the hospital were playing pirates. They looked like they were having fun, bright smiles covered their faces. Evergreen was trying to free the lost boys from their captors, putting on quite a dramatic performance as Tinkerbell. A huge crowd had gathered around the stage to watch the show.
On the other side of the parking lot, near the entrance, a silent auction was set up next to a table that sold the tickets used as payment for the various activities. Natsu, Lucy, and Asuka headed in the direction of the table selling tickets, taking in the various booths set up along the way. Reedus was offering caricatures, a blonde photographer from the local paper offered his services at creating those old-western-style photo keepsakes. The next row over was filled with all kinds of kids games being ran by Lisanna, Kinana, and Laki. Past that was a food tent sponsored by the restaurant Mermaid Heel, as well as a beer garden ran by Quatro Cerberus Brewery. Between the two tents were various tables set up for eating guests to play Bingo.
"Hello Lucy... Natsu... and who is that on your back? Oh, Asuka!" The trio was greeted by senior physician, and head of the maternity ward, Macao. He and his department second-in-command Wakaba were stuck manning the ticket table all day.
"Hey old man!" Natsu chirped, causing Macao to kringe and Wakaba to laugh. "I hope Romeo is ready to help me run the firework display tonight." Macao nodded.
"Hello Mister Doctor Macao and Mister Doctor Wakaba!" Asuka kept one arm wrapped around Natsu's head as she sat on his shoulders, and moved the other hand to point her gun at the two older men who held their hands up in surrender.
"How are the ticket sales going?" Lucy chimed in.
"Really well, at this rate we'll definitely beat last year's sales before the end of the day." Wakaba answered as he took a drag from his cigarette.
"Will you put that damn thing out! How many times do I have to tell you!" Macao berated his friend with the same sensitivity as always. Lucy giggled.
"He's right, Wakaba. I don't want to find you on my floor anytime soon." Lucy eyed the smoker with an Erza-esque glare. He put his cigarette out on the pavement below him and hung his head in shame.
"Give us some tickets!" Natsu screamed, stomping around in a circle with Asuka laughing on his shoulders.
"Uh-oh. We've upset the mighty dragon. Here," Lucy handed Macao a few notes of jewel and he exchanged them with a bundle of carnival tickets. The blonde turned to a fired up Natsu and Asuka, "Where to first?"
The next two hours of fun flew by. Asuka rocked the kids games, particularly the one that involved shooting a suction cup dart gun at little target. Lucy kept the small toy prizes safe in her purse to be passed on to Alzack later. Reedus drew a picture of Asuka slaying the mighty dragon Dragneel and rescuing princess Lucy. The photographer, a man named Jason, took a photo as Sheriff Connell booked famous bandits Draigon and Ashley. Lisanna offered her face painting services to turn Asuka into a bird, Lucy into a bunny, and Natsu into... you guessed it, a dragon. The last one took some creativity on her part. They also visited Juvia in the dunk tank. Natsu managed to walk up and push the dunk lever when she was too busy watching a half naked Gray fight with a silver-haired volunteer from Lamia Scale Elementary. The action only caused the wrath of the two men to be redirected to him.
The trio were enjoying the rhythm of the Cha Cha Slide by the stage at "Vjeeter's Dance Party" when Alzack found them there, whisking his little one away for some daddy-daughter fun. Natsu and Lucy knew this meant it was time to find Cana and pick up Happy to set up their booth for the evening shift of Fantasia. Gajeel would soon take the stage as the opening act for the local musician Lyra, luring festival attendees to the stage while the booths switch over.
"I can't believe they agreed to let Gajeel perform this time." Natsu groaned as they set up their mystical fortune telling booth where Jason's photography station had been. Starry fabric covered in astrological signs and constellations lined all four walls of the tent, a single slit acted as an entryway. Paper lanterns hung inside as a light source. On the floor was a short table covered with Cana's tarot card deck and surrounded by various cushions. On one cushion directly behind the table with the cards sat Happy, munching on fish. A cushion beside him was set aside for Cana. Their booth relied on Happy, who was supposed to paw at the cards and pretend to make predictions about someone's future while Cana did the real interpretation. A chair by the entry curtain was meant for Lucy, who would let the customer in. Dressed in flowy gypsy-like clothing, Lucy and Cana looked up at the sign Natsu had just hung above their booth: letters scribbled across cardboard tarot cards spelled out "Happy the Catmander".
"I ain't complaining, his voice isn't half bad." Cana replied, taking a sip from the beer in her hand. She seems to have an in with Quatro Cerberus because there was no way she could listen to Gajeel sing while sober.
"Uh, Cana, you might wanna slow down there. Remember we need quality predictions, and to keep an eye on Happy." Lucy tried not to be so controlling, but she didn't know if a drunk Cana was the best person to deal with all of their potential customers.
"Psssht, I can read the cards just fine! C'me're." Cana grabbed Lucy with her free hand and pulled her into the tent. A little scared, Lucy pulled Natsu along with her. Sitting down by the table, Cana began to shuffle through the cards before arranging them face down in front of Lucy. "Pick three cards. Past. Present. Future."
Lucy hesitated and gave a glance to Natsu. She couldn't figure out why he looked nervous. She selected three cards. Cana took them and turned them face up in front of herself, one at a time. "Let's see here... We have the chariot, your past has been full of obstacles which you have overcome to claim victory. Next is the fool, representing that your present is full of optimism and happiness." Lucy looked over to Natsu and smiled. Of course she has been happy! Natsu had brought her so much happiness in the past few months that they had been together. As for optimism, the future looks bright. Her relationship is going strong, and Bisca has shown signs of improvement. Everything was headed in a good direction.
"Last is... The empress..." Cana did a double take, looking at Lucy, Natsu, and back at the card again. "The empress symbolizes fertility, abundance, and domestic stability. This means there is marriage or pregnancy in your future!" She paused, eyes falling on the blonde. "Have something you wanna share with the rest of us, Lucy?" Cana teased.
"Yeah right! Of course those things are in the future, Cana! Those are in almost everyone's future. That's a real cheap card for a future pick. Those other two were spot on, though. Especially the happiness, right Natsu? ...Natsu?" Lucy looked around but Natsu seemed to have slipped out around the time Cana read the last card.
"The guy musta dashed out at the thought of having a kid. Can't blame him." Cana shuffled her cards again and took another swig of her beer.
"Good job, Cana. You scared him off!" Lucy stood from the cushion she had lowered herself to earlier and turned out of the tent to find Natsu. The pink haired man stood a few feet away from the tent, staring off to where Lyra was finishing a song on the stage. His eyes seemed unfocused, as if he didn't really see what he was looking at. "Natsu? Don't listen to Cana's stupid cards. You know that stuff never really comes true. I promise you, we will not have kids any time soon, alright? That kind of future is a long way away."
Natsu turned to look at his girlfriend. "Yeah, sorry. Guess I overreacted." He said with a smile. Lucy couldn't help but notice that his tone sounded a bit off. He brought her in for a hug, squeezing her tight he repeated, "You're right. That stuff never really comes true." He kissed her forehead before he pulled away. "I'm gonna go get some grub, want me to bring you something?" He turned in the direction of the Mermaid Heel tent.
"No, I'm good. I still have to set up the fog machine inside the booth. I wouldn't trust Cana to do it. She's a little too wasted to deal with anything technical. I'll see you after the fireworks, okay? They better be good this year." She waved him off.
"Oh, you have no idea, Luce." He yelled back.
When Natsu arrived at the food tent he was quickly spotted by Asuka, waving him over to sit with her and her daddy. "Mister Doctor Natsu! Over here! You can sit with us!" It was a good thing they had an extra seat available, the food area was crowded with people stopping to eat as the booths changed over. Natsu got in line and ordered himself a feast, spending nearly all of his leftover tickets on food, before making his way over to sit with his friends.
As he ate he listened to Asuka tell him about all the things she and her father did after Natsu and Lucy left to set up their booth. When she was done, it was Alzack's turn to vent to the fellow medical expert about his ER shift earlier that day. He followed that up by thanking Natsu for everything he did for Bisca during her procedure. Things were starting to look up for their small family. The concert finally ended as Natsu finished eating, people were clearing out of the dining area to go explore the new attractions that had just opened up. Natsu looked down at the table, a hand moving to his pocket. His fingers slipped in and lightly grasped the small black box that was hiding there.
"Alzack, I'm actually glad I have the chance to talk to you alone. I'm kinda nervous about something. I need advice."
"A nervous Natsu Dragneel coming to me for advice? I don't know what I would have to offer you." Alzack didn't mean to sound like he was putting himself down, but he had never known Natsu to be nervous. He couldn't believe he was the best person to come to.
"Well, you see... You're the only one... who... is married." The volume of Natsu's voice trailed down with each word, betraying his embarrassment at the subject. Although he didn't know why he was embarrassed now. His plan had always been to propose to Lucy in front of the entire Fantasia festival. "I have some questions for you."
"Natsu and Lucy sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G..." Asuka began singing.
Alzack couldn't believe his ears. Does reckless, carefree Natsu finally wanna settle down? "Natsu... Are you thinking about marriage? To Lucy!?" Natsu quickly shushed the man.
"It's a secret, Al! Well, more like a surprise. I'm going to do it tonight." Alzack's eyes widened. "I just feel like I'm losing my nerve." In the distance the sound of Erza's vocal exercises being spoken into a mic can be heard as she prepared for her contribution- a one woman show.
"What's wrong? You love her, obviously." Alzack offered.
"I'm just... scared she will think it's too soon. We haven't been together a full year yet."
"You didn't think it was too soon to plan a proposal."
Natsu shrugged. "I've always wanted this. There was never a doubt in my mind that I want to marry her. I don't even want to consider a future without her in it. But..." He paused, collecting his thoughts, "I guess I was so caught up I didn't stop to wonder if she really wants to marry me. What if I'm being selfish by pushing this so soon?" His eyes closed as his fingers tensed around soft pink locks.
"Natsu, do you really doubt her affections for you? I think you're belittling her and yourself by entertaining the possibility that she doesn't want the same future as you. As for if it's too soon, well, I don't think so. Bisca and I spent years in love without so much as a confession. After something like that, it doesn't feel like rushing things to move at a faster pace. Your friendship is a big part of your relationship. Besides, if you ask her and she says it's too soon, wait a few months and ask her again."
"I guess you're right." Natsu released the death grip on his hair and slouched in his chair with a sigh. "We love each other, so it's not too much of a risk."
"Daddy!" The young girl was growing impatient amongst so much grown-up talk. "Let's go look at the new booths! Come on!" Asuka is on her feet now, pulling at her father's sleeve til he rose to join her. Her face turned to look at the pinkette. "Does Mister Doctor Natsu want to come walk with us?"
"Thanks for the offer, kiddo. I've got some work to do right now. I'll see you guys later, okay?" Natsu stood and tousled her hair as he made his way to get lost in the crowd.
In reality, Natsu just wanted time to clear his head of any doubts. He was sure this was what he wanted. It's what he had always wanted, ever since he had first laid eyes on that weird girl in college at Hargeon. Walking through the forest of people in the Fairy Tail parking lot, he allowed himself to get lost in his own thoughts. He could still picture the way the lecture room lights reflected upon her sunny tendrils...
The pair had sat next to each other on their first day of med school. They were taking some kind of psychology course that focused on the chemical functions of the brain. Lucy had raised her hand to ask a question, but Natsu stopped her. Clearly she had not looked on RateMyProfessor. Dr. Bora did not stand for students asking questions on the first day. A strange policy, for sure, but they witnessed his true wrath when he kicked someone out of the class for asking about the attendance policy. Lucy offered to buy Natsu lunch as a thank you for saving her from a similar fate.
Natsu has never been one to turn down a free meal. Thinking back, perhaps he shouldn't have ordered such a large meal... but Lucy hadn't said anything about it. Although, she seemed distracted with a topic of her own. She had gone on and on about her passion for medicine and her quest to save lives from the disease that had taken her mother. Natsu had lightened up the conversation with stories about his blue cat. Naturally, she refused to believe Happy was actually blue until Natsu agreed to let her meet him.
Things had gone so smoothly after that. They hung out nearly every day and it felt so natural. Soon they had formed a little group comprised of Erza, Gray, Gajeel, Levy and Loke. The friends would go on adventures on the weekends, study together for large exams, and pull pranks on one another. They were like a family. It was a miracle, really, that they were all able to get jobs together at Fairy Tail Advanced Medical Center.
Natsu knew he had liked Lucy since that first lunch, but he had been scared she could never see him as anything other than her goofy best friend. It didn't take long for the blonde to begin going on a dates. Natsu would just pretend it meant nothing to him and shrug it off, but after a while he started to silently sabotage the potential relationships. He couldn't watch her give her heart to jerks who didn't deserve it. After a few more tries, Lucy seemed to stop going on dates altogether.
When they had finally started their jobs at Fairy Tail, things had been so hectic that being friends was enough for him. Then, his father had passed away and Natsu disappeared for a while. At the funeral he had received some strange news. It turned out he had a brother that he had never met. He took off a few months to fly to Crocus and spend time getting to know his brother, Zeref, and his wife, Mavis. He found out those two had gotten into quite a bit of legal trouble in their youth, but had since settled down. Now the pair run a funeral home in the capital city. Natsu had always known he had been adopted by his father Igneel, but he knew little of his biological relatives. Zeref was able to share bits of information with Natsu about their birth parents prior to their deaths.
When Natsu returned to Magnolia, Lucy had a sad air about her. It took a few weeks of hanging out as their normal selves before she returned to her cheery state. Natsu never did find out why she had been so sad, but figured it couldn't be that strange for someone of her profession. He had been back in Magnolia for a few months when he confessed his feelings to his best friend. After watching the relationship his brother had with Mavis, Natsu finally wanted to know if he could have that with Lucy. He knew it was possible if she would give him a chance. Boy, was he right. It turned out she had been waiting for that day to come for years.
Deep down, Natsu knew Alzack was right. Being best friends for years had given them such a strong connection that things were barely touched by their change in titles. It was almost as if speaking their feelings out loud merely gave them permission to behave more intimately. They could finally act on their feelings the way they ached to in the past, no matter how small the gesture. There was no risk of anything being taken the wrong way, no fear of rejection. It was almost as if they could finally and fully be themselves. Every kiss, every touch, every word, all of it was an extension of their being that they denied themselves in the past.
Out of nowhere, a snowball knocked into Natsu's furrowed brow and the pinkette was pulled out of his thoughts. "Quit thinking so hard, squinty-eyes, it doesn't look good on ya!" Natsu turned slightly and spotted Gray calling out across the crowd of people. Gray's contribution to the benefit was a small, makeshift ice rink designed to pull in couples. Begrudgingly, he had been forced to work together with Lamia Scale kindergarten teacher Lyon, his childhood best friend-slash-rival.
"Salamander? Thinking? That doesn't sound good." A slightly dazed Natsu turned to find the second voice belonged to fellow surgeon, Gajeel. The pierced man was still sporting the fedora from his earlier performance. His back was against a tentpole belonging to "theater" where the rest of Lamia Scale was performing puppet shows. A petite bluenette was standing at his side, shadowed by the tall frames of her coworkers Jet and Droy.
"Gajeel! Maybe Natsu has a lot to think about today." Levi punctuated her sentence with a wink at Natsu before returning her attention to the stick of cotton candy in her hand. Natsu's eyes went wide in realization of what she was implying.
"Who told you?" His voice was low as he took a step towards the short lab tech, placing a hand on her free wrist and looking at her with an intense, but desperate, gaze.
"Erza couldn't keep it in anymore. Just be happy she found me and not Mira. Don't worry, though, I wouldn't dare say a word to Lu. I'm so excited for you two!" Levy showed no signs of being put off by the rowdy surgeon's actions. She removed her wrist from his grasp and continue pulling at her sugary snack.
"You don't think it's too soon, do you?" Natsu was whispering as if the blonde could appear any second, although he knew exactly where she would be for the rest of the night.
"Too soon? Nah. You guys have been in love for ever, there's nothing wrong with taking the next step when it feels right." Although Levy's words were directed at Natsu, her eyes were pointed at Gajeel, making clear the double meaning she intended to put across.
"It does feel right... Thanks Levy." Natsu turned and continued his walk through the crowd, one hand rubbing the back of his neck. Back where they stood Levy continued staring at Gajeel, whose cheeks were lightly dusted pink. Natsu could hear her giggle behind him.
Natsu had somehow managed to kill two hours wandering around, lost in thought. In the end, he felt he needed to see Lucy's face one more time before finding Romeo to step up the fireworks. Making his way back to "Happy the Catmander", Natsu noticed there was quite the queue lined up to have their fortunes read by the feline. Lucy had just stepped out of the tent, preparing to let the next customer enter, when Natsu reached out from behind her and spun her around while pulling her away from prying eyes. She let out a small scream in surprise. He was quick to cover her mouth with his own.
The flash of pink she saw before the man started kissing her was enough to assure her the lips locked with hers belonged to her boyfriend. She smiled, parting the kiss and slapping his chest with her hand. "Natsu, can't you see I'm in the middle of something!" She feigned anger and was unsurprised when her words simply met a chuckle in response. She sighed and shook her head before moving to return to her job.
"Wait, Luce." Natsu reached for her arm to stop her and spin her around. "I just wanted to stop by and say I love you before I go set up." Lucy saw his words and raised him a nice, firm kiss before an annoyed Cana interrupted, staring at the couple from around the edge of the tent.
"No fair, I'm the one doing all the work, how come you get to hook up with the customers?" Cana clearly had not slowed her drinking down at all. "C'mon, Lucy, get back to work!"
"Try not to set anything on fire, Dragneel." Lucy smirked as she turned back to the booth, resuming her duties.
"But that's the best part, Luce!" Natsu's grin stretched from ear to ear in protest.
In all honestly, Natsu's fireworks were the part of the festival Lucy looked forward to the most. Half an hour before their scheduled start, the Chief of Medicine made an announcement alerting everyone attending the festival that the booths would be closing to make room for everyone to view the firework display. After the staff had moved anything that could be quickly put away, everyone took a seat to await the much-anticipated light show. Lucy was seated on a blanket, Happy sleeping in his cage beside her. Erza, Gray, Levy, Gajeel, Juvia, and Cana were seated around them. All eyes were on the open field across from the hospital.
Soft and evocative Music began to play through the stage speakers and sparks of colored light began to dance in the sky. Natsu hadn't lied when he said he had managed to concoct explosives that could form shapes unseen in mass-produced fireworks. The crowd oohed and awed as vines of roses grew in the sky. Lights mimicked stars and spelled out constellations. The most impressive by far was the portrait of an actual fire-breathing dragon. It was almost as if Natsu had managed to channel magic through chemical reactions igniting in the sky.
Songs changed, and the stories playing through the lights changed too. Greek myths and classic love stories played on the large screen of the night sky. While people didn't know what to expect of Natsu's homemade fireworks, no one could have guessed they would portrayed such mastery and intelligence. As the show entered its last leg, the vivid images began to switch to words. Well, a single word:
Lucy
All of Fairy Tail's staff turned to look at the blonde. Her heart nearly stopped in her chest as the song Turning Page by Sleeping At Last started playing on the loudspeaker:
I've waited a hundred years
But I'd wait a million more for you
Nothing prepared me for
What the privilege of being yours would do
If I had only felt the warmth within your touch
If I had only seen how you smile when you blush
Or how you curl your lip when you concentrate enough
Well I would have known
What I was living for all along
What I've been living for
Your love is my turning page
Where only the sweetest words remain
Every kiss is a cursive line
Every touch is a redefining phrase
I surrender who I've been for who you are
For nothing makes me stronger than your fragile heart
If I had only felt how it feels to be yours
Well I would have known
What I've been living for all along
What I've been living for
Though we're tethered to the story we must tell
When I saw you, well I knew we'd tell it well
With a whisper we will tame the vicious seas
Like a feather bringing kingdoms to their knees
As the words were playing, the fireworks began to tell a story the blonde knew all too well. It was their story, painted across the sky in light. It told of how she and Natsu met when he saved her. Of the kindness of her gratitude, and their growing friendship. It showed him leaving her, and coming back with a mission. She'll never know how he was able to get letters of light to look like the flower petals begging, Lucy, be mine? Images of them laughing, crying, and kissing flashed in front of Lucy's tearful eyes. The text returned:
No sooner met but they looked;
No sooner looked but they loved;
No sooner loved but they sighed;
No sooner sighed but they asked one another the reason;
No sooner knew the reason but they sought the remedy;
And in these degrees have they made a pair of stairs to marriage...
The song ended and the fireworks fizzled out. Lucy sat shocked, staring at the smokey outline of the Shakespearean quote painted in the sky. The lights to the stage flashed brightly and Natsu's lone figure was now visible to the shocked crowd. Lucy turned and stared at him, unable to make any other movement. "Luce?" Natsu's voice echoed through the speakers as he spoke into the mic. "Can you come up here? I have a question for you." Lucy still stared at his mesmerizing grin until she felt Gray's hands pull her up and lead her in the direction of the stage. After a few steps she was on her own. More music began to play through the sound system. Flightless Bird, American Mouth.
Every eye was on her as she made her way up the stairs to join Natsu. She tried her best not to get nervous. She wanted this moment to maintain it's current level of perfection. Tears slipped down her cheek steadily as Cana's tarot card reading ran through her mind. The empress. Every thought cleared from her head when Natsu took her hands. She held onto his as if letting go meant letting this moment slip from her grasp, as well. Her eyes refused to leave his gaze as he lowered to bended knee, free hand retrieving a small black box from his pocket.
"Lucy Heartfilia, you are the most determined, kindhearted, and beautiful woman I have ever known. This was clear from the moment I met you. I just can't bear the thought of ever letting a treasure like you go. Will you marry me?"
Lucy searched her mind for the best response to give him. A simple yes didn't seem right. She giggled and wiped a tear from her eye. "You're such a moron." She raised Natsu to her level and kissed him with the firey passion that surged through every fiber of her being. For the second time in his life, Natsu had never been so happy to be insulted by the woman he loved.
The crowd erupted into applause. On the blanket where their little group sat, Erza was sobbing loudly onto an uncomfortable Gray's shoulders. Juvia was staring at the redhead in distaste, clearing tears from her own eyes. Levy was clapping and whistling loudly. Gajeel, however, seemed completely uninterested. Shouts of "Get a room!" escaped Cana's lips. Inside his cat carrier, Happy could be heard meowing. Of course, everyone knew what he had to say.
I hope I did not disappoint. Please let me know what you think with a review. Just to clarify, I do not own Fairy Tail, Peter Pan, Turning Page, Flightless Bird, American Mouth, or the quote from As You Like It. If you don't know either of the songs mentioned, I highly recommend giving them a listen.