Chapter Eighteen: Location, Location, Location
A week and a half passed since the day Lucy and Jackal's trial ended. Her ex-husband was now behind bars to serve his sentence. She felt safe knowing she wouldn't have to worry about him for a long time.
The air was chilly in Magnolia. Everyone was bundled up for the late October weather. Halloween decorations adorned houses and store fronts, letting any person passing by know they were in the holiday spirit.
Lucy was among them. She insisted on decorated Natsu's apartment even if only they would see it. She hung little ghosts from the ceiling, painted hand prints on the window with fake blood, and even got a huge bowl full of candy for trick-or-treaters. That bowl may for may not be empty now due to the combined effort Natsu and Lucy put in to eating the candy early, but it wasn't a problem. They still had a week until Halloween, giving them plenty of time to restock.
"I think it was perfect," Lucy mused, squeezing her boyfriend's hand as they walked down a sidewalk. "There's bus stops nearby, a park, and even a clinic only one block away. What do you think?"
"It was definitely big," Natsu said, stealing a glance back at the building they just left. "How long until you can start a lease?"
Lucy tugged at the hem of her sweater. It was orange with black shapes on it to resemble a jack-o'-lantern. She shook her head. "I think it'd be better to buy." Lucy looked up to meet his gaze. "It's a lot upfront, but it'll make more financial sense in the long run."
"How many months could you lease it for and still stay under the buying price?" Natsu wasn't much for math. If he actually needed to work at it he could, but he'd rather just ask Lucy.
"Hmmm," Lucy started to do the math in her head. "If we rented the building monthly we'd get less than five years until we hit the buying price right now. I think buying is the better option. I'm going to call my dad tonight and tell him about it so he can talk to Mr. Tartaros."
Natsu shivered. "I really hate hearing that guy's name."
"Yeah I know," Lucy sighed. "He's not so bad. His son was just an ass."
"I still can't believe Jackal's dad let Jude join his company again."
"Me either," Lucy leaned towards Natsu, resting her head on his arm while they walked. "It was nice of him to give my father a job, even if it's in another city. I'm just glad he's nicer than Jackal."
"Yeah," Natsu nodded. "Still hate his name though.:
"As long as he's helping us I don't care what his name is," Lucy giggled. "This is going to take a lot of work to get everything set up. I'm pretty sure he's just helping to look good in the public's eyes."
"Well it's gotta look bad that his son's a convicted rapist," Natsu didn't even wonder what Jackal was up to in prison. His life was not Natsu's concern.
"Oh definitely," she nodded. "He couldn't jump on this opportunity fast enough when my father asked him about it. He already agreed to help fund the women's shelter for three years. He really wants to get on the public's good side."
"I'm really proud of you," Natsu said out of nowhere. "I think it's pretty awesome you're trying to help other people."
"Thanks," Lucy blushed, keeping her eyes in front of her but desperately wanting to peek at his face to see his expression. "But it's not like I'm starting a shelter or anything..."
Her original plan was to create a new women's shelter, but Magnolia already had one. Lucy was now merely getting them a bigger place so it wasn't as cramped. Natsu felt like she wasn't giving herself enough credit. She already made plans to buy new mattresses for the new building, to hire more staff to help out the women and to supply the shelter with enough supplies to keep it afloat.
Of course she couldn't do too much. The goal was to give abused women a place to stay long enough for them to get on their feet. If it was too nice then there'd be no incentive to leave. Still, she wanted to make it better. That included wanting to set up a way to help women learn about finances so they could know how to live on their own dime.
Most of the women in Magnolia's shelter were victims of domestic violence from boyfriends or husbands. Lucy wanted to end that. She knew it was an impossible goal to end all domestic violence, but she was going to go down swinging.
"I'm still proud of you," Natsu threw an arm around her shoulders to hold her closer. "Although, I was a little surprised when you mentioned donating for the men's shelter."
Lucy shrugged. "Just because Jackal was an asshole doesn't mean all men are. Their building is already pretty big. Plus they said they already signed a new lease for five years, so I wouldn't be able to get them a bigger building anyway. I figured a donation would help though." She'd already spoken with the director of the men's shelter. The donation she made would keep them going for a while.
"I'm just worried I'm not doing enough," Lucy's gaze dropped to the sidewalk. They still had a few more blocks to get back to Natsu's apartment. A cab was always an option, but she enjoyed walking with Natsu more. Plus it was his day off, so there was no rush.
"I think you're doing more than your fair share," Natsu squeezed her shoulder. "How long do you think you can help the shelter before..."
"Before I run out of money?" Lucy finished for him.
His cheeks warmed up a bit. He hated talking about money with Lucy. He felt like it was a delicate subject even though she seemed comfortable with it. He guessed it was his subconscious fear Lucy was going to think he was only with her for her money. It was a stupid reason, but it was enough to make him hesitant to bring the subject up.
"Let's see..." Lucy pulled out her mental calculator. She subtracted the buying price of the building, the estimated taxes for it, the donation she made to the men's shelter, the amount she'd need to buy the women's shelter updated items, a donation to Magnolia's wellness center, then her big expense she hadn't made yet.
"It's tough to say. If Mr. Tartaros keeps good on his word then for three years they'll be set. They already have donations coming in and government funding. It'll also help that they no longer have to lease their old building. They'll just have to pay for property taxes every year instead..."
Natsu raised his brow. "So...?"
"So I'm not sure," Lucy finally pulled away from his shoulder, but stayed close enough so he could still have his arm wrapped around her. "I can help in other ways besides donations."
"That's true. They always need volunteers," Natsu pointed out.
"Yeah." Lucy already planned to volunteer at least once a week. She would do more, but right now she had to hunt for a job. She wanted to contribute to the bills between them, but she didn't want to rely on only her father's trust fund money. It was to be used for more important things.
"Oh!" Lucy's eyes lit up. "I almost forgot! I have something I want to talk to you about."
"What is it?" Natsu smiled. He loved when Lucy sounded excited over something.
"I really hope I'm not rushing anything, but," Lucy felt herself getting nervous. "I wanted to look into buying a house."
Natsu came to a stop. "What?" He looked down at her smiling face, but his only held a small frown. "You're... you're moving out?"
Lucy cocked her head. "You would be too."
"What do you mean?" Natsu furrowed his brows.
"If-if you want to that is," Lucy swallowed. "I just thought it'd be n-nice to move in together... In a house..."
Slowly Natsu's face softened. "Really?"
She nodded. "Yeah."
"I-I'd love that, Luce!" He didn't think twice before engulfing her in a hug, then lifted her off the ground to spin her around.
As he spun her Lucy giggled. "Let me down!" She laughed, then pouted a second later when he actually did set her down. "Wha- why'd you stop?"
"You said put you down," Natsu leaned in, pressing a kiss to her heated skin. "I'm not going to do anything you don't want me to do to you," he promised. "I don't want to give you a reason to fear me."
Lucy felt her eyes grow watery. "I could never fear you."
"Still," Natsu slowly slid his arm around her shoulder to continue walking to their apartment. "Better safe than sorry."
"Thank you," Lucy wrapped an arm around him in return. "I don't think anyone else would be this patient with me."
"Don't be silly," Natsu pressed a kiss to her head. It was quick since he didn't want to bop his nose as they walked. "Any guy would be lucky to have you. I'm just glad you chose me."
That was all it took for the tears to start pouring. "I l-love you, N-Natsu."
He held her a little tighter to give her support. "And I love you too. In fact, I love you mo-"
"I love you more I win!" Lucy said less than a second, earning a chuckle from her boyfriend. She rubbed her sleeve against her face to dry her tears. When she was done she flashed him a huge smile.
"Fine," Natsu's chest shook from his laughter. "I'll get you after lunch. Where do you want to eat?"
"Anywhere," Lucy moved her tongue around in her mouth, "maybe somewhere spicy."
Natsu raised a brow. "Since when do you like spicy things?"
She shrugged. "I dunno," Lucy furrowed her brows, wondering the same thing. It had been just a sudden urge to bite into something spicy. She hadn't even thought of it. "Or maybe burgers. I saw a sign near your apartment for a burger joint."
"Our apartment," Natsu corrected. "Huh..."
"What?" Lucy glanced up.
"I guess it doesn't matter now... I was gonna say my lease ends soon, so I was going to ask if you wanted to get on it with me, but if we're going to try to buy a house it shouldn't matter."
Lucy opened her mouth, but Natsu didn't see her, so he continued. "I have only two conditions if we're getting a house together."
"What?" Lucy blinked a few times, surprised he would set conditions. "What are they?"
"One," Natsu grinned, "we find a house with a place for you to write and me to fight with the guys when they come over. And two-"
"You just gave two conditions right there," Lucy laughed.
"Hey, those only count as one," he puffed out his cheeks, to which she poked one to let out the air.
"Alright. What's number two?"
Natsu allowed himself to grin again. "You gotta let me contribute. I don't want you paying for all of it."
"Oh," Lucy cocked her head. "But I can probably buy one without even having to mortgage it."
Natsu frowned. "Well I gotta do something. I can't just let you pay for everything."
"How about this," Lucy suggested, "I pay for the house while you pay for stuff like the utilities and such."
Natsu's frown deepened. "That doesn't sound very fair..."
"I could just put down a ridiculous down payment and we could pay whatever's left?"
His green eyes brightened. "Maybe. That sounds better than you doing it all yourself."
"But then we'll be paying extras in taxes and interest." Lucy made a valid point.
He clenched his teeth. "I guess you're right... I'll think of something..." He really didn't want her to think he was mooching off her.
As they approached the burger place Lucy mentioned, a thought popped in his head. "I got an idea."
"Hmm?" Lucy gave him her attention.
"You can buy the house if you really want to, but I pay for all the other bills."
"That sounds like what I said earlier," Lucy raised a brow.
Natsu shook his head, "but instead of you working, you go back to school."
"Sc-school?" Lucy's eyes widened, her mouth parting.
"Or writing. Just, just do something that'll make you happy." He smiled at her, hoping it would ease her into the idea. "Or you could get a job. Whatever will make you happy. I just wanna help take care of ya is all..."
"And I want to take care of you," Lucy said, then moved to open the door to the restaurant they were going to eat at. "Will you let me do that?" She asked while holding the door open for him.
It took him a second to fully comprehend what she was saying. It sounded a little bizarre. All his life he was told a man was supposed to take care of his family, and right now that meant Lucy. It might be a little weird for society, but Natsu was never one to follow the rules to a T. "Better yet," Natsu said, stepping into the restaurant to join his lovely girlfriend. "Let's both just take care of each other?"
Lucy's smile widened. "I like the sound of that."
ASDFGHJKL
Natsu and Lucy spent the next five days looking at houses. It felt overwhelming at first, but thankfully their realtor was patient and helpful. She took them from house to house, telling them what they could expect from the neighborhoods and other details about the homes.
Lucy and Natsu agreed they wanted a normal sized home. She was tired of living in places too big for no reason, so they looked for something with two to three bedrooms. Natsu was fine with this as well. He didn't need something huge. He preferred comfy. Plus he would hate to have a place so big he loses track of Happy.
The realtor brought them to about eight houses per day, but honestly it felt like they'd seen one hundred by the time they finally decided on one they both absolutely loved. Ironically it had been one of the first houses they looked at, but the realtor told them they should browse through some more before making a decision. They did, but their minds hadn't changed.
It was an affordable home located near Natsu's work which would eliminate his need for transportation. The one-story house held three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a big back yard and a decent sized kitchen. The living room was spacious enough to entertain guests if they had company over, and the dining room would easily fit a four-seat table.
They already spent an hour looking through the house, falling more in love with the home the longer they stayed. "It seems too perfect," Lucy whispered to Natsu. "What's the catch?"
Natsu chuckled, hand lightly tracing over Lucy's spine. "I'm not sure, but I'm tryin' to find some flaws..." So far he found none.
That was, until the realtor said, "I don't remember if I told this to you last time, but four blocks from here is an elementary school if you two are thinking of having children in the near future."
Natsu saw Lucy visibly tense. He wrapped an arm around her in hopes it would calm her down before the realtor's words set in.
"Also the backyard is big enough for a playset and-"
"Thanks," Natsu cut her off. "We're gonna look at the bedroom again real quick."
He didn't wait for the realtor to reply. Instead he ushered his girlfriend through the house until they arrived at the master bedroom.
Natsu managed to avoid Lucy getting upset, but only barely. She'd gotten better with dealing with her infertility after talking to a counselor about the issue, but it still bothered her. He couldn't blame her. He still hadn't brought up the subject of kids and adoption again since the cook out. He figured when the time was right they'd know. Right now he was just happy to be with Lucy.
"This bedroom is bigger than the one at the apartment, huh?" Natsu looked around the room, already imagining where everything would fit. He knew Lucy would have her equal say in the matter, but for now he just envisioned it by himself.
"Yeah," Lucy's voice was only slightly strained. Her eyes hadn't gotten watery, so that was a good sign. "But what I really like is the bathroom," she moved away from him to look at the bathroom attached to the master bedroom. The dual sinks instantly caught her eye.
"It is pretty cool," Natsu commented when he entered after her. "Are you okay?" He asked, hoping her calm face wasn't a facade.
She glanced at him through the mirror on the wall, a smile adorning her face. "Yeah. Thanks for the save. I'm doing a lot better I think."
"You are," he confirmed. "You're doing really great."
"Thanks," Lucy looked back down at the sinks. "So what do you say? Do you think this is the house?"
"Well," he walked up behind her, casually dropping his hands on either side to grip onto the counter. His chest gently pushed against her back as he rested his head on her shoulder. "We'll probably have to do those inspection things were they check the foundation. I dunno what else people buying a house usually do."
Natsu turned his head to press his lips against her neck. Lucy felt a chill when he began speaking against her skin. "I've obviously never done this before, so I have no idea. Maybe we can ask someone who's already bought a house? What do you think?"
What did Lucy think? It had nothing to do with houses. Her skin felt like it was set on fire from the feeling of his lips moving against her neck, even if he was being innocent. Of course they both knew he wasn't. He knew exactly what he was doing to her.
Lucy jutted her hips back, brushing against his pants to feel the slight stiffness he was concealing. "Really?" Lucy smiled, but didn't pull away from his crotch. "Someone's a little excited."
"I can't help it," Natsu breathed against her skin. "Lookin' at this counter is somehow turning me on. I can't help but picture us here," his right hand moved to grab her hip. "I can't help but think how sexy you'd look bent over it."
A low growl escaped his lips before his tongue came out to swipe at her throat. "Does that make me weird?"
Lucy shuttered, "n-no." She had started imagining it too. When they did finally get a house, where would the first place they have sex be? She already felt heat building between her legs. It only grew hotter when Natsu slipped the tips of his fingers into her jeans.
"You're getting me all hot and bothered," he whispered in her ear. "I can't wait to get you back to the apartment."
Lucy shook from his words. She could already feel her core moistening in anticipation. Before she could reply they heard a knock on the bedroom door, causing Lucy to jump.
"I have to make a call," the realtor said, "I'll be outside when you're done looking at the house."
"Th-thanks," Lucy called out. They heard the sound of high heels clicking along with hardwood floors as the realtor left the area.
Natsu had already pushed the other woman from his mind. His sole focus being Lucy's rapid breathing. He doubted she knew herself how badly she wanted to be touched. "I can't wait to bend you over this counter and fuck you senseless," he growled.
She could feel the rumble in his chest. Lucy met his gaze in the mirror. His green eyes bore into her own, a smirk playing on his lips. It faltered only slightly when Lucy took him by surprise. "Why wait?"
"Huh?" Natsu didn't get an answer because a second later she spun around to kiss him.
Her lips slid over his, craving the unique flavor of his mouth. She didn't wait. Instead she thrust her tongue into his hot mouth. Natsu's eyes closed as a surprised moan slipped into her mouth. Lucy was only dominate so many times so it was such a treat when she took control over the fiery man.
Natsu's heart thrummed as she kissed him with a passion that went unrivaled. His greedy hands gripped her thighs to hoist her up until she rested on the counter. There she wrapped her legs around him to bring him sinfully closer to her heated body.
Their tongues slid against each other, poking and teasing the other as hands began to roam. Natsu avoided her breasts. Lucy said earlier they had gotten a little better, but they still felt sore when pressure was applied. To make up for it he cupped the back of her head to keep her in place. He wanted to taste all she had to offer.
Lucy yearned to feel Natsu's body. Her hands first grabbed at his broad shoulder to pull him closer. She felt a pulsing between her legs, but it would go ignored for now. She was already ready. She just wanted to make sure he was too.
Hands ventured down. One grabbed at his jeans while the other took hold of his zipper. Lucy could feel his jeans hugging his body tighter than usual. A tell-tale sign of the growing arousal in his pants. Her suspicion were confirmed when she slipped a hand into his pants, keeping them over his boxers as she brushed over the concealed hardness.
Natsu groaned, his free hand gripping her thigh to keep him grounded. She teased him, rubbing over his erection at an agonizingly slow pace. He thrust his hips forward to get more friction, but the little minx matched his moves so he got nothing extra.
Lucy swallowed his growls. He could feel her smiling against his lips. She rather enjoyed torturing him with pleasure. Natsu was no masochist, but he couldn't deny the way Lucy made his blood set on fire. "Gaah," Natsu moaned when she finally squeezed his arousal.
He instinctively bucked against her hand, but this time she allowed it. She could feel the outline of his cock. It was rigid and leaking, a small wet spot adorning the top of his boxers. As much as she wanted to drag this out, she knew they were pressed for time.
Lucy carefully pulled his throbbing cock from his boxers. He was hot against her skin, a vein protruding to pulse with his heartbeat. She gave him a slow pump, drawing a whimper from her boyfriend.
Natsu pulled away from her for a second, only to reattach them to her neck. He didn't hold back, biting and scraping his teeth against her throat as she continued to stroke him. A heavy sigh escaped her parted lips when he sucked at her tender skin, her fingers tightening around his cock.
Lucy pulled her hand away from his arousal long enough to bring it to her mouth. She tried to spit in her palm, but the angle was difficult. Her saliva dripped from her palm to trail along her wrist, but she couldn't care less. She brought her wet hand to his cock, giving it a short pump before finally smothering his entire member with her saliva.
Natsu choked out a moan before pressing more open-mouthed kisses to the crook of her neck. "C-can I fuck ya?" He asked, hand rubbing at her thigh to entice her.
"Yes!" She whimpered in a soft voice. She wanted to be louder, but it wouldn't look good to be caught christening a house they hadn't purchased yet.
Carnal desires fueled him as he roughly flipped her over. Natsu made sure to watch her facial expressions in the mirror. He didn't want to scare her or send her into another flashback with his movements. Natsu locked eyes with her again as his hands went to her zipper. His deft fingers unbuttoned and slid down her zipper before tugging at the waist band.
Lucy wiggled her hips to assist him. With their combined effort her pants fell to her knees. "You want this?" He asked, already dragging his hot fingers against her sex. She was already wet, her succulent pink flesh waiting to be entered.
"Yes, Natsu," she sounded a little annoyed. "Hurry."
He resisted the urge to chuckle at her impatience. Instead he grabbed his cock to line it up with her entrance. Natsu knew she wanted him to get started, but he couldn't help but coat the tip of his cock with her juices before slowly sliding in. He felt every inch of her trying to suck him in, but he stayed strong by going easy.
That was, until Lucy rammed herself back on him.
"Nggh!" Natsu groaned, hands coming to grip on her waist. It was almost bruising, but Lucy didn't seem to notice as she did it again, impaling herself on his cock without him moving. "Damn, Luce!"
"I told you to hurry," Lucy wasn't in the mood to be treated like some delicate flower. She wanted a rough quickie, so that's what she got. "Now fuck me senseless like you promised."
The fire in his belly raged as he slammed into her. She moaned, her hands coming to grip on the counter as he did exactly as he was told. He felt her spread wide with every snap of his hips. Her heat surrounded him. It was welcoming, accommodating his length each time.
"H-how'd I get so l-lucky?" Natsu asked, his cock sliding in and out of her dripping pussy. His eyes stayed on hers, making sure she was truly in this moment.
She was, a smirk tugging at her lips even though she desperately needed to part them. Despite the soreness one of Lucy's hands came up to knead her own breast. She knew her body better than anyone, so she made sure to play with the globe of flesh hidden under her shirt with the utmost care.
Natsu bit at her shoulder, tasting the material of her shirt as he rocketed in and out of her soaked core. He always enjoyed watching her play with herself regardless of how she did it. It just turned him on unlike anything he'd ever seen before. It let him know she truly wanted to be pleasured, even if he felt a little jealous that she was touching her and not him.
With that in mind Natsu removed one of his hands from her waist to bury it between her legs. His fingers traced over her engorged clit before rubbing it fervidly. She squealed, eyes slamming shut for a moment as she tried to catch her breath.
"N-Natsuu!" She couldn't hold back her moans, her body betraying her wants to vocalize exactly how amazing he made her feel. "Aaahhahhh! F-fuck me harder!"
Neither heard the realtor approaching, but she quickly turned heel when she heard the whimpers and grunts coming from the master bedroom. With a red face the woman went back outside, deciding it was better to wait until they finished than interrupt them. Two people fucking was not something she wanted to see today. She just hoped they cleaned up after themselves for the next people looking to possibly buy the home.
"How's this?" Natsu growled as he picked up the pace, his cock slamming deep within her. His pants fell down an inch each time he moved until they finally stopped around his knees.
Lucy nodded, no longer able to voice her thoughts. Only moans escaped her as he pounded away at her pussy. His fingers kept assaulting her clit, flicking, rubbing, and occasionally tugging at the bundle of nerves until it finally became her undoing.
Legs tensed, back arched, and a guttural moan tore from her throat as she came, actually squirting her juices on his balls and thighs. Her pussy squeezed at him tightly. He felt himself getting close too, but he wanted to make it last a bit longer even though it was obvious they should just stick to a quickie.
"You feel so good, Lucy!" He couldn't get enough of her tight wet walls. He'd fantasized about what she'd feel like for years, but he wasn't even close to the rapturous feeling being with her truly held. His heart hammered in his chest, warmth radiating from his reddened skin where a blush broke out. He was completely ensnared by her, and he thought it was a shame she hadn't realized it yet.
"I love you," Natsu's fingers playing with her clit moved to swipe up some of her essence. He pulled his hand up to her face, thrusting his fingers into her gaping mouth. Despite the confession he still felt a bit naughty. "I wanna see you taste yourself," he commanded, feeling the tightening in his stomach already fighting his resolve. "Taste how delicious you are."
In her delirious state she did as told. Her tongue lapped up his fingers, then sucked on the digits while he watched the lewd scene take place. She moaned from the flavor, her pussy tightening on his cock again.
"This is what I taste every time I'm between your legs," he gave her a rather sharp thrust, a whimper escaping, but he didn't stop. "I want you to know how good you taste to me."
Lucy moaned against his fingers, causing him to buck faster. Natsu knew he wouldn't last much longer. He ripped his hand away from her mouth to grind against her clit. Mercilessly he rubbed at her sensitive nub until she started quaking again. "Aaahhh!" Lucy whited out for a moment as she was hit with another wave of ecstasy.
Natsu savored the feeling of her trying to milk him, forehead falling on her shoulders as he tried to hold out for just a little longer. "Can you do me a favor?" He moaned into her ear. He was near his end. "Can you ask me to come in your pussy?"
Lucy's face was already flushed, but she still felt her skin get impossibly hot. She opened her mouth only to let out a whimper before she closed it again. Natsu bit at the crook of her shoulder before begging. "Please!"
"Natsu," she was breathless. "Will you come in my p-pussy?"
"Fuck," he groaned. He managed to fuck into her core two more times before finally spilling his seed deep inside her. His release came in three powerful spurts, each causing his body to twitch in the process. The desire she could pull from him was maddening. No other woman compared to the love and pleasure Lucy brought to his life.
His cock thrust into her once more to make sure she received everything before he pulled out. Natsu stumbled a bit when he tried to pull up his pants, resulting in him having to sit down on the edge of the tub to catch his breath.
Lucy blushed as she sat on the toilet to get rid of the cum in her body. She didn't want to walk around with that for the rest of the day. Luckily the bathroom had a roll of toilet paper, otherwise she'd be screwed.
Again.
All puns aside Lucy and Natsu were feeling pretty great. With no words spoken they stared at each other, mentally agreeing that this house was a nice fit for them. They cleaned up, Natsu dealing with his sticky thighs while Lucy still felt impossibly wet despite wiping a few times.
When they were presentable they left the bathroom to go find the realtor. Neither knew why the lady wouldn't look them in the eye when they found her outside. "Hey!" Natsu called out, causing the woman to flinch.
"O-oh, hello," a bright red blush adorned the realtor's face. Any other realtor wouldn't put up with what they just did, but she was a little on the passive side despite the tough career she chose. "Are you both d-done... looking at the house?"
Lucy raised a brow, but said nothing about the woman's odd behavior. It was nothing like her calm demeanor from earlier. "Yes, and we have some good news."
The realtor finally met Lucy and Natsu's gaze. "And what's that?" She prayed they wouldn't say anything inappropriate.
Natsu wrapped an arm around Lucy's shoulder. They looked at each other, smiling as they nodded before turning to the realtor to say, "we'll take it!"
The woman let out a relieved sigh before nodding. "That's great! If you two would like to come to the office to start the paperwork I'd be more than happy to assist you."
"Sounds like a plan," Lucy said before the two went to get in her new car. It was one she purchased a few days ago. It wasn't brand new, but it was still a late model. As long as it got from point A to point B she was happy with it. The two buckled up, then Lucy started to drive to the realtor's office with Natsu groaning about his sensitive stomach in the passenger seat.
On their way to the office they passed by the elementary school the realtor mentioned. Lucy felt only a slight pain in her heart, but it went away when she grasped one of Natsu's hands. He was oblivious to her troubles since his current objective was to keep from puking in her car. He felt like she should have it for at least a week before accidentally ruining it.
When they got to the office they got right to it. The realtor asked them which bank they were wanting to go through, which Lucy then informed her they were paying in full. The realtor startled for only a second before regaining her composure. They got to work. The realtor informed them they'd need to do some inspections of the property before buying.
This was also the time to get any additional inspections they would like done before actually buying. It would take some time to get everything done. They would also need to get the house appraised.
The final step would be closing. Since they were buying it in full they could set their own closing date with the seller. Natsu and Lucy decided to wait until the inspections came back before setting a date.
With some papers filled out and the shake of two hands the realtor insured them she would be on top of this process until it was completed. The couple left feeling secure in their decision, but the anxiety of waiting until everything was done would eat them alive.
For the next few weeks Natsu and Lucy constantly checked their phones to see if there was any update. Each completed and passed inspection helped lessen their nervousness, but then it only made them more giddy to finish so they could actually have a home.
During those weeks Lucy began to act a little strange. One minute she'd be acting normal, the next she was in tears over relatively normal things. "I just wanted to watch my show. I didn't know it didn't play on Wednesdays," she'd say with tears in her eyes.
Natsu rolled with it, comforting Lucy as well as he could until she was back to normal again. The most noticeable change had to be her wardrobe. As the days passed she opted to wear more and more of his clothes. "My clothes just don't fit right," she complained, blaming his washer and dryer for shrinking her clothes yet again.
He would just chuckle, rub her back, and tell her everything would be fine. They both blamed her weird behavior on buying the house. It was stressing her out, making her act odd. Natsu just hoping it would end when they found out whether or not they would get the house.
Things with the women's shelter were progressing as well. To make things easier, Lucy gave the amount to buy the new building in the form of a donation to the organization. Of course she had her lawyer come in to help with the process. Despite it being for a good cause Lucy knew some people were shady. Her lawyer saw that every dime she donated went to good use.
Natsu was impressed with Lucy's recovery during their waiting period. Whenever she felt sad or the need to cut -which rarely happened- she went straight to him with it. Honesty was important now more than ever. He made sure to not let her feel ashamed of herself. That wasn't the way to encourage someone to recover. It would only make her hide her issues, which he didn't want.
Every day got a little better, hope no longer sparking, but living in their hearts. They were both getting better one step at a time. The counseling and AA meetings certainly helped. Lucy hadn't cut herself since before the trial ended and Natsu hadn't taken a drink since he first quit.
Finally, after Natsu and Lucy finished having dinner at a nice restaurant to celebrate his three month sobriety, they got the call they'd been waiting on. Everything with the house was finished, inspected, appraised, and ready. All they needed to do was sign the paperwork.
The following Monday they showed up at the office before it opened. Natsu called off work, thankfully having an understanding boss. Once the doors opened they rushed in to sign. Lucy had the cashier's check with the agreed upon price and the owners had the keys to give to the happy couple.
After a few -more like fifty- signatures later they were ready to move in. It would take some time to process everything and get the official deed to the house, but they were still the new owners of the home. They couldn't wait to move in.
They spent the next few days arranging their move from the apartment. The lease wasn't up for a few more weeks, so instead of trying to find a new tenant they would just pay the rent owed until the lease expired.
They signed for the house on November 21st, and by November 23rd they had most of their stuff in their new home. It couldn't come at a better time seeing as the next day was Thanksgiving. They invited all their friends and family over to celebrate.
Jude said he would fly in with Virgo -who was working for him again since he could now afford her salary. Levy and Gajeel said they'd come, Levy would even bring some sides. Gray and Juvia agreed to come as long as they could bring their children along, which Lucy said she had no problems with. It was time she finally met the kids of her friends. She knew she shouldn't let her own misfortune stop her from getting to know their children.
Juvia said she would bake a pie, but thankfully Gray said they'd just bring a store bought dessert. Four years later and the poor girl still couldn't bake to save her life. Erza and Jellal said they wouldn't miss the celebration for the world. Erza would bring more sides and a strawberry cheesecake -the girl couldn't go too long without cake.
Natsu's brother Zeref, and his wife Mavis said they would make the drive to see them on Thanksgiving. He hadn't seen his brother in a while, so it would be a treat to catch up. Natsu's parents also agreed to come. Natsu's mom would make two turkeys while Lucy made the ham.
It all seemed to be working out great. Thanksgiving was tomorrow, Lucy and Natsu were almost done moving boxes into the house, Happy was working on getting adjusted to his new environment, and Natsu had something round and shiny in a velvet box hiding in his dresser.
Everything seemed great, but nobody was prepared for the unexpected news they would receive the night of Thanksgiving.
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Up next, Chapter Nineteen: A toast you won't forget- Part One
So, lots of information to absorb this chapter. To summarize: Lucy is helping Magnolia's women's shelter buy a new, bigger building. She's also doing very well with her recovery, alongside Natsu who hasn't had anything to drink since the day he quit. Lucy and Natsu bought a house together. The process was stressful, making Lucy go through some mood swings. (If you believe that...) And that darn washer and dryer keeps shrinking her clothes. Gosh darn... :)
They're basically moved in and tomorrow (for them) is Thanksgiving. With all their friends and family around it seems like the perfect time to... eat some turkey. I won't say anything more about the object Natsu's hiding from Lucy. ;) (For my Yuri On Ice fans, maybe it's just a gold metal?)
Let me know what you thought of this chapter? Thanks for reading! I really appreciate all the support!