Chapter Twenty-One: I Do
The next few months seemed to fly by as Natsu and Lucy prepared for the new addition to their family. The spare room was now transformed into a baby's room, complete with furniture and a closet full of blue and green clothing.
Yes. Natsu and Lucy were having a baby boy. They found out when Lucy hit her eighteenth week in her pregnancy in an ultrasound. Needless to say they were excited over the reveal. Lucy always wanted a son to love and care for, and Natsu couldn't wait to teach him how to fight. He could already imagine how amazing it'd be having the third person in their house, not counting Happy of course.
So far the only issue they had with the pregnancy was Lucy's placenta hadn't migrated away from her cervix yet, but the doctor she saw assured her it wasn't that big of a deal. She would just need some follow-up appointments as she got closer to her due date to make sure it moved. Other than that, her pregnancy was going great.
With the baby room set up and their recoveries proceeding, it was time to plan their wedding. Lucy wanted to get married before the baby came. It would make things easier since they wouldn't have to worry about another human being while going through the ceremony.
They decided to get married towards the end of February. Lucy would be estimated at twenty-seven weeks pregnant, and Natsu would be around six months sober. Each day was different in their recovery. Some days it felt like they didn't have built up issues, but others they would struggle just to reach nighttime.
They attended a few social gatherings throughout the months, ultimately preparing for having people together for the wedding. Natsu felt his control slip just a bit when he was around alcohol, but he managed to keep it together. He didn't want to disappoint Lucy or himself. If he wanted to show Lucy he could be a good dad he had to prove it.
Lucy hadn't cut herself in months, mostly due to being pregnant. It wasn't that she thought making a simple cut would hurt the baby, it was because now she didn't hate her body as much. It was able to do what she wanted it to do, even if it took a while.
Speaking of which, they found out why it took her so long to get pregnant. A week before the wedding, Natsu and Lucy flew to Crocus to have a little talk with her old doctor. Once they got to the examination room and the doctor, Dr. Orga Nanagear, came in, he looked at Lucy's round belly. "So you finally got pregnant," he commented before sitting down on a stool.
Lucy nodded, "yes, but I was wanting to know why? My last doctor said I was infertile." That was the reason Jackal switched her to see this doctor to get a second opinion.
"That doctor no longer works here," Dr. Nanagear said. "He resigned shortly after I took over as your doctor."
Lucy furrowed her brows. "Why's that?"
Natsu sat off to the side, silently observing their conversation. He didn't know much about medical stuff, and even less about pregnancies. He was trying to read the books Lucy gave him, but some things were harder to read than others. He honestly didn't realize how messy pregnancy would be.
"Why don't you ask him yourself," her doctor scribbled something on a piece of paper, then handed it to her. "He's working at that clinic now. You should pay him a visit. I'm not at liberty to discuss what he did to you."
That only served to confuse her more. Weren't doctors allowed to talk to each other about the same patient? She assumed he would, but the man in front of her seemed determined to keep his mouth shut.
"Good luck," was all he said before leaving the room.
Natsu and Lucy threw each other a glance, then shrugged. They wanted to know why she was deemed infertile when she clearly wasn't, but now it was turning into a wild goose chase. Lucy just wanted a simple answer, but she found out soon enough it was never that simple.
They sat in the waiting room of the free clinic for what felt like hours, but finally the doctor came to grab them. He seemed uncomfortable with the visit, but led them to his personal office anyway.
Natsu noticed the doctor's long blonde hair immediately. It was hard not to. Most men didn't wear their hair like that, especially not doctors. Natsu felt a little uneasy from the man's expression, but decided to say nothing for the time being. He wasn't here to talk, only listen and find out the truth.
Truthfully he didn't mind not knowing. He was okay with accepting Lucy's pregnancy as a miracle and move on, but Lucy wanted to know, so he was there for support. Once the door to the doctor's office was closed, he said, "I'm going to need to see your cell phones."
Lucy and Natsu shared similar expressions: narrowed eyes and cocked heads. "Why?"
"To make sure you're not recording." It was the only thing the doctor said before holding out his hands.
Natsu gave Lucy a wary look before handing over his phone. He couldn't figure out why the doctor would think they would record this conversation. Lucy handed over her phone too, watching as the man turned both devices off, then set them on his desk. "Now please lift your shirts so I can check for wires.
"No way," Natsu growled. He was already getting a bad vibe from the doctor, but his request made him sure he wasn't imagining it.
Lucy on the other hand complied. She lifted her shirt up to her bra to reveal her baby bump, as well as the lack of wires on her skin. "We don't have any recording devices?"
The doctor nodded, then told her she could drop her shirt. He turned to Natsu, waiting patiently until he huffed, then jerked his shirt up to show his toned stomach and chest, also absent of any wires.
"Good," the doctor smiled. "Now what can I do for you Mrs. Heartfilia?"
"It's actually Miss Heartfilia," Lucy corrected.
"Oh, that's right," the doctor leaned back in his office chair, "I remember seeing something about your case on the local news."
"Yeah..." Lucy still felt a little uneasy when that subject was brought up, so she quickly switched topics. "We just came in to ask you a question."
"Does it have anything to do with my diagnosis?"
Lucy frowned. "Yes. You said I was infertile. I was wondering why?"
The doctor glanced between Natsu and Lucy, finally settling his gaze on Natsu. "Hi," he stretched out his hand, "I don't believe we've met. I'm Dr. Rufus Lore."
"Natsu," his voice was clipped, already irritated the man was dodging Lucy's question in favor of an introduction. He shook the man's hand quickly, probably putting a little too much grip in it, but it was a natural reaction to him holding back his scowl.
"Answer Lucy's question," Natsu demanded as he let go of the man's hand, green eyes narrowing in an attempt to intimidate the doctor.
It seemed to work. He cleared his throat, then turned to face Lucy again. "Look, I gave you that diagnosis thinking it would end your husband's constant visits. If he thought you were infertile he would stop stressing you out and putting pressure on you and me to get you pregnant. Or at least that's what I hoped he would do. Clearly that didn't work..."
"You wanted him to stop stressing me out?" Lucy didn't understand. "Is stress why I couldn't get pregnant?"
"Stress doesn't help with getting pregnant, but it doesn't stop it from happening." Dr. Lore's eyes lowered to her legs that were currently covered in jeans. "I wanted you to have less stress so hopefully you'd stop cutting yourself."
"What does that have anything to do with it?" Lucy felt like defending herself. If the doctor wasn't concerned when he first saw her cuts why would he be concerned now?
Dr. Lore's lips curved into a frown. "I personally didn't think you were ready to have a child. That's why I took action to delay the possibility of you getting pregnant until you got over your cutting problem."
Lucy's head spun at that news. "You... took action?"
"I did," Dr. Lore crossed his arms over his chest. "You remember those shots I gave you every three months and the pills?"
Lucy thought back to when she had to go to the hospital to get her fertility shots. "Yeah... The fertility shots..."
"That was birth control and placebo pills."
Silence filled the room. Lucy couldn't think for a moment, her mind shutting down. Natsu on the other hand felt enraged. "Why'd you give her birth control?" Lucy's constant rape was Jackal's way of getting her pregnant. If the doctor hadn't given her birth control she might have had her suffering ended sooner. Sure she would have conceived with Jackal, but at least then she'd have a baby to show for it.
"I didn't think she was stable enough to care for a child," Dr. Lore said without hesitation. "She was hacking away at her skin when she was stressed. What would she do if she had a child? Babies are stressful. In my honest opinion I didn't think she was ready to have a kid."
"That wasn't your decision to make," Natsu growled. "You should have given her the choice."
"How?" The doctor asked with a raised brow. "Her husband was always with us. It was obvious Lucy wasn't ready to have a baby, and I didn't want to anger Mr. Tartaros."
"What does that have anything to do with it?"
Dr. Lore shook his head. "His company is our biggest donor. Do you think he'd continue to support the hospital if I told him they shouldn't have a kid?"
"Then why'd she get pregnant if she was on birth control?" Natsu wasn't ready to let the doctor's actions go, but he needed to know.
"Once I diagnosed her as infertile Jackal took her to see a different doctor. Dr. Nanagear immediately found out she was on birth control after running a simple test, so he took her off it and started giving her fertility treatment."
"When?" Natsu asked, clenching his jaw.
"If memory serves me it was about a year ago."
Lucy finally snapped back to reality. "Why didn't I get pregnant before?" She asked, her throat feeling especially tight. "I didn't start seeing you about my problem until I was married for..." She had to think about it. "Two years I believe. Why didn't I get pregnant before then?"
Dr. Lore sighed. "Just because two adults are healthy doesn't mean pregnancy will happen immediately. I know some healthy couples who take years to first conceive, and there are also some who get pregnant after the first try. The human body is tricky. A woman in my family actually took five years to get pregnant with her first child, and both her and her husband were fine."
Lucy asked the question she'd been wondering for a while. "Is Jackal really fertile?"
Dr. Lore glanced over at her, then sighed. "I'm not supposed to tell you since you're no longer married to him and he's not here, but I've already told you before so I guess it doesn't matter. Yes. Jackal's sperm count is just fine. He's just as capable of making a child as you are."
Lucy felt an emptiness spread throughout her body. She was hoping maybe Jackal was really infertile, and that was why she couldn't get pregnant before. It would be a way to prove Natsu was the father of her baby without getting a test done, but this news crushed that hope.
Jackal could very well be the father of her child... But... But Natsu didn't seem to mind. He went to every appointment with her, went out of his way to go baby shopping with her, and even helped pick out the baby's name. She wouldn't be going with 'Dragano' like he suggested, but it was the thought that counted. He was extremely involved in her pregnancy, and she hated thinking it would all be for nothing if the baby wasn't his.
Now that Lucy knew it really was a 50/50 chance either man was the father, she started asking different questions. An hour later Natsu and Lucy were leaving the clinic, questions answered and hearts heavy. Piling it all together, they came up with this timeline:
Once Lucy and Jackal were married they started having sex. Lucy would just lie there and accept whatever Jackal did to her as her 'wifely duties'. Lucy put up with that until the fifteenth month of their marriage. Up until then she'd been unlucky when it came to getting pregnant.
During the fifteenth month, Lucy gave up on writing Natsu anymore letters since she thought he wasn't going to write back to her. She had no idea he was never receiving the letters, so she felt hurt by the lack of contact. When she gave up Jackal tried to have sex with her. He was being rough, so she told him to stop. That resulted in him raping her for the first time, and it only escalated from there.
Shortly after he started raping her, Lucy started cutting herself to dull her emotional pain. She still hadn't gotten pregnant, but it was only by dumb luck. It had nothing to do with stress or possible infertility. By the time she saw Dr. Lore, she had a decent amount of cuts on her body.
The doctor took it upon himself to give her birth control instead of fertility treatments like her husband demanded she receive. Dr. Lore didn't feel she was in the right state of mind to have a child. The decision was not his to make, but he made it anyway.
The birth control rendered the rape, artificial insemination, and In vitro fertilization useless. Dr. Lore admitted to not even administering the procedures correctly. When she was supposed to be inserted with the samples it was actually empty. He was wasting their money and time because of his own beliefs.
Dr. Lore thought if he told Jackal Lucy was infertile he would give up on putting her through that much stress. He noticed every time she came back her cuts were increasing, so he guessed it was the husband's fault for putting so much pressure on her. He thought if she could fix her issues with her cutting she would be fit to be a good mother.
Once again, it wasn't his call, but he took measures into his own hands anyway.
Instead of getting Jackal to back off, he did quite the opposite. Jackal took her to see another doctor who immediately realized she was on birth control. After correcting the issue, Dr. Nanagear threatened Dr. Lore into resigning. If he didn't he was going to go to the medical board about his actions. He would surely lose his license to practice medicine, so in an effort to avoid that, Dr. Lore left his high-paying job to take a simple job at a free clinic.
The only reason Dr. Lore told them all this? They couldn't prove anything.
Dr. Nanagear didn't want to tell the truth in fear of losing Mr. Tartaros' donations, and Natsu and Lucy had no recording devices right now to back up what he said. All the files for Lucy's procedures were filled out correctly, and the inventories for the items used were changed to match what he said.
Instead of getting mad, Lucy accepted the news. She wouldn't say thank you, but she realized it was for the best in the end. She honestly didn't think the raping and beatings would stop once she got pregnant. It would most likely continue because Jackal was a sick and twisted man. Even if he got what he wanted he still wouldn't be satisfied, and Lucy knew that.
Dr. Lore said he didn't know Jackal was raping her until he saw the news. He just thought Lucy was cutting herself for other reasons. He wasn't a psychologist after all. He did admit he was sorry for manipulating her like that. If he'd known the whole truth he would have called someone to report Mr. Tartaros, but hindsight is 20/20.
Dr. Lore said the birth control he put her on wore off a few months after the last injection, so she was able to get pregnant sometime after that. It was once again bad luck she hadn't gotten pregnant until recently. Lucy asked him if he had a better idea on who the baby's father would be, but Dr. Lore said he honestly didn't know.
Natsu finally interrupted them, saying it didn't matter whose DNA it was, but Lucy said she was still curious. Natsu shook his head, then left the room, saying if she wanted to find out that was fine, but he didn't want to know. As much as Lucy wanted to stop him, it was his choice, so she let him go.
Lucy felt herself getting overwhelmed, but she stayed strong enough to get through the next part. She told Dr. Lore Jackal raped her on a Wednesday morning, then she drove to Magnolia where she had unprotected sex with Natsu that following Thursday night. The estimated date of conception fell right on that Thursday, but she knew it could take a few days to actually get pregnant.
Dr. Lore said he honestly didn't know, but he did give her a bit of good news. "Any calculation of a conception date is an estimate, and she could have gotten pregnant by either man." That meant there was a chance she was carrying Natsu's baby. As much as she didn't want to think about the paternity, she couldn't help herself. She would love the baby no matter what, but she still felt guilty thinking Natsu would raise a baby that might not be his.
The engaged couple left the clinic to go grab something to eat before their flight back to Magnolia. It was a quiet cab ride to the restaurant, but that could have been due to Natsu's upset stomach despite taking a motion sickness pill.
At the restaurant they calmly talked about what they were thinking. Natsu said he still didn't want to know the baby's paternity, but if Lucy ever wanted to know he would willingly take the test, as long as she didn't share the information with him. He wanted to be a dad to their child no matter what.
Lucy said she was only worried Natsu would end up regretting everything if it turned out Jackal was the father, but Natsu assured her that wouldn't happen. That put her worries to rest for the moment, but she didn't know how long it would last. Her mood was all over the place, but it could only partially be blamed on her pregnancy.
In an attempt to lighten the mood, Natsu asked, "you excited about next week?"
It seemed to work, seeing as a smile graced Lucy's lips. "Very, but I'm worried something will go wrong."
Natsu had to chuckle at that. It was a wedding between the two of them with all their friends and family around. Of course something would go wrong. The best case scenario was Natsu and Gray got in a fight, the worse was... Well Natsu didn't want to think about the worst. His biggest fear was Lucy getting cold feet, but so far she hadn't given him any reason to think she might have changed her mind.
"I'm sure everything will be fine," Natsu assured, reaching across the table to grab her hands. He just wanted to feel her, to draw comfort from her touch. "Is there anythin' else we need to do before the big day?"
Natsu was very involved in the pregnancy, but not so much in the wedding. Party planning wasn't really his thing, and making definitive decisions about color arrangements were further out of the question. Lucy gave him one simple task, pick out the rings and your suit. Everything else would be handled by Lucy and her group of female friends -who were dying to plan a Natsu/Lucy wedding since they were all still in high school.
"I don't think so," Lucy said, then smiled as the waiter came by to drop off their drinks and take their orders. Once he left, Lucy added, "the girls are on top of everything."
"That's good," Natsu smiled, then took a sip from his soda. "I'm ready to marry ya already." They both laughed, then talked more about their plans for the ceremony and what would come afterwards.
Natsu shoved the index card into his pocket, confident he memorized everything he wanted to say in his vows. He wasn't one for words, but when he thought of Lucy he knew she deserved something great. That's why he spent so much time and effort working on them.
Looking at the clock on the wall, he realized soon he would need to leave the room to go to the altar. He glanced in the mirror to straighten his suit to the best of his abilities. It was a dark grey jacket and slacks with a deep red shirt underneath. He loved how the colors worked together, even if the white scarf around his neck somewhat threw off the vibe.
"What? Can't be bothered to wear a tie to your own wedding?" Gray chimed in when he entered the room.
Natsu shot him a glare, ready to tell him to shut up, but stopped when he noticed Gray's missing clothing. "Says the guy without any pants on." There was a playfulness to his tone. He was in a great mood despite his slight nervousness.
Gray glanced down, then muttered a curse. "I'll find them before this thing starts," he promised, already making a list of the places he went to between the car and there.
"Eh," Natsu shrugged. "Don't bother. It's not like none of them haven't seen you like that."
The wedding was small, only hosting their closest friends and family. Lucy expressed wanting to keep things simple. She didn't have to say it, but Natsu knew her reasons behind it. Her wedding to Jackal was huge and elaborate, and ultimately ended in failure. Although that wasn't the ceremony's fault, Lucy wanted to avoid anything big and fancy.
Natsu was fine by that. It helped keep himself calm. He was already working up a sweat. He couldn't help it. He was finally going to marry the woman he loved for years, and that alone scared him. He worried about screwing up, messing up a line during the ceremony or possibly tripping -or accidentally setting something on fire... It wouldn't be the first time.
But actually marrying Lucy? He wasn't scared at all.
He knew he loved her with all his heart, and nothing could change that. He was somewhat suspicious of Lucy's decision to personally see her old doctors right before the wedding. He had a feeling she was testing him, seeing if he really wanted to go through with the marriage if he heard from the doctor there was a chance Jackal was the father.
Scratch that. Sperm donor. Jackal would never be their son's father.
It didn't work. That baby could come out with blonde hair and yellow eyes and Natsu would still love the kid. Mason, as Lucy decided his name would be, was their child, no matter what. Natsu was just excited to have a new addition to the family, even if that meant a lack of sleep and some stressful times. He was willing to put in the effort if Lucy was willing to stay in his life.
"How ya feeling?" Gray asked when he stood behind Natsu, looking over his best friend in the mirror.
"Great," Natsu couldn't lie. His heart might be pounding a mile a minute, and his palms might be a tad bit sweaty, but he was ready to seal this deal.
"Awesome." Gray pulled out the rings, then said, "I'm gonna go give these to the ring bearer" -which happened to be his son- "then we gotta get out there."
"Sounds like a plan," Natsu fiddled with a random lock of pink hair that refused to stay in place before giving up. "I'll be ready."
Gray left, leaving Natsu alone once again. As he went over his vows once more, the door opened, revealing a man Natsu hadn't expected to see just yet. "Jude?"
Said man furrowed his brows, clearly not amused with being on a first name basis with Natsu. He pulled himself together before walking over to Natsu, face showing little emotion as he held out a hand. "I just wanted to give you and Lucy my..."
Just seemed to struggle as he finished, "my blessing."
Natsu almost laughed. Almost. As much as he wanted to rub it in the older man's face that his blessing wasn't needed to marry Lucy, he swallowed the urge down. "Thanks," Natsu forced out, reaching out to give his future father-in-law a firm handshake.
"And if you ever think about hurting her or her baby-" Jude started, but he was quickly cut off by the groom.
"Our baby," Natsu corrected, hand tightening on Jude's in a crushing grip. "And I wouldn't dare think of hurting either one of them. They're my family." His smile seemed playful, but the fire in his eyes told a different story. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to get ready before I go marry Lucy."
Natsu let go, a hint of amusement on his face when he saw Jude subtly shake out his sore hand. He wasn't going to point it out, but Jude's comment got him riled up. "With, or without your blessing," Natsu finished, not wanting Jude to think for a moment he needed such a trivial thing. It was the twenty-first century. Lucy was able to make up her mind for herself without needing her father's approval.
Jude muttered, "of course." Before he left, he added, "welcome to the family, Natsu. I'm sorry for how I treated you in the past."
Natsu blinked, a little stunned to actually hear an apology. Part of him thought he imagined it, but he was sure he heard it with his own ears. The man used to intimidate Natsu, but that was when he thought Natsu wasn't good enough for Lucy. Natsu felt more confident now knowing she returned his feelings, and now truly having Jude's blessing was somewhat of a shock. All those years ago he never thought he really had a shot with Lucy, but now he couldn't be happier to be proven wrong.
Natsu wasn't able to read through his vows again before the door opened once more. A man with red hair poked his head in before smiling. "They're ready for you, son."
Natsu looked up, smiling when he saw his own father. "Alright," he slipped the index card in his pocket, then took a deep breath. "I'm all fired up," he said to himself, letting the words flow through his body like a fire through dead grass, burning through him to make room for the start of his new adventure with Lucy always by his side.
A few minutes later he found himself at the altar. He stood next to an extremely short man named Makarov Dreyar. He was a family friend who just happened to be a licensed wedding officiant. Natsu felt comfortable keeping the ceremony as intimate as possible with only people they knew. It was why their friends Freed Justine was in charge of recording while Reedus Jonah took the photos.
Music started playing, so Natsu's eyes -as well as the audience's eyes- went towards the opening of the room. First to start walking down the aisle was Erza and Jellal. She had her hand wrapped around his arm the entire way. Once they were standing up by the altar, Juvia and Gajeel showed up by the opening of the room. They walked down in a similar manner, smiling as they took their places at the altar.
Gray and Levy showed up at the door next, then Levy wrapped a hand around Gray's arm as he escorted her down the aisle. By now Juvia was less worried over 'love rivals', knowing Gray and Levy were only doing their duties of best man and maid of honor, so she said nothing as the two made their way to the altar.
Gray stood beside Natsu while Levy took her place beside where Lucy would be standing soon. Next to come down the aisle was Gray's son, followed by his daughter, who was the flower girl. The little boy stood beside Gray while the little girl stood next to Levy.
A few seconds later, she showed up.
Natsu felt his heart leap in his chest when he finally saw Lucy for the first time that day. She wore a light pink, flowy dress that came down to her feet. The straps were white, with a pink bow wrapped under her breasts to set upon her baby bump. They both discussed it, realizing it would be weird if she wore a white dress, especially after being married before and clearly being six months pregnant.
Her golden hair was pulled back into an updo, her makeup subtle, but enough to make her skin glow -or maybe that was the pregnancy. Natsu had a hard time telling. He barely held back his chuckle when he saw her take the first step towards him. He remembered her buying high heels for the ceremony, but currently her feet were adorned in a pair of silver flats. He guessed her feet were hurting, which wasn't uncommon lately.
Jude walked beside her, escorting her down the aisle. Lucy allowed him this small gesture, seeing as he wasn't involved with anything else. They refused to have him pay for the wedding, saying they wanted to do it on their own. Truly Lucy wanted her father to be there, but their relationship was still strained from the neglect he showed towards her for so long. Still, it was getting better slowly.
When Lucy finally stood beside Natsu he couldn't stop himself from saying, "you're so beautiful."
He didn't realize he said it out loud, or that everyone heard him, because all he could focus on was Lucy's brown eyes as they lit up. She smiled at him, cheeks flushed and fingers curling over her bouquet of lotus flowers as her other hand came out to grab his. "And you're pretty handsome yourself."
Natsu grinned, heart once again hammering in his chest, but his nerves faded away. He was ready for this, more ready than he'd ever been in his entire life.
The ceremony proceeded when Makarov began speaking. "Welcome family and friends. We are here today to celebrate the miracle of love, and to bear witness the union of Natsu Dragneel and Lucy Heartfilia in holy matrimony." He looked between the bride and groom. "Are you both willing to give your hand to the one whose heart you hold?"
Natsu and Lucy both glanced at each other, then looked at Makarov. "Absolutely," Lucy said.
At the same time, Natsu said, "of course!"
With that, Makarov asked, "who gives Lucy to be married to Natsu?"
Jude rose from his seat. He didn't hesitate to say, "I do." He sat back down after Makarov nodded.
With that out of the way, the real ceremony began. Before either of them knew it, it was time to say their vows. Natsu went first, pulling out his index card and clearing his throat before he began. The card was more there in case he stumbled, but by then the words were cemented in his heart, much like his love for Lucy.
"Lucy," he started, looking in her eyes and speaking loud enough so everyone could hear him. "We both know I'm not perfect. I have my issues, some everyone knows about, some only you know." The fingers holding her hand slightly trembled as he realized how vulnerable he felt in that moment.
"You helped me when I was at a low point in my life, and I can never thank you enough for that. You pulled me from the darkness, helped me see there was still a way to the light, and that was you. Lucy, you've always been like light to me. Bright, shining, something I thought I could never reach."
Natsu saw the way his words effected her. The blush spread, her eyes growing watery as his smile twisted. He was fighting off his own emotions, knowing he was a sucker if she started crying.
"You make me a better man than I am on my own. You motivate me to work harder to protect the future I have with you." He paused, feeling himself getting choked up. "I-I know things won't always be easy, and we still have a lot of work we need to do on ourselves and our relationship, but I know we can get through it if we work together, because you're the best partner in life anyone could ever ask for."
A tear finally rolled down Lucy's cheek, her grip tightening on his hand. "Anyone would be lucky to have you in their life, but I'm glad you chose me. I promise I will do everything in my power to make sure you and our child have the best life possible."
The way he said it, Lucy had no doubts the child would truly be his. He had so much time to think it through, but he was still standing in front of her, pouring his heart out to show how much she meant to him. And for a man who wasn't good with words, he was sure doing something to her heart.
"I love you Lucy, with all of my heart. Your smile is infectious, and your strength is inspiring. You have a kind soul and a gentleness about you that makes others feel safe and warm. You're my best friend, and I vow to always protect you, love you, and be faithful to you, until I draw my last breath."
Natsu felt his forehead press against hers. He didn't even notice when he moved so close to her. He was too busy getting lost in her beautiful brown eyes. In a whisper so only she could hear, he said, "but even death won't stop the way I feel about you, Luce."
Lucy was in tears at this point. Her vision blurring the longer Natsu spoke. He slowly pulled away from her, desperately wanting to kiss her but knowing it wasn't time yet. He took a half-step away from her, his hand never leaving hers as he stuffed the index card back in his pocket. He hadn't even looked at it once during the speech.
Lucy saw Makarov wipe a tear from his eye in her peripheral vision. He cleared his throat, then said, "Lucy. I understand you also prepared something."
She could only gawk at the short man for a second before saying, "h-how am I supposed to follow that?!"
A soft laugh broke out in the audience. It was obvious to her they thought she was funny, but now she was panicking. Lucy gulped, the pressure was on. She didn't bring anything to read from, words already memorized.
"N-Natsu," she sniffled, her voice quieter than she'd like it to be. Lucy gazed at the man she was about to marry. He held a soft smile, his green eyes soft and fixed only on her, as if nothing else existed in the world.
She committed herself to only focusing on him. It felt easier talking to Natsu alone, so for the time being, it was just the two of them.
"I used to dream of the day I would marry my prince charming. As a little girl I would plan my dream wedding with my mom. I already knew what type of man I wanted to marry. He would be strong, brave, and handsome. You're all those things." She paused, thumb rubbing against his skin before adding, "but I also wanted him to be calm, well-mannered and soft-spoken."
Lucy saw the little quirk in the corner of Natsu's mouth. He was amused she'd use those words considering he wasn't like that. "Although my reality turned out differently than my dream, I'm happy." Her grip on his hand tightened as she winked, "turns out I don't want a man like that anyways."
A few giggles sounded from the people watching, reminding Lucy they weren't alone. She didn't let that bother her, only caring about what Natsu thought. "You may not be a prince, but I'd much rather have my fiery dragon."
Natsu's small smile turned into a grin. He definitely liked being referred to as a dragon. "You're my best friend. You're the person I want to see when I wake up, and the person I want beside me when I fall asleep. You are the person I want to spend the rest of my life with."
Lucy swallowed, her heart beating quickly and her skin tingling. Natsu's eyes were growing wet as he tried to stay in control of his emotions, but Lucy knew he was close to crying. "You're understanding, compassionate, and full of optimism. I couldn't help but fall in love with you, but I don't just love you with my heart. My soul yearns to be with you, to stay by your side until death do us part."
Lucy felt her heart grow heavy as she said, "I honestly thought my life wasn't going anywhere for the longest time. I won't dwell on the past, because that's all it is. The past, and you are my future."
She placed a hand on her belly, bottom lip quivering. "You're our future." That was what got Natsu to spill his first tear. He'd been feeling like he was forcing himself into her and her child's life, but to hear her say it out loud made that fear vanish. She accepted him into their lives.
"Natsu. I vow to be loyal to you, love you, care for you, without conditions. I vow to confide in you when I need someone to lean on, and to always be there to give you support and strength when you need it in return. We can get through anything, as long as we have each other."
Lucy blinked, realizing she had started crying again at some point. She prepared for this, knowing it was a possibility given their emotional roller coaster of a relationship. "Y-you are my one true love. I honestly never thought we'd make it to this point. Growing up with you I... I wanted to be with you, but life got in the way..."
She wouldn't allow herself to remember her past right now. Today was all about the start of their new life. "I only wish my mother was here to witness this. She always loved you. I know she would be happy to find out we ended up together."
Lucy gulped, feeling sweat form on the back of her neck. "I don't regret for a moment being your friend throughout the years. You gave me hope when I had none, and I treasure the memories we've made together, and the memories we are sure to create in our new life."
Lucy's hand traveled up, gripping onto Natsu's forearm. "I love you Natsu, now and forever. Thank you for not giving up on me." She smiled, knowing the tears she spilled were from joy. "I know I'll never regret giving you my heart, my body, my trust, and my soul. Thank you Natsu, for being you. I will love you until the day I die, and forever after that."
Natsu nodded, a few tears staining his cheek as he struggled to hold himself together. His lips were curved up to form a shaky smile. He barely heard when Makarov started talking again, his focus of Lucy's beautiful face.
"Natsu and Lucy, you have shared promises in our presence. Do you have the rings you wish to exchange?"
"Y-yes," Natsu nodded, turning to accept the ring from Gray. He'd already grabbed the two rings from his son in preparation. With the ring in hand, Natsu was instructed to repeat after Makarov as he moved the ring to the tip of Lucy's finger. He was ready, barely containing his excitement to finally make Lucy his wife.
He'd been wanting this since the first moment he realized he loved Lucy.
"I Natsu... Take you Lucy to be my wife... To live together, as friend and mate... And I will love you, as a person... I will respect you, as an equal... Sharing joy, as well as sorrow... Through triumph, as well as defeat... And I will keep you beside me, as long as we both shall live... I give you this ring as a symbol of our vows... And with all that I am, and all that I have... I honor you... With this ring, I thee wed."
Natsu slipped the ring onto her finger. It fit perfectly, looking almost just as lovely as she was. In his opinion nothing could be prettier than her.
Lucy took a moment to admire the view of Natsu's hand on hers before he pulled away. She looked past him to Gray, seeing the man holding a larger ring out for her to take. She accepted it, waiting for Makarov to start.
"Lucy, if you'll repeat after me."
She smiled, keeping the ring at the tip of his finger as she began, her eyes on his as she spoke. "I Lucy... Take you Natsu to be my husband... To live together, as friend and mate... And I will love you, as a person... I will respect you, as an equal... Sharing joy, as well as sorrow... Through triumph, as well as defeat... And I will keep you beside me, as long as we both shall live... I give you this ring as a symbol of our vows... And with all that I am, and all that I have... I honor you... With this ring, I thee wed."
The ring fit just right as she placed it on his finger. She gave his hand a squeeze before gazing up at him. It was almost time. Her breathing grew unsteady as she waited for the moment...
The moment they would be joined in matrimony. She couldn't wait, and judging by the fire in Natsu's eyes, he couldn't either.
Makarov cleared his throat before he announced, "we who have come together today have heard the willingness of Natsu Dragneel and Lucy Heartfilia to be joined in marriage. They have come of their free will and in our presence, have declared their love and commitment to each other."
Lucy looked from Natsu's face to see their friends and family. Everyone wore smiles, some watery, some shaky, but it was clear they approved of their union. Lucy turned back to look at Natsu, green eyes full of determination and love.
"They have given and received a ring as a symbol of their promises. Therefore, by the power vested in me by the laws of the state of Magnolia, I take great pride and pleasure as I declare them husband and wife."
Makarov looked at the groom, a large grin on his face as he said, "Natsu, you may now kiss your bride!"
Natsu didn't hesitate to grab her in his arms. After everything that was said, he was surprised he didn't accidentally knock them over with how fast he swooped in to place a kiss on her lips.
Both could hear applause and cheering, but they tuned it out as their eyes fluttered shut and their arms wrapped around each other. Lucy hummed against his mouth as Natsu's lips carefully squeezed over her bottom one. They were still in front of friends and family, so they kept the kiss as PG-13 as they could, even though they both wanted something a little more passionate and a little more on the rated R side.
Natsu pulled away first, a low growl escaping his throat when he saw Lucy swipe her tongue across her lips before they both leaned back. A dusty rose color filled both their cheeks as they smiled, knowing what was about to come next.
"Ladies and Gentlemen," Makarov started. "Let me introduce, for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. Natsu Dragneel!"
Their friends and family cheered, someone even yelling "finally!" from the back. Natsu and Lucy let out a soft laugh, eyes locked on each other when they heard the music start playing again.
Natsu wrapped an arm around his new wife -just thinking of her as his wife was enough to fill his heart with a warmth that could rival the heat of the sun, and escorted her down the aisle and to the exit. Next to follow was Gray and Levy, followed by the ring bearer and flower girl, then the rest of the groomsmen and bridesmaids.
When everyone made it outside of the room the wedding was held, they looked around, wondering were the newly married couple went. They weren't aware Natsu sneaked Lucy to the room he got dressed in so he could kiss her how he really wanted to.
Lucy had no protests as she stood between Natsu and the wall, his scorching lips on hers as his tongue worked to pry her mouth open. She gave him access, moaning when his wet muscle started massaging against hers. His hands were on her cheek and her back, only giving her gentle touches since he didn't want to mess up her outfit or hair... yet.
They still had to consummate their marriage, and he was looking forward to it.
Natsu spent another few minutes kissing her, lips swollen and hearts hammering, but neither stopped themselves as they got lost in the feeling of their new spouse. "I love you," Natsu moaned as he came up for air before kissing her again, stealing her breath away.
She responded by threading her fingers through his hair, careful to keep his pink locks in their original condition so no one would know what they were up to. A few whimpers escaped her when he deepened the kiss, tongue swiping against hers to show how much he desired her. This was a kiss they were both craving, but definitely couldn't perform in front of everyone.
When the heated kiss finally ended they were both left breathless and flustered. Knowing smiles were shared on their way back to the reception hall where their friends and family were sure to be.
Natsu and Lucy were greeted with coy smiles, their secret exposed easily based of the dark flush on Lucy's cheeks and the swell to Natsu's lips. Everyone chose to stay quiet about it, letting them have their moment since it was their big day.
The newly married couple were whisked away to get photos taken with the wedding party. After countless poses they were ready to go back and enjoy the reception. Drinks were being served -since Natsu felt comfortable enough being around alcohol as long as Lucy was nearby, so she stayed next to her new husband most of the night, only leaving occasionally when someone asked to talk to her or she had to go to the bathroom.
They decided to go with a more relaxed reception, not wanting to stick to traditions. They still shared the first dance, Lucy guiding Natsu while he tried his best not to step on her feet. They smiled, laughed, and even shared a kiss when the song finished.
Others joined the dance floor, but after the first dance Lucy was ready to sit down. Being pregnant had its disadvantages, mainly with swollen feet and frequent bathroom breaks. For a meal they went with a buffet style. It was easier this way seeing as Natsu's side of the family were big eaters. Plus it allowed everyone to get what they wanted without having to worry about if they changed their minds after ordering a few months ago when they sent out their RSVP's.
The reception went off without any snags. They mingled, ate, danced a few more songs, and enjoyed the party. They even had a fun surprise when they found out Natsu's boss, Gildarts, was actually the father of the AA meeting's leader, Cana. They had a quick talk about Natsu receiving his yellow chip for going six months without drinking before Gildarts told him to enjoy his honeymoon before he had to come back to work.
Natsu and Lucy had a little too much fun when it came to cutting the cake. They took a silly photo where Lucy held both cake cutters up to Natsu's throat, and he had fun smearing cake on her face, only to embarrass her when he licked it off in front of everyone.
They laughed, kissed, listened to a few toasts from the best man and maid of honor, then they had to say their goodbyes. Everyone saw them off to the limo -even though Lucy thought the limo was a little much, and watched them as they left to drive to Hargeon. Luckily Natsu took a motion sickness pill before the ride, otherwise he probably would have puked.
After the long drive, they arrived at the port. Natsu and Lucy grabbed the luggage already loaded into the limo and headed to the boat. There they boarded with the other passengers on their way to a vacation spot known as Tenrou Island. It was their destination for their honeymoon since the resort there had a lot of amenities, one of which was a heated pool, which sounded great since it was late February.
The boat ride seemed to take forever, but they made it to the island as the sun was setting. After checking in they made their way to their room, thoroughly impressed by the place they would be spending the next few days.
After a quick shower and a change of clothing, Natsu and Lucy went to bed as man and wife. That night Natsu and Lucy consummated their marriage. Lucy was on all fours while Natsu thrust into her from behind. It was one of the more comfortable positions for Lucy since her belly got in the way when they tried missionary. Natsu loved this position too. It allowed him to go deeper and see her glorious ass at the same time as he fucked into his new wife's body.
Since Lucy was pregnant all her senses were in overdrive. Natsu was able to pull a few orgasms out of her before he finally met his end. He released inside her, feeling just as amazing as the first time he ever came inside her without a condom. He let out a grunt as he emptied himself, her pussy working to milk him for all he was worth.
Natsu was surely going to miss this. Now that they knew Lucy could get pregnant they were going to have to switch to condoms after they had the baby. Either that or birth control, but that conversation could wait for another day. Right now Natsu wanted to cuddle with his wife, enjoying the blissful sound of her panting as she regained her composure against his body.
They went to sleep that night muttering their love for each other, eyes falling closed as sleep took over. For the first time, they went to sleep as husband and wife, already knowing this was how the rest of their lives would be...
And welcoming every bit of it.
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Up next, Chapter Twenty-Two: Complications
They're finally married! Yay! And they also found out why Lucy wasn't getting pregnant beforehand. It was just bad luck, then the doctor's 'help'. I know not all doctors are like that, but some do try to push their personal belief on their patients.
I remember when I first got on birth control I wanted the 'NuvaRing', but my doctor said he'd rather me be on 'Implanon'. I told him several times I didn't want that, but he 'assured' me it was the better option and actually put in a prescription for it. I ended up leaving with no birth control and making another appointment with a different doctor for another day who was more than happy to listen to what I actually wanted.