I woke up from my nap alone. I search the room for a clock as I sit up, wiping the sleep from my eyes. I don't see a clock anywhere but from the dimming light coming through the windows I estimate I've been asleep for a couple of hours. I folded the blanket that Natsu had put on us and laid it on the couch. I set off to find my pink haired fiancée.
After wandering down the hall, I hear his voice drifting from the kitchen. I follow my ears and find him leaning over the stove, where I can see Mary is searing a piece of fish. Neither notice my presence and I take the time to observe the concentration in Natsu. He has his fingers running over his chin and his tongue out in a classic thinking pose. Mary is explaining the perfect temperature and color and what seasonings complement each type of fish.
I am finally spotted when the cook turns to get some spices off of the counter behind her.
"Oh, hello Miss Lucy!" She says cheerfully.
"Luce! How was your nap?" Natsu asks, turning around with a look on his face that seems vaguely embarrassed. It's kinda cute. And refreshing. I hate being the only one flustered by this strange dynamic between us.
"It was fine. I feel a lot better. But I thought I should get up or I would have trouble falling asleep tonight. Naps can turn into a vicious cycle." I reply, deciding not to mention the pink tint to his cheeks.
"Umm, I was checking on dinner for tonight," he says, scratching his neck. "I know you said you like fish, so uhh, I wanted to know how to fix it right. So maybe I could cook for you…" He trails off, looking to the side shyly.
I'm overcome with how sweet that is. I walk over to stand in front of him, and I stand on my tip toes to give him a kiss on his heated cheek. "Thank you," I say, "it makes me so happy from how thoughtful you are."
I've barely finished my sentence when he is reaching down to hug me. "I'm happy that something so simple can make you so happy," he laughs as he lifts me off my feet and gives me a quick spin.
A throat clears behind us. "Dinner is pretty much done. I can bring it out if you two are ready?"
Natsu sets me to my feet and smiles down at me. "Are you ready to eat Luce?"
"Yes, I am starving," I reply with a smile of my own.
We made light conversation over dinner (which was amazing). I tease Natsu that I don't think he would ever be able to cook like Mary. He responds with a huff and jokes that he is good at everything. I have this light feeling at our easy banter. I don't want to say he's perfect, but he has so many checkmarks in the good column and so few in the bad.
I must be making a face at my own thoughts because Natsu raises an eyebrow at me and asks, "what's on your mind Luce?"
"Oh nothing… " I say, not wanting to reveal how I feel right now. "Just thinking about my surprise."
"Are you really that excited about it?" Natsu teases.
"I don't know about excited," I laugh, "but I am getting more and more curious as time goes on."
"Let's play the guessing game," Natsu says, as Mary brings out pieces of cake and clears up our dinner plates. "What do you think your surprise is?"
"Well, it was from a shop close to the candy store, because you weren't gone for very long…" but that line of thinking does me no good, because I don't know the town well enough to know the shops by the candy store, and I was busy trying to stay close to Natsu, so I didn't get a good look. "And it must be small, because you didn't have a bag with you when you came back." I reason out. But I am no closer to an answer.
What could he have possibly gone to get? As a surprise for me? He knows I like to read and write, but he already got me a book…
"Oh, is it a fancy writing pen? The one that changes colors?" I guess, coming up blank on what else it could be.
"No, it's not, but would you like a fancy pen? I could get you one when we go into town next." he tells me enthusiastically.
I laugh at him, "no, I don't really need a fancy color changing pen, I just thought that would have fit in a pocket and you could have hidden it from me."
"But if you want a color changing pen, then I think you should have one!" He petitions again.
"No, I'm fine really… But I am already out of guesses. What did you get?" I try again, because I really hate the guessing game.
Natsu playfully rolls his eyes at me, then stands from his chair to walk around to my side of the table. He kneels down onto one knee and pulls a small black velvet box from his pocket.
"Lucy, I know that we've already been through this once, but this one isn't for show. This one is for only me and you. Will you marry me?" Natsu asks as he opens the box to reveal a diamond ring. On it is one of the biggest diamonds I've ever seen. Placed delicately in a thin gold band are smaller, light blue jewels, surrounding the diamond. It's beautiful. The ring combined with Natsu's earnest eyes looking up at me from where he is still on one knee, make the scene breathtaking.
"Yes," I say, thinking that I might be getting close to crying.
Our whole relationship has been a bit backwards to this point, and having known each other only a short time, I know it's silly to be accepting a proposal, if it weren't already arranged. But our lives are what they are, and I will never not be grateful to Natsu trying so hard to make the absolute best out of it.
"Thank goodness," Natsu says, as he takes the ring from the box and places it on my finger, "I really don't know what I would have done if you had said no this time.
Hello all! Thank you for reading! I love reviews, favorites and follows! I was thinking of throwing some drama in, but not too much. I still want this to just be tooth rottenly sweet and fluffy. -Phantasma