Jude Heartfillia was always a man of integrity. He worked his ass off to be where he is today and if it wasn't for his lovely late wife, Layla, he would have probably been nowhere in life. He had met Layla at work when he first started off at some tech company down south and she was just the receptionist with the most beautiful brown eyes and golden hair that shined like the sun itself. He was enchanted by her beauty the moment he came up to her and sputtered like an idiot as he informed her his name.
She would giggle and blush when he would come and chat with her on his way to the copy machine or walking in or out of the building. He would bring her cups of coffee, yogurt cups, chocolate, and small snacks whenever he could. He loved to see her smile brightly and giggle like the love-sick girl she may be.
He fell in love with her pretty fast and in reality, that was his plan.
He knew the moment he had laid eyes on this golden girl she would be his. He made sure she was going to be.
He had asked her to come move up north with him after he had spent a good four years at the company, slowly climbing the ladder for him to realize he wanted his own business. He had proposed to Layla in hopes she would want to grow old with a man like himself and she was all screams and shouts as she flung herself into his arms and cried her eyes out like the baby she was.
So they packed up all their things, moved up north, and that's how the Heartfillia Konzern was born and things just went up from there.
They had a beautiful intimate wedding with their closest friends and family and not long after, Layla had gotten pregnant with their first child.
Jude was over the fucking moon when he found out the news and he was screaming and running around in absolute glee as he was about to be a father. And then when they found out the sex of the baby, he nearly passed out in joy to think he would have another version of Layla to love.
She was born with her mother's eyes and golden hair with the sweetest cries and most soft porcelain skin.
He was instantly in love with her and his heart was never so full as he held his baby girl and kissed his tired wife.
Life was great for the old man. Business started to blossom and he was gaining more partnerships and purchasing more land. They went from a regular three bedroom single family home to a seven bedroom mansion and then when Lucy had turned three, they had finally moved to the Heartfillia estates.
Jude made his first million by the time Lucy had turned five. Nothing else mattered besides the happiness of his family and he was crying tears of joy as Layla held him and laughed.
I did it for you. For us. For Lucy.
He was content with his life. Business was great, he was still madly in love with his wife, and his beautiful baby girl was growing more and more.
And then the inevitable happened.
Layla fell ill and he cried for days and weeks on end, contacting this doctor and that doctor to find the best care and treatment for his wife. He spent so much time struggling to find a cure for his wife's illness he failed to tend to his daughter without realizing.
Lucy was growing into such an intelligent, beautiful woman herself and it broke his heart that a girl this young wouldn't be able to have her mother by her side.
Layla was his light. His one true love. His everything.
And that's why when she passed, a large chunk of him did too.
He felt dead for so long he didn't know how he would end up here or there as he was in such a daze. He started to throw himself into his work just to mask the pain of his loss. Lucy was taken care of by the staff and he didn't know how else to approach her or talk with her because everytime he would look at her, he would see her.
At first it was bitterness and anger towards the young child because life was so unfair for haunting him of his loss. Seeing Layla everywhere was a blessing and curse because she was such a beautiful creature that shined so bright. But seeing Lucy hurt him and he had spent a good couple years at arms distance to help himself heal but he found it harder to do when he would hear her wail or cry for him.
One particular stormy night, Lucy had come into his room in tears as she cried about how the thunder scared her and in the darkness of his room, all he could see was the golden hair and chocolate brown eyes and the ghostly image of Layla standing there staring right at him. He could hear Layla's soft coos as if she was right beside him and he could see how she would scoot over, pat the place right between him and her, and invite their baby girl to sleep with them.
He cried himself to sleep that night with his young child in his arms and he spoke to Layla about how sorry he was and how much he loved and missed her.
From that day forward, Jude made more of an effort to see and cherish his baby girl. He would buy her gifts and try to eat at least one meal with her a day. She started to attend elementary school and it kept her occupied and some days the driver would bring her to his office so she could squeal and ramble on about her day.
Some days he would go pick her up himself because the way she lit up when he would show up as she ran into his arms and he'd hoisted her up into the air brought such a warmth to him.
The look of pure love and innocence. He tried to keep her happy and well loved but it got harder as she grew older and needed a woman's touch. Lucy became more moody and snippy with him as she grew into her teenage years and he found out that she would light up whenever he would give her such gifts or even give her the allowance to go out and have fun.
He resorted to just having to buy her whatever and handing out cash to keep her satisfied and he didn't know how it had ended up like this but toys and gadgets could go so far with a teenager.
With Lucy now exploring her own lifestyle, he had gotten back into work a lot more often. Lucy would sometimes miss dinner because she was out doing whatever and he would see her less and less but that never made his love for her diminish. He would find himself lighting up when he would see her and he would coo and tell her how beautiful and loved she was by him and everyone else. He would try and uplift her spirits by gifting her a brand new car for her sixteenth birthday and throw her a grand party that she shined as brightly as the stars scattered in the night sky.
At some point, Lucy had gone through some wild phase of being rude and destructive and snippy and he brushed it off as adolescence. Even with all the boys she would be hanging around and trying to bring home to rile him up, he just showed compassion after compassion.
He didn't think any of these low lives deserved his sunshine because the look in their eyes did not look like love. It was lust.
He paid off three guys to stop messing around with her and Lucy didn't seem upset once these boys were out of her life but she still seemed dull and out of it at times.
Soon, Lucy was old enough to go away to college and he provided her everything she needed as he helped her move across the country to some university she had picked.
He was proud of her. She had become the splitting image of her mother and his love soared through mountains and oceans. Even though she was snippy and a brat, he loved that she was still the beautiful, kind soul to others and that was all that mattered. Even if she wanted to bitch and cry and whine to him about whatever was in her head that day, he never took it to heart because at least she was still here.
He missed her terribly when she was away. He always made sure she was doing well with the connections he had of his security team lingering despite her lack of knowing it was his doing. He had to make sure his baby girl was safe and healthy and the only way he could comfortably sleep at night was to know she was still breathing yet another day.
And then one day, out of the blue, she calls him and tells him about some boy she had met and was going to bring over to the house and he was instantly convinced it was yet another leech who wanted Lucy for her looks and money.
Even if he does provide Lucy allowance, he did have a trust fund saved up for her for when she reached twenty-five where she could cash it in. He wanted her to get her life together and then when she was old enough she could make her own decisions on how to use her trust. The majority of Layla's life insurance went into there and he had been depositing money in there every month to fatten it up.
If he could, he would take care of her for the rest of her life and he plans on that by working his ass off till he couldn't physically get up anymore.
All of this was for her. For Layla. For them.
And no fucking lowlife was going to ruin that for his baby girl because she sure as hell does not need some poor little boy draining her of his hard earn cash.
That's why he didn't bother rushing home to meet this boyfriend of hers because he really wasn't worth his time and he would be able to see Lucy another time.
He dug into her boyfriend to see what kind of skeletons he had hidden as he was unsure what he was after but to see he was just some poor orphan who was adopted by a man named Igneel was distasteful. There was nothing special about him. He was just some regular kid who got a second chance at life and he didn't come from any types of connections so what the hell did he know about providing for his baby girl?
He immediately did not like Natsu because he was some wild nut with spiky pink hair and a loud voice that echoed in his large home. He ate like some neanderthal that has been starved for weeks on end and he just didn't care for a boy with such mannerisms.
His daughter deserved the best. With a wealthy man that would take good care of her and cherish her beauty and smarts.
Not this pink-haired buffoon who clearly lusted over his little girl.
That's why he had decided to just pay him off to leave his sweet baby alone before it got too deep. He didn't know how long they have been dating or how long they have been together but he knew he had to stop this foolishness as soon as possible.
Girls fell in love easily and he knew even if Lucy was in love with this weird one, she would eventually move on. Especially if she knew if he had taken his money and dipped out of there the moment he was handed the written check.
But to his surprise, he rejected his offer and he was baffled and angry to have this stranger in his home telling him how things were as if that wasn't his daughter.
Then it shocked him to hear how much he loves Lucy. His daughter. His pride and joy and love of his life.
He didn't even know that Lucy was so lonely and starved for his attention and affection because he truly did think giving her space and giving her whatever she wanted was enough for her. He didn't think twice about how his sweet girl was suffering all on her own because she always accepted his gifts, told him she loves him, and then would leave a sweet kiss on his cheek before skipping off.
He decided not to believe in this stranger who had barreled his way into his daughter's life like a parasite because who the hell was he to tell him how his daughter felt? Who the hell was he to make such assumptions? Lucy had never mentioned anything about being unhappy with any of her gifts or amount of money.
He chased after him to rip him a new one and possibly dump him in the ocean somewhere but he was frozen in his spot when he caught a glimpse of Lucy and him together.
He made sure to keep himself hidden so he could eavesdrop. The young lad probably was crying about how daddy was mean to him and he would use that to his advantage because what kind of man would he be if he ran off to his girlfriend to cry about something like that?
But what surprised him the most was to see he didn't even mention anything about what they spoke about and all he wanted was to be with her. Only her. The look in his daughter's face took his breath away because at that moment, he didn't see Lucy… he saw Layla.
The same look she would give him everytime he would kiss her tenderly or tell her how much he loved her was mirrored on his daughter's face as she leaned into his palm and smiled. The look of love and comfort and safety…
And then the look Natsu also had while looking down at his precious baby was even more shocking.
Pure, pure love and admiration painted on his face and at that moment, he knew Natsu did not lie when he told her he would move mountains and cross oceans for Lucy.
Something inside of him that night snapped and Jude could only cry as he rushed to his room to whisper regret and beg for forgiveness into the air in hopes Layla was listening.
Panting heavily, Lucy squirmed in her spot as she felt her heart pick up speed, pounding against her ribcage in hopes to escape. She bit down on her bottom lip to keep her moan in and her back arched off the mattress, eyes pricking with the heat of tears threatening to spill. She whimpered into the air as she tried to muffle her moans into her sheets and pillow but it was so hard when it just felt too good.
"N—Natsu.. I'm… I—I'm close.."
"I know, baby," he cooed as he continued to lap up her mess and finger her hole where her walls were beginning to close in on his digits. "I want you to cum for me."
Her mouth fell open in a silent cry as her eyes rolled back, fingers gripping his hair so tight it would rip out. Her body shook as her orgsam washed over her, nipples perking up gracefully.
Panting heavily as she rode out her orgasm against her boyfriend's face, Natsu finally emerged from under the covers to show his flushed, glistening face. He leaned down to kiss her, the salty tang of her cunt spilling into her taste buds.
He flopped down on the bed beside her and sighed, wiping at his chin while Lucy rolled on her side to look at him. He pulled her into his arms and the two laid on her bed, their breathing and heart rates returning to normal.
"That was amazing," Lucy sighed into his chest, curling against his side further.
"You're amazing," he kissed the crown of her head, arm curling around her to pull her closer. "Good morning." He purred and she giggled before she tilted her head up and planted a soft kiss against his chin.
"Good morning," she was blushing and he was eating it all up as he grinned wolfishly. "How did you sleep?"
"Great, thanks to you by my side, I slept like a baby."
"I'm glad," she smiled happily as she trailed her finger against his bare chest, following the dips and curves of his muscle. He would twitch ever so often at her feathery touches and she just couldn't wipe the smile out of her face. "When do you want to leave?"
"As soon as possible."
"We can take off after breakfast. I need to pack a couple things."
"No rush," he said as Lucy hoisted herself upright, sitting up on her bed as she rubbed at her eyes. "You sleep alright?"
"Perfect," she hummed happily, yawning loudly as she lifted her arms above her to stretch. "It's kind of easy to fall asleep after getting your back blown out."
"And now since we have christened your childhood bed, I can die happily."
Lucy swatted at him with a playful scowl on her face, her cheeks still sporting the pink embarrassed hue.
After whatever Natsu and her father had talked about, Natsu had become so bummed out that she was actually starting to worry. Her usual fireball of a boyfriend was always spewing random nonsense but he was uncharacteristically quiet and in his head about something. No matter what she did, he refused to talk to her about whatever her father had said and it made her pout about it but decided to let it go considering it just made him more upset.
That was the main reason why she let him sleep in her room (well, snuck him in during the night) and had banged it out. Mainly because Natsu was in such a funk it made her uncomfortable and she knew she had to bring back her sunshine or else it was going to be a cloudy mess.
It was weird to say that it didn't really help but he was just a lot more clingier than usual. He was stuck to her like glue and he wouldn't let her go and even though he had blown her back out, he was still very loving and gentle as if they were making love.
The one great thing about living such a luxurious life, she had housing anywhere and everywhere. Her father had insisted he bought her a place to stay instead of staying in the dirty dorms or even in the sorority house but Lucy had refused since she wanted the true college experience. And she wouldn't have wanted it any other way because she loved her sorority house and even the dirty gross dorms she and Levy had stayed in for a year.
She had planned on taking Natsu back down to Akane but she had decided against it since they would be there sometime in the summer with their friends. But with the warm weather, she truly wanted to bask in the warmth so she had decided to take them to Tenrou Island where nobody can truly bother them.
It was well needed anyways since the two had worked so hard and Natsu seemed like he really did need a pick-me-up with nobody but her on this beautiful island.
They were to stay there for a few weeks and then venture back to Igneel's to see him one last time before school started and then it was back to MU for the upcoming year.
Lucy debated if she should talk to her father about the entire thing last night but she knew she wouldn't get anywhere with them. She didn't want to know the nasty things he may have said to her boyfriend so she left it at that as she brought Natsu back into her room to relax.
She definitely did need to say goodbye to him but wasn't sure if he was still around for her to see him.
The couple were quick to pack up and get ready to venture out of the Heartfillia estates. Lucy had called for car service to take her and Natsu to the airport where they could ride in their private jet to Tenrou while Natsu had hauled all her bags and his two bags down the stairs. He tossed the bags by the front door before they were heading into the dining room for breakfast.
Natsu was stiff as a board as he hoped to god Jude wasn't going to be there but of course, because he was in his goddamn house, he was.
Lucy noticed Natsu's stiffness instantly and she frowned, holding onto his hand as she pulled him along with her. "Let's just grab some to-go," she said to him and he just simply nodded, eyes casted down so he didn't see Jude stare at him. "Good morning, daddy."
"Good morning, sweetheart." He responded as he set his coffee mug down, the slight clunk of the glass echoing against the wooden table. "And good morning, Natsu."
"Good morning, sir." Natsu mumbled under his breath while they approached him.
"We're going to leave today, daddy," Lucy said as she started to gather some fruits and pastries on a plate.
Jude quirked a brow at her, eyes looking at the blonde to travel to the squirming male and then back to his daughter. "So soon?"
"Yes," she didn't even look at him as she continued to shift through the spread. "We're going to Tenrou for a bit and then we might come back." She shrugged nonchalantly and she missed the way Jude had frowned.
He cleared his throat, shifting himself in his seat. "Well, then, could you go speak with Ade for him to pack you guys some breakfast and lunch for the trip? Maybe he could even whip up some of your favorites real fast."
"Good idea," Lucy smiled at him and Jude found himself smiling right back. "Natsu, could you finish this?"
"Yeah, sure," he mumbled as he grabbed the plate for her hands and kept his eyes down. He tried to plead with her to not leave him alone but she didn't even notice as she whirled around and left for the kitchen to find their cook.
Natsu's stomach bottomed out at the sight of his girlfriend leaving and he felt the thickness in the air from Jude's eyes.
Is this the part where he finally kills him now? He was praying it won't be slow and painful.
"Natsu,"
"Y—yes?" He couldn't help but squeak and grow rigid at the sound of his name.
"Here."
Finally looking up at the businessman, Natsu was surprised to see Jude now standing while holding out a black card towards him. His eyes were wide to look at the platinum card that probably held no fucking limit to and he was starstruck for a second before he felt that anger washing through him again.
"I thought I said I don't—"
"This isn't what it looks like," he interrupted as he continued to hold out the rectangular metal card at him. Natsu's eyebrows furrowed as he looked between his outstretched hand to his face. "I apologize for being so straightforward last night and I'd like to make amends with you. I can see you truly do love and care for my daughter and this is my way of expressing my gratitude."
"So.. you're giving me a credit card..?" He questioned slowly and awkwardly.
"This card holds no limitations. I am providing this card for you to use for yourself and Lucy when needed."
"I thought Lucy already had one?"
"God, no," Jude chuckled slightly. "That girl would find the limit."
Natsu wanted to laugh at that but he was still unsure if this was some kind of test or a way for Jude to grab at him and stab him in the face with his fork. His hands didn't move to grab for the card as he stared at it, his eyebrows pinched and his heart picking up the pace.
"Um, I'm…" He was trailing off because he really was at a loss of words.
What the hell do you do when your rich ass girlfriend's rich ass daddy gives you a credit card with no limitations? If this was any other way, he may have just happily accepted the card and suggested they go buy a brand new fucking card that day but he was very skeptical of this man especially after last night.
He literally offered him money to break up with the love of his life and told him to fuck off but now the morning after he's trying to do what exactly?
Natsu was sweating as his eyes darted from the outstretched hand of Jude back to the table. What the fuck does he do?
"This isn't a test, son," Jude finally said after a while of Natsu panicking silently. "This is… I," he stammered, his lips pressing into a tight line. "You two look at each other like my wife and I used to."
The pink-haired student was stunned by the man's words as he stared at him with wide eyes.
"I can see you two are deeply in love and… you're the first man to refuse my hush money. I didn't believe you and was quiet angry with you and honestly thought about getting rid of you myself,"
Natsu swallowed nervously, his hand coming up to tug on his collar.
"But I didn't because I saw you two last night in the foyer."
Natsu was ready to run for the fucking hills because this man just admitted that he would have killed him himself.
"And… I know you will do good. I know you'll be able to make my baby girl happy. That's all I want for her," Natsu couldn't help but gawk when he saw Jude tear up and give him a hard look. "Please. This is my way of showing you that I accept you and my way of apologizing. Use it for anything. Nothing is too much for this."
"W—what do I tell Lucy?"
"You don't have to tell her if you don't want to," he pushed the card out to Natsu where he finally slowly reached for it. "I feel like an idiot for not seeing how unhappy and neglected my daughter has been. She never mentioned anything to me so I never thought of it like that but after some reflection, I just failed to see her cry for help. Lucy is my entire world. I love her more than anything and everything in the world. I built this place for her so she could live a happy, comfortable life but I didn't see how it also made her sad and lonely."
The card felt heavy in his hands and his hands shook slightly with such a powerful limitless card in his hands. He didn't know how to react or what to even say as he stood there gaping like a goddamn goldfish and trembling like a pathetic sad little chihuahua.
"You have my blessing, Natsu."
"Blessing?"
"To wed my daughter. Whenever you are ready, I'll be waiting for your return and I'll ensure Lucy and you are well taken care of including the many babies you two pop out."
Natsu flushed crimson at his words and he was now openly gawking again.
What the fuck happened last night for this man to suddenly do a one eighty and just tell him all this? Did his words really hit him that hard? Is this another test?
His eyes darted around to see if there were any cameras hidden or men waiting to shoot him with a bullet and he was sweating his ass off. Was this actually happening or was he actually dreaming?
"I—" Natsu tried to speak but with Lucy coming back to the dining room, he quickly clamped his mouth shut and fumbled to shove the card into his pocket as the two men turned to look at the heiress. Jude sat back down, resuming his morning cup of joe while Natsu still stood on the other side of the table, shifting awkwardly in his spot.
Lucy came in skeptical, her eyebrows raised as she slowly came back to her boyfriend's side. She eyed Natsu who was giving her a very uncomfortable smile and then to her father who just beamed like he usually did with her. "What's going on?"
"Absolutely nothing my dear," Jude offered a wide smile and Lucy huffed before turning to her boyfriend.
"Did he say something to you, again?"
"No!" Natsu almost shouted and he corrected himself, cheeks still flushed. "No. He didn't."
"Then why are you—?"
"Babe, I, uh, I think I might have forgotten something in my room. I'll be back," his eyes darted to Jude to give him a look before looking back at Lucy. "I'll be right back."
Before Lucy could even respond, Natsu had turned and high tailed it out of the dining room and she was baffled at the sight of him running away from her as if she stunk. She blinked stupidly at the sight for a minute before she turned to look at her father, a frown on her lips with her brows furrowed.
"Daddy, stop being mean to Natsu." She huffed, her arms crossed and her cheeks puffing out in frustration. "I love him."
"I know, sweet pea," he smiled lovingly at the blonde and Lucy could only exhale through her nose. "Lucy, dear, I want you to know that I love you."
"I know," she rolled her eyes.
"And daddy is sorry."
Lucy quirked a brow at him, staring at him as he set his mug down after taking a nice big sip and he looked up at her with sincerity and regret in his eyes. "Sorry about?"
"I didn't realize how lonely and unhappy you were this entire time. I thought that if I kept providing you with money and gifts it would just keep you content but I was wrong. I didn't think that you would want me around, especially once you had started growing older and independent. I want to apologize to you for my neglect and lack of understanding of your feelings."
Lucy was stunned in her spot as she stared at her father, unable to form any type of words.
All her life all she wanted was her father's attention and care but now as her father sits across the table from her and confesses his wrongs, she doesn't know how to feel about it. She's waited her entire life for this but why… why is he suddenly saying this to her now?
"I know it may be a little late but I really do regret my actions."
"Why… why now?" She asked in a small hushed voice. "What… what changed?"
"Natsu." He simply responded and she was dumbfounded, rooted in her spot. "He's good for you, Lucy. I give you two my blessing." His smile was warm and soft, the usual crinkles of his eyes showing his age and his mustache as bushy as ever.
She felt like she had a lump in her throat and her eyes stung with unshed tears.
Natsu did all this? What really happened last night or even this morning for all of this to suddenly change? She's been chasing after his attention for years and she had never once had him even think to speak with her about such personal, pressing matters. She kind of thought that this was all he had to give and while it wasn't something terrible, she always wished for more. And Natsu of all people was able to do that to him?
"I don't understand," she shook her head back and forth. "What did Natsu do for you to finally see this? I've been… I've been trying for years for you to see me and you didn't even come Monday night for dinner to greet us like you said you would. You don't even like him."
"You are correct on that statement, I did place judgment on the lad before I had a chance to even properly speak with him but I can see Natsu is a good man and he will in no doubt love and care for you with all his being. He.. He looks at you the way I used to look at your mother." His eyes softened at the mention of his late wife and Lucy's eyes widened. "And I have no doubt in my mind that he won't provide for you in the best way possible. Just how I did for your mother and you."
Her heart squeezed painfully to hear such supportive, positive words coming from him. Her bottom lip quivered and she didn't realize how hard this would impact her.
She had been waiting years to hear him finally admit to his wrongs and change but she didn't think it would be so… painful.
"Daddy," tears spilled from her eyes. "Thank you. I… I've been waiting a very long time to hear you say that and acknowledge me and I just…" she wiped the tears away, sniffling. "Thank you."
Seeing how her father held his arms out for her made her remember the many times he would hold his arms out when he would spot her after school. She would be so happy and excited that she would sprint into his arms and giggle while he lifted her high into the air.
Memories of her father holding her and cooing at her when she was deadly afraid of thunderstorms flooded her mind and the dam broke within her head as tears rushed out and she began to wail. She ran around the table to launch herself into his arms and cried while he stroked her hair and hushed her, telling her how sorry he was and how proud he was of her. How much he loved her.
Natsu didn't know what the worst part of this trip was. Riding a plane for over six hours or having to ride the boat that took them to Tenrou island for another two hours.
The motion sickness patches that Capricorn provided him worked but it seemed like it was only for a couple hours and it was strongest on land. By the time they were three hours into the plane ride, Natsu had woken up abruptly and puked his fucking guts out and he was groaning and moanin like a sad pathetic man. Lucy had to force pills into his mouth and slap on a couple more patches for him to tolerate the rest of the plane ride but the goddamn boat ride? He almost threw himself into the ocean just to relieve the god awful twisting in his stomach.
He was lucky he had Lucy next to him and also the fact they were on a private jet and boat. If he had to be this pathetic in front of a whole crowd, he would have never been able to show his face in public, again.
Lucy looked like she was in her thoughts the entire time anyways and when he had walked in earlier to see her wailing in her father's arms, it made his heart squeeze painfully.
He hated seeing his girl cry. Whether they were happy tears or not, he hated to see her so distraught but he was happy enough to see Lucy had finally been able to release all that pent up anger and resentment.
She seemed extra happy when they had left, kissing her father and wishing him well as they departed. Jude had even given him a hug (which shocked him to the core) and asked him to take great care of his daughter (duh, what else would he do?) and they went their separate ways.
While Natsu would love to be in Tenrou Island, he was still dreading the journey there. Anywhere Lucy would be, he would be there too. He would much rather spend his time with her than with anyone else so he could bare a couple hours of torture and constant pain because Natsu Dragneel is not bitch and he does not back down from any fight no matter how big or small it is.
He just wished his weakness wasn't something as pathetic as motion sickness.
Throwing up for the millionth time that day, Natsu only felt his stomach acid twist his stomach even more and burn his throat as it spilled out of his mouth. He moaned out as his pale face dripped sweat, dampening his hair and having it stick to his forehead.
"Almost there," Lucy cooed at the man who gagged, cheeks puffing out like a pufferfish. "I see the Island. We should be docking in five."
"I—I'll swim the rest of the way—" Natsu dry-heaved again as he weakly tried to throw himself overboard but Lucy had a strong grip on him so he wouldn't attempt another escape.
"For the last time, you are not swimming there."
"I—I'm a strong swimmer."
"Doesn't matter how strong of a swimmer you are," she sighed, shaking her head back and forth. "Hang in there for a little bit longer, okay? I'll get you something to drink and get you back to one hundred percent."
"I—I'm never coming back to Tenrou—" Natsu suddenly lurched forward to twist his head to the side and throw up all over again.
The blonde could only cringe while rubbing soothing circles behind his back, providing the best comfort she could while trapped on a boat in the middle of the ocean. They really did have to figure something out because she had a little suspicion Natsu may refuse to even leave the island once they had finished up their little vacation. They still had the boat ride back to the mainland and then another plane ride to wherever they meant to go and if she had to fight Natsu every time on not throwing himself overboard, she may have to sharpen up her skills and knock him out every single time.
Finally approaching land, Lucy felt relieved as the boat began to slow down and maneuver around the other boats and dock to find its designated spot.
What Lucy loved about Tenrou is that the island itself isn't a huge tourist spot despite the beautiful greenery. Tenrou island is one of those places where wildlife is highly preserved and there were only two resorts on the place (both that belonged to her father) and there were only a handful of locals who lived on the island.
Only the really rich and wealthy could really afford their way to the island so there wasn't a lot to worry about when in Tenrou. But there was a ton of stuff to do so the two could most definitely be occupied for a couple weeks or even months on this giant island and she figured it would be nice for Natsu, too.
A little honeymoon she likes to joke and Natsu doesn't correct her (after all, he is still begging to impregnate her) and it makes her excited to think they're playing house.
She didn't think she would fall in love and want to marry someone she hadn't known for more than a year but for some reason, she couldn't find any doubt in why she couldn't be his wife. If Natsu were to pull out a ring and ask her to marry him, she would say yes in a heartbeat. And once they were married, she would pop out as many kids as he wanted because she loved him that much. Why wouldn't she want more versions of him and her to love? They were fucking perfect for each other.
Helping Natsu off the boat where he was slowly recovering from the long journey, he collapsed on the dock to suck in deep breaths of air and ground himself to the surface. He could see staff waiting around to assist them so he allowed Lucy to handle everything while he sadly built up his strength.
Maybe one day he could build something that could help him not feel so fucking pathetic whenever he had to ride anything related to transportation.
"Welcome Miss Lucy and Mr. Natsu!" The staff sang to them and Natsu was groaning out, rubbing his face while rolling to his side to struggle to stand. "We have the room all ready for you two."
"Thank you so much," Lucy offered a bright smile as she came back to help Natsu stand on his feet. "We had a very long trip and would love to see the place."
Ushering the couple to the resort, Natsu was very pleased to see how beautiful Tenrou really was. There was so much wildlife that he could breath so much better and it just felt like everything else was so much brighter than anywhere in Fiore. Beautiful crystal blue beaches, beautiful florals and foliage that wrapped around the place, birds singing in the air, and the best part: no crowd.
Lucy had explained a little bit about Tenrou but it was hard to pay attention when his stomach was doing somersault.
Natsu's jaw became slack when he saw the beautiful overwater bungalows that stretched out to at least fifteen different homes on a long stretch of a dock. This was the shit people saw online or even in magazines but never got to see in their lifetime but he had the privilege of seeing and experiencing it thanks to his future wife and father-in-law.
The black card he gave him was tucked away safely and he thought about just keeping it in his wallet but the incredible weight of it was too much for him to carry. Though, it wasn't too heavy for him as he would soon be able to flex to his brothers that he was accepted into the Heartfillia's and he had a black card (even though it's not his) but it is his!
The bungalows were more than he could ask for with the nice wood interior decoration and clawfoot tub with a view of the ocean. There was a nice opening where they could look directly out into the ocean with steps leading them down into the water. Natsu could already see some sea life swimming around and he was in awe, eyes twinkling with the surface of the waters. There was a bathroom and a large king size mattress pressed against the wall and he was crying tears of joy to see a large seventy foot television hanging off the wall directly in front of the bed.
Turning around to face his girlfriend, Lucy offered a bright smile his way forcing him to wrap himself around her. He held her tight and buried his face into the crook of her neck to inhale her sweet addicting scent and he sighed happily.
"Luce, this place is perfect."
"Isn't it? I figured we could just recharge and get away from the rest of the world for a bit and stay here," she giggled as he planted a kiss against her forehead, bodies flush against one another. "I haven't been here since I was a kid."
"I'm glad we can experience this place together as adults." He grinned and she found herself flushing just a bit. "And this is the perfect place for us to get to work!"
"Get to work? Work on what?" She furrowed her brows to look at her grinning boyfriend.
"On our baby."
She rolled her eyes and swatted at his chest once more, scowling playfully. "Natsu, what did I say?"
"I know, I know, marriage first then baby," he rolled his eyes at her. "But that doesn't mean I can't practice."
"I don't think you need any more practice," she giggled, playing with his scarf. "I would say you're already really good."
"There's always room for improvement," he purred against her and she was just a giggling mess who twirled the ends of his scarf. "So let's get to work!" He bent down to scoop her up in his arms while she squealed at the sudden action.
"Wait, Natsu! We have to unpack and get dinner!"
"That can wait," he strutted towards the bed before dropping her down on the soft, clean mattress. "My coach says I must practice at least once a day for an hour if I want to be good."
"What coach?" She was laughing at his serious expression. "And you're already good, Natsu. Trust me." She patted him on the chest, offering a smile his way.
"I need to be perfect, babe. This is our future we're talking about, Luce! I need to learn which positions and how deep I need to get in order for us to pop our winners. Athletic, good-looking, smart, and talented babies. I have to time my thrusts and maybe the hour of the day matters, too, I don't know."
"Oh for the love of—Natsu, that's not how this works!"
"Guess we just have to find out," he shrugged before he smirked dangerously and he was assaulting her lips.