Oh good lord. Lucy did not anticipate seeing a small replica of herself on the one-way road in this random place. And she did not foresee this mini-Lucy calling normal-Lucy "mommy". Not at all. And what was even more shocking? The wild pink mane the child carried, that couldn't belong to anyone other than Natsu Dragneel.

Well, luckily for the two mages, the child belonged to Natsu Dragion and Lucy Ashley – their counterparts from the world Edolas. To Team Natsu's surprise, they ended up in Edolas soon after defeating the wood dragon, Aldoron. Compared to the guild on Earthland, the Edo-version hadn't been stuck in time for 7 years, so naturally their lives had evolved. The people in Edolas had grown older and wiser, and old friends had grown closer – a lot closer. Pairs and partners became couples, and couples got married, which of course led to the next step: having children.

Which brings us back to Lucy's current situation. Edo-Lucy had not only gotten married to Edo-Natsu – they had a child together. Which would have been an easier revelation if Lucy hadn't had a lot of complicated feelings for her Natsu. The Earthland one. She'd had a crush on him for a long time – she couldn't even remember when it had started – and now she was looking at the product of her deepest desires: a world where Natsu and Lucy created a happy family together. It was… embarrassing, for lack of a better word. She worried that her reactions would clue her friends in on the fact that she was envious.

To Lucy's relief though, she wasn't the only one getting embarrassed meeting their Edolas counterparts. Edo-Gray and Edo-Juvia had also plopped out a kid, little Greige, who seemed to have stolen Earthland-Gray's heart. He'd only recently begun his journey of becoming more accepting of Juvia's feelings, and suddenly he was facing what could well be topical in his own future. If Lucy was lucky, the rest of Team Natsu would steer their focus onto Gray instead of her.

Lucy loved little Nasha. Ashley had shown her baby photos of her, and Lucy's heart stung with envy. With Levy being pregnant, Lucy found herself contemplating whether or not she was missing something in her own life. Call it baby fever if you want, but Lucy wanted to have one of her own. Nasha was the perfect example of what her future child might look like, and she looked absolutely perfect, clad in Lucy's eyes, which she herself had inherited from her own mother.

Now, there is a part of this situation that hasn't been addressed yet. Natsu is the father of Nasha. Edo-Natsu, sure, but still Natsu. Nasha still had that fanged grin and mischievous glint in her eye (though her mischievous side might come from Ashley, Dragion wasn't exactly known for his wild ways). It was troubling for Lucy to know that Ashley and Dragion had gotten so far in their relationship, when she knew that her own life was nowhere close.

Natsu seemed to love the idea of having a tiny version of himself running around in the guildhall. He had been hitting it off with Nasha from the very beginning, acting as if he was the one who produced her. He played with her, told her stories about his adventures, and even told her about Igneel. Lucy knew that he wouldn't act any less fatherly to his own little one. But she wasn't sure if Natsu had grasped exactly what type of relationship Ashely and Dragion had, and she definitely didn't know if he understood to what degree Natsu's and Lucy's counterparts had gotten… cozy… Honestly, as if the encounter at Fairy Nail wasn't embarrassing enough for Lucy.

What Lucy knew for certain was that Natsu thought that babies came from eggs. Sure, he had hatched Happy from an egg and she was pretty sure Igneel must have come from an egg – he was taught about eggs in the reproductive system from a young age. That still didn't make Makarov's "birds and bees" talk any less informative though, she kind of thought he would know how human babies were made by now.

She also knew that he was simple minded enough to believe that Lucy would always be his best friend and teammate - never something more, never anything less, referring to the "We'll always be together" he said right before they left for this quest.

But what Lucy didn't know was that Natsu needed this push.

Natsu had been presented with the future versions of his guildmates, where everyone seemed to be… happy. No magic in sight, and the years had begun to make their marks on their faces, lines around their mouths and eyes. Light lines, barely visible to the eye. Still, they were happy. And they were his guildmates, no matter if they were from a different world. His guildmates, who had all grown up.

And the little girl he was currently giving a piggy ride? He couldn't put his feelings into words, as he rarely managed to these days, but he felt so, so complete. The sweet child whose laughter sounded like an angel's, much like a higher-pitched version of a mage he knew all too well. The child with the big brown doe eyes that resembled Lucy's to the core. The child with the unruly pink hair that took after Natsu Dragion, and through him, also Natsu Dragneel. He wanted to be around this kid forever, watch her grow up into a strong mage. But surely he thought the same about Edo-Gray's child? Nakama were nakama, no one is worth more or less than anyone, isn't that so?

That's why Natsu couldn't put his finger on why Greige didn't spark that same feeling as Nasha did. They were about the same amount related to him - that being, not related at all. But Nasha's big brown eyes resembled a certain mage too much for him not to appreciate them just a little bit more than Greige.

Natsu couldn't help but favour Lucy's facial features on his doppelganger's kid. Lucy was the culmination of beauty - both from a subjective and an objective perspective. Her conventionally attractive body and facial features were gorgeous, sure, Natsu could freehand a real-sized sculpture of her and perfectly replicate her physical traits. He knew her that well. But really, anyone who could be that close to Lucy could probably do the same, because her physical beauty only goes skin deep. What made both Lucy and Nasha so special though, was the way they carried themselves. The energy they emitted, with or without magic, was simply beyond beautiful. Earthland-Natsu and Edo-Natsu might be quite different personality wise, but Lucy and Ashley were surprisingly similar, so there was no wonder Lucy's expressive eyes and soft smile had carried on to Nasha.

Greige on the other hand didn't have the same pull on Natsu as Nasha did. He was cute, sure, the Juvia genes seemed strong (lucky for Greige, Natsu thought, since Gray could lose against a gorilla in a beauty competition), but rather than being jealous of Edo-Gray and Edo-Juvia for having their own child, Natsu was honestly more jealous of Dragion. He practically had the perfect life! He got to hang out with his best friend every day, he had a nice and tidy home, he could go on transport, and better yet, he had Nasha. Little cute lovely Nasha who barely reached above his hips when she stood tall. She brought so much joy and laughter, and frankly, knowing that they didn't have this at home made Natsu feel… empty. Not sad, not angry, but maybe a little bit defeated.

When Ashley showed Team Natsu old photographs from the 7 years they had missed out on, a part of the album caught Natsu's attention. There was a whole section that was dedicated to photos of their wedding day. Picture after picture, showing Ashley in her long white dress, and Dragion looking all cleaned up, dressed up, and happy. Natsu wasn't the sentimental type – unless it involved Lucy he supposed, remembering that there was an entire wall dedicated to all the missions they had gone on together. Other than that he wouldn't call himself sentimental. He never desired to look back at pictures of his friends, because he knew he always could go see them. They would always be there. Yet, watching Ashley and Dragion's laughs and big smiles, paused in time forever in these little pictures, made Natsu wish for something similar. He wanted to be able to look back at pictures too someday, to see his younger self hang out with Lucy and the rest of the guild. Memories stuck into little pictures didn't seem so boring when Lucy was in them, he realised.

The longing sensation stayed as the time in the album progressed. Ashley and Edo-Juvia were suddenly showing off their big bellies, side by side, in the setting of some combined baby shower – though the concept of showering a baby before it was even born was honestly odd, even to Natsu's standards. When Ashley looked just about ready to pop, the scenery changed again. Edo-Lucy was no longer the main character in the album - instead this wrinkly, red, raisin-looking, tiny baby filled every page. And through these pictures he saw little Nasha grow up to the big girl she was today.

In all of this, Natsu couldn't help but wonder. Was he missing out on life by living as a mage? No, that surely couldn't be it. He loved magic! And he loved going on missions, feeling the thrill of meeting dangerous opponents yet still always fighting for the greater good. No, he wasn't jealous of Dragion in that sense. It wasn't as much jealousy or envy, as it was… Longing? Because, in a way, having a kid seemed like an adventure on its own. He'd gone through it years ago; first with Happy, and then something similar with Kemo-Kemo. The joy of their small achievements, the stress that tagged along as they slowly distanced themselves before flying out of the nest – but with a human, Natsu understood it would be different. A slower progress, a gentler one perhaps.

With this realization, he suddenly found himself increasingly jealous of Dragion. Not just him though, but Earthland-Gajeel too. He would never admit it out loud, but that was the truth – he saw what Gajeel was heading towards and felt a spiritual pull towards it. He wanted his life, though he'd never say so out loud.

But how would he get there? What were the steps? Everything else in life had found its way into place – how to make a living, how to get a house, how to eat each day. His social life was fulfilling too, with the guild always being there to lean on. And Lucy, of course. His best friend who had saved his life too many times to count. Natsu couldn't just head up to her and ask her to bear his children though, could he? Not even he was dense enough to think he could take that leap, without embarking the proper steps first. Now, he wasn't sure exactly how it had gone, but he knew for a fact that Gajeel courted Levy. Made the step from "friend" to "mother of his children" easy. Like how a male bird courted the female bird to reproduce.

Right. So, Natsu understood the gist of it. He had to 'romance' Lucy, make her happy and willing to create a family. Except, he still wasn't sure he understood it all. Because when he looked at Gajeel and Levy, or Dragion and Ashley, he couldn't wrap his head around what made their relationships more special than his and Lucy's. Like, really? If anything, Natsu actually felt closer to Lucy than Dragion seemed to be to Ashley – so why hadn't they gotten their own little Nasha-egg?

He honestly just didn't know what made them so different. But he knew he felt a little ashamed for not knowing. Gray seemed to have his relationship with Juvia under full control (as much as anyone could control water – him being an ice mage actually fit pretty well), Gajeel was miles ahead of the guys in Team Natsu, and even if he didn't have a great grasp on the Crime Sorcerer-gossip, he knew that Erza carried herself quite proudly since she met Jellal when they fought against Aldoron.

Since he felt embarrassed for not knowing better about "relationships", he didn't quite know who to go to for advice. Besides; he didn't even know what advice he was looking for. He didn't know what actions or words could possibly advance in his and Lucy's relationship – wasn't it already great as it was? They played together every single day, ate delicious food together, and had awesome sleepovers – Natsu laughed every day he spent with Lucy, and at this point he wondered if his cheeks had grown stuck into that gleeful smiling position, because every time they were together he found himself sporting that embarrassingly big smile. (He knew his face wasn't completely stuck though because whenever he hung out with Gray he had a pout – very rarely did that bastard say something worth laughing to.) So what could possibly make their relationship closer?

Natsu pondered on these feelings for a very long time. They managed to beat opponents, lose to opponents, come back to beat the opponents they had lost to, and before Natsu even realised it, they had sealed the five dragons. The quest was over, the reward was out of the way and they were back at the guild. The longing feelings from their time in Edolas still lingering in the back of his mind – what was his next step?

It was late when they finally arrived in Magnolia. They'd travelled for days, to Natsu's and Wendy's terror, and none of the members of Team Natsu felt like stopping by a loud, drunken guildhall. They walked the last bit before they arrived at the junction where they'd split ways so many times before. Walked in silence, just breathing in the familiar air around them. They'd stopped by the guild a couple of times during the quest, but nothing really compared to this sensation. Rewards in their pockets, sore muscles after months of fighting. It had almost been a whole year since they'd gotten the OK to go on the quest, yet here they now were – finished. Done. Finito.

Natsu had felt an odd sensation growing within him. It seeded back when they took the 100 years quest, but only started expanding about a week ago. He felt uneasy, like he was losing his sense of direction. Because, with all of his goals cleared, what would he do now? He'd found Igneel, defeated Zeref and Acnologia, cleared the 100 years quest – what more could he possibly want? No, he knew what he wanted: he wanted a goal to strive towards. A life to look forward to, something to do with his time. The 100 year quest was the peak of his wizarding work – no mission would ever reach the same thrill. But why wasn't he as happy as he had hoped he would be? They won. Defeated them all, pretty much reached perfection. And everyone else around him seemed happy – Erza finally got Jellal to join the guild, Gray was about to ask Juvia to finally be his girl, Wendy just seemed more excited to continue her healer-journey now that she no longer was required to fight, and Lucy was practically jumping in excitement to finally publish her new book. He felt like he was struggling to find his place, and before he could even stop himself he felt his thoughts flicker to the year he'd left for training.

No. Leaving wasn't the solution. He knew this, but he couldn't steer where his thoughts were leading him. The last time he'd felt this lost, the year away cleared his mind, gave him a tangible feeling to strive for. Revenge, a strive for victory. Even the guilt from abandoning Lucy had felt better than the nothingness that losing Igneel had left him with. No, he shook his head. He couldn't do that again. It would kill her – kill him.

He was brought out of his train of thought when he felt a cool hand slither into his. Lucy.

"You're quiet," she whispered. She seemed to slowly adjust their pace until they were a couple of metres behind the rest of the team. "What are you thinking about?"

Lucy. Her skin almost looked bluish pale in the soft moonlight, her hair only barely registering as a light yellow as the lights cancelled other colours out. She was cold, and he felt himself grabbing on to her, as if not to lose the anchor in an emotional storm. He couldn't leave her. It wouldn't be possible – not after everything; all they'd been through, all they'd promised each other. Because he had promised. To stay together forever. He just wasn't sure what to do with that forever. He didn't know how to fill the time.

Not wanting to leave her question hanging, he mumbled, "I dunno… Stuff."

She was kind enough not to question him further. Instead she let herself move a bit closer as they walked, having their arms graze against each other occasionally. An entire year. Away from Magnolia, from the streets they knew so well, the people they'd taken for granted on the paths. So much was the same, like the buildings, the air, and the starry skies. But here and there were small signs that the year indeed had passed – a pothole filled, a street closed for renovation, a new shop where an old one had closed. Life was continuing, people moved on. Natsu couldn't shake the feeling that he was falling behind.

Finally, at the junction where their paths split, Natsu, Happy and Lucy lingered. They'd waved their goodbyes to Erza, Gray, Wendy and Carla, but they hadn't quite decided on where they wanted to go. It all felt so final, so symbolic that a wrong choice could change the entire direction of their lives. And it was still just their normal crossway, where they'd walked thousands of times before.

"So," Lucy spoke up. "Home." A statement, and invite perhaps. Natsu felt turmoil in his stomach. He wanted to invite himself to her apartment, make sure they stuck together no matter what – if he was left alone for too long his legs might start running off without even telling her, and he couldn't have that. But what if he stayed? Took her ghost of an invite and packed up his bag at her place. Would it be final? Would he be relying on Lucy's sense of direction in life, never knowing what he could have done with himself if she wasn't the one holding the reins? He almost shook his head. How stupid of him. Being with Lucy was nothing to fear – it should be obvious that they would stay together now. It was obvious, of course it was. Anywhere Lucy went, Natsu wanted to follow. He knew this, he'd known for years. Longer than she even suspected.

But his silence made Lucy grow uncertain. So when she spoke, he felt his heart drop to his stomach.

"I think it's best we go home. Part ways." Her big eyes seemed to analyse Natsu's face, and he just hoped his terror wasn't showing. No Lucy. No sharing a bed, no washing up together, no arms to feel safe in when sleep reeled him in. He'd been too late. "You alright? We'll meet at the guild tomorrow morning for breakfast."

He gave her half a nod, more like a confirmation that he'd heard her, than an acceptance of her invite. Her hand, which had been his safety net all the way here, slipped out of his, only leaving the cold ghost of her presence that had been comforting him just a second ago. She gave him an uncertain smile before she turned and walked away. Natsu didn't move. His face felt paralyzed, and he knew Happy was growing worried as he saw Natsu's emotionless reaction. But he couldn't react. It didn't feel right running after her after such a definite rejection, though it didn't feel right accepting the moment and walking away either. Not yet. He still saw her, the silhouette getting smaller as her steps moved her further away. He could hear her take a shaky breath before she took the turn that brought her completely out of sight. She'd gone, parted ways with him. Not really. Not forever. But in Natsu's fragile emotional state, she might just have.

When he no longer smelled or heard her, he knew she was back at her apartment. Only then did Natsu find the strength to move his feet. Happy had flown home by then, leaving Natsu alone with his thoughts. His legs were heavy as he moved them towards the cottage he'd once called home. He was tired, Maybe physically, but mainly emotionally. It wasn't like the cottage was a bad place to live – he had always been fond of the lived-in garden and the rugged feel that his handcrafts brought to the place. He liked it, but it was missing Lucy. It had always missed Lucy, he realised as he saw the rectangular shape form behind low hanging branches along the cobbled path to the front door. Even before he met her, the house had been missing her, waiting for her arrival, like the final puzzle piece. He knew this, because Lucy had many times showered the house with compliments. That, if you looked behind the piles of rubbish, the kitchen was a perfect layout, and that the bathroom was exactly like the one in her doll-house from the Heartfilia Estate. And apparently the bedroom was big enough for two people, and the storage room was a good size for a nursery for when he wanted children.

That's right. She'd mentioned children before. He'd never given it an extra thought before now, with the 100 years quest and the many life goals that seemed to come to an abrupt halt. But Lucy had mentioned it. Briefly, a passing comment barely even lingered for a second. Natsu's brain had stored it away though, deep in the crevices where it only made itself noticed now, as he was having a full blown existential crisis. How curious.

Natsu pushed the door open. It felt heavier than before, like the hinges had rusted. Another thing that had changed. He didn't like change – never had. It felt like everything he trusted to be true, to be the same, always, turned out to be as mortal as him. Normally Lucy's presence would ground him. She'd be there for him to lean on, to tell him that she'd be there, always. He was so… fragile without her.

But as he stripped down to his underwear and stretched out over the hammock, he remembered that he wasn't without her. Sure, she was in her own apartment, all across Magnolia, and he was here, alone in his bedroom, but in a way she was still with him. Lingering in his soul. In exchange, Natsu's heart was left with Lucy. It had followed her home, hidden in her backpack, and jumped into her pillow for her to cuddle when he wasn't around. Their paths had diverged, yet their souls were as intertwined as ever. Natsu just had to believe it, lay his trust in their bond.

The next morning felt mockingly cheerful as he awoke from sunshine in his eyes. He was back. The same window, the same birds chirping outside the window. Lucy's scent only barely lingered in his scarf, from when she'd worn it on the train ride home. He almost got angry at it, because it fooled him for a second that Lucy was there, in the cottage, spreading out her life in his space. But she wasn't – she was at her apartment, probably getting ready for the day.

First full day back in Magnolia. She'd promised him a breakfast-date at the guild, but afterwards she'd want to go shopping. Fill the fridge for a while, make herself comfortable in her apartment. And, if he knew her as well as he thought he did, she'd encourage him to do the same. Apart from her. Separate. The uncomfortable feeling in his stomach from yesterday made its way back.

To get his mind off of it, he stretched and stood up, clumsily moving towards the bathroom. He glanced towards Happy – still sleeping – and then closed the door behind him. Sleep, shower, eat. He knew this routine by heart. Despite the heavy feeling of everything changing around him, he still had to live. It didn't feel right. But he braced himself and did it anyway. Washed off the grime from the travels and the lingering scent of Lucy, brushed his teeth, and put on clean clothes, finishing up with his scarf wrapped one and a half times around his neck. He poked at Happy.

"Mornin' buddy." Happy yawned big enough to swallow a planet. Natsu resisted the urge to put his finger in his mouth. "I'm headin' to the guild for breakfast with Lucy. Ya' comin'?"

The blue head shook as he turned the other way in the bed.

"I wanna… sleep…"

"Alright. Ya' know where to find me."

He didn't mind a solitary walk up to the guild today. He still wanted to gather his thoughts, put words on the uncertain feeling that was creeping along his bones. So, slowly, he stepped towards the guild. He dug his hands in his pockets and tried to think. This feeling he had, it had started quite recently – when they finished the quest. His endless train of thought from yesterday made it hard to remember what revelation he'd landed on, and the grogginess from last night's uneasy sleep didn't make it easier.

The quest ended: Natsu lost his sense of direction. That much he knew. He didn't have a clear goal to strive towards, though something was nagging him in the back of his mind that he just hadn't made the connection yet. He digressed. Then there was the fleeting thought of running away – he shut it down again as soon as it was brought up. No need to think in a useless direction: he had promised that he would never leave her again.

Lucy. She'd been the main character in his thoughts last night. He'd chased her around in his mind, trying to catch her for certain. It wasn't easy, thinking about their relationship. It fluctuated at every turn in his mind – if he believed in their bond, they'd stay close forever. If he doubted them, he felt like they were growing apart, faster than he could even fathom. It unnerved him, just thinking about them. It was better when they were together, close. When he could see her, feel her, and smell her. Only then did he feel certain that they'd always stick together. Now, while she was out of sight, he got more anxious with every passing second. He picked up his pace. Even if he didn't come to a certain conclusion with his thoughts today, he knew he'd be safe and sound as long as he was with her.

In the distance he heard children's laughter echoing through the streets, and another name flashed before his eyes. Nasha. The tiny mini-version of him and Lucy, that he'd thought so fondly of when he met her. He missed her. A lot. And envy was making its way through Natsu's head, so he had to clench his hands so as not to go mad. Because he also remembered Greige, and therefore Edo-Gray and Edo-Natsu, and he wanted to punch them for not understanding how lucky they were. They had it all. They'd made it. The true final adventure.

And that's when it hit him. A thought so obvious that he hadn't even formulated it before – he wanted to create a family with Lucy. It would solve it all: he would have found his goal to strive towards, and with children came complementary goals – first words, first steps, first magic. And he'd be able to find security in a constantly changing world, because this change would be for the better – he would make sure of it. For his own child. But most importantly, it would connect Natsu and Lucy forever. The purest form of proof of their bond. They would intertwine so deeply that their DNA would blend into a whole other life. Truthfully, a family would be exactly what Natsu needed. Not just the found family he had in the guild, but his own, private one. Just for him and Lucy, and Happy of course.

The unnerving feeling in his stomach had settled, once and for all. He'd found it – he'd found his purpose. Instead, a broad grin danced its way across his face, and he found himself sprinting the last distance to the guild. He wanted to tell her, take his chance and catch her, never to let go.

The loud bang echoed throughout the active guild hall as he threw the doors open.

"Mornin' everyone!" He greeted, though not lingering with the cheerful crowd that tried to make their way to him. They could congratulate him later, he thought, when there was more to congratulate. Him and Lucy. He was so excited he could fly.

Quickly he scanned the seats, searching for the one face he'd always find in a crowd – and there she was. Her golden hair in a smooth ponytail, her bangs swept aside so they wouldn't poke her in her eyes. Good, he thought, nothing was allowed to hurt those big, starry, beautiful eyes of hers. She smiled when she saw him, and his heart grew in pride. She'd sought after his gaze too. He immediately waltzed over, practically jumping over the bench to place his butt close to hers.

"Hi!"

"Hey you, aren't you energetic?" Lucy laughed, not hiding the surprise on her face from his big greeting.

"I was excited to see ya'," he said simply, giving Lucy's plate a quick observation. Waffles. He could go for waffles. "Ya' gonna eat those?" Before she could protest, Natsu had picked up one of them with his hands and grabbed a big bite. With his mouth full, confessing would have to wait. That worked out fine with him, as he didn't want to do it with the entire guild watching anyways. He had to bring her away, preferably somewhere pretty. She would like that, to be declared his future someplace pretty.

Lucy leaned even closer to him, tilting her head to whisper in his ear. "Do you want to go to the park after this? It's a bit… crowded." Her breath against his ear made him shiver. Apparently she was already one step ahead of him, or maybe just really well synced. He nodded violently, mouth still full with waffles.

Mirajane brought the two of them more plates, both for Natsu to polish off. Lucy took the liberty to pick from his food – the same way he'd taken the liberty to eat the rest of her waffles before. If anyone else tried to eat his food he'd be throwing punches, but Lucy wasn't anyone else. She had the privilege to take anything she wanted. What was Natsu's, was Lucy's. He supposed that went both ways.

He refrained from licking the last bits of waffle crumbs and syrup off the plate when he was done. Instead, he stood up and reached out his hand for Lucy to grab. "Let's go."

The guild wasn't surprised when she took his offer. What their friends once thought meant romantic gestures – holding hands, hugging, whispering – had turned normal. Natural even. They wouldn't overthink Natsu's advances to Lucy, because up until now, they'd never meant anything other than friendly. So no one even batted an eye when they laced their fingers together and left the building. Good, Natsu thought. He didn't want their attention at the moment.

Lucy turned her head towards the sun when they went outside. It pressed in the spring air, heating up as wide across the land it could muster. Still, the winds blew cold, making her press closer to Natsu's shoulder. He filled up with pride, being the one she was drawn towards when she felt cold, scared, or lonely. Then he realised that that wasn't the only time she turned towards him – she also went to him when she was happy, wanted to share good news, heard a joke she wanted to laugh at together with him, or when there was good food to be tasted. Everything she experienced, she shared with Natsu. That was the thing that gave him pride.

"It's weird to be back," Lucy said, breaking the silence. "Good, but weird."

"Yeah," he nodded. It was weird. He hadn't even thought about the guild very much since finishing the quest – mind being filled with Lucy – but he realised that he missed the crowd and the company and the constant chattering filling his ears. It would be nice with some time off, not having to go on long missions for a while. They had plenty of money for now.

"I think it's time for me to move."

Natsu almost pulled a muscle twisting his head. "What?!"

Lucy stifled a laugh. "Don't look so scared! I won't move far, maybe just a block or so. I just finally have the finances to live at my own place, and I think it's time. I want to own a house, have a garden."

Natsu grabbed her shoulders and turned her to face him. He supposed he would have to tell her now, before she flew away in her mind, decorating living rooms and picking bathroom tiles. "Move in with me."

He internally cringed. That wasn't right, he didn't want her to become a roommate. Before he could correct himself, Lucy made her voice heard.

"Oh… Thank you for the offer…" She gulped hesitatingly.

"No, wait! Lemme speak first," Natsu interjected before she started rejecting him. "I… I've been thinkin'. A lot. Since yesterday." Why was he so stifled? He pressed forward. "No, since before that too, but thing is, I've been thinking about us. And my future- our! Our future. The two of us, you and me. You. In my future."

A smile pulled in Lucy's mouth, but she let him continue.

"So I thought… You know, it's time for a change. I think we've gotten the most adventure we can from missions, and maybe we should… have a change of pace?" He wasn't sure he was using the words right, but he continued his awkward monologue. "What I'm trying to say is… wouldn't the biggest adventure of them all be to have a family? You and me, we could have our own Nasha and we could do that big wedding-party-thing that they had in Edolas and… I- I want to do it all. With you."

There was a moment of silence before Lucy started laughing.

"What, what's funny?" Was she laughing at him? Had he made such crazy proposals, so deeply unrealistic that not even Lucy could take him seriously? His worries were slightly soothed when she put her hands on his arms, that still held her in place by her shoulders.

"You didn't let me finish before," she giggled. "I wasn't rejecting you. I was just surprised, that's all. I didn't expect you to ask me to move in with you. It's… Well, it's a bit unprompted."

"Is it? I just prompted it." His face fell flat as he tried to understand what she was getting at. She didn't seriously think that the two of them were going to live apart forever, right? Sure, he hadn't explicitly told her to start packing her bags, but he had told her they'd always be together.

Lucy tilted her head knowingly. "It is unprompted. Or no, maybe you're right, we've probably had this coming, but I've denied it. Because, you know…" She looked hesitant again, like she was about to reveal a smidge too much of what was going on inside her head. With pink cheeks she explained. "I thought you didn't want romance. You've always been so stoic and unbothered regarding that stuff, so I just figured you'd rather just be a lifelong friend. Because, you know, I'm good with that too. If that's what you want."

Natsu couldn't stop his mouth from falling agape. "You thought we were just friends this entire time?"

"Well, yeah. That's what you always said." She squinted from the sun, but the blush on her cheeks didn't go past Natsu.

"But all the things I did for you, getting the guild back together, celebrating your book award thingy, didn't you realise that I did everything because I wanted more?"

His voice died down at the end of his sentence. Was he being greedy? As in too greedy, even for him? He'd been so used to aiming for the stars, aiming for a life where he could get everything he wanted, that he never stopped to look back at what he already had. Or, he'd done it with the guild – plenty happy with the family they'd culminated into, never desiring anything more or anything less. But when it came to Lucy he wanted to be a bit childish – have his cake and eat it too. He wanted their friendship, their love, their trust, and he wasn't prepared to ever be rejected. Even back when he had that thoughtless reunion after his year away training, Lucy hadn't stopped him in his tracks and refused to learn to get along again. Even when she had all the right to. He only ever indulged in her.

Natsu's heartbeat rose as he watched her process what he'd been telling her. He could see it in the way her eyes darted slightly to the side, but not looking at anything particular. She was thinking so hard that for a second he wondered if a brain could explode from overactivity. He hoped not.

"Before," she began, and Natsu's ears perked up again, "you said you wanted a… family…"

"Yeah…" He spoke slowly now, not daring to put her into overload. He needed them to have this conversation now, not after fainting.

"And you want me to move in with you…" He nodded. She still wasn't looking at him – likely organising her thoughts. "And… you want me to be in your future?"

Finally. Her eyes met his again. They had only been pointed elsewhere for a couple of minutes, but it felt like he had lived a lifetime since he saw them last. Looking like jewels as they reflected the sun. Feeling too dumb, or maybe just too embarrassed to speak, he just nodded again. With all the nodding he was doing he was sure his head would wobble loose and hit the cobblestone soon.

"Oh."

Her face lit up.

"Oh."

As a smile danced onto her face, her cheeks reddened tremendously.

"Does that-" her voice cracked, leaving her face even redder, "does that mean that you… love me?"

Almost aghast, Natsu half chuckled. She was being so weird, but also so… cute. She always made that embarrassed face and had to clear her throat when her voice got too squeaky. No, she wasn't just cute. She was pretty. Beautiful. Heavenly.

"Yeah, duh," he laughed. Wasn't it as obvious as the fact that he breathed fire and the sun would rise tomorrow? He didn't know much, but he never even once questioned his love for Lucy.

"Oh my God," she squeaked, shrinking half an inch shorter as she attempted to hide away in embarrassment. Natsu held her shoulders steady as he felt her knees wobble underneath her.

She hadn't given him an answer yet, and she looked like she'd been caught stealing from a bank, sweat pearling in her temples, but for some reason Natsu felt calm. Not anxious, not impatient – he had laid his heart out, and now all he had to do was wait.

"Seriously? Like, actually? As in love, love?" Words questioning his credibility were rolling out of her mouth, and he couldn't stop his eyebrow from crooking a bit impatiently. Yeah, screw what he said before, he wanted something to happen.

He let a split second of judgement decide on his next action. It was the biggest leap into the dark he had ever taken – he had squeezed his eyes shut and pressed his mouth together with Lucy's. He'd seen other people do it before, plenty of times, and it did work as he wanted it to – no more questions hanging in the air after this. Except, he didn't expect how sensational it would be. Her open mouth, still forming questions, met his closed lips. It came as a shock, but he took the chance to mirror whatever that was – slowly, moving around so his lips perfectly interlocked hers.

They should have done this years ago.

Natsu's arms slithered their way around Lucy's body on instinct, catching her in a tight embrace as she melted into him. The air in their lungs mixed as they tried to breathe through the action, and Natsu started to get light headed. Reluctantly, he opened one eye to assess the situation. Lucy had closed hers, and her cheeks were even rosier than before. It took a lot of willpower to break the kiss up – and as soon as he did, his desires urged him to continue.

But he stood strong. They were technically still in the middle of a conversation – he'd just gotten sidetracked.

"Did that answer your questions?" He panted, probably a bit rosy on his cheeks too.

Lucy looked doe-eyed as she swallowed and nodded. Almost a bit disoriented. Then, in usual Lucy-fashion, she said something weird again.

"It's only 7 in the morning."

Natsu raised an eyebrow, coaxing her to elaborate.

"It's 7 in the morning and you've both confessed and convinced me to move in with you." Natsu lit up.

"You will?" He exclaimed, no longer holding back his excitement. His goofy grin spread across his face, seemingly contagious as Lucy broke out into a giggle too.

"How could I say no? I love you."

Too ecstatic to contain himself, he took Lucy in a big hug, lifting her into the air before giving her back the earth under her feet. Melodic laughter sounded as Lucy got caught up in Natsu's celebrations, giggles and squeals alternately escaping her lungs. He wanted to kiss her, but his feet were so light he thought they'd start flying off into space if he kept holding on to her.

Instead he let her go, hands fist bumping the air in a victory pose.

"We're moving in together!" He shouted out, alarming the early bird citizens who still felt too tired to bother scolding him. "And I have a girlfriend!"

As soon as he said it he looked over at Lucy again, almost breaking his neck with the speed he turned it. "I do, don't I?"

A bubbly laugh escaped Lucy's pink lips. "Yeah."

In one swift motion he threw his right arm over Lucy's shoulders, allowing himself one last action of pumping his left fist in the air before Lucy made him stop. "Happy's gonna be so pumped about this! He's still sleeping by the way, maybe we should go home and tell him."

Lucy let her left arm rest on Natsu's lower back, settling them into a familiar stride – one they had walked in many times before. But this time, everything felt different. The taste of Lucy's lips still lingered on Natsu's, and instead of pulling away to avoid misunderstandings, she leaned into his touch.

"Let's wait a little," she smiled. "We have time."