this is a present for my beautiful, gorgeous, astounding slug goddess, @thegemibaby! I’m sorry it’s not longer but I was struggling…Jilly isn’t my fortay
word count: 437 (it’s short I know I’m sorry)
ship/s: James/Lily, Sirius/Remus
genre: fluff
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“Lily,” James whined, flopped over the back of the armchair Lily was sitting in, engrossed in her book. Lily sighed, closing the said book and letting James wrap his arms around her shoulders.
“Yes, Potter?” she murmured back, enjoying the way he groaned in response, nuzzling his face into the crook of her neck. She was wearing the perfume that she always wore and it was intoxicating.
“Oh come on, Lils, must you keep calling me that?” He muttered into her neck. She giggled, bringing a hand up to weave into his messy hair. She made fun of him for it all the time, but in reality, she adored the way it was so fluffy and tangled. It was a habit of hers to slowly untangle it when playing with his hair, it was relaxing. An easy puzzle that included spending time with him.
“Lily,” he faked cried, tightening his hold around her. She smiled fondly, cuddling into his side before untangling herself and standing up.
James frowned as she left, her warmth leaving him, but he began grinning like a mad man when she whipped around the chair and pressed a kiss to his lips. James kissed back, not wasting any time being surprised.
The moment was short-lived, however, when Sirius spoke up from the couch a few feet away.
“Ugh, can you two stop being so gross?” he groaned, glaring at the two. James and Lily glared back at him.
“Hypocrite…” James scoffed, pulling Lily by the hand out of the common room.
On the couch, Remus sighed, glaring at his boyfriend. He really was being a hypocrite.
“Oh come on, that was gross!” Sirius exclaimed at him, pouting when Remus’ glare didn’t let up.
“To you, maybe, but have you forgotten the fact that I am currently straddling you while we snog or are you just an arse?” he said, a monotone voice making Sirius shudder. Remus was still sat over him, his arms crossed over his chest as he gave him, what Sirius called, The Look.
“You look so fucking hot right now, Moony,” Sirius said in a husky voice before pulling Remus down into a scorching kiss.
Out in the corridor, James and Lily received a detention from Professor McGonagall, reprimanded for kissing in the halls.
“I cannot believe you just got me in trouble for PDA!” Lily yelled in a hushed voice, but James just laughed.
“You kissed me first, dear flower of mine,” he smirked, making Lily scoff, hitting his arm before marching back to the common room.
As always, James followed, like a little lost puppy following its owner.
this was my story for the Fairy Tail Year Apart zine! I had a lot of fun and I still can’t believe I actually joined but I’m glad I did!
I got Jerza for my ship and I hope you enjoy!
word count: 4219
@fairytailcharityfanzine @kuroshironekoserver
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“I am disbanding the guild!” Makarov’s booming voice shouted over the waste field that used to be a battlefield. The building torn and crumbling where they once stood, the ground no longer one flat piece, but many jagged stones pulled up and would block your path. The wasteland of a battle finally being over was where his voice echoed, the dark, looming aura of everything hitting the people around him like a brick.
“W-wait…this is a joke, right?” Gray stuttered. Erza stood next to him, astounded by the information.
“Master, you’re not serious right!?”
“That’s insane!”
“Why are you doing this!?”
Various voices screamed, pain and fear encapsulating the crowd.
“I am serious. From this moment forward, Fairy Tail is no more!” Makarov announced. His face was stony and cold, unlike anything anyone had ever seen.
Erza watched in horror as Makarov walked away, leaving his children in distraught. Some were crying, some were yelling, and some were silent, unwilling to process the news. Erza stood next to Gray and Lucy, as the blonde cried and started looking around the crowd of guild members.
“Natsu…where’s Natsu?” she called, but her voice fell on deaf ears as no one else noticed the pinkette missing, along with his blue-haired cat.
“I…I need to go…” Gray mumbled, slowly walking backwards and eventually running away from the mess that was the disbanded guild.
Slowly, one after another, people left, going to find places to stay for the night, as their houses were destroyed. Erza was the last to leave, sitting in the rubble that was their old guildhall.
The sound of footsteps and voices pulled Erza from her thoughts - Her thoughts of everything that just happened. She turned and was surprised to see him, unable to bring herself to say or think anything, only able to stare at the figure in front of her, her throat running dry and being at a loss for words.
“Erza?” he called out in a whisper, softness in his voice seeing the decimated guild. But she didn’t move, knowing that she couldn’t explain what had happened to him, let alone face him at that moment.
It was silent other than the soft crunching of footsteps on rubble. Erza clutched the flag that used to sit atop the castle-like guild, tears finally escaping and dribbling down her cheeks.
I wrote this for @rainbow-mcgee because he gave he the ship and prompt, which was “getting ice cream together”
this is just a short thing I did because I had some motivation
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Katara smiled as she walked hand-in-hand with Zuko. Her smile was contagious, as Zuko himself couldn’t stop smiling either.
It had only been a week since they had decided to get together. It was difficult at the start, Zuko having his Firelord duties while Katara took on a new job as a healer. But they made it work. And this was the first day since they had gotten together that they had the same day off.
And so, they went out to get ice cream.
“What flavour, miss?” the man asked, gesturing to his stall of different flavours and colours of ice cream. Katara looked over each one, asking for a few samples. She grimaced when the sherbet flavour hit her tongue, making Zuko chuckle.
“I think I’ll have the mint-chocolate-chip please,” she said with a smile, the man nodding and turning to Zuko.
“Strawberry please,” he said, frowning when he heard Katara giggle.
“What? Can’t a guy like strawberry ice cream?” he pouted, but behind his pout he was chuckling and smiling as Katara, her giggles turning her face a little red in the cheeks.
“No, I just didn’t think you’d like it, I mean, when I think of ‘Firelord Zuko’ I think of smoke and, well, fire. More savoury I guess?” she reasoned. Zuko couldn’t help giving her a playful nudge.
The man served their ice cream quickly, perfectly round scoops in wafer cones, and the two took their cones and walked off, still hand-in-hand.
“You know, despite what most people seem to think, I do have a big sweet tooth,” Zuko sighed, taking a bite out of his ice cream. Katara’s face contorted into a cringe.
“Ew, oh god, you eat your ice cream like that? Doesn’t it hurt your teeth?” Katara grimaced, Zuko smirked and took another bite out of his ice cream, teeth and all.
“Why are you like this?” Katara groaned, but her smile couldn’t help but show. Zuko smiled back but it was soon overcome by a scowl.
“Ow, ow, ow,” he winced, rubbing his temple and scrunching his eyes up, “brain freeze…” he groaned, feigning annoyance when he heard Katara laughing.
“The o’ powerful Firelord taken out by some strawberry ice cream?” she snickered, nudging his shoulder. Zuko glared but soon also broke into chuckles, linking his hand back in hers and rubbing it with his thumb.
The two walked around for a while longer, looking around town and occasionally stopping to look at the various stalls filled with different jewels and nicknacks.
Zuko grinned to himself as he was able to buy something without Katara noticing, a silver hair stick with a crescent moon in the tip, a blue crystal placed at the thickest part of the moon. He wondered when it’d be a good time to give to her, he wasn’t exactly the romance type.
He tucked it into his pocket as he tugged Katara along with him, beginning the trek back to her home, thinking on it more. He could do it as soon as they got to her home, and he could place it in the little bun she always wore above her perfectly wavy hair.
Yeah…yeah that sounds good, He thought, pulling Katara closer to his side, hoping to god she’d like it.
for the lovely @i-write-fanfics-to-procrastinate! thank you to @fandom-trashs-things and @lunaeclipse103 for reading it for me before posting!!
@kuroshironekoserver
this is a fairy tail fanfiction for the ship Laxus x Hisui, Laxui.
word count: 819
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Laxus felt the sweat on the back of his neck as he and Hisui walked down the cobbled path, walking past stalls and cafes. His nerves were building up badly, and he just hoped and prayed she couldn’t tell.
Hisui clung to his arm, smiling softly and occasionally glancing up at him. It didn’t take long before she suspected something was up, seeing him so nervous. It made her nervous, wondering what could possibly be wrong.
A few more steps forward, Hisui sighed and stepped in front of him, pushing his chest so he’d stop.
Laxus looked confused, but Hisui didn’t let it last long.
“Why are you so nervous? What’s going on?” She questioned, her eyes full of worry and suspicion. Laxus let out a long breath, head tilting to the sky that was now glowing a beautiful orange and pink.
thank you to @i-write-fanfics-to-procrastinate for beta-ing this for me! this is a little laxui pregnancy thing I did in a spur of the moment feeling lol
Fairy Tail, Laxus x Hisui, Pregnancy/Labour fic
word count: 1490
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Hisui rolled over for the hundredth time that late afternoon, desperately trying to get some sleep. Her usually sleeping position was now disrupted, due to the unusually large bump residing on her lower stomach.
Groaning, she decided a new plan of action was in order. She clearly wasn’t going to get to sleep, so she might at well do something else.
She stepped into the bathroom, both hating and loving the way her stomach poked out so much. While she was ecstatic she was going to have a baby, with the love of her life nonetheless, she hated how fat she felt. How her clothes never fit. How the already uncomfortable dresses she wore became nearly impossible to wear at all.
“But for you…I’d do this a thousand times over…” she hummed, smiling as she cradled her tummy. She breathlessly giggled when she felt a kick on her palm. The pain, the restless nights, the mood swings…it was all worth it.
“‘Sui? You in there?” a voice called, Hisui grinned, glancing to the face peering behind the bathroom door.
this is a Drarry (Draco x Harry) oneshot I based off of the Patronus comic by the lovely @artdecielle!!! Please go read that as well because it’s a great comic and the art is amazing!!!
thank you to @doginshoe for reading through this for me!
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“Expecto Patronum!” He hissed, his hand cramping from the force at which he held his wand, “Expecto Patronum, Expect-” his voice was cut off by laughs, he turned and slowly and silently stalked out of the forest. Hiding behind a tree, his eyes laid upon the three teens, one sitting on the ground while the other two played in the water. His eyes stopped on the olive-skinned brunet. He felt his chest restrict and his breath hitch slightly.
He ducked back behind a tree, wading further into the forest. He pulled out his wand and gripped it more gentle this time.
“Expecto…” he sighed, his mind trailing back to the boy that had stolen his subconscious thoughts, “Patronum!”
White whisps of magic gracefully flowed from his wand, gathering and building his Patronus in front of him. He found himself crouched down and wrapping his arms around his sides. The thought of him is what formed his Patronus. The thought of the boy who hated- no, despised him. The boy he could never have.
this is something I wrote very tiredly so sorry if it doesn’t make sense! thank you to @bmarvels and @doginshoe for beta-ing and proofreading!! <3
also, this is Zutara! or Zuko x Katara. not my usual thing but thought I’d give it a go!
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He panted as his hair stuck to his forehead with sweat, his body tense with anticipation, eyes focused solely on Azula and her movements, tracking her and making each of his moves strategically. He may not be the weak boy he used to be, but she was still strong. Azula did not give up, and it was clear she wouldn’t anytime soon.
Fire surrounded them, blue and orange, burning the buildings despite the amount of space they had. The charred buildings collapsed on themselves as the fire ate away at them.
It didn’t take long for Zuko to see his sister’s state. She was rash, unplanned and not as cunning as she once was. Her moves were fast but predictable, strong but defendable. Her mental state was dwindling and he would not miss this opportunity to win.
He knocked her off of her feet, her hair coming loose and dirt smudging her face. She panted as she glared at the boy she called brother, glaring fiercely.
a little oneshot I did for @i-write-fanfics-to-procrastinate, edited by @doginshoe! I hope you enjoy!
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The early morning air was cold and crisp, a breeze coming through the open window, that brushed through green locks of hair as Hisui stealthily slipped out of bed - careful not to wake the sleeping mage beside her. The floor was cold as her bare feet made contact, sending a shiver up her spine as she tiptoed through the dimly-lit room, the sun still yet to rise.
Her skin felt like ice as she took off her nightgown and pulled on a more formal dress before the long sleeves gave her little warmth as she grabbed her heels.
These were the times she hated being a princess. Having to wake up so early and get ready when all she wanted to do was snuggle and snooze with her thunderbeast.
this is something I wrote small oneshot as a prompt given by @i-write-fanfics-to-procrastinate!! I had her proofread this and she said she likes it so I hope you do too!
The streets were quiet as the night drew late into the early hours of the morning, the two mages walking the empty cobble roads as the sun began to rise. They laughed at old jokes, playfully hitting each other every now and again when one brings up an embarrassing memory.
Erza took a deep breath, blowing out a cloud of mist as the cold winter air hit her hot breath. She glanced to her left to see him, the love of her life, the one she never wanted to leave. He meant so much to the scarlet-haired mage, her childhood friend, her best friend, her crush. He faced hardships with her, made her stronger, fiercer, happier.
She smiled as he glanced over to her, smiling softly and turning to face her fully, stopping them in their tracks.
“Erza…” Jellal whispered, taking her hand in his. They were cold and calloused, but they felt amazing against hers. The rough skin running over her own rough skin. No matter how many things she tried, her swords always made her hands calloused. Though, hers weren’t as bad as some.
“I need to ask you something,” he mumbled, a bright red flush taking over his cheeks, “something important.”
“What is it? Is something wrong?” Erza asked, worry evident in her voice. He wasn’t going to leave again...was he?
Jellal chuckled and shook his head, quickly easing her nerves. She smiled and nodded for him to continue.
“I wanted to ask...if you’d...um…” he stammered, his brows coming together in frustration. Erza gave his hand a small squeeze in reassurance, whatever he was trying to tell her was important, and she knew he was troubled.
“Will you...be my girlfriend?” he blurted out, shutting his eyes tight. Erza went wide-eyed at the sudden request. It was something she dreamed of since she was young, and here it was, happening in her own real life.
A few seconds went by, Jellal keeping his eyes shut, awaiting her response. Erza smirked to herself as an idea popped in her head. She laughed in her head as she relaxed her face from the surprise, letting a stony expression come upon her face.
“Shouldn’t you be with your fiance?” she said, her voice monotone as she struggled to contain her laughter.
Jellal’s eyes popped out of his head at her remark. He immediately went pale as sweat formed on his forehead.
“H-How could you ask me that…?” he questioned solemnly, when Erza could no longer contain it, she burst out laughing, folding over and grabbing her stomach as her laughter began to hurt. Jellal looked on in horror as she wiped a tear from her eye and stood up straight.
“You are so horrible, Erza!” he sighed, the tension in his body leaving him as he realised, “you just had to joke about it? I didn’t know what else to say! I wasn’t ready!” he groaned, though his own chuckle soon became laughter as relief washed over him.
“I’m sorry, I couldn’t stop myself,” Erza giggled, taking a deep breath and calming herself. Jellal looked at her fondly. He rarely saw her laugh like that.
“So? What do you say?” he smiled, holding out his hand. Erza slid her hand into his, smiling as their fingers touched.
“I say,” she said, her hair falling from her shoulder and framing her face as she looked him in the eye.
Here is my second latest work for the @kuroshironekoserver event! this is a gift exchange and I was paired with @shadyhydrathewritingqueen I hope you love it!♥´ ▽ ` )
The trees swayed with the wind, making a peaceful rustling sound as the small blonde picked flowers from by the creek. She knew she shouldn’t be there, so close to the dragons den, but this was where the flowers were the prettiest, she thought.
She hummed to the tune of her mother's lullaby as she weaved the flowers into a crown. She smiled and placed the crown around her exceed’s neck, Happy, who was an unusual cat. He was blue, given to the small girl at birth as an egg.
Said cat meowed annoyedly and sneezed as he breathed in a flower.
The girl giggled and began weaving another crown, using brightly coloured flowers.
Behind the grand oak trees lining the forest, a little dragon sat against a tree, nestled in a too big scarf and slowly falling asleep to the humming.
“Lucy?” a familiar voice called, Lucy’s head peered over the small hill to see her mother, the peach dress she wore being carried in the wind.
“Mother!” Lucy exclaimed, running happily to her mum. Her smile was soft as she welcomed Lucy with open arms, picking her off the meadow floor.
Lucy relaxed in her mother’s warmth and smiled brightly, holding up the crown she had made.
“I made you a crown! It’s not as pretty as yours, but…” she muttered, Layla chuckled, taking her crown off and switching it to the flowers.
“I love it, it is so much more beautiful than mine. I’ll wear it till it withers.” she hummed, kissing Lucy’s cheek. Lucy giggled and hugged her mother. Layla held her close, as she was the dearest thing in the world to her
Behind the trees, the young dragon gazed at the two girls, taking in the view of how happy they were.
He growled and ran back into the forest, determined to have that same moment of happiness.
“Igneel! Igneel!” the young boy shouted, running over to a humongous, fire red dragon. The dragon looked at his son and smiled, lowering his body as low as he could so he could look him in the eye.
“Yes, Natsu?” he chuckled, breathing a cloud of smoke into the boy’s face. He coughed and giggled as he climbed on his dads head.
“I made you this,” he stated, placing a flower crown on the rough scales of his dad’s head. The crown was made poorly compared to the one he saw the girl make, but he stood proud as he hopped off the giant dragon and looked up at him.
Igneel plucked the flower crown off of his head and examined it. He sighed, but smiled and placed it back down.
“You’ve been watching that girl again, haven’t you?” he said softly, Natsu blushed and shook his head, dismissing his dad.
“Do you like it?” he questioned, Igneel chuckled, using an overly huge talon to ruffle Natsu’s hair.
“Yes, I like it, son,” he answered, waiting for his son’s next move. Natsu was beaming, but only for a moment before plopping onto the dirt floor of the forest floor. Igneel peered at his son as his face crumpled into a disappointed frown.
“Why doesn’t it feel the same…” he muttered, but Igneel heard it, with his heightened dragon ears. He scooped up the young boy into his hand and pulling him over as he laid down,
“What doesn't feel the same, Natsu?” he asked, though he knew the answer. Natsu sighed relaxing on his dad's neck as he peered at the dense forest treetops, shading them from the afternoon sun.
“That...feeling she gets. The girl with the blonde hair. She always sits at the creek and makes flower crowns or plays with her dolls,” he began. Igneel listened closely, “When the older version of her comes, they always have this...feeling. I don’t know what it’s called,” he explained, remembering the young girl, around his age, with what looked like an older clone of her.
“For starters, the older one is her mother.” he laughed, Natsu looked at him in confusion, and Igneel sighed, “A mother is the one who carries the child before they’re born. Think of it as a female version of a dad. You can’t have a mother without a father.” he spoke quietly, as Natsu listened intently. Igneel could see the cogs turning in his head as he was thinking.
“Then...where’s my mother?” he muttered, Igneel froze at the question he longed to never answer. He looked at his son, smiling lovingly and sighing.
He would have to tell him one day, but today was not that day.
“You’re mother disappeared when you were a baby. You wouldn’t remember her,” he lied, perching his head on his hand. Natsu nodded solemnly, and though he knew his father was lying, didn’t push any further.
“How about tomorrow you try and befriend the girl? She lives close by and it would be nice for you to have a friend your age,” Igneel suggested, changing the subject. Natsu looked up to his dad and smiled brightly, his sharp teeth poking through his parted lips.
“That’s a great idea Igneel! I bet she’ll want a gift, being a noble and all. What should I get her?” he ranted, pacing as his little head thought over things he could get the girl. Igneel watched in amusement as Natsu was hit with an idea and ran off into the forest.
His little feet pounded the dirt floor as he ran, so fast he kicked up dust, leaving a trail behind him as he sped off towards a creek. He stepped into the water and waited. And he waited for a while before a school of fish made their way through the clear water. He lowered his body close down to the water and held out his hand.
As a fish swam under his small body, through his legs, he swooped down and caught it in his hands. He held it up and looked it over, frowning at its small size.
“No good...hm…” he mumbled to himself. He let the fish go into the lake and set his eyes onto another, waiting for it to get just close enough for him to catch.
He went in, again and again, throwing fish across to the grass when he thought maybe they were big enough. He heaved a big sigh, a puff of fire coming from his mouth.
He left the water, propping himself against a tree and taking a breather. That is until a flash of blue caught his eye.
He looked over and on the other side of the creek, the cat sat, wings out, peering at the fish.
In a blur, the cat swung his paw into the creek and pulled out a fish. Not a big one, but big enough to feed the small cat.
Natsu watched in awe, knowing who the cat was and stepping closer.
“That was cool! Lemme try!” he grinned, getting back into the water and readying himself. He tried replicating the cat’s move, using one hand to swipe at the fish.
He was disappointed when all that happened was water being splashed. He grumbled to himself as the cat chuckled.
“You’re her cat, right? The blonde girl’s?” he questioned, the cat nodded and walked closer, watching Natsu as he continued trying to catch a fish.
“I’m Natsu! I wanna get her a fish, y’know, so we can be friends!” he chuckled, as yet another fish slipped through his grasps.
“Aye!” he heard, and his head shot up to see no one but the cat, no person to be seen.
“Did...did you just talk?” he stuttered, looking the cat up and down. The cat smirked and scratched behind his ears.
“Aye!”
“What the hell!?” Natsu screeched, falling back into the water and staring wide-eyed at the blue cat, as it howled with laughter,
“Never seen an exceed before?” the cat giggled, pacing back and forth, but never taking his eyes off of Natsu. The boy watched in astoundment as the cat sprouted wings and flew a few feet off of the ground.
“Woah...that’s so cool!” he exclaimed, standing up and draining his pants of as much water as he could.
“If you want to get Lucy a fish, I suggest you do it fast. She has to return to the mansion in an hour.” the cat spoke, before soaring past Natsu's head and through the forest. Natsu gasped and went to chase after the blue furball. He glanced at the pile of fish he gathered and snatched up the biggest of the bunch, pushing the rest back into the water, and began to sprint after the cat.
He tore through the bushes and broke through the forest’s line, the sunlight harsh on his eyes, but warming to his skin.
“Where’d you go…” he grumbled, his eyes adjusting to the bright sun and scanning the meadow. He grinned when he saw the cat duck into some tall grass and ran after him.
“I got you now!” he yelled, pulling the grass aside and staring at the sight before him. He gasped as he realised what, or rather, who, he was looking at.
The blonde, who lay on the grass, seemingly cloud gazing or something similar stared at him in wonder. He was frozen in fear, as her deep brown eyes stared him in the eye. In her eyes, there was no fear, only curiosity.
“I...um…” he stuttered, stepping back and letting the girl stand up. She looked him up and down, eyeing his scaled wings and tail, not in fear, but in curiosity.
Natsu flushed pink as he remembered what he was doing.
“I brought you this!” he screamed, flinging the fish in her face. She jumped at his sudden movement, but smiled, taking the fish from his hands.
“You have my gratitude, Dragon,” she said softly, kissing his cheek. Natsu flushed bright red and stared at her in amazement. She smiled at him, a small blush creeping up her face as she joined her hands behind her back.
Natsu felt the sudden rush of heat in his face, it was burning like wildfire. The blonde giggled at him and that was it.
“I’m gonna go get another fish!” he roared, smoke coming from his small body. He ran away, towards the forest as his hair and pants became charred, giving him small burns.
The girl watched in amusement as the dragon ran from her, leaving a path of small, charred footsteps in his wake.
“He’s the one who watches you, Lucy,” Happy purred, rubbing against the girl's legs. Lucy nodded and sat back down, smoothing the blue fur on her companions back.
Happy sighed in relief as he felt his muscles relax under her touch. Soothing and warm, just how he liked it.
“I wonder if he’ll come back,” Lucy wondered, lying on the grass and gazing at the clouds. She watched as the clouds seemed to form the shape of a dragon, and a smile crept up her face. “I hope he comes back…” she mumbled, closing her eyes and thinking about the young pinkette.
“Igneel! Igneel, wake your fat butt up! I need to tell you something!” Natsu shouted, making the crimson dragon wince and groan. He slowly sat up, yawning and letting a puff of fire come from his mouth as he did so.
“What is it Natsu?” he mumbled sleepily. Natsu jumped up onto his leg, trying to get higher up to him. Igneel saw this and held out his clawed hand for Natsu to climb onto. Natsu did so and stood up to face the dragon.
“The girl! I saw the girl! And she- she kissed my cheek, Igneel!” he ranted, Igneel roared with laughter as his son pouted, puffing out his chest and crossing his arms, “what’s so funny!?” he growled, Igneel took a minute to regain his composure and smirked at his son.
“I’m sorry, Natsu. So she kissed your cheek? What happened next?” he questioned, Natsu sighed and plopped down into Igneel’s hand, using his arms to prop himself up from behind.
“I didn’t know what to say, so I told her I was going to get her another fish and ran away,” he explained, Igneel scoffed and leaned down to be at eye-level with the boy.
“You know, she’s a princess. Princesses don’t have much use for fish, Natsu,” he chuckled, Natsu scrunched his face up in confusion,
“But it’s food! You can’t not have enough food!” he said, utterly confused. Igneel sighed and softly put Natsu back down to the ground.
“Son, why don’t you get her something a little nicer? She’s a beautiful young lady, she deserves something worthy of her, not a fish,” he explained, Natsu shrugged and sat down on the dirt floor.
“She seemed happy with the fish. She said ‘you have my gratitude, Dragon’. Doesn’t that mean she likes it?” he questioned, Igneel sighed, shaking his head.
“She probably meant that she appreciated the gesture. I’ll teach you more about her and her life as the princess tomorrow, okay?” he grumbled, lying down and resting his head on his hands.
“Okay, but what should I get her in then?” Natsu wondered, “something pretty…”.
“Natsu, do you remember how those crystals by the lake glow when exposed to magic?” Igneel asked, Natsu’s eyes went wide as a lightbulb lit up in his head. He began to run towards the lake, leaving his father to himself.
“Thanks, Igneel! I’ll see you later!” Natsu shouted, before disappearing into the woods. Igneel sighed in relief and smiled to himself.
“Are you sure you’ll be okay with them alone Gray?” Juvia asked worriedly, Gray sighed playfully and kissed her forehead,
“Yes,” he stressed, smiling and waving his hand dismissively, “go have fun. You’ve been planning this night out for weeks.” he chuckled, admiring his fiancee one more time before she left for her night with the girls.
“If Gray says so...Juvia will be back at midnight.” she sighed, a worried smile littering her face. She kissed Gray, sweet and short, and walked out the door to the taxi.
Gray waved as she was driven off, closing the door and locking it for the night.
“Okay, guys! What do you want for dinner?” he called, turning and facing his two kids on the couch, playing with each other. Sylvia giggled and Rin ran over to his father,
“Pancakes!” Sylvia squealed, while Rin chuckled, making Gray scoff, and despite the lecture he was sure to get from Juvia later, gave in and began making the pancake batter from scratch.
“Daddy! Let me flip one!” Slyvia whined, pulling at Gray’s shirt. Gray smirked and lifted her into his arms, handing her the spatula and guiding her hand towards the pan.
Sloppily, the two managed to flip the pancake, splattering themselves a little and making a very messy pancake in the process.
“There you go! You’re gonna be a great cook one day, just like your mum!” Gray praised, Sylvia giggled, kissing her fathers cheek and sliding down his hip onto the floor.
Rin smiled at his younger sister and began pulling out plates, knives and forks for the three of them, as Sylvia grabbed out the maple syrup and strawberries.
“Dad, do you want ice-cream with yours?” Rin called from the fridge, Gray hummed and nodded,
“Yes, thank you, Rin,” he called back, flipping the last pancake into the stack. He turned the stove off and threw the pan and spatula into the sink, to be washed later and walked to the table with the stack of pancakes way to big for the three to finish.
“Eugh…” Sylvia gurgled, slouching back in her seat as she finished her fourth pancake.
“Had enough?” Gray laughed as he picked up all their plates and walked to the sink, Slyvia yawned as she followed him and helped dry the dished he freshly cleaned.
“Dad, showers free!” Rin called, patting his wet hair with a towel. Gray nodded as Rin walked into his bedroom and he and Sylvia finished the dishes.
“Okay. Bath time.” Gray stated, glancing at Sylvia, her face dropped, a clear sign she was going to protest.
“But Dad,” she whined, slumping her shoulders and scrunching up her eyes. Gray chuckled and sighed, lifting his daughter from the floor and walking into the still steamy bathroom.
He placed her on the ground and grabbed a clip from the counter and pulled his bangs back, clipping them in place.
Sylvia grumbled as she pulled off her clothes and chucked them into the hamper. Gray turned the hot water tap and waited from warm water as he grabbed a fresh towel, setting it aside for the grumpy girl once they were done.
“Come on, I don’t like this any more than you do, but you’re dirty. You had a long day at the guild today and you stink.” he sighed, a slight laugh in his voice.
Sylvia groaned and begrudgingly grabbed the sponge and slathered it in soap. Gray kneeled on the floor, amused by his daughter's hate of bath time.
Sylvia grinned as she saw Gray not paying attention, and pulling the water and splashed him.
“Hey!” he yelled, looking from his now-soaked shirt to his daughter. She laughed as Gray removed his shirt and threw it in the hamper.
“You are so lucky I’m a cool dad.” he scoffed, pulling Sylvia from the tub and wrapping her in a towel.
Sylvia shook her head like a dog as water flew from her hair, getting on the wall, the mirror, and of course, Gray.
“Oh, you are so in for it!” he shouted as Sylvia squealed and ran from the bathroom, abandoning the towel and just going butt-naked.
Gray chased her throughout the house and cornered her in the hallway, grinning mischievously and bearing his hands wickedly, wiggling his fingers.
“Sylvia Fullbuster, you are hereby sentenced to tickles!” he exclaimed, rushing down and tickling her sides mercilessly.
“No! No, Daddy stop!” she laughed breathlessly, Gray smirked at his victory and pulled away, whisking Sylvia up into his arms and back to the bathroom.
“You need to dry off, you’ll catch a cold and your mother will think I caused it.” he grinned, dropping her in the bathroom floor and drying her off.
Rin walked in, toothbrush in hand and smirked,
“Lost again?” he teased, Sylvia pouted and grumbled,
“No! I just...let Daddy win! I don’t want him to feel old and weak! Yeah, that’s it!” she yelled, Gray scoffed and pulled her shirt over her head,
“Sure. Whatever you say,” he said, pulling the clip from his hair, and letting his bangs fall.
“I’m telling you, dude, we’re lost.” Gray sighed. Natsu grumbled, crunching the map he was studying maliciously in his hands.
“Yeah, alright, fine!” Natsu shouted, birds flying away from the trees. “We’re lost…” he mumbled, leaning against a trunk of a tree, slowly sliding down to the forest floor.
“why did Erza send us on this hike anyway? If Lucy had come with us we wouldn’t be lost,” he said, staring at the ground. Gray shrugged and sat down next to him,
“She said it’d help us bond. She’s tired of us always fighting.” he breathed, the forest was muggy and making him sweat bullets.
“Get through the forest. That’s all she told us to do yet we still can’t do it.” Gray chuckled, Natsu scoffed but lied still, admitting his defeat.
“how long has it been now? We started at seven in the morning,” he questioned, Gray checked his watch and sighed for the millionth time.
“it’s already five in the afternoon. the sun will be going down by now.” he groaned, looking up at the thick layer of greenery that obscured his view of the sky.
the two boys rested against that tree, tiredly making jokes, quips and playful insults for what felt like hours. In reality, they talked for an hour and then fell asleep.
“Oh, my god, Erza look at them!” a hushed voice squealed, Natsu twitched a bit before moving closer to the cool mass beside him.
“now that’s a sight you won’t see ever again.” a chuckled came, Natsu groaned and opened his eyes into little slits.
Yawning, he rubbed his eyes fully opened and smiled,
“Luce, when’d you get here?” he mumbled sleepily, Lucy giggled and shifted her weight to one leg,
“about a minute ago. You two never showed up at the end trail so Erza and I came looking for you. And our surprise seeing you both snuggled together!” she explained, laughing at the end.
Natsu’s eyes shot wide open as he looked to his left, seeing the ice-mage still snoozing against the tree.
“I-It’s not what you think!” he shouted, standing abruptly and rousing Gray from his slumber.
“what’s going on?” Gray muttered, yawning and scratching his head.
“ah! Mira’s gonna go crazy when she sees the photo I took!” Lucy exclaimed, Gray looked up to Natsu, his face was bright red, and he could’ve sworn a little steam was coming from him.
Hearing the girl’s words, Gray put two and two together and heat rose to his face.
“oh no.” the two boys gulped, as Lucy ran off, barely avoiding the two pairs of hands that reached for the camera.
“Cana, stop it,” Lucy whined, the brunette ignored her though, continuing her lustful rampage,
“Cana! I said stop!” Lucy yelled, pushing Cana off of her. The girl smirked, bringing a bottle of whisky to her lips. She took a deep chug and making a pop with her lips to exaggerate her sip.
“What? Afraid of a little girl on girl action?” The drunken girl slurred, Lucy blushed profusely and crossed her arms,
“It’s not that! I just…” she stuttered, trying to find the right words. “I like someone else…and I wanna only do that stuff with him…” Lucy’s voice wavered, embarrassed beyond belief and a little drunk.
“Ahhh, you mean Natsu.”
“How did you know!?” Lucy screeched, sobering up real quickly. Cana rolled back on the plush carpet of Lucy’s apartment, belly laughing, but careful not to spill her drink.
“It’s so obvious Lucy,” she sat back up, staring at the blonde intensely. “Kiss me like you wanna kiss Natsu.” She stated, dead-set on making out with Lucy.
Lucy scoffed, not believing what Cana was saying. How can she just kiss someone she doesn’t like!?
“You don’t mean that. You’re drunk, Cana.” Lucy settled, thinking the girl would just give up.
As Cana inched closer, she knew she was wrong.
“Come on, I’m always drunk.” She breathed, Lucy could smell the alcohol on her breath, and nervousness filled her body.
“Think of it as practising…” she whispered as her lip settled on Lucy’s lips. Lucy could feel the subtle pull of drunkenness her own drink had given her as she carefully kissed back.
Cana smirked in victory and dropped the empty bottle of her whisky on the ground as she moved over Lucy, one hand tangled in her hair and the over around her waist.
Lucy flinched at the touches but allowed them to get more intense and Cana slipped her hand under her shirt and hooked her finger on the rim of her shorts.
Lucy’s eyes twitched open as she groaned, the sun hitting her eyes perfectly. She grunted as her body felt heavy and worn out.
Looking over her, she saw why she felt so heavy. A hungover Cana lied on her chest, her breath tickling the sensitive skin. Slowly, Lucy untangled herself from the sleeping mage and she blushed as she was butt-naked.
this is one of the first things I ever posted, very early in my writing! it isn’t as good as my newer stuff imo, but I’m posting it cause it’s on my other blog lol
thank you @kaycha1989 for giving me the original prompt!
Lucy strolled through the mall, enjoying her time with her friends. Although, her nerves were not going away.
“calm down Lu, he’ll be fine. He can handle this.” Levy smiled, Lucy sighed while tugging her hair. Juvia placed a hand on her shoulder,
“Juvia understands. The first time Juvia left Gray-sama alone with Ur, Juvia couldn’t stop worrying. But when Juvia returned home, they were sleeping on the couch together!” Juvia explained, taking pleasure in the memory.
“I still love that you named her Ur, Juvia. It’s so cute!” Wendy said, smiling brightly. Juvia nodded and smiled, a tinge of sadness hitting her eyes.
“yes, Gray-sama cried in the delivery room when Juvia told him the name…” she muttered, Lucy smiled and nodded to herself.
“you guys are right. I’m sure I can trust Natsu with Nashi!”
At home, Natsu ran after the giggling child, laughing himself as she pulled out her fake sword.
“Arrr! Ye beware, Fire-Man! As I, Captain Nashi, will defeat you!” She yelled in a pirate voice, Natsu chuckled, shrugging his shoulders.
“If ye can catch me!” He yelled back, beginning to run around the house, away from the child.
“so, Levy, how have you been recently. You know, being with twins?” Erza questioned, gesturing to Levy’s large stomach.
“ugh, it’s awful! They kick so hard and I can never sleep!” She whined, Lucy giggled and smiled,
“Just remember the feeling of holding Emma for the first time,” Lucy suggested, Levy sighed and nodded, tears suddenly coming to her eyes.
“L-Levy-chan!?” Lucy gasped, Juvia followed soon after. The girls rushed towards Levy, wondering what was wrong.“are you okay Levy-san?” Wendy asked, Levy laughed,
“yes, I just…was thinking of Emma when I held her the first time. And seeing Gajeel hold her.” She sniffed. Everyone became calmer and smiled.
He was covered in sweat and his hair had been tied back, desperately trying to catch the crazy kid.
“Nashi! Come on! Your mother will kill me if I don’t get this cleaned up! Please!” He pleaded, panting. Nashi laughed maniacally as she stood atop the table, her body covered in different colours of glitter, glue and markers.
“Never!” She shouted, running down and around the house, throwing more glitter and shredded paper everywhere. Natsu groaned, almost whimpering, as he continued his chase. He stopped as his phone buzzed in his pocket, freezing as he saw who was calling.
“uhh…hey Lucy…” he chuckled weakly, answering the phone. Lucy made a sound of confusion.“Natsu? Is everything okay?” She questioned, Natsu glanced at Nashi as she pushed a glass off the table. It shattered loudly and Nashi giggled,
“was that a glass breaking!?” Lucy shouted, Natsu tensed,
“uh, yes! I accidentally dropped it! Whoops! So, why are you calling?” He sputtered, grabbing a dustpan and collecting all the glass.
“Levy is in a lot of pain so Wendy and Erza are taking her home. I’m gonna head home now as well. I’ll see you soon, okay?” She stated, Natsu choked on his breath,
“I…yeah! I’ll see you soon! Love you!” He shouted and hung up. He looked around and paled.
There was paint on the walls, glitter on the floor and furniture and Nashi was still running around.
“Nashi, come on! Your mother will be home soon! I need to clean up!” He pleaded, Nashi pouted,
“but you said we could…” her voice wavered and tears built up in her eyes. Natsu became even tenser.
Damn it! She looks just like Lucy when she’s sad! No! She’s just trying to trick you-
“Daaaad! You promised!” She sobbed, Natsu sighed, dropping to the floor.
“Fine, fine…let’s keep playing.” He smiled as Nashi’s face lit up. He grabbed the markers and Nashi walked to the wall. Lucy was going to kill him but…whatever, Nashi was happy.
“what…in the name of…” Lucy mumbled, opening the door to the house.
“Why the hell is there glitter everywhere?!” She yelled, her face turning red and her eyebrows furrowing.
Needless to say, Natsu and Nashi spent the rest of the day cleaning.
“Ah! Oh god,” Lucy gripped the bathroom sink, her knuckles turning white and her body covered in a layer of sweat.
“Natsu!” She called out tiredly into the rest of the apartment, there was wild thumping of feet as Natsu ran to her in a panic.
“Luce? Are you okay?” He rushed, taking her hand and walking her to the bed to sit down. Her stomach had grown to a size even Lucy was surprised about, and was making her back kill her with every movement.
Lucy took deep breaths as she felt an uncomfortable pressure in her lower abdomen,
“Natsu…” she murmured, looking at him with her eyes shining, Natsu gasped as he processed that look,
“Is…is this it? Is the baby-“ he was cut off by her sudden moan of pain as the baby moved further down,
“Yes!” she exclaimed, her own excitement rising, “We need to go to the hospital,” she breathed out as pain pulsed in her body, sweat building upon her forehead. Natsu nodded frantically and rushed to grab everything Lucy needed.
“Don’t forget the blanket Juvia made!” Lucy called, as Natsu rushed around the apartment, grabbing what he thought was necessary.
“Uh, uh, do you need food!?” He screamed, Lucy sighed and grabbed his face in her hands.
“Natsu, calm down, get the blanket, some of my clothes, a pillow for you and can you please get some of the spicy chips I’ve been craving?” She soothed, unusually calm. Natsu took a deep breath and nodded,
“Okay. Yeah, I can do that.”
“Why won’t this baby just come already!?” Lucy cried, laying in the hospital bed. By now, Wendy, Erza, Juvia, Levy and Happy had all come to support the almost-mother, or at least, Happy tried, but he was mainly there for Natsu. The guys had opted to stay behind, though Gajeel was surprisingly okay with talking with Natsu over the phone, calming his pre-parental nerves.
“It’s only been five hours, Miss, it could be a while till it happens.” The nurse calmed, Lucy sighed, her whole abdomen and back cramping like hell, causing her to shift every few minutes for a more comfortable position.
“You can have your labour induced if you really need to,” the nurse offered, Lucy’s eyes shot open and she sat up from her laying down.
"Do it," Lucy replies. Her eyes begging the nurse for any and all solutions to better the process she was currently going through. Before she could utter another word or hear the nurse's response, another scream rips out of her throat. "AHHHHH!" Her knuckles white as she squeezes Natsu's hand tightly as she felt the baby slowly pushing its way through. Natsu cringed at Lucy’s strength, his fingers felt like they would break any second, but he ignored his pain, knowing Lucy was going through a lot more. She didn’t scream like this ever, not when Kain beat her up, or Minerva. That’s how he knew it was bad.
“A little more Miss Lucy! It’s almost out!” The doctor exclaimed, guiding the baby through Lucy.
“You’re okay Lucy, you can do this,” Levy calmed, as she waited with the other girls to the side.
Lucy gasped at the feeling of all the pressure slowly leaving, instantly looking up to see Natsu in awe.
“You did it!” the doctor exclaimed, swaddling the baby up in the blanket Juvia had made and then Natsu’s scarf, “Here’s your new baby girl,” she smiled, handing Lucy the wailing baby.
“I…I just had a baby…” Lucy laughed, out of breath and taking her baby into her arms. As the baby touched Lucy’s chest, her cries dulled and it began cooing softly instead. It was so small and precious to her, a little head of fuzzy blonde hair sitting atop her head. Her skin was so pink from being a newborn, but even through that, the two new parents could see her skin was pale, just like Lucy’s.
“She…looks just like you Luce,” Natsu chuckled, brushing away tears threatening to fall, as he held his daughter's tiny hand,
“What are you calling her?” Happy asked, hovering over the two. Lucy smiled at her baby, who was wrapped in Natsu’s scarf,
“Layla Dragneel.” She announced, just as Juvia snapped a photo of the three.
Natsu looked up at her, face full of surprise,
“Dragneel? Shouldn’t it be Heartfilia?” He questioned, Lucy shook her head and smiled softly,
“Well, I’m going to be a Dragneel one day soon as well, right?” She chuckled, Natsu flushed beet red and sighed playfully,
“Didn’t even give me the chance to propose, did ya?” He joked, Lucy laughed and held his hand, as his hand slid into his pocket and pulled out a small velvet box. Lucy gasped and burst out laughing,
“If I had known,” she giggled, “I would’ve waited!” she laughed, flinching as Layla fussed a little before settling into a nice sleep.
“Well? What’s your answer?” Natsu grinned, knowing what she would say, her eyes filled with delight and happiness.
“Yes. A million times yes.” Lucy smiled softly, tears of joy and pain still in her eyes,
“I love you so much,” she said, cuddling Layla in her arms,
“I love you more,” he smiled, “and you too, of course, Layla,” he laughed, wrapping his arms around his child and, now-proclaimed, fiancèe tightly, kissing them both.
~Blood. So much blood. It’s everywhere. So red, all of it…it’s all red! Why?!~
Lucy’s eyes twitched and woke to the feeling of movement beside her, the sheet felt damp and grumbling made her sit up-right, “Natsu…” she mumbled, patting his shoulder next to her sleepily. She used her free hand to rub her eyes, grunting as the sudden kick in her side made her wince.
“Natsu, you’re having a nightmare, wake up…” she groaned, shaking his shoulder hard and yawning. Natsu gasped as he rose from his sleep with a jolt, his eyes slightly clouded and face glistening with sweat.
“Lu-Lucy…” he panted, using his hand to brush back his hair, slick with sweat and the other to prop himself up in the bed. Lucy swung her legs over the side of the bed and rubbed her now grown stomach. “You’re okay. Let me get you a glass of water.” She muttered, standing up and walking into the kitchen, with a signature pregnant-lady-walk.
Natsu pushed his hair back, with all the sweat making it stick, and controlled his breathing. Glancing down, and frowned as the sight was still not normal for his eyes. One leg was all he had. On the side of the bed was his prosthetic, leaning against the wooden bed frame.
That day had become a blur like somehow he’d forgotten some of it. Little parts just missing.
The day he took that damn mission…
-Flashback-
“Yo, Luce! Happy and I are gonna go on a mission! They even asked for me!” Natsu grinned, holding the flyer with a few words on it, and a picture of a flame. The only words Lucy would make out before Natsu pulled it away was “I’m asking for Natsu Dragneel and only him”.
“Are you sure? Sounds a little sketchy. I could go with you…” Lucy mumbled, Natsu shrugged, petting Happy who was hovering around his shoulder.
“Well, he asked for me alone. I’m only bringing Happy because I want him to be able to witness the battle and tell you about it! Besides, you need money for rent right? I’m staying with you now so I should pay as well!” He exclaimed, placing his hand on Lucy’s.
“It’s only a few days. I’ll be fine! Besides, I don’t want to leave you for too long! Not when I want to hug and kiss you all the time!” He chuckled, pulling Lucy so their lips touched, a faint blush spread on his cheeks. Lucy sighed and smiled, pecking her new boyfriend’s lips.
“erotic…” Happy giggled, Lucy frowned and flushed bright red, grabbing a book off the table.
“Shut up, you stupid cat!” She yelled, throwing the book and missing. Happy laughed along with Natsu, and Lucy just sighed. “Okay, okay. Just be careful, I need you safe for me, and the newcomer.” She said softly. Natsu gave her a quizzical expression.
“Newcomer? Who?” He questioned. Lucy smirked and folded her arms, “I’ll tell you when you get back, deal?” She stated, holding her hand out. Natsu grinned and took it in his, pulling her close and into a warm kiss.
“I guess that’s fair.” He muttered before walking off, Happy in tow.
“See ya guys! Be back in a few days!” He and the cat called out, leaving the Guild. Lucy smiled happily and sat down, but was immediately faced with Levy.
“So, you didn’t tell him?” She questioned, Lucy sighed and placed her hand on her belly, smiling at the teeny, tiny bump.
“God! After all this, I still couldn’t tell him!” Lucy whined, Levy sighed and chuckled.
“Don’t worry Lu-chan! I’m sure he’ll be over the moon!” Levy comforted, Lucy sighed knowing her friend was probably right, and she was overreacting.
“So, where’d he go off to? Going out on a training thing again?”
“No. He’s going to go on a mission to pay for rent. When he’s back, I’ll tell him. For sure.” She said softly, rubbing her stomach,
“About this little baby growing in me.”
-End of flashback-
The sound of Lucy waddling back into the room brought Natsu out of his trance, gratefully taking the water and chugging it down. “Thanks…” he muttered. Lucy nodded and sat down on the side of the bed. There was silence for a moment before Lucy sighed and faced her boyfriend of nearly a year.
“Are we gonna talk about this? It’s been months, Natsu. Months. And you still haven’t told me about this job and how you got so hurt…” Lucy said softly, glancing at the remains of Natsu’s leg. He was scarred all over, his arms, his legs, his chest, everywhere.
Natsu groaned and placed his head in his hands, pulling at his hair. Lucy winced at the sudden jutting of her stomach reminded her of the little baby inside her.
“I need to know Natsu. We’re going to have a baby together in just three months. I don’t want our kid growing up with a Dad who won’t talk about things like this.” She reasoned, leaning against the headboard of her bed for some support.
“I can’t even ask Happy. Whenever someone tries to ask him what happened he just gets this…look. Like he’s terrified of talking about it. He’s traumatised, which makes me more worried.” Lucy explained, carefully taking Natsu’s hand in hers as if he were made of glass that could shatter at any moment. He looked up at her, and she nearly teared up at the sight.
A huge, long scar ran down his face, it barely missed his eye, and scraped from his eyebrow to his chin, down past his temple.
“I…I know…I know I have to…explain but it’s just…I…” he stumbled, tears forming in his eyes. Lucy laced her fingers in his and kissed the top of his hand. The feeling of warmth resonating from it comforted her.
“I know it’s hard, I can’t imagine what you had to go through. When Happy came to tell me, he was so scared I could barely understand him. But I can’t sit here and watch you suffer alone.” Lucy sobbed, her own tears from combined sadness and pregnancy hormones getting to her.
“You promised me when you took me out on our first date. You promised you’d tell me anything and everything, no matter what. So I promised the same. That’s why I told you about the baby. I was so scared that you weren’t gonna want it, and I’d have to raise our kid alone, but then Levy finally convinced me.” Lucy admits, Natsu looked at her in surprise, eye wide and his tears stopped.
“Luce, I’ve wanted to be a dad ever since we started dating! All I can ever think about is how I want to spend the rest of my life with you…” He smiled. The tears in Lucy’s eyes fell and she hugged her boyfriend tight, revelling in his warmth.
“I’m so happy you said that…” She whispered into his ear and kissed his cheek. Natsu grinned and placed his hands on her belly, the large curve touching his own stomach.
“You hear that? You’re gonna have two of the best parents ever! And we’ll teach you awesome magic, fighting skills, and your mum can teach you how to read and write!” He laughed as Lucy giggled, placing her hands over his.
“Yeah, we’ll do all that and so much more.” She hummed and laid her and Natsu back on the bed.
“Let’s talk in the morning, yeah?” Lucy suggested. Natsu tensed, and while silent he nodded.
“Yeah.” He mumbled before the two fell asleep in each other's arms. Lucy kissed his head once more before she drifted off, but not long after, she was up again, too uncomfortable to sleep.