2022 Winter Wonderland - Day 1: Cookies & Warm Drinks
Quick author’s note - This is set in an AU setting that I am working on for NaLu, but I will be finishing Former Arrangements before putting that one up. When I thought about this prompt, I could not help but set it in there.
TW - Light mention of previous abuse
Warm Comforts
“Hey Luce!” Natsu called from the kitchen as he started the microwave. He wiped his hands on a towel and peaked into the living room to check on his fiancée. “Everything go all right with the phone call with your dad?”
On the coffee table, along with a stack of her favorite books and the latest issue of Sorcerer’s Weekly, laid her cell phone. The screen black and sat haphazardly close to the edge. He frowned at that. When her phone was laid like that, it meant something had bothered her.
Happy laid in her lap, curled up and purring loudly in his sleep. Her left hand laid gently on his back. Down by her slipper covered feet laid their Tazi Celestial Spirit dog, Plue. Even off duty, the loyal pooch stayed close to his master to help when needed.
Fingers halted over the pages of her book, she looked up at the sound of his voice and smiled softly. “Yeah, dad just wanted to check in to make sure everything we had planned for Christmas was still happening.”
“It better be,” he gave a grunt and rubbed the back of his head. “That tree mom picked out nearly broke my back chopping it down and helping dad set it up.”
She chuckled. “You mentioned that before, and managed to worm a back massage out of me.”
“That’s cause Lucy massages are the best!” His voice sounded further away, and she assumed he had gone back into the kitchen. A frown pulled at her lips. Dinner had passed a couple hours earlier and the leftovers put away in the fridge. The dishes had been cleaned and put away. What was he doing in the kitchen, she wondered. She knew he had a bottomless pit for a stomach, but she had been certain he said he had been full after they ate.
If he ate all the leftovers now, they would have to plan another shopping trip.
Feeling around for her bookmark, she slid it against the binding of her page once she found it and gently put her book down. Curiosity was getting to her, and while he did tend to make the meals for them, she wanted to make sure he did not need help. She knew from her own experiences of being stubborn that they both hated to ask for assistance from anyone, even each other.
She gently shook Happy awake. “Hey buddy, I need to get up.”
“Lushii…” he whined, drawing out her name as he stretched and allowed a big yawn. He slowly blinked up at her, rubbing his eyes, “why’d you wake me up?” His leaned into her palm and sighed as she scratched behind his ears.
“I need to get up and see if Natsu needs help in the kitchen,” she whispered softly so the topic of their conversation would not hear them.
“But Lucy,” his head tilted up and she assumed he was looking at her. A heavy feeling began to set in her stomach, predicting the words that would come from the cat’s lips. “How would you see—OW! Hey Natsu! Why’d you pull my tail!”
“Did I pull your tail?” His voice held a tension that she picked up on. “My bad, little buddy!”
She looked up and noticed in surprise the dark silhouette against the dim Christmas lights in the apartment. Bright lights normally hurt her eyes and gave her migraines, so Natsu had naturally insisted that their apartment had dimmable lights that he personally put in with his dad. With the decorations for the holiday, they just had the strands on to give off a merry glow.
What had startled her with his sudden appearance had been the lack of noise. Usually, she could hear the patter of his feet across the hardwood floor when he moved around the apartment. Since his body heat was naturally warm due to his fire magic, he barely wore socks or slippers.
There had been a scorching week during one summer when Erza had challenged both Natsu and Gray to wear socks for as long as they could, minus in the shower. She had told both Juvia and her that it had been punishment for eating all of a strawberry cake during one of their parties, which had also been a challenge set upon the two men.
After the challenge had finished, with it being declared a tie, Juvia had agreed with Lucy that it had been a week of pure hell listening to their significant others complain but refuse to give up before the other did. It had become a familiar story their group liked to bring up and embarrass the two men.
Natsu had later told her that if he ever had to wear socks for that long again, he would burn any and all socks he came across for the rest of his life. With that in mind, she knew his stealth had not been due to any stockings he might have slipped on.
When her hearing could not predict he was near, his rich sandalwood aroma would normally catch her attention and warn her he was close. Anytime his scent washed over her, any tension she felt flowed out of her muscles. Home was a good word to use to describe the smell. Safe, too.
And, as she breathed in through her nose, she could smell the earthy fragrance she associated with him, but there were two other distinctive scents that caught her attention. Unabashed, she could not help but sniff a couple times. Something she only did when she was alone or with him.
“Did you make hot chocolate and cookies?” She asked in surprise.
“Hot chocolate, yes.” He set the tray down onto the coffee table and gave Plue a couple of pats on his head. Taking a large mug, he made sure the knitted sweater around it was carefully in place before holding it out to her. “Mom stopped by earlier and dropped off the cookies her and Wendy made this morning. Here, it is hot, so be careful.”
Her fingers curled around the handle and the sweater carefully. A rich, dark chocolatey aroma filled her nose. It was heavenly. “Hmm, I didn’t realize I needed this.”
She could feel the smile on his face radiating towards her. “It is my job to ensure you are taken care of.”
“That is something you do quite well,” she said.
A pressure pushed against her forehead gently. His hair tickled the sides of her face, and his breath caressed her skin. All the tension in her body melted away. Her eyes slid close, hiding his silhouette from her.
“Natsu…”
“Tell me what is on your mind, Luce.” His forehead pulled away from hers, but his lips soon pressed against the skin here.
She sighed. There was no doubt in her mind that he had overheard the conversation she had on the phone with her dad. His hearing was not as good as his sisters, but in their cozy apartment, it sufficed. Even when they both knew he had heard, he wanted her to feel comfortable in expressing what bothered her.
“Dad had…” her tongue darted out and wetted her dry lips nervously. “He mentioned that he would be going to see her before coming over.”
Settling her mug against her legs, she pulled away from him and settled back in the couch. A tightness gripped her throat and a prickling started behind her eyes. “He only mentioned it, never said anything about me going. And I know I should, but—”
“No, Lucy,” his firm voice cut her off.
Her mug was plucked from her hands and enveloped with his own warm ones instead. “What she did to you was beyond forgivable! I don’t give a fuck if she gave birth to you, that woman is a monster, and you don’t need to feel bad for not visiting her. After everything she did, she’s lucky I don’t pay her a visit.”
The growl that followed the underlining threat pulled a small smile on her lips. Not once since she came back into his life had he ever doubted her or thought she was making up the horrors she had shared with him. What he did, instead, proved that he wanted to protect her with his all.
She pulled his hands up to her face and leaned into them. “Thank you, Natsu.” Nuzzling into his palm, she kissed the skin there. “For always believing in me and doing your best to keep me safe.”
“I promised you the future, and I will make sure you have that.” His lips pressed against hers. A shiver of pleasure ran down her spine. One of his hands fell from her face as they pulled apart, but she continued to lean into his other. After a breath, she leaned forward to find his lips again.
And found a cookie pressed between her own instead. “…Mhmm?”
His laughter filled her ears and another press of his lips touched her forehead. “Simmer down, Luce,” he said, mirth evident in his tone. “I promised you a relaxing night in with a movie, and a dragon always keeps his promise.”
How she wanted to wipe the cocky grin off his face that just could hear in his voice. Taking a bite of the cookie, she refused to acknowledge the fact they were delicious and that he had taken the time to warm them before bringing out the tray. “Fine,” she said after swallowing what was in her mouth, “but we need to watch the sappiest romance movie ever.”
He chuckled and she felt him get off the couch. “Don’t worry, I already know the perfect movie.”
In short order, she felt her mug placed back in her hands, the coffee table pulled close enough for her to reach the cookie tray without much effort, and music filled the room from the movie selected. A blanket had been pulled over their laps and his arm wrapped around her shoulders. On the back of the couch above them, Happy snoozed happily, purring deeply as he dreamt of fish.
It was a perfect night in, she mused, leaned into him. A warm drink, some sweet treats, and the love of her life next to her as they laughed at the cheesy lines of a Wallmark Christmas movie. Nothing could be better than this, she decided as she leaned her head on his shoulder and hoped for more nights like this in the future.
[Thank you for putting this on, @thenaluarchive !]
