I'm so happy that you guys liked this little story! Oh wow I can't believe it's over! I actually finished it. ^o^
Thanks for sticking with me! It was only 4 parts but I am proud of this little accomplishment, heh. Thankyou for your support and kind words!
As usual, if you liked it, please leave a review! Nothing motivates me more than hearing your kind words. :)

This story is finished, but I'm working on a brand new AU, and will also update my other ongoing fics on the side of course! So keep your eyes open! B)

Lucy Heartfilia was dating an idiot.

She came to that conclusion while she watched said idiot gobble down a whole sandwich in two bites, crumbs and something that was either drool or sauce decorating his chin. He looked as if he had just found heaven in between the cheese and lettuce. In the three months they had been dating, Natsu had done all sorts of things that could definitey be titled as stupid.

There was the time he had gotten them banned from a restaurant because he had started stealing food from the plates the waiters carried by because it looked good! Isn't that like, a compliment?! Or the time he had tried to repair her sink - against her loud, exasperated wishes - and her entire flat had been flooded.

Not to mention the spicy gum incident.

But Lucy Heartfilia was also dating her best friend.

The guy who had conquered her heart by storm, who had a weakness for dragons, horrible innuendos, and his cat - who made her feel more loved than she had felt throughout her whole teenage years.

And who tolerated her extraordinary hobby. Or, as he liked to call it, her 'witchy ways'.

More than tolerate, he actually delighted in them, and passed up no opportunity to find out more about her lifestyle.

On more than one occasion she had had to stop him from proudly proclaiming that he was dating a witch - Yes an actual witch! You heard that, suckers? - in public, reminding him that her kind liked to, well, blend in rather than stand out.

Now, too, as they stepped out of the little gas station shop they had halted at on their way to their weekend hideout, Lucy could only laugh at her boyfriend. While she had gotten a soda and a bag of gummy worms - a perfectly normal snack purchase in her book - Natsu had bought the entire store.

The snacks were stacked high on his forearms, a wobbly tower of delicious sweets that were all doomed to find their end in the black hole that was Natsu's stomach. His delighted face was all worth it, though.

"Really Natsu, where are you gonna store all that?" she sighed.

"In my stomach!"

"…you can impossibly eat all that now."

"Sure can!" he boasted. She watched his eyes light up, a clear sign that he was about to suggest something that had a 70% chance of being absolutely ridiculous. "And anyways, can't you just witch them small or something?"

"Mhh…" Lucy put a finger to her pursed lips, trying her best to look doubtful.

"Come on, what kinda witch would you be if you couldn't shrink stuff!"

Now that was enough to scratch her pride. "Hey, spells aren't easy, okay! I had to teach myself everything on my own." Lucy wagged a finger at him, and he shrank at least two sizes. Satisfied, and a little selfpleased, she continued, "but of course I can shrink stuff."

His face lit up. "I knew it! You're the best, Lucy!"

"I won't do it though." she deadpanned.

"Please, Lucyyy!" Natsu surprised her by dropping to his knees, scattering half his snacks in the process. He crouched, touching his head against a chocolate bar instead of the intended ground. "I lied! Not even I can eat this much! There, I said it!"

Incredulous silence followed.

"Natsu…" she started after she had taken a moment to collect herself, trying to hold in her mirthful chuckles, "I was just going to say I'd rather extend the inside of our bag instead. It'll be more inconspicuous."

"…oh." Her idiot lifted his head off the ground with a stupid grin, and the sight was enough for her to burst into laughter. "You're not a witch, you're a ninja!" he laughed as he jumped up, "Nin, nin!"

After the secretive deed was done, Lucy clapped her hands proudly, grinning at her boyfriend. He pursed his lips, looking from her to the bag and back with an unsatisfied look on his face.

"What?"

"There weren't even any cool lights."

Lucy merely rolled her eyes. "Not in public. What, did you think I had to do those? I only added them for effect, and because… well because you loved them, okay?"

"You just put all the stuff into the bag!" he continued as if he hadn't heard her, almost offended. "Not even some ominous formula mumbling!"

"Natsu, I didn't escape from a fairy tale book."

"But…" he tried again, then seemed to reconsider. "You really did those lights for me?"

He grinned dumbly, and Lucy bit back a fond laugh.

"Get back on the bike, or we'll never get to this cottage."

Just when he was about to oblige her wish, Natsu halted. Lucy watched him warily from her place on the saddle. Why did he look so high and mighty all of a sudden?

"Aren't you forgetting something?" he asked smugly, but she just silently arched one of her delicate brows.

"Didn't we stop so you could refuel your bike?" he elaborated after he pointedly stared at the motorbike below his girlfriend without receiving a single reaction from her.

Her smile widened until it split into a grin, and as nonchalantly as she managed, she said, "Did we?"

"Well, you didn't say it, but I just assumed, you know, because we've been driving for hours…oh."

She wriggled her eyebrows at him as realization dawned on his face.

"I don't remember the last time I fueled up my motorbike. Must've been right after I bought it," she mused, grinning at his suddenly incredibly jealous expression.

"That's- that's so rude!" he snapped, and then added in a whisper so low he hoped she didn't hear, "..and cool as fuck."

"What, just because you have to? Come on, how much does that dragon of yours even burn?"

"So now you're gonna be rude about it, huh? How 'bout you go back to your broom, then!" he growled, and now she had to bite back a laugh herself.

"Please," Lucy rolled her eyes. "I've told you, brooms are so last century."

"Wait a second, are you saying…. All witches use motorcycles?!"

Even though it seemed nearly impossible at this point, Lucy's grin widened still.

"We like things that go wroom."

As the pair rolled through the open iron gate and into the front yard of the little cottage they would call their home for the weekend - with Natsu still clinging to Lucy's back as if his life depended on it - the latter whistled appreciatively.

After they parked the motorccle and had dumped their large traveling bag beside the entrance door, they both stretched their tired muscles.

The wind rustled through the tall trees around them, giving them a little shade from the heavy summer's heat. The lake that spread out to the left of the small, wooden cottage looked more inviting than anything else, nevermind the view actually came close to something one would usually find on a postcard.

Lucy beamed at her boyfriend.

"I can't believe Gajeel is letting us stay here for free!"

"Well, I'm pretty sure I was customer of the month back when I met you," Natsu grinned.

The man they had first heard of as the owner of Gajeel's Gridlock - the one that had to break open Natsu's door the first time around, when he had conveniently forgotten his keys to spend more time with the blonde he now proudly called his witch girlfriend - had become the couple's good friend over time.

Lucy especially got along well with the grumpy guy's finacée, Levy. Which was why her first thought now was to call her friend to let them know they had arrived safely. And to ask if Happy and Plue were behaving.

But she didn't get far. She'd barely pulled out her phone when Natsu excitedly grabbed her wrist.

"Let's go for a swim!"

"Natsu, we've just arrived. Let's at least unpack, and tell the ohers we've arrived, or relax a little."

Her pleas met deaf ears. Natsu was kicking his shoes off his feet while simultaneously ridding himself of his sweat-drenched t-shirt.

"You should really come though, Lucy. You're sweating even more than me! You'll be all stinky."

"Wh- Ugh, fine, I'll come, but let me at least phone Levy."

But before she'd even lifted the phone to her ear, Natsu had snatched it right out of her hand.

"Do you have any other electronics on you?" he asked innocently, and she gave him a curious look.

"No," she said, blinking, and only then realized her mistake. Pure horror took a hold of her as she watched his face split into a menacing grin, and before she knew it he was dashing for her. With a screech, Lucy made her escape, her predator right on her track. She didn't get far.

Strong arms caged her before she even made it to the porch, allowing no escape, and then suddenly there was no more ground beneath her feet. He flung her over his shoulder, and no amount of thrashing and complaining made her situation any better.

Natsu was heading straight for the lake.

After some more futile attempts of escape, she relaxed against him in defeat. Now, with her mind not clouded by the primitive instinct of flight, she found herself with the sudden ability to take in a multitude of small details.

Like the way Natsu's muscles moved and bulged as he carried her towards her end. His dark skin glistened in the sunlight, the thin layer of sweat from his pursuit making the contact with her skin almost slick. She could feel the way his chest rose and fell from the strain of carrying her safely, his bare feet finding support on the earth below. The thin hair at the nape of his neck clung wetly to his skin.

He really needed a bath. And she would gladly take it with him.

That last, lustful thought of hers quickly begged for retraction as his pace suddenly sped up.

"Let me go!"

But it was too late.

Suddenly weightless, Lucy watched as the surface of the lake came closer and closer, small ripples dancing over the mirror-like space. In the split second before impact, she could have sworn she saw her own, panicked face staring right back at her - and beside it, that of a grinning, excited maniac.

The water was cool, and as they both went under, Lucy was certain this would be her freezing grave. The shock passed though, and as she broke to the surface and gasped for breath, she had to admit the dip felt rather refreshing. She could have done without her clothes clinging to her skin though.

"Natsu!" she gasped, "I'm gonna kill you!"

"Don't turn me into a fish please," he cackled beside her, well knowing her threats were empty.

The lake was rather shallow where Natsu had flung them in, and it took only a few treads for them to reach a part where they could stand safely. This was not the end of their little adventure though.

It took many more attacks, shouts, screams and laughter until they waded to the shore, both having swallowed more than enough lake water for the day. The sun had begun its descend,and the afternoon sun struggled to send its warming rays through the thick forest. The air was still a little muggy, but by the time they reached the door, Lucy's teeth had begun chattering.

"Let's get you out of these clothes," Natsu purred into her ear as he hugged her from behind, shuffling them both through the door. She laughed, but slapped his hands away as they began wandering.

"Get the bag inside, dumbo. I'm starving and freezing to death."

Natsu scurried off like a kicked puppy, but the mention of food had done it for him, too. After he'd gotten itginside, he rummaged through the bag for the food they had prepared in advance, pulling out a few plastic containers.

"We really have to go shopping tomorrow, or we'll starve to death."

Lucy rolled her eyes, cutlery from the kitchenette ready in her hands.

"Let me heat up what we have for now. Levy said there's a nice town to the east, a thirty minute drive at best, so we'll go there tomorrow. We certainly won't starve to death, Natsu."

"Wait, Lucy, you're still in your wet clothes! You gotta change first."

His tone left no room for refusal, and really, why would she complain? Her clothes were heavyily clinging to her body, cooling her skin and making her shiver. She watched as Natsu pulled some random clothes out of the bag, weirdly touched by his concern.

Then again, he was a fire fighter, trained for saving people from all kinds of situations. He certainly was sensitive to potential dangers, and wouldn't let his girlfriend die from hypothermia. She'd give him a piece of her mind if he did, anyways.

She began stripping out of her clothes as best as she could. The process proved hard, with the wet fabric slowing her down immensely. Her shirt made it to the ground before Natsu was at her side, but her shorts proved to be a league of their own. Natsu watched her struggle for a moment, silent laughter shaking his frame, but then took pity on her.

Pushing her back until her legs hit the edge of the bed in the left corner of the room, he pushed her down on it, so she was sitting facing him, and skillfully worked them off her legs, grinning at her pouty face.

"Come on, you're not really mad. It was fun!"

"Says the one with his clothes off, and the natural body temperature of a volcano!"

"Aw, Lucyy," A sly grin spread across his face as he looked up at her from his kneeling position, one hand still on her raised ankle, "Want me to make it up to you?"

It was a face she knew all too well. Mischief mixed with his best bedroom eyes, peeking up at her through thick lashes. She'd be lying if she said no.

Dinner could wait a little longer.

"Well, that depends," she said and cheekily licked her lips, "What is your offer?"

"Mhhh," he hummed, turning to press a kiss to the inside of her knee, exhaling onto her cool skin, "I thought I could fire you up."

"Sounds quite nice," she replied as nonchalantly as possible while he worked his way up the inside of her thigh, "How will you go about it?"

Natsu switched legs, nipping and kissing her skin until it tingled with new warmth.

"Like…" He spread her legs some more as he sat comfortably between them, moving to press another kiss to the hem of her panties. "...this."

She sighed in content, one hand automatically fisting into his unruly, damp hair.

"Is that okay with you, Miss Heartfilia?" he breathed, hooking his fingers into her panties.

"Very," was all she managed before her panties were shuffled to her ankles, and he peppered light kisses between her legs, working further and further down. Raking her hand through his hair, Lucy let herself drop backwards onto the matress, enjoying his hot kisses as he heated her up from the inside.

So lost was she in his ministrations, and the sinful movements of his tongue, that it took several rings of her phone before the sound fully registered in her brain. She merely grunted in dismay, but pushed herself up on her elbows nonetheless, brows furrowed.

Natsu lifted his head, not breaking the contact of his lips against her, but locking questioning eyes with her hazy ones. Do you really wanna take that? they spoke, and she shrugged helplessly. He pressed his tongue against her, wriggling his eyebrows, and she didn't know if she wanted to laugh or moan. The sound that erupted from her chest was a weird mix of both, and served as an answer.

Lucy dropped back onto the blanket.

Only to be betrayed.

Natsu moved back to sit onto his knees, and she heard him shuffle around. She could only hope it was a condom he was looking for, because the alternative was- exactly what he was doing.

He held up the phone and waved it at her, the expression on his face enough to make dread crawl up her spine.

"Wait, Natsu, that's my phone! What are you-"

"Hi Levy!"

Lucy froze.

"Oh, sure, she's here. I'll pass ya right on!"

As Natsu reached out the phone towards her, an evil grin twisting his lips, Lucy's entire demeanor screamed don't you dare! - but from his spot between her legs, it must not have seemed very convincing, because the phone was in her hands and his head back against her core in a heartbeat.

A surprised hiss left her as his lips worked themselves along her folds, but the phone in her hand grounded her to reality like an anchor. She could faintly hear Levy's confused voice through the speaker.

"Lucy? You there?"

"H-hi Levy," she laughed nervously, sending daggers at the back of Natsu's head - and effectively clenching her thighs around it. But he only chuckled, and the motion left her useless.

"Is everything alright?"

"Mhm."

His tongue was circling the little nub that he knew would drive her insane with one small flick, and Lucy's entire body trembled in terror. He wouldn't dare…!

But, of course, she knew better than to doubt him.

"Levy, I think I gotta call you ba–aaah! Oh g–!"

Before she could press the button herself in her frantic search of it, her friend had already severed the connection (but Lucy was quite certain that the last thing she'd heard had been incredulous laughter). She would have felt ashamed, had she possessed the mental capacity at the moment.

But as it was, she did not. The only thing occupying her mind as she tossed the phone to the side and buried her hands in Natsu's hair was his tongue, and the wonderful things he was doing to her with it.

She screamed again when he appreciatively hummed against her, arching her back to lean into his touch, craving more of his soft lips and the vibration that made her squirm and thrash beneath him.

His hands kept her down, though, as one snaked around her right thigh and the other found its place on her lower stomach.

"No, oh god, please, not there, not – Natsu, ahh, let me–"

But then his hand released her thigh and one of his calloused fingers tentatively found its way into her, and it was all she could do to arch off the matress one last time before her world shattered around her.

The matress shifted as one of Natsu's hands came down on either side of her, and he held himself up above her with a triumphant grin. "All warm now?"

Lucy smiled stupidly, pulling him down for a kiss. The mood was destroyed, however, when his stomach grumbled loudly. They both laughed, and Natsu pulled her up with him. Lucy looked down at herself, realizing she was only wearing her bra. Her face burst into flame, and Natsu rolled his eyes.

"Nothing I haven't seen before," he chuckled, but bent down again nonetheless, picking up the shirt he had gotten out of the bag earlier. It was one of his t-shirts, but he didn't care. In fact, if he had his way, his t-shirts would be all Lucy ever had to wear.

He pulled it over her head, helping her into it. It served as a short dress on her, and Lucy seemed satisfied. She put her wet hair up in a bun, pecking his lips.

"Thankyou," she mumbled, then made her way over to the kitchenette, where she turned around once more. "We'll save dessert for later."

The wink she gave him left no question as to the meaning behind her innocent words, and a large grin spread across his face. Damn, this woman was more than he deserved.

While she shuffled around in the kitchen, occupied with the difficult task of placing their food on plates and heating it up in the microwave, Natsu carried out her order of laying the table with what little they needed.

One thing, however, kept coming up in their conversation. Natsu would continuously beg her to tune his dragon, reminding her of the time she had mentioned that she technically could with her magic. The back and forth was the same every time.

"Natsu, it's illegal."

"But imagine how fast I could be! On a scooter! I could've brought him on this trip!"

"I'm not gonna do it."

"That's so mean!"

"You would break every bone in your body."

"...don't you have a spell against that too?"

And every time, they would come to no satisfying solution - mostly because Natsu was not willing to compromise, insisting on all sorts of ridiculous extras.

Apart from this perpetual dispute, dinner passed without any incidents worth mentioning.

Afterwards both of them occupied themselves with their own idea of relaxation: Lucy slumped down on the bed with her spellbook, trying to finish her newest spell (a three-second complete make-up remover, or how she liked to call it 'a gift to every woman alive'), while Natsu went for a jog thorugh the woods. It was dark when he came back, and he headed straight for the shower after pecking Lucy on the cheek, earning a disgusted "Ew, you smell!" from his girlfriend.

"Well something has to come from all the bear-wrestling."

"Oh, shut up and go shower!"

She informed him her next spell would work on odor-less sweat, and he laughed before disappearing into the tiny bathroom.

It was Natsu who suggested going outside for a bit later on, and he busily rummaged around in their bag while Lucy looked for a blanket in the closet. She found one, albeit old and dusty, and soon they were sitting at the lakeside with a bottle of wine, and a full moon casting enough light for them to not have to use any artificial lights.

They huddled together, lying on the blanket, and Lucy occasionally pointed upwards, trying to explain some constellations to Natsu - in vain. He was too busy making up his own - and vehemently searched for a dragon.

"This one is Taurus, see?" she tried again, tracing invisibe lines with her index finger. He glanced at the group of stars for a moment, then shrugged.

"Looks like a stick figure to me. But hey, that could be a wing, don't you think? And there's the tail! Lucy, are you sure there's no dragon constellation? Because I just found it!"

Lucy's brow twitched. She sat up, downed the rest of the wine, and lounged for him, straddling his hips as she scowled down at him.

"You're not taking this seriously, are you?"

"I am!" he protested, "It's not my fault if you've never heard of the dragon constellation!"

"Come on! I really love the stars, and I wanted to share them with you," she pouted, smiling hopefully down at him. Natsu sobered up quickly, covering the hand she had placed on his chest with his.

"Don't think I didn't pay attention," he grinned up at her, "I'm pretty sure I can find most of them again. I still think Taurus looks like a stick figure though."

Her face lit up.

"You did pay attention?"

"Of course." His grin spread. "You love the stars, I love you… I can love the stars."

Lucy smiled softly down at him, suddenly a little overwhelmed with the simplicity of his statement, and the not so simple feelings it evoked. She blinked away happy tears, squeezing his hand.

"So, are we gonna look at the stars some more?" he asked, and blinked up at her questioningly, seemingly confused by her sudden change in mood.

"I don't know…" she hummed, cocking her head as she let her eyes wander over the man beneath her. "I quite like this view too."

His grin turned lopsided. "Is that soo," he drawled self-pleasedly, and she just hummed in agreement, working to push his shirt up and out of the way. He helped wriggle a little, and soon she discarded it on the grass. Her hands travelled over the ridges and valleys of his toned muscles, tracing a path down to his pants. Everytime his muscles contracted beneath her touch, she would smile, repeating the motion.

His breathing became shallow with her teasing, and he locked eyes with her as she unbottoned his pants. Then her slender fingers pulled back, gripping his shirt she was still wearing and pulling it off in one swift motion. At once, she was as bare as she had been earlier, with only her bra concealing his view of her fully naked body. That had to be changed, he decided.

Natsu leaned upwards, beginning his usual battle with the clasp of her bra. He was pleased to find the embarrassing procedure lasted far shorter than usual, and he pulled back with his trophy in hand, throwing it behind him with a triumphant chuckle. Lucy giggled at his antics.

"You've gotten better at this," she observed.

"Pretty sure this was a new record," he cackled before descending on her throat happily, hands moving to cup her breasts.

A silent laugh bubbled up in her chest, but it never found its way out, dying halfway through her lungs. The culprit responsible for its death slanted his hungry mouth over her left nipple, licking and kissing until she gave a low whine and fisted her hands in his hair, pulling him back up for a kiss.

Together, after some wriggling and cursing, they somehow ridded him off his pants. Wasting no time, Lucy reached down and began stroking his length, earning a hiss from Natsu, who mirrored her actions and let his hand wander over her lower stomach and between her legs. They worked to please the other, heavy pants filling the air around them. Her whimpers spurred him on, and he sank a finger into her slick core, making her clench around him lightly. Natsu growled, his cock now painfully rigid under her skilled fingers.

"Lucy…"

Instead of answering, she reached for his wrist and directed his hand up to her breast to join, where it joined his other. Her heavy pants filling the silence. Complying with her silent wish, Natsu squeezed gently, and she sighed, eyes closing for a moment. Then this, too, was over, when she suddenly pushed him onto his back, where he stayed, blinking up at her as he lay sprawled out beneath.

"Let me," she breathed, her voice tinged with anticipation.

Who was he to object?

Locking eyes with him, Lucy reached between them once more, hand firm at the base of his erection. He clenched his teeth as his cock impatiently twitched in her grip, and threw his head back.

The stars were bright in the sky above them, and Natsu could clearly make out Virgo now, as his eyes sought for something familiar to hold on to. He kept his gaze fixed on the blinking lights above as he felt her lower herself onto him, sliding him deeper into her with every inch she allowed herslel to sink.

His hands gripped her thighs, eyelids fluttering when she had fully seated herself.

They both remained quiet and unmoving for a bit, relishing the moment and allowing her to adjust.

Her fingers grazed his jaw, directing his eyes back at her, as if to demand his full attention. Every other sense had already been occupied with her, but it seemed she wanted it all, looking deeply into his eyes.

Greedy.

Then, slowly, she began moving, brushing her thumb over his lips as she did so.

With the light of the moon surrounding her and bathing her in a mystical, soft glow, she looked more like a goddess than any effigy he had laid eyes on before. She was not to be kept on a shelf to gather dust, or to serve as a strict reminder of rules and punishment. No, she was right where she belonged: with him, and free. Her golden hair fell into her face occasionally, and she combed it back, never halting the steady push and pull of her hips.

Soft moans escaped her lips, and as she let her head roll backwards and angled herself to allow him deeper into her, his fingers dug into the soft skin of her hips. To steady her or himself, Natsu wasn't sure anymore.

"Ahh.. Lucy...I," he looked up at her again, craving eye contact with the woman riding him to the brink of blissful insanity. She smiled down at him, gasping when he pushed his hips up to meet her, unable to hold back the natural movement his body so craved. He groaned as he thrust into her, trying to keep his voice steady, "I love you."

Her smile turned into a happy grin as she brought herself back down onto him, rolling her hips before sinking forwards to capture his lips in a hot kiss.

"I love you too," she whispered after she released his lips, pressing her forehead against his with a happy smile. And there she remained, slowing the movement of her hips, but not halting fully. Natsu took this as a cue to take over, granting her sore muscles a deserved break. Pushing the heels of his feet into the soft earth, he took over where she had left off, thrusting long and deep until she whined on top of him, begging for release.

Lucy cast her eyes downwards to where they both were joined, hypnotized by the way he filled her time and time again, and by the sensations that flooded through her.

Making love to Natsu, here in the woods under a full moon; it was like nothing she had ever felt before, as if she were connected to the earth itself and to the man beneath her in equal measure. Her magic was overflowing, spreading trough her every limb and spilling over into Natsu. His familiar warmth filled her, made her feel safe and cherished. She knew he could feel the same things.

His pace became as unsteady as his breathing, both of them nearing an edge that would send them tumbling further down than they ever had dared venturing in both body and soul.

They cried out in ecstatic bliss, gladly accepting the fall.

Lucy crashed heavily on top of him, her body spent and completely exhausted. Complete satisfaction washed over her in waves, and she sighed happily, curling around Natsu's body. They both were so heated up from their efforts, the night air now assaulted to their hot bodies, refreshingly cool for a summer's night.

"Natsu," she breathed, still amazed by what had happened between them. She pulled back, searching for his eyes, and found them filled with the same wonder.

"That was…" His voice was horse, and he left his sentence unfinished, no doubt unable to find words that would even come close to describing what he tried to convey. The silence spoke for him just fine.

"Yeah," she agreed, blushing.

They said nothing for a while, simply lay there together, with the moon watching over them.

It was Natsu who broke the silence next, and Lucy could have sworn she felt his heart speed up, the new rhythm thumping through his chest into hers.

"Hey, Lucy?"

She lifted her head off his chest, curiously peeking at him. Likewise, he glanced down at her content face, at peace with the world.

"Marry me."

What?

Lucy's mind went entirely blank, and then every possible thought came crashing in at once, leaving her head spinning. She tried to open her mouth, but not one sound would come out.

His happy face turned nervous, more than she had ever seen him before, as if he only now considered there were two possible answers to this question, and only one he wanted to hear. He cleared his throat, eyes darting over to his pants before his hand reached out to sntach it.

"I mean," he spluttered, "you don't have to, and I know it's soon, but, uh, I really wanna be with you forever if you want, and I know it seems like a stupid spur-of-the-moment thing now but I did plan this, look!"

And with that, and an almost desperate yelp, he pulled a little box out of his right pocket.

"I didn't plan on proposing like this," he coughed, cheeks suddenly aflame, "but it just slipped out. I know you probably wanted a candlelight dinner and all, and I was gonna do it but... I dunno, it just felt right…uh. So. Lucy?"

Hopeful eyes fixed themselves on hers once more.

"Bu-…"

The word died on her lips.

But we've only been together for three months. But what if you will come to regret this? But this isn't how you're supposed to propose. But we're both naked right now.

None of it mattered.

The only thing that mattered was that she was blissfully happy, and that she couldn't picture her future with anyone but Natsu. The only thing that mattered was that she wanted to marry him.

She'd marry him right this instant, if she could.

Lucy smiled, throwing herself at Natsu to silence him before he could ruin the moment. From the looks of it, he was ready to start another desperate, embarassing tirade. Words were her strong suit, after all. But right now, they weren't needed. She kissed him, long and hard, and pulled back with happy tears in her eyes.

Taking this as a good sign, Natsu slowly beamed at her.

"Yes."

"I even came up with some amazing proposal lines. Shame I didn't get to use them. Wanna hear?"

"Oh god. No."

"Hey Lucy, wanna ride my dragon forever?"

"Natsu, stop."

"I promise to never annoy you as much as Itchy Ham, so wanna be my Witchy Ham?"

"I will turn you into a fish."

"You have bewitched me, body and soul-"

"That's from Pride and Prejudice."

"Dammit. Okay but-"

"I dare you, one more and I'm not gonna marry you after all!"