One Year (Nalu AU) ✓

Chapter 25 - Christmas

Natsu's POV

I woke up to a light tug on my head, Lucy was lying there with her eyes half closed and her right hand brushing through my hair.

"Sorry, there was a knot," she said sleepily. I could feel her breath on my face when she talked, she was so cute in the mornings.

"Its ok it feels nice" I closed my eyes taking a deep breath and sinking into the bed. My eyes shot open and she moved her hand startled. "OH. MY. GOD. LUCY ITS CHRISTMAS" I yelled in a sing-song voice.

I jumped on top of her out of excitement, not realizing how close our faces were. I blushed and quickly sat up, getting off her.

"Oh sorry, I guess I was just excited" I scratched the back of my head.

She began giggling, "don't worry about it" she said with a goofy smile, proceeding to get out of bed. She stood up and walked to the bedroom door. "Well what are you waiting for? I thought it was christmas?" she said with another laugh.

I jumped up, catching up to her as we ran down the stairs like children. Grandeeney was in the kitchen playing christmas music and quietly humming along to it.

"You're in a good mood aunt Grandeeney" I said with a laugh.

"Of course I am its Christmas!" she said, pointing her spatula at me.

I put my arms up in defense "Woah there. What are you making anyway?" I tried looking over her shoulder at the stove but I couldn't see.

"Hey, no peeking! It's a surprise" she said with a laugh and returned cooking, Lucy and I decided to sit at the table and wait. Turns out it was pancakes, but with chocolate chips!

~Later~

Lucy's POV

Grandeeney had us all sit in the living room around the Christmas tree with hot chocolate, this was one of her favorite holidays. We were all still wearing our pajamas and ready to open gifts. We were going through and giving each other our gifts. Grandeeney started, she got me a really nice green army jacket that I've been looking at for a while. Grandeeney loved my gift, I got her a box of foreign teas that I got from the boutiques that I visited. Wendy also adored my gift, it was a cute little green sundress. I just loved to see all of their reactions and how much they loved my gifts and I couldn't forget about what wendy gave me because I love them so much, she gave me all of John Green's books and I couldn't be happier.

Me and Natsu agreed before hand that we would open each other's gifts tonight after dinner, he began blushing like crazy when he brought up the topic. I couldn't wait to give him his gift because I knew that he was going to love it.

We all pitched in to help out with dinner and just had fun like a normal family. I couldn't remember the last time that I did something as a family, because mine slowly fell apart after my dad started drinking again.

When we sat down to eat, everything looked delicious, it was a satisfying feeling that I haven't felt in a long time, to look at everything we have done. I felt like I was a part of something, I really loved Natsu's family and I never wanted to leave. We all dug in and spent over an hour eating and talking. We told jokes and laughed, but on the back of mind I was thinking about Natsu and how excited I was for later.

Natsu's POV

After dinner we helped with the clean up and I could feel the anticipation rising inside me because it was getting closer to the time where I would give Lucy her gift. I was nervous, and I wanted to make it perfect and do it with just her so that nobody else could see. I went up to my room after dinner to find her in the bathroom brushing her hair.

"Hey ready to go?" I asked, leaning up against the door frame.

"Yeah I just need one more thing" she reached over and picked up a lip balm that was on the counter and quickly applied it.

We walked out the front door into the cold December breeze, she was wearing my scarf again to protect her from the cold. I guided to her to a part of town that always gets lit up really nicely with Christmas lights and decorations during the holidays, it was the perfect place.

Slowly, we made our way down the street, taking in everything. "Wow this is beautiful" she said, under her breath.

"It really is" we had found an area where a few benches circle a fountain, but it wasn't on because it was too cold. We took a seat somewhere and looked at each other. "Who wants to go first?" I said with a chuckle.

"You're so funny" she punched my shoulder in a playful manner. " I will" she brought the bag that she was carrying up onto her lap. She looked at it and blushed, then handed it to me. "Open it"

I grabbed the bag and opened it slowly peeking inside, I could feel her looking at me and waiting for me to take out the gift. I put my hand in, touching something soft and pulling it out. It was all nice and neatly folded, I recognized the black and white pattern immediately. She got me a replica of the scarf that I gave her, I smiled at her and put it on.

"I thought that because I took your scarf you are gonna need a new one but I didn't know what other colors you could wear so I just got you the same one" she was looking at her hands, blushing crimson.

"I love it Luce, its perfect" She looked up, her eyes wide and a huge smile on her face " We can match now" I laughed and so did she. "Now its your turn"

I reached into my pocket and pulled out a small box with a red bow on it, then I handed it to her and she took it. I could see the shock in her face as she realized that she had an idea of what it might be.

"Go on, open it. You can't stare at it forever"

She peeled off the bow, revealing the surface of the white box. She opened it and her face lit up at the sight.

"Natsu it-its beautiful" she looked up at me with teary eyes, she was crying?! She gently lifted the necklace out of the box. It was a gold chain necklace with a golden key charm on it. "Can you put it on?" I nodded and she turned around, lifting her hair. I put the chain around her neck and fumbled slightly with clasp but eventually got it.

She turned back to face me wiping the tears from her eyes "Honestly Natsu you really didn't have to"

"But I did because you're special to me Luce" she leaned over to me, wrapping me into a hug on the bench, squeezing tight.

"You're special to me too Natsu" she whispered in my ear and then pulled back slightly, kissing me on the cheek. She smiled and stood up. "We should go before we freeze to death!" she grabbed my hand, pulling me up and we just walked all the way back to my house hand in hand, we didn't care if anyone saw us, it was just us.