I Promise You

Chapter 4

Natsu practically kicks in the doors that lead into one of Fairy Tail's larger rooms in the guild. It seems as though all the guild members are inside upon the trio's arrival.

"Yo!" Natsu greets.

"We're back!" Happy announces.

Lucy is nervous. It is almost time to make an announcement. Well, a few actually.

Everyone is staring not because of Natsu and Happy's loudness. They all are staring because Natsu and Lucy are holding hands. He is specifically holding her left one with his right in order to hide the engagement ring for now.

From behind the bar where some people are sitting, Mirajane squeals with delight. "Finally!"

Gajeel folds his arms across his chest as he leans against a table that is nearby the table where the members of Team Shadow Gear are. "So Salamander finally asked Bunny Girl out on a date, huh?"

Natsu grins, the kind of grin that means he has the upper hand. "Oh, it's more than that..."

"Juvia no longer has to worry about Love Rival!" she cheers, sitting at another table with three others and her beloved Gray.

"I don't think you've ever had to worry about Lucy as a love rival," Wendy comments.

"Never," Laki agrees. "Ever."

"Besides, you're dating Gray now," Kinana points out. "He's a taken man."

"Aww, Lu, I'm so happy for you!" Levy says from her seated spot with Jet and Droy at the same table.

"But there's more!" Happy says, eager to get the real show on the road.

"More?" Lisanna asks, turning in her seat from up at the bar.

"More what?" Bickslow adds, sitting right next to Lisanna.

Natsu looks at Lucy, giving her hand a little squeeze. "Can I tell 'em?" He is practically bouncing on the balls of his feet like an excited kid.

She laughs. "Go for it."

"Woo!" Then he looks at everyone before raising his and Lucy's connected hands into the air. "We're engaged! I'm gonna marry Luce!"

"Atta boy, Natsu!" Cana cheers before chugging some alcohol from her mug. She might as well drink from a keg at the rate she downs alcohol.

"Did all of that happen just while you guys were gone on the trip?" Erza inquires, actually stopping a moment from eating her delicious strawberry cake. "Dating and becoming engaged I mean."

"Well, getting engaged did," Lucy replies, lowering their raised arms to their sides.

"The baby part happened, uh, maybe six weeks ago," Natsu adds dropping a really unexpected piece of information.

Mirajane faints, but Laxus catches her before she hits the floor.

Cana spits out her mouth full of alcohol, spraying Max right in the face.

From where he is sitting on the bar, Makarov clutches his chest above his heart. "Can the guild handle an offspring of Natsu?" he asks himself, and his voice drops to a whisper. "Can it handle more than one?"

Erza's eyes are wide open and she drops her fork, it clattering onto the plate. "B-baby... ?"

"You two did the do?" Gray sputters, all of his clothes now gone except his boxers.

Juvia is too happily stunned to pick up Gray's discarded clothes from the floor for him.

"That's manly!" Elfman voices.