Tail Of A Fairy

05.

As Lucy shoved the door open, a stark realization came over her. She had just barged into Natsu's bedroom. And he was right behind her.

"Lucy NO!!!" He shouted, barreling her down and onto the floor.

The couple rolled for a few feet, Natsu taking care to always land on the ground first and Lucy shrieked into Natsu's vest. They finally bumped into the wall, and Natsu opened his arms, Lucy still curled up on his chest. He smiled lightly and stroked her hair.

"Y'know, it wasn't that scary, Luce."

"M-maybe..." Lucy muttered into the shirt, not bothering to move or open her eyes.

At this Natsu chuckled. He was glad she didn't want to see his room. After all, there was... that... Natsu shook his head. Lucy hadn't opened her eyes yet. He sighed, if only wanting her to get off of him and leave the room. She may agree, but Natsu definitely did not want her to see his things. Especially that.

"Luce ~ you're getting heavy!" Was the only way Natsu could think of getting her up and out of his room.

Immediately she sat up, hands on her hips. But she didn't get off of him. "Natsu Etherious Dragneel! That is no way to talk to your fiancé!"

Natsu immediately regretted his decision. She was up, and opened eyes could see that. He tried sitting up, but Lucy was weighing down on him, refusing his freedom. He wiggled, but the celestial wizard held her ground. And her anger.

"If that is how you want to treat me, I can leave! And you can come begging on your knees with a proper ring just for a date! Why, I had better -" Lucy trailed off.

CRAP!!! Natsu thought. She's seen it! He struggled even more furiously to get up, but Lucy was already off and walking across the room. He stumbled to his feet to catch her, but it was too late. She had picked it up.

"Is this... a ring?" She gasped, opening the small felt box.

The stone glittered in the faint light that came through the curtained off window. Its brilliant blues and subtle reds catching every move of the light. The dark brass metal twisted and turned like branches around an invisible finger, and held the stone in place. It had been polished and cared for very well.

"Natsu, where did you get this?" Lucy asked.

"I — Igneel found it when I was small. He said something about giving it to someone special... I kinda forgot about it last night."

Lucy stepped back, not completely surprised at Natsu's forgetfulness. "Is this... for me?" He nodded, and Lucy could feel the stinging in the back of her eyes. "This stone... it's a Dragon's Breath Opal. They sell for millions of Jewels! I ~"

All she felt were the arms around her. She leaned in, feeling warm in the scent of fire and charcoal. His arms held the faintest bit of tension in them.

"Lucy, I want you to have it. I- I wouldn't be here without you. E.N.D. ...would be here instead."

Lucy felt the tiniest bit of a shiver come through the strength that held her. She didn't hold back. She leaned into him, clutching his vest. Her eyes could no longer contain the stinging waters behind them, and it all burst forward. Natsu's hand reached up, stroking her hair.

"Hey, baka, no need to get so emotional."

"Baka? You're the one who forgot the ring, you baka!" Lucy cried into his clothes.

"Natsu ~?" Happy called form the living room. "Lucy ~?"

"Y'know, Happy will be getting more suspicious unless you got out there and yell at him, Luce."

"Fine... baka..." Lucy whispered under her breath.

Slowly, the two parted. Natsu turned around, but gripped Lucy's hand in his. His brows furrowed in thought for a second before he reached his conclusion. He pulled Lucy's hand closer and gently took the ring from her hand. Never turning around to look at her face, he slipped the ring onto her finger.

"There. It's official."

He quickly walked out of the room, not wanting Lucy to see his face — surely as pink as his hair. Lucy, however, had the same feeling. The butterflies wouldn't stop flying around in her stomach, no matter how hard Lucy tried to calm the down. Lucy heard Natsu laugh in the next room with Happy.

"Natsu ~ you're all red! Did Lucy kick you?"

"She did too! What did I do to deserve a Lucy-Kick?"

Laughing to herself, she left the bedroom and pretended to glare at Natsu. "What did you do? You know very well what you did! How can you forget something that big?"

"Luce ~ don't be so hard on me..." He whined.

Happy fluttered away to the couch, surrounded by food. "I found snacks!" he declared happily.

Natsu immediately rushed to the couch, crashing down and spilling half of the snacks on the floor. Lucy followed, outlining the ring on her finger. But as soon as she got close to Natsu, he pulled at her wrist, and she fell into his lap. She wriggled to get free, but his powerful arms had trapped her.

"No Lucy! You're staying right here! Happy, go get the film lacrima!"

"Aye sir!" And he darted out of the room.

Natsu dropped his head to Lucy's shoulder and breathed in the smell of lilacs. "Lucy, I'm never, never going to let you go, ever!"

"B-baka... where would I go without you?"