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Planning a wedding was a hard task for anyone. Oh yes, it definitely was a hassle. Natsu and Lucy of all people? Definitely 10 times harder at the very least ! Especially with their predicament.
Almost three years ago, when they were just dating, they had a little problem that later on resulted in Natsu proposing to Lucy quite immediately after hearing the entailments, and them having a child, a healthy little girl. Her name was Nasha Layla Dragneel, and she had just turned two years old. She was her father’s pride, her mother’s joy and Happy’s playmate.
Though raising her became their priority for a long time, discussions about the wedding ceremony were brought up as their baby turned one. They wouldn’t stay fiancées forever after all, especially considering their engagement happened three years ago. Yes the circumstances were pretty odd, but it was time to tie the knot !
So, for about a year or so, juggling between missions to earn jewels, sparring, wedding planning with the help of their friends, and raising their daughter was their daily lives. Resting was hard, but they both knew the bet was worth it, specifically considering that the toddler would be the flower girl.
Natsu couldn’t help but imagine seeing his soon to be wife walking down the aisle to join him on the altar, and have his little princess running with bubbly excitement with the rings on a cushion with Happy floating right above her.
He wouldn’t get the images out of his head as his daughter fell asleep on his bare chest for her daily nap, while her mom was sitting at the desk, trying to figure out a new idea for a chapter of her novel. Though she was growing more and more frustrated, suffering the case of a writer’s block- made sense though, she had been very busy between planning, working, and her family life. Sensing her distress, Natsu decided that she had enough, and was going to distract her, with the more amusing parts of the planning.
“Yo Luce ! Wanna do something else a bit fun after I put Ash in her crib ?”
Lucy stared at her blank paper, then sighed. She could work on her chapter later, her editor knew how occupied she had been lately so well. Why not indulge in some quality time with her husba- um fiancé. She had doubts on how fun it would be for her however, since the tone in his voice indicated bad news. But it’s not like she had another option anyways.
“Sure.”
Natsu stood up and headed to their bedroom, to settle the little girl in her crib, not before showering her face with smooches and pecks. Then, he came back to the living room to find the blonde, with her arms crossed, shooting him an unimpressed glare. Because she knew him so well, she had a feeling they would end up bickering in about a minute and half, give or take.
“So… what did you want to do?”
Natsu smirked at her question, which only confirmed Lucy’s suspicions.
“About the first dance…”
Lucy didn’t like where this was going. At all.
“Let me stop you here Mister, we are not using any of the songs from your playlist, because they simply don’t fit the mood.”
He cocked an eyebrow, adopting a challenging, and teasing stance.
“Oh really? As if putting Taylor Swift would fix anything.”
This mildly offended her. How dare he ?! She had a lot of songs that described their relationship perfectly, so it was very fitting to consider her as an option. Besides, she’d already heard him hum Back to December multiple times so he really was a hypocrite !
“Well Linkin Park is no better ! I’m not doing my first dance as a married woman to some heavy metal crap !”
It was his turn to get a taste of his own medicine, Linkin Park was so peak ! How dare she say that !
“Well at least we’re definitely not puttin’ Tears by Sabrina Carpenter either, there will be kids around.”
He glanced towards the bedroom door, before inching closer. She flushed at the implication, with a cute pout on her face, still ready to roast him alive though.
“Hey !!”
Despite this (fake) hostility, he stepped closer and whispered in her ear.
“Besides, I’m pretty sure her music is just gonna be the thing a certain someone blasts when she’s in the mood to do stuff when no one’s lookin’ right?”
His voice took that intensity, the huskiness that made her weak in the knees. She jabbed his side with his elbow as he burst out laughing at her response. How could he just- gosh.
“Natsu Dragneel I swear to god-”
“Dragneel-Heartfilia” he corrected. As of now they still wore their pre-marital names, but he insisted on already being called as such. That made her blush even farther.
“Oh you are so sleeping on the couch tonight. But anyways back to the point, we're not putting songs from your playlist for our first dance, they just don’t fit the mood !”
Natsu teased even more.
“Well to be fair Sabrina fits the mood not just th-”
She placed her palm in front of his ill throat. No more mentions of this singer will be tolerated when Nasha was within the listening scope. She gave him the look, and removed her mouth once she saw him roll his eyes in understanding.
“Red hot chilli peppers won’t be good either anyways.”
“Sick Love can work out.”
“Sick Love can’t work out Natsu, and you know that ! Timeless by Taylor is so much better.”
“Huh? Heck no, how about…huh..?”
Natsu’s ears twitched. He heard some shuffling coming from the room their daughter was sleeping in. Then some footsteps… oh no.
“Lucy, I think we might’ve woken her up.”
The blonde didn’t even have time to react when she saw a strand of short peachy and curly hair poking out of the bedroom. Nasha yawned while she walked, before extending her short arms to her mom, indicating that she wanted to be carried. Lucy obliged. She crouched and scooped the toddler in her arms, the so-called anger softening when her baby squeezed her tank top.
“Sorry baby, mama woke you up because your papa is being silly. ”
Lucy threw a smirky side-glance at Natsu, who in turn took a few steps towards her, wrapping his arm around her waist, feeling the need to defend against his fiancée’s accusations.
“Papa is not silly, mama is just crazy”
Nasha giggled at her father’s antics, before asking a question.
“Why are mama and papa angy?”
The pair looked at each other, for a second. Then two, then three, before they howled in laughter.
“We’re not angry at each other, dear.”
Lucy emphasised by pressing a soft kiss on Natsu’s cheek, which increased the size of his grin. She rolled her eyes good naturedly.
“We just don’t agree on somethin’. Don’t ya worry kid.”
He added while ruffling her hair in all directions, which made her burst into a fit once again. She calmed down when she spoke though.
“Not agee on what?”
Lucy raised an eyebrow as her eyes conveyed a silent conversation to her hus- goddamit, not yet- fiancé. He eyed back and she sighed for the umpteenth time in the afternoon. She’d let him explain the situation.
“So you see, in a few months mama and papa are gettin’ married? Ya know? Mama’s gonna wear a pretty dress and she’s gonna look like a queen- even if she always does, let’s be honest. And you’re gonna look like a princess with flower crowns and all. You remember that right? ”
Lucy flushed red, and her heart beat against her ribcage- how come she always melted when he complimented her despite having been best friends for three years, dating for two , and being engaged for three additional years? While she was getting herself back together, Nasha nodded in her arms, which Natsu took as a sign to continue.
“And at some point we’re gonna dance.. Kinda like a ball ? Ya catch my drift kiddo?”
She nodded again, as Lucy snorted through her nose. She enjoyed having him explain stuff out to Nasha, he had a way of simplifying the problems that was just so him it hurt. She leaned on his shoulder, as the toddler confirmed she understood.
“We gotta pick the music. And that’s where we disagree.”
“Ohh.”
Was her only verbal reply. Her eyes squinted as she was trying to figure a way out of this. Lucy chuckled upon seeing her daughter’s face. Seeing such a baby face with such a serious expression never failed to take her out every once in a while. Especially when she was hit by what Natsu called the “realisation face” where her pupils expanded and her mouth pursed.
“What’s on your mind baby?”
She cackled.
“Mama and papa sing the songs and I choose.”
That was an unexpected answer. Lucy’s eyes widened in surprise, while Natsu’s peered, as if he didn’t actually get what his kid had just said. Then, their gazes met. Another wordless conversation. Were they actually considering letting their 2 years old pick the music of their first dance? And they had to perform it for her to choose? Challenge accepted.
To many other couples, this would sound very frivolous, but to Natsu Dragneel and Lucy Heartfilia, both soon to be Dragneel-heartfilia, that sounded like the best idea ever.
“Sure thing kid. Your mama’s gonna regret insultin’ my awesome taste in music.”
Lucy set her kid down, and definitely rose to the bait.
“We’ll see about that Natsu.”
She stuck her tongue out, while he grimaced to mock her. Her attention returned to Nasha after a well placed side eye.
“Mama’s going to deliver the best performance okay? Choose her.”
Nasha grinned with a mischievous glint before pointing at her father.
“Papa starts !”
Natsu grabbed the record player lacrima, and inserted the vinyl of a different album, by a totally different artist than what he’d usually listen to, judging from the cover. She picked up the album’s name Call Me but the singer’s name… Tetsuya Kakihara? He gave her the biggest smirk known to human kind, but there was also a glint of vulnerability in his gaze.
She was okay.
She was totally not okay. Seriously? This god forsaken album should’ve been forbidden. She was weak against it.
She somehow became weaker when she heard the first notes of the track he had chosen to sing. Call my name.
“I’m so done for.”
Natsu started singing and she was projected onto it. He usually sounded okay, but this time he made an effort, just to impress Nasha- and herself obviously, since he was such a show off.
“Even if we are apart, even if we cannot meet, our feelings are something I believed would never fade—my precious bond.”
Upon hearing the very first lyrics, her mind thought of the time, during the grand magic games, where she’d told him she believed in him, and always has ever since joining the guild. She didn’t see the match back then, but she had faith and he won and- gosh why was she feeling so emotional already? It wasn’t like she pictured herself at her first dance already.
First words he had sung and she was already seduced. She didn’t know if she could recreate the feeling he just gave her in the same amount of time. Regardless, he kept singing, and she was so, so, so enamoured with what she saw. He seemed full of hope, the playfulness in his eyes completely gone, and when he reached that part, she was almost tempted to give up.
On the birthday when we waved goodbye in the cherry blossom season The many words you gave me guide me.
"I haven't been smiling lately," I think as I pick up a photograph. The memories sink deep into my heart.
What she loved so much about this song was the fact that every single lyric concurred with a moment, a turning point in their relationship. This time, she was brought back to the time where he unburied Magnolia’s rainbow cherry blossom tree and made it parade on the river so that she could see it. She had been sick that day, and wanted to participate in the festivities. Unfortunately, she was glued to her bed and expected to sink in her disappointment. But at that sight, her heart became softer, and it was when she realised she was in love with Natsu. She knew she had a crush on him, obviously, but it was then that she got a grasp of how deep her feelings went.
Even if we are apart, even if we cannot meet, our feelings are a signal of tears that showed me they would never fade.
From anywhere in the world, your voice reaches me. I want you to always call my name. I believe we are connected, my precious one.
This time, three memories flooded her mind. Two involved her falling, first time after she got captured by Phantom lord, and the second one…oh the second one. The third memory was her stopping him when he was possessed by Ignia’s flames. Though, the fuzzy feeling of him running to catch her after she fell from the sky after the key of the starry heavens incident was something she would never forget.
She had fallen and turned around in the sky like a shooting star. And she felt him calling out his name, even if he was so far away. She opened her eyes and had tears when she saw his figure. She knew she was in love already, but to see him so desperate to reach out to her… her heart was tattooing a motif against her chest from the inside from how much this memory affected her.
The devotion he showed on that day.. She would’ve kissed him after he caught her if her fellow guild members hadn’t shown up. She still wished she had, but it didn't matter anymore.
The night ends without me sleeping; it shines so brightly. Every day, chased by time, your face suddenly comes to mind.
I feel like I've known you from a long time ago. I take a step forward, even in these moments I won't give up.
The incidents involving a close case with her used to be somewhat of a taboo topic. But after he had witnessed her version from the future dying, Natsu had never been the same towards her. He became so much more protective of her, and she found herself addicted to that feeling when they weren’t dating. It was witnessing the devotion he started showing from the beginning of their friendship come into fruition. She didn’t like to linger on those events, but she’d be damned to deny that it didn’t make her feel like the most loved woman in the word to say that her man almost burnt it for her.
As the verse faded, Lucy gasped, recognition flashing through her eyes. Her favourite part.
The bridge always got her.
Even if we are apart, even if we cannot meet, what we left behind— I held it tightly in my hand so I wouldn't lose it. If you are ever struggling, I will send my voice to you. I want you to always call my name; my heart is right by your side.
The spring breeze brushing against my cheeks carries us toward an unknown tomorrow.
Let's jump into the real world; honestly, I'm full of anxiety. Even if I call your name...
The concluding melody of the song hung in the air as she released a breath she didn’t know she was holding. Those words… Those were the words that played in the background when he proposed three years ago. She remembered when he randomly put this song on, shortly after learning about the pregnancy. He made her twirl around the living room right when the instrumental reached that part, and when she turned back at him again, there he was, on one knee, holding out a box and she started cryin-
“Luce?”
Oh. she got so overwhelmed by the memory that she forgot where she was for a little bit.
“Mama?”
Nasha tugged on her tank top to draw her attention. Lucy turned her focus to her daughter, who gave her an intrigued look. She shook her head to shrug the thoughts out of her head.
“Mama’s okay baby, don’t you worry.”
Lucy placed the toddler on her lap and finally glanced at Natsu. He wore a soft grin, as he walked towards his family and crouched to their level…
He pressed his forehead against hers. She leaned into his touch, her hold on Nasha tightening while she reached out to grab her papa’s cheeks. The blonde closed her eyes.
“I think mama liked papa singing.”
Natsu chuckled.
“I think so too.”
Lucy breathed.
“I think.. That you won’t have to make a choice, Nasha. I think I’m gonna let papa win.”
She made a weird noise while Natsu smirked with his eyes closed.
“Aww I wanted to see mama sing…”
Lucy ruffled a hand in her curls.
“Another time. I promise.”
Natsu wiped the tears from Lucy’s cheeks, and pressed his lips against her.
She couldn’t wait to get married to this man.