#forever enamoured by his accent on/the way he says 'my dad'

[feraltwinkseb]

IG @/mercedesamgf1: Signing off after an emotional day @ fosgoodwood. 🤗 @ mickschumacher #ShotOnSnapdragon | @ snapdragonofficial

[phoneboxfairy]

Working Up a Sweat - EPILOGUE!

Finally! It’s done! ao3 link to the first chapter, with all intended formatting -> https://archiveofourown.org/works/22405093/chapters/5352884 Flash forward about a year. The Dragneel Fund was as prominent as ever, with potential expansion in the future. This meant a lot of hard work for the Dragon King and his son. A year ago, Natsu would have been constantly exhausted. And sure, he was pretty tired some nights, but these days he worked with a smile even when things were difficult. Why? It was all because of Lucy. That fateful night in Natsu’s gym and bedroom strengthened their bond, as physical intimacy tends to do. From that point on the pair got together as often as their schedules allowed. Even when they couldn’t, even when Natsu was stuck in meetings or Lucy was working on inventory, they found ways to make one another smile. Little gifts and sweet, flirty texts were rather common on days like that. Of course, there were other special times, besides their dates and romantic interludes. Every so often, Lucy invited Natsu to attend her yoga class. He accepted every time. Then, when Lucy had been having a particularly rough time re-organizing her shop for the sake of cataloging...there was Natsu with Chinese takeout and a willing helping hand. On that particular afternoon Lucy leapt into his arms in tears of joy. Once the shop had been thoroughly organized and the takeout had been eaten, the pair shared an embrace and a kiss on the fuf. This in turn led to Natsu carrying Lucy upstairs and showing her exactly how much he loved her. There was also the time Natsu decided to get a tattoo of his family crest on his right bicep. Lucy had to admit that the red tribal dragon suited him well. The first night, they cuddled together on Lucy’s couch watching movies. She reached over and grabbed a bottle of ointment while he wasn’t looking, then started rubbing it into his skin. He exhaled, leaned into it. “Thanks, Luce. That feels really good.” “Welcome.” Gentle kiss before they got back to cuddling. They ended up falling asleep on the couch that night. Natsu’s last thought was that he wouldn’t mind spending every night with this amazing woman. Preferably for the rest of their lives… A thought was stuck in Natsu's mind. To be fair it had been there since the first time they had slept together. That night, the idea of forever had occurred to him right as he was falling asleep. He shrugged it off as an effect of their activities...but it kept coming up. He loved Lucy. Loved spending time with her, even when they weren't doing much of anything. Their chemistry was undeniable, and about so much more than just incredible sex.He wanted to spend his life with her. He wanted to learn with her, to have a little family with her, to grow old with her by his side. Hell, he wanted to marry her. But that would take a while. There were protocols that needed to be followed. He couldn't just bring the girl into the family. He had to ask his father. The very idea terrified him at first. In fact it scared him so much that he avoided Igneel as often as he could outside of work situations. He wanted to avoid suspicion. He failed miserably. For all of Natsu’s business smarts he was still a bit of a bonehead. One afternoon, after the day’s final meeting, he came face to face with the Dragon King. “Natsu.” “Oh. Uh. Hey, dad. I was just headin’ home to take a nap.” Big fake yawn. No surprise. Igneel saw right through it. “Nice try, son. Come. Let’s talk.” With that he put his hand on his son’s shoulder and led him to his private office. Both sat down. Natsu did his best to act calm and cool, the exact opposite of how he was feeling. “Now, what’s going on? Don’t lie. I know when my son has something on his mind. How are things with your girlfriend?” The mere mention of Lucy made Natsu’s eyes light up. So much for calm and cool… “Amazing. That’s, ahm, what’s on my mind.” “Oh?” The Dragon King raised an eyebrow. Natsu felt like his father’s yellow eyes were staring right into his soul. The whole thing reminded him of a board meeting. And board meetings were something he could definitely handle. “Yes.” Natsu cleared his throat, his resolve somehow strengthened. “Lucy’s incredible. I love her, and I love having her in my life. I wanna make her part of this family, our family, but I need your blessing for that first.” Having said what he planned he braced himself, half expecting to face his father’s wrath. Instead… Igneel laughed. Natsu watched, feeling a little relieved...and a bit confused. “I’m serious, dad.” “I know, Natsu. I’m simply glad you’re settling down at last.” Part sincere, part teasing jab at the younger man’s rather adventurous past. “Lucy has been good for you, and I want to meet her. Invite her to our family dinner Sunday night.”   The significance of his father’s words didn't process right away. Natsu sat for a moment just blinking.Then..."...that's all it took?" Igneel roared with laughter."All you had to do was ask, son!"~~~ Flash forward to Saturday night. Natsu and Lucy enjoyed a pretty relaxed date and were laying together in her bedroom, a tangle of limbs, sheets, and the bliss of afterglow. Suddenly Lucy giggled. Natsu quirked his head at her. “What’s up?” “I forgot to tell you earlier, but I found the perfect outfit for tomorrow. Wanna see?” “Sure.” “Okay. Hold on.” She slipped his t-shirt on over her head then bounced over to her closet. She pulled out a long white garment on a fancy hanger, held it up so he could see every detail. The dress was made of soft silk, with a collar and an angled skirt accented with a train of flowy lace. Golden trim gave an extra dose of elegance. “Wow.” “It’s called a cheongsam. I got it when I went on vacation last year. I just didn’t have any occasion to wear it until now.” “That’s good, because it’s perfect for tomorrow night.” “Thanks…” She blushed, hung the dress on the closet door, then rejoined him in bed. For a few moments they lay together, at least until Lucy broke the silence. “Hey Natsu?” “Yeah?” “Do, um….do you think your dad will like me…?” "Why wouldn't he? He knows that you mean the world to me. No, Luce. I think he'll love ya...almost as much as I do." "Thanks, love." They shared a kiss that conveyed so much: love, support. Then they snuggled closer, enjoying each other's company as they eventually fell asleep. ---Sunday was an absolutely beautiful day. The sun was shining, highlighting Magnolia's magnificent buildings and colorful summer flowers. Lucy thought it was a good sign. Natsu agreed.  Privately he was a little nervous about the whole thing, but he was determined not to let it show. He wanted this to be the perfect day. For her. Every so often he peeked at her while they got ready, brushed his hand against hers, flash her a big smile. He knew that she was still a bit nervous despite her calm exterior. The least he could do, he reasoned, was make her smile. So while she worked on finishing up her hair, he leaned over and kissed her forehead. Once she finished braiding she looked at him,  eyes dark, mouth pouting. Natsu got the hint right away. He shifted, tilted her head, kissed her. Perfect. He still couldn't believe his good fortune. How he had initially started flirting with this hot chick at the gym with the intent of a casual fling, only to find the incredible love of an amazing woman... Soon enough they drove to the Dragneel estate. He clasped her hand in his as they walked through the elegant main hall to the family's dining room. She was used to refinement. Even so, she couldn't help glancing around in awe and admiration. Her boyfriend's family clearly had a strong sense of style. Then something caught her eye and made her smile. There on the mantle in the dining room sat a large framed portrait of a younger Natsu and his father horsing around while his mother watched in the background. All three were absolutely beaming. Given what he had told her about his life, she knew this picture had to have been taken right before illness changed the family forever. She squeezed his hand. "Your mom was beautiful." "Thanks. She would have loved you." A quick yet sweet kiss on her cheek, then he led her to the table where Igneel stood. "Lucy, this is my father, Igneel. Dad, Lucy; Lucy, Dad ." "Pleasure to meet you, sir." She smiled and did a little curtsy before Igneel shook her hand. "Likewise, Miss Heartfilia. I can see why my son is so enamoured with you." Here the Dragon King flashed a smile identical to his son's. "Now, let's eat." Dinner went rather well. The family chefs prepared a delicious meal paired with intriguing conversation, wine, and chocolate cake. At one point Lucy excused herself to check her makeup.That's when Igneel nodded at Natsu, the signal they had agreed upon. The nod meant  that he approved of Lucy and specifically Natsu's relationship with her. He reached over and pushed a small box to his son. "I think your mother would be proud of you, Natsu. I know I am. Now go on. Make her cry tears of joy." "Yes, sir." He took the box, put it in his pocket. "And Dad?" "Yes?" "Thanks." Igneel had just enough time to grin and nod before Lucy returned.Natsu stood up, then stopped her in her tracks by taking her hand. "Follow me." "O...kay? What's up?" "You'll see. There's, uh, something I wanna talk to you about, that's all." “Alright. Now you’ve got me really curious…” She followed as he led her to a nearby balcony overlooking a lush garden. The sun was just starting to set and the sky had a lovely golden tone. “So...are you gonna tell me what’s up?” “I want to thank you, Luce.” “Thank me…?” “Yeah. You’ve changed my life. I wasn’t really happy until I met you, and now I want nothing more than to make you happy.” He took her hand, drew an almost shaky breath. Her eyes widened. “Natsu...what are you saying…?” “I’m sayin’ I wanna marry you.” Here Natsu Dragneel, the one nobody had ever thought would ever settle down, got down on one knee and pulled out his mother’s ring. “Lucy, will ya marry me?” Lucy couldn’t respond at first. Tears flowed from her eyes and although she opened her mouth to try to articulate the words wouldn’t come. For once in his life Natsu was patient. He watched, waited for her to regain composure. Of course, he was completely blindsided when she nodded, pulled him up to his feet, and threw her arms around him. Tears still flowed. “Is...that a yes?” “Duh.” Sniffle, giggle. “Yes, Natsu. I’ll marry you.” “Great.” Utter and complete joy. He slipped the ring onto her finger, kissed her hand. “I love you, Lucy.” “And I love you, Natsu. Together forever?” As if there were any doubt. “Hell yeah. Even longer, if I have any say.” Then, having said all he wanted to for the time being, Natsu grinned a signature Dragneel grin and pulled his Lucy into a sweet kiss. More than anything that kiss was a promise, a promise of continued adventure, of a love that would last a lifetime. And that, dear friends, was worth more than any fortune. ~Fin