It had been two years since and Lucy had become a couple and much longer since they had become friends. It was early spring and the two were on a mission in a nearby town working a security job for a jeweler. Lately, the local bandits had been committing a string of thefts from the other local jewelers and since this particular jeweler has some particularly expensive and rare items, the owner wanted some extra protection. For once, Lucy wasn't doing this for the rent or the extra money. She had something else in mind this time.

"Okay. We are in a very expensive jewelry store." Lucy said. She stuck her finger out at him. "No breaking things!" backed up with a sheepish grin and put his hands up in defense.

"Easy Luce. You don't have to tell me twice. I don't intend on breaking anything but the bandits' bones." He replied. He thought about what the owner had told them when they had taken the job.

"If you do this for me I'll let you have any one item from my personal collection of jewelry. I'm a collector you know. That will be your payment." He had said. knew what he wanted. He had known for a long time now which was why he had been going on so many missions as of late. Needing money, he was working every single job he could find and doing all of them by himself. He was only in town for the jobs that were local and to get his next job from the guild's request board. Lucy was happy that he had asked her to go with him this time but she was also worried about how incredibly hard he was working and whether or not the towns he went to were still standing. Night was falling on the town and the store was closing up for the night.

"Hey, we should get ready for when those bandits show up. This place is the only one left that hasn't been hit yet." Lucy said as she took her position behind the counter with her Etoulle Whip and key to the Gate of the Lion, Loke, ready. wrapped his scarf around his head and went into ninja mode as he climbed up into the rafters above the door to lie in wait. After what felt like hours, the bandits finally showed up. They picked the lock and scurried inside. Before they could even make it five steps, dropped down on top of them crushing two of them. He stood up facing the other three.

"What you're doing is breaking and entering. The only breaking and entering that's gonna be done here is me breaking you, and you entering a world of regret!" He shouted as he engulfed his fists in flames. Lucy jumped the counter and cracked her whip at the three remaining conscious evildoers.

"That's right. Your days of stealing valuables are over!" Lucy and shouted in unison. They punched the two lackeys through the still open door and left them lying on the sidewalk unconscious as well.

"Woah Lucy you took that guy out in one punch!" said surprised.

"What'd you think I've been doing all this time? Just sitting around? I've been getting stronger just as you have!" Lucy replied with a fire in her eyes. She was all fired up.

"I knew you were getting stronger just as you always have been since you first joined the guild. I just never knew you were getting so strong. Anyways." He replied turning to the bandit leader who was trying to slip away with a diamond ring he had somehow managed to swipe.

"And where do you think you're going?" Lucy asked rhetorically, grabbing the leader's arm with her whip causing him to shriek in pain and drop the ring. She yanked the whip back and then punched his lights out with a solid left to the jaw.

"Remind me to never pick a fight with you." laughed. "Poor guy never stood a chance. Come on let's get these guys to the authorities." He saw the ring and picked it up. "This would look good on Lucy..." He muttered to himself before he registered what he had just said aloud.

"What'd you say?" Lucy asked.

"N-Nothing!" panicked as he tossed the ring behind him. She couldn't know what he was planning. Not yet.

"You're weird." Lucy said shaking her head.

"Hey that's my line!" replied slightly irritated but completely recomposed. Lucy slipped her hand into Natsu's and walked towards the door.

"Come on, weirdo. We gotta get these guys to the authorities. Then we can finally go home. I'm sleepy." Lucy yawned. They took them to the authorities and left to get some sleep at a local motel. The next morning, they went to the jewelry stop and collected their reward.

"Thank you both so much for protecting my shop. It really means a lot to me. Now then, for your payment." The owner said as he pulled out a box full of neatly organized and very expensive looking pieces of jewelry. Lucy rummaged through it until she found an exquisite necklace that she liked. It was a silver heart studded with diamonds on a silver chain.

"Look!" Lucy squealed showing him the beautiful necklace with a smile that could put the night sky to shame. "It's so beautiful! I think I'm going to get this one."

"It looks good on you but then again anything would." replied with a cheesy smile. His face turned serious as he turned his gaze to the store owner. He walked over and led him away with his hand on the store owner's shoulder. "I need to talk to you for a second Mr. Jeweler." said.

"?" Lucy asked noticing his odd behavior. He'd been like this for a few weeks now. Ever since he started working those extra jobs. Yeah he always liked to work a lot of jobs, but he was practically never around anymore. Lucy looked over to where the other two were talking and saw the jeweler's eyes widen and a gleeful smile cover his face.

"Yes sir yes sir yes sir!" He exclaimed. "I can do that for you my good man! I have exactly the thing you are looking for, the likes of which none have ever seen! It is the rarest in existence! You, sir, shall not be disappointed!" He shook Natsu's hand emphatically practically jumping up and down in excitement. "I shall personally deliver it to you on the date we agreed upon since I have to go get it from my personal cache."

"Thanks!" said smiling and shaking the man's hand. They both walked back over to Lucy.

"Thank you both once again for all that you have done for me and this town!" The jeweler said. He looked at Lucy and started getting teary eyed. He clasped his hands together in front of him and sniffled before scurrying off back to his duties.

"Um, what was that all about?" Lucy asked, a confused look on her face as she looked at. shifted his gaze away from her and scratched the back of his neck He sucked in a long breath and said "Uh....Yeah....No I can't tell you that." Lucy tilted her head quizzically.

"Well can you at least tell me what you got for your reward?" She asked.

"Yeah no I can't tell you that either. Listen Lucy." He said putting his hands on her shoulders and giving her a smile. "You'll find out soon enough. So don't worry about it okay?"

"Alright." Lucy puffed out her cheeks.

"Hahaha you're cute when you do that." laughed as he took both his hands and pressed against Lucy's inflated cheeks forcing the air out of her mouth and blushing from the compliment. She tried to hold in a smile but just couldn't help herself. That's what she liked about anyways. Even when he made her irritated, he always found a way to make her laugh afterwards.

"You idiot..." She sighed. "Come on. Let's go home." She took his hand and they left for Magnolia. On the train, motion sick as always, rested his head on Lucy's lap as she ran her fingers through his hair soothingly and he drifted off to sleep. Lucy couldn't help but think back to a time when they did this before. It had been a year and a half ago just after she and had shared their first kiss, silhouetted by the rising sun on top of a hill. She smiled at the memory of this thinking, may be a blockhead, but once he sets his mind to it, he always figures out a solution in his own unique way. Just one more thing she loved about him. As she sat there running her fingers through her sleeping boyfriend's hair, she couldn't help but smile. She leaned down and kissed his cheek softly thinking about all the adventures they had had and all the ones that they were going to have.

One train ride later, jumped off the train with their luggage.

"I'm alive!" He shouted. "You know, Luce, as bad as motion sickness is, if you did that to me every time we got in a vehicle, I wouldn't mind it at all." He said giving Lucy a smirk. Lucy simply shook her head and chuckled to herself.

", you....you're..." She couldn't seem to find the words to describe him.

"Powerful, charming, handsome, hot?" finished for her looking self-satisfied. Lucy did a mock expression of mulling this over with her finger on her chin as she cocked her head and looked up and to the right.

"Hm. Interesting description but...definitely, possibly, eh, and not in the way you think, Salamander." Now it was her turn to smirk. She loved to tease her precious friend like this. Not only was it fun but he was cute whenever he puffed out his cheeks in mock offense.

"Well, I personally think that I am charming. I mean I somehow convinced you to be my girlfriend right? I mean that must count for something doesn't it?" replied putting his hands behind his head. Lucy just rolled her eyes.

"Come on. Let's get home. I am so ready to take a bubble bath in my own bathroom instead of in a hotel." Lucy said slipping her arm through Natsu's and headed for the apartment complex that Lucy lived in. When they got there, helped Lucy unpack, hugged her goodbye, and left for his own house. When he got to his house, Happy was waiting for him with some raw fish for to cook.

"Natsuuu!" Happy yelled, flying into his best friend's arms and sat on top of his head. "How'd the job go?" He asked.

"Oh it went great! Nothing got broken except the bad guys ha ha!" He laughed as he scratched Happy behind the ears where he loved to be scratched.

"How much money did you get from this one?" Happy asked.

"Oh. Uh. Well, you see..our reward this job wasn't money. Our client said he'd give us any one item from his personal collection if we protected his store. Lucy got a necklace and I got...well. You'll find out the same time she does. Trust me, it's worth the wait Happy." replied ruffling Happy's fur. They went inside and unpacked and then started to season the fish Happy had caught for grilling. After they had feasted on the fish that expertly seasoned and cooked, had an uneasy look about him.

"What's wrong?" His best friend asked him. Happy had noticed had been acting strange ever since he had gotten back from the trip and was starting to get worried about him.

"Oh it's nothing Happy. I was just thinking about something. I made plans for something huge. Even so, I've never been a very good planner. And this surprise is something that MUST NOT go wrong." He had a serious expression on his face. "But then again there's no reason to worry. If everything goes according to plan, everything's gonna be just fine!" He said as he stood up with a cheerful smile. If everything went according to plan and the man at the jeweler pulled through on his promise to deliver. He thought again to Lucy and how much they loved each other. He had already decided long ago that he was going to take the leap. He wouldn't settle for anyone except his dear Lucy. She was his best friend besides Happy and they had been through so much together. It had been two whole years since they had become a couple and he knew without a shadow of a doubt that he wanted her to be his wife. He loved everything about her. Her long, flowing blonde hair, her pretty face, her stubbornness, her rock solid determination, her fiery temper, her intellect, her vanilla scent, the way they would go back and forth teasing each other through wit, the way she was always there for him, the way she didn't let the past define her, she was her own person. He loved all the little things about her. The sound of her voice, her soft skin, and even though he was a fire dragon slayer, he loved how warm she felt whenever she hugged him. She was sweet, honest, kind, she made him feel calm, good about himself, and happy all without even trying. All of these things and more were the reasons that he loved her. Why she ever decided to be his girlfriend, he might never know. But just having her with him was enough for him. He smiled at these thoughts and decided to go pay Lucy a visit before he went to the guild.

"Happy! Let's go talk to Lucy." said excitedly.

"Aye sir!" Happy replied with his catchphrase. They both traveled to the apartment complex Lucy stayed at and jumped to the second story window. Lucy was sitting at her desk writing a book when arrived.

"Yo Lucy!" He said. If she hadn't been so use to it by now, she would have been startled and probably would have knocked him from his precarious perch. She set her pen down and stood to greet and Happy.

"Happy!! What are you two doing here?" She asked as Happy flew into her arms. She knew his favorite scratching spot as well.

"We came to see you before we went to the guild!" Happy said happily and purred whenever Lucy scratched him behind the ears.

"That and I had a question to ask you Luce." said shuffling his feet and looking slightly nervous.

"What's that?" Lucy asked him slightly puzzled by his nervous behavior.

"What are you doing Friday? I want to take you out on a picnic somewhere." He said.

"Oh I'm not doing anything. What's the occasion?" She asked.

"That, Lucy, is a surprise." He said with a Dragneel smile. This surprise was going to be the best surprise that she had ever gotten.

"Ohh sounds fun!" Happy cried excitedly.

"Well I can't wait. I'll pick out something nice and wear my new necklace!" Lucy beamed.

"It's a date! I'm serious Lucy, you are going to really love this." smiled sweetly and Lucy smiled back.

"You llllike her!" Happy teased rolling the l in the word.

"Are you still saying that?" Lucy asked rolling her eyes. Happy seemed to do this every time and Lucy showed each other affection in any way.

"I'm gonna go give Carla a fish. See you at the guild and Lucy!" He flew through the window and towards the guild.

To Be Continued