Chapter 46

Lucy's P.O.V.

After I told Natsu my water broke, he sat frozen for a good five minutes.

"Natsu," I called. No reply. "Natsu, we need to go-"

"No," he insisted, voice urgent. I snorted.

"We don't really have a choice."

"I'm not ready," Natsu said, not meeting my eyes. "So...hold it, or something." I no longer felt amused.

"Whether you feel prepared or not this baby is coming now. So get off your ass and help me to the hospital." He shook his head.

"You're sure you can't hold it?" I let out a small growl of frustration.

"It's not like going to the bathroom. I'm giving birth to a baby. When it's time there's no delaying it. Stop acting foolish-"

"Right, sorry." Natsu said cutting me off my hormonal rant. He pressed a kiss to my temple and went to our closet, getting my overnight bag for the hospital. I felt a small twinge of disappointment- what if Natsu changed his mind? What if he didn't want this? Cradling my stomach, I stood with great effort.

"Natsu..." I whimpered, sniffling. There's nothing I can say to justify my tears, except for the fact that pregnancy makes a woman very emotional. He turned towards me and rushed forward, kneeling in front of me.

"What? What's wrong?" My husband cooed, taking my hands in his.

"Is this a mistake?" I whispered to him. " Do you not want this child-"

"I DO!!" He practically growled. " How dare you suggest otherwise?" I pulled my hands from his and sat back down, wiping my eyes.

"I know..." I closed my eyes. "I know." My voice was stronger the second time.

"I understand that you're scares, Luce. But I'm gonna be here for you and our child. You two are my world." Natsu promised, placing a hand to my stomach. I nodded.

"Now let's go have this baby, okay?" He asked, caressing my face. I smiled softly at him.

"Okay."

+++

The first few contractions weren't all that bad; just as I had coached Levy during her delivery, Natsu did the same for me. The doctor announced that I still had to dilate a couple more inches before I could push. I was only five centimeters after two hours of being in the hospital. Natsu currently was off getting Happy, Levy, and Gajeel- people who wanted to stay in the waiting room until Natsu's and my child was born. I shut my eyes for what felt like minutes, and woke up to kiss Natsu kissing me gently.

"Hey," he said. I grinned back despite the pain I was in.

"Hiya."

"Look who I brought," he said and stepped out of the way to show me. Standing there was the three I expected, along with Panther Lily. However, I was surprised to see that Loki, Bane, Chase, Zeke, and Noah were also here. I giggled happily and opened my arms for a group hug. They all rushed forward cuddling me.

Panther Lily rested on my pillows, Happy sat on my head. Both of them pawed at my hair gently. Natsu sat in a chair to my left of my bed, Levy on one to my right, while Gajeel stood behind her. They told me Tomoya was with Bisca.

"The whole guild is going nuts, Luce." She babbled, and told me how most of the guild had tried to fight their way into the waiting room, but had been told off by a nurse that they were taking up too much space and that all the other visitors had no place to wait. I laughed at this. Our guild was truly crazy. Then, she lapses into telling me about a book she was recently reading. The guys were outside scolding Natsu not to be mean to me because I was in labor and in pain and I had boo boos. Idiots, they were at times. I didn't have a boo boo- I was having a FRICKING baby. After I assure them that Natsu would tell them when I had the baby, they went to the waiting room. Loki gave me a thumbs up.

"I'm the godfather, right? I should be here-"

"AFTER he/she is born." I interjected. He chuckled and left. Gray, Juvia, and Erza came in next, Wendy hopping around excitedly.

"Are you alright?" -Gray

"Does it hurt?" -Wendy

"Do you want me to kick Natsu's ass?" -Erza

"Hey!" I'll let you guess who had objections to that. And Juvia kinda paced around the bed frowning.

"Shouldn't you be all sweaty and screaming at Natsu?" Erza and Gray laughed, Wendy blushed, Gajeel and Levy shook their heads, and I mentally face palmed. Dude. YOU DON'T JUST SAY THAT.

"Er...no?"

"Oh. That's good for you I guess." I just nodded, not really sure how to reply to that. Slowly the crowd dwindled until Gajeel and Natsu were sitting outside my room, talking man to man, while Panther Lily and Happy had flown off to the guild, giving progress reports. Levy helped me through my contractions as they got more intense, talking about Tomoya or her and Gajeel going out on date nights- normal things to keep my mind of the pain. I'd refused the epidural just as she had. Needles and I weren't exactly on good terms.

"How are you feeling?" She asked, dabbing my forehead.

"Happy. Scared. Excited." I said, a heartbeat later. Levy nodded in understanding. Another contraction hit, the worst one yet, causing me to yelp in pain, just as the doctor returned. Her sea green hair was pulled up in a bun, strands escaping here and there. Levy walked out and got Natsu, then went on to the waiting room with Gajeel. The doctor checked how far is dilated since the last time she'd been in here. Natsu walked in and kissed my forehead, taking hold of my hand.

"Well, Mrs. Dragneel. It seems that you're fully dilated. I'm going to prep you and get the nurses- and then you can start pushing." I nodded, and smiled at Natsu.

"I love you," I mouthed. He mouthed it back, grinning ear to ear. The nurses came, and got the ball rolling.

Natsu's P.O.V.

I held onto Lucy's hand as she panted, and whimpered. Every now and then she'd cry out or scream. She'd been pushing for an hour now, and only the head was out. I hated the tears streaming down her face, hated the pain she was experiencing, but to my surprise she smiled through the pain when the doctor told us she saw a head of pink hair.

"Our baby takes after its daddy." Lucy mumbled breathlessly. I chuckled and dabbed her forehead, removing the sweat from her brow.

"Oh- here comes the shoulders!" A male nurse announced. Lucy gritted her teeth and gripped my hand tight enough to break it, and then the baby was out. Lucy collapsed against the pillows, breathing heavily. I kissed her gently as the doctors cleaned off the baby and wrapped her...

In a pink blanket.

What-

"It's a girl!!" The doctor announced. I looked at Lucy for a minute before she stuck her tongue out at me. I burst into laughter.

"Would you like to hold her?" The doctor asked. Lucy nodded, but when she went to sit forward she shrieked and laid back down, clutching her stomach. The male nurse came over and checked Lucy, before motioning to the doctor to come back, a look of surprise on his face. The doctor saw whatever he meant.

"Looks like we're not finished." She said cheerfully. Lucy gripped the bed rails, and groaned. I was handed our daughter, who was mewing softly. I held her closely, and stared at Lucy in concern.

"What's going on?" I asked, trying to keep my tone calm.

"I need you to push again," she told Lucy. Then, she turned to me briefly. "There's another baby." Another? Lucy cried out, bringing her back to the doctor's attention. Two female nurses helped Lucy to sit up, and rubbed her back.

"Alright, now, I need you to bare down. Hard." The doctor said, moving back the sheets. I felt my heart break as Lucy sobbed. The doctor tapped her thighs.

"Harder, baby girl." Just as I was about to walk out, unable to take my mate's sobbing, she gave a startled whimper and there was the sound of an infant crying; the second baby was out. This one had Lucy's blonde hair. My mate took deep breaths, looking at me.

"Twins." I said, smiling affectionately. "We have twins."

"It's a boy!!" The male nurse called, returning with the second baby now clean, swaddled in a blue blanket.

...

I stuck my tongue out at Lucy. The nurse but him in her arms, and my mate sighed in content. Scooting over, she made room for me. I climbed in bed and we stared down at our children together, one of my arms wrapped around her. The baby girl had my hair, but Lucy's brown eyes. The baby boy had Lucy's hair, but my onyx eyes. They were perfect down to the last detail.

"Our miracles." I mumbled, in awe.

"Our little miracles." Lucy declared, voice weak. She kissed our babies' heads, and then me.

"...what should we name them?" She asked, looking at me with bright eyes. I bit my lip nervously.

"It's just a thought but... Can we name our son Igneel?" I waited for her response. I know Igneel Dragneel sounded odd, but my father meant a lot to me. I think she knew this too, because she smiled softly, nodding.

"It's perfect." I sighed happily and pecked her lips.

"And hers?" I asked, gesturing to the little girl in my arms. Lucy's eyes lit up even further.

"Why, Natsu, I already told you." She stroked a wisp of hair out of the baby girl's face.

"Nashi. Her name is Nashi."