Gray sat hunched over his desk. A fan buzzed in the corner, cooling off his already cool room. With a weary sigh he ran his hand down his face and found his eyes inadvertently traveling towards the picture on his desk. The memory sat there, taunting him, in its perfect frame. Lucy sat on a couch gripping Leo's one-year-old body as the little boy balanced on her knees. Gray's arm was slung around her, a sloppy smile on all of their faces. Gray flinched at the memory and leaned back until he was staring at the sterile ceiling instead.

Life had a cruel way of making once good memories turn painful.

He closed his eyes and memories washed over him. He remembered the rest of the day that was caught in that picture. He remembered Leo smashing his birthday cake and Lucy helping their little boy to open up his presents. That night, he remembered tucking Leo into bed before Lucy and him crashed into each other in their bedroom, limbs tangling together in a fit of passion and happiness.

With a barely restrained groan he reached beneath his desk to adjust himself. With an annoyed grunt, he sat back up and stared at the mountain of paperwork on top of his desk. That freezer unit malfunction had really cost him. Trouble seemed to love trouble though, because as soon as that was fixed one of the machines that boxed the sweets blew out.

A soft knock on his door drew his attention and he carefully shuffled his papers into a neat pile before answering. "Come in."

Juvia's blue hair popped around the door and he straightened up. Her kind face smiled at him, but he didn't miss the glint of worry in her eyes. "The repairman says that it could take nearly a week to fix the machine."

Gray's face hardened and his lips pressed into a taut line. "I don't care how much extra it costs, we need that machine back up and working within the next three days."

Juvia frowned and clutched her clipboard to her large chest. "I don't know if…"

"I don't care." Gray snapped before he loosened his posture and smiled a soft apology. "Sorry. Just… We need this done. After what happened with the freezer unit…"

Juvia's warm smile lit up his cold room and he wished he had another fan. "Got it, boss. I'll convince him, no matter what." A devious glow lit up her face that, by now, Gray well-recognized.

No one could stop her when she set her mind to something.

With a small wave over her shoulder she disappeared back into the hallway and out of eyesight. Gray's hands folded together as he bit back his raging hormones. It had been way too long since he had done anything and he was starting to feel it in every corner of his being. He had never wanted to do anything until the divorce was finalized. It had felt wrong, like he would have been betraying her, if he had done anything before he had signed that demoralizing piece of paper.

His mind flashed to images that he didn't want to remember. Lucy, her blonde hair spread out beneath her, her face flushed and body breathing heavy beneath him.

Yep, he needed to get back out into the world. It was time.

He stood up and walked over to the windows that lined the factory wall in his office. He looked down at all of the equipment, machinery, and employees a few floors below. Immediately, he caught sight of Juvia's blue hair wound up in a cap as she determinedly darted across the factory floor.

Well, at least he could count on her to get shit done.

His phone buzzed on his desk and he turned around to grab it. Lucy's name flashed back up at him and he swallowed before he opened the image that she had sent. Leo sat at the top of slide. His big smile stretched across his face and his arms were spread out wide like he was about to take on the entire world. Gray couldn't help but smile as he closed his phone and looked back out over the factory that he ran.

Yea… It was time to move on.

Lucy crouched down at the bottom of the slide, waiting for Leo to slide into her arms. He pushed himself from the top and, with a loud squeal, sped down the slide. Her arms safely wrapped around him when he reached the bottom and she spun him around, enlisting a mountain of laughs.

She fucking loved her son.

She knew that moments like this would be short. Soon, he wouldn't want her to catch him. Soon, he wouldn't want to hang out with her. Soon, he would be dating and out in the world. She shuddered and pulled her little boy closer against her chest. She would cherish these moments and use them to pull her through her dark days.

The sudden, near ear-shattering, sound of a firetruck flying by made her head bolt up and heart race. She sat Leo back down and watched him as he ran towards the playground again. About four other toddlers were exploring the large, plastic castle-type thing in the center and he quickly joined them, making friends so easily that it astounded her. She sat on a bench close by while she irrationally worried that Natsu was on that firetruck. After all, he was on shift today. The sirens had suddenly cut off and if she looked slightly to her right she could see smoke rising from a few blocks down. Her hands wound together as she took out her phone and stared at her screen.

Should she message him?

She shook her head and bit the inside of her cheek. He wouldn't like her worrying about him. After all, it was his job to barge head first into dangerous situations. Still, fear lurked within her heart as she thought about the building that was currently ablaze.

Natsu… He was an enigma to her. They messaged nearly every day. They were just friends, yet her heart would pound when his name would appear on her screen. She didn't understand the way that her body would react to his mere presence. Her palms would become sweaty and she'd feel irrationally nervous every time that he looked at her. Whenever his eyes caught hers she felt her breath hitch.

It was stupid the way her body reacted to him.

She blamed it on her hormones. After all, Natsu was an extremely good looking, single man. It was purely physical. She reassured herself again and again that there were no romantic feelings attached.

If it was just lust, she could easily ignore it. If it was actual feelings on the other hand… Well, she didn't even want to think about that.

She shuddered and took a slow, deep breath before she refocused on the present. She wasn't ready for a real relationship, no matter the feelings involved. Being friends was perfect for her right now. Her eyes traveled across the playground, keeping a careful watch on Leo. He was busy helping a little girl with pig-tails down a small slide. She smiled and relaxed, purposefully ignoring looking up at the smoke that polluted the sky.

They spent the next hour at the park before they walked home together. It was a nice day. It was warm and a gentle breeze caressed their hot skin. By the time they reached the apartment the air conditioning was a blessing. She kept herself, and her mind, busy for the rest of the night as she took care of Leo. She made them dinner, gave him a bath, got him dressed in his Paw Patrol pajamas, and watched a movie with him before tucking him into bed. By the time she had managed to shower herself she was utterly exhausted.

She towel dried her hair and quickly patted down her body before flopping, naked, onto her bed. She stretched, feeling her sore muscles tighten and relax. She rolled her shoulders and groaned at how tight her muscles felt. Inadvertently, her eyes darted towards her phone.

Natsu should be done at work by now…

Before she could even think about what she was doing, she had grabbed her phone and clicked on her text messages.

Lucy: [Hey! How was work?]

She laid the phone back down on the bed before her eyes roamed over her body. Her breasts fell to the sides, parting like the Red Sea, allowing her to view her relatively thin waist. Her fingers danced over forgotten scars and faded stretch marks. Her eyes clung to the slightly white lines that lined the sides of her hips and bottom of her stomach. They were nearly invisible now, but the proof of her pregnancy still lingered on her body. She didn't hate the marks, but she didn't particularly enjoy them either. Her eyes traveled back to her large breasts. Thankfully, those hadn't grown too much during her pregnancy, but they hung slightly lower now due to the months of breastfeeding. She winced at the memory of her bleeding and chapped nipples. Breast-feeding wasn't all rainbows and kittens, sometimes it was like walking into a horror movie. Still, it had been worth it. She felt the phantom pain of baby teeth and rubbed at her nipple, soothing the familiar ache.

Natsu: [Busy. Exhausted.]

Lucy: [Sorry to bug ya.]

Natsu: [No! Don't worry, you're not bothering me. I just haven't been this tired in a long time.]

Lucy: [Why are you so tired?]

Natsu: [Work was just long. Had to go out on a call today and it should have been an easy job. Fucking thing took twice as long to kill as it should have.]

Lucy: [Was this over by the playground near downtown?]

Natsu: [Nah. Was some warehouse shit. Those things can be unpredictable, never know what chemicals are inside.]

Lucy: [Oh.]

Natsu: [Why do you ask? Was there a fire near the park?]

Lucy: [Yea. I guess I wondered if you were at it.]

Natsu: [Do I sense worry in that text?]

Lucy: [As if.]

Natsu: [Ha! I DO sense worry in that text.]

Natsu: [You know what? Mousetrap. Don't even reply to that. What are YOU doing?]

Lucy: [Brutal honesty?]

Natsu: [Duh.]

Lucy: [Laying on my bed.]

Natsu: [um… that doesn't seem like something very scandalous. Thought you were doing something you shouldn't be since you asked about honesty.]

Lucy: [Well, I didn't finish. I'm naked. Laying in bed. Naked.]

Natsu: [OH SHIT]

Natsu: [Shit shit shit. Didn't mean to send that.]

Natsu: [Fuck, I'm stupid. Naked is cool. Naked is fun. Sleeping naked is best.]

Lucy: [lol, mousetrap.]

Natsu: [Nah that isn't fair. You say naked and stick 'naked Luce' pics in my head and YOU get to say mousetrap? Nope. I get to say it. ME. Mousetrap, naked Luce.]

Lucy: [lol ok ok, you can say it this time.]

Natsu: [Booya!]

Lucy: [You know, I think that we're the weirdest friends ever.]

Natsu: [Not the weirdest, but pretty damn close,]

Natsu: [When are you free?]

Lucy: [Same as usual. I can do something Friday.]

Natsu: [Wanna hang?]

Lucy: [I'd love to… But, I don't really wanna go back to the bar. Stay in?]

Natsu: [Your place or mine?]

Lucy paused and stared at her phone. Her eyes wandered around her expansive room and she inwardly flinched. She had been dreading telling him just how rich she was. People always took it one of two ways. Either they started acting all weird and nervous or ended up eventually asking her for a loan or gifts. She didn't want to ruin her friendship with Natsu. She didn't want him to think of her as the Heartfilia heir ever single time that he looked at her. Still, it was a bridge she'd have to cross eventually if she didn't want to lie to him forever. With a hesitant breath, she typed her response.

Lucy: [Mine. We've gone to yours a few times, it isn't fair on you to provide all the alcohol lol]

Natsu: [You got that right! Ok, send me the address and I'll see ya then. Night, Luce.]

Lucy: [Night, Natsu…]

Lucy tossed her phone to the side and regretfully stood up and put on a pair of pajamas before climbing back into bed. Her mind clung to images of Natsu and memories that she knew she should try to forget. Still, the thought of him fulfilling her every desire after such a long dry spell was imprinted on her mind. She squirmed beneath her blankets and shoved her head beneath her pillow. Yet, images of Natsu's glistening abs still haunted her.

"Get yourself together, Lucy. Lust is not productive to friendship."

On Friday, Natsu stood outside of Lucy's apartment building trying to control his shock. Lucy was rich if she lived in this place. He gulped and stared down at the address on his phone, double-checking it before entering the building. Lucy stood in the entrance, looking radiant, with a nervous smile plastered upon her face. Her hands wound together as she looked up at him from beneath her eyelashes. He squirmed and stuffed his hands into his pockets. He could tell that she was nervous to let him see where she lived. He didn't understand it, but he wanted to make her feel as comfortable as he could. As soon as he reached her he nudged her slightly with his elbow, making her playfully narrow her eyes at him.

"Nice place. So, what floor we going to?" He kept his voice level and tried his best not to look around at the opulent carved wood and furniture that elegantly decorated the lobby. She noticeably sighed and her posture relaxed as she led him to the elevator.

"Fifteen." She whispered as they stepped into the elevator. Soft music played in the background and he leaned against her slightly making her roll her eyes at him.

"Relax silly. It's not like you invited me over for some late night quickie. We're friends, remember?"

Her nose crinkled and the sight was so adorable that he nearly moaned. His pupils widened while his hands clenched within his pockets. Damn, she was beautiful. "Of course I know that." She huffed. The small amount of furry in her voice tingled his nerves and made him want to tease her even more. He was about to say something else when the elevator dinged and they stepped off onto her floor. A sudden flood of nerves raced through his system as he patiently waited for her to open up her door and let him inside.

Being invited into her home felt somehow more intimate than he had expected it to…

His breath hitched as he stepped over the threshold. Her face was flushed and the pink color trailed down her neck to places that he couldn't help but wish to touch again. The memory of her heaving, bountiful breasts flared through his mind and he had to bite the inside of his cheek to calm his sudden desire to touch her silky flesh. He coughed slightly and looked around her place, using it to distract himself and give himself a moment to get his lower half back under control. It was a nice place. Beautiful, actually. Carefully thought out decorations and furniture dotted the ample square footage and it felt like a home, which was in stark contrast to the bachelor-pad feel that his studio apartment exuded. Finally, when the slight tightness in his pants fell away, he looked back at her.

"This place suits you."

"Yea?" He eyebrows rose and a blissful smile spread across her face. "Thanks… I spent a lot of time trying to make it feel like a real home… Somewhere loving for Leo to grow up." She scratched the back of her head nervously and he just wanted to rush her and wrap her up in his arms.

Shit.

He mentally slapped himself as he tried to banish the unwanted thoughts and emotions that attempted to overcome him. They were just friends. Nothing more. They would never be anything more. They had one, passionate, insane night together and that was all that he was ever going to get. Now wasn't the time to get greedy…

Her friendship meant too much to him already.

With barely a moment's hesitation, he strode past her and plopped onto the couch. He needed something else taking up his thoughts besides the seductive blonde woman in front of him. "So, what are we doing? Netflix?"

She shrugged her petite shoulders and slid onto the couch beside him. Their thighs brushed together and sent a tingling sensation up his spine. "Sure." She grabbed the remote and picked a random movie that he could have cared less about. The lights were dimmed and the voices of the actors floated back to him but it was through a haze. All that he was acutely aware of was the way that she was leaning against him. As soon as she had turned on the movie she had leaned her shoulder against his, her weight a comforting presence that made him unable to concentrate on anything else but her.

Seriously, he was a fucking terrible friend. Why couldn't he get his mind out of the fucking gutter?

With a barely restrained groan, he stood up and found himself missing her touch almost immediately. "Want me to grab a drink for us?"

Her eyes darted over to him, but the movie kept her rapt attention. "Sure. Beer is in the fridge, whiskey is in the second cabinet to the right."

He moved at her command, following her directions and making them their usual drinks. It wasn't long before he was setting them down on the coffee table and she was shooting him a thankful smile. He took a big swig of his beer and, before he could finally start to focus on the movie, she leaned back against him. Her head rested against his chest and she tilted her head until she was staring up into his eyes. Her cheeks had a slight flush from the alcohol and she bit her bottom lip nervously.

"Is this okay?"

He nodded and she snuggled against him a bit more. His mind was howling, 'mousetrap' over and over again, yet the word never passed his lips. He liked it too much. Without his permission, his hand wove around her stomach, his fingers innocently playing with the hem of her shirt. She didn't seem to notice, though. Her big eyes were glued onto the sappy rom-com that was currently playing on the giant TV.

This whole only being friends thing was going to be tougher than he thought.

Gray stared up at the ceiling of his bedroom. Thoughts, unwanted and unbidden, infiltrated his brain as he valiantly tried to shove them away. Images of Lucy, back when everything was good between them, teased him and his body with the satisfaction that he had long denied himself. He pinched his eyes shut and groaned as he slowly lowered his boxers. His hands fumbled and he silently cursed himself as he began to reach for what begged to be relieved…

"Daddy?"

"Shit!" Gray snapped beneath his breath. Instantly, he pulled up his boxers, his once taut erection now flaccid. The door to his room creaked open and Leo's tear-stained face peeked through it.

"Daddy, can I come in?"

Gray smiled and sat up, holding out his arms to his son. "Of course you can, buddy."

Leo rubbed at his swollen eyes and hurried over to the bed before clambering on top of it. He moved quickly into Gray's arms and Gray held him tightly as the little boy sniffled against him.

"Did you have a bad dream? Wanna tell me about it?" Gray leaned down and kissed the top of Leo's head softly as the little boy nodded.

"A monster 'tacked Mommy." Leo's little body shook as he hiccuped. Gray gently rubbed his back, desperately trying to soothe his panicked child. "I want Mommy." Tears soaked the front of Gray's T-shirt and he found himself wrapping his arms around Leo and beginning to move off of the bed. With a small grunt, he stood up, keeping Leo nestled against his chest the entire time. "I want Mommy…" Leo babbled.

"Shh… Mommy is okay. She is at home. Let's go back to bed, okay?" He started to carry Leo back to his own room but the little boy simply wasn't having it. His small fists pounded into Gray's muscled chest.

Gray sighed, defeated, as he began to descend the stairs. He knew that he shouldn't be doing what he was about to do. Lucy and him had talked a lot about how Leo would adjust to them living apart. They both knew that they shouldn't cave to Leo's every whim. Yet, for some reason, tonight he couldn't resit. A part of him, that he didn't want to acknowledge, wanted to see Lucy.

The truth was that he missed her, he missed them.

He knew that they would never be a couple again, but that didn't make being apart from her any easier.

"Let's go see Mommy." Gray slid on his shoes and Leo looked up at him with wide, teary eyes as a sloppy grin began to spread across his small face.

"Really?"

Gray nodded. "Really."

The drive went smoothly. Leo chatted away happily in the backseat as Gray tried to control the wave of nerves that had suddenly flooded his system. By the time that he pulled into a parking spot and had lifted Leo into his arms as they rode up the elevator he was thoroughly regretting his decision.

It was late.

He shouldn't be here.

His foot tapped incessantly as the elevator sped past each floor. Shit, shit, shit…

When the door finally slid open he had to force himself to step out. If he didn't have Leo with him he would have just spun on his heel and went back to his own place with Lucy never knowing any better. But, he couldn't bring Leo this close and then snatch his hope away from him.

Leo clung to his neck like a lifeline and Gray focused on his son to still his nerves as he made his way up to the door. He had a key… But, for some reason, that felt wrong. Instead of digging out his key, he knocked on the door and held his breath.

What if Lucy was gonna be pissed at him?

They were steadily into their second movie and third drink each when she heard the knock on the door. At first, she was sure it was only a figment of her imagination. After all, who would be coming over at this time of night? Instead of getting up to answer it, she snuggled a bit more into Natsu's warmth. His arm was wrapped around her stomach by now while her head rested against his chest, his chin lightly dug into the top of her head and she could feel his breath gently tickling her forehead. She blushed and his fingers gently dug into the skin around her stomach.

In her head, she moaned, 'mousetrap'.

But, then the noise from the door happened again and she bolted upwards, nearly knocking her head into Natsu's chin as she flung herself from the couch and dashed to the door. She didn't understand why, but her heart was hammering away within her chest and her palms had become sweaty.

Was something wrong?

Was everyone okay?

Why in the fucking world was someone knocking on her door at this hour?

She twisted the door-handle and her breath hitched at what she saw…

A wide-eyed Gray cradling a red-faced Leo.

Instantly, her brain focused on the face of her son. It was clear that he had been crying. She reached her arms out to him and Gray quickly shuffled Leo into her waiting embrace. In the back of her head alarm bells were ringing, but all she could focus on was kissing Leo's forehead as he nestled in against her chest.

"He had a nightmare. I hope it's okay that I brought him over. He really wanted to see you."

"Of course it's okay." She mumbled as she ran her fingers through Leo's hair. "You had a nightmare?"

Leo nodded as a yawn took up the majority of his face. His eyes drooped. He was nearly asleep already. Lucy muffled a laugh as she turned to look back up at Gray's nervous eyes.

"Can I come in?" His voice was soft and probing. She heard a noise from behind her, someone standing up, and she suddenly remembered who was over tonight.

Oh, shit.

Still, she couldn't say no to him. "Sure, but you should know…" She didn't get a chance to finish her sentence because Gray had already stepped inside and shut the door. His once happy smile slowly fell into a tight-lipped grimace as he laid eyes on the salmon-haired man that was standing in what was once their living room.

She heard a sudden intake of breath from behind her.

She gulped.

Leo's soft snores began to fill the room, laying a soft undertone to the suddenly tense atmosphere. What felt like an eternity was only a few mere seconds before Natsu's voice broke over the room.

"Gray?"

Gray's eyes narrowed even further as he looked between them. She could see the question that was lingering in them and she bit her lip, unsure how to answer. Yes, Natsu and her were only friends now. But… They had been intimate. Should she tell him the truth or should she fib? Her stomach flip-flopped and she suddenly felt extremely queasy. Her past and present were currently engaged in a vicious stare-down and she felt immobilized. At least, she did until a pair of little hands fisted into her shirt. With a soft sigh she turned slightly to head down the hallway.

"I'm just gonna put Leo to bed." She moved quickly, setting a slumbering Leo down in his bed and tucking him in before hurrying back into the living room. Natsu had a nervous, lopsided grin on his face as he looked at her ex whom he apparently recognized. As soon as she re-entered the room, Gray's gaze turned back onto her. His hands were shoved into his pockets and his posture was stiff.

"What's going on here?" Gray's voice was monotone and devoid of any and all emotion. It freaked her out. With hesitant steps, she walked towards Natsu, making sure to keep a respectable distance between them. Natsu's once chipper smile had fallen as his eyes flashed between the two ex-lovers.

"Gray meet Natsu, Natsu meet Gray." She sucked in a sharp breath and forced on a smile. "Natsu is my friend and Gray is my ex-husband, which I'm sure you figured out by now." She flashed a smile at Natsu and he loosened up slightly, raising an eyebrow as his gaze turned back to Gray's stoic figure.

"It's good to see you again. What's it been? Like twenty years or something?"

"Or something." Gray grunted.

"You two know each other?" Lucy couldn't stop her surprise from filtering into her voice and both men turned to look at her.

"We were in foster care together." Natsu supplied with a slight shrug.

"Wow, what are the chances?" She muttered beneath her breath.

"Anyway… I guess I should get going." Natsu shrugged and suddenly her heart hurt. She didn't want him to go. She had been looking forward to their movie night for days. She wanted him to stay… But, with Gray and Leo here…

Well, she wasn't ready for him to meet Leo. Meeting her son was a big step… What if Leo got attached and then, for some reason, he left?

What if she got attached and he left?

She gulped past the pain that torpedoed her and nodded slightly at her salmon-haired friend. "Talk tomorrow?"

"Of course." He took two giant steps towards her and wrapped her up in a giant hug. Her breasts pressed into his chest and her hands came up to wrap around his neck, tangling in his hair. His lips accidentally brushed the nape of her neck and she couldn't stop an extremely soft moan from escaping her slightly buzzed lips. He stiffened momentarily before shifting his head so that his lips tickled her ear as he hotly whispered, "Mousetrap."

She sucked in a harsh breath and he backed up from her, leaving her feeling all hot and bothered. Gray's cold, knowing, eyes pinned her and she shrunk beneath his icy gaze. With a slight wave Natsu dodged for the door and disappeared.

Instantly, she missed his comforting presence.

"What the fuck, Lucy?" Gray snapped. His voice wasn't heated or raised, but filled with a kind of pain that she didn't want to vocalize.

"We're just friends. Leo wasn't supposed to be here tonight. It's not like I was letting some new person into our son's life." She kept her voice level as she made her way over to the couch and sat down. Gray, immediately, began to pace in front of her. She wound her hands together as the unfair feeling of guilt crept up inside of her.

"Have you always been just friends?" He stopped pacing and watched her reaction, analyzing her every minute response.

She gulped, her large yes glued onto the man that had once been her entire life. Guilt swamped her and she found that she couldn't hide the truth. "No… It wasn't always just friends."

"So… You slept with him."

She didn't need to answer. Gray sighed, his once stiff posture falling apart as he collapsed onto the couch beside her. Instinctively, his hand found hers and their fingers wove together. It was such a familiar and comforting feeling that she couldn't help but lean into it. She squeezed his hand and let her head fall onto his shoulder.

"I'm sorry…" She muttered, the words soft and broken.

He shook his head before he rested his head on top of hers. "There's nothing for you to be sorry about. After all, we're divorced now."

"Still…"

He sighed. "Yea, still…"

"But, um, we're just friends now. I'm not ready for anything more and he feels the same way."

"You sure about that?"

The question in his voice irked her and she gently jabbed him with her elbow. "Yea, 'course I am."

"If you say so." He muttered. The words were shaky and filled with the renewed realization that they were truly over. "This is harder than I thought it would be."

She twisted so that she could look at him. His eyes were stormy and his fingers briefly tightened around hers before he let go. "What is?"

"Being divorced. Not being here. Moving on." He gulped and leaned forward, gently resting his forehead against hers for a few blissful seconds before he leaned back and scooted away from her. "Thinking about you with someone new…"

"We'll figure this whole thing out, won't we?" She hated the way that her voice quivered.

"Yea… Yea we will. For Leo."

A sad smile lifted the corners of her lips and she nodded. "For Leo."

Natsu leaned back against Lucy's apartment door. His head banged lightly against the wood and he pinched his eyes shut.

Gray…

Seeing her ex and simply knowing that he existed were two very different things.

His heart beat painfully within his chest and he curled his hands into tight fists as he pushed himself off of her door. The look that Gray had shot him had been nearly murderous. But, what was even worse, was the flicker of guilt that he had spied in Lucy's eyes.

She regretted sleeping with him… Did she regret their friendship too?

As he stepped into the elevator his heart lurched as it began its descent back down to the lobby. Lucy consumed his thoughts, inhabiting every corner of his brain, and he couldn't seem to shake her. An irrational thread of jealousy wormed its way up and nestled in his chest as he thought about her in her apartment with Gray. What were they doing? Was it really over between them? After all, they had a kid…

He shook his head and grunted as the elevator dinged and he stepped out into the lobby. He knew the questions that were currently bouncing around inside his brain were dumb, stupid, selfish, and even ignorant. Yet… He couldn't deny the painful 'thump-thump' of his heart. He was starting to fall for her… The beautiful, blonde woman who had come barreling into his life like a torpedo. He felt like he was out on a ledge. Memories from his past, of Lisanna and mistakes so numerous that he couldn't even count them, flared through his mind.

He didn't want to screw this up too.

As soon as he stepped out into the cool, night air he turned around to glance up at the building one more time. He wanted to text her, like he always did, but Gray was there. His fingers twitched around his phone as he fought the urge to message her. He'd just have to man up and wait until tomorrow to ask her how she was and…

His face flushed and he turned away from the building. He walked briskly as he made his way down the silent streets. He would ask her because, for some inexplicable reason, he wanted her there. He wanted to see her cheering face in the crowd. He wanted to show off his prowess. He wanted to impress her.

So, he would suck up his jealousy and ask her to the firefighter's tournament under the guise of friendship, even though his heart was beginning to yearn for more.

"Fuck it." He muttered beneath his breath. "I am a truly, terrible friend."

~ Author's Note ~

I'm so sorry! I was accepted into University, so I went apartment hunting and moved. Plus, my internet decided not to work and all of this led to me not being able to get any writing done. I feel so terrible about it! I really, truly hope all of my amazing readers and reviewers from before will come back. I promise that I will be posting regularly again now.

I feel like this chapter is missing something, I just can't figure out what. I know how I want the rest of the plot for this story to go and right now I am aiming for a total of 10 chapters I think. Depending how in-depth it gets, it might get bumped up to 12 or 15. There is still so much to be revealed! I can't wait to read your reactions to everything.

Please, review! Your reviews are what make me keep coming back and writing no matter how much life gets in the way.

~ FeudalAi