Hello my lovelies! My hand is kind of going to fall with amount of typing I have done today (this chapter plus a lot of other stuff) so I'll skip to the newbies then ;) Well then, thanks to; Chicago (Guest), Fairy-san, WendyxRomeo100, kasey44, dota-chiin, moongirl45634 and tizebear. :)

Just wanted to say I am really glad with the response this story has had, and I thank you guys for it! Thanks to lucyglitter11 as well for an amazing birthday gift ;)

You just call my name and I'll be coming through, I'll be coming through

Chapter Ten- Third Time Lucky

"…and then you dozed off."

I blinked. "…just like that?"

"Yeah, you kind of buried your face near my chest and…"

My face heated up and I quickly looked down from Rogue.

"But I don't want you to get drunk again," he continued. "It's not safe."

I smiled a bit at his concern.

Mom had not been…well mom last night. Apparently I passed out after a while, but when I woke up Rogue was gone and Layla was sitting on the edge of my bed.

The first thought that came to my mind was what happened to Rogue. But then our conversation started a bit like…

"I sent your friend home."

"…Okay?"

"That was pretty responsible of him. To get you home, I mean."

I remember I had been half relieved and half terrified about what Mom would say. "Yes," I said lamely.

"So…I trust you not to get drunk. But you did, tonight." Layla held up a finger when I tried to apologize. "It's alright. Just be careful from next time."

Now that had been surprising. "I'm off the hook?"

Mom had laughed. "Yes, honey."

Rogue filled me in on the rest of the details as he watched me work. He had become such a regular at the café; most people mistook him for working here. Reyna had become quite good buddies with him, and the only time Rogue was not staring at my face he was chatting away to glory with my boss.

"That was not the way I wanted you to meet Mom for the first time," I groaned, squirting cream on the cheesecakes.

Rogue smiled at me when I looked up. "You did look cute sleeping like that."

I simply didn't get that fuzzy feeling inside me whenever he said stuff like that. And I still had not got over my first kiss with him.

We didn't mention it all since morning—yes, I met him right the day after, problem anyone?—but at times I caught myself staring at his lips.

It was brief. It was sweet. It was freaking mind-blowing.

And somehow that one second of contact with him had me begging for more.

"Lucy!" Rogue snapped his fingers in front of my eyes, and I staggered back, startled.

"…what?" I snapped out of my thoughts. He stared at me. "That's gonna go in the bin," he remarked, gesturing at the cheesecake.

I looked down to see the cake had so much cream on the top, that it probably measured a good six inches.

Sighing, I chucked it in the bin. "Get out, you're distracting me," I told Rogue.

He had the nerve to look surprised. "Me?"

"Yes honey, you," I muttered.

I didn't know whether he was more flattered or shocked that I called him that, but he walked out in a daze at any rate. Good, that should keep him out for some while.

Ten minutes later Reyna bustled in and glared at me. "How long are you going to take with that platter, Luce? The customers are getting impatient, and I swear one of them is a prosti—"

"Got it, Reyna!" I said loudly. I loaded up the cakes and handed the tray to her carefully. "Here, go serve."

Rogue Cheney. The boy had no expressions and barely said a word. Now converted into a chatty flirt.

Or not, my mind whispered. He doesn't flirt as much as he compliments.

Which was true. He was so…different from what Natsu had been. Natsu would flirt; call me hot but never beautiful. He would kiss me, but it was like a habit. Never left me wanting more. He would say 'I love you' a million times, but after a while his eyes started to transform to not love but lust. And he, I'm sure, would do exactly what Rogue refused to last night if he saw me like that. Vulnerable.

And then Rogue would not do either. Maybe a little compliment here and there, never over-doing it. When he kissed me last night…it was more like a mere brush. The first time he said he loved me was in passing yesterday, but with such sincerity…it was like the three words suddenly had a new meaning…sounded so right coming from his mouth…and how he carried me home..

I blushed and shook my head. One more cheesy thought like this fills my head and I'll mash these innocent cupcakes up.

"If you're done daydreaming there Lucy, you are more than free to come help us," Cana called sarcastically from the kitchen entrance.

I scratched my head sheepishly. "Coming!"

"You have work on Sundays?"

I shrugged. "Only if I ditch a day in the week. Café's got a good system, one day off for every other girl, so we don't all have to work every day.

Gray smiled I grinned back.

It was two in the afternoon and I was hanging out at arcade with Gray. I happened to meet him on the way to the Square for lunch, so instead I joined him for a while.

Rogue would probably be a little pissed I left without him…but hopefully he was still struggling over 'honey'.

The screen of the Autobahn racing game ended and the high scores flashed.

"Hey, you play well," I commented. "It takes me an hour to try and avoid getting my car crashed."

Gray laughed. "Fine, you verses me."

"Cool by me," I accepted, sitting down on the second hard black seat in front of the screen.

Gray pushed his card in, selected multiplayer mode and a silly countdown began. The graphics were good though, pretty realistic city roadways and bad-mouthed drivers.

The funny part was, I purposely forced Gray to name the cars. So in the end, I ended up naming mine Lucy, but named his Hawaiian Underwear.

A heated game followed…at the end of which—you guessed it, Gray won 9 to 5.

I laughed. "Told you."

He smirked. "You weren't hat bad."

I gave him The Look and he snickered. "Alright fine, you sucked. But practice makes perfect."

"Sure sure." I rolled my eyes and hopped off the seat. "Says the Hawaiian Underpants."

"Oh yeah?' Gray reached over and tickled me in the sides, causing me to giggle helplessly.

"Wanna grab lunch?" he asked, once we came out of the arcade into the bright sunlight. My stomach growled in response. He shook his head and led me to a Subway.

"Club sandwich?" I raised an eyebrow.

He shrugged. "Or pizza that tastes like muck." He pointed to the nearest pizzeria.

"Club sandwich it is!" I announced loudly, stalking in.

After a while he was sitting on a bench and I was perched on the railing behind it that was put up between the promenade columns of flowers.

"So what's up with Juvia?" I asked after some time.

"She's…good…I guess," he said evasively.

Something was off in his tone. I hopped down from the railing and sat beside him. "You want to talk 'bout it?"

His deep blue eyes assessed me once. Then he shook his head. "Not right now."

I nodded, not pressing the guy. "'Course. I'm here if you need me."

I was racking my brains, thinking of changing the conversation into something slightly more neutral, when there was a huge commotion nearby.

Leaning forward, I saw three people; two men and one lady stumbling along the promenade with the girl laden with a gigantic camera, papers and flowers while the other two were holding stacks of what looked like the Sorcerer.

"Let me guess…Sting?" I rolled my eyes, biting into my sandwich.

Gray looked confused. "Who's that?"

"Er, Sting Eucliffe? Currently most famous singer in Fiore with albums hitting the billboard charts all the way to number 1?" I said that in such a 'duh!' tone, I blushed in embarrassment.

My friend snorted, mistaking my blush for something else. "Geez. I didn't know you were that big a fan of him."

"Actually, he's—" I started, but right then there was a cry of "Lucyyyyy!"

Our heads snapped up to see the person we had just been discussing half-crawl his way out of a mob of girls, duck down when someone tried to hug him, avoid the lady photographer successfully…and skid right onto Gray's lap in the process.

"What the fu—dude, get off!" Gray yelled, standing up in disgust. His sandwich fell to the ground.

Sting immediately scrambled away from him and sidled into his place beside me with a relieved smirk. Nevertheless, the styled peroxide blonde hair was unruffled.

I glared at him. "Sting. Up, now."

Everything suddenly became silent. I looked up. The entire mob was staring at me. The girls were gaping (read: gawking), the Sorcerer people were looking at me and trying to decide why Sting would choose to sit beside me, and Gray was…well he was actually looking pissed about a guy on his lap and his food on the pavement.

"Er…Lucy?" Sting muttered to me. "A little help?"

I shot him an annoyed look. "Only if you let my friend sit."

"I get up, and I'm back to square one with the reporters," he whispered urgently to me, grabbing my hand.

I was about to kick him off and offer a hand to Gray, but that was before the Sorcerer girl suddenly appeared out of nowhere in front of us.

Within a second she was clicking pictures like a professional—obvious—from each angle. The mob behind began to protest loudly.

The second I realized the matter and wrenched my hand away, Sting had attempted to slink off. Instead, the guy reported came in the middle and Sting accidentally ended up bouncing back even closer to me.

The girls behind were hooting and screaming for no good reason. Probably wondering why in the world hot-tie Sting Eucliffe was holding the hand of 'so ordinary' Lucy Heartfilia.

"Okay, one with you guys kissing? Please?" the girl begged.

"No!" we shouted in unison.

"Thank you!" the three Sorcerer guys at last beamed at us both. "And enjoy your day!"

"Seriously?" Gray was holding his sides in laughter. I got up and slapped him on the head, messing his spiky hair up even more.

"Not funny, Gray!"

To top matters off, Sting's best friend decided to make an entry right then. Rogue managed to maintain his unsurprised, calm face despite his surroundings. He looked like he had run all the way, because his hair was messed up unlike usual. I tried to ignore the heat from his body making his T-shirt stick to his perfect chest.

Damn.

"Um, what's going on…with you two?" Rogue stared at me and Sting. I got the feeling he meant to say something else.

"Nothing. Save the fact we'll probably be on the front cover of tomorrow's Sorcerer." I snorted.

It didn't take long to fill Rogue in on the details. After I did, I stared at his face. His emotionless face. And then my eyes found his. His disapproving…longing eyes…

"Cool. Another problem for Sting, I guess."

The three of us looked at him, including Gray who didn't even know him. Sting went up to him and punched him on the arm playfully.

"It'll pass. But what's wrong with you?"

Rogue moved away from him. "Don't ask me that, ass. You hook up with every other girl you meet, and we get a handful of it every monthly magazine. And from next time, I'd appreciate it if you stayed away from Lucy."

Gray and I were probably the only neutral people out here. We exchanged glances and then my friend mouthed he'd see me later. I gave him a tiny nod and he walked off.

"It's not his fault, Rogue," I said quietly.

He looked at me disbelievingly. "I thought you were with me on this. You're the one who said he plays every girl he meets."

I didn't have the guts to look at Sting. As goofy as he might be, he was still a friend.

"You guys have saying all this 'bout me?" Sting demanded at last.

I looked at him now. "No, we haven't—"

"Yeah, go lie now," Rogue interrupted. "Or were you just enjoying it?"

My intake of breath didn't go amiss by either of the boys. I think Rogue regretted what he just said. All I could figure out was he was…perhaps…maybe….a bit jealous?

"You don't mean that," I said.

Rogue ignored me. Sting, on the other hand, had had enough. He marched right up and punched his best mate right in the face. Normally, I would've been a little too concerned if Rogue was alright. Now, being so pissed at him, I was just a bit shocked.

"You stop being a jerk," Sting said to him. "Or get the hell out of here."

He pushed past me and mixed with the crowd. Rogue looked at me.

I shrugged. "You were being a jerk. Why were you reacting that way?"

Rogue came closer to me. "'Cause he's just…" he faltered.

"Just what?" I demanded. "What, you're jealous 'cause a freaking photo of us got clicked?"

He seemed to be struggling for words. "Okay, I got a bit jealous," He admitted. "But why were you with Sting in the first place?"

How could Rogue be this…insecure? Did he really have no trust in me?

"You know what?" I said. "I can't believe you. I have full liberty to hang out with whoever I want, and don't even bother coming to me until you apologize to your best friend."

Without waiting for his reply, I turned around and stalked away.

It hit me when I got back home and was lying on the bed with the headphones on. Something I missed—or decided to overlook—at the Sqaure.

Rogue was genuinely upset about me and Sting together. Fine, I thought he was jealous at first.

But then the way he told Sting to stop playing girls….and staying away from me…he was just looking out for me. A hint of protectiveness had crept into his voice which I realized now.

And he just asked why I was with him, like a normal question. I had been so mad, I simply insulted him and went away.

I buried my face in my hands. "Oh no," I muttered.

A very….different and unfamiliar feeling settled within me whenever I thought about Rogue. Even when I was mad. This strange…desire. There was something about his silent behaviour. Something about his selflessness, his kindness, the way he cared for me so much.

I don't know why, but every second since he left and until I saw him again, I would want to be with him. There was a sense of security I felt with him. And it was like…I could breathe properlyagain whenever I saw him, no matter how impossible it sounded. Like I wanted to be closer to him.

That didn't exactly happen, did it? But here it was.

Hesitating, I took my phone out. Then I sent a hurried text message to him, hoping he wasn't angry. He didn't reply. I sighed and got up, meaning to take down the laundry basket and start the wash since Mom was out cold in her room.

I staggered down the stairs with the hamper, then made my way to the washing machine. Then I sat down on the cool floor, sorting out dark clothes from the light ones.

In the middle of that, the door bell rang once. I got up and went to open the door with a burning hope. A helmeted guy was standing on the dimply lit front porch. ….was it him?

"Rogue?" I asked, feeling stupid.

When he didn't answer, I became annoyed. I tugged the helmet off myself and Rogue's amused face appeared.

"Not funny," I growled for the second time that day.

"I'm sorry," he apologized. "You wanted to talk?"

"Yes...did you apologize to Sting?"

"Yeah. We're cool, it happens. He's punched me harder, believe me."

I smiled. Looking at him…I had the same feeling. Able to breathe. Satisfied, in a way.

"I'm sorry too," I said. "I mean…I was just a bit mad and then you went all berserk and I thought you meant something else when you just asked about Sting and that was unfair to you, but you can't say you weren't being a bit of a jerk, but even then you were—"

My eyes grew wide as Rogue suddenly leaned down and kissed me. The last two times had been so, so damn brief…but now his lips were moving with mine. My hands were at my side, but I shakily grabbed his neck. Third time lucky, I thought. I got what I wanted the third time he kissed me.

His hair smelled so good and somehow sweet…I tasted that same coffee flavor on his warm lips. Something happened to me all of a sudden, and I clutched his head tighter, pressed my lips against him fiercely, trying to be as close as possible.

I needed more.

"Lucy!" Rogue pulled away with a gasp and I staggered back against the door. "Stop."

A completely unknown desire filled me again. Did I honestly…love Rogue this much in the span of only four months? An immediate of sense wanting to kiss him again settled within my stomach and my lips literally burnt with want.

"Why?" I asked. "Don't you…want to…?

He looked down, running his fingers through his hair as usual. His eyes were like warm pools of crimson and black.

"No, it's not like that. But we can't keep…"

"Then tell me that you love me, Rogue," I said, moving closer. "Tell me that you'll always be with me. Tell me that…that I can be your girlfriend. Stop...starting to shy away and open up to me."

"How do I...?"

"I love you. I hadn't been completely able to decide until now...but I am." I said, trying to be very clear on this. To try and make him feel less scared.

He looked at me, confused. "Are you sure?"

I smiled, relieved. "Only if you are."

I felt the curve of his smile as he placed a hand on the small of my back and kissed me again.

My frustration, my little bit of doubt melted into my feet. I couldn't explain the feeling but it was like everything I needed. To think the boy in the bookstore could make me feel like this with just a kiss…I couldn't get enough of him.

One of my hands was in between his soft dark locks. I ran my fingers along them like he did.

Finally we broke apart for breath. The next minute his comforting arms were around me. "I love you," he answered my request. "I'll always be with you."

Leaning my head against his chest, I believed him. "I know."

"I am very pleased to meet you, Mrs. Heartfilia," Rogue bent down slightly in respect.

Layla looked surprised. I remember the first time Natsu visited my parents. He had been friendly, which they liked, but he had no shame. During dinnertime he would start kissing me. He would evade questions about what he did from my father rather rudely.

Rogue kept a mild distance from me. In fact, after dinner was over, he offered to the dishes instead of Mom.

Mom came over to sit beside me while he worked. "Now that is a boy you don't see every day."

I opened my mouth, but then closed it and smiled. "Yeah."

"I wanted to ask you something," she continued. "Yeah?" I asked.

"Are you…sure you love him?" Her question threw me for a minute.

"Did I say I love him?" I asked.

"It's pretty obvious from the way you orient yourself around him. And the way you look at him…and don't think I haven't noticed how much better he is than Natsu. I just want you to make the right choice, dear."

I bit my lip. Then a stirring in my heart answered for me. "I'm sure," I said. And I didn't plan on going back on those two words for a long time.

Layla nodded and kissed me on the forehead. "I trust you then."

Little later I came out of the bathroom to see Rogue and my Mom bent down over something. I came closer to see them chuckling softly over old photo albums on the couch.

I pushed their heads aside and saw they were pictures of me when I was a kid. Me painting flowers with my fingers, me eating a burnt cookie, me and my dad at the amusement park…

"Okay, it's late!" I announced.

Rogue stood up, smiling slightly. Mom did too. "Thanks for coming over for dinner, Rogue." She beamed.

"Thank you to you too. The food was excellent." Mom blushed in response.

I grabbed Rogue's arm and led him to the door. He looked down at me, a little surprised.

"Are you okay?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"You seemed a bit…flushed."

"Oh," I scratched my head. "Guess I'm a bit excited after today…"

Rogue sighed and I thought he was irritated, but I saw the amusement in his eyes. "So, 'night."

I nodded, not wanting him to leave. "Night. You could stay a bit though…if you avoid the pictures."

He laughed his nice laugh. "You were cute back then." He leaned in closer. "Still are."

I breathed in his scent. He smelled so damn good…I wonder what he used. "T-thanks." I stuttered a little late.

He didn't kiss me good night but leaned away. I admit, I was a bit disappointed. Maybe he didn't want to with Mom around; it could seem a bit rude.

"It's really late," he repeated. "And you're tired. You need some rest."

"I'm not," I said stubbornly.

He brushed a loose strand of my hair behind my ear. "Absence makes the heart grow fonder."

With that incredibly cheesy nerve of his, turned the knob and went out. I watched him mount his bike and ride down the street through the window and then made my way to my room after saying good night to Mom.

One heck of an amazing day.

And there goes sweet Rogue down the bin.

I stared down at the Sorcerer with my hair in a bun and a piece of toast in my mouth. My eyes were still blurry from sleep, but I could make out the caption.

Got Me Singer Eucliffe Toys With Another's Heart, And a sub caption; Playboys and Playgirls Special Edition No. 26

Underneath that a cleverly photo shopped picture of me and Sting on the bench, holding hands with several small shots bordering the frame.

I hastily snatched it off the table, before Mom saw it. At any rate, she detested gossip magazines as she had dubbed them. Apparently they were full of rubbish. Lucky for every teenage friend I had in the town, because Mira and Cana's pictures in bikinis came out more than I could remember.

"Sting Eucliffe!" I growled, going to the bathroom to clean up.

I was scared to even go out for café work, though it was a Monday morning. Who knew how many people saw this?!

At last I put on a summery white dress to avoid the heat, braided my hair, slipped on my favorite, dirty boots—yeah I wear boots with dresses, problem anyone?—and came out of the house.

So far so good. I made it to the café easily. That's when I was greeted with jealous looks from the Sting fans and perv looks from the staff.

"He's a friend. He sat beside me. Reporters were berserk," I said in a flat monotone, giving the one minute version of what actually happened.

Cana nudged me a little too hard in the ribs. "So which one Luce? Hot pop star or hot pop star's best friend?"

I gave her The Look. "So which one Cana? Slap down to Africa or throwing away all the booze?"

She laughed it off. "Chill Lucy. Now go serve tables one, five and nine. We got work, girl. Chop chop!"

The day passed uneventfully. Lots of people kept bugging me about the Sorcerer magazine, and I was tired of explaining the same thing over and over again.

At last my shift for the day was over. I went out to see Rogue waiting for me patiently. He memorized my timetables?

I'll be lying if I say he wasn't a sight for sore eyes. I mean…wouldn't you stare (read: gaze) at Rogue Cheney in skin-tight brown trousers and quarter-sleeve white button-up shirt?

"Hey," I smiled.

He smiled back to my surprise. Lately, it didn't take much to see his smile. He took my words of opening up to heart, I believe.

"Hey. How was work?"

I collapsed on the nearest café chair. "Bad. I burnt the cookies and Alyssa accused me of dating her dream guy."

He sat down opposite me. I was a bit tentative, braced for his outburst. Any minute he would get bitter about the picture.

"…So…did you see it?" I asked at last, when his eyes did not leave my face.

"See what?"

I sighed. "The Sorcerer. They photo shopped it I guess, we weren't that red or that close."

He looked surprised. "Yeah, I saw it. But you don't have to explain yourself, why are you getting worked up?"

Now it was my turn to look surprised. "So…you're not mad?"

"Why would I be?"

I stared at him. We hadn't spoken the words yet. But if we—when we —would…I'll be free to call him perfect boyfriend ever.

"Lucy…I just snapped a bit yesterday," Rogue told me softly. "It's alright. I trust you."

My eyes probably said that I trusted him as well, so I didn't say anything. If I was watching a movie…and this was happening…I would probably find these words disgustingly cheesy.

Surprisingly, these words were not cheesy…not to me at least. It felt right, and these were words that were meant.

"Don't sweat it stranger," I grinned. "Like I'd be afraid of what you thought."

He rolled his eyes. "Really now?"

I giggled. "Yes."

He shook his head as I assessed his face. His eyes were so much lovelier; his lips were so much more…irresistible.

"My Edward Cullen," I teased.

Rogue almost dropped to the floor. "Excuse me?! Are you drunk even now?"

I laughed out loudly. "No! Why, that was a compliment!"

"You compared me to a fictional vampire that sparkles!"

I frowned, mock offended. "He's nice to some extent."

"Yeah well, I'd much rather be me."

Grinning broadly I leaned forward across the table. "Don't worry stranger," I said. "You're a hell lot better."

The next second his lips were pressed against mine in pure bliss.

Ta da! Like it, was it good? I kind of liked a few parts of this chapter and I didn't proofread it very well (lazy me) but I tried to make it good enough :) Next update will probably be a little late coz I have lots to do and finish so see ya till then! Please review :) Love you all :)