The late afternoon rays of light dribbled through the blinds of Lucy's home, it had been a quiet and peaceful few days for her as she settled back in to a routine of reading a few books and then starting up a plan for the next few chapters of a new story.

It had been almost a month and a half since the holiday with her group of weirdos, as she liked to call them, and even though they had spent three weeks in each others company it seemed as if they couldn't shake one another off each other.

It was more the case of Natsu dragging them to nights at Mira's, although it was always a shove through the door for her she had to admit that the nights with her friends always ended up being just what she needed.

Minus the horrible hangover the next morning.

It had also been just over three weeks since Lucy received a lengthy phone call from her publisher over her finished novel.

The book had gone down well in meetings, and thus led to her book being published later next year. Of course Lucy couldn't help but not show a smile every time she thought about how her hard work had finally been rewarded; all the shitty essays she had to write at school and even her dissertation at university had all in some way helped her achieve something she was proud of.

Now all Lucy had to do was tell people; and that was where she was currently situating herself.

She knew Levy would and should be the first person to be informed, hell if it wasn't for her little blue haired friend reading little snippets from time to time she was sure that she wouldn't be publishing her first book.

But alas, here she was.

beep

A text message had awoken her from her inner battle, thankful for the distraction she looked at the message

Mira's in half an hour? Gajeel and Gray are still working so Juvia and I are requesting your company!

Well, no time like the present then.

"I can't believe you've held this knowledge in for so long! Three weeks?! I would be screaming it from the hills!" Levy beamed as Lucy came back with drinks,

"I know, but I didn't believe it for myself. I've been in a weird bubble over it and I swear every morning I have to pinch myself that it's real."

"Juvia is so excited!"

Lucy smiled at both her friends; she held on to them so dearly when she needed them the most, she had always been friends with Levy, ever since they were in the same tutor group and English classes together. And Juvia had been a new girl in their class during the new term.

Their strange friendship had blossomed over the years, even though Juvia had a fascination with Gray, she knew if there was ever a moment she needed Juvia the girl would be with her in seconds.

Of course the same went for Erza, she would always come to the door with sweets and a cake, wether it was for her or even Lucy, she still didn't know and either way loved the gesture.

"I'm so terrible for not telling either of you, hell I haven't told anyone this." Lucy sighed, stirring her drink with a straw.

"It's understandable, and I'm sure the others wouldn't mind." Levy replied, a smile on her face as she tapped her glass on the side of Lucy's.

"I'm surprised Natsu hasn't blabbed about it though."

Lucy's face frowned, "He doesn't know either." In fact, she hadn't even seen the pink haired idiot much, only when he would drag them out to destroy their livers.

"But you two have been stuck like glue ever since he's been back, what's changed?" Juvia asked, a little worried.

Lucy shrugged, how was she suppose to answer a question she didn't even know the answer to?

Yes her and Natsu had spent a lot of time around one another, but nothing ever developed, even on the holiday nothing happened.

Although this didn't hide the pink dusting on her cheeks as she remembered a small minor detail she never told the girls.

"Spill Heartfillia." Levy spoke. "You don't just blush for no reason, there's something you're not telling us isn't there?"

"N—no!" She spat, although she knew her face was turning a darker shade.

Both girls leaned in, knowing she was about to snap and spill.

Lucy refused to look either in the eye and stared hard at her drink whilst taking a sip from the straw.

"Okay, fine." Both Juvia and Levy grinned, whilst Lucy looked up and frowned, trust her friends to get the better of her. "Remember the night that Erza knocked on our door? Just before that Natsu and I were close to, well, we were close."

"Close to what?" Natsu asked as he leaned on Lucy's seat causing all three girls to splutter their drinks and souls.

"Close to throwing our drinks in your face," Lucy squeaked out as she turned around and looked up at his face. "And what the hell have you been up to?" She pulled in to disgust.

"What do you mean?"

"Your face? It's sweaty and in fact I'm pretty sure it's you I can smell right now." Lucy replied, her neck starting to ache at looking up at his stupid, sweaty face.

Which also looked pretty god-like.

And there was a small bead of sweat trickling down his neck…

Okay, so he smelt a little off, but at that moment she had never wished so hard to be that tiny bead of sweat running down Natsu's body.

Lucy pulled her thoughts away from the gutter as Natsu smirked at her, she wasn't exactly subtle when it came to checking him out.

Nor was he the more he thought about it.

"Gray and Gajeel offered me some time at the gym," he shrugged casually, "Now that it's been expanded and shit they said I could run a few classes and shit."

"So you're now working with tweedle dee and tweedle dumb?" Lucy asked, a small smile escaped her as she watched Natsu snort at Gajeel and Gray's names.

"Yeah, I suppose. Beats sitting at home all the time."

Lucy raised an eyebrow at him, "You've been lounging around this whole time?"

A sheepish look took over Natsu "Maybe a little? I've been looking."

"Yeah, not hard enough though." Gray added in as he brought over Natsu's drink frowning.

"Gray!" Juvia pipped up, excited to see her prince charming coming towards her, be it he was giving Natsu he's drink, but she would add this to her littler Gray moments inside her memory.

"Fuck off Princess, adding me to your little sweaty gym party is an amazing thing. Think of all the classes."

"And the headaches," Gajeel muttered so that the girls were the only ones to hear it.

"What classes would you be running anyway?" Levy asked, of course, she was still a supportive member of the gym that her friends ran. It was nice to be able to go somewhere that you actually knew people, and the fact Gajeel would offer her discount lessons.

Lessons that involved a lot of body movements.

And perfect timings.

Gajeel nudged her, a large grin spread on his face, "You already have a personal trainer, you don't want that shit head as yours, trust me."

"I'm petty sure you don't even charge her anymore," Gray commented, smirking in to his drink as he saw Gajeel frown at him and give him a subtle middle finger in his direction.

"I'm pretty sure it would be classed as prostitution if it carried on," Lucy teased. She was allowed to tease her best friend, and it was all the more rewarding when Gajeel spat his drink out whilst Levy had turned the darkest shade of red she'd ever seen.

"How—?"

"I have my ways Levy," Lucy winked, "I have connections. And I'm not going to lie, you're not exactly secretive about it."

She had noticed that the all intimidating big guy, Gajeel wasn't looking at her, causing her to smile. It was a tough job to get Gajeel embarrassed, which was why it was even more satisfying to tease the both of them.

Levy withheld from commenting back anything that would further prove to the rest of their friends that they were doing exactly what they thought.

Of course, it was only a little teasing, but none the less the conversation soon turned back round towards the boys.

"Speaking of your gym boys. What exactly has changed?" Lucy asked, not that she was interested in going back any time soon.

After her traumatic time with Levy doing yoga she had been repulsed, especially as she saw how open people were in the changing rooms about being naked and it in fact added to the list of reasons why she would never enter a foot inside a gym ever again.

And the fact that she swore she was getting more than eye full from one elderly lady who Levy had told her was a regular member.

The thought made her shudder.

"We expanded outside a little bit, so there's now an outside cafe lounge area. There's also the outdoor swimming pool, which we will be running classes all year round." Gray informed, if Lucy knew better she would have thought with the smug grin on his face that it had been Gray's idea.

"So it's heated then?" Levy commented, to which the boys nodded.

"Gajeel's also updated the weight rooms, because it was hell in the summer with so many bodies lingering and working out in there, it smelt as bad as Natsu's gym bag I swear." Gray smirked, to which Natsu huffed.

"And what about the indoor pool you had? Juvia loved swimming in there when it was evening," Juvia questioned, although everyone knew the only reason she was in the pool was because every now and again Gray would be teaching a swimming class or he would be life guarding.

"It's still there. Don't worry you're pretty little head." Gray patted the blue haired girl, who in response let out a squeak at the sudden touch from her love.

Gray touching Juvia hadn't gone unnoticed by the others, who in return showed confused faces, then again, both Gray and Juvia were a little strange.

"Anyway, going back to the gym. Do you wanna be my first customer Luce?" Natsu asked as he nudged in to said blonde.

She was mid way through sipping her drink when it flew back out,

"Geez, you're shit at drinking lately," Natsu teased, causing Lucy to fumble with her drink as she went through what Natsu had just asked her.

"What made you come out with something like that?"

"Well, you always moan that your book is always holding you up, and well being at the gym we'd see more of each other. And you can punch me in the face." Natsu sheepishly laughed at the last part.

"I don't moan—"

"You do. You oh so do." Gray butted in, with the others nodding at her.

It was at that exact moment that Lucy had wished she had better friends than the ones she currently called her friends.

"Okay, I get it, I like to moan about my life," she sighed, "But I don't see why you'd want me to be your customer Natsu?"

Said pink haired guy looked sheepish as he thought about his next set of words. It was strange to witness Natsu be so nervous, after all he was her dumb idiot of a best friend who charged in with no filter to his thoughts or in fact she was pretty sure there was no thinking what so ever in him when it came to talking.

"Well, you're my best friend, and best friends are always there to help one another."

The rest of the group were positive that they could see the clogs stop in Lucy's brain as she was stumped for a reply, or in fact any human functions at all.

"I'm not exactly the best when it comes to fitness, Levy can vouch for me on that," Levy smirked, but nodded when Natsu looked over to her, "But, I suppose you're right; we're best friends, and best friends always help each other out no matter what the circumstance is."

A knowing look formed between Gray and Gajeel; it had been their idea to not only get their idiot friend and now colleague to start taking some classes, but to also become a personal trainer.

And there was one person that sprung to mind when it came to Natsu.

Lucy.

"Well, now that Natsu had finally announced his new era of his life, I think it's time for Lucy to announce hers," Levy smiled, causing her blonde friend to frown at her, she wasn't ready to announce her news yet.

She hadn't even prepared a speech.

She was fucked, and now her friends were looking at her, waiting.

"Thanks Levy," Lucy scowled at Levy who was practically beaming a large grin back, even Juvia had jumped on the shit eating grin boat.

Much to her delight.

Both her friends were horrible people.

But she loved them.

But she also hated them.

She sighed, there was no hope for her.

"I suppose it's only fair I tell you guys as well. You know my book I've been writing?" The three boys nodded, she couldn't help but allow a smile to filter its way on to her face as she continued, "Well, as of the last couple of weeks, I've found out that my book is being published!"

She was sure she could hear a cricket with the unresponsive trio of idiots.

Okay, so it wasn't the reaction she was expecting, but at least the boys could congratulate her or something instead of stating at her with blank expressions.

Like they had for the last two minutes.

If there wasn't liquid in her drink Lucy was sure she could throw it between the three of them.

"Juvia thinks it's wonderful!" Juvia cheered, nudging both Gray and Gajeel to at least make a sound.

"Yeah, I'm so excited, I'm going to make sure I have extra backup copies for the copies in my store," Levy laughed, causing Lucy to smile slightly.

Bless her two blunette friends.

She loved them more than ever.

It was Gray who finally registered what Lucy has just said and he quickly beamed a smile towards her, "Congrats Lucy, about time you finished that book," he winked.

Lucy rolled her eyes, were these idiots on a system reset or something?

She didn't dare think anymore on the subject. It would be more of a headache than anything to try and figure out those three.

"Bunny girl finally finished it then? I hope you've added me somewhere in that book,"

"Why would she add you of all people?" Levy questioned him, causing Gajeel's bubble to pop

"Why the fuck not? I would make an amazing character to any book," he quipped back, causing the girls to smirk to one another.

"An amazing character to kill off," Levy added to her teasing

"I'm sure you would make a nice minor character Gajeel," Lucy teased, Levy giggled.

"Gajeel would be that character who has little time in the book with a few speaking lines and then poof, no more," Levy added, causing herself to giggle once more. Gajeel on the other hand had grown tired of this game where he had turned in to the joke of the evening.

Levy noticed Gajeel lean over to her ear,

"Keep it up shrimp and you'll be regretting it on our next training day."

It was safe to say that Levy had quickly stopped her teasing, knowing full well how much hell Gajeel could put her through if she continued on the path she was on.

"Congrtats Luce," Natsu finally spoke, a soft smile embraced his face, "We're really growing up aren't we?" He joked, causing his blonde friend to raise a questionable eyebrow.

"Care to explain?"

"Well, I've got a job, and you're getting taking hold of that dream." A toothy grin was shown as Lucy began to smile brighter, she had completely forgot about becoming the greatest ever author; although right now she would settle for a best selling author, after all it was better than nothing.

"Okay, I can agree with that," she moved her glass over to his and clanged it against his,

"Cheers to our future."

She had to admit, the both of them were celebrating big changes in their lives at that moment in time.