Chapter 10

"Good afternoon Mr. Dragneel?" A feminine voice greeted once Natsu answered the call from his office phone

"Yes, speaking…" Natsu said as he clips the phone between his ear and shoulder while he continuously typed on his office desktop

"This is the Aurora Pens, and we believed you have ordered a personalized fountain pen?"

Hearing the words of the woman at the other side of the call, Natsu suddenly sat up straight and held the phone as his eyes twinkled in delight, "Yeah, I did"

"Well, we're glad to inform you that your purchase is already available. If you'd like, we can deliver your product to your preferred location"

"No, no. Um," Natsu began to look around his table to search his desk clock and sees it was quarter to 4 pm, "I'll just drop by the store to get the pen,"

"Oh okay, sir. I just want to remind you, sir, that our shop closes by 5 pm" Natsu then looked again at the clock and thought for a moment as he tried to calculate the time.

"Okay, I got this. I'll be over in less than an hour" And with that, Natsu stood up from his chair and began to fix his papers and a few other things.

"Oh alright, sir, I'll be preparing the purchase then," Natsu then stopped from his task of cleaning his things as he let himself smile and happily gave his thanks to the woman

"Alright, thanks-" Natsu suddenly stopped mid-way to his sentence, "who's this again?" Natsu cocked his head sideways as he asked

"Oh, um this is Aisha" the voice shyly said back as she realized her lack of introduction

"Okay, thanks, Aisha!" and with that, Natsu puts down the phone and continued his task of fixing his things. Just as he was about to finish cleaning up the documents, scattered on his table, his assistant suddenly opens his door and peeks inside.

"Sir Natsu?" a small curly brunette woman with rounded eyeglasses called as she lets her head peek inside the office of her boss

"Yes Iya," Natsu replied without looking back at his assistant

"Um, sir, Mr. Yakoto from the sales department called, and he was asking if you could join him this afternoon for a coffee meeting?" the assistant said as she slowly lets herself inside the office and opens her planner for her boss

Looking up at his assistant, he couldn't help himself but contemplate what he should do. So, rubbing the back of his neck, he sighed and said, "Iya, kindly tell Mr. Yakoto that I couldn't right now. But tomorrow morning would be the best time."

And with that, Iya clicked her pen and began to scribble in the planner, "Alright sir…how about your meet up with the new advertising head? He has been asking for a schedule…" Iya then looked up and saw her boss scrunch his forehead

"Um, how about tomorrow lunch time?" Natsu said but sounded more like asking back to his assistant who gave a raised brow

"Sorry sir but tomorrow you have a lunch meeting with the Finance department regarding the sales of the Dragion Motors," Iya said after she flipped a few pages from the planner

"oh…" Natsu then looked down at his recently cleaned up desk and suddenly saw the time that it was a few minutes left before it was four, "You know what Iya, you make the schedule and just message me when you have inserted a schedule for the Head Advertisement department. I really need to go because I have something to catch." And with that, Natsu took out his messenger bag and took his phone to shove it inside

"But, sir-" Iya quickly protested but was shushed when Natsu taps her shoulder and said, "I trust you with that."

Without further words, Natsu left the office with his assistant baffled with what to do.


With a quick driving using the shortest route going to the shop, he was finally able to reach the store. It was a few minutes before 5 in the afternoon, when Natsu entered the store to get his purchased product. He was grateful that he was just in time to catch the store still open. Without staying longer, he quickly drove and head to the Fairy Tail Corp.

On his way to Fairy Tail Corp, he happens to pass by his and Lucy's favorite chocolate store. The store was a discovery for the two, but it was Lucy who loved it more since the store sold her favorite desserts, truffles. And so, stopping by the store, he bought a box of mix truffles, containing all the favorite flavors of his best friend.

Soon enough, he passes by the usual flower shop he sees when he would drive to Lucy's apartment. Stopping the car at the side, in front of the shop, he thought for a moment before he made his decision.

"I can't have all these things when I meet up with Lucy…" He said to himself as he glanced at the passenger seat next to him, wherein all his bought items were sitting.

"I know, I'll just leave these things in Lucy's apartment then I'll meet up with Lucy." Natsu then nodded to himself before looking down at his phone and saw what time it was. It was half an hour past already from five and by 6 pm, he should be at the Fairy Tail Corp. already.

Stepping out of the car, he went inside the store and bought his usual bouquet for Lucy. And without further ado, he drove to Lucy's apartment.


It was already 5:30 pm in the office and Lucy and Levy have been discussing the next month's issue for almost two hours already. As Levy continuously discusses the different topics they could tackle for the April issue, Lucy's mind has begun to drift to something else.

"But if the ring is unremovable to the finger of the woman it would mean that the owner of the ring has found his eternal love"

"That is so impossible…I can't believe this stuff…" Lucy mumbles to herself as she stares afar inside the office with her hand under her chin, "I mean, who believes in mages and spells…" slowly, Lucy looks down at her free hand and stared at the glistening sapphire engagement ring.

"This ring can't be magical…it's just a coincidence that the ring wouldn't come off" Lucy continuously whispers to herself when she was suddenly startled when Levy loudly called her name.

"Lu-chan!" Levy shouted as she slightly hits the table to snap the blonde out of her daydream. When the blonde obviously jumped on her seat, Levy sighed and shook her head, "Lu-chan, are you still with me? I have been talking here endless about fashionable rain boots being launched by Keds and here you are mumbling something about magical stuff…"

"Sorry Levy-chan, I'm just quite distracted…" Lucy shyly said back as she tried to smile at her friend

Exhaling, Levy drops her back to her chair and crosses her arms over chest as she tilts her head and asked her friend, "What's on your mind?"

"Nothing! You know what, let's just continue what we're supposed to be doing…" Lucy shook her head as she sat up straight and grabbed all her papers and stack them up neatly. But then Levy shook her head and said back, "Nu-uh-uh Lu-chan…tell me,"

"Tell you what?" Lucy innocently asks back but Levy knew better. And so, she leans forward and gives a hard stare to the blonde, "Did something happen between you and Natsu this weekend?"

"What?!" Lucy then widens her eyes in surprise, "Wh-what are you ta-talking about?! Nothing happened!"

"Then why are you stuttering?" smirking devilishly, Levy continuously interrogates the blonde, "I was just asking what you two did together this weekend? It's not like I asked if you two had sex or something"

"I-I-" Lucy started but was cut short when Levy added

"Unless…oh my god, Lu-chan…are you saying?" Levy then trails off when Lucy's eyes literally widen and her face turns red

"Hell no! Levy-chan!" Lucy then covers her face as she shook her head but after a few whimpers she drops her hand and gave an angry look but failing it miserably, "How can you think like that?! You know that me and Natsu are so harmless to one another that we would never ever think like that!"

"Oh relax Lu-chan, I was just teasing…" Levy then broke into giggles as she saw the furious and embarrassed look of her best friend, "Oh my god, your face was priceless, Lu-chan"

Growling in frustration, Lucy slumps back to her chair as she crosses her arms over her chest. Soon enough she was pouting as she mentally cursed at her best friend. But for Levy, she didn't mind her best friend because she was just having too much fun.

"Okay, Lu-chan I'm sorry. I just wanted to get back at you for leaving me talking about rain boots…" Lucy then looked back at Levy, who was smiling genuinely at her, and her anger quickly fades as it was being replaced with laughter

"I'm sorry Levy-chan…I mean, I really am distracted…and no, no fashionable rain boots on summer season" Lucy said as she shook her head while stifling her giggles. But her laughter was set free when she and Levy couldn't help it anymore.

When they have calmed down from their fits of laughter, Levy quickly asks her best friend again, "Okay, so you said you were distracted…what's distracting you?"

Taking her time to answer, Lucy thought first if she was to tell Levy about the back story of the ring or leave it blank to avoid further teasing. Weighing her options she has made up her mind and decided on the latter option. And so, she just said, "Grandma Porlyusica is here in Magnolia and first thing in the morning, I saw her standing before my front door,"

"Oh no…" Levy nervously commented as she realized what her best friend just said

"Oh yes…" Lucy said as she nodded her head, "She dropped by this morning and I panicked. So, I called Natsu and voila, we were the pretend engaged couple"

"How did you survive lying to grandma Porlyusica? I mean, we all know how good she can read people's behavior…" Levy asked astonished

"It's all thanks to Natsu…" Lucy said as she nodded her head as if she was a proud girlfriend but the truth was she was just happy to survive her morning dilemma.

"What did he do?" Levy asked again

"Not much…just his usual childish self, a little romantic side, be his annoying self-"

"Wait-wait-wait..." Levy exclaimed as she raised a hand to stop her friend from talking

"What?" Lucy then cocks her head to the side as confusion became evident on her face

"Romantic side? Like how?" Levy continuously asks as she slowly leans forward to shorten her distance from the blonde, "Was there any specific act? Spill it,"

The moment Levy asked Lucy about Natsu's romantic side, the blonde writer quickly recalls the moment he kissed her in front of his grandmother, the way Natsu entwined their hands together and looked at her in the eyes while saying he wanted to marry her, the way he sounded so proud of her with her achievements, and this made Lucy blush.

"...It wasn't really romantic, so nothing to spill," Lucy said as she shook her head and tries to hide her reddening face

"Yeah right Lu-chan, your face is telling something else. What happened?" Levy then pokes the blonde on her arm to try and make her speak up. And successfully, Lucy looked up nervous before she haggardly sighed, "Alright fine...he...kissed me in front of obasan, and he loudly said to grandma that he wanted to marry me while looking straight into my eyes. That's it, nothing special,"

When she finished talking, she just shrugged it off as if it was nothing, but the truth was, her heart was beating too fast for her own liking. She could feel her neck was reddening, her face was warming and the gaze of Levy showed so much excitement, which she was not thrilled about.

"Kyaaa!" Levy screeched as she held her face but her exclamation was quickly cut short when Lucy slaps her hand to her mouth to muffle the scream, "Levy-chan! Can you not?!"

Taking off the hand of her friend, Levy excitedly said, "Okay-okay, so he kissed you in front of obasan then said he wanted to marry you. Oh, my god, Lu-chan, that is so sweet! I mean, imagine if the whole thing was for real?" Levy's mind then began to trail a fantasy when it was immediately stopped when Lucy said, "But it's not. So, let's just move on from it."

"Bummer," Levy quickly commented when she noticed Lucy was acting not thrilled at all. Before Lucy could further react, the door to her office suddenly opens and reveals a beautiful long white-haired woman, smiling towards them.

"Hey, girls," Mirajane greeted as she swiftly enters the office

"Hey, Mira!" Lucy greeted back while Levy waved her hand

"I just want to remind you again about tomorrow's meeting with other head writers for the three-month planning..." Mira then genuinely smiled at them before grabbing the handle of the door to leave

"Yes Mira, we'll be there," Levy replies as she returns the grin

"Oh, and Lucy, your fiancé is here..." Mira then winks at the blonde before she quickly exits the office, leaving Lucy dumbfounded.

"I guess that's my cue," Levy said as she stood up and gathered her papers. When she leans towards Lucy to give a cheek kiss to her, she quickly pulled away and winked at her to say, "See you tomorrow Lu-chan. Enjoy your night with your fiancé..."

And with that, Levy left the office.


"Is it really necessary for you to bring a bouquet of these Gerberas?" Lucy asked as she kept her gaze to the large bouquet of Yellow Gerberas brought by her best friend

"Not really, but why not?" Natsu returns the question as he looked at the blonde next to him while keeping his arms folded behind his head, "After all, we are pretending to be a couple..."

When he said that, Lucy quickly looked back at him with a curious expression. She couldn't place what she was feeling but decides to shrug it off as she answers, "I guess your right."

And so, the two continued to walk out of the Fairy Tail building. As they neared the front entrance of the establishment, Lucy couldn't calm her nerves anymore as she audibly asked no one in particular, "Is it just me or are the people really looking at me weirdly?"

"It's just you, cause you're weird..." Natsu replies nonchalantly when suddenly he was slapped hard on his arm, "Ouch! What was that for?!" Natsu exclaimed as he held his stinging arm

"I am not weird," Lucy sternly said back as she leans a little closer to Natsu to emphasize her point. Without knowing, the two has started to stare at one another and they just kept their gaze as if they were trying to memorize each others' face. But all of this staring contest ended when Natsu briefly leans further and plants a gentle kiss at the tip of her nose, leaving the blonde stunned.

"Alright, if you say so..." Natsu whispers back before he fully pulls away and shoves his hands to his pants pocket and descends the stairs of the building.

Without realizing, Lucy and Natsu have already been outside the building when Natsu surprisingly steals another kiss from the blonde. While Natsu has left his spot, Lucy was still frozen in her post, still stunned by what just happened. All Lucy could think of was that Natsu stole a kiss from her once again, the spot he kissed was tingling, her heartbeat a little bit faster, and her face was warm despite the cool breeze brought by the night.

"Oy, Luce, come on," Natsu called out snapping the blonde out of her trance

"Huh? What?" Lucy stupefied looked at Natsu

"Come on, let's go home and make a home cooked meal together," and with that, Natsu grinned his most infectious smile, which Lucy couldn't help but return. Soon enough, the blonde steps down from the stairs and rides her car to head back to her apartment.


As Natsu stirs the dish being cooked in the pan, Lucy was at the island table to chop some carrots and potatoes. Despite being busy, Lucy couldn't help but glance at Natsu curiously as if she was looking at a different man. She was having a feeling that Natsu was not acting his usual self.

"Are you sick?" Lucy suddenly blurts out without hesitation. When Natsu half turned to look at Lucy, he raised his brow and answered, "No, why?" And with that, Natsu returned to his task

"You seem different. I don't know exactly what kind of different, it's just some gut feelings..." Lucy said back as she finishes off cutting the vegetables and stands to hand over the raw crops. When she was standing next to the pinkette, Natsu glanced at her as he takes the veggies.

"Well, the gut feeling you have is just hunger," Natsu then snickers as Lucy lightly slaps him in the arm, "Don't worry, the food is close to being cooked..."

"It's not the hunger I'm feeling you, idiot. I'm serious, you seem different." Lucy said as she turns and leans at the counter as she watches Natsu stir in the vegetables to let it cook.

"Well, maybe your just sleepy or stressed or-"

"No," Lucy quickly stops Natsu as she shakes her head in disagreement, "It's not that..."

"Alright, what do you find different?" Natsu then moved to the other side of Lucy to copy the position of his best friend, "Name them..."

"Well..." Lucy then thought for a moment before she brings out her hand to start her countdown, "First, you brought me a bouquet of flowers in the office." Lucy then looked up at Natsu who just snorted at her opinion

"I always bring you flowers whenever I pass by that flower shop at the first corner going here," Natsu then crosses his arms while he nods and continues, "but go on. What else?"

"Second, you bought me a box of truffles...mix truffles and it all have my favorite flavors," Lucy finishes as she points at the man, who just laughed again

"Luce, those are your favorite dessert. You have been bombarding me about going back there. And I happen to pass by it, so I bought you some," the two then locked gaze, when Lucy suddenly thought, "By the way, how were you able to bring in truffles here inside before we even get home?" Lucy then raises her brow in suspicion.

"I have my ways..." Natsu then shrugs his shoulder as he amusingly stares at the blonde, who suddenly widens her eyes.

"Please tell me you did not climb my window!" Lucy shouted frantically

"Don't worry I didn't..." Lucy suddenly stopped her panic when she heard Natsu, "I may or may not have duplicated your house key..."

"...what?" Lucy asked baffled

"I said-"

"I know what you said!" Lucy shoutingly snaps but quickly sighs as she stands up straight and shook her head. Turning to look at Natsu who still remained calm, which she may take note as something odd, she said, "This is really odd...Just look at you, you're-you're not even hyper or-or, boisterously laughing at my face. You used a key instead of jumping over my window. See! You're different!"

Instead of answering, Natsu just shook his head as he stood up to return to his dish on the pan, "You know Luce, you're just hungry. You're trying to find something weird out of me, but the truth is, it's only you."

"For the last time, I am not weird," Lucy said as she massages her temple when she felt her nerves popping in irritation, "You know what, nevermind...forget what I said" and with that, Lucy stepped away as she headed towards the dining table and waited for Natsu to call her for her assistance.

After a few moments of silence, Lucy heard Natsu turn of the gas stove and sees him pulling off the apron wrapped around his hips, "Luce, the foods ready. Come on, let's set up" and so, Lucy stood to help the pinkette. Within 5 minutes, they were all set and they have begun to eat their dinner.

They were silent, and somehow, Natsu was afraid that he have annoyed the blonde too much. So, slowly looking up at the blonde, he sees Lucy eat their food with no expression on her face. After a few minutes of staring, he quickly looks down to his own food when he noticed that Lucy was going to look up. This didn't go unnoticed by the blonde. And so, Lucy looked back to her food when she suddenly cleared her throat and said, "I know you have been staring at me Natsu... probably thinking I'm mad."

Hearing Lucy's words, the pinkette abruptly looked up and stares at the blonde when suddenly Lucy did the same. When the two kept their eyes to one another, none of them dared to speak, until Lucy decided to break the silence.

"Can you just explain to me why I feel like you're exerting so much effort?" Lucy then drops her utensils as she crosses her arm over the table and waited for Natsu to speak up.

Natsu didn't instantly answer. He stared at Lucy for a moment first before he decided to speak up, "I'm trying to compensate the mistake I've done last weekend. I have been a woose about this whole fake engagement. But I realized, I'm your best friend, and at times like this, I should be helping you out."

"Well, you could have said that without giving me stuff..." Lucy began to take her fork again and start poking her food while she mumbled softly, "You're giving me the wrong impression..."

"Depression? What are you talking about, Luce?" Natsu suddenly asked making Lucy look up nervously when she realized Natsu was still able to hear her mumble. But she was thankful enough to know that Natsu heard the wrong word.

"Nothing! I said, we are sounding too depressing...enough of this silent treatment and let's just enjoy our food like normal people..." Lucy then smiled to the man who raised his brow first before he returns the grin, "Yosh! Let's eat!" And with that, Natsu began to dig in into his food once again but this time more enthusiastically.


As the night got deeper, the two best friends were curled up in Lucy's bed, with Lucy sitting up by her headboard, holding a book, while Natsu lays down on the bed with his head on Lucy's lap and plays a game on his phone.

"Luce, I'm hungry..." Natsu apathetically said while keeping his eyes on the game. Dropping her hands down, Lucy sighs as she pokes the head of the pinkette and said, "Oy, we just ate 30 minutes ago..."

"So?" Natsu carelessly said as he looks up, making his head buried more to Lucy's thighs

"What do you mean 'so'? We just ate, so no more eating in less than an hour..." Lucy then scowls at the man when Natsu began to grumble and mutter about being mean. When Natsu dropped the topic, Lucy returned to her book and began to read again. But without noticing, Natsu has been staring and he heinously looked at Lucy. Without warning, Natsu suddenly taps the bottom of the book Lucy was reading, making the book fall out of her hand and Lucy yelps in surprise.

"Natsu!" Lucy exclaimed as she murderously glares at the laughing man before she pulls off her legs from the bed, making the head of Natsu drop into the mattress. When Lucy bend down to get her book, she suddenly notices a small box with a ribbon. She took it and studied the object as she sits back to the bed.

"What's this?" Lucy asked. Natsu then lifts his head to look at what Lucy was talking about when he suddenly noticed the box she was holding. So sitting up and turn to Lucy, he said, "I know that box...I was looking for that...where'd you find it?"

"This?" Lucy curiously asks as she lifts it, "I found it on the floor...What is this?"

"It's a secret! But just open it!" Natsu suddenly said excitedly as he bounces up and down on the bed. Despite the furrowed brows of the blonde, Lucy still followed Natsu and there she was taken aback when she saw a beautiful black and gold fountain pen.

"It's an Aurora fountain pen!" Lucy happily says before she looks up at Natsu with twinkle in her eyes

"Not just your ordinary fountain pen..." Natsu then leans closer as he pulls the pen out of the box, "It's personalized..." And there Natsu showed Lucy the special design of the pen. Its tip was carved with swirls and stars and by the other end of the pen the initials 'LH' was carved.

"Thank you..." Lucy sweetly said as she looks up at Natsu who just grinned his widest

"No prob-ooff!" Natsu was then cut off when Lucy forcefully tackles him with a hug

"You're the best..." Lucy mumbles as she slightly tightens her hug before glancing once more at the pen

Natsu's face then brightens with the simple compliment he received from his best friend. He was thankful enough that Lucy was not seeing his face or else, he wouldn't be able to explain. And so, mumbling softly back as he wraps his arm around her too, he said, "Always, for you..."

Just when Natsu was about to tighten his hold, Lucy pulls away and Natsu had to look far to somehow hide his flushed face.

"But what is this for?" Lucy curiously asks as she puts the pen back to the box and closed it with gentleness

"Um...same reason for the flowers and chocolates. To make it up to you for the words I said," Natsu replied as he scratches the back of his neck

"And for the stolen kisses in public?" Lucy added as she teasingly looked at the pinkette

"For the record Luce, it was to cover up our fake relationship..." Natsu then crosses his arms with full confidence as he sits up straight, "It couldn't be helped..." Natsu then nodded making Lucy scowl at the man

"Yes it could," Lucy said in a matter-of-fact tone, "You could have held my hand or something..." Lucy tried to say it without giving much attention to her warming up cheeks

"That won't make us look different as best friends...A kiss always changes everything..." Natsu said before he drops himself again back to Lucy's crossed legs and looked at Lucy, upside down, "And besides, grandma always considers a kiss as an intimate act for friends. So, me having to kiss you at the lips makes her believe more that we are a couple...engaged couple"

Out of words for Natsu's excuse, Lucy ended up just staring at the man. She didn't know what to say, because, at some point, she believed what Natsu was saying.

A kiss always changes everything...

She repeated in her head, and she thought, I couldn't believe more...

"What happens next to us...I mean, where do we go from here?" Lucy inquisitively asks as she unconsciously brushes off Natsu's hair from his forehead when Natsu suddenly sits up and turns to look at her determined

"We'll do it..." Natsu vaguely said making Lucy even more confused

"I don't get it..."

"I'll be your fake fiance, and let's get married," Natsu then grins widely before Lucy could chuckle nervously and answered, "Great."

To be continued...