"fuck you"

Natsu looked up from the coffee cup he is drinking and that was how Sting greeted him as he sat across the Vice chairman.

Natsu then chuckled leaning back from his seat as his full attention now went to Sting. "wouldn't you rather want to do that to Yukino though?"

the younger's face then started to heat up and couldn't hold himself back from hitting Natsu by the arm. "i mean yeah but don't say things like that!"

"it's your fault for greeting me that way, you could have just said a hi hello." Natsu said with a shrug.

"because i'm so pissed!" Sting crossed his arms, giving Natsu a look as if the older had done something wrong. "my phone kept on ringing last night because of you. your parents were always asking if you're doing well, if you're fine, and everything. oh how badly i wanted to tell them you weren't spending your night at my house."

okay, maybe Natsu lied to Lucy about having his parents out for two days, even Natsu himself did not know why he was doing this.

He never cared back then.

on free days he won't pay a visit to the kids. maybe just an hour or two atleast twice or thrice a week and then he would find a reason that could lead for Sol to believe him so that he can immediately leave the house, but now he changed, even Natsu himself noticed it.

the Natsu he knew wouldn't even bother finding time for Sol nor for Lucy, but now he is even lying to his parents telling them that he's at Sting when he's actually not.

the Natsu he knew wouldn't care over such things as Lucy going out on a date, but right now he can't focus with the thought of Lucy out to find someone else

his mind keeps on telling him not to care, he tried his very best not to care. he didn't know what has gotten to him but he can't help himself but care.

he blames Sting for this.

Sting and his wise words.

"it's scary how they have my number. did you give it to them?" Sting had his eye on Natsu but didn't wait for the older to give his answer and continued to speak. "honestly, it's a surprise how i still survived the whole morning without proper sleep."

Natsu just smiled at Sting and patted his head as if he is a dog. "good job Diego!"

"shut up." Sting hated that nickname Natsu had got for him but didn't do anything about it as he knew that Natsu would still call him that no matter what. "by the way, how was your day with her yesterday?"

"i had a meeting the whole morning and got to arrived at around lunch time." recalling the scenes made Natsu frown. "and i was this close to destroying the whole house after seeing something that annoyed the shit out of me."

"let me guessㅡ"

"Lucy together with that fucking babysitter." Natsu gritted his teeth as his fists clenched upon remembering that sight.

Sting sat there in shock, "i was gonna say that he burned the kitchen down and you have to clean the mess but okay."

"I hate how close they are."

He raised a brow at what Natsu just said. "but didn't you say that they are bestfriends?"

Natsu nodded his head and then pointed a finger at Sting. "but bestfriends are not that close to the point that they kiss each other."

"they.. what!?"

they might have forgotten that they were still inside the cafeteria. luckily for them, there aren't that plenty of employees hanging out there.

"only on the cheeks though." Natsu said, finally calming Sting down.

"that shocked me for a moment." the younger sighed in relief before speaking again. "but it's normal for bestfriends to do that. you're just jealous."

jealous? that's hidden in Natsu's dictionary, it's there but he won't admit that he knows that word. "i am not jealous."

"sure, so should Loke get a little bit closer to miss heartfilia then?" Sting was still trying to get used to Natsu calling their director by her name. he too wanted to do it but he didn't have any type of close relationship with Lucy so better stick to calling her formally.

"no. definitely no. a big fat no. absolutely no." and he says he's not jealous. Sting felt bad for Natsu for not making a move yet, Lucy is surely going to be snatched from him.

"by the way, where is she?" Sting gasped as he had thought of something all so suddenly. "did you guys do something last night that she is unable to walkㅡ"

"just so you know, we have a pillow in between us when we sleep." Natsu frowned as he placed his chin down to his palm while looking at no where. "She's out on a date."

"watch president Fullbuster finding out about that." Sting said, knowing that it surely is not a valid excuse to skip a working day.

"don't tell anyone." the older pleaded while giving Sting a look.

The younger's jaw dropped. "you're supporting it?"

"i told her it's fine."

"are you crazy? it's not fine! you can't just let your wife go out on a date unless it's you." Sting said, thinking of a scenario about Yukino doing that, he would definitely go wild if that happens.

a specific word then caught Natsu's attention. "She is not my wife."

"you fucked her, you have a princess with her, you three are basically a family." Sting said with all those hand movements that's distracting Natsu. "therefore, my smart ass is concluding that she is your wife."

sometimes, Natsu just doesn't understand the blond. hearing that complicated logic, Natsu buried his face on his palms to show Sting how disappointed he is. "we are not married yet."

"you will be one day, trust my guts. trust me. trust Diego!" Sting said with a wide smile, almost making Natsu's lips curve upwards. that smile was then replaced with a frown upon remembering the date Lucy is having, "are you not hurt?"

"i don't know, am i?"

"how do you feel?"

Natsu paused for a moment to think before speaking, "thinking about it makes me frown, my chest is feeling weird and the thing inside my chest is so heavy that i don't think i can carry it anymore, and i just have the strong need to go home and let my eyes produce the tears that i have been holding back since god knows when."

"holy shit," Sting covered his mouth at the description he received from the older. "you are not hurt."

"exactlyㅡ"

"you are devastated." Natsuglanced up at the boy in front of him and waited for him to explain. "just admit it, you love her."

"I do not." Natsu had told everything to Sting, everything, everything except for the fact that he is starting to fall for Lucy. "but what should i do?"

"you don't love her yet you're asking me what to do?" Sting mumbled, purposely not saying that out loud since Natsu was holding a spoon and he was scared for the older to throw it at him if he ever says something wrong. "well, pray that the date won't go well."

"knowing Lucy, i'm confident that the date won't go well." Natsu finally put out a smile but soon frowned at something that popped inside his head. "but then, she'll find another person to date and see if things work out."

Sting wanted to talk to Natsu about this attitude of his. he always tells him that he doesn't care, that he doesn't love Lucy, but here he is, getting sad about Lucy finding a date and falling in love with someone other than him, but Sting didn't think that this was the right time to talk about it and just went to think about how to help Natsu about this.

"you know how to cook, right?"

the older nodded, barely hearing what Sting is saying as he was also thinking about what he should do to stop Lucy from finding a date.

"then cook her dinner when she comes home, ask her how the date went, and then make her heart beat fast. in that way, whether or not, the date went well, she will think that no one can replace you." Sting said with a confident smile.

honestly speaking, he didn't know if it is effective but he often catches Yukino reading fanfics and this would happen.

"how do make her heart beat fast?" Natsu asked, already having his full attention to mark.

"i don't know? tell her that she's beautiful" Sting squinted his eyes, trying to think of other things. "caress her cheeks and tell her that you're always there no matter how bad the day went."

"what if she had a good day?"

"that's why i told you to pray that the date won't go well!" Sting raised his fist up and was ready to motion it to Natsu but the older was raising his brow at him with warning, Sting sighed and placed his fist down as he composed himself. "just do it."

a smile then curved to Natsu's lips. he appreciated how Sting was putting effort in helping him. maybe telling him the secret isn't so bad after all, he expected for the younger to get disgusted at him for impregnating someone at an early age, but Sting didn't even have anything to say about it and just respected what just happened. Sting even looked up to him for taking responsibility and not just leaving Lucy there. "by the way, where is Yukino?"

and Sting can help but fake a cry upon hearing that person's name. "She caught a cold, i'm missing her now."

"you know," Natsu grabbed his coffee cup again "Yukino is kinda lucky to have someone like you."

seeing Sting's face heatin' up once more, Natsu learned that the younger can't take compliments. "shut u-up."

Natsu just let out a chuckle. he was about to finally put all his attention to the black liquid in hand but then remembered something that Sting has to be aware of. "oh, and Sting?"

"yeah?"

"my parents are home tonight so," Natsu raised his fist up as he mouthed a 'goodluck' to the younger sitting across him. "i trust you with all the work."

Sting paused for a moment as he tried to understand what Natsu meant and moments later a loud groan escaped his mouth as he finally got it. "oh god."

"i'm home!" Lucy shouted and smiled as she got inside the house. She then tilted her head to the side when she saw the lights from the living roon switched off while the kitchen was switched on. seeing the time, it was already late and Lucy didn't even notice that.

She probably enjoyed the time with Juvia to even notice.

"Loke?" Lucy called out but didn't get any reply. "maybe he left."

just as Lucy was about to go and check if Sol is sleeping, a voice coming from the kitchen suddenly echoed around the house and made Lucy jump from her place.

"i made him go home early." a tall well-built figure then went out from the kitchen and gave Lucy a small smile.

Lucy then heaved a sigh of relief as she had her hand on her chest. "don't scare me like that next time."

Natsu chuckled as he approached the younger. Lucy was then caught off guard when he held both of her hands and dragged her towards the kitchen.

She couldn't deny the fact that her heart was beating fast at their hands holding, eyes looking at each other, and that very cute faint-dimpled smile of Natsu. diverting her eyes away from the older, Lucy turn to the side and gasped when she saw a cake by the counter.

"did you bake this?" She quickly went to the cake and her eyes glittered as if the cake is the love of her life.

years of living and getting to know Lucy, of course Natsu knew that the younger loves cake so much.

homemade or bought from the bakery, Lucy would love it either way, but this cake was a tiny bit special since Natsu baked it. well if Lucy knew then it would be very special.

seeing the younger look so happy, Natsu couldn't hide the smile on his face. he then took steps towards the blonde and disturbed her from her moment with the cake as he had his hand on her cheeks, caressing it very softly. just like what Sting had just said.

"you're so beautiful." Natsu said, not knowing how much it affected Lucy so much.

the younger was now as red, as what Sol would always say, like a tomato. "N-Natsu?"

"how did your day go?" he asked, following what Sting had told him to do.

"i-it was fine.." Lucy stared straight to Natsu's eyes and was then reminded what their label is. She shouldn't put false meaning to everything he does.

this cake? maybe he bought it on the way here and it was actually meant for Sol but since she is sleeping, it's now left for her to eat.

being here? maybe Natsu's parents are not home. he did say that they'll be out for two days. asking how her day went? maybe Natsu just has a sudden change of heart and decided to ask her that, definitely not putting any meaning to it.

so Lucy should also not put any meaning into it.

it's nothing.

"i had a date, it's fine i guess. his name is Hibiki." Lucy's scooted.

Away from Natsu hand on her cheeks and then leaned by the counter with her eyes on the cake and not on Natsu who's frowning, "he's a fun guy, he has a pet dog which i found cute."

that smile on Lucy's face, Natsu didn't like it.

"and there i thought that maybe.." Lucy now had her eyes on Natsu and there she could see the frown on his face. "he's finally the Sting who can give me love like i'm his Yukino."

no, Natsu was shouting internally, he didn't know why he was acting like this. he didn't know why he felt like he regretted everything he had done to Lucy. He didn't know why he is feeling this. didn't he say yes in Lucy finding someone to love? so why?

"but nope." Lucy chuckled, getting a fork that's already placed down the plate and took a cake. "I just don't feel anything from him. we can still be friends though."

the night is suddenly beautiful, life is suddenly easy, office is suddenly a piece of cake, and Natsu's skin is suddenly brighter than before.

the older then took this chance and approached Lucy, cupping her face and showed her a smile. "it's okay, i'm always hereㅡ"

a ringtone from Lucy's phone cuts off Natsu from speaking, Lucy again scooted away from Natsu and answered the call without hesitations. and without thinking twice after seeing the caller's id.

"Juvia!"


happy weekend Lilies