"Where's everyone?"

"After every tech convention, everyone gets a long weekend," Natsu replied as he pressed in the door code for his office. "Everyone worked their butts off for the event so it's only fair."

Strauss Tech on a regular day made quite the sight. It employed an open office layout, with each section demarcated through the use of colourful open shelving, foldable partition walls and differing themes.

From the moment the clock ticked '9', the place would be a hive of activity, with the clacking of the keyboards and humming of the computers. The mechanical cacophony would be interspersed with chatter, leaving not even an inch of airspace for silence to invade.

Every workstation featured a unique personality, something she found rather entertaining. Based on the overall level of messiness or the nature of the decorations, Lucy had been able to identify some of her friends' spots.

Some desks were devoid of anything, as their owners preferred to camp at one of the many hot-desking spots. Others boasted an almost jigsaw-like setup of screens. Every so often, a head with a different hair colour would pop up behind its screen, its owner hollering something at someone in a different corner. An exchange would ensue. Usually, it would be over in a few sentences, but frequently it evolved into a full-blown group conversation that would lead to raucous laughter erupting all around.

While Lucy enjoyed the lively atmosphere, she sometimes wondered how anyone got anything done. Rather than a professional office, it felt more like a huge dining hall where a bunch of good friends hung out, chatted, ate, drank and then occasionally worked. (A/N: Just like a guild hall :D)

The blonde scanned the deserted area. Her ears could only perceive the gentle whirring of the air-conditioner. It presented such a stark difference from the usual chaos that her brain was struggling to meld the idea of the two places being one and the same.

There was a rhythmic beeping sound and the door lock slid out of its bolt.

"Come on in."

Lucy's heart raced as the motion sensor lights activated, dispelling the darkness from his large office.

Night had fallen and the floor-to-ceiling glass wall revealed the glittering landscape of the city beneath. She wandered over and pressed her hands lightly against the invisible barrier.

It was her first time taking in the night view from the 45th floor.

During the day, the sun cast a magnificent glow over the land, glinting off the assemblage of skyscrapers. It was a land of steel giants, with some soaring up as high as modern technology allowed them to, their spires like Icarus' fingers reaching ambitiously towards the sun. Other stockier, more hulking structures chose to settle a bit lower along the ground.

At night, the scenery transformed.

These structures now became a collection of lighthouses, each one silhouetted against the starlit sky by the dazzling street lights reflecting off their glassy bodies.

Lucy's soft exhalation fogged up a tiny section of glass. Her eyes scrutinized the scene below.

Unlike in the arts district where the various galleries had long since shuttered for the night, the city centre was thriving. The glowing lanes of traffic cut out a perfect 'X' shape as cyclists weaved in and out of the lines of cars. The crowd moved alongside it all at a snail's pace.

"You have an amazing view," she sighed wistfully, trying to absorb everything.

Natsu looked up from his monitor.

"Do I? I don't always have the time to enjoy it. But… you're right, and it's certainly more beautiful than usual."

Lucy's toes curled when she found him staring straight at her.

"I meant the view from your office window."

"I am looking at the window," he replied teasingly. "There just happens to be something in the way that's even more eye-catching."

"How much sugar did you eat in Fiore? You're more glib than usual."

"Clearly not enough if you're not impressed," Natsu chortled.

She huffed then came round the table. "What did you want to show me?"

"Do you know Ashina Connell?"

Hearing her name made her freeze for a second. "Y-yeah. Dance instructor at the academy, and uhm… Why do you ask?"

He beckoned her to take the seat next to him.

"The design team wanted to change things up for next year's release but they couldn't finalise a concept. When I was looking for your classroom, I saw Ashina teaching, and well… An idea struck. What do you think?"

Lucy stared at the monitor. The screen showed a design mock-up of what looked like a smartphone. Nothing seemed particularly different with the front but etched into the back was a series of lines that curved and cut through one another seemingly at random.

No. Her attention focused. Those weren't random.

Her eyes re-traced the intersecting lines, following how they curved into an almost hourglass shape in the middle before flaring out below.

"Is that a woman dancing?"

"Oh good, you got it."

Natsu let out a weak chuckle. "For a moment, I was worried the design had ended up too abstract."

"No, I got it… It's pretty obvious once you see the pattern."

Relief crossed his face.

"When I was watching Ashina dance, I thought of the class you asked me to model for. Figured we could create something out of that. Basketballers, singers… It was hell trying to generate a range of designs before we left so that we could conduct market testing during the event. Depending on those results, we might invite others to represent more activities."

Lucy smiled. "What a busy boy."

"Tell me about it," he groaned. Natsu pushed back his chair to give himself space to stretch.

"I am also considering a mini competition for the public to submit their own designs. Winning entries would be featured in a limited-edition series."

Lucy studied the silver figure leaping across the black glossy surface. Her finger trailed the air above each line.

"Whoever drew this is an amazing artist. The gracefulness really comes through in the dynamic lines… I'm assuming this is Ashina. Is this why you were chatting her up?"

"Yeah, I was hoping she'd mod- What?" Natsu's eyes bulged. "When did I flirt with her?"

She turned to him.

"You didn't know? The school has been talking about how you two were cozying up in her dance room. When she announced you had invited her to join a secret project, it just gave the gossipmongers more material."

"Oh… uh…"

"You really didn't know?"

Natsu sighed heavily. "If I had, do you think I would have let it be?"

Lucy shrugged. "Isn't it generally wiser to leave gossip alone? If the parties involved start chiming in, it doesn't matter what they are saying, people will just twist it however they want. Standard rules of sensationalism."

"That is correct, but I wouldn't have let this one go…" Natsu slanted a nervous look at her. "Uhm… Are you mad?"

"Mad?"

"Yeah, 'cause… You must have heard the rumour a bunch of times."

Lucy paused. She hadn't gotten angry. Irritated sure, but anger…

"No, I was off campus most of the time and my students know better than to spread rumours. Besides…"

She pursed her lips. It was just the two of them there, and it had been so long since she last saw him, since she last felt him.

So Lucy sat on his lap.

His eyes quickly grew wide. The reddening of his ears and his cheeks and his neck made her heart race.

"I trust you. If there was really something going on, I know you would tell me."

"Luce…"

"Besides, you're such a straight shooter. I didn't think you were capable of hiding it for long if you were making the moves on her as well."

Natsu groaned and slanted a pained gaze up at her. "Is that what you think of me?"

"That was a compliment," she remarked. "I much prefer you be upfront about everything. There are… Too many guys who are too good at keeping secrets."

He trailed a hand down her cheek. "You sound like you're speaking from experience."

"Hmm. Maybe."

Her gaze shuttered and the blonde seemed to withdraw into herself. The sudden change sparked his curiosity. He had seen that look on her before. When was it? Natsu searched his memory as his worried gaze searched her face.

Oh, right.

She had looked the exact same way when he brought up the guy she was working with. What was his name again? Dar…Darnell? No, that wasn't it.

Ah. Dari-

"Natsu, can I stay over at your place?"

"Eh?"

"I'd like to be with you tonight."

"Here you go… Sorry, I don't have anything in your size."

Lucy received the folded stack with a smile. "That's all right. I wear oversized clothing all the time. Are these your fire-print pyjamas?

"We'd have to be at the other house for that. They're tucked away in the corner of my wardrobe." He laughed. "I threw them out when I moved into my university dorm. Turns out Maman retrieved them from the boxes and folded them back in the drawer."

"Next time then. Do you mind if I use your shower? I've been out all day. Are we cooking dinner?"

"Go ahead. Soaps are all there. As for dinner…I don't think I can cook. I had to empty the fridge before leaving." Natsu peered into the cold storage. "Unless you want peas with instant noodles."

"No, thank you."

"I figured. There's a pretty good noodle place a few streets down. I'll get us some grub."

The second the door clicked close, she released the breath she had been holding. Lucy let her clothes drop to the ground and stepped into the shower stall. The powerful gush of water ran down her body. As her skin warmed, her heart began racing.

She had asked to stay the night, but what she left unspoken was her desire to spend the night with him.

She couldn't tell if he had picked up on that as his behaviour afterwards seemed entirely normal. But now that she was actually here in his apartment, the unspoken question was all she could think about.

Lucy looked down. Even though she ate what she liked and hardly ever exercised, she wouldn't call herself 'chubby'. Neither was she built like a twig.

Her physical attributes had never caused Lucy any worry before. Ever since she entered high school, her body had blossomed in all the right ways. On the contrary, it became a hassle given all the male attention she now drew. At one point, she even deliberately dressed in a more homely style just to deter the guys. Now, those baggy shirts were only for when she needed to throw on something quick, like when she was rushing deadlines.

Peeking over her shoulder, she casually checked out her rear view. Then, the embarrassed blonde abruptly sank to the ground, her face a deep scarlet.

"Lucy, what are you thinking?" she squeaked. "You aren't technically official yet but… we might as well be."

She chewed on her lower lip nervously. "He did call me his… his Lucy just now… Ah, geez! I can't believe how nervous this is making me."

Lucy gave a tiny shriek and frantically lathered soap all over her skin.

What the flustered blonde did not realise was that while she having a meltdown in the toilet, the figure sprinting towards the restaurant was in a similar predicament.

Natsu wasn't blind.

He had seen the strange glow in her eyes when she asked to stay the night. In fact, if she had not broached the question, he would have done it himself.

It had taken every muscle of self-control not to put her on his table and yank off her blouse right there and then. Maintaining his composure after that had also been an exercise in patience and discipline, so much so that leaving to pick up dinner was more for his sanity than actual food.

The last three weeks sans Lucy had been hell.

Every text, every call, every peek at her photo made him yearn for her like crazy. It was a blessing then, that he had been run ragged with work. Otherwise, he might have just hopped on the first flight back to Magnolia City and shown up on her doorstep at whatever time it was.

Thankfully, the queue at the restaurant was not too long. Just as he was about to turn into the apartment block, the pinkette's feet screeched to a stop.

In neon green, the word 'Pharmacy' glowed.

A quick search found him what he needed and Natsu hurriedly grabbed three boxes. Just as he was about to make for the counter, his gaze snagged on the adjacent shelf where a variety of colourful bottles stood.

The pinkette's cheeks instantly warmed. Then, he grabbed a bottle from the first row.

"Might as well."

Kekekekekeke.

Sam.