"Alright, good." Grey watched me hit the bag. He touched my elbow "up a bit, really put your shoulder into it."

"You sure Lucy's okay?" I ask him hitting the bag with two straights and a jab.

"No man, two straights and a jab not to jabs and a cross." Grey struck the bag beside me "Lucy is fine." He assures me "now do what I just did." I do as I'm told.

"See it was good you practiced with the cast on, your form is great." Grey pats me on the shoulder. "anyway, Lucy is hanging out with Juvia anyway, she had some kind of voucher her mom gave her for a spa day."

"A nice place?" I asked, "not one that's hidden in the depths of New York?" some of the places were in some questionable areas.

"You know Juvia's mom." Grey rolled his eyes and kicked the bag twice, two quick, powerful kicks. "only the best for her baby girl."

"Yeah…" I hit the bag again, I know I don't look anything like Grey but if I can just not break my hand again trying to punch someone, I'd be okay with that.

"Good, Natsu." Grey chugged some water "really good." He glanced down and grabbed my phone from the bench.

"Speak of the angel." Grey hands me my phone, Lucy's name is there with a kiss emoji.

"Don't mention this to Lucy." I tell him.

"I know, I know." Grey pushes his hair back goes back to the bag.

I check the message and sigh. I don't know why I'm so relieved.

"What's up?" Grey asks.

"The girls are going out for cookies." I tell him "they'll be home in a couple hours."

"So, we need to pretend we were… out walking?" Grey asks, mocking me a little bit.

"We can tell her we were at the gym but if she asks, tell her I was on the tread mill or elliptical or something." I tell him.

"Got it… lie to Lucy." Grey taunts me. I glare at him.

"Why did you have to say it that way?"

"I'm sure she won't be that angry over you learning a few moves." Grey tries again.

"No," I agree "she won't be angry… it'll be worse than that, she'll be worried about me, she'll go to extremes to keep me out of any potential fight." I say.

"I think you're exaggerating." Grey laughs but then thinks better and nods "got it, don't tell Lucy because she'll freak out."

"Lucy doesn't freak out." I say "she just… doesn't act like herself." I sigh and take a seat.

"What's the problem?" Grey asks sitting beside me.

"Nothing." I shake myself "I just… I'm gonna shower and head home… I want to make dinner tonight."

"You sure?" Grey asks.

"Yeah, she'll beat me to it if I don't get a head start." I tuck my phone I my pocket and leave Grey on the bench.

Spaghetti again. It's about the only thing I can cook because well, who can mess up spaghetti? I let the noodles boil and sit at the table with my laptop. I'm behind on my word count and I've gotten no more responses. I open the document and read through the first chapter again. I'd edited it so many times already. I was so happy with it, I'm still happy with it.

"I just need one." I whisper to the screen. I look at the email that requested the complete manuscript "please be the one."

A knock pulls my attention away from my novel. I push my laptop aside and glance at the noodles before I answer it. The man at the door make me freeze should've made Grey come back with me I can't help but think.

"You." I glare at him.

"I just got Lucy a present." Owen stands in Lucy and my doorway with a poorly wrapped box in his hand.

"Why are you bothering her?" I demand "who are you?"

"She didn't tell you?" he asks then narrows his eyes at me and grabs me by the shirt "or you didn't tell her I stopped by did you?"

"Hey." I snap shoving him back. to my surprise he actually lets me go.

"I told her about you and she got scared." I growl at him "now tell me who you are…" I look at the box in his hands "and why you're delivering a box."

"It's her birthday, dumb a—"

"Birthday?" I ask.

"duh" he rolls his eyes "you don't forget someone's birthday you grew up with… even if they left you behind besides." He shrugs, a stiff jerky kind of shrug but aa shrug… I think.

"Never know how many of these she has left." He presses the box into my hands "just give her the present for me." he snaps "and tell her it's from me." he turns without another word and disappears down the hall.

"Well…" I try to think of what Grey would do if he were in my shoes but all those scenarios would end up with him chasing the guy down the hall and beating him to a pulp. Something that would not end well for me and would just upset Lucy even more. Instead I close the door and go back to the noodles. Turns out… I can mess up spaghetti.

Lucy didn't complain about the soggy noodles. Lucy never complains about anything. The spa day soothed her and she sits here content. I balance my laptop on my legs and Lucy leans her back against my side with a book in her hands. She's reading some old fairytale, probably another version of Peter Pan. I can't ruin her night. Instead I tap away at my keyboard and let her lull herself into a half-sleep.

When her book starts to fall out of her hands and she's slipping off my shoulder I set my laptop aside and twist around to hold her in my arms. We lean back and I shimmy us bother down so we're mostly laying across the couch.

"Happy birthday." I whisper to her pressing a kiss to her head,

"You found out." She frowns in her sleep limbo state

"I did." I answer as vaguely as possible

"No happy birthday." She mumbles. I didn't think she'd respond

"Why not?" I demand

"It's too sad." She yawns and presses her face into my chest.

"Sad?" I ask.

She nods "It's like counting down the days till you die."

"That's…morbid." I say.

"It's true." She yawns again, her hand curling around the collar of my shirt.

"Is that why you've never told me your birthday?" I ask. She nods again.

"Okay then." I lean back against the couch to let her stretch out against me. "No happy birthday then." I catch a hint of a smile on her lips.

"Wait until tomorrow and-" she yawns.

"And?" I prompt, when she doesn't finish.

"and tell me good morning." She yawns again and snuggles against me.

"Mornings are good?" I tease her a little. she nods.

"How come?" I ask. I just want to hear her voice. I love her voice

"Mornings mean you get to see another day." She wraps her arms around me and I can see her relaxing into a deeper sleep. I don't want to sleep yet I just want to watch her. I love watching her sleep.

I wake up to Lucy in my arms, the sun streaming in, just barely missing her eyes. She's right, mornings are good. Mornings mean I get to wake up to her and I love waking up to Lucy.

She yawns and stretches and instead of hiding from the light she opens her eyes right in the light stream and smiles as if she were saying good morning to the sun. then she turns her smile to me but her eyes stop on something else and she looses her smile.

"Where did that come from?" She asks. I glance behind me and find the package on the side table beside me.

"How did…" I trail off when I catch sight of the door ajar.

"Natsu, where did that come from?" Lucy repeats. She knows I didn't wrap it. I always make my gifts for her look nice.

"I…" I don't know how to answer that because I didn't put it there.


Dear Natsu,

I know you're worried, I know the way I'm acting is concerning you but you don't need to be. It's okay. I promise it's okay. I just never wanted you to find out about him.

Lucy


Author's Note:

Thanks so much for all the comments you've left for me,

i hope everyone who as stopped by is enjoying this story, double post today because i forgot to post yesterday. probably double posts the rest of the month because i do want it to be all finished by the end of January

thanks again

XOXO