Ninth chapter.

Wow - looks like miracles do really happen. I'm already in the ninth chapter. It's shocking lmao.

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The light tickled Natsu awake at the crack of the morning. His eyes blurred his vision but the sunlight that had somehow, snuck through the curtains shone directly into his face, waking the agent briefly. His head cracked to the left as he let out a tired yawn before turning to lie on his side. His view was filled with blonde, facing towards him with her eyes shut close. With a silent smile to himself, he turned away and willed for sleep to take over once more.

Early that morning, he heard her rise from bed and shuffling around to obtain her bag. Pulling her laptop and typing in a few things. As his mind drifted back to sleep, he had heard her utter a single sentence before his mind quickly shut down. Sleep finally embracing him in it's sweet warmth.

"...hasn't caught on."

There was an update that was sent late that morning to Lucy's device. After the morning shower, a quick breakfast down the road from their hotel, the two agents made their way respectively around the blocks. Taking note of the layout and applying this information mentally in their heads. Lucy retrieved a simple attire for the day - just a short white skirt and a cropped tee. However, Natsu knew better that all sorts of devices were hidden underneath all that clothing. For the day, he dressed casual too. Black shorts and a tee, not forgetting his sunnies to complete the look.

"What?" He asked, feeling a pair of brown eyes scanning him questionably.

"Did you have to include a fake scar here and there?" The boy turned his neck casually to look at the 'scar' his partner was talking about. In front of the mirrored reflection at a nearby stall, he smiled pleasantly at the outcome.

"It makes me look badass." The agent replied. Checking himself out once more. Lucy rolled her eyes before trudging forward. Mind replaying the message that Levy had sent. A video message of the sorts. Just a bunch of words appearing on the screen actually, Lucy recalled.

Salamander. Celestial.

There has been a sudden report that had been recieved by the agency. In Acalypha, there's a worn down warehouse that is around the wharf. The next drug association would be held there. I'll send the location after this. Apparently, the mastermind behind these traffic associations will be there in three days. During the meantime, keep updating the agency if there are any suspicions. We also found out that there is also an inside spy within the agency. My system has shown traffic delivering classified information about this information and transferring it to another outside source.

I'll do my best to uncover the culprit. Until then, three days till now, please be at the warehouse to stop all operations. This includes the people who have attacked our agents on their mission.

Good luck you two

Bookworm.

"Definitely did not see that coming." Natsu suddenly spoke, snapping the blonde out of her thoughts. They turned around a corner of the block and began a short walk towards the wharf to check out things. Lucy looked around cautiously before turning her eyes to the pinkette who didn't seem faze one bit by his surroundings, regardless of being in Acalypha for the first time. Or that's what he said.

"See what?"

"An inside spy. Someone from our own organization being a double spy." The male replied, shoving his hands into his pockets and walking towards the road that had the pedestrian crossing,

"It happens. Not every agency is perfect." The blonde replied, following close behind him. After crossing over to the wharf side, the male stopped abruptly and turned quickly to her. She blinked in confusion as his eyes locked on hers. Almost accusingly. Her heart skipped a beat.

"What?" He narrowed his eyes at her.

"What makes you say that? You're not a double-spy, are you?" Lucy felt her mouth slightly drop at the accusation. Pushing past him, she flicked her hair as they neared the docks. Hearing him following quickly behind.

"Don't be stupid."

After checking out the docks and heading back to the main town center for lunch, the two clasped hands to make their character blend with the crowd. Before leaving the docks, the two briefly discussed of blending with the local people as if being a couple - to make their situation easier. With rigid hands and red cheeks, Lucy bit the insides of her mouth as they roamed the town to look for a place to settle and eat.

"Don't tell me you're nervous..." A taunting voice came from the man beside her and she snapped her eyes up to glare at his mocking olive green orbs. How dare he make a fool of her in public. It was embarrassing to be seen walking around with a man. It just totally felt so foreign.

"Shut up or I'll kick you." Her hands gripped his biceps tightly, as a warning to his jokes. This was interpreted the wrong way as the male chuckled at the sudden skin contact.

"Eager are we?" Her nails suddenly dug into his skin, pressing small moons of incision into his flesh. Just then, a couple passed them and offered a bright smile at the two agents. Waving them down and stopping the two in their tracks. Lucy inwardly groaned. A girl that was deemed awfully too familiar for her taste.

Sky-blue eyes glimmered happily with a small smile. It left Lucy feeling a bit uneasy. Nevertheless, the blonde watched as the girl pushed strands of short black hair behind her ears and turning to look at Natsu. Lucy didn't like the way this girl just caused Natsu to freeze up.

"I couldn't help but notice how wonderfully beautiful you both look." Lucy didn't like it one bit. The way this girl was talking gave off a bad aura. Apparently, her partner was feeling a different way. His eyes had only slightly widened at the black haired girl and his mouth was slightly opened, as if trying to find the words to speak.

"Of course not, are you both locals?" Lucy cut in. Eyeing the male beside the girl warily. He had a glimmer in his eyes that spelt disaster. He had the most creepy smirk and his face was only locked onto hers. Not even turning to acknowledge her pink-haired partner.

"Yes. We are the from the area. My name is Annasil and this is my partner, Abaka. I assume that you are not from around here?" Lucy narrowed her eyes. This feeling was the same back when she was packing her clothes. The feeling of being watched.

"That's right." Lucy forced a smile and a laugh, "My name is Stellar and this here is my most beloved husband, Blaze. We've recently married and currently, on our honeymoon." It was sudden but Lucy saw the twitch of lips on the girl's features. This 'Annasil' reached forward and offered a hand to be shaken. It was obvious that there was a hidden motive for that handshake.

"Pleased to meet the both of you, Stellar-chan." The girl drawled almost evilly. Lucy slowly reached and clasped hands with the girl. Feeling a sudden smoothness of cold metal just briefly. Nevertheless, she quickly shook her hand and retracted it back to her side.

"Well, Blaze and I are feeling famished from the day. Please excuse us as we head for lunch."

"Of course. Have a good day." Lucy raised an arm and wrapped it around the pinkette. Gripping his waist tightly and pushing him along with her. Not daring to look back but she could feel their eyes on them. Natsu, seemingly woken from his trance, looked down to see the blonde turning her head towards the back every few seconds before pushing him into a nearby cafe.

"I don't like this." The blonde kept muttering to herself. Pushing the both of them against the door and slowly peering out. They were gone.

"I don't like this one bit." She didn't know why. Was it because of the way that girl looked or was it because of Natsu?

The day passed by like a blur to Lucy. As she turned her eyes slowly to look at her partner that was lying on the floor, her brown orbs finally took a hold of how meticulous Natsu could be. It seemed as if the memories of his past were slowly fading away. Perhaps just seeing the girl from earlier today sent the idiot freezing up. Perhaps she was a little peeved that it took only a smile to make Natsu weak in the knees. Like, how could one look from another female send the idiot into such a state?

She was totally not jealous. No.

"Why did you freeze up like that?" Her mouth opened without a second thought. Looking to the area where Natsu had laid and slowly but surely, his pink hair came into view and his face suddenly appeared. She was just trying to grasp on the reasons why Natsu just acted that way. Why would he do that? What is the reason behind it?

"Me? Freeze?" The blonde rolled her eyes before folding her legs and arms on the bed. It was definitely too late to back out now. She just had to open her stupid mouth and ask such a stupid question and to boot, her stupid partner is very much interested in the said stupid question. The male picked himself from the floor and rounded to the bed until he sat opposite. Folding his arms and legs as means of mocking her.

"Of course, you idiot." Her face puffed in aggravation. She could feel his eyes peering at her questioningly, especially with the way she was throwing such a childish tantrum.

"It's not like I froze on purpose. I was just...caught off-guard." He admitted. Just remembering the exchange of the way that girl had looked at him, painfully reminded him of Lisanna. Especially with eyes just like hers. Lucy felt her heart twitch in pain because the answer was as bold as Natsu's hair.

"It reminded you of Lisanna, right?" The male was sputtering,

"Wha- of course n-. Why would you-"

"Stuuupiddd." The blonde drawled slowly, ignoring the stab in her chest.

Lucy stared angrily at the sleeping agent in front of her. After getting up in the middle of the night for a quick drink from the small fridge in their hotel room, her thirst was sudden whisked away as her eyes glanced at the pinkette sleeping on his bed. Bed hair was one of her greatest weaknesses. And seeing him sprawled on his bed without a single care made her angry.

How could he just sleep to his heart's content with the knowing fact they were going to crash the biggest drug operations in Acalypha.

Taking a sip and walking to her bedside, the blonde placed her glass on the bedside table. It just made her angry that she was starting to think so much of the pink-haired guy sleeping beside her. It made her mad that her thoughts were suddenly filled with him. Her hands clenched the pillows and she brought the soft fabric to her burning face. Thoughts running wild in her mind but among them, one stood out like a sore thumb.

"I like him..." She whispered to herself in the dark. Hugging the pillow tights and pressing her face into its soft warmth.

"I like Natsu..." like a mantra, she gripped the pillow to her face as tears began to form at the corners of her face. Her mind attempted to will his being away from her thoughts but her heart pounded eagerly for the pink-haired agent.

This wasn't supposed to happen. Of all things, she did not expect to like him like that. It's a stupid mission that should be dealt with quickly and professionally. Not with all these muddled up feelings bundling up inside her. It was certainly most unfair. How could fate bring such a problematic issue at this time?

She was falling for her partner.

Natsu slowly opened his eyes in the morning. Taking in the restful slumber as he smiled happily of how amazing he suddenly felt. Turning to the other side, he saw his blonde partner sleeping soundly. Beside her table was an empty glass - she probably had a drink last night. Pushing himself off the bed to stand and have a little stretch, he walked over to where Lucy was sleeping.

There were tear marks.

Eyebrows raised, he leant in and observed the way her body hugged the pillow to herself. Was she crying last night? It couldn't be, otherwise he would hear her in the dead silence.

"Luce..." His hand reached to her shoulder and gently shook her. Her eyes squeezed a little before revealing tired chocolate eyes. Her mind still slowly taking hold of him at her bed.

"Luce." He called out again when he saw that her eyes were beginning to droop. She pulled the covers up and turned her head again, muttering a low 'five more minutes, Levy' before hitting the snooze again. Shaking her awake this time and more forceful, the blonde's eye snapped angrily awake and she sat up with such quickness, knocking the both of them on their foreheads. This action sent the male reeling back, holding his forehead with a curse.

"You better have a good reason why you've woken me up-" her eyes turned to the clock that sat beside her bedside table - "at six in the morning, dammit." The blonde hissed whilst her hands also clasped her forehead.

"You were crying. Why were you crying?" Finally slapping out of her slumber, the blonde felt a wash of last night's memories overwhelm her.

"I'm crying because I'm stuck with you." She replied, throwing the sheets off and stomping her way to the bathroom to wash up.

"With me?" He said to himself. Wait. What does that mean? What happened? What did he do?

Meanwhile, inside the bathroom, Lucy leaned over the bench and looked at her water-drenched face. Her once cool-and-collected face was now marred with hints of red dusting the apples of her cheeks, the tips of her ears and nose. Cupping her hands underneath the running water and splashing the cool liquid again, it just felt like her face was going to explode.

"Stupid... stupid... stupid Natsu." The girl whispered to herself. Reaching over to the shower and turning the knob. She took one more glance at the mirror before switching the sink water off. Slowly peeling her clothes off.

Perhaps a shower would help clear her thoughts for the day.

"How can you be sure that she's doing her part?"

"What a stupid question. She is my daughter after all."

Wow. Not much of a cliff hanger there but we will start slowly to get into it. Right now, the idea juices are flowing miraculously. But obviously my hands can't keep up with my brain. Heh.

I feel like I've stirred the pot of theories now MWHUAHAHA

Anyway, thank you for your kind support.

Everyone who had followed/favourited/reviewed my work. Thank you so much.

Lots of love

B7K