"Let's call it a day. I'll make my final notes on the manuscripts and cover designs over the weekend. We'll review them on Monday and discuss moving forward on these projects then." Lucy stood, pushing back her chair from the table. The rest of her team followed suit. "Thank you for the hard work." She said, as her team collected their respective papers and left the conference room. It was the final meeting of the day, concluding a very busy week. Lucy grabbed her phone and the portfolios she needed to review before heading back to her office.
Urano Metria was the name of the publishing company Lucy had started 5 years ago. She had used the success from her first books, The Star Lovers Series to start her company. In a few short years, Urano Metria became one of the most well-known publishing companies in the nation. In the early days of her success, one reporter had dubbed her "Lucky Lucy" and the nickname stuck. It had been a risky endeavor, but all the hard work she put in with her team helped to pull it off.
"Any messages Virgo?" She asked her secretary.
"A Miss Wendy Redfox left you a message ma'am," Virgo Starr handed Lucy a small slip of paper, with her eloquent script scrawled across it. She was a beautiful woman with short, pink hair and blue eyes. Taking the paper, Lucy quickly read Wendy's message. Lily is back home. See you on Monday. Thanks!
"Oh I forgot," Lucy gasped. Wendy and her family were watching Gajeel's and Levy's cat while they were still on their honeymoon. Yet, they had planned a weekend trip and had asked Lucy to watch Lily. Since her apartment didn't allow pets, she was going to stay at Levy's place for the weekend.
"I knew you might be busy ma'am, so I had a bag prepared for you," Virgo produced a large overnight bag and handed it to Lucy. "You'll find all the essentials you will need, plus emergency items."
"Thank you Virgo," Lucy smiled, taking the bag though a little wary at what constituted as "emergency items." "You're always taking care of me." It was the truth. Her pink haired secretary had been with Lucy since the first day she started her company. Virgo had always been there to make the stressful days more bearable. She was irreplaceable as an employee, and had become a dear friend as well.
"It is my pleasure ma'am. I'll have a car waiting for you out front when you're ready to leave." Virgo replied, clicking her headset on to dial a number. Lucy nodded her thanks, before heading to her office to collect the rest of her things. Her office had a great view of the city, overlooking the skyline. On late nights, she could watch the sunset color the glass and steal buildings around her. It was one of the reasons why she had picked this building to house their offices. Her desk was long and white, pictures of her with Levy or her and Gray were framed and placed on top next to an empty blue vase. Lucy loved fresh flowers, but always forgot to buy some. In front of her desk were 3 plush light blue couches; a small coffee table placed between them with a stack of books resting on top. One of the walls in her office was lined with bookshelves, displaying the works of her clients. The opposite wall displayed 5 large panel paintings of the night sky she had commissioned Gray to paint. It was one of her favorite works he had done. When she was stressed, she just needed to look at them to calm down. It felt like she was outside, in the wide expanse of space, surrounded by twinkling lights and stardust.
She grabbed her laptop from her desk, stuffing it in her bag. Picking up her purse and the overnight bag Virgo had prepared for her, she turned off the lights to her office and left. Wishing Virgo a nice weekend, Lucy entered the elevator, before hitting the lobby button. It was a quick ride down the 14 floor building to the lobby. The doors slid open, emitting Lucy to the ground floor. Her heels clicked across the lobby, as she nodded to several people who called out to her. The front glass doors, slid apart as Lucy approached. The car Virgo had called for her was waiting in front of the building, the driver in a black pressed suit, dark shades, and matching black cap, stood by to open the door for her. He took her bags, placing them in the trunk, before climbing back into the driver's seat.
"4589 Fairy Hills, please" Lucy directed the driver.
"Yes ma'am" the driver responded as he started the car, pulling away from the sidewalk and into the flow of traffic. Levy's and Gajeel's apartment wasn't that far from where Lucy worked, so it was a quick drive. She was looking forward to spending the weekend nestled in the guest room's bed, snuggled up with Lily and reading a book. A quiet weekend was all she wanted after the dizzying array of meetings and business calls she had done that week. Pulling up in front of a large apartment complex, the driver stopped the car. He removed her bags from the trunk and opened her door, helping her step onto the sidewalk.
"Would you like me to carry these up to the room ma'am?" The driver asked.
"Oh no, but thank you. They have an elevator and they're not that heavy." She took the bags from the driver, quickly reaching into her purse to give him his fare and tip. He thanked her, tipping his hat slightly before retreating back into the car and pulling away to his next destination.
Lucy shifted the bags on her shoulder and entered the building. Levy's and Gajeel's apartment was on the top floor. Gajeel had this paranoia of people living above him. He didn't like hearing people walk across their apartments, or drop things. The first floor lobby also housed the mailboxes for each resident. Walking to the right, Lucy fished out the keys Levy had given her and opened the box labeled Redfox. Grabbing the mail, she stuffed it into her purse before hitting the up button for the elevator. It arrived with a chime and Lucy got in and pressed the button for the 23rd floor. The elevator stopped and the doors opened. Lucy stepped out of the elevator and onto the small entrance way in front of the apartment. The apartment complex was set up so that every floor had only one apartment occupying the space. Grabbing Levy's keys again, Lucy chose the one for the front door. Unlocking the door, Lucy entered the apartment and sighed. She always loved coming to Levy's apartment. It was a great space full of natural light from the large windows that lined the walls. It was obvious that Levy lived there; there were books towering in corners and stuffed on bookshelves. Lucy couldn't turn anywhere without seeing a book. Setting the mail on the counter, Lucy went to drop her things off in the guest bedroom. The guestroom was where Lucy normally slept when she came to stay with Levy when Gajeel went out of town on business. It had a full-sized bed, dressed in a yellow comforter and two big fluffy pillows. There was a light tan armchair in the corner, next to the window, allowing large amounts of natural light to fill the space. A bookcase was situated next to the chair, still stuffed with Levy's books. A dresser lined the wall opposite of the bed, and pictures of her and Levy smiled back at Lucy. There was a door that led to the bathroom, which Lucy looked at longingly.
A meow drew her attention to the bed, which was messed up. Lily was snuggled amongst the comforters, his chocolate brown body in contrast against the yellow. Lucy set her computer bag, purse and overnight bag on the armchair, before stoking the cat's soft fur. "Time for a nice hot bath and comfy pajamas," She declared as she entered the adjoining bathroom. "Then you and I can snuggle together," She called over her shoulder to Lily.
The bathroom had a sink with a mirror over it and a cabinet beneath it, a toilet, a bath-shower combo, a towel rack on the wall with light green and white striped towels on it, and soft light green bath rugs on the floor. Lucy stripped, taking off her business clothes not caring if the material was wrinkled. She turned on the faucet, the hot water filling the basin. She reached under the cabinet and grabbed a piece of a Lush soap bar. The water filled with lovely fragrant bubbles as the bar dissolved into the water. Turning off the faucet, Lucy eased herself into the warm water. She sighed loudly, reveling in the soapy comfort. Wine and candles would make this heavenly. She thought.
When the water turned cold, Lucy finally emerged. It had felt too good to leave. She could feel her stress melt away. Wrapping a towel around her, Lucy walked back into the bedroom. Lily's brown tail poked out from beneath the covers. Tiptoeing quietly, she wanted to cuddle with the cat before it ran away. She jumped onto the bed, her arms reaching for the cat. Lily quickly jumped out her reach, sending Lucy crashing into the covers. She tumbled off the bed and onto the floor, her towel coming loose. Lily stared at her before meowing and walking away.
"Hey-" She started, before the comforters started to move.
"Gajeel I'm gonna kill you for waking me up," a voice spoke from beneath the moving comforter. Lucy screamed, as she was knocked off the comforter. She stared wildly as a tuff of pink spiky hair peaked through, and then Natsu's onyx glare emerged once he was freed from the tangled covers. He stared at her, his glare shifting to a shocked expression.
"Blondie?"
"Na-Natsu?"
The two stared at one another, in shock to be in each other's presence. It had been 3 weeks since the wedding. Lucy had tried throwing herself into her work and her regular routine to forget about him. It had worked, and not once had she thought about the pink haired guy or his stupid grin. Yet, one look at him now, she was back at the wedding. Remembering his intense gaze, his strong arms, his voice whispering in her ear, the smell of his cologne, the feeling she got when he was close to her.
"If you wanted to crawl into bed with me, all you had to do was ask." Natsu was the first to recover from the shock. A smirk spreading across his face as he stared at her. It made Lucy remember how much that irritated her, allowing her to overcome the shock as well.
"Like I would ever do that with you," She snapped, glaring at him. Yet, her annoyance only seemed to make him smirk more.
"Well when a naked woman climbs into my bed, what am I supposed to think?" He asked innocently. Lucy was about to retort, but his words stopped her. Looking down, she realized her towel had slipped away from her. Squeaking, she hurriedly covered her chest with her arms. Her cheeks flamed with embarrassment.
"Close your eyes," She yelled, looking up at him. He met her gaze, holding it for a second longer before obediently closing his eyes. Lucy grabbed most of the comforter and wrapped it around herself. She stood up quickly, trying to grab her overnight bag. Her feet tangled in the comforter in her haste, causing her to crash onto the floor again.
"Ow,"she muttered, trying to pick herself off the floor. She felt strong arms wrap around her, lifting her up. Her face was pressed against his bare chest, and Lucy could see the definition of his muscles.
"You're such a weirdo," Natsu said as he set her down. "I'll go to the living room while you get dressed."
Natsu padded to the door, closing it as he left. Lucy felt her face redden at the close contact. He had seen her naked. The very thought of it made her feel all jittery inside. She was so embarrassed, she wadded up the yellow comforter and screamed into it. Grabbing her overnight bag, she quickly dumped the contents onto the bed. She selected a plain white t-shirt and some long pajama bottoms, Virgo had packed. Throwing on her undergarments and her clothes, Lucy went to the living room.
Natsu was there lounging on one of the couches, petting Lily. She watched him for a moment; her eyes tracing his exposed muscles until she got to his black pants. Shaking her head, she mentally scolded herself for getting carried away. Looking up, Natsu was staring at her. His eyes quickly looked her over, before he smirked.
"I like this look too," He stated. Rolling her eyes, she sat across from him in one of the armchairs. She crossed her arms across her chest, still feeling exposed.
"Why are you here?" She asked.
"I always stay here when I'm in New York" He replied. "It's much nicer than staying in a hotel. Plus, Levy can cook."
"Well you can't stay here," Lucy objected. "I'm watching Lily since Gajeel's parents are out of town with Wendy. You're going to have to find a hotel or stay with someone else."
Natsu stretched on the couch; Lily jumped off and sat on Lucy's lap. "Nah, I'm good." He said, closing his eyes.
"Did you hear me?" Lucy asked. "You have to leave."
"I heard you, but it doesn't mean I'm going to listen to you." He replied. "Besides, I was here first Blondie."
She huffed dramatically, rolling her eyes in frustration. He can't be serious. Lucy wondered.
"There's no way I'm staying here alone with a stranger," Lucy protested.
"Hey," Natsu said, opening an eye to look at her. "I'm no stranger, plus Lily's here. You're not alone." He reasoned.
"You are still a stranger," She informed him.
"So if I wasn't a stranger anymore this wouldn't be a problem, right?" He asked, his eyebrow lifting and his smirk returning.
"I don't know anything about you and you know nothing about me. That constitutes us as strangers. And I plan on keeping it that way." Lucy huffed.
"I know you're a liar," He responded.
"What? How can you say that?" She snapped. Lucy always gave her word and kept it. Calling her a liar was one of the worst insults someone could give her.
"You promised you would never see me again, but now you've seen me twice" Natsu clarified. "That makes you a liar."
"Th-that's different," She stuttered. "I didn't know you would be at the wedding and I didn't know you would be here. These were involuntary instances of contact, which doesn't make me a liar. Also, Levy didn't tell me you would be here, otherwise I wouldn't have-"
"Tried to seduce me by climbing into the bed naked?" Natsu offered.
"Shut up!"
Natsu laughed as he sat up and stretched. "That was a nice surprise to wake up to though."
"Just forget you saw anything," She muttered.
"That's something I can't promise," Natsu smiled.
A ring cut Lucy off from responding. She recognized it as her ringtone. Getting up from the armchair, disturbing Lily's resting place, Lucy shot Natsu a glare before walking back to the guest room. Fishing her phone out of her purse, she smiled when she saw the number.
"Hey Gray!" She answered happily.
"It's been awhile since we've seen each other Lucy," Gray's voice sounded through the phone. It was true, Lucy thought. After the wedding, they both had gotten really busy with their respective jobs. A couple text messages between them was really the only correspondence either of them had with each other.
"Sorry, work was crazy these past few weeks," She explained.
"Well are you doing anything tonight?" He asked. "I caught up on my work, so I'm free this weekend. We can go see a play and grab some dinner afterwards or vice versa or whatever you want to do." Gray offered.
Lucy had wanted to spend a nice quiet weekend at Levy's, but a certain pink haired monster was prohibiting that. Plus, she did want to spend time with Gray. With Levy gone, Gray was really the only friend she hung out with.
"Sure, that sounds gr-" The phone was snatched out of her hands by someone behind her. Turning around quickly, she saw Natsu look at the caller I.D. and grimace.
"Oi," He yelled into the phone. "She already made plans. Too bad. Have a nice night, princess."
"Hey," Lucy protested as Natsu hung up the phone. "What the hell do you think you're doing? I never made plans with you." She reached up, trying to retrieve her phone from him, but he held it higher out of her reach.
"You said we were strangers. We're going to correct that tonight," He said matter-of-factly as he pushed her phone into the pocket of his dark jeans.
"I'm not going anywhere with you. Give me my phone back." She demanded.
Natsu just smirked in response. "Go out with me and I promise I'll give you your phone back." He offered.
"You're serious. Aren't you?"
"I always keep my promises," He assured her. Lucy was torn. She didn't want to give in to his demands, but a part of her, a very small part of her she decided, wanted to see where he would take her. Plus, she needed her phone back to explain the situation to Gray.
"Fine," She agreed.
Natsu just nodded, as if he knew she would agree. He padded to the corner of the room where a dark blue bag was placed. Lucy hadn't noticed it when she first entered the room. He opened it and pulled out a black t-shirt, similar to the one she first saw him in. She watched him as he dressed, momentarily fascinated by his muscles. A flash of a design on his right shoulder caught her attention, but his shirt covered it up before she could make out what it was. For some reason, that bothered her. He reached under the bed and grabbed his shoes, slipping them on.
"Okay, I'm ready," Natsu proclaimed. "How long do you need to change?" Lucy's phone started to ring again, and Natsu reached into his pocket to retrieve it. He simply powered it off and placed it back in his pocket.
"Not that long. I don't have very many options," Lucy stated.
"When you're finished I'll be waiting in the living room." Natsu walked out of the room, but stopped before closing to the door to look back at her. "I might suggest not wearing some of those outfits tonight though," He motioned towards the contents on the bed. "I don't feel like fighting tonight."
Lucy looked at him confused, her gaze shifting to the clothes on the bed. She had dumped out the contents Virgo had packed for her earlier, in her haste to find some clothes. She had not realized all that her secretary had put in there. To her horror, lacy lingerie was scattered across the bed along with other clothes. Her faced instantly flushed. Natsu just laughed as he closed the door behind him. Lucy grabbed a pillow and screamed her embarrassment into it. She reached for her overnight bag, quickly stuffing the "emergency items" into it.
"Virgo," She moaned, mentally noting to have a strong talk with her secretary. Lucy changed out of her pajamas and selected a plain light pink halter dress and light grey ballet flats that laced up slightly above her ankles. Luckily, Virgo had thought to pack accessories as well. She selected a long rose gold necklace weighted down by a tiny star. There was a rose-gold bracelet in the shape of a cut-out cuff that she situated on her right arm. Grabbing her makeup bag from her purse, Lucy went into the bathroom to apply some light makeup. She brushed out her long blonde hair, and swept it up into a low side pony tail. If I'm going out, I have to dress up a bit. She reasoned with herself. It's not for him or anything. Satisfied with her outfit and appearance, Lucy grabbed her purse and left the room.
Natsu was playing with Lily when she walked in. He looked up at her and stopped. She felt a little self-conscious as his gaze slowly roamed over her. She watched as his smirk widen when their eyes met.
"Let's get this over with," Lucy said, trying to ignore how her heart quickened as she opened the door and called for the elevator.
"Don't wait up for us Lily," Natsu whispered to the feline, giving the cat one last pet before following Lucy. He locked the front door behind him as the elevator arrived. It chimed opened and the pair entered. Lucy pressed the lobby button, keeping as much distance from him as possible. She was only doing this to get her phone back; she kept reminding herself. The elevator opened and the pair exited the building. It was a little after 7 when they went out. The sky was in the early stages of evening. The busy street filling with cars and taxis, pedestrians going out to enjoy the night or heading home.
"I'll hail a cab," Lucy said, walking to edge of the sidewalk, lifting her arm to get a cab driver's attention.
"No need," Natsu stated as he grabbed her hand, pulling it down. He didn't let go as he led her around the corner where a black car waited. As they approached, the front door opened revealing a man in a black suit, black shoes, and black cap. For a minute, Lucy thought it was her driver from earlier, but she realized it couldn't be for this man was much taller. He opened the door for them, and Natsu gestured Lucy to get in. As soon as she was settled, Natsu gave a few directions to the driver who nodded in response. Natsu slid in after Lucy, closing the door behind him. The driver returned to his seat, pulling away from the curb and into the flow of traffic.
"Where are we going?" Lucy wondered.
"To dinner," He responded.
"Okay, where are we going for dinner?" Lucy asked rolling her eyes.
"To a place with good food," He said simply.
"What's with all the mystery?" She asked, getting more annoyed by his vagueness.
"Just trust me Blondie," He grinned.
"Trust you. I don't even know you. You're still a str-"
"A stranger. Sure. But that's the point of all of this," Natsu motioned with his hands towards her. "For us to get to know each other, so you can stop calling me that."
"A stranger?"
"Yeah. It bothers me when you say it Blondie," He admitted, looking away from her. Lucy was a little shocked. His tone was serious, and not with his usual confident attitude. He meant it. Both were silent for a while. Lost in their own thoughts. The car stopped and the driver stepped out of the car.
"Looks like we're here," Natsu finally said as the driver opened the passenger door. Natsu stepped out and turned around offering her his hand. "Blondie let's go."
She took his offered hand and stepped out of the car. He held onto her hand as he started walking towards the restaurant, but Lucy didn't budge. He looked back at her, slightly confused. She shook her head and looked at him smiling.
"Lucy Heartfilia" She responded after a moment. "If you don't want me to call you a stranger then call me by my name."
The smile Natsu gave her made her heart squeeze violently. It wasn't a smirk or a smug grin, but a true brilliant smile that lit up his face. He didn't look arrogant or brash. Natsu was dazzling for a moment. She stood staring in shock that he could make such an expression.
"Come on then, Lucy," He turned back around, leading her towards the building. She let herself be led away, her heart loosening a little when he looked away.
The restaurant was on the top floor of the building, looking stunning and extremely expensive. Though she was dressed nicely, she felt underdressed the moment she stepped in. Natsu led her towards the back of the restaurant, not bothering to wait on the host at the entrance. He picked a table in front of the floor-to ceiling windows that provided them a startling gorgeous view of the city. Pulling out a plush tan chair, Natsu motioned for Lucy to sit. Once she was situated, he moved his chair closer to sit on her left, not obstructing the view of the skyline. A waiter appeared lighting the two candles that were sprouting out of the center piece made of red roses that stood out against the pure white tablecloth. Looking around, Lucy felt like she was in a dream. Everywhere she looked, it was sparking and dazzling. The atmosphere of the place was bright and welcoming, though intimating due to the richness of the décor. It reminded her of another life, but it never shone like this.
Natsu stared at Lucy as she gaped at the decadence. He rested his elbow on the table, cupping his cheek as he watched her silently take in their surroundings.
"I told you to trust me," He chuckled.
"This-This…" Lucy was at a loss for words.
"Mr. Dragneel," a man dressed in an impeccably white suit came walking towards them. "I am so honored you will be dining with us this evening. I apologize I didn't greet you sooner. I was just informed of your arrival. Please allow me to personally oversee that your evening at Etherion is nothing less than perfection."
"Natsu," He corrected. "But thanks Hammond" Natsu said, not even looking at the man. "But no need to kiss up. I'm enjoying my evening tonight, not evaluating your performance."
Hammond seemed to visibly relax for a moment, before masking his emotions again.
"Of course, Mr…erhm…N-Natsu." Hammond replied. "Nevertheless, it's not every day that the owner of our fine establishment graces us with his presence."
Natsu stiffened looking slightly annoyed as he turned to Hammond. "Right. But like I said, I just want to enjoy my evening here. Treat me like a regular customer." Natsu stressed the word "regular" expressing his meaning to Hammond.
"Certainly. Certainly sir." Hammond quickly placed a menu in front of each of them. "I'll give you a few moments to look over the menu, but would you like to start off with an appetizer this evening?" He asked, rubbing his hands together nervously.
"Chef's choice," Natsu ordered.
Hammond's eyes widened and nodded. "Of course, I'll speak to him at once. I'll give you a few moments to look over the menu and decide on your orders." The man retreated quickly to the kitchens to deliver Natsu's request.
"E-Etherion?" Lucy stammered once Hammond was gone. "You own Etherion? I thought you were a treasure hunter."
Natsu sighed, picking up his menu, looking over the dishes. "Good food is considered a treasure. It's hard to find now a days," He answered.
"But this is one of the top restaurants in the world to eat at! It has at least a 2 year wait list. I've been trying to get a reservation to entertain some business clients for months, but you even have royalty on your wait list. I can't believe you're the owner of Etherion."
"Does that change anything?" Natsu asked looking away from his menu and towards her. Lucy thought for a moment. She believed he had some degree of wealth, since he was able to offer so much for the Iron Maidens without even blinking an eye. She thought his treasure hunting business was something he did for fun, something to pass the time and spend his money. Yet, she hadn't realized that he could turn it into such a lucrative business.
"No," She responded. "Should it?"
"No," He said smiling to himself as he turned back to his menu. Lucy picked up her menu and scanned the different items. Her mouth drooled just reading the descriptions. She couldn't believe she was going to taste such amazing dishes.
"Are you ready to order tonight?" Hammond returned, ready to receive their orders.
"I'll have the Fourchu Lobster," Natsu ordered.
"The Blue Fin Tuna for me, please," Lucy smiled at Hammond as he took their menus.
"Excellent choices," He chimed. "I'll place your orders in right away and here comes your appetizer."
"Oysters with Almas White Caviar," A waiter described as he set down the appetizer in between Lucy and Natsu. "With Salon Blanc de Blancs, 1966." He opened the bottle of wine with one motion of his hand, pouring the aged wine into their clear glasses. "Enjoy." The waiter placed the wine bottle in an ice container, before retreating from their table with Hammond, allowing Natsu and Lucy to enjoy their appetizer.
Her eyes widened at the delicacy that was set before her. It was sparkling. It looked too good to eat. The oysters were served on a chilled clear blue plate, lined four in a row. Their exposed shells neatly held the oyster meat, along with the dollop of caviar that looked like tiny gold beads. The whole effect reminded her of glittering sunken treasure.
"Eat," Natsu demanded as he took an oyster from the dish. "It tastes much better than it looks." He ate one of the oysters emphasizing his words. Though she doubted him, Lucy didn't have to be told twice. She selected an oyster that was topped with a delicate amount of caviar, tipping back the contents into her mouth. She could fill tears filling her eyes as the flavor burst inside her mouth.
"It's so good," She moaned in delight. Natsu blinked a few times at the sound she made, before chuckling softly.
"Please, have some more," He pushed the plate closer to her. She selected another oyster, savoring the flavors. She moaned again. It was just so heavenly. Natsu laughed as he took the last oyster, tipping it back against his lips.
Lucy grabbed her wine glass, swirling the liquid and sipped its contents. With the taste of the oyster and caviar still coating her tongue, the chilled wine was a great compliment to the flavors. It was one of the best things she had ever tasted.
"So now I know you like oysters and caviar and by the state of your empty glass, fine wine as well." Natsu said, refilling her glass.
"I didn't know wine was supposed to taste like that," Lucy responded, a little embarrassed that she had drunk her wine so quickly. "I've had some expensive wines before, but nothing like that. I think it's kinda spoiled my tastes though."
Natsu lifted his eyebrow as he picked his glass up. "How so?"
"Well now when I drink the wine I have at home, I'm going to be comparing it to this," She laughed, motioning to the wine bottle.
"Is that so," He sipped his wine, staring at her as if he was calculating something. "I wonder what other things I can spoil for you."
Lucy hastily took a sip of her wine, looking away from Natsu and his intensive gaze. Her heart was beating crazily. Calm down. Calm down. It's just Natsu. Calm down. She repeated to herself.
"So-So why are you in New York? There can't be interesting treasure here?" She gestured toward the grand view of the night skyline, with the many lights, outline the dark towering skyscrapers. When Lucy thought of treasure, she thought of ancient cities, hidden temples, and undersea adventures. She stared out the window, looking at the city she called home. New York would be the last place she would think to go hunting for the exotic. Everything was too new, too modern, too structured. With the exception of the Iron Maidens New York didn't seem to have any treasure for the taking.
"I wouldn't say that," Natsu stated, causing Lucy to look back at him. He was still staring at her with that intense gaze of his. The one that pulled her in, making her want to lean closer towards him. His onyx eyes seemed to burn, as if he was fire on the inside. They glistened with secrets and promises and Lucy wanted to continue to stare into them to figure them out.
"The Blue Fin Tuna, ma'am" Hammond broke the tension between them as he placed the dish in front of her. "The Fourchu Lobster, sir," He set Natsu's dish in front of him, smiling with anticipation. "Does everything look to be to your satisfaction tonight?"
"It looks wonderful Hammond," Lucy beamed at Hammond who returned her smile.
"Yeah looks great," Natsu responded already cutting into the soft lobster meat.
"Well please enjoy. If there is anything else you might require, please let me know." He bowed slightly before walking away.
Lucy picked up her fork and knife and cut the lightly seared fish into a delicate bite, swiping it across the sauce it came with before placing it in her mouth. She had thought that the appetizer was heavenly, but this was otherworldly. Natsu and Lucy fell into a comfortable conversation as they progressed through their meals. He told her he had just returned from China after finding a vase for a client who lived in New York. He had delivered it early this morning and went to sleep off some of his jet lag at Gajeel's and Levy's apartment when she found him. The client had contacted him right after the wedding and he was on the plane that night. It had taken him a couple weeks to locate it and secure it. Now he was enjoying a little down time before he agrees to anymore offers.
"Will you be staying in New York long?" Lucy asked, trying to ask in a way that made it seem she didn't care whether or not he stayed. Their plates had been removed, and they were finishing off their wine.
"Would you like me to?" He questioned her back, lifting his eyebrow and giving her his signature smirk.
"I was just asking to...to…to see how long you would be at Levy's apartment." Lucy clarified. "I have things to do for work, so I don't need any distractions this weekend."
"Oh. I distract you?" Natsu teased.
"That's not what I meant," She exclaimed, but Natsu just laughed, standing from the table. He walked behind her chair, leaning down to whisper into Lucy's ear.
"Come with me," He whispered as he pulled her chair out for her, stepping to the side and offering his hand to her. Her cheeks flushed at his closeness. His voice was so alluring, her mind dazed for a moment. Blinking she realized he was waiting on her to respond.
"Okay," She breathed, sliding her hand into his. Momentarily stunned just how easy and right that simple motion felt. They made it to the entrance, the elevator doors chiming open as the two entered. "Wait what about the bill?" She exclaimed as the elevator started to descend.
"I own this place, remember?" Natsu laughed.
The night air was cool on her skin as they exited the building, but Natsu's hand in hers warmed her. She hated to admit it, but she was enjoying herself tonight. They started walking down the street, easily flowing into conversation.
"Hmm. Black," Natsu said answering Lucy's question about his favorite color.
"I should have guessed," She laughed, motioning towards his attire.
"If I guess yours right, do I get a reward?" Natsu wondered.
"You can try."
"Pink," He said confidently.
Lucy was quiet for a moment. She hadn't realized he would guess correctly. "Lucky guess" She muttered.
"Well you look great in it, so it just had to be that," Natsu rationalized.
"Th-Thanks," Lucy blushed. She was starting to realize he made her blush so easily.
"Okay time for my reward," He stopped, turning towards her and looking down into her eyes. Lucy wasn't prepared for what reward he would ask for. Her heart was pounding so loudly she thought he could hear it, which only made her heart beat even more.
"I never agreed to-" She protested.
"You never disagreed either," He objected.
"F-Fine. What do you want," She asked quietly, trying to avoid eye contact with him. He was just so close and it was making things difficult for her. His hand tightened around hers, as he stared down at her. His black eyes pulling her in. He was so close; all she had to do was stand on her tiptoes, lean in and-
"Lift the stranger title," He requested.
"What? That's what you want?" Her mind was going in a different direction and his simple request made her feel slightly disappointed.
"For now," He smirked.
"Okay, you're not a stranger." She huffed.
"Nope," he shook his head at her. "Let's be thorough. You have to repeat after me: Natsu Dragneel is no longer a stranger to me, Lucy Heartfilia."
Lucy rolled her eyes, but smiled as she repeated, "Natsu Dragneel is no longer a stranger to me, Lucy Heartfilia."
"He's my friend" He continued.
"He's my friend" She repeated happily.
"He's my lover."
"He's my l- hey wait a minute!" She protested, but Natsu just laughed out loud tugging at her hand towards the curb, where their car from earlier was parked.
"I almost got away with it," He laughed as they got back into the car.
"As if," Lucy snapped. She scolded herself for letting her get carried away by him. He was still the same narcissistic, smug person she had met in the bookstore weeks ago. She was blushing furiously, remember what she almost said. He was making fun of her and she didn't like it.
"It was a joke Lucy," He said as the driver started heading back into traffic. "We're just friends." Somehow, his words now upset her more than the joke. "Sorry if I upset you."
"I'm not upset," She sighed. "I just don't like those kinds of jokes."
"Noted. I promise to not joke like that again," He replied seriously.
"I have to go back to Lily now," She said after a moment.
"I already told the driver," He replied. She didn't say anything, just nodded, relaxing into the seat. We're just friends. She replayed his words in her mind as she stared out the window, wondering how three little words could bother her so much.