"Is that all for today Virgo?"

"Well, the new manuscript reports have arrived and need your comments. Also, the meeting for the edited cover designs for the YA division will be at 10 tomorrow. I typed up your notes from the last meeting for you to review them. The figures for last month's book sales are out as well. The finance office is requesting a meeting to go over the numbers and make suggestions on improvements for next month's releases. There are a few meetings that need to be lined up with potential authors and their literary agents. I checked your calendar and the work you did has placed you significantly above schedule. If you would like, I can set up the meetings as early as next week."

Virgo shifted through the files in her hand, before placing them on Lucy's desk. Lucy looked at the glaring amount of work to be done and inwardly groaned. Last week she dove into her work, eagerly submerging into the depths of paperwork, but now she felt she was drowning in it. The sun was setting slowly, spilling bright red rays of sunlight into her office. Last week, time was always rushing by. The day had been full of meetings which normally ate the day up quickly. Yet, today it felt like the hours were slowly chewing by. When she thought she would finally go home for the evening, Virgo had appeared with even more work to do. Owning her own publishing company required a lot of time and effort and most days Lucy tackled the never-ending jobs with gusto. However, today her mind was not on her work at all.

"Oh one more thing," Virgo said as she turned a page of her notepad.

"Yes?" Lucy grabbed the first file, skimming the notes she had made during the last cover design meeting.

"A Mr. Natsu called for you while you were in your last meeting."

The file fumbled from Lucy's hands, spilling its contents onto the floor. "Na-Natsu called here?" She stuttered as she bent to retrieve the notes. Virgo arched her eyebrow as she bent down to help Lucy with the papers.

"Yes ma'am," Virgo replied, taking the papers from Lucy's hands. She moved quickly as she organized the pages, placing them in their proper order before sliding them into the file and handing it back to her.

"What did he say?" Lucy asked, trying to keep the eagerness out of her tone.

Virgo picked up her notepad and read the message she wrote down earlier. "He said "Don't even think about bringing back any Thai food. I'll take care of dinner tonight, so hurry back or I'll eat your food too. He concluded with saying "That's a promise.""

Lucy rolled her eyes and smiled. "I'll take the cover notes home and review them for tomorrow's meeting," Lucy grabbed the files and shoved them into her bag along with her laptop. "Go ahead and set up those meetings for next week, but let's put James in charge of them. He's proved he's capable of handling this. It will also free up some time for me to review the manuscript reports. Also let's contact the finance department tomorrow and schedule that meeting after the cover meeting." She zipped her work bag and grabbed her purse, situating both onto her right shoulder.

"I'll see to it that it's done, so please enjoy your date tonight." Virgo smiled as she wrote down Lucy's instructions on her message pad.

"Thanks Virgo I'll see you to-Wait," Lucy's eyes widened. "It's not a date. He's just a fr-friend," she protested.

"Your reaction seems to state otherwise. As did your mood today," Virgo pointed out. "Is he the reason why you kept looking at your watch all day?"

"I was just making sure my watch wasn't broken," she explained. Truthfully, Lucy was thinking her watch was broken because the minute hands ticked by so slowly. Virgo stared at her hard, unconvinced by her words.

"Very well ma'am," Virgo replied following Lucy out of the office. "I'll have the car waiting outside for you so you can be on time for your date-that's-not-a-date."

"Virrrrgooooo," Lucy pleaded, but her secretary had already gone back to her desk. Lucy pressed the button for the elevator. It arrived with a chime, the gray doors sliding away to admit her. True to her word, Virgo had the car waiting for Lucy by the time she exited the building. Peering closely at the man, she realized it was the same driver from before. He opened the door for Lucy, closing it once she was safely situated inside. He drove her through the busy lanes of New York traffic, maneuvering through the streams of cars carrying people home from a long day of work. The driver opened the door for her once they arrived at her apartment. Lucy was shocked that she was home and the sun was still out. Although it was fading fast.

She took the elevator to the 10th floor, and walked down the hallway, stopping in front of her apartment door. Hesitating, Lucy held the key in front of the lock. He promised he would be here. She told herself as she shoved the key into the lock and opened the door.

"Just in time," Natsu called out to her as she closed the door. He emerged from the kitchen, holding a glass of wine in his hand, dressed in his usual black pants, but wearing a white button down shirt.

"You didn't eat my food did you?" Lucy took the glass from him as she asked.

"I see Virgo gave you my message then," He smirked, crossing his arms across his chest. The fabric of his shirt pulled across his muscles with the motion. Her grip tightened around her wine glass as she looked away, noting the ache in her fingertips to touch his arms.

"Yes and I would appreciate it if you refrained from calling my job. Virgo has more important things to do than take messages from you," Lucy chided as she moved to the living room to set her laptop and purse down on the couch.

"Ah don't be like that," Natsu followed. "Virgo and I had a great conversation. She knows so much about you."

Lucy almost let her glass slip through her fingers, but recovered her grip. "Wait, what did she say?" Her mind raced trying to figure out what Virgo could have told him. Virgo watched Lucy like a hawk at work, becoming her shadow during meetings and business trips. It was only around her did she let her CEO mask unravel, but Virgo wouldn't reveal her faults to him…would she? Her secretary did have a bit of a mischievous side.

"Nothing but compliments I assure you," he looked away and smirked which made Lucy worry more. She made a mental note to talk to Virgo tomorrow about the meaning of confidential information. With a sigh, Lucy took a sip of her wine.

"Wait is this?" Lucy took another sip, reveling in the familiar taste.

"Salon Blanc de Blancs, 1966. It's the wine we drank when we went to Etherion," Natsu confirmed. "I thought it might go well with dinner tonight. I hope you're hungry."

"Starving," she said.

Natsu led Lucy into the dining room where the small square table was already set. He pulled out one of the chairs for her before reaching for the wine bottle in the center, refilling her glass. He retreated into the kitchen and returned a moment later with two bowls, placing one in front of her. The bowl was filled with a smooth, creamy orange soup, chunks of lobster meat piled in the middle and garnished with fennel. Small tendrils of steam drifted up from the dish as Lucy peered into it. She picked up her spoon and dipped her utensil into the creamy soup. The richness of flavor that burst from the first bite was extraordinary.

"For the first dish: lobster bisque," Natsu announced as he dipped his spoon into his own bowl.

"It's delicious," Lucy replied after swallowing another spoonful. The buttery lobster chunks coated in the creamy bisque made the sides of her tongue tingle. She couldn't get enough of it as she repeatedly spooned the soup into her mouth. Her spoon scraped against the bowl as she gathered the last of the bisque onto it.

Natsu chuckled as he took her empty bowl. "Wow, if you continue to eat like this then I won't have to do dishes."

Lucy blushed. "It was good okay."

"I'll say." He laughed some more as he returned to the kitchen. "If you thought that was good, wait until you try the main dish." He called over his shoulder. Lucy sipped her wine, enjoying the anticipation for the next dish. After a busy work day, it was nice to come home to a nice glass of wine, delicious food, and-

"Tagliolini pasta with manila clams, calamari, white wine and hot chilies." Natsu placed a brilliant looking dish in front of her. The Tagliolini pasta was a warm golden color tangled around the fleshy pink chunks of calamari and clam, and bright red chilies. The white wine poured over it mingled the scents together, giving the dish a pleasant aroma. It looked like a work of art.

Lucy grabbed her fork and twirled the pasta onto her spoon and took a bite. The spiciness of the hot chilies instantly hit her tongue, but the white wine soaked into the pasta was sweet enough to counter it, creating an intense flavor. When she bit into the pieces of calamari and clam, their salty flavors added to the spicy-sweet combination. Her tongue was in a tango of tastes. Lucy realized the dish wasn't meant to be eaten; it was meant to be experienced.

"You made this?" Lucy asked when she could finally force her hands to stop forming bites.

"Don't sound so shocked," he replied as he slurped up his pasta. "You've had my food before."

Lucy remembered the chocolate chipped pancakes he made her. Though they were delicious, this dish was on a different dimension. It reminded her of the delicious food she had at Etherion.

The wine….The food. It tastes exactly like it came from Etherion. Lucy stood up from the table and looked towards the kitchen. "I need some water," she said.

"Don't worry about that," Natsu stood as well. "I'll get it for you." He stepped in front of her, backing away towards the kitchen. "You worked all day. Just relax." She watched him walk away until he was out of sight and quickly followed after him.

The kitchen was immaculate, for someone who supposedly cooked dinner. There was not a dirty pan in sight. Instead, large containers labeled with Etherion's logo were present. Natsu emerged from the fridge, a bottle of water in his hand and stopped when he saw Lucy standing there.

"Busted." Lucy said, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"For being irresistible?" He sighed. "It's a struggle."

"No," she rolled her eyes. "You were trying to make me believe you cooked when you just ordered from your restaurant."

"I never said I cooked this," he replied. "I told you I would take care of dinner tonight and I did. I own Etherion, which includes the food. So, when I told you, you had my food before, it was the truth."

"Well why make a big deal about me not coming in here then if you weren't trying to hide anything?"

"I was being nice," he smirked. "Virgo did say you were in meetings all day. You should relax when you get home."

"Okay new rule. No more talking to Virgo," she declared as they walked out of the kitchen.

"Oh is someone jealous," Natsu arched his eyebrow at her and set the water bottle down on the table. Lucy rolled her eyes again as she took her seat.

"Uh as if," she grabbed her wine and sipped it, blushing furiously.

"Well we can fix that." Natsu reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. "What's your number?"

She took his phone and entered her number in quickly. "I'm only giving you this so you won't harass my secretary."

"Sure. Sure. No matter how it is received, treasure is treasure," He commented as he stored his phone away.

Her blush deepened as she turned back to her food. "So what did you do today while I was at work?"

Natsu told her how he visited the Redfoxs' house and caught up with them. He listened to stories about their recent trip and took Wendy to the park. Before he left, they were telling him that Levy and Gajeel would be back from their honeymoon in two weeks and that they were planning a welcome home dinner party. They wanted to know if he would still be in New York and if he would come.

"So will you still be here?" Lucy inwardly cringed as she heard the eagerness in her voice.

"Most likely," Natsu leaned in his chair, crossing his arms beneath his head. They were both finished with their meals, having devoured every delicious bite of the pasta. "I'm currently in the middle of a treasure hunt here."

"What type of treasure?" She still couldn't believe that New York housed something ancient and thrilling as some of the other places he mentioned hunting in. She also was trying to ignore how her heart did a little flip at the thought of him staying here.

"A one of a kind treasure." He smirked.

"A one of a kind treasure in New York? Sounds too good to be true. Your client will be happy when you finally get it then."

"This one's personal." He replied, as he leaned forward. "I keep the rarest treasure for myself." He stared at her, with his smirk still plastered on his face. His onyx eyes flashing when he spoke. Natsu chuckled softly, before he spoke again. "So what did you do all day, Miss CEO?"

"A bunch of meetings, nothing as exciting as hunting treasure," She said.

"Tell me anyway. Why did you start your company in the first place?"

"Oh." Lucy thought back to the first moment when she realized she wanted to start Urano Metria. She remembered being a young author with a manuscript and trying to get it published. The multiple rejections and long nights editing her work over and over again. Her company was born from those hard times. She wanted to provide a haven for those authors who felt like their stories would never be noticed. "I remember what it was like to be a struggling writer, and I wanted to start a company that could help those who just wanted to share their stories."

"You wrote a book?"

"Yeah, years ago. It was when I first came to New York."

"Show me." He stood from his seat, an eager expression on his face.

"What?" Lucy was shocked by his interest.

"You must have a copy here. Let me see it."

"Why? It's nothing special."

"You wrote it, so I want to see it." Natsu stared at her, smiling.

"Fine," She relented finishing off the last of her wine. "It's in my office."

Lucy ventured into the second bedroom, the one she used for her office. Two walls were lined with bookshelves, filled with her favorite books. Though she didn't have nearly as many as Levy. A door led to the second full bath and another door hid her junk closet. Her office desk was situated in the center of the room, in the corner was a comfy light blue couch with throw pillows decorating it. On one of the walls hung the portrait Gray painted of her book to celebrate it getting published. A black starry sky took up most of the portrait and in the bottom half, a girl looked out a window of a yellow house.

"Here it is," she retrieved the book from the bottom shelf and handed it to Natsu.

"Hide the Stars," he read the title out loud. Truthfully, Lucy's Star Lover's Series were the first books she wrote. Yet, she used a pen name at the time and a past connection to get them published. Still to this day she hasn't revealed to anyone that she is the author of them. Hide the Stars was the first book she published using her own name and own means.

"It's about a young woman who copes with the loss of her true love," she explained. "Alone in the world, she tries to start again, by moving to a new city. There she believes she can escape her past and move on."

"That sounds really sad," Natsu furrowed his brow, looking at the book. "What inspired you to write it?" He asked.

"You know how writers are." Lucy shrugged taking the book from Natsu and placing it back on the shelf. "We can find inspiration in the most randomness of places, but it's been so long I can't really say." She stared at the book once more, silently remembering things better left forgotten. "Come on, let's clean the dishes."

"Ah I'll handle that. You can take a shower." The pair exited the room and Natsu went off to clear away their dinner.

Her bedroom was one of her favorite things about her apartment. One wall was made entirely of exposed brick in varied colors of pale gray and dusty red. A large window fitted into the wall, allowing for streams of sunlight or moonlight to enter the room, illuminating the other three bare white walls. Her queen sized bed stuck out from another wall, dressed all in white linens and a frilly white comforter. A pale pink blanket was draped over one corner. Lucy was addicted to pillows, and they were all situated against her grey headboard. Mirrored night stands were positioned on either side of the bed with a lamp placed on each. A light gray ottoman sat at the foot of her bed. A chest of drawers was pushed against the remaining wall, with random items of Lucy's jewelry scattered across the surface. Next to it was the door that led to her bathroom and closet. Entering her room, Lucy noticed that Natsu had made the bed and that his black duffle bag was situated in the corner.

She took off her jewelry, adding the items to the other scattered pieces on the dresser. Walking through her closet, she opened the door that led to her bathroom. Inside there was a lovely sunken bath, old candles circling the lip. The shower was tucked away in the corner. Above the two sink marbled counter top, a long mirror took up most of the wall to her left. A small door on her right hid her toilet from view. Lucy turned the knobs to fill the tub with steaming hot water. Reaching underneath the sink, she grabbed her selection of bath bombs and selected the Big Blue. Dropping the Lush product into the bath, transformed the clear waters into a blue oasis. She stripped her clothes quickly and released her hair from its bun before sinking into the relaxing warm water.

Normally her baths were a time for relaxation, to wash away the layers of stress that had built up throughout the day. However, showing Natsu Hide the Stars had made her mind remember a sadness she was trying to forget.

"It's been 5 years," she mumbled, sinking deeper into the tub. "Why can't I move on?"

She stayed in the tub until the water went cold. Her fingers were wrinkly and her body bright pink. Dripping on the floor, Lucy reached for a towel. She wrapped one light blue towel around her and grabbed a second for her hair. She rubbed away most of the wetness from her hair, before reaching for her blow dryer. One of the things she couldn't stand in life was going around in dripping wet hair. Once her hair was finally dried, she dressed in her night slip and fluffy pink robe.

More than anything, Lucy wanted to crawl into bed and sleep, but she still had to look over her notes for her meeting tomorrow. Trekking back into the living room, Lucy plopped onto her couch and reached for her work bag. She was already reviewing the second page of notes, when Natsu emerged from the hallway. He was dressed in pajamas, black knit pants and shirtless. Lucy blushed at the sight of him, trying to concentrate on her work and not his display of skin.

"You're still working?" He asked, taking a seat next to her.

"Yeah, I have a meeting tomorrow." Sitting this close, she noticed he smelled like soap, water and candle light after his shower. It was a fresh smell, one that she wanted to curl up into. Stop it Lucy. Focus. Get back to your notes.

"What's the meeting over?" Natsu leaned closer towards her, his head hovering over her notes. Two drops of water dripped down from his hair and onto her paper. Lucy looked up as another drop fell onto the page.

"Your hair is still wet. Why didn't you dry it?" His pink hair was matted down with moisture. Drops of water were collecting at the ends.

"It'll dry eventually."

"Ugh, wait here." She got up, setting her notes to the side. Lucy returned with her blow dryer and brush in hand. She plugged it into an outlet and sat back down on the couch, motioning for Natsu to sit in front of her.

"What are you doing?" He asked arching a brow as he sat down, crossing his legs.

"Drying your hair. You're dripping all over my notes."

Natsu leaned against her bare legs, tilting his head down. Lucy directed the hot air over his hair, brushing it gently as she dried it. As the water evaporated, his hair started to return to its usual spiky state. Her fingers twitched slightly with the desire to run through his pink locks. She gripped the brush tighter to rein in her desire. Wait. What am I doing? I should have just let him do this himself? Lucy thought as she continued to dry his hair. But he would probably only halfway do it and start dripping over my notes again.

When his hair was finally dried, she turned off the blow dryer. "There," she said. "Now you can stop soaking my notes."

"Okay." Natsu leaned his head back, his soft hair pressing against her knees as he looked up at her. "You'll just have to dry my hair again tomorrow night."

"You act like I have nothing better to do than dry your hair." She responded.

"Come on," he pleaded. "That was so relaxing."

Lucy scoffed and rolled her eyes. "One time deal."

"No," Natsu whined. "I'll dry your hair for you next time. "

The image of Natsu drying her hair played in her mind. His strong hands, gently brushing her hair as the blow dryer enveloped her with a warm air. His fingers were running through her long blonde hair, checking to see if it was still damp. The closeness of their bodies as she leaned against him.

She blushed furiously as she willed her fantasy away. "I-I have to get back to work."

Natsu fell against the couch as she hastily stood to put away the blow dryer and brush. When she returned, Natsu was looking over her cover design notes.

"That's technically confidential," she said retrieving the notes from him.

"Well you're always working so I thought I might lend you my expertise."

Lucy raised an eyebrow as she sat next to him. "Treasure hunter by day? Publisher by night?"

"Ha. No. One of my many talents is reading people. You know. What makes them tick? What makes them sad? What makes them whip out their wallets and buy something. Take this cover for example." Natsu pointed at the page he was looking at. It was the cover design for a book titled Sword and Shield. The cover design for the book consisted of an unsheathed sword with an unadorned hilt crossed with a beaten down shield.

"Now this cover design is a literal translation of the title, but it doesn't excite me. My mind instantly goes to some Medieval Era drama. Yet, the synopsis for this story is far from that. It says here that Sword and Shield is actually about a middle age woman who gets caught up in a whirlwind romance with a dashing younger man. Her male best friend doesn't trust the guy and tries to protect her friend from him. The main character is caught between a new love and old friend. One wants to rescue her from her mundane life, offering her a chance to experience the love and adventure she always wanted. The other wants to remind her of all the things make her life great."

"I agree that the cover design and story are not connecting. It's portraying two different messages. I think the design team wanted to surprise the readers, but I don't think it would go over well."

"Right. The book seems to be geared towards the age group the main character is in. I don't think middle aged women are going to want to pick up a book that looks like it's about war drama when they were looking for a book to relate to."

"So what would you suggest then? Show me this talent of yours," Lucy said.

Natsu pondered for a moment, looking at the cover design and reading the synopsis once more. "Obviously there is going to be a love triangle here. How about showing a woman facing two men offering their hands to her? It would identify more with the story I think."

Lucy looked over her own notes for this cover design and nodded in agreement. "Yeah it actually does. I read this story and feel like your suggestion would be a better fit than the existing option." She added the notes to the paper, already envisioning the new design. Flipping the page, the next cover design was for a book titled Chef Beth.

Natsu and Lucy sat side by side on her couch and continued to go over the cover designs well into the night. It was just before 11 when they finished going over the last cover design. Natsu stood to return the mugs of tea Lucy had made earlier, back to the kitchen. Lucy rubbed her eyes. Her exhaustion was getting the better of her. Wrapping her robe tighter around her, she leaned against the arm of the couch to rest her eyes. She wanted to look over the designs one more time before she went to bed. Just for 5 minutes, then I'll get up. She told herself. Her eyelids were heavy, closing quickly as she instantly fell asleep.

An alarm woke her with a start. The alarm was coming from her phone that was placed on her bedside table. Mumbling curses, Lucy snatched the phone and turned the alarm off. A faint morning light was lazily drifting through the room. The tendrils of her dream were slipping away from her as her mind shifted to reality. All she could remember dreaming about was embracing a giant candle. It definitely didn't make any sense to her. Shaking her head, Lucy stretched before climbing out of bed.

How did I get in my bed? She thought as her feet touched the floor. The last thing she remembered last night was resting her eyes for a moment after reviewing the cover designs with Natsu. Did he-Did he carry me? Lucy blushed and her eyes widened at the thought. Looking at the bed, she saw that the other side was messed up as well. Did he stay here with me again?

Her phone beeped, indicating she had a new text message. She unlocked her phone and saw it was from an unknown number.

Yo!

Went for a run and food.

Be back soon.

This must be Natsu's number. Lucy updated the contact on her phone before she replied.

Run fast.

Bring coffee. ;)

She took a quick shower, and then dried her hair. For today, she chose to wear a blush sheath dress with a black double breasted jacket, a skinny black belt, and black, pointed toe t-strap heels. Wearing pink made Lucy feel full of energy. It was going to be another day full of meetings and after yesterday dragged on; she was going to need all the energy she could get. She applied light make up on after situating her hair in a low bun allowing for a few tendrils of blonde hair to frame her face. She looked over her appearance in the mirror and smiled with satisfaction. Exiting the bathroom, Lucy walked over and grabbed her watch from her dresser. She quickly made the bed, picking up the pillows that had fallen to the floor. Grabbing her phone, she walked to the living room where she gathered her purse, files, and computer bag together.

"I'm back," Natsu's voice echoed from the doorway. He appeared carrying two cups of coffee in one hand and a brown paper bag in the other. He was wearing his usual black attire, except he was wearing black jogging pants and tennis shoes. For someone who had supposedly come from a run, he looked like he hadn't even broken a sweat. "I come with treasure from my latest hunt." He held out his hand, offering her one of the cups of coffee. Lucy laughed as she took the coffee. She took a sip and sighed. The warm coffee woke up her senses. It was a rich coffee with caramel flavoring. The bitter and sweet tastes mingled together in harmony.

"Thanks," Lucy said as she took another sip.

"Wait there's more." He handed her the brown bag. Opening the bag, Lucy peered in and saw a wholegrain cinnamon and raisin bagel. Packets of cream cheese were placed inside as well.

"I already ate mine on the way here," he grinned. "You're lucky I didn't eat yours too."

"You're so kind," she said, dripping with sarcasm as she closed up the bag. "I'll eat it when I get to the office." She grabbed her purse and laptop bag, settling them on her right shoulder.

"You're leaving already?" Natsu frowned as he watched her gather her things.

"I have more meetings this morning, and I need to get there early to make sure everything is in order."

"That doesn't sound like fun."

"Well not everyone can travel the world hunting treasure like you for a living."

"Would you?"

"Would I what?" Lucy looked at her watch and noted the time. She still had a few minutes before she needed to leave.

"Hunt treasure."

"I mean, it would be fun to try it once." She imaged herself scouring dark caves, ancient temples, and thick forests, hunting for lost pieces of art, gold, and jewels. It would be like living in one of the stories she grew up listening to as a kid. The never ending adventure of hunting the treasures the world tried to hide. "But I have a company to run. I can't just leave everyone while I go treasure hunting."

"But you're the CEO, can't you just do whatever you want?" Natsu asked, sipping his coffee.

"I could never do that," Lucy's eyes widened at the thought. Leaving others to do the work she herself could do and just reaping all the benefits was not the type of person she was. Lucy saw her employees as equals. They all contributed to the success of the company. They all shared the failures as well. Just because she was CEO did not make her better or more important than anyone. They were all working towards the same goal.

"It seems like all you do is work though. When is the last time you took a break? A vacation?"

"Vacation?" She thought about it, but the last trip she had been on wasn't a pleasant experience for her. That had been 5 years ago. After publishing her book and starting Urano Metria, all she could focus on was work. Even when she was helping Levy plan her wedding she was still working. Some days the long hours wore her down, but her work had become her life.

"You're a workaholic," Natsu declared. He stood and circled Lucy. "You have one of the worst cases of workaholism I've ever seen. It's quite serious. You can't even tell me the last time you've taken a vacation."

"So, lots of people work a lot. It's normal. " Lucy fidgeted, uncomfortable with the way Natsu was walking around her. "Don't circle me like a predator." Lucy said.

Natsu stopped and smirked. His black eyes glinted as he narrowed them at her and arched his eyebrow. "Predator?" He stepped closer to her. "So would that make you the prey?" The space between them seemed to flare up with heat. He was staring at her with such intensity that it seemed she was going to be set on fire.

"That's-That's not what I meant," She stammered.

"No that's not right. I can see it." Natsu leaned towards her. "You're too fiery to be someone's prey. You have the eyes of a predator."

Too close. Too close. Too close. Lucy felt like she was being absorbed into his onyx eyes. The way he was staring at her gave her goose bumps and made her heart hammer in her chest.

"We're not animals," she managed.

"What a shame," Natsu stood back. "I was going to volunteer to be your prey."

"Wh-I- uh…."

Looking at her watch again to hide her blush, Lucy noticed it was time to go. "Well time for this "workaholic" to get to work. Thanks for the treasure though," she held up the brown bag and coffee and wiggled them in the air as she scurried away. Natsu followed her, leaning against the open door as Lucy stepped into the hall. She stopped and turned around. His arms were crossed against his chest, coffee still in hand as he watched her. She opened her mouth to say something, but no words came out. She shook her head, before hurrying towards the elevator. The look in his eyes made her feel more like prey than predator.

The finance meeting was moved to the first meeting of the day. The director of the department provided an impressive presentation of the company's sales last month and excellent recommendations to continue boosting their revenue. If the projections were correct, next month's sales would be even greater. The cover design meeting that followed was also very productive. Most of the recommendations Lucy and Natsu had come up with last night were well received. Some other ideas from various members on the board were adopted as well. The morning was busy, but it was going by quickly. After the conclusion of the cover design meeting, Lucy was going to spend a few hours going over some of the manuscript reports that were on her desk. She entered her office, pumping herself up to tackle the next project when she noticed something was off.

"Yo," Natsu called out to her. He was lounging on one of her couches; his black duffle bag at his feet.

"Wh-What are you doing here?" she questioned.

"You have a pretty sweet office here," He stood and looked around the space. "These paintings are great too."

"You're ignoring my question," Lucy pointed out. "And thanks. Gray painted them for me." At the mention of Gray's name, Natsu's smirk faltered. He immediately turned away from the paintings.

"Nevermind. I prefer the view instead," he muttered.

"Natsu. Why are you here?"

"Right," he said turning towards her. "We don't have much time." He grabbed his black duffle bag, slinging it over his shoulders. "Let's go."

"Go," Lucy asked confused. "I can't go anywhere. I'm working now." She walked to her desk, gesturing toward the stack of files for emphasis. Natsu stared at her, crossing his arms across his chest as he furrowed his brow.

"This is for work," He clarified. "I got a call from a client and they need us to fly out tonight. There's a plane ready to take us to the meet up. I came to get you since you weren't answering my texts."

Texts? Lucy grabbed her phone from her desk drawer and powered it on. Sure enough, Natsu had tried texting her. She shook her head still confused. "But why-"

"Because you said you would like to try treasure hunting," he cut in. "So you're coming with me."

"Natsu, I wasn't serious. I can't just leave my job and go off treasure hunting with you."

"Sure you can," he grinned. Lucy sighed, trying to rein in her frustration. The idea of hunting treasure with Natsu did sound appealing, and a part of her wanted to experience that adventure. But she just couldn't. As the head of her business, she couldn't just leave. But since she couldn't go, that would mean he would leave again. This time she would see it coming, but she didn't want to be alone. Levy wasn't back yet and she hadn't heard from Gray in a while. She would be fine, right? A knock on the door, made Lucy look up to see Virgo entering her office.

"Excuse me ma'am," Virgo said as she came forward.

"Virgo," Lucy greeted.

"Ah Virgo," Natsu smiled at her. "Thanks again for letting me wait in here."

"Certainly, sir." She inclined her head towards him.

"Virgo, you let him in here?" Lucy asked, shocked.

"Yes ma'am. I knew you would come back here after your meeting and Mr. Natsu needed to speak with you." Virgo explained. "I thought it would be best if he waited for you in here."

Lucy sat in her chair and rubbed her temples. "Well I'm sorry to sound rude, but I'm way too busy now Natsu. Like I said this morning, treasure hunting sounds like fun, but I can't leave my company."

"Actually," Virgo countered. "You can."

"Virgo?" Lucy looked at her secretary who was staring at her blankly.

"The company will not succumb to ruins because you're not here. Please, have a little more faith in your employees ma'am."

"I-I didn't mean-" She never took a vacation because she didn't want her employees to think she was slacking off. Her employees worked just as hard as her. It was never her intention to make it seem like she didn't have any faith in them.

"We understand ma'am," Virgo assured her. "But we're also worried about you. You've been working incredibly hard since the very beginning. We don't want you to overwork yourself. We all would feel better if you relaxed every now and again."

"Virgo…" They were worried about me? All this time?

Natsu clapped his hands together. "That settles it. Let's go Lucy!"

"But-"

"Go with him Lucy," Virgo encouraged, giving her a rare smile.

"I haven't even packed yet." Lucy countered.

"I have arranged a bag for you ma'am." Virgo produced a pink duffle bag, handing it to Lucy. "Your clothes, passport, and other…necessities are all included." She gave Lucy a wink that made Lucy fear for what she had packed.

"How did you…" Lucy trailed off when Virgo and Natsu shared a mischievous look. Before she could comment, Natsu pulled her out of her chair and out of the office.

"Come on Lucy," He said as he guided her into the elevator. "Your first hunt begins."