Natsu sat alone on a bench in Central Park, staring up at the branches above him. The green leaves were paling into yellow hues, some even showing splashes of orange and hints of red. It had been a while since he had witnessed the change of seasons in the same city. When he came to New York on his last job, Natsu hadn't expected he was going to stay for so long. His usual trips to New York, or any city, lasted a few days at most—not months. Treasure hunting was a nomadic profession. He was always on the go—traveling, hunting, exploring. There was always some new adventure waiting at the end of the last.

Several clients had contacted him since his return from Italy, offering him large sums for the treasures they wanted him to procure. All he had to do was pick one, and he would be off, heading to another city to start a new adventure like always, but he had turned them all down and declared he was on vacation. Leaving New York meant leaving Lucy, and Natsu wasn't ready to do that. He should have left, though. It would have been the smart thing to do—the right thing to do. Staying with Lucy was dangerous for both her and himself; he knew that. She had nearly lost her life in Italy because of him. Gold Pistol had realized that Lucy was his weakness. How long until someone else realized the same thing? Putting distance between them was the only way to make sure that never happened again. Natsu understood this, so why couldn't he leave?

Levy and Gajeel had returned a few days after Natsu and Lucy had returned from Italy. It wasn't like Lucy was alone, even with the princess still overseas. He had told himself he would stay the first week to make sure none of the Mafia wolves had followed them from Italy. Natsu had wanted to make sure Lucy was safe and she could return to her normal life before he left. He had checked all the back channels, listening for any mention of Lucy, but they were all clear. He should have left then, but Lucy had still been having her nightmares. Even though Lucy had been safe, she still hadn't felt safe. How could Natsu have left her like that? He had wanted to help her, but he hadn't known how, other than holding her until she fell back asleep. If only he had had an answer, then Lucy would have never asked him to train her.

Watching Lucy try so hard to grow stronger ate at Natsu. It was like she was trying harder and harder to die. It was only the basics, but she was a fast learner. She had the potential to develop, to sharpen her teeth into fangs. He could sense the hunger in her for more, which terrified him. The training had ended Lucy's nightmares, but they were the start of his. Natsu's nights were plagued with images of Lucy, standing atop a pile of bodies or being devoured by wolves. In both nightmares, Natsu had been unable to speak, to move, to do anything; he just watched in horror as the scenes played out.

Every day, Natsu woke up ready to leave—to do the right thing, but every time he opened his mouth to say goodbye, Lucy would look at him, and the words would catch in his throat. He would swallow his goodbye, his reasoning, his resolve—all of it. The unspoken words would crash into the pit of his stomach, and as the day progressed, he could feel them writhing inside, crawling inch by inch as they made their ascent. At night, they would fester in his throat, choking him until the pale light of morning crept into his room—until he would decide, finally, today would be the day he would open his mouth and let them out. He would say the promised goodbye and walk away from Lucy forever. Except, he never did. The thought of saying goodbye would make him swallow the words again and let the process repeat.

If Natsu had left when he had first planned, none of that would have even been happening. He didn't want to leave, but staying with Lucy was only being selfish. He had lost all rights to be by her side the moment Gold Pistol's wolf turned his knife on her. But who was he kidding? He never should have got this close to begin with. It was just too much fun to tease her that he couldn't stay away. But was that all? The longer he stayed, the more he kept finding reasons to stay. It would hurt, but he needed to make a clean severance. That was the strangeness of it all—thinking leaving would hurt. That was a first for Natsu. His nomadic lifestyle had never bothered him before. Leaving people had never been hard. When it came to Lucy, though, the thought of spending a day without her, made his heart clench painfully. What did that mean?

The bushes next to him rustled loudly, stirring Natsu out of his thoughts. He passed it off as some squirrel or some other critter causing the noise, but then the bush spoke.

"Pssssst."

Looking around, Natsu tried to see if someone was near him, but the closest people were across the field, playing soccer. He thought he was hearing things, but he heard it again.

"Pssssst."

"Hello?" Natsu asked, leaning further toward the bush. There was a long pause, making Natsu question his sanity, when the bush finally answered in a low voice.

"How is the sea not like the devil?"

The question would have seemed strange—coming from a person as well as a bush—if Natsu had not heard it before. "Why are you hiding in a bush, Levy?"

The bush rustled again, loudly as if in aggravation before Levy's distinct voice came from the shrubbery. "No names!"

Natsu rolled his eyes and sighed before he asked again, "Why are you hiding in a bush, Blue Raven?"

Two days ago, Levy had sent him a vague text about code names, secret codes, and a drop-off location. He had thought she was just having some fun and agreed to meet her here, but he hadn't realized how seriously she was taking all of this.

"How is the sea not like the devil?" Levy asked again, ignoring his question.

"Um," Natsu pulled out his phone, scrolling to find the response Levy had told him to say. "The devil asks if it can have you. The sea just takes you." He frowned at his phone, still not clear as to what that meant.

"Code phrase confirmed." In a blur of movement, Levy leapt from the bush startling a woman that happened to be passing by at the moment. The woman took one look at Levy and sent a glare toward Natsu like it was his fault Levy had startled her. "Pink Penguin, I trust you weren't followed," she said while brushing tiny leaves off her person.

"I'm Pink Penguin, and you're Blue Raven? How is that even fair?" Natsu pocketed his phone.

"Black Hawk came up with the code names." Levy shrugged, pausing as she took in his appearance. "Why aren't you wearing a disguise?"

Natsu frowned and looked down at his outfit. The light gray t-shirt and dark denim jeans looked like the perfect disguise to him. He wasn't wearing an ounce of black. He took off his shades and gave Levy a confused looked. "I am disguised."

"You call that a disguise? You're not even trying," Levy berated him.

"How is this not a good disguise? I'm blending in, unlike you." Even from across the field, several people kept glancing over and pointing at Levy. Even by New York standards, her appearance was odd.

Levy scoffed, tugging at the upturned collar of her nude trench coat she wore along with dark shades, a fake bushy moustache, and a black bowler hat to hide her wild blue locks. The outfit was more of a costume than a disguise. On a clear day in September, with the last of the summer heat warming the afternoon, Levy was doing everything but blending in. She was getting far more stares than he was.

"This is proper special agent attire." Levy stroked her moustache, ignoring Natsu's statement. "You may not be wearing black, but if anyone takes one look at that pink tuft coming from your head, they'll know it's you." She looked around the park they were in, smiling when she saw what she was looking for. "Wait right here." He watched as she scurried away to one of the many pushcart vendors selling their useless trinkets to tourists. "Here," she said shoving a "I Heart NY" cap into his hands when she came back. "Put this on."

"You're kidding." Natsu looked from the hat to Levy. She didn't say anything, but her silence was a clear enough message. Grumbling, he shoved the hat onto his head, tugging the bill to face the back before putting his shades back on. "Happy?"

"It'll do." Levy sighed, but she smiled, clearly pleased."Now, let's get down to business." She cleared her throat before lowering her voice. "Inside are the detailed plans for tomorrow's mission." Reaching into her trench coat, Levy pulled out a folder and handed it to Natsu. "Follow the instructions exactly, and the mission is sure to be a success."

Flipping through the pages inside the folder, Natsu smiled. "You really put a lot of thought into this. I'm sure Lucy's gonna—"

"No names, Pink Penguin!" Levy frantically looked around as she shushed Natsu. "The Starling could show up any minute."

"It's the middle of the day on a Friday." Natsu closed the file. "You and I both know that she's probably stuck in her office in some meeting." They both were well aware of how much of a workaholic Lucy was. She had thrown herself back into her job when they had returned to New York. If it weren't for their regular workout routines and Virgo's watchful eye, Lucy would have probably worked late into the night as well.

"I know but..." Levy trailed off for a moment, pressing her lips together. "I just want tomorrow to be special," she started again, taking a seat next to Natsu on the bench. "The Starling—" She removed her moustache and glasses, pocketing them in her trench coat. "Lucy, she's very important to me. She always worries about others and never takes a minute for herself. I have to go to lengths like this just to celebrate her birthday every year. Do you know how hard it was to even find out the date?" Levy shook her head smiling to herself, as if replaying some fond memory in her head.

The mission Levy had created was Lucy's birthday celebration, although the next day wasn't actually Lucy's birthday. Levy had explained that every year she picked a random date to celebrate Lucy's birthday since Lucy didn't like people making a fuss over her. Normally, she would plan the event with Gray, but Levy had been told he was travelling overseas for artistic inspiration. Natsu thought telling everyone Gray ran away to join a circus would have been more fitting, but Lucy had shot that idea down.

"Natsu," Levy's tone shifted. "Have you noticed something different about Lucy lately?"

"Different?" he asked, arching his brow. He kept his voice and outside demeanor calm, but inside, Natsu inwardly tensed.

What happened in Italy was going to remain a secret; that was something Lucy and Natsu had decided. Lucy wanted to protect Levy, keeping the truth about the terrors of the Underworld from her friend so Levy would never feel the same fear that she had. Natsu had agreed with Lucy. Even though Gajeel and Levy were family, they knew nothing about his connections with the Mafia or his dark past. His dads and Cana were the only family members that had any idea of his sins, but there were things they still didn't know—things he could never tell them or anyone. Igneel, Gildarts, and Cana had all sworn to never speak of what they knew to anyone—not even among themselves.

"If you knew something, you would tell me, right?" Levy turned her piercing gaze on Natsu, her keen eyes taking in his mannerisms, analyzing every breath, word, and movement he made.

He removed his sunglasses, meeting Levy's gaze fully and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Levy—"

"Before you finish that sentence," she cut in, "I know Lucy probably told you not to tell me because she thinks she's protecting me. That's the type of person Lucy is, but I don't want my friend suffering on her own. If there's something I can do to help, then I need to know."

Levy was one of those freakishly smart people. Having been deemed a child prodigy at the age of three for her ability to fluently speak four languages, Levy had never stopped learning. Whether it was languages, history, mathematics, philosophy, literature, or a dozen other areas, Levy excelled in anything to which she set her attention. Natsu couldn't remember how many degrees Levy had now or how many languages she could speak, but the sheer depth of her knowledge was immeasurable. The last thing Natsu wanted was Levy suspicious of him; there was no telling what she was capable of uncovering. She would probably give Ichiya a run for his money. Natsu had to be careful.

"I didn't promise her not to tell you." Natsu put his sunglasses back on, sighing as he leaned back against the bench, his gaze directed straight ahead. "She asked me not to tell you, and I agree with her. It's for the best that you don't know. What happened is done and can't be changed." The bitterness in his voice reflected the pain he still felt from putting Lucy through such an ordeal. There was no point denying something happened. He could see that Levy would be able to tell if he were lying right then, no matter how good he was at it. "But I won't ever let what happened in the past happen again."

Levy was quiet for a moment, letting her legs swing absentmindedly. Her head tilted as she stared ahead as well, watching the people run across the field as they played their game. "Have you ever read George Santayana's, The Life of Reason?" she finally responded. "I've always disagreed with the line: 'Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.' It never made sense to me. I've spent a lot of time studying history from all over the world. Probably more time than most people." Levy laughed. "History is full of repetitions. So, why is that?" She took off her hat, turning the brim in her hands. "I think those who do not share the past condemn themselves to see it repeated. Knowledge gained by one, serves only the one."

Natsu shifted his gaze back to Levy. They held each other's stare, Levy's brown eyes seeming to absorb everything in before she spoke again. "If Lucy is ever in danger, promise me you'll tell me. Don't keep it to yourself. She's precious to me, understand?"

"Has anyone ever told you how intimidating you can be?" Natsu joked, trying to lighten up the mood. Levy only arched her brow, waiting for his promise. "Okay, Levy," Natsu managed to say after a moment. "If I ever think she's in danger, I promise I will tell you."

His stomach churned at the words. Levy's eyes bore into him as though they could read his thoughts, but he managed an easy smile, and she seemed satisfied.

"Thank you, Natsu." Levy squeezed his hand then hopped off the bench. "Well, now that that's all taken care of," she said as she donned her bowler hat once more, adjusting it on her head, "an archeological team from the Middle East sent me a lovely little manuscript they want me to decipher."

"Lucy is really lucky to have a friend like you." He smiled, standing up as well.

"She's lucky to have you, too." Levy winked. "I've seen more than one type of change in Lucy...and you, too, for that matter."

"What-What are you talking about?" Natsu laughed uncomfortably.

"I wonder if there's a connection…" Levy trailed off, then smiled wickedly. "Pink Penguin, I wish you luck with your part of the mission tomorrow."

Levy really is terrifying. What did she mean about seeing another change in Lucy and in himself?

"Look out!"

Natsu barely had enough time to dodge as a soccer ball came hurtling toward him. It hit the tree behind him, leaving a mark on the wood. If the ball had hit him, it would have seriously injured him. He bent to retrieve the ball, but it was mere scrapings now. Just what kind of kid possessed such strength?

"Did it hit you?" a female voice asked.

"No." Natsu started to turn around. "It miss..." He trailed off when he saw who the person was.

"What a shame." The woman frowned, crossing her arms against her abundant chest. "I thought it would knock some sense into you because for some reason, you've been ignoring all my calls."

"You're...You're here." Natsu stared wide-eyed at the tall, long-limbed woman with a slender, voluptuous figure that was currently clad in red jogger pants and a white t-shirt. Her long scarlet hair was pulled back into a ponytail, revealing dark brown eyes which pinned Natsu to the spot. "Erza."

Erza smirked. "Oh, looks like you do remember who I am. You can't use amnesia as an excuse now."

Natsu gulped. Erza Scarlet. She was one of the most fearsome individuals of the organization Ultear and Meredy worked for. Just mentioning her name in the Underworld would send the mafia wolves howling in fear.

"What are you doing here?" He finally managed to ask. The organization reserved Erza for the most dangerous of missions. If she were here that could only mean trouble.

"I'm starving," Erza said, ignoring his question. "Let's go and grab some lunch. You can fill me in on what you've been up to all this time."

"No, thanks." Natsu gripped the folder tighter and walked past her. It seemed Erza wasn't going to answer his question, so the best thing for him to do was get far away from her as possible and evaluate the situation.

He felt her hand tightly grip his shoulder, halting him. "You seemed to have believed that was a request, Natsu."

"Your dessert, madame." A waiter delivered a three-tiered silver platter to their table, setting it nearest to Erza. It was filled with tiny delectable cakes and bite-sized sweets. Erza selected what looked like a miniature-sized strawberry shortcake and placed it on her plate first. Macarons, small tarts, and sweet rolls followed after it.

Upon leaving Central Park, Erza had led him to the Ritz-Carlton hotel. As a high-end hotel, there was a dress code in order to use any of their dining facilities. Initially, the staff had refused to seat them, but one word from Erza and that was no longer the case. Erza wasn't the type of person who liked being told 'no.' It never ended well for those who did.

Natsu sat and watched as Erza happily devoured her dessert, waiting for her to explain what she wanted from him. His mind raced, trying to figure it out. His relationship with the organization was a complex one. With his previous background and knowledge of the Mafia Underworld, he helped them out on certain missions occasionally. Usually, he would get vague details about a person or operation the organization wanted him to investigate. He would use his connections to find out the information they wanted and report back. All contact was done through specialized cell phones. It was rare that he actually met up with any of the organization's members. They didn't trust Natsu enough to share all of their secrets and the same went for Natsu.

"This is so delicious!" Erza exclaimed, moaning with pleasure as she ate the strawberry shortcake in one bite. "Waiter!" she called loudly to one of the waiters already helping another table across the room. "I want a platter full of these cakes." The other guests gave Erza annoyed looks, but it seemed as though she was oblivious to them.

"Enough," Natsu said finally, hitting his fist on the table. The china rattled lightly, but he was tired of waiting. Erza paused her hand from reaching for another sweet and looked up at him, confused. "If you're not going to tell me what the organization wants, then I'm leaving." He stood to leave, but one look from Erza made him pause.

"Sit down, Natsu." Plucking the sweet from the platter, Erza bit into it, all the while smiling sweetly at him. "It's rude to leave in the middle of dessert."

He held her gaze, trying to stand up to her, but Erza's gaze held the demand. Reluctantly, Natsu sat back down. The waiter returned and delivered the new platter, filled with strawberry shortcake as Erza had requested. Natsu glared at him until he left quickly. His teeth ground together as he restrained his temper from lashing out at Erza again. She definitely wouldn't tolerate a second outburst.

"The organization," Erza began after a moment, "is afraid you're planning on betraying us." She stabbed a strawberry with her fork, flicking her gaze to him. "They're worried you've forgotten the details of your contract."

That damn contract, Natsu thought bitterly. "I haven't forgotten anything," Natsu grumbled. "I'm on vacation."

"Well, this little vacation of yours is going to end. You have an assignment." Erza gestured with her fork, the strawberry still impaled on it.

"You're going to need to find someone else. Like I said—" Natsu tried to protest.

"It's non-negotiable," Erza cut in, her eyes hard. He held her gaze, but Natsu knew there was no room to argue. If the organization had sent Erza of all people to tell him, then whatever mission they had for him was serious. It was time to leave.

The last time the organization had called upon him, it was after the night he had taken Lucy out to Etherion when she was cat-sitting for Levy and Gajeel. He hadn't wanted to leave then, and the feeling was even stronger now, especially remembering how distraught Lucy had been when he got back. That night, he had destroyed the cell phone the organization used to contact him, so he wouldn't have to leave unexpectedly again. Natsu had been expecting them to reach out to him eventually. Running into Ultear and Meredy in Italy was a coincidence, but now the organization was finally coming for him. Fine. He would go on whatever mission they needed him for and then return as soon as possible.

"When do I leave?"

"Tomorrow night." Erza nodded to someone behind him. A waiter came up and placed a cellphone on Natsu's unused plate. "All the details for the departure are in there. As usual, further details of the mission will be sent to you as you are en route to your location."

Tomorrow night. Natsu frowned, looking from the cell phone to the folder lying on the table. Lucy's birthday celebration was tomorrow night. Was he going to have to miss it?

"For how long?"

"A week. Five months. A year. It all depends on your ability to complete the mission," Erza told him, her dark eyes assessing him. "Is there some reason you don't want to leave the city?"

"No," he lied.

"Good." She bit the speared berry, the red juice coloring her lips nearly the same scarlet red as her hair. "In your line of work, it's unfortunate to have distractions."

Grabbing the phone and the folder, Natsu stood from the table. "Are we done?"

"For now." Erza leaned back in her chair, wiping the berry juice away with her napkin.

Not wasting a second, Natsu turned sharply on his heel, walking as fast as he could away from Erza. It was only when he had exited the hotel and walked several blocks away did the tension in his muscles begin to relax. Staring down at the objects in his hands—the folder containing Lucy's birthday celebration, the phone containing his next mission—he saw the decision to leave had been made for him. The words that he had suppressed all these months, it was finally time to let them out. It was time to say goodbye.

Lucy peeked out from the curtains of her dressing room, her eyes automatically finding Natsu where he sat on the couch, talking to a sales attendant. Something was different about him, but she couldn't put her finger on it. It all started yesterday, when he came to pick her up after work like usual. He had seemed distant, like something was taking his attention elsewhere. He had been so distracted, Lucy was even able to land a hit on him when they were sparring together—which never happened. Natsu always held back when he trained her, but even the limits he put on himself were enough to demonstrate the divide in their abilities. When she had punched him, Natsu had looked more surprised than she had. It was Lucy's decision to end their training for the day early, and Natsu had quickly agreed.

Natsu was not one to talk about the things that troubled him. When she had asked him if something was wrong, he said everything was fine. Lucy had gone to sleep worrying about him, but that morning, a completely different Natsu awaited her. All morning he had been acting suspiciously nice.

When she woke up, her apartment had smelt delicious and chocolatey. Natsu had made her his self-proclaimed "World Famous Chocolate Chip Pancakes" for breakfast instead of one the protein shakes she now preferred. He had claimed today was a cheat day, which meant she could eat and do anything she wanted. It also meant no training. Lucy had protested, not wanting to take a single day off from training. She wanted to get stronger quicker, finding comfort every evening in her aching muscles. The pain meant she was getting stronger. It meant she was one day closer to acquiring the strength she needed to protect the ones she cared about. Natsu had still refused, stating that resting is also a part of training. However, Lucy had done anything but rest so far.

After breakfast, Natsu had asked her to go shopping with him. He had initially stated he needed to pick up a few things, but he hadn't looked at a single article of clothing for himself since they've been out. Instead, Lucy had been ushered in and out of dressing rooms along Fifth Avenue. He wouldn't listen to her objections about trying on clothes she wasn't going to buy. Natsu had just smiled and told her to have fun and play pretend. Normally, the sale associates would disapprove, but it seemed Natsu had special accounts with most of the stores, which was strange, since his wardrobe consisted of almost entirely black t-shirts and pants. Lucy had imagined a shopping excursion like this one whenever she found herself passing through the area. It never seemed feasible though, to spend a small fortune on clothes alone, but it would be nice if she had the small fortune to spend.

So, Lucy had given into the temptation and allowed herself to pretend she was able to afford all the lovely clothes she tried on. The sales attendants flocked and fawned over her, treating her like she was a regular. All the while, Natsu had showered his compliments on the outfits she chose. She initially thought he was just giving her compliments to be nice, but when she had purposefully tried on a hideous dress covered in flowers and feathers, he had just laughed and laughed and told her even she couldn't make it look good. Hearing Natsu laugh like that was a first for her. It was unrestricted. There had been an absence of his usual amount of teasing and quips as well; and Natsu's genuine smile had appeared more often than his tantalizing smirk. The difference, though nice, worried Lucy.

"Are you going to show me or not?" Natsu called out to Lucy, his head turned in her direction.

"Uh, yeah." Lucy opened the curtains and stepped out onto the small platform. Immediately, the sales associates doused her in their usual compliments, but it was the look Natsu gave her that made Lucy blush. He stood up quietly and walked toward her. "What do you think?" She asked, feeling unusually nervous.

The dress was a draped, off-the-shoulder jersey dress designed with short sleeves and a seamed empire waist. It was made of rayon and dyed in a brilliant red color that looked like bright fire. It hugged her curves, stopping an inch below her knees. When Lucy saw it on the mannequin, she couldn't help herself. She had to try it on.

"You look..." Natsu started, his voice barely audible. His hand brushed away the lock of hair that had fallen across her shoulder. The soft stroke of his fingertips against her skin sent a shiver down her spine. She pressed her lips together, hard, hoping Natsu wouldn't hear the slight shuddering of her breath. Lucy found herself leaning toward him, barely breathing as she waited to hear his next words. He looked into her eyes, and she saw something burning within them. He parted his lips and—

"She looks gorgeous! And it fits like a glove. Almost like you were made to wear it, dear!" One of the sales attendants exclaimed, breaking the tension. Natsu blinked, the action smothering the fire in his eyes. He hastily took a step back, and half-turned to face the saleswoman who continued to prattle on. Lucy cast her eyes down, taking a moment to recollect herself. For a moment, she had forgotten anyone else was there.

"It's the only one the designer was able to make before he passed away." Another sales associate, a bubbly man with an imbecile taste in shoes, joined in. "He titled it 'Eternal Flame' as a nod to his life's work. We've had tons of women try on this dress, but it never seemed to fit any of them right. You're the first!"

"We'll take it," Natsu said, stepping off the platform.

"Natsu," Lucy protested. "I can't afford this."

"Shall we put it with the others?"the man asked, ignoring Lucy's statement.

"Others? What others?" Lucy looked from the man to Natsu who gave the sales attendants a sharp look. The employees smiled apologetically before walking away. "Natsu?"

"I bought a few things while you were shopping." He shrugged, like that was all.

"Natsu. This was all pretend. I didn't try on this dress or any of the other outfits because I wanted you to buy them for me. I-"

"Cut it up. Burn it. I don't care," he interrupted, staring up at her as she stood on the platform. "I don't want anyone else to wear that dress."

"But—"

"Is it so terrible for you to receive a gift from me?"

"No, I just..." Lucy closed her eyes and sighed. It's not terrible, but... she thought as she opened her eyes. "Thank you, Natsu," she said, smiling.

"You're welcome," he replied. Lucy turned, heading back to the dressing room when she heard him whisper: "You look beautiful." Hearing those words, her heart squeezed itself with delight, but her lips tilted into a frown as she closed the curtains of her dressing room.

It was nearing noon when the pair had stopped for lunch. Natsu had suggested they go to a new café that had just opened up near Union Square called Fairy Cakes. Lucy had been dying to try this place out after hearing many of her employees rave about it. The café offered the usual lunch selections of soups, salads, and sandwiches, but it was their desserts that gave the restaurant its glowing reputation. One of her employees had described them as being magical. As the dishes from their main meal were cleared away, Lucy eagerly awaited the strawberry shortcake she had ordered for her dessert.

"You look happy," Natsu chuckled, taking a sip of his drink.

"Their food was delicious, so I can't wait to try their desserts. They're supposed to be magical," Lucy said, quoting her employee. "Ah, it's here!"

"One strawberry shortcake for the lovely mademoiselle." A waitress with long, flowing scarlet hair appeared, placing the delectable dessert in front of Lucy. Lucy beamed at her dessert, her fork already in hand and posed to take the first bite when the sound of breaking glass made her pause and look up. Natsu stared in shock at their waitress.

"Oh, careful, sir," the waitress said, bending down, quickly picking up the shards of glass and depositing them onto her tray. Taking the cloth that hung from the pocket on her apron, she wiped away the water. "There." She dropped the dripping cloth onto her tray and picked it up as she straightened. "Good as new."

"We need to leave." Natsu recovered from his shock, his eyes narrowing as he spoke. He never took his gaze off the waitress as he moved and grabbed Lucy by the wrist, tugging her up from her seat. There was a frantic look in his eyes as he moved which startled Lucy.

"Natsu, stop. What's going on?" He didn't answer but stepped in front of Lucy as if he meant to shield her from their waitress. "Do you know her?"

"No," he managed to respond through gritted teeth.

"That's right!" The waitress clapped her hands together happily. "I don't know you, and you don't know me. But," the bright smile on her face remained, yet her eyes narrowed slightly. "I do know it's rude to leave in the middle of dessert. So, please," she reached out and plucked Lucy from behind Natsu, guiding her back into her seat. "Enjoy every bite."

Natsu and the waitress stared at each other intensely, the tension between them growing. Despite what Natsu had said about not knowing the waitress, his actions right now told otherwise. Just who was she, and why was she making Natsu act this way? Surprisingly, none of the other guests in the café were concerned with the strange interaction between the two. They continued to enjoy their meals and desserts, oblivious to the scene.

"My apologies." A blue haired man with an intricate tattoo on the left side of his face stood behind Natsu, clasping his shoulder. "It seems like the owner of this establishment is having too much fun with the customers." He moved past Natsu and gently guided the waitress away from the table. "Let's let them finish their meal in peace."

"But," the waitress began to protest, her demeanor completely changing as she spoke to the man. A slight blush appeared on her cheeks, and her eyes softened considerably.

"I have a new cake I need you to try for the menu. I think you'll like it." The man smiled softly at her, before turning his gaze to Lucy. "Enjoy your dessert."

They left, leaving Natsu glaring after them. It wasn't until they disappeared into the back that Natsu sat down again.

"Are you—"

"How does it taste?" Natsu asked before she could get her question out. He wasn't looking at her, but staring out the window. Lucy noted how his hands were balled tightly into fists, the tension in his jaw giving away his aggravated state.

Lucy, hesitantly, took a bite out of the cake. Despite the earlier commotion, the taste of the cake lived up to its magical reputation. It was exceptional. "It's delicious!" She smiled, brightly going in for another bite. Natsu watched her out of the corner of his eye, and when she stuffed her face with another bite of cake, he finally relaxed.

"Good."

The rest of the day flew by in a blur of activity, ending with another heavenly dinner from Etherion. It still amazed Lucy that Natsu was the owner. A few weeks ago when she had told him about the party she was planning to throw for her employees, Natsu had offered his restaurant as an available venue. Lucy had been reluctant to accept such an generous offer, but Natsu had reassured her that it was no problem. As they left the restaurant, Lucy couldn't wait for her employees to experience such a wonderful place.

"Thank you for today," Lucy said as Natsu's driver took them back home. "I didn't realize how much I needed a break from everything."

"I wish I could take credit for today, but I can't," he said as the car came to a stop.

"What are you talking about?" Lucy asked, but Natsu just smirked and stepped out of the car. A moment later, her door opened. Instead of seeing her apartment building, she saw the unmistakable shape of Madison Square Garden.

"Come on." Natsu offered her his hand. "They're waiting for you."

"Who is? What's going on?" Lucy asked taking his hand and climbing out of the car. She wasn't one for surprises.

Natsu led her through the entrance of Penn Station and onto the escalators. Even though she peppered him with questions, he didn't answer a single one. He just folded his arms across his chest and smirked at her knowingly.

"Natsu, why are we—" She was about to ask him for the fifth time, but as they crested the landing she spotted a pair of familiar faces.

"LUUUUUCCCYYYY!" Levy called out to her, smiling and waving frantically as she jumped up and down upon spotting Lucy.

"Levy?" Lucy blinked, not expecting to see her best friend there. Behind Levy, Gajeel stood, nodding his head toward her.

Levy bundled Lucy into a tight hug when she and Natsu walked up to them. "Happy birthday, Lucy!"

"Birthday?" Lucy blinked down at Levy. "But today isn't…"

"Meet the mastermind behind today," Natsu explained. "Levy picked today to celebrate your birthday and planned everything we did. I just played the part of decoy so you wouldn't suspect anything."

"Oh, Lev," Lucy said, realizing now what Natsu had meant earlier in the car. Levy had been planning these mock birthdays ever since they met five years ago. Lucy should have suspected this was why today had seemed different. Everything had been too wonderful.

"I'm surprised this hothead was able to keep his mouth shut about everything," Gajeel patted Natsu on the back, hard. "You were horrible at keeping secrets when we were kids."

"Who are you calling hothead?" Natsu punched Gajeel in the shoulder by means of greeting. "And I can keep secrets just as well as I keep promises, Black Chicken."

"It's Black Hawk, you smart ass," Gajeel growled, returning Natsu's punch.

"Did you have fun? Did you like Fairy Cakes?" Levy asked, breaking away, clearly ignoring Gajeel and Natsu.

"Today was the best," Lucy admitted, smiling at Levy. So much so that she almost wished that it was her birthday and that she could have at least one happy one to remember. "Thank you."

"Well, it isn't over yet," Gajeel added in. "We should get in there. The show's about to start."

"Show?" Lucy asked.

"Here! Here!" Levy handed Lucy a pass. Looking down at the pass, Lucy almost dropped it. This couldn't be real; the tickets sold out within the first five minutes.

"Levy," Lucy looked up at her grinning friend. "How did you—This can't be real. You're not serious?"

"Of course it's real." Gajeel rolled his eyes, but smiled. "The shrimp told me this was one of your favorite bands, so I pulled some strings."

"But this is a VIP pass to see The Thunder Tribe." Lucy held the pass carefully in her hands, still not believing it was real. The Thunder Tribe was an internationally acclaimed group, known for their mix of powerful and electrifying music and soul-shaking lyrics. It also helped that all the members of the band were stunningly gorgeous as well as talented. Lucy had always wanted to see them in concert, but getting tickets was more like a Black Market affair.

"This is...This is all too much. I can't accept—"

"Don't say that, Lu." Levy frowned. "Nothing's too much for you."

"Thank you. Thank you. Thank you." She hugged Levy tightly, even though she disagreed with her. Gajeel patted Lucy on her head. It was his means of showing affection to her. Levy and Wendy were the only ones he ever actually hugged. "And thank you, Natsu." Lucy broke away from Levy, turning back to face him.

"We'll start heading to our seats," Levy said loudly, pushing Gajeel away and smiling back at Lucy and Natsu with a knowing grin.

"She's right, you know," Natsu said when Levy and Gajeel had disappeared into the crowd entering the venue. "Nothing's too much for you."

"I don't know about that." Lucy blushed. Somehow, the words seemed to hold a different meaning when Natsu said them. "Do you like The Thunder Tribe?" Lucy asked to change the subject. Her heart was beating faster, but she didn't know why. She had been alone with Natsu all day, but it seemed different now. Was it the way he was looking at her?

"I can't say that I've heard any of their songs." Natsu scratched his head with the admission.

"What!" Lucy's eyes widened in shock. "You're in for a huge surprise then. Their music is incredible!" Lucy looked back to where Levy and Gajeel had entered, realizing they had forgotten to give Natsu his pass. "Oh!" she exclaimed, turning back to him. "It seems Levy still has your pass." She fumbled inside her purse, searching for her phone. "Let me text her, and she can bring it—"

"Don't worry about that." Natsu cut in. "I can't stay."

"O-Okay." Lucy hated how disappointed she sounded. "I get it. The Thunder Tribe isn't for everyone, plus you've been running around the city with me all day. Maybe tomorrow we can…" The sad smile Natsu gave her made the rest of her words fade out. She realized it then—what his words truly meant. It wasn't that Natsu couldn't stay for the concert. He wasn't staying. Period. "You're...leaving."

"Yes."

The simple confirmation made everything inside her freeze. Her breath caught in her lungs, her heart stopped mid beat, and her blood turned cold. Natsu's leaving. The thawing was as sudden as the freezing at that thought. Her heart beat twice as fast, her lungs expanded, trying to take in more air, and her blood rushed in her veins, heating her body. Lucy felt tears rushing to the surface, but she forced herself not to cry. Hadn't she suspected this? Hadn't she prepared herself quietly for this day? It was the promise he had made to her. A promise that had seemed so long ago. Natsu never promised her he would stay. He promised he wouldn't leave again without saying goodbye.

"Is it another treasure hunt?" Her thoughts fumbled around, trying to make sense of everything. Did she sound normal enough? She was better now than the last time he left. Stronger. She could go back to being alone and waking up to the silence in her apartment. There would be more time to read the books she had been putting off and more quiet weekends to bury herself in her work without being dragged to the park or to a movie, or to dinner, or to a show. There would be less dishes to wash at night, less noise, less distractions, less smirks, less Natsu. Lucy had a life, a routine before him. It was just hard to remember what it was like or how that was even possible.

"Something like that," he admitted, frowning at whatever was on his mind.

"When will you be coming back?" The question slipped out, her words sad and weak and barely above a whisper. Lucy cringed as the question dropped between them. She hadn't meant to ask it.

"You would want me to?" Natsu asked, an emotion lighting up his dark eyes.

"I mean, Gajeel and Levy are here," Lucy stammered out awkwardly. "Wendy and the Redfoxes, too. I assume you would visit them next time you're in the city." As she spoke, she could see each word dimming the emotion in his eyes. Lucy stopped talking. That wasn't what she meant to say. She was scared of the truth, but was this what she wanted? Letting Natsu leave without letting him know she wanted him to come back—to stay with her.

"I see." Natsu glanced down, smiling slightly. She felt the distance that started to grow between them then. When he looked back up, the emotion was gone. Instead, there was a resolution in his eyes, as if her words helped him decide something. He laughed, but the sound held no joy. "You've mastered all the basics of your training, so if you practice what I've taught you, you'll be fine. There's really no need to work out every day, so make sure you relax too. Otherwise, Levy might come after you." He laughed again, his false smile wilting into a line. "And, remember the promise you made."

Lucy could only nod. Why had all her words abandoned her then? After everything they've been through, was this how they said goodbye?

"Good," Natsu whispered.

Lucy bit her lip and looked away, hating herself for not saying what she really wanted to say. Tell him, she urged herself. What are you doing? The painful memories from her past were trapping her words. All she could remember were the people leaving. Leaving her. If she asked him to come back and he said no, then what? She had learned a long time ago it was better to let go of those who wanted to leave. That realization didn't make it any less painful though. Every second that passed, the distance between them grew. It felt like a giant, gaping hole had appeared in front of them, each on opposite sides, staring out at one another.

"Lucy."

Lucy's head snapped up. Why did her name sound so much like a goodbye?

"I know these words can't erase what's happened; they can't excuse what I've done...but I want you to know, I'm sorry for everything I've put you through. If I had the strength to walk away sooner," Natsu shook his head. "If you had never met me then—"

"Don't say that!" Lucy finally spoke. Those three words unlocking her voice, but not the words she needed to say. "Don't...don't say that," she repeated, filling them with as much meaning as she could.

Natsu smiled weakly before taking a step forward, creating only a thin space between them. How could he be so close, yet so far away? "Thank you for putting up with me all this time." He reached out, tucking her hair behind her ear as he leaned forward. He tilted his lips to her ear, his breath kissed her skin as he whispered. "Goodbye, Lucy."

He moved away from her quickly, faster than she had expected him too. Before his words could settle in her heart, Natsu was already several feet away from her and still moving farther.

Say something! He's leaving! Lucy screamed at herself, but when she opened her mouth, nothing came out. The distance widened. Her heart was beating so wildly, it shook her bones. Natsu stepped onto the descending escalator, rushing down the steps until she couldn't see him anymore.

Come back.

Lucy ran then. She ran after him, not thinking, just moving to try and shrink the distance. By the time she descended, she was in the swarm of people rushing in and out of Penn Station. Where was he? Where did he go? She only lost sight of him for a moment. He couldn't have disappeared that fast. She saw a flash of pink, up ahead and to her left. Lucy reacted, running in that direction.

"Natsu!" Her hand shot out, desperately trying to reach him. "Natsu!"

It wasn't him. She stood there, people jostling her as her eyes scanned the crowd. So many people, so many faces, but none of them his. Natsu was gone. The words she wanted to say sat heavily on her tongue.

A hand wrapped around her wrist, tugging her to the side and out of the stream of people. Her back pressed against a small corner, two arms caging her on either side, blocking her view of the crowd. Lucy looked up and into the coal dark eyes of Natsu. He was here. His brow was crumpled, his eyes scanning her over to assess for injury. She couldn't help the smile on her face. That was just like him—always worrying about her. She saw his lips part, about to ask the question in his eyes, but she spoke before he could—before the words could leave her again.

"Natsu," she said, her voice too quiet. She shook her head. No, do better Lucy. "Promise me," she started again, looking directly into his eyes, her hands reaching out to cup the sides of his face."Promise me you won't stay away—that I'll see you again. Promise you'll come back to me."

Lucy held her breath, waiting for him to say the words she dreaded. For him to tell her he wasn't coming back, that he didn't want to—that those were promises he couldn't make. Not to her at least. She prepared herself for them. She was ready for him to tell her goodbye. She was ready to go back to a life without him there. All he needed to tell her was—

"I promise."

Her breath came out shaky. Her heart beat frantically, making her blood rush in her ears. Did she hear him right? But Natsu spoke again and all her doubts disappeared.

"I promise, I'll come back to you. I don't know how long I'll be gone, but I won't break this promise. I'll come back to you, Lucy." Natsu breathed her name and that distance she had felt vanished. Her name was no longer a goodbye. It was a promise. He leaned forward, his forehead pressed against hers. He closed his eyes, a brilliant smile lighting up his face. "When I come back," he spoke softly, letting her know these words were only for her, "there's something I'm going to tell you." He opened his eyes, and Lucy had to keep herself from gasping. The emotion filling his eyes took her breath away.

They were barely a breath apart. She could feel his breath kiss her lips. There were words she needed to tell him. Things she should have said. The secret she had been carrying these five years. Natsu needed to know. But not now—not when he was looking at her this way. For a little while longer, she could hold onto this happiness.

"I'll be waiting."