A/N This had got to be the worst update timing I have ever had. Almost a full year since the last update and I'm almost 89% positive most of the followers of this story either having given up hope it will ever be updated or have forgotten it entirely. I know I did for a bit of time. I guess it's better late than never, right?

Disclaimer- Hiro Mashima owns Fairy Tail

Like many would expect growing up in the world of spies, I didn't really get to experience the whole typical childhood. Instead of dolls and toys, I played with locks and keys. While other children were learning to play baseball, I was learning how to knock out a grown man using pressure points.

It's not that I minded being raised the way I was. Quite the contrary really. I mean, while other kids my age were mesmerized with fake stories of princesses being saved by the heroic prince, I grew up hearing of real-life secret mission of infiltration from the people who actually did it.

How awesome is that?

Yet, with this came other things: for example, the ability to lie. This may seem like a petty thing to most people as everyone does it, some more than others, but there is a distinct difference between the ability to fake the truth and the ability to lie.

The ability to come up with a good, believable lie is mandatory for a spy. It could be the difference between life and death. This is where most untrained people went wrong. When fear sets in, people begin to fake the truth; telling lies left and right and before they know it, they get reality mixed up with their fabrication of lies.

The key is to keep it sweet and simple. That way you keep your lies straight and people usually don't feel like putting in the effort to actually contradict you. And after a while, for people like me, telling lies becomes more comfortable than the truth.

Of course some people were worse at it than others, like Levy, but many skated by with a acceptable mark and then were able to further make it up with better records in other fields.

And, for this exact reason, is why I didn't believe a word this "Natsu" was telling me. Assignment: Yes. Partners? That would be a negative. He must have been on the wrong receiving of a Triple Flip Kick to think I would swallow such a horrible lie as that. I already had my team— heck, we even lived together— and there were no signs that we were ever going to split, at least not before we graduated. They may be a new assignment, but there was no way the Headmaster would approve such a ridiculous idea as to split up the three-man teams they had formed our freshman year for a group of boys intent on beating us a couple minutes ago.

"Did she go mute or something?"

My blood boiled at the sound of Natsu's question. Was he just trying to make me mad or was he just being stupid?

"No. I can speak." I replied stiffly, not making any movement to accept his hand in any form of fashion whatsoever.

It was childish, I know, but I was in dire need of an explanation before even considering accepting the new assignment (not that I really had a choice, Headmaster Porlyusica had made that particular point fairly clear.).

Not to mention, as my stomach dimly reminded me, I really needed breakfast.

And I was still mad at him for earlier.

"Well, that's good." Natsu said, smoothly retracting his hand to sweep into his pink locks, "I bet you are wondering what this is all about, right?"

"You got that right!" Cana interjected loudly.

"And while I don't really know the details too much—"

"That's because you decided to sleep during the briefing, Flamebrain!"

Natsu's eyes narrowed in irritation at the interjection from one of the dark haired boy across the room. My eyes flicked in the voice's direction as Natsu simultaneously made a rude gesture with his fist at the boy's face. From his position, I could tell the raven-hair had been in the middle of brushing most of the grime off of Juvia's uniform before he had interrupted Natsu. And while helping cleaning Juvia off may have helped repay his compensation for the damage he had done to it during their fight— Yes, I did in fact see you holding her to the ground with your foot— he seemed to have also shed his black turtle neck and pants in some strange act of forgiveness.

I will never understand the inner workings of a boy's mind.

"Like I was saying before Ice Prick decided to be a moron," Natsu continued, drawing my attention back to his face, "The details are a bit fuzzy, but the main part is we will be working together for the rest of the year."

"So during our training missions." I replied automatically.

"Them too."

I blinked. It was as if he was insinuating that we—

"Hold on here." Cana's voice rang out, "Are you meaning to say that we are stuck with you people for the rest of our term? Like, all the time?"

Natsu nodded slowly.

"Even during our classes, lunch, and extra training courses?" Levy asked, incredulously.

Another nod.

"What about bathroom breaks?" Cana asked, "We do get those right? Along with bathing time?"

Natsu's reply to this was again interrupted, but this time by a suave voice from next to 'Ice Prick'.

"That, my dear lady, would be a no. But, other than those times think of us as just another one of your classmates with all the same classes as yourself," A glint appeared on his glasses as he adjusted them on his nose, "Or, if you so desire, you may even think of myself as something more."

I inwardly gagged at the mental sight of roses blooming around his face. He was a player. Definitely a player.

"Where will you sleep?" Levy questioned suddenly, "All the towers are filled up already."

At this, Natsu grinned evilly, "That particular answer is a secret."

A bowl of oatmeal.

3-minute, just add a cup of water, microwavable oatmeal was all I had to eat for breakfast that morning because apparently no one had decided to save us anything from the breakfast. Not that I was expecting something grand or anything, especially after what had happened minutes prior, but microwavable oatmeal? Really?

It was the start of a very long day indeed.

The first day back to the Academy was pretty much entirely dedicated to the newbies to the Academy. A day spent touring the grounds and learning of all the fabulous things the Academy had to offer. Most to which, ended with making the freshman excited for their first 'real' day the following Monday. That is until they realized they were utterly lied to when they were told G.Y.M would be their favorite class. Yeah, running 10 laps around campus is NOT a fun warm-up. Especially when you have Erza leading.

For everyone else, the day was mostly spent catching up and sharing summer adventure stories with roommates and friends on the grassy school grounds and all around having a fun time enjoying the last bit of August weather in peace.

Something I had been very much looking forward to—but like my waffles with cream—the idea was immediately tarnished.

So, instead I was tasked— along with the rest of my senior class— with playing tour guides for our new partners.

"What's that?"

"A portrait of our founder, Mavis Vermilion. Wouldn't recommend touching it until you feel like losing a hand to acid."

Natsu nodded approvingly, "And that?"

"An emergency button in the event of anyone outside of our school grounds were to enter without supervision or permission."

"You have a button for that? Why?"

I rolled my eyes, "Our school is riddled with secret passages and hallways leading to the outside. Most to which have either been sealed or are under high security from our professors to make sure our fasade of "A High Class Private Schools for Girls" stays just as that to the rest of the town. While it isn't really necessary since no regular person could really make it onto school grounds without us knowing, it puts the freshman's skeptical parents at ease."

Natsu whistled, "Which explains the uniforms."

"It's part of the whole 'undercover' thing we have going."

"So where do you guys have parties?"

This question took me off guard. Parties? Who had time for parties? I mean, there was the occasional get-together in the dorms, but nothing to the extent of whatever was most likely running through Natsu's head. Summer was the only time we ever had off to do anything really fun, but even then we spent most of our time fine tuning our skills, or learning other ones. I mean, we were graduating in a year! We didn't have time to mess around.

Judging by his downfall of expression, I assumed my silence had answered the question for him. On the bright side, I now knew something I had over Natsu: a poker face.

"Don't tell me you never have fun here." Natsu said, his tone almost pleading with me to contradict his accusation.

"We have study sessions."

"Which aren't fun. What about playing pranks? Do you guys do that?"

I made a face. And get yelled at by the Headmaster? No thank you!

"Okaaay. What about sneaking into the Hall and stuffing your face with as much food as possible?"

"Look, Natsu, I don't know how it was at your other Academy, but here it's—"

"Boring." He interjected before sighing, "No wonder you are so testy all the time. You never have any real fun."

I grounded my teeth together. It was just my luck to be paired with the most insufferable jerk I had ever met in my life. Even the crazed monkey I met in Peru three years ago was better than him.

Suddenly, Natsu clapped his hands together before rubbing them together in an obvious sign that he was about to do something that would break at least 20+ school rules.

"Okay, it's decided. We're sneaking out."

A/N While I won't promise when I will update again (as my schedule this year was far more busier than I ever expected much less intended), I will promise the next update will be much quicker than next year. Until then!