Lucy paced the guild hall, excitedly, as she waited for her team, plus Zeref, to gather their things. They'd finally taken on their first mission since returning from Tenrou Island and Lucy couldn't wait. Zeref still hadn't told her what type of magic he used and she was excited to see the man in action. Wendy had opted to stay behind, so it was just going to be the couple, plus Erza, Natsu, and Gray, which should be plenty of power for the job they were going to complete.

She grinned at the thought of working closely with her lover as the group walked through the double doors, chatting happily. She watched the scene from the seat she had taken only moments ago, smiling broadly. Natsu and Gray were competing for Zeref's attention while Erza watched on, rolling her eyes at the two boys. As soon as Zeref's eyes met Lucy's all chances of either of the two gaining his attention went out the window as he strode forward to take Lucy into his arms.

"I missed you," He said, kissing her softly.

A light blush dusted her face as she replied, "How could you have missed me? You've only been gone an hour."

"It was a very lonesome hour."

"Well, you needed more clothes and gear. Natsu and Gray were the best ones to help you find the proper equipment."

Zeref shrugged, "I would much rather it have been you that went out with me though. I don't like being away from you."

Lucy giggled while rolling her eyes, "You're going to have to get used to it. We can't be together all of the time."

Zeref pouted a little about that before agreeing.

"I just don't like it. What if something happens with this curse?"

Lucy hugged him, "If it starts to feel like you need me close by, come find me, okay? I'll get Warren or Cana to make you a tracker card so that you can always find me when you need to. Will that put you at ease?"

Zeref nodded, "It would be helpful."

Lucy grinned at her boyfriend, before turning to tell Cana her idea, explaining in vague detail about Zeref's curse without actually telling the drunk what it was or what it did, while telling her that Lucy's new kind of magic effectively combatted it. The brunette listened intently before nodding her agreement, telling Lucy that she would work with Warren on making a card just for the dark mage so that he could always find Lucy when needed.

Zeref watched the two girls talking, shifting nervously as he wondered just how much Lucy would have to tell this new found mate of his. He didn't know very many of the guild mates well enough to trust them, though he knew that they would keep his secret if he asked. He could still feel Mavis's disapproval radiating from her corner and he longed to talk to her, to tell her about his feelings for Lucy.

He knew that the tiny, but fierce founder would probably disapprove all the more. Mavis was gentle girl and could forgive a lot but he had pushed beyond that forgiveness a long time ago. Now she tolerated him for the sake of her guild, but that didn't mean she had to like or forgive what he had done. He sighed, turning his focus back to the ray of sunlight that he called his. Lucy grinned at him as she joined the rest of the group.

"Everyone here?" Erza, the steadfast leader, demanded, doing a mental head count.

Four heads nodded in unison and Erza nodded back as she shoulder her pack.

"Then let's head out," She announced.

"Where's Erza's pack?" Zeref leaned over to ask Lucy.

Lucy snickered, causing Gray and Natsu to join in while Zeref looked at them in confusion.

"Erza doesn't have a pack," Gray explained.

"She has a trolley," Natsu piped up, his snickering turning into laughter as they stepped outside and the group caught a look at Zeref's dumbfounded face as he stared at the cart that Erza's luggage was piled on.

He gaped for a moment before managing, "How on Earthland does she haul all of that around?"

Which, of course, caused another bought of laughter from the group.

"It's a secret," Gray replied, draping an arm around their newest comrade. "But we think it's a combination of the fact that she's super strong and her magic somehow allowing her to carry more than what she should be capable of."

The other two nodded their agreement as Erza turned to glare at them.

"Are we ready?"

The four nodded in unison, not wanting to upset the red-head.

"Good, Let's go," Her face softened as she looked at Zeref. "If you want to throw your pack on here I don't mind."

Lucy grinned as she watched the group interact. She hadn't realized just how much she missed going out on missions with them until just now. Some things never seemed to change and she was relieved to find that Natsu still welcomed people with open arms. His head was bent towards Zeref's as the two whispered conspiratorially. She raised an eyebrow, but didn't ask what the two were planning, sure that she would find out sooner or later.

"They seem to be as thick as thieves," Gray noted, walking next to her.

She nodded, "It's a little scary, isn't it?"

He nodded his agreement, "Whatever they're planning, Erza is going to squash them like bugs if she finds out."

Lucy laughed, "This is true. Though I am curious to know what it is they are planning."

The two didn't have long to wait as Natsu shouted, "I didn't know that you could do that!"

Zeref nodded and Natsu grinned brightly before running back toward the two who were watching in concern.

"Luce, did you know that Zeref can cause everyone to be immobile unless he decides otherwise? How great is that? We can just freeze our enemies and then blast them away?"

Lucy raised an eyebrow, "I didn't know that, but we really shouldn't do things that way. That's sort of like cheating, you know."

Natsu pouted, "Yeah, but then they can't hurt us."

"Yes, but how much credit can we actually take if they just stand there like statues and allow us to take them out?"

"You're right," Natsu sighed before turning back to Zeref. "Looks like we'll have to come up with a different plan of attack."

Zeref nodded gravely as the two bent their heads together once more, causing the others to look on in amusement.