Based off a tumblr post as stated in the description. It is rated T as there are suggested adult themes, and interesting language choices.

If anyone was wondering the prompt was 'We have to pretend to be a couple because my family only let partners/family to our ski house but it'll be fine because we're such great friends'

Chapter One: The Plan

"That's a terrible idea Lucy." Her blue haired friend deadpanned, after taking a lengthy sip of her iced coffee. Seriously, who drinks iced coffee in winter? Levy certainly was something else. Said girl sighed and began swirling her straw around in her cup and caught Lucy's eyes again, a hint of mischief behind them. "Come on, we're both well versed on fanfiction. You know the kind of situations this can get someone into right?"

Lucy scoffed at her friends words, rolling her eyes. Here we go again... "Levy. Look you know me and Natsu aren't interested in each other like that, we're just friends." She blew on a strand of long blonde hair that found its way out of her loose side plait and onto the middle of her face.

Levy raised an eyebrow and opened to mouth to speak, before Lucy cut her off to speak again. "AND even if I was interested in him," She narrowed her eyes at her friend and reiterated for assurance. "which I'm not. I don't really think he's interested in anyone like that?"

She hummed in thought to herself, thinking over all the times they had tumbled on the topics of romance only for him to brush her off and laugh about how he wasn't interested. They usually just ended up talking about the dates she had been on, but even then Natsu would just complain about the stories being boring so they didn't really even cross that topic often. She voiced these memories and thoughts to her friend, and Levy just started to chuckle in a slow knowing way.

"Because the one he's interested in is you." Levy said simply, smiling whilst playing with her straw again, to swirl the last pieces of ice around the last of the watery coffee. Lucy let out an audible sigh of frustration trying to get her friend to understand what she was saying.

"Natsu definitely isn't interested in me like that. He's basically seen me naked multiple times and-"

"Sorry multiple times? I thought it was just the once?"

"Aahhh shit.." Lucy quietly mumbled to herself, and let out a nervous breathy laugh. She had already told Levy about one of the embarrassing events and didn't really want to recall the others out loud again. Looking at Levy's curious eyes, she knew she wouldn't get away without telling her at least one of the other times.

Lucy thought back over the countless times he's barged in unexpectedly, or without warning, whilst she has been in the middle of changing. Obviously she would throw the closest object at him, and horrifyingly it had once been a particularly lacy piece of underwear which to her disdain he caught. This was the story she had told Levy as that had actually led to a pretty nasty argument between the two as Natsu proceeded to hold it up in front of her, eyes widening in recognition before laughing and teasing her about when she would use them.

"Natsu get OUT!" His incessant teasing was really getting on her nerves, why couldn't he knock like a normal person. Then they wouldn't get into these situations. Her face flushed with embarrassment and she felt a hot bucket of rage flow through her.

"Calm-Calm down, Lu- Luce," He managed to blurt out between laughs, tears forming in the corner of his eyes. "Seriously though, when would you ever use these? They're so fancy and-"

"Christ Natsu! What does it matter to you!" Natsu stopped laughing and his smile faltered slightly as she continued to yell at him. "Why do you care?! You will NEVER see me wear them, or ANYONE for that matter, so why do you FUCKING CARE?!"

Watching the smile fall off his face felt like it was happening in slow motion. His brows had furrowed slightly, and hurt flashed in his eyes. Not that Lucy had noticed that, as she was blinded by her anger and still catching her breath from her rant. The fabric slipped out of his hands, he hadn't even realised he was still holding it, and he swiftly turned around and mumbled an apology before leaving.

As soon as she calmed down and realised what was happening, and how he was acting entirely not like himself she regretted her words. Maybe she had been too harsh. The way he seemed to walk out so calmly perturbed her, it seemed as if her words had in fact affected him. Lucy had finished getting dressed and went to catch up with him so she could apologise, but it seemed he was in a hurry as he was nowhere in sight. Lucy had a pretty good idea that he didn't really want to see her right now, not after her stupid mouth ran on its own and said all those things.

She texted him asking to meet up to talk, and ended up calling him a few times as well. If he was going to be stubborn then fine, she would be too.

Two days passed without a word from him. Stubborn idiot. She missed him, this was the longest they had been without talking in their entire Uni stint so far. She decided to cave in and ask Levy's opinion and though she had some good ideas, Lucy couldn't help but feel like they weren't exactly right. To be honest she felt awful, Natsu had never been upset with her seriously and she couldn't say she liked it.

Inspiration struck as the two were discussing how she would usually cheer him up, and Lucy left to grab a couple of things together. She might just be able to pull this off.

Gray, one of his flatmates and childhood friends, answered the door and just rolled his grey eyes pointing to Natsu's room door.

"I knew something was up with you two. He's been in a shitty mood since Tuesday. That was when he last saw you right?" Lucy explained a slightly stunted version of the story to him and he winced when he heard what had happened. He ushered her to the door and mumbled a good luck.

Lucy tentatively knocked on the door and opened it slightly when no reply came.

"Natsu? It's me." He was sat on the middle of his bed leaning on the backboard, with his PlayStation controller in his hands and a game of Spyro on the TV. His pink head of hair turned towards her, and he sat up slightly but didn't meet her eyes. She shifted on the spot, feeling uncomfortable, which felt strange because it was a feeling she rarely associated with him.

"Look, I'm really sorry about what I said before," She made her way closer to him, dropping the bag by the foot of his bed as he paused the game setting the controller aside to look at her. "I don't know if you got my texts but I was angry and embarrassed, I didn't mean any of the stuff that I said." She climbed on the bed and sat down in front of him. "I promise."

She said the words with such conviction that his features softened into a smile and he opened his arms slightly to let her know she was forgiven. Her eyes searched his to ensure that he had indeed forgiven her, and she let out a breath she didn't even know she was holding when she found that he had. She dove into his arms for a hug with so much force he was backwards and chuckled. Lucy felt his chuckle vibrate through her own chest, and in doing so remembered what she had brought with her.

She pulled away from Natsu suddenly and almost fell off the bed in her excitement to grab the small pink bag she brought with her.

"For you." She held it out and urged him to take it. Though confused at first, once he realised what it was he marvelled at her in surprise, she always did know how to cheer him up. He pulled out a bottle of 'fire whisky' a discontinued brand of alcohol that Lucy had managed to snag for his 21st birthday.

He sung her praises and all was forgiven, the incident was essentially forgotten.

"Levs, I don't even know what to tell you." Lucy sighed. "You know the most obvious time.. others have just been so random and so often that it doesn't even faze me anymore."

She caught Levy's eye and explained the multitude of times, both before and after that incident, he had accidentally walked in on her changing when he just turned up at her flat, or when he's gone into the bathroom to ask her a question whilst she's been in the bath etc. And every time he does, not only does he not seem unfazed but it's almost as if he doesn't even recognise that she is a girl. He treats her the way he would all his other male friends. Lucy slumped onto the table and whined out her next reply.

"He can't like me Lev, he definitely would have acted differently if he did.." She glanced up at her from her arms, and the corner of her lips lifted up into a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Or ya know he would've reacted at all."

Lucy knew Levy wouldn't leave it alone, especially since when out drinking in their first year Lucy had mentioned that she might've had the tiniest crush on him. But she quickly killed that thought when they became better friends. Best friends even. Best friends don't pine over each other. So she pushed her feelings aside and shoved them in a box, then threw that box right into the deepest part of her mind so she wouldn't ever have to deal with them again.

Or so she hoped.

To be honest, she still got rather flustered around him when he surprised her with compliments, but then again that was easy to play off as she seemed to get flustered a lot surrounding praise. Once she figured out she may like him, she immediately set boundaries for herself. She didn't want to compromise their friendship. However it was extremely hard to stick to those boundaries when Natsu himself had absolutely none when it came to personal space. He was always hugging her, throwing his arm over her shoulders or sitting suspiciously close to her at parties.

Once at one of Natsu's infamous parties, they were sat in a circle playing Never Have I Ever. Lucy was squashed between Levy and Gray, Levy talking to Gajeel on her left whilst Lucy and Gray chatted to each other. Natsu had been on the opposite side of the circle with his arms crossed, a small pout on his face and his eyes narrowed and slightly unfocused. A splotchy pink hue covered his cheeks, probably from the sheer amount of alcohol he had consumed.

Lucy would later found out that was the most the others had seen him drink in… well forever.

Natsu had furrowed his eyebrows before promptly standing up, surprising those around him for about half a second before everyone went back to their own conversations and the game. He wobbled his way through the middle of the circle and dumped himself between Lucy and Gray, interrupting their conversation by practically sitting on them both.

Since they were not aware that he was on his way over, and the fact there wasn't really enough space between them for another person he settled on just sitting atop of both of them before turning to smile at Lucy; a happy but slightly dazed look in his eyes as he did so.

Obviously she began complaining about his rude behaviour, especially since her and Gray were mid conversation. Gray on the other hand was not in the mood and pulled himself out from underneath Natsu to grab another drink. He began to ask Lucy if she wanted one as well, but Natsu just glared at him to 'piss off ice princess'. His words came out slurred and that alerted Lucy to his state of intoxication.

She had never heard him slur, even on their heaviest nights drinking. God he was such a weirdo though, why had he had so much that night? Only he would know. Man did he have a horrible hangover the next day though. He spent the morning of it throwing up in her toilet whilst she just rubbed his back awkwardly, offering him water where he needed it.

"Earth to Lucy?" Levy's voice cut through her daydream and dragged her back to reality. She raised an eyebrow and pushed herself up to drop her cup in the bin, seeming to have finished it whilst she was miles away. Lucy shook her head to clear her thoughts, as Levy sat back down. "Regardless of either of your feelings, I still think it's a bad idea."

"Leevvyyyyy," Lucy whined, pouting at her friend. "You don't understand how BORING it is if I'm by myself, they have this stupid rule that we can't invite friends, only family members and partners! It's the only way I can have someone there.."

Levy sighed deeply looking at her friend's sulking expression from across the table. Despite what she said, Levy knew her friend still had a crush on the pink haired idiot of the group. Not only could she tell from a mile away from the soft smiles Lucy gives that boy, but it also definitely had something to do with the fact that Lucy had actually inadvertently admitted it to her at one of their sleepovers. Along with that, she had more than an inkling that Natsu liked her back.

It was in the way he fiercely protected her on nights out, guarding her from the filth that were also known as drunk teenage boys. Although he would protect any of their friends because that's just who he was, the way he seemed to be on the watch for the ones that would go for Lucy was a step above the rest. She was always blissfully unaware of the creeps on a night out. She focused on her friends and simply danced with herself when she was drunk enough. But Natsu always had his eyes on her, making sure she was okay and out of harm's way. Quite obviously as well, but Lucy seemed to not have noticed.

They were both idiots quite frankly.

Shaking her head, Levy leaned over the table to half-heartedly try and reassure her. One part of her really wanted Lucy to do it. There was a high probability that they would get put in some interesting situations, that could end up with them both confessing and them finally getting together. But the other part of her really didn't want Lucy to follow through with this crazy plan of hers, because she knew that Lucy would freak out about her crush on Natsu and try to spare his feelings, and that Natsu would do the exact same.

Levy was smart, she picked up on the slight eye twitching he got whenever Lucy announced she had a date, as well as the relief in his eyes when she came back the next day saying how horrible it was. She just hoped to god that she wasn't reading into things too much.

"Have you even mentioned any of this to Natsu yet?" Lucy perked up a bit, as she proceeded to lean back in her chair closing her eyes to think momentarily.

"No," Levy pursed her lips slightly but let her continue, "but I don't think he'll mind to be honest, he seemed interested in it the last few times I've been and as long as he really isn't interested in anyone I don't see why he would mind pretending?" She really didn't think Natsu would mind, they were best friends after all. And honestly he was gutted when he found out only family members were allowed to go, saying something about their stupid rules. And Lucy really had to agree, it was torture, especially since her cousins had all started bringing their significant others with them in the recent years. She just ended up being a fifth wheel to them all.

A low buzzing alerted Levy of a text on her phone. Her lips quirked up into a half smile as she looked at it. Lucy huffed a bit, pouting as she absently fiddled with the loose strands of her hair asking Levy if it was her boyfriend, Gajeel, texting her. Finally looking up from her phone, a faint blush across her cheeks, she nodded.

"Yeah, he's waiting outside the library." She started packing her things up, noticing Lucy had finally finished her hot chocolate as well, and stood up. Lucy shot her a smile and exhaled slowly before standing up herself.

They began an entirely new conversation delving into how cute Lucy thought her and Gajeel were together as she slung her rucksack over her shoulder and dropped her empty cup in the bin as they walked out of the library's own coffee shop.

On the off week they didn't bump into each other in their shared lectures, they had arranged to have a coffee gossip session in the library's shop. Thus it became their little ritual. Sit down, drink coffee (or in Lucy's case hot chocolate) and gossip about what had happened that week or keep the other updated about their love life. For Levy, her relationship with Gajeel, and for Lucy, teasing about Natsu and all of her failed dates.

Gajeel was waiting outside the library for Levy as promised, his dark unruly hair being held off of his face by a grey bandana. The multiple piercings on him and his constant resting bitch face, made him look entirely unapproachable. But still Levy had at that first party of Natsu's and they just seemed to click. Complimenting each other in the strangest of ways.

"You headed back to yours bunny girl?" Gajeel grunted out. Using that nickname he knew she hated. She eyed him suspiciously.

"Yeah, why?" His face morphed into his usual, odd smile and he turned his back wrapping his arm around Levy picking her off the ground slightly as he hugged her.

"Say hi to Hothead for me." He gave her a one handed wave as they left, not turning around to see her flip him off in response.

She walked the 10 minutes back to her apartment and took a deep breath before opening the door.

Guess it was time to go see what Natsu thought about her plan.

Sooo... what did you think? Please leave a review! (And if you spot any spelling errors etc. feel free to tell me, I have checked it but I'm only human :)) I will try to get this updated ASAP (Within 2 weeks) but I'm just starting my third and final year at University and am already up WAY past my bedtime to upload this. But you know what its like when inspiration strikes!

Thank you for reading, hope you enjoyed!