So this is a reupload and re-write. This is also being cross-posted on AO3. Please leave a review if you like/ want more!

Chapter 1 – Bad Ideas & Coffee

"That's a terrible idea." Levy deadpanned, flipping the lid off of her iced coffee and finishing it off in one swift sip.

The coffee shop around them bustled with movement, scraping chairs across the floor, porcelain cups meeting saucers, and the ever-growing murmur of gossip among old friends. She looked at her friend across the table leaning back from her. Lucy's fingers were nervously tapping the mug her decadent hot chocolate was once in. "Come on Lu, you can't really think this is a good idea?"

Lucy' moved forward, placing the cup to one side, placing her elbows on the table and leaning on her fists now curled up under her chin. Her thumbs absent-mindedly moving back and forth, caressing the side of her face in an attempt to self-soothe. "Look." She paused for a moment to take in a small breath. "I know what you're going to say."

Levy raised an eyebrow, opening her mouth to tell her friend just what she thought. She thought that Lucy would drive herself justifiably crazy if she asked Natsu, her absolute best friend, to pretend to be her boyfriend for a skiing trip. It was nuts. It was a crazy stupid plan. She was about to say all this, but she was interrupted by Lucy before she could get any of it out.

"Look Levy. You know this. I know this. Me and Natsu are JUST friends." Lucy raised her palm in front of her, her head tilted slightly to the side and her eyes closed for a brief moment, to keep her composure. "We aren't like that. Nothing will happen." She let her head fall slightly as she spoke.

You'd think with the two years of experience that Lucy had under her belt of lying to herself about her crush on Natsu, she would've been able to hide the disappointment from her voice a little bit better.

Levy rolled her eyes. Her petite hands briefly coming up to grab a large chunk of her fading blue hair in frustration. This girl needed some tough love.

"All due respect Lu. But that's crap."

Lucy's head shot up to look at Levy.

Levy looked straight back at her. She could see the no bullshit look she had on her face.

"Don't think I've forgotten you spilling your guts to me about the hot martial arts instructor that saved you-" Lucy interjected here, feeling it was a little unfair. That was when they had very first met. Years ago. And she said so.

"Okay, what about the accidental admission last month at that movie night round yours." Levy crossed her arms and sat back in her chair giving Lucy a knowing look. "About a few different situations you found yourself in?"

Lucy had been well and truly caught out.

"A-ah. Well. Okay, ah, well- I-." Lucy spluttered. She took a deep breath and let her forehead rest on the table, banging it gently. "Shut up."

Levy sighed as her blonde friend kept her head against the table, hiding in the protection of her folded arms. Her long blonde hair had strayed away from the messy plait she put it in earlier and melted across the table like liquid gold. Th mess no doubt caused by Lucy pulling at it nervously whilst thinking about her situation.

Lucy's hair was soft under her hand when she placed it gently on her head. "Lu, come on. I know you try your best to hide it but you clearly still have a pretty big crush on the guy." Lucy pouted as she looked up from the safety of her arms and now hair curtain. "I'm your best gal pal. Of course I know you like Natsu. For some strange reason."

Lucy's eyes nervously flicked around the room to check nobody had overheard her, but she found a big ol' pile of nothing. There was a young couple in the far corner sofa of the café, clearly on an awkward but sweet looking first date. An older woman sat on a bar stool by the window completely engrossed in whatever book she was reading. And the Barista Hibiki seemed to be doing his job whilst simultaneously flirting with a pretty redhead in the queue. Lucy sighed in submission.

"You know why Lev." Her cheeks heating up at the thought of the stupid pink headed loser whose ingrained his stupid self into her very being. "You also know we're just friends. Best friends. I mean come on, the number of times he's announced to the group feels like he's rubbing salt in the wound now."

Lucy chuckled at her own attempt of cheering herself up, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. Now with a glossy sheen over the usual deep russet colour.

"He does like to announce it a lot Lu. Maybe he's just worried someone will try to steal you away again."

"I was hardly stolen away; I was getting to know Gray better since I hadn't spoken to him much."

Levy refrained from pointing out the obvious that Natsu had been jealous and failed to mention that he had also been glaring at them for their entire conversation. Then again, he had been drunk. And he always wore his heart on his sleeve when sober. So, it was an interesting course of events that took place at that house party.

Levy shook her head, clearing the memories of that party and focused her mind on her friend in front of her. Lucy was clearly in distress. She needed clarity, or someone to reassure her, but Levy couldn't help but worry for her friend.

She placed her hand gently on Lucy's arm and broached the subject carefully.

"Look Lu, go ahead with it, if this is what you want, but are you sure you're going to be all right? You'll be asking him to play the part of boyfriend, and you will have to play along as well. I just- I don't want you to get hurt."

Lucy's heart and expression melted softly. Trust Levy to be this empathetic. She placed her hand on top of Levy's, the stark difference in their pale pink and dark black nails making itself apparent.

"It's Natsu. He won't- I'll be okay, Levs"

"Lucy-" Levy sighed.

"Levy." Lucy matched the tone of voice Levy used mocking her gently, before sitting up and curling in on herself. "I may not quite be as over it as much as I'd hoped but I made the decision a long time ago to stay as just friends."

Levy's eyebrows pinched together as Lucy continued.

"He's made it clear we're just friends, and I didn't- I don't want him to feel like I'm just waiting around for him to become interested in me. I'm happy being friends Lev. I am."

"Oh Lucy.. he would never think that."

"I know. I know that. But I still feel guilty about it. He deserves respect, and that's what I'll give. I'd rather stay quiet about it forever if it allowed me to stay his best friend."

Levy's heart hurt for Lucy. She knew she'd be devastated if Gajeel hadn't manned the hell up and asked her out when he did. She was right about to try and move on. It was lucky she hadn't. In an attempt to lighten the mood Levy filled the tense silence.

"He's a rather cosy best friend." She held her hands up in innocence as she played coy. "I'm just saying, you two touch and hug a lot for 'just friends."

Lucy groaned and ran her hands over her face, pulling her eyes and cheeks down slightly. She let out a short huff.

"I know our friendship is a little unconventional but that's just Natsu. You've seen him with you guys when drunk, he's just such an affectionate person!" Levy thought better than to interrupt with her thoughts here. "His personal space boundaries are a bit weird; I'll give you that, but that's also WHY I want to ask him to come with me! Nobody else could fill the role and not make it weird!"

Lucy seemed dead set on the idea. There was no convincing her otherwise when her mind had been made up. Both she and Natsu shared that in common.

Incredibly stubborn idiots when they wanted to be.

"Lu I just think you should think more about-" Levy was interrupted by a short buzz from her phone on the table. She hastily pulled it out from under the book she had been reading before Lucy joined her and flicked the message aside without reading it.

"Look I just want you to-" She was cut off by a longer more obnoxious buzzing and rolled her eyes before picking up the phone.

"Yes Gajeel I'm coming jeeeezzzz we were mid-conversation." She rolled her eyes exaggeratingly to Lucy and mouthed 'Gajeel is here' before tidying her book into her bag. "Yes Lucy." Levy zipped up her bag. "Yes Natsu." Levy looked pointedly at her friend as she was checking her long-forgotten cup of hot chocolate. "I know that. I've told her." Levy responded indignantly.

Lucy slung her own pink rucksack over her shoulder and tidied away their cups placing them on the counter and waving a quick thank you and goodbye to Hibiki.

"Are you meeting Gajeel out by the front?" She said to Levy as she heard her huff down the phone and hang up. Levy just smiled sheepishly and pointed to the glass door to the café.

Sure enough, there was a scruffy looking guy with the harsh winter sun catching many a piercing down his ears and face. He looked pretty threatening if you didn't know him. And even if you did know him at the beginning, but he had changed.

His posture changed entirely as they made their way out the shop to greet him. He wrapped Levy into a bear hug and placed his chin on her head. A cocky shit eating grin plastered over his face as he spoke.

"Sup Bunny Girl."

"Lugnuts." Lucy replied stoically.

"Nice. Choosing Hothead's nickname for me. Cute. Real couple goals that." Levy wiggled out of his grasp, rose to her tiptoes, and gave him a gentle smack on the back of the head for that, apologising to Lucy and telling him to be nice.

Lucy just snorted and waved it off, she knew it was going to get a reaction in one way or another. He gave Lucy a rough pat on the shoulder letting her know it was all in good jest and handed Levy her helmet to keep that 'smart little head of hers safe' as he called it.

"You headed back to yours then?" He gestured down the road to her flat as he swung one leg over his bike. Lucy narrowed her eyes. She didn't like his tone.

"Yeh… why?"

Gajeel smirked before putting his helmet on. "Say hey to Hothead for me."

"Oh jes- not again. Is he there?"

Gajeel let out his weird conspirators laugh as Lucy slid her free arm into her pink rucksack so she could speed walk back to her place. She was not going to let Natsu find and eat all of her snacks.

As she disappeared down the road, Gajeel flicked the stand back up and used his legs to steady the bike for Levy to climb on.

"Lev. Are they really going to-"

"Yup."

"Just for a skiing trip?"

"Yup."

"Those two are so fucked." Gajeel shook his head. "What idiots."

With a sigh, climbed onto his bike behind him and hugged his chest. "Yup."