"What the fuck?"
Lucy couldn't believe her eyes, couldn't believe the audacity of this guy. Truly.
It was him. The guy who keeps making off-handed, sexually charged comments about her body every time she saw him. Granted she has only met him twice but each time he said something completely unlike what she assumed from his character.
The first interaction, Lucy admits that she jumped the gun on that, but he still said something so disgusting and just kept staring at her like she was something to devour. The second interaction was so different! She didn't know what to think, was he a pervert or was he not? How do you directly take a picture on your personal device right in front of her, exactly the dimensions of her chest no less?
She did regret slapping him, violence was a bad habit stemming from her temper, especially since he wasn't embarrassed, and it almost looked like he was about to say something when she showed him.
But keeping your guard down is exactly how cute girls like her get exploited!
Her friends Juvia and Levy both kept assuring her that Natsu was an idiot, or rather the latter said that, and Juvia carefully said," Natsu-san has no interest in that sort of thing. Gray-sama confirms it everytime and so does Gajeel-kun." Gajeel-kun. Whoever that was.
Lucy also wondered why she was thinking about him so much, she's dealt with many perverts in her lifetime so why was this any different?
Honestly…he and his situations made her laugh.
Which is a bizarre notion, considering she hadn't really talked to him the first time, but he just wouldn't leave her thoughts.
Now, he 'super-liiiike'-ed her on the stupid app Levy made her get, how does he have the gall to even consider super-liiiiiking her?
There can only be two explanations; he was either absolutely shameless or somewhat innocent?
For someone that lives right across from her, she didn't see him at all until yesterday when she decided to get some writing done on a secret novel she's worked on and just to escape her soul-sucking job.
Then yesterday, as she was looking out the window, she saw his full face pushed against the glass and his eyes franticly running through her building to the entrance….and right to the garage she enters every morning. It was jarring, to say the least-
BEEP BEEP BEEP BEE- A fist slammed down on the alarm.
"Oh, my Mavis, I'm late!"
Distracted by this stupid notification and then getting lost in her train of thought at some silly pink-haired punk, she forgot to get ready. She's never late for anything.
Panicking, Lucy threw off her blankets and ran to the bathroom to get ready, not noticing her phone on the bed sent out another notification from The One Magic app.
'It's a match made in the stars! Say hi to Natsu!"
Capricorn recognized the regular tone of his mistress's heels clicking against the floor, growing louder and pacing faster until the double doors were kicked open by bow-tied crystal blue stilettos. Her outfit consisted of a flowering powder blue dress, including a long slit to her hip.
Lucy often made it a point in their office that she will by no means masculinize herself in order to show authority, it was an 'archaic concept'.
Capricorn nonetheless continued to don his typical 'butler suit' as Lucy called it.
Lucy, holding onto the ledge of the door for dear life and gasping for air made out," I'm sorry I'm late Capricorn, let's get started! Quickly! Sorry. Oh, I'm dying." She started to cough as well; she looked like a pathetic sight. Capricorn grasped her elbow in support, but it only caused her to straighten up and apologetically move his gloved hands back.
They walked towards the elevator and pressed on the only star icon that brought them to the top floor. The employees around them moved and bowed slightly and uttered their respective greetings, Lucy warmly smiled back at them and exchanged the same, but he could tell she was still frazzled.
"Lucy-sama, you are not even a full five minutes late. You should allow yourself to at least take a breath." He felt the same ache he's had since Lucy was a child, watching the child he raised being pushed to the extremes for 'ultimate unequivocal success' as Jude Heartfilia put it.
She had constantly toiled away in education, professions, and any achievement necessary to appease her father, until she could physically no longer be a lackey in pursuit of his attention.
Instead, she left the Heartfilia Konzern to become the founder of Celestial Keys.
Where her father's businesses remained on the ground in factories, railways, trains, and real estate, Lucy turned her view to the sky.
They focused on modern technology and science to launch and discover how to manage the energy gained from the raw power of star energy.
So instead of spending every waking hour slaving away in her office under her father…. she did the exact same in her own office. For herself!
Across the continent, the world took note of her success and continues to do so, but no amount of praise made her pause the stride.
Capricorn knew behind the unwearying façade was a girl that just wanted to write a book. To get lost in adventure, excitement and the unknown. She just keeps getting lost in the real world out of spite for her father.
While he would love to say all that to her, he instead just waits for realize it. He knows how Lucy functions best; he knows that if she heard him say that then maybe she would panic and rip apart the foundations of her sanity.
Tap Tap … Tap Tap Tap Tap Tap Tap
Tap Tap Tap…
Silence
Tap Tap Tap Tap Tap Tap Tap Tap Tap Tap Tap Tap
Curiously, Capricorn looked down from his table behind Lucy. He could recognize the sounds of her fingernails hitting the screen, then backspacing, then typing, then backspacing before placing her phone screen side down on the desk.
Then she picked it up and did the same thing, yet again.
Lucy rarely ever texted people, she preferred to call and most definitely never looked so pensive about writing things down over a text. Even her emails she preferred to do over the lacrima computer screens to reduce the chances of error.
"Lucy-sama, is everything alright?" He asked in concern.
"EEEK! -hahaha of course Capricorn. Don't worry! Haha…" She kept nervously giggling and waved him off.
While it was a habit of hers to keep her concerns to herself, he hadn't really seen this situation before. She started avoiding her phone for some time and they resumed back to their respective screens.
Bzzz.
Absentmindedly and distracted by her work, she picked up and stared then scoffed, then backed away from her desk and scuttled across the main space of the office.
At first, he was concerned about these new behaviors of hers today but seeing her annoyed at something on her screen put him at ease.
Fear, exhaustion, desperation are all terrible things, but Lucy and her temper go hand in hand. It's almost where she is the most comfortable.
"he's clearly an idiot!" He could hear her muffled yell, presumably to her friend/secretary Juvia Lockser. Then some words of the same nature, but from what he could make out. Something about the one?
'The one?'
Now that piqued Capricorns interests and he promptly reached into his shirt pocket and took out a comically large lacrima device. He unlocked his messages until he reached one particular group chat, Gold Keys Gate.
Da GOAT: Good morning fellow associates, could Lucy-sama be acquainted with a lover?
Kitty Destroyer: Not my future wife Lucy! [sad emoji] [crying emoji] [GIF of Plue sobbing uncontrollably]
Punishment Express: Lucy-sama does not allow any male genitals near her residence, should I be punished?
Major-Tsunami-Warning: Shut the fuck up. That half-wit doesn't have remotely enough charm to bag anyone. And stop texting me.
Stinger: Where is the strawberry cake? Whose birthday and what floor, quick.
Major-Tsunami-Warning: Cutie-baby! I'll show you!
Capricorn sighed and silenced the device while it continuously vibrated; he should've known there would be no solution from them.
The double French doors slammed open in a huff from Lucy, who carefully closed them after quietly apologizing to him. He saw a glimpse of her expression before plopping down into her seat.
While he was concerned for his mistress, he saw the little impish smile on her face.
She was having fun.
Meanwhile with Lucy while she was talking to Juvia:
"Look!" Lucy nearly smacked into Juvia's face while showing her the offending chat. "Sorry!"
Juvia spent a moment reading the single line that Natsu sent to her and then began giggling uncontrollably.
"Lucy! San! Natsu-san is a good-natured person. But perhaps-giggle-flirting might not be his strongest suit." Juvia could barely contain it; she kept rereading the one-liner and thought of ways to screenshot when Lucy wasn't looking.
"He's clearly an idiot! A-and why would he flirt with me?" Lucy started to wonder how much longer she can be annoyed by this person's existence.
Reading the text from 'Natsu', "Hey Luigi, I'm sorry for what happened. It really was an accident, both times! Really! I don't even like your boobs :) ".
"Why would he not like them?" Lucy was perplexed, while this should've calmed her down, she was even more upset.
"Oh~ Does Lucy-san want Natsu-san to like her breasts?" Juvia asked, almost looking cat-like.
"Yes." Lucy said distractedly while looking on the screen, but then her expression blanked before flushing to a cherry hue. "No-no! That's not what I meant! Wha-why would I want him to-Stop LAUGHING JUVIA! You know what I meant!" Lucy was sputtering out anything while she felt her stomach drop to her knees.
Juvia could no longer get a sound out, "I am sorry Lucy-san! It's-it's just, you kept speaking of how much he bothered you for this year. And that you couldn't get him out of your mind, it's just-"Juvia immediately stopped laughing.
She grabbed an unsuspecting Lucy by the shoulders before finishing her thought.
Immediately her eyes turned into smitten hearts and Lucy groaned.
"NOW LUCY-SAN AND NATSU-SAN CAN GO ON DOUBLE DATES WITH JUVIA AND GRAY-SAMAAAA"
Lucy sighed, disentangled herself from the love-struck girl, and watched her almost molt into the floor with thoughts of 'her beloved Gray-sama'. When Juvia gets in this liquified state, there's no use even trying to talk to her.
She turned and started walking along the corridor towards her office.
Why was she so bothered?
Well, anyone would be bothered when a stranger tells you they don't like your boobs. Except for Lucy, she was a little disappointed.
Since walking into the office this morning, she was thinking of what to say to him.
'I accidentally swiped so don't even bother messaging…[backspace] [backspace] [backspace]'
But then why would she be messaging him?
'You owe me many apologies, but I am also sorry for hitting you so many times.'
[backspace] [backspace] [backspace]
'Okay. I'm sorry for hitting you, let's actually start on a new footing. I'm Lucy!'
…[backspace] [backspace] [backspace]
She just felt so nervous. Ever since this man stumbled into her life, it's as though she's in an odd trance and every time there's a moment of brain-fried silence on her mind, she thinks of him. At first, she would get angry at herself for resorting to thinking about him. She wouldn't pry, and she most definitely wouldn't reach out to her friends for more information.
Except…She really liked his smile at the beach. When he reached out to her, if she hadn't misinterpreted Juvia's flailing arms, who knows how it would've turned out?
Now this, this stupid app!
She had to admit he was insanely cute, and he was so tall. She was always a taller girl to most women, and never had the chance to feel cute and small they way Levy is. His nature genuinely seemed kind, so it was a mystery why he just got these perverted outbursts in front of her. It didn't give off the sleazeball energy she usually faces, not even like the manageable type like Loke.
Also…his biceps.
When she saw the first picture, he's literally shirtless, sweaty and ripped. Even though she'd deny it, she nearly drooled at the sight. Clearly the man worked out, she took notice every time considering his pecs and abs were outlined even in the loose simple t-shirts he wore. The picture looked like he was in a boxing ring, but his biceps looked so massive and supple that she would kill just to-
WOAH.
Okay.
Okay. Maybe she also has some certain thoughts, about him. She trusts her friends and she trusts her gut.
But now what?
Bzzz.
She looked down to her notifications and of course, somehow it was from that darn app.
'I hope you're not planning to murder me today; I have a son! My boy can't survive without me :( He's blue enough as it is! 'pHappcan
She snorted, at least he was kind of funny but before she could reply he had sent yet another message.
'Jokes aside…I really didn't do it on purpose either times, I ain't doing nothing like that. I do think your funny tho! I mean you're mostly really weird but I like that. Do you wanna meet at that pastry place downstairs?'
She was just standing by the doors to her office and tried to decide on what to say. Then her fingers confidently typed a response back.
'You're. *'
Then,
'And I'd love to.'
She felt herself smile widely and accidentally propelled the doors in her giddy mood without knowing. Capricorn again wore an uneasy expression, but Lucy gave him a nervous laugh and apologized.
Once she sat down, she finally felt a little at ease that day, but didn't want to frighten poor Capricorn more with her constantly fluctuating mood.
She hoped he didn't notice.