Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters.

The evening sun continued to transition closer and closer to the deep amber glow of dusk as Juvia reached her and Gray's apartment. The walk back was the perfect amount of peace for her to process everything she had observed while spying on Nathan. Her heart was warm and her smile was unrelenting at watching Lucy and Happy seem the brightest they have been in a long time. She knew she had to keep her and the other S-Class mages concerns on the forefront of her mind, but it was truly becoming difficult to see Nathan as a threat.

Juvia unlocked the apartment's front door and stepped inside to see Gray on the couch watching their lacrima-vision as he turned his head to the sound of her entrance. Gray smiled seeing the positive look on her face and stood up to give her a hug and find out what she had seen.

"Are you just that happy to see me like usual, or were you pleased with what you saw today?" Gray smirked at his girlfriend.

"Juvia is always happy to see her Lord Gray," she giggled. "Juvia's smile this time though is more for Lucy and Happy. Juvia has never seen them look so good as she has seen them today. Nathan went out of his way to make sure they all had a good time, and seemed to really be there only for a good purpose. I watched them for hours and it really was just a trio of friends hanging out together. Lucy decided that they should prep and eat their catch at her apartment, so Juvia came back here since she didn't feel comfortable spying on Lucy in her own home."

Gray's eyes widened slightly at the fact that Lucy was bringing Nathan to her place. The guy must have really made an impression for her to let him into her space so easily. Juvia mentioned that while she would have been worried if Lucy was alone with him, but with Happy there too she assumed it would be safe. Gray agreed and after his talk with Nathan at the bronze dragon, he too believed that Nathan was not out to harm Lucy in any way. He was more worried about Erza's experience with Nathan's magic seemingly going out of control for an instant. Jellal had mentioned the magic seems to respond to Nathan's will and emotions and the full destructive power of it was still a mystery.

"You made the right choice Juvia. I don't care what Jellal says, we aren't spying on Lucy in her own home. If a danger becomes known then our best option would be to let Lucy in on what we know about this guy. I spoke with him last night and he really does seem like a good person who's just trying to find his way. I think what might be a good idea is that I convince him to go on a mission with me under the guise of helping out a new guild member. That way I can see how well he can actually control his magic in combat and maybe he will open up more to me."

Juvia knew how capable Gray was as a mage, but it still pinged her heart slightly at him going on a mission with such an unknown variable. What would happen if Nathan couldn't control these strange dark flames of his, and Gray was caught in the crossfire.

"If that's what you think is best then please just be careful my beloved. His magic seems to be to able consume another's, and if something goes wrong and you can't defend yourself..."

Gray put his hands on Juvia's shoulders and looked into her dark blue eyes that had become slightly glossy.

"I'm suggesting I do this because everything is pointing to this guy's magic having a dark root to it. My demon slayer magic would be an excellent counter to it should something go wrong, and hopefuly I would be able to stop him from doing anything he'd regret. You have nothing to worry about Juvia, I will always come back to you."

Juvia smiled and hugged Gray tightly, happy she had such a strong partner in her life she could count on. Besides, she can just secretly follow him and watch his back like usual right?

"Please don't follow me this time either, the last thing I want is for you to be caught in a crossfire if something goes wrong with Nathan. Can you do that for me please?"

Juvia's eyes widened and brows furrowed while she pouted, not too happy at being shut down already. She knew he was right though, deep down. Gray was the best equipped to deal with any potentially bad situation, and her presence could only make things worse for him if he had to worry about her on top of himself.

"As you wish Lord Gray. I won't be a burden to you."

Gray smirked at his love, "You'll never be a burden to me Juvia, I just want to keep you safe that's all. I can't ever be in a position again where I thought I could lose you forever. And please, for the thousandth time, stop calling Lord."

"Never, Lord Gray." Juvia smirked as she proceeded to lean in to a deep kiss with the love of her life.

Mira stood at the guild bar after finishing prepping the dinner trays for all the members. The typical quiet evening was replaced by constant chatter of the newest guild member. Everyone seemed to be in very high spirits after Nathan's welcoming party the night prior and she was happy to see such a positive change. Even Laxus was eating dinner in the common area rather than being holed up in his office all evening, chatting with his guild and acting like a member of the family. Who knew one person could make such an impact so quickly.

The guild doors opened suddenly, pulling Mira out of her thoughts. Everyone turned as a man with well combed salt and pepper hair walked towards the bar. What stood out most about him was the three piece suit he wore that was completly pure white, even his polised shoes looked as if they were made of snow. The stoic portryal seemed almost ominous, as if she was staring at someone who stood far above her in the social hierarchy. The man looked to Mira and smiled like a politcian, pleasant to see but not genuine. A shiver traveled up her spine while she addressed him.

"H-hello what can Fairy Tail do for you? Would you happen to be a client with a request?"

The man's cold eyes seemed to study her closely as he grabbed an envelope from the inside of his frost clad jacket. His natural pale skin tone darker than the clothes he wore, giving an unsettling feeling to the young woman.

"I wouldn't call myself a client but I do have a request. I represent a private benefactor who is in need of the services of the famous Jellal Fernandes. He is a very busy man and has sent me to find Jellal for him. I was unable to contact the royal family for a formal request and the matter is very urgent. I know he frequents this guild often and was wondering if someone close to him would be able to give this letter to him personally. It is of dire importance that only Jellal's eyes see this letter and I expect a guild as honorable as Fairy Tail to uphold discretion. Would you be able to help me in this matter?"

Mira blinked at his words and was about to respond when Laxus stood up from his seat.

"I am the master of this guild Laxus Dreyar, and on my honor I will insure Jellal, and only Jellal, will see your request. Would it be so rude to ask for your name so he knows who he will be dealing with upon receipt?"

The tall man's smile never left his face as his cold eyes traveled to the young burly guild master, proceeding to hand the envelope to Laxus. He then tucked his fingers into his jacket behind his lapels as he spoke.

"I would think it would be rude of myself if I burdened you with this request without introducing myself. I apologize for not doing so earlier. I am Marcus Lunar and I have included all the intructions of where Jellal can meet with me in that letter. Any other information he needs will be included as well and I very much appreciate Fairy Tail for helping me with this matter. Unfortunately, sometimes, it is much faster to get things done taking it into your own hands rather than waiting for the proper channels take their time with things. I'm sure you understand Master Dreyar."

Laxus looked into the cold eyes of Marcus and quietly scoffed. "If the matter is that pressing for you Marcus I can surely understand why you came to us. Jellal will receive your message as quickly as possible I assure you. Will you be so kind as to tell your benefactor that if he is ever in need of Fairy Tail's services again to please send a formal request? We would happily complete work for him in the future. Is there any other business you need to address while you are here?"

Marcus took his hands off of his jacket and proceeded to bow towards Laxus. "Not at this time Master Dreyar. If Jellal can recieve my request by the week's end then you have done more than enough for me and my benefactor. I wish you all a pleasant rest of your day, and I thank you for letting me take up your time."

Laxus crossed his arms and nodded towards the older man. "Not a problem at all Marcus, I wish you a pleasant return to wherever you came from. Please keep us in mind if you ever again require the services of Fiore's greatest guild. Thank you for coming."

Marcus grinned and turned away from the members of Fairy Tail and made his way to the exit. Mira could only stare blankly at the doors even after they shut, finally letting out a breath she didn't even know she was holding. Laxus turned towards her with a look of concern in his eyes.

"Are you alright Mira?"

Mira blinked and looked back at him, not quite ready to bring back her trademark smile. "I-I'm fine Laxus, there was just something very off-putting about that man. I couldn't sense his magic power, but I felt like if he wanted to he could just make everyone in here just dissapear. As if I was speaking to some higher being I shouldn't have been laying eyes on."

Laxus put a strong hand on her shivering shoulder.

"I think that's just part of his strategy to get to people Mira. That strange outfit and mannerisms are just meant to get under your skin. You have no reason to fear him, he's just another self-indulgant fool this world is far too full of. I don't know what he wants from Jellal but I'll have Erza get this letter to him. I will hold onto my word that I won't read or hear what is written on it, but I trust Jellal will be able to handle whatever the situation becomes. Besides, I doubt Erza would just stand by and let Jellal meet with this mysterious Marcus blindly. I'll have her tail Jellal and back him up if need be, so don't worry that pretty face of yours. Everything will be fine."

Mira smiled and held Laxus' wrist that laid on her shoulder with her own dainty hand. She looked into the guild master's confident eyes and truly believed in his words. She was thankful that the rebellious arragont boy she once loathed had grown into such an amazing and dependable man.

"As you say, Master."

The view of Lucy's apartment was surreal for Nathan. What was actually years felt like only days to him that he'd been inside the dwelling. The front of the building hadn't changed in three years, but he was mentally preparing himself for being inside. He would have to treat a place where he felt at home like one he had never stepped foot inside. He had to act like he didn't know where her fridge was, where her bathroom was, what her bed felt like, where she hid the drafts of her writing pieces. He had to act like a specter that had roamed the rooms of her apartment many times before but rested in a body that could only move in response to Lucy's direction. When he stepped foot into her living room and he had to purposely manage his breathing so he wouldn't lose himself or get too comfortable.

"Phew! That was a bit of hike with all our gear. Well here we are! Home sweet home!" Lucy beamed as she set down the poles by the side of the front door. "We can bring the coolers right over there to the kitchen and I'll grab a tray with some wax paper for us to clean the fish."

Nathan surveyed the apartment notcing hardly anything had changed since the last time he saw it. The table where him, Gray, Lucy, and Erza had sat together so many times before still sat dead center in the main room. Her bed and dresser remained tucked against the wall with the largest window standing just above her mattress. Her desk remained in an opposite corner minus the many papers and pens he was used to seeing there, as if Lucy hadn't been using it as much. His nostrils filled with the scent of her perfume and he was thankful his physical senses weren't what they used to be, since he would most likely lose himself right then and there. What caught his eye though made his breath hitch. Above her desk was a pink scaly scarf he knew all too well. It hung on the wall next to a window on hooks that were fastened into the plaster, to be shown prominently as the memorabilia it was meant to be. It was in pristine conditon, not a speck of dust to be found. The only thing Lucy had that she could touch that belonged to Natsu Dragneel. Nathan must have stared at it for a second too long when Lucy's eyes followed his gaze. Her eyes losing their shine as she looked towards the scarf.

"That was Natsu's. It was his most prized pocession. He got it from his father and I found it the day he... he died. I kept it here so it always felt like a piece of him was still with me. I'm sorry that sounds kind of weird and creepy doesn't it."

Nathan snapped out of his daze and turned towards Lucy, his eyes never leaving hers. He smiled at her, wishing he could tell her just how happy it made him to see her cherish that scarf.

"No, not at all. I know how much he meant to you. I was just taken aback by it for second becasue I have never seen a scarf like that before. It looks really cool, I'm not bothered at all by it. Don't ever feel guilty for honoring your friend Lucy, I'm sure Natsu would love that you keep his scarf up for display."

Lucy blinked at Nathan and lightly blushed. " Yeah I think you're right. If he couldn't wear it he would definitely still want everyone to see it. I'm glad you don't think I'm weird Nathan."

Nathan chuckled, "Well I didn't say that. There's nothing wrong with you being a little weird after all right?"

Lucy huffed at him smacking his arm, "I am not at all weird! I am a perfectly normal young woman who doesn't appreciate getting teased by you or that annoying talking cat!"

Happy laughed at Lucy's reaction. "See?! Even the new guy thinks you're weird Lucy! Just accept it!"

Lucy threw a throw pillow at Happy who proceeded to fly up in the air in order to dodge it. "Shut up cat! Let's just get going on cleaning this fish so we can eat soon! I'm starving."

Nathan smirked at Lucy's outburst, already feeling at home being here. "Not a problem milady. I'll take the coolers over and get started right away. Leave all the seasoning and cooking to me, you just sit back and put up your feet. This won't take long." He took one last glance at the scarf before trecking into the kitchen.

Nathan finished cleaning and fileting fish and was ready to begin cooking them. He felt strange using a stove top since he always cooked food before with his magic. That was Natsu's magic though, and he didn't understand Nathan's enough to try to even attempt using it to cook. He could burn down the whole building if he wasn't careful. Even though he couldn't feel heat from his new flames before doesn't mean that they couldn't be destructive. He seasoned the fish with the basics he knew: salt, pepper, a dash of lemon. He knew very well that Lucy was not as into spice as Natsu was, and the last thing he wanted was to never be invited over again because he burnt Lucy's tongue off.

Using a large skillet he found, he cooked and seared the pink meat of the trout and plated them after they were done. The trio sat around the table and indulged to the benefits of their work earlier in the day, all around enjoying the taste of their catch. Lucy hummed after finishing the last bite of her fish. "Wow, that's a lot better than I was expecting. I'm starting to see why you're so obsessed Happy!"

"Aye!" The blue cat responded as he was beginning to indulge the second trout that was brought back for him. Nathan smiled at the positive recpetion his friends had to his cooking.

"I was worried I may have underseasoned them a bit, but it looks like you guys really liked it!"

Lucy smiled at him and he had to stop himself from just staring into her brown eyes. "It was wonderful Nathan, thank you! Today was absolutely amazing!"

Nathan beamed at her words, happy that she was looking more like the bright and shining Lucy he knew so well. "It was nothing Lucy, I am just so glad to have made some great friends today. I am going to be taking on my first mission tomorrow and I am a little nervous about it. So, today was the perfect way for me to get myself ready for what comes next. I know what's waiting for me here... well, at the guild... when I get done with the request. Thank you Lucy and Happy for welcoming me with open arms!"

Lucy looked blankly at Nathan, "You're gonna take on a mission tomorrow? Are you planning on going by yourself, you don't want to take anyone with you?"

Nathan swallowed lightly, not wanting Lucy to be offended by his answer. "I am sure I will go on future missions with other guild members and you guys, of course. I just need to get my feet wet on my own so I can understand my magic a little better, and I wouldn't want to put anybody else at risk if I can't depend on myself to be reliable in the field. The experience will be good for me."

Lucy smirked at Nathan. "Alright, that makes sense. However, I will have you know it is customary for one of the guild's S-Class wizards to see new recruits in action so we can help you develop your skills. Since I am one of those S-Class mages now, I guess I have no choice but to accompany you."

Nathan furrowed his brows at her. She's an S-Class now?! There's no way that's a guild custom, unless that's some new thing Laxus came up with. Or, is she just saying that to go with me? Ugh, that's kinda cute of her but I really don't wanna embarrass myself in front of her since I don't know everything about my magic. What should I say?

"Uh, I appreciate that Lucy, but I think I definitely need some time to flesh out my magic before someone can accompany me."

Lucy huffed at his response. "Alright, then why don't we do this? There is a training ground behind the guild hall and you can spar with my celestial spirits. That way you don't have to hope for the best on a potentially dangerous mission and I can observe your abilities first hand. That should solve your problem no?"

Damn it. Nathan really couldn't argue with that logic. He will have to arrive an hour or two early then to the grounds before so that he can be ready and not make a fool of himself. "Alright you got me there Luce. What time should we meet up tomorrow?"

Luce. Lucy's eyes widened and she stared at Nathan like she'd just seen a ghost. Her lips started to tremble as she registered the pet name Nathan had just used. One that only one person had ever used for her prior. Nathan seemed to realize his mistake. No. He trembled in his chair, not daring to look away from the imploring brown eyes that now seemed to be boring into him. What have I done?!

"What did you just call me?" Lucy quietly questioned him, her hands gripping the edges of her seat.

Think of something, play it off. " Oh, you see I just sometimes have a habit of shortening my friends names when I get to know them, I'm sorry if you didn't like that. I won't do it again, I promise."

Lucy was quiet as she seemed to examine Nathan from head to toe. She kept the raging thoughts in her head instead of lashing out. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, attempting to calm her rapidly beating heart. She opened them again and looked back into Nathan's eyes, a downcast look appearing on her face.

"Please, don't call me that again. Maybe I'm getting too comfortable too quickly around you, but I do think you're really nice and are a good person . I just can't hear someone call me that nickname right now. I'm sorry."

Nathan closed his eyes and lowered his head, frustrated at himself for causing Lucy pain. "Forgive me Lucy, I meant you no harm. I can see myself out. We don't have to meet up tomorow, I can make it on my own for a mission."

"No," Lucy grabbed his arm. "I'm not upset with you Narhan, I just wasn't expecting that. You didn't do anything wrong, that name just has a very special meaning to me. That's what Natsu used to call me, and I can't stomach hearing another man say it to me. Don't take it personally. We can meet up tomorrow behind the guild hall at around ten in the morning. Does that work for you?"

Nathan looked back at her, relishing the feeling of her arm touching his. How he wished he could just pull her into a hug and soak her into himself. He was so glad she was so kind hearted to still see him the following morning even after his slip up. That's just how she was though, able to see the good through all the wrong. That's why he loved her. "That's perfect Lucy, I will be there when you arrive. Dinner was lovely as is your apartment. I hope you and Happy have a great rest of your night. Goodbye." He grabbed her hand and squeezed it quickly as he turned to leave. Lucy blushed at the gesture, secretly enjoying his touch even though her heart seemed to be so full of pain in the moment. After Nathan left, she walked towards the scarf on the the wall. She glided her hands over the fabric and softly sobbed feeling a bit guilty. Nathan couldn't have known that nickname would trigger her like this, and yet she still pointed her own misery at him. It had only been a day and this man seemed to be completely upending the life she had been living for the past three years. A lonely life. How can she stomach getting closer to Nathan just because he reminds her of Natsu. That's not fair to either of them. She turned to look at Happy who sat on her bed and remained quiet through the whole ordeal. She petted him behind his ears gently.

"I'm sorry I snapped a little buddy. Maybe I shouldn't get so close to this guy so quickly, its making my emotions run haywire."

Happy eased into her touch enjoying it, but kept a sullen look in his eyes. "He reminds you of Natsu too doesn't he?"

Lucy jumped at the response, not expecting Happy to read into her so easily.

"Yeah, he does. That's what scares me."