Chapter 7

October x794
5 months ago…

Sipping her cup of tea, Porlyusica's moment of silence that morning was quickly disturbed by the sound of her ringing cell phone. She was at a certain point in her life that she hated when people called her early Saturday morning. But if she was frank, she didn't have to be at the age of 83 to start hating talking to people. Rather, back in the day, when she was a young adult, she already had a distaste for humans.

Groaning at the intruding sound of her mobile phone, she sighed defeatedly before she put down her teacup and answered the call.

Giving a quick glance at the caller, Porlyusica then taps on the green button, "What?"

There was a pregnant silence before someone chuckled, "Did I bother you, baba?"

Porlyusica rolled her eyes but wasn't entirely annoyed at her grandson, "Not more than usual. What do you need?"

Natsu exaggeratedly gasped, "Oh, come on, baba. Why would you think I need something? Can't your favorite grandson just randomly call you?"

She sniggered sarcastically, "Favorite grandson, huh? Who said that?"

"I did, of course!" Natsu laughed, earning an unimpressed groan from her, "But seriously, I think you'll be proud of me when I get there,"

"You're coming over?" Porlyusica questioned, barely holding back her grunts, "Why'd you have to come? Can't you just tell me through this call since you have disrupted my morning tea hour,"

Natsu sheepishly chuckles, "So I did bother you—"

"Get on with it, already!"

"Alright! Alright…" Natsu sighed before gathering up his courage, "So, um…well…okay…uh…"

Porlyusica instantly groans in annoyance, completely stopping the young man from talking. Sighing in defeat, "Just get over here. You're hopeless,"

"Great! I'll be there in 5 minutes!" and with that, Natsu hangs up, making the oldest living Marvell grumble as she pulls her phone away.

True to his words, within 5 minutes, Natsu arrives at his grandmother's house. It was a cozy, mid-size, three-floored house. It has been their familial home since she and his grandpa married 60 years ago. Even if his grandpa had died nearly 10 years ago, his grandma chose to stay there even though their home was almost an hour away from the city.

Walking through the door, Natsu knew his way around the house to look for his grandma. The house was relatively small compared to the houses they had in Magnolia, but regardless, it was a place that had many memories for each member of the Marvell clan. If there is one thing that ancestral home had the best feature compared to their industrial homes, it was the large backyard their grandparents had, in which he knew his grandma liked staying, tending to the flowers his grandpa planted for her.

"Hi, obaasan," Natsu cooed gently as soon as he saw his grandmother squatted by her flower pots, "Tadaima,"

"Oh, you got here on time," Porlyusica greeted back without looking and continued to dig through her pots, "Have you eaten?"

"Hai," Natsu grinned before he skipped towards his grandmother and squatted down with her.

The two remained silent as Porlyusica carried on with her gardening while Natsu watched and helped out whenever he saw his grandmother struggling with pulling the plants. They went on with this for an hour until Porlyusica declared that she was done.

When she pulled her gardening gloves, Porlyusica wiped the sweat out of her forehead as she squinted at her grandson. "So, what will you tell me that you think I will be proud of you?"

"Oh, about that…" Natsu scratched his head as he bathed under the scorching midday sun.

"Are you planning to go to med school?" Porlyusica teased.

"What? No," Natsu scrunches his face, shaking his head. He then stood up and dusted off the dirt on his pants, "But, still, I think you'll be proud of me…in some sort of sense,"

Porlyusica just furrowed her brows before she shook her head and walked past him, "Come on, I think a cold iced tea will clear your head,"

Natsu shrugs as he follows his grandma. When they got to the kitchen, his baba immediately took care of him. She started pulling out light snacks and a cold drink, placing them on the kitchen island where her children usually sit to have snacks.

Being familiar with the routine, Natsu eased on the high stool and watched his grandmother do her thing. Once done, Natsu gave thanks for the food and started munching on the rice cakes, sushi, and cheesecakes.

"How's your mom?" Porlyusica asked as she sat beside her mago, "I heard she had a difficult case a few days ago at the hospital."

"Oh, yeah," Natsu nods as he shoves a maki in his mouth, "I think she did a 53-hour shift before she got home. But she's good. Wendy said everything was handled well, and mom's having her adjusted leave,"

"Well, that's good to hear. I probably should drop by your parents and see how everybody is," Porlyusica then pours a glass of iced tea for Natsu and hands it to him. The pinkette bowed his head in gratitude before he chugged it down.

When done, Natsu satingly sighed and then grinned at his grandma, "Thanks, baba! These were delicious,"

Porlyusica teasingly rolls her eyes before she nods her head, "Alright, now get on with your purpose for today. What do you need?"

Natsu deeply inhaled and exhaled as if he was conjuring his courage before he turned to look at his grandmother. With his gesture, the older Marvell couldn't help but be curious and raised a brow.

"Grandma, I'd like to get your blessing for the family's engagement ring heirloom," said Natsu, sternly looking at her. When his grandmother's eyes grew big at the sudden request, Natsu suddenly swallowed the knot in his throat.

Having to request such a thing was indeed a surprise, and he wouldn't blame his grandmother if she suddenly shouted and hit him on the head. He was being ridiculous, and he knows it. After all, he had not been in any serious relationship for the past few years. He'd gone out with a few ladies but never to the point that they went exclusive. He didn't date for the sake of dating. He wanted a relationship that was meant for marriage. But it isn't easy, especially if he only feels intimacy when there is that deep emotional connection between them. Hence, he had never introduced any woman to the family.

Now, hearing him requesting if he could have the family heirloom was mind-boggling because he didn't have a girlfriend. It wouldn't have been surprising if Gajeel asked it, but the man knew better than to do that. But here he is, asking for something the clan would probably disagree with giving him.

"Hold on," Porlyusica mumbled after a long pause, raising a finger to hinder the pinkette from rambling, "You're planning to purpose soon?"

Despite knowing the immediate answer, Natsu thought about what he would say, "Um, not so soon? But, yeah, I plan to get married,"

Porlyusica narrows her gaze at the young man. She tilts her head in confusion as she tries to figure out the man's behavioral-tells, "You plan? So, not yet?"

Natsu nods.

"So, why are you asking for the engagement ring?"

"Because I'm planning—"

"No, no," Porlyusica interrupts, shaking her head, "Let me change my question. Do you even have a girlfriend to propose to and plan to get married with?"

Natsu slowly puffed his chest before he heaved, "No, I don't,"

Porlyusica scrunches her face in displeasure, "Then, let me ask you again," she took a deep breath before she added, "Why are you asking for the engagement ring?"

Natsu sighed, sagging his shoulders in defeat, "Okay, I don't have a girlfriend. But there is this girl that I really like and…"

Porlyusica tilts her head as she waits for the pinkette to resume. It is obvious the young man is nervous for some reason as if this is the first time he will say it out loud.

"…We're not dating or anything. But there is no other girl that I'd like to spend the rest of my life with. The only problem I have is that I haven't confessed to her because I'm afraid I'll ruin everything between us. I'm scared that she'll tell me that she doesn't feel the same or that she doesn't want to ruin our friendship and that she'd rather be friends than lose each other if the relationship didn't work."

They were then silent. Natsu fidgets with his fingers and keeps his eyes away from his grandmother. His grandmother was not always the apparent affectionate person, but she could easily read people and figure out the things troubling them.

Porlyusica slowly pours another glass of juice and slides it close to her grandson. When Natsu noticed the drink offered, he slowly grabbed it and sipped it.

"So, you think Lucy will reject you if you confess to her?"

Natsu alarmingly looked up at his grandmother, "I didn't say it was Lucy,"

"I know," Porlyusica nods her head before she turns away and grabs a drink for herself. She sipped gently and muttered into the glass, "But are you going to deny it?" she peered above it.

Natsu just shook his head before looking down at his lap.

"Let me give you some obvious advice, as your grandmother," Porlyusica then waited for the pinkette to look up before she continued, "You might want to ask her first to be your girlfriend before you barge the question to her of getting married. I'm pretty sure all girls wouldn't want to be spontaneously asked to get married to someone they are not in a relationship with, even if they are best of friends,"

"I'm not planning to ask her to get married soon. It's more of a gesture," Natsu then huffed, "I want to give the engagement ring to her for the idea that I see myself giving that precious heirloom to her. I entrust my life to her because she knows me better than anyone. I'm not going to tell her about it directly, but that's the gesture. When I slowly build my case and confess to her how I really feel, then I'll tell her about the meaning of entrusting the family heirloom to her,"

Porlyusica sighed in defeat. Sometimes, she wonders where the family gets their overly romantic gesture. Their romantic senses were either too much or too little. There is no in-between, making it challenging to communicate their intentions to other people.

"Fine, maybe I'll consider your reason. But," she raised a finger again, "you do know that the engagement ring has a magical background to it. Giving that ring is no simple gesture, as it was forged from our ancestor's deep love,"

Natsu suddenly chortles, making his grandmother scowl at him. He was immediately slapped in the head, making him wince.

"Laugh all you want. But this family has taken that story seriously,"

Natsu guiltily looked at his baba, "Alright, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to laugh at the idea. It just seems surreal that the ring is an eternal love ring and that my ancestor's love forged it. I mean, is that even possible?"

"Well, because you, young people, have slowly forgotten what true love means," Porlyusica sighs as she slowly remembers her husband. She then shook her head, "Love is more than just giving gifts, showing affection through kisses, and having that intense lust for one another. Love is both joy and pain. Nowadays, couples seem to find it easier to let go when things become difficult. Rather than work things out, couples find ways to get out immediately and find someone else. With that mindset, love almost becomes cheap as if it's something easy to replace when it's not."

Natsu took in her words and ruminated on them, realizing that her words were probably rooted in her own experience.

His grandmother's parents did not always favor his grandpa, as he was poor, and blamed him for hindering his grandmother from achieving her goals. Grandma always aspired to become a doctor, but when she got pregnant at the age of 23, she had to stop her studies and get married instead. But his grandfather did everything he could to uplift their living situation and enable his grandmother to study medicine again. Their life probably had a lot of difficulties and regrets thrown at each other, but they remained in love until his grandfather's death.

"So, if I were to give you the blessing of having the engagement ring, I want you to be mindful of what the ring signifies in this family. Magic may not sound real, but this ring holds more mystical powers than we'll ever comprehend. It may be just a fairy tale for us, but it shows its power when it's needed,"

Natsu nods his head in understanding, "Alright, I understand. I guess I'll try my best to tell her about those repercussions,"

"Make sure that you don't put that ring on her unless you're both prepared,"

Present day

Lucy stiffly smiles at Obaasan-Porlyusica as she hands over her cup of tea. This was not how she planned to start her week. How is it possible that obaasan always catches her off-guard? She always seems to know more about something happening between her and Natsu than she'll ever know.

"This is a pleasant surprise, obaasan," Lucy stated as she sat in front of the elder.

"You don't have to be so kind with your words. I know I caught you by surprise by dropping by unannounced." Porlyusica then shrugs, "If I were in your place, I would have been more unpleasant,"

Lucy awkwardly laughs, "No matter what, I don't think I can treat you that way, obaasan,"

"I heard you calling Natsu," Porlyusica takes a sip of her tea, "That says something,"

Lucy's eyes widen in alarm, "Oh! Well, I wasn't sure what this visit was about, so I thought of calling Natsu as he might be needed,"

"Well, he doesn't necessarily need to be here. But since he's on his way, I guess I'll make use of his assistance to MDFU,"

"Oh, you're going to the university?"

Porlyusica nods her head, "I have a board meeting with the graduate school there,"

"Ah, I see…" Lucy then exhaled in relief, "So, you're just dropping by on the way—"

"Not really," Porlyusica then gave a stern look at the blonde, "I'm here to talk to you,"

Lucy could feel her heart pound against her chest and her hand sweat. Just as she had thought again, this is not how I plan to start my week.

"Talk to me about what?" Lucy tried to smile innocently at the elder, but she knew her smile was just as crookedly uncertain as she felt.

"About the ring," Porlyusica frankly answered before she looked down at Lucy's hand. The blonde immediately pulled her hand back, fidgeting under the table.

"About the ring?" Lucy repeats nervously as she twists and turns the ring around her finger, "What about the ring?"

"Well, I'm curious how much you know about its history," Porlyusica then tilts her head as she indicates the hidden ring, "Did Natsu tell you that it has a mystical background?"

"Oh…" Lucy internally sighs. Suddenly, she felt relieved, knowing that this was more of a fictional concern than something she was worried about, the truth. "Well, he mentioned that it was an eternal love ring and that it had some magical way of finding its eternal love or something like that,"

Porlyusica whined, obviously displeased that Natsu didn't completely tell the story about the ring to Lucy. She vividly remembers warning that boy about the implications of giving that ring and that it shouldn't be shown unless they were ready. But it seemed that the two weren't.

"Do you mind me telling you the full story?" Porlyusica squints her eyes at the blonde, waiting for her to show disinterest and find an excuse not to go with it.

"Not all," Lucy eagerly pulls her chair closer. If knowing the whole story was a way to figure out how to get the ring off, she'd need the complete details, "I'd love to know everything,"

Porlyusica suddenly hummed in interest at her response. She then clears her throat, pulling her chair closer as well.

"Well, it was a long, long time ago…"

Year x364

People said that the world was filled with magic back in the day when dragons still existed. Mages and witches lived among ordinary humans, and they lived harmoniously. Wars erupted occasionally, and mages, witches, and dragons worked together to protect people from evil elements. However, when a high clan of witches suddenly turned their backs on dragons and put an extinction curse on them, the mages waged a war against these witches. From then on, mages and witches had been in a constant feud, causing chaos and destruction whenever they made encounters.

The earthland was in constant battle. Groups of witches amplified their curse on the dragons. They made the existence of the dragons nearly forgotten by ordinary humans, making it impossible for the mages to keep the dragons' magic in the earthland. Years passed, and the witches succeeded as they finally made the dragons disappear from Earth, and every human being had forgotten their actual existence. People had merely considered them folklore creatures to entertain children as they put them to sleep.

Years passed; witches and mages remained indifferent and silently fought each other. The new generation of witches and mages were taught in their clans that they were each other's enemies and that they should never mingle and be friends.

But in every mysterious way of the earthland, a young, clever man named Eriah and a powerful woman, Dahlia, suddenly encounter each other and fall in love without realizing who they are in their actual forms. As their love blossomed deeper, the mage and the witch pursued their relationship, dreamt about their future together, and decided to get married.

It was tradition to meet the woman's family before asking for their hand in marriage. Eriah and his family approached Dahlia's family to ask her parents' permission to marry her formally. Only then did they realize their families were not meant to be as one. Eriah's parents realized that Dahlia's family was a clan of witches. At that revelation, the two were forbidden to see each other again and were forced to end their relationship.

Eriah and Dahlia were heartbroken by this, as a long history of dispute among their clans has hindered them from loving one another. But the two did not let that history destroy their relationship, and instead, loved one another secretly behind their families.

Years passed, and after the couple had secretly met each other, they were suddenly facing a new challenge. Dahlia was being forced to get married by her parents, and she didn't know what to do to prevent it from happening. A few days before her wedding, Dahlia broke things off with Eriah, telling him to love someone else as she knew that there was no other choice for her but to concede to her parent's order. Despite ending their love, Eriah gave Dahlia one last gift to symbolize his never-ending love.

It was a rose gold engagement ring adorned with light pink diamonds surrounding the padparadscha sapphire that was forged using a dragon's fire breath. Eriah told her that the ring was embedded with magic, holding all of the love he had, disabling him from loving anyone else but her. Hearing his confession, Dahlia couldn't help but plead with him to undo the magic, as she couldn't allow him to suffer like that. But Eriah insisted that it was the only way for him to live and continue seeing her without dying inside, knowing she was someone else's wife.

On the day of her wedding, Dahlia kept the ring close to her chest as she was dressed to get married. Without knowing to herself, she had started an enchantment and put a spell on the ring as she rubbed it.

"I will find my way back to my true love. He will always feel my love until we find each other again. And when we do, this ring will never come off until we pass this to our children and our children's children…"

That day, Dahlia married a man she didn't love. Years went by, and she tried her best to be kind and loving to her husband until one day, a deadly plague took her husband's life, leaving her a widow.

As a widow, Dahlia lived her life independently and refused to be forced to get married again for the sake of her children. From that point on, she wore Eriah's ring on her finger, hoping that her first love would protect her and help her raise her children with love.

When her children had grown up, they feared that their mother would live alone with no one to love beside her. Until one fateful day, Dahlia and Eriah met again, and all the love they had for one another quickly ran through their bodies, allowing them to remember what it felt like to be with someone they truly belonged to. Despite their old age, Dahlia and Eriah got married and loved one another until death tore them apart.

Lucy's eyes suddenly sting, and a tear quickly rolls down her cheek. Porlyusica hands her a handkerchief, which surprised the young lady. At her offer, Lucy curiously accepted it while she wiped her cheek and was stunned that her face was wet with tears.

"Dahlia and Eriah's love is both tragic and romantic all at the same time," Lucy bafflingly comments, wiping her tears. She then looks down at the engagement ring sitting on her left ring finger, "Looking at this engagement ring makes me wonder if that story is ever true. The ring doesn't look old or used by many generations as the diamonds and sapphire shine like it's new,"

"It shines like that because it was said to be forged by a fire dragon king's flame," Porlyusica glances at the ring, and a soft smile appears on her lips, "Its color remains the same as the flames that had formed that sapphire keeps it bright and protected,"

Lucy looks up at the elder. She didn't know if she had the heart to fully embrace the story of mages, witches, and dragons. But the story of Dahlia and Eriah seemed to be accurate enough that if she had been in their place and magic had existed, she might have done the same thing.

"I don't blame you if it's hard to believe that mages, witches, and dragons existed. After all, that was the curse of the witches. No one was meant to remember that they existed, and people were taught to believe they were just fictional creatures. Only a few, most likely descendants of mages, believe in such legends as a way to bring back the magic of dragons. But if that story is hard to take in, it's likely hard to accept the idea of enchanting a ring that leads you to your eternal love either."

Lucy was quiet as Porlyusica understood precisely what was running in her mind. She wanted to embrace the story as something real, but a part of her found the story too unrealistic and superficial.

Finding your eternal love seemed impossible and unreal in this time and age. People nowadays would say they had seen the love of their life, only to find them a year after filing for a divorce. It seems unreal for a ring to hold such power, to hold one's emotions of love for someone and keep it safe until they meet each other again. It was just too superficial to be authentic in reality.

"I don't mean to be rude, obaasan. I'll be honest. Hearing about magic, witches, and dragons as if they were real seems like a joke." Porlyusica raised a brow at the blonde, but she continued, "But the kind of love that Dahlia and Eriah had is real to me. Their love for each other and the pain of letting go of their love, only to be destined together by the end of their lifetime, is something I can believe in. So, maybe I believe in the power of loving someone. But not on the ring,"

Porlyusica sighs, nodding her head as she accepts the blonde's thoughts. "Well, that is more important rather than believing about the ring itself. Sometimes, it's those stories that give inanimate objects hold magic. As long as you believe in that kind of love, then maybe it will reveal itself to you in its unique way,"

The two then fell into a comfortable silence. Porlyusica watched the young lady admire the ring as if contemplating the meaning of having the ring on her finger. The elder asks her, "Do you find yourself having that kind of love?"

Lucy astonishingly glances at the older pinkette as if she was caught doing something she wasn't supposed to do. But the woman just gazed at her expectantly but didn't want to force her either.

"I um…I don't know…" Lucy softly mutters, returning her attention to the engagement ring, "Sometimes I feel like I'm in love with him whenever we're together. But at the same time…" She shook her head as she tried to gather her thoughts, "he makes me wonder if he ever feels the same, or it's just me,"

Lucy then realizes the words she was rambling about and abruptly looks up at the elder for fear that she understood more than she should. But Porlyusica remained still and held no expression, which made it hard for her to figure out what was running inside her head.

"Obaasan—"

"Don't worry. Your words are safe with me," suddenly, surprising the blonde, Porlyusica grabbed her hand and gave a gentle but assuring squeeze, "One day, everything will clear out for you, and you'll look back at this moment realizing it was the start of something unreal,"

Before Lucy could respond, a loud knocking on the front door startled the blonde. She glances over her shoulder at the general direction of her front door. When the knocking repeated and Natsu suddenly called out her name, Lucy knew it was time to end the storytelling.

"It's Natsu. I should probably let him in," Lucy said as she softly smiled at the elder before heading towards the front door.

Walking down the hall of the Hippocrates Building in Magnolia De Fiore University, Porlyusica held to her grandson's forearm at his insistence. The elder hasn't said anything to the young man ever since arriving at Lucy's place.

Natsu frantically arrived at Lucy's place, heaving after running from his house. He quickly questioned Lucy about what had happened, but the blonde only said that obaasan had told her a story. He couldn't help but raise a brow at his best friend, but the woman just shrugged it off and said there was no need to panic after all.

When Porlyusica instructed Natsu to accompany her to the university, the pinkette immediately agreed as he thought that he needed to figure out what kind of story his grandmother had to tell Lucy. He was nervous that his grandmother might have told Lucy the truth or even mentioned anything about him asking for the ring. He wasn't prepared yet to handle that confrontation because he feared what disaster could happen next.

But despite his frustration, Porlyusica didn't give her grandson the satisfaction of getting answers. Natsu relentlessly asked her about what story was told or if she said anything about the reason why he got the engagement ring in the first place. Porlyusica just glared and rolled her eyes at her grandson until he understood it as a sign to shut up.

When they arrived at the university, Natsu relatively gave up on getting answers from his grandmother. His grandmother was way more stubborn than he was. No matter how much he pleaded, he could never get his grandmother to talk.

"I didn't tell her," Porlyusica finally uttered, getting the lad's attention. When he looked at her, stunned, she continued, "But she needed to hear the story to figure out this whole thing happening between the two of you,"

"There's nothing between me and Lucy," Natsu defensively replies, earning a glare from the elder, "I mean, there is nothing yet. I haven't even started any of my plans,"

Porlyusica suddenly hits the pinkette in the head, making him recoil and wince.

"Baba!" Natsu bellowed, stepping away from his grandmother, "That really hurts,"

"Well, it should!" Porlyusica then points at him, "You should have known better than to give the ring to her immediately! I told you not to give it to her unless you're both ready—"

"Technically!" Natsu then shut his mouth, pursing his lips as he realized that he was about to slip about Lucy's lie. No one in his family knew about it. And even if his grandmother knew that he was planning to give the ring to Lucy, she knew nothing about the whole fake engagement.

"Technically, what?"

"Um…technically…" Natsu swallows down the growing knot in his throat, "I thought I was ready?"

Porlyusica grunts before walking away. She quickened her steps and grumbled all the way. Natsu rushed to her side and tried to redeem himself.

"Okay, I'm sorry that I didn't follow your advice. I know I shouldn't have given her that ring yet. But, I thought it was the perfect timing,"

"Timing?" Porlyusica nearly shouted, "You proposed to her on a Ferris wheel and nearly puked on her just to get her to say yes. Are you even thinking in the first place?"

Natsu was baffled, staring at his grandmother in confusion. He then remembered that was the story Lucy told her about the proposal, "Right…Ferris wheel…yep, it was…" Natsu shook his head repeatedly as he scolded himself internally, "the perfect timing,"

"Natsu Dragion Marvell Dragneel, you listen to me," Porlyusica points her finger at the pinkette again, "Get your shit together if you want your engagement to work. Don't make Lucy doubt about her feelings just because you couldn't man up to handle what true love is,"

Natsu was left wide-eyed as his grandmother walked away and entered a room. He was left baffled and uncertain of what to do with his grandmother's advice.

Don't make Lucy doubt her feelings? What does that even mean?

Standing by the entryway to the pool, Lucy squinted her eyes as she stared at where their actress was posing for their magazine cover. Her gaze was directed at that point, but her thoughts were definitely elsewhere.

As Levy walks up and stands next to her, the blunette quickly notices her best friend's far-away gaze. She looked in the same direction and saw the green-haired actress bending her back over a lounge chair, accentuating her designer clothes.

Levy raised a brow at the unbelievable and uncomfortable position of the actress, "Mystique is greatly flexible, but I'm pretty sure it's not about her bending that is making you scrunch your face," she then glanced at the blonde.

Lucy startles out of her thoughts and fixes her attention to the blunette, "I'm sorry, I'm just…a little distracted,"

"About what?"

"Nothing important," Lucy jolts her shoulders, trying to be nonchalant, but the stiffness of her shoulders tells something else.

"Hmm," Levy moans in doubt, "I don't believe you. Your face," she gestures the shape of her face with her finger, "tells me that you have some troubling thoughts, and you want to talk about it, but you're unsure of how to say it,"

Lucy's eyes grew wide. She then exaggeratedly covers her mouth with her hand before moving it down to her chest, "Since when were you a mind-reader, Levy-chan?"

The blunette couldn't help but roll her eyes, "Really?" she said stolidly before sighing, "But seriously, Lu-chan, what's on your mind?"

Dropping her act, she sighed and looked away. She thought about it again, and her mind wandered to the story Porlyusica had told her. She had that plaguing feeling about the story, how authentic it was in every aspect, but her mind was too rational to believe in the idea that dragons and magic existed. There was just no proof of existence to make the story sound sane.

"Do you believe in magic, Levy-chan?" Lucy finally spoke, turning back to her friend. She had a confused expression and obviously wasn't expecting her question.

Levy opened her mouth to respond but then closed it as she doubted, getting caught off guard by the topic. "Well, I find magic as an entertaining talent in shows…" She said, sounding unsure on how to tackle the question, "But believing it as real, maybe not. It's more of an illusion trick,"

Lucy shook her head, "No, not that kind of magic. I mean, the idea that people had actual magic abilities, like summoning fire, or manipulating metals, controlling elements, like wind or snow—"

"Like X-Men kind of thing?" Levy questioned, more bewildered by the topic they were on, "Like Wanda Maximoff kind? Or Magneto?"

Lucy deadpanned on her, "No, not that kind…well, sort of," she then shook her head. Even herself, she didn't know what she was talking about, "Forget it," she said, sighing in defeat.

Levy rattled a little at the blonde's dismissive response, "No-no-no, okay, sorry. I'm just a little confused about what it has to do with what's bothering you. I mean, are you seriously thinking about people having the ability to wield magic? Because that idea sounds completely fictional to me." Levy shrugs her shoulders, "It would be cool or something, but I don't think it's possible…I mean, biologically speaking, I don't think people have that kind of DNA,"

Lucy took in her friend's words. She had the same sentiment. It was so impossible for people to have magic, especially to be born with it. It was also ludicrous that people had just forgotten that magic could exist within a person and made it into a childhood fairytale story. Although, she wouldn't say the same for witchcraft. There are a lot of rural stories about women practicing that, which served as a warning for city people to be polite and friendly to them when visiting their town.

But why was she so keen to believe Porlyusica's story? Why does it feel like it was necessary to accept and embrace that story? It was too unreal.

"I guess you're right…" Lucy muttered, looking down at her polished toenails, "Magic is not true,"

Levy hesitantly touched her arm as an assurance, "I think what is more believable is that feeling of joy when something happens to us, like a sense of miracle or that moment we consider magical. I think that is real,"

She nodded her head, but she was still bothered about the story. She had no strength to dismiss the idea, but her mind just couldn't wrap around the concept.

"So," Lucy tentatively glances at the blunette, "If some old lady hands you an eternal love ring and says that ring will guide you in finding your true love, would you believe it?"

"I probably won't," said Levy, quickly shaking her head in disagreement, "I mean, finding our true love takes much effort and dating, and not some ring will do that for you,"

Lucy pursed her lips, "Right, of course…" She then looked away and watched the actress do a bridge, this time by the edge of the pool.

Why is it hard not to believe that story?

Sitting next to Levy on the couch, they began their interview with Mystique. She was an upcoming new star, being featured in films and showing her range of acting skills. She is a beautiful woman who has distinct green hair. Her slender body and womanly features make her stand out, but it's her acting prowess that makes people talk about her.

Lucy and Levy then focused their interview on her experience of coming to the film industry after working in a corporate field. They had at least spent two hours talking and conversing about it and other goals and aspirations she had as an upcoming actress, as well as what else she still wanted to do.

By the time it was half an hour past 5 in the afternoon, they had wrapped up their interview and invited the whole team for an early dinner. They were chattering in the restaurant when Lucy suddenly received a call. In excusing herself to the group, she stepped out of the restaurant and answered it.

"Hello,"

"Hi, Luce,"

They were then silent. They really hadn't talked yet after having that argument over the weekend.

"What do you need, Natsu?" she asked coldly, though she immediately regretted it for being a little bit harsher than she intended, "I'm a little occupied right now. I'm having dinner with Mystique for the post-interview session,"

"Oh…" Natsu then trails off, unsure how to proceed, "Well, I uh…just wanted to check up on you,"

"Whatever for?" Lucy curiously questioned, raising a brow.

"Well, uh…we just haven't been able to talk after our argument. I mean, we saw each other this morning, but…we haven't just—"

"Natsu—"

"Yeah?"

Lucy was then stunned at his abrupt response. He knew he was rambling, and he welcomed her interruption gladly. But quickly shutting up left her unsure of what she wanted to say to him.

"Um…" Lucy gulps down the lump in her throat, "Maybe we can talk some other time. I'll let you know when I'm available,"

"Right, yeah, sure…" Natsu paused for a moment, and Lucy quickly knew that he wanted to press on but knew better than to be pushy about it, "Take care, Luce. I'll wait for your call,"

"Thanks, bye, Natsu,"

Lucy waited for a second and just listened to his breathing when suddenly he quietly mumbled, "Bye, Luce," and then the call ended.

Striding early to work, Lucy came in, preoccupied with all the tasks she needed to do. She was mentally enlisting the things she needed to complete before midday arrived. So, when she reached their floor level, she nearly jumped when Coco called on her.

"Ah, Lucy-sama, look!"

Lucy clutched onto her folders as she tumbled to a stop. She bewilderedly stared at the receptionist and tried to slow down her pounding heart.

"Wah…" She trails off before she exhales out loud, letting her nervousness get out of her system. "Good morning to you too, Coco," Lucy subtly reminded the receptionist of the proper way of greeting, earning a sheepish look from the young woman.

"Sorry, Lucy-sama. Good morning to you, too. I'm just really excited because something arrived for you," the receptionist giddily crunched down to pick up something. When she stood up, she carried a large set of sunflowers arranged on a beautiful vase. "This came in just a few minutes ago,"

"For me?" Lucy bafflingly gazed at the beautiful arrangement, "Did it say who gave it?"

Coco looked around the vase for a minute and spotted a small envelope stuck on the side, "The courier didn't say who gave it, but there is an envelope here,"

Lucy walked up to the receptionist and warily admired the flowers. When Coco handed the envelope, she slowly pulled out the card. It had a generic message of 'Have a beautiful day!' in a usual script font. When she turned the card around, a sudden feeling of surprise and then admiration filled her chest.

"I hope this could brighten your day, Luce.
Shine like the sun that you are.
-Natsu"

"I guess someone special gave it to you," Coco suddenly commented as she noticed the widening smile on Lucy's face.

The blonde looked at her abruptly and timidly tried to conceal her smile behind the flowers, but then the reddening of her cheeks gave her away.

"I'm assuming it's your fiancé?" Coco then wiggled her eyebrows before she briefly glanced at Lucy's sparkling ring.

Lucy follows her gaze and then notices the sudden spark of her ring. Before she could comment on it, Coco suddenly giggles, stealing her attention.

"I know you haven't announced to everybody your new status, but I've read a ton of articles, and this is the first time I've seen real-time about your love life,"

Lucy gawked at their receptionist again as it suddenly dawned on her that her workplace was obviously going to get the gossip about her engagement.

"Right, yeah…" Lucy awkwardly laughed, "I do have a fiancé…"

Coco giddily squealed before she clasped a hand over her lips, trying to muffle her excitement, "This is so sweet. I envy you,"

Lucy couldn't help but sarcastically chuckle before she picked up the vase. She then muttered to their receptionist, "I don't think you should," and then she left, heading for her office.

"Good morning, Lu!" Levy greets as she swings the door open to Lucy's office. As soon as she stepped in, a large bouquet of sunflowers caught her eye, which made her gasp in amazement. "Who gave you this?"

Lucy hummed in thought, looking up at her best friend. When she saw her amusingly staring at the flowers, she gave a glance at the flowers before she sighed in defeat.

"It's just Natsu," She casually replies, returning her attention to her write-up.

"Natsu?" Levy inquiringly repeats, furrowing a brow, "He's taking his role seriously, huh?"

"Role?" Lucy curiously questioned before she realized what the blunette was talking about, "Oh, no. He's just apologizing for last weekend,"

"So, I guess you two haven't made up yet," Levy shrugs her shoulders before she walks away to take her seat on the couch, "Any luck of reconciling? I heard from Gajeel that you and your family met with the Dragneels, having dinner, somewhat breaking the news,"

Lucy couldn't help but heaved depressively before hitting her head against her desk. She then muttered, "Please don't remind me. I'm more stuck now in this sham I've made. Pulling my best friend into this and asking him to lie to his family just to save my family from disgrace," she then sat up straight, squeaking her chair at the sudden movement, "And to make it worse, my fake fiancé and I have a tiff because of a past issue that he can't overlook,"

Levy purses her lips, making Lucy look at her with disdain, "What?"

"Nothing," Levy shrugged and shook her head, but then the blonde gave her a pointed look. Groaning in defeat, she concedes, "I'm just thinking that maybe you both are still holding a grudge about the past and that you are just sweeping it under the rug all the time instead of talking it out,"

Lucy gawps at her best friend, "I am not brushing it off. It's Natsu who has been holding it against me like it's wrong for me to like a guy without his permission,"

"But you also blame him for being the reason why you and Raito broke up," Levy points out, too, making the blonde roll her eyes and mutter to herself. "Just because Natsu was the last person he talked to doesn't mean he convinced him to break you both up. Did you even ask Natsu what they talked about?"

"I don't have to know," Lucy mumbled irately without looking at her best friend. She was getting pissed about the whole ordeal, but she didn't know who to direct her anger to. "I'll be just hurt all over again,"

"And maybe that is why you both still have that past issue around you guys," Levy slowly stood up and approached her to wrap an arm around her shoulder, "How about giving it a chance to talk about it? So that you both can close that chapter?"

"It's too painful, Levy-chan," Lucy whispered as she sniffed up her sobs, "I don't think I can talk about that yet,"

Levy could only sigh in defeat, "Well, if you did have a real relationship with Natsu, I think this would be one of your reasons to break up,"

Lucy looked up at her best friend alarmingly and was about to retort. But then she immediately reminded herself that there was no point in worrying about a breakup because she and Natsu were nothing close to being lovers.

"Right, yeah…" Lucy then looks away and stares at the flowers, "I guess we're lucky we're not for real,"

Levy quietly groans and rolls her eyes but squeezes Lucy's shoulder in assurance.

As Enno leads the meeting in the conference room, Lucy and Levy's team were there to discuss their updates about the upcoming April issue. They were still having a debate about who their main cover would be, between Mystique and Sherry Blendy.

When the door to the conference room opened, a few of the members looked in the door's direction and saw Chico enter with two large bags of egg drop sandwiches while Coco carried two hand-carry coffee cups.

"Coffee and sandwiches, everyone," Coco chimed, delightfully stealing everyone's attention by bringing in some food. Everyone in the conference cooed in amusement as they were handed each a sandwich and coffee.

"Enno-sama, I didn't know we'd have such snacks every meeting," Laki happily comments as she grabs her Iced Americano and sips gladly, "I think I'd always want to have a meeting if we'd have free food like this all the time,"

Everyone laughed, but Enno raised a brow after. "I didn't order this up. I didn't have the time to request a food budget for this meeting," the chief editor then glanced at the two staff assistants, "Where did the food come from?"

"Oh, it was delivered here by the café across," Coco blushed as she realized that she hadn't inquired too much about who gave the food.

Lucy and Levy looked at each other curiously before looking back at the assistants.

"Did they say who ordered it?" Lucy questioned before looking back at the snacks before her. She then realized her drink was different from the others. It's an iced Earl Gray tea latte, and there is only one person who orders it for her.

"From what I heard from the delivery guy, it was from Summer," Chico shrugs her shoulders, "I don't know anybody with the name Summer,"

Lucy suddenly chortles before she can control herself. When everyone glanced at her, she bashfully stared back before she waved her hand in dismiss.

"Sorry, sorry, nothing's funny," She then gulps down the laughter that's about to come up, "I know someone with the name Summer,"

Levy curiously stared at the blonde and subtly nudged her with her elbow, "Who?" she whispered.

When everyone's attention was back to the meeting, Lucy glanced at Levy and answered, "He has pink hair—oh wait, no, salmon pink hair," she then grinned, looking away as she felt glee bubble up her chest.

When the meeting had ended, half an hour before her time out, Lucy grabbed the opportunity to call someone. At the first ring, she hears his voice.

"Hey, Luce, what's up?"

Lucy softy smiles at his voice, "Thanks for the free food, Natsu,"

"Oh! Great, was it good?"

Lucy hummed in agreement and then started pacing in the garden, "How'd you know we would be in a meeting?"

"Actually, I didn't know. I just assumed you were with your team today," Natsu said, and some rattling of papers was heard on his side.

"You know you didn't have to do that, right? Sending me flowers is a clear apology request from you…" Lucy then bites her lower lip as she hears Natsu stop from moving around, "And I accept your apology,"

"Oh, thank God," Natsu uttered in exhalation, making the blonde chuckle at his exaggeration.

"Why do you sound like I won't forgive you or something?"

"I hate it when we're in a silent war. I get agitated when I don't hear your voice," Natsu admits wholeheartedly as he sounded pacing as well, "It feels weird not to talk to you, and I don't like the fact that you're annoyed with me."

Lucy stopped pacing as soon as Natsu admitted that. She was frozen on her spot as she felt her heart pounding. She hated when Natsu told her things like this. Her heart always betrays her to feel tingly every time he says something as sweet as that.

"I, uh… I guess we should have a one-on-one talk, Natsu—"

"Definitely! How about tonight? Let's go to our spot and have dinner under the stars," Natsu says with a grin on his lips, "What time should I pick you up?"

Lucy quickly snaps out of her thoughts, "You don't have to pick me up. I can meet you up there,"

"I'll get the food and pick you up,"

"No, don't," Lucy quickly replies, panicking a little.

"Uh, why not?"

"Because!" Lucy incoherently reasons out, earning a groan from the pinkette.

"That's not an excuse, Luce. I'm picking you up,"

"Natsu, no. People might start assuming you are my fiancé. The office knows about the news, but they have no idea who, so don't,"

"But I am you're fiancé,"

Lucy rolls her eyes as she grumbles at his words, "Natsu, just don't. For your sake,"

Natsu whined in disagreement, "Ehh, we'll see."

"Natsu—!" The call then ended, startling the blonde as she had no assurance that the pinkette was not coming over. As she stared, gapping at her phone, she could only think about how doomed she would be.

As her colleagues, one by one, bid goodbye, Lucy happily waved at them and watched them head home. Her call with Natsu had left her fretting and made her organize her desk. She didn't know whether to anticipate him or go with the plan to head to the park on her own. Left being indecisive, she opted to clean up and wait a little.

As the clock strikes 5:00, half an hour beyond her official time, Lucy decides to leave and meet up with Natsu as planned. When she leaves her office, she sees a few of her colleagues standing by the receptionist area, smiling and giggling as someone obviously led a funny conversation.

Furrowing her brows, Lucy cautiously walked up to the group when suddenly she heard a familiar loud and boisterous laughter. The group suddenly splits up, revealing a pink-haired man laughing his heart out while her colleagues laugh with him.

"Natsu?"

"Oh! Lucy!" Natsu cheerily stood up and beamed at her sight, "Are you ready?"

People around them started cooing to tease the two. Lucy instantly blushed at their teasing and bewilderedly glared at the pinkette.

"Lucy-san, are you going on a date with Natsu-san?" Coco asked before she gasped out loud, "Wait a minute!"

Lucy eyed the young assistant and astonishingly stared at her. She held her breath as she hoped that the receptionist wouldn't connect Natsu's presence to the flowers and coffee.

"Doesn't Natsu mean—"

"Ah! Natsu, we better go!" Lucy cuts off frantically and grabs the pinkette's sleeves, "They said there's heavy traffic today in Magnolia!"

"Huh? Really?" Natsu confusingly muttered before he yelped as Lucy dragged him to the elevator. As they slipped inside, the girls were chuckling at their abrupt departure and waved them off.

As soon as the elevator closed, Lucy punched Natsu's arm, causing him to yelp in surprise.

"What was that for?!"

"For picking me up," Lucy grumbles, slumping back to the elevator.

Natsu chuckled at the blushing blonde, "You are really weird. I think you're the only engaged woman who greets her fiancé with a punch,"

Lucy threw a glare at the man, "I can punch you again,"

"Ohh, you make me fall in love with you more, Luce," Natsu teased, smirking at the fuming blonde when she suddenly pulled a punch, "Ow…"

"As promised, triple cheese, bacon, and beef burger for you," Natsu announced as he pulled the meal out of the paper bag, "And a large cup of mango milkshake,"

Lucy beamed as she took the meal from the man, "Thank you," she chimed happily and quickly unwrapped the burger, "Where's my fries?"

"Fries?" Natsu questioned before he pulled out another paper bag, "Or Nacho fries?"

"Ah! I love you!" Lucy snatches the food and quickly picks up a cheesy dressed fry. She moaned in delight as she took that bite.

Natsu couldn't help but smile at the blonde and amusingly watch her eat. As Lucy continued to munch on her food with great enthusiasm, Natsu shook his head in amused disbelief and started pulling out food for himself.

"If anyone hears you eat like that, they'd think you're being indecent in the park," Natsu joked, earning a scoff from the blonde.

"Well, excuse me if I am having a moment with my burger,"

They both chuckled before they fell silent and contently ate their food. When they were satisfied with their eagerness to eat, they finally broke into conversation.

"So, just to make sure, we're good, right?" Natsu paused his eating and watched the blonde, "Like there is no bad blood between us anymore?"

Lucy bounces her shoulders in uncertainty, "I wouldn't say we're all good because obviously there are some issues we haven't resolved,"

"Then—"

"But I'm not ready to have that discussion yet. For now, I'd prefer to make a truce with you and pin on that issue for a later time." Lucy then offers her hand, "Friends?"

Natsu stares at her hand, "Just friends?" He innocently asks as he slips his hand into hers and gently squeezes it.

Lucy knew what he meant, but that didn't stop her from being stunned. Just friends?

"Why? Is there anything more between us?" Lucy asked back, trying to sound teasing, but with Natsu's serious expression, she couldn't help but gulp down the nervousness she felt.

"Well, you're still wearing my engagement ring, and your family still knows that I'm your fiancé. So maybe?"

Lucy and Natsu stared at each other for a long time until a cold wind breezed through them, making the blonde shiver. This breaks their trance, and Natsu suddenly chuckles.

"I'm just teasing, Luce. There is no need to plan on how to punch me again," he then pulled off his scaly scarf and wrapped it around Lucy's neck.

Throughout the gesture, Lucy felt her cheeks warm up. She hoped he'd think it was because of the cold wind rather than his way of taking care of her.

When Natsu finished tucking her in his warm scarf, he gave her his signature grin and said, "Perfect, now you won't get cold."

To be continued…