Chapter Text
Previously…
Dragon Empire Group Building
1:04 PM
“I hope that presentation suffices your interest, Mr. Dragneel,” Atlas Flames said, a tone of malice lingering in his voice as he raised a brow at the young pinkette as soon as the members left the boardroom. “You know, I appreciate your enthusiasm to take your job seriously. But I still expect you to treat me as your senior.”
“I am,” Natsu mutters back as he slowly stands up from his seat, “But I hope you also understand that I don’t appreciate you treating me like a kid who doesn’t know how to do their job.”
“Well, do you?” Atlas Flames questions, “Because if you did, your parents wouldn’t have told me to keep an eye on you.”
“You’re taking it too literally, Mr. Flames. I’ve been in this position for a year now. I would have assumed that you’ve seen me work—”
Atlas scoffs, shaking his head in disbelief, “You call that work?”
Natsu grits his teeth in annoyance, hearing the man’s insult. His jaw suddenly clenches as he tries his best to keep his anger at bay. But the longer he held it down, his fist tightened, turning his knuckles white.
“Look, Natsu. All I’ve seen from you is playtime. You haven’t even presented your proposal for the largest government contract that the real estate industry is fighting for, and you want me to believe that you’ve done a good job as president? Come on, Natsu, you’ve got to be real.” Atlas shakes his head in disappointment, turning away from him, “Next time you try to embarrass me in meetings, I’ll make sure that you know how much you are more of an embarrassment.” He then looked at the pinkette over his shoulder before looking away and leaving the young president alone in the boardroom.
BANG!
Natsu jumped out of his thoughts as the door to the men’s restroom slammed open and shut. Voices of newcomers resounded in the restroom as he hid inside one of the cubicles. He sits on the closed lid of the toilet, trying to get his breathing back to normal.
After having that confrontation with Atlas in the boardroom, Natsu finds himself heaving out of the room, barely getting any air in his lungs. So, he dashes to the restroom, trying to regain some sense of control.
He always ends up like this, heaving and shaking in frustration, especially when he refuses to let his emotions out. Hearing Atlas insult him and treat him like that made him feel like punching the old man. But the last time he had given in to his emotions, letting his anger out, Igneel had reprimanded him and told him always to act professionally, which meant knowing when to control his anger.
This was him, controlling his anger. But then he felt like destroying the whole building and burying the old man under the rubble.
“Did you hear?” one of the newcomers said, snatching Natsu’s attention, “Dragneel was humiliated by Mr. Flames after the meeting. Some people heard him getting reprimanded for acting out during the meeting.”
The other man scoffed, “Well, when you try to act tough to the real men of the business, you get what you deserve. I doubt Natsu knew what he was talking about there in the meeting.”
Natsu furrows his brows as he listens to the two men gossiping.
“I mean, let’s admit, Natsu’s a cool guy. He has a good family background. But that’s just it, he just has a privileged life. I don’t think he works for anything. And now, getting involved with an actress?”
Natsu could imagine the man shaking his head in disbelief.
“You know that pink-head is one lucky schmuck!” The other man groans, turning the faucet on and letting the water run as he washes his hands, “Just imagine dating Lucy Ashley and then getting a job as the president who tells his people to do his job for him.” The man scoffed.
“Tell me about it!” the first guy said, “I bet she’s only dating him for his last name.” Both men then laughed, before the second man added, “Oh, I remember! There was a rumor that Natsu got bamboozled by his ex-girlfriend. I bet that’s true!”
“Not a smart man, I see!” And the two men laughed again, and slowly their laughter receded as they left the restroom.
As soon as the door to the restroom shut, Natsu slammed his fist against the cubicle door, splitting it in half. One part of the door fell to the floor with a loud bang, while the other half was left hanging on the side jamb.
Soon enough, a man enters the restroom in surprise, expecting a big chaos inside. But to the man’s surprise, he only saw a pink-haired president, heaving in anger with a dangerous glare in his eyes.
4:52 PM
“You know, Igneel, DEG has the best architects and engineers in the Magnolia. I made sure of it!” Atlas mutters to the red-haired man. Natsu couldn’t help but roll his eyes as he tried to ignore the yapping of the old man. Thankfully, he was walking ahead of them. Otherwise, his father would have knocked his head for his eye roll.
“You know that I have a good eye for those people,” Atlas laughed heartily as if something was funny, “Wouldn’t you agree, Jiro? I even helped your company find one!”
“Alright, alright,” Igneel dismisses the man, “What’s your point, Atlas?”
“I’m just saying that we should be more aggressive with this government contract!” Atlas glances at the pinkette, “We can’t be lenient. Imagine? DEG would be the one to construct the largest arena in Fiore for the Olympic Games.”
Igneel hums in interest, then looks at his son, walking ahead of him, who remained silent throughout the conversation. “Natsu, any update about that project bidding?”
“We’re part of the bidding groups. The bidding wouldn’t happen for a few months.” Natsu answered, without looking back at the others. “Our project proposal is in place and has been initially reviewed by the government.”
Natsu then returns to ignoring the men behind him, knowing that Atlas is just trying to get on the good side of his father. Soon enough, they were close to his office and immediately noticed that Daichi was out of his position. But he shrugs it off as he turns to reach out to his doors.
“Well then, I suggest that we continue this discussion over a meal!” Igneel suddenly muttered as they entered his office, and he immediately took note of it, knowing that he’d have to be there if his father had insisted on it.
But as soon as they walked in, something caught his attention, and he looked at the corner of his office. There, he sees Lucy standing by his pantry table, looking startled at their entrance. But she looked beautiful, immediately smiling at them. He felt his heart skip a beat at her radiant smile.
Why did his heart skip a beat?
Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks.
“Natsu, why don’t you—” Igneel then bumped into him and groaned, “Natsu!”
Natsu’s eyes widen at the question in his head. He can’t have these kinds of emotions, not now, not ever. She’s just a distraction.
“Luce?” he mumbles softly, and he knew the men behind him turned their attention to where he was looking.
Lucy smiles even more gracefully, “Good afternoon, gentlemen,” she greets, looking at the men behind him before ending her gaze at him, “Hi, Love. Surprise.”
Natsu felt his heart clench at the pet-name, but he quickly tamps it down, reminding himself that Lucy was just putting on an act. They need to sell to these people that they are a couple.
Suddenly, he starts when Lucy leans close to him and gives him a soft kiss on his cheek. Since when did Lucy walk over?
He snapped out of his thoughts, “What are you doing here?” he asked, baffled, but Lucy didn’t seem bothered that they were acting in front of strangers.
“I wanted to surprise you,” She replies with a bright smile on her lips. She then glanced at the men behind him, “Hi, Uncle Iggy.”
Natsu then zones out again as he just stares at Lucy. He watches her talk to his father and act chummy. Of course, she would. She spent a whole week with his family, trying to win them over. She probably did because he saw how his mom bid Lucy goodbye at the airport.
What exactly is happening? Is any of this real? Is this all part of the deal? This is getting too personal.
All I’ve seen from you is playtime… and you want me to believe that you’ve done a good job as president? Come on, Natsu, you’ve got to be real.
I doubt Natsu knew what he was talking about there in the meeting.
I don’t think he works for anything. And now, getting involved with an actress?
I bet she’s only dating him for his last name.
I heard a rumor that Natsu got bamboozled by his ex-girlfriend!
Not a smart man, I see!
I’ll make sure that you know how much you are more of an embarrassment.
“She’s an actress, Atlas!” Igneel bellows, tearing Natsu out of his plaguing thoughts, “I’m sure you’ve watched her shows! He loves watching TV series.” Igneel said to Lucy, leaning close to her as he grinned mischievously.
Natsu watches Lucy chuckle sheepishly and then instantly notices her uncomfortable shifting as she looks at one of the other men. He glanced at Atlas and furrowed his brow at him, assuming it was him making a doubtful glance. But the man seemed amused by the fact that Lucy was an actress.
“I think I’ve seen you somewhere, and I’m not talking about a show.” Jiro Kuhuwara spoke, startling the pinkette into focus, “It’s more like during a business event.”
A flash of thought came to Natsu, fearing that Lucy’s real last name would come up, and this was not an ideal venue for it to be revealed, particularly to this crowd as well.
“I doubt that, Mr. Kuhuwara.” He suddenly steps up, grasping Lucy’s hand as he stands in front of her, shielding her from further inquisition. “Gentlemen,” he called, looking at everyone, then to his father, “I apologize, but I will not be able to join you for dinner. Mr. Chairman, please excuse me, but I have a personal matter to deal with.”
Natsu could see the curious look on his father’s face, but he kept mum and appreciated that his father hadn’t outright called him.
“Alright. But I expect you to be present next time.” His father told him with a knowing look, but quickly shifted his expression when he looked at Lucy, “It’s nice to see you today, Lucy.”
After a few more pleasantries, Natsu and Lucy were left alone in the office. And just like that, Natsu whipped around to turn and face Lucy, questioning her presence at the office. It became unclear what happened next.
He sarcastically chuckled when she said that they were friends, then the next thing he knew, he knew he had offended Lucy, and he apologized for it. When she questioned what made him act rashly, he admitted to feeling bothered the whole time, as Atlas’s and other employees' words lingered at the back of his mind.
Lucy asked him what bothered him, and that gave him a pause. He could see the concern on Lucy’s face, and when she took a step forward, he hesitated, taking a step back from her.
"I don’t think it’s appropriate to talk about it with you.” He said, recalling the words of those two men in the restroom. He couldn’t bring himself to say it out loud, even if he knew deep down that what they said about Lucy was untrue.
“I guess I was wrong to think that we are closer, after the week we went through,” Lucy replies, snapping him out of his thoughts.
She sounded upset and confused, and he didn’t know what to do. Just like in Tenrou, he hated seeing her sad or hurt. But this makes it worse, knowing he was the reason why Lucy was upset.
“I was just doing my job as part of the deal.” He muttered softly, unsure what to say else, “Weren’t you doing the same thing?” he asked.
Lucy pursed her lips before she huffed a resigned laugh, “Yeah, I was just doing my part.”
Present
Dropping himself on his couch, Natsu sighed loudly as soon as he rested his feet on top of his coffee table. These are one of the rare days he had where he comes home early and gets to eat dinner in front of the TV. So, he immediately grabbed the remote, turned on the TV, and switched to a movie channel.
“Meow”
Natsu glances at his blue-haired cat, who suddenly came into view, comfortably settling next to his feet on the coffee table.
“Hey, Happy,” Natsu greets, and curiously watches the cat as it sits on its back legs and stares at him.
“Meeew?” the cat replied.
Natsu raised a brow at the low-toned call of the feline, “I’m going to eat my dinner while watching a movie.” He said it as an excuse, sounding offended.
“Nyaaaw,” Happy then starts licking his paws.
Natsu scoffed, “I am not making an excuse.”
“Mrrrow?”
“Really,” Natsu said defensively, sitting up straight and looking at the blue cat, “I am not avoiding Lucy. I’m sure, it’s she who is avoiding me.”
“Meow,”
“I know…” Natsu sighed, slumping back on the couch again. He then looked at his open rice box in his hands, “She’s probably still mad at me.”
“Meew,”
“Don’t you think I know that?” Natsu grumbled, hating that his cat was pointing out how much it was his fault, “I just don’t know how to explain it to Lucy. Everyone is treating me like a kid in the office, mocking me. But I know it’s not her fault. None of this is.”
Natsu suddenly drops his head further to the couch, looking at the ceiling instead. He then felt the little sharp claws press against his legs and knew that Happy was walking on them. Soon enough, the blue-haired feline leaped over the edge of the couch and stood close to his head.
Happy peeked at him with its large brown eyes, “Meow.”
“You think?” Natsu asked back, worried, “Do you think she’ll answer?”
“Meww…” Happy mewed, bobbing his head before trotting down to his chest, and then in a flash, Happy grabbed a piece of dumpling inside his rice box and jumped away from him.
“Hey!” Natsu yelped at the cat’s thievery act, but the cat quickly disappeared inside one of his rooms. “You sly cat.” He then sighed in defeat before returning to his previous position.
He stared at the ceiling as his food was left in the open, untouched, while the TV softly played in the background. The movie was imperceptible as his mind was too preoccupied with a certain blonde-haired actress.
“You look shit,” Gajeel commented suddenly, stopping the pinkette from typing on his laptop.
The two worked together for the day as they dealt with a project that they were both heading. It’s one of the rare occasions that they sit together in one office without bickering with each other unless they tease each other.
Natsu slowly looked back at his cousin with a deadpan look, then asked, “What did you say?”
Gajeel smirks at his cousin’s silent annoyance, “You heard what I said. Now, what got your titties all scrunched up?”
Natsu rolled his eyes and returned to look at his laptop, “It’s none of your business.”
“Right,” Gajeel snorts, “You’ve been like this since last week. We just got back from vacation, and you're being crabby again.”
“I’m not crabby!” Natsu retorts, fuming as he tries to defend himself. But hearing this petulant retort, he sighs in defeat before slumping back to his chair.
Gajeel could only chuckle at the pinkette’s defeated mood, “So what is it? Auntie Grandine again? I thought she was cool with bunny girl.”
Natsu glares at the annoying pet name for Lucy before he huffs in exasperation, “It’s not mom.”
Gajeel raised a brow for a moment, trying to figure out who’d cause the man’s bad mood. Then a thought crossed his mind, “Wait a minute,” he then leaned closer with a smirk growing on his face, “Don’t tell me you’re being sulky because of Lucy.”
Natsu briefly looked at the man before looking away, not wanting to tell the answer, even if it was obvious. Natsu’s face told Gajeel everything he needed to know. He suddenly barked with laughter, clutching his stomach in pain from laughing too hard.
“Holy shit!” Gajeel bellowed, “Are you in love with Lucy now?!”
Natsu’s eyes grew big, “What?! No!” he then shut his mouth when Gajeel gave him a doubtful glance, “It’s not that! But it does have something to do with Lucy.”
Gajeel chortles at the growing redness in Natsu’s face, “Alright, if you’re not in love with Lucy, then what’s happening between you two? Making you look all twisted in pain.”
Natsu sighed for the nth time. When Gajeel notices Natsu’s real despondence, he looks at him curiously and patiently waits for the pinkette to speak up. Soon, Natsu recounted everything that had happened the previous week, while Gajeel silently listened.
“Well, that’s shit,” Gajeel muttered, shrugging his shoulders, “You should try to figure out those idiots and teach them a lesson,” he then grinned, “Gi-he, maybe give them a suspension or something.”
Natsu suddenly hits him on the head with a stack of papers, “Are you an idiot?!” he then groaned, “Of course you are! I can’t suspend them for that!”
“But you can HR them!” Gajeel retorts, grabbing the paper from Natsu and hitting him back on the head, “Make them attend a proper decorum seminar or something! You’re the president of the company, idiot! You can make them learn something about it.”
Natsu scoffed, “Right, tell that to Atlas.”
Gajeel rolls his eyes, “Forget about that old geezer. His ego is just hurt because he has to report to you.”
Natsu gets lost in his thoughts as he hears the words of Atlas again inside his head. He then mumbled, “How do you deal with people like them? I mean, I’ve never really given a shit about what they thought about me. But why doesn’t it bother you?”
Gajeel stared at pinkette, seeing the confusion on his face. For some reason, he empathizes with him as he understands what he meant. He’d seen it firsthand at their company, what more in DEG. But Gajeel shook it off, pretending not to be bothered, “It’s not that I don’t get bothered by it. I just like rubbing it in their faces that I can do much better than they give me credit for. And that’s what you do.”
Natsu sighs in contemplation, lost in his thoughts. But Gajeel had more to say, knowing it’s not just about the company that bothers Natsu.
“What are you going to do with Lucy?” Gajeel crosses his arms over his chest, leaning back on his chair, squeaking in protest, “If Levy ever hears what you’ve said to Lucy, you’re dead meat.”
Natsu throws a glare at the raven-haired man, “Only if you don’t know how to shut your trap, metal-face.”
Gajeel chuckles heartily, “My loyalty is with my girlfriend, flame-brain. If she wants to know about it, I’ll have to let her know.”
Natsu groaned, pouting in annoyance, “You’re useless as my ally.”
Gajeel shrugged at the insult, “I don’t give a shit. But seriously, what do you plan to do with Lucy? If Auntie Grandine gets a whiff of this, she’ll question you both. You don’t want to ruin the trust she’s already having.”
“Don’t you think I know that?” Natsu grumbled when suddenly the door to his office opened, and Daichi appeared. The secretary immediately reminded him of his lunch meeting with the board members, and Gajeel could only laugh at the pinkette’s predicament.
Ding!
“Your floor, sir,” the elevator attendant mutters, looking at the dashing pink-haired man standing at the end of the small contraption.
“Thanks, Nikko,” Natsu greets back as he walks past him and steps out of the elevator.
“I guess good luck, sir. I’m sure Ms. Lucy will be surprised to see you.” Nikko chortles a little at the nervous look of the man.
“I’m sure she would,” Natsu nervously sighed before tilting his head to the man and walking further into the hallway.
As he turns the corner, he quickly spots another building attendant standing in front of Lucy’s door. Natsu furrowed his brow and took a once-over.
“Excuse me?” Natsu muttered loudly enough to catch the attendant’s attention, and there he saw a familiar face, “Dino, you got Lucy a delivery?”
“Sir!” The attendant perked up, “Ms. Lucy ordered out. Just came in here to hand it over,”
“Perfect, I’ll do it,” Natsu said, reaching out to the plastic bags the attendant had in his hands, “I’m here to visit her.”
The attendant grinned, “It’s great to see you here again, sir. You didn’t come by last week.”
Natsu awkwardly laughed, “Well, got busy at work.”
“Ms. Lucy will surely be happy with your surprise visit.” Dino then gave the bags to the pinkette and soon bid goodbye.
When Natsu was left alone in the hall, he inspected the food that Lucy had ordered. He immediately chuckled when he saw the same meals he had ordered for them. Now he had two bags of Chinese food that Lucy loved to binge on when she was on vacation.
He immediately knocked on Lucy’s door, even though he knew her code. Everyone thought that his sudden visit would be a pleasant surprise for the actress. Natsu could only hope that it was true.
“Coming!” Lucy shouts from the other side of the door, and Natsu huffs a nervous breath as he waits. Soon enough, the door swung open, and Lucy stood there with a bright smile on her face.
“Dino!” Lucy greeted and pulled back a little as she realized that it wasn’t the person she was expecting, “Natsu?”
Natsu swallowed down the lump in his throat as he watched Lucy’s face switch abruptly, from smiling to scrunching her face.
“Hey, Luce,” he greets bashfully, before he remembers the food in his hands. He lifted the bags, jostling the contents a little, “I brought you dinner.”
Lucy stepped back a little, although she pulled the door open wider than she had minutes ago. She crossed her arms over her chest and raised a brow at the man.
“I ordered my own dinner. Where is it?”
“Here,” Natsu presents it to her, and then, before he could pull it back, Lucy snatched it from his grasp, making him a little frantic, “Wait-wait-wait! I brought food too!”
“Good for you,” Lucy impassively replies before she grabs the door to close it. But before she could, Natsu leaned on it to stop it from closing.
“Luce, wait! I’m sorry.”
That stopped Lucy from pushing the door. She curiously looked at him for a second, reconsidering the idea of slamming the door straight in his face. She huffed in defeat, “Sorry for what?” she snapped.
“I’m sorry for being an idiot two weeks ago. I know I screwed up.”
Lucy questioningly stared at him but remained quiet as she waited for him to continue.
“Okay, look,” Natsu glided to her, “There are things I said that might not have been the right words to say. I was a total mess that day you came to the office, and I took it to you. I was insensitive because I felt indifferent to my surroundings. It wasn’t right that I took out my frustrations and dumped them on you by talking like an idiot.”
Lucy clenched her jaw as she gazed at the rambling pinkette. While he rattled on to explain, Lucy remembered how she had felt that night, right after their conversation. He said things that didn’t make sense to her, but at the same time, it still caused pain in her heart because she was being proven wrong.
“You’re just rambling, Natsu. Get to your point before I close this door on you.”
Natsu’s eyes grew wide in worry, “Luce, all I’m saying is, I’m sorry. All the things I said that night weren’t true. We are friends, and I wasn’t pretending to be nice to you in Tenrou just because it was part of the deal. None of the things we did in Tenrou were just acts. I was being genuine with you. We are friends.”
Lucy stared at him hard and studied his expression. She could see how nervous Natsu was and how much he was anticipating her reaction, as if her approval mattered in the world.
She kept a stoic look, not giving anything away, just to torture the man a little bit more. But surprisingly, even for her, she believes him. For all the times she got to know Natsu, being a liar was not in his character. He was blunt and careless at times. But he was never a liar. There was no reason for her not to accept his apology. But that doesn’t mean she couldn’t distress him a little bit more by being painfully silent.
Natsu fidgets in his place as he watches Lucy stand before him, staring daggers at him and not saying anything. He swallows down his nerves, “Luce—look. I promise you, I will be careful with—”
“I forgive you.” She cuts off, instantly shutting the pinkette up. He gapped, ready to riposte, but when he realized what she said, his eyes grew big in astonishment.
“Wait, you do?” Natsu’s grin slowly grew wider, and when Lucy nodded, he suddenly skipped in excitement and enveloped her in a tight hug, knocking the blonde out of breath, “Thank you!” he yelped as he tightened his grasp around her waist.
Lucy tried to be offhanded, but the man’s enthusiasm made her slip and chuckle as he swung her around. She instinctively wraps her arms around him, too, and taps his shoulders.
“I guess that makes you happy?” she teased, making Natsu pull back, keeping his arms around her.
“Happy?” Natsu repeats, before shaking his head, “Elated, Luce. I’m elated. You have no idea how much it means to me that we’re okay now.”
Lucy could only stare at Natsu in surprise as she felt her cheeks warm at his admittance. She clenched her fist around Natsu’s dress shirt at his back as she felt his hazel green eyes pierce through her soul. And then he looks down at her lips, causing her to feel these butterflies flutter in her gut.
“I think I’m hungry,” She blurts out, distracting herself from the impending thought she curses nowadays and yet threatens to fill her mind.
“Right!” Natsu grinned and then picked up the three bags of Chinese food, “It’s a feast! I bought your favorites.”
Lucy chuckles as she steps back from his grasp and pulls the door open wider, “Perfect, then come in.”
“Thank you, everyone, for coming in today on short notice,” Igneel greets as each member comfortably settles into their seat.
Natsu, sitting on the left side of his father, quietly listened to him address the room. A new familiar face was among them, making him curious about the changes that were happening.
“Well, first and foremost, I’d like to welcome Ms. Jia Kuhuwara to our team,” Igneel then clapped, followed by everyone as they all glanced at the beautiful brunette woman, who was smiling brightly at them. “She is taking her father’s place in the meantime, as Jiro takes his medical leave for the next three months.”
Natsu glances at his father, taken aback by the unexpected news. He then glanced at Jia, sitting quietly, looking forlorn for a second before schooling her expression. She then looked up, and suddenly their eyes met.
Natsu gave her a small smile, which she returned with an even brighter one. He subtly nodded before looking away.
“She will be needing everyone’s support, but I know that she is capable, just like her father.” Igneel then looked at Natsu, “Natsu, I expect you to take her under your wing.”
Natsu glanced at his father and nodded, “I will, Mr. Chairman.”
“Alright! Mr. Mizayaki, let’s proceed with this meeting.” The lights then went out.
“Would it be weird if I randomly drop by Natsu’s office again?” Lucy asked in the air before turning around to look back at her perched phone on her shelf behind her.
Levy was on the screen, typing on her computer, when she suddenly stopped and thought for a second about her question. “Wait, did you just say ‘again’?”
Lucy slowly pursed her lips, realizing her mistake, before she slowly gave her answer, “I think I remember telling you about me going to the DEG to surprise him last, last, last week…”
Levy tilts her head with a raised brow, skeptically looking at her best friend, “No, you didn’t. I’d remember it if you did, because I would know how it went. Security there is tough, and you would have told me how the receptionist treated you.”
Lucy bafflingly stared back, “Wait—If I didn’t tell you, how come you have an idea that the receptionist is not as friendly as they should be?”
Levy rolled her eyes, “Because Gajeel tells me about that receptionist all the time. He’d casually hang around the lobby and watch the receptionist cold-heartedly turn people away. He said the receptionist was efficient with their job.”
Lucy, recalling that said receptionist, huffed at the end, “Tell me about it.”
Levy chuckled, “So you did go there and didn’t tell me. I’m guessing it wasn’t what you expected.”
Lucy cautiously looks back at the blunette. She is completely sure that Levy had no idea what had happened between her and Natsu during that visit. But for some reason, her best friend is still able to hit the right spots.
“Yeah, you can say that. It was quite an eye-opener.” She vaguely comments back before turning away and staring at her open closet. She begins to skim through her clothes, finding a good outfit, “Anyways, so, I was thinking of going there and making an appearance. For some reason, I think I need to establish my presence there.”
Lucy then turns around just in time with Levy continuing her thought for her, “Like it’s a normal occurrence for Natsu’s girlfriend to be around.”
“Exactly,” Lucy nods her head, “I mean, not all couples do that. Some even prefer not to publicize their relationship at work. But—”
“Given who Natsu is…It’s quite impossible to keep you a secret. And I’m pretty sure you are an open secret in DEG by now. Your name is for sure mentioned from time to time, like a rumor. It’s better to establish some truth to avoid any misconceptions.”
“So, you agree?” Lucy steps closer to her phone, “I should drop by?”
“Sure. I don’t think it's a bad idea. I’m also thinking, it would be a good rumor too in the office until it reaches Auntie Grandine.”
Lucy hummed in agreement, “You’re right. Even if Grandine and I are on good terms right now, I still need to show effort.”
“Speaking of Auntie Grandine. You know, I still wonder about that…”
“About what?” Lucy innocently asks, even though she knew what Levy was getting at.
“How did you win over Auntie Grandine suddenly?”
A flash of that night passes through Lucy’s mind, making her huff in relief, “Let’s just call it some kind of miracle. But it’s a miracle that is hard to replicate and come by.”
Levy chuckles, “You and your secrets…”
“Good afternoon, Ms. Lucy,”
Lucy jumps in her seat at the sudden call of her name. She looks up from her book and perks up at the sight of Daichi, “Mr. Yamato! What are you doing here?”
“Our receptionist informed me that you have arrived, and as a VIP, it’s my job to assist you.”
“Oh,” Lucy sheepishly chuckled, “Well, I don’t really need anything right now. I heard Natsu’s still in a meeting. I can wait here in the café.”
“But wouldn’t you want some privacy?” Daichi then looked around and quickly spotted a few people snapping a stolen photo of the actress, “There are some people taking photos of you right now,” he whispered.
Lucy turns her head and glances at a group of ladies behind her. She huffs an exhausted laugh before looking back at the executive assistant, “I’m aware, but it’s fine. Not something I’m unused to. But maybe, in a while, I’ll head up to Natsu’s office.”
Daichi held his breath as he’d really prefer to keep the actress away from prying eyes. But he sighed and nodded his head, “Alright. I’ll be back for you here. I’ll inform the president of your visit.”
Lucy nods and then gives her thanks before the assistant leaves her alone.
Glancing around the café, she took note of the people who were looking her way. She recognizes a few stunned expressions and the whispers about her presence.
Typically, when people start recognizing and taking stolen shots of her, she’d gather her things and leave. But today, she’s not going to do that, as this was different. As she had mentioned to Levy, this is a strategic move for her to establish her presence in the DEG. A presence that shouldn’t be out of the norm.
That’s what her objective excuse was. But if it were a subjective reason, it would be because somehow, for some reason, calling or texting with Natsu wasn’t enough for the past few days. They had patched things up the other week, and they had talked about everything, and he’d even shown Happy to her. It was an affirming knowledge that she enjoyed being around Natsu. So now, she had this sudden need to spend time with him, face to face.
Given Natsu’s busy schedule, their chance to hang around was almost impossible. With her lack of work-related activities, she had a lot of free time and wanted to do something. But doing any adventure alone sounded boring, not until Natsu inserts himself into the picture.
So, here she is, pretending to be just transactional and doing herself a favor by establishing her cover. But the truth is more personal than she’d like to admit.
Sipping her tea latte, Lucy turns another page of her book. She smiles to herself as she enjoys the interaction between the two lovers in the book. Suddenly, she hears the sound of laughter increase in volume.
“I bet Hiro and the others are trying to impress your new boss.”
Lucy hears someone say, finally distracting her from her reading. Out of curiosity, she looks up and sees three ladies taking their seats at the long, mounted table across from her. All of their backs were facing her, so they were unaware that she was looking.
Suddenly, the short black-haired woman chuckled, “You bet! All of the guys in the sales team are trying to impress her.”
“Who wouldn’t?” The dark blond comments before taking her iced coffee and sipping briefly, “Ms. Jia is so pretty and very lady-like. Such a class lady.”
The long black-haired woman nods enthusiastically, “Oh, definitely. A woman like her deserves to be with a hot guy.”
The other two women chuckle, then the blond added, “None of the guys in the sales team would be suitable for her. They can all dream!”
“Oh!” the other black-haired woman snaps, “But I bet the president would be a perfect match.”
Lucy furrows her brows at the sudden mention of the pinkette. But then she shakes her head when she realizes that she had been eavesdropping. She forces herself to turn her attention to her open book.
“Definitely!” the long-haired woman said, “Just imagine them having babies? With Natsu’s hot body, oh, that sharp jaw, and then his tanned skin, and piercing greenish eyes? Ugh!” the woman groaned in amusement, making Lucy scrunch her face.
The two women laugh in agreement, “Oh my god, yes! They’d have the prettiest babies. I wish they would date each other.”
Lucy was now full-blown scowling. Why were these women imagining Natsu with another woman? Didn’t they know—the blond snorts, “Isn’t the president reported to be dating an actress?”
Lucy hums in agreement, tilting her head. She knew she was gossiping with these women, and her book is serving as her prop right now. But she doesn’t care.
“Oh, yeah,” the short-haired woman agrees, “Lucy Ashley.”
Lucy smirks to herself. Finally, someone mentions her existence. Of course, people would be talking about her. She has been photographed with Natsu a few times already; they have an article about them being a hot couple, and paparazzi constantly trail them to check if they are still dating.
The long-haired woman suddenly scoffs, “I bet Ms. Jia is way prettier than that actress. Lucy just got big boobs and sex appeal. But I doubt she knows anything about business. Ms. Jia is the perfect match for President Natsu. I mean, what does an actress know about real estate? Ms. Jia and Sir Natsu would get along better.”
The two women hum in agreement.
Lucy scrunches her face in annoyance. She knows plenty about real estate. Well, back then — when she was younger—her father was trying to force her to learn about their company. But that wasn’t the point. The point is that being a perfect match didn’t necessarily rely on one’s profession. So, what if she were an actress and Natsu were a businessman?
She would bet that she is a better match with Natsu than that Jia—whoever that Jia was.
Pouting to herself, she suddenly closes her hardbound book with a loud slam, startling the trio of women before her. She knew they turned their heads to look at her.
So, after she shoved her book inside her bag, she casually swept her beautiful golden locks backwards, off her shoulders. Lucy looked up at the three and internally smirked to herself when she saw their stunned look. She affixed her tote bag strap over her shoulder and exhaled calmly.
The short-haired woman gasped quietly, “Isn’t that Lucy Ashley?”
None of the others answered as their jaws dropped in astonishment. She knows it’s petty. But sometimes, she just likes to slap it on people’s faces—occasionally. Lucy acts surprised at their sudden recognition and then gives them a sweet smile. When one of the women was slowly snapping out of their bewilderment, she pushed her chair backwards and stood up to walk out of the café.
“And that ends my presentation.” Jia then turns around just in time as the lights to the boardroom came to life, illuminating each face in the room. “I would really appreciate everyone’s input for correction or recommendation on how we can improve this proposal.”
“I say, you have done well, Ms. Kuhuwara,” Atlas Flame smirked at the young woman, “I see potential in your proposal project. This can boost our image and earn the public’s favor.”
Jia nods her head before looking at the other board members. They were all nodding, concurring with the new Project Management Director. Slowly, she looks at Natsu with anticipation and glee in her eyes, “Mr. President? Any comments?”
Natsu barely notices her gaze as he rubs the palm of his hand out of habit. He studies the flow chart shown in front of him, “This is good…” he trails off, trying to think of how to say the following words without sounding like he’s criticizing, “But I find some lacking about the perspective on the lower community and how our building will benefit them. They would be the ones affected in these constructions, and having them protest us can impact our reliability.”
Jia’s smile slowly faded and turned serious as she nodded her head, “This is noted, Mr. President. I’ll look into this and research it.”
“Other than that, it’s good,” Natsu appreciatively smiles back at her.
“Mr. Dragneel, you’re too serious sitting here. Don’t get too serious on us now,” Atlas suddenly chimes in, making Natsu almost roll his eyes, “Jia is new in her job. We should appreciate that she is able to come up with this proposal in a short span of time.”
“I do appreciate and acknowledge her ability to provide us with this proposal. I’m just mentioning what needs to be added.”
Atlas scoffed, “Alright, Mr. President.” He then looked at the pinkette with a stern gaze before he gave a smile to the pinkette, “Now, would you relax? We’re settled with this project, and let’s anticipate it coming into fruition.”
Natsu’s jaw tightens before he forces himself to breathe out. He kept his stern gaze on the old man, “Well, then, meeting adjourned.”
People then started saying their thanks as they gathered up their things, when suddenly, Atlas suggested, “Why don’t you and Ms. Jia have coffee?” The others raised a brow at the sudden shift of topic. Each member alternatively glanced at the two, “I think you two would get along well.”
“Oh, we get along just fine, Mr. Flame,” Jia replies even as she tries to ignore the growing warmth on her face.
“That’s great then!” Atlas then stood up, and soon, one by one, the members followed him. “Then get to know one another instead. I think the two of you would be a nice couple.”
Suddenly, a round of surprised chuckles came from the members, making Natsu uncomfortable as they looked at him.
“Director Atlas, since when did you become a matchmaker?” One of the executives asked, smirking at the older man.
Atlas laughed heartily, “Oh, just now! But just look at them! Wouldn’t you agree with me?”
The members sheepishly chuckle at the man, before they look at Natsu and Jia. The young lady was bashfully standing on one end of the table, while Natsu bafflingly looked back.
“Mr. Atlas,” Natsu suddenly called seriously, making the others look back at him, “I’d appreciate it if you don’t make these insinuations.”
Atlas laughed at the serious pinkette, “Oh, come on, Mr. Dragneel, it’s just a friendly suggestion.”
“Well, I don’t like it, especially since I have a girlfriend.” Natsu seriously looked at each person in the room as if conveying to them how serious he was, “And I am certain that you are all aware of this. And if not, then I would like to reiterate to everyone that I have a girlfriend. We are in a serious relationship, and it’s not a far thought of marrying her. And that ‘her’ is only Lucy Ashley.”
People in the room slowly blushed at the stern confession. No one inside the room would ever think that he was lying.
Daichi, who is among the people inside the room, just sitting behind his boss, also blushes at the admittance. But it would be a foolish mistake for him just to believe what Natsu said. So, despite feeling that shivering giddiness about that confession, he also feels confused. What exactly is the goal of saying this in public?
As Natsu and Daichi head back to the president’s floor, the two are perceptively quiet. The floor number shown in the elevator changes almost too slowly for Natsu, but he knew it was just the usual speed. He could hear the silent judgment from all the people he had left in the boardroom. And the loudest judgment was coming from his executive assistant.
Daichi suddenly clears his throat. “If you don’t mind me asking, sir,” he pauses and calmly gauges the pinkette’s reaction before proceeding, “Does your deal with Ms. Ashley entail marriage as well?”
Natsu snaps his head, looking at his assistant with bewilderment, “What? No,”
Daichi raised a brow as he slowly turned to look at his boss, “If I may be blunt, sir…But what was that all about?”
Natsu’s cheeks suddenly reddened in embarrassment, “I-It’s—It’s nothing. I—I was just rambling and trying to convince people. You know how Atlas likes making rumors and lets his minions spread them around.”
Daichi hums, slowly nodding his head, and looks away. “You do know that your parents will probably hear about this.”
Natsu huffs in exasperation, “Yeah. It won’t be surprising.”
Daichi suddenly lets out a soft chortle, “To be honest, sir, I’m just surprised that you said that out loud to everyone.”
Natsu glances at his assistant for a second before looking away, feeling bashful again for his unexpected outburst. “Well, we have to keep up the cover.” Natsu reasons out, even if he knew it was a white lie. He can’t explain it himself. Or maybe he does, he’s just not willing to admit it yet and agree.
He then clears his throat, subtly telling his assistant that the topic is done. “So, Lucy is in the café?”
“Oh, yes, sir. I can pick her up at the café.” The elevator rings, and the door opens smoothly. “You can proceed back to the office, sir, while I get Ms. Ashley from the lobby café.”
“That would be great. Thanks, Daichi.” Natsu then steps out of the elevator and walks back to his office.
His mind returns to his confession in the boardroom. What got into him to make that kind of declaration? Atlas was just taunting him. Nothing unusual. But then, why did it bother him that he was being paired up with Jia? He knows that he and Lucy are just faking it. But why didn’t it feel right to be coupled up with another woman?
Natsu, out of mind, opens his door, and abruptly stops in his tracks at the sight he sees. Lucy was sitting on the couch, with her legs tucked under her, while his white scarf draped over her lap like a blanket.
She looked so at peace and beautiful. She has this glowing image in his eyes the longer he watches her. Lucy suddenly chuckles as she reads something, snapping him out of his thoughts.
“Luce?” He called, and the blonde finally tore herself away from her reading and looked up.
“Natsu!” Lucy beamed before putting her book down, “How long have you been standing there?”
“Not long enough,” Natsu replies, closing the door. He feels overly warm just seeing her smile like that at him. He clears his throat, fearing that he’ll choke in his words, “Daichi went back to the lobby to get you.”
“Oh-shit!” Lucy then stood up, “I forgot to tell him that I went ahead here—”
“Natsu?”
Natsu and Lucy then turned their attention to the door as it opened, revealing Jia.
Lucy’s eyes slowly grew wide as she recognized the woman. This was the woman that she had met at the grocery store one time, whom Natsu introduced as someone he had dated a few times before they officially ended it—on Natsu’s side only, though, and decided to remain friends.
“Jia?” Natsu calls, “What’s the matter?”
Jia looked at Natsu for a second before she glanced past him and stared at Lucy, standing behind the pinkette. “You’re here,” Jia said, sounding surprised that Lucy could be around for real.
Lucy knew that her comment was for her, but she couldn’t bring herself to speak up. Thankfully, Natsu spoke on her behalf.
“Lucy came to surprise me. Is there anything that you need?” Natsu then stepped closer to the brunette.
Jia looks back at Natsu as she tries to shake off the surprise she felt. “Um, I just…” She glances at the blonde again for a second, considering her next words, before looking back at the man. “I just want to make sure that we’re okay.”
Natsu raised a brow, confused, “Yeah, of course. Why wouldn’t we?”
“I bet Mr. Atlas knows about us dating before…” Jia subtly watched for Lucy’s reaction. But the woman kept stoic. “I guess that’s why he tried to tease us together. I just wanted to make sure that we wouldn’t be awkward with each other after that.”
Natsu made a glance over his shoulder to check on Lucy at the mention of him dating Jia. When Lucy kept quiet and unmoving, he immediately looked back at Jia, “Don’t worry about it. Besides, I think it was the perfect opportunity to let people know how serious I am about Lucy. I know how news flies around the company.”
Jia swallows down the lump in her throat before she smiles at the man, “I see.”
“Anyways, is there anything more?” Natsu then turned to look at Lucy and grinned at her, making the blonde flinch in wonder, “Lucy and I are going on a date. I’m planning to head out soon.”
Lucy looked at the pinkette, stunned. She was pretty sure they hadn’t made any such plans. So, the only possible explanation for this was that Natsu was trying to tell a lie to Jia.
“Oh, I see…” Jia muttered despondently, which went unnoticed by the pinkette but not by the actress. When Natsu looked back at her, she continued, “Well, that’s all I wanted to say. I probably should get going.” She then smiled shyly at Natsu, before looking at Lucy for a moment, and then turning away, leaving the room.
When the door closed, Natsu slowly turned around to face Lucy. He had a smile on his face. “Before you say anything, I will explain everything.”
Lucy snickers at the smirk of the pinkette, “Alright, fine. But over dinner?”
Natsu grinned, “Over dinner. My place?”
Lucy shrugged, “Sure.”
To be continued…