#in fairy tail lucy pit fall plan we trust

[radarchives]

[superfreakerz]

TDDUP18

"Til Death Do Us Part"

Rated M for smut and heavy themes.

Immortal/Reincarnation AU.

Summary: There are immortals and there are those who reincarnate, but it's best to keep these things hidden. Lucy is attending college and meets Natsu, a boy with pink hair, a devilish smile, and a body that never ages.

Read earlier chapters on FF.net

Chapter 18

Simmer

"You told Lu-chan the truth about us, didn't you?"

Natsu's heart dropped to the pit of his stomach, filling his body with anxiety that had him breaking out into a cold sweat. His hands, which were previously balled into tight fists, now laid limp at his sides as his energy drained from him. He was immediately reminded of the night Lucy had confronted him.

"Wh-What are you talking about?" Natsu choked out in hopes of swaying the girl. "I didn't say anything."

"Don't you dare lie to me about this," Levy snapped, her voice laced with conviction he'd never heard from her before. "I want the truth."

"I am telling the truth! I didn't say anything!"

Levy stomped towards him, and despite being much shorter than him, her presence was strong and looming.

"You told her about where we live. I know because I saw your guys' texts from last night. Now, can I get the truth?"

Natsu's mouth went drier than a desert, causing his throat to sting as he attempted to swallow.

"I-I didn't tell her exactly where we live," Natsu said, knowing there was no escaping the truth now. At this, Levy threw her hands in the air, pacing around and shaking her head.

"How could you do this, Natsu?" she demanded, turning an angry gaze on him. "The rules are there for a reason!"

"You don't understand!" the boy cried. "She was already onto us!"

"How?"

"She dropped by the apartment we told her was mine and found it empty."

"You mean the apartment we had to lie about because you, for some bright reason, agreed to bring her over to your place? You've been setting this whole thing up for failure from the start!"

"Okay, yeah, maybe I slipped up a few times, but I'm not the only one!"

"So what happened?" Levy asked. "When she found out?"

Natsu's lips curled into a frown as he remembered Lucy's tear-stained face from that night. "She started asking who I am and asking me where I lived. I tried lying my way out of it at first I swear, but she wasn't falling for it. And… And then she said she couldn't be around us anymore because she couldn't trust us."

Levy nodded. Her heart panged hearing that her best friend held such feelings towards her at one point but it was understandable. "Then what?"

Natsu clenched his jaw. "I-I couldn't let that happen, Levy. You have to understand. She's your best friend, right? There's no way you can just live without her!"

"Tell me what happened, Natsu."

"I told her that I don't live there. That I've never lived there. And she was about to cut ties with all of us but I managed to change her mind."

"How?"

"I told her that I wanted to tell her but it wasn't just my secret to share. Then she made me promise her our secret isn't anything dangerous. And we made an agreement that if something comes up that I can't tell her the truth about, she'll understand but I can't lie to her anymore."

Levy's hands tangled in her blue locks, tugging on them in stress. "This is bad, Natsu. Really bad."

"I know, but I didn't have a choice!" Natsu insisted. "I… I can't lose Lucy. I just can't."

"Natsu-!"

"Put yourself in my shoes, Levy. Imagine losing Gajeel."

Levy sighed. The thought of losing Gajeel was something she never had to worry about. They were immortal, after all. Though despite not being able to relate to the boy, she did understand.

"I'm sorry, Natsu, but you're going to lose her either way," Levy said, tears pricking her eyes. "Once the others find out about this, we'll be sent to the basement and we won't be able to see her again."

"Then they won't have to know about it! This can be our own little secret!" Natsu grabbed the girl by the shoulders, staring into her eyes pleadingly. He was desperate.

"They're going to find out without us even telling them!" Levy shouted, shaking him off of her. "Lu-chan told me that you guys confessed after an argument you had. I'm guessing the argument wa about this, right? That wasn't even that long ago and yet I already found out!"

"I know, I know. We messed up. We shoulda been more careful and we will be from now on! Just please promise you won't tell anybody. I'm begging you, Levy. Please."

Levy squeezed her eyes shut, allowing the pesky fears that welled up in the corners of her eyes to slide down her cheeks. There was no way they were going to be able to keep this under wraps. Not when Jellal was just as intuitive as she was. And not when Erza had a knack for finding things out as well.

Still, the thought of not being able to hang out with Lucy at their favorite smoothie shop or gush about a new book broke Levy's heart and she found herself nodding.

"Alright," she said. "I'll keep this secret with you. But you better make damn sure that you and Lu-chan hide it better. And no more telling her anything."

"Deal!" Natsu exclaimed. A huge weight was lifted from his shoulders, finally allowing him to breathe a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Levy."

Levy ignored him, turning away and walking back towards Fairy Tail. In truth, she was still mad at the boy. Sure, he wasn't the only one to slip up around Lucy, but his were the biggest. It was because of his mistakes that Lucy was onto them and it was because of his mistakes that their friendship was in danger.

"He better make sure to keep our secret."

Natsu shoved his hands in his pockets as he dragged his feet through the busy streets of Magnolia. With all of the crowded vendors and tourists, voices boomed throughout every inch of the town. They went unheard to the boy, however, as he was drowning in his own thoughts.

He'd slipped up. And now he was scared his relationship with Lucy was going to have to pay for it.

Reaching the familiar apartment, Natsu stopped just outside of the wooden door. Reaching underneath his scarf, he pulled out a key that he'd looped inside of an old chain he had, making it into a necklace. He stared at the cold metal that rested in the palm of his hand. To others, it may have appeared to be just a key. But to him, it was a symbol of how much progress his relationship with Lucy had gone through.

He'd never had a real girlfriend before- sure, they weren't official yet, but he couldn't help consider Lucy as his. Hell, he never even had feelings towards another girl before. And yet now that he finally found someone that was right for him, someone that had given him the key to their apartment, he was about to lose them.

He was about to lose her.

Heaving a sigh, Natsu jiggled the key in the lock. Swinging the door open, he found Lucy standing in front of her vanity. She adorned a maroon dress with a plunging neckline to show off the assets she was proud of. It clung to her body, falling to her calves. She was playing with her golden tresses, seemingly trying to decide what to do with them as she started lifting them into a high pony before letting them fall over her back.

Once he took a step towards her, her head whirled towards him. Her chocolate brown eyes, which were already large on their own, widened as she took sight of him. He could see them brighten as she looked at him, which made his heart flutter. A smile, one that he'd fallen in love with, graced her face. It provided temporary hope. Hope that even though he'd messed up, things would be okay.

"Natsu! How'd you get in?" Lucy asked.

Natsu lifted the chain around his neck, showing off the key. "You gave me a key to your apartment. Did you already forget, you weirdo?"

Lucy flushed, awkwardly chuckling. "Oh right. I guess I did."

"Did you want it back or something? I guess I can start comin' in through the window again."

"No! Keep it!" Lucy exclaimed. Embarrassed by the sheer desperation that laced her voice, she amended, "You know, so that you don't have to come through the window."

Natsu smirked. "Sure, sure. Whatcha all dressed up for?"

Lucy's brows rose, her blush deepening. "Isn't our umm… date today?"

"Oh, right," Natsu replied. His lips curled downwards into a small frown. With everything that happened with Levy, he hadn't been able to plan anything for that day. Not to mention he wasn't really in the mood for going out at the moment.

"Did you not want to go anymore?"

Natsu whipped his head towards Lucy, so fast he feared it flying off. She was smoothing her hands over her dress, avoiding eye contact as she frowned.

"I do want to!" Natsu exclaimed as if the louder volume would help convince her. It seemed to have worked as Lucy shyly lifted her gaze to meet his. "I do, I promise, Luce. But something came up and I couldn't plan anything. And… I guess I'm not really in the mood anymore. Today, at least."

"Oh."

"Are you mad?"

Lucy smiled at him, shaking her head. "Of course not. We'll just reschedule it."

Natsu studied the girl for any signs of deceit. He knew just how much she was looking forward to it, if her flashy outfit was anything to go by.

"You're really okay with not going?" he asked.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" Lucy replied, arching a brow.

"Because look at you. You're all dressed up. It's obvious you wanted to go."

"Yeah, I did. But I want to go when you want to go too. And it's not like we're canceling our plans forever. We're just rescheduling, right?" Natsu nodded, prompting her to continue. "Besides, you're my best friend and it's clear you're upset about something, so I want to help you feel better. If that means staying home and watching movies, or maybe even just sitting in each other's company, I'll do it in a heartbeat. I don't care what plans we have to cancel if it means cheering you up."

Natsu's body flooded with warmth as he took in the girl's sincerity. He wasn't like Jellal. He didn't have a way with words. And he wasn't like Juvia either, who could easily display her feelings through physical touches. But in that moment, he was going to surprise both himself and the girl he was quickly falling in love with.

Walking up towards Lucy, who was in the process of taking off her large hoop earrings, he wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug. He rested his head over her shoulder while her face was flush against his chest. His fingers found home in her curled golden locks. This was where he was meant to be, in her arms. Immortality be damned, he was going to make sure he spent every possible minute he could with her.

"Thank you," he murmured. "Thank you for everything."

Lucy's body tingled as his warm breath fanned her shoulder. Slightly pulling away from Natsu, she gazed into his onyx orbs, so dark in color it made her feel like she was diving into the deepest part of the ocean. Her eyes flickered to his lips, her tongue darting out and wetting her own. Lifting her gaze to meet Natsu's again, she found that he was now staring at her lips. Time stopped, both willing themselves to move forward and close the space between them.

Their moment ended as quickly as it started, Natsu's lips curling into a smile. Lucy felt her body relax at the sight of the carefree grin plastered on his face. With flushed cheeks, they both began to laugh together.

One day, perhaps soon, they would close the space between them in a kiss. But for now, they were fine with how their relationship was progressing. Their feelings for each other were clear as day. That was all they needed.

Lucy cleared her throat, taking a step back to put some space between them.

"So, what do you want to do today?" she asked, lacing her fingers together behind her back.

Natsu shrugged. "Haven't really thought about it. Wanna watch a movie?"

"Sounds like a plan! I'll let you choose the movie this time since I chose last time."

Used to their routine, Natsu scrolled through Netflix, trying to find something that both of them would like. Even though it was his turn to choose, he didn't want to make Lucy sit through a movie for hours only to hate it. Lucy grabbed some pajamas before heading to the bathroom to change. She was about to cook them dinner, and since she planned on re-wearing that dress for when they actually do go out, she didn't want to get it messy.

Once everything was set up, bowls of ravioli sitting on their laps, Natsu started the movie. It was a comedy movie this time since they watched all of the good horror ones already. Laughing more than they ate, it took forever for them to finish their food.

Natsu eyed Lucy as she put her empty bowl on the coffee table in front of them. Now that she was finally done eating, he wrapped an arm around her and pulled her against him so that they were both laying down. Before, it took a lot of courage for him to make a move on Lucy. Now that he wasn't scared of rejection, he felt comfortable with the idea.

Lucy beamed, snuggling closer to Natsu. In all of her lifetimes, she'd never felt more at home.

Once they finished the movie, tears were streaming down their faces, it being one of the funniest movies they'd ever seen. The atmosphere was lighter now than it had been when Natsu had arrived. It was finally time for Lucy to ask what had been on her mind.

"So, why were you upset earlier?" she asked, turning off the TV.

Natsu frowned immediately, tugging on his scarf. It was a habit of his. Whenever he was upset or scared, he found comfort in the scaly texture.

"It's about Levy," he answered. There was no point in hiding it. He had to bring it up anyways. "She knows that I let you in on a little bit of our secret."

Lucy's eyes widened, her mouth parting. "Does that mean-"

"No, we aren't going to be separated. I managed to convince her to keep it a secret."

"Oh. That's good then, right?"

"Yeah, but it would've been better if she never found out in the first place. She really wasn't happy with me that I told you all that stuff."

Lucy frowned. Her best friends were fighting, and she was to blame. "Did you tell her why you told me?"

"Yeah," Natsu answered, rubbing the back of his head. "But it doesn't matter. In Erza's eyes, there's no good excuse for telling people about our secret. Even if it means losing you."

"Wait, how did she even find out in the first place?"

"She said that she saw our texts last night. When we were talking about how everyone lived with me."

Lucy slapped a hand over her forehead. "Shit. Okay, that was my fault. I didn't know that she was still awake." Perhaps keeping her phone on full brightness wasn't a smart idea when her friend was in bed next to her.

"It's okay. We just have to be extra careful from now on."

"Would we really be separated if they found out?" Lucy questioned, her brows drooping.

Natsu thought it over. Knowing Erza and the others, they would definitely go back down to the basement. It was the rule, after all. Fairy Tail had been kind enough to take them in, feed them and keep them safe from those who threatened them. Putting up with the rules that they had was the deal. In exchange for all of the benefits Fairy Tail had to offer, they had to abide by the rules.

And suddenly, Natsu had an idea.

"No," he finally answered. "They won't. I'll make sure of it."

"How?" Lucy asked.

"Can't say. But you don't have to worry about it anymore, okay?"

Lucy eyed him skeptically, wondering what kind of plan he had up his sleeves. Whatever it was, she doubted it was good, but she couldn't question him about it any further. She just hoped that whatever haywire plan he had worked.

The next morning, Natsu took in a deep breath, indulging himself in the addictive aroma of the girl laying beside him. One of his arms was underneath Lucy's head, feeling like pins and needles after having been laid on all night. Still, he endured the torturous feeling to let her sleep longer. His other arm was draped over the girl's side, his hand resting on her bare stomach as her shirt had ridden up during her sleep.

Though Natsu's decision from the day before was a tough one to make, waking up with Lucy in his arms made it worth it. If it meant being able to stay by her side, he'd do anything.

Finally, he felt Lucy began to stir, meaning she was going to wake up soon. Soon enough, her eyes fluttered open.

"Good morning," the girl mumbled, snuggling closer to him.

Natsu's lips curled into an amused grin. She was always bolder whenever she was tired. "Morning, Luce. Ready to get up now?"

"Nope."

"Too bad."

Natsu cackled as he tore off the blanket and began bouncing in bed. Lucy groaned, swatting at the boy and yelling at him to stop, but she knew he wouldn't. With great reluctance, she sat up and narrowed her eyes at him.

"I hate you," she grumbled.

"No you don't," Natsu said. He leaned closer to her, his face mere centimeters from hers. He had to stifle his laughter as he saw a blush coat her cheeks immediately. Lightly tugging on the ends of her hair, he pushed forward just a bit, making their lips even closer. His heart was thumping wildly in his chest, and he was sure that Lucy's was doing the same. "You wouldn't be blushing like that if you hated me."

Lucy snapped back to her senses, glaring at him. He was teasing her! Slapping his arm, she shouted, "Shut up, jerk!"

Natsu's laughter filled the air as Lucy got out of bed, her arms crossed. Her signature pout was glued to her face, bringing tears to the boy's eyes. He loved that face.

"Do you wanna go to Fairy Tail today?" he asked.

"Do you?" Lucy arched a brow at him. "Aren't you and Levy-chan fighting?"

Natsu rubbed the back of his head. "I wouldn't say we're fighting. Well, I hope we aren't. But even if we are, it's better to fix it, right?"

"That's true. Alright, let's get ready. I'm going to go take a shower really quick!"

A lazy smirk stretched over Natsu's face. "I have to shower too. Why don't we save time and do it together?"

Lucy's cheeks were set ablaze as she became a sputtering mess. "N-No way, idiot! I'm not showering with you!" Though she'd be lying if she said the thought hadn't crossed her mind before.

"I'm kidding, Luce. Hurry up! And don't take forever like you usually do!"

Lucy rolled her eyes, grabbing a fresh set of clothes and heading to the bathroom. Closing the door behind her, she stared at the lock. She usually locked the door, knowing that Natsu had boundary issues but… With pink cheeks, Lucy got undressed and hopped into the shower, the door to the bathroom left unlocked.

The girl had read some erotic novels in her lifetimes and was even in the process of writing her own. She knew the classic trope of the guy walking into the bathroom while the girl was in the shower because the door was unlocked. Did she want Natsu to do the same? Of course not!

"Maybe a little," Lucy thought, her cheeks burning hotter than the water coating her skin. Why else would she have left the door unlocked?

Lucy wondered if those kinds of thoughts were bad. After all, she and Natsu weren't even together yet. Hell, they hadn't even kissed! Why was she thinking about Natsu coming into the bathroom, taking off his clothes, joining her in the shower and making her scream his name against the shower wall while their bodies were wet and-

"Okay, too far, Lucy!" the girl thought, slapping her cheeks. Still, could anyone blame her? Natsu was drop dead gorgeous with his perfectly chiseled abs and messy hair. And it wasn't her fault that her eyes sometimes managed to catch the sight of his pants hanging lower than usual!

Knowing that she wasn't going to be able to get those thoughts out of her head until she acted on them, Lucy slid her hand over to her wet folds. She started with slow ministrations, moving softly against her clit. She wasn't used to pleasuring herself while standing up, but she sure as hell couldn't do it in her normal spot with Natsu sitting on her bed.

Speaking of Natsu, images of the pink-haired boy filled her mind, as there was nobody else she would rather imagine. She pictured him naked, pushing her against the tile wall. She thought of him drawing her erect nipple into his mouth. Using her free hand, she rolled her fingers over the hardened nubs herself while still rubbing her fingers over her clit.

Pleasure began to build up within the pit of her stomach, prompting her to speed up her ministrations. She rubbed herself quickly, moving in circles over her flesh. With the warm water running over her and thoughts of Natsu fucking her against the wall, it was only a matter of time before Lucy shattered against her own hand, loud, breathy moans escaping her lips which she hoped were drowned out by the sound of the shower.

After her orgasm, Lucy finished her shower as quickly as possible.

Natsu was sure he was just hearing things when he heard the first moan. With quick steps, he stopped outside of the bathroom, pressing his ear against the door. He'd always had better hearing than most, which allowed him to hear yet another moan coming from inside the bathroom.

With red cheeks, Natsu swallowed thickly. He knew just what Lucy was doing in there. A familiar, tingling sensation erupted in the pit of his stomach. Not long after, a tent was formed in his pants.

Lucy was in the bathroom, touching her wet, naked body and moaning. Could anyone blame his body for reacting the way it did?

Gritting his teeth, the boy tried to calm himself down. Even if he thought about it at least once a day, they weren't ready for that step.

"I wonder if she's thinking of me while she's doin' it," he thought. Shaking his head, he took deep breaths, hoping to calm down the bulge in his pants. He sat back down on her bed, hoping to drown out the sound of her breathy moans.

Once Lucy stepped out of the shower, a bellow of steam following her out of the bathroom, Natsu watched as she went to the kitchen to grab a glass of milk. He knew she often enjoyed drinking milk right after a hot shower or bath.

His eyes were drawn to the clothes she was wearing. A red tee shirt and some black leggings, which were just the tiniest bit see through that he could see the imprint of her underwear. Through the thinness of her shirt, he could make out her nipples, which were still hard and poking through her shirt.

"Why isn't she wearing a bra?" Natsu wondered, stifling a groan. It was hard enough to control himself as it is. It didn't help that seeing her wear his favorite color aroused him as well.

Lucy chugged down the milk, some of it drizzling down her chin. Natsu swallowed thickly, watching the white substance drip down her face. He'd had some pretty familiar fantasies before, but it wasn't milk he pictured…

"This is going to be the death of me."

Lucy put her cup in the sink and grabbed a sweater. Throwing it on, Natsu was relieved- but also a bit disappointed- that he couldn't see her hardened nubs poking through her sweater.

"Ready to go?" Lucy asked, turning towards him.

"Yeah, I'll follow you," Natsu replied.

The blonde shrugged, heading out the door. Natsu sighed in relief, taking deep breaths to calm himself down before removing the pillow he had situated in his lap. Now that his hard-on was gone, he followed Lucy to Fairy Tail.

Arriving at the pub, the two were anxious to see everyone else. Had Levy caved and spilled the truth? Was their friend still angry? There was only one way to find out.

Sitting at their usual table was the rest of the gang. Levy turned towards them, her lips drawn in a straight line. She didn't look too pleased, but it didn't look like she told them either, based on how Erza greeted them.

"It's nice to see you, Lucy. Natsu," the redhead greeted.

Natsu stifled a sigh of relief, grateful that Levy kept true to her promise. "I'm gonna get food real quick."

Lucy sat on the opposite side of Levy. She hoped things weren't awkward between them, and it wasn't like she could just bring it up now to find out.

"So?" Gray's voice called out, catching her attention. "You and Natsu a thing yet?"

Lucy groaned. "Would you guys please stop asking me? No, we aren't."

"Need me to-"

"And no, I don't need you to beat some sense into Natsu. Thank you."

"Lame," Gray said, crossing his arms. He'd use anything as an excuse to fight Natsu.

Natsu walked back to the table, carrying a table stacked with meat. "What's lame?"

"Nothing," Lucy replied. She didn't want him to know that they were talking about their pending relationship status. "Just some school stuff."

Natsu studied the girl before nodding. It was obvious she was lying; he could read her like an open book.

"At least Thanksgiving break is coming up," Jellal said, transitioning the conversation smoothly to go with Lucy's lie.

"What are your plans for Thanksgiving, Lucy?" Juvia asked.

Lucy glanced at Natsu. "Well, Natsu and I were planning on spending Thanksgiving together since we aren't going back home."

Everyone's eyes widened. Natsu was going to give up his favorite holiday to keep Lucy company? Natsu loved Thanksgiving more than any other holiday, even Christmas. He enjoyed stuffing his face with Mira's delicious cooking. To think that he was giving that up… The boy was in love!

"Yep!" Natsu said, throwing an arm over the girl's shoulders. "So you better make an awesome meal for me!"

Lucy gave him a pointed stare. "You're going to help me cook, right?"

"Do you really want me cookin' Thanksgiving Dinner?"

"…I guess not. Then you're helping me pay for the ingredients!"

"Sheesh, Lucy! When'd you get so cheap?"

"Since you entered my life and started eating all my food!"

"Perhaps we shall join as well," Erza suggested, her lips curved into a grin. "Of course, we'll bring some food over as well."

Lucy beamed at her. "That sounds fun! The more the merrier, right?" She turned to Natsu.

He shrugged. "Fine with me."

Lucy grinned. She hated Thanksgiving in this lifetime. Her father was never there even when she visited, so she had always spent the day alone while everyone else got to spend time with their families. It was a day that never failed to remind her just how lonely she really was.

But not anymore. After lifetimes, she finally had friends. Friends who actually wanted to spend the holiday with her. No matter how much time passed, she was never going to forget them.

"I better get going now," Lucy said once it started to get dark. Arching a brow at Natsu, she asked, "You coming?"

"Imma stay here a little longer," Natsu answered. He wanted to talk to Levy, who had been quieter than usual that night. "I'll be over there later."

"Okay. Bye, everyone!"

Everyone waved to the blonde.

"We're gonna head downstairs now," Gray said as he and Juvia got up. "Cana said she wanted to show us something."

"What is it?" Levy asked.

"Probably nothing. Just an excuse to get us down there so she can get us drunk. You know how Cana is."

"I'll join you," Erza said. "I'd like to talk to Mira."

"I'm gonna go work on my projects," Gajeel said. "You wanna come?" he asked Levy.

"No thanks. I'm going to go read."

With that, the group split up, most of them going downstairs. All that were left at the table were Natsu and Levy.

"I told Lucy that you know, by the way," Natsu said, tugging on the ends of his scarf. He'd never felt awkward around Levy until this whole mess happened.

"I figured by the way she kept looking at me tonight," Levy replied. "I still think this is a horrible idea."

"I know."

"If they find out, we're going to be back in the basement."

"Not me."

Levy's brows rose. "What do you mean? Of course you're going back to the basement. That's the rule."

"For Fairy Tail members it is," Natsu replied with a shrug. "If they find out and tell me to go back to the basement, I'll just leave Fairy Tail."

"You'll what!? Natsu, do you understand what you're saying?"

"Completely."

"You won't have any money, you know? You only get your funds because you're in Fairy Tail. And it's not like you'll be able to get a job on your own if you aren't associated with us. You don't have any paperwork. Plus, you'll be exposed! It'll be so much easier to find out your secret!"

"But I'll be with Lucy," Natsu said, his eyes brimming with resolve. "And that's enough for me."

Levy frowned. "Natsu, I get it. I really do. But your relationship with Lu-chan isn't worth all of that. You two haven't known each other long, and your relationship as it is isn't even stable. Who knows if you guys will last?"

"I know we will."

"Okay, even if you do last, she's going to find out eventually that you don't age. She's going to grow old while you stay the same. What are you going to do then?"

Natsu's fists clenched at his sides. "I don't know but I don't care. All I know is I want to be with Lucy, and I'm going to do whatever it takes to do it. She's worth it."

Rising from the table, Natsu headed towards the exit without a word of goodbye.

Levy watched his retreating figure, a frown plastered to her face. Now she definitely had to keep their secret, not just for Lucy's sake, but for Natsu's as well. His plan was more than reckless. It was a mistake.

She knew that she couldn't change his mind, either. People do crazy things when they're in love, after all. Still, she couldn't let Natsu ruin his life.

"Please, whatever god is out there, don't let anyone find out about this."

She could only hope her prayers would be heard.