She sighed– for what seemed like the hundredth time that day– as she lazily swirled her spoon inside her hot mug of coffee, mixing in the last of what was once a pretty foam heart into the now plain, beige drink.

It was a typical Saturday afternoon, and the newly formed friend group had gathered at their usual café, a spot that had quickly become their weekly refuge. The rest of the group chatted away, their voices fading into the background, blending with the other people sitting in the cafe, as Lucy let herself sink deeper into her thoughts.

It had been a week since she and her co-star, Natsu, began meeting regularly after working hours to run through their scenes together. It was a good idea at the time– a way for them to sharpen their performance and, hopefully, ease some of the tension between them.

She just hadn't thought the details fully through, how the sessions could be so... distracting. In a way, the arrangement seemed to be working. But on her part, it really wasn't.

"By the way, Lucy," Evergreen spoke up as she set her tea down and eyed her with curiosity. Her voice pulled the blonde back to the present.

She blinked, suddenly aware of her surroundings again. How long had she been spaced for? She glanced down at her mug. The thing was still filled to the top, but the steam had been long gone. She took a sip, and as expected, it was cold.

"Did something happen between you and Natsu?" she asked.

Lucy coughed mid-sip, almost choking on her drink. She blinked in surprise. "What makes you say that?" she croaked, wiping her mouth with a napkin.

"It's just the vibe between you two," the woman stated. "So, what's going on?"

The table had gone silent minutes ago, all eyes now fixed on Lucy. She was faced with a group of curious stares as they all waited for her reply. All but Levy, who seemed blissfully unaware, casually humming to herself as she played with the remaining ice in her cup with her straw.

"Other than a one-night stand, not really..." she mumbled absentmindedly in between hums.

Lucy gasped. "Levy!"

The bluenette snapped her head up in shock and quickly covered her mouth. "Sorry!" she apologised through her hands. "I didn't mean to say that out loud!"

But the damage had been done. The group exploded into a million questions, their voices overlapping as they demanded details.

"It's true," Alice cut in, her voice calm amidst the chaos.

Everyone turned to face her, even Lucy, who was curious at how unphased she was.

"How do you know?" Erza asked.

"I figured a while ago that it would be something like that," she said nonchalantly, shrugging as if it was obvious. "Sexual tension doesn't lie."

"W-what sexual tension?!" Lucy protested, burying her face in mortification, as the rest of the table shared a sound of realisation, nodding their heads in agreement.

"Well, that certainly explains all the arguing," Mira concluded as the group began to laugh. "Still, I can't say I'm not shocked."

"Yeah, sorry about the fighting," the blonde muttered, head held down as she sulked.

Before anyone could respond, Lucy's purse vibrated on the table. She pulled out her phone, frowning at the screen.

"Director Gildarts?" she murmured in confusion. She turned to the rest of the group, only to be returned with the same curious expressions. She answered the call.

"Hello? Director Gildarts?"

"Lucy!" Gildarts' voice was loud and panicked, something that was rare for the usually chill and laid-back director. "Get to the studio immediately! We have a bit of an emergency."

"Emergency?" Lucy's eyebrows furrowed with concern. "What happened?! everything okay?"

"Everything's going to be fine," the man assured her. "But, I don't have time to explain. Just get here as fast as you can, okay?"

The call ended abruptly before Lucy could properly respond. Gulping anxiously, she set her phone down, once again faced with worried looks.

"I have to go," she muttered and gathered her things.

★ ★ ★

As soon as she entered the building, she made her way to the stairs, racing her way up to the second floor, where the staff workroom was. She approached the tall office doors at the end of the hallway, ignoring the 'STAFF ONLY' sign as she pushed through the doors.

"Gildarts! I'm here, what happened?!" she yelled.

"Uncle! I got here as soon as I could," Natsu rushed past her, scanning the room for his uncle.

He halted, turning to face the blonde, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. She returned the look, unable to answer his silent questions swirling inside her mind as well.

A man in the room cleared his throat, and then the black desk chair in front of them swiftly spun around, revealing a calm and collected Gildarts, leaning on the armrests as if the chair was his throne.

"Natsu, Lucy," he beckoned the pair inside. "Glad you could make it."

"What's going on?" Natsu asked, giving him a suspicious look as he crossed his arms.

"Oh my god!" Lucy gasped in horror as her mind raced to the worst conclusion. "Are we being fired?! I'm so sorry, we didn't mean–"

"Calm down," Gildarts interjected, raising a hand to cut her off. "Nothing bad is happening and nobody is getting fired.

The two sighed in relief.

"Don't get too comfortable," Gildarts continued. "There's something I have to show you."

He spun back around, pulling himself towards his computer. Natsu and Lucy approached him cautiously, walking to either side of him as he clicked away on his computer. He clicked on a folder, under the label 'articles'. After scrolling through the files, he opened the most recent one.

Lucy's breath caught in her throat as she read the title. She turned to Natsu, whose eyes were fixed on the screen, mouth slightly agape. She turned back to the computer screen, surely she was mistaken. But there it was again, written in bold, red letters.

'ACTORS NATSU AND LUCY IN A SECRET RELATIONSHIP?'

Following the text was a photograph, quality clear as day, of the two entering the same apartment, Lucy draped over Natsu's back with her arms slumped around his shoulders as they entered the same apartment.

"Care to explain?" Gildarts sighed, shaking his head. In disappointment or amusement? It was unbeknownst to her.

Silence filled the room. That's if to say it hadn't been that way since they'd first entered the room. The weight of the not-so-subtle stares from surrounding staff as they eavesdropped only made it worse.

Natsu cleared his throat, trying to find the right words, while Lucy wished the floor would just swallow her whole.

"We can explain," Natsu tried, hesitantly.

"Please don't," Lucy interjected, her cheeks burning enough as it is.

"Or, maybe, we can't," Natsu continued. He gave the man a sheepish look.

Gildarts just shook his head. "Never mind the details," he waved off, much to Lucy's appreciation. "However, this article was set to go live today, if it weren't for our interference."

"Do you know who wrote it?" Lucy asked.

The situation was too weird. It had been happening frequently lately– news articles containing details of her everyday life being written and published. She thought it was because she'd finally returned from a long break from fame, but was there something deeper happening? The gears in her head continued to turn as Gildarts answered her original question.

"No. It was sent anonymously to the local paper," Gildarts explained. "They would've been successful if the publishing manager hadn't contacted us for confirmation beforehand.

"Then if you stopped it, why the emergency?" Natsu asked.

"There's more," Gildarts said, reaching into his desk drawer.

He pulled out a thick stack of photos and spread them out on the desk. Each one was of Lucy and Natsu, dating back to when Lucy had first moved into her apartment.

"How secure is that building of yours?" the director questioned.

"Very," Natsu replied.

"And you haven't noticed anyone suspicious hanging around?"

Lucy's breath caught in her throat as she remembered the strange man she'd seen the week before. "I..." she began.

"It's clear somebody's trying to create a scandal involving you two, and I'm not betting they have good intentions for doing so," Gildarts inferred. "Given Lucy's previous scandal, having another secret relationship would be bad news. It could damage the show's reputation."

She felt her heart twist with guilt. Her past was interfering with other people's work now.

She didn't notice a pair of green eyes watching her closely, trying to decipher the emotions flickering across her face.

"Then, what can we do?" Natsu asked, turning back to Gildarts.

"Well..." Gildarts started, and Natsu noticed his eyes slightly darken as his lips curved into a smug grin. "I do have one idea."

He spun his chair around dramatically, causing them to take a step backwards. Then he spread his arms wide, theatrically. "You two should start dating!"

"WHAT?!" they shouted simultaneously.

"Not for real! Just pretend!" Gildarts quickly amended, holding his hands up defensively. "Calm down..."

They exchanged disbelieving glances.

He regained his composure, speaking seriously now. "This person, whatever their motive is, is trying to humiliate you two by exposing your private lives. The plan is to go public with the relationship first, that'll take away their power. They can't create a scandal if there's nothing to reveal."

They were still processing the idea, but he made a fair point.

"It won't be permanent," Gildarts continued. "Just until the end of filming and promotions– then you're free to go your separate ways."

'Just until then? Right.' Natsu thought sarcastically.

They shared a look again, weighing the options. A year was a long time to pretend.

"Please!" Gildarts pleaded, clasping his hands together in a mock begging gesture. His attempt at being cute was pitiful, but they couldn't help but give in.

"Fine," Natsu agreed with a sigh.

"Okay," Lucy followed.

Gildarts grinned triumphantly, pulling out a contract that he had clearly prepared in advance. Once they had signed it, he snatched it away, tucking it in an envelope with a satisfied smirk.

"Perfect! You two are official now!" he declared.

He happily ignored their unwilling frowns and reached into his draw once more. "And I've already planned your first date!"

"What?" Lucy asked in disbelief as he pulled out two carnival tickets. How much had he prepared and how much more was in that desk drawer?

She examined the tickets. They were two adult tickets for the Crocus annual festival, set to open in approximately thirty minutes.

"When did you..?" Natsu began, but Gildarts cut him off.

"It's a given you'll need to go on dates to sell the relationship," the man clarified. "If not, people will think you're only doing it to help the promotion of the series." He cackled loudly.

"But... we are."

...Exactly half an hour later they were dropped off at the entrance of the carnival. The bright lights of the sign twinkled overhead, casting a golden glow on the excited crowd.

They were driven there by an overly cheerful Gildarts, who insisted on escorting them personally because he was "more than happy to help".

He also knocked his head to his left a few times, pointing it towards the group of photographers at the side of the entrance, fiddling with the buttons on their cameras. He instructed them to make sure their performance was extra believable in front of them.

"I don't think he's gonna leave until we go in," Natsu stated monotonously, as they stood at the entrance, watching behind his back how Gildarts car was lingering.

Lucy turned to confirm and, sure enough, Gildarts was still parked there, flashing her an eager thumbs-up when he caught her gaze. His hands were on the wheel, waiting to start steering.

She nodded in agreement. "Let's just get this over with," she muttered, starting to walk toward the entrance.

"Wait–" Natsu stopped her. He took a deep breath as if he was still contemplating something.

He caught up to her, taking hold of her hand and intertwining their fingers together, pulling her with him as he continued walking without another word.

"Oh," Lucy cleared her throat, swallowing the yelp of surprise that almost escaped her. His hand was rough but warm, and surprisingly welcoming.

"They're watching," Natsu murmured. "Best to show affection from the very start."

His tone was logical and nonchalant, but Lucy noticed the faint blush creeping up the back of his ears, matching the warmth she felt in her own cheeks. A small grin tugged at her lips as she quickened her pace to match his, squeezing his hand tighter.

"Alright, so what first?" she asked, her eyes scanning the carnival, which was quickly filling with people.

"First..." Natsu pondered, brushing his pink bangs back from his face.

A high-pitched squeal erupted nearby, drawing their attention. "He's even hotter in person!" someone gushed.

"Isn't that Natsu Dragneel and Lucy Heartfilia?!" another voice called out from the growing crowd.

"They're dating, right?!"

"Did the company already post the announcement?" Lucy muttered, astonished at how fast the news was spreading.

"News travels quickly," Natsu remarked. "Let's go!"

Without warning, he took off running deeper into the carnival, Lucy's hand still firmly in his grip.

They darted away from the bustling crowd, manoeuvring between stalls and game booths as Natsu searched for a hiding spot. As Lucy ran with him, she was hit with a strong wave of déjà vu, and before she could stop herself, she burst into laughter.

Natsu glanced back, perplexed. She shook her head, unable to stop her laughter. He relaxed, finally letting himself loose as he began chuckling with her.

"I guess we've been here before," he snickered shyly.

"We have," she giggled, wiping a small tear from her eye.

As they caught their breath, Natsu spotted a nearby stall selling carnival-themed accessories.

"Perfect," he said, pulling her toward it.

They bought the silliest items they could find, ones that the crown could never be worn by A-list celebrities like them.

Natsu ended up with star-shaped sunglasses, a comically large moustache, and a top hat that barely covered his unmistakable pink hair. Meanwhile, Lucy settled on a simple pair of pink bunny ears and, at Natsu's insistence, a matching moustache.

"You look ridiculous," Natsu grumbled, though the corners of his mouth twitched in amusement.

"You're one to talk," Lucy retorted, her giggles only growing louder as she took in his absurd appearance.

"Alright, let's start with something easy," Natsu suggested, scanning the nearby attractions.

His gaze landed on an old, creaky building in the middle of the path. It looked like an abandoned castle. "How about the haunted house?"

Lucy followed his line of sight, her confidence wavering slightly. "The haunted house?" she questioned.

"Yup!" Natsu grinned, his eyes lighting up with mischief. "Unless, of course, you're too scared."

She shot him a glare, before rolling her eyes. "I am not," she insisted, marching determinedly towards the entrance, dragging him with her. "Let's go."

Natsu's grin widened as they approached the wooden doors, which groaned ominously as they pushed them open. Inside, the haunted house was dimly lit, shadows dancing across the walls as eerie noises echoed through the narrow corridors.

As they ventured deeper inside, the temperature seemed to drop, and the faint sound of ghostly whispers filled the air. Lucy tried to maintain her composure, but the atmosphere was still undeniably creepy. Natsu, on the other hand, seemed to be enjoying himself a little too much.

"Not scared, huh?" he teased, his voice low and playful.

"Not at all," Lucy shot back, with a feeble attempt at hiding the shakiness in her voice.

Suddenly, a figure lunged out from the darkness—a zombie-like creature with rotting clothes and a decaying face. Lucy let out a startled yelp, instinctively grabbing Natsu's arm. He burst out laughing, the sound echoing off the walls.

"Very funny," she muttered, trying to regain her composure.

They continued through the haunted house, facing more jump scares and eerie effects. Lucy tried to keep her cool, but each new surprise made her cling to Natsu a little tighter.

Eventually, they reached a long, narrow hallway with flickering lights and unsettling paintings on the walls.

"Think we're almost out?" Lucy whispered, her eyes darting around.

"Probably," Natsu replied, though he didn't sound entirely sure. Just then, the lights went out completely, plunging them into pitch darkness.

"Oh, great," Lucy muttered sarcastically.

"It's alright, I'm still here," he reassured her, his hand finding hers in the dark.

She noticed how they'd quickly shifted in temperature, and how his fingers felt oddly more bony by the way he tightly held her hand.

"Your hands are cold," she teased. "Guess you're scared too."

"Uhh," Natsu's confused voice came from a few steps ahead of her.

"I'm not touching you."

. . .

Lucy's heart skipped a beat.

She slowly turned her head to the side, only to see the pale, grotesque face of a zombie monster inches away from hers.

She let out a bloodcurdling scream, yanking her hand away.

Natsu's eyes darted back, his face paling as he took in the sight.

"Run!" he yelled, grabbing her arm and pulling her with him.

Without hesitation, they both bolted down the hallway, their footsteps echoing as they raced toward the exit. Behind them, the footsteps grew louder, accompanied by guttural growls.

Natsu felt his heart pounded in his chest as they turned corner after corner– though he would never admit it afterwards.

They ran into a dead-end room, the door slamming shut behind them. Natsu spun around, his back against the wall, pulling Lucy behind him protectively. The zombie busted through it effortlessly, staggering into the room and blocking their only exit.

It growled, the sound rumbling deep from its throat, as it slowly advanced on them. Natsu's hands balled into fists, his adrenaline pumping.

The zombie suddenly stopped, slowly tilting its head as if it were studying them.

A silence fell over the room. The tension hung heavy in the air, thick enough to cut with a knife. Natsu felt Lucy squeeze his arm from behind, and he took a step forward, ready to throw a punch if he had to.

The zombie's face twitched. Its mouth curled upwards into what looked like a smirk. And then, it started cackling with laughter. Not the low, guttural sound like before, but a loud, genuine human laugh that filled the room.

The guy doubled over, clutching its sides as he lost character. Natsu and Lucy stared in bewilderment as he tried to regather himself, pointing accusedly at Natsu's face.

"I'm sorry, man," he wheezed between laughs.

"But that moustache! And the top hat! You look ridiculous. I just couldn't keep it together!"

Lucy blinked, then covered her mouth with her hand, trying to muffle her own laughter. Natsu's face turned a bright shade of red.

"You've got to be kidding me," he huffed, astounded.

The actor finally caught his breath, straightening up and grinning at them. "Sorry for scaring you two," he said. "They told me to play it up if anyone looked like they'd be fun to chase. You guys made my day!"

Lucy snorted, letting out the laughter she'd been holding in. "Well, congratulations," she said, wiping a tear from her eye. "You got us good."

Natsu sighed, his shoulders relaxing. "Yeah, yeah," he muttered. "Let's just get out of here before I lose my pride even more."

The zombie actor chuckled and stepped aside, holding the exit door open for them. "Enjoy the rest of the carnival!" he called as they left.

As they exited the haunted house, the evening air was a welcome relief. Lucy was still laughing softly, and Natsu rolled his eyes.

He yanked off his top hat and ridiculous star-shaped sunglasses, tossing them into a nearby trash bin. "Well, those didn't work." His cheeks were flushed with a mix of embarrassment and relief. "Tell no one," he tried to say seriously, though the corners of his mouth twitched up.

She grinned, nudging him playfully. "Your secrets are safe with me."

"So what's next on our "date" agenda?"

They wandered deeper into the heart of the carnival, the sounds of laughter, excited screams, and carnival music surrounding them. Their first stop was the classic target game, rows of bottles lined up like soldiers on display. Natsu grabbed the toy gun, his competitive nature flaring up.

"Watch and learn," he declared, a determined glint in his eyes.

With a confident smirk, Natsu aimed, firing all the bullets at once, knocking down every bottle in one swift motion. The carnie at the stall, along with a few people watching, clapped slowly, impressed. The man handed over a giant plush dragon to Lucy.

Next, they found themselves at a cotton candy stall. Lucy's eyes lit up as she watched the vendor spin fluffy pink clouds onto a paper stick. Natsu, ever the enthusiastic eater, took a huge bite of his blue cotton candy, engulfing the entire thing within seconds.

Lucy stared at him, mouth agape. With fear or admiration? She had yet to decide.

They meandered through the carnival, trying their luck at different games, sampling all the festival treats they could find, and enjoying the atmosphere. When they stumbled upon the roller coaster, Natsu's eyes lit up.

"Oh man, this one's gotta be good!" he urged, grabbing her hand and pulling her towards the line.

The coaster's sharp turns and steep drops had Lucy screaming in delight, her hair flying in all directions and her arms happily flapping in the air. Natsu, however, was quieter than usual.

As the ride finally screeched to a halt, Lucy was still buzzing with excitement, but her fake boyfriend looked a little paler than usual.

"That was awesome!" Lucy exclaimed as they walked away. Natsu only managed a weak nod, his steps a little wobbly. How stupid of him to forget about his motion sickness.

A photo stall caught Lucy's eye, displaying the snapshots taken during the ride. She spotted theirs and burst into laughter.

In the picture, Lucy was grinning wide, her hands up in the air, while Natsu had his eyes shut tight, a grimace plastered across his face. She eyed him, concerned.

"Natsu?" she raised a brow, pointing to the photo. "Why do you look like you're about to hurl?"

"I think I might," he groaned, holding his stomach. "Let's do something a bit more... stable."

'You were the one who suggested it in the first place, though...' Lucy thought to herself, shaking her head.

They decided to end their night on the Ferris wheel, the one ride that Natsu insisted his weak stomach could handle. They settled into a small, enclosed cart that slowly began to rise above the carnival.

The world around them grew quieter as they ascended, the noise of the carnival becoming a distant hum. They watched the colourful lights below, and Lucy took a deep breath, letting the cool night air fill her lungs.

"This is nice," she murmured, leaning against the side of the cart.

Natsu nodded, the colour slowly returning to his face. "Yeah, it is. The view's great from up here."

"And, it's nice when we get along," he continued, avoiding her eyes. Instead, he watched the people on the ground, who were gradually shrinking in size as their cart rose higher.

Lucy snickered. "Don't say it like I'm the only one stopping us," she countered, fiddling with the dragon plush.

He chuckled. "Yeah..."

Lucy glanced at him, his face bathed in the soft glow of the setting sun. There was a calmness about him she rarely saw, a brief moment where he wasn't his usual loud and brash self.

"I'm sorry," he said suddenly, breaking the silence.

Lucy blinked at him, caught off guard. "For what?"

"For being difficult. About the rehearsals, and just... everything. I know I've been uptight," he admitted, his voice soft. His hands were balled into tight fists, as if he was trying his hardest to keep a calm composure.

Lucy looked down at her lap, her fingers tracing the soft fur of the plush.

"I'm sorry too," she confessed. "I haven't exactly been easy to work with, either."

Natsu hummed, and the silence stretched between them again. There was no escaping it– the weight of something unspoken hanging in the air between them.

"Can I ask you a question?" Lucy spoke up, her turn to break the silence.

He turned to look at her. "Sure, what is it?"

"Why didn't you contact me for the past two years?" she asked quietly, her volume barely above a whisper.

Natsu hesitated. "That day," he started. "I saw the article. The one that claimed you were cheating."

Lucy's eyes widened slightly, and her heart clenched as realisation dawned on her.

"You didn't believe it, did you?" she asked, a hint of vulnerability passing through her voice.

He paused. "I did."

She winced.

"But, I think, deep down I knew it wasn't true," he continued. "However, at the time... I was dealing with a lot, and I guess I just didn't want to deal with anything that would make things more complicated."

Her heart clenched. His words stung, even if she knew they weren't meant to. "So, is that why you avoided me at the airport?" she pressed, though she already knew his answer.

Natsu nodded, looking regretful. She sighed.

"It was never true," she said softly.

"I know that," Natsu said, finally meeting her eyes again. "At least, I'm sure of it now. Seeing you again– being around you– reminded me that you're not that kind of person."

Lucy gave him a small, sad smile.

"Why didn't you deny the rumours?" Natsu asked.

"Well," she sighed, biting her lip as she fought to find the right words. "There were bigger issues to deal with at the time."

Natsu could sense that there was more to the story, a deeper meaning to her words, but he chose not to push. He respected her privacy, knowing that she didn't have to tell him, in particular, anything she didn't want to.

His brows raised in surprise when she started quietly chuckling moments later.

"Gosh, we were really stupid, weren't we?"

He chuckled. "Yeah, we were. We were young and were handling too much."

They fell into a comfortable silence, the Ferris wheel continuing its slow rotation, they were slowly being lowered back down, the crowds of people growing clearer again.

"Still," Lucy said, finally looking over at him with a genuine smile. "I'm glad we talked. And I'm happy we made up."

Natsu smiled back, feeling a weight lift from his shoulders. "Me too, Lucy."

They sat together, side by side, as the Ferris wheel continued its descent, the world below coming back into view.

Despite everything that had happened, there was a sense of peace between them now, and, finally, a sense of understanding that they might not have everything figured out, but they were on the same page, and that was enough for now.

Their lives were still vastly different to how they were two years ago. They were older, changed people, and had their own responsibilities. In the end, they came to a mutual agreement to let life run its course.

Neither were ready or willing to be in a real relationship– and wouldn't be for a while. They would just take things slow and focus on their careers, the rest could wait. They had all the time in the world.

As they neared the bottom, Lucy's gaze fell on a group of paparazzi stationed below their cart. She giggled, shaking her head. "Looks like they found us," she commented.

Natsu noticed and grinned. "Let them be, they've been waiting for this long."

Lucy's smile faltered slightly as a distant memory emerged from the back of her mind.

"Let them be, they've only been waiting for so long."

"Lucy," she was pulled back to the present. "You spaced out," Natsu told her.

"Oh," she gave him a reassuring smile. "I was just wondering if we looked convincing enough for them."

He chuckled in agreement. "I'm positive this will convince them."

★ ★ ★

yayy they made up ^^ i hope you enjoyed. and i hope you're very prepared for the next chapter...