The following day, Saturday, Lucy and Gray sat in the Creative Department of Fairy Tail, busy at work. He had taken a seat near her cubicle so he could make calls and see who on Lucy's list was the next person to get pissed off at them.

"Yes, I know," Gray said, unconsciously fiddling with the buttons on his shirt. "We're within time to cancel with a full refund, right? I know ... yes, I'm sure this is hard for you, and it's sudden, but ... no, ma'am, I don't want a lower rate on rooms. Something came up and we're canceling the entire trip. No, lower rates can't change our mind. Thank you. Yes, we need that refund. Thanks. Sure, you have a good day, too. Bye." He hung up and groaned. "This sucks. Getting checked into the boards in hockey is less painful that this."

Lucy was jotting down notes on someone she had just called. "I really am grateful, Gray. So, refunded?"

"In full," he said, stretching his arm out. "Hey, you want anything to drink?"

"Coffee. It'll be a long day."

He pouted as he looked at her. She had been on the phone when he arrived, although he came in so early. She had been going about it nonstop for hours, making numerous calls from an empty office on a Saturday morning.

"So, what do you usually do on weekends?"

Lucy looked up, shocked at the personal question. "Sleep in, catch up on TV, not much."

"Any sports, hobbies, places you like to go?"

"The observatory, whenever they have special events. Also the dog park. They have a nice food cart nearby, and Plue loves to play."

"Plue? Is that short for Pluto? Cool name for a dog. So, no boyfriends?"

She raised an eyebrow. Was Gray actually hitting on her? "I'm not really dating anyone at the moment."

"Not really?" he caught. "So there's someone?"

"It's complicated," she said guardedly.

He laughed and walked over to a coffee machine against the wall. "I know complicated really well. I don't want things to be awkward between us, and I'm not trying to harass you or anything, but if you ever want to go out and do more than watch your dog play, let me know."

Lucy stared at her notes with a numbed mind. Gray was the top guy in his section of the Creative Department, perhaps even second only to Loke. Some whispered that if Loke ever got another promotion, Gray would be the one to take over as Director. He was well-respected in the industry, another person Lucy had come to admire while working there.

How would she normally have reacted to find out someone like him was at least interested in her? Shouldn't her heart be racing, or her cheeks be flushed? Instead, all she could think about was how sad it was that Gray actually wanted to go out on a date with her, whereas Loke had never offered to take her anywhere but to his bedroom.

If she took him up on his offer, would Loke get jealous?

She shook her head. She did not want to be that sort of petty woman. Before even considering what to do about this, she had to clear things up with Loke. First, she had to keep focused on the task at hand. She picked up a phone and dialed the next number on her list. When Gray brought over a cup of coffee, she smiled in thanks but barely looked at the way he was watching her, how his eyes tried to glean some sort of emotion, any sort of reaction to his offer. With a sigh, realizing that she was a focused woman now and his offer had come while she was stuck in something complicated, he went back to his seat and also picked up a phone to make more calls.

"I know. Is there any way you could ... I understand. Thanks anyway." Lucy hung up and crossed yet another company off her list. Another call that did not go her way.

Of course this was going to be a challenge. Who would rent a studio for such a ridiculously low amount of money? At the very most, Freed could allot her department, any studio would be taking a sharp loss.

She had spent the entirety of Friday apologizing to actors and casting agencies. She could not expect the cast she originally wanted to accept the new budget. She had to look for a new cast of mostly undiscovered talent, a smaller studio, and somehow find a cinematographer. She was restarting all the negotiations from scratch.

Across from her, Gray was still apologizing to companies they had to cancel on.

"I really am sorry," he said, although he was looking less contrite as the time passed and more annoyed at the same angry reactions. "We'll keep you in mind for our next project, but with the client cutting our budget we simply can't afford ... wait, how low? I'll tell you what, I'll write down your offer and give it to our finance guy. We'll get back to you. Yes, thank you for being understanding." He hung up and wrote down a note. "Makeup artist, I think Freed is going to like the deal she's making us. Apparently, she mostly wants the job for exposure, so she's dropping her rate and is willing to change locations to accommodate us."

"I'm glad at least you're having some luck," Lucy sighed, looking down the list of studios and agencies she had called and crossed off. "The job is for the Grand Magic Games. You'd think unknown actors and cinematographers would jump at the chance."

But they had to be good. There was no point in requesting someone if the quality was not there. Good actors and good equipment cost a lot, and she was working with an extremely minimal amount of money.

Lucy sighed and sank her head onto her desk. "What am I going to do?"

Gray reached over and put a hand on her shoulder. "You're brilliant, Lucy. You'll figure this out, and you have the rest of the team to help you."

She looked over at his hand, such cold skin touching her. Gray seemed to realize and yanked his hand back.

"Well, I'm leaving on a positive note," he said, and he stood up. "Sorry to leave you with all this work."

"It's fine," she said, managing a smile. "I'm thankful you came in at all. It was a huge help."

"Mr. Leo should be here soon."

Just then, the elevators dinged and a voice said with melodious warmth, "Mr. Fullbuster, Miss Heartfilia, good afternoon."

She jolted up and looked around with a twist in her stomach. Although still dressed nice, Loke had foregone the tie and had his shirt partly unbuttoned for comfort. Lucy had been avoiding him for over a week, and with Gray leaving, she knew this was going to get awkward.

"Perfect timing," Gray said with a relieved smile. "I feel like crap leaving her here alone, so I'm glad you'll be able to help."

"Leaving already? Oh right, hockey," he recalled. Loke's eyes flicked between the two. "Did you two have a good morning?"

Lucy gulped, thinking about Gray's offer to take her out sometime. Did Loke already suspect anything?

"I think it went well," Gray said, glancing down at the seated lady. "If you see Freed, the makeup artist is giving us a really sweet deal. I think we won't get a better one without hiring someone's little sister."

"I saw him earlier today. I'll let him know. Don't get too beat up on the ice. We'll need you at full strength Monday morning."

"I just have to win my game," Gray said with a chuckle. "See ya two." He looked down at Lucy. "I hope your dog isn't upset that it can't go to the park today."

She gulped and looked up at him, seeing those eyes staring down at her. Then Gray turned swiftly away and went to the elevator. As the doors closed, he gave Lucy a wink and a smile.

Loke went to where Gray had been sitting. "Looks like you two got a lot of work done."

She just had to act professional. They were still at work, after all, even if it was the weekend. This project was more important than her flustered feelings.

"Yes, we got through a lot," she said. "Gray should be almost finished canceling groups, and I'm in the middle of calling new companies to see who will work for the revised budget."

"Ah, yes. I've been doing that, too. It's tough going," he said with a sigh. Lucy realized that it looked as if Loke had barely even slept. Had he been up all night working on this issue? "Makeup artists are one thing, but it'll be a miracle if any studio would accept such a low budget."

Lucy knew that was true. They needed to hire someone desperate enough to take such low pay. Meanwhile, they could not hire complete unknowns. Lucy was near the bottom of her list of studios, and so far no luck. They were nearly out of options.

"It's like I said yesterday," Loke told her with a grim expression. "This is the Crocus Metro Government's decision. I was on the phone with them for days as soon as I heard rumors that they might slash the commercial's budget, and I even went down there personally just before I announced it to the team, hoping to explain our own situation. No use," he sighed. "We have no choice but to follow their instructions regarding the budget."

"I know," she muttered. "The client is allowed to change these things at any time. There's nothing we can do about it."

"But," he added, "we can't make anything good without an initial investment, either. Is that the list of companies?"

Lucy held up the paper. "Yeah. I crossed off the places that said no and put triangles next to the ones that I'm still negotiating with."

"Good. I was in the middle of talking with an old friend. I promised I'd get in touch with Aquarius first if any major jobs came along, but she can be rather ... mercurial," he said, as if that was putting it lightly. "I'll finish Gray's list while I wait for her to call me back."

They were not making eye contact, but Lucy found that simply talking with Loke, hearing his voice, being casually this close, brought her heart some relief. She had expected things to be awkward, but he was so motivated, she got sucked into the brilliance of his energy. The doubts and anxieties faded away.

Together they split up the work of arranging all new shooting locations, equipment, and casting. Lucy knew of a few companies that she used for smaller jobs in the past. Considering the circumstances, she gave them a call. After all, what did she have to lose?

It seemed Loke was thinking along the same lines. After canceling the last of the companies, he pulled a worn-out business card from his wallet and placed a call. Lucy realized, normally this sort of groundwork would be done by lowly employees like herself and Gray. Now, the Creative Director of Fairy Tail was humbling himself and asking companies for help.

Watching him, seeing the determination in his eyes, Lucy realized just how important this project was to him.

She got back to the phones. After a few more rejections, she had a surprising conversation.

"Lucy!" a chirpy voice said on the other end.

"Hi, Millianna. Long time no see."

"Yeah, long time. Are you still doing cat food commercials?"

"Ah ... um, not quite," she said, blushing as she thought about those first months at the job and trying to make commercials with cats all around. "Actually, we're working on a presentation for the GMG."

"The Grand Magic Games? Whoa, that's huge. Fantastic!"

"Thank you. It was great working with you before. I'm calling because I'm in a pinch."

"Do you need cats?"

"Um, no. I hate to ask this, but..." She explained what was going on, hiding nothing, and the associate of Mermaid Heel Stage Productions listened sympathetically.

"You were so flexible with us," said Millianna. "You chose us for your commercials, even though we were a small, all-female company."

"Oh please! It's hard to find a reliable production company to work with. Mermaid Heel was one of the best."

"That's so kind of you to say. Listen, we're working with another division of Fairy Tail at this moment. They already reserved a studio, but something came up and they rescheduled for two weeks. I couldn't book that place, so it's open to use. It's not huge, but it should work fine for what you're describing. If you can put together a cast by next week, you can use it for free, as a gesture of gratitude for helping Mermaid Heel get to where we are."

"Oh ... oh wow," Lucy gasped, and her mouth dropped. A free studio meant she could spend more money hiring a better cast.

"When you get the Olympics account, use us when you work on the campaign, okay?"

"Of course!" Lucy said in excitement. "Thank you so much. I owe you."

"No, we still owe you from last time. This will make us even. Feel free to set this up once you get everything else sorted out. Sounds like a lot of trouble for you, but I know you can do it. You're the best out there, the cat's meow!"

"That's exaggerating," Lucy laughed. "But thanks. Really, this is a lifesaver. I'll be in touch soon."

She hung up and sank back in her chair, relieved that at least one thing turned out right, and even better than she ever could have hoped for. Just then, Loke's private cellphone rang. Lucy vaguely heard the conversation, much like hers, explaining the trouble, with him practically begging for help.

"Yes, that's right. I know, Aquarius, but ... what? Really?"

The excitement in his voice roused Lucy from her slouch. She could see from his face that he got a positive response. There was relief, many thanks, exchanged compliments, and finally he hung up. He turned to Lucy, and a smile burst out like the sun.

"That old friend of mine from Spirit World Talent Agency. Looks like we have our TV stars."

"And I think I just got us stage equipment. We can also use the studio free of cost."

"Free?" he gawked. "Studios cost over $300 an hour. How on Earth did you manage to get one for free?"

"I worked with Mermaid Heel when I first started out. They were a brand new studio back then, all-female. I was fresh out of college, so working with ladies my own age put me at ease. No flirting, no harassing, no scowls from men who think they have to explain your own job to you. They do really good work, and the associate I spoke with just now was sympathetic. She feels like she owes me, so since she had a studio freed up, she said we could use it."

"Awesome. Same here, a business from my first days in the industry. These people are always coming to my rescue, and now they're doing it again." He looked fondly at the Spirit World business card.

Coming to their rescue? That was how Lucy felt as well. It was like all the jobs she had done up until that point were helping her now. Everything she had done had been for this moment.

"Well, I need a break after all this," Lucy said, and she stretched out her back as she stood. "I'll get something from the vending machine. Want a drink?"

"I have my own." He stood up, also stretched, and saw a wall clock. "Wow, is it really that late? I feel like I just got here. I'm going to take a short break as well."

"Great. I'll be right back."

She left to the break room. She had thought only she and Loke were in the entire building, yet she saw the back of a familiar man, with his long green hair tied back, punching in the numbers on the vending machine.

"Mr. Justine?" she asked hesitantly.

He turned around, shocked for only a second, before nodding to her formally. "Miss Heartfilia, hello. So, you came in today as well? Mr. Leo is also here to work on the project."

"I was just with him. We made some good progress, so we're taking a break."

"I see." He crouched and grabbed his can of coffee from the vending machine. Then, he turned to Lucy as if he had just thought of something. "Hey, would you like to come up, too?"

She blinked in confusion. "Um ... sorry? Come up?"

Freed chuckled and popped his can of coffee open. "I think you're in for a treat, Miss Heartfilia. Follow me."

Lucy got herself a drink, and Freed waved for her to follow him to the elevator, taking it all the way to the roof. Lucy stepped out with a feeling of uncertainty, until she saw that Loke was already up there with a snifter glass in his hand. Her heart beat faster as she watched him comb back his orange mane with his fingers, then take a sip of what she knew had to be brandy.

She had never seen him drink at work before. It was sometimes allowed, like Cana's beers, but it was generally discouraged. The breeze carried the scent of dried fruit, toffee, and alcohol, reminding her of the last time they were together, the brandy they shared, and the love they made that night.

He turned around, momentarily surprised to see her, but then he saw the green-haired man as well. He relaxed and gave them both a nod.

"Mr. Leo! Wh-what are you..." she began to say.

"I'm taking a break," he said casually. "I'm surprised Freed brought you up here."

"We ran into each other," Freed said with a shrug. "I hope you don't mind, Loke."

"Not at all."

Lucy was startled for a moment at hearing Freed, the most uptight man in Fairy Tail, calling the Creative Director by his first name. Then she remembered, they had gone to college together. It seemed they managed to remain friends, although they worked in different departments.

Freed pulled a flask out of a coat pocket and poured whatever it was into his canned coffee. Lucy realized, she had never seen the two of them talk to each other casually like this before. Now she almost felt like she was intruding on friends.

Loke took another sip and gazed out at the cityscape. "Do you know about this place, Lucy?"

She gulped, realizing it was the first time he had called her by her first name while at work. She had been trying so hard to keep distance between her work life and personal life, and definitely, this sort of informality was blurring those lines.

She relaxed her throat and asked, "What do you mean, sir?" She purposely added that sir to keep up her side of the formal division she wanted to maintain between them.

"It's where the Rooftop Club likes to take breaks."

"The Rooftop Club?" she repeated.

"To be honest, it's just three people right now: me, Freed, and Capricorn."

She could hardly help but giggle softly. Was this high school, three naughty boys who escaped to the roof to smoke and drink? Still, the mood between them was more relaxed than it was when they were in work mode. It was a nice to see them like that, but she strongly felt that she could not join them. This was their special place, and she did not want to intrude.

However, Loke made room for her. "Why don't you join us?"

She bit her lip and held back. "Are you sure it's okay?"

"Yeah. You don't mind, do you, Freed?"

Freed also moved aside and waved for her to come to the railing. This picturesque scene, calling each other by first names, being invited to stand there with two old school buddies as they drank alcohol, like she was simply hanging out with these two top directors in their respective fields, felt like it would blur the lines of her professional career life even greater.

Still, she nervously walked forward and stood between the two of them as they drank. She squinted as she looked out at the city. The sun was sinking into the horizon, bathing the streets of Magnolia in orange light.

"Wow. What a pretty sunset!"

"It's refreshing, right?" Loke whispered.

"Yeah. Seeing something as beautiful as this, I already feel re-energized." She turned to Loke, but she found his face to be a lot closer than she thought it would be.

"Yes ... beautiful," he said in agreement.

Lucy blushed and immediately looked away toward the setting sun. It had been a long time since they talked about anything other than work. However, Freed was there, so she knew she had to act normal. She desperately tried to think of something to talk about when Loke chuckled.

"Strawberry milk? Really?"

She realized his eyes were down on the carton in her hand.

"What? I like strawberry milk."

Freed casually commented, "Milk has a relaxing effect. Doesn't it make you tired?"

"Nope," she insisted. "It wakes me up."

"That's something a kid would drink," Loke teased.

"I'm an adult, I can drink whatever I want, and if I happen to like strawberry milk, then I'm going to drink my strawberry milk." She took a drink as if protesting against them.

Loke laughed openly, and she watched the shape of his mouth, the smile creases on his face, and the way his eyes shined. "Okay, okay, you can have whatever you want. I'm sure it's fine as long as you don't stuff yourself."

"As least I'm not drinking booze on the job."

"It's a weekend, and I'm fine with a little libation. Unlike you, I don't get drunk from a single glass."

"Hey! I'm not that much of a lightweight."

Freed smiled down at her. "You were quite amusing that one time."

"Oh!" she huffed. "That was different."

"Indeed, it was a special night," Loke added, only vaguely hinting at the night that started it all. "Now we know to set a monitor on you at the next company party. Perhaps I should ask Capricorn to follow you around and water down your drinks."

She punched him lightly on the arm, and all three laughed. Just like that, the awkwardness she felt around Loke melted away.

He looked back out at the setting sun. To Lucy, it almost looked like he was also a sun, with that orange hair burning brightly by her side. She never wanted to see him slip away from her.

Yet wasn't he about to anyway? If he married, then like the sinking sun, the warmth would vanish, leaving her heart in darkness.

"I really am glad we found this," he whispered. "As brief as it may last, it's still a wonderful thing."

Lucy wondered if he was talking about the sunset on the rooftop, or each other.