Yo minna! I'm back with a new chapter…. *dodges the tomatoes and eggs thrown this way*

I'm terribly sorry for not updating this for months. I really am. I was busy (still am) with my studies and exams (which are still ongoing). I feel like I'm the worst person on the planet.

Thank you so much for all the love for this story! I really read all your comments and opinions every day. They make my day and I just dance around the corridors when I read them *too much of exaggeration?*

Is anyone still willing to read this story? I'd be the happiest one if you do continue to. Hold my word onto it. I'll definitely finish this story. I've decided on a schedule for this. I'll update it every two weeks. That will give me enough time to cope up with things and write the next chapter.

Anyways, as you all know I do not own Fairytail. *oh how I wish*.

Now presenting the long-awaited *really long* Chapter-8 of Secretly Married.

Chapter- 8

Frown

"I'm going to take her home"

"No, I am!"

"No, it's me!"

"No, me!"

"Oi, Oi, how long is this gonna continue?"

"Natsu, We'd have to get back soon…" Lisanna said from the corner for her comment only to be ignored.

"Lu-chan… Are you… okay?" Levy asked, seeing the aura of her friend turning red with anger. Lucy generally becomes a second Erza when this happens. Oh, wait, you don't know what happened to Erza, right? A stranger with blue coloured hair and a red tattoo, kidnapped her from the middle of the practice, freeing the others from the torture all too soon. This gave the privilege of the never ending fight to continue for a long time without being interrupted by a certain red-head who was capable of booking a bed in a hospital for anyone who defies her orders for more than a month. The issue being… Whom will Lucy go with?...

"Lucy's coming with me!"

"No with me!"

"With m-"

"Stop it! Both of you stop! Natsu, that's enough already!" she snapped, the man shrunk at her frown feeling bad to have driven out the smile out of her face. "And Gray… No more arguments… You're going home,"

The raven haired man retorted saying how he wanted to ensure that she was safe. Her eyes softened at his concern.

"I'll be fine by myself. Don't worry. You really should go home," she said and the guy didn't protest. He nodded and silently left the place before asking her to call him if she was in danger or needed something. Lucy said he'd be the first person she could count on if she was in trouble and not to worry about her. No sooner did he leave, Natsu took her hand and raised it in triumph.

"Yay! I'll take her hom-" he couldn't even finish his smile when Laxus came and asked if she wanted to come with him. Lucy smiled at his offer and gladly accepted his invite. Natsu could only gape at her as she didn't even turn around to bid him bye.

"Uhm… Natsu, I guess we should leave…" his childhood friend said in a soft tone. She didn't want him mad now, knowing he was already jealous… really jealous.

~0~

"Quit it Natsu. Stop sulking over a woman. She didn't have to come with you. If I were her, I would've gotten pretty mad with how you guys are treating her. I mean, she's a living being. You do need to ask her about her opinion. You can't fight over her like she's an object," Lisanna said, eyeing him every now and then.

"I know Lisanna but I'm just worried. Besides, I don't trust that guy," he said, his eyebrows even closer at the image of that ice prick in his mind. Oh how he wanted to crush him into a pulp!

"Why? You just met him like two days before? I've never read about 'Hate at first sight', Natsu" she asked. She just might be creating an opportunity for him to confess to her the real truth.

"If you didn't, believe me, it happens with people too, like 'love at first sight'" he said, his eyes not leaving the road. He was driving his car. Who knows what might happen if he just averted his gaze from it?

"Did it happen to you? I mean, 'Love at first sight'? Did you fall in love with Lucy-sa….Be careful!" she shouted in warning, noticing his driving lead them onto the pavement. Where was his concentration when he was driving?

"W-W-Why did you say that?" he stuttered, "I just worry about her as a…. as a friend. That's right!? He he! That guy just doesn't give me good vibes" he retorted, carefully pulling the car onto the road. He was glad that no traffic police has seen it or he'd been jailed or fined, either of them wasn't to his preference.

Shoot…. There goes my chance. Lisanna thought. The truth was at the tip of his tongue but wouldn't just get out. He's gotten so stubborn in the time she was not around. No problem, she just has to switch to plan B, now. He's still going to be around, ne?

~0~

"Good boy, now go to sleep, Happy," she said, tucking the blue cat into its bed.

"I hope you sleep by the time I finish my shower", she said, before switching off the lights of her living room. She smiled wryly at the empty room before going into the shower. Things were just not the same without Natsu around. They never were and they'd never be. She just drowned herself in the shower, trying to forget all about her problems for a few moments.

She never thought there was going to be a conspiracy against her by the time she stepped out of it.

~0~

Phui, Phui

The cat's ears perked up at that whistle. It hadn't been long since his mistress tucked him in and told him to sleep. However, sleep wouldn't come so fast to the neko, not now when it heard the familiar tone of the whistle which belonged to his master.

His eyes landed on the window which he popularly recognised as its master's entrance and found that face he was looking for smiling and waving at him. The cat just knew what to do.

It ran away from it's bed and climbed onto the window sill. With his nail, he carefully opened the lock on the window. The guy from the other side opened the window and jumped in. He left for their bedroom, not before patting the cat on its head and mouthing a two worded "Good boy". The cat responded by fondly rubbing its hair against her master's hand. Natsu always knew the cat would come in handy. That's the whole reason why he gave his cat to stay with Lucy: one to keep her company while he was away and second to help him in times of crisis like this.

~0~

Lucy felt strange because she thought Natsu was there. She didn't know why but she just had this feeling that he was around. I mean, that would be crazy right? She was sure he left with Lisanna and probably dozing off at the moment. He couldn't be there at her place now, could he?

She had her pajamas on and dried her hair wet from the shower. With her mind spacing out, she stepped out of her bath, only to be greeted by a pair of arms hugging her from behind and a warm breath tickling her neck.

"Oi, Natsu? When did you-? That stupid cat! I told him to sleep. How did you- Alright, forget it!" she frowned, recollecting the reason why she was mad at him.

"I thought Lucy was mad at me and so I came to cheer her up. Looks like Lucy's still mad at me," he pouted, feigning disappointment. Lucy pointed her eyes at him from her position in his arms and he knew in a moment that it was not too friendly one.

"Awww... That hurts!" he complained but the frown didn't leave her face. "Lucy, are you really that mad that we were treating you like an object and fighting over you?"

He sounded sincere. He didn't pay attention when Lisanna told him the same but maybe he has hurt his girl by his behaviour. It felt bad not to see her smile for her smile could really make his day.

"No, not that. There's another reason. But why do you two always fight over me? I don't get it! It's so frustrating. I don't want to see you two fight," she finally let things out. Those two were two precious people for her and she wanted them to get along. It was important that they got along.

"So you don't want us to fight, that's it, right? Alright, I won't fight him in front of you," he stated bluntly crossing his arms across his chest while the creases on his forehead formed a V. He never knew just those mere words would make his love so happy that she jump on him and hug him causing them to lose their balance temporarily. It took him much effort to stand on his feet and not fall to the ground which would have been much worse.

"Thank you, Natsu, you're the best" she smiled on his chest.

"If I had known you'd be this happy when I just tell you that I'd make up with him, I would've done so before," he said. She pulled back from him abruptly and pushed him towards the bed. He hoped to see her smile but could only see her lips turned upside down.

"Now what, Lucy?" he sighed. When was she going to give in and finally smile for him?

"It's you, mister. Now lift your pants" she ordered as she left for her closet.

"Why? There's nothing there," he retorted, whistling to the nothingness avoiding her gaze.

"Then I'm sure you wouldn't mind showing the same for me," she hissed. She knelt down on her knee and did as she said. To her horror, his leg was deep red in colour. Most of it was dried blood but still, he injured his knee and acted like nothing ever happened. To top that, he used the tree to climb into her apartment. What was he thinking?

"When did this happen? Did you fall when you were searching for me?" she asked. Natsu flinched. How did she know the thing? He did tumble down when he was searching for her the second time. He ignored the pain because all he wanted was to see was her, to see her safe and sound. The gut feeling that something was wrong with her drove him crazy to the point that his own pain felt numb.

"Were you crying that time, just like you are crying now?" he asked the woman who was now cleaning his wound. It wasn't until she was told that she realised water making her face wet, the water from her own eyes.

"T-T-There… was n-nothing like that," she answered, wiping her tears with her hands. She was making a mess out of herself.

"Oh really?" he mocked. He sighed and pulled her into his arms, holding her ever so tight. She released more of her tears the moment she found her in his arms. She thought the feeling subsided, that feeling of fear which was revived when she saw that blonde haired man from the morning, when she talked to Gray. But no, it didn't. It was still there. It still made her tremble and scare the hell out of her. Even though she was assuring herself that Gray will make it right, she couldn't bring herself to believe it…. Believe that it was going to get over so soon. She didn't feel that safe too when he promised her that he will take care of things, not as much as when she was with Natsu. Because if it's Natsu, he'll make things right, even though he'd never know and even though he'd never say…. She just knows he will and she loves him for that.

"You're really a pathetic liar, you know. It's all fine. I'm here now okay?" he said gently tracing her blonde tresses.

"I know. I know. I'm just glad you're here," she said, falling deeper into his embrace.

~0~

"I guess I should leave now," he said, getting up from the bed. It was pretty late and he didn't want to rise anymore suspicions for Lisanna.

"But you promised you'll stay," she whined. She didn't want him to leave. Who knows where he'll fall and hurt himself? Besides, it was late in the night too.

"So, you want to get us caught?" he began to use her own strategy against her. She pondered for a while before answering him.

"I don't care. Atleast I'd know you're safe here. Stay no?" she asked grabbing his hand. He was amused to hear that coming from her. It is one of the few times he gets to hear that from her. He was happy that she doesn't worry about that stuff all the time.

"Alright if that's your wish," he said, making himself comfortable on the bed. Lucy could only gape at his rapid mood change before being pulled by him to sleep. So the day ended this way, with Natsu returning to her. She thought she could have a peaceful sleep. However, she was still bothered by her thoughts and today she just had to ask.

"Natsu, are you sleeping?" she said, hoping to be answered by snores.

"Do you want to say something?" he asked, failing her plan.

"N-no, it's nothing… Just that" he raised an eyebrow at her, "It's just… I was wondering why you never asked me why…. That why I wanted to marry you in a rush?"

She felt him look at her, like she were crazy, through the dark.

"You're thinking about so many useless things you know," he said, pulling her closer to him.

"I know. Guess what, forget I ever asked you thi-" She was cut by his words before she could finish hers.

"No, I cannot. It never bothered me. All that mattered was you were with me. Right now, having you near me makes me the happiest man alive. So, I never really wanted to know why," he smiled through the darkness at her. He could sense her smile back and hug him in response mouthing a 'love you Natsu' in the process.

"ne, Lucy? Can I ask you something?" Lucy pretended not to hear if the question directs her back to the previous one.

"Hmm.." she said in response, ready to doze off in her acting.

"Were you mad at me because I was hurt yet still fighting the ice prick in the evening?" He felt her flinch but began giving light snores as an answer. Natsu could only chuckle at her actions.

Guess I got my answer…"You know what, you're a pathetic actor too. Love you too," he said, planting a kiss on her forehead and hugging the now red Lucy closer.

Crap… He discovered… baka...

So how is it? I know my writing's gotten a little rusty. But I made it here right? I'll definitely improve.

Why not leave a comment in the box below to let me know what you are thinking? Any comments, opinions, suggestions will be helpful. I'd love to hear from you all.

Thank you for reading this story! We're now one step closer to know who Gray is. Next chapter contains a shocking revelation. It was so shocking that I couldn't help but write it! 0_0

I hope you're enjoying this story…

beatress