Hey been a while! So be warned this chapter contains spoilers, tread with caution.

Secrets

The group of friends all knew something had changed in the thirty minutes since they had seen Natsu and Lucy, especially Levy. The pair walked over to the table, lost in their own conversation, Levy seemed to be the only one to notice their tightly woven fingers. Levy gave an internal victory cry.

By the time they had reached the table their hands had become unglued and they seemed to break apart in bashfulness. Levy had seen the evidence of their time alone but she kept her findings to herself. They would tell the group when they were ready.

Lucy sat next to her, the hot head across from the two girls.

"Heyya sorry we are kinda late. The train was freakin' packed." Levy knew he was bluffing. The train was usually busy at eight and midnight. By nine thirty when they should have gotten on the train it would have been close to deserted but again no one said anything to challenge that.

My friends are so dense. She seemed to be the only one really paying attention to people's love lives, maybe even more than the people in the relationships.

"Levy can I talk to you in private?" Lucy whispered to her blue haired friend. Levy suppressed a squeal of delight. She had a pretty good hunch on why Lucy wanted to talk.

"Yeah sure. Gajeel can you just bowl for me?" Levy gave metal head a cute smile.

"Yeah sure." He acted indifferent but she didn't miss the blush on his cheeks.

"Ditto Natsu." Lucy said trying to sound like she was just addressing him like she normally did."

"Ehem sure." Natsu cleared his throat. Now both punk boys were blushing and trying to act like nothing happened. Levy shook her head and followed the blonde girl to the bathroom.

When the door closed Levy let loose.

"Oh my god! What happened Lucy!? Are you two a thing yet? Did you kiss? Did he confess his undying lov-"

"Levy!" Lucy whined shutting her up. Lucy sighed, exasperated. Sometimes the amount of questions that came out of that little body was astonishing.

"Sorry." Levy gestured with her hand telling Lucy to proceed.

Lucy told Levy everything leaving out some personal details from her and Natsu's make out session in the diner's booth.

Levy was squealing and jumping up and down in excitement.

"So are you going to tell everyone?" Levy asked stars in her eyes.

"Not yet."

"Why not?" Levy asked confused.

"Well Natsu is worried that people knowing that we are together is going to pressure us into doing things and he wants to take things slow." Lucy realized how ridiculous that sounded considering the ferocity that Natsu attacked her with at the diner.

Levy tilted her head to the side.

"Okay I guess that makes sense." It made no sense at all. Levy was frustrated all over again with this pair. She was frustrated that Lucy was going along with this and at Natsu for being an utter dunce, but she kept her cool. Natsu had his reasons and Lucy liked him enough to go along with it. She just hoped that in the end it wouldn't hurt her friends.

"You can tell Gajeel but no one else can know okay?" Lucy asked with a pleading look. Levy sighed.

"I promise." They exited the bathroom and returned to their friends. Natsu smiled at Lucy when she approached. If she hadn't known any better, with the way they acted the rest of the night, Levy would have thought that they had just made up as friends. Everyone else seemed to fall for it too.

Truth was Lucy was just as frustrated with the whole situation as Levy was, but she wanted Natsu to be comfortable with the idea of being her boyfriend. She watched him the whole night. The way he laughed with his friends, how Grey and Natsu constantly found something to fight about, how Erza pummeled the crap out of them and Jellal just laughed. She didn't miss though when he would shoot her a look that was meant for only her, when she could see how he felt for her in just one look.

The last game they played was all boys. The five girls sat on the lounge chairs watching the boys duke it out.

They laughed when the boys would start to bicker and Jellal would try to act as a mediator. Happy and Natsu ganging up against Gajeel and Grey, Jellal off to the side pinching the bridge of his nose.

At one point the girls got Charley to accidentally confess that she and Happy had actually gone on a date. She blushed furiously.

"It- it really wasn't a real date. I mean he picked me up and we had dinner and went to a movie." She tried to cover her ass.

"Well did Happy say it wasn't a date?" Juvia asked.

"Well no."

"Did you say it wasn't a date?" Erza added.

"Again, no…"

"It was a date." Levy said with a definite nod of her head. Charley stumbled trying to back herself out of the corner but in the end she just hung her head, her face a new level of red. The girls giggled.

The owner stopped by their lane to tell them that they would be closing soon.

Erza yelled to the boys to hurry and finish their game.

"We're going!" They yelled in unison before apologizing furiously when she gave them a stare that would turn Medusa to stone. The girls turned in their shoes and returned their bowling balls. When the game had ended Jellal had won of course, making the boys gang up on him. Erza eventually had to go in and save her boyfriend from the other four.

After the boys were done cleaning up they headed outside.

"Well it was fun as usual." Erza announced. They all nodded, chatting happily about weekend plans, homework that they hadn't finished yet. Lucy was quiet listening to her friends. She was happy she had come to this school and met these friends. A warm hand wrapped around her upper arm from behind her.

"Can I walk you home?" Natsu said just loud enough for her to hear.

"Yeah, I would like that." After the friends parted way Natsu and Lucy headed off towards the train station. Happy told them to go on ahead saying he had to walk someone home. Lucy laughed when Charley punched him in the arm before stalking off, Happy running to catch up.

When their friends were out of sight Natsu slipped his hand in Lucy's.

"Thank you." He said.

"For what?" Lucy said looking up at him.

"For not saying anything to them. Don't worry this won't be for very long. I'm just not used to having a girlfriend and I want to figure it out without all them trying to give me advice." Lucy smiled up at him. She understood where he was coming from but she knew this wasn't going to be easy on her.

"Of course. I understand." He returned her smile and kissed her forehead.

"Can I tell you something?" He said suddenly after they had boarded the train.

"Yeah shoot." Lucy said.

"There is something I haven't told anyone, not even Happy no one can know either." Lucy inwardly sighed. Great something else she was going to have to keep from her friends. She scolded herself. There was a reason he hadn't told people and he was trusting her with this secret.

"You know that crime lord, the one that they suspect is the mastermind behind the killing throughout Fiore?" He said, his face suddenly very serious.

"Zeref? What about him?" She had seen the name on the news once and a while. It was always because there was some street fight and people would die. No one had caught him nor could they prove that he was really behind it all but people speculated.

"Well you see he's my brother." Natsu said that last statement really quietly. Lucy looked at Natsu with utter shock. She compared his face to Zeref's in her mind and she could see the resemblance.

"I can see why you haven't told anyone yet." Lucy said just as quietly.

"People already think I'm a punk as it is. If they knew he was my brother they would think I was a delinquent just like my older brother."

"You never know, but I won't tell anyone. You need to tell them sometimes though. It might hurt them to know that you've been keeping it from them this whole time." Natsu sighed.

"Yeah I know. I'm just not ready, not yet." He may act tough but Lucy knew there was a vulnerable side to him, a vulnerable side he seemed only to show to her. She squeezed his hand encouragingly.

They were relatively quiet the rest of the way home. Lucy thought about what he had told her. There were a lot of things she didn't know about Natsu. Who his parents were, why he and Happy lived on their own, how two brothers could be so different as Natsu and the infamous Zeref.

They were standing outside her house before he said anything again.

"Thanks again." He said holding her tight to his chest. She nodded.

"Of course."

"Can I see you this weekend?" He asked into her hair.

"Yes." She felt him smile.

"Tomorrow, I'll pick you up at noon." Lucy shivered, the cold mixing with the excitement. He pulled her chin up placing a kiss on her lips. It wasn't as crazy as their first kiss but it was warm and after she left him she smiled until she fell asleep.

Natsu watched Lucy as she walked up to the building. He couldn't seem to wipe the smile off his face, even as he walked home. He would be bind not see that Lucy was upset about keeping their relationship a secret, but he was glad that she understood his feelings.

"She's very pretty brother." The voice that came from the darkness sent shivers up his spine. He extracted himself from the shadows. You would never guess that Zeref was Natsu's brother at first glance. Zeref didn't have a fiery crop of hair like Natsu, instead he had black hair that hung down in his eyes. He wore dark dress clothes with a white dress vest. His trench coat dragged on the ground and fell lazily around his frame echoing the laid back way the crime lord leaned against the brick buildings.

"What do you want Zeref?" Natsu growled. Zeref shrugged.

"Just wanted to see what my baby brother was up to. And I see that you seem to be growing up."

"If you ever touch Lucy I will kill you." Natsu's hands were clenched into fists. Zeref tsked.

"Now, now brother why would I ever do that?" Natsu knew not to trust his brother. He also knew without a doubt that he was behind the conflicts happening on Fiore.

"'What are you doing here?" Natsu growled out.

"Because you are here. Plus I needed a change of scenery."

"If you start anything in Magnolia I won't hesitate turning you in." Zeref looked hurt.

"Why brother I'm offended." He waved his hand dismissing the comment.

"Don't worry I'm on vacation." He gave Natsu a wicked smile before disappearing again into the shadows.

Natsu was tempted to follow him, but he knew if he wouldn't know what to do if he caught up with his brother. Natsu turned on his heel and ran the rest of the way home.

Something was up with Natsu when he picked Lucy up the next afternoon. He was on edge and acted like they were being followed. They walked hand in hand down to the park near Lucy's house. None of their friends lived on this side of town so they didn't hide at all, but Lucy could see he was being jumpy.

"Natsu what happened last night?" He stiffened.

"Zeref, he's in town. He caught me in the street last night on the way home." Lucy whipped her head to look at him.

"He's here? In Magnolia? Why?" Natsu just shrugged.

"Supposedly he's on 'vacation'." Lucy raised an eyebrow.

"Do you believe him?" She asked. He shook his head.

"No, if he's here that means he's up to something. I want you to be careful Lucy."

"I will."

"I mean it, Zeref is dangerous, and he's seen you and knows you're special to me. Be careful on your way to school and if you have even the slightest doubt call me and I will come to you as fast as I can." He stopped them and pulled her to his chest.

"I will Natsu. Ill be okay, believe me I can protect myself too." He laughed.

"Ii don't doubt it." He sighed. "I can't imagine anything happening to you." Lucy looked up at him.

"Nothing is going to happen to me." She leaned up and kissed the tip of his nose. He grinned that stupid grin.

Once at the park talk of Zeref ended. They walked around for a while stopping to eat lunch. They got a lot of strange looks. A beautiful blonde sitting with a punk. Natsu grinned to himself. Let them stare. Let them think whatever they wanted. He only had eyes for Lucy. Natsu picked up on an elderly couple talking a distance away about how she was probably dating him because she pitied him. He snorted and pulled Lucy into his lap kissing her. He heard the elderly woman squeak in surprise.

He turned to make sure they saw Lucy's smile when she looked at him, a smile of someone who was in this relationship because she genuinely cared for him. He saw the couple fall silent and shuffle away.

After eating they walked back home. Natsu stayed for a while at Lucy's. They stayed in the living room watching movies. He was kind of happy that they didn't go anywhere near her bedroom. Lucy was doing that on purpose, she didn't want to think about the night they had shared a bed, especially after what happened at the diner

Truth was that she was nervous just being alone with him in private. She kept waiting for him to make a move but he didn't. They just sat on the couch until the wee hours, snuggled closely together.

So kind of a fluff chapter. Hope you liked it. More to come with Zeref a little later. We'll see how long Lucy can handle keeping her relationship with Natsu a secret. I promise to post the next chapter faster than this last one.