STAR-CROSSED | NALU

09 | once more, with feeling

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."