Title: Linked
Pairing: Lyon x Meredy (Lyredy)
Words: 1507
Rating: K
Notes: AU Lyredy for Lyredy Week on tumblr. I used all the prompts. No warnings other than this is unbeta'd, and that I've never written Lyredy before or anything Meredy and Lyon. But please enjoy reading and leave a feedback when you can.
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Linked
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It was a hot summer afternoon, and his ice cream van proved to be the most popular attraction in the jam-packed theme park. Lyon served ice pops and ice cream sandwiches from one child to another, trying not to give in to exhaustion.
By late afternoon he was ready to head home. He closed the service window and took his place on the driver's seat. Traffic was heavy – not surprising as it was rush hour – and there appeared to be a checkpoint. As he turned off the engine, his stomach grumbled, and he finally remembered that he forgot to eat.
Someone giggled, and Lyon reached for his packed snack on the passenger seat.
Wait – someone giggled? But he was alone in this ice cream van… or is he? The voice definitely sounded like it's from inside the van.
Frowning, he turned to scan the interior. It was dark inside when he closed the service window earlier, and he didn't bother to check. Oh, damn. What if a kid got in, hid somewhere and he didn't notice?
There was a muffled sound, as if someone tried to hold another giggle.
"Oi kid," he called out, sounding as stern as he could. It wasn't time for play. Someone might be looking for this child, in fact, the check point might even be because someone's child is missing. Trouble. "Hide and seek's over. I know you're back there, and there's the police holding a check point looking for you."
His mind registered a gasp, and all of a sudden he was jumped by the child that's apparently hiding just behind the driver's seat. All of a sudden he, too, is behind the seat, the child— wait, it's a woman, not a little child— is pinning him down so they can't be seen by anyone from the street.
"There's a checkpoint outside?" The woman demanded to know.
She's petite and he's agile, so he could easily have reverted their situation if he wanted to. But he was stopped by the thought that she looked familiar. Harmless, cute, familiar. And really cute. Strawberry pink hair, pretty eyes and—
"Wait, Lyon?" The woman loosened her hold as she recognized him.
"You know me?"
"Of course. You're Gray's brother."
"And you're...?" He frowned.
She pouted. "Juvia's best friend, remember? We met when – oh, oh. That makes sense. It wasn't a good time, we were all distraught because Gray almost— ah, nevermind. We met at the hospital."
Lyon nodded. "Meredy." He said simply. Meredy nodded to confirm that he remembered her name right. "What are you doing in my van?" he asked to change the topic. Gray's almost-death was a year ago, but it's still something that unnerves him.
They heard a tap from the driver's window outside, and her eyes widened. "Hide me," she pleaded.
There isn't time to ask the circumstances. But she was Juvia's best friend. And Gray's friend. And she was cute. So Lyon nodded his promise.
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He grabbed his snack bag that got thrown on the floor, returned to the driver's seat, and rolled down the window. He smiled as he recognized the police officer as an acquaintance. "Ah, sorry for the slight delay, Officer. I thought your checking on the car before me would take long so I grabbed a snack," he offered, and held up the snack bag nonchalantly. "Something up?"
Police Officer Mest nodded. "We're looking for a man who is wanted for a crime and a woman who may be helping him hide. They are reported to be seen around the area this afternoon. Here's a sketch of them. By chance saw any of them on your route?"
Lyon feigned innocence as he looked at the picture. The girl is definitely Meredy, but he doesn't recognize the guy. "Sorry, I don't think I saw them."
"No problem, just be sure to tell me if you see them anywhere. And send my regards to Gray and Wendy."
"Sure thing," he said smoothly. And just like that, he was let past.
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They were well away from the town proper when Meredy broke the silence. "You can drop me off at any point now. I need to leave before you reach the gas station."
Lyon frowned at that and decided to park the van on the side of the road. "Where would you be going?" All around them now are rice fields. The gas station is right before the next town. "Are you going to meet up with that guy on the police sketch? Who is he anyway, and why are you associating with criminals like him? And if you're not going to the next town, the only other way is past the fields and into the ocean. Don't tell me you're a mermaid who lives there." The questions poured once he started to ask.
Meredy looked as if she doesn't plan to answer his questions seriously. "So curious!" She pouted and then looked around them. "Well, I guess we're safely away and I'm undetected, and I owe that to you. So I will tell you. First things first though, you have anything here I can eat? I'm starving." As if on cue, her stomach grumbled.
Lyon can't help but laugh. He went to the back and opened the freezer. "Well, lady. We have ice pops, ice candy, ice cream, ice cream sandwich, and more. Sweet ice treats are my forte, just choose a flavor and I'll make it special."
She laughed. Her laughter was like music and her expression is so blissful, it was like sunshine flooded the dim van's interior. Lyon was momentarily entranced. If Meredy noticed it, she chose not to point it out. She was still smiling brightly when she answered, "Ice cream sandwich sounds great. Any flavor will do."
"Strawberry," he said suddenly. He was thinking of her wavy, strawberry pink hair that she pulled back into a ponytail.
"Perfect!" Meredy exclaimed. "I love strawberry-flavored sweets."
"Right, right. One strawberry ice cream sandwich coming up!" Lyon chanted and turned away from her to look for the said flavor. And more importantly, to distance himself from the enchantment that is Meredy's smile.
Gray would laugh at him if he witnessed this, and Lyon was suddenly glad that he let his brother skip work today in favor of a date.
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Meredy sat by the van's doorstep while finishing her third sandwich. Lyon stood beside her, his back resting on the van's closed service window as he listened to her story. She told him about her family: her adoptive mother who died a year ago, and the adoptive mother's cousin– the guy on the police sketch— who took care of her when the adoptive mother died.
It was a long and complicated story that involved Meredy being lied to about her identity from a young age, and of someone getting brainwashed and getting in trouble with the law despite being a victim himself, and of Meredy being caught in the middle and trying to clear her adoptive family's name. Lyon wasn't entirely listening, as he was partly busy watching her as she chewed and talked.
Some things were crystal clear to him, though. Meredy has a kind and forgiving heart, being able to get over being lied to and choosing to remain a family. She is also selfless, willing to live the life of a fugitive for the sake of family. Some people might consider those as stupidity, but Lyon thinks that it makes her a wonderful lady.
"Hey, I said thank you," Meredy repeated as she waved her hands to his face.
"You're welcome," he immediately answered to hide his embarrassment.
"Well, I have to go now!"
Lyon blinked as the reality of their situation sunk in. Meredy is on the run, and they may not meet again…
She grinned once again. "Don't worry, I'm sure we'll be together again one day," she assured him, and he wondered if he had been so obvious.
"How do you know?" He challenged.
"Because we're linked together now."
Suddenly she closed the gap between them and grabbed his wrist. It felt ice cold momentarily and he thought it might be from all the ice cream, but he raised his arm and saw the tribal-designed bracelet that she had swiftly put on his wrist. "What's this?"
"Charmed bracelet, to link hearts that are apart from each other," she said with a smile.
"Link hearts." He repeated, relishing the word as he said it. "Not ones to waste time dallying, are we?" There was something honest and open about Meredy, and he liked it. A lot.
"Yes and yes." She smiled her sunshine smile. "To keep us connected, even when we're far from each other. One day, when we're done sorting this mess, we'll meet again."
She said this with conviction.
And he believed.
He watched her run towards the fields and disappear into the horizon, towards the ocean that he knows is there but cannot see. Then it was time to go.
For the rest of the ride Lyon wondered how the ice cold bracelet could make him feel so warm.
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-fin-
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Thanks for reading!