Disclaimer: If Fairy Tail belonged to me, then all characters would be my little story-slaves and do what I want them to. Mwahahahahahaha but since it isn't... -.-
Author's note: I'll post this a bit early since it much to read and I have work to do on Valentine's Day. Anyway, I promised a long One Shot and here it is. Happy Valentine's Day everyone. ^^
Edit: Story was under revision. Change Fried into Freed so people don't get confused. I hate when FF-net changes name tags!
~o~o~o~
I want to love you but I better not touch
I want to hold you, but my senses tell me to stop
I want to kiss you but I want it too much
I want to taste you but your lips are venomous poison
(Poison by Alice Cooper)
~o~o~o~
Antiseptic Poison
by Misty Mina
Stumbling through the woods was anything but an enjoyable task. Especially for Lucy Heartfilia. She wasn't on a mission and yet it felt like it. She'd been at Natsu's place and was on her way back to Magnolia and back to civilization. Lucy had thought of many possible situations, but as usual, it wasn't what she'd imagined. The Dragon Slayer was just too childish for his own good. She felt like kicking herself repeatedly. Really, hadn't she learned anything from last time? That time when Natsu was looking for Lucy and only needed her to call Virgo so the stellar spirit could dig a hole for him and look for some kind of treasure? On any other day, she would've overlooked Natsu's stupidity. But not today! Did he have to pick that special day for one of his mad ideas?
Damn, it was Valentine's Day!
' 'Come to my house', he said. 'I have something to tell you', he said. 'It's really important', he said. Yeah, ...What he didn't say was, that this was all about a moronic way to make money, literally! Who told him that tale anyway?' She ranted in her thoughts.
Natsu had asked her to spin a bag full of straw to gold. Like in that bedtime story for children. The fool actually believed it and asked Lucy to do it because she was a girl. She surely could do the same. ...Not!
Lucy had enough! Enough of her teammates taking her for granted. Enough of dealing with Natsu's naivety and most of all, enough of being single! For her, Valentine's Day was officially: 'Single Awareness Day' and she hated it with passion! Aquarius probably meant this when she said that Lucy would never get a boyfriend. If she kept clinging onto Natsu, then she wouldn't find one. Who wanted a girl with an affection for childish, idiotic and selfish boys?
Noticing her unfamiliar surroundings, Lucy looked around. Strange, this wasn't the way she'd taken to get to the fire mage's hut.
'Oh no, now I'm lost too...'
The day had been unkind to her so far. What she didn't know was, it was only going to get worse.
Refusing stubbornly to turn around and go back to her friend's home, she pushed forward through unknown terrain. Going back would only encourage Natsu in his behavior and ideas. No way would she put up with it, not today! Thanks to Natsu she missed the Valentine's shopping spree in town. Even if she was single, it would have cheered her up a bit. Because, since most people would do anything for their sweethearts, the shops gave huge discounts for certain things. Lucy pushed branches and bushes aside to make her way through the woods while she ranted and raved about her comrade the whole time.
"Stupid! Couldn't he have waited with this? Like until tomorrow? What a timing! I'll never listen to Natsu again! Never! Never ever again! I swear, when I get out of here I will, ...OUCH." Lucy had pushed a liane out of her way when she suddenly felt a stinging pain. Looking at her right hand she noticed two bleeding puncture marks. Thinking about it now, this was rather odd.
'I'm in the woods, not in the jungle.' As if to continue and confirm her trail of thought, the colorful liane, which had fallen to the ground, started to slither away.
'Snake...Snake? ...SNAKE!'
She hoped it was one of those harmless snakes. The ones without poison. But this one had strange orange dots on it's scales. The blond knew to panic and run around in circles would get her nowhere. What now? What should she do? And what if it was poisonous and she would die out here? No, no, no! What-if thoughts lead to panic, something she couldn't afford.
Suddenly the bushes nearby rustled. Was it still around? Frozen in fear she just stood there with one hand on her keys, waiting for whatever would jump out and attack her.
"Ah, I knew I've heard something." Somehow, this big, purple snake looked familiar.
"...Bixlow?" What was he doing out here in the middle of nowhere?
"Yo cosplay-queen, long time no see. What's shakin'?"
Lucy's right eye started to twitch. Why in the name of everything good did he call her that?
"Stop with that nickname already! What are you doing out here anyway?" Was he stalking her now or what?
Rubbing his chin, he made it look like he honestly considered answering her. While in truth he almost couldn't wait. Salamander was always hogging the blond stellar mage's time. There was no way he could have a chat with her with the pink-head hanging all over the girl. Maybe she hadn't noticed yet, but Salamander was giving everyone the evil eye who tried to get close to her. At least to all the male guild members.
"Nothing big, just here to tell Laxus that master wants to see him. Say queeny, you don't look so good, everythin' alright?" She wasn't flushed because she saw him, right?
Lucy felt weak and feverish. So that snake was poisonous after all? Tough luck. It was like the gods were screaming down their hatred for disappointed and frustrated stellar mages.
"Bixlow, ...I-I think, I need help. ...There...was a snake ...it bit me." Lucy started to pant now and fell to her knees.
He was by her side in an instant. Snakes were rather rare in these part of the woods and this time of the year. There was only one snake which could possible live here.
"Tell me, was that a snake with orange dots?" He asked urgently.
Lucy could only nod, concentrating on things became harder with each second. Her sight became blurry and the fever started to rise.
Bixlow picked up the poisoned girl. He had no idea how to treat a snake bite, but if Lucy didn't get help soon, she wouldn't need any treatment later. The dead had no need for treatment. Evergreen was the healer in their group, she might know more.
"Hold on blondie and keep your eyes open!"
Bixlow ran back as fast as he could, trying not to jolt her too much. His teammates could help her for sure. Evergreen knew all kinds of herbs and was skilled in alchemy. She just never really enjoyed experimenting around. Said it would ruin her nails or something like that. When Lucy tried to close her eyes the purple-clad mage yelled at her.
"Don't sleep!"
It didn't even take three minutes to reach his comrades. Obviously Laxus had grown tired of Bixlow's explorations of the wildlife and headed back to the guild on his own. Freed and Evergreen had stayed behind to wait for him, as usual. They would never leave a comrade behind. Not like Laxus occasionally did...
"Guys! I need help! Quick!" Bixlow yelled when he stormed into the clearing where his two friends had been waiting for his return.
Both, the rune mage and the wannabe fairy practically jumped up from their seats when Bixlow called for their aid. What they didn't expect was to see Fairy Tail's only stellar mage in his arms.
"Bixlow what..." Evergreen started.
"She got bitten by an Amber Snake." He explained quickly.
Amber Snakes were rare and deadly. Just Lucy's luck to get bitten by one.
"Where?" Freed had really mastered the one word questions.
That was something Bixlow couldn't answer. Lucy just told him she got bitten, not where and he didn't have time to take a look.
"Dunno." He carefully laid her down.
Freed went to Bixlow's side, while Evergreen was still indecisive what to do. The rune mage took hold of Lucy's hands and found the bite mark quickly. Right hand, next to her Fairy Tail mark in the space between her thumb and forefinger.
He knew one or two things about poison, but not enough for a proper treatment.
He unbuckled his belt and secured it on Lucy's right upper arm, not too tight but also not too loose. As long as she had a mere fever it hadn't spread so quickly. While Freed was busy, Bixlow noticed that Evergreen hadn't moved much since he arrived.
"Evergreen, can you make the antidote?" He asked urgently.
Shaken out of her shock-like state, she quickly went through the recipe in her mind.
"Ye,…No! No, I can't! Bluegrass can only be found in autumn."
Now what? She couldn't help her. Lucy would die! Evergreen felt like she had just signed the blonde's death sentence.
Lucy's arm hurt like hell and her head was spinning. She still could make out the faces of the Raijinshuu, but not what they were saying. It was all a jumbled mess. Freed went through his options quickly.
"Evergreen, you know where Porlyusica lives! Try to get an antidote from her!" Even though Freed was not really the leader in their group, he gave the commands most of the time. The wannabe fairy might not like being bossed around, but she always, well almost always, did what her comrade told her to do.
She ran off into the forest, doing as he told her to. If she hadn't been so scared for Lucy's life, maybe she would've tried to argue with her friend.
Freed wasn't finished yet.
"Bixlow, go back to the guild and get Wendy!"
"What? But you just sent Evergreen to that old hag." Bixlow didn't like Porlyusica, but the old woman was a damn good healer, so why bother with Wendy? However Freed's deathglare convinced him quickly to follow his orders.
Freed hated to take any chances and he certainly wouldn't take any when a comrade's life was in danger. All members of Fairy Tail were comrades. Were family! He had forgotten that fact and the reason why he'd joined in the first place when he'd fought against them. He would make sure to never forget again.
Freed's own magic was of little use here. He couldn't use healing magic and he couldn't teleport to far or unknown places. At the moment, he wasn't really helpful at all except for keeping the blond company and making sure to keep her condition stable. Tapping into his magical energy, Freed wrote the runes with his finger into the grass. The barrier he created spread out and secured a large area. Trap runes worked in two ways. Either nobody could get out, or nobody could get in. With this spell, the rule was simple.
*Only Fairy Tail mages can enter the barrier!* And if Evergreen miraculously managed to persuade the hermitic woman to leave her hut and treat the blonde, he'd still be able to erase the runes.
Satisfied with his work, he turned back to the injured girl. Lucy started to look like a white sheet. He should've listened more when Evergreen had spoken of different kinds of poison and their effects. Maybe then he would know how much time they had left.
"I'm dying, ...right?" Lucy was so sure of it. Perhaps she wasn't in her right mind at the moment, but she could still feel the tense atmosphere.
This wasn't a joke.
She was in the kind of danger where not even Natsu's powers, as Dragon Slayer nor her almighty spirits could help her.
What could he tell her? Yes? No? Maybe? He wasn't sure himself. If Porlyusica didn't have an antidote or couldn't mix one and if Wendy came too late, ...then yes. If one of those two, Evergreen or Wendy, came back in time, ...then no. A 'maybe' would be the most sincere answer and yet it sounded bitter, even to his own ears.
"You think we let you?" It wasn't polite to answer a question with another question. But sometimes the answer to a question wasn't really an 'answer', but another question instead.
Lucy tried to smile, but she couldn't really feel her facial expressions anymore. She knew her comrades, her new family wouldn't let her down. They might do stupid things and stupid mistakes. Or as in Laxus' case, big mistakes. But all in all, they always meant well.
"...Dunno, ...I'll let, you know... After I've died." Was that a giggle? God, what was wrong with her? She was hot and yet felt cold, she was in pain and she might be dying, so why did she giggle like a lunatic?
Freed gave her a blank stare before he realized that she was probably delirious, either from the fever or the poison.
If things kept progressing like that, it wouldn't take long and she'd be dead before evening. He knew, he shouldn't move her, but if he could move her into a sitting or standing position, then gravity could slow the process down.
He sat down on the ground and lifted her slowly into a sitting position. Then moved her until she was in his lap while leaning on him. Hopefully someone would come back in time. He'd be devastated if he ever had to witness the death of a comrade while being so useless himself.
Lucy's shivers subsided. The cold feeling had stopped and was replaced by comforting warmth. Her first thought was that Natsu had come to save her again. Just like he always did. It was practically routine. She would get into trouble or really dangerous situations and Natsu would save her later. However, there was no shouting, no hectic movements and no 'Aye' from Happy. Just this warmth and a quiet noise. Rhythmic and calming. Nothing like the hyperactive Dragon Slayer.
She opened her eyes a bit. It took a while to get her senses and thoughts together. She was in a sitting position and her right side leaned against Freed's chest while he held her upright. She could feel his warmth and the sound she heard was his heartbeat. It was an awkward situation, but she had to admit, she felt really safe. Not 'protected'. Not just 'cared for'. More like she could leave all her worries behind and rely on him.
It felt nice.
If the stellar mage had her strength and one straight thought left, she would have scrambled away, maybe screamed or at least complained. Instead she did quite the opposite and tried to get closer.
Freed jumped slightly when she snuggled against him. He had to calm down. Lucy was hurt, it wasn't like she could help it. The rune mage cursed his inability to talk freely. He should talk to her by all means, to keep her awake and distracted. But all this pep talk sounded so fake to him and he was not one for lying to others. Was everything fine? No! Could he promise help? No! Would she be alright? Perhaps. All lies! So all he did was tightening his hold on her slightly. Reassuring her without a single word that no matter what happened, she wasn't alone.
Sighing at the touch, Lucy started to babble before she could think about her words.
"Do you know ...what day we have?" It sounded a bit slurred to her.
Racking his brain, Freed tried to remember the date. What was it again? What did Evergreen mention earlier?... four...no. fourteenth ? February? Yes!
"February the fourteenth. " He answered shortly. She was talking to him now and as long as he kept her talking, it meant she was ok for the time being.
"No, stupid! It's Valentine's Day!" She giggled. Lucy was really out of it. Everything was funny to her. The world was so colorful now and were those white mice in the corner of her vision?
Well he'd been right, ...mostly. Now he knew why Evergreen had been complaining so much when he'd decided that their group should meet up with Laxus today. Reading the calendar correctly might've saved him the trouble of hearing the wannabe fairy complain about it all day long. Why was she looking forward to that day anyway? She was single and didn't fancy anyone. Well, that's what he'd thought until now.
"And... and you know, ...what?" Lucy asked leaning slightly away to look up at him.
Freed let go of her, not completely though. Just enough to give her the freedom to move. She looked into his eyes with a dead serious face.
"...It's all ...Natsu's fault!" She nodded firmly.
The rune mage blinked twice, not really understanding how Natsu fitted into the story.
"Natsu?" He asked again to make sure. Although, when was it not the Dragon Slayer's fault when things went wrong in their guild?
"Uh huh! And I ...have enough! ...He can... spin his straw...himself!" She flopped back against his chest totally exhausted from her rant.
If he'd been confused before, then he was totally lost now. Lucy was clearly talking nonsense, cute nonsense, but still nonsense.
"And what did he do, ...this time?"
Even if his voice sounded neutral to her, Lucy swore she could 'hear' him smiling in amusement. Was that even possible? Or was it just her mind playing tricks on her? The headache she was developing now made it impossible to tell the difference. Perhaps a short nap would solve that problem. It surely sounded tempting to her.
"Lucy?"
Tired.
"...Lucy?" A little shake.
Just a few minutes. Five, ...three no, just one minute rest and she'd be good as new.
"Lucy!" A slap woke her up.
Blinking tiredly she could feel a slight sting on her left cheek. Lucy tried to focus her attention on her attacker. What was his name again? ... Freed! Right. His emerald eyes were staring at her with something she could only interpret as fear. She kept looking at him, trying to remember if she had ever seen him like that? ...Not really. Well aside for Laxus' safety and even then it wasn't pure fear, more a mix out of fear, anger and indignation.
Freed almost sighed in relief. Thank the gods, she was still among the living. For a moment he'd been terrified beyond words. He never wanted to lose a comrade, not like that. Not ever! Not dying in his arms! No matter how cold many accused him to be just because of his lack of reaction, he really wasn't.
Before she could stop herself, Lucy started to babble again. Why was her mouth not listening to her mind?
"Again!" She suddenly demanded as if she'd made a decision.
'Again' what? Freed's thoughts were a jumbled mess, while he tried to put his mask of collected indifference back on.
"My name,. ...say it again." She pleaded.
Only then did he realize that he'd never called the stellar mage by her name. He hadn't really talked to her much except the necessary things. Usually there was nothing to talk about. It might also be because he was frequently out of town on missions, or Team Natsu hogged the blonde's time for themselves. Every single one of them. Besides, his skills in conversation and smalltalk were below average. A trait which only nurtured the rumors about his cold and dark character. It had actually never bothered him before and he never considered it might bother others.
She was still giving him an expecting, perhaps even a bit hopeful look. Her brown eyes were trying to persuade him and it was working.
"Lucy." Her name rolled naturally of his lips like he'd said it a thousand times.
The stellar princess felt strange. Like she wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. The poison was messing quite well with her. Her name wasn't unusual, it was common even. But it certainly sounded special when he said it.
Now she tilted her head to the side and looked at him with unfocused eyes in a thinking manner.
"You know?... If you weren't so hung up on Laxus, ...you might be,... kinda... cute." The slurring had gotten worse. Again, why was her mouth faster than her mind? That wasn't what she wanted to say! ...Maybe it was. She didn't know.
He did 'not' just hear what she'd said, did he? Not the part about being hung up on his best friend. The part about being cute. He'd heard many things. People usually talked behind his back about him and his looks. Sometimes, he could even hear much younger girls whispering about him. But 'cute' was certainly not one of the few chosen words they had used to describe him. He felt his cheeks heat up. He was so pathetic! Blushing over a comment a girl made in a delirious state of mind. He only hoped Lucy wouldn't remember what she'd said later. ...If there was a 'later'.
The rune mage turned his head sharply towards one direction while unconsciously pulling Lucy back against him in a protective manner. He'd heard rustling from that side. Maybe friend, maybe foe, he didn't know for sure. Thankfully it was a friend. Evergreen had returned with a bottle in her hand. Disheveled and out of breath, she tried to get some air into her lungs.
"Th- the anti-...dote. She... alive?" Panting hard she couldn't even form a whole sentence.
Freed nodded with a straight face, but he couldn't fool his comrade. Evergreen saw that he was quite relieved to see her. It showed in his eyes and how his shoulders dropped slightly. Lucy grinned stupidly and waved at her like a child. Oh, so she didn't have seizures yet, that was a good sign. She gave Freed the bottle and straightened up. Now that she'd caught her breath, she could tell him what the old healer had told her.
"She has to take, ...half of the bottle now. The other half,...in six hours." Evergreen was still panting, but it got better. The bottle was small, just big enough to finish it in two sips.
The wannabe Fairy turned away and walked towards a narrow path.
"I go and fetch some water. ...Lucy will be thirsty later." And of course she was thirsty as well. No wonder, she'd run the whole way to Porlyusica's hut and back at full speed.
This left Freed in charge of giving Lucy the antidote. He opened the bottle and held it up for her. What he didn't expect was for Lucy to lean away and turn her head to the side.
"Noooo, yuck."
What now? Freed had to blink once. Was she being childish? That was the last thing he needed.
"It's ok, the antidote will help you." He explained. Maybe that had slipped her attention when Evergreen came back
"Don' wanna! Medicine is eeewwww!" Lucy was beyond rational thought now. Medicine never tasted good. It was always gross!
Freed let out an annoyed huff and tried to think of a way to convince her to drink it.
"C'mon, just one sip. That's all you have to drink." She would be better later and drink the rest of her own free will. Or that's what he hoped.
"No..." She behaved like a spoiled brat.
"Please?" Maybe this would do?
"No!"
"Please,...Lucy."
That got her attention. She gave him a considering glance. But then still shook her head.
"Uhm, ...nope. Not good enough." She replied while giggling like mad.
What did she expect? Should he grovel before her and beg her to take the antidote for her own sake? Freed might do many things, but he still had some pride left. What else could he do?
"That's enough Lucy! Don't play with your life!." If she behaved like a spoiled brat maybe he had to treat her like one.
"You can't force me!" She whined.
Definitely spoiled!
This was it! His nerves were quite frazzled already and now she made things worse. He'd been worried, afraid, confused, relived and now he was just annoyed at her behavior. Even though he knew the poison was messing with her, he took her challenge quite personal. Normally he wouldn't lose his cool like this, but enough was enough!
"I think I can."
Freed gave her an annoyed glare before he took a sip out of the bottle himself. In one swift movement he'd claimed her lips and pried them open. The liquid flowed into her mouth and Lucy had no choice but to swallow to avoid choking on it. The blonde didn't expect it, but the antidote was sugary sweet on her tongue and she wanted more.
It wasn't meant to go that far...
All he'd wanted was for her to take the antidote. However, Freed gave in when he could feel the tip of her tongue ghosting shyly over his lips. Sweetly shy and tender. Irresistible! The result was the loss of his firm self-control. What was meant to be a measure to save the stellar mage's life turned into a deep and passionate kiss.
Lucy's mind was in a haze. On one hand, she wanted to punch him for taking advantage of her. On the other, she didn't want him to stop. In the end, she did mewl in disappointment when he retreated.
The only reason he broke away was because he heard Evergreen's steps when she made her way back to them. There were times when his hearing was as sharp as a Dragon Slayer's. The rune mage cursed himself a million times over. Losing control like this was unforgivable. He wished he could blame this on Lucy alone, but a kiss could only be shared between 'two' people. So this was his fault as well. When Evergreen returned, she had this little knowing grin on her face. A grin that said: 'I know your dirty, little secret and will use it against you.'
"Sooo, how is our patient?" Evergreen asked teasingly. She had seen the whole thing and she would certainly use it as blackmail material the next time the rune mage decided things by himself. She considered it to be payback for her ruined Valentine's Day.
As expected Freed didn't answer and avoided her inquiring gaze. So she took a look herself and either Lucy's fever had reached a new high, or Freed was a damn good kisser. She guessed it was the latter.
Lucy had a beat-red flush that spread to the tip of her ears. She felt more sober now than before. Ducking her head, she hoped she could hide her embarrassment. Still, she did enjoy the kiss and couldn't bring herself to regret it or be mad at him.
"B-...Better. " She mumbled.
If the wannabe Fairy hadn't been so close she wouldn't have heard it. Glancing at the rune mage she smirked slightly.
"I bet..." Was her amused reply.
"LUCY!" Turning to the sky the three saw Carla with Wendy in her grip flying rapidly towards them. Obviously Bixlow sent the two ahead since he was missing.
Wendy didn't even wait for Carla to land on the ground. With a silent command between them, the white cat let go of her charge when they were close enough. The mini Dragon Slayer landed safely and ran towards them. After she'd heard what happened to Lucy, she was afraid she might not make it in time. Wendy saw in Lucy a big sister and the thought of losing her made her frantic with worry. She looked the blond over and checked with her magic how much damage the poison had inflicted. Not a minute later she sighed in relief.
"Thank the heavens, it's not so bad. I can heal the rest and there won't be any lasting damage." She declared happily.
The stellar mage felt sad when Freed let go of her upon Wendy's instruction to lay her on the ground so that the Sky Dragon Slayer could work with her magic. But she did worry when he left the clearing, Was he mad now? Did he regret it? ...Probably. Thinking about it now, ...this had been her first real kiss. The little pecks she'd received from different boys when she was younger were nothing compared to this experience. No matter how the rune mage might feel later about this, she didn't and wouldn't regret it. She fought to stay awake, but the stress of the day got the better of her and she let Wendy's soothing magic lull her to sleep.
Freed braced himself against a tree not far away from the clearing. He felt sick to the stomach and if it wasn't for his newly regained self-control, he might've lost the contents of said organ.
"That was a pretty stupid thing to do, you know?" It seemed like Evergreen had followed him. She just couldn't keep her nose out of his business. Although she did have a point, so he merely glared at her. Or tried to.
Smirking to herself she leaned against the tree opposite of him. It was just too easy to read him sometimes.
"Oh, I don't mean your mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. I actually approve of that. Hadn't have such a great show in a while. But now, I can barely tell your face from your hair. ...You've swallowed some of the antidote as well, didn't you?"
Well that was inevitable. Freed rolled his eyes, but nodded nonetheless, not really trusting himself to answer her vocally and keep in his lunch.
Evergreen frowned slightly, then pushed herself away from the tree.
"The antidote is a cure for people who got bitten by that particular snake. ...But it's poisonous for a healthy person. A few drops won't kill you, it's just enough to cause great nausea. You better stay home for the next two days. No! Don't you dare complain about this, it's for your own good!"
For his own good? If he had too much time, it got him thinking. If he thought too much, he would start questioning himself. And if he started to question himself, it always led him to do things he might regret later. How was this for his own good? Yet he had to relent. He'd be more a liability than a good teammate in his current state.
"Maybe Wendy could help you. I mean she can cure Natsu's motion sickness for a while as well. It shouldn't be much of a problem."
But the rune mage shook his head. Wendy's Sky Dragon Slayer magic was too close to holy magic. Something his kind of magical source could do without. He wasn't called 'The Dark' for nothing! Perhaps it wouldn't hurt him as much as real holy magic, but it wouldn't do him much good either. It was like trying to chop berries with an axe. No, then it was better and easier for him to stay home.
A few more minutes went by before Freed felt well enough to return. He could keep this up until he got home. Meanwhile Bixlow had arrived as well and for a moment Freed wondered where the rest of Lucy's team was. Then he remembered that Erza had mentioned something about getting new armor because of a sale and Gray would most likely try to avoid the guild and his very own water mage stalker like the plague. It was Valentine's Day after all. Not to mention that Lucy was still mad at Natsu for whatever reason. The rest of the antidote wasn't necessary anymore. He gave the bottle to Evergreen, perhaps she would keep it for emergencies like this one or bring it back to Porlyusica. He didn't care which, his upset stomach made it quite clear that he never wanted to see that bottle again!
Bixlow carried the sleeping stellar mage for the way back to the guild. It was not like Freed minded. He wasn't feeling too well and was glad to catch a break. ...He was glad, wasn't he? Maybe it was only because of his nausea but somehow he didn't feel like it. Freed felt, ...'confused' for the lack of a better word. No, he should forget about it. He didn't want to think about this because, in the end, it would only create more problems for him and everyone else. What's done was done.
~o~o~o~
Lucy awoke in Fairy Tail's Infirmary. She looked around and saw Wendy sitting in a chair next to her, half asleep and trying hard to remain upright in her chair.
"Wendy?" Her voice was hoarse.
The mini Dragon Slayer jumped slightly in fright before her eyes landed on the bedridden stellar mage.
"Hey Lucy, how do you feel?" She asked carefully in a low voice.
Well how did she feel? A bit weak and thirsty and that's what she told the little girl. Gasping at her thoughtlessness, Wendy excused herself and left the infirmary to fetch a glass of water for Lucy.
Now that she was alone Lucy tried hard to remember what had happened. It was all a blur to her. She remembered the fight she had with Natsu. ...Stupid Salamander! Then there was that snake. Looking down, she noticed the bandage around her hand for the first time.
And then?...
Oh why was it so hard to remember?!
Wendy came back with a glass of water in her hand. When she'd opened the door, the blonde could hear a bit of a commotion going on outside. The usual daily routine in their guild. And yet, the sounds of the voices were different. More serious. Lucy sat upright and thanked the little Dragon Slayer. A crash could be heard and now the brawl outside was in full motion.
"What are they arguing about this time?" It was faint and more of a rhetorical question for herself and yet, Lucy still received an answer from Wendy. No wonder, as Dragon Slayer, Wendy could pick up whispers in the wind, literally.
"Gray and Natsu are fighting again. Gray thinks it's Natsu's fault that you got bitten by that snake. And, ...well most of the other members agree. Thankfully Laxus' friends found you in time." Wendy didn't even want to imagine how the guild would react if the stellar mage had really died that day.
"You mean the Raijinshuu?" Laxus didn't seem like he had real friends, at least not in her opinion. But his team was the closest to friends he had.
The little girl nodded quickly. They weren't around much, so she didn't know them so well.
More and more pictures were floating through Lucy's mind while she slowly drank her water. Bixlow had been there and he'd taken her to his team. Evergreen had looked so panic-stricken. The poor woman, Lucy had never seen her like that. And Freed was there as well and...Oh, ...OH GOD! Lucy choked on the water and began to cough. Wendy was by her side in seconds and patted her back.
"Take it easy, Lucy."
She barely heard the little girl because she could remember it clearly now.
He'd kissed her! Freed Justine of all people! Ok, he did it because she had been stubborn and childish, but ...Oh god. That had really happened right? Lucy wanted to hide in the next hole and die there out of embarrassment.
Just great... her first kiss had been a medical emergency.
"Lucy? What's up? You're all red in the face. Do you have a fever?" Wendy started to fuss over her friend again.
"N-No, I'm o-ok." Very convincing... Of course Wendy didn't believe her and used her magic, yet she couldn't find anything. Well except for the quickened heartbeat that is. Not something to really be concerned about.
Another crash and this time the walls trembled as well. If they kept this up, they would ruin the guild in half an hour. Annoyed at all the noise Wendy excused herself again. Her patient needed rest and a bunch of loud guild members weren't helpful at all. She had to talk to Makarov about this. Wendy was kind and shy most of the time, but she would do everything she could to help her patient. And if she had to shut them up herself she would do so!
While Wendy was away, Lucy went through her memories again. Now she could remember the mini Dragon Slayer too. She'd looked so scared and close to tears. The stellar princess never wanted to see Wendy cry because of her.
This was all Lucy's fault and she vowed to be more careful in the future. She'd let her anger about Natsu and his foolish idea get the better of her again and had thrown all caution to the wind. And this was the result.
Although... it did have a good side as well.
Lucy ran one finger over her lips and a delightful shiver made her body tremble in response. It was embarrassing and yet it felt wonderful as well. She still had to thank the rune mage, for doing his best, no... 'very best' to save her.
~o~o~o~
It had been over three days since her accident and Freed Justine had yet to make an appearance in the guild. With each passing day, Lucy's doubts increased and the courage to talk to him diminished more and more. Was he avoiding her? Maybe he was scared of her reaction... then again, he didn't seem like the type to be easily spooked. What if he hated her now? No! She shouldn't be so pessimistic. This was stupid! Her thoughts had been going in circles because of him.
Lucy had been less cheerful, but her friends thought she was still exhausted. After all, she'd almost knocked on death's door.
What could she do?
She couldn't go on like this and also not like nothing happened. The stellar mage didn't even know what the problem was. It just felt like there was something left unsaid between them. A great tension which pulled at her nerves and pushed her rational thoughts away.
The guild didn't feel like a place where she would want to be at the moment. That's why she left it quite early even before lunch time. She wandered through the streets with no real destination in mind. If she would go back home, surely one of her friends would be waiting there for her already.
No, not today... she didn't feel like entertaining visitors. Not even her own friends.
Better to keep walking. A sliver of hope sneaked into the thought. Hope to see him on the streets, to catch him off guard if he was really avoiding her.
"Oy, queeny." Noooo... she wouldn't respond to such a ridiculous nickname! It would only encourage Bixlow. How many times did she tell him not to call her that? Wait! Bixlow?! She whirled around, but to her disappointment, there were only two of the usual three members of their group.
"Well aren't you happy to see us?" Evergreen's voice dripped with sarcasm. Lucy's disappointment must have shown on her face.
"I-I'm sorry. I just..." God, she couldn't even think of a good excuse.
"Is ok, girls are usually speechless when I'm around." Bixlow and his ego. There weren't many who could compare to that.
Evergreen did the right thing and whacked him over the head with her fan.
"They're speechless because they've never seen such a great idiot." She just knew how to keep him in line.
Lucy had noticed that even though they banter a lot, the two of them were still good friends. At first she'd thought they only worked together to combine their strengths. She'd been so wrong back then.
"What are you two up to?" Lucy asked, a bit of smalltalk couldn't hurt, right?
The wannabe fairy pointed at herself with her fan.
"I'm doing some shopping and Bixlow helps out." If Lucy read the smile correctly, then Evergreen had most likely blackmailed her comrade into helping her.
"Ah, I see." Lucy sweat dropped slightly.
"C'mon blondie ya've been so glum lately. Everythin' alright?"
Did he have to ask? She didn't want to answer the question. Nothing was 'alright'! She was sad yes, but most of all she was frustrated!
As if reading her mind, Evergreen turned to her teammate.
"Here Bixlow." She pushed a piece of paper at him.
"Uh? What's that?"
"My shopping list! Here is the money, see you later."
The Soul Reaver had to blink at that.
"...What am I? Your servant?"
"Yes. ...Except if you want me to tell Lucy about your..."
"OK, ok... just keep it to yerself." Bixlow grumbled a bit under his breath, but did what she'd ordered him to do.
Now it was just the two of them. The wannabe fairy and the stellar princess. Lucy couldn't quite follow the other woman's trail of thought. What now? There was an awkward silence between them before Evergreen chose to get straight to the point.
"You know Lucy, the antidote you got is quite the ...'strong stuff'. That's the reason why Freed's at home. He hasn't been feeling well." The brunette didn't really want to tell her that her comrade had poisoned himself by saving her. Lucy was not to blame, but the blonde would do just that if she knew.
"How do you...?" Lucy could feel the blush spreading over her whole face. Evergreen had seen this? As in 'everything'?
Evergreen smiled when she saw Lucy's crimson face. Really, who was the girl trying to fool? A blind man could see that she was developing a crush for the rune mage. So perhaps it was time to speed things up. Knowing Freed, he'd never make the first step. He could try and hide many things from her, but years of working with the introverted man had taught her to read him like a book. And if she was right, he was as much affected by the kiss as the stellar mage.
Evergreen took out a magical pen.
"I have something for you. Hold out your hand!"
Lucy held up her left hand. The brunette took hold of it and carefully wrote something onto her palm.. Lucy glanced at her hand, fully expecting to see some doodles there. But what she saw didn't make any sense to her. If she read this right, this was an address.
Closing her pen Evergreen winked at her.
"If the mountain won't come to the prophet, ...then the prophet will go to the mountain."
Now she understood.
This was Freed's address. If he wouldn't show up on his own, she'd have to hunt him down. And Evergreen was her accomplice. Overjoyed, she hugged the older woman as if she'd given her the world.
"Thank you Evergreen! Thank you, thank you, thank you."
"It's nothing. Now go and don't you dare come back before this is solved." It may have sounded like a threat but Evergreen's grin negated the seriousness behind it.
Lucy nodded and ran down the street, she knew the district he lived in, now she only had to find the house.
Evergreen really hoped for a happy ending. Freed could be quite stubborn sometimes, so there would definitely be a few problems. But she believed that fate had a plan for the both of them.
Thinking about it now, since she had joined Fairy Tail and joined the team, she had never seen her friend with anyone. For whatever reason, Freed denied himself the pleasure of a relationship. Many tried and yet not one of them could get a rise out of him. She'd thought he was a lost cause until three days ago where he actually responded to the kiss. He could call it an emergency if he wanted to. But you didn't close your eyes and enjoyed the contact while doing mouth-to-mouth. Lucy was a good influence and perhaps she could banish the demons of the past who still seemed to haunt him.
~o~o~o~
Three days at home by himself. He'd sent his maid away just so he could think in peace and hear his own thoughts. He'd done everything there was to do. Taken his medicine, doing the housework, cooking, training, reading and much more and yet it didn't help to ease his mind.
What had gotten into him?
A question which kept spinning round and round in his head. He couldn't deny the fact that he'd lost control and if that wasn't bad enough, he enjoyed it. The feeling to let go. To not think and just feel. The sin of youth, to act first and think later.
Unforgivable!
Freed's controlling-calmness was the center of his world. Everything revolved around it. Or at least it should be. Now, a pretty, little stellar mage had destroyed that. He'd picked up the shards of his shattered self-control and tried to mold it back together. But it was like he couldn't put the pieces back into the right places. There was always the reflection of sun-kissed hair and honey-brown eyes. His body had betrayed him already. Now his mind? And later? His heart perhaps? He couldn't allow that. Mustn't allow that by all means. Ok, he hadn't been with anyone for years, not even for ...'basic needs'. So maybe, he could forgive his body for the betrayal. All he had to do now was to forget about it.
Forgive and forget.
Three days of going through a mental crisis were enough to reach a decision. He was loyal to the guild. Loyal to his friends and loyal to Laxus. There was no place for anything or anyone else. Years ago, he'd sworn to follow Laxus no matter what. Through hell and back if he had to.
What the rune mage feared most now was that perhaps he'd already acted against the thunder mage's will. He'd heard from Mirajane what Laxus had said when Phantom Lord attacked. Maybe it was meant to be a joke when he wanted Lucy to be his girl in exchange for his help, but he doubted it. The relationships Laxus had in the past, could be counted on one hand. He was no player like Loki and had never claimed a girl for himself before.
Freed had to stop this before,...whatever 'this' was, got out of control.
A hesitant knock on his door brought him out of his musings. If this was Evergreen again then, friend or not, he would shut the door in her face. She'd been pestering him yesterday already about the issue. He would not listen to this again! But when he opened the door, it wasn't the expected wannabe fairy with her mischievous smile. It was the very person he did and didn't want to see. Mademoiselle Heartfilia in all her natural beauty came,... to bring him down.
~o~o~o~
Lucy stood in front of Freed's door.
Now that she finally made it so far, her mind felt empty. Why was she here again? What did she want to say? Great, now she felt foolish for acting so spontaneously. She should have thought this through before coming here, but she acted on a whim instead. All she wanted was to see him. Was he alright? Mad at her? ...Confused, like her?
The stellar mage wanted to leave and yet she couldn't bring herself to. She just couldn't bear this confusion anymore. It wasn't really about his reasons for acting the way he did. It was more about her own behavior. She'd never felt so conflicted. Happy and sad. Content and discontent. The urge to scream in euphoria and to weep in silence.
Raising her hand, she stopped in midair. What if he wasn't home? What if he didn't want to see her? What if he wasn't alone? What if... Oh she had to stop the pessimistic thoughts or she would drive herself mad. Tightening her fist she decided to put an end to this, one way or another. Her resolve was firm, but the knock was hesitant, almost frightened. A reflection of what she truly felt at the moment and not what she decided on.
For a moment nothing happened. Lucy held her breath, almost willing the door to open. She was sure she didn't have the courage to knock again. After what felt like an eternity to her, she let out her breath in a heavy sigh. Nobody home. She should've known better. Life wasn't a wishing well, was it? Just when she was about to leave and go home, the door opened. Freed stood right there in the doorway, his face drained of color. Was this because of the antidote? The memory still made her blush crimson.
Lucy wanted to say many things, but couldn't recall what these things had been about. Seeing Freed without his trademark red coat was unusual. She couldn't remember a time where he'd been without it. Dressed in only a white shirt and black pants he looked so, ...normal. Nobody would recognize him as a member of Fairy Tail, the craziest guild in Fiore.
If the silence between herself and Evergreen had been awkward before, then this situation was killing her right now. Her head was reeling. What did she want to say? To ask? To think? She tried to say something, but all that came out were a few stuttered syllables, not even a real word.
Clamping her mouth shut she looked down. Damn, what was she? Some kind of idiot? This was so embarrassing. Movement at the corner of her eyes caught her attention. Freed had stepped aside. Wordlessly he invited her into the house. Was this a good or a bad sign? Lucy wished she had Evergreen's perception. Then this would be much easier. Or maybe he just didn't want to talk where everyone could overhear them?
Anyway she accepted the invitation and stepped inside. The house wasn't that big, not like the mansion she had once lived in when her father was still the head of the Heartfilia Empire. But it was comfortable and cozily furnished.
Turning around she expected him to guide her to the living room or at least a place where they could talk. However the rune mage was leaning next to the now closed door, eyes hidden behind a curtain of green bangs. It made it hard for her to read his features. The tension in the air was electrifying. Both were hesitant to say anything or take the first step.
Gathering all her courage Lucy took the initiative.
"I...I wanted to ...talk...to you." Lucy felt like smacking herself. Of course she wanted to talk to him or she wouldn't be here! Only morons stated the obvious!
No reaction from his side, but she wouldn't stop now. If she'd been with Natsu, then she would do everything to gain his attention first, or else the Dragon Slayer wouldn't listen to her. But with Freed, she didn't have to. She could talk and somehow, he would listen. He always does in some kind of way.
"Thank you, ...for saving me." She was blushing again. A typical virginal reaction. She couldn't even think about the kiss without blushing furiously first.
Freed shook his head. What? Was he so modest that he didn't even accept any form of gratitude?
"It was nothing, ...just..." He broke off. It was as if he didn't want to finish the sentence. Lucy looked at him quizzically.
"'Just'...what?"
"...Just forget about it." An order spoken like a plea.
Lucy felt hollow. Forget? Like 'nothing happened'? He couldn't mean it like that, could he? The conflicted emotions inside her had tipped to the negative side. To be sad, to feel discontent and to weep in silence sounded like good ideas to her right now.
Served her right, ...what did she expect? He merely saved her life, that was all. Nothing special among guild members. One for all and all for one. He would do this for each and everyone of them. Stupid, naive, ...heartbroken Lucy.
There was no point in arguing about it. Nothing happened. So there was nothing to argue about.
The stellar mage pulled herself together. She had to or else, she would fall apart. No way in hell would she stay long enough to have any witnesses if that happened. And it would happen! Hopefully after she'd reached her apartment.
"Oh, ...good idea. ...Same here. ...Wouldn't want my teammates questioning me about it. Because that would be embarrassing and you know them, they wouldn't let me live it down..." She was rambling, but Lucy didn't care. It distracted her from the pain she felt. Why did it hurt anyway? No, forget it. That's what he said. Forget the pain as well and move on like nothing happened. And maybe, one day, if she kept repeating that sentence over and over, then she might even believe it. There was just one thing left to do.
"Ok, I'll forget, but ...do me a favor, ...will you?"
Freed only nodded, resigning to whatever she would ask of him. He wasn't blind enough to ignore the pain he had caused. It was only fair to do what she wanted until they would go their separate ways again.
"Close your eyes and... don't open them...until I'm gone." She wouldn't be able to bear the look of pity in them when she would open that door and leave.
Fair enough.
He did as she requested and closed his emerald eyes. Perhaps she made this easier for them both. Even though he wasn't really sure why, he knew it would disturb his inner balance again to see her leave.
Lucy moved back to the door which she'd entered through not even ten minutes ago. However she changed her way slightly to the right and stood in front of the rune mage. While she observed his handsome features she asked: "Say, is it ok to...reclaim something, ...that has been stolen?"
Freed pondered over the question. It was unexpected, but maybe it was of importance for her. Well, if something important had been stolen from him, he would certainly do everything in his power to get it back. But the little things? Were they even worth the effort? Well no matter what it was, if it had been stolen it was still a crime. So to take it back was the logically right thing to do.
He nodded once, but before he could actually ask what the question was about, he felt felt delicate hands on his cheeks and a slight pressure on his lips. Freed had to remind himself to keep his eyes closed just like he promised. But he remembered the feeling. The sweetly shy touch of her lips. All of his resolve, all his reasons and a lot of his resistance flew out of the window. One touch from her was enough to undo him.
A single moment...
A single touch...
...Had changed everything.
His body betrayed him again and he returned the second kiss between them with more passion than the first. Freed clenched his hands into fists so he wouldn't reach out and embrace her. This tiny nagging voice in his head, the last bit of resistance he had, kept reminding him that he should let her go. When she drew back, he was tempted to follow and catch her lips again. But he held back and suppressed the urge to open his eyes. It was her wish. One last wish.
Apparently he had spaced out because the next thing he heard was the faint click of his front door. Reaching out with his senses, he couldn't feel her presence or her magic anymore. He opened his eyes slowly, not really wanting to face the empty room.
It was better this way.
At least that's what he kept telling himself. Unclenching his fists he could feel something sticky on his fingers. When he looked down, there were faint traces of blood on his fingertips and crescent-shaped marks in his palms. So, ...this was the strength it took to restrain his desire when it came to her? She might not be aware of it, but what they felt was merely lust, nothing more! What else could it be? Love? Preposterous! He was sure it was lust and he certainly could extinguish that burning flame by himself. All he had to do was to stay away from her. There was just no 'us' for them.
She was a Stellar Spirit mage. Her magic came from the celestial source of the stars and he was... darkness in person. He drew his magic from the darkness of the eternal abyss. Someday, she would be his downfall. Holy light always destroyed the darkness and left nothing behind. Besides, Laxus had his eyes on her for a while and like hell would he interfere with his best friend's love interest.
Looking at his hands again, the minor wounds, his fingernails had created, had vanished already. One of the few perks when one's magic came from the dark realm. The own body was much sturdier against physical abuse and wounds could heal in a matter of hours. But poison and illnesses couldn't be cured so easily. In this case he was like everyone else.
All of these emotional ups and downs had exhausted him. Sighing he pushed himself of the wall and went back towards his own room. It was time to retire for the night, even though he was pretty sure sleep wouldn't come to him any time soon.
~o~o~o~
Lucy still stood outside in front of the house. A stray tear had found it's way down her cheek and she struggled hard to keep more of them at bay. This was it. This was her kiss goodbye. When she broke away from him, she swore she'd heard him call out her name. Faint like a sigh. The first time she'd heard it from him, she blamed the poison for the way she'd felt back then. Now she had no excuse whatsoever and it still felt like a caress to her soul. Who knows, maybe his voice was poisonous as well?
She wiped away the tear and made her way back to her apartment. Her own fairy tale was short and it didn't have a happy end. A drama in every way. But it was wonderful while it lasted. Her first kiss on Valentine's Day, three days of thinking, imagining and hoping...only to get rejected in the end.
Rejection.
The word had never hurt so much as it did in this very moment when he asked her to forget everything. This was reality and this was real life, not a fairy tale. There was no 'happily-ever-after' for her. Not now and never with him. She hadn't been fond of Valentine's Day before, but now she certainly had a reason to loath it. For this year anyway.
'Happy Valentine's Day', Lucy...'
~o~o~o~
End.
End?
Yes, End! And stop repeating after me. ...stupid echo. XD
Not the fluffy lovey dovey Valentine's fic. everyone expected, I know. I didn't want to write a fluff one since most author's will be writing the fluff stories on this day anyway. No need for me to be one of them. I hope you'll still have or had a wonderful Valentine's day with much love and chocolate. As for the title, I like oxymorons. (Has nothing to do with morons. XD ) It may be healing and antiseptic at first, but poison will always be poisonous in the end. ^^ (I love Alice Cooper! and hate Groove Coverage for ruining that great song!)