"Okay. Let me see if I get it. I'll run trough this big room, that's having this really important gala, with all these important people in (and some Council members - if I remember) wearing this?".Yeah, perhaps she was overreacting. She was still lucid enough to recognize this, or so she hoped. Natsu could really push other people buttons. Oh God, he could. Especially hers, what seems to be a natural talent of his. Then that was this… Irritating "What are you bitching about? My idea SCREAMS awesomeness" face he would always put on when his brilliant plans were followed by their team's silence. It's was such a nasty plan that not even Happy gave it a second thought. Yep, this plan couldn't work. Not even in the Eksheed's La-la-land. Nu huh.
After what seemed one minute of silence, the Heartphilia heiress took in a deep breath. So deep that she wondered if not releasing the air would be a better idea then releasing it and accidentally murder the naïve Dragon Slayer in the process. Too bad she didn't have a bat or a an axe in her hands right now. Opting for her life, she decided to let the homicidal act for later (probably she would come up with a prince that would stomp over the big bad fire dragon in the next chapter of her novel) and freed her lung from the poisoned intentions of it's imprisoning.
"Ash breath, we know that you've been going trough some puberty issues for like, yeas. But that's no excuse for wanting to make Luce wear this…this…exotic…Huh…what was this again?"
"Nobody asked for your opinion, Mr. I-am-so-not-a-virgin-that-keeps-stripping-to-exhibit-myself. My plan is genial. And the lady in the store said it was a…a…aha! The latest model of eatable lingerie. She said it has some new…adaptations?" That was it. Fuck it. She was going to be arrested. Happily arrested by the way.
"ASSHOLE! I'M SO GONNA KILL YOU RIGHT KNOW! Gimme this piece of dental floss so that I can hang your lifeless body in the middle of the town! You bubblegum head!". The plan, according to Natsu's logic, was pretty simple. Lucy would wear this very 'indiscrete' attire and run trough the City Royal Ball while singing 'London Bridge'. Once everyone's eyes were at her, he and Gray would aim for the bandit that was infiltrated in the ball and push him trough the back door, where Erza would be waiting for the guy. Then, Happy would get Lucy and then they would just happily fly away ~
"Natsu has a point you know? Although making Lucy wear something so offensive – the Titania took the thin material from the fire breathing mage hands and discarded it in a trash can near by- is a ridiculous idea, it would be much better if we could do the job as clean as possible. Attracting the crowd's attention to somewhere else is a perfect idea, mainly when members from the Council are among then." Lucy took a few breaths to cool down. Yeah, fire head had a point. Giving up her assassination instincts once again, she nodded to their red headed leader. "Yeah, but maybe Natsu's or even Gray's magic would be more useful. OH! Wait! I think I've got it!"
About one hour later, and two frustrated mage's faces painted with a rich colored clown make-up, the team seemed to have found a good solution. "Okay you lazy asses, you can start you usual fight-for-nothing businesses."- Screamed a well hidden red head warrior. She and her blond companion were waiting behind a fake wall built as decoration in the outside of the palace. The new and improved plan consisted in the natural attention the pair of clowns would attract to themselves once they started one of their infamous fights.
"We don't want to." – Both of them answered at the same time. Lucy sighed. What were they? Five years old? They were in a hurry. Well, not all of them, but she certainly was. They were gone from Magnolia for five days and to save some money for later, they decided to not spend so much with inns. She was in need – no, not need- she was more like craving for a hot bubble bath and a long night of sleep under very clean and good smelling sheets. She missed her soft pillows so much.
And add all of this added to her monstrous PMS. Dude, she had to throw all that ape shit in the fan. She was feeling sooo… Malefic? Yeah, The evil bitch, today. Deciding that Mr. Salamander there owned her a lot (he, according to her train of though, had humiliated her today- so bad!), she thought it was only fair if she paid him in the same coin.
"Ooow, c'mon Gray! I just love when you creat all those reeeally big ice sculptures! They are so….pretty" she said loud enough for them to hear, giving Gray a sexy wink. The gesture passed totally unnoticed by the ice alchemist, but the compliment caught him off guard. Blushing and giving Lucy a very cocky grin -'Exhibitionist', thought the stellar spirit mage –"Y-you reaaly have good tas.." "N-nani? Luce! You think his ice is pretty? C'mon, you couldn't find anything gayest to call it could you?" Interrupted Natsu with a jealous –as she could notice- tone.
"Gay? Says the guy with the pink hair" – By this time, there was a large vein pulsating over Gray's forehead. That was it. "Now you die".
It was instantaneous. The two young woman heard the music stop at the first fire fist that reached the young ice mage's face. It was an explosion of fire and ice that the guards keeping the small castle's doors opened the two high and heavy wooden halfs to see what was going on. And as the crown would leave the room, both girls took the opportunity to get inside.
She couldn't believe it. Home sweet home. In front of her was her perfectly clean and full of aromatic flower bubble soap tub. She felt her arm's hair raising with anticipation. There, right one step away, was her heaven. So she let the white towel that was covering her recently showered body fall around her still sore feet. Slowly, she entered the 'little piece of Heaven' –as she would call her sweet tub from now on- and started to dip her body under the water, letting only her head out, resting her neck over the thin towel she had neatly folded to do so, on the edge of the tub.'C'mon…this is too puur~fect to be my little life…' She had just started to relax and decided to close her eyes.
"So, now you're an Ice-pussy fan?"
"Stop being rude, you're not at your house" –she answered without opening her eyes. It was all okay, the bubbles were protecting her body from his eyes in a dense barrier.
"Sorry. So, now you're your in love with some idiots ice sculptures that always look like...huge dicks?"-he insisted in his immature attitude while he took a seat on the floor beside the tub, facing the opposite direction that she was sitting.
The blond beauty lazily opened one eye before answering the rude dragon slayer.
"You see, that's starting to annoy me. What do you want to bitch about now?" Only then she noticed he still had some clown make-up next to his chin. "It's just…When you...I mean…It pisses me off. I don't know. But would you st…" The Dragon Slayer stopped talking after feeling a warm and wet soft hand touch the area next to his chin. He then looked at Lucy who had just started rubbing the spot delicately, her eyes focused on the spot. "Natsu…don't be so thick." She applied a little more pressure in her fingers. "You know better than anyone else that I have a weakness for…Warmer things. No cold tea, little ice cream in the fridge, sleep under covers, no matter how hot the weather is…You keep breaking in and haven't observed this yet?" By the time she finished talking her hand was already over his neck, massaging the new spot absent mindedly while looking in his eyes. Feeling his cheeks get warmer and letting go of any worries as he heard her, the fire mage let out a heavy breath he didn't know he was holding.
"Stop inflating his ego. It already pisses me off the way it is now."
"Okay. Stop trying to make me wear 'fancy' clothes while in missions then. I feel unappreciated."
That caught him off guard. A worried look appeared in his eyes. "Unappreciated?"
Lucy sighed as a small frown of discontentment took over her features. "You know, it seems like you want to expose me to everybody. I know that is not your intention, but I like to wear those stuff…When we're alone…you know?" The girl blushed at that last part, and averted her eyes to another spot on the floor.
Realization taking over him, he too looked to the floor in an embarrassment gesture. "Sorry Luce…I-I'll never do it again. Dragon promise!" That made a smile appear in her lips, what relieved him.
"Dragon promise? Where did this one come from?" She said with the smile evident even in her voice. "Hey, don't laugh! It's serious! It's what a Dragon Slayer says when he or she has to compromise with something or someone really important. - he smiled and his eyes found hers again- I'll have to say it when we marry…"
"W-when we w-what?" There it was. That nervous and lost look he loved to see every time he would surprise her. "C'mon Luce, don't act like you don't know we're going to walk down the isle…"- he joked.
"Ow, just shut up and get in here already!"