A/N: I'm so shocked and blown away right now, guys. The massive support I got from the first chapter was incredible, so thank so much. It meant everything to me, and made me so eager to post this chapter. Gosh, I hope you enjoy it, and let me if it's still okay!
Side note, did you know that the exchange rate between Fairy Tail's jewels and dollars is approximately 100 jewels to one US dollar? That means Lucy's monthly rent, the rent that is 80,000 jewels and constantly being groaned at by our dear Lucy, is only $800. Unbelievable.
Chapter Two: Fumbling Failures (for Friendship)
'when in doubt, mumble'
- James Boren
.
Shouts and beautifully crafted curses could be heard from outside the magnificent wooden doors that Lucy currently stared intensely at, hoping the ingrained wood would hold the solutions to all her problems. Her body ached from yesterday's mission and her shoulders were drooping a bit from her lack of sleep last night but other than that, Lucy looked as fresh and collected as ever. She had to be, she couldn't approach her target when she looked half dead. If she did, then he'd peg her unexpected invitation off as her being delusional from stifling exhaustion.
The blonde was shifting her weight from foot to foot, biding her sweet time and causing her keys to jingle at her hip while she tried not to pay attention to the panicky feeling in her stomach. Her fingers went back and forth between pulling at her yellow tank top and yanking her short pleated skirt. She had a mantra of 'don't puke, don't puke on Laxus' running through her head, but it didn't seem to be helping her anxiety-created nausea.
She had gotten so anxious that morning that when she took another five minutes just to get out her door, Leo's key had started glowing, the lion spirit ready to use his own power to force his gate open. She had to stand in her doorway for at least half an hour as she talked to his golden key, repeating over and over that she was okay and she wasn't so nervous because she was injured or hurt. All she got for her troubles was a celestial being promising that he, and she quotes, 'won't maybe perhaps appear' when he senses her raging emotions again, and a few concerned looks from passersby.
So here she was. The blonde mage had been standing in front of the guild's doors for exactly six minutes now, much to the confusion and gawking of the afternoon crowd that sat behind her as they were served their meals. Some of them had even started betting on how long she would remain there in the summer heat.
Aiming a blood-curling glare at the doors as if they had wronged her in another life, Lucy clenched her fists until her knuckles turned white and she mentally prepared herself. Why was she so nervous? Today was no different from any other day, and though she had been joking around about it yesterday, it wasn't really like Laxus would shock her for approaching him. Mavis, the man wasn't cruel. She had never been this nervous before whenever the Lightning Dragon Slayer walked up to her to ask her a question, so she had no reason to get herself so worked up.
The lunch crowd didn't have to wait much longer, much to the extreme disappointed of the selected few who bet she would remain there for at least another three minutes.
Lucy smoothed out her skirt where she had created new wrinkles from pulling at it, brushed a hand through her bangs that fell on either side of her face, and took a deep breath. She pushed the grand doors open. In her edginess, it turned out that she might have put a little too much force behind the push, because the doors flew open and crashed against the wall on the other side with a deafening sound, effectively alerting every single member in the guild of her arrival.
As anticipated, everyone ceased what they were doing and heads of all hair colors swerved to the doors, and Lucy briefly twisted her fingers into her light white cardigan before she plastered a smile on her face and waved her hand. The blonde was met with a barrage of 'morning!'s, 'hey, lucy!'s, and even a 'dammit, where'd my shoes go?', though that last one might not have been directed at her.
She walked in with a shining confidence that she didn't actually feel, and she pointedly didn't scan the corners of the guild less Laxus was there. If she made eye-contact with the grumpy dragon slayer now, then she might chicken out. The Celestial Spirit mage nodded and greeted a few of her friends as she made her way to the bar, and she playfully reminded Cana that though it was five o'clock somewhere, it wasn't here. Lucy only got a deadly glare -that lost some of its deadliness when the Magic Card mage started tilting at a worrying forty-five degree angle- and a declaration that if the blonde wasn't so cute, Cana would have sucker punched her for that comment.
After Lucy hopped onto the squeaky bar stool and kindly asked Kinana for a lemonade, the guild seemed to go back to normal. The noise quickly returned to the volume it had previously been before she entered as Elfman exuberantly shouted at Romeo, who stood on a wobbly chair so he could at least be level with the Take-Over mage's chest, to be a man and just punch him already.
Lucy sighed and looked up to the guild's ceiling when there was a dull, thudding noise and Romeo's evident cry of pain sounded. Elfman took no mercy on the teen, and he started to laugh proudly while the next contender stepped forward and readied a punch.
Stalling out her confrontation with the Lightning Dragon Slayer for as long as she could possibly manage, Lucy glanced around the rowdy first floor of the guild. There was only a small crowd today, but maybe it only seemed that way because Natsu wasn't here yet to create a brawl that would only increase the racket. The blonde watched as Gray stood in the middle of the guild and flipped over a table in search for his now missing pants, which he was instantly reprimanded for by Erza. By them were Jet and Droy, crowded together around a few sheets of paper with concentrated looks on their faces. They were probably writing down another cheer routine for Levy.
Wendy was situated down the bar from Lucy with Carla seated on the countertop beside her. The two seemed to be crafting something, for Wendy's tongue stuck out as she focused on weaving a string through a pretty purple bead. The tiniest slayer looked up when she felt eyes on her, and her face lit up when she saw it was Lucy. Wendy stopped her project and eagerly waved at her, to which Lucy returned with a smile.
"How are you feeling today, Lucy?" Wendy asked sweetly, though she had to raise her voice to get it across the distance between the two girls. The white Exceed merely took one look at the blonde, seemed satisfied with her recovery, and began her task again.
Lucy's tank top allowed every single bandage on her arms to be visible, and her cardigan certainly didn't help matters for it was a short-sleeved one. The celestial mage absentmindedly picked at one of the white wrappings as she said, "I'm doing much better thanks to you. You helped me so much."
The Sky Dragon Slayer blushed at the subtle praise before she went back to appearing worried. Her small brows furrowed adorably. "Is your back okay?"
Lucy couldn't hold back the grimace. Her back had been slammed into the stone wall yesterday, and the bruise was finally starting to bloom. This morning had been a painful one for her. When she got up, all the muscles in her back had protested and strained themselves. One glance from the mirror on her vanity table showed that her entire back looked like a painting done by a kindergarten who was positively obsessed with the colors purple and blue. Lucy had been hoping her cardigan covered it all so no one other than Wendy would know the true extent of her injuries.
"It's completely slavered in bruise cream, and my clothes are sticking to my back," she replied truthfully, leaving out the part that she couldn't slouch without sharp pain.
That seemed to satisfy young teen. With a surprisingly stern and serious voice, she told the blonde mage to reapply the cream every night and morning, and then she went back to her crafting.
Lucy idly made a mental note to herself to ask Wendy what she was working on later, before going back to watching the guild. A few more of her nakama were around just simply talking and enjoying each other's company, which just reminded Lucy of the promise she had made in the pool. Wakaba was trying to show off his impressive smoke ring skills to Macao, but the man was too busy looking worriedly at his son who was still clutching his fist and writhing in pain on the ground. Lucy could even hear Gajeel somewhere in the background angrily yelling to few people about how yesterday, 'a bastard tried to pickpocket Levy right in front of me, can ya believe it?!'
Lucy's attention was brought back when a tall glass of the lemonade she ordered was placed down on the bar counter in front of her by Kinana. The two females exchanged friendly greetings before Lucy was left alone with her drink, wondering where Mirajane was when Lucy needed her. The blonde ran her finger down the smooth glass and peered around for the eldest Strauss sibling, but she wasn't anywhere in sight. Mira talked to Laxus on a regular basis, she could have helped Lucy think of something to chat about with the slayer.
Blowing a raspberry, Lucy begrudgingly stopped looking for the silver-haired beauty and sipped at her lemonade. She was being ridiculous. Maybe Mira's disappearance was a sign that Lucy had to do this by herself. She could do this by herself. The Celestial Spirit mage tried to mentally reach deep down inside herself and pull out some of the confidence she was brimming with yesterday in the pool.
"You can do this, Lucy," she whispered to herself while she simultaneously hoped no one was around to hear her muttering to herself. "You are Lucy Heartfilia, and you love all your friends." This was for Laxus, and Lucy would rather have all her fingernails ripped off than watch Laxus continue to frown and act bitter around his family. With that horrible thought and a deep breath, she turned around in her seat and searched for her to-be friend.
It wasn't that hard to find the mage, Laxus had a tendency to stick out wherever he went even though that was the opposite of what he desired. Like usual, the Lightning Dragon Slayer was seated at a table near the farthest corner of the guild where he could observe everyone while staying out of the way. It was almost predictable. He was becoming predictable.
The large man was resting his chin on his propped up hand and had his -by now, common- scowl twisting his lips down which made him look harsher than he actually was (the scar that ran across the right side of his face certainly didn't help matters either). He also donned his fur-trimmed coat that somehow magically (literally?) stayed over his shoulders and gave him an even broader appearance. Lucy would give it a 9/10 intimidation level, the lightning mage was, no doubt, a pro.
And Laxus wasn't the only one at the table. The Raijinshū sat loyally around him, talking comfortably and frequently brushing up against each other as they used wide gestures. Whatever they were conversing about didn't seem exactly kid-friendly, because Bickslow was laughing hysterically, totems swirling madly around his shoulders, as Evergreen whacked his visor with her fan and Freed shrieked, "You just don't lift a lady's skirt, especially when her husband is standing right there!". Lucy could tell from the bar that Laxus was having no part in their conversation, he had his spiked headphones over his ears and his orange eyes were glazed over as he stared off in the direction of the guild's main stage.
This was her chance, though she had been hoping Laxus would be alone so she didn't have to stutter through her proposal with three extra pairs of eyes silently judging her actions. Lucy had to do this before Laxus got dragged into a conversation. After slapping down a few jewels on the countertop, she hopped off the barstool and started walking towards the boisterous group.
She only made it halfway to their crowded table before Freed brushed off his predominately maroon, double-breasted coat and attempted to reel Laxus into the discussion by pulling at the blonde's own coat. The poor Rune mage was only able to get three tugs in before Laxus, not even bothering to turn around and face his teammate, growled out a low, "Stop that."
Not only did Freed immediately drop his hold on Laxus' coat like it had suddenly burst into flames, but Lucy also pivoted on her heel and started walking back towards the bar.
Nope. Lucy quickened her steps. Nope, nope, no, definitely not happening. Okay, so Laxus was significantly grumpier than usual, maybe it wouldn't be the best idea to bother him today. She could do it tomorrow, right? Lucy sighed as she plopped down at a table furthest from the Raijinshū and their leader.
But she couldn't do it tomorrow. Tomorrow was Thursday, and she couldn't spontaneously invite the fellow blonde the day of, that would be rude. And if she tried to push back the date of Blonde Day, that meant they'd be going to the café during Friday or the weekend, also known as the busiest time of the week for the cute little restaurant she picked out.
She didn't know what to do. Lucy ignored the painful pull of her shoulder muscles as she slumped further into her seat and rested her forehead against the cool wood of the table. The Celestial mage spent minute after minute swimming in her own misery and tracing shapes into the table's surface with her fingers. Her despair got so bad that when Juvia walked by her, the Water mage gingerly patted her hair with a 'there, there' and placed a dark raincloud over her head before she continued making her way over to Gajeel to deliver the sweater she had knitted for Pantherlily.
Lucy had no choice, she had to talk to Laxus today and she had to do it soon. If she hung around awkwardly around the guild the entire day, people would get suspicious and start asking invasive and unwanted questions.
What's the worst that could happen? Lucy thought to herself and lifted her head up. He wasn't going to deck her for simply asking to meet up with him. The worse thing he could do was reject her plan, and if he did that, she could just keep asking him until he gave in. Not the ideal way to start a friendship, but if the two blondes had anything in common, it was their stubborn personalities.
… Wait.
Lucy shot right back up to her feet, causing the chair to scrape harshly back against the floor, and suddenly her mood -plus the gray cloud- was lifted. They… they had something in common that wasn't the color of their hair. The celestial mage began bouncing in place and could feel excited butterflies start to tumble around in her stomach. They were both stubborn! They did share something in common, and Lucy could befriend Laxus Dreyar with time. And who knew, maybe if Laxus would allow her to walk by his side, she would learn that they shared other qualities too.
Right then and there she promised herself that there would be no more childish whining. Though she was nervous and probably an awkward mess, there would be no more moaning or complaining or rainclouds provided by Juvia. Lucy wouldn't give up on Laxus, not today, and not ever. So what if she failed? There was always the next day.
With that inspiring thinking, she began making her way back to Laxus' table. She wasn't confident, but that was okay, as long as she tried. Not even the unconscious, barely clothed Gray Fullbuster who lied hazardously on the ground in her path could stop her -Erza must have gotten tired of his destructive attempts in finding his shirt and given him a punch. The blonde simply stepped over his body as Juvia called his name worriedly in the distance while she rushed forwards.
When Lucy was only a few yards from her destination, she raised her hand above her head, waved, and called out, "Hey, guys!" There was no turning back now. The celestial mage would see this through and not go back on her promise.
The Raijinshū all lifted their heads and greeted her friendly when she stopped at their table, Bickslow giving her his customary up-and-down before he was smacked over the head again by Evergreen. There seemed to be a lot of smacking in their relationship, but Lucy couldn't judge, not with her being a member of her team anyways. Laxus didn't even bother to look up at her, he simply continued his glowering and grunted in acknowledgement of her presence. It wasn't exactly a warm hello, but at least it wasn't the glare he usually gave her pink-haired teammate.
Freed nodded, his green bangs that covered the right side of his face swaying slightly as he did. He folded his hands in his lap and asked politely, "Lucy, how have you been fairing this warm Wednesday afternoon? How did your solo mission play out?" At that, Lucy reflexively rubbed at one of her wrappings, and Rune mage immediately focused in on her arms. Still looked like nothing could escape Freed's keen observation skills. "Not so well?" He offered with a sympathetic look.
Lucy huffed and tugged at her cardigan. "If you think this looks bad, you should see my back. It has turned a gorgeous and daring shade of violet." Sleeping tonight would be horrible, she wasn't looking forward to it at all.
The Raijinshū all graced her with the expected wince and, surprisingly, her statement seemed interesting enough to earn Laxus' attention. Though Lightning Dragon Slayer's head didn't turn, his eyes shifted towards her and took in her appearance. His orange eyes were as piercing as ever, and Lucy's breath hitched as she felt her stomach drop at his scrutiny.
"I'm okay, it's manageable!" Lucy rushed out too quickly. The blonde gulped, not knowing what to say next. Perhaps she should have planned this confrontation out a little more. Mavis, she should have practiced it out in the mirror or to her friends. Written it down on a few notecards? Dammit, she totally should have done that. "And I… I finished my mission easily!"
As soon as she said that, Laxus took his gaze off her and resumed staring at nothing. The blonde male was practically oozing boredom.
"Well, that's good," Freed said lamely after an awkward silence where no one knew how to respond. The Rune mage lifted up his hand to tug at the collar of his coat before he cleared his throat and inquired further, "Did you… did you need anything in particular?"
"Oh, um, yes." They're looking at you expectantly, say something! Lucy twisted her, suddenly clammy, hands together behind her back and smiled shyly, one hundred percent aware of the blush that was rising to her flaming cheeks. "I, uh, actually came here talk to Laxus."
The blonde could tell she shocked the group because Evergreen's slender eyebrow rose elegantly, Freed guffawed, and Bickslow's mouth hung open enough for his stamped tongue to roll out. Was it that odd for someone to walk up to them and want to talk to Laxus?
The blonde dragon slayer turned completely and gave the celestial mage his full attention, something Lucy couldn't decide if she wanted or not. "What's wrong," The man said as shifted in his seat to sit up straighter. Yes, 'said'. There was no questioning tilt to that sentence.
Her eyes widened and it was that moment when Lucy realized she was wholly unprepared for this. As soon as the fellow blonde looked at her, her mind went blank with nerves. Somewhere in the back of her head she could hear the noise of static fizzling as her brain came up with nothing to say. "I… I, well," was all that ungracefully stumbled out of her mouth.
"Spit it out," the dragon slayer gruffed, eyes narrowing and nose twitching like he could smell her apprehension. And who knew, maybe he could. There was no patience in his voice, it was blunt and to the point. All in all, it was a glaring reminder that this was just the beginning and Lucy had a long ways to go before she could be worthy of being seen as a friend by Laxus Dreyar.
And also that she couldn't just 'spit it out', her head was too clouded and panicked to respond with a well-put, charming, embarrassing invitation. "I… You know what, actually?" Her voice had definitely taken on a squeaky tone. The Celestial Spirit mage pointed her thumb somewhere behind her. "I think someone is calling my stove - I mean, I believe someone is calling me, not my stove." Her nervous laughter wasn't helping her at all. "Who could call a stove, am I right?"
After letting out a noise that sounded suspiciously close to a whimper, Lucy fled the scene, leaving her dignity folded neatly behind her along with her sense of pride.
"That was weird." Cheeks positively burning, Lucy could hear Bickslow's comment as she ran away. Her shoulders hunched inwards in mortification as she overheard Evergreen and Freed murmur in agreement. At least Laxus didn't say anything or else she would have died right there and then. Just disperse into a million Lucy particles, and then everyone would blame Gildarts for an act he didn't commit.
Lucy was sprinting by the time she got to the, thankfully, empty bar. Wendy and Carla must have left when Lucy was digging her own grave back there at Laxus' table. The blonde hopped onto a stool and immediately proceeded to reach out and grip the other side of the countertop with a force that made her knuckles turn white. She was positive that her entire face was a startling red color, it felt hotter than Natsu's flames.
In this position, her head was centimeters away from the counter, and she tried to bore a hole in it with her stare. If she made it big enough, she could crawl away inside it and never come out. Now that she was thinking about it, when she got home she could call upon Virgo and have the constellation dig her a hole to somewhere far, far away so she would never have to face them again. She had completely butchered it back there.
Turning her head and placing her cheek on the counter, not caring that it was dirty and gross, Lucy sighed and paid no attention to the painful stretching in her back and instead focused on the small pool of ketchup that laid inches away from her nose. So, that encounter hadn't exactly gone over well, and now Laxus probably thought she was a blushing weirdo. The worst part was that she had to approach them again sometime today and reattempt to invite Laxus to Blonde Day. The celestial mage had made a promise, and Laxus didn't deserve to remain flighty or feel left out in the guild because Lucy got easily discouraged and ran away.
What Lucy needed was some help, but from whom she didn't know.
"Lucy?" Came a beautiful, lovely voice from above as if her pleas had been answered. "Are you alright? Did something happen on your mission?"
The blonde slowly lifted her head up and took in the appearance of the ethereal angel that must have descended from heaven in order to help her with her troubles. Mirajane, clad in her usual stunning maroon dress with a white towel over her shoulder and her bangs lifted up with a hairband, stood on the other side of the bar in front of the celestial mage with both of her hands on her hips and a concerned, motherly look in her cerulean blue eyes. Lucy could have sworn that holy light was shining down upon the S-Class mage, and that an angelic choir was hitting its harmonious high notes in the background.
Lucy couldn't hold back the sniffle. "Mira," she elongating her savior's name as her voice took on a wobbling pitch. She was so ecstatic to see the oldest Strauss sibling that tears were starting to well up in her eyes, and she didn't have enough energy to wipe them away.
It was like Lucy had flipped a switch in the Take-Over mage. The concern in Mira's eyes was quickly replaced by a ferocious protectiveness when she spotted the mage's tears and the sheer multitude of bandages wrapped around the curvy blonde's body. The woman went into 'Mama Bear' mode, and Lucy was left ungainly slumping on the countertop like the unworthy sack of failures she was.
Mira put her hands on the bar top and leaned herself forward, leaving Lucy to crane her neck at an uncomfortable angle to meet her gaze. Fire danced in the older woman's eyes, and Mira gently covered her hands over Lucy's. "Who did this to you?" She hissed with the heat of a thousand suns. Mira didn't say the words 'who do I need to kill', but for some reason it felt heavily implied.
Lucy paused and blinked. Who did this to her? The celestial mage's eyes widened in understanding. "Oh, no, no!" She rushed and brought out her hands from under Mira's to pat the Take-Over mage's wrists. "No one did this to me!... Well, someone did this to me-" at the Strauss sibling's darkening face, Lucy backtracked "-but he's back in jail now, I took care of him! I'm fine, I'm not hurt, I promise."
Mira searched her eyes, and she must have seen the honesty in them because she relaxed considerably and pulled herself away. "So why are you so down in the dumps?" Mira's smile was quick to return, and she beamed brightly at the younger woman. "Did you not earn enough money for your pesky rent?"
If Lucy hadn't known Mira for so long, then she would have gotten whiplash from the quick change of personalities. "No, I got that. It's actually something else…" Lucy let her voice drift away as she turned around in her seat and glanced all around her. "But it's kind of a secret that only me, Happy, and Natsu know, so I can't say it out loud with so many people around." No one was looking their direction, but there were currently two dragon slayers in the guild, one of them being the blonde who definitely couldn't overhear her. There was a high chance that they were already listening in.
Mischievous sparks lit up in Mira's eyes at the prospect of learning a new secret, and the mage clapped her hands together joyfully. Along with gossip and relationship statuses, Mirajane hoarded secrets like it was her sole duty in life. "Don't you worry, Lucy," she reassured her eagerly. "Just follow me!"
Lucy was given no time to take in Mira's words. The blonde's right hand was instantly snatched up by Mira's, and the silver-haired mage started running to the end of the bar. With a painful yank, Lucy could only yip and stumble after her while huffing, "Wait, wait, what are you doing? Where are we going?!"
The celestial mage honestly didn't expect an answer, and she didn't get one. Instead, Mirajane pulled her up the three stairs and pushed a gawking blonde carefully into the shower room of all places. Fortunately no one was using the room, or else the situation would have gotten awkward.
The Take-Over mage slammed the door closed behind them, locked it, and then rushed over to turn on four shower stalls. Shower heads spluttered on and the deafening noise of water smacking the tiles below engulfed the room. Satisfied, the older woman wiped her hands on the towel over her shoulder and put her hands back on her hips again.
"Go on," Mira's eyes were positively sparkling as she walked closer to Lucy. For dramatic effect, the silver-haired mage peeped to her right and left even though she knew no one was there before leaning in and whispering, "What's the secret? You know you can tell me anything, Lucy."
And Mira was right, Lucy could tell her all her secrets and rest assure that Mira wouldn't tell anyone else, though she might drop some mysterious and cryptic hints to the people involved in said secrets. So the blonde leaned closer herself and admitted, "I'm trying to invite Laxus over to the Strawberry Street Café tomorrow." She quickly adverted her eyes when she revealed, "I tried to already and failed. Oh, Mira, I was just one big blubbering mess!"
Mirajane's eyes blinked before a wave of pure euphoria descended over her pretty features. Her arm came up to press the back of her hand to her forehead as if she was feeling light-headed. Lucy was going to asked if the other mage was okay, but Mira cut her to the chase when she crooned, "You're going to ask Laxus on a date?"
It took a moment or two for Mirajane's words to register. But after they did... "What?" Lucy squeaked back, dumbfounded. A date? With Laxus? Were her own ears getting hot? Were her ears blushing now too? "No, no, not that, Mira!" The blonde's hands fluttered in front of her when she reached out and she almost grabbed the Strauss sibling by her shoulders to shake her. She held herself back for the sole reason that it looked like one light touch would send Mirajane falling to the ground in a crumpled heap.
Her friend began frantically fanning herself, her hands nearly a blur as her blue eyes glazed over and doubtlessly began envisioning blonde haired babies. "You… you and Laxus… Laxus and you…" Lucy had lost her.
"Mira, please listen!" Lucy begged before the Take-Over mage started sprouting out ideas for wedding themes. "It's not like that! It's… well…" The blonde twirled one of her bangs around her index finger and shifted restlessly. How could she put this?
At Lucy's adorable, nervous gestures, Mira calmed down. With a soft expression, she focused back on the precious celestial mage before her. "What is it, Lucy?" She questioned fondly as she absentmindedly fixed her own hair. The steam from the running showers was starting to poof it up.
Lucy straightened and set her jaw. "I want to become Laxus' friend!" She declared adamantly.
A pause. "But, Lucy, you already are Laxus' nakama," Mira said, tilting her head in confusion.
"No, I want to become his close friend." Lucy, in her embarrassment at the confession, stared hard at the white, sparkling tiles below her. Would what she say next sound too childish or mushy? "I… I want to be able to talk to him and get him to smile and open up. I want him to know that everyone in Fairy Tail truly respects and accepts him. If I can get him to open up to me, then he can open up to everyone else, and he can be so much happier. Is that," The blonde hesitated and finally lifted her head to meet Mirajane's gaze, "is that too naïve?"
Lucy was shocked to see tears start collecting in Mira's blue eyes. The other mage placed a hand over the top of her chest as she spoke, "Oh, Lucy." There was so much fondness and affection in those two words that Lucy felt her face heating up again. Mirajane carefully grabbed the other woman's arms, mindful of her injuries, and reassured, "No, no, that is not too naïve. It's lovely, and it is so you."
The celestial mage was going to ask what she meant, but Mirajane cut her off again. "I will help you with whatever you need," she promised with a stern nod while wiping her eyes. "Just say the word, and I'll be at your beck and call." Mira smiled cheekily, eyes still all watery. "Sort of like your spirits."
"You will?" Lucy's smile was so bright, she was sure sunlight was seeping out from the pores of her face. She had Mira on her side! Lucy would only ask for suggestions, though, and she would never make Mira do the work for her. If she did, than she wouldn't deserve Laxus' hard-earned friendship.
"Yes, I will. So what's the first step, what can I help with first, boss?" The silver-haired beauty winked.
The blonde giggled at the title and reached forwards to clasps Mira's hands in her own. Lucy felt like she could jump over the moon. With Mira, she just couldn't fail. "The plan is to invite him over to a café every Thursday so we can get to know each other better," Lucy explained. "I'm going to say it's because it's 'Blonde Day', obviously a day for blondes to celebrate being blonde. " Suddenly nervous, the smaller mage stuttered out, "Does that... does that sound okay?"
Mirajane paused and took a moment to mull it over, perfectly styled eyebrows furrowing in thought. After a few seconds, the Take-over mage nodded slowly. "That sounds just fine, and sneaky," Mira added and squeezed their hands. "A little ridiculous sounding, but somehow perfect."
"Exactly!" Lucy agreed. "But the problem is that I don't know how to ask him." She took a few minutes to recall to the fellow mage her horrific failures earlier that day, and she nearly stomped out of the shower room when Mira began teasing her about being so flustered in front of the Lightning Dragon Slayer.
After the blonde was done retelling her disasters, Mira let go of the celestial mage's hands and brushed hers against the sides of her dress. Mira took a moment to think to herself and absorb all the information that was thrown at her, and then she grinned wickedly. "Oh, I know how you should ask him."
Lucy knew that look, and it was one that didn't bode well for either her or Laxus. The mage lifted a brow and asked a little cautiously, "Without force or threats?" Mirajane had this habit of dragging an exasperated and unwilling Laxus behind her when she needed to talk to him about guild matters or get him and Elfman to reach something on the highest shelf.
"Without force or threats," Mira promised, but the blonde still eyed her warily.
Okay, she'll bite. "How, then?"
"Listen up and listen carefully, my dear." Mira brought up her index finger to point at Lucy's face before she lectured, "Laxus is a man who respects confidence and appreciates a person who talks bluntly. He hates having to sort through subtle hints or subtext." The Take-Over mage smile turned devilish. "Don't worry, Lucy. Just listen to me and I'll teach you how to handle-" Lucy started sweating when she put so much emphasis on the word 'handle' "-men like Laxus Dreyar."
Lucy gulped, and though she started to get a feeling that said she was signing up for more than she was bargaining for, she nodded her head and said, "I'm listening."
A/N: *EDIT* The update schedule will be moved to Thursdays, because I just realized how cool it would be to update on the day Blonde Day was actually on for our two blonde mages. Well, that means you're all getting the next chapter two days earlier, so whoo!