Chapter Two- Polarize
Stepping out of her bathroom, Lucy decided that there was nothing a hot shower couldn't do. Her muscles were more relaxed than they had been in what seemed like an eternity. All the dirt and grime that her body had picked up over the journey melted away, leaving her with a sense of being unstoppable.
With her towel tight around her, she ruffled through her closet, selecting a simple outfit of a white blouse and bleached cutoffs. Making her way to her dresser to grab undergarments, she noticed her skimpy red thong missing.
"Hmph. Must be in the laundry.." Tossing her towel aside and pulling on a sports bra, she searched the crumpled clothes in the dryer, coming up empty except for a load of pants and dish towels. Lucy stood up stumped and went to grab another pair of panties
Down at the guildhall, the evening was in full swing. Lucy's return had sparked what seemed to be a welcome home party, one she was having trouble enjoying.
"Bottoms up, girly."
"Cana no, I'm not going to be able to get up early if you keep pushing shot after shot in my hand!" Lucy pushed the little glass back to her friend.
"For what Luce?" Cana seemed to get aggravated, "So you can leave us again for another job?" Lucy started to protest but she was stopped with a glare.
"Don't you dare lie. The moment you stepped in the door, we all saw one of the first things you did was go to that damn request board. Something is up with you and I'll be knocked up by Elfman before any of us let you walk away like that again." Cana stood up and downed the rest of her pint, finishing her speech with "Don't run away from your problems, it's a disgrace to the Fairy Tail name."
Looking at the two shots Cana had left behind made Lucy want to break down like she had on the train, but Cana's words made it difficult. She had been left with a choice, she could either leave tomorrow or reclaim her place with her nakama. The ultimatum was difficult, and the realization of that made Lucy's eyes fill with tears. Who had she become?
Wiping her eyes, she quickly knocked back both drinks and stood up a bit too soon. The world seemed to tilt sideways and back, like she was on a ship in rocky waters.
Must be how Natsu sees the world, she thought to herself. Stumbling away from the bar, she noticed Levy and Gajeel's eyes on her. One of the two showed obvious concern, which to Lucy, seemed like a good enough invite to work her way through the maze of bodies, tables, and chairs.
"H-hey guys, when'd you get he-" she was pulled down sharply into a hug before being forced into a chair in between the two. Gajeel tightened up, not approving of the separation between himself and Levy, but was quickly stopped with a glance from the bluenette. "Um"
"Lucy," Levy breathed out, "How was your job? I -well, we- missed you so much!"
"It was, um-" Lucy looked at Levy strangely, attempting to decipher situation "It was hard. N-not the work, but the situation. I can't believe people would involve children in such...things." She looked back and forth between the two, noticing their odd behavior.
Gajeel seemed to grunt and Levy nodded sympathetically "You're not going on another job anytime soon, right? After an emotional one like that, it's really not a good idea."
Lucy opened her mouth to answer but was interrupted by Gajeel's low grumble, "I can smell tequila on your breath."
Levy gasped "Luce, are you drunk? Shit, since when do you drink tequila? You can't go home alone like this. You're sleeping over tonight"
Without missing a beat Levy rose from her seat and went over to Mirajane at the bar to explain the situation. Lucy looked at her best friend standing near the bar and let her eyes wander as she her thoughts bounced around the events tonight and her emotions connected to them. Something strange was going on, but her mind was muddled by the shots she had took. All Lucy wanted to do was go back to sleep.
Movement caught her eye from across the guildhall, and her eyes focused in on pink hair. She could see Natsu and Lisanna speaking. Mouths moved and their laughter could be heard, all the way back to Lucy.
Her breathing slowed as she watched Lisanna first put her hand on Natsu's knee, then nearly slide into his lap. Lucy's throat constricted as she watched her flirt with him, and she pinched her thigh in an attempt to wake herself from this nightmare.
Natsu's nose twitched, and he looked up and met eyes with Lucy. Her breath caught in her throat. They held the gaze for a three second beat, and Natsu's eyes seemed to flash gold in that moment. She watched how his fists seemed to clench the longer he stared at Lucy and-
A low growl from Gajeel broke their gaze, and Lucy looked at the dragon slayer beside her. His body was tight with tension, his teeth were bared at Natsu. It conveyed a clear message between them, back off.
Levy's return seemed to interrupt the dragon slayers display of dominance. Gajeel stood to greet her, and put his hand on the small of her back with the intention to guide her swiftly out the door. Levy grabbed Lucy's hand and pulled her up as well, linking arms with her.
Lucy glanced over her shoulder to get another look at Natsu. His eyes were cold and didn't leave Lucy as they left the guildhall. She wanted to stop and ask what was going on, but when she faltered in step, Levy pulled her back. "Not now Luce, not now." The door seemed to slam shut behind them, causing Lucy to flinch.
She was led wordlessly down Magnolia's cobblestone streets, where the shadows seemed to reach out. The walk was short, only five minutes or so to the home Levy and Gajeel had come to share.
It was single story townhouse, with a red brick exterior and flower baskets that hung from the windows, which held metal flowers that Gajeel had crafted for Levy as a kind of housewarming gift to her. It had taken hours to arrange them in the dirt to her liking, to which he had grumbled profusely. Both of them regarded it as one of the best days ever.
They ended up in the kitchen, Lucy sitting at their small, eat in table wordlessly, and watched Levy at the counter as she made cups of tea and coffee. Gajeel sat posted looking out of the small window that overlooked the street.
"A lot has happened since you've been gone, Luce."