Inside Vs Outside
I'm sitting at the bar in the guild pondering the mission that Master had requested of both me and Laxus. I take a sip of my chocolate strawberry milkshake and break down my thoughts. First, Laxus was the one to ask me to go this mission instead of Master. This could mean one of two things. One, this is a practical joke and two, that Master is sharing with Laxus some of the deeds of being Master one day.
Second, is it possible that Master is trying to get me out and away from the guild? Does he want me to give up on being a wizard? I frown at the idea. Am I really that bad? I take another sip of my milkshake. Would Master really go to the trouble of sending Laxus and I on a mission that I won't be able to handle in an attempt to drive me out?
And third, is it possible that Laxus just wants to mess with me? If so, I think I would prefer getting zapped with his lightening rather than being forced to go on a job that requires him being with me twenty four seven. Now that I think about it, I didn't get to see the request on the board. If it wasn't on the board down stairs, then is it an S-Class mission?
I look up from my milkshake and search the guild for Mira. She was carrying a trey or drinks to Gray, Erza, Wendy, Carla, and Happy. I look from Mira to the left and the Thunder Legion, with each member sitting next to each other. I look at Laxus to see that he is watching me and when our eyes meet, he smirks. I look away and go back to Mira to see her walking back to the bar with her usual smile.
"Mira, do you have a second to talk?" I ask her as she comes over to where I am sitting.
"Of course, Lucy, what's on your mind?" she says.
"Well," I begin. "It's about the mission that we discussed earlier." I look down at my milkshake again.
"What about it Lucy? Are you changing your mind about going?" she sounded a little panicked, but still calm. Like no matter what, she knew that everything was going to work out the way it was suppose to.
"I haven't changed my mind, I just want to know why me? I also want to see the job request, would that be okay?" I ask her, looking up to meet her deep blue eyes and dazzling smile.
"Of course, Lucy," she says. "If you go over to Laxus and ask him for the job request, I'm sure he will be more than happy to give it to you." She tilts her head and smiles, while I cringe at the thought of having to go and ask Laxus for it.
"Mira, do you think you can ask him for it?" I ask.
"Ask for what?" I hear Laxus's voice from my side and then a heavy weight being placed on my shoulders as he appears next to me.
"Lucy wants to see the job request and she didn't want to go up ask you for it," Mira says before walking off with an order.
No, she left me here. Alone. With Laxus. I look back down at my milkshake and try to move my shoulders in an attempt to get his arm to drop. But they stay put, so I stop trying to move my shoulders. I take a sip of my milkshake and wait for Laxus to leave, but instead he sits next to me moves his arm of my shoulders.
"Are you nervous about going out on a job with me, Lucy?" he says and smirks. God I am really starting to hate that smirk. And that constant flirty tone. Does he take anything seriously? I roll my eyes.
"No, I'm not nervouse. I just don't see why you need me. What is wrong with Evergreen?" I turn in my seat to look at him and he laughs.
"Haha, that's a good one." He wipes a fake tear away from his eye. "This mission is going to require us being close," he tucks his fingers under my chair and pulls my chair closer to him. "Very close," he stops pulling the chair when there is no space between his and mine.
I can't tell if he is just being Laxus or if he is actually being serious. This is ridiculous. He is just being Laxus, there are no other hidden meanings in his stupid tone. I roll my eyes and scoot my chair away from his, but he scooted mine with his. Wow, persistent for someone who is only joking.
"Okay, Laxus, whatever you say. But we aren't on the mission right now, I need space," I say as I scoot again. "Are you going to let me see the job request?" I ask.
"On the way there, yes, I will then let you see the request," he says before looking down at his watch. When he looks back up at me, he is smiling. Smiling. An actual smile. I raise my eyebrows and begin to ask why he was smiling when the doors to the guild burst open, I turn to look, but I stopped by a pair of lips on mine.
Out of nowhere, Laxus kissed me. And out of nowhere, my hands went to his cheeks and he picked me up from my chair and sat me in his lap. As soon as I was in his lap, he pulled away and looked at me. He was smirking. Again. My mouth opens in shock and I am frozen.
"LAXUS! WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO MY LUCY?!" I hear Natsu shout. I look over to the guild doors and see Natsu standing there, on fire, blue fire, the hottest flame.
All of a sudden, I hear Laxus chuckle and then the crackle of lightening. Laxus's arms tighten around me and I sudden see the sky. I looked up at Laxus, who was radiating lightening. I look down and see the town of Magnolia.
Am I flying right now? Where am I? I'm stunned by the view of the stars as I am held in Laxus's arms. Just a few seconds more, my feet are touching the ground and I fall to the ground. I'm looking down now, at dirt, on the earth. I feel a quench in my stomach, but it soon passes.
I still didn't feel very good. My head was still in the sky. What was that that Laxus just did? Was that what it was like to use lightening to get somewhere? I fall on my side and curl into a ball, with my arms over my stomach. The pain in my stomach was not completely gone. It felt like my stomach was just returning from the sky, as though when we took off it got left behind.
Still curled in pain, I feel Laxus pick me up and start walking. I can't tell where we were going, I heard the crushing of branches and leaves, which made me think we're in the forest. Each step he takes is a pain lurch for my stomach. I shut my eyes and keep the shut as he walks.
I understand now, why Laxus uses lightening to get somewhere. It's exhilarating. But at the same time, it's painful. I wonder if it only hurts me because I'm not a dragon slayer. Laxus seems to be fine whenever he travels like this. Laxus take a large step downward and I cringe, I hear him mutter an apology and he continues walking.
I never got to look at the job request, my mind goes back to the guild. He could have handed me the job request there in the guild, he didn't have to lie about our transportation. Then I remember the doors to the guild bursting open, Laxus kissing me, and the Natsu shouting.
Natsu. He was burning blue. Was he jealous that Laxus kissed? I shake my head, of course he wasn't. I'm his nakama and that is all I will ever be to him. But then why was he burning so blue? Why were the flames so big? Does Natsu really care for me, or was he putting on an act?
I notice that Laxus has stopped walking and I open my eyes to look at him. My eyes meet with his electric green eyes and I almost immediately look back down. Then my head spins and my stomach soon clenches after, both were screaming to stop moving.
"Blondie?" he asks, his voice quiet and rough sounding.
"You're blonde too ya know," I say.
"Are you okay to stand? Not for long, I just have to grab our train tickets. I need to unlock the door to my house so I can lay you on the couch," he asks.
"I can stand," I say. He lets me down, making sure my feet were planted firmly on the ground, I leaned against a tree as I soon noticed the large wooded cabin in front of me.
So this is where Laxus lives? It's huge. I look at the large windows on what was maybe the third floor? I watch Laxus as he walks up the stone steps that lead to his door and he unlocks the front door opening it wide. He comes back, picks me up in his arms again and carries me into his home.
His home. The inside of his home was huge, open, spacey, and wonderful. A large black leather couch, a soft white sofa across from it. A glass metal coffee table that was sitting on top of a black, yellow, and white rug. The floors a dark wood that made the furnishing look brighter somehow.
He sat me down on the black leather couch and wandered off, down a hallway. I took this moment to look around me. A huge TV lacrima, a book case filled with books, and across from the opening area was the entrance to the kitchen. I couldn't see much of the kitchen from where I was sitting. I saw a small kitchen table, some dark granite on the bar that blocks the view of the kitchen, I saw stainless steel on something.
I sat back in the leather couch and waited for Laxus to come back. I took in a deep breath and inhaled his sent. His smell? It was intoxicating, that's for sure. The smell of the woods mixed with the smell of rainfall. It was intoxicating to smell. I take another deep breath and begin dozing off.
"Hey! How are you feeling?" I hear Laxus say as he comes out of the hallway, startling.
"I'm feeling better now," I say. I go to stand and Laxus is quick to stand next to me in case I fall. I stand and walk around his living room, proving to him that I was indeed okay.
"Great, now let's go. Are you ready to do it again? This time though, you might want to close your eyes." He says and walks over to where I'm standing. He goes to pick me up like a bride again, but I step away.
"Hold on, just one minute. First, you have to tell me what that was in the first place. Second, I need to make sure you have the job request so I can see it when we get to the train station. And third, what was that at the guild?" I blurt out.
"I will explain one and three on the train and the second one," he pulls a paper out of his pocket and shows it to me. "See? Now let's go, we're going to be late." He picks me up, I shut my eyes and we take off.
He transports us right next to the boarding station, he hands the man our tickets and we are escorted to a private car. Of course Mr. S-Class would get a private car. I roll my eyes at the thought. I take a seat on the red couch next the window and look out the window, meanwhile Laxus is laying on the bed with his arm over his eyes.
"Blondie."
"What, Sparky?" I say.
"Sparky?" he sounds amused. I don't look away from the passing trees.
"Yes, Sparky, that would be you."
"Huh, cute, we already have pet names for each other," I hear him get up from the bed.
"Whatever," I say. I move my hand under my chin and rest my elbow on the back of the couch to look out the window. I watched as the trees went by and we rode away from Magnolia.
"Blondie. I need your attention here." I look over to Laxus to see him holding out the job request. I take it from his hands and take a look. Yes, it is an S-Class mission.
ATTENTION! WE ARE THE WARFORDS!
-we need a couple, preferably married
-we need them to be fit, and good looking too
-will pay 400,000,000 jewel
"I see a problem here," I say and look up from the request.
"Really, because I don't. Mrs. Dreyer." He says as he sits behind me on the couch.
"We are not married," I say frustrated.
"But we're going to pretend to be," Laxus says and wraps his arms around my waist and pulls me back so I'm lying against his chest.
I think back to the guild. Did Master really want us going on this mission or was the Mira trying to get me to get over Natsu. If Master really wanted us to go on this mission, why didn't he call me into his office to tell me. Why did Mira lie about us eating dinner together in order for me to meet with Laxus?
If I go along with the mission, maybe things will get better for me and Natsu. Maybe I will be able to put aside those feelings I have had for so long. Or perhaps, they will get stronger. I sigh at the thought and feel Laxus's lips behind my ear.
"What are you thinking about, Mrs. Dreyer?" he whispers.
"Nothing, Mr. Dreyer," I say and turn to look at him.
"Good, I'm glad you're cooperating." He says.
- Meanwhile, in the guild. -
"Natsu, please calm down," I hear Mira say. I glare at her, my vision still blurry from seeing Laxus pick up my Lucy and kiss her. I clench my hands even tighter. Then for him to just disappear and take her with him. Gah!
I let go of the flames that are surrounding me and watch Mira take in a deep breath as she sees me calm down. I take a seat at the bar and watch Mira carefully as she gets me some fire whiskey. She knew what Laxus was going to do. I want to know why he did it.
I know that Laxus is a player, I also know that Laxus would never be able to take my Lucy away from me. My Lucy? Did I just call her my Lucy? Yes, Yes, I did. I've been calling her that inside for so long, too long. Seeing Laxus handle her like that, I can't believe I even blurted that out.
"Mira," I say. She puts the whiskey in front of me and goes to walk off. "Mira."
"Yes, Natsu?" She says, sounding innocent.
"I know you knew he was going to do that. Where did they go?" I down the whiskey in one gulp. Mira walks back behind the bar.
"On a mission, specially requested by Master. You can't go after them, Natsu, either so don't you dare think about it," She looks at me with a stern look, soon she uses her Satan Soul eyes and I turn away.
"What is the mission?" I ask.
"I cannot say." She simply says.
"What is the mission, Mira?" I say through clenched teeth.
"Natsu, I just told you tha-"
"WHERE DID HE TAKE MY LUCY?" I shout and bring my clenched fists onto the bar, the heat in my stomach rising to my chest and she denies me answers. I look at her, one moment the sweet Mira and the next she was in her Satan Soul form.
"Listen Natsu, I don't want to hurt you. But if I have in order to protect Master's and Laxus's wish, then I will." She says. I back down. There is no way I can beat her in her Satan Soul form. I hit the bar again with my fist.
"Fine, at least tell me what the mission was about." I say. I watch as she returns to the usual happy and bubbly Mira Jane Strauss.
"Well, they're pretty much getting married." Mira says and smiles at me.
"WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?" I shout, blue flames appear all around me and my vision goes blurry. I start rampaging. I don't even know what I'm hitting.
Who cares what you hit? Someone is trying to steal your girl. The small voice inside me calls to me. Steal? My? Girl? I won't let that happen. Not ever. I start walking toward the guild doors, leaving footprints still on fire as my rage boils.
"I'm coming for you, Lucy Heartfilia. And I will make you mine."