"You're sure Lucy and Freed are alright?" Wendy asked as she followed Laxus and his team to Lucy's place.
"Yeah, he was already bandaged up when we got there so we don't know how bad the injuries are," Laxus said with a scowl. He was starving, even though he ate breakfast before he left his house to meet up with the Raijinshuu and pick up the small Dragon Slayer. "His arms and torso were wrapped, so I can only assume that's where most of his injuries are."
Wendy nodded, then looked around and said, "Um, I thought we were going to Lucy's." They were walking towards the edge of Magnolia, and Lucy's apartment was only a few blocks from the guild. In the opposite direction.
"She moved."
Wendy frowned. She didn't remember Lucy moving, and she knew that the guild would have made a fuss about helping her if she had. Wendy could hardly remember the last time she really spent time with Lucy. It seemed the blonde was always out on missions, but Wendy had thought that she needed to take more to pay for her rent since she wasn't in a team, so she hadn't paid too much mind to Lucy's absence. They saw each other whenever they were in the guild, but Wendy was starting to realize that they hadn't spent any time together outside of that.
"She only told her old team and Master," Evergreen said softly, placing a hand on the young girl's shoulder. "We only know where she lives because Virgo took us there yesterday to talk with Lucy, and see that Freed was going to be okay." She smiled fondly as she remembered how Lucy had treated the Rune mage the day before, and how he had responded to her. It was so strange to see him actually express his emotions—aside from losing his mind over Laxus from time to time—and Evergreen couldn't help but like the fact that Lucy was the one to save him.
"Well, what about Lucy's injuries? You said she doesn't really want me to heal her…" It broke Wendy's heart that her friend, the woman she saw as an older sister and sometimes a mother, wouldn't want her help. It was what Wendy was good at, and she wanted to ease Lucy's pain any way she could. The rejection she felt that Lucy wouldn't want her made her eyes water.
Laxus sighed and looked at Evergreen. He could smell the small girl's tears, but he wasn't always the best when it came to consoling people. That was Ever's job. Evergreen turned to Bickslow, handing him the grocery bags they were taking to Lucy's—Laxus had insisted they buy the food they were going to be having for breakfast, since there would be a lot of them visiting. "Wendy," Evergreen whispered, pulling the blunette to a stop and signaling for Laxus and Bickslow to keep going.
Wendy looked up and stared into the dark brown orbs of the Fairy mage, feeling a small tear trickle down her cheek.
"Lucy knows that you're a great healer, but she's…" Evergreen sighed, not knowing how to phrase it so that Wendy didn't misunderstand her. "A lot has happened in the last few months for her, and not all of it was good. She's kept it bottled up, and feels like any scars she'll have from this experience have to be there to remind her of her mistakes."
"But, that's not Lucy at all. She always moves past everything and smiles. She's always happy… Lucy would never want to have a scar on her body!"
"Then you see how much she's changed. I don't know her well enough to make any assumptions about it, and it's not my place." They started walking again, slowly catching up to Laxus and Bickslow as Evergreen continued. "As for her injuries, I'll tell you what she wants you to heal first, and then everything else, alright?"
"How bad is it?" Wendy asked meekly.
"It looks worse than it is, based on how she's acted. She was blocking out most of the pain last night, but before we left it seemed like it wasn't working anymore. She wants you to heal her ribs—they're cracked, maybe broken, but I couldn't tell. Since she was blocking out the pain, she couldn't tell me if it hurt to breathe."
"That's all she wants me to do?"
"Yes. She has lacerations from a whip on her ribs as well, but doesn't want you to do anything about them."
"Because she wants to have scars…" Wendy said softly, furrowing her brow as she tried to figure out what could have made her friend so different from before.
"Exactly. The worst injury, and I'm hoping you can convince her to let you fix it, is on her face."
Wendy stopped. "Her… f-face?" Lucy's bright smile flashed into her mind. Her face was angelic, and Wendy had always admired Lucy's beauty. She wants a scar on her face? Her mind reeled at the idea of it. There was no way Lucy would want something like that. No way at all. It had to be a joke.
Evergreen sighed softly and pushed lightly on Wendy's shoulders to get her to keep walking. "Yes, her face. She said that when she was getting hit with the whip, her opponent used that as a distraction to try and finish her with Freed's sword. Lucy dodged as best as she could, but she said that she hesitated, and the woman she was fighting took the opportunity to slash her face open."
"Lucy…" Wendy whispered softly.
"It goes from her hair to her chin, across her eye. She did ask that you heal her eye though," Bickslow said as the girls caught up. "Guess she wants to make sure she doesn't go blind."
Wendy nodded. "It's not much, and I'd rather make it so she doesn't have a single scar on her, but I'll do whatever she asks."
"You're a great kid, you know that?" Laxus whispered, his voice loud enough for only Wendy to hear. He smirked as he saw a small smile light up her face and a blush on her cheeks. "We're here. Ever, you got the key?"
"It's pretty quiet inside. Are you sure they're still here?" Wendy asked, looking to Laxus as Evergreen unlocked and opened the door.
Laxus listened as they quietly walked into the entryway. He could hear two heartbeats that didn't belong to their little group, and steady, relaxed breathing. When he made his way into the living room, he didn't see Blondie anywhere. Maybe she has a spare room we didn't know about, he thought as he crept through the house. "Go put the groceries away, I'll find them. Sounds like they're still sleeping," he whispered as he walked away from the group. He walked down the narrow hallway, passing the arch that led to the dining room and a door that turned out to be a linen closet. The only door that was left was the bedroom that Freed had been in the night before. It was open, but he couldn't see anything out of the ordinary in the room, and the bed was still out of his view.
"Everything alright?" Bickslow whispered just behind Laxus.
He gave his teammate a short nod, but stared intently at the doorway. He rolled his eyes as he heard Evergreen huff in annoyance. Then, he slowly walked into the room, and his mouth dropped at the sight before him.
Lucy's blonde hair was fanned out around her on the pillow, parts of it mingling with Freed's light green. Her arm was lying on his chest, but her hand held a section of Freed's hair gently between her fingers. Her head was lying on his least injured shoulder, and Laxus could see that the gash on her face had started to scab overnight. It was definitely a surprise to see Freed and Lucy sleeping in the same bed, more so seeing her draped across him with their legs tangled together under the blanket. The most shocking part of the whole thing though was that Freed's arms were wrapped loosely around Lucy—one wrapped around her back and pulling her waist closer to him while the other hanging limply on her hip, the fingers barely cupping her rear—and his face was nestled in her hair, a small smile on his parted lips.
"Oh my Mavis," Evergreen whispered breathily. She had never pictured Freed with anyone, and had especially never thought that she would see him in such an intimate position. There was only a content and happy look on his sleeping face as he laid there, as if everything he had gone through while he was a prisoner hadn't happened. She gasped when Lucy moved a little, noticing that everyone had gone still as well.
Laxus' eyes nearly bugged out of his head when Blondie mumbled in her sleep. One word. Freed. It was breathy, but not sultry or a moan, almost as if she was talking to him while she slept. It was innocent. When Lucy had stopped moving, a smile creeping across her face as she sighed happily, Laxus knew they should let the two sleep. Let them have some peace for a change, he thought. He turned and motioned for everyone to go back into the living room.
"Well, that was different," Ever said as she heard the bedroom door close and sat on the couch.
"Seriously, never knew Freed would get Cosplayer into bed," Bickslow quipped, his tongue hanging from his mouth.
"How about we make breakfast for everyone and wake them up when it's ready?" Wendy asked, happy that there was still something she could do for Lucy while she was injured. Even if it wasn't healing.
Seeing the excitement and hope in Wendy's eyes, Evergreen stood up with a grin and went about making everyone something to eat with the blunette in tow.
Lucy slowly woke up, wincing as her head and ribs throbbed in pain. She felt something warm and hard pressed to her chest, and wondered why her bed was so firm. She took a deep breath, regretting it as her ribs protested, and smelled something interesting. She couldn't place it, almost as if it was a strange combination of books and something darker—like darkness itself, if that had a smell. Whatever the smell was, she was enjoying it and moved closer to the source. She heard a soft sigh, and felt warm air cascading over her head, and her eyes opened to see nothing but green. Green? What the—. Her thoughts were cut off as the previous night flashed through her mind. Her mission, Freed being tortured, saving him. His team came by, I broke down after he had a nightmare, and then I… She had crawled into bed with Freed to help him sleep better, to try and get rid of his nightmares so he could have a peaceful night. Her heart started racing as she tried to figure out what to do.
Freed never knew he could feel so content. He had slept peacefully once Lucy was by his side, and he was grateful that her presence had stopped those haunting images from plaguing him. He would never forget what he had endured, but the small reprieve that she had granted him made him feel revitalized in a way he never thought possible. He blushed as he realized the position they were laying in, his arms wrapped around her and his fingers brushing against her rear, her soft and supple body pressed so closely to him, fitting perfectly in his embrace. Lucy curled up to me before she fell asleep, so I guess this must not be too embarrassing, he tried to reason with himself. He had woken up just as his team walked out of the room, catching the briefest glimpse of Laxus' coat as the door closed. He never wanted this moment to end, closing his eyes again in hopes of prolonging the inevitable.
When Lucy felt something in her hand, she ran her fingers through it experimentally. His hair? Even while I'm sleeping I touch his hair… She smiled at how soft it was, unable to stop herself from continuing her ministrations on the strands she held. Lucy slowly pushed herself up onto her elbow, making sure Freed's arms stayed wrapped around her. Is his hand on MY BUTT?!, she squealed internally. She didn't know whether or not she cared, and just ignored it for the time being while she watched his sleeping face. Lucy smiled at how tranquil Freed seemed, because it was the polar opposite of what she had witnessed the night before. She gave a light giggle as she brushed his hair out of his face again, noting that it was always his bangs on the right that covered his eye. Her nails kept dragging lightly across his scalp and when his head turned toward her, his lips barely brushing against her arm, she stopped and held her breath.
Freed frowned, his eyebrows drawing together when Lucy stopped running her fingers through his hair. He was fully enjoying the freedoms she took with his hair, and wondered why he had never let anyone do it before. Evergreen had begged him, just to see what it felt like, and he had refused; though, now he couldn't understand why. He mumbled something unintelligible, and gave Lucy a light squeeze—making sure he didn't hurt her ribs—to show his disappointment.
Lucy smiled down at him, thinking he seemed so different and carefree like this. Once she started massaging his scalp again, she giggled when he smiled. He's like a little kid about this, pouting when he doesn't get his way. Lucy decided to have some fun with him, wondering if he was still sleeping or just comfortable around her, and stopped her fingers again.
"Mmm," Freed whispered as he pouted again. "Don't stop, Lucy. Feels good."
Lucy's eyes widened as she looked down at Freed. He cuddled closer to her, rubbing his nose up and down her arm while he laid on the bed. "… Freed?" she whispered, still not sure if he was awake. Well, she was sure he was awake, but refused to believe it.
Freed's eyes slowly opened and he immediately met her gaze. He didn't look anywhere but into her eyes, completely ignoring the gash that she hadn't covered. "Morning," he whispered with a soft smile, his voice gravelly from the screams he'd let loose during his torture and from sleep.
Lucy felt a part of her heart melt at the look on his face, and she couldn't help but smile in return. "Good morning, Freed. How did you sleep?"
Freed whispered, "Great, once you were here." A blush crept across his cheeks and then he let out a small laugh.
Lucy's head tilted to the side and she asked, "What's so funny?" A matching blush crept across her own cheeks as she continued to look into his eyes.
"I think this is the best morning I've had in a long time. It's very relaxing," he whispered, then looked up to where her hand was still touching his hair.
Lucy's blush deepened and she stuttered, getting ready to pull her hand away. "O-Oh well… I w-was just… Um…"
Freed squeezed her again chuckling at her reaction. "You have my permission to run your hands through my hair whenever you wish, Lucy."
She gaped at him and said, "Really? Y-You don't think it's…"
"Odd?" he asked, smiling again when she nodded. "No, Evergreen has been asking me for years, and I still won't let her near it."
Lucy's good eyebrow rose in question as she said, "Why not?"
"I'm not sure. I usually don't like people being near me," he said, his brows scrunching together in thought. So why is it that Lucy can do it without aggravating me?
Lucy giggled, and rubbed her finger between his eyebrows until he relaxed. "It's far too early for deep thinking, Mr. Justine." When Lucy noticed him tense she amended, "Okay, it's far too early for deep thinking, Freed."
He stared at her in awe. How did she know I don't like being called that? 'Mr. Justine' was what Freed's father was called, and he was nothing like his father. Freed had spent so much of his time perfecting his stoic mask that he didn't realize it had slipped. Breaking free from his thoughts, he smiled at her and nodded. "It is definitely too early for that."
Lucy had no idea what to do with herself. She looked way from Freed with another blush. She was suddenly very aware of the position they were in; his thumb rubbing slow circles on her hip, his other hand gently touching her injured ribs, his fathomless green eyes looking up at her, their legs still wrapped around one another. She didn't want to accept the comfort and warmth that spread through her at his touch. She knew it wouldn't last, just like everything else in her life. She thought back to the night before, and remembered that she had kissed his cheek before falling into a peaceful slumber. His cheek had been so soft and warm when her lips pressed against it, and she had blushed then. What was strange though was that she had actually slept through the night. She hadn't had a single nightmare, and it confused her.
"Lucy," Freed whispered. She had withdrawn into herself, her smile disappearing and her nose scrunching up in concentration when she looked away. "I believe someone said it was too early for deep thinking."
Lucy looked back at him and her eyes softened. "You're right, but I'm confused about something." When she saw that his eyebrows had raised slightly in question, she sighed. "It's probably nothing."
"It doesn't look like nothing," Freed said as he watched her expression go from happy and carefree—an expression that he had hardly seen from her of late—to carefully guarded, much like his own usually was. "Would you care to tell me about it?"
Lucy stared at him, her eyes wide in astonishment that he would even care to know what was bothering her. "I… Well…" She didn't know what to say, didn't know if she wanted to open up to him like she had with her friends before. Their absence in her life had left such a large hole, and she couldn't bear letting someone in again just for him to leave. She dropped her head, then moved to lay back down on his shoulder, wrapping her arm around his waist like she had the night before. She grabbed a few strands of his hair and twirled it between her fingers as she thought.
"You don't have to talk to me about it," he said, his hand moving up of its own accord to rub lightly over her back. "But, if you wanted to, I would listen."
"You… would?" she asked in a whisper.
"Yes, I would. After everything you've done for me, it's the least I can do. Even then, it wouldn't be enough to repay you for saving my life," he said solemnly.
"I didn't have any nightmares last night…" she admitted quietly.
If he hadn't been listening for her to say something, he would have missed it. It was barely more than a breath, but he heard it just the same. "Do you have them often?"
Lucy sighed. I opened up to Laxus and his team last night, maybe I can trust them. Maybe I can trust Freed. Trust. It was a word that had held so much weight in her life before, and it was something she had freely given. Lucy couldn't remember the last time she fully trusted someone, probably not since her team had split up. She decided to take a leap of faith and put some of her trust in Freed. He had helped her the night before when she broke down, so maybe… just maybe, she could trust him. "Every night. Without fail. Every time I sleep. Even if I wake up in the middle of the night, when I finally close my eyes again, it starts all over. Sometimes it picks up where it left off…"
Freed frowned at her revelation. Every night? "When did it start?"
"When I was a kid. After my mom died, my father grew distant. I'd have nightmares about her suffering or just of me being alone, but I couldn't talk to him about them. I was always alone, and my nightmares ended up becoming a reality. Then, after I joined Fairy Tail and the whole Phantom Lord thing happened, I'd have nightmares about whoever my most recent torturer was…"
"And they never stopped?"
"No. Well, they weren't as bad when my team was still together. Erza and I would stay up late eating junk food. Gray would just sit and let me talk. Natsu used to break into my house and sleep in my bed, especially when he had a nightmare himself." She frowned, not wanting Freed to think what the rest of the guild thought of her relationship with Natsu, she added, "Before you say anything, no. Nothing ever happened between me and Natsu. We were just friends."
He gave her a sad smile, even though she couldn't see it. "I wasn't going to say anything close to that. But, aren't you still friends with him? And your team?"
Lucy looked up into Freed's eyes then, resting her chin on his chest. "Not really. Master split our team up because they were too destructive, so I've been working solo. When I moved, I told them in case they wanted to come over, but no one has been by and that was a little over a month ago. We only really see each other in the guild."
"I am very sorry to hear that," he whispered. When she was silent for a minute, he said, "What are your nightmares about? Still your past torturers?" He couldn't explain why, but he wanted to know more about the woman he held in his arms. I'm surprised she hasn't pulled away yet.
"No, my first solo mission. I failed it. Well, the mission itself was a success, but I still feel like I failed." When Freed only looked at her, a gleam in his eyes that said she could continue if she wanted, she laid her head back down and watched his hair twirl between her fingers. "There was a dark mage that had poisoned a young boy. I had to find the antidote and stop the mage. Which is where the mission was a success. The only problem is that he had captured a woman from another town and was torturing her when I found him. By the time I got to her after defeating him, she had bled out and died." Her voice had started to quiver. This was the story she had wanted to tell to Erza, in the hopes of her redheaded friend helping her work through it. "If I'd been stronger… Defeated him faster… Or figured out where he was sooner… She wouldn't have died. She would be with her family. When I went back for her body—I was going to take it to the town so they could find out who she was—she had been eaten by wolves. I never knew her name, and her family will never know what happened to her. And it's my fault…"
Freed's grip on Lucy tightened as her story continued. It was almost as if he was holding her together while she quietly cried against his chest. "It's not your fault, Lucy," he whispered into her hair. "I've been there, I know how you feel. But you can't blame yourself for his actions, or for the possibilities that could have come to fruition if you had been better equipped to handle the situation." He pressed a single soft kiss to her golden hair and said, "All you can do is learn from your experiences. If you're weak, then you can train to become stronger. If you're slow, then you can train to be faster. If you didn't solve the puzzle quickly enough, then you simply hone your skills until you can do it with ease."
"Freed…" Lucy whispered, hugging tighter against his chest as tears continued to cascade down her cheeks. Something about his words, the intensity in his voice as he spoke to her, gave her a sense of comfort. She had missed feeling like this, but she knew it wouldn't last. Nothing ever did.
"I can tell you one thing, Lucy. I don't know as much about you as your old team, but I do know that you are strong, brave, intelligent, and compassionate. You proved that last night. Your strength and bravery when you defeated all of the people that held me captive on your own. Your intelligence when you broke me out of that prison. Your compassion when you brought me here and cared for me—not just in tending my wounds, but also agreeing to stay here so I could sleep. I'm very curious to know how you accomplished all of that, but that's not the point." He raised her chin, forcing her to look at him. When she stared into his eyes, he wiped her tears away and said, "The point is that I admire you."
Lucy's breath caught in her throat, her eyes wide as she looked at Freed. She didn't care about how confused she was, or any of her other problems. His words had struck a chord in her, and that last sentence made her lean forward and press her lips to his. It was painful for her, the gash on her face still barely healed and pulling as her lips touched his. It wasn't what she had imagined her first kiss would be; it was painful, and happened after pouring her heart out over her failure and having someone give her a sliver of hope to hold onto. She hardly knew Freed, aside from what she had gleaned based on her few interactions with him, but something about kissing him felt right. When he didn't respond to her, Lucy pulled back and blushed. "I'm sorry… I just…" She sighed. I'm an idiot. He was just trying to make me feel better. He's not interested in me that way. Way to go, Lucy. "I should probably—"
"Why?" Freed asked, wide-eyed. "Why me?" His mind had completely crashed to a halt when her lips, her soft and still injured lips, brushed across his. He couldn't understand what Lucy would see in someone like him. If it wasn't bad enough that he was nowhere near deserving of her affection, there was also his magic—the darkness in him that slithered around and tainted everything he touched. His father's words and teachings rattled around in his mind, saying that they were taking things too quickly, that he wasn't good enough, and that mages could never be happy. When he had finally pushed all of the negative emotions away and searched himself for what he truly wanted—whether he wanted to kiss her back—it was a glaring yes. She had pulled away too quickly for him to respond with his lips, and the rejection in her eyes that she had quickly masked had pierced his heart.
"What do you mean, 'why me'?" Lucy asked softly, his rejection of her still stinging her pride.
"I… Well, I mean…"
"Freed, don't worry about it," Lucy whispered. I gave my first kiss to someone that didn't want it…
As Lucy tried to move away from him, he whispered, "Wait. I'm sorry."
"There's nothing to be sorry for, Freed. I shouldn't have kissed you when you're clearly not interested. I understand," Lucy said as she looked away from him.
"That's not it," Freed said, gently turning her face back to his. "I was surprised, and I don't understand why you would want to kiss someone like me." It was his turn to be embarrassed.
Her eyes hardened when she said, "Someone like you? What do you mean?"
"I'm not sure I can explain it, and that is something that irks me to no end. The best word I can use to describe it, and it doesn't even scratch the surface, would be inadequate."
"Freed, you're far from inadequate. Just like you don't know much about me, I also don't know much about you. What I do know is that you're resilient, stubborn, very intelligent, reserved, but most of all, you're an absolute sweetheart. You care more deeply than you let people see, and for the first time in a very long time you've made me feel like I'm not alone. So, how can the smartest man in the guild feel as though he's—"
Freed leaned up and closed the distance between them, touching her lips with his ever so slightly so he didn't cause her any more pain than necessary. His hand left her hip and slid up her back to cup her cheek. Slowly, still very carefully, he moved his lips against hers, and felt pride swell in him when she leaned into his touch and kissed him back. Sooner than he would have liked, he ended the kiss and looked into her dazed expression. He ran a finger across her injured lips, frowning that they had been hurt by his own weapon.
Lucy grimaced, feeling embarrassed for the first time that she had a wound on her face. "Sorry," she whispered.
"No, I should be apologizing to you. It was my blade that marred your flesh; even if it wasn't by my own hand, I feel responsible."
Lucy shook her head at him and blushed. "It's not your fault."
"Why are you blushing, Lucy?" Freed asked with a small smirk, trying not to let his guilt ruin the moment.
"W-Well, I never thought that my first kiss would be like this…" Lucy said shyly.
First kiss? Freed nodded. "I agree, the circumstances are not traditional."
"No, that's not it. I always figured it would be something 'not traditional,' considering my version of traditional is what I was taught growing up, and I left that behind… but I never thought it would be painful…"
Freed frowned, then looked at her lips again. Of course it would be painful for her, my sword cut across her lips. He looked back up into Lucy's eyes and said, "Would you allow me to remedy that in the future?"
Lucy's head cocked to the side, her brows furrowing in confusion. "What do you mean?"
Freed blushed, then pushed away his fear and said, "If you would allow it, I would be willing to give you a proper first kiss after you have healed." His courage quickly left as he averted his gaze, and his cheeks burnt.
"I would definitely allow it, Freed," Lucy whispered with a smile. She didn't care if it was painful, she gave him her brilliant smile and let her happiness finally touch her eyes. "But, I have a question."
Freed turned to look back at her, dazzled by her beauty when she smiled at him. "And, what might that be?"
"Just what are your intentions?" she said, donning her mock-serious expression, pretending to be her father during a business transaction. "Are you planning on giving me just that one kiss so I know what it's supposed to be like? Because if not, then there are rules that must be followed."
"Rules?" he asked, cocking his head to the side.
"Yes, Freed. You of all people understand rules," she said with a soft smile. "But you never answered my question."
He chuckled at her small homage to his own magic and said, "I have only the purest of intentions, Lucy."
"And my second question?" she challenged, raising her uninjured brow.
Freed blushed. "I believe you may have to explain the rules to me," he whispered with a bashful smile.
"Rule number one is more of a riddle," Lucy said firmly, then smiled back at him. "There is a question you need to ask me. I have never been directly asked this question before. Out of everyone I have ever met, I would answer yes to you alone."
Freed grinned at her. "Well, I do enjoy a puzzle. Give me just a moment to make sure I get the answer correct." He chuckled at her while she nodded fervently. He thought over the riddle she had given him. Not only was it telling him what he had to do, but it also gave him insight into the person behind the riddle. She had never been asked the question and would only say yes to him out of everyone she knew. He puzzled through it, turning the words over in his head and rearranging the sentences to make sure his logic wasn't flawed. When he came to his final conclusion, his eyes widened as he stared at her.
Lucy giggled and said, "Do you have an answer to my riddle?"
I hope I'm right. "I believe so, Lucy," he whispered as he searched her eyes for a hint to what the answer might be. "Although, I would like one small hint before I give my answer, just so I know I've come to the right conclusion."
"Hm, very well, Freed. One hint." She thought for a moment, then smirked. "It isn't a hint, but more of a re-wording, will that do?"
Freed nodded, curious to see what she would say.
"As a result of your question to me, the answer to the riddle, there will be a benefit," she said, watching him to make sure he was following her.
"May I know what that benefit is?" he asked in a whisper. Who would have thought Lucy's little game would make her more attractive? He was in absolute awe of this woman. She had tons of positive characteristics, but the most intriguing was the way her mind worked. And her ability to challenge him intellectually with confidence.
"Of course, Freed. That's the other half of the hint," she said with a smirk still plastered on her face. "You have given me permission to do something. Something you wouldn't normally do. With the question asked, I'll give you permission. But, for something I've only done with… you."
"You made that rhyme on purpose, didn't you?" he asked her softly, though his eyes showed his amusement.
Lucy giggled and gave him a nod. "So, what's your answer to my riddle, Freed?"
"Hm," he said, "Let's see. A question you've never been directly asked, and would only tell me yes. The benefit of my asking is permission to do something you have only done with me. Is that correct?" he whispered with a smile.
Lucy couldn't believe how excited she had become by a simple word game, her breath barely making it into her lungs as she waited for him to answer her riddle. She could only manage a nod as she looked hopefully into his eyes.
"I'm sure I know the answer, then. Lucy," Freed said softly, smiling as he watched her smile widen. He leaned up and whispered into her ear, "Would you be my girlfriend?"
Lucy grinned widely at him. "I'm sorry, Freed." She threw her head back dramatically as she said, "That is incorrect!"
His jaw dropped. Wrong? How can I be wrong?! There were very few times in Freed's life that he had gotten an answer wrong. "I don't understand… How is that possible?"
Lucy laughed, placing a soft kiss on his cheek to let him know she wasn't laughing at his answer to her riddle. Her heart had, in fact, skipped a beat when he asked her to be his girlfriend. "I have two things to say, but first I'd like to know how you came to your answer."
Freed nodded absently, then said, "I had assumed that you had never been directly asked to be someone's girlfriend. It seems as though most people don't actually ask, but have some sort of unspoken agreement. Or, they wonder about their relationship. As for the hint you gave me…" He paused, still so confused that he had answered her riddle incorrectly. "By asking you to be my girlfriend, I would have permission to do something you have only done with me. The first thing that came to mind was a kiss."
Lucy nodded, her wide grin morphing into a sly smile. "Well, Freed. You're logic is sound. The only problem is that someone has previously asked me to be their girlfriend, to which I promptly declined. That is where you went wrong." She paused, reveling in the confusion that she had caused him. Lucy could tell that he was rarely wrong, and it gave her a great boost in confidence that she had been able to stump him. He nodded, and then she continued. "The correct answer was: 'May I kiss you?' No one has ever asked if they could kiss me, and I would only say yes to you. By asking if you could kiss me, you would be granted permission to do it. Your conclusion about the hint was right; the only person who knows what it's like to kiss me is you."
Freed smiled ruefully at her, "It seems you've outsmarted me, Lucy."
"Oh, but I'm not finished. I said that I had two things to say to you. The first was the answer to my riddle." She leaned in close to him and whispered, "The second is the answer to your question."
He was speechless. When she had said that he was wrong, he had assumed that she would refuse to answer the question he had asked. He gaped at her, not knowing what to do while he waited for her answer.
"My answer, Freed… Is yes," Lucy said, pulling back to smile at him.
"Y-Yes?"
Lucy nodded quickly. "That is, if you really meant the question you asked me…"
Freed's stupor was broken. He gave her a sly grin and said, "Lucy, words are very important to me. I do not say anything without meaning it, just as it is with my magic."
"Even when it comes to a silly riddle?"
"Even then. I asked you a question, with the intent on fulfilling the requirements of your answer."
"I see… Well, then there's only one thing we can do now," Lucy said softly.
"And, what might that be?"
"Reap the benefits of your question," Lucy said huskily as she leaned back down to capture his lips in a soft kiss.
"Breakfast is ready," Wendy said as she walked into the living room. She looked expectantly at Laxus and Bickslow, waiting for one of them to go and get Lucy and Freed while Evergreen finished in the kitchen.
Bickslow quickly touched his nose with his forefinger, then grinned with his tongue hanging from his mouth. He laughed when Wendy followed suit and looked to Laxus.
Laxus sighed, and said, "Bix, you're such a kid. Wendy, I'll let it slide this time." He smirked when she blushed, and stood up to make his way back to Lucy's bedroom. He paused mid-stride not even two steps away from the couch, and listened to the conversation the two mages were having.
"Everything alright, bossman?" Bickslow said, standing up and getting ready to set the table with Wendy.
"Uh-huh," Laxus muttered, turning his shocked expression back to face the other guests.
"What, are they getting freaky back there?" Bickslow asked with a laugh.
"Bickslow, watch your mouth! Wendy's here!" Evergreen said sternly, walking into the living room.
Laxus shook his head, staring at the floor in amazement.
"Then what is it?" Bickslow said, rubbing the back of his head where Evergreen had smacked him with a wooden spoon.
"Blondie and Freed are awake," Laxus said softly.
"Well we figured that much out…"
"She asked him a riddle."
The three other mages stared at Laxus, waiting for him to elaborate. "… And?" Evergreen finally huffed.
Laxus looked her dead in the eyes and said, "He got it wrong…"
There was a collective gasp from the group. "But, Freed doesn't get shit like that wrong," Bickslow finally muttered.
"I know. He's usually really careful about th—OH wow!" If Laxus widened his eyes any more, they would fall out of his head. He hadn't heard Freed's answer to the riddle, but the guy's explanation for his answer had shocked Laxus. If that wasn't bad enough, Blondie had told Freed exactly why he was wrong, and then answered his question anyway.
"What is it?" Evergreen asked, growing concerned by Laxus' silence and shock.
"Uh, nothing," Laxus said quickly. "None of our business. So, you guys set the table, and I'm gonna go get them." And then never take my soundpods off again… Laxus' enhanced hearing was definitely a blessing when it came to battles, but it was a curse when he was in a house with people having a private conversation. He'd intentionally ignored anything they had talked about when he heard Freed and Lucy wake up, deciding that they might be discussing how they were sleeping. He was glad he had ignored them when he smelled tears, and it was only the break in his concentration from talking to Wendy and Bickslow that had caused him to hear the new couple talking again. He took his time walking down the hallway, then took a deep breath before knocking on the door.
"Come in," Lucy's muffled voice rang out.
Laxus opened the door and looked at Freed and Lucy. Their position hadn't changed much from when he had been in there the first time, except that Lucy was propped on her elbow and playing with Freed's hair. They both smiled at him, and it was the first time he had seen Freed smile, without trying to mask it, over something other than Laxus. He smirked at the two on the bed and said, "Well, breakfast is ready when you guys are done making out." He laughed at the shocked and blushing faces he received and walked back down the hallway.
"I'm gonna kill him," Lucy whispered, dropping her head to Freed's shoulder.
Freed chuckled and said, "It would have been suspicious for him to say it any differently, Lucy."
Lucy sighed and said, "True. Let's get out there and have some food. I bet you're famished."
Freed nodded and they carefully made their way to meet with their friends.
They had all agreed that they would eat breakfast together, then let Wendy heal Freed and Lucy. If the two were feeling up to making the trip down to the guild, then they would all go together to talk with Master Makarov. Lucy had been adamant about it, saying that she didn't want to have to tell her story more than once. She then looked at Freed and said that it would be less difficult for him to recount any painful experiences during his captivity if he didn't have to continually dwell on it while he repeated the same story over and over. He had thankfully grabbed her hand and laced their fingers together, though no one commented on the small action.
"Alright, let's remove the bandages and see what I need to heal, Freed," Wendy said softly. It was still surprising to the rest of the group that Wendy was capable of being a shy and timid girl until it came time to heal someone. Once her help was needed, Wendy instantly became a different person. She was confident, stern, and direct, showing everyone around her that she knew what she was doing.
Once the bandages were gone, Wendy frowned at the amount of scars that littered his torso. She wouldn't be able to do anything to repair that damage, but the fresh wounds could be healed with no scarring left.
"Please be careful, Wendy," Freed said gently. He look right into her eyes and said, "My magic is very closely related with darkness. I have never been healed by you before, so I don't know if there will be any negative side effects to your lighter magic healing me."
Wendy considered his words for a moment, then nodded. "I'll start with a shallow cut, and see how it goes." She knelt in front of him as he sat on the couch and placed a single hand to his chest. She focused her magic into her hands, letting it flow into him in short pulses as she tested for any negative reaction. She repeated the process several more times, moving on to deeper lashes and gradually allowing more power to flow into him. After they were both satisfied that he would experience nothing negative, Wendy healed him completely.
She wiped the small beads of sweat from her brow and looked over Freed once more. His wrists had been badly damaged from the shackles she had been told about. His chest, arms, and back were littered with whip marks. Everything was healed. Wendy smiled at the stoic mage and turned to Lucy. "So, they told me you only want me to heal your ribs and eye, but not touch the cuts. Is that right, Lucy?"
Lucy thought for a moment, then said, "You can heal the cuts, but not completely. I was serious when I said I deserve to have scars as a reminder. They were gained from battle, and they are from mistakes that I made." Plus, the sooner my lips are healed, the sooner I can get that proper kiss from Freed.
Wendy nodded again and said, "I'll work on your ribs first." Lucy removed her shirt, still not caring who was in the room; however, she did smirk a little when she saw the deep blush on Freed's cheeks as he looked away from her.
"Freed, I think it's alright if you look at Cosplayer," Bickslow said with a chuckle at his friend's propriety.
Freed quickly shook his head, refusing to look anywhere near Lucy while she was shirtless. Freed's upbringing had hammered home the idea of modesty, and also that a gentleman doesn't ogle women. Even though Lucy was his girlfriend, he still wasn't going to look at her in such a vulnerable state of dress; not until they had reached that point in their relationship.
"Bix has a point," Laxus said with a smirk. "We've all seen Blondie in a bikini, and she's wearing more than that right now. What's the difference?"
Evergreen swatted both of the lecherous pigs with her fan and said, "Don't be disgusting! I think it's sweet, Freed." She patted him softly on the knee, then sat back and glared at her other teammates.
"Okay, Lucy. The cuts on your ribs should heal in a couple of days on their own. Just so you know, you had four fractured ribs, one cracked, and two that were completely shattered," Wendy said firmly. "I don't like that you pushed yourself so hard while you had such intense injuries, but it's probably what saved Freed's life…" Her face brightened up immediately when she said, "So, I'll forgive you this time!"
Lucy sweatdropped at the sudden mood change. "I'll keep that in mind, Wendy." She quickly pulled her hair into a messy bun and put her shirt back on. Once she was decent, she grabbed Freed's hand and gave it a light squeeze, smiling softly when he turned to look at her. "Better?" she whispered.
He gave her a gentle smile, and nodded. As Wendy got ready to treat Lucy's eye, he felt her grip on his hand tighten out of anxiety, and he soothed her as best as he could by rubbing his thumb along her hand.
So sweet!, Evergreen thought as she watched Freed comfort Lucy.
"I'll start with your eye, and then we'll go from there, alright?" Wendy said as she inspected the damage to Lucy's left eye.
"Whatever you say, Wendy. I trust you," Lucy said with a half-smile.
"Okay, the damage isn't too bad, this shouldn't take long." Wendy gave Lucy a comforting smile then brought a single hand up and covered the injured eye. She focused her magic on the eye alone, and not the surrounding damaged tissue, then started to heal it.
Everyone jumped as Lucy screamed out in pain, pushing Wendy away from her and holding her face. There was a soft sizzling noise that could barely be heard over the blonde's whimpers and pants, and Freed quickly pulled her onto his lap. "Lucy are you alright?!"
"Shit, what just happened?" Laxus asked, helping Wendy up from the floor.
Burning tears ran down Lucy's face. If she had thought getting the slash on her face was painful, this was hell. She had been soothed by Wendy's magic as it flowed into her eye. Until it had started to burn. The heat had built up so quickly that she hadn't been able to say anything to Wendy. There was so much pain radiating from her eye that she felt as if she was going to be sick. She swallowed quickly, willing her body to keep her breakfast down, and felt Freed's arms wrap around her shoulders.
"I don't understand," Wendy said as she stood next to Laxus. "There shouldn't have been any problem healing her…"
Freed's eyes widened as he realized what went wrong. This is my fault. I should have figured it out sooner! "There was a problem, and I can't believe I didn't see it sooner."
"What's that?" Wendy asked, tears welling in her eyes at her inability to help Lucy. She had in fact caused her friend more pain, rather than easing it.
"Her wound came from my sword," Freed said sadly. "I told you my concern earlier about my magic mixing with yours. My sword is imbued with my magic."
"So, her wound has your magic in it?" Wendy asked, her brow furrowing as she tried to remember if Porlyusica had said anything about something like this before.
Freed sighed and nodded, then lowered his head in shame. "I'm so sorry, Lucy… I should have realized it sooner."
Lucy took deep breaths, gathering the pain she felt and locking it into a container inside of her just as Capricorn had taught her. Once it was completely sealed away, she sighed in relief and leaned into Freed's chest. "It's fine, Freed. I'm not upset with you," she said calmly. She kept her eyes closed, not knowing what she should do.
"Lucy," Wendy whispered. "Are you in any pain now?"
Lucy shook her head, still not opening in her eyes to look at Wendy.
"She's blocking it out again," Laxus said with a frown. He didn't understand how it was possible, but it didn't sit well with him that Lucy was refusing to feel pain and pushing herself past her limits. Pain was the body's way of telling you what your limits are, and the blonde was refusing to listen to her body.
Wendy smiled at Lucy and said, "I see you listened to Capricorn then. Loke told me about it a few months ago, saying that if more people knew how to do it, my job would be a lot harder."
Lucy smiled fondly and nodded. She didn't know how long she could keep her pain away from her, and couldn't bring herself to speak just in case it broke her concentration.
"So, now what?" Evergreen asked Wendy.
"I don't know. I'd have to see Lucy's eye again to see if I caused more damage to it. Lucy, can you please look at me?" Wendy said as she kneeled in front of the blonde on Freed's lap.
Lucy slowly opened her eyes, and looked at her feet. Everything looked normal. Her vision wasn't blurry anymore and she smiled. "Wendy," Lucy said happily, "I think I'll be fine. I can see normally." She looked over at her young blue-haired friend and furrowed her brow when she heard Wendy and Evergreen gasp. "What's wrong?"
"Oh, Lucy!" Wendy said, choking back a sob.
Lucy looked up worriedly at Laxus and Bickslow, and saw them both looking at her with shocked expressions. "What is it?!" she shouted.
Freed frowned at what was happening. He couldn't see Lucy's face since she was still sitting in his lap, but everyone's reactions were starting to concern him. "Lucy, look at me," he whispered.
Lucy slowly turned to look at Freed, hoping he would tell her what was wrong with her eye. It felt normal, and the pain she had locked away had dissipated. She felt a tear fall down her cheek as he looked at her, the same shocked expression on his face as Bickslow and Laxus.
Her eye… it's… He stared in wonder as he looked at her left eye. Instead of the normal brown of her iris, it was a light purple color. The sclera, which should have been white, was completely black, and her pupil was slitted vertically. It was beautiful. Absolutely breathtaking. "Lucy…" he whispered as he looked into that one eye, wondering how Wendy's attempt at healing the damage had changed it.
Lucy tore herself from Freed's grasp, and rushed into the bathroom, slamming the door and locking it behind her. She held the edge of the sink in a death grip as she gathered her courage to look at her reflection. She hadn't seen the damage that had been done to her face, only felt it with her fingers the night before as she cleaned the wound. Now that there was something clearly wrong, she had to see what it was for herself. She raised her head slowly, keeping her eyes lowered until she was facing the mirror. Her eyes opened, and she looked at her face in horror. The gash wasn't what concerned her. It would look different once it had become a scar, and she didn't care about that. She looked at her eye, and felt her breath coming in short, panicked pants. Her hand shot to her face, touching the cheek just under the cursed eye and she screamed.
It was loud—ear-piercing, shattering crystals, hear it from a mile away loud—and Freed ran over to the bathroom when he heard the terror and panic in it. He hardly registered that Laxus and Wendy had covered their ears and winced in pain, that Evergreen had started crying, or that Bickslow was just sitting there in shock. Freed's sole thought was getting to Lucy. "Lucy!" he shouted as he approached the door and jiggled the handle to no avail, "Lucy, open the door!"
Lucy dropped to the floor and cried into her hands. She didn't hear Freed's screams on the other side of the door, only her own panicked cries.
Freed saw his sword sitting in its sheath and propped up against her writing desk. He quickly pulled it free and wrote a small series of runes on the handle to unlock it. Once he got the door opened, he dropped the sword to the floor and walked in, closing the door behind him. He dropped to his knees in front of her, placing his hands gently on her shaking shoulders. "Lucy, look at me. Please look at me," he whispered. When she continued crying, his felt his heart begin to fragment. He pushed her hands out of the way and forced her chin up to face him. "Lucy!"
"W-Why should I l-l-look at you?" she asked through her sobs. "I'm… I'm…"
"More beautiful than I could have ever imagined," Freed whispered as he brushed her tears away.
"How c-can you s-say that? Look at me!" she shouted as she motioned towards her eye.
Freed smiled at her, pulled her hands to his lips and pressed a soft kiss to her knuckles. "Shall I show you?" he whispered. When she just kept crying, he said, "Dark Écriture."
Lucy had never seen Freed actually using his magic, she had only seen the effects of his runes. She stared as his right eye changed color, the sclera changing from white to black, and the iris and pupil becoming the same light purple as her own eye. She slowly raised her hand to touch his cheek, staring in wonder at what she saw. "That's…"
Freed leaned into her touch, cutting off his magic and letting his eye shift back to normal. "It seems something happened when Wendy's magic tried to heal your eye, and my suspicions that it was related to my sword being imbued with my magic have been confirmed."
"B-But… Why?" she whimpered, calming down slightly after seeing Freed's eye doing the same thing.
Freed pulled her closer to him, wrapping his arms firmly around her shoulders. "I don't know, but I will find out."
"… Do you really think it's beautiful?" Lucy whispered as the last of her tears fell. She wasn't even aware of the fact that she was pressed against his bare chest—the most skin contact she'd ever had with him. Excluding her bathing and dressing his wounds the night before.
"I do."
Lucy took a deep breath, glad that Wendy had healed her ribs so she wasn't sore, then looked up into Freed's smiling face. She leaned in, kissing him urgently and needing to feel the comfort he could give her. When they separated, slightly out of breath, she whispered, "Okay. Let's get back out there before they think I've lost my mind completely." They stood up together, and she went to the sink to wash away her tears, carefully drying her face. Lucy took one last look in the mirror, the gash on her face, the new eye she was sporting. It was strange, but she would just learn to live with it if they found out that it was irreversible.
When Lucy was ready, Freed laced his fingers with hers and they walked back into the living room. He led her back to the couch, and sat down with her curling up into his side, his arm draped across her shoulders and his fingers running up and down her arm to try and help her relax.
"Everything alright, Blondie?" Laxus asked carefully.
Lucy nodded, then said, "Sorry for scaring you guys like that. I guess I freaked out a little…"
Bickslow sat back and said, "It's fine. I think it's actually pretty cool!" His own eyes started to glow for the briefest of seconds before he laughed with his tongue hanging from his mouth.
"I wonder if it does anything special," Evergreen said earnestly, leaning forward in her seat.
Lucy blushed, then looked over at Wendy who was scowling at the floor. "Wendy, are you okay?" she asked softly.
Wendy shook her head and smiled at Lucy. "I'm fine, Lucy. I was trying to figure out why my magic would react that way with Freed's magic. I'm glad you're okay though, I was worried about you when you ran off…"
She smiled at her friend's concern and said, "I'll be alright, Wendy. Freed helped a lot." She looked up and giggled when she saw the blush on Freed's face. After nudging him slightly, she said, "You feeling up to going to speak with Master?"
Freed nodded with a smile.
Before the group could prepare to leave, there were two bright flashes of golden light in the middle of the room that revealed Loke and Virgo.
"Princess, I have finished with your request. Here are the garments you asked me to clean. There is also a shirt that closely resembles the one that he was wearing before you turned it into bandages," Virgo said as she rose from her bow. She placed Freed's jacket, pants, boots, and a new shirt on the coffee table with a soft smile. I see that my Princess has grown closer to him in such a short time.
"Lucy, my love!" Leo shouted as he knelt in front of Lucy, his eyes closed as he proclaimed his affections for her. "Let us run away and get marrie—" He stopped as his eyes opened and he saw her face. "Lucy! What happened?! You're hurt! Your eye! What happened to it?! Oh GOD!"
"Oi! Stop shouting, Playboy!" Laxus shouted, ready to zap the spirit for giving him a headache.
When Leo relaxed, knowing that Lucy wouldn't like it if he kept up with the hysterics and got struck by lightning, he looked at her again and frowned. "Why are you cuddled up to a shirtless Freed?"
Virgo suppressed a giggle as her eyes twinkled with mirth. She was also curious about what happened to her Princess' eye, but she wasn't going to press for more information when Leo was right there to do it for her.
Lucy and Freed blushed, having forgotten that he wasn't wearing a shirt due to his bandages, and hadn't put one on after being healed by Wendy.
"How was your date with Aries, Leo?" Lucy asked with a knowing smirk on her face. She laughed when the Zodiac leader blushed and sat down next to her on the couch. Lucy pouted and said, "You're not going to tell me? Fine… Virgo, how was his date with Aries?"
"Princess, big brother informed me that it was a truly magical evening," Virgo said with a smirk, glancing at a deeper blush on Leo's cheeks.
"Really…" Lucy said while pinning Leo with a knowing smirk.
"Yes, Princess. You should have seen the way he danced around after it was ov—"
"Alright, Virgo… she gets it…" Leo said, crossing his arms over his chest.
Lucy laid her head contentedly on Freed's chest, playing with a lock of his hair as she said, "In answer to your questions. I found Freed being tortured, saved him and brought him back here, but got hurt in the process. Wendy tried to heal my eye, because when Freed's sword slashed my face it also caught my eye, and this happened. We don't know why, but it has something to do with mixing his magic with hers. As for me cuddling with a shirtless Freed? I'm allowed to cuddle with my boyfriend regardless of how little clothing he has on." Lucy finished with a blush, finally admitting to everyone in the room that they had become a couple.
"Boyfriend?" Leo asked softly. He eyed Freed carefully, then said, "Treat her right, Justine… Or you'll have more than just me coming after you."
Freed looked over at the Lion Spirit, keeping his face neutral to hide the anger that boiled within him at the insinuation that he would ever hurt Lucy. "I have no intention of treating Lucy poorly, Leo."
Lucy sighed and said, "Alright, well Freed and I should get ready, then we can go to the guild. Virgo, thank you for all of your help. Leo, thanks for your concern and tell Aries I said hi." As she got up to walk into the bedroom, she whirled around and said, "Leo! Can you do me a favor?!"
"Anything for my Princess," he said with a wink.
Lucy rolled her eyes and handed him the tome she had to find for her mission. "Can you turn in my mission for me, please? It's on the opposite side of town, and we still have to talk with Master about what happened."
Leo smiled at her, taking the book and tucking it under his arm. "Of course, Lucy. I'll leave your reward with Mira at the bar if you're still busy."
Lucy gave him a quick hug and thanked him again before he and Virgo disappeared.
The walk to the guild was uneventful. Lucy quickly figured out that Laxus had heard her conversation with Freed while they were still lying in bed, and the rest of their guests had figured out what was going on by how close they were over the course of the morning.
"Still can't believe she outsmarted you, Freed," Laxus said with a sidelong glance at his green-haired friend.
"How did you do it, Lucy?" Evergreen asked. "We've been trying to figure out how to do it for forever!"
Lucy giggled and looked at Freed, silently asking if she should tell them. When he simply responded with a shrug and a small smile, she said, "It's all in the wording, Ever."
"Huh?" Evergreen asked, quirking her eyebrow. Internally, she was giddy that Lucy felt comfortable enough around her to use her nickname.
Lucy rolled her eyes and walked slightly ahead of the group, pulling her hand from Freed's, and turning around so she could face them while walking backwards. "Logic is based on words, and when dealing with this one," she pointed to Freed playfully, "Logic is key, therefore words are key. Changing the order of a sentence or specific words used in the sentence can completely change the meaning if done incorrectly. Also," she glanced at Freed and smirked, "If you take into account the biases of the person who is interpreting those words, they can have an entirely different meaning. So, if you want to outsmart Freed—which I highly doubt he'll make the same mistake twice—then you have to pay attention to your word choice." Lucy finished with a smile and a shrug. It was simple to her, and she had thoroughly enjoyed telling him he was wrong.
"So… you tricked him?" Bickslow said slowly, his furrowed brow hidden behind his visor.
Lucy shrugged again. "No. Not really. I even gave him a hint."
"You reworded a previous statement to make it fit in with the original riddle," Freed said with a proud smirk.
"What was the riddle anyway? I wanna see if I can figure it out," Bickslow said with determination. Evergreen and Wendy nodded and looked expectantly at Lucy.
Lucy grinned. "Fine, but Laxus can't help since he already heard the answer." When the group had nodded, she said, "There is a question you need to ask me. I have never been directly asked this question before. Out of everyone I have ever met, I would answer yes to you alone."
Bickslow, Wendy, and Evergreen thought for a minute, then Wendy said, "What was the hint?"
Lucy's smiled turned devious, "As a result of your question to me, the answer to the riddle, there will be a benefit." She paused and blushed as she continued, "You have given me permission to do something. Something you wouldn't normally do. With the question asked, I'll give you permission. But, for something I've only done with… you."
The group walked in silence. The three mages kept mulling over what the answer could be while Lucy fell back into step next to Freed, placing her hand in his. Laxus just walked with a smirk on his face. So that's what Blondie did… Freed picked a good one.
"Ugh! Lucyyyy, what's the answer?!" Evergreen shouted.
"Take a guess, Ever. I'll tell you when Wendy and Bickslow have given me their answers," Lucy said with a smile. She hopped up onto the edge of the canal as they walked past her old apartment, waving to the fishermen as they told her to be careful.
"Is it 'will you go out with me'?" Evergreen asked, looking hopefully at Lucy.
Taking a page from Freed, she kept her expression in the same happy smile as she waited for Wendy and Bickslow.
"Same," Bickslow said confidently. "That has to be it!"
"I agree, Lucy," Wendy said after another minute.
Once they reached the end of the canal, Lucy jumped down and made an 'X' with her arms. "You are all incorrect. That's the answer Freed gave me." She giggled as Freed blushed.
"So, what was the answer to the riddle? That's the only thing that makes sense," Evergreen said.
"Yeah, and what did he give you permission to do?" Bickslow added.
Freed chuckled and said, "She can touch my hair whenever she wants."
"WHAT?!" Evergreen shouted. "So not fair!"
Lucy sweatdropped as they arrived at the guild.
Everyone stopped and looked expectantly at her. "Well? What's the answer?"
"Freed, what was the answer again?" Lucy asked sweetly.
Freed blushed as he said, "May I kiss you?"
Lucy nodded and giggled when he leaned in to press a soft kiss to her lips, his arms wrapping gently around her waist. It was short and sweet, but they both pulled away blushing. When all they heard was silence, Lucy and Freed turned to see that the Raijinshuu had opened the guild doors. And the entire guild was staring at them.