Here comes chapter 3! Sorry for the long wait, but I have to admit something... I'm very slow with my chapters :X Sorry, I'll try and be better.
Wish you all a Merry Christmas, Hanukah or Yule, whichever you celebrate! (:
Leave me reviews, huh?
Disclaimer: FT belongs to Mashima Hiro-sensei.
Beneath The Southern Cross
Chapter III – Best friend
Lucy scanned the shelves on the market as she checked the items on her shopping list. It was the first time in weeks she visited the place, and her wallet was surely enjoying the break. However, she wasn't at all happy about her suddenly cheaper life. Since she went out with Sting for the first time, Natsu hadn't been visiting her, which meant her food last three times more. Even so, she was very sad about it.
Natsu was the one who brought her into Fairy Tail. If she had a happy satisfying life at the moment, it was definitely because of him. He was her closest friend, the one she loved so dearly. But it started to hurt and she had to change her feelings before they could consume her completely. There was no space for love in Natsu's life, she knew that – but she also knew she needed it.
Sighing, she collected the last items on her list and went to the cashier to pay for them all. She carefully placed everything on plastic bags, getting ready for the walk home.
"Let me help you with that."
Before she knew, the owner of the voice had already taken all the bags from her hands, freeing her from their weight.
"Sting! How did you find me here?" she asked smiling, for a moment letting go of her troubles.
"I went to your house but I couldn't smell you there, so I followed your scent until I found you here."
She laughed.
"Aren't you Dragon Slayers such nice hound dogs?"
"Haha, very funny, Lucy."
She ceased laughing and rushed to walk by his side.
"I'm glad to see you."
"Yeah, I'm sorry it took so long. Master send us in a though job."
Lucy nodded. On Makarov's asking, Yajima-san had assumed the job of Sabertooth's Master, until one of the guild's mages was ready to take the place. She bet Yajima-san was making them all go crazy with his Fairy Tail's ways, but it surely would make them all better.
"No biggy. I just wondered when I would hear from you again."
He smirked.
"Well, here I am, sweet thing. I'm yours for the whole week if that's what you want."
She bit her lower lip nervously.
"Really, for the whole week?"
"Yep, what do you have in mind?"
"Well, you see… Master kind of made me promise I would ask you one thing."
"And what did you promise Makarov Dreyar you would ask me?" he was amused by her words. What could Fairy Tail's Master want from him?
"Well, we are leaving for Tenrou Island the day after tomorrow. Master wants to see the Island again and check for clues from Acnologia. He thought maybe five dragons would be better than three for searching."
Sting was shocked.
"He wants me and Rogue to help him track Acnologia?"
"Yes. He is kind of all happy and proud because I was able to forgive you guys. You can say no if you want to. I know Natsu and Gajeel won't be happy to have you two there."
"Well, I don't really see how we can decline such an invite. Master wouldn't really let us. And that old man is ridiculous strong."
Lucy laughed.
"So, is that a yes?"
He shrugged.
"Yeah, sure. I just have to ask Rogue if he wants to come too."
As he finished talking, they found themselves in her front door. She unlocked it and they went directly to the kitchen to set everything in the bags on their respective places.
Sting took a deep breath and raised an eyebrow.
"Natsu-san is not coming here anymore?" the absence of his smell was quite a change on the apartment.
The sad look on her face made him regret his question immediately.
"No, he is not."
He got closer to her, putting his arms around her waist and resting his chin on the top of her head.
"Hey, I'm sorry."
"It's okay, it's not your fault."
"Of course it is."
"No, it's my fault. I'm the one who agreed on going on a date with you."
"Do you regret it?" he asked, not really wanting to know her answer.
Initially, his interest on her was purely to get to Natsu, but she made him change his mind. He really couldn't understand how Natsu could be blind to someone like her. Lucy was sweet, funny and caring. She might not have their strength, but was perfectly capable of looking out for herself. And, besides all that, she was incredibly beautiful. And hot.
"No, Sting, I don't regret it. I think that is what is troubling me the most. I don't want to lose him, but I can't lose you either, so I'm stuck. Natsu can be so unreasonable. I don't understand why he is acting this way."
"I told you. He is jealous."
Lucy puffed.
"Yeah, right. Like that is even possible."
He turned her around, making her face him and trapped her between him and her sink.
"I know you think he never noticed you, but I can assure you it is really difficult to ignore someone like you." He whispered on her ear.
Lucy shivered with his hot breath on her skin and closed her eyes. That day on the cave under the lake seemed like it had happened years ago. Her whole body had been aching for him for weeks now.
Suddenly, his mouth was on hers, hungrily obliging her to respond. With ease, he raised her body, placing her on the sink. Her legs immediately surrounded his torso, bringing him as close to her as he could get. His hands slowly descended to her legs, caressing her thighs as they made their way to her skirt.
Lucy moaned when the tips of his fingers rubbed on her crotch. He smirked with satisfaction as he heard the sound. More than a month had passed since they had sex for the first (and only) time. He was ready to lift her and take her to the bedroom when someone knocked at her door.
"Ignore it." He asked.
She would have happily done it, but the person knocked again. Sighing, she pushed him gently.
"It might be important."
"I really doubt it." He said, pouting.
Laughing, she got to the floor and straightened her clothes.
Erza was the one standing on the hallway.
"Hey, Erza, is everything okay?"
"Yes. Master sent me here to ask if-"
But just as she was about to finish her sentence, her eyes caught the sight of Sting, leaning on the kitchen's door frame, arms crossed as he waited.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know he was here with you." Her cheeks became the same intense red her hair so proudly showed.
"Don't be silly, Erza. Not even I knew he would be here." She laughed. "Come on in."
Erza nodded as she entered.
"Master wanted to ask if you had talked with him about the Tenrou issue."
"Well, he said he would, but he hadn't had the chance to talk to Rogue yet."
"Oh, yeah!" Sting suddenly went back to life. "Let me ask him."
He took a lacryma from his pocket and channelized his magic power into it. Rogue's face suddenly appeared on the crystal. They talked for a few minutes and his face vanished once again.
"He'll be here in time." Sting announced.
"Good." Erza said, getting up from the couch. "Master will be happy to hear."
She marched outside like a robot, closing the door as she went out.
Sting raised an eyebrow.
"What's wrong with her?"
Lucy laughed.
"She gets self conscious when dealing with couples, she'll get used to you just like she got used to Alzack and Bisca and Gajeel and Levy."
"They are still together, huh? Rogue will be disappointed."
"I still don't believe you when you say things like that."
He chuckled.
"I mean it. Rogue was really impressed by Levy-san. It's a novelty for me too, believe me."
"Yeah, right."
He kept chuckling and extended his hand to her, giving her the communication lacryma.
"I got it for you, actually. It can go straight to the other one I have home, you just have to think of me while touching it."
Lucy took it from his hand with a bright smile on her lips.
"That's... Perfect, Sting, thank you."
He smiled back to her.
"Well, I want to talk to you from time to time, not just when I can come over here."
Lucy got on the tip of her toes and placed a soft kiss on his cheek.
"I agree. It's nice of you to have thought about it."
He crossed his arms on the back of his neck, trying to act as carefree as he could manage, even with such a touching demonstration of emotions.
"So... Will you come back home or do you want to stay here with me?"
He smirked.
"Well, do you think I can find some clothes around town?"
Lucy laughed.
"Oh, yeah. Our town has a little bit of everything. I'm sure some of the shops can give you a few options. Nothing as discreet as your usual choice of clothes, though."
He laugh echoed hers.
"Well, well. Who would think Lucy Heartfilia was so into sarcasm."
Still laughing, she kissed him on the lips.
"You know, I think you were about to do something when Erza knocked on my door."
"Oh, I was, indeed."
His devilish eyes told her everything she needed to know about his plans.
Gajeel watched with a frown as the Twin Dragons from Sabertooth talked with Master right in front of the ship that would take them back to Tenrou Island.
"Why are they here?" he mumbled to himself.
"Master invited them." Gray answered.
"Why would the old man do this?"
Gray sighed.
"You and Natsu are just impossible, really. Yajima-san is their Master now, and he is one of ours. That pretty much make Sabertooth our sibling guild or something."
"Fuck it. I don't trust those two, I don't want them here."
"Sting-kun is Lucy's boyfriend now." Mirajane said, approaching the two boys. "He is part of the family now, Gajeel-kun."
He buffed.
"Bunny girl should know better."
Gray shrugged.
"It is flame brain fault, I must say, but we should respect her decision. Don't kill the guy, Gajeel."
Gajeel groaned.
"I don't give a damn to the blond bastard, but if that other one even tries to get close to Levy I will kill him."
Mirajane sighed.
"You know Levy-chan will be very upset if she hears you say that, right?"
"See if I care."
She was ready to sigh again, but Erza stopped her, putting a hand on her shoulder.
"Let me get this straight with you, Gajeel. You respect Master's decision, or I will personally get you."
A shiver of fear went through Gajeel's body, but he acted as if nothing had happened. However, that was when Levy approached Rogue and Sting.
"It's nice to see you guys again! Lu-chan told me you will be joining us to Tenrou Island!"
"Yep, we are." Sting answered while Rogue just nodded shortly.
Levy smiled to them.
"I'm glad. Just please, try not to piss our dragons too much, because the consequences will be all on me."
Sting laughed.
"Sorry, Levy-san, but it's not really our call."
Laughing, Levy walked to Lucy's side.
"Levy- chan, have you seen Natsu?"
The worried frown on Lucy's face told Levy everything she should know.
"No, I haven't. I'm sorry, Lu-chan."
Sighing, Lucy ran into Natsu's house direction. She didn't even bother to knock on the door before entering.
She found him lying on his couch, staring at his ceiling as if it was the most amazing thing in Earthland.
"Master is waiting for you." She said.
"I'm not going." He answered without taking his warm brown eyes from the ceiling.
"What do you mean you are not going? This is for our guild, Natsu. For our safety."
Slowly, he turned his head on her direction. She could see the hurt in his eyes, but she couldn't understand the reason why it was there.
"Exactly, Luce. This is for our guild, for our safety, in our island. They shouldn't be going."
She sighed and approached him, kneeling beside the couch.
"Master just wants to be sure he will found exactly what he wants to find. Besides, now that Yajima-san is Sabertooth's Master, they are practically from our guild."
"Is that what you tell yourself to justify you going out with him?"
"No. I'm going out with him because he showed me the person he wanted to be, and I want to help him become that person. Why is it so hard for you to accept that, Natsu? We accepted Levy and Gajeel's relationship, we accepted Erza and Jellal's relationship. So, why can't you accept mine too?"
At this point, her eyes were shining with tears.
"You're my best friend, Natsu. I can't afford to lose you."
With a very serious frown, Natsu got up and helped Lucy up too, pulling her by her shoulders. Before she could understand what he was doing, Natsu's lips were on hers. She was quick to push him away.
"What the hell do you think you are doing, Natsu?" she asked between sobs.
"I... Don't know."
"Exactly! You never know anything! Do you have any idea for how long I..." but she couldn't finish that sentence, no she just couldn't. "You better get you sorry ass on that ship. NOW!"
She didn't wait on his answer, though. She just stormed away from his house.
