Conversations

. . .

Jude raised an eyebrow and turned away from his daughter. "Then I'll instruct the staff that you are not to leave your rooms. Don't forget that you live under my roof, no matter your age." Jude walked into his office, closing the door and leaving Lucy still standing there.

. . .

Gajeel opened the door for Jose, closing it a little too hard behind him. He was on edge, that much was clear. He didn't like the attention that Jose was paying to Lucy and he had a pit in his stomach concerning what Jose had spoken with Jude about.

The iron slayer climbed into the driver seat. Reaching over to buckle his belt with unintended force he ended up snapping the fabric clear through.

"What's the matter, my boy?" Jose asked with a raised eyebrow. He had never seen his normally levelheaded dragon slayer act like this before.

"Nothing," Gajeel grumbled, as he threw the broken buckle into the backseat and started the engine.

"Doesn't seem like nothing," Jose quipped, ever one to egg someone on.

Gajeel grit his teeth as he began the drive back to the Guild. "It is nothing," he managed to grind out. He tried to put the thoughts of the way Jose was interacting with Lucy out of his mind, but the man continued to press on his nerves.

"So, you spent some time along with the daughter. What can you tell me about her?" Jose asked with what Gajeel perceived to be too much interest.

The slayer took a deep breath and tried to calm the rage that was broiling in the pit of his stomach. He'd never felt this way before when it came to any girl he had interacted with. Between last week not sleeping, not being able to keep his hands off her when they were meeting and now his some enraged state, he had a pretty good idea of what was going on. So Jose's interest really fucking pissed him off.

"Nothing really. She's pretty dull," he responded, trying his best to disinterest the Guild Master.

Jose narrowed his eyes. "That doesn't seem right. From what I saw, she's quite the spitfire."

Gajeel shrugged. "I didn't see it."

"Right," Jose said with some skepticism. "And her magic? I'm sure you felt the energy signatures. What can you tell me about her magic?"

Gajeel shrugged again. "Dunno. She's totally clueless about it."

"That doesn't seem right either, Gajeel," Jose said with a bit more of an edge. "Are you sure you're feeling quite alright? You're normally my go-to when it comes to reconnaissance. This was a rather simplistic task. Not losing your edge, are you?" he said with a bit of a smirk. The man knew exactly how to push Gajeel over the edge, having essentially raised the man and molded him to his own needs.

"Fuck that," Gajeel cursed, squeezing the car's steering wheel so hard he knew he left indents where his fingers were.

"Just an observation, that's all," Jose remarked as he stared out the window at the forested land they were driving through. The two stayed silent for the remainder of the ride back, both seemingly lost in thought. When they finally pulled up to the Guild headquarters, Jose turned to address Gajeel. "We'll be returning tomorrow."

Gajeel furrowed his brow. "Why so soon?"

Jose looked annoyed. "Come again?"

"Nevermind," Gajeel grumbled, closing the car door.

. . .

"Fuck that guy!" Gajeel cursed aloud as he entered his house. He slammed his door behind him, his anger getting the best of him.

He wasn't an idiot; he knew what Jose's intentions were towards the girl. Whether it be marriage or something a little less formal, there was going to be an exchange of money for her in the very near future. And that was something he just couldn't let happen.

Jose was putting him into a difficult situation. He owed the man a great deal—he had taken him in when he was an orphan and taught him everything he knew. But if this girl turned out to be a potential mate—he wasn't sure he could just let that go.

Metallicana had taught him a great deal before he'd been abandoned. Gajeel at least owed the fucker that much. When a dragon or slayer found someone with compatible magic, he understood that they would be drawn to each other. This pull would drive them to initiate the mating, essentially showing the pair that they had compatible magic. One a mating was initiated, the pair had the ability to seal the mating if they chose. If they did not, the mating would fade as they spent time away from one another.

Gajeel had never felt the pull before so he wasn't exactly sure what it would feel like. But what he did understand was that he so easily lost control around this girl and that was not something normal. From their first meeting, he allowed her to get close enough to him to plant a kiss on his cheek. To the second meeting where he couldn't seem to keep his hands off of her—these were situations he had never experienced before.

So Jose's interest in the girl was troublesome, to say the least. And he didn't know how he was supposed to handle this. So he was angry. He walked out onto his back porch and tried to get his breathing under control. Looking out over the forested land, he sat down and closed his eyes. Cupping his hands inside one another, he took focused breaths and tried to tune into his dragon senses.

It was a method Metallicana had forced him to learn since he was a child. Too often dragons and slayers allowed their rage to get the better of them, only leading to terrible consequences. Instead, Gajeel was trained to meditate whenever he felt out of control, and it usually did help him solve whatever problem he was having.

As practiced as Gajeel was, within minutes, he was connecting with his inner dragon. He held the image of Lucy in his mind and pushed a question to his dragon senses: "Potential mate?"

What he got back was not a clear yes but it was also not a clear no. If asked to translate it, it might read something like, "Maybe. Do not understand her magic."

Gajeel took a deep breath. That made sense. He did not quite know what type of magic this girl practiced. It was clear she was a mage from her energy but without experiencing her magic first hand, there was no way to confirm what this pull was. But one thing was for sure, he had not felt it before, so there was likely more to this than he cared to admit.

He bowed to his senses, thanking them for their guidance and wisdom before laying out on the porch. Looking up at the quickly darkening sky, he knew what he needed to do the next day and was thankful that he was only going to miss one additional day of sleep before he had his answer.

. . .

Lucy did not retire to her rooms immediately. Instead, she walked herself to the galley where she grabbed pieces of this and that for dinner. She was agitated and while she knew she had reason to be, she still couldn't shake the odd feelings she was experiencing.

Her lips burned where Gajeel had pressed his to hers and her body ached for his to be close to hers again.

"What's got your cheeks so red, huh?"

Lucy turned in surprise, nearly dropping her entire plate of food at the woman's voice. "Oh my goodness, Spetto!" Lucy exclaimed. "You scared me half to death!"

"Only because you're lost in something that's raising your temperature," the older woman said with a knowing smile. "With my old bones, I haven't been quiet for the last two decades. So," the woman said, sitting at the counter and motioning for Lucy to do the same, "What's on your mind? It's not that hulk of a fellow I saw you in the gardens with, is it?"

Lucy's eyes widened in surprise and a bit of panic. "What did you see? Please don't tell father!" the blonde responded immediately.

"Stop that," Spetto said with a wave of her hand. "I've never been loyal to your father. Only ever your mother and now you. I should think you would know that."

Lucy breathed a sigh of relief. "I know. I'm sorry I didn't mean to doubt you."

"So go on," the woman said, encouraging Lucy to talk. "I know I'm not much to look at now, but in my old days I did quite well. I'm sure I can help you through whatever man troubles you're experiencing."

Lucy blushed at the woman insinuation. "Well. I don't know exactly what you saw us doing in the gardens," she began but the woman interrupted her.

"Enough to know he's on your mind."

Lucy pulled her lips in slightly, unsure of how she had managed to miss someone having seen the two; that was unlike her. "Well, he's unlike any other man I've been with before," Lucy admitted. "I know you understand that I'm not the woman my father necessarily thinks I am, considering you've always been the one to help cover for me from time to time." The woman nodded her head with a bit of a smile.

"And I'll always be glad to. Keeping you cooped up in this big house like you're some sort of doll isn't good for a girl of your age. You need to see the world, have friends, experience boys. I make no apologies."

Lucy nodded her head in gratitude to the woman. "Right, but—being around Gajeel. I can't seem to get my mind off of him."

Spetto barked out a laugh. "Honey, a man like that? If I were your age, I wouldn't be able to get myselfoff of him, let alone my mind."

"Spetto!" Lucy said with a laugh and a blush.

"Don't act like you're some prude virgin," the woman responded. "You're thinking the same thing I am, admit it."

"Okay fine," Lucy said with a laugh. "But before today, I've never lost control like that around someone. I didn't mean for what happened to happen. It was risky with father around—too risky."

Spetto nodded her head in agreement. "I don't disagree with you there. But sooner or later you're going to have to make a decision regarding your father. Either you live your life or the life he wants you to live. I can't make that decision for you; no one can."

Lucy sighed. "Yeah," she said a bit deflated. She knew that fact too; she'd been feeling it for a while. But it was only until recently that she became of age and could actually make that a reality. "If I left, he'd completely disinherit me."

Spetto nodded. "Maybe. But you're a smart girl. I know you'd figure out how to put your talents to use." Lucy knew that Spetto was referring to her abilities as a mage. It had been the older maid that had hidden her mother's keys from her father, handing them off to Lucy when she was a bit older along with a book she had found on celestial magic. It wasn't much, but it at least had given Lucy the ability to develop her power.

Lucy sighed. "It's all a little overwhelming. This house is the only home I've ever known. And while I've managed to sneak away for an evening out here or there, I've never been away for any significant period of time."

Spetto reached out to pat the girl's hand. "Don't worry about that just yet. The right path will reveal itself; it always does. And in the meantime, don't be too hard on yourself about this new hunk. He's gorgeous. I'd be worried if you weren't caught up in him."

Lucy blushed a bit and smiled. Standing up, she walked around the counter to give the older woman a hug. "Thank you, Spetto. You always know just the right thing to say."

"That just comes from years of saying the wrong thing, my dear." The two women laughed.

END CHAPTER 4