Chapter 4
With his scarf securely wrapped around his head like a ninja mask, Natsu stealthily made his way to the bar. He checked his surroundings warily while flattened against the wall, not wanting to risk getting caught again.
/It's the perfect time now. Erza is still out on her mission with Wendy, Charle and Happy. The pervert popsicle is being cornered by his stalker. Metal head is strumming his guitar in the corner for what he calls a performance, but we all know is just another torture session. Mira is distracted with cheering up Freed because Laxus left on a mission without telling him and gramps is up in his office. No one will stop me now from getting my hands on the mission log book. Then I'm gonna find out where the mission is that Lucy took – and stupid Laxus said I couldn't come along – and 'bam', I'm right there with her. Like a ninja! HA! Take that you lightning spouting jerk!/
He was close now. A quick look around revealed that no one had noticed his presence pressed against the wall, so he took his chance and dove behind the bar counter. Fortunately the usual chatter and noise around the guild drowned out his rather hard landing on the floor. He looked up, his eyes darting right and left through his self made ninja mask.
/Good, Mira is still with Freed. I just need to stay down and sneak to the cabinet behind her. Nin-nin!/
The pink haired dragon slayer and part-time ninja got on all fours and oh so slowly made his way to the little wooden cabinet that was underneath the bar counter. It was quite dangerous, as the oldest Strauss was fairly close to it, but she still had her back turned to him, petting a depressed Freed's head, so Natsu decided to risk it.
He was so close now. Just a little more. Nearly in touching distance. So very close.
He was right before the cabinet!
Now all he needed to do was reach out his hand, turn the knob, get the book and open the right page! Piece of cake!
/Just wait for me Luce, I will be with you before you know it! And then I'm gonna make her buy me dinner to make up for going without me! After I kick Laxus ass for knocking me out and saying I couldn't come in the first place! Yeah!/
He was just about to grab the knob when a soft, delicate hand closed around his wrist.
"Natsu."
The sweet voice of the barmaid the hand belonged to made him shudder. He looked up into the deceivingly smiling face and gulped.
"H-hey Mira!"
The woman smiled wider.
"What are you doing down there, Natsu?"
Was it just his imagination or had her eyes just gotten darker?
"Nothing! Y-you know, just, uhm, looking for something."
She was still holding onto his wrist and he felt as if her nails were growing.
"Oh? What are you looking for? It wouldn't happen to be something in this cabinet, would it?"
Okay, there was definitely a threatening tone to her voice now. Sweat was pouring down the young man's back as he vehemently shook his head and stood up.
"Yes, - I mean NO! Of course not! I don't even know what's in there and what would I do with the stupid mission log book anyway? Lucy is the one who likes books, not me. I-I mean, is that where the log book is?! I didn't know that! Not like I was searching for it or anything! I was looking for… for… THIS! Yes! I was looking for this mug, because… because… because the stupid icicle wanted it! Yeah! And now that I have it, I'm gonna go give it to him! So, see ya!"
And with that he was gone, leaving behind an amused Mirajane and snickering Freed.
"Lying really isn't his forte."
Mira shook her head.
"I'm kinda curious what he is going to do with the mug now."
Her question was answered not a second later when Gray's shout echoed through the guild hall.
"What the hell Flame brain?! Did you just throw that mug at my head?! Now you're gonna get it!"
"Oh yeah? Bring it on!"
Meanwhile
It was awkward again. This wasn't fair. They had been fine on their way to the mansion, talking about mundane things. So how was it that now, after they had been let in and asked to wait for the lord of the house in one of the many great and expensively furnished rooms, it was awkward again?
Lucy wanted to bury her head in her hands when she remembered. She had blown it again.
A few minutes earlier.
"…and because his weird fixation with the revolving doors triggered Natsu's motion sickness, he threw up on our client. The man was so enraged about this that he cut our reward even more. Really, just once I would like to go on a job and receive the full payment."
She sighed so forlornly when she said that, that Laxus couldn't help but snicker.
"Well, since I don't plan on throwing up on anyone or destroy anything, you just might get lucky with this one."
For a moment Lucy had an almost dreamy look on her face, but then quickly shook her head.
"No, no. This is an S-Class mission. I might not even be able to help you. It wouldn't be fair for me to demand equal pay."
Laxus just shrugged.
"The flyer didn't say much about the mission, just that an ancient book was involved. Lets first see what this is all about, before we rule out your contribution to this completely."
Even if it turned out that Lucy was right and wouldn't be able to help much, Laxus wasn't going to let her go without pay. It wasn't like he was doing this for the money anyways.
Lucy was happy that the older blond didn't just automatically write her off as useless. Though she really wouldn't have held it against him if he had. She knew what she could and couldn't do and an S-Class mission was definitely beyond her limits. If this wasn't related to the Layton's, she wouldn't even be here right now. Still, it was nice that Laxus planned to let her be part of it. She had just opened her mouth to tell him as much, when they stopped in front of a large iron gate.
They had to look up to see the huge mansion behind that gate. Laxus whistled softly.
"Damn. So, this is it?"
He glanced at the young woman beside him who nodded.
"Yeah, this is the Layton family estate. It looks just like I remember."
Now that she was here, Lucy began to feel slight apprehension. Without conscious thought, she began picking on her clothes, straightening them out the best she could. It didn't escape Laxus' notice though.
"Nervous?"
Startled, she looked up at him, about to deny his suspicion when, instead, she sighed and nodded.
"I haven't seen or talked to Mr. And Mrs. Layton or Celia, their daughter, since I joined Fairy Tail. If you count the time we were stuck on Tenrou island, it's been even longer. I don't even know if they will recognize me."
Hoping to reassure the girl, Laxus softly bumped her shoulder with his elbow.
"Chin up. If they don't recognize you, you just introduce yourself again. Nothing to be worried about."
Lucy smiled. "Thanks Laxus, you are right. I'm really looking forward to seeing Celia again."
The lightning dragon slayer felt like patting himself on the back for a job well done. Lucy may not be as comfortable with him as she was with most others in the guild, but at least she no longer gave the impression of bolting as soon as he made any sudden movements.
And he had kinda comforted her a little just now. That's what he called progress.
Pretty satisfied with himself, he stuck out a hand to open the gate before them, only to have Lucy suddenly shout "No Laxus wait!" , right before he was zapped by some kind of magical current. He quickly retracted his hand, shaking it a little to get the stinging to stop.
"What the hell was that?!"
Lucy beside him cringed.
"I'm sorry, I should have warned you sooner, I didn't think of it. I'm so sorry."
She had taken a step back, was looking literally anywhere but him, and started wringing her hands again. Laxus cursed mentally.
/God dammit! Now she's all nervous again! What the hell happened to my fucking progress?!/
Angry with the way things had turned, he sent the gate a dark look.
"What just happened?"
"The lacrima system detected the magic in your body and reacted. I'm so sorry, I completely forgot about this until just now."
Looking over to the young woman, Laxus grimaced.
/Great, she looks like she is expecting me to yell at her. Fucking shit!/
Taking a deep breath to calm himself – and hopefully her – Laxus tried to rid himself of his irritation.
"It's alright. It doesn't even hurt, just took me by surprise. Now, mind explaining to me about this system?"
Apparently his calm demeanor paid off as Lucy relaxed a little. Though she didn't come any closer to him, she at least wasn't avoiding eye contact any more.
"This is a special security system that many noble families have installed."
"The Layton's are nobility?"
Lucy blinked at him questioningly. "Of course. Didn't I mention that before?"
"No, You said they were old family friends, nothing more. Now that I think about it, the job request didn't say anything about their status either."
Now even more ashamed of herself for forgetting not only about the security system, but also about cluing her temporary partner in sooner, Lucy nervously rubbed the back of her neck.
"Oh, s-sorry again." /God, he must think I'm such an airhead. Idiot idiot idiot!/
Laxus sighed.
"Lucy, it's alright, don't worry. Look, I know you didn't forget on purpose and nothing happened. Just calm down and tell me about this security crap. Are we supposed to just wait here until someone notices us?"
The pretty blond felt immensely better after Laxus words and took a step forward again.
"No. The thing with the gate is actually very easy. The energy that just zapped you is a protective measure to ward off magical attacks. It stretches all around the property. What you just got was kind of a warning shot. There are two specific code phrases to deactivate the energy field temporarily and gain entrance. The Layton's set one phrase for people to gain entrance, but remain unable to use their magic while inside the barrier, and another that allows the use of magic while on the property for a few hours. It's not completely fool proof. A skilled rune mage like Freed might be able to decode or get around the barrier and a powerful mage – like you for example – could probably break through if they set their mind to it. But as far as I know, it is the best security system money can buy.
Back then father wanted to get one for our home, but mother was against it. Apparently there is no way to exclude certain people from the magic suppressing energy and mother didn't want to have to use the code phrase every few hours just to be able to use her keys. And since she knew that my own magical ability was growing as well, she didn't want me to b uncomfortable in our own home."
Laxus understood what she meant. Even though they were currently outside of the barrier, he could feel it pressing down on his magic. It made him feel like something was burdening him down, restricting him. Now that he knew it was there, it was strange that he hadn't felt it sooner. Either this barrier was designed to not be detected until first contact, or he had been so distracted with his thoughts that he simply hadn't noticed. Whatever the reason though, he didn't like it.
"So, you know one of those codes?"
Lucy nodded.
"Yes, both actually. Well, as long as they haven't changed them anyway. Okay, here goes."
But before she said anything, she turned to her companion, a blush on her face.
"Don't laugh."
Now he was curious and listened closely as Lucy spoke.
"Pixies here and pixies there,
flying, dancing everywhere.
Pixies left and pixies right,
I will dance all day and night."
Laxus could immediately feel how the barrier's pressure on his magic vanished, but instead of a relieved sigh, he was trying hard to suppress the smirk that was trying to stretch over his face.
He wasn't very successful if Lucy's pout was anything to go by.
"I told you not to laugh. Mr Layton couldn't think of a phrase that would be hard to figure out, so he asked Celia and me. And this used to be my favourite rhyme."
She was as red as a tomato and Laxus couldn't keep the snickers in.
"So you came up with that?"
Oh, this was just too good. Who knew the girl could be so cute. She had even done a little hopping move at the last sentence. Lucy stomped her foot beside the laughing wizard, her arms crossed underneath her bust.
"Shut up, I was five!"
This was so embarrassing. Damn her childhood obsession with pixies!
The second generation dragon slayer stifled his laughter, after all, if anymore blood shot to Lucy's head, she would probably faint. He couldn't kill off the wide grin as he turned to her, however.
"I gotta admit, it's a damn good security code. No thief of dark mage is ever going to guess this one."
He stretched out his arm and pushed against the gate, this time opening it without a problem. And though he had told himself not to make fun of her, Laxus just couldn't keep the comment in.
"After you, Pixie."
She huffed, blushing furiously from the new nickname, and stormed in, all her insecurities and shyness around the older mage momentarily forgotten in favour of her embarrassment.
They had been let in by the head butler, after identifying themselves as the hired mages of Fairy Tail, and been escorted to the lounge to wait for the master of the house. After they declined the offer of a beverage, the old butler left them in search of Mr Layton.
And since Laxus kept snickering every time he looked at Lucy, the celestial spirit mage had tried her hand at conversation again, in hopes of making Laxus forget about her humiliating little pixie rhyme.
"So, do you have a favourite author? I for one love the work of Kemu Sabe. He really knows how to write out a scene and set the atmosphere. And his characters are always so believable. And then there is Saya Rakesh, her romance novels are just amazing. The way she can describe the characters emotions so well, it's like you are falling in love along with the protagonists. And no one is versed as well in suspense as Carriel Stern. I get goosebumps every time I read one of his works."
Realizing she had let her excitement get the best of her, Lucy abruptly stopped her gushing fest and looked over to Laxus, who was sitting on a comfortable chair next to the love seat she was on. The older blond shrugged.
"I'm not really the reader type. That's more Freed's thing."
"Oh, uhm, what do you like to do in your free time then? Any hobbies?"
"Nothing in particular. Just hanging around the guild, going on jobs…"
Seeing disappointed brown eyes and feeling how the formerly relaxed atmosphere around them was slowly dissipating, Laxus racked his brain for something he could say that would keep their conversation going.
"Playing cards. I like poker. It can be pretty challenging to figure out whether or not your opponents are bluffing. Its fun to create a new strategy for every round, you know?"
Now it was Lucy's turn to shrug her shoulders apologetically.
"Not really, I never played poker. I was never really interested before, but it sounds like fun, I guess."
And this was how they had gotten to their current, once again, uncomfortable and awkward state of non communication. Lucy wanted to 'Lucy-kick' herself. This was so her fault.
/I probably bored him with all my fan-girling over books. Natsu and Happy were right, I really talk too much. Maybe I should have asked him more about card games, but that might have just irritated him. Maybe he just doesn't like talking so much, he seems like the silent type… God, I hope I didn't get on his nerves before!/
Things weren't much better with Laxus.
/Fantastic. Just fucking fantastic. The great Laxus Dreyar can't even keep up a normal conversation with a guild member. God damn shit. I couldn't have said something about literature? Freed is always nagging me about his precious books and shit, didn't any of that stick with me? Maybe I should start actually listening to him when he talks… Damn./
Both of them let out a silent sigh of relief when the door opened and a young man in a tailored suit stepped into the room.
"Ah, you must be the wizards of Fairy Tail. Please pardon the wait, but I had some urgent business to attend to."
Long elegant strides carried the young man over to the two waiting mages, his hand already lifted to offer a handshake.
Laxus stood, about to greet their employer, when Lucy's words halted him.
"Who are you?"
to be continued
That damn pixie rhyme took me three days to come up with! And all for the sake of a pet name... damn. Oh well.
As always, if anyone wants to use anything they read in one of my stories for their own fanfic, please help yourself. (Unless you plan on being mean to Lucy. Don't be mean to Lucy)
Reviews:
KanaeHitomi: Thank you. Well, the bond between Laxus and Lucy is developing rather slowly right now, but develop it will. And as for Natsu,... well, you read what happened with him. Poor guy. Wonder what else he is gonna get up to. I'm glad you like the story thus far and hope you will continue to like it.
xXxSatasixXx: You make me blush. Thank you so much. I have to admit I'm rather proud of myself for that little bit about Lucy's clothes and I'm so fucking glad that it has received such a good response from everyone so far. Even though I took some liberties with it. Thank you for praising my writing, I just hope I can keep it up.
YamiHinata: Actually I'm pretty sure its fanservice, but that's the great thing about writing fanfictions. You can twist things to your liking. :-) Thanks for the review.
Yua-Hime: Have I told you yet that I love your reviews? I really do. Thank you so much. That little thing with Lucy's clothes is actually what prompted me to write this fiction. Because as you (and Gray when copied by Gemini: More naive than she appears.) have said, her clothing style and behaviour some of the time don't add up. And then this just came to me. Then I thought about bringing this up in a context, then I thought about the most likely and at the same time most unlikely person Lucy could talk to about it, then I needed to create a situation which would force this conversation and well, things kinda went from there. You know, how fics can get started due to the silliest idea sometimes... And yeah, I thought it would be better to have them act a little awkward with each other in the beginning (well, and now still. hihi) They are just getting to know each other after all. Though this here is once again a chapter without much happening, things will soon be at a point where the story starts to flow. I hope you liked it never the less. Thank you again for your kind words.
natsuandlucy4ever: Yes, I would also enjoy it if something like this happened in the manga. I mean it was great how Laxus took revenge for Lucy in the GMG against Flare, but they are still basically strangers. I would love some more interaction. I had always kinda hoped they could bond about their father-issues, but I don't think the mangaka is planning to do any such thing. Not that I will let this stop me of course. :-) Thanks for the review.
goichi: Though an intriguing pairing, I kinda have a thing for Mira and Freed. I also think Cana would make an interesting older sister figure for Lucy if she dates Laxus. But the romantic pairings aren't really the focus of this story, so nothing has been decided yet. Thank you for your comment and interest in the story.
Lectori Salutem:Thats an interesting username you have. Is there a special story behind it? And don't worry, as you can see, they are still not really all that comfortable with each other and still have some more bonding to do. The easy camaraderie from before was mostly due to the casual topics of conversation and the need to loosen up after Lucy's tense confession about her past. Thanks for mentioning the last lines of the chapter, I was rather proud of those. :-)
GoldenRoseTanya: I agree, fics like this one are indeed a rarity, which I find really sad. It's a lot of fun to write and I love reading about sibling like bonds and relationships. I really hope that maybe some people will get inspired by this and write similar fanfics. Then I would get to read some too. :-) Thanks for the comment.
Deathsembrace137: I think its great that you want to read the fic even though the implied romantic pairing isn't your favourite. And don't worry, the story focuses on Lucy and Laxus the most, even though their affections for another will be purely sibling like. I have already planned out two (what I hope will be) really cute scenes between them, and I think there are more to follow - the plotbunnies for this story haunt my dreams. Thanks for the review.
crazy and random child: Thanks for your kind words. I just hope I can keep it up. It's rather slow going at the moment.
amyskywalker: Well, the first part of the chapter should have answered your question about Natsu. Poor thing, I'm really starting to feel sorry for him. Just stay tuned, I know right now there isn't much progress with Laxus and Lucy, but it will come, I promise. Thanks for the comment.
SpinalCoil: Thank you so much. Your words really uplifted my spirit. I'm so glad that the little background story about Lucy has been received so well by everyone so far. And yes, Laxus is really trying hard, he is just not used to it. I think it's funny how they are both so insecure with this. Though for different reasons. Progress is slow right now, but it will pick up in time. Those two are going to learn more and more about each other and grow very fond of each other. In time. Right now, it's still a bit awkward. :-)
mangalover26: Yeah, I took some liberties with Lucy's past. I'm pretty sure her clothing in the manga and anime is more due to fanservice than any association with personal freedom. It's also unlikely that Lucy is of nobility. But, it works for the story and I thought it was a nice new twist, you know? And the noble blood thing will be something really important later on in the story. :-) Hope you enjoyed this chapter as well. Thanks for the comment.
Llaelien: I don't think I would call it a betrayal. I mean Lucy originally wanted Natsu to come, but she didn't want to force his company on Laxus. And it's not like she just up and left, she talked to Natsu and explained things to him. Though Natsu being upset about it is understandable, Lucy didn't do it to spite him or anything. Thank you for your review.
allycat1979: We are getting there. Slowly, but we are definitely getting there. Glad you liked it so far. More bonding time to come in future chapters. Thank you for your comment.
Liani: Well, the thing with the Layton's reaction to Lucy's clothes just got a little more complicated. :-) Don't you just love story twists? :-) Really wondering how things will progress from here... wait, I'm the author,... I should know this... shit. *drop* Thanks for your comment.
dave-in-excile: Thank you. I was really fretting about characterisation in the last chapter. I mean, with a fanfic there is usually always a little bit of out of character behaviour involved, as no one knows the characters like their creator himself does, so for most of us, it's a bit of guess work. And then there are of course the different points of views of everyone reading the original work and figuring out for themselves why a character acts and behaves the way they do and what drives them or halts them. I'm pretty sure I will fuck up somewhere along the line in the story (I mean I am creating a bond between two people who don't really associate with one another in the manga), but I hope it will still be an enjoyable read. The Master was indeed a bit off in the first chapter, but his matchmaking behaviour was mostly a front for me to show another outlook at Natsu's and Lucy's relationship and feelings for one another and I thought he was the best person to judge it unbiased. I also thought it possible that the old man would find it an amusing task to help his kids along with realizing their feelings for one another. And he did buy Lucy some racy swimwear, so, that counts, right? :-) Once again thank you for the comment and I hope I will be able to produce something worth reading.
PandaGirl: Well, they aren't exactly at that stage yet, but we are getting closer with every chapter. And believe you me, Laxus will be a really really great older brother. :-) ... I hope. Thanks for the comment.
general zargon:Thanks for pointing those out. I will correct them soon. Whenever you find any mistakes, please tell me about them. Glad you liked the chapter, hope the same goes for this new one. Even though we are at a snails pace right now when it comes to story progress... sorry. Thank you for the review.
Nom de plume - Pol:I hope you will continue to like it from here on out. Thanks for the comment.
Ryuus2: Thanks, but english is actually my second language. French would be my third, and I'm REALLY bad at french... But still, thank you for praising my english. This made me smile. And you are right, though I really like the romance between Natsu and Lucy, this story focuses on the sibling bond between Laxus and Lucy. And there are some great scenes to come. I still don't wanna neglect Natsu though. But I'm sure I will find a way to do it fairly. Thank you very much for your kind words.
Insight 52:Oh, thank you. I just hope I will be able to meet your expectations of this story. Things are still in the beginning stages, so nothing much has happened yet, but it will pick up with the next few chapters. Hopefully. :-) Thanks for the comment.
fanfic recs
I haven't had much time to read myself during the last few weeks, but I have to give you at least one recommendation:
Nightmares, by GeminiMab.If you haven't read it yet, shame on you. Read it, read it, read it. There may be the occasional hiccup in the story, but it is very cute and exciting and sweet and fun and, oh just read it.
A little question on the side: Which one of the (main) male members of Fairy Tail do you think would be the most UNlikely to be Lucy's best friend?
My money is on Gajeel.
