Hiiiii! I just want to thank those who reviewed, and clicked the favorite and follow buttons! It made me happy! Anyway, here's the next chapter. Hope you enjoy! :)
Warning: Lots of curses coming up :D
Disclaimer: Still a fairy without a tail :(((
Yes, Milady
IV - Help Her Prepare
by cheerry-blossoms
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Of all people who could have seen him finally strip, why did it have to be Lady Lucy?
Usually, the people not acquainted with him would have the same reaction, but he did not mind. They won't see him again, anyway.
Perhaps, the fact that she was his boss—his master—was the reason he was panicking.
Stripping was a habit of his since he was a kid. It started during his training with his mother Ul who told him and the other student she took, Lyon, to undress when fighting because it was more convenient to move even if you expose your body to the enemy. As his mother grew up in a poor region, where it always snowed, before she met his father, she'd equipped herself with fighting skills for protection, from enemies and the cold. She just wanted her children to be capable of protecting themselves, particularly his half-sister, Ultear, who was Ul's child with her former lover.
He was just too used with it that even when not fighting, he unknowingly removes his clothes when it gets warm or whenever he felt uncomfortable.
Thankfully, he was conscious enough to leave his boxers on. Heaven and hell would clash if he had removed it too.
It was her fault! He was getting too stressed in thinking of her weird actions towards him that he forgot the unspoken rule of not stripping within the mansion premises. His personal problems, plus that image of her wearing almost nothing, were causing his brain to malfunction. He couldn't be blamed it for it; he's a young active man who has needs, after all! And she happened to be an attractive young lady with a gifted body.
He just noticed that he hadn't shrugged the awkward situation off and calmly picked his clothes up yet as he would normally do.
In fact, he wasn't doing anything to resolve the problem.
"Put your clothes on!"
And that was his cue.
He hastily grabbed his clothes and tried putting it back on him. However, he was shaking too much to do it properly.
He cursed under his breath, turning to the other side as if it will hide him from the lady. Why did his damn uniform have many damn layers?
Then, he heard a boisterous laugh from behind the bushes.
Even if his mind was in shambles, he could instantly recognize that maniacal sound. Only one person laughs that way.
"YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN YOUR FACE, ICE CUBE!" A boy with spiky pink hair rolled on the grass laughing while clutching on his stomach. The boy was in an orange shirt and white baggy pants, and on his neck was his favorite white scale-printed scarf. He snorted; it was not even that cold. A strange blue cat also appeared from the bushes.
Oh to hell with dressing up. He had to do some pink pest cleaning in the garden.
"You sayin' something, slant-eyed fireball?" He growled at the pink boy who immediately stood up to face him, sporting an equally annoyed expression, retorting, "I said, you deaf ass, you should have seen your ugly fucking face. And what's with the fucking hair, porn star?"
"Natsu?"
The clash of imaginary ice and fire between the two of them was gone as the lady took a step closer, her cheeks still as pink as Natsu's hair.
"Luce!" Pinkie beamed, his slanted eyes widening in delight as he ran to the lady and envelop her in a tight hug. The blue cat named Happy jumped at Lady Lucy and purred happily as she stroked the back of its ears.
He knew Natsu had been playmates with Lady Lucy way back, but he wasn't aware they were that close to be on a first name basis and to even have a nickname for her. He thought Levy was the only privileged person to be casual around their landlord's daughter. But you'll never know with Natsu.
"What are you doing here? It's already late." Lady Lucy asked, giggling when Happy nuzzled its nose on her cheeks. She seemed to be fond of Natsu as well.
The son of Magnolia's famous blacksmith grinned devilishly, his fangs appearing. "And why are you out so late, too, hm? Were you peeking on droopy eyes?"
"No!" Lady Lucy answered too immediately it almost hurt his man pride.
"Natsu, go home. Lady Lucy has to rest now." He growled at Natsu.
Natsu merely gawked at him as if he's seen a ghost before returning to his usual derpy face. "Put your clothes on first, you perverted butler."
He gasped. Right! He forgot! Damn!
~0~
The warmth on her cheeks didn't fade even when Gray excused himself to hide while dressing up.
What was he doing almost bare out in the cold night? Was he gonna do something she had prevented?
'The cold doesn't bother me.' Was that statement related to it? What if he's really like Elsa? Or Jack Frost—
But, why did Natsu act as if it's a normal thing? Sure, they're boys and they must have seen each other's patooties knowing how much of a prankster her friend was. Still, why didn't it bother him a bit?
Could it be— she squealed mentally.
"That's normal." Natsu said, grinning knowingly at her.
"My reaction or Gray stripping?" She couldn't help but ask a bit rudely. Natsu wouldn't mind. He was worse, considering she was the daughter of his landlord and he's talking to her informally.
Natsu had been her friend for years because Igneel, his father, was close to her parents so they would end up as playmates whenever the oldies would have some serious business talk.
She likes Natsu, because of his carefree personality, and she always felt safe around him. First, because Natsu was a trained fighter, a member of a fishy secret organization he won't tell her about because, well, it's a secret. And second, he skipped puberty. He was never interested in her boobs unlike Taurus and Loke. Actually, he was never interested in women... and men. It was safe to say he's asexual.
The last point was also quite disappointing because Natsu grew up from the snotty kid she knew to a hot teen. He's not the Gray-hot type. No, that was on a different level. He just had his own appeal, and she's sure other girls have noticed it. Lisanna, one of their chefs, once told her she likes Natsu. Unfortunately for her, Natsu only saw her as a sister.
Good thing she got over her little crush on him already. She doesn't know how to handle such things, and she wouldn't risk her friendship with the only boy she's comfortable with. He's like her older brother, with how protective Natsu is over her.
He chuckled, bringing her back on the track. "Both." Her round eyes got bigger. Did she just have a butler who was a pervert?!
And he sees her every day in her night gowns... which weren't exactly conservative... oh! And the swimming class scene...!
She felt like banging her head on the nearest table.
"But I was just kidding when I said he's a pervert. He may be, a little bit, I don't know, but it's not what you think of. I'm sure he respects you, so you don't have to worry about getting comfortable around him just like how you're with me. I think you should try it."
On why her smile felt forced, she didn't know.
Surprisingly, Natsu leaned closer to her and whispered, "Luce, don't be hard on Gray now, okay? He's..."
"I really hope you hadn't ruined my reputation more, Katniss." Gray's husky (and embarrassed) voice rang in her ears, causing a slight shiver course through her body.
His clothes were back on him, thankfully. She preferred her butler clothed. But she noted he was not having that awkward straight posture. His shoulders were a little slouched, a little relaxed.
Natsu turned to Gray, grinning, "You'll never know, and for the nth time—"
"I knew you can't count!"
"—I don't know who the hell Catpiss is, Elsa!"
"I'm surprised you know Elsa."
"You wanta fight, bastard?!"
"Bring it on, dumbass!"
She watched Gray and Natsu interact. They may have been blurting out harsh words, calling each other insulting names and may have been in a brawl most of the time, she knew they give importance to each other as friends. It was proven in Natsu's speech just before Gray arrived.
Actually, she liked that carefree side of Gray more. She wished he could show her more of that attitude some time, even when it was just the two of them.
"You seem to be forgetting something, Popsicle," Natsu smiled devilishly, with Gray just arching an eyebrow. It's a look to show Gray that he had won.
She idiotically pointed at herself when Natsu looked at her. "Your Master is still here."
Oh...
Gray's face paled.
~0~
Looking at her butler proved to be quite difficult nowadays. His topless image still haunted her mind every time she sees him. She's very conservative, thank you very much. It was her first time seeing a half-naked guy, okay?! Plus the fact she finds Gray attractive made her situation worse.
Even if he's fully clothed all the time in the mansion, she can't help but remember what's under those layers.
He... he really had a nice body. His back is broad and smooth, and his muscles flex at his every movement. She couldn't tear her eyes off from his chest which was really, really developed, as well as his toned stomach. She had nothing more to say about his arms. He's just so... manly...
Gray, too, obviously was more awkward around her, even if she said there was no harm done. He still apologized when she zoned out and think it was his fault. She spacing out was normal, she told Gray. In all honesty, though, her virgin eyes were harmed.
Oh god, they should get past this awkward stage.
On another note, she still wasn't used to the newest way of waking her up.
It had been several times it was executed on her, several times she said not to do it again, yet several times she was ignored because she still found it hard to get up immediately.
It was not entirely her fault; it was her bed's fault for being so comfy. Plus, she never was a morning person, just like her mother.
It was never cured through the years. The schedules planned by Capricorn (revised and approved by Jude) were aimed to make her get up early on her own. But her bed just had to be the comfiest thing on earth, so no one could separate the two of them. They just gave up, she'd assumed.
In her opinion, Gray's tactic was sort of effective. After getting annoyed for being carried, she was wide awake; unlike before that she'll go out walking like a princess zombie.
Still, she wouldn't tolerate him. She'll prove to the butler that sly technique of his wouldn't work on her until he gives up.
Then she found herself being carried—again—by her butler the next morning.
~0~
A loud crash disrupted her peaceful breakfast.
There far away on her side, she saw Gray kneeling on the carpet, hastily picking up the broken pieces of the tea set while apologizing.
He'd better be thankful Jude was not around. Capricorn looked angry and she's sure Gray will get an earful from the older butler. Maybe she should keep him away from Capricorn?
Aside from the new wake up call, there was something weird on Gray nowadays. He was usually unfocused. He was sometimes caught inattentive, and he got clumsier than her.
Gray was a newbie; he was still getting used to being a butler in the mansion, still, he was not that careless. Something was distracting him, and as his master, she had the right to know.
"Are you sick?" She asked one night when Gray delivered her glass of milk.
The butler gaped at her wide-eyed, surprised at her question. In a flash, his expression returned to being neutral. "I am not, Milady. Was there something wrong on me?"
She shrugged, knowing Gray would lie. "You just seemed weird these past days."
"I apologize for my incapability of serving you. Rest assured I am not sick. I am grateful for Milady's concern."
She observed him for a while, searching for some hint of lie. But Gray remained emotionless, and he looked like not breaking that facade soon.
Sighing, she waved a hand at him as a sign of dismissal. She wouldn't get anything from him soon.
Gray took a bow and quietly stepped outside the room.
~0~
Gray drastically changed.
Her awkward butler transformed to an unfocused butler. He talked and moved like a robot, worse than Virgo. Sometimes, he doesn't even feel her presence.
There really was something wrong with him. Was it related to what Natsu was about to tell her?
Aside from being unfocused, he also got clumsier and more irritated than before. She heard him muttering curses when he broke something. He must have broken ten silverwares already.
Capricorn looked worried for him, as well. She hadn't seen the old man get mad at the young butler for his mistakes. He only gave Gray warnings, but more than that, there was none.
Gray had been her butler for more than a month now; he should have improved.
She can't just ask him what was going on, although she deserves to know why his work quality decreases. She's sure it was his personal problem and it's not her right to meddle in it.
But she's really curious!
~0~
Sagittarius came back to Magnolia from the many international competitions he had joined in. As expected of him, he aced all of them.
It was his duty to teach her archery and horseback riding. She's exceptional in the latter subject, that was why Sagittarius chose to take the first one to work on for that day.
She stood in the middle of her room covered in a silver robe when Gray came out from her walk-in closet to prepare her outfit for her archery lesson. She accepted the clothes he had handed her.
Looking at the navy blue double-layered wrap-over jacket and white loose trousers with many pleats in the front, she recognized those to be a uniform for another lesson of hers. She didn't know why, but she was annoyed. Normally, she would have looked over it and just tell her butler. She immediately called for her butler's attention and lifted the clothes.
"Gray, this is my kendo uniform." She must have said it rudely for the butler froze when she called him.
Gray looked closely at the clothes in her hand, his dark blue eyes widening in recognition. "Ah, shit!" Gray surprisingly cussed.
At his mistake, his cheeks blushed as he grabbed the clothes from her, continuously bowing in apology.
"Shit— I, um, I apologize, Milady! I will get the correct uniform, immediately!"
Her flustered butler ran back to the walk-in closet, coming back out in an instant, with, thankfully, the right set of clothes. She sighed heavily. Gray looked so stressed she didn't bother teasing him this time, though she really wanted to yell at him.
~0~
Plak!
She frowned when the arrow didn't hit her target.
Archery was one of her least liked lessons, just because she's under the sun, and she has to maintain a very, very straight posture.
She had been learning from Sagittarius since she was sixteen—only two years ago. It had not been a weekly lesson unlike the others since Sagittarius was always out of the country, so her progress wasn't marvelous.
So far, all she could do was hit the red target, and hit the body of the animal pictures.
Sometimes, Sagittarius teaches her horseback riding and Polo, which was more interesting than shooting arrows.
Then, her sight caught her little butler at the side watching her. He had that bored look on his face, and it seemed like he was out in another world.
Angling her body a little bit towards where the butler is, she positioned her arms to shoot the target, and then released the arrow.
The arrow hit the post next to Gray; however to her dismay, the raven-haired merely stepped farther from the post. The normal Gray would shriek and panic, that she knew.
She growled in annoyance.
~0~
Sagittarius ended the class early noticing her sour mood.
All throughout the class, she kept on missing the targets, and so she let out colorful curses which were rarely heard from her. She was awfully moody since the start of the day. She found everything she saw as annoying. She easily got irritated, especially after staying under the damn sun for her most favorite lesson she doesn't give a fuck of. Winter was fucking near, why was it damn hot?
Then, Gray chose to be damn annoying, too; failing at all tasks while still looking as if he doesn't give a shit for those. He also had the nerve to look unemotional all the time, wearing that annoying poker face mask of his. And when asked, he had the guts to lie to her, who was just concerned for him. You do not lie to your master! No, no, no, no!
How she wanted to scream and throw everything her hands would touch at him to release her frustration. One more annoying mistake and she will really hurl something at him.
On the walk back, her forehead was scrunched, her eyes are narrowed, and her lips were formed to a pout. She had her arms tightly crossed on her chest, impatiently tapping her fingers on her arms. She was releasing a dark aura so that no one would approach her since small things tend to trigger her anger. She was not in the mood to deal with other people. Moreover, a grumpy Lady Lucy was an unusual sight; she wouldn't want to ruin her reputation among their workers.
Gray knew when to stay away from danger. He walked a few feet away from her, and was finally keeping an eye on her. Hah, it was true fear is an effective reinforcement for the workers.
"Lu-chan! I…" Even Levy knew how to read the situation.
"HIIIII LUUUUUUUUUUUUCE!"
However, there was one boy who doesn't.
A growl escaped her mouth when she felt heavy weight pressing on her body, a pair of arms wrapping on her shoulders. His loud annoying voice had almost burst her eardrums. It gave her a headache.
Her frown deepening, she pushed Natsu's grinning face away from hers, but the guy just can't get the sign. He still stubbornly clung onto her. Thankfully, Gray came to the rescue and pulled the pink-haired away, with Natsu starting another argument with the butler.
"Idiot! Lady Lucy's not in a good mood!" Gray hissed at Natsu who stared dumbly at his friend.
She sighed in surrender. She can't let herself be surrounded by idiots any longer. She continued walking, ignoring Natsu's call.
"Lu-chan," Levy whispers. The smaller girl caught up to her long and fast strides considering her short legs. She glanced at the lyricist, trying not to look too sulky in front of her best friend. "Red alert, Lu-chan…"
Her mind still processing what Levy said, the girl kept on sneakily pointing at the back of her navy blue loose trousers. It took her a few more seconds before she understood Levy's signal, her eyes widening in horror.
In the midst of her mental panic, she saw a black coat being covered on her bottom area, its sleeves hanging. She looked up to her side, seeing Gray averting from her eyes, the color pink dusting his cheeks.
Her whole face heated up understanding Gray's action's implication. Puffing her cheeks out, she snatched the sleeves from Gray's large hands and knotted it on her waist while marching away from them.
Damn annoying stripper Gray!
~0~
The first day of her period was always the worst.
She always felt like her uterus was being slowly, torturously, squeezed and ripped off into pieces. Her organ down there also felt sore as if she just did the deed. It's not that she knew how it felt; it was merely a guess of how it would. The nonstop pouring of blood from down there wasn't also a very comfortable feeling.
Ugh, someone stab her flower right now.
She was sprawled on her bed the entire afternoon and evening, continuously rolling over. Her class with Lyra was canceled because of her condition. And no, no one can make her stand up. The dam will break once she stands up.
She uttered a weak 'Come in' after hearing soft knocks on the door, knowing it was her butler. Gray had developed a unique knock so she would distinguish it was him behind the door. He would knock two times in half-beats, pause a beat, and then knock twice again.
The door opened, revealing her butler pushing a table cart of her dinner, she assumed.
"Since Milady would not go down for dinner, I figured I'd just bring it to you." Gray said before opening the cover.
She continued lying on her back, staring at the ceiling. "Not hungry. Just bring me ice cream and I'll be fine." she mumbled. That was the truth. The only thing she needed was ice cream. Ice cream solved all of her problems.
"But you have to eat, Milady." Gray insisted in his monotonous voice.
Frowning, she sprang up, crossing her ankles together in between her thighs. "You know, there really is something wrong with you. Spill."
Gray blinked, gaping at her for a while. Confusion shortly crossed his features before returning to its normal formal expression. "I am sorry, I do not understand, Milady."
Despite the muscles on her lower abdomen aching, she crawled off her bed, and then circled around Gray, looking at him from head to toe. It made her butler slightly fidgety.
"You've been making a lot of mistakes these days. Plus, you always space out. I need an explanation for your weird behavior, Butler Gray." She emphasized his title to remind him of his and her position.
She watched Gray's lips pressed to a firm line while he listened to her. "I apologize for that, Milady. I will work on my improvement."
She stopped in front of her and crossed her arms. "Why don't you take a day off? I think you need it." She was slowly getting irritated by his attitude again.
"I-I… I do not need to…"
She shrugged. "Why not? You know, you could take a break and go to the mountains—"
Gray's face darkened.
"You don't know anything." Those words came out as a hiss from the butler, but because of their short distance from each other, she was able to hear him.
There was a pregnant pause. She was observing Gray, who had his head down, his upper teeth dug on his lower lip. He was looking everywhere but her.
She silently watched Gray's slouched back disappear behind the doors.
TO BE CONTINUED
Well, we, ladies, tend to say anything what's in our mind, harsh or not, when our monthly visitor have arrived. No one should mess with a girl on her period heh ;D but no one should also mess with someone going through something *wink wink*
