Day 6... only a few more days until this week is over... somehow that makes me rather sad.
Now he remembers why he normally takes missions together with his Team. But he thought that this little S-class mission would be okay for him alone.
And yes, the mission itself wasn't a problem at all for him. He just had to defeat a stupid Water-Wyvern, with his Lightning the Beast would be down in only seconds.
No, what he didn't take into account is that this is fucking big forest and that this stupid Beast would escape in said forest, leaving him with no option but to follow it when he wants to complete the mission. The Wyvern escaped so far away into the forest that when he realized how far he really is, it was already too late.
But that was not all.
He decided that it's too late to go back and so he made a camp there in the forest. Luckily he had his new, magic enhanced, tent with him. It would protect him from the freezing winter night.
So after a wonderful peaceful night he steps out of his tent only to bet met with white all around him. Everywhere is snow, and everything and every direction looks exactly the same. All the snow messes with his nose, having washed away the lingering scent, and with that his lead to get back to the city.
How he hates the snow, with that much snow, meaning water in another form, around him he can't even teleport with his lightning. He can't risk the snow conducting his lightning all over the forest, especially with not knowing who and what might be around him.
And to be honest... even teleportation wouldn't help him much at the moment, after all he needs a direction. It's not like he can just imagine where he wants to be. No his kind of teleportation is a little harder, he needs a direction and then travels with his lightning in that direction.
Well, another things he would probably never admit to anyone, not even himself, is that even if he had a direction it could always be the wrong direction. He has a terrible sense of direction, and often goes for the wrong one when nobody, often Freed who knows of this, gives him a hint. Yeah, inside of Magnolia he is just fine, well most of the time, but outside he needs a guide.
And now, there is nothing that could guide him, even the sun is blocked from view.
With no other real choice when he doesn't want to wait for the snow to melt fully, he packs his tent up and just starts in a random direction he hopes leads him back to the city or near. After all he still needs to collect his reward.
He walks for hours, and nothing really changes around him, everywhere white and only the smell of snow. And because he didn't thought that something like that would happen he doesn't even have any more food with him, he had just enough for something the night before, this morning and a little snack for lunch.
If his sense of time is right it should be around noon and he still hasn't found any lead as to where he is and slowly he feels his hunger growing bigger and bigger.
He walks for what feels hours on end, still everywhere white around him and it's slowly getting darker. Just as he was about to set up his camp for the night he, for the first time today, smells something besides the snow all around him. Without really thinking about it he follows his nose, the closer he gets the more he smells and it smells like heaven for him and his empty stomach.
Quickening his pace he, after sometime, can hear the sound of someone stirring a pot and the rustling of a tent. Now with his empty stomach he nearly breaks out into a sprint, too happy to finally find someone who could help him to really care anymore. He only wants to leave this frigging cold and white forest, well and maybe something to eat.
Forgetting his normal manners he practically rips the lap from the tent open, "Do you know where we are?! How far is it to the next town? And which is it? Sorry to burst in here like that but I'm walking through this fucking forest for the whole day and have no idea where exactly I am. And I didn't have a lot of food with me, so please tell me you know where we are!"
Letting this tirade of words loose, Laxus for the first time really looks inside the camp and registers two pairs of eyes staring at him, one blue and the other a familiar chocolate brown.
"Laxus?"
He blinks once, twice, trying to process his luck or maybe misfortune to meet this person here out in the forest.
Getting no reaction from the blonde male, Lucy goes up to him and pokes him in his right cheek. That, finally, breaks him out of his stupor and he stumbles back as if this poke had force behind it.
"Blondie?! What are you doing out here? And where is your Team? Or are you alone?", comes another torrent of questions.
"Uhm, how about you come in first and eat something with me? Virgo always makes more than enough and you said something about not having a lot of food.", she suggests the more than hungry looking Slayer. Not being someone who would deny and offer like that Laxus slips out off his boots and coat before really entering the tent and sits down with Lucy.
"Thanks.", he mutters to Virgo when she gives him a plate full of delicious smelling food. And with a bow to her Keyholder, after giving her a plate too, Virgo goes back to the Spirit World.
During dinner both are quite, not really knowing what to talk about with each other. Since is the first time for them to be alone with each other, but luckily the atmosphere isn't awkward with both concentrated on eating.
After he has eaten up, he puts his now empty plate aside with a satisfied sigh and then looks back at Lucy, waiting for her to answer his questions.
"So... First, yes I know where we are. Maybe not the exact location but we should be somewhere in the middle between Shirotsume and Mt. Hakobe. And I am on my way to one of the bigger mountains near Shirotsume to watch a Meteor Shower. My Team didn't feel like looking at the Meteor Shower, said that's too boring for them, so I left alone. And what are you doing out here in the middle of the forest alone?"
"I was out on a job to defeat a Water-Wyvern, and thought I could perfectly do this alone. This stupid Wyvern escaped into the forest and so I had to follow it. After finding and defeating it I decided to camp in the forest, not anticipating that there would be this much snow in the morning. With all this snow I can't teleport with my lightning when I doesn't want to risk any living being around and well...", there he stops, not wanting to admit that he has now sense of direction at all. Not wanting to tell her that he got lost on his way back to the city because he didn't even no from which direction he originally came.
"And..? You got lost? Who would have thought, Laxus Dreyar has no sense of direction it seems.", she teases while smirking at him. At this Laxus really blushes a little and stutters something Lucy can't understand.
Regaining his composure he changes the topic to distract Lucy from his embarrassing info about him, "So you are all alone, because this stupid Team of yours didn't want to do something for you?"
"Uhm... yeah, it seems so. But you know I'm never really alone, after all I have my Spirits. And once in a time it's refreshing to do something with my chaotic and loud Team.", she chuckles before continuing, "You know, when you tell me which city you need to go back to, I assume you still have to collect your reward, I can tell you where to go. Or I can have one of my Spirits collect the reward for you, if you want to that is..."
"I guess you are right, they are annoyingly loud most of the time... And collect the money for me? How would you that?", he asks with interest.
"I could have Gemini copy your appearance and they would appear there and then take your reward to the Spirit world with them and give you the next time we see us or when you want me to give it to you... So what do you want to do? If I send Gemini you could have your reward today and leave for Fairy Tail when you want without the need to go all the way back to this city.", she explains him.
"Well, I guess, then I will take you up on this offer, Blondie. I really don't want to go back to this city and maybe get lo...", there he interrupts himself.
After calling out Gemini and letting them copy Laxus, without the most of his magic, because for that Lucy isn't strong enough, the Twins disappear and leave for the village they need to go to, knowing this from Laxus memory.
In the meantime Virgo pops out to collect the dishes and Laxus goes back out to unpack his own tent for the night.
It doesn't take long before Lucy tells Laxus that the Twins are back in the Spirit World with his reward. Knowing that it is a lot of money, he asks Lucy if the Twins can hold his reward there until they see each other back in the Guild. Something Lucy agrees to do, of course.
They spend the night talking in Lucy's tent, getting to know each better. After sometime both realize that they like the company of the other. Somehow it's easy for them to talk and so they don't notice how the time flies by. Only when Lucy accidentally brushes Horologium, and he tells her the time they realize that they were talking for hours.
"Good night, Blondie. See you in the morning.", Laxus waves as he leaves her tent to go back to his own for some much needed sleep.
Lucy smiles sleepily at him, "Yes, good night and sleep well. Come over in the morning, you can have breakfast with me. Virgo now knows that you are here and probably will you make something even without me asking her."
And so they both go to sleep, falling into a peaceful slumber with nice dreams.
The next morning when Laxus wakes up, he stays lying for a while longer, many things go through his mind. Thoughts about the blonde in the other tent and what he should do next. He could just go back to Fairy Tail and wait there for her to get his reward, there is really no need for him to have it right now, or he could offer to go watch the Meteor Shower with her. However, he is not sure if this is not too intrusive, after all, they only really talked for the first time yesterday.
Well, just asking has never hurt, and he really enjoyed their company yesterday. For some reason unknown to him, he does not yet want the time together with her to end. That, for him uncommon, thought in mind he stands up to gets ready. The moment he leaves his tent is the one Lucy comes out of her own to get him for breakfast.
There they sat in comfortable silence while eating, in the meantime Virgo packs up Laxus things. And without them knowing it takes them with her to the Spirit World, it seems that her Spirits plan something mischievous.
After finishing breakfast they leave Lucy's tent so Virgo can pack everything up.
"So Blondie... How do you think about me joining you? I have never before seen a Meteor Shower and would like to do so... and, even though I'm not sure, there could still be more of these Water-Wyverns around and...", he adds the last as an afterthought.
Looking up at him, Lucy can't stop the blush appearing on her cheeks and so she quickly looks away to hide it. That is when she starts to giggle, "It seems you have no choice... Virgo already took all your things with her and I have the feeling that she won't give them back to fast. And of course I have nothing against you coming with me. I'm always happy when I have someone I can share something like this with."
"Uhh... when did she do that?!", Laxus looks around questionable, not being able to comprehend that the Spirit was able to take his things without him hearing it.
"Probably during breakfast and she is really good with something like that. And she loves to tease me and the people around me from time to time. I just hope that she doesn't plan something again...", Lucy mutters more to herself.
"If you say so... Well, then lets just start our way up to this mountain.", Laxus grins at her, for now just accepting this new development.
And so they began their track up to the mountain, only stopping for some lunch around noon, all the while talking with each other. They share stories about different mission, both laughing at the different encounters they had and their Teams antics. They talk about their magics.
Laxus telling her how hard it was for him to learn his Dragon Slayer magic, since he didn't have a Dragon to help him with it, something he doesn't just tell anyone but somehow it's easy to talk with Lucy and it just flows out.
And after Laxus asks about her Spirits, their abilities and personalities with genuine interest, Lucy launches herself into this topic. Happy that someone shows real interest in her Spirits, with all they are. Even though most in the Guild and around her accept her bonds with them but that sadly doesn't mean that they show real interest in them, apart from Loke but that is because he was in the Guild with them for a rather long time.
Besides all the talk they make good process and reach the top of the mountain already in the afternoon.
"Hey Blondie, how are we going to watch this Meteor Shower? I mean, there is still snow everywhere and I don't know how long this Shower is but I don't think that it's a good idea to stay outside in the cold for the whole time."
"Don't worry about that. We will use my tent. It's a summer tent, where you can take away the top to see the sky, and had it magically enhanced so the warmth will stay inside even without the top. And of course Virgo provides everything else we need to stay warm, like blankets or Hot Chocolate.", she grins.
"That's neat. I never realized how good your Team has it with you around in mission, not that I think that's all your Spirits are good for but still, pretty useful."
"Yes, they are and they do a lot for me. I really love them. But.. well with my Team Virgo probably wouldn't provide as much as now, in the beginning she did. But after some time we both realized that my Team doesn't fully appreciate it and often destroys the stuff they get from my Spirits during their normal brawls.", comes the answer from Lucy in a somewhat sad tone.
"I said it before, your Team is stupid. I know you love them and all but maybe you should do jobs with other teams more often, you could do one with me, and of course my Team", Laxus adds the last so that it doesn't look so much like he wants to be alone with her after the previous words just slipped out.
"Really, you would take me on a job with you and your Team? Would they be okay with that? I always wanted to see how you guys work.", she brightens up.
"Why not?", is the only answer she gets along with a little smirk.
Before Lucy can react to that Virgo appears with both their stuff, knowing that it would be too much if she would only give them one tent to sleep in, even thought she had thought about to do just that. All Spirits contracted to Lucy could feel her happiness since the night before. She didn't admit it to Laxus but it did hurt her that her Team just said no and that they think it's boring, especially after all the things she did with them to make them happy without really wanting to do these things.
After dinner they both change their clothes to something more comfortable and then make themselves comfortable with blankets, at the moment they are still sitting to talk but a comfortable place to lie down and look into the night sky is already prepared.
They talk for two more hours before Horologium informs her that the Meteor Shower will start soon. So they lay down beside each other and wait in comfortable silence for the Meteor Shower to start.
Watching the stars fall down leaves them both completely mesmerizes, especially Laxus who had never before seen one. At first it is an onslaught of falling stars and after around an hours it becomes less and less.
Now with only seeing a star falling down here and there, their tiring walk up there catches up to both of them. Both too tired to really think about it they fall asleep beside each other, Virgo popping out to fix the blanket over both of them and then leaves with a small smile on her normally stoic face.
There is a reason for this smile, the moment both were under one blanket together, they, in a state of deep sleep, unconsciously move closer to the other person. Seeking the warmth the other can provide.
They didn't know it yet, but the next morning they would wake up tangled in each other, both of Laxus arms tightly wrapped around her with Lucy using one as a pillow while she snuggles against his chest, and Laxus nose buried in her hair.
