Lucy had her hip cocked to the side, her shoulders drooped. She was feigning interest in the rack of clothes in front of her. She flicked through the hangers without giving the clothes in front of her any attention. She could hear Evergreen a few racks away. She was moving further into the store as she scanned the racks.
Lucy couldn't understand what had happened. This morning Evergreen had been ecstatic over the idea of showing Lucy around the shopping center. She even asked her to sit in the bathroom with her while she did her makeup, which Lucy had done gladly. She sat on the closed toilet as Evergreen gushed about all the stores and cafes they had to see that day. She talked about going to get tea and snacks at a little restaurant when they got tired. She had even let Lucy try one of her expensive lip glosses. When she admitted to liking, it Evergreen waved her off and told her to keep it. It had been a while since she had an actual girl's day, and she had NEVER gone with someone so proudly feminine. Evergreen had built her up and she was excited!
After the train ride they found a locker to stow their luggage and Freed took Bickslow out to search for clues. In seconds the cheerful and vibrant Evergreen became as stoic and serious as one of her stone statues. Lucy brushed it off and told herself Evergreen was just focused on getting to the shopping center. It didn't switch back.
It was only the second store on the line but Evergreen was acting completely different than she had that morning. Lucy tried to strike up a conversation only to have it immediately shot down with a cold douse of indifference. She didn't look at Lucy or speak to her at all. Lucy didn't understand what she could have done between getting off the train and the boys leaving to have pissed her off like this.
"Hey Evergreen, what do you think of this color on me?" She snapped a salmon shirt off the rack and held it in front of herself.
It was casual to the world, but to her, it was a strategic plan of attack. Break the ice and bring back that bubbly brunette!
Evergreen looked at her face, then the shirt, then back up. There was a stomach twisting pause.
"It looks fine." She turned back to her hunt without another word.
Lucy deflated visibly, not that Evergreen could see her now. It wasn't rude. But it wasn't polite either. She turned back to the rack and replaced the shirt with a clack of the hanger on metal. She brought her hands up and grabbed her arms.
"Alright." She sighed to herself.
Suddenly the task of sharing the entire day with Evergreen was daunting. She didn't need clothes and all interest in pleasure spending was gone when your shopping buddy was as supportive as silly string. She pushed a few more hangers before turning around. She looked at Evergreen who had all but forgotten her. She could try another attempt to be friendly but somehow, she was sure it wouldn't be accepted. Lucy relented and took the rest of the time to wander around aimlessly and contemplate her other options. When she had tried to talk to Laxus and he had torn her apart. Now in a completely different way, Evergreen was doing the same. Shutting her down. Ignoring her. Lucy was on this wild goose chase to try to become closer to these people. To get to know her last living relative, and his dearest friends. She was doing everything she could think of but in the end, she knew she was powerless to what they would choose. If they didn't want to know who she was then she couldn't force them. If they shut her down she couldn't fight it. She would just have to stick it out until Freed came for them.
She was looking at the jewelry near the checkout when she felt a tap on her shoulder. Evergreen nodded to the door.
"Let's go to the next store." She insisted and didn't wait for an answer before walking for the exit.
A flare of annoyance started at the base of Lucy's heart and built up into her throat. She swallowed in an attempt to quench the fire, and it worked. She followed holding no hope for the next store to be any better.
Days should have passed in the time-span Lucy had to live through. There was only so much make believe she had in her system when it came to the pointless vanities the stores had to offer. The necklaces were nice, the clothes would look good on her, but how could she care when she had a problem chewing on her mind? It got to the point where she would find a chair or wall to lean on and wait for Evergreen decide she was ready to leave. She was trying to take the path of least resistance and play nice, but this place had no lack of stores to shop through, and it didn't look like she was going to be dismissed.
She slumped over on a circular ottoman and held her head up with her arm. She missed Freed. It was surprising how quickly her idea of him had changed. Only a few days ago she had been too frightened to speak with him. She remembered opening the door to find him caked in mud and how it had terrified her to see him there. Now the thought made her smile. He was a kind person. Yes, he was… dangerous…and maybe all of the walls surrounding him weren't completely gone but he was the only source of safety she felt while in the Thunder Legion. She wondered if Evergreen felt the same way. If she were counting the minutes of his return as well.
A few more shops went by. Lucy couldn't remember saying more than maybe one or two words to Evergreen between them all. She trudged behind the fairy woman hopelessly and scanned the streets as they walked, mainly to avoid bumping into strangers. In the corner of her eye she caught a glimpse of something bright pink. In large letters, a yellow sign read 'GELATO'. She perked up. She wasn't hungry, but she could use a distraction, and something to entertain herself with.
"Let's stop here and get a cup." She nodded to the shop.
Evergreen stared at it, and she looked like she would refuse. She gave in to any mental disagreements she had and they walked in together. Evergreen got the smallest size of pistachio gelato and paid for it. Lucy was right behind her with a slightly bigger cup of lemon gelato.
Outside of the store were tables and seats for the patrons so Lucy and Evergreen sat and watched the people pass by as they enjoyed their treat. They faced away from each other and dabbed at their frozen treat with the small plastic spoons they were given. People walked by. Couples, families, friends, all strolling through the town center. Lucy had to admit this town was lovely. There were sculptures and nice green patches of grass between the stone walkways. In front of them now was a large round fountain with a simple sphere sculpture set in the middle. It was nice to listen to and when the breeze picked up it would carry the mist of the water around in the warm air. Today could have been nice.
No one spoke so Lucy had time to herself to stop and think. She sucked on the end of her spoon and watched kids splash in the water and giggle. She was avoiding Evergreen and trying not to step on her toes. She was cowering down and for what reason? She asked herself if she was afraid of being turned into stone again, but that answer didn't sit right. It was more like she was afraid of offending her. She wanted Evergreen to like her…so keep quiet and say yes? What was that really worth? If Evergreen chose not to like her what could Lucy do about it?
Lucy kept her thoughts cooking until Evergreen realized she was being stared at. She flicked her eyes over to Lucy and flinched.
"What's with you?" She demanded and tightened up.
"I…sorry." Lucy jumped like Evergreen had, before relaxing again. She propped her arm up on the table and laid her cheek in her hand. "You were just so happy this morning. I don't know what I did to make you angry. I don't understand why things are different now…If you didn't want to spend time with me you didn't have to pretend. Maybe you treated me nicely because Freed told you to? I…it's the only way I can explain it. I'll tell him we had a good day alright? But I don't want to keep acting like this is fun for either of us."
Lucy felt a weight lift off her shoulders, but it was diminished by the loud pounding of her heart filling her ears. She had never been that rude and blunt before! She was ready for a storm of anger to hit her, and what was worse she felt like she deserved it.
"I…" Evergreen started but she closed her mouth.
Lucy flinched at the word and dropped her head. She wanted to swallow but the lump in her throat was choking her. She was working out her apology in her head as quickly as she could.
"I'm sorry." Evergreen spoke softly, her voice returning to the softness she used with Freed and Bickslow.
Lucy sat still. She wondered if she had imagined it or said it herself but maybe the stress had warped the sound?
"I do like you Lucy. I wasn't trying to be…hostile towards you." A tap told Lucy she had set her cup down on the table. She dared to peek. Evergreen was not the type to let her shoulders drop. She always had crisp posture. For the moment though her arms hung low and shoulders sagged. "I've never been good with…girls." Her voice curled on the last word.
Lucy's brows pulled together and she sat up.
"What do you mean? I mean…you…I don't understand." She made herself stop knowing it would be easier to listen than to make more assumptions.
Evergreen shrugged, head shaking.
"I don't know how to explain it. I've never gotten along with girls very well. I try to but…" she pushed her hair back out of her face and took a breath. She sat up straight and rolled her eyes upwards. "They all say I'm too vain, and it doesn't matter what I do, we always end up fighting. Even…the girls in Fairy Tail." She admitted without any pride.
Lucy frowned and leaned towards her.
"I just can't understand that. You seem like you would get along with everyone just as well as I do." She insisted.
Evergreen looked up, with sadness in her eyes.
"Yes…well. Maybe if we didn't have such bad blood between us now. When I met them we were young, and they were all very different types of girls. They were…strong. They were rough and tough. Even Levy only really liked to read." She explained. "I wanted to get along with them, but they just weren't the same as me. Now…I have grown so far away from them. I just…close around them. I don't know how to act. Even with you..." she closed her eyes. "I was so awful to you when we first met. I can't imagine what you think of me."
She listened and nodded. It was easy to imagine a young, tomboy Erza not being patient with a girly-girl like Evergreen, and Evergreen would get offended. Neither would admit they were wrong and neither would talk enough to realize they needed to fix things.
"It's…honestly irreversible at this point." She scoffed and straightened up. She flipped her hair back and took a breath. "After everything with…with Laxus," she pressed her lips together and huffed. "I don't think I could ever repair the damage. How can you convince someone you're worth trusting if they have never had any trust in you to begin with?" She asked but Lucy didn't think she was supposed to answer.
Another short silence.
"What happened with that Evergreen? Why did you…why was Laxus so angry at the guild? I know it's a sensitive question but I don't know what to believe. I really want to know him. I want to know you." She insisted. "I want to tell you the relationships can be saved, but I don't know what happened…"
"You're right." She turned towards Lucy. "You should know him. And the first thing I think you have to know is that Laxus loves Fairy Tail." She insisted, her eyes locking forward when she said it. "Everything that happened…it was a huge mess. Laxus never wanted to hurt anyone. It just got out of hand." She glanced up as a group walked towards them within ear shot. She didn't speak again until they were gone. It was plain to Lucy that she didn't want to be remembering this story. "I remember the day he told us the 'plan'." She had disgust in her tone. "We were sitting around after a mission. I had just cleaned up and gotten into pajamas. He had been waiting on me I guess. He was upset…Laxus isn't an angry man, but something had been brewing inside of him for years. It's too much to explain all at once…but the point is that the guild…and well the boys and I. The legion. Not Laxus"
She stumbled over her words and brought her hand up to her four head, then continued.
"…we always felt like there was a wedge between us and them. We didn't have friends in Fairy Tail. Just each other. It wasn't that way for Laxus. He was raised by the guild. His father would be the master, his grandfather was the master, and HIS father had created the guild. He had a lot of love for his home, and for his family."
Lucy tried to imagine it, and she could see the boy in the pictures Mira had shown her taking that role. Not the man she knew today. Not 300 pounds of muscle and 'fuck you' supporting the guild.
"Before his father left it was all he would talk about. How he would become strong enough to lead them. He promised then we would feel included. He knew better than anyone else how we felt…we were the outcasts of the outcasts. He knew we all wanted a home."
Her eyes were clouded with the thoughts that hadn't passed through her mind in years. She looked up and swallowed.
"You just don't understand. That day…. that stupid day. It wasn't ego, and anger, and a power struggle. Maybe on the surface, but deep down it was everything he didn't know how to deal with. His father leaving. By Makarovs name, and Laxus feeling like he need to…to…match it. To overcome it. To save the name of his home and…maybe…just a bit in part to make his friends feel like…they had…the home they had always wanted." She brought her hand up to rub the back of her neck. "It was a bluff that got out of control. We wanted them to fight as hard as they could. It sounds like an excuse but Laxus told us it was the only way they would pull together, and he was right."
Lucy was following, but still not satisfied.
"You said he wouldn't hurt anyone. How did it get to the point that he would? What changed to make the plan a scare tactic to…the Thunder Palace? And Fairy Law?
Evergreen's lips went tighter, and Lucy could see in her eyes that she didn't want to say.
"It's too much to explain all at once, especially from me." He refused and shook her head. "All I can say is the Laxus you first met did not take failure well. That's when it got out of control. When our assured victory started to crumble around him..." she had to stop.
Her hand clenched and loosened in a slow, rhythmic motion.
"He felt weak. And he didn't want to accept it. Failure was not an option. We had known that from the first moment. We never thought that Laxus would…lose control."
Lucy frowned but nodded, hoping she would continue. She didn't disappoint.
"You asked me why I did it and it's because he was my friend and I had forgotten what it was like…to see him smile. His father left and with him he took every scrap of Laxus' happiness. He has always been quiet, but it was different. I wanted it back. I wanted to restore something inside of him. It was silly." She scoffed at herself and shook her head. "I was being a hopeful idiot."
She dropped her head and rested her elbows on the edge of the table. She held her temples with the tips of her manicured nails.
"Thank you for telling me Evergreen." Lucy smiled to her and after a moment Evergreen returned the look.
"Do you think there's hope for us misfits Lucy? I would really like to get along with you…seeing how your Laxus' sister that is." She kept it light but Lucy knew one day there may be weight between their relationship.
"Yes. There is definitely hope." She assured her and gave her a real smile.
She brightened up further and straightened her back.
"Evergreen!" Someone yelled. "LUCY!"
Bickslow was tearing down the stone path like a mad man. His legs stretched and his arms pumped forward. When the strange sight registered, they stood and immediately ran to meet him. As they got closer they could hear his breath heaving. He immediately doubled over, hands on his knees, heavy gulps of air rocking through his chest.
"Lah- Lahh! Lahhxus ihhs….heh's" he spat out.
Evergreen narrowed her eyes and leaned forward.
"What did you say?" She snapped.
"He-s he-h!" He was trying but the words just weren't coming out.
In a flash of green something shot directly in front of Lucy's face. She crossed her eyes and saw a blurry patch of brown and pink. A faint smell hung in front of her nose with it. One she remembered but couldn't place.
"HE'S HERE!" The high-pitched voice and the spinning colors in front of her face gave her enough context to realize this was one of Bickslow's babies.
Evergreen was shouting at Bickslow to hurry up and say what he meant. She shook the larger man's shoulders with a strength ten times what Lucy would assume she had. They weren't left waiting long for proper answers. Freed had been following but at a more reasonable pace. Lucy spotted him and grabbed Evergreen up. Freed slowed as he approached.
"He was spotted only over an hour ago in the bar we visited. I never expected him to be so close." He looked to Evergreen and then Lucy. "I hate to cut your day short but I think it would be better if we all took a different direction and hunted for him. I've already looked the city over and I can't pinpoint any specific place with any value to Laxus. We should scope all of the moderately priced hotel in the area."
Evergreen nodded and Bickslow heaved himself up to his feet.
"Alright. How will we keep in contact?" Lucy asked quickly.
"Communication lacrima naturally." Freed's answer was short. "You have one, don't you?"
Lucy snapped to attention and put on a flat smile as every eye hit her.
"Ah! Well…ummm." She looked down. "I…haven't gotten around to buying one yet. Natsu would never bother to use one a-and they can be rather pricey!"
Freed dismissed the inconvenience quickly, but she hated to create another road block. She kept her mouth shut and let him create a new plan.
"Fine. We will each take a third of the city. I will go with Lucy. You two keep me updated if you hear anything that can help us."
"Same for you." Evergreen sang back and pulled her jacket off.
She folded it over her arm and her pink wings lifted from her back. A gust of wind hit Lucy and she lifted off the ground. It didn't take her long to zip away.
Lucy turned to look for Bickslow, but he had already vanished. She couldn't shake the mental image of him tearing down the street in the same way he had come. She had to swallow a laugh.
Freed didn't have any emotion on his face. He was clearly off in thought as his hand moved in slow circles to mix the golden tea in his cup. Steam drifted upwards in wavering plumes. He was searching over the map in his hands over and over again like it was a puzzle he could solve if only he could find the missing piece.
Lucy looked down into her own cup, not minding the scenery. They sat outside of a cute little coffee shop. It smelled like freshly ground herbs and spices. Fat fluffy bushes sagged to the side of the building. The sun was turning orange and the air was getting colder.
She wondered if he went to cafés like this often. If he stopped when the weather was nice for a drink. It suited him. It was calm, and relaxed with a punch of sophistication.
"Focus!" She scolded herself mentally and stat up straight. She lifted her drink and brought it to her lips, all the while eyeing the back of the map in his hands.
Freed shifted and laid the paper down. He sat back in his chair.
"I can't imagine what he would stay in this town for." He paused and his eyes drifted down to the table's edge. "I don't have any clue what where to look. Not even a vague direction…hmm."
Lucy frowned and shifted.
"I'm sorry. I'm not too tired. We should keep looking." She insisted, completely ready to pick her things up and move again.
She was pacified by a calm shake of his head.
"Don't be silly. If we rush we will miss vital details. If we exert ourselves we will be useless. It will be better to rest now, and continue our search once the bars open. It's more likely we will find him there."
She nodded and picked at the pastry in front of her. She smeared her fork through the icing on top. It was hard to look up at him. She couldn't concentrate on finding Laxus when her heart was hammering over Freed. She took a breath in and wiggled in her seat.
"You're right…" Her eyes fell to the map. "Maybe you just need a new perspective! Two heads are better than one as they say!"
She reached forward and plucked up the map. She flipped it open and her eyes started darting around quickly. They had traveled pretty far from Magnolia, so she was shocked to recognize the region they were in. "Oh…I didn't know we were so close to Acalypha..."
"Does that have some significance? What's in Acalypha?"
She shook her head, still scanning the map.
"Nothing." She answered quickly. "Nothing. Just the Love and Lucky merchant guild. I've never been. My parents were members at a time." She lowered her hands. "I just didn't know we were so close to…home." She stopped.
Freed sat forward and waited. Lucy's mental gears were grinding hard and Freed could see it in the intensity in her eyes
"Where is he?" He sat forward.
She shook her head, feeling like she threw gas on a lit flame.
"No.. I mean. I have an idea. It's a long shot!" She retracted as quickly as she could. "It would just waste time." She immediately backtracked as the reality of her situation set in.
Freed's jaw locked, his eyes going hard.
"We have been wasting time all day Lucy. I have no idea where else we can look. If you have a sliver of an idea, then I am receptive to it. Please tell me."
He spoke so softly, but with such conviction that it sent chills down her body. She could feel his concern for his friend, and maybe to some extent, Lucy herself. She sat up, and felt heat prick on her cheeks. She itched the side of her nose to relieve the tingle.
"If…that's really how you feel…then follow me." She looked up on her last word and she met his eyes.
If determination was a color she was sure it would be the blue-green cast back at her in that moment. A short, strict nod and he stood.
Lucy felt her heart tremble. She didn't know the man before her and she accepted that, but it didn't change how she felt. He was a pillar of confidence, success, and intelligence. The more time she spent with him the more she realized these were all traits she would want in a protector or in a…boyfriend.
"A-lright. Follow me." She scrambled, grabbing at the map. She ended up knocking over their drinks, but she doubted Freed was set on finishing them.
She had expected to get lost but after they got on the right road she didn't look at the map again. Her stomach twisted and crept up closer to her heart with each step. She was hoping down somewhere low that she would be wrong. Freed wanted to find Laxus, and for the fleeting moment, she was his only real hope of achieving that goal. Her need to find Laxus was no longer fueled by her own emotions, but by the loyal friend to him that so eagerly jumped onto her hunch, and a man she didn't want to disappoint.
It was a guess she was not sure of. A sliver of information she had no faith in. Freed stopped behind her. She twisted around to look at him. His eyes were set forward. She followed the path his eyes set, and saw a dark spot far in front of them.
No one moved. They were both content with looking and confirming that they were seeing the same thing.
"That's him…? "Lucy was the first to speak.
Freed nodded.
"You were correct..." His eyes shot down.
She turned around to face him and was stunned again. His eyes were raging with waves of sadness. He closed them and kept his brows tight. She saw his Adams apple bob with a thick swallow.
They stood between headstones, some withered away and hardly legible. The sun cast their shadows against the ground and a faint wind swayed their clothes making their silhouettes waver.
"Of all places." Freed's voice broke and Lucy looked up, moved towards him, and dared to put a hand on his shoulder.
He shook his head and stood straighter. When he opened his eyes, they were back to their usual stone cold firmness. He wasn't on the brink of tears, and he wasn't trembling.
Lucy swallowed and wondered where that strength had come from. She pulled back and faced the figure again. She had believed so strongly that this man who cursed her on the upper floor of the guild was deprived of emotion that it would be impossible for him to be sitting in front of any grave. Certainly, not this grave. Not the stone angel and headstone that marked her mother's grave.
His mother's grave.
The sun was almost gone. Enough remained to glitter down onto his golden hair and make it glow. It laid over the black of his coat, bounced off the gray fur that lined it. She felt her chest heave and she wished she had never thought of this. She wished she had never considered this place. The monument seemed bigger with Laxus' sat in front of it. She had always known the headstone was large but Lucy had never considered herself tall. She knew how big Laxus was, and the black stone, and white angel dwarfed the seven foot man.
She turned and looked to Freed again, silently seeking guidance. He returned her look and he debated his options.
"I should lead." He told her flatly. "I don't know how he will react to seeing you. I would expect him to be in an emotional state…" he paused, and she could see confliction pulling him in several directions. "Should he start to yell, or do anything that I suspect could lead to violence I will put you inside of a wall of my script until he gets over the shock. If he does not I will teleport you somewhere else and I will not tell him where you are.I will contact Evergreen and Bickslow and tell them to come get you. They will protect you, and necessary they will escort you home." She longed for his assured, strong voice, but instead it was littered with shame.
He was embarrassed to have to take these precautions.
She nodded.
"I understand Freed." She matched his seriousness. "You lead."
Lucy felt sick as they moved. She hugged her arms and focused on the red coat in front of her. They walked and she trusted him to lead. All to quickly she could feel the heat of the fleeting sun be reflected from the pure angel reflected down onto her.
"Laxus…" Freed started.
They both waited for the dragon man to acknowledge them. He didn't have any immediate reaction or snap his head up to look at them.
"You knew we were here?" Freed asked, judging the slayers reaction.
Laxus nodded.
"Heard some mumbling behind me. Recognized who it was." He admitted shortly, still not breaking eye contact with the stone ahead of him.
Freed nodded. She looked back at the sizable distance they had walked, then remembered his sensitive ears. She wondered if he had heard their conversation. She felt the warmth of Freed's hand on her back, then he added a pressure to guide her forward.
"Lucy, the thunder legion, and myself came looking for you." Freed explained as cleanly as he could.
Laxus again didn't react. Only stared.
Lucy looked between Freed, then her 'brother'.
She took a step forward.
"Laxus…I know you're not happy to see me but-"
His hand raised up quickly, and it made his body sway forward.
She stopped, and felt her heart plummet. After it all he wouldn't even hear more than a handful of words…
The wind picked up again and she felt her legs to weak. She stiffened up, determined to stay strong in front of Freed. Another painful silence set in, and Laxus dropped his arm. Seconds ticked by and in that short time Lucy contemplated everything she had done, and why she did an of it. She wanted to say knowing Laxus had no worth to her but she knew it was true.
She heard gravel shift as Freed stepped forward. He passed her and stood over Laxus.
"You're drunk." His tone was crisp.
Laxus was unfocused, but he nodded lazily.
"I am a little fucked up." He cleared his throat and rolled his shoulders.
Freed tightened and Lucy heard him take a breath in an attempt to calm himself.
"Stop puffin' up." Laxus grunted, and finally turned his head to look at Freed. His eyes were hooded but he wasn't plastered. "I know you must have something you wanna say." His gaze traveled down and his eyes locked with Lucy's. "Both of you…" He added. "But I have had one shot too many for anything more emotional than a romantic comedy."
Lucy broke the contact and looked at Freed. Laxus focused on the statue again.
Freed sighed and shook his head. He knelt next to him, inspecting Laxus. Lucy almost didn't hear him the next time he spoke.
"Why are you drinking Laxus?"
Laxus shook his head and closed his eyes.
"Not now. You both should be pissed at me, but if I start talking now it's just gunna end badly." His head drifted towards Freed. "Are Evergreen and Bickslow with you?" He questioned.
Freed gave Laxus a worried look before nodding.
Laxus bobbed his head.
"Good. You call em up and tell em the hotel I'm staying at. Tell em to get a room and we will get together tonight." He tightened his shoulders, and released before picking himself off of the ground.
Freed rose with him but his worry didn't vanish.
Laxus noticed and rolled his head back.
"Freed. Do you really think I'm so wasted I can't think straight?" He huffed.
Freed's lips tightened.
"No. I'm just worried about you…"
"Why?" Laxus insisted, lifting his hand to rub at his scared cheek.
Freed didn't mean to look at the grave but Laxus saw the direction of his eyes twitch. He rolled his lip, hands going to his hips.
"You want the truth? I can't take it right now. I can not talk about it. I need a distraction tonight. I can drink and be alone, or I can drink and have fun with the guys." He suggested. "Either way, I know what I'm doing tonight. And it involves a lot of whiskey."
Freed thought about it, then closed his eyes.
Freed was fighting emotions right now. He didn't like how Laxus was barking at him, but at the same time how could he snap back at him in this spot.
"I am worried about you Laxus. But I believe you."
Laxus nodded back at him.
"I know you're mad." He reached forward and grabbed Freed by the back of the neck. He squeezed softly. "I'm an ass. Okay? We agree?" He shook him softly. "Can we talk all you want after my hangover?"
Freed nodded and kept his eyes away.
"Alright then. Go pick me up some whiskey and tell them where we are." He confirmed.
He went to move in Lucy's direction, and remembered she was there. He stalled, face going blank.
"What do you drink?"
She blinked a few times.
"Excuse me?"
"What do you like to drink? Alcohol." He…somewhat patiently explained.
"Oh!" she tightened her lips. "I um… I…" She shook her head. "I dunno. I…I don't really."
He nodded.
"Get her some of that sweet shit Evergreen likes." He called over his shoulder. "I got shit to own up to, and we can." He didn't like to admit that, and it was clear. "But tonight just pretend that shit doesn't matter." He shrugged. "Tonight just bullshit with us and have a good time. You don't have to drink, but you have it if it's there, alright?"
She was shocked that he could speak without cursing or spitting on her. It would have been easy to shout back an agreement to pacify him. She stared back and thought.
She nodded.
"I would like that." She admitted.
Laxus didn't expect that answer. His brows raised. He looked back at Freed.
"Shit." He huffed. "I think I did it right that time."
Freed broke from his irritated worry just enough to tighten his lips and roll his eyes.
He marched again, and gave her a rough slap on the shoulder as he passed her. Lucy had no gauge for how drunk he was, but he had none for how much that moment meant.
