Lucy stared at the entrance doors to the student hall a little pensive. She wanted to go in, but she didn't. She wanted to make up her mind so her feet would move, but she couldn't. She was quite aware at how odd she must look; a professionally-dressed female with a back pack just loitering and staring at the glass doors like an idiot. At least no one had come up to her asking what she was doing...
Her lips tightened, hand gripping the shoulder strap. She wanted to study. She refused to fail professor Clive's test and see his disapproval or pity. She liked the man, even if he was a friend of her father's and thus watched out for her a little too much to her liking. He still made the class less than boring and tolerable at least.
She had time to study. She had almost two whole hours in fact. It didn't happen often, but when Lucy had free time, she practically camped out at campus to avoid going home to servants and an almost empty mansion. She initially managed to weasel this time by saying she was going to use the library's resources for class...something she couldn't do at home. But when she found she could access the online database from her laptop, anywhere on campus sufficed.
She had gone to the student hall for the snacking possibilities and the ambient noise. Her eyes closed, hand covering her face. All had gone well in the beginning and then... 'I hope I don't run into either of them today...'
She was drawn and repelled at the mere thought of running into them. They were loud, slightly obnoxious, somewhat rude, made it hard to study at all, and definitely crude! Not that she was so uptight that she thought all those things horrible and unmanageable, but they had assumed things about her which weren't true and she wasn't happy about that. The last thing she wanted to do was hang around someone who thought that she was someone she wasn't just because of how she looked. If she had her choice, she'd be dressing in regular shorts and t-shirts like everyone else around here instead of sweating in slacks and silk blouses!
She realized that she was being somewhat contradictory considering she was judging those two based on one short conversation in one measly afternoon...just as they had done to her. She thought back to their initial meetings and considered their individual personalities. Both were pretty normal when they weren't next to each other so maybe it was just the fact that they were idiots when they were together?
Forcing herself to give them another chance and considering that they may not even be inside right now (or the odds of even meeting them if they were), Lucy finally put one heeled foot in front of the other. She entered the early afternoon noise and headed upstairs for the lunchroom. She looked around at all the tables and cringed a little. Of course the place would be full! She wasn't here enough to know when was the best time to get a table and it was costing her right now. She sighed and turned. The buffet wasn't the best place, but even that was full. She knew there were solitary chairs available throughout the hallways, but she wanted an actual table to spread out on.
Fingers touched her forehead in a tired gesture. After all that agonizing and there wasn't even a place to sit! 'I wonder how the library looks...' She pondered, fearing the same crowds. She idly stared at the buffet as she contemplated her choices.
She suddenly moved out of the way of a large group of foreign-looking people and took refuge against a support pillar, seeing Levy leading them. Levy seemed occupied with the group, also speaking entirely in another language, and Lucy left her alone. If Levy was working for whatever reason, she was the last person to interrupt.
She watched the group flitter around the lunchroom and assumed Levy was doing a tour for some exchange group. She watched in fascination for a bit, feeling awed at Levy's fluency with whatever she was speaking. Levy's short stature melted away at her commanding air and strength of words. She watched Levy point around and speak before moving on without flinching at so many eyes upon her. Lucy wondered how often and how many tours Levy had done as she looked quite the expert!
She watched the group shuffle off for the buffet area amongst other students. Once they were gone, a familiar person stood in their wake. Lucy met his eyes, hers widening in shock. He raised a greeting hand with a grin and walked toward her. Gone was the awe of watching her friend to be replaced with a little uncertainty. She hadn't planned on meeting him and really just wanted a place to herself to study, but that plan was thrown out the window.
"Hey again! Trying to find a place to sit down? We're in the buffet if you want to join us."
She blinked and looked over. Sure enough, Gray's head was turned their way from the seat nearest the buffet table. When she met his eyes, he motioned her over to their table. She suddenly looked back over when a hand grabbed her wrist and started pulling her that direction. "I -"
"I insist."
"But -"
"No buts. Come and take up part of our table. We'll make room for your laptop."
Her mouth opened to say that she wasn't planning on using it, but no words came out. "But, don't you have to pay to get inside?"
"Only if you plan on eating." He abruptly paused and she almost ran into him. He looked at her over his shoulder. "Are you?"
She looked to the spread of food in consideration. "Maybe just a few snacks, but not that much food... I don't think cook would be too happy with me..."
"Then it's settled. We'll just tell the cashier you're not eating and we'll keep an eye on you so you don't sneak any of our food."
She gave the back of his head a dumb look. She wouldn't steal someone else's food off their plate after they had rightly paid for it! She wanted to smack him over the head, but resisted the urge. She let him explain to the lady for her since she had never been in the buffet before. She jolted to when she realized that his hand was still around her wrist and yanked it away with her face heating up. He looked back at her though and she mentally cursed pulling away with more force than she intended.
His brow rose. "What's wrong?"
She gripped the wrist and refused to meet his eyes for a second. "I – I can walk by myself!" She sputtered, hurrying around him. She stopped at their table and gave a sheepish smile. "Hello again."
"Hey Lucy." Gray eyed the bag. "Studying in here again? Where's your laptop?"
She looked a little put out. "Just because I own one doesn't mean that's all I study with!" She huffed and plopped down in an empty chair. She pulled the bag onto her lap and grabbed the textbook she needed to read from. She grabbed a notebook and waved it in Gray's face defiantly. "I planned on using this for once to take notes with."
Gray shoved it out of his face and went back to his food. "And just how do you think you're going to get any reading done in this noise?"
Lucy smiled knowingly. "That doesn't bother me in the slightest. I can study through anything."
One of Natsu's brows rose as he looked up, finally paying attention to the mini-conversation over his food. "Is that right?"
Lucy could almost hear the smile in his muffled voice. She had a feeling she was going to regret uttering those words in front of either of them and had an inkling to get up and leave. Cramming herself up in one of the hallway chairs was starting to sound like a really good idea about now...
Gray saved her though and kept her from worrying about her ever coming over here. "Oh no you don't! I know that tone and you're going to leave her alone and let her get some studying done! Just because you don't study doesn't mean you have to deprive everyone else who actually does!"
Lucy only finished getting the remaining articles out when Natsu fully concentrated on his food and the atmosphere around them instead of picking on her. She set about getting into the first assigned chapter and let the two do their small talk and eating as she copied down the main points of the chapter. She somewhat glossed over the whole thing, mainly going for the necessary vocabulary points, and then went back and actually read the words. She took notes on the main points of the reading before feeling good enough to move on.
Gray watched the methodical way Lucy worked and his brows rose when she paused after the chapter to take a break and rub her wrist. She was right when she said she could study through anything. She had a good focus despite all of the noise and their chatter during lunch! "I'm going to have to study with you sometime so you can teach me your secrets."
Lucy looked at him and smiled. She noted him eying her book and handed it over for him to look at. "It's not that difficult really. Professor Clive makes us do vocabulary, so I mainly do that first. It kind of introduces me to what the reading is about so the reading itself is more of a review after I do my run-through." Lucy took the book back and flipped it to a new page for the next chapter. "Does your teacher do vocabulary assignments?"
Gray nodded. "Yea and it's a necessary pain. Most of the vocabulary is mainly to become familiar with the job, but after that you don't really use it much again."
Lucy nodded with a sympathetic look. "I know what you mean. That's what most of this text is like. There's a lot of unnecessary stuff...but don't tell professor Clive I said anything." She quipped. Lucy looked to Natsu, who had been oddly silent for a while. "What about you Natsu?"
Gray butt in before Natsu could finish chewing. "Don't worry about that slacker. The only classes he has this semester are remedial math and English."
Natsu reached out to poke Gray with his fork, but Gray dodged. "She didn't ask you, she asked me loser."
Lucy perked up at the mention of one of her most favorite subjects. "Which English class are you taking now?"
Natsu shrugged, not really caring. "I dunno. English is English. It's boring and I can already speak it, so I don't know why I have to waste hard-earned money retaking it again after I spent so much time on it in high school and middle school."
Lucy reached out and poked his forearm with her pencil before she could think. She gained satisfaction when he jumped and gave her an odd look. "English is not just English!" She defended, leaning over her arms on the table. "English is built up of so many different languages over the centuries and it's deceptively easy if you take it for granted. Plus there are so many different good classics out there that wouldn't exist without the help of the English language!"
Natsu waved off her words and poked at his food. "It's still boring. Who wants to read a bunch of words on paper that some dead guy wrote?"
Lucy sat there, mouth actually gaping open, as she stared at Natsu for what seemed forever. She hadn't felt this insulted in a long time and she lived at home with someone like her father! She actually wanted to get up and leave for a minute. Before she could think, her hands slapped on the table and she leaned over it a little, getting in Natsu's face. "Writers put a lot of time and effort and emotion into their work!" A finger came out and poked his chest. "Calling them mere 'words on paper' is a total insult to the sweat and tears they suffer through to make works of art for people to enjoy!"
Natsu got the feeling of impending doom and snuck a look at Gray for help. Gray was just as shocked as he was at the outburst, but quickly shook his head with the intention of staying out of it. Natsu didn't have time to glare across the table with Lucy's finger still poking him in the chest. He had to admit that he was quite intimidated by her and his hands rose in defense in between them. "Okay, okay! It's not stupid! Calm down already and sit down will ya? You're attracting attention!"
Lucy looked around at that and found a few tables openly watching her with a few raised brows. She blushed and shrunk back into her chair, still feeling annoyed. She refused to look at Natsu and was too embarrassed after her outburst to look at Gray. She felt like things were really uncomfortable and after a second dared a peek to see what they were thinking. Natsu had gone back to eating and Gray was casually watching her while sipping on his drink.
Lucy almost wanted to fall out of her chair in a comedic way. They were acting like nothing had happened when she had pretty much started an argument! She had all but exploded in front of them and shown more emotion in those few minutes than the entire times they had been together. What was with these two?! She directed a confused look Natsu's way and stared until he looked her way. "Aren't you mad?" She blurted out, blushing at her lack of tact with these two. They certainly made her lose any ability to keep her mouth shut and keep her thoughts to herself!
Natsu swallowed his food and went for his drink. "Should I be?" He shot back, brow raising.
Lucy's mouth gaped open as she tried to find words to ask or express, but Gray cut her off. "You write, don't you?"
Lucy looked his way, giving a small nod. "How did you know?"
Gray smirked and propped his head up. "It's not too hard to figure out. Either you write or you REALLY like Shakespeare."
Lucy grinned and fiddled with her pencil. "Both actually. I've read almost everything and I think he did well with what he had to work with back then. I wish I could make a living with my writing."
"Then why don't you?"
Lucy gave Natsu a dumb look. "Uh...because that's not really a stable career that pays the bills..."
Natsu shrugged. "So? Just get good at it and have someone publish your stuff. Easy."
Lucy didn't know whether she wanted to slap him for his ignorance or laugh and not stop. She settled for choice C and covered her face with her hands and shook it with a small groan.
"Your stupidity really astounds me slacker. If everything was that easy, there would be a lot more English majors around here!"
Lucy snorted and grinned behind her hands. "There isn't one piece which I've written that I feel is good enough to show to the public eye." She softly confessed, mostly to herself, face turning a little pink. "It has to get past me in order to make it to the public. We writers are our own worst critic." Lucy finally sat back and looked to Natsu. "It's a nice dream, but not a realistic one."
Gray waved her off. "Don't worry about the slacker. He thinks he can make a career playing soccer."
Natsu smirked and stood to put his dirty dishes in the collection spot. "Who says I still can't?" He jovially threw back before heading off.
Gray's head shook with a sigh. "Natsu's a simpleton. He thinks he can make a career doing what he wants and likes. He doesn't see reality like the rest of us do."
Lucy sighed and looked grimly to her business textbook. "Don't I know it." She propped her head up and tapped the pencil on her text. "As much as I'd love to turn myself into an English major, it doesn't have merit in the real world of business." Her eyes hardened. "I found that out the hard way."
"I know what you mean."
"It's a nice dream to have as naive as it is." She mused, eyes turning wistful. "I commend him for not letting reality get the best of him."
"You two look really depressing even from the dessert section. Stop it!"
Lucy looked to Natsu and then the tray he plopped down. Her eyes widened at the four plates of cakes and pastries he had picked out. "How are you still hungry?" She uttered, watching him enthusiastically dig in to plate number one.
Gray organized his own tray to take care of. "I think he has hollow legs." Gray stood and picked his tray up. "That or you were right about that eating disorder."
Lucy watched Gray head away to put his dishes in the dirty dish spot and watched Natsu eat in silence. They all looked really good and she realized she was a little hungry, but she didn't want to steal a dessert or even a bite. It would have been better to get something from one of the kiosks, but she had a feeling she wouldn't be allowed to bring it back inside.
Lucy suddenly looked down to her textbook and grimaced. She had only done one chapter and she had another two to go. She just couldn't get anything done when they were nearby! Not that it was a complete waste of time to chat with someone and not do homework for a while...even if she got irritated during that time. Her time at their table was still better than sitting in her room at home in complete silence with only the pencil scratching noise to keep her company.
She smiled at Natsu and played with her pencil a bit. "So how's work going?"
"Which one?"
She blinked and sat back. "Um...my father's store... Wait. You have another job?" He nodded. "Where at?"
"The Best Chinese Restaurant."
Her head tilted. "But what's it called?"
Natsu gave her a dumb look. "That is the name."
Lucy smiled. "Oh...cute name."
Natsu grinned and leaned on one arm. "Right? The title says it all! I love their food. I think I've eaten everything off the menu three times. Scratch that; I know I have."
"Oh yea...that reminds me Natsu. I was going to ask you about that place." The pair looked over as Gray sat down and grabbed his fork. Lucy noticed he also had a few desserts on his tray and just shook her head at the appetites of her companions. "You said it's good right? Prices are okay?"
Natsu nodded, curiosity flaring up. "Yea...why?"
Gray pointedly eyed his desserts. "I'm thinking of going out for a...change of pace tomorrow night and I don't know of a good place to go to. I figured I'd just see what your work is like."
01010
"And then?"
"We were seated at the cutest little table. It was like they knew ahead of time and had it waiting!"
"Uh huh...I'm sure they did. Where did you guys go to?"
"The Best Chinese Restaurant."
"And what. Was. It. Called?"
"That is the name!"
"...Oh... Any reason why he picked that type of food to thank you with?"
"Gray-sama knows of someone who works there. That person told Gray-sama that the food was good and the prices were fair."
"Hmm? Well, it sounds like everything went okay and you had a good time and got to be really helpful. Heh. If you're lucky, maybe he'll call on you again for his next test...or just to study again."
"J – Juvia mentioned as such... But Juvia doesn't want to wish too much because Juvia wants to make Mavis-sama happy first and foremost. That is Juvia's goal for the summer!"
"Well if you keep up as well as you've been doing the last few months, you'll be fine."
Juvia watched Aquarius dig through her pint of ice cream and felt the cold container in her own hand. She scooped out a small bit and took a bite, eyes on the movie they were half watching. Aquarius had said to tell her what happened afterward, but the evening hadn't finished. They couldn't go out that afternoon for food because Juvia had work the next morning bright and early so they scheduled it for just after she finished at the office the next day.
Juvia dug into her small container and stared at it idly. Life had taken a very pleasant yet shocking turn for the better. Before, she would have lived just for Mavis-sama and worked as hard as she could to be the best employee for her well-loved boss. Now that she had met Gray-sama, Juvia wanted to know even more about every aspect of her major to learn as much as possible should she ever have the chance to help him again.
When Juvia considered the odds of such an incident ever happening again, she wasn't very hopeful. That's why she thought that fate had stepped in just a little to give her yet another good memory to reflect back upon after she went back home next year...whenever that was. She would forever remember the letter she received, which she eventually found out he had prepared, which had brought her to the office coincidentally the same day he happened to be working there. She would always think back on their conversations and their time in the library with fondness and if fate was so kind again, she would be able to see him again.
