"I think I saw my kids." I said breathless.
His grin disappears, semi-collapsing backwards into the chair. Running a hand through his thick black hair, pushing it back into place. Taking a deep breath, mind blown.
"Yeah, I felt just like that." I agreed with his gestures.
"Well" he swallows hard. "What'd they look like?" behind him enters the two blue haired mages.
"What who looked like?" Levy inquires.
"I think in the moment I was out cold I saw my kids." I restate.
"That's...wow...I don't even know how to respond to that I mean, that's so...oh my god." Levy so taken back by what I said that she didn't form a full sentence.
"I know. They were as beautiful as I can imagine. One boy and one girl. The boy was like looking into a mirror with dirty blonde hair and Lucy's chocolate eyes. The girl was like seeing Lucy with black hair and red eyes. It was just too real for it not to have been real." I describe the two little figures.
"I'm just shocked." Gajeel runs another hand through his jet black hair.
"So am I...so am I" my voice almost a whisper.
"Rogue-san I'll just check on your arm injury for infection." Wendy approaches me quietly, I extend my arm in front of me at chest level for her to inspect.
" 'Tis as I feared." her soft voice reaches my ears.
"What? What is it? Is there something wrong with me?" My voice raising in pitch, the concern smothering my words.
"Rouge-san, you'll need to calm down a bit. It's news to me about your condition since I checked that I healed all of the poison out of your system. I don't see how I missed so much of it. I'll have to put you in an induced coma where I can check all of the injuries you have. Levy-chan I need your help if you'll lend it to me." She faces her meekly.
Levy nods and I agree. Laying back comfortably in the comforter I glance once more around the room, then close my eyes. Darkness yet again, I feel myself relax, my body goes limp, a small tickle around my wounds and I'm gone. I sit on the nothingness around me and a small gray square appears before me. Slowly pictures appear...
Images from my first night with her...
"Call me irresponsible, tell me I'm impractical, rainbows I'm incline to pursue, do my foolish alibis bore you. Well, I'm not too clever I, I just adore you. So call me-" his voice is music to her ears. His mellow, smooth, and jazzy voice, just beautiful.
"Irresponsible?" she cuts him off.
"Uhhh-ummm. Well, I can um explain?" he was struggling to hide his blush. The timer went off and he took a delicious looking pie out of the oven, a baked fish after, and last a small creme brulee. On the stove laid the plates of rice and a small salad on the side.
"No need, I'll set the table. You are just full of surprises aren't you." she sang as she took the salads and silver ware to the table, setting it as she hums the rest of the song he began.
"Well, I just wanted to show my appreciation for your hospitality." He says shyly as he puts the finishing touches on the main dishes.
"No need, but if this is as good as it looks, I might as well take you up on that offer." she replies.
"What offer would that be exactly?" he raises an eyebrow.
"Well, after you tasted Chelsea-chan's cooking and thought it was amazing. You asked her to marry you and she said she would if I didn't so, like I said If it's as good as it looks, marry me." she blushes lightly.
"Well, I think I should go get a ring in the morning. One to match your impeccable beauty." He sets the plates on the table.
"He liiiiiiiiiiiiikesss her" Happy purrs through to the table.
"No, Happy." Lucy mutters and blushes deeper shades of red.
"Well, I hope you enjoy this meal." he sits with the two.
Lucy takes a fork and picks up a small bit of fish, putting it to her lips and then letting it enter her mouth, so her taste buds could ravish the seafood. After that small moment, Lucy's eyes widen like dinner plates.
"Marry me" she whispers.
"I just might" he jokes.
our first date...
Walking out of the apartment she locks the door. Turns to look at Rogue who can't help but stare at her undeniable beauty. She blushes deeper. She takes a good look at her date only to see the cover up on his face. He was bruised. His stance was not all that stable.
"Rogue, what happened." she demands to know.
"It was nothing." He answers.
"Damn it! You're hurt and it was my fault wasn't it. I knew you'd get in trouble." she clenches her fist.
"Look Lucy, you're a special girl that I'd do anything for. I took the punishment with dignity. It was nothing. Alright?" he lifts her chin up. He notices that she too was roughened up. His eyes scan her face and they narrow down to her gaze.
"Doesn't seem like I was the only one to face something." she tilts her head away from him.
"It's nothing. A small interaction with Natsu." she mutters. His eyes widen and stare at her.
"What did he do to you?" he growls.
"Nothing. It was a pitiful punch to the gut and a shitty fire dragon's roar. It wasn't anything I can't take." at these words his anger rages.
"Bastard is going to pay for this." he growls.
"Rogue, don't. I know you want to fight him but don't. Let's just enjoy tonight together." she hugs him lightly.
"Fine but tomorrow I will find him and teach him a lesson he will never forget." his voice deepens bringing Lucy in closer to him.
"So where are we headed?" She asks.
"Well, if I told you that'd ruin the surprise, now wouldn't it." He smirks at her, giving her space to hook her arm on his, she complies.
"Oh alright then, Rogue." she gives in.
My confession to her...
"Lucy, I want to tell you something. I know it will seem kind of crazy, but I don't think I could have it any other way." he straightens up. "Lucy Heartfilia, ever since I laid eyes on your angelic face I haven't been able to stop thinking about you. The way you are is so unique to what I grew accustom to. Your kindness towards Fro was something that I absolutely love. The fact that you show hospitality to me despite not having known me very long. I think you are the strongest, smartest, and most beautiful girl I have ever met. The way you make me feel when I am near you is so distinct, so different to what I used to know. You changed me for the better. When I am with you, I like opening up to you. Lucy, I really like you, and I want to know if you like me the way I like you." He keeps a steady gaze with her.
When we first bought the house...
"Rogue, how do you like this place?" Sting asks him.
"Huh?" his thoughts far away.
"Lucy seems to like this place." he motions to the beautiful blonde.
"Oh, guess she does." he looks around the place.
It was a nice 2 story house with 3 bedrooms upstairs, 4 downstairs, 3 bathrooms, a big kitchen, a spacious backyard leading to the woods, not to mention a great basement to make her a beautiful library.
"Plus, it's affordable for the three of us. The house to buy it right now and the land surrounding it is 700,000 jewels." Sting shrugs.
"One mission and we can pay the tenth we need." Lucy looks to Rogue.
"Well, if she's happy, then lets go." he turns to the salesman. "Sir, we will pay 630,000 jewels right now and come back with the rest in 1 weeks time." the man nods and has them sign the deed and the papers required. The three have now purchased a new house for them to live together.
They walk to the guild andsearch for job request. Lucy's eyes hooked onto one for books and reorganization. It was an easy 100,000 jewels for them. No to mention the 30,000 jewels that will go into the food for the month and home decor.
A hand touches the small of my back and rubs soft small circles. I turn to see dark hair and red eyes. He gives me a small smile. I give one in return, Mira places my hand in his, turning around. He brings me towards him, holding me close.
"Let's go home, Lucy." he whispers into my ear.
I nod in agreement and we go down a new path. I had forgotten that we bought a house before tatking the mission. It all seems so long ago. Walking up the cobble stone path that adorns the walkway up to the door, a familiar nostalgia runs through me. Tears prick the back of my eyes, threatening to fall and I let them. Rogue carries me through the threshold and puts me down swiftly. Inside the house was bare, still with the brand new smell. Inside muffle voices can be heard.
"Great, so here are your keys to the house and everything is settled. Thank you for your business." the man leaves.
and the duel I had with Natsu...
"Don't hold back, it won't be much fun." Natsu snarls at Rogue.
Rogue shrugs his shoulders, smiled, and slowly swayed side to side. Natsu turned his head in curiosity.
Natsu turned his attention back to the fight and with a quick flick of his hand, as if to say. "Come on." The fight was on.
Natsu rushed at the Rogue. He dipped and weaved right as he was about to reach him and slashed downwards with an ignited hand. Rogue clashed his hand wrapped in shadows and darkness against the fire on Natsu's hand, sending the flames flying into the air. The shadow dragon slayer was quick and uppercut his opponent.
Natsu sidestepped to the right just enough so that the shadow dragon's fist passed a hairs breath from his face. Quickly, before Rogue could respond with a follow-up, Natsu swiftly punches Rogue in the solar plexus, knocking the wind out of the fire dragon slayer, and stunning him for a brief moment.
The fight had taken Natsu and Rogue dangerously close to the edge of the field. With Natsu's back almost to the line where Freed's runes made it impossible to escape, Rogue keeps pushing him closer. Natsu using fire dragon's grip strike and blows Rogue to the corner where he started. Staggering back up, he brushes off the attack as if it were nothing.
Rogue advances slowly, calling upon small bursts of energy and darkness that shrouds him. At his command he uses his shadow dragon's crushing fang, targeting Natsu, and hitting the target everytime.
The crowd watching their fight let out a collective oooh for the fire dragon slayer.
"Give up yet, Dragneel?" Rogue picks up Natsu by his muffler.
"Not even close" he smirks and spews flames at him with his fire dragon's roar.
Taking the environment to his advantage, Rogue back flipped onto the runes pushing off towards Natsu. With the flames that engulf him whole, he speeds up and knocks the fire dragon off his feet. He laid there breathing heavily. Opening his eyes every so often for a minute. The barmaid tells Freed to take down the runes.
"Natsu, do you give up?" Mira leans down to him.
"I can't do that." he replies.
"Why is that, Natsu?" she removes his hair from his face.
"Because that means I have admitted defeat." he whispers.
Natsu was pulled to his feet violently. He looks up at the barmaid for a moment. She leaves the field back to her post and the runes were active again. Natsu staggers back, but Rogue was too fast for him. The shadow dragon lifts the fire dragon to off his feet and threw him across the floor. The salmon haired young man skidded and tumbled along the ground, uncontrolled. Stopped by the other end of the field's runes, about five feet from the wall, a groan escaped his lips as the pain from the attack started setting in.
Natsu looked up and his eyes opened with had run up to the rune in a shadow and lunged off the side of the wall directly towards Natsu who still hadn't gotten up off the floor after being thrown.
The entire guild was silent and it was as if time itself was holding its breath as the dark haired teen descends onto the salmon haired. Every person watching the fight was so entertained and too shocked to actually speak.
Natsu barely had time to breath, let alone dodge. But, it was a testament to his experience in battle that Natsu kept the presence of mind to roll to the right in a desperate dodge, towards the wall of the dance floor. Just in time.
Rogue's leg smashed into the ground, slamming into the ground with his knee and shin flat into the dirt, crushing the grass into a ditch that from it dirt rose up around him in the air.
Seeing Natsu dodge, most fighters would have allowed their opponent to stand up. That was the honorable thing to do. But, there are no rules in this fight.
With the speed of a cat, while the dirt still hanging mid air, Natsu spun his body around and swept his foot towards his opponents head. The attack was so quick that Rogue wasn't hurt; it actually pushed the shadow dragon slayer a foot and a half into the air.
Natsu was curious, why had that not hurt?
That was Rogue's intention. Swiftly, he rolled forward and halfway through, slid straight, so that he slid under Natsu and stopped facing the rising teen's back. He digs his elbow straight to his back, pushing him down to the ground.
I sit all alone watching all these recent memories, smiling to myself occasionally.
As the images fade I realize, I have to figure out what I can do to help and fight the battles that are coming with Lucy at my side.
I have to fight...
for Sting and Lector...
for my new comrades...
and specially for my family...