It's interesting how a person who can be so excited to see me not even 24 hours ago can want to kill me now.
I guess that's human nature for you.
Lex has a point. I was supposed to go to this girl's place, but she shared an apartment with five people, and had a roommate, and Lex had left already, so I could hardly ask her what to do.
The whole experience was pointless. Okay so maybe a few minutes of it wasn't so pointless, but in the end, I'm sitting here looking at that stupid picture of Lyon and I, wondering why I can't have him, but also maybe wanting to take the next train to Margaret Town so I can throttle him.
So yeah. Human nature, right?
Anyway, the girl only wanted one thing from me, which is only fair, since can I say any differently? But still. She made it sound like cuddling is immature, but Lyon just knew how to spoon. And deep down, I think a lot of us tough guys want stuff like that. It's comforting.
Or maybe it was that horrible cologne. I thought it was supposed to last forever, but something went seriously wrong when I put it on, and then I couldn't get the scent off either. Lesson learned: Never buy cologne at the discount store.
She was barely here an hour, and a few minutes later she was dressed, putting her shoes on, and headed out the door, I don't even think she told me her name. Did I tell her mine? It's almost like she wasn't even here.
Except she clearly was, because this morning Alexa was glaring at me, telling me she had to spend the night at an inn, and I'm wondering what happened to her ear plugs, and how something that can seem like such a good idea can seem unbelievably stupid the next day.
Then Alexa took a bath, and I really wish she would get dressed in the bathroom, instead of coming out in just a towel. Except I can't tell her that, because she'll say how funny it is that a guy who unconsciously strips all the time is complaining about seeing her in a towel, and the truth is she's right. It's not like I'm not used to seeing stuff like that anyway, what with Erza and Lucy being on my team.
I've been lying in my bed, staring at the depression next to me, as if I could will Lyon to fill it with his long muscular body. We were so good together. Especially that last day together in Hargeon. I think he finally understood me more finally. He was getting past his twisted image of me as the younger brother he had to protect, which was hypocritical because he admitted resenting me for taking up time with Master Ur. He was starting to respect me as an equal, which he really should have done as soon as we got together, but better late than never.
I once tried to get him to tell me what he had done with his life before he decided to waste three years of his life on his horrible plan to revive Deliora. It's a good four years of time. All I could get from him was that he travelled a lot and spent a lot of time either training or reading in libraries. That must be where he picked up his formal way of speaking. It wasn't from Master Ur, that's for sure.
I miss him, his ridiculous need to be perfectly dressed and groomed all the time, and the way he kissed me or looked at me, like nothing else mattered. Or the time when I tried to write my own acrostic poem about him thinking that's what he'd like, and it sucked, and when I presented it to him, he laughed, stroked my check, and told me he liked me as me, not as me trying to be him, and how I shouldn't change. I miss the physical closeness and all that other stuff we did. The private stuff which he better not tell anyone about ever or I will kill him.
Why can't he just give us more time? Doesn't he owe us that at least? What am I even thinking? There is no 'us.' I never even wanted this in the first place. He was the one who came over and told me about his weird dreams. I would have just continued to ignore them. So why do I want this so badly? Crap. I'm such an idiot.
Alexa is sitting at the table practicing with her guitar for yet another performance. She must have at least four concerts a week. Maybe she thinks she's trying to commiserate, but I don't need to hear her practice her break up set. Maybe I should tell her It's not necessary.
But I'm wrong. She's crying. She's had her own break up, and it must be recent, and I'm feeling a little awkward, but I've moved my chair close to her and I'm stroking her hair. Life sucks, but she's got friends, and this guy, whoever he is, is one major jerk, and doesn't deserve her.
And she's put her guitar down and hugging me. I really want to bring this guy down. He probably cheated on her.
"That guy's a jerk and doesn't deserve you."
I don't know why she thinks this is funny, but she's laughing in this sad way.
"What guy?"
"Whoever you're crying about."
"It's that obvious?"
"Kinda. When did you break up? And was he a cheater? Older brothers have ways of dealing with cheaters." I'm smiling at her and pretending to get into casting stance. It's good, because I've got her giggling now. It's a little surreal seeing the 13-year-old Alexa within this fully-grown woman, at the same time somewhat comforting; it's the Alexa I know.
"it's a bit complicated. He's not a cheater. If anyone's a cheater it's me." She's got to be joking. Alexa would never do that. Would she?
"Okay, back up. What happened?"
"It's a long story." Bad excuse.
"Okay. Tell me the basic points now."
"I really have to get to Clover."
"Please?"
So she's telling me about this guy, Sting, and how she loved him, but his partner hated her from the beginning, which created a lot of tension between them. It didn't help that both Sting and his friend were always trashing Fairy Tail. Sounds like such great guys.
I'm not understanding it fully, but I'm getting the gist. She had broken up with Sting in April, but somehow Sting thought they were still together. Three months later, Alexa decided to date Hibiki Lates, and Sting saw them kissing at a club, and had a shit fit. Then Hibiki got upset because he thought Lex was using him, and it sounds like he was correct, but she thought he realized she wanted something casual, which I'd say is wrong, but then again, I was the idiot who decided to pick up a stranger in a club yesterday.
It sounds like a humiliating disaster where nobody ends up happy. There's one thing I'm sure of though and she's got to realize this.
"Lex, you might have messed up with Hibiki, but you didn't cheat on anyone."
"Try telling that to Sting."
"Did you try?" she gives me a look which definitely means 'are you stupid?'
"He won't listen."
"Sorry." And I am. It would have been a lot easier and more fun to deal with a cheater, because this is just a confusing mess. "Do you still wish you were with him?"
"Yes and no. I broke up with him for a reason, but I loved him. It's hard to just say goodbye to somebody I've known three and a half years. I just wish we could be friends again." She's frowning and looking at her watch.
And then I'm realizing there's something I haven't done in years, well, according to Alexa at least, and that's the important part. I'm in the kitchen getting a bowl out, and voilà: instant ice coin dessert. I'm holding it aloft like I'm a waiter holding a tray.
"Madame, your ice coins."
It's nice to know there's something I can do for her, and It's nice to know my ice is apparently the freshest and most delicious in Fiore.