Chapter 15
When Laxus was ready, they proceeded to the colosseum. When they reached the Fairy Tail Team B box, Bickslow, Evergreen, and Freed were clearly not happy about separating from Laxus again.
However, Freed extended his hand to Abi in a sign of camaraderie and she shook it cautiously. Immediately, pulled her into a tight hug, which caused her to cry out in discomfort. The wizard whispered into her ear, "Listen well, Abigail." His speech was incredibly formal. Abi furrowed her brow, "My name is-,"
"-I may not know exactly what is going on here, but I do know that if you hurt Laxus, I shall hunt you to the ends of the earth. Nothing stands between me and my vengeance." Freed shook with fervor and gripped her fingers tightly. The thief's hand was still crushed between them, and Abi thumped him hard on the back for release.
"Thanks for the foreplay, Fairy." She pried herself off of him and huffed. The green haired wizard stepped back and saluted the dragon slayer solemnly.
The Praesidio straightened her clothes and looked at Laxus with distaste. He nodded to his friends and said, "See you guys tonight."
Evergreen, Bickslow, and Freed reluctantly slunk towards the rest of the guild. They left the two of them alone at the entrance to the box.
Upon arriving at the box for Fairy Tail Team B, the four other members— Cana, Mirajane, Gajeel, and Juvia— did not seemed surprised at Abi's addition to their box. The white-haired wizard waved at Laxus and smiled brightly at the thief, who nodded back uncomfortably. Abi had read enough Sorcerer's Weekly as a kid to recognize all four of the wizards before her. If she was seven years younger, she might have melted on the spot upon seeing the bad-boy Iron Dragon Slayer Gajeel and the beautiful S-Class Wizard Mirajane.
Flashbacks to her interaction with Erza made her flush slightly with embarrassment. Not happening today.
"Laxus!" Mira bubbled and ran up to them. She hugged Laxus quickly, and Abi felt something twist in her chest. "So glad you're back, we missed you last night! Master told us you were bringing a friend!" The white-haired woman turned to Abi and flashed a radiant smile. Normally, Abi never felt threatened or insecure around other women— hell, she thought highly of herself and knew her assets. However, looking at Mirajane with her beautiful blue eyes, fair skin, long, glossy white hair, Abi felt a sharp pang of jealousy. The woman might as well be the goddess of love and beauty.
"I'm Mirajane, and you are?"
She sighed through her nose, it seemed everyone knew her name these days. "Abi." I'll change it after the games, anyway. Mira smiled widely and clapped her hands. She hugged Abi tightly and the thief was engulfed by warmth and affection. God, she even smells beautiful. The Praesidio tried to smother the bitterness bubbling in her stomach.
Gajeel bared his teeth and smiled in his signature grin. He didn't bother walking up to them, but he made sure his voice was loud enough in calling up to them, "You didn't come home last night, Laxus. Now, I see why." The iron dragon slayer overloaded his statement with suggestion, and Laxus rolled his eyes. He walked past Abi and Mira, still hugging, and shrugged beneath his thick coat. "Just doing the old geezer a favor, Gajeel."
"I'll bet you are," the Iron Dragon Slayer snorted with laughter at his own innuendo and looked over Abi carefully with his beady red eyes.
"Gajeel, can you be quiet?" Cana snapped; she stood beside the dark-haired man and rubbed her temples. "Everyone knows about their little sleepover last night, now shut up. My head hurts." The hungover wizard sighed and withdrew a flask from her waist, "I need a drink, it's too early for this."
Mira released Abi from her hug to look at the drunk disapprovingly. "Cana, it's nine in the morning."
Cana shrugged and looked up at Mira, "And? I've been up since seven." The white-haired woman sighed and shook her head, but didn't say anything more. She turned to look at the thief, who realized she was staring at Mira the whole time. Abi cleared her throat and said, "Well, nice meeting you."
"Yes! Call me Mira, or Mirajane, whatever you prefer!" Abi was once wrapped up in an—ugh— amazing hug, and then she bounded down the steps of the box to join her other three guildmates.
Wait, three. Laxus, Gajeel, Cana, and now Mira.
Where was…
"So you're with Laxus?" Water surged upwards in front of Abi's face. The water quickly formed into the figure of a blue haired girl pointing a finger at the thief. Juvia, the water mage. "But are you single?"
The blonde woman folded her arms and didn't take a step back. "Yes."
Julia's blue eyes widened, and she put her hands on her hips, "Do you plan on seducing any other members of Fairy Tail, Abi?"
Abi looked at the ceiling and sucked in an even breath. Good lord, how many people were going to think she and Laxus were sleeping together? She grit her teeth and smiled sweetly at Juvia, who was eyeing her with blatant suspicion and jealousy.
"Oh, I plan on sleeping with every single member of Fairy Tail, man, woman, or child." Gajeel let out a snort of laughter and Abi winked at the blue haired woman. "And you're at the top of my list, sweetheart." Juvia's mouth dropped open and she flushed red. The gears in her head seemed to be spinning off their axels, and she pretty much blew steam out of her ears. Abi slipped past her and walked to the front of the box, putting distance between herself and the other members of Fairy Tail. Abi stood on the opposite corner of the balcony to the wizards, trying to get as much distance as possible between them.
"You won't have me and you will not have my darling Gray!" Juvia burst out, incredibly enraged. Abi knit her brows in confusion and banged her head against the railing. Sarcasm clearly fell short among some. Just please, lord, let the games be exciting enough that she could slip away.
The box offered a grand view of the arena, barely 12 feet above the sand floor. It was probably a little over 12 feet wide, and had three rows of seats, two of which were under the overhang. There was enough space for Abi to sit in the corner opposite of the five other wizards and not quite hear them speak.
Laxus engaged in small conversation with Mira and Gajeel, with Cana moaning under her breath about the noise. Juvia sat a few seats away from Abi and stared at her nonstop.
Down below, the first event was announced. Please offer, Laxus.
Cana volunteered. She leaped off the side of the railing and landed down in the arena.
The tower of Pandemonium formed.
Laxus continued his conversation with Mira, occasionally cracking a smile and joking back and forth. Abi felt herself staring, and she felt that tightness in her chest continue to constrict. When she accidentally caught Laxus's eye, she looked out at the stadium, the pit, the competitors, the audience- anything but the broad-shouldered wizard opposite her. She'd find herself looking again. Why didn't they ever talk like that? Well, we've never actually had a conversation, Abi realized. Then she remembered that it was Laxus. They've never had a normal interaction. The dragon slayer always surprised her, always put her on edge- she couldn't think straight around him. Her defenses went straight up and fell all at once.
That was precisely why Abi told Makarov she didn't want anyone to know about her deal. Healing Wendy in exchange for access to the games. Laxus was never going to let her out of his sight now. Maybe he'll die in the match later today. The thought was a comfort.
Abi found herself engrossed in the games as Erza stepped up to the plate and challenged the 100 monsters. All of Fairy Tail held their breath as she battled her way through and ultimately came out on top. Everyone cheered as their guild mate emerged victorious, clutching her swords.
Mira cheered with excitement; Gajeel grinned ear to ear. "That's how it's done in this guild," he muttered, clenching a fist victoriously. Juvia wiped a tear away and murmured, "Erza, I forgive you for coming onto Gray."
Laxus just folded his arms and smiled slightly. "Never doubted her."
Maybe now was her time to slip away. She stood up and slipped back towards the exit. She made it to the entrance to the box when someone cleared their throat directly behind her.
"Going somewhere, Klepto?"
Abi turned around with a smile and took a step backwards. Laxus stood a few feet away, arms covered beneath his thick black coat. "Can't a girl go to the bathroom?"
"Sure, but you're not."
"Excuse me?" She folded her arms and took a step back.
"Don't play coy. You know you're lying." He advanced one step.
Abi folded her arms and took another step backwards. "Are you telling me about my own body? Mr. Lie Detector, tell me, just how do you know when I'm lying?"
Laxus rolled his eyes and closed the gap between them. "You do realize I'm like a human polygraph, right?" He leaned in a little closer, "Your pulse elevates basically every time you speak to me."
Abi snapped, "It does not!" The other three members of Fairy Tail turned around to look at them in confusion.
The thief felt her cheeks grow hot in anger and… embarrassment? That couldn't be right. The corners of Laxus's mouth curved upwards knowingly, and he cocked his head to the side, "See that… that definitely felt like a lie, Abi."
She glared venomously at the smug bastard. He smirked. Abi had never felt so much hatred for a man in her life. The thief balled her fists together and imagined draining every ounce of power from his muscular body. She wanted to hear him plead her for mercy, to see fear replace that smug, sexy-
Sexy? Where did that thought come from? Abi shuddered and grit her teeth. This was a psychopath with brutish tendencies and control issues. Not sexy. Definitely not sexy. Laxus and sex were two words that never went together. Nope, not at-
He turned around. "Now, come on. Don't cause a scene. Let's watch the rest of the games together, like the couple everyone thinks we are."
Abi had to admit it. A temporary girlfriend, or whatever, was a better cover than body-guard and it raised less questions. Still, standing between the balcony's side railing and Laxus's arm was not very comfortable, or comforting. Although, a very strange part of her enjoyed the occasional glances Mira sent their way. Ha.
The games had switched to a much less exciting event- measuring each competitor's magic capabilities. The thief rested her head in her hand and sighed in boredom. Her eyes scanned the arena, knowing this was all pointless. If it weren't for this Dragon Slayer, she would be exploring her new discovery in the halls of the colosseum.
Abi glanced up at Laxus, who stared straight ahead, purposefully ignoring her. Her eyes traced over his jawline and down to his large, black coat draped over his shoulders. His powerful arms crossed in front of his chest, beneath the jacket. How it never fell off was a mystery to Abi. The Dragon Slayer's neck and shoulders flexed in reaction to something down below; then, he relaxed his tense muscles. Her hands tingled as she remembered the feel of his skin and the raw, wild energy of his power. His hard, corded muscles moved beneath the skin, and Abi found herself swallowing hard. The tight black shirt did sinful things to his torso. Her eyes detached from the Dragon Slayer's chiseled body and focused on the games before the man could catch her eye again.
"Next up is Obra of Raven Tail!" Abi glanced down at the large blue man walking toward the Magic Power Finder, or MPF. The crowd quieted in anticipation of this unknown wizard's display of power. Obra swept his dark cloak to the side, and a small black, catlike animal shot out towards the MPF. The black animal collided with the lacrima, then twisted and landed on the ground nimbly. It had a small cape around it's back, and it's barbed tail swished upward like a cat.
"Obra clocks in at… 4 points?"
Abi clamped her hand down on the stone. Laxus glanced over at her. The Praesidio became very, very still. Her eyes remained fixated on the small black animal running back to the blue man. "He's the one."
"The one?" The dragon slayer followed her gaze, watching as the animal jumped onto the blue man's belly and crawled under the cover of the cape. Laxus furrowed his brow. "How do you know?"
Abi pursed her lips and closed her eyes, shaking her head lightly. "It's this feeling- it's like…" She turned open her hands and looked down at them, "It's familiar. I can't explain it. But if anyone attacked Wendy and Lucy, it's him. I'm certain of it."
The Dragon Slayer trained his eyes on the blue man, then glanced at Abi out of the corner of his eye. He didn't feel the thief's pulse increase. A hostile, almost animalistic gleam came over her- she remained perfectly still, like a predator about to pounce. Her eyes glowed slightly as she stared at the blue wizard. She's serious. For some reason, Laxus found himself believing in her.
"Unfortunately, there are no do-overs." Mato the pumpkin announced. "It looks like Milliana is in the lead with 365 points!"
Abi nudged Laxus and said severely in a low voice, "I need to get to the Raven Tail box. Now."
"Yeah, okay." He snorted in contempt and turned away from Abi. The thief looked at him angrily and punched the Dragon Slayer's shoulder. Laxus ignored her and focused on the games below. Abi knew she couldn't leave the box without his permission, so she sunk down and glared at the insufferable man. "Asshole." She muttered.
Down below, Milliana let out a yowl of excitement at her lead. She grabbed Mato's hand, and shook it excitedly. However, Orga of Sabertooth stepped forward and grinned at the lacrima cameras. "I'm about to change that," He told the audience.
The stadium roared in excitement as the large, tattooed man stepped in front of the Magic Power Finder.
The Sabertooth wizard sent bolts of black electricity racing toward the lacrima. His magic energy assaulted everyone in the crowd, and Abi felt herself dig her nails into the stone at the sensation of Orga's power. While Laxus's magic was feral, this man's lightning magic was cold and controlled. 3825 MPF— was Laxus's power that strong? Abi looked up at the blonde man beside her, and a feral grin spread across the Dragon Slayer's face at the display of lightning. He licked his lips, as if tasting the magic energy. "Interesting," he murmured.
"You're concentrating on that wizard awfully hard," Abi purred next to the Dragon Slayer's ear. She pressed her body against his side. Laxus forced himself to remain collected, and cooly turned his head to look down at the insufferable blonde woman. He pulled his lips apart to form a sickeningly sweet smile. Abi grimaced only slightly.
"Oh, I'm just imagining you as the lacrima and sending thousands of lighting volts to fry your ass." Gajeel looked over at them with a startled expression. Abi took a step back from Laxus and winked.
"Didn't know you spend so much time thinking 'bout my ass, Sparkles." Abi placed a hand on his forearm and mirrored his fake smile, "I'm flattered."
Laxus's smile slipped and he found himself baring his teeth at the thief. "Don't be. I spend most of my time thinking about things I don't like. It's a nasty habit."
Abi rolled her eyes and sneered at him.
Jura the Wizard Saint wowed the crowd next with his awesome display of power. He beat Orga's points by racking up 8544 points on the MPF. The stadium was quiet in awe of his raw power.
However, Cana was last. She was completely wasted as she stumbled up to the MPF. Fairy Tail shifted nervously in their boxes.
Suddenly, Cana stripped down to her jacket and revealed a glowing red tattoo on her forearm. Laxus's eyes widened, "Fairy Glitter?" His eyes went to his grandfather across the stadium, who looked equally stunned as he stared at an empty seat next to him. Abi narrowed her eyes, but quickly reverted her attention back to the arena.
The earth trembled as Cana grinned, "Alright, I'm gonna hit you hard." She began to cast the spell. Abi gripped the box's railing as powerful magic energy ripped through her. It channeled straight to the MPF. Pure light enveloped the stadium as the ancient spell hit the lacrima. When the dust cleared, the incredible score of 9999 points registered above the Magic Power Finder. Abi's jaw dropped. Never, in her life had she encountered such a powerful spell.
Laxus smiled genuinely as he looked at his victorious guildmate. Fairy Tail rejoiced as they claimed the top two spots for the morning's events.
After a brief lunch, the afternoon battles commenced. Laxus never let Abi out of his sight, and together they watched the various guilds fight. The thief continued to become antsy as she wondered when she would have an opportunity to leave. Any attempt at conversation and Laxus ignored her; any attempt to leave and he cornered her. Rufus of Sabertooth defeated Eve of Blue Pegasus and the third match was announced.
"Laxus of Fairy Tail versus Alexei of Raven Tail!"
Abi's heart soared. Yes. She could barely keep a smile off her face as she turned to look up at the Dragon Slayer triumphantly. Laxus straightened and glared across the arena at his father. It was time to go out. He turned to Gajeel and motioned with his thumb to Abi, "Don't let her leave."
The dark haired dragon slayer nodded with a grin. Abi scowled stared straight ahead. "I'm not cheering for you, you overgrown bug zapper."
The Dragon Slayer rolled his eyes, "Yeah, yeah. Whatever, klepto."
The match long and brutal. For some reason, Abi felt her heart in her throat as she watched Laxus get pummeled by Alexei. It didn't seem real to see her tormenter thrown around like a ragdoll. A part of her rejoiced in seeing him finally lose, but a different, deep part of Abi wanted to seem him succeed. When Abi had finally decided that she was cheering against Laxus, an illusion seemed to break across the stadium.
Instead of Alexei standing over a broken Dragon Slayer, Laxus was surrounded by a defeated Raven Tail. Abi gasped as she looked at Laxus. He was breathing hard, bruised, and bloody. He glared warily at his father, who was slumped against the broken arena wall. Abi couldn't tell what was going on in the Dragon Slayer's mind, but she found herself letting loose a cheer as Fairy Tail erupted into gleeful howls.
As Magic Counsel soldiers rushed the field to arrest Raven Tail, Laxus walked off towards the tunnel. Fairy Tail Team B surged upward and rushed out of the box to congratulate their guildmates. Gajeel didn't give Abi a second thought as she allowed herself to get lost in the crowd. Within moments, she slipped away from Fairy Tail and into the shadows.
The next chapter is probably one of my favorites to write! Get excited, because this is the last calm chapter for a while. We are entering the third quarter where secrets will be revealed, alliances will be formed, and relationships broken (or resolved!)!
R&R :)