Enjoy chapter 9 :P
Prewvious chapter
The realization came to his mind when he thought about that he even didn't deserve to be at good health. The celestial Mage, even know he could handle the battle have put his life as a priority. Something he never had done for anyone.
'Fuck, I wanted to know her better. I was joking when I said I wanted her to be mine. Well I wanted her. But, will she want me?' He looked at the tiny celestial mage under the blankets.
"Maybe you're still a newbie as a Mage. But you aren't the same weak person I thought you were, not after that fight style you have!"
He grabbed Lucy and pulled her near him to warm her with his body in a close embrace.
"Stay alive, Blondie." He whispered, keeping an eye on the girl's vitals whilst catching some sleep for himself.
Present
The first flashlight entered the wooden hut through the holes that the passage of time had gnawed. Indeed, the cabin was not cold and was an also comfortable place, for the two mages that were sleeping peacefully on the bed next to each other.
It was a hard night for Lucy, because she almost have drown herself on that freezing lake, in atempt to help his partner on the fight against de Vulcans.
After they we're safe thanks to Acuarious and Laxus, who brought her to the cabin using his lightning, Lucy was painfully freezing because of the cold water and all her wetting clothes.
Laxus in atempt to warm her, he made a fireplace using his magic and stripped down only with his boxes and did the same with her partner and embraced her on the bed during the night. He was beyond afraid, that she could die because of his stupidity, but he surely didn't want to show it. He always beeing and asshole and arrogant persone, and she almost sacrified for him to fight de Vulcans is something that he didn't understand. He was fighting fine, but the stupid blonde had to wip away the Vulcan he was fighting with and she got punched by another one. He could have handle that battle, without any help. He was an SS-class mage. He didn't understand why she had no pay attencion in her battle and helped him instead. He had acted like a jerk all these days. He knew it. His partner was injured, because she risked her life helping him with the Vulcans. He wasn't sure why she helped him, though. He had hurt her in so many reasons. First, he said at Oshibana that she was a spoiled girl who run from home. Second, he injured one of her spirits and said that she was like every celestial mage using her friends as tools or shields. And he dind't even know her that better. He also had put the condition to rent a car to Shirotsume if she stripped for him. He had beeing playing aroud as she was a slut or a toy, nor a human being or nakama. Not that he didn't care about the gild members that much, but he was sure that he was acting like and asshole. He also stole her a kiss. He couldn't help about beeing atracted to her. However, he though that he had to start acting better around her, or someone would get hurt. And gramps would kill him if something happens to her.
In the deep he knew that he only wanted to know her better and he was jealous that Natsu, Gray and others were around her everyday. He was pissed off by Lucy's words when say her teammate's name when they're at the tent. He wasn't used to feel emotions. He wasn't ment to be around people, instead of his own team.
After several hours of using his body and making pulses with his magic on Lucy, she began to get warmer. Laxus knew that after that night, thinks would change. He learned that Lucy, was apparently weak withought her keys to help her using her magic, but was strong in differents manners that he never could have imagined. He had experineced her temper and willpower, not to mention her famous Lucy Kick and her demonic aura when she gets mad. She was strong enough to keep up fighting for her comrades, and sacrified for them as they would do the same for her. Sure the others, most of the time, were a bunch of idiots, causing a lot of problems and paperwork. Nevertheless, it seems that the bonds with all her comrades would fight with anything. It was the first time he thought that if she considered him his comrade, he felt softened and proud. He was afraid that when this mission was over think will return back to normal as if nothing had changed at all.
But that it was in his deep thoughts. He didn't want to show outside this shade from him. However, he sure would made the next days and months of the mission better. He didn't want to pass against something similar again.
With the thoughts still in his mind, he finally fell asleep.
...
It was not until the sun was very hight that Lucy began to open her eyes. At first, the light was very blinding, but she blinked several times to get used to it. When, she realise that she was in the wooden cabin of the mountain she climbed with Laxus the day before, all the memories of the battle came on her mind. She felt the feeling of her painful lungs gasping for air, the freezing cold water wraping and drowing her...she would never forbid those horrific memories and the pain she felt. At least, she was safe. She didn't remember anything after a flash of blue light caming from her keys embraced her. She recognized Acuarious power, though.
When, she started to strech and attempted to crawl of the bed she felt her body was still sore, but she felt better than she could remember was yesterday. Nevertheless, something strange was wraping her waist, that she realised it ws an arm. She was not alone in her bed. She looked at her side and saw that Laxus was sleeping next to her.
Why is he sleeping with me?! Lucy shrieked in her mind. Her face turnet ten shades of red at realisation came to her mind. She felt like her heat would gout outside because of her hight beating. Although, she tried to remember why she was sleeping with Laxus thanks to him she was warmer and healthy. Maybe that's why he embraced her while sleeping. To keep her to get an hypothermia. But she didn't believe that it was only this reason, because during those three days he had behaved like a perverted idiot.
After few minutes, she moved as gently as posible away from Laxus, trying not to wake him. Then, she crawled of the bed and sat on a chair in the small living room, that there was a fireplace. Taking a few pecks of the cabin she saw that it was a little small wooden hut, with some paintings on the walls of still life and hunting people with their hunting dogs. At the right of the entrance there was the bed she slept that night with his comrade, and at the left there was the small living room she was now. It had a fireplace, a table with few chairs and a old red carpet on the floor.
There was no kitchen or fridge. So she would have to call Virgo for food.
Thinking about the elder mage, and how they slept next to each other all the night without him being a perverted asshole all the time or at least that was she remembered...she was beyond surprised. She also remembered one thing during the battle that happened last night.
...
"Laxus!" Lucy shouted his name for help.
She felt the cold water entering into her lungs when she tried to gasp for air. Unfortunately, with that frozen water was impossible to her to move without pain. Every movement was a sharp needle like a pinch on her skin and muscles.
Laxus barely heard the frightened screams despite the punches and clashing of blades against the Vulcans. He snapped his head back and saw Lucy struggling to get out the cold water.
"¡LUCYYY!" Laxus cried out in desperation.
'Damn it, if don't pull her out of there right now she's going to die!'
With a force taken out of nowhere, Laxus got rid of the Vulcans that were punching him. He ran and ran; trying to reach up to Lucy as fast as his legs allows him.
...
It was the first time he call her by her name and she was still confused why he always had been so perverted with her and sometimes he was also sweet. He saved her she was sure. She will have to ask why was her key shinnig when she got uncounscious. She saw that in the deep Laxus care for the others and her despite he didn't show it. Acting like a jerk, she thought it was because he had a bad past, like Makarov told him, and it was the only way to throw people away from him so that no one could harm him again
He was clever and strong not like other mages in her guild, despite beeing arrogant and shelfish most of the time.
She also remembered something he said to her.
...
Laxus cracked his knuckles in a battle position.
"You mustn't believe the information someone gave you. And, what if the old man was plotting along with the dark Guild we are going to fight?"
The older Mage ogled suspiciously at the celestial Mage.
...
She didn't consider that as a possibility. The best they could do is not to trust anyone than themselves, because that mision depended on it. There was a strange magic following them and they even didn't know if Wolve's Slayers exists.
Deep in her thoughts she didn't notice that the elder mage was awake, yet. He woke up at the same time as Lucy. However, he was more curious about what was in her partner's mind and he also wanted to check her out to find out if she was completely well. Seeing that she seemed to be find, he sighed and sat on the edge of the bed and said:
"Are you feeling better, Blondie?" He demanded her.
When Lucy suddenly heard her partner's voice, she came back to reality. She was so losed herself in her thoughts, that she even didn't realise when Laxus woke up.
"Mm...yes I feel a lot better. Thanks, Laxus." She managed to say a bit still losed in all those thoughts and the pain she felt on the frozen water still in mind. She smiled at him, because she was alive thanks to him and her spirits. "When did you wake up? Did I wake you?" The celestial mage asked with worry. She felt bad that he could't sleep well because of her. "And what happened? I got uncounscious after seeing a light in the water and I don't remember anything." the celestial mage asked worried to the elder mage.
"Oh, don't worry too much Blondie. You didn't wake me up." Laxus said when he put a shirt on, and was when Lucy realise that she was only in her underwear and got flustered. "Your clothes were very wet and you were freezing to death. I had to pull you out of them, and wrap you with some blankets I found here. Don't you remember? I didn't touch you." Laxus said a little offen he didn't trust his words, no that he didn't deserve her distrust.
Lucy only nodded with her head and called out Virgo to get some clothes from the celestial world. Her spirit gave her grey long warm pants, a sky blue sweater, winter soks, a pair of black boots and a pair of white gloves. She also gave her a winter hat and earbags, because it was still freezing outside.
"Do I need punishment, Lucy-sama?" Virgo asked with a glim on her eyes.
Laxus who was watching what was Lucy doing, was suprised for the spirit's inqueriment. However, wasn't the first time he hear her spirit ask that to her. 'What kind of mage is, Blondie?' he thought a little curious and shocked.
"No, Virgo. No time for punishment." Lucy sweatdroped and her spirit's question. "But, can you say to the others than I'm feeling much better? And also¡ if you can take to the celestial realm the wet clothes I was wearing yesterday, would be very helpful." Lucy said in a gentle and kind manner to her lovely friend. "Ok. Lucy-sama." In a golden flash Virgo disppeared with the clothes Lucy was wearing when she fell to the frozen lake. Laxus who was now all dressed, took some items and ropes from the wooden hut and putted them on his bag. "We need to leave, now. If you have to put something that could be useful later on your bag, is the time. Laxus said to her partner. "But, we are still needing all that stuff?" Lucy said tired, thinking she have to carry the heavy bag, again. "Past noon !?" Lucy said and rushed herself out the cabin following the elder mage. She pouted, because she even didn't eat breakfast.
"Well, mine is supose to be heavier than your's." Laxus said a little amused closing te door of the wood cabin "And we have to be at the mayors house tomorrow morning. It's past noon. We don't see the sunlight in this high mountain befoure noon."
"It's not funny, Laxus." Lucy pouted because of his comment about the bag. She knew that her bag was not that heavy in compared to his. "I though I had time to eat something". She said to him.
"You can eat something on the roud. It won't be difficult because it's just down the mountain now. However, why don't you call that mischievous spirit who like being punished to take your bag on the celestial realm or in your magic space?" he asked curious, because if she could have done that before she wouldn't have had to carry all that weight. Lucy got suprised at that question and she realised that Laxus was right. Indeed, she could have asked her spirits for help. However, she needed to prove herself that she wasn't weak and neither her nakama. She was being stubborn. "Well, I could have asked Virgo for help. But, I didn't want to seem that I always need help." Lucy stated a bit harsh, it reminded at how she felt aroud her father. She needed to prove herself to him to make him proud or being only noticed. Why was she acting the same way around, Laxus? She didn't have to prove him anything, because she was capable of take care of herself alone. But, she started to feel that Laxus was different today. He was not being an ass all the time and molesting her. She felt bad for the ruddeness from her answer.
Laxus was taken back a little for the ruddenes in her voice. But when he was about to reply and ask her what was wrong she interrupted him.
"Scuse me, Laxus. I didn't ment to be harsh. But, is right. I'm stubborn and like to do everything I can on my own." She say softener. "Well, then you only have to be stubborn if you like to feel that you're capable to do things without asking help from the others. Now, we should go."
And they parted. The sun was very bright and hight outside and the bad weather of yesterday, there was not even a trace. It seemed that the good weather will acompany them that day.
After several ours of walking down the mountain, Laxus and Lucy spotted a clear in the forest, that became thicker as they came down from the mountain.
They sat down on a rock and ate some snaks.
"Mmm..Laxus" Lucy asked concerned about something she remembered while she was eating her snak. Laxus looked at her. He liked her browned eyes, even though he wouldn't recognized.
"I'm thinking about the strange dream we both had a few days about a dark wolf. If I remembered you asked me yesterday what if the old man of Shirotsume was plotting along with the dark Guild we are going to fight. There's something that we don't now abaout the mision? As more I think about it, the sure I am that the wolf's dream is not a casuality." She stated in concerned.
Laxus thought about Lucy's statement for a moment before he gave her his answer. "I'm thinking the same way. I don't think that the dream we both had is a casuality, because we had the same dream and we also could notice the stranger air feeled with dark and rare magic." Laxus said while eating his snack, too.
The weather was rather comfortable, because the sun was bright and high and they could barely shiver because the cold temperature of the mountain.
"That's why we can trust anyone." Laxus said. "We only have ourselves." Laxus patted his sweater and said. "Thanks to this clothes we can hide our guild mark, so other people can guess we are mages."
Lucy nodded with her head. She felt better with laxus around, than the other days. He seemed to be more careful and kind. However, she didn't know why he changed his demeanor in only a day. Was because she almost have die yesterday? Not to mention that he embraced her all the night so she could regain her temperature. She wanted to know him better.
After they finished eating, they took a path that was narrow and steep. In the map that Lucy had checked a minutes before, that path was supose to led them to Was Forest faster, so that they could arrive there at night.
Laxus was thinking all the way about the celestial mage. He was still thinking that Fairy Tail had a bad reputation because of how destructive Lucy's team and other members of the guild were. However, he recognized that he understimate his partner, she was clever and strong, dispite her magic was still weak in comparation of his. She was very beatiful, and he knows that he had been an asshole since the youger mage arrived at Fairy Tail. Not to mention he hadn't help her during Phantom's Lord attack. He even didn't asked her why they attaked her. As far he knew, it had to be because father's issues. He remembered someone to tell him that she run from home because her father wanted to marry her with someone, when he acted like a gerk when they arrived at Oshibana.
"Hei, Blondie. Why did that guild wanted to attak you? I know I said you were and spoiled girl who run from home because you didn't want to get marry. However, I didn't mean to act like a jerk." he said to her to broke the ice, while they were descending the mountaing.
The sudden question, made Lucy to stop in her tracks. 'Why is he asking me this now?'
"Well was not for that reason." She sighed. She was glad that laxus apologised to her. Maybe, he always was a jerk outside but inside he cared for nakama. "Since my mother's death my father started to close himiself on his work and barely take care of me. I did everything to gain my father's attencion, but he never acknowlegde me. So, one day that he tried to sold me to a man to get married, I decided to run from home and start a live on my own." She said with sadness on her voice. "But was not until a year had passed and when Natsu found me and I entered Fairy Tail that he hired Phantom lord to kidnap me so he could marry me to a rich man. He's only interested on money, and he didn't even care of my feelings."
Laxus felt somehow simphaty for her, his father was kicked out from Fairy Tail, and he made to him every thing he could to make him stronger not even care if it was healthy. But, he did recognised that beeing stronger is necesary to live, so he tented to despice weaker people.
"That's why I think that being stronger and not dependent on others does not make you suffer and it does not affect you that people can betray you." He said securing his point of view. "The Council, always looks at us and we have a bad reputation, as our guild it is very destructive and we don't matter what people think of us."
"Well, I didn't said that we always depend on others. Is good to have people who you can trust in bad moments or you can have fun. All the members are strong enough to take care of themselves." Lucy said, but she know what Laxus ment. "If you close your heart to others, you might not experience betrayal or pain. However, you prive yourself of other emotions such as friendship and love."
Laxus didn't response to her but he thought she was right.
They kept walking and when the moon was starting to show up they arrived at Wass Forest.
What tipe of mission would they do tomorrow mourning? They rented to rooms in a hotel and they went to sleep.