*Violet's POV*

The few seconds of confidence that I'd felt in the hands of my instincts melted away as I was thrown into yet another awkward situation. My eyes found comfort on the forest floor, staring at the parts of Laxus's shadow that were still discernible though the patches of silhouetted leaves.

"Gotta say I didn't think our first interaction would be a punch." he said. I knew he was joking and I still couldn't believe it.

"I didn't mean to," I mumbled. Despite my anxiety, my body was starting to relax now that the threat of an attack was gone, "You should have told me it was you."

"I was worried you were going to bolt." he shrugged. His tone was casual, but there was something else there, like a warning but upside down, a reassurance? A question. Did he want me to deny it? It probably would have been a lie.

When it became clear I wasn't going to respond he filled the silence. "Wouldn't be the first time I was introduced to someone with a punch," he said. The casualness came naturally, but it teetered on the edge of something more dangerous. Brutal honesty probably, "thought usually the people I meet that way are...taller."

It wasn't what he had been intending to say, but the quick fix didn't make me feel any less awkward.

"It was a good punch thought," he said, as if only thinking out loud.

"I didn't mean to." I blurted again.

"No, it's cool," he back petaled, "probably hurt your hand more than it hurt me."

There was a shuffle of fabric, and offer. I looked up to see an outstretched hand. "May I?"

So that's what he was after.

My immediate reaction was to pull away from him. I wasn't some circus animal to be gawked at. I didn't owe him a reading. But my magic told that it hadn't been his intention. He was curious, but it wasn't about my magic. He really didn't know.

To decline would mean I might offend him. And I would have to explain my magic as an excuse. To accept his offer would be to expose my distrust, my confusion over the incident with Natsu. But then again… if he had followed me out here, if he had known I had run away… he already knew most of it.

I gave him my hand.

As soon as our skin made contact he jumped back, a familiar reaction to me.

"Sorry," he mumbled, "That's your magic right?"

I nodded, but didn't meet his eyes. I told myself that if he had been planning to hurt us, then he would have started with August the night before. But we were all alone out in these woods. A shiver ran down my spine, my body remembering what had happened the last time I'd been alone in the woods with a fairy.

He took my hand again, and this time didn't pull away. I could feel him processing the emotions he felt there, but his resolution was fogy, unsure. It was inevitable that he would be unable to sort out as much as I could have with the same information. Silver tongue was a skill as much as an ability, and even though I wished I wasn't, I was good at it.

After a few moments, he decided he didn't have enough information to act on. Laxus devised to say nothing about what he'd read. I'd been spared that embarrassment at least.

He looked over my hand carefully, frowning at my knuckles, still an angry pink from how they'd hit him. "It's not too bad," he said, but rather than relieved he was surprised. I guessed it wasn't that hard to figure out why. I could imagine an armature bar fighter breaking their hand against his face. The idea made me smile...but so did the praise.

"I'm not some second class ruffian." I said, then instantly regretted it. He already knew this. He knew I was a trained killer.

A glance at his face gave me a flash of raising eyebrows before my eyes fled his. But it wasn't anger or fear that was pulling them up...it was a kind of... chagrin. I had amused him.

"Good to know," he said. I waited for him to let go of my hand, but he seemed to be holding it tighter, something darker replacing his sly smile. He turned my hand over, so it layed palm up in his. I felt his stomach twist, but was unsure of why.

He reached up and uncurled my fingers. There were the four little crescents that my nails had imprinted when I'd been faced with Natsu earlier. A physical reminder of my inability to keep control. I flushed deeply and pulled my hand away. He let it go, his mind still on what he'd read there.

I felt the urge to run again. He had no intention of letting me off easy.

I wondered if I should ask him why he had followed me. It was clear that we hadn't met by chance. He had been trying to get my attention even back in the guild hall, as soon as August had left with the master. Was this intentional? For him to get me alone? Surely not.

His mind was still on the scars on my hand, and then something broader...I felt eyes on my neck, and wondered if there were any scars peeking out there as well. I took a deep breath. He had no intention of rushing our conversation, so that meant it was up to me to send him on his way.

I wished now that August had told me what they'd talked about the night before, that I may use it as some kind of ice breaker. As it was, I decided it was best to be direct.

"Why did you follow me?" I asked. I had expected the words to come out definitely, as they had during my conversation with Natsu. But this time I wasn't so lucky. Apparently he didn't even need to be reading me to know I was afraid of him.

"I wanted to talk to you."

Well it was better than wanting to attack me. Probably.

"About what?" again my voice was small, revealing more desperation than confidence.

Laxus either didn't notice, or took it in stride. Perhaps he was too focused on his objective to even notice me at all. For all I knew he was doing this for Natsu's sake. Perhaps he had seen the fight and come to get the whole story.

But from what I could tell, the two of them hadn't been that close. And why not send someone I already knew? Grey or better yet Lucy? Why send a stranger?

"Are you afraid of me?" he asked.

I looked up at him. The question was genuine, despite it being asked on an impulse.

I thought of how firm his chest had felt when I'd struck it.

"Yes."

Who wouldn't be?

He didn't smile this time. Had he expected me to lie?

"I took your brother out to dinner yesterday," he said, "I could treat you now, even it up."

"I'm not hungry."

"We can just talk here then."

It was worth a shot.

Laxus turned his back to me, looking around for a moment. His eyes rested for a moment on my shoes, which I had discarded at the base of a tree a few feet away. He let out a little smile and settled down next to them, patting the ground in invitation.

I took a deep breath, and accepted it.