WANTED
Lucas is the son of an incredibly rich family and heir to the next generation of Heartfilia Corporation, making him a major target for kidnappings and a highly sought after young man for marriage requests. When his body guards fail to protect him, an unlikely savior comes his way— a half dressed woman with long pink hair who's quite possibly a felon?! Genderbender AU NaLu –For ObeliskX
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Af1-chan: What's up guys! I always wanted to try a genderbender fic. This was requested by ObeliskX. Major shout out to you! I hope you enjoy what I came up with : )
Real brief note: I have edited this story for 2020, which includes the removal/edit of some authors notes, some new story details, grammar fixes, deletions etc. Check out my profile for my list of continuing, finished and paused stories. I hope you enjoy this and check out my new baby Filling What's Missing.
With all that said, please enjoy this story! And remember, only Mashima owns Fairy Tail (which ends this week… I am CRYING)* (Couldn't bring myself to delete that last part lol :( )
Chapter 1: Prologue: Haves and Have Nots
In the kingdom of Fiore, there was an evident social hierarchy. At the top of the hierarchy reigned the king, and just below the king ruled the CEOs. Where the king controlled the people, the CEOs controlled the wealth. And in Fiore, if you weren't a CEO or at least in the upper class, you were simply dirt poor—whether literally or in comparison. These two opposing classes did not interact, with the exception of a business setting. The Haves did not care much about the Have Nots, and most of the Have Nots loathed the Haves.
In this hierarchy, Lucas Heartfilia was one of the "Haves." His family was one of the five major conglomerates in Fiore as a whole, not to mention the wealthiest of the elite families. Although he did not particularly care for the lifestyle that accompanied being rich and essentially famous, as the heir to the Heartfilia Corporation, it was the only world he knew.
He gazed down on the city of Magnolia from his office on the 54th floor of his father's building. The people in the city below looked like ants, buzzing and moving about in the complex ant hive that fueled the Heartfilia business. Even this far above the ground, he could faintly hear the sounds of the denizens below.
A bird flew directly past him, subconsciously shifting his attention to his faint reflection in the gigantic window. He adjusted the red tie tucked into his black suit and made sure his suit jacket was still cuffed just right. Lastly, he checked his slicked back blond hair and flashed a smile. He looked good.
Today, he would seal the deal that would open up another branch of the Heartfilia Corporation in the southern section of the country—the grand city of Murasaki. It was one of the biggest cities in the entire country, and certainly the toughest market aside from Magnolia and Caelum. If successful, this would be the first deal he's ever closed of this caliber. At just nineteen, he would be the one to expand the family business. His father would surely be pleased.
"The financial planner of Murasaki is here sir," his main bodyguard, Ezekiel said, startling him. "Would you like me to escort you to the meeting room now, or does he need to wait?"
Lucas turned to face man whose long, shaggy, scarlet tresses contrasted greatly with his short, kempt, plain blond.
"I'll see him now." He replied, walking away from the glass window.
"Right this way."
Five hours later, Lucas shook the hand of the generic older man he had just met with, his sweat beaded brow evidence of the intense discussion that just took place. The brown haired man clad with glasses gave him a smile as he departed the room to make the arrangements they'd agreed upon. Lucas made a great impression that the financial planner agreed to consider speaking to other cities in the surrounding area about partnering with Heartfilia Corp.
He was practically beaming as he headed back up to his personal office. If he wasn't in such a professional environment, he would probably be skipping in glee.
He actually did it!
"Lucas." He heard Ezekiel say from behind him.
"Yes?" He said, stopping in his tracks.
"Your father has requested to see you." The young guard said simply.
There was no smile, no congratulations. Lucas couldn't say he was disappointed, or even surprised. Although Ezekiel was his most trusted bodyguard, he was a surprisingly straitlaced for someone with striking red hair. The explanation was simple: dad preferred to stick him with top bodyguards that would not influence or morally corrupt him. After all, as the sole Heartfilia heir, he carried the future of the company on his shoulder. Instead of other similarly aged people, Lucas had the pleasure of spending time with the elite of the elite. These "elite" men were mostly tall, dark haired men who were at least twenty to thirty years older than him with the personality of an economics textbook. The day Ezekiel came onto the scene, Lucas was overjoyed despite how boring he was.
Yes, in a world of aging economics textbooks, Zeke was a philosophy textbook. Still quite boring, but every once and awhile a passage would grab your attention.
"Okay." The blond haired man replied, spinning on his heels to head towards the elevator.
The two of them walked down the huge hallway to his father's office. His bodyguard gave it two light knocks.
"Enter." The gruff voice inside said.
Ezekiel opened the door and stood aside, allowing Lucas to enter. He then bowed and stepped out of the room, shutting the door behind him.
Judith Heartfilia, known to those close to him as Jude, sat at his gigantic mahogany wood desk with his hands clasped together under his chin in thought. Not a single hair on his blond head was out of place, matching his bland, undecorated office perfectly.
His two carbon copy bodyguards stood at attention against the giant windows behind him—the only discernable difference between the two was a few inches of height. They were his most trusted bodyguards, and the only two allowed to listen in on any conversation Jude had.
"Boys, step outside for a moment." The CEO barked.
"Yes sir." They said simultaneously, leaving their posts.
Lucas watched with raised eyebrows as the two bodyguards left the room, leaving the two of them alone.
"Come sit." He commanded, gesturing to the chair in front of him.
He took a seat quietly at the desk, unsure of what exactly he was called in for. It must be pretty crazy, considering he had both of his own bodyguards leave. Subconsciously, the blond haired young man began to sweat.
"Son," the older man began, "you've changed quite a lot over the years. You're really becoming the responsible professional I've raised you to be." He paused and sucked in a breath.
Was he going to congratulate him for closing the deal?
"As you've gotten older, I'm sure you've realized you would one day inherit great responsibility. As such, it is now time for you to step up and lead this company to the future."
Was he about to be handed the company?! So suddenly?! His eyes widened slightly as he gripped the sides of his chair tightly, attempting to suppress his multitude of emotions.
"Over the past couple months, I've been speaking with some of the other wealthy families about what's in store for the future." The elder Heartfilia reached into his desk and pulled out several shiny pieces of paper. Lucas looked on curiously. "Although you've never met, they too have children that have come of age. Luckily for you, Lucas, you are allowed to have your pick of these lovely ladies."
It felt like the life force had been sucked out of him. "M-My pick?" Lucas stammered. That… was not what he was expecting to hear.
His father pushed the photos towards him. "Even the princess is an option, but I will not force you into that. Their family is quite intense, and they aren't really on the business side of things. Although, it could prove useful to be Heartfilia Corporation to have ties to the royal family…" He ran his hands through his beard.
The young man tensed up in his seat, glancing haphazardly at the young women on the pages before him. From what he could see, there was a blue haired woman belonging to the Fernandez family, a woman with long white hair of the Strauss family, a rusty red haired woman of the Straight family, a blonde haired woman of the Dreyar family, and sure enough was Hisui E. Fiore, the green haired princess. He didn't bother to read their first names. He was livid.
Noticing his son's dark expression, Jude's eyes widened dramatically. "Never mind, I will keep my word and allow you to have a choice in the matter!" He chuckled awkwardly as reached into the desk and pulled out some more photos. "Here, look. They aren't major families, but they are within the top ranks too. You could create a power couple that would edge another family out of business."
He inched held the papers out for his son to take. Lucas looked away, face downcast. Judith Heartfilia sat back in his chair, finally catching on.
"Wait. Don't tell me—You're not excited to get married?" He asked, placing the names on the table. "It's a major stepping stone for you and the company!"
"I'm only nineteen." Lucas replied, continuing to grip the chair for support. He ignored the new batch of girls placed before him.
"So?" Jude replied with a laugh. "I married your mother at seventeen as a merger move. Heartfilia Corp bought their company out and now look," He stood up and extended his arms out wide, "We now essentially own Magnolia, its surrounding cities, and even some of the northern reaches of the country!"
His father beamed with arrogance. It made the young blond sick to his stomach.
"What about love? What about a relationship?!" Lucas replied angrily, shooting up from the chair. "I'm not ready for all that!"
"Well, you better get ready." Jude replied shortly, walking over to him.
Side by side, they were the exact same height. If not for the considerable age difference and the elder man's thick mustache, they'd be twins. Despite their physical similarities, this moment proved they couldn't be all the more different.
Mr. Heartfilia narrowed his eyes as Lucas's nose flared, his patience thinning by the second. "It's your duty as heir to inherit these responsibilities. Relationships are built. Love can be bought. Create a relationship from the love you're about to buy."
"That's exactly why things didn't work out between you and mom!" He yelled, earning a swift slap to the face. He did not flinch.
"Your mother and I had our reasons for separating. It had nothing to do with the merger." His father replied coldly.
The two stared each other down with cold eyes. The stinging red mark on his face did not bother Lucas in the slightest. He could break something right now.
Finally, Jude sighed. "I'm sure you realized that this would happen someday."
"I'm not ready to be married." Lucas reiterated, expression unchanging.
"This is the best time for marriage!" His father countered. "Regardless of timing, this is the only selection of women you'd ever have anyway, so why not now?" Jude scoffed and narrowed his eyes. "Please, did you think you could marry a Have Not?"
Lucas's nostrils flared violently. "I don't care about the stature!" He replied angrily. "This whole 'Have' and 'Have Not' talk is annoying, and frankly bullshit! I get it, we're rich. We're important. That's great but, I just want to be able to meet the woman of my dreams on my own accord, not be handed a list and an ultimatum."
"That's just too bad, Lucas. We don't all get what we want in life."
Lucas opened his mouth to say something, but his words failed him. Sighing, Jude went to sit back down in his chair.
"I'm sure you can be reasonable and realize that this is your responsibility." The chair made a slight whooshing noise as he sat down. "You just need time to think. These are all very beautiful ladies."
The elder man tapped his chin in thought. After a moment, his eyes lit up. "How about this! I'll arrange for a masquerade ball for you to meet the right one for you. You'll be able to get to know them in person. Is that better?"
Silence befell the room.
"You're lucky to have a choice in the matter. They don't."
"Don't you think that's cruel to them?" Lucas asked quietly.
"I'm sure they are more than excited to finally find the love of their life." Jude responded, causing Lucas to squeeze his palms together tightly. "There are other young men of our status who have also come of age. I suggest you make your decision quickly before the woman you like best is taken off the market."
He motioned for Lucas to take the photographs. After staring for a moment, his son snatched them angrily and turned on his heels toward the door.
"By the way," He began, stopping his son in his tracks, "I hear you closed a deal today." Lucas glanced over his shoulder. His father had no smile, no emotion.
"Yeah, I did." Lucas replied simply, leaving the room.
Jude shook his head in disappointment as the door slammed to a close.
"Matthew, Jeremy!" Mr. Heartfilia barked.
His two identical body guards rushed in the room and stood attentively in front of the desk, waiting for orders.
"Escort Lucas back to the manor and tell Ezekiel he's off duty for the rest of the day. Be sure my son stays in his room until he accepts this decision."
"Yes sir." The two said in unison before heading out of the room.
Jude turned around in his chair to face the great city before him. The sun was now setting, the bright lights of the city beginning to become more and more evident against the darkening sky.
"He'll thank me one day." Judith said to himself, continuing to gaze out of the large window.
"Fuck!" Lucas yelled, kicking a potted plant in his office. The defenseless plant shattered, its contents littering the surrounding area.
"Oops." He said, scratching his head as he looked on at the smashed mess in front of him.
Despite his rage, he felt bad for the plant. He actually wasn't much of a swearer or a plant abuser, but today just took the cake. He was at his wit's end.
Without warning, his office door sprang open.
"Who just opened my door without knocking?!" He asked angrily. He whipped his head around to see none other than his dad's most trusted guards. He crossed his arms.
"Your father has requested we take you home." One of the body guards said. Taking notice of the mess, he continued, "Don't worry, I'll call someone to replant the plant."
"Why are you here? Where's Zeke?" Lucas asked.
"He's off duty for the day." The other guard replied simply.
"Of course. Of-fucking-course!" Lucas lamented, stomping over to them. "Fine, let's go. I need to get out of here."
Lucas composed himself during the long elevator ride out of the building. The double doors opened, unveiling a mostly empty lobby. Through the glass double doors of the building, Lucas spotted a shiny black mini limousine outside with tinted windows just waiting to escort him home.
Lucas said nothing as the shorter guard held open the building doors for him, revealing the dark and nearly deserted street outside. Generally, Lucas didn't pay attention to the townspeople, but for once he would love a distraction, a change of face. Instead, he stared at the black suit of the guard leading him to the limo. He never realized how tall this man was. He had to be 6" 5' or taller.
The guard grunted as he opened the door, ushering the young heir inside the vehicle. Lucas sighed and leaned his head back against the headrest, deciding to rest his eyes. His moment of peace was interrupted, however, when he felt the thigh of the bodyguard pressing against the side of his own.
Lucas frowned. There was no reason for this man to be sitting even remotely this close to him. Too tired to fuss, he elected to ignore it and just scoot over a bit.
Once the driver and passenger side doors closed, the car revved to a start. And then they were off.
The young man turned to look out of the window at the passing buildings to distract himself from his situation. It didn't help much. The thought of his newfound duty swirled in his head; the photos in his pocket seeming to weigh a ton. He always did his best to make his father proud, but he never received any recognition. And he didn't want to have to marry a stranger just to receive that approval.
The limo hit a bump in the road, causing him to hit his head on the ceiling. Lucas instinctively gripped the top his head. Somehow, the photo spilled out all over the floor limousine floor.
"Are you alright?" The guard asked, clutching his arm tightly.
"Yes, I'm fine." He said, wincing at both his headache and the tight hold on his arm.
After about five seconds, the man still maintained his vice grip. Lucas raised an eyebrow.
"You can let go of my arm now." He said, staring the man in his dark sunglasses.
He continued to grip his arm.
"Oi! Let me go." Lucas said loudly, jerking his arm away from him.
"Sorry, I was distracted." He said, pulling his hand back.
Lucas shot him a dirty look. He glanced to his arm in dismay. This "elite" bodyguard left a dirty brown smudge on his favorite suit!
"Aw man!" Lucas whined, examining the spot in disgust. "Why are your hands so dirty? I just had this dry cleaned."
"Here, let me get it off for you." The glasses clad man said, reaching into his pocket.
"That's okay, you've done enough." Lucas said, clearly uncomfortable with him.
Despite this, the bodyguard pulled out a damp handkerchief that had an odd odor to it. Lucas scooted to the opposite side of the limo in a split second. He gripped the fabric that separated the back of the limo from the front.
"What is on that?" He asked, taken aback.
"The perfect solution to the dirt problem." He replied simply, inching towards him.
By this point, Lucas was beyond uncomfortable. He was scared.
"Oi, one of you switch with this guard!" Lucas yelled, tapping on the window between them.
Neither of them replied.
The man in the backseat with him suddenly leapt forward and covered the young heir's mouth with the damp fabric. Lucas's eyes widened in dismay as he realized what was happening. Everything began to fade around him.
"Hlllp!" He yelled, muffled by the fabric and slurred by the drug. He punched the bodyguard's head a couple of times, but his strength was being sapped away.
"Don't worry," the man said, ignoring the light taps. "Just go to sleep. You won't be harmed; you'll just fetch a nice ransom."
Lucas tried to bang on the window or scream, but his body wouldn't cooperate with him. The spots in his vision were growing larger and larger by the second.
"At least you don't have to worry about your arranged marriage problem for a while." He whispered deviously.
With a final hard breath, Lucas's eyes fluttered to a complete close. The man patted his head as he slumped down in his seat.
"Good child." The man said, squeezing his shoulders.
He propped the heir up in the corner against the divider and the seat. He removed the boy's cellphone and wallet and stuffed it into his suit jacket.
"All good back there, Jeremy?" The man in the passenger seat asked.
"Everything's great, all according to plan." He replied, taking a seat on the seat across from Lucas.
Once he was comfortable, he pulled out a walkie talkie from his pocket.
"Code green, we have the package for delivery." He said into the device.
"Roger that; we are in position to receive the package." The voice on the other side said.
The limo sped down the street to its revised destination, the people on the street none the wiser to the situation inside the car.
A/N: July 2017
Af1-chan: Betrayal from the top ranking guards? How can this be? What's going to happen next? Stay tuned to find out!
Well what did you think? Let me know please! See you all very soon.
Happy: Aye! Don't forget to subscribe, read and review!
A/N: June 2020
Hello all! It has been a minute. I hope you are all well during the pandemic. Despite how terrible times are, over the last few weeks I have been reconnecting with some of the things I used to love doing. One such thing was reading and writing fanfics. I am inspired to come back and finish this story as well as Super Secret Agent, Detective Lucy Heartfilia.
For any readers who have followed this story for years, I appreciate you giving this a chance. For new readers, I hope you can enjoy this story, and I will certainly try my best to complete it.
Please stay safe and healthy, and thanks as always for reading.
AF1-Chan
Updated June 2020