The popcorn was buttered and waiting in a bowl on the low table in front of the TV while a cake was cooling in the kitchen. Lucy expected to hear the window slide open at any moment, announcing the arrival of her partner. It had been too long since they hung out one on one, so she was looking forward to the next few hours.
Soon after she finished frosting the cake, she heard the thump of a window being shoved roughly into the frame followed by the thud of feet landing on the floor. "Hiya, Luce! Got anything to eat?"
"Don't I always?" She answered as she used her toes to pry the refrigerator door open, leaving her hands free to continue making their drinks. "There's some leftover chicken in here if you want to eat before we start the movie."
"Yosh!" Natsu shouted while pumping a fist into the air. He dove for the chicken and devoured the entire cold bird in seconds. When Lucy said 'leftover', she meant the extra chicken she'd bought and cooked just for Natsu, knowing he would be hungry. She learned long ago that remaining Natsu's partner would mean rethinking the way she shopped for groceries and prepared meals.
With his stomach bulging, Natsu flopped onto Lucy's couch and patted the small section of cushion left open for her. "Come on, slow poke. Let's get this movie started."
Lucy placed their drinks on the table then sat on the other side of the couch and propped her feet on Natsu's stomach, which meant he felt he should rest his feet next to her head on the armrest. His feet smelled like he hadn't washed them in ages. "Natsu! When is the last time you cleaned between your toes?!" As she shoved his feet away, she exclaimed, "Or clipped your toenails?!"
"I dunno. You usually do that for me." He shrugged, not bothering to look at her as he worked the remote to get the movie playing.
"Disgusting. That means it's been several months." Lucy nearly gagged as the thought settled in. She rolled to her feet and said, "Scoot into the couch more. We're both facing this way or you can lay on the floor."
"Eh, fine with me." Natsu slid back as far as the back pillows would allow then lifted an arm to let Lucy settle in. She was relieved he smelled like deodorant, so he'd probably showered recently. Or maybe just reapplied, but she wasn't going to complain when this end of him didn't stink. He was warm and comfortable, like a best friend shaped body pillow.
The movie played but Lucy didn't pay much attention to it. The popcorn falling on her as Natsu reached across her to eat from the large bowl was ignored. She was distracted by the echo of feelings she was experiencing that weren't her own, predominantly boredom with a little frustration underneath. Wondering if it would make a difference, she tried pushing a little of what she was feeling, content and relaxed, through the connection. It seemed to work, because the frustration eased and was followed by a sense of relief, but her triumph was cut short. A flash of irritation burst into her and the connection abruptly ended. Not gone, exactly, but muted to the point Lucy couldn't feel the echo of emotion, only the knowledge the connection still existed.
"Lucy," Natsu said, sounding concerned. He pinched her waist to get her attention. "What's going on with you?"
Startled, Lucy focused her mind back on her surroundings, realizing Natsu had said her name several times. "Sorry, Natsu. I was in my own world, I guess."
"I noticed. You've been doing that a lot lately." A moment of silence pressed down before he asked, "Are you going to talk to me about it now?"
Guilt wormed its way into Lucy's heart. Natsu had been her best friend for years, with the two of them only growing closer as time went on. When he returned after disappearing to train for a year, it took awhile to rebuild the trust between them, but they were better for it now, more like family than friends. She didn't keep secrets from him, especially not things as big as this, and he didn't keep them from her.
Lucy paused the movie and sat up, feeling like this conversation was more of a face to face type subject. "I'll tell you about it, but I'm not sure I can explain it very well. I don't really understand any of it myself." She stalled by pulling at her tank top to loosen the popcorn bits stuck to the fabric.
She could feel his eyes on her as she flicked away the last of the crumbs and then turned to face him. "You know how Cobra and I have helped each other out of some difficult situations?" Natsu nodded, his brows furrowed a bit as his concern increased. Lucy continued, "Well, somehow those things connected us."
"Ok," Natsu started, sounding confused. "So, y'all are friends. That's great, but what does that have to do with why you're being such a weirdo?"
Lucy sighed, dreading the next part of the explanation. It didn't make any sense to her. How was she going to explain it to her thick skulled friend? "The connection isn't like a normal bond of friendship, like what you and I share, or anyone else for that matter. It's a soul bond, or maybe a soul link, I haven't found much info on it so I'm not sure what to call it. Basically, the two of us are linked together so deeply that we feel echoes of the others' soul. It's probably not unusual for him because of his magic, but I've never felt anyone else's soul before. It's unlike anything I've experienced."
Natsu nodded slowly, obviously processing the information. "So, you can read his mind and stuff?"
Lucy snorted, remembering when she tried to do exactly that when she first noticed the connection. "No, nothing like that. Well, he can probably hear my thoughts since he hears everyone else's but I can't hear his. I just get impressions of what he's feeling."
"So, what's he feeling right now?"
With a shrug, Lucy said, "I don't know. It's closed off right now, so I'm not feeling anything. I'm not sure how he does it, but sometimes he shuts it down. I'm pretty sure he hates having it."
"Makes sense." Natsu said easily, as if he understood the entire situation better than Lucy. "The guy doesn't seem like he's ever had friends before. Other than his guildmates anyway, but they're all a bunch a weirdos. The really weird kind, not your kind of weird. He probably doesn't know how to have a friend like you."
The simple wisdom of his words blew Lucy's mind. It made so much sense. How had she not seen this earlier? Cobra had no idea how to be friends with someone. Mix in the soul deep connection they shared and he was probably way out of his league.
"I think you're right! How did I not figure this out on my own?"
"Duh, that's because I'm the smart one." Natsu said with complete confidence, as if he truly believed it.
A snort slipped from Lucy as she said, "Yeah, sometimes you are."
"So are you done being a dumb girl?" He asked as he threw himself back down and moved around until he was comfortable. He pulled Lucy back to where she had been lying earlier, clearly finding her as comfortable as she found him. "Because I want to finish watching the movie before everyone else gets here."
"Everyone? Who's everyone?" She should have known.
The door to her apartment burst open as Gray, Erza and Happy entered.
Happy whined loudly, "Why didn't you wait for me Natsu?" At the same moment, Gray grabbed one of Natsu's ankles to jerk him off the couch as he said, "Get outta the way, ash mouth. I want to cuddle with Lucy."
Before the boys could throw any punches, Erza caught them both around the neck and smashed them against her armor-plated chest. "Now, boys, we are going to have a nice evening full of bonding as a team. Both of you will behave in your places on the floor. I will be sharing the couch with Lucy. It would be improper for either of you to cuddle with her."
"Come on, Erza, you just want to get a spot on the couch." Natsu groaned.
Gray stomped on his foot and whispered, "Shut up, idiot, before you get us both thrown out."
"Listen to Gray, Natsu. He won't steer you wrong." Erza advised as she roughly patted both boys' heads before releasing them. The two glared at each other but took their places seated between the couch and small table. Half the popcorn was flung from the bowl as the two played tug of war while arguing over who got to hold it, until they decided they would sit close enough together to each hold half the bowl.
In a flash of magic, Erza requipped into pajamas and grabbed the remote then joined Lucy on the couch. Happy settled against Lucy's stomach where he could be comfortable while using his tail to steal popcorn from the bowl.
Lucy loved her team, even if they were all nuts.
…
Lucy could barely contain her excitement. He was coming. She could feel it in her soul, literally. With each passing hour as Crime Sorciere came closer to Magnolia, Lucy could feel a strong awareness of Cobra. She still couldn't hear his thoughts, which she figured was probably a good thing, but his soul's presence within her had grown to the point of almost feeling like they were in the same room. It didn't even matter that Cobra had clamped down on his end of the bond when he got irritated with her excitement. Prior to him closing down the link, she felt his hopeful trepidation, so she knew he wasn't fully dreading seeing her either. She had every intention of forcing him to admit they were friends.
A large hand clamped over her mouth before she could make a noise. Bickslow whispered, "Shhh, Cosplayer. They're going to look up if you keep squealing."
The devious pair hid high up in the rafters seated on a platform created by Bickslow's babies while they waited to see the outcome of their most epic prank.
She pulled on his wrist until he released her face and whispered, "Sorry, I'm just excited."
He jabbed her playfully and said, "I noticed. Is it because our amazing plan is working out perfectly or because you're looking forward to seeing a certain someone?"
Shocked, she looked at him with wide eyes. "How did you know?"
For a quick second, Bicklow's eyes flashed green with his magic as he said in a dramatic, spooky voice, "I see everything."
After she rolled her eyes, he went on at a whisper, "Seriously, though, I've known for weeks. I saw the link between your soul and another right after it happened. Who is it, anyway?"
Seeing a perfect opportunity to tease one of the biggest teases she knew, she said, "Your all-seeing magic has its limits? Then I guess you'll just have to wait and see."
"Oh, it's on. You've been keeping secrets, Cosplayer, and secrets don't make friends. Especially big ones like this. If I had known you were looking for something serious, I would have made a play for you a long time ago." He winked at her playfully.
"Don't worry, I'm not off the market." She flirted back. "There's nothing serious, just a weird thing that happened."
"Good to know." He said casually, though his mind was racing. Her words didn't match up with the link he could see in her soul. Either she was lying, which he didn't think was the case, or she had no idea what was going on. They would need to have a talk sooner than later.
Their conversation was cut off as Mira headed up the stairs, meaning the climactic moment was near. The Lightning Dragon Slayer had pissed off Bickslow on their last mission, insulting the Seith Mage's babies one too many times. This was his payback.
The pranksters had raided Master Makarov's meat-beating stash, pulling free every swimsuit edition featuring Mira Jane and laid them casually on Laxus' desk, knowing the woman cleaned the offices every Friday. She was right on schedule as she headed into Laxus' office. They'd gone above and beyond by mixing up a questionable-looking substance to leave smeared on some of the pages.
A loud shriek filled the air followed by Mira stomping out of the office, fully transformed into her Satan Soul. When she reached the rail of the landing, her voice was a register lower as she demanded, "Laxus Dreyer, what is this?"
She held up a center fold of her in a cute, mint green bikini that barely contained her full figure. The page unfolded slowly, held together by the sticky substance. When the last portion of the page finally unfolded, a drop of wetness fell down to the first floor landing with an audible splat.
Laxus looked up at Mira Jane, expression frozen in horrified shock. "Where the hell did you get that?"
"In your office. It was lying on the stack of reports you should have completed hours ago. Maybe you were too busy doing other things when you were supposed to be working?" Power emanated from the woman in her rage. The guild was completely silent, staring at the scene to see how it would play out.
The guilty pair giggled a little too loudly. Every dragon slayer in the room looked up to see the two hiding on their platform. Laxus narrowed his eyes, shouting, "Bickslow!" with a sound like thunder.
"Uh oh, Cosplayer. I think you should jump. He's about to attack." Without further warning, Bickslow shoved Lucy off the platform and flew out of a window on his babies. Her terrified squeal of delight pierced the guild as she fell from such a tall height. Hardly anyone was surprised when she landed safely inside a large clock.
"Just in the nick of time, Miss Lucy." The sound of bells reverberated off the walls of the guildhall as the dust cleared from the clock's arrival.
Lucy popped out from inside the clock and smiled brightly as she said, "Thanks a bunch, Horologium."
Laxus disappeared with a clap of thunder at nearly the same moment the clock went back to the Celestial World. Lucy hoped Bickslow had gained enough of a head start to get away from the angry Dragon Slayer. She wasn't sure their prank would be worth the trouble if he ended up in a serious brawl with Laxus, but Bickslow might feel differently.
In her usual cheery voice, Mira said, "Well, that explains it," and turned to walk back into Laxus' office to clean as if nothing had happened.
The guild was suddenly roaring with laughter. All the mages were talking excitedly about the spectacle brought about by Lucy and Bicklow's prank, taking bets on if Bickslow would survive the night.
It was then that Lucy felt it again, the nearness of the soul she was linked to. She turned to look at the entrance and saw a group of mages standing in the doorway. "They're here!" She shouted, alerting all of Fairy Tail that it was time to party.
When Mira and Lisanna found out Crime Sorciere was visiting Fairy Tail, they planned a celebration to welcome the mages. The guildhall was full as everyone waited on the arrival of the group. Alcohol was off limits until the visitors arrived, so now the party could start in earnest.
Cobra couldn't believe the sight he'd just witnessed. He was fairly certain his heart stopped when he watched the Seith Mage shove Lucy off a platform that had to be at least 20 feet in the air. To top it off, she'd laughed the whole way down. What the fuck was wrong with these people? Though he had to admit, that prank was epic. He'd been listening in to see how it played out and was glad he gotten to watch the demon's reaction with his own eye.
The crazy woman plaguing his life now had a huge smile plastered on her face, which she was directing at him while waving wildly and walking in their direction. Did she expect him to wave back? Not fucking happening.
Meredy seemed to think the smile and wave were meant for her, so she returned the gestures and stepped forward to hug Lucy. "It's so good to see you again! Looks like you healed up nicely."
"Yep! I feel great!" Lucy turned to the group, arm in arm with Meredy, and said, "Come inside, guys! We're partying tonight in your honor. You can't just hang out here in the doorway."
"I thought Fairy Tail's party never stopped." Midnight mumbled but allowed her to pull him forward with her other arm linked through his. Though Midnight acted unaffected, Cobra could hear how glad he was to feel welcomed into the guildhall.
Lucy laughed lightly as she said, "Well, it doesn't. But today we're partying in honor of you guys, so you have to join in." The trio walked toward the bar with Jellal following shortly after, though he veered off in a different direction once he spotted Erza.
Cobra was relieved the bright ray of sunshine had left him in peace. He wasn't ready to mingle with the crazies, yet. Maybe later after he'd consumed enough liquor to feel a buzz, meaning he'd need to quickly down a full bottle of something at least 100 proof to overload his blood stream with too much alcohol for his magic to process it into poison.
Sorano nudged his side and said quietly, "You really gonna let your lady walk away like that?"
Before he could say more than "fuck off", she walked away in the direction of Gray and Natsu, her intentions clear. The three hit it off when the two teams shared camp weeks ago and were probably going to pick up where they left off back then.
Not sure of where else to go, Cobra walked slowly to the far end of the bar hoping no one would take notice of him. When he was seated on a bar stool far from everyone else, he didn't have to wait long for Kinana to appear. "Hello, Erik."
"Hey." He greeted lamely, unsure of what to say. What do you say to a person you used to be close to when she was snake, but no longer kept in contact with now that she was human? They had interacted a few times when his guild came in contact with Fairy Tail but their friendship was never reestablished.
Seeming to sense his unease, she asked, "You want something strong to drink?"
"That'd be great." He answered and she walked away. He wasn't sure, but thought he may have had some form of a soul bond with Kinana when she was Cubellios. There were remnants of something similar to the connection he felt with Lucy, though also not the same. Once Cubellios' curse was lifted and she became Kinana, whatever link existed had been severed permanently.
Kinana was only gone for a few seconds before returning with a large bottle of 100 proof absinthe. She walked away to serve other customers after he thanked her. He opened the top and chugged the liquor, eyes watering at the bitter burn. Absinthe was a nasty drink but strong enough to help him relax in the crowd. Halfway through the bottle, he stopped for a breather, looking around to see what was going on in the guild.
Money was being exchanged as the winners of the bet over Bickslow's return unharmed collected from the losers. The tall man was seated with his team leader and the two seemed to be getting along fine. Cobra could have informed all the betters of the outcome before so many mages became involved in a bad gamble but he enjoyed seeing the losers of the bet suffering. He'd heard Bickslow and Laxus apologizing to each other for the bullshit that led to the earlier craziness and then hugging like the good little fairies they were.
At another table, Meredy was laid across the top with Midnight doing body shots while Lucy cheered him on. They didn't waste any time around here. Midnight was pleasantly buzzed and on his way to drunk, while Lucy and Meredy both seemed sober. For now. Apparently, next it would be Meredy's turn to do body shots from Midnight. Cobra didn't want to see that. He already had no choice but to witness them licking each other's bodies on a regular basis.
Music played from speakers overheard and Cobra could her Gajeel considering going on stage to perform a song – something Cobra prayed would not happen while he was present – and convincing his Bunny Girl to dance with him. The image Gajeel's memory produced of Lucy in a bunny costume had Cobra reconsidering his earlier prayer of not witnessing the spectacle. Now that was something he'd like to see.
Everything seemed to be going alright. No one was bothering him and he was able to sip down the rest of the bottle at an easy pace while he watched the people around him get hammered. He was starting to think maybe Jellal's idea to come unwind at the Fairy Tail guildhall before continuing on their hunt for an up and coming dark mage hadn't been such a bad idea.
Until he spotted a pair of glowing green eyes.
Cobra had completely forgotten about the damn Seith Mage seeing souls, and the guy was staring right at his. As Cobra watched, Bickslow slowly turned his head, seeming to follow along something that led straight to Lucy. His head whipped back to stare at Cobra with a look of shock, and then the asshole laughed. And laughed. And laughed some more.
Of course Lucy would create a soul bond with the biggest asshole she could find.
Yeah, pretty much exactly Cobra's thoughts on the matter. Bickslow lifted his glass in a toast to Cobra and directed his next thought at him.
She'll be good for you.
Which Cobra answered with the universal gesture for 'fuck you'.
Bickslow just laughed more and looked away, getting the message that Cobra wanted to be left alone.
It wasn't until Lucy was only a few feet away from him that he realized he'd forgotten to keep a mental foot stomped on the link between them. She'd picked up on everything he felt over the last minute or so as their little problem was uncovered by the Seith Mage.
Thoughtful as ever, Lucy stepped around to the side with his good eye so she wasn't in his blind spot. Her shoulder bumped his as she said, "Hey."
He grunted in response, wishing he had more alcohol. The effects were already wearing off.
"I'll grab you another bottle if you'll come sit with us." Lucy offered with her shoulder still resting against his. He could tell she was a little on the tipsy side now and didn't seem to realize they were still in contact, the contact likely the reason she was picking up on his thoughts.
He looked at her from the corner of his eye, noticing how good she looked with a slight flush to her cheeks and small smile on her lips. Her hair was pulled back in a halfway thing chicks did when they were dressed nice, and it suited her. She turned to look at him, her big brown eyes meeting his indigo, and then smiled wider, which was when he realized she'd picked up on all that. He mumbled a few curses under his breath and then held up the empty bottle saying, "Alright, but only if it's another one of these."
If he was going to embarrass himself all night, he might as well be drunk for it.
Lucy hopped up on the bar, exposing way more ass cheek than necessary, and crawled across to hop down on the other side. When she looked back at him and winked, he realized she'd picked up on that thought too, which meant she'd known he was going to look.
She walked a few feet down the aisle behind the bar, grabbed a bottle and then hopped back over properly – no cheek display this time. When she smiled deviously, he said, "I'm not used to this shit."
"I figured. You're pretty much an open book right now." She opened the bottle and took a swig before handing it to him, not trying to hide that she knew he would taste her lips on the rim. He tipped the bottle back and swallowed several times. "You sure you want to drink that so fast?" She asked with a look of concerned awe on her face. He was outdoing even the most seasoned of Fairy Tail.
When he pulled the bottle away, he said, "This is gonna be a fucked up night, so I might as well enjoy myself."
"Yeah, you should definitely enjoy yourself." She answered with a wicked grin. He wondered if his slightly intoxicated mind was messing with him or if she was actually flirting.
Lucy wrapped a hand around his upper arm and pulled him to his feet. "Come on. Time for you to hold up your end of the deal."
When he was standing, she squeezed his bicep a couple times and said, "Ooo, this is nice. So big and hard."
Ok, she was definitely flirting, and drunk Lucy had a pervy mind. Pretty much par the course for Fairy Tail mages, but it was still surprising coming from the Celestial Mage. Well, two could play this game.
He leaned in closer to her and said, "I've got something else big and hard."
"Oh yeah? What's that?" Her excitement came through loud and clear, with her imagination filling in the gaps in case he had any doubts about what she thought he was talking about.
He lifted the bottle and said, "This is big ass bottle is full of the hardest shit I've had in a long time."
Lucy threw her head back and laughed, her delight traveling across their connection and settling inside him. When she calmed down enough to speak, she asked, "So, you wanna have some fun tonight or be a stick in the mud?"
"Depends," He gave her a crooked grin and asked, "What's your idea of fun?"
Triumph clear in her voice, she said, "Don't worry about that. Just know you'll be satisfied."
This time it was his turn to cackle. This woman was wild when she got some alcohol in her system.
"Cana!" Lucy shouted, drawing the attention of the nearby mages. She kept her arm looped through Cobra's as she started walking him towards the more crowded area of the guild. "I think we need to break in our visitors!"
"Hell yeah, Lu! I've just been waiting on you!" Cana shouted back from her place slumped against a keg of beer. She hopped off the bar and sauntered toward them. "Let's see if they've got what it takes to hang with the Fairies."
Smiling up at Cobra, Lucy said, "Come on, my prickly pear. Let's see what you've got."
…
Cobra's only eye was burning, his body screaming at him to just blink so he could find relief, but he wouldn't do it. He was too competitive to lose at something as easy as a blinking contest. He'd rather lose his remaining vision than lose such a simple game.
Finally, after stretch of time that felt like hours, Lucy blinked. Cobra slapped the table and laughed as he said, "Fuck yeah, bitch! Drink up."
Lucy expressed her frustration in a dragon slayer-worthy growl as she snatched up the shot in front of her and threw it back with practiced ease. When she lowered her head and slammed the cup down, she looked at Cobra demanding, "Again."
He laughed evilly and turned her down. "Not gonna happen, sweet cheeks. I'm quitting while I'm ahead, ya know, finishing on top."
Lucy snorted and rolled her eyes, a smile tugging at her lips as her irritation at losing faded away. They had been playing drinking games for what had to be hours. They'd played poker until Cana insisted the participants had to bet their clothing in the next round. Both ducked out of that round, knowing Cana was using her card magic to cheat and unwilling to get naked in the middle of the guildhall for Cana's entertainment. Then there had been a three legged race, which was a disaster of epic proportions with every team drunk. Tables and chairs had been broken, some because they were tripped over and others because they were thrown at competitors, and Cobra was sure there were a couple severe injuries that would be felt once the alcohol wore off. When the race was called off due to excessive damage to the guildhall, the mages had broken off into simple games like slapjack and staring contests, things extremely drunk people could still do.
Lucy walked around the table and linked her arm with Cobra's. "Come on you can walk me home." When he didn't follow along easily, she added. "If you don't do it then someone else will. It'll probably be Nab since he's always sober and I don't feel like being harassed about how to choose a good job request."
They were two of very few left standing after hours of partying, Nab being one of them. Most of the guild members had gone home. The rest were slumped over tables or lying on the floor sleeping off their drinks, watched over by the mostly sober individuals hanging around until morning.
Cobra started walking with her, hearing everything she didn't say about the guild sending chaperones when Lucy walked home late at night to ensure she wasn't abducted again. "Makes sense to have someone babysitting you. Picking you up was probably the easiest abduction we ever pulled off."
Lucy rolled her eyes, remembering when the former Neo Oracion Seis had kidnapped her for sacrifice. She groaned, "Ugh, you guys were such assholes. Especially Midnight, with his depressing 'I'll take over the world and make everyone's life a nightmare' spiel."
Cobra chuckled. "Yeah, a lot has changed," he said quietly, glad Lucy was able to joke about that situation. There were so many things she could and should hate him for, but here she was, hanging on his arm as he walked her home like they were good friends.
His doubts returned as they gained distance from the light atmosphere of the guild. They hardly knew each other but were soul bonded. He still didn't know what the fuck he was supposed to do about that or even how it happened. Before tonight, they'd had one real conversation, which only happened because Midnight nearly died, leaving Cobra and Lucy stuck in a small apartment with only each other as company for hours. All their earlier interactions consisted of his team trying to kill hers, and then abducting her with the intention of killing her, followed by his guildmates switching sides to fight in several battles with Fairy Tail against shared enemies. It wasn't like there was a foundation laid for a soul bond. Its existence still confused the hell out of him.
"You think too much." Lucy said, snapping Cobra's mind out of its wandering.
"Maybe you don't think enough." He said as he looked around, realizing they'd walked quite a distance as he was lost in thought. "Likely a side effect of spending so much time with the fire breather."
Lucy huffed quietly in amusement. "Natsu is smarter than everyone thinks, just not in a way many people can appreciate."
Cobra's snarky response was cut off by the memory he heard from Lucy's soul, giving him details of the conversation she and Natsu had about him. It was surprisingly insightful for such a dimwitted guy.
As they came to the canal just outside Lucy's apartment building, she pulled him to the ledge as she said, "Let's stop here for a minute. I want to sit under the stars before going inside."
It wasn't until she mentioned sitting under the stars that Cobra realized he could feel Lucy's magic recharging beneath the starlight. Her connection with the constellations representing her spirits had more impact on her magic than he'd known.
Lucy released her hold on Cobra's arm only long enough to sit down, and then immediately resumed contact with him. She wrapped both her arms around his, almost hugging it to her as she leaned against him with her head resting on his shoulder. The fog around her thoughts was a sign of how intoxicated she still was, which seemed to bring out her affectionate side. Cobra wasn't used to having anyone touching him at all, let alone leaning all over him.
"Stop worrying so much. It's not like I'm going to try to sleep with you." Lucy said in a tone that let him know she was rolling her eyes. After a second's hesitation, she added teasingly, "Unless you ask me to. Then I might."
Cobra huffed and leaned his head against hers, the gesture foreign but comfortable. "Your light shines too bright for somebody like me, Star Gazer. You don't need my shit in your life."
"Isn't that for me to decide?" She asked him, dropping the playfulness and becoming serious. "It's not like I'm expecting anything of you. I only want to be your friend."
Cobra grunted in response, unwilling to have the conversation. She wouldn't change his mind, no matter how strongly she felt on the subject. It was strange, but he could feel her feeling his emotions, sorting through them and figuring shit out in her head. She was too quick minded, even while drunk.
"Come on, let's get you home." He said as he pulled away from her and stood, helping her to her feet. His magic had nearly metabolized the alcohol, leaving him nearly sober while Lucy was still wobbling. He didn't need her falling into the water. Then he'd be forced to jump in to save a drowning drunk and he hated water.
She laughed and he realized a moment too late what she'd just learned. "You're scared of water? All water or just swimming?"
Irritated he grumbled, "No, I'm not fucking scared of water. It's not like a glass of water will make me collapse into a fit of terror. I just don't like to swim."
Still laughing, she said, "I'd say you have more than just a dislike of swimming."
She was right but he wasn't going to admit it, even if she could likely pick up on the truth of her statement through their bond. "Whatever. At least I'm not scared of the dark."
"Hey, not all of us have magic that lets us know if the boogey man is hiding in the dark." She said in mock offense. As she pulled out her key to unlock the apartment door, she asked, "How'd you know that anyway? Just how deeply can you dig around in someone's mind?"
"I don't 'dig around' in minds." He said defensively. After Lucy went inside, he followed, though unsure why he was doing so. While she closed and locked the door, he considered how much to share with her about his magic. Knowing she would probably figure out most of it on her own, he decided to be honest. He sat down on the couch while Lucy went to get water from the kitchen. "I can't read minds. I hear souls and can usually pick up on thoughts associated with strong feelings. Some people are easy to hear, others are difficult. If a person is at peace internally, it's easier to figure out what they're thinking because there are less conflicting emotions to sort through. Trying to figure out what a fucked up person is thinking can give me a headache. It's like listening to music at a deafening volume."
Lucy silently joined him on the couch, handing a glass of water to him and waiting for him to go on, knowing there was more to explain. He sipped the water and then continued, "To answer your first question, it's pretty easy for me to pick up on your thoughts because we're bonded. Even before, it wasn't too hard because your mind and emotions are well managed. Knowing things like you being scared of the dark is as simple as understanding your subconscious reaction to darkness, even darkness as short lived as the moment before a light is turned on in a dark room. With time and practice, I've learned how to read and understand people's internal reactions."
Even with her inebriated mind working slower than usual, Lucy followed along with the explanation and seemed to file away the information for later when she could focus on it. Similar behavior was common in people of high intelligence, a label Cobra had applied to Lucy the first time he'd taken a peek into her soul.
The pair sat in silence while they rehydrated. Lucy kept her eyes closed and head leaned back as she sipped the glass of water. Cobra would have thought she was sleeping between sips if he didn't know her mind was still active. He allowed himself to slip deeper into her subconscious to examine her feelings and thoughts about him, wondering if she had any hidden intentions with the information she'd just learned. It wasn't as if many people knew that much about his magic, so she could do serious harm to him with the right people involved.
He wasn't surprised to find she was glad he had come with his guild to Fairy Tail, having believed there was a good chance he wouldn't show up. She was right about him not wanting to go, likely knowing as much through their soul bond. There was hope of a continued friendship and growing interest in him romantically – something he still didn't understand – which she was now aware of and accepted. He pulled back when he came across the affection she felt for him, unsure of how to feel about that. It was a little disconcerting knowing someone outside his usual circle cared about him. Lucy feeling affection for him was entirely different than her finding him attractive. He knew he was attractive enough, it would be hard not to know when he could pick up on the thoughts of women, but none of them ever cared about him. He knew he was an unlikeable asshole. It was usually on purpose.
Once she was finished with her water, Lucy said, "I'm going to take a shower and then go to bed. You're welcome to stay here tonight. It will probably be more comfortable than going back to the guildhall."
She left the room without waiting for a response, not expecting one from him yet. It wasn't long until he heard the shower start and sounds of Lucy brushing her teeth. He didn't want to leave. He was comfortable here with her in this little apartment. He didn't like it, but it was what it was. If he were going to leave, he'd have to do it now while she wasn't in the room. He didn't want to an awkward goodbye.
Instead of leaving, he continued to sit on the couch, listening to the hum of her soul. Her thoughts were mostly quiet, too tired to think much. She showered quickly and was nearly finished before he could make up his mind on staying or leaving. Most of the time she spent showering, he'd been trying not to think about her naked and wet instead of focusing on the real problem at hand. It had been way too long since he'd gotten some. There weren't many options out in the damn wilderness, unless he wanted to settle for one of his guildmates. He shuddered at the thought.
Going down that road with Lucy was out of the question. He wasn't sure, but he thought adding a physical aspect to their relationship would only strengthen the soul bond. It wasn't something he wanted or enjoyed – though, that was slowly changing – so he wasn't going to have sex with her. Even if it would be good. Probably really fucking good.
The dangerous path of his thoughts ended as the bathroom door opened. Lucy didn't say anything. She just walked to her bedroom, opened a drawer, went back into the bathroom, and then walked back to her bedroom.
I'm going to sleep. I put some of Gray's left behind clothes in the bathroom in case you want to shower. You can wash your clothes, too, if you want.
He appreciated her not saying that out loud. He wasn't ready to acknowledge how badly he wanted to stay, and voicing aloud anything related would only make staying a reality. It wasn't as if he'd actually made up his mind to leave, though. He couldn't seem to make his body stand up to walk toward the door. He wasn't used to being such an indecisive pussy.
Once he heard Lucy settle beneath her blanket and relax into sleep nearly instantly, he stood up and walked into the bathroom. He methodically undressed, showered and redressed in the borrowed clothes, doing his best to ignore the domestic feel of the actions. He easily found her washing machine and started a quick wash cycle, feeling deeply disturbed by the actions. This wasn't him, borrowing clothes, doing laundry in a chick's apartment, being friends. He didn't know how to be friends – a recurring thought that had been haunting him for weeks.
Cobra flung himself on the couch while he waited for his clothes to finish washing. He was determined to stay awake long enough to put them in the dryer to avoid an awkward morning after situation brought about by his wet clothes needing to dry before he could leave.
It didn't take long for the cycle to finish, though it felt like an eternity. He spent the entire time fighting against the pull of her soul. It called out to his, trying to draw him nearer into physical contact. She was fucking sleeping but still reaching out to him. He wasn't sure if he was struggling to stay away because he was tired with less energy to fight the urge, or if he was just starting to want the connection they shared.
He was pretty sure knew the answer. Damn soul bond had him all kinds of fucked up.
After moving his clothes over to the next machine, he silently made his way into her room. She had conveniently left one side of the bed open for him, as if she knew he would end up there. Damn woman probably did know. He lifted the blanket and slid into the bed, trying not to shift the mattress and wake her. He didn't want any witnesses to this moment of weakness.
Almost as soon as he was lying flat on his back, she scooted closer to him and pressed her body against his. He froze, unsure of what to do. Had anyone ever cuddled up to him? It was fucking weird. His magic told him she was only trying to curl up against another warm body, an action she was familiar with after sharing a bed with her teammates so often. Her innocent intentions helped him relax, which made him feel like even more of a pussy for being relieved she wasn't looking for sex. What the hell was wrong with him?
He adjusted his trapped arm to a more comfortable position so it wouldn't go numb from poor circulation. Unfortunately, that meant tucking the arm beneath Lucy's head and around her body, basically hugging her to him. At least she made the position change easier, not even waking at the adjustment.
Time ticked by as he slowly relaxed. The warmth of her body pressing against his helped, as did her scent surrounding him. The stupid lizard soul trapped in the lacrima inside his body was happy to have her so close to him. It had been pressing him to get closer to her on a regular basis, which he did his best to ignore. He didn't know how the other dragon slayers dealt with having a dragon soul as a literal piece of their body, mind and soul versus trapped in a lacrima that kept it contained and separate. The beasts probably controlled half the dragon slayer's mind, which explained a lot now that he was thinking about it.
Just before falling asleep, Cobra realized he had turned on his side to get more comfortable and was now fully cuddled around the woman whose bed he slept in. Her head was lying on his upper arm with her face pressed against his throat, their arms were wrapped around each other and legs tangled. Even though part of him rebelled against the closeness, he couldn't bring himself to move. He was too comfortable.
Morning came quickly after too few hours of sleep. Cobra carefully extracted himself from Lucy's embrace and left the warm bed. He rushed through dressing in his clean clothes so he could escape the apartment before Lucy woke further. With the sun quickly rising, it wouldn't be long until she was fully awake.
He was far from her front door, though still focused on her soul, when he felt her stir and the stab of disappointment she felt when she realized he was gone. Focused on their connection, he could almost see her roll onto her back and stare at the ceiling while she tried to remember everything from the night before. She was thinking about him and missing him even though he had only just left. It seemed she was also confused by her strong feelings for him, though not disturbed to the same depth he was.
Cobra sat with his back leaning against a tree at the meeting place designated by Jellal the day before and allowed himself to focus fully on Lucy. He felt like a voyeur as he listened to her soul while she prepared for the day, silently wishing he were there with her, a desire they shared.
He felt the others nearing and pulled back from his connection with Lucy, focusing on his surroundings. It was hard to do with her scent still clinging to his skin. Their group was moving forward with a dangerous part of their ongoing mission and being distracted would be detrimental to everyone involved. His chest tightened with an unusual sensation he belatedly realized was longing. The need he felt to be around Lucy had deepened during the hours they spent together. It was just another part of this connection he didn't know how to handle, so he shoved it away into that deep, dark pit where he hid all his useless emotions to be dealt with another day.
I'm not sure where it came from, but this story is now a thingwith plot and all. I'm really curious about the reader's responses to where this is going, so I'd appreciate reviews and/or pm's. I have a lot planned but want to know if anyone else is enjoying this. I'm seriously loving writing it.