Lucy woke to the chimes of her door and groaned, tempted to pull her pillows over her head and pretend she wasn't there. A glance at the clock and she groaned again, it was only 8am and she had been up very late, totally unable to go to sleep because she had been so overwhelmed thinking about all that had happened the day before.
When she'd come home, her tendency to start doubting herself kicked back in full force and denied her sleep, her mind racing through far too many possibilities and none were very good. Kaleb, her Guildmaster, had become so important to her so quickly. It was just like her, she always did this, threw all she was into friendships, never reining in or protecting her own heart It was something she had to start doing because she'd been hurt too much too many times, what if he was regretting doing this with her? What if he wasn't enjoying himself? It had been a week, and they had now gone through 3 sessions with her Sudehpah together, each more heated and enthralling than the last. She was amazed by it all, how good everything really felt, how relaxed she became, and she felt it happening, felt her heart slipping out of her protective grasp, reaching for Lavender eyes and shimmering platinum blonde locks.
If he regretted it...Gods what if he wasn't enjoying it like she was?
I don't regret it and I am enjoying it Lucy, stop over analyzing. Gods above woman, stop looking for ways to feel bad about yourself. You're gorgeous….now...go to sleep, do I need to make you? His voice was so smooth and deep and she shivered laying in her bed at the sound in her head.
I...really enjoy being with you...you know that, of course you do, I probably think it a zillion times a day. She sighed back.
Not that many….I know, and I...feel the same way, just rest Lucy, the guild party celebrating the new s-class mages, which includes YOU, is tomorrow night and you should get some sleep. He insisted gently.
Hey YOU are awake too buster, shouldn't you be sleeping instead of intruding on my privacy?! She shot back.
Three stories above her Kaleb chuckled, gripping his wine glass and tipping it until he'd drained it and shaking his head.
Point taken, I'll leave you alone, but go to sleep, this is your Guildmaster speaking here Lucy, White Sea doesn't do small parties, you need rest, trust me. He told her firmly.
Yeah right, after what we did tonight? Gods it's all I can think about…. She shot back adding hopefully silent since she said it out loud into her dark bedroom. "That and how soon I get to be with you again...Gods I'm a fucking idiot." She muttered.
Kaleb smiled then, laying his head back in his lounge and looking up at the stars his little celestial mage loved so much. His pale eyes sought and found Aquarius and he smiled, pointing a finger at the constellation. "Soon Lucy, soon I will make sure you have one less thing to feel sad about." He vowed before he reached gently down to Lucy and took her consciousness from her, eased her mind into sleep, tempted to coax her into dreams of him, it wouldn't have been hard, she was already thinking so much about him, but he wouldn't, instead he just helped her fade into sleep before he stood and went to his own bed, tossing off his robe and sliding between the dark blue silk sheets.
She really was liking him more and more, had a strong interest in him, and Gods knew he was interested, she'd come far, in a short span of time she had gotten some of her light back, and now, was finding her confidence. It was shocking how resilient she really was. Still, while it was now clear Lucy wouldn't hand blue balls to whoever she started a relationship with, because of all she'd been through casual romance wasn't really a good idea for her and he didn't have a stellar record for staying with anyone for very long.
He had to admit though, when they had sex, even as careful as he'd had to be, even with Arris talking them through so much of it, there had been moments when he'd struggled to think, and that had never happened before, it was something he'd always sort of wanted, to be with someone who could take him to heights that numbed even his powerful mind. Also he'd not ever found a woman before who had the multi-level thinking Lucy did, he'd sat in the observation room from the moment Lucy got up until she went to sleep each day of her trial and the Dean had even teased him a little about his dazed expressions.
"She impresses you." Kalperden had observed and Kaleb had nodded, listening in as Lucy again, fought brilliantly, planning on the fly calling spirits to execute a plan and if it started to not work, recalculating while still following it, adjusting, calling a new spirit while the other was still at work with her and sending the new spirit out on the new plan that would compensate for the failings of the one before. As she was doing that, she was also thinking about him, how much she wanted to win his approval, feel his arms around her, how good kissing him felt.
"She does...far more than I had expected." He admitted and Kalperden had smiled.
"Beautiful, smart, talented, she impresses me too, her solutions for the challenges presented to her have all been good ones, the way she uses her spirits, talks with them, listens to them and their deep loyalty toward her, add in the fact she has summoned the Celestial Spirit King himself and can use the Stardress ability, well, she's s-class, this is a formality at this point, as well as an exercise to help her confidence." He'd said and Kaleb had taken his eyes from the screen to look in surprise at the Dean.
The Dean had shrugged "She impresses more than us, all my staff decided her rank a few days ago. I am curious Master Kaleb, you're a young man and I've read about your short relationships...we do get the weekly here...how would you handle a woman like her?" He asked and Kaleb had narrowed his eyes on the man, he didn't need any of his magic to recognize the same matchmaker scheming his father tried.
"She's been thr
ough a lot, and she needs friends more than a lover." He replied.
"Oh I disagree, a good man in her life, in her bed would give that woman a tremendous boost to her confidence, her happiness, she's a Celestial Mage, she will always want stability, love, it's part of her magic and so part of her soul. A strong relationship with a good man who would care for and respect her would give that gorgeous starflower all she would need to truly bloom. She would lavish that lucky man with all the love inside her too, which I am certain, is a considerable amount." He said and in spite of his best efforts, it had planted a seed in Kaleb and his thoughts strayed often now to Lucy.
She had it all wrong, there was no doubt at all he enjoyed the hell out of sex with her, nor was there any doubt he liked being with her, more than liked….Gods help him. She was so new...but then when one found attraction it was often sudden, and if he didn't pursue this...pursue her...how would he feel watching her start relationships with other men?
For now though, he needed to shove that all aside. There was a reason he'd delayed the party for the new s-class mages until tomorrow night, Kurino was coming, fortunately only for one night, she was leaving Bosco for a few weeks on a diplomatic trip to Joya. If he had the party going there was a chance she would pick and choose from the large selection of big strong mages that would be laid out for her, Beck would be here and Rowan, two mages who would handle Kurinos violent tastes in sex very well.
Beck was exotic looking with his bi-colored eyes and long dark green hair, Rowan even more so, green eyed with fiery red hair. He'd pulled them in for the party just for that reason, they were part of his own team and had been wrapping up a job but he'd ordered them home for the party, leaving the wrap up to the rest of his team and they had happily complied without question.
He really, badly, did not want to be called to entertain the Princess, and if it was clear he was busy with the party, maybe he'd get lucky. At least Cristoff was there, the full moon was still a week away, so whatever happened, he'd have his best most discreet healer close by.
He sighed, if only he could put his own damn mind to sleep…
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
Fairy Tail could party. That was a fact, and there really was no comparing a Fairy Tail party to any other. The brawls, the destruction, the good times. Lucy had come to expect it. She didn't know what to expect with White Sea, but, being a wizard guild, well, wizards did everything just….more...than normal people did. They lived bolder lives, enhanced by the magic they wielded they were louder, braver, lived longer, healed faster, and their lust was no secret. Normal people often found them astounding, and couldn't handle marriage to them, couldn't even handle being lovers with a mage because a mages capacity was greater.
Lucy had been learning all of that with her Sudehpah, and even discussing it with Freed and Bickslow, all three of them pointedly ignoring Laxus growling at them about not wanting to hear it, until finally, drawn in in spite of himself, the glowering mage had joined the conversation and started asking questions of his own, it had been the primary topic they had talked about during their first real job together as White Sea mages.
Knowing all of that, Lucy was still...impressed. White Sea...could party. Vander had swept in and whirled her out onto the dance floor the moment she had walked in, Laxus rolling his eyes and stalking over to the bar, unknowingly immediately flanked by two beautiful guildmates who had been hoping he'd make and appearance and that they could lure him into a privacy space for some much desired fun, neither having ever run their hands over pale tattooed skin or through light blonde hair kept short. He was a Dragon Slayer too, and everyone knew it, and knew from their other Dragon Slayers that he would have stamina and some impressive lust to share.
Lucy was having a blast, Vander was built to dance and had a reputation in the guild as one of it's best party boys, he had a lot of friends, and he was a terrible influence too, but it had been so long since anyone had been a bad influence on her she was almost happy about it.
Bickslow came to her rescue though, he and Cristoff edged in and Lucy ended up nicely sandwiched between the two tall mages, Vander swept away by the seemingly endless tide of women and men alike that wanted to get their time pressed into the shadowquips leather clad frame. Lucy remained safely tucked into Cristoff, her back pressed against his front with Bickslow facing her and she wasn't terribly surprised when Vander somehow got shoved up on stage and started tuning a guitar.
"Really need my big brother on the base, help me out White Sea, get our Lunar slayer to the stage." He called and Cristoff yelped as he was hefted into the air by Beck and Rowan and carried to the stage. Bickslow wrapped his arms around Lucy as they laughed at the Dragon Slayers wide eyed look. He was happy to keep by her side, sure he could easily ride the tide through the crowd and find himself deliciously engaged with some beautiful fellow guildmates but Lucy, as independent as she was, had more fun when someone she knew well was with her.
Rowan went to the drumset and a tall woman Lucy didn't know went to the keyboard and when the music started up again she and Bickslow went wild, Vander she'd known about, she'd seen him singing and playing the guitar the first day she was at White Sea, but Cristoff surprised her, he could play too and his rich voice wasn't as awe inspiring as Vanders but Cristoff could sing too and they had the guild dancing again in moments.
Bickslow was leading Lucy to the bar, Vander and Cris had played nearly 10 songs before handing things back to the DJ. Sweaty and thirsty he and Lucy broke from the still very crowded dance floor laughing.
"They'll come to the bar...well..Cris will, who knows with Van, he might get yanked right into a booth." Bickslow snickered, knowing his younger brother it wasn't likely Vander, after the performance he'd just put on and all the flirting he'd done with the audience wasn't going to end up in a pile of writhing bodies as soon as he emerged from backstage.
They had just rounded the end of the bar seeking a spot a little less likely to see a drunken dancer end up in their laps when Bickslow stopped abruptly looking up at the second floor where the halls started for some of the shops and the infirmary. Lucy followed his wide eyes and saw Thane, staggering under the weight of what had to be their Guildmaster.
"Kaleb…." Lucy breathed eyes huge, his white leather was in shreds, blood all over it, even his usually silky hair was streaked with blood.
"Bickslow, GET CRISTOFF." Lucy snapped, shoving the Seith toward the crowd and racing for the stairs, her Taurus stardress forming on her just as she crested the stairs.
Thane looked at her, grunting and nearly losing his grip on Kaleb as his eyes flew wide in a mixture of fear and surprise before looking in alarm to see if anyone else was coming.
He'd been trying to get Kaleb to the infirmary and had tried to stay far enough back they weren't visible from the floor below, but Lucy and Bickslow had been in just the right spot to catch sight of them.
"Miss Lucy...no...please…" Thane begged as she ran up and was about to shoulder Kalebs other arm when she saw it was in bad shape, the odd angle made it clear it was either dislocated or broken, angry bleeding welts around his wrist.
"Oh Gods...Thane...who did this?!" She demanded, trying to move Kalebs bloody hair from his face.
Thane didn't answer her, pressing his lips together. "Please, if you could open the infirmary door, I need to get him on a bed." Thane said tightly and Lucy shook her head, heart twisting in her chest. She couldn't imagine who could hurt Kaleb so much, he was too powerful, he could stop someone, he could stop a lot of someones! His magic was just too strong, if someone had attacked him and done this much damage how the hell hadn't the whole building been rocked? Why wasn't Thane calling White Sea to hunt down who had done this?!
She opened the door though and helped Thane settle Kaleb onto an exam table, tears stinging her eyes when they had to lay him on his chest because Thane pulled away the thick white cloak and Kalebs back was criss crossed lash marks, deep ones, so many they ran together leaving gaping injuries that had soaked into the thick white cloak and left it dark and dripping the Guildmasters blood.
"Thane…" She breathed, holding a hand to her mouth, afraid to even touch Kaleb as Thane turned on the lights and it became clear Kaleb was in worse shape than she'd even thought, his breathing was shallow and rasping and he looked pale, far too pale, horrified she watched blood start dripping from the exam table to the floor.
She moved to stand by his head, again brushing the blood soaked pale blonde hair from his face, his face was untouched, no marks, whoever had done it hadn't done anything to his face, though lashmarks reached over the broad shoulders and marred the flesh at his collar bone, there was even a slash through the cross over his left pectoral.
"Kaleb…" She whispered, wishing he'd open his eyes, make a sharp comment into her mind, anything right then would have been better. He was, she realized, the person she turned to most, the one she sought for encouragement, support, more so than the Raijinshuu because she knew Laxus, Bickslow and Freed were all dealing with their own issues and didn't need hers too.
Kaleb though, was so strong, so stable and organized and just….had such a firm grip on everything she felt like he was her safety, no matter what...he would be there. Seeing him like this…
She looked up sharply as the door flew open and tears fell, finally breaking through with the relief and hope that came in Cristoffs wake as he rushed in and was at his older brothers side, hands flaring bright with his magic, eyes flashing from the beautiful deep dark blue to glowing silver.
"How long did she have him?!" Cristoff demanded, anger making his voice shake and Lucy blinked in shock when Thane, eyes full of worry and anger himself replied.
"The Princess had her guards fetch him before she arrived, he'd planned to try and stay with the Guild, hoping she wouldn't publicly force him to attend her, but she anticipated that, sent her guards ahead of her, they arrived at 4 this afternoon and took him, had him already in the guest suite when her ship docked." Thane replied.
"Fuck...I was sure he was holed up somewhere maybe in a privacy booth or something or I would have gone looking for him, he had a solid plan to avoid her….shit!" Cristoff was cursing and Bickslow was pacing.
"I should call Dad, he needs to know about this Cris, you guys can't keep hiding this." Bickslow said, voice tight with emotion, it was getting to him too, seeing Kaleb like this.
"How? Dad would take this right to the King Bix and then what? Kaleb tried going to the King the first time she did it and he was called a liar, when I went I was too, he told us both since we were so against being proper suitors he'd tell her she could only have us as consorts...CONSORTS Bix, as in sex slaves to the Princess of Bosco, as in I don't get to have my mate when I find them and Kaleb never gets to marry, all because fucking Kurino has had a hard on for Farron since they were kids and she can't touch him, so...she goes after us, and if Farron found out what would he do?!" Cristoff demanded.
Bickslow paled, looking down "He'd give her anything she wanted to protect us…" He replied quietly. Cristoff sighed and went back to work.
"The Princess of Bosco is doing this? She did this?!" Lucy demanded.
Cristoff didn't look up "She's been doing it, not just to us, there are other men too, but because we're Farrons brothers she….causes more damage to us, there's an old law, that the Crown Princess can demand the physical attendance of men she wants to consider for suitors, she has the right by that old law to compel unpromised, unengaged, unmarried men to her bed because women have the right to sleep with a man before agreeing to marry. She uses it to force us, hoping that by hurting us she can force Farron to consider her constant proposals, that he'll agree to become either her husband or at least her consort." Cristoff explained.
"But they haven't let their father or Farron know….I am under strict orders to reveal nothing...in fact...Cristoff...you were not to be called…" Thane said softly.
Cristoff shot him a dark look.
"You will ALWAYS call me for this Thane, do you hear me? I am the second officer of White Sea, Kaleb is my Master, my brother and my kin, I will heal him, hell if I'd known I could have taken Kurino tonight, I handle these….things she does...better because I can heal myself!" He snarled.
Thane narrowed his eyes "My loyalty is and always will be to the Master of White Sea first and foremost...but...I am glad you were brought...he doesn't want scars…"
"She can't do this...this is wrong...I thought Bosco was all about freedoms! This isn't freedom…" Lucy said a little loudly.
"You're right, it's the abuse of an old law and fucking extortion, but Kaleb has been trying to handle this for the last 3 years and hasn't managed to find a way out. It's why he's been more into finding a wife, why I've been taking more far reaching jobs, we're both hoping to just...cut ourselves off from her but at the same time...if we do, now Bixy and Van are around, since Van is retired from the council…" Cristoff shook his head and nodded to Bix.
"Help me turn him over, Thane, go get his bath ready upstairs, I'll carry him to it as soon as I have these all healed, a soak in the sea water will clean away all the blood and help him wake up." Cristoff said and Thane bowed, hurrying from the room.
"This has to stop…" Lucy said softly, running her hands gently over Kalebs cheeks.
"Agreed, but how?" Cristoff sighed once flipped over he removed what was left of the white leather jerkin and Lucy watched as Kalebs battered torn open skin was restored under Cristoffs glowing hands, the arm was set and healed, the welts around his ankles all of it, including a gash to the side of his head Cristoff thought must have come from some sort of heavy object.
"I'm going to study those laws…" Lucy said and reluctantly stopped caressing Kalebs face when Cristoff hefted the big mage with Bickslows help and the pair carried their brother out of the infirmary to the elevator.
Lucy didn't blush and didn't ask permission when they reached the bath, she just stripped down herself, tossing her dress and shoes aside and climbing down into the water while Cristoff and Bickslow removed what was left of Kalebs clothes. She positioned herself by one of the reclining seats in the large pool and then gave Cristoff an expectant look as he carried Kaleb down into the water, smiling slightly at her.
"So I take it you plan to help bathe him?" He asked.
"Actually...he was my stand in yesterday with my sudehpah session...so…" She reached out and helped Cristoff settle Kaleb in the seat, turning away to stretch and gather the shampoo and bottle of bodywash refusing to meet their wide eyes.
"You...shit Cosplayer you and Kaleb?...Holy hell…" Bickslow whistled
"Did you make progress? I know you were worried." Cristoff asked and Lucy smiled, carefully rinsing the blood out of Kalebs silvery blonde hair.
"Thanks to him...yes...I know there's nothing wrong with me now…" She replied as she carefully started bathing Kalebs tall frame. Cristoff sat back, leaning against the edge of the pool, Bickslow coming to sit beside him and dangle his legs in the water while sitting by his brothers elbow.
"You know...he's never done that before, not for anyone, he doesn't accept requests from guild members, hardly ever, some of his team mates when they're on jobs yes, but not here, in fact...no woman aside from our sisters has ever even slept up here in his home but you." Cristoff said quietly.
The was a low groan and Lucys hands stilled rinsing the shampoo from Kalebs hair, she sucked in a surprised breath as he pulled away from her, reaching up and rinsing his hair out himself, before groaning and laying back into her hands again with a mild Boscan curse.
"Uh huh, dumb ass, you had 4 broken ribs, broken wrists a dislocated shoulder and Gods only know how many whip injuries. Don't move unless someone helps you, magic can only do so much and the Immaculate light in your veins needs to finish what I started so you don't have scars." Cristoff snapped but gently.
"Fuck off." Kaleb grumbled.
"Yeah, you know, I'd have fucked some of that off if you'd let me know she had you, I take this shit better than you do damn it." Cristoff growled.
"Physically, yes, but it messes with your dragon what she does, all the domination bullshit. I'm ok, or...well...I will be, a good nights sleep under the stars and some sunbathing under the morning star and the light will set it all right." Kaleb said.
"Yeah, bullshit Kaleb, next time, you're not going to be alone." Cristoff said sternly.
"I'm with Cris on this one bro, no more of this shit, we can figure out how to out maneuver her." Bickslow added.
"Well, she's enroute to Joya then Sin and Enca for diplomatic visits, she'll be out of the country for the next 3-4 months so you can relax...until she comes back anyway….Thank you, Cris, Bix, Lucy, I do appreciate the help, just….wish none of you had seen this crap...especially you Lucy." He sighed.
Lucy frowned "I'm glad I did, there has to be a way to handle that law she abuses...I mean to find that way." She said firmly.
"I've been looking, Lucy, you're brilliant, but I doubt you'll find anything." Kaleb told her.
"And if I do?" Lucy narrowed her eyes on him.
Kaleb narrowed his own "I bet you can't"
Bickslow snorted "Yeah, for a genius Kaleb, you're an idiot…" He knew the look on Lucys face, it was the one that preceded her kicking ass usually.
Lucy had her hands on her hips, that she was standing in water up to her navel didn't matter, she still took on her "OH YEAH?!" stance
"You bet huh?" She prodded and Kaleb nodded "I do."
"Ok, I find you a way out of having to endure the Princess and her sick tastes and you have to do something for me…" She said firmly.
Kaleb narrowed his eyes "What?"
Lucy stomped her thoughts down, she had several ideas, but didn't want to discuss them in front of Cristoff and Bickslow. In private with him? Sure, she was comfortable enough for that, but not with Bickslow and Cristoff there.
"Anything I want." She replied and Cristoff and Bickslow both laughed.
"Agreed, I'll do any one thing you ask if you find me and Cristoff a way to stay out of Kurinos bed. It has to be good Lucy, you remove me and Cris and she's going after Bix and Vander, it's one of the reasons Cris and I keep letting her do it. I have the political clout to make her stop with me, but if I did, she'd go after my siblings." He said nodding toward his still chuckling brothers.
"Deal." Lucy said extending her hand.
When Kaleb stared at it Bickslow chuckled again.
"Boscans seal deals with kisses Cosplayer." He reminded her and Lucy smirked, moving right over to the Guildmaster, taking his face in her hands and kissing him.
0-0-0-0-0-0
Lucy woke in an entirely different way than the day before, and in her opinion, vastly better. First of all, she was laying on a wide soft mat, plush silky blankets all over along with pillows in abundance, under the sky on a balcony overlooking to sea. Her arms were wrapped nicely around a solid warm body, while another one was pressed against her back.
Cracking her eyes open she smiled, greeted by the sight of Kalebs lavender eyes followed by his warm lips kissing her forehead. Good morning. Came into her head.
You look so much better… she observed, pulling her hand from where it was resting on his chest to touch his cheek, he looked healthy again, his sunkissed skin tone no longer having the drained look it had last night.
Thank you, I feel better, the starlight and then light from the morning sun, they're the purest of the immaculate lights, laying in them helps what I harbor work better. He replied.
She turned her head and got a low growl for trying to twist around, identifying whose thick arms were wrapped around her and who was snuggling her from behind.
She reached back and caught some of his thick black hair and tugged sharply, getting a better growl.
"Morning Cris." She giggled.
"S'posed to let sleeping Dragons lay...bad Princess...it'll be the tower for you now." He rumbled, burying his face in her hair and nipping the back of her neck.
"Good thing I have a knight to save me." She said, grinning at Kaleb who rolled his eyes.
"Hey, I'm a knight too." Cristoff mumbled into her hair.
"Not when you're being a grouchy dragon you're not." Lucy retorted.
"Too many details for this early…" Cristoff growled.
"Breakfast." Bickslow came out then, plopping down in a lounge not far from where the trio were curled up, he'd been part of their little pile until a few minutes ago when he'd smelled the coffee and bacon on the cart Thane brought into Kalebs bedroom. They were on the balcony off the main bedroom.
He was sipping a steaming cup of coffee and munching a slice of bacon.
Lucy saw it and her mouth watered. "Oh my God...Coffee." She breathed.
Cristoffs arms tightened around her "No...uh uh, you pulled my hair and woke me up, you have to cuddle for at least another half hour."
Lucy squirmed, reaching back and trying to get a grip on the big slayer, pinch him, something not too violent because they were laying next to a recovering Kaleb.
"No violence in bed please, I've had my fill for a long while." Kaleb chuckled, he started to try and rise but Lucy tightened her arms around him.
"Nooo, you're my knight, you have to save me from the dragon, I need coffee!" She whined.
Kaleb arched a brow at her. "I'm your knight huh?" He said softly and she nodded.
He reached over her and smacked his brother who yelped and one arm came off Lucy so he could grab his head. Lucy was loose and scrambled over Kalebs chuckling form to run for the bedroom.
"Ow. Some knight." Cristoff grumbled.
"Next time let the Princess have her coffee." Kaleb retorted, pushing himself to his feet with only a small wince and grabbing his robe from the lounge yanking it out from under Bickslow who stuck his tongue out at him.
"She really likes you bro." Bickslow said softly and Kaleb looked after where Lucy had gone, smiling faintly before meeting his brothers serious look.
"She's my friend…" Bickslow added and Kaleb smiled at him.
"I know, and I know all she's been through, maybe more than you do...relax Bix...I like her too...the same way she likes me...she just needs...time. It's all at her pace, I'll be...careful." Kaleb said.
"So...you're interested in her?" Cristoff demanded.
Kaleb met those intense Dragon Slayer eyes, knowing he was talking to Lucys kin as much as his own in that moment, Cristoff loved him, would die for him, but...Lucy was his kin...there would be hell to pay if Kaleb hurt her.
If he admitted it, Cristoff wouldn't keep it to himself, neither would Bickslow, no, the whole family would know probably before Kaleb had finished his first cup of coffee. It would also remove his fancy for the Celestial Mage from theory and place it into real possibility, or a complete mess, with his brothers involved, and they would be, there was no telling.
Still, he WAS interested in Lucy, and not just as a mage or friend, he just wasn't sure if it was wise, if he should wait and let her heal more or if like the Dean had said, a relationship would help her heal. If anything even came of it, he could very well ask her out and have her turn him down. He was torn,
"Yes." He replied, and left his grinning brothers to go get some coffee for himself and hopefully, finish it before his father called asking when the wedding was.
He stalled near the curtains for the balcony, Lucy had heard every word...her mind was racing over his simple "yes" and he smiled when he found her just about giddy over him being interested in her.
She was so sweet, innocently wicked, that was Lucy, in one moment all shy and sweet and kind and caring, in the next, she was imagining the two of them on his large bed that she was standing by, she had grabbed the carved post that held up the beds gauzy curtains when she'd heard Kaleb admit he was interested in her.
That it shocked her was more proof of how unassuming Lucy tended to be in some things, while he'd told her all along he was attracted to her, that he liked her, felt the same way she did, she was still stunned to hear he meant it. As if him admitting it to his brothers was more honest than him admitting it right to her. It fit though, she had been lied to so much, told sincerely by so many they cared about her and then kicked aside and forgotten. Well, not now, not in his guild...not with him in her life.
He walked into the bedroom and she almost jumped at his appearance, watching him intently as he went to the cart to fix himself a cup of coffee. You wouldn't know at all that just last night he'd been covered in blood and gaping whip marks, Cristoffs magic and Kalebs own had wiped it all away and he was back to his usual grace and almost unreal good looks.
He was interested in her...and there was no mistaking the context, she'd heard everything from Bickslows low comments to Cristoffs demand and her heart warmed a little more toward her big Dragon Slayer kin, more every day she healed.
Natsu, the pain of missing him, the terrible pain of his clear and complete discarding of her because there was no way he could really care at all about her and leave her like he had. There had been a time she'd wondered if they would be together, if he might become her one true love, the kind she read about in all those sweet romance books Levy loved.
Her eyes travelled over the tall mage who was intently measuring honey into his coffee cup. There was really no way to compare Kaleb to Natsu, the two men were just far too different.
Natsu was like a child, ignorant and sometimes almost feral in his behavior, Kaleb was educated, elegant, but also exuded power, immense power. Natsu was goofy and simplistic fun, fart jokes and slugs to the shoulder, Kaleb...dripped maturity, sensuality...raw sex appeal on a level so far from Natsu again, there was no comparison.
She knew what that body felt like too, what his lips tasted like, the sounds he made when he was enjoying being touched, enjoying her touch...she licked her lips, the light white silk robe clung to that tall beautifully sculpted body, her eyes finding where it parted revealing tanned thigh, the belt hung low, she knew the weight of that body, what it felt like pushing her into the soft rug in front of her fireplace while those trim hips worked…
She was so consumed in her memories, her imaginings that took those memories and made them even better, Gods he wouldn't be up to being in her session tonight, she wouldn't even want him there knowing what he'd just been through but...he was interested in her…
Kaleb as a boyfriend...a lover...Gods, she'd never had anyone…she really wanted her own relationship, so wanted to have someone to love, to love her, to be with, laugh with, what would it be like to go to bed each night with him, to go dancing, to wake up each morning in his arms? It was what she wanted, she had always known that about herself, committed relationships may have put off her friends, Cana cringed at even being called someones girlfriend, but not Lucy, she wanted it, so badly. She wanted a man to want her, to belong to someone and know they wouldn't leave her, a commitment….something that meant it wasn't so easy to leave a note and walk away from her without a backwards glance like Natsu had done.
Kaleb was so handsome, so strong and stable and made her feel so safe and it hit her then...she wanted him that way, she wanted him to be hers, wanted to try to make a real relationship with him, not just the odd close friendship/mage/Guildmaster thing they were playing at so far, something real, tangible, that meant they were more, that meant she was safe to...let herself love him. That was it, she wanted to be more than friends with him, more even than lovers, Lucy wanted to be able to fall in love with Kaleb and not have her heart kicked aside. Would he give her that? It had to be too soon, it was such a problem with her, how she let herself care so much so quickly, how her heart just leaped without looking.
Would Kaleb even consider that? Interested was one thing, wanting a relationship was a whole new level but Gods it was what she wanted. Kaleb Pradesh as her boyfriend, her lover, would he agree to try it?
Lavender eyes lifted to hers and she froze physically and mentally at the stunned look in their depths. She'd never learn, really, stick a fork in her she was done, eyes stinging as she realized he was right there, not 10 feet away hearing every single thought…
The mug shattered when it hit the floor and she darted for the door. Inwardly Kaleb cursed, his body was still sore, still aching, in a moment Lucy had hovered between facing him, wanting to ask him if he thought of her as a girlfriend possibility and he'd been standing there trying to scrape together what the hell a girlfriend was to a Fioran because in Bosco it was just a girl who was a friend nothing else but it had significance to Lucy so he was trying to piece together where she was going with the whole boyfriend/girlfriend thing starting to think it was an unprotected Fioran version of being promised to someone.
Lucy had been wondering if he was interested in her for a relationship or just sex and had for a moment, when his eyes met hers, wanted to ask then, instead, her fears, her insecurity won and she'd chosen flight.
His body just couldn't move like he normally could, his ribs were still healing, his ankles, wrists, shoulder, all of it still ached and wouldn't respond fast enough for him to lunge and stop her, he did manage to twist wrong, lose his balance and crash to the floor painfully when his body refused to cooperate.
Fortunately, the second shattering mug brought his brothers, both peeking around the curtain unsure of what they would see after hearing two mugs shatter.
"The fuck happened?!" Bickslow demanded as Cristoff hurried to Kalebs side, eyes flaring and a frown settling as he caught new damage to his freshly healed and still mending brothers body.
Kaleb didn't bother to explain, instead he just linked it mentally and poured the last few minutes into his brothers heads.
Cristoff, much more accustomed to Kaleb doing these memory dumps into his brain just grimaced but Bickslow fell over and crashed to the ground beside his older brother.
"You know, I'd yell at you and give you some "I warned you" shit but you didn't even say anything….fuck...poor Cosplayer, shit…" Bickslow groaned.
Kaleb met Cristoffs eyes and his younger brother rolled his, hefting him to his feet, flooding him with a harsh heal that made Kaleb grimace but took away enough of the ache in his body he could move and the tall blonde hurried out of his bedroom, belting his robe better so it wasn't flowing away from his body as he moved.
Cristoff pulled Bickslow to his feet next and the Seith mage watched Kaleb vanish, long strides carrying him quickly after Lucy.
"Think they'll be back?" He asked.
"Hope not, you know there's a whole tray of cinnamon rolls over there…and we should call Dad." Cristoff replied.
"Squeal about Kaleb finding a woman he likes?" Bickslow chuckled.
"Oh Hell yes, it's the best way to get him to stop hassling me about my mate and you about your soul mate and our plans for finding them before he's too old to have fun with his grandchildren." Cristoff replied.
Bickslow pulled his com out of his pocket. "You heat up the cinnamon rolls and I'll call Dad…"
Hestor walked the rows of shelves that stretched up a full two stories with a calm faint smile on his lips. Nearby he heard Giermo purr faintly and smirked. Giermo was a Sevenese Celestial Summoner, one of three total known male Celestial Summoners the third being Xavier, the Star Seer. The three men tended to keep tabs on each other. While Celestial summoning magic was severely rare, male Summoners were almost unheard of. The magic leaned heavily into females, following female lines...making the magic another unique challenge for the all of three males who had been born with it.
It was seen as a feminin magic, because of the near 99% female reality of it's ranks where mages born with the magic were concerned. Giermo was an elegant, lithe man, like Hestor himself, both with more slender builds. His long golden hair and vivid bi-colored eyes adding to the challenges he faced. Just like Hestor, he was perceived as weak...feminin, as soon as people learned what magic he carried.
The three men had become acquainted through the Dean of the Academe Celestine, because the Dean, rightly, had seen they needed people that shared challenges with them, understood the obstacles in front of them, that were honestly harder than what faced the female Celestial Summoners. The fact was….Sei Roo liked women...busty women. Nobody said it out loud, but, the magic he held domain over grossly favored busty beautiful women. It was a point of irritation for the painfully few men who held the magic.
So when Hestor expressed some frustration over seeking Ma'at, Giermo had offered to come and help him. It was a tiny manipulation on Hestors part. He DID enjoy the help with the research but could have done it alone, what he was really enjoying was Giermo had more patience with Lucy.
Hestor had never been a terribly social person, he was half Stellan, and Stellans prefered to stare down people over a cup of tea rather than be chatty and bubbly and social in the extreme...like Lucy Heartfilia was. The woman...tired Hestor, grated on him. He struggled with some of their lessons and made no pretenses with Lucy, he outright told her he was only working with her because Kaleb asked him to as a personal favor. Holding a favor from Kaleb could see him lording something over Beck, or sidestepping working with Vander...even could prevent Emzadi, Kalebs boisterous Solar Dragonslayer sister, from rushing him and suffocating him in her cleavage with one of her Draconic cuddle fests she was prone to.
He was on Kalebs private team, had been since he was a pre-teen and somehow, that had led to him...against his will...becoming a friend of Kalebs family and ALL of the mans siblings liked him and counted him as a friend..even though he had NOT offered to be at all, all of the Pradesh family was just far too...touchy, huggy, affectionate in general for his personal tastes but no matter what he said or did to avoid it, he was a friend of the entire family, welcome in their home, hugged by all...hissing a spitting and sometimes openly running to try to avoid their affection at times…
Somehow, Lucy was befriending him that way...against his will...and while he'd gradually accepted it with the Pradesh family...even Emi...he struggled hard with Lucy not to be down right nasty to her. She was too close to Kaleb, and that caused him physical pain...because Kaleb was...his. Kaleb was who he had turned to early on, was who had pulled him off an alter when he was 16 and a Dark Guild had abducted him, was using him for a ritual, draining his blood...abusing his body, they had even cut off his hair and he'd laid there, felt death starting to close in, felt his magic bending to them, knowing when it all finished he'd be dead, his very soul lost to power the ritual.
Then Kaleb and the team had come, crashed into the temple, fought a bloody terrible fight with the Dark Guild, and Kaleb and Cristoff...Kaleb had shattered the shackles, pulled Hestor into his arms and held him, kissed his face and commanded him to stay, to not die...had held him as a wide eyed Cristoff had healed him..even as the fighting continued around them, Kaleb taking several blows shielding Hestor with his own body, giving Cristoff time to work...and Hestor had recovered, had laid in the bay window behind the desk Grenlow had assigned to Kaleb, soaking up sunlight and silently watching the older bigger youth work while he recovered his strength.
Kaleb had listened, had sat with him. As the years passed he'd fought for Hestor, his rights as a mage, stood up to people who disrespected him and his magic, not that Hestor had ever had trouble flattening people when they did it to his face..held Hestor back from doing dark and terrible things as the darkness of his keys sometimes prompted him to try...sometimes over rode his will, pushed at his sanity a little too much. Kaleb was like Farron, a beacon of light, and the two brothers had been...why Hestor stayed, one of the things he could turn to when he felt the darkness closing in...Kaleb more often than Farron, Kaleb was the white silvery light of a breaking dawn, Farron the rich golden light of the sun in a clear sky, and both kept the darkness at bay.
They...were his. And he didn't like another Celestial Summoner coming around them, the very bases of his magic hissed and bared teeth like some rabid cat inside him when he saw Lucy smile at Kaleb...or worse...saw Kaleb smile at Lucy.
He didn't love him. He held back, that love that wanted to rush in, the part of him that wanted to declare Kaleb his "One". He held it in check firmly because he had been forced onto alters, into rituals, Stella his family there, had tried his whole life to force him to be something he didn't want to be, to become the High Priest of Anubis, to live in a temple...a gilded cage to hold the keys of the Hall in protected seclusion like those who had held the set before him had, to breed with Concubines brought by the dozens so his magic could flourish.
He wrinkled his nose glaring at a book as that thought came. He deeply...strongly...completely preferred male companionship. He smirked, no, a womans soft curves, round breasts and hips were NOT his thing at all. He loved a mans body, hard bulging muscle. He was a pec man...Gods, a nice hard set of pecs, he loved biting…
"I think maybe we can find more on Estrelle, beyond Pegrand, or even the northern regions north of Alvarez, into Theah, Lugregio...Ma'at hasn't been held in a really long time and the Academe has extensive reach, so searching farther out really is probably where we're at." Giermo said suddenly coming around a bookshelf and making Hestor freeze where his thoughts had been going. He blamed Giermo purring, the low sounds as the Sevenese shifter had found books he liked...yes that was it. Made his thoughts turn a bit wicked.
The other Celestial mage was beautiful, slender, a swimmers body, and had long silvery gold hair. Was Isvanian by birth and the elegant people of the sky showed in his features. His unique bi-colored eyes, one blue one gold, pouty lips pretty though still masculine face. Not Hestors type though...too slender...no...he loved well developed muscle, thick and hard and easy to sink his teeth and nails into. He closed his eyes banishing the thoughts, he really needed to go to the bath house, visit Benjamin...get laid...maybe Farron would be in town soon, their games of chess usually ended with the winner on top and a long wonderful night of deeply satisfying pleasure.
Giermo blinked at Hestors narrow eyed accusatory look the fluffy ears on top of his head pinning back and his tail curling. Giermo was a snow leopard shapeshifter. The Sevenese military had created them throughout the Black Queen Kressas rule until her son Nuryev had killed her and taken the throne.
Giermo had been abducted as a toddler, taken to Sevene and genetically altered to become a shifter, a soldier for Seven to fight it's wars, to keep it sovereign against Pegrand and their hideous Berserkers. As such, he had some...feline traits...the soft ears on his head, the fluffy spotted tail...and...he purred when he was happy.
"What? What did I do?" Giermo asked a little pink coming to his cheeks and Hestor lifted his chin "The purring…"
Giermo blushed fully then "Oh...yes, well, there are some books on extinct magic over there and...I apologize." He sighed
Hestor smiled faintly "It's fine, did you find anything for your own work?" He asked moving toward the foreign country section and Giermo smiled. "I did actually, reference to a temple to the 7 in Lugregio, so, maybe I'll bring you back some of that white scotch…" He smiled and Hestor grinned. He did love Scotch…
Giermo held three of the 7 keys of Enoch. The Archangel set that Kalebs mother, Ganier had held. The ivory keys were akin to the Golden Zodiac, or the Hall in their fame among the Celestial magics. The Hall though was the only set that required all keys were held before it was fully safe. The Golden Zodiac Lucy had worked fine incomplete, Giermo certainly didn't struggle with his keys either, not that Hestor would admit even to himself he struggled…
"Yes, well, lovely as that is and as much as I would love a bottle or two of Lugregian Scotch, you purring with that fluffy tail swinging around can be distracting, you know it's why you do poorly at Poker with Presca and them right? Obvious tells, that tail and your ears." He pointed out as they walked and Giermo heaved a sigh "I know...last night Vander and Kittar teamed up somehow...strip poker...I lost my favorite blue vest."
Hestor chuckled and looked at the other mage "wont fit either of them, especially not Kittar, that mans built." He observed and Giermo rolled his eyes "They were helping Lucy, SHE has my vest." Giermo said.
Hestor pressed his lips together "Won't fit her either, not with that huge chest of hers." He grumbled.
Giermo gave him a sideways look "Sei Roo leans that way and you know it. All of the Celestial Bloodlines are not just 98% female dominant, they are also large chested with doe eyes because the Spirit King favors what he favors."
Hestor narrowed his eyes "I am well aware. My own keys have found it amusing I am a male."
Giermo sighed "Yeah...mine too. There's nothing for it, Celestial Summoner lines that even had a balanced production rate of males were wiped out during the Holy wars over a thousand years ago...the battles over the Archangel Mages just...wiped us out and only the less competitive lines endured and those have died out over time because they're less...aggressive and less willing to go out and fight and duel and do whatever it takes to build key sets that can do more than just fight evil doers."
Hestor waved a hand but suddenly gripped the back of a chair, hand going to his chest where a deep pain had suddenly risen, he'd been feeling bites of this for days now, but this was deeper now and almost took his breath away.
Giermo blinked in concern "Hestor….are you alright?"
"I...I don't know…" Hestor grimaced and Giermo took his hand
"Come on...we're going to see Xally." he said firmly and Hestor nodded, seeing a healer sounded like a good idea.