Disclaimer - Fairy Tail belongs to Hiro Mashima & all things Pradesh belong to DESNA
A/N - My focus will be on this story now that Finding Home is completed. As always, reviews are very welcome!
Lucy stared into her drink trying to sort out how everything had gone so horribly wrong. Her plans had all started off correctly. Erza was requipping into her various armors when Cristoff arrived, but right before they were introduced she changed into a new costume she had bought and wanted to show off. It had gloves. When Erza was hanging decorations, she created a small hole under one of the legs of the ladder and it started to wobble. Cristoff had immediately stabilized it and found something to shim up the leg to prevent further incident. Lucy wasn't sure Erza had even noticed anything had happened. Erza had won the Miss Fairy Tail competition and Cristoff was the guest judge as planned, but due to the elaborate updo Erza had the Lunar Slayer gave up trying to figure out how to place it on her and just handed it to her with a sheepish grin. Twice she had attempted to trip Erza only to realize it was like trying to tip over a mountain. It was impossible and she only ended up hurting herself and ended up as practice for Wendy.
Sighing she nibbled on the straw, well at least that part was working out correctly. Wendy was learning a lot and loved working with Cristoff. She was startled out of her depressing thoughts when Mira plopped several boxes onto the bar. "Can you take these supplies up to the infirmary? I found these boxes after you pulled out all the decorations. Somehow they had ended up in the back of the storeroom and forgotten."
"Sure thing Mira," Lucy eyed the three boxes. They didn't look terribly heavy, but were too large to carry all at once. She'd have to make more than one trip, unless she got someone to help her carry them. Carry them to the infirmary, where Cristoff was teaching Wendy… She perked up at the possibility of one more try. "Erza, can you help me carry these?" she called out.
"Certainly, Lucy." The requip mage came right over and grabbed two boxes while Lucy hefted the third. They brought them up the stairs and into the infirmary. Erza set her boxes on a table to the left of the entrance and turned to take the third from Lucy as she entered behind her. There was a slightly loose board that creaked and moved as Lucy's foot descended on it. Between the shift and the weight in her arms she lost her balance and fell to the floor, the contents of the box spilling all over.
Wendy rushed over to her to check if she was injured. Tears sprang to her eyes as she waved the girl away, the frustrations of the week finally getting to her. I give up, she cried internally. "Nothing more than a scrape at best. Thank you Wendy, I just want to go home." She didn't even look at the mess she created or the looks of confusion on everyone's faces. She just stood, turned and left. Erza started to go after her when the youngest slayer ran past her to do the same.
"Is she alright?" Cristoff asked.
"She has seemed a bit off this past week, perhaps she isn't sleeping well. I will check on her later." Looking down at the rolls of gauze and bandages strewn across the floor, she knelt and dragged the mostly empty box over to refill it. Cristoff knelt as well and the two silently cleaned up the mess. Erza was about to stand up when she spotted some bandages that had slid under the bed next to her. She reached for them as them at the same time the Lunar Slayer did. She heard his breath hitch as they made contact simultaneously. Her eyes lifted to his suddenly noticing just how close they actually were. His nostrils flared slightly and his eyes widened. Were they always that color? she thought. It was like staring into the reflection of the moon on the ocean. How could she have not noticed that before?
Downstairs, Cobra snorted. "Damn, Tink was right again," he told the shadowquip next to him. Vander was waiting for his brother to join him and he tended to hang out with the Poison Slayer when Lucy wasn't around for entertainment. "Moony won't be going chick hunting with you tonight, or probably ever again."
"What? She is his mate? For real?" Vander was in shock, eyes wide as Cobra nodded. He could hear it loud and clear even though they were upstairs. Their souls were practically shouting. "Well shit. How did she know?"
"No clue and I get to listen to her inner workings, which by the way are seriously non-linear and fucked up." Cobra explained. "Might just be dumb luck. You do know what this means though?"
"When she finds out she's going to be incorrigible." Vander laughed a little. "I can't believe she gave up and left right before it happened. I'm going to enjoy being the one to tell her."
He was happy for his brother though. Like him, Cristoff was a one night only kind of man but for different reasons. The Lunar Slayer always knew there was a mate out there for him and him alone and he never wanted to string along anyone. Vander on the other hand was simply living life to the fullest and didn't need anything or anyone weighing him down. Someday Kaleb would figure out that he got into trouble on purpose so that he was not eligible for Knighthood. Maybe Kaleb already knew... he mentally shrugged. It didn't really matter. Hey Kaleb, patch me through to Dad. You won't believe what just happened.