A few days have passed since that fateful day in the woods, Laxus is being kept under an induced magical coma whilst Porlyusica tries to assess what is going on with him. It seems that Mira was able to provide a bit more detail of how he had been deteriorating over the past month or so, she certainly has had it rough.
I can't let myself dwell on that unfortunate situation, I have much bigger things to worry about.
Looking around at my friends who are so willing to help, I smile shyly, I'm not used to feeling welcome, part of a family, but that is what I am in now. Without Levy I would still be on the fringes of the guild, gazing in with a longing to be a part of the hubbub, yet I would deny it. Making myself seem cold and indifferent, when in truth I just wanted to be accepted.
Speaking of Levy, she almost seems like her old self again, the despair and utter misery that tainted her vibrant soul finally disappearing and bringing back my effervescent girl. She still needs to be held extra tight in the dark hours of the night, a little fear creeping over her delicate features if I ever slip from the bed, but she is coping, and that's all we can hope for.
She is keen to restart training, and I plan to get back to that as soon as we can, but there are more important things to deal with first.
"Natsu, stop wriggling! You are just making it worse you dumbass," Lucy shouts, flapping her arms as Natsu becomes more and more entwined in the string of fairy lights he was holding. The twine wrapping around his torso, with each struggle he gives, the binds pull his arms in closer, trapping them by his sides.
"Help me Luce! I would just bust out of these, but I don't fancy a smack down with Gajeel right now," Natsu whines to the exasperated Lucy, "I think he is a bit stressed," he whispers the last part, but I hear it nonetheless, flipping him off as I move flowers into decorative holders.
Lucy huffs loudly as she tries to unwrap the tangled Salamander, she gives him a stern look as rotates around his body, freeing him of his restraint. "Well, I'm sure when it's your turn to do this," she waves pointedly at their surroundings, "you'll be a bit stressed too!"
The pink haired male pales at the heated words, his tanned skin turning ashen as he audibly gulps, he fully understands Lucy's meaning, I chuckle darkly, "oh boy is he in trouble!"
Minutes tick by in silence as the final touches are completed, standing back to admire my handiwork, my chest puffs at what we've accomplished. The place looks enchanted, I know Levy is going to love it, well, I certainly hope she will.
Turning to my three helpers, "thank you, I-I uh mean it, truly." I stammer, fighting the heat that is rushing to my cheeks, why is it so damn difficult to show my gratitude without looking like an idiot?
Lily and Natsu have broad smiles on their faces, Natsu clapping me on the back before Lucy practically throws herself into my arms, "whoo, easy there bunny girl!" I grunt, catching her and chuckling at the dark look that has crossed her Dragon Slayer's face, "I don't think your mate is too happy with this," I loudly whisper, letting the Salamander pull her out of the embrace.
"I'm sorry, it's just so moving. I'm so happy for the both of you, you deserve all the joy in the world!" Lucy wails, her round eyes brimming with tears. She was quick to accept Natsu's hug, pushing her face into the crook of his neck and nuzzling deeply.
The only way I could decipher the expression on the Fire Dragon Slayer's face was; thanks a lot buddy, now I have to get my shit together and do THIS before my mate either dissolves into a puddle of emotions or puts me on a sex ban for a week or even longer…!
I had exactly two hour until the big moment, it was time for me to get spruced up, I shuddered at the thought of the dashing shirt and pants that Lucy had helped me pick. I wanted to look good for Levy, but formal so was not my style, I could work with it though, and it make it more me.
"Alright fairies, that's enough of the waterworks. You've still got a job to do blondie, remember?" I said clapping my hands together, eyes drifting around the room to ensure everything was still in place.
There was a small hole burning in my pocket, I could almost feel the warmth of it's presence as the ring box nestled deeply, waiting for it's moment.
~.~
I was glad to see that Mira was improving, it was taking time but her sunny disposition was slowly returning. Her unwavering faith that Laxus would be restored to full health and sanity was admirable, and was likely the driving force that was keeping her going.
Lisanna and Elfman were still being overly cautious, they would not let her work in the Fairy Tail guildhall, and visitors had to be cleared through them before anyone was permitted entry to small set of rooms that had been assigned to the siblings within the massive building that housed the guild.
There was a quiet knock at the door, Lisanna slipped her head inside, "Hey Levy, Lucy is here for you. Apparently she needs help finding an outfit for a date with Natsu and she wants your opinion," she said cheerfully.
Saying my goodbyes to Mira, I promised to come see her again real soon and left the white haired mage sitting in a peaceful ray of sunlight, her eyes closing with a faint knowing smile on her lips.
Lucy and Lisanna were chatting and giggling when I finally made my way to them, they were quick to fall silent and there was a definite guilty look spreading over Lisanna's face which quirked my curiousity immediately. "Hi guys, what's up?" I asked, tilting my head to look closely at the blush staining both their faces.
"Oh, nothing, nothing at all!" they both said in unison, weird…
I wasn't buying it, but I was prepared to play along for the time being. "So you need fashion advice from me?" I asked, chortling at the thought. Lucy never even considered asking for my advice before, sure she loved to drag me around shops, but I was almost like a doll for the girl. She adored making me try outfits on that I would never even give a second look at, she had an eye for what suited me, and since Gajeel and I had become a couple, I was now grateful for the help.
Gajeel was only ever helpful, or even interested if it were lingerie shopping. It was impossible to buy undergarments without him tagging along, it was like he had a sixth sense for it. I wouldn't even mention what I heading out for, he would simply know and follow along like an adorable puppy, that was until he turned into a beast in the private dressing areas.
"That's right," the vivacious blonde answered, linking her arm through my own and steering me out the door, "I even invited Lisanna along, but she wants to stay close by Mira."
Lisanna called after us as I was practically frogmarched out the door, "Levy have fun, and savour it."
"Well that was a weird thing to say." I thought as we swept out into the heart of Magnolia, making our way down the sun drenched streets on our way to the fashion district.
Lucy was surprisingly tight-lipped about what kind of date she and Natsu had planned, part of me wanted to question her further, but then maybe it was an intimate kind of affair and clearly none of my business.
Maybe one day we would swap notes about our respective guys, intimate things that they would be mortified to know we had disclosed to one another, but we weren't there quite yet, it was still too new for us.
As I daydreamed of a day where we would bitch and complain about the silly things our mates did, gushing over the good things they did, I was snapped from my reverie as Lucy thrust a pale yellow dress at me, "try this one please," she cooed, batting her lashes at me.
Frowning, I took the garment. It felt buttery soft, the colour of a pale golden sun and it was so very light feeling. "I thought we were looking for something for you Lu?" I asked, full of confusion.
"I'm trying...this on!" she retorted, grabbing the nearest item which happened to be a sundress splattered in bright colourful flowers. I arched a brow, was she serious?
Tutting I found myself in a dressing room, my irritation being swept away, completely forgotten as I stared at my reflection.
The dress was simply perfect; the slim straps resting gently on my shoulders, the boat shaped neckline was perfect for my smaller chest, emphasising what I did have. The soft material hugged my waistline, defining my petite torso before flaring at the hips as the skirt billowed out and grazed at just above my knees. There was tiny white trim detailing the hem of the dress and edging around the neckline, my fingers skimmed the fabric as I fell in love with this dress.
There was a deep gasp from behind me, spinning I found Lucy staring at me open-mouthed, her own hideously garish dress bagging on her beautifully curvy body.
"You look beautiful," she whispered, tears seeming to gather in her chocolate eyes as I watched on in quiet horror. I rushed to her, our arms reaching out as we embraced tightly.
I needed to break this weird tension, why was Lucy sad? They could be happy tears, but that too seemed strange in itself. "Well, you look like shit quite frankly," I chuckled, fingertips pinching at the offending material that spread itself so unflatteringly over her flawless skin.
Speaking of flawless skin, as my eyes roamed Lucy's exposed neck, throat and shoulders I noticed the absence of any marks. I had assumed that once marked by our respective Dragon Slayers, we would be left with a permanent scar or mark, but that didn't seem to be the case.
"Hey Luce, when Natsu marked you...did it fade?" I asked, my overwhelming curiousity getting the better of me once again, it really was a good thing that I wasn't a cat cause I would surely be dead!
Snuffling loudly, she wiped away her tears and gave herself a small shake. "Um, not exactly. Let's just say that bikini season is going to be interesting for everyone," she groaned out. Lucy made it sound like she was exasperated by her mark's placement, but the blush that crept over her skin, and the ever so subtle press of her thighs told a much different story.
"So Natsu marked her chest huh? I wonder where Gajeel will want to mark me? Where would I like him to mark me?"
Indecent thoughts were passing through my mind in rapid succession, I was so swept up in them that I barely noticed as Lucy sped me to the cash register, handing over a small black card that looked like it belonged to Gajeel to the store attendant, and hurried me out the door still wearing the gorgeous sunny dress.
"How about a drink at the guildhall to celebrate such a successful shopping trip?" Lucy suggested brightly, pulling me along with a strength I had never known from her. She had obviously bought the awful flower spattered dress, it hung awkwardly off one shoulder, but I could barely speak my cutting remarks as we quickly strode back in to Fairy Tail.
Natsu was standing by the bar, engaged in what looked like a perfectly civil conversation with Gray. That alone had me frowning in confusion, those two were always at each other's throats. Then when the Salamander spun to greet Lucy, the look he gave her made me burst out laughing, I could not contain it.
The guy looked utterly gobsmacked, and definitely not in a good way. He visibly shuddered and grimaced as his intense sweeping gaze took in Lucy, his tanned skin paling as he tried valiantly to hide his abject disgust of what she was wearing.
"Hey babe, you look uh-uh gorgeous as always," he attempted to sound sincere, but the words just sounded so false to every ear that could hear him. Lucy blushed furiously, it seems she may have forgotten to either get changed back into her previous outfit, or find a better one for herself.
Her feet twisted self consciously, an angry scowl twisting her delicate features into something terrifying, "it was the best I could do given the situation," she hissed at Natsu through her teeth, smacking his hand away that was attempting to snake around her hip and draw her closer to him.
Natsu rubbed sheepishly at the back of his neck, he opened his mouth but Lucy cut him off, "I can fix this, but I am NOT going anywhere right now, you got that buddy?" she growled vehemently. The poor Salamander nodded his head enthusiastically, hands in front of him as if he were scared of the small advancing blonde. She was the only person in the entire world that he would take shit from, it made Levy's heart soar at that thought, they were so sweet together.
An all too familiar scent filled her nostrils, she knew Gajeel was here, but she could not see him. Her feet moved of their own accord, tugging her forward in search of her man. "If you are looking for Gajeel," Natsu quickly stood in her way, "he was here just a moment ago, but he left to do something. Said he'd be back real soon though."
Something was definitely a miss, things were just slightly off.
Little did she know that Gajeel had threatened, on pain of a long drawn out death, that everyone was to be on their best behaviour today. No brawling. No arguments. No rowdiness of any kind.
I let myself be directed by the couple, forcing myself not to examine the behaviours of the people around me too much. The next little while I spent sipping on a fancy looking cocktail, chattering with Lucy, my nerves slightly on edge, my eye roaming the room every now and then.
"Hey Levy, you know that book you raved about?" Lucy asked, tapping me gently on the hand to draw my attention to her.
"Hm, oh yeah. What about it?" I replied, trying to recall exactly which book she was meaning, I had a tendency to rave about a lot of books.
Lucy giggled, "I wanted to give it a read, would you mind getting it from the library for me? I'm kinda being held prisoner here!" she pointed at the strong arm that was wrapped tightly around her waist, Natsu's fingers clearly digging possessively into Lucy's flesh as he continued his still strangely civil conversation with Gray.
"Sure!" I was more than ready to flee from this place, it was giving me such strange feelings. There was no way I was going to pass up the chance to retreat to the calming solace of the library, I liked to think of it as my library if I'm honest.
I practically ran from the room, gliding around the corner quickly, so quickly I did not hear the clinking of glasses from behind me, the small cheer that went up as I sprinted for sanctity.
As I pulled open the familiarly heavy wooden door, fingers lovingly stroking the ornament iron door handle, a calmness descended on, and it seemed as if Gajeel's scent was also stronger back here, making the library seem even more inviting.
What I saw when I walked in, stole my breath.
I was speechless, the grand room now resplendent with twinkling fairy lights strung up along the many rows of books. Wild orchids and other exotic blooms scattered in beautiful handcrafted vases, the main light having been switched off to allow the soft glow of the fairy lights to highlight the beauty of this room. The table that normally sat in the very centre of the room was moved to the side, draped in what looked like a velvety soft blanket.
Enchanting...
My heart skipped a beat as Gajeel stepped out from behind the first row of books, he was wearing a black formal shirt, but he had made it his own. The sleeves rolled to his elbows, and the first two buttons undone, the hem tucked in to the tight dark grey pants with a matching belt encasing his strong waist. His thick black hair had been somewhat smoothed, the length pulled back and tied with a leather strap at the nape of his neck. The man looked drop dead gorgeous, and her mouth watered.
"What's all this?" I asked nervously, my heart was hammering wilding, trying to take in every little detail all at one.
My fingers trembled as Gajeel approached and held out his hand to me, beckoning me further into the intimate space.
"I did tell you I had more to say to you, and now is the perfect time and place." Gajeel answered, a true smile lighting up his handsome face and making him glow in the soft light.
What on earth was he going to say?
