Hello dear readers, sorry for the long wait!
Lucy sighed, turning around to face him and take in his visage fully. The soft curves of his face she'd glimpsed earlier completely vanished to the more familiar hard lines and toughened exterior.
Even after everything that had just happened, let alone after tonight, Lucy couldn't find the words that she wanted to say to him. A look of consternation crossed her face as she gazed at him. What was she supposed to do? Natsu was an unmovable force in her recent life. Even now as she stood over him and he sat in his chair looking up at her, his gaze was level with hers, confident and unwavering.
Natsu seemed to pick up on her conflicting emotions. His heart slightly going out to her when he realized it could all be too much. Even though they grew up in similar circumstances, she wasn't built the same way he was. Contrary to the licentious darkness and asperities in their lives, in the small amount of time that he'd known her there always seemed to be something pure and unsullied inside of the girl, a piece within her that tried to find the good in everyone, no matter what. Unlike his mother who had an agenda from the beginning, Lucy's intentions were never such. She was just a girl thrown into unfortunate circumstances. He found himself wrestling with that fact. Every time he thought of Lucy's position in his life, he thought of his mother and found that endlessly burning resentment in his heart. Even just now when she didn't deny sleeping with another man, the anger at his mother came out, knowing the woman had her flings and her days of absence she spent up to no good. Hilarious, considering she constantly accused his father of stepping out with the more than willing maids and other help in the house. Until that point of contention, Lucy had proved herself to be different, and hearing something like this made him more emotional than it should've.
Natsu clenched his jaw, eyes that had glazed over at the thought of his mother refocusing on the blonde standing next to him, who was obviously having conflicts of her own. That inner light in her eyes that shone so brightly was dimming, little by little; day by day. If he wasn't careful he could break her. Then they'd truly mirror each other.
The pink haired man sighed, tightening his fists as he looked to the ground and gathered his thoughts before bringing his gaze to her face. "Lucy."
She blinked, coming out of her own reverie to look at him.
"What happened today, it shouldn't have happened. Lisanna," Natsu's face hardened further, "Lisanna, what she did was out of line."
As Natsu continued, Lucy's expression became centered, focusing on the spot between his eyes and avoiding his gaze.. She listened to what he had to say but he could tell she gave no weight to it.
"I'm guessing you and Lisanna knew each other from school." Natsu saw the light of acknowledgement in her eye. "Her and I, all that we had when we were young was friendship. Her feelings for me developed into something more than that when we reunited after I saved her, but unfortunately she never understood that nothing could ever work between us."
Blonde brows furrowed. "Did you two ever have…" Lucy looked at the dark wood of Natsu's desk, noting the haphazardly tossed office supplies all over it and the laptop that still laid on the floor. She blinked away from the sight back to him, "did you ever have sexual relations with each other? The way that she described?"
Natsu raised an amused brow at the term she used to describe sex but restrained himself from commenting further. Sighing he answered her question, "No, we never did."
Lucy looked him in the eye for the first time, seeing in those dark mirrors to his soul that there was still distrust, an internal turmoil, but nevertheless truth. "Were you ever in love with her?"
Natsu blinked, not hesitating for even a second, "No."
For a long second, they just stared at each other. No movement, no sound. Just the soft glow of the overturned lamp to give light to each other's expressions.
"I'm going to sleep." Lucy pulled a graceful hand through her silken strands of hair, the slightest pout coming to her lips when tangles impeded the flow of her fingers. Natsu scowled when he noticed her once again avoiding his eyes. He kept his gaze on her as the warmth of her body heat left his space and she walked out of the door.
He didn't know why, but he felt the least confident in her staying or leaving than he had any night before.
Dark music pulsed, bass so loud it seemed to vibrate the leaden walls against the foundation. Clouds of smoke from cigars gathered at the top of a ceiling so dark it seemed endless. The smell of sweat, drugs, alcohol, cheap perfume and male anticipation and arousal permeated the air.
A man with ebony hair, swarthy skin and lead eyes sat in the best seat in the house. A matured cognac sat at his side and an expensive cigar burned from his lips. He watched the leading woman on stage with a heated stare.
She was a pretty little thing, pretty pink hair curled and bouncing with her provocative movements, a bountiful chest spilling out of her barely there brassier, long pale legs stretched to show them at their best angle as she bent over to the beat of the song. A rap number with lyrics that she explicitly followed no matter how lewd, exemplifying just that as she dragged her pink tongue up the lines of the pole as she stood straight once more. Shoulders back, the woman shook her ass for him enticingly, still to the beat of the song, showing the lines of her slender back as she pulled her tendrils up and into the air. The lower she went grinding on the air the higher her hair went until she fisted the strands in her hand and bobbed her hips, shaking her ass parallel to the ground. Right when the beat dropped, she did as well, falling into a full split on the floor. Her hand in her hair stretched straight to the sky letting her hair fall seductively back down as she turned her coquettish gaze onto him.
The man smirked, his eyes not leaving her deep brown orbs for a second, even when a barmaid came by with a refill of his drink, leaving with a tender hand up his chest wandering suggestively over his shoulder.
Those eyes reminded him of another girl with eyes just as desirable. Lucy Heartfilia, the young girl had been a handful. Much more of a fighter than he had expected as she cleverly incapacitated his lackeys and tried to take over the car. Despite his anger at the time, he had been impressed, considering she was the pampered and sheltered daughter of Jude Heartfilia. He wondered if she was living with her buyer and being tortured properly. The thought made the smirk at his lips grow wider as he angled his head at the dancer, daring her to come closer. She seemed ready to take the challenge, until someone barged into his club.
Jose Porla walked in with a couple men at his side, slithering in confidently like the cat who ate the canary. The dark-haired man tsked with distaste, glaring at the woman to stay where she was as he was forced to take his eyes from her. When his gaze finally landed on his unwelcome guest he noticed with lack of joviality that Jose stayed immutable in his duplicitous disposition. Nearby customers and exotic dancers alike grimaced at his presence as he passed by, and the very air around him festered.
Jose swaggered in to stand in front of the man, his ever-devious smirk faltering as he took in the murderous glow of the man's soulless eyes. Given the prideful gait he'd carried himself in with, Jose was probably expecting a warmer welcome. "Ehmm," he cleared his throat. "Hello Acnologia, you called me?"
Acnologia blinked, and there was enough contempt in that one move to make a whole building quake. Porla blanched.
"Why yes, I did." Acnologia supplied. No other words were spoken as he stared at the wilted man in front of him. The silence stretched on until the thugs around Jose started to squirm while strip club music played at full blast, the change of mood making the tempo seemed dulled.
"Did you take care of Jude?"
Jose breathed out, trying not to show his anxiety, finding relief in his good news. "I did. I'm torturing the old coot into signing everything over to us." Acnologia raised a brow at how he referenced Jude, knowing Jose was older than their victim. "He's suffering from his daughter being taken right from under his nose despite putting so much protection around her after his wife died. It's just the cherry on top of the cake that his wife passed in a deliciously similar way." Jose simpered.
"And." Ancnologia pressed.
Confusion flashed in Jose's mind for a second until he quickly picked up on what his partner meant. "No worries, the authorities have no idea what is going on. Jude is still living at his home, going to work as he is supposed to. Although in the next few days he'll be going on a trip like our old friend Igneel did. 'Lucy's off to college, so he's feeling lonely and restless around the house.' The public will eat it all up and by the time they get suspicious, he will be disposed of, Lucy's name will be removed from anything keeping her as heir should her father die and will stay the pet of some old man, and the company's holding will be ours right before we run it to the ground." His arms had rose as he talked swinging around theatrically as if he were conducting an orchestra.
Jose's eyes flitted back to Acnologia, expecting praise—only to blink at the sight of the man with his eyes closed, as if in slumber, as he took a long drag from his cigar.
"You may leave."
"What?!" Jose growled, astonished at his blatant disregard of his hard work.
Full bodied men stepped forward from the shadows, stopping Jose with their presence before he could make another ill-planned utterance.
Catching Acnologia's expectant gaze, Jose felt a tingle of sweat at his hair line. "I-I just mean, once this is all over and done, I will get my part of the deal, right?" He asked, switching the weight of each foot on the ground, hands coming together slyly.
Acnologia turned his head away from the man and back onto the stage where the ladies were still dancing. This time a new woman was on the stage, a fiery red head with just as much spunk and passion in her dance moves. "If all goes according to plan you'll get everything coming to you."
Acnologia turned his eyes for the final time back up to the man who'd interrupted his dance, "And that's a promise."
Jose bristled, not pleased with the way he was being treated after doing so much, but knowing whom had the most power at the moment and fully aware of where he had to play nicely. "Very well then."
Turning, the oil slicked despot walked out of the club with his two men in tow, getting only a threatening glare from the guard standing by the door as a goodbye.
With the sad excuse for a whiner gone, Acnologia decided to enjoy the dancers once more. He hummed as the song changed to something he liked and the fiery red goddess on stage did a back bend against the pole, her voluptuous thighs wrapping tight enough around it when she finished her flip to hold herself midair as she spun forcing a pleased gasp from her audience
His eyes flicked to the corner when he noticed his earlier tease sauntering over to him. Standing in front of him with a saucy look on her face, she blocked the red head on stage from view. Acnologia raised a dark brow.
" 'Ould you like a dance, daddy?" She purred, a foreign accent coming through her silken rose painted lips.
Tipping his cigar as his answer, the woman started dancing even more erotically than before in front of him. Licking her thumb down her lips before bending her neck back, she grabbed her own breasts roughly to the beat. Just as the song hit its climax she fell with her open legs in a squat, a full second to show everything to his leering eyes until she coyly opened and closed them to the song.
"Take off your clothes." Acnologia commanded.
She didn't have to be told twice, standing up tall on thin stilettos before unhooking her bra, but not taking it all the way off. She stepped towards him, falling to her knees at his waist and sliding her body up his front until the bra slid off and her bared breasts were at his face, nipples as rosy as her lips puckered for him to easily bite. Daintily taking it fully off and turning around, she dipped her body low before doing tricks on the ground.
Feeling a buzzing in his pants pocket. Acnologia sighed, prying it out of his jeans without taking his eyes off the beguiling woman and sliding it to his ear.
"Another warehouse has been burned down, boss."
"Which one?" Acnologia tensed.
"One of the main houses near the port…all of the goods were destroyed. Including the fresh shipment from yesterday, boss."
"Fuck!" Acnologia growled, surprising the dancer in front of him to turn his way. He didn't cast her a second thought as he got up, roundly kicking her in the face with the toe of his venetian leather oxfords to vent his frustration.
She cried going down but nothing in the club stopped. Dancers continued to dance, men continued to watch, and the barmaids continued to serve as if this was a normal occurrence.
The man on the phone didn't need to tell him who did it. It was obvious. The influx of damaged goods, transports being stopped, and warehouses being burned down started after a certain little boy's father was killed. A tantrum from a babe. However, even Acnologia thought the tantrum was getting to be too much.
"Just like old times huh, Natsu." His ire would not be easily dowsed this time. Too much money was being lost, and if he wasn't sure he was going to get it all back he would have killed the boy a long time ago.
That and despite losing the head of Dragneel Enterprises, Natsu had kept his work as formidable as ever. He'd have to pull out the big guns for the little salamander.
Hanging up the phone and shoving it in his pocket, Acnologia started to leave the establishment with his men behind him, until a thought occurred to him. The answer so obvious, he didn't know why he hadn't thought of it earlier. Stopping mid stroll and turning to the nearest man he spoke, his lips curling upward evilly. "Get me Juli Vermilion's number."
The man bowed to him before going to do just that.
Feeling pleased with himself, Acnologia turned back to the fallen dancer still clutching her face with tears in her pretty brown eyes. She sniffed as he walked up to her, gaze unsure but still strong enough to stay locked with his. Perfect.
The ebony haired man grinned, "Hey there sweet'ums." He said before grabbing a fist full of her hair and dragging her back to the entrance of the club. She cried, struggling in his hold, but even with all her squirming she was no match for his strength. When he reached his goons, he threw the woman on the floor. "Take this whore to my room. Daddy wants to play."
Lucy groaned once more as sweat trickled down her neck and along her spine. "Ahh," she breathed, forcing herself up once more despite the burning in her core, pain and a weird pleasure fusing deep inside of her.
"Ooh, god!" Once more she went up, pushing herself to keep going until she couldn't take anymore.
"Wow, this is a pleasant sight." Lucy's blonde ponytail whipped through the air, her mind conjuring up the sight of pink hair, until the imagery was squashed by black locks. "When did I get so lucky?"
Lucy blinked wearily, falling back to lay on the ground in a heap as she took in the sight of dark blue eyes and coolly styled black hair. "Go fuck yourself." She sighed tiredly.
"Cat's got a bite, meow." Gray smirked, befitting his aura—with slightly disinterested, cocky airiness (his only tell the amusement glimmering in his eyes). Sauntering further into the aerobic room, he continued, "Since when does pristine little Lucy curse?" Even though his expression was teasing, she could see genuine bemusement in his eyes.
'Since she started going on a strict diet and began exercising 3 times daily.' Lucy answered in her head bitterly.
Instead of answering out loud, she asked a question of her own. "What are you doing here?" Even though her relationship with Gray had become better after the late night talk on campus, she didn't particularly love seeing him around all the time. He, of course, was still aligned with the enemy.
Gray placed a dramatic hand to his heart as he feigned hurt. It didn't do much considering his expression stayed as cool as a cucumber, but it got Lucy to realize her voice came out harsher than intended.
Lucy centered herself. "Sorry. I just mean, Natsu isn't too fond of you and I alone anywhere." Ever since a few days ago, Natsu had kept Lucy and Gray's interaction with each other limited, especially if he wasn't there. It didn't matter that there was nothing between them, Natsu didn't appreciate the imagined threat with any one, let alone Gray. So, after tearing the man a new one, he enforced his new little rule.
Lucy didn't understand why. Sure, Gray teased her, but she didn't think the man had any real interest. Although the appreciative glances he was giving her sweat soaked body were starting to make her think otherwise.
At 8:30 in the morning, she was on the first of her three workout routines. 100 sit ups, 100 squats, 30 minutes aerobics, 15 minutes weight lifting. She had just finished stretching and was now completing up her sit ups. Dressed in her typical workout wear, light blue spandex shorts with a white stripe down the sides and a white thin strapped sports bra with blue stripes, she knew she looked good. On her feet were her white sports shoes that she'd used since high school for gymnastics.
She was exercising again like she did with Levy and it wasn't any more enjoyable now than it was then, but at least usually she had her best friend around to talk to, to get through the pain.
Tightening her pony tail, Lucy took the offered hand Gray supplied to help her up. She huffed, feeling the delightful burn in her stomach after such a strain, and ambled over to her water bottle before taking a big gulp.
Gray watched it all, the heat in his stare lessening throughout to something she could handle and becoming clouded over with something akin to amusement. Lucy shrugged away her earlier thoughts, placing Gray's behavior on the "horny in general" scale. It made sense... Guys like watching women sweat in spandex, if commercials were to be believed.
A few days had passed since she and Natsu had their talk and in the few times she'd seen Gray (Natsu nowhere to be seen, of course. She was sure they'd never have spoken, otherwise) he'd seemed shifty, and finally after enough bothering he blurted that he was feeling a little antsy lately after not getting a good lay. He'd rather awkwardly explained that he and Natsu had gone out a lot before Lucy came around and although at the time he had found it annoying, the lack of action he was getting nowadays was putting him at a disservice. He would go out by himself, but didn't like the idea of going out just for sex, alone, like a loser.
Lucy wouldn't have understood, how guys needed their lives to be sustained by sex, but after finally experiencing the erotic act and then going cold turkey for a few days, she could definitely see the telltale signs of an itch.
Lucy and Natsu hadn't interacted much after their talk in his study. An air of awkwardness and her usual distaste (although it had lessened), combined with a new feeling coiling in her stomach that she couldn't put her finger on made her uncomfortable every time she saw him.
Natsu, for his part, seemed to get the feeling that she didn't want to be bothered and kept his distance, only speaking once more the day after their talk about her not being able to leave without telling him, trashing any assumptions that he was fine with her leaving for good. Lucy would admit that she had entertained the thought multiple times, but considering that she still didn't understand the situation with her father and the lingering fear that those men would capture her again, she thought staying with Natsu would be her best bet. For now.
Little did he know, she was working on getting in contact with some outside sources of her own. It was her last option though, because getting them involved wasn't necessarily something that she wanted to do. But it couldn't be helped; she was at her wits end not knowing about her father or her state of emergency were she to just walk out the front door.
Lucy scowled at her water bottle, feeling indignation at her situation rise in her stomach. At least she thought that was what it was until the small rumbling that pierced her ears turned into a loud roar.
"Pfft." Gray spurted out a laugh.
Red-faced, Lucy turned to the man, "T-that wasn't what you thought it was!"
Gray snickered even more, "You wanna take a break with whatever you're doing here and get some grub?" The man didn't wait for a reply, walking out of the room to let Lucy settle in her embarrassment as he tried to fix something simple in the kitchen.
Lucy put down her bottle, waiting an indecisive minute before following him out.
Gray wasn't a much better cook than Natsu, so a cold bowl of cereal had to suffice. Lucy didn't complain, knowing she was only going to eat half of it. Although watching him pour milk in the bowl first and then throw handfuls of the crispy sugary flakes into the bowl afterwards was scarring and more than a little disheartening to say the least. He only lifted a brow at her look of horror, supplying a, 'What? I washed my hands first' to show his complete lack of awareness.
At the table, Gray finished his bowl in a handful of bites. Despite not having the cartoon like quality of eating like his compatriots, Gray still seemed to be able to tuck it all away just as quickly. Lucy was only on her third bite when he spoke up.
"Natsu told me to come by to tell you that he'll be back late tonight."
"He couldn't text me that himself?" Lucy raised an eyebrow.
Slate eyes squinted sheepishly as a pale toned arm scratched the back of his neck, "S'pose he left his phone behind. I'm also here to pick it up."
Lucy snorted, unlady-like. Something she hardly ever did, and it seemed Gray thought so as well if she went by the dark brows that disappeared in his hairline and the choke turned hasty cough. Despite the moratorium on interaction, Gray had seen enough of her the past several days to know about her general qualities, preferences and behaviors, so doing something the opposite of what her princess-like character her father raised her to be apparently counted as a shocking development in Gray's world. Rolling her eyes at his overreaction, Lucy took one more bite of her food before pushing it away, not even halfway done.
"You're not going to finish that?"
Lucy glared more harshly than she would any other time. "I'm not that hungry. It's not a big deal, at lot of people don't even eat breakfast!"
If his brows where in his hairline before, they were certainly to the ceiling now. He sounded a low whistle, "Forget I even said anything." He dismissed the fact that her stomach sounded like a dying lion earlier. He figured whatever was happening with Lucy must be a girl problem, and he knew from past experience with his sister Ultear and Erza that you don't want to rustle a woman's feathers too much during that time.
Lucy, on the other hand, was thinking about the real reason she stopped eating the food. She watched as Gray shrugged her behavior away and picked up her remaining food to eat himself. The PR rep for the catalogue she was doing today had called yesterday to give her last minute reminders on the photoshoot. The man didn't end the call with just the usual business, but admonished Lucy to maintain her figure, reminding her of the ten pounds they wanted her to lose when they signed the deal.
Lucy was not fat by any means, and she knew that herself, but she was on the curvier side. The magazine she was doing a shoot for was known to have slimmer, more innocent looking women and Lucy didn't necessarily fit the bill with her large bust and full hips. She would have never gone for the gig, but they had begged her for it and offered some serious money. With her life in shambles, she needed it. Especially if she wanted to become independent from Natsu (possibly even her father) anytime soon. And when Lucy made a promise to someone she would never break it, so she'd worked hard trying to fit as one of their models for the past month. Her loyalty regarding promises was another reason she hadn't outright betrayed Natsu (although the promise she made with him was a little more complicated.)
She wasn't sure if she made the goal of ten pounds lost, not wanting to psyche herself out before the day of, but as hard as she'd been on herself until now she was confident some change had been made. Levy hadn't liked what Lucy was doing from the very start, disappointed with Lucy every time she saw her doing her crazy diet. The exercising was fine but going half on food was where they bluenette put her foot down. Lucy would have agreed, if she felt like she was only doing this for herself. This was also for the Heartfilia name. Everything she put her name onto she had to give her all to. She could hear her father's voice in her head. Even though they were in a tough situation right now, she couldn't find it in herself to put a dark splotch on something behest to her father.
But back to her bad mood. She was hungry all the time, her body was in constant pain from exertion, and she hated the feelings she had every time she saw Natsu, the weirdness that settled on her stomach on top of the hunger cramps. It didn't help that she had begun to…enjoy his touch. Who knew sex could be so addicting? She was confident it wouldn't have bothered her so much that she and Natsu weren't having sex as much as before if she weren't having other bodily issues. Lucy blamed it on her wayward hormones from lack of food, that was what was making her want him so much.
'Ugh,' Lucy groaned, pinching the bridge of nose irately. She shouldn't even want to have sex with him! First of all, he wasn't even her boyfriend, and that didn't even hold a candle to the fact that she was supposed to hate him!
"Well if that was all you needed to tell me," Lucy brushed her blonde bangs back behind her ear, trying to dispel her thoughts away and hoping they weren't clear on her face. "I'm going to go back to exercising." The girl stood brusquely from the table and turned away.
Gray snorted at her temperament. Even with her bitchy attitude, he allowed himself to enjoy the view as she walked away. She was still curved in all the right places, but he could definitely tell she was a little frailer than usual. He'd have to say something to Natsu about that.
Watching the last switch of her hips before she was out of sight, Gray groaned and pulled a hand through his hair. "That's it, I'm going out tonight." He knew he couldn't put it off any longer if he was looking at his boss' girl as if she were a juicy steak sizzling in the pan. It was like Gray was asking for a death wish. He was already imagining himself getting rightfully punched in the face after he told Natsu his girl's ass, although still perky and nicely shaped, was looking slimmer than usual.
.oOo.
"Okay Lucy, it's important that you bring your A-game today." Her manager, Aquarius, rushed up with quick steps beside her as she wrote notes on her handheld planner. "This is one of the biggest lingerie magazines in Fiore. You'll be wearing the newest collections from Pearl, Heart-de-Crux, and Valor."
Lucy continued to sip from her coffee cup without speaking. Having already heard this spiel from Aquarius before, she found more desire focusing on the glass doors of the high-rise establishment in front of them, while clutching her hand on her designer bag hanging delicately off her shoulder.
For the shoot she didn't dress as glamorously as she normally would. Her face was bare of makeup minus the sparkly lip gloss she swiped on before dashing out of the house. As for her ensemble, Lucy wore a mustard yellow pleated mini skirt with a matching fitted blazer, completely opened for a crop tank that had the words 'I Only Date Bad Boys' in a matching yellow color filling the pink trim. The shirt offset the slightly prim look of the skirt and blazer set making it edgy but fashionable. Her long legs led down to her small feet adorned in round toe platform Mary Jane pumps and white knee-high socks.
Feeling a firm grasp on her elbow, Lucy stopped herself from opening the building doors surprised to find her manager holding her back. "Alright, the jig is up. Who is this and what have you done with Lucy?" The woman glared. "Lucy's ditzy and absent minded at the best times but she would never be so nonchalant about hearing that she'll be trying on new items from some of her favorite brands."
Lucy sighed, used to the insults from her long-time manager and friend, even though it didn't seem it. Taking in the woman's aquamarine hair tied into a tight bun and body hugging yet straight laced dark blue blazer and pencil skirt. None of these things detracted from how beautiful she was. Actually, in Lucy's opinion, her manager was one of the most beautiful people she'd ever met.
"It's nothing." Lucy finally gave.
Aquarius sucked on her teeth in a rather uncouth manner, "What is this?" She snarled, snatching the coffee cup from her hands and shaking the startling lack of contents. She was able to open the chamber and get a whiff to make sure it wasn't tea before Lucy could grab it back. "You don't drink coffee Lucy."
Caught, Lucy stuttered a rebuttal. "W-well I like it now." Pouting, she twirled the lid back into place and pulled the cup closer to her chest as if protecting a startled child. That action pulled a deep eye roll from the other woman.
"I don't see you for a few weeks and this is how you act? You brat." The woman rounded on her. "I know starting college at that big university you go to now is hard and all, but if you want to continue to stay a public figure you've got to be serious about this too!"
Lucy felt sweat gather on her neck as her manager threateningly crept closer and closer to her until they were pretty much nose to nose.
Backing up a hair to get away from the woman's sudden malevolent aura, Lucy quickly apologized. "I'm sorry Aquarius, I've just been a little moody lately I guess, but after today I should be fine." The girl smiled as sincerely as she could.
The light blue haired woman continued to stare at her disapprovingly despite the time Lucy was sure they were losing to meet their deadline. "Che, you're doing that stupid diet aren't you?"
Lucy blinked, surprised at her astuteness despite not telling the woman what she was doing and having no contact with her since they made the deal. She wouldn't have been able to see Lucy's activities, so she was amazed the woman was able to gather that just now. "I-I mean.."
Aquarius sighed, relaxing a bit, "You don't have to listen to that stupid PR rep Lucy. Curves are in nowadays, I would think I know since my boyfriend loves mine," Lucy's brow twitched at the familiar jab the woman threw at her when referencing boyfriends and Lucy's lack of one (little did Aquarius know about Lucy's new 'situation'.) "The point is, you're not fat, nowhere near it, so why do you feel the need to work yourself this hard for people who would eat their hearts out to look as good as you do in a bathing suit?"
Lucy paused a moment, taking in the rare complement from her manager before speaking, "You know that's not it." Lucy looked away from the irate woman to pull at one of her pig tails she threw in her hair with pink ribbons, her favorite color. The soft blonde strands curled around her fingers as she spoke. "I just want to continue the good name for the Heartfilias. It's just a couple of pounds anyway."
Aquarius glared harder before risking a glance at her wrist watch. Huffing, the woman held quick to the blondes elbow once more before pulling at the handle of the building's front door. "We'll talk about this more later, don't go doing stupid shit like this again, Lucy. C'mon before were late."
"Gray, my body was growing spores waiting for you, where's my phone?" Natsu spoke as he pulled on his suit jacket from the lounge in his spacious office. The ebony hair and equally darkly expressioned man in question walked into the large space in time to see his boss rush about. They were at Dragneel Headquarters, so the pink haired man was dressed to the nines befitting the company that was on top. He wore a deep blue double breasted Canali suit with a soft sakara pink linen shirt that matched his gelled back hair and a greyed out purple tie. The colors were the most vibrant Gray had seen him wear in a while, although on Natsu, the normally loud colors seemed muted and even less ostentatious as if he were wearing all black. Gray wondered confoundedly how his sullen mood was even able to mute colors.
"You sure it wasn't just because you smell bad?" Gray mused, throwing the sleek phone to the man when he shot his first in command a steely look. Despite being in the midst of signing some last-minute papers, Natsu caught the phone smoothly with his non-dominant left hand.
"You going somewhere?" Gray moved from his insult without concern of reproach, to flip it onto a new topic.
Natsu fixed the collar of his blazer before buttoning it up and started walking towards the doors. "Where was Lucy when you last saw her?"
"She was heading out, why?" Gray answered, turning to follow his boss.
Natsu paused. Had he heard correctly? "What?"
Gray raised a brow at his change in mood. "She said you knew about it. Some photoshoot she has to do or somethin'."
"No. I didn't know shit." Natsu growled, glaring back at his so called right hand.
Gray blinked at the news, crossing his arms to match his boss' ire as he sucked on his teeth. This Lucy girl was becoming more of a problem than she was worth. With the way Natsu was looking at him right now, adding onto his assessment of Lucy from the morning would have him getting his ass beaten more ways than he could sit taking and then he would be dead by sun down for trying to kill his boss.
Gray snorted, "Well let's track her then, I guess."
Natsu was already out the door before he could fish his own phone out of his pocket. Gray blinked and decided that with the obnoxious—borderline shitty moods the pair were in, he was better off staying behind on this one.
So with this chapter I know I touched on bit of a sensitive topic. It's not half as serious as it could be but its still enough to raise shackles I'm sure. I wanted to use this topic to humanize Lucy because I know I made her into some kind of god-like character, but she's not. There are negatives that come with "everyone" loving you all the time and looking up to you. The best of us have dealt with body image issues and I'm sure someone like Lucy who's done modeling and is somewhat of a celebrity has dealt with it too. Now, it won't get much more serious than this chapter, but I wanted to use it to shed light on what image for her family name means to Lucy and how she views herself as not necessarily a person but as a symbol thanks to her father.
All in all, how was the chapter? I forwarded the plot a bit with Jose and Acnologia. Gray and Lucy have somewhat of an acquaintance/friendly relationship, and Natsu and Lucy aren't talking.
Next chapter will come a lot quicker, and it's going to be very interesting in my opinion. I'm having a lot of fun writing it at least, haha.
