So guys, this fic is going to be bigger than I was imagining, but it looks like she's writing herself. Sorry if it gets too big. Anyway I hope you enjoy and are enjoying it.
One more thing, I missed Lucy's award date, but let's go anyway.
Saturday 7th July x793, Lucy's Literary Award Receiving Party.
It had already started a few hours ago and Ryker had given no sign of showing up.
"Mira-san, is Ryker coming?" Lucy asked.
"He said yes, but so far nothing", the white-haired mage replied annoyed.
"Did something happen?", the blonde spoke worriedly.
"No, I'm sure not," Mira said to reassure the celestial mage and herself. "Enjoy your party, Lucy. You deserve it," she said smiling.
The party continued, all the guild members drinking, chatting and having fun, some even too much. All people were happy and having fun with their friends and loved ones. Lucy was overjoyed by the award and proud of herself, her friends were likewise over her achievement. She gave interviews and was surrounded and approached by several people congratulating her and talking about literature and many other subjects. Never in her life did she imagine that she would be so pampered and recognized in her life, she couldn't feel happier and more honored.
At that moment, through the event's door, the only one who was missing entered. Ryker was wearing a military formal dress. Black blazer decorated with insignia, medals and his rank of 1st Sergeant, blue pants with a gold sash on the side, and perfectly polished black shoes. Underneath he had a white shirt and black tie, perfectly aligned.
The first person to see him was Cana, already taken by the spirit of the alchool. When she saw him, she immediately smiled and blushed at his appearance, she had never seen him so well groomed and elegant like that, taking her imagination to other places.
"RYYYYKEEERRRR!" she yells, calling him, he rolls his eyes at her goofy attitude. She hooks onto his arm and looks him up and down and smiles mischievously. "You're hot," she says, flushed from the drink, or not.
"Not now, Cana!" he retorts, whispering to her, trying to get out of the woman's grip.
"Stop being boring", the drunk says with a face of boredom. "I don't think you know Gildarts yet. My dad, by the way," she says and drags him towards him.
"W… why do you want to introduce your father to me?" he says nervously and sweating lightly.
"I wonder why?"
"Cana, I think you misunderstood our relationship…", he says in a cold sweat, she smiles and continues dragging him to say nothing.
They stop in front of a tall, strong man with copper hair and a certain age. It could see that he had gone through fierce battles, as they lacked an arm and a leg, replaced by prosthetics. He had an imposingness and presence that was noticeable when he was around.
"So this is the famous rookie," Gildarts says with a serious face and looking at him deeply. He was extremely powerful, Ryker could feel it, and he couldn't help but feel a certain nervousness around him. If it was because of his grandiosity or for what he's been doing, from time to time, with his daughter, he was not sure.
"W… we can say yes," Ryker says.
"I hear you've been through a lot, son," the mighty mage says and Ryker swallows hard. "I'm glad you're okay. Welcome to Fairy Tail," he says slapping his shoulder, which throws him a little. He was really strong.
"Thank you, sir," the rookie responds.
"So, you and my daughter are friends?", the light and cheerful expression just now changes to something more serious and menacing. Cana laughs silly and is amused by the whole situation, especially because of Ryker's nervousness.
"Y…yes. Only friends", he says emphasizing the 'only'.
Gildarts looks at him deeply and laughs again, slapping his shoulder again. I think he's going to need to put it in place. "Let's drink!" he says handing her a glass of beer. Ryker didn't want to start that way, but thought it best to keep up with him and drank, one, two, three, four rounds, until he managed to wriggle free and move to another corner of the party. Not before Cana tugs at him and whispers in his ear.
"Do not worry. I didn't tell him anything about our… little secret," she whispers, touching her lips to his ear. Ryker tried but couldn't control the shiver he felt in her voice and her light touch. It was Cana after all! She smiled and let him go.
Once he managed to escape the card mage, Ryker moved to another corner of the party, sighing to get away from that bunch of freaks. But it wasn't long before he heard hysterical laughter, knowing full well who it was. He turns and looks at Natsu laughing with tears in his eyes and pointing at him, like a madman who has left the asylum.
"What's up, Natsu?" he asks with annoyed look.
"This is a fancy party and not a circus. Look how you're dressed, full of embellishments. HAHAHAHAHA!".
"That's a dress uniform, your idiot! Besides, have you looked in the mirror!? And this is how you receive me after all this time!?", he crosses his arms and looks at him slightly annoyed.
"Erza said you were fine, so there's no reason to treat you in a special way. You are a member of our guild and I will treat you like everyone else", Natsu spoke with a cheerful, teasing smile. Ryker smiled back, yes he was right.
"Don't mind the ash brain. He doesn't know how to behave in public," Gray said as he reached them. "And glad you recovered." Ryker states with a smile, thanking the ice mage for his concern, noting that he was only wearing his boxers. He sighs, he was definitely in a guild of clueless freaks. And worst of all, his girlfriend was standing next to him, half naked, with nothing on top but her bra, not that it bothered him. It must be contagious...
"Uh, Gray?" he calls to him. "Your girlfriend, isn't she wearing too many clothes?" he asks sarcastically.
The ice mage turns to her and the note she was half-naked. "Juvia! Where are your clothes!?" he yells angrily.
Juvia looks at herself and frightens with her state, in a comical way. "Forgive Juvia, Gray- sama ! J... Juvia will look for it!", she says embarrassed and runs around the party, looking for her clothes.
"W... wait! Don't walk around like that!" Gray yells and runs after her. Ryker could only look on in utter defeat.
He looked for a quieter, uncrowded area while drinking something strong. He was in need. Couldn't your return to the guild be a little less eventful? Damn! He still wasn't 100%!
"Ryker!" a sweet, caring voice called to him, he turned and saw a blonde holding something in her hands. She wore a burgundy dress with a generous, heart-shaped neckline that exposed her huge breasts.
"Lucy!?" he replied seeing her
"I'm glad you came," she said, smiling. "And you look really good in this outfit," she said, looking at him mischievously.
"Thank you, I think. So this is the prize", he says pointing to the object in her hands.
"Oh yes," she says, slightly flushed with happiness. "I won for the book I published", she says and the magician motions for her to continue and talk about what it is. "I kind of used the adventures we went through at the guild to inspire me to tell my story in the book," she says with a smile.
"I understand. Well, congratulations, someone in this guild has to be smart and different," he scoffs, and Lucy laughs at his joke.
"And how are you?", she says looking at him worriedly.
Ryker looks at her and smiles. "Much better, getting better every day. I can't say I'm still cured, maybe I never will, but I'm hopeful," he says with a calm face.
"I'm happy for you. You know you can always count on us, don't you?"
"I know, yes.", he smiles. "But we are not here to talk about me, but about you. You look really good in this dress too," he looks her up and down. "Have you got a suitor yet?", he says maliciously nudging her, leaving Lucy flushed and shy.
"N…no, not really," she says awkwardly.
"With this dress? Impossible," Lucy blushes even more. "Maybe you're already interested in a person", he looks at her with mischief and a slight smirk.
Lucy blushes and turns away. "No, I don't know what you're talking about", she says and the wizard laughs taking her by the hand and leading her to a table.
"Come on, let's drink and celebrate your achievement", he says and they sit at the table talking for a while, until a red-haired mage arrives in a beautiful red dress and a wide, provocative cleavage.
"E... Erza!?", Ryker says nervously when he sees the beautiful mage in front of him.
"Ryker, I'm glad you came," she says, slightly flushed.
"Doesn't want to sit down," he says pulling out a chair for her, who sits at the table next to them.
Lucy watches them interact and blushes a little, a slight smile on her lips. Both Erza and Ryker looked at each other intensely and had a slight blush and smiles on their faces.
"I guess…I either get something to drink or…something like that," Lucy said getting up from the table and leaving, leaving the two wizards alone.
"How have you been, Erza?" he asks nervously, not wanting to look at her too much.
"Well, I guess," she says in the same way. "But, I should ask you that question."
"You've seen me often, I think you know the answer," he smiles, and is reciprocated. Erza and Ryker sit there, more admiring each other than talking. They were enjoying each other's presence and company, that's all they needed at the moment.
"Aren't you going to say hello to Ryker, Wendy?" Carla asked curiously.
"No. I've seen him today and I know he's fine. I'll leave him in better company", she said laughing and blushing.
Both Erza and Ryker stayed together for a while, but each went their own way afterwards, walking around the party and interacting with other people. He still hadn't found Mira. Not that it bothered him, he saw her in the morning anyway.
The wizard was circling, looking around and found her. She was sitting at a table talking animatedly with Laxus, she was smiling and blushing, she looked very happy there with him. Mira looked like a princess in that dress and with her hair styled as it was. But Ryker felt uncomfortable, not quite sure why.
She was smiling and beaming in the company of a longtime friend, there was no harm in that. He was her starch, but he didn't own her. Of course Mira could relate to anyone, it was obvious. But what was it about the scarred blonde that made her so happy.
"What do those two have?" he asked himself, leaning in a corner watching them from a distance. He sawed his fists and frowned as Laxus approached Mira and whispered something in her ear that made her giggle and blush. With all his strength he played it off, but the upset in his stomach and the tightness in his chest didn't help much. Even more so when he took her hand and ordered two drinks.
"What does he think he's doing? Is he hitting on Mira? Doesn't he realize he's not quite the kind of guy she likes?" he thought and brooded inside. "Or is it? In fact, I don't even know what kind of guy she likes. Is it possible that she likes him?", all the images of the couple came to her mind. Dating, holding hands, happiness, marriage, children and, of course, sex. This last thought afflicted him like no other, as if a punch had hit him. He looked at the couple at the table again and saw them happily toast and smile at each other.
Laxus pulled the chair to her side and began to speak in her ear, the two of them laughing happily to each other at every thing he said and she responded blushing. "Are they flirting!?" The situation haunted Ryker for some reason. The magician got tired of all that ridiculous sena.
"As if I care...", he said and left the place, frustrated, irritated and with a heaviness in his chest that he couldn't explain. He was the one who should be with Mira after all. Wait! What did you just think?
The party was ending and Ryker had chatted and been greeted by almost everyone in the guild who somehow always talked about his attire. It was different and eye-catching from what everyone else was wearing, he had to agree. Now he was leaving the party and heading home, tired of it all, a little frustrated and disappointed. He was supposed to be happy for Lucy, but something put him down. He had a frown on his face.
He was walking down the street when he felt his hand being held gently and he looked to the side and saw a beautiful woman with white hair, perfectly coiffed and groomed. She wore a dress that fit her perfectly, and had a smile that lit up the world, along with her blue eyes that could drown you if you looked deeply into them.
Ryker smiled and was reciprocated, they didn't need to say anything and continued walking with their hands linked and fingers intertwined. He felt light and calm, he didn't know how to respond as all the weight from before was gone so quickly, but he liked it. Now it felt like everything was right, everything was in the place it should be.