the first time cana is introduced to lucy, she's sporting a raging hangover and drinking far too many espresso shots to cure it. mira – what a dear – props up cana's sunglasses and shields her eyes with her hand. "this," she announced proudly, "is my best friend cana."
cana weakly waves, eyes still scrunched up. "hello." she can vaguely make out blonde hair and ribbons, and an air of nervousness. cana always been good at noticing that sort of stuff.
"cana alberona," she introduces herself once more, pushing away mira's hand. "i'm in economics, and i like drinking. you?"
mira sits lucy down and titters from beside her. "cana can drink anyone under the table. and i mean that. i think the only one she can't beat is her dad."
cana rounds on her. "hey! no mention of him. it's only because of him that i'll die early of a damaged liver."
and that's when lucy laughs. it's also when cana remembers that she falls for cute girls too easily. really. the bar is very low.
lucy digs around in her backpack and brings out a little juice box. "it's nothing alcoholic, but i figure you should hydrate yourself, what with that hangover you have," she says.
oh, the bar is so, so low.
"i told you not to over do it and then what do u do! over do it!" cana isn't furious, she's just playing the part, but lucy's sad eyes and pout makes her want to baby her, and cana just doesn't think she has it in her to get out of it feelings unscathed if she tried to baby lucy. "okay you dumbass, what's your room number?"
lucy mumbles something too quiet to hear, and cana gently jostles her. "you're so mean!" lucy wails. "i said i don't remember. i'm too drunk to remember."
cana looks heavenward. curse her heart for being weak to pretty girls.
"okay. okay." she breathes deeply. "mira is with her girlfriend, so i'm not calling her, natsu is still at the party so he's pretty much wasted." cana looks at lucy. "hey, would you be comfortable sleeping over at mine?"
and maybe it's a trick of the light, but cana swears she sees a little smile playing on lucy's lips. it's gone as quick as a flash however, and cana's left questioning herself.
lucy seems to lose any sort of inebriation however, when she looks into cana's eyes and firmly nods. cana makes a face, and tells her, "alright then. sleepover time!"
later, when lucy is in a spare change of clothes and curled up peacefully in cana's bed, cana will wonder why she didn't try calling lucy's roommate juvia instead of giving up her own bed.
the rain is so cold. cana hates the rain. it's also why she always has an umbrella and a spare shirt in her trunk. she got caught in the rain once on a day where she had a presentation in class, and she'd never been more mortified than that day, presenting in a class full of twenty something's with wet hair and a half dry t-shirt.
she shakes out her umbrella and steps out of her car only to see a blond whirlwind nearly crash into her. i'm sorry!" the little ball of hair says, and cana takes a second to figure out who it is.
"lucy? is that you?" cana ventures.
lucy looks up, and that's when cana realises that lucy's wearing white. actual white clothes on a rainy day.
"oh my god, you're drenched!" cana exclaims. "get inside the car, i'll give you some clothes to wear!" she unlocks the car and all but shoves lucy into it. "lucy bangs on the window. "this is kidnapping!" she yells goodnaturedly.
cana grins, and rounds to the back of the car. she pops the trunk open, and fishes out the pale blue hoodie she has stashed for emergencies. she closes the trunk while she discreetly sniffs the hoodie. it doesn't smell bad but it's the only change of clothes she has so it'll have to do for now.
"i saw you sniffing that hoodie," lucy says without preamble. "please tell me you're not giving me stinky clothes."
"you brat, be glad with what you get!" cana throws the hoodie at lucy in the backseat. her face softens. "if it does smell i have some deodorant in the glove box."
"oh thank goodness, i was wondering how to turn this magnificent but stinky hoodie down," lucy jokes, and cana blindly swats at her from the driver's seat. cana hands the deodorant over anyway.
"hurry up," she says instead. "i think we're both kinda late to class."
cana walks lucy upto her building even though it's a bit out of her way, because of course the little goblin doesn't have an umbrella. cana assures lucy that it's no big deal, but lucy doesn't relent and steals cana"s phone to type in her phone number. "text me, she says, " i'll treat you to dinner as thanks."
she doesn't give time for cana to reply as she quickly skips away.
"cana, stop laughing this is awful!" lucy's tinny voice comes through cana phone placed on the table. cana is mid laughter, and trying her best not to mistype her assignment due that night.
"you have to admit," cana begins. "it's kinda funny."
"no it is not! lucy says shrilly, and cana dissolves into giggles again.
the scene is this: lucy is locked out of her apartment ("that i pay half the rent for!" she tells cana) because her roommate has a "friend" over ("she had the nerve to use quotations,cana!). cana calls to ask for lucy's notes from a shared lecture, and she's now subjected to a ten minute whining of how lucy has nowhere to stay.
which is a lie of course, lucy is always welcome at cana's. lucy knows this, and cana knows lucy knows this, so this is basically lucy trying to wheedle an invitation out of cana just for the sake of it.
well tough luck if cana is going to give it to her that quick.
"aw poor baby," cana croons instead. "do you want a bandaid and a kiss to make you feel better?"
lucy sputters on the other end and lets out an indignant squawk. "no! what i want is revenge because juvia knows that i have a lab exam tomorrow and i need to get enough sleep for it!"
"wait," cana pauses typing. "your lab final is tomorrow?"
"uh huh." lucy says. cana can almost hear the pout in her voice.
cana sighs. "alright, you've cracked me open like a walnut. would you like to stay over?"
"yes of course, you're the best, thank you so much!" lucy says in a rush, and cana snickers at the change in tone.
"okay then, make your way over," cana says, trying her best to keep her smile out of her words.
lucy does treat her to dinner soon, and cana acts like a lovestruck teenager trying to decide what to wear. she throws out her whole wardrobe looking for her lucky jeans ("yes but lucky for what?," mira asks. "what exactly are you hoping for here," she adds wiggling her eyebrows for good measure until cana pushes her off the bed.)
it's a smooth affair, and while there are awkward pauses in conversation, cana thinks it's nice. lucy is an avid talker, and there isn't a thing under the sun she doesn't know a little about, and when cana tells her about the brewery back home that her dad runs, her eyes are as big as dinner plates as she says "that's so cool!"
lucy doesn't divulge much about herself, merely mentioning that her family is estranged and not on good terms with her. cana leaves it at that, and instead brings up her classes as a distraction. lucy brightens up at that, and describes all her worst teachers in the funniest way possible that cana snorts sparkling water through her nose.
and when the bill is paid and they walk back to their apartments, cana hesitates but does it anyway. she sneaks a hand through lucy's and interlaces their fingers together. lucy to her credit doesn't break stride. instead she comments, "i was wondering how long it would take for you to do that." she looks up at cana and grins widely.
and cana grins back at her too.
