Oops. A lot later than I intended. Sorry, y'all. Slight update: I forgot to actually post this... *facepalms* so it's a day later for no reason at all
I do not own Fairy Tail.
Lyla and Artemis stared at their calendars, wishing away the inevitable. A tiny little star adorned the corner of tomorrow's date. The star was called "the star of death" by the sisters, aptly named according to them.
"There will be so much blood." Artemis shuddered at the thought.
"Are we prepared, Captain Lirika?" Lyla turned her gaze to the dismayed redhead.
"Nearly, Commander Entzulearen. The only thing we need now is the blankets prepared. Did you finish prepping the living space?"
"I did, Captain Lirika. We are pretty much prepared for the coming battle."
They locked eyes again and shivered. "This is a battle that cannot be won. We must wait this one out, Commander."
"Affirmative."
"Are you two alright?" Laxus was at their apartment door, confused as to why they weren't downstairs. He had knocked a few times, but there was little movement happening behind the door. "What's going on?"
The door finally opened to reveal a pajama clad Lyla munching on a chocolate bar. "We're out of commision. Please come back later. Leave a message after the beep." She slammed the door again with a loud "BEEP!" which achieved a giggle from Artemis, who was eating a tub of ice cream out of the container. Many considered the two outrageously dramatic, they claimed they were merely taking advantage of their flexible work schedule and deciding to splurge for a few days.
"I got the blinds. Start it." Lyla commanded, shutting the blinds lazily and flopping onto the couch. She kicked up her feet onto the ottoman and stretched her arms out. Artemis was on the other side of the couch, laying her head on the armrest and stretching her body across the piece of furniture, resting her feet on Lyla's lap. Artemis clicked the play button and resumed the grueling task of eating sideways while Lyla finished up her candy bar.
Laxus was contemplating outside their door whether or not to open it or walk away. He wasn't stupid; he knew what was going on, and anyway, the slight smell of blood didn't go unnoticed from the dragon slayer's nose. He tried to remember how he dealt with Evergreen when she was like this. Lots of food? Massages? There was only so much the lightning mage was willing to do. He was quite awkward when it came to this particular happening.
An idea crossed his mind and he groaned, knowing it would eat away at him until he enacted his newfound plan.
I can't believe I'm doing this for them… he thought as he trudged away from the girl's door, shaking his head with his mouth upturned slightly. The two girls had an unintentional soft spot in the dragon slayer's seemingly stone cold heart.
Lyla and Artemis spent the rest of the day binge watching and screwing around, especially with Lyla's magic (it was a wonder they didn't break down their apartment. There was a mutual agreement they would never explain the flower petals engraved into the edge of the table). They also talked, a lot, about everything. Including, well…
"Lyla, tell me you think Laxus is hot." Artemis lazily let her arm hang off the couch. Their movie had just finished.
"Artemis, you don't need my confirmation." Lyla rolled her eyes at the girl, no longer singing along to the song that was playing after the credits.
"I need to know you are with me." Her eyes were fixated on the ceiling and she was mentally drawing things on the white plaster.
"Okay."
"So say it."
"Dang, Artemis, didn't you know that Laxus is real hot?" She said in the most sarcastic voice she could muster.
"Yes." Artemis sighed, half closing her eyes. "How did we score such a tall glass of water, Lyla?"
"Did you only befriend him because of that? Last I checked, neither of us were dating him."
"Course not. His god-like appearance is only a plus. Though we should go swimming sometime with him, you know. As friends, of course." Lyla didn't have to look to know that Artemis was staring at her with a mischievous expression on her face. Lyla rolled her eyes at the barmaid once again.
"I'm done talking about this." Lyla ran a hand over her face in exasperation, standing up with care. "I'm taking a shower. I feel disgusting."
"You look disgusting too," Artemis commented, sitting up on the couch and sitting indian style. Lyla flipped the redhead off and proceeded to wander into the bathroom after grabbing some fresh clothes to change into.
Artemis had just snatched up a book and a mug of beer when there was pounding on the door. Who in the hell…?
She was not as kind as Lyla when she answered the door. When she grasped the handle and swung it open, she proclaimed "If you set one foot in this house, I will castrate you. Good- Laxus? What are you doing here?" Her entire demeanor changed and she leaned against the doorframe. Shaking off his initial amusement and slight worry for Artemis's sanity, he raised an eyebrow and held out his arm, bags dangling from his hand.
"I brought reinforcements," He stated simply. Artemis furrowed her brows and peeked in one of the bags, eyes widening considerably when she lay her eyes onto the contents.
"I take back my former statement. If you don't set foot in this house I will castrate you. Get in here." She dragged him past the threshold and snatched one of the bags, shouting "Lyla! Laxus is here, so don't come out naked or anything!"
Laxus's mind inevitably started creating scenarios, especially when his ears picked up the sound of a running shower. He mentally shook his head, attempting to get the inappropriate images out of his head. An "Okay!" sounded from the bathroom.
"I cannot believe you did this." Artemis moaned in happiness as she took a bite out of a cookie, sinking to the floor, Laxus following suit after a second. There was a package in front of her on the floor that she had feraly ripped open, and she shoved another cookie into her mouth when her eyes started tearing up.
"Nobody has ever done something like this for us before!" She wailed, giving in to her fluctuating emotions. Laxus recoiled. He had been considered one of the most powerful mages in Fairy Tail, and was also considered one of the more brave occupants, but stick a crying girl in front of him and he was lost.
"Err," He stuttered, staring with wide eyes at Artemis, who was sniffling and stuffing another cookie into her mouth. She looked up at him when he started to speak, and her face scrunched up. After a split second of internal turmoil, and a decision of why not? (a motto she lived much of her life by) she launched herself at Laxus and hugged him.
"I can't believe I'm saying this, but thanks," Artemis mumbled, her face buried in Laxus's shoulder and her arms wrapped around his rather broad chest. He was completely still, a small look of complete terror making its way onto his face. She suddenly leaned backwards, staring into his widened blue-grey eyes and narrowed her own. "If you tell anyone I was ever grateful…"
"You'll castrate me." The corner of his mouth twitched upwards, his awkwardness vanishing in the instant Artemis reverted back to her snarky nature. It was a little more intense, he had noted, but this he could handle.
"Damn straight I will," She snickered to herself and grabbed another cookie. "Oh, and I thought I'd warn ya- Lyla has the funniest emotions right now. It's hilarious. She gets really sad sometimes, loves to sing randomly -not that she doesn't do that now- but the best part is…" -a nervous knot twisted in the dragon slayer's stomach- "she has basically no filter." -the knot vanished and he relaxed. Artemis's next words became slightly muffled, the reason being the cookie she had just shoved in her mouth. It was scary, really, the rate the girl was eating them.
"But she also has a short temper and is the most sarcastic little sh- oh, hey Lyla!" She brightened instantly, sitting up straight and swallowing the cookie lodged in her throat. She was gesturing to Laxus and the cookies and the bags all at once. Because of her mumbled, cookie-infused words, Laxus became slightly worried yet again. His nerves had gone up and down more in the past few minutes than they had in the past couple years, including the taxing moments after the fantasia parade.
"What were you about to say, Artemis?" Lyla wrung out her dripping wet hair onto the carpet, raising one eyebrow. She was clad in a large sweater and sweatpants.
"Oh, nothing!" Artemis responded cheerfully. "It doesn't matter, anyway. Laxus is here!"
"Oh, really? I didn't notice from the shout you so kindly berated my ears with." She paused then, staring at the bags clustered in between Laxus and Artemis, both of which were still seated on the ground.
"He brought food." Artemis waved the cookie package at Lyla temptingly, a teasing lilt in her voice. Lyla decided to be stubborn in that moment and merely stared at the package, asking "Is there any strawberries?"
Artemis glanced at Laxus, as if to say if you didn't bring any strawberries, you are alone in the blame.
"Does strawberry cheesecake count?" He reached into one of the bags beside him and brought out the delicacy, grinning slightly when he saw he had won the hormone-induced dragon slayer over (they were quite dangerous when they wanted to be). He had originally subconsciously got it because it reminded him of a certain red haired berserker mage, but there was no possible way he would ever allow himself to think that. No, in his mind, it was simply another treat for the girls he had grown strangely fond of.
"Oh my god I love you," She gushed, rushing forwards and collapsing in front of the lightning mage. She reached forwards and grasped the plastic case on the cake, stumbling to her feet and running into the kitchen to grab a fork. Artemis giggled at the display and reached for her formerly forgotten mug of beer, cookie crumbs littered across her face and decorating the ground she sat on.
"Artemis! Ready for another movie?" Lyla stalked back into the room, her fork in the edge of the cake, which was not exactly small. Nonetheless, it was obvious Lyla was not sharing.
"I vote Laxus chooses the movie! He brought all this stuff, it's the least we could do, right?" Artemis stated, giving Laxus a glare that said You are staying, right, moron? He nearly raised his hands in surrender before standing to choose a movie. However, instead of foolishly choosing one at random or even one that he liked, he smartly scrolled through the various available shows and movies and attentively watched and listened for the girls' responses. When he scrolled over a particular one that they both reacted positively to and he himself wouldn't mind watching, he announced that was the one they would see. Because of his careful picking process, the both girls were happy with his choice, and they flopped onto the couch in a mess of limbs. Laxus sat carefully in an armchair nearby, sliding the rest of the bags of unhealthy treats to the couch with his foot. He was sure they would appreciate the action later.
"That was a terrible movie. I don't know why I was so excited for that piece of crap," Lyla stated bluntly as the credits rolled.
"Stop being so judgemental. You're just upset because there wasn't good music." Artemis rolled her hazel eyes and reached for a nearly empty carton of yogurt. Laxus had not gotten that, the girls had just had it sitting in their fridge.
"Music is half the movie!" Lyla protested, turning her gaze to her redheaded friend. "So if the music sucks, the movie sucks!"
"That means the movie gets half points for a good plot." Artemis grinned toothily at the singer.
"Pah, the plot was terrible too. Zero points."
"At least three."
"Nope, zero."
"I'll settle for two."
"One. That's final."
"One and a half."
"Fine."
They went silent, thoughts preoccupied with who knows what. Laxus had long gotten used to their bickering, and would not be able to tell anyone what the movie was actually about. They had been making snarky comments and bantering back and forth the entire two hours, which was far more entertaining than the screen itself.
"I'm sick and tired of movies. Where's that stupid keyboard?" Lyla announced and swung herself off the couch. She began searching for her keyboard and let out a victorious shout when she found it. She swiftly set it up and pressed a key experimentally, a small smirk coming to her face when the correct sound came from the instrument.
"LYLA!" Artemis jolted upwards suddenly, eyes wide. If Laxus had not been so battle trained, he might have yelled a sound of shock. Instead, he flinched imperceptibly. "Show Laxus that new thing we figured out!"
"Oh!" Lyla's eyes lit up at the thought. They had wondered if they could create lightning or electricity with music. Music manipulation magic. "Yeah, this is really cool."
"Naw, it's… it's… electrifying." Artemis grinned widely in success. She earned a dirty look from Lyla, and responded by scrunching up her nose and playfully grinning.
"Here we go. I think this one works best…" Lyla turned to the keyboard in front of her and concentrated, placing her hands carefully on the keys. She then began to play a song that sound sort of like jazz, sort of techno, all in major with seemingly random accidentals. He was slightly surprised to say Artemis was right: the word he would use to describe the song would be electrifying.
He blinked when he felt the electricity spark from her fingers and flicker over her body and run up and down the instrument. She started playing a bit faster, and the electricity got stronger. Laxus raised an eyebrow when it started getting to a dangerous level. Lyla suddenly tapered off, sweat beading her brow. The electricity that had been simply surrounding her discharged into the air and shot straight at Laxus. He had felt the waiting lightning and drew it towards him so the girls didn't destroy their house from playing around. The electricity lit up his body for a split second before disappearing as he absorbed it.
"Woah." He was amused to discover the two girls staring at him. He didn't think much about the lightning, but it was a display to the girls.
"Sweet!" Artemis threw up her arms. "I wish I could do magic. Magic is awesome."
"I wonder if I could do it with fire…" Lyla contemplated. Laxus widened his eyes slightly and said "That's a terrible idea." He had a slight flashback to when Natsu first came to the guild and was showing off his fire magic. The pink-haired mage had neglected to realize that the wooden tables were flammable.
"Okay." Lyla instantly stood up from the keyboard and took a few steps before suddenly stopping, grasping the couch and swaying where she stood. There was silence for a few seconds, then she straightened and stalked into the kitchen, tripping on the way but catching herself before she face planted. A glance told Laxus that Artemis wasn't all that worried about her friend, so he assumed it must be a common occurrence. He soaked in the uncommon silence surrounding the entire house.
"Laxus, there's something I gotta tell you." Artemis spoke suddenly, breaking out of her silent pondering.
"Hm?" He turned his attention to the redhead, vaguely interested.
"Bare with me. I'm about to get real dramatic." She took a deep breath, then stared the lightning mage in the eyes, unblinking. "When Lyla and I were kids, we were at an orphanage. It's not a big deal, and we weren't treated terribly or anything. But, well, it was a human orphanage. Like, no mages." She then broke eye contact, fiddling with her shirt and looking uncharacteristically nervous. "Lyla had a lot of friends in the orphanage, I'm sure you could imagine, with her kindness and all. I was one of them. I didn't- well, that doesn't matter. What matters is that I'm the only one that didn't cast her aside or betray her. Even after all that, she doesn't have trust issues, but I do, for her. What I'm trying to say is, well…" A flurry of emotions crossed Artemis's face, fear and worry being two of them. "I can't really threaten you, since you are obviously a lot stronger than me and could probably strike me down in two seconds, but don't you dare betray us. Or Lyla, really, since she's the one who had all the friends. Just… don't…" She fumbled for words, and cursed her dramatic, slow, and stuttering brain. She also cursed the raging hormones racing through her body. The cramps didn't help anything, either.
"I've betrayed enough people in my life," Laxus said simply. His meaning did not go unnoticed, and there was a rare soft appearance to Laxus's face. Her eyes looked up at him gratefully, and that was when Lyla decided to re-enter the living room. She instantly groaned, casting her eyes up to the ceiling.
"Artemis just said something dramatic and sappy, didn't she?"
This is literally just a fluff chapter, with a bit of dramatics (ok, maybe a lot... I'm a sucker for drama). I kinda hate this chapter, since it didn't turn out the way I wanted it to. I actually wrote this after I finished chapter 5 (so now I just have to edit before posting, meaning less wait!), since I thought the plot was a little rushed. Fun fact- there will be multiple arcs and parts, kinda like the actual manga/anime. Except less awesome, since there is no way I'm reaching the level of Fairy Tail.
Don't forget to review! Ciao!
-Leaf