Hello lovelies! This is Mslead for your weekend update! Daylight savings is kicking my butt. But in other news we got a lot of questions about the chapter. I urge you to be patient and wait for the answers to reveal themselves! I promise it'll be worth it!
I also drew some art for this chapter, which can be found right here, just replace the (X) with periods and close the spaces. You know the deal: mslead (X) tumblr (X) com/post/170559248817/tempest-sneak-preview-chapter-8-tempest-will
CHAPTER 9
Avast ye
Pay attention
"Natsu stop!" Lucy laughed as the laughing dragon proudly displayed his latest prize, a hairpin he'd stolen from her, "Get back down here with that!"
"Finders keepers princess!" Natsu laughed as he flipped lightly down from the rigging where he'd escaped with it, "I found it so it's mine."
"You did no such thing you crazy dragon!" Lucy huffed around her grin, "I was wearing it and you decided you wanted it!" She stepped over to him and reached for it, "Now give it back!"
Natsu's grin just widened as he held it out of her reach, "And if I don't?" He purred teasingly, "What'll you do then?"
"Ten gold on Lucy." Gray snorted from where he was leaning against the helm watching the whole thing unfold.
"I ain't takin' a sucker bet." Gajeel smirked from beside him, "That ain't a fair contest an' you know it."
Lucy rolled her eyes at their antics in a way she couldn't get away with at the palace, and stepped into Natsu's space, "I guess..." She sighed dramatically, her fingers trailing down his arm. She watched the hesitation darken his eyes, and the way he swallowed thickly around the words dying in his throat. For a brief moment, his eyes flickered down her face and Lucy let a smile curve her lips.
"I guess I'll just have to... steal it back!" She hastily plucked the bauble from his hand where he'd relaxed his grip while she was distracting him and darted back out of immediate range while the rest of the crew laughed uproariously.
"Princess Blondie's got spunk Cap'n!" Gajeel cackled from above, "Mebbe we should kidnap her before we leave an' make her your Pirate Queen!"
Laughter and wolf whistles at the idea echoed all around them, causing Lucy to blush, "I would surely make a terrible pirate!"
Natsu laughed back, not at all against the idea as he took a shortcut around the ship, swinging on a rope to plant himself in front of the fleeing princess, "Don't sell yourself short. You're already a princess, and you've got the sticky fingers of a pirate."
Lucy smothered an offended sound as she clutched the hairpin behind her back. She prodded Natsu's exposed chest with her finger and gave him a saucy smirk, "This hairpin happens to be mine already so I hardly count it stealing."
"Dress it up in as many fancy words as you like m'lady, but you have the sea in you just like the rest of us," The dragon grinned, his smile faltering just a hair as his eyes grew intense with an emotion that bordered just on the edge of longing. His fingertips lightly caught against the back of her hand, grazing in their touch, close but not quite connecting.
"You're the fearsome Pirate King, terror of the seven seas and captain to the most ruthless crew known to Fiore," Lucy tilted her head up towards him, watching the heat in his eyes, the way he held himself back. The way he stilled his hand by the curl of his fingertips, "You could always kidnap me."
"Just say the word; this crew will always be your home princess," Natsu promised.
Lucy gave him a sad, but amused smile. It was almost as if she wanted to say something about it, but stopped herself from going further down that path. She rose on her toes and pressed a soft kiss into his cheek. When she pulled back his eyes were closed, his body tight.
His eyes opened, fierce and slitted like they were whenever he was excited or riled up.
"Well whenever you get bored, I'll steal you for an adventure," Natsu growled to her quietly, "I can't have you getting rusty on me."
When he took a step back from her, he held something between their bodies. His mischievous grin lit his face, and her eyes bugged out of her head at the sight of her stolen hairpin back in his hand.
"Alright you mutinous bastards!" Natsu roared out at Gray and Gajeel, "Which one of ye first said I couldn't keep my hands on my treasure 'eh? Who was it!"
Lucy gasped a little as she surged awake, the images from the strange dream dancing before her eyes for a moment as she blinked blearily at her cabin wall. What had that been about? A dream about Natsu and a pirate ship?
She shook her head a little, confused about why she would be dreaming of Natsu as a captain of a pirate ship of all things, but dismissed it as important as the images started to fragment and fade away. It was probably just her head getting things scrambled after the way he'd been so nice to her after the farce of a meeting with her father. Besides, there was no way in all the gods' names Gajeel would step foot on a ship at sea.
Satisfied with that explanation she smiled a little sleepily at the memory of the play they'd gone to afterwards. For a little while there she'd thought maybe Natsu would try making a move on her, but it hadn't been like that at all. He'd been completely innocent and transparent in his excitement as he'd taken in his first human play in memory.
It had been adorably sweet.
A thought tugged at the back of her mind, a faint sense of deja vu, but it vanished as she caught a glimpse of a truly magnificent sunrise coming up through her windows and she smiled. Sunrises over the water were the best.
She debated curling back up into her bed, but decided against it. She wouldn't get more than half an hour anyway with the sun coming up. She might as well get up and start her day.
She yawned a little as she crawled fully out of bed, shivering a little at the brisk morning air, and fumbled her way over to her wardrobe to get dressed.
Twenty minutes later she sighed a little as she finished pulling her boots on and stretched a bit. She at least looked the part of awake and put together, even if she didn't particularly feel it, and decided she would go join the crew currently aboard in the mess hall for breakfast. Mira was a great cook when she wasn't terrorizing the battlefield, and whenever they were in port she always went out of her way to make the extra good stuff.
With that thought in mind she stepped out of her cabin and breathed in the crisp morning sea air with a happy sigh. Perfection.
"Morning cap'n!" Elfman greeted with a grin where the big man was keeping watch, "Night passed smooth as can be. Want me t' have Lisanna bring ye some breakfast?"
Lucy laughed a little and shook her head, "Naw. I'll join the crew this mornin' I think. Shouldn't be too packed with leave still going on. Are you going to be heading out today?"
Elfman bobbed his head happily, "After I get some sleep aye! Got a pretty lil' dame with as much sass as Mira t' visit in town."
Lucy laughed again, "Good for you! I'll see if your relief is awake yet, and send them on out so you can get to it."
Elfman grinned again, "That'd be real nice of ya cap'n."
Lucy waved at the large man and trotted down below decks where she could smell bacon, eggs, and all sorts of wonderful things wafting up from the kitchen.
Her boots creaked down the stairs, her hand braced against the overhang. She smiled at the sight of her morning crew bustling around the mess hall.
A smile crossed her face as she looked at the mass of laughter in the thick of her crew. Natsu was rocking back and forth, clutching his sides as he practically cried with laughter on Cana's shoulder.
Gray was sitting across from him, looking wholly unimpressed with a tankard of water upended over his head.
"It was an accident Gray," Cana failed to smother a giggle while Natsu's roars of laughter only got louder.
"Look at that shit eating grin from that flamebrain! My eye that was an accident!" Gray burst out.
The ship mysteriously took that moment to lurch in the wrong direction, the mug Gray was gesturing spilling out in a rather dramatic fashion. It splashed Natsu square across the face, causing him to fall silent at once in shock. Juvia cleared her throat awkwardly and looked down at her plate with a small smile.
"Now see that was an accident!" Gray smirked.
"You little..." Natsu growled, his expression darkening, and Lucy decided now would be a good time to make her presence known.
She coughed a little and smirked as all attention snapped to her, "I'd appreciate it if you refrained from killing each other until after breakfast." She grinned as she stepped fully into the room, "Mira... this smells wonderful!"
"Thank you captain!" Mira replied cheerfully, "I thought I'd take advantage and made a bit of everything! What would you like?"
Lucy laughed a little as a grumbling Natsu cleaned himself up, and stepped over to the counter to inspect the selection. It was fairly simple fare, but mostly stuff they never got to enjoy after a week or two at sea. As clever as the Fairy Tail's kitchens and store rooms were, the magic to keep food perfectly preserved still didn't exist and it generally didn't take long before they were breaking into the dried and preserved stores.
At least water wasn't an issue. One of the more modern magics Gajeel had incorporated into the ship's design was water lacrima embedded into pumps and spouts throughout the ship. Thanks to those they never wanted for fresh water for cooking, bathing, or anything else.
She shook herself out of her daze a bit as Mira handed her a cup of coffee with a knowing smile, "That'll help wake ya up captain."
Lucy blushed slightly and took the cup, "Thanks Mira."
She quickly piled up a plate with a hearty selection of eggs, bacon, fruit, and toast, and settled down next to Cana on the benches, "So how're the recruits settling in?" She asked, flashing the recruits in question a teasing grin as she tucked into her meal.
"A little bruised but no worse for wear captain," Cana smirked back at Lucy, "I like these dragons. They're sturdier than the cannon fodder you normally give me."
"Oh are they? That's a relief, maybe they can make it out alive when it's Mira's turn to show them the ropes."
"The demon?" Sting squeaked. He glanced back at the woman busy cleaning a tin cup. The smile she offered him was chilling.
Natsu gulped at her flinty eyes and dropped his chin to the table, "Man I won't complain about anything Cana makes us do ever again!"
"That's Lady Cana sailor," the woman prodded the top of Natsu's head with her finger.
"Yes Lady Cana," The three dragons chorused together.
"You've trained them well," Lucy noted, impressed by her friends astounding fear tactics.
The crew all laughed at their new sailors expense but the breakfast continued with excitement for the new adventures they would be going on soon.
Lucy had a couple of ideas where they could go next but would have to pick out the best paths for them to sail with Levy.
-::-
After breakfast Lucy made her way back on top of the deck. For a moment she contemplated climbing up to the crows nest knowing she would have a full vantage point of the ship. It always helped her thoughts when she was up high in the rigging, even if being there sometimes made her lonely.
She began the climb up once she made up her mind, settling on enjoying the breeze while she mapped out their next port.
With a tightly coiled map tucked between her lips, she swung up to the nest, stopping short when she arrived.
She hadn't expected anyone to be in there, much less Natsu who was sitting with his legs dangling off and barely in the damn thing.
"Oh! Hey Captain!" Natsu exclaimed as he caught sight of her and made a move to get up, "Ah, do you need me to leave?"
Lucy hesitated a little. She'd come up here to clear her mind and spend some time alone, but it seemed a little ridiculous to chase Natsu off now. And really, what would a little company up here hurt? Hadn't she been thinking non-stop about the merman since the feast with his people and the dragons? It would be nice to have a regular conversation with him without anything else hanging over her head.
"No it's alright." She replied waving him back down, "I came up here to clear my head a little, but I won't object to some company either." Her lips twitched a little, "You do know this is one of the first places Cana looks for slackers right?"
Natsu laughed heartily at that and settled back down, looking as if he'd almost been born to be in the crow's nest, "Yeah I know, but I'm actually here on orders. She wants to see how sharp my eyes are."
"Is that a fact?" Lucy replied with a smile, and looked down to where Cana was looking up uncertainly, "I got this Cana!" She shouted with a wave, grinning when Cana waved back in acknowledgment and moved over to where Juvia and the twins were waiting with Gray.
She pulled back and fixed Natsu with a smirk, "I'll be your spotter instead. Did Cana explain the exercise already?"
Natsu nodded, "I describe what I see on the horizon and you check me right?"
Lucy nodded and settled back, "This is a busy harbor, so it'll be good practice for you." She smiled nostalgically, "I remember when mama did this with me the first time. I was six and the whole time I thought we were playing a game of spot the boat."
"Your ma was a sailor too?" Natsu asked, surprised by the little nugget of knowledge that was tossed his way. He had known she had died at sea based off what Cana had mentioned before Lucy's disastrous meeting with her father, but he hadn't known the specifics. He tilted his head towards Lucy as she snagged the spyglass by his side and unfolded it.
"Aye, that she was," Lucy acknowledged, "She was the Pirate Queen before I took the helm, and it's passed down along my family line for as long as I can remember. Almost since the beginning of the golden age of piracy."
Natsu let out a low whistle. He knew that the title wasn't hereditary. No, actually it was far from it. One only earned that title when they were the best of the best in all the seas. When everyone acknowledged them as the authority in the area.
It was only a title that could be won through hardwork and determination, and for her to have had it in her family for nearly four hundred years... it was amazing. The Heartfilias were certainly some fearsome women. It also wasn't a title that was passed directly from generation to generation. He'd never paid attention specifically to who held the title, but he'd heard Zeref complain more than once about barnacle encrusted humans mucking things up before a new leader overthrew them.
Now that he thought about it, he had to wonder if the ones overthrowing those humans were Lucy's family. He felt something warm in his gut telling him he thought it was a good thing Lucy was Queen now. She surely made a good one.
"Let's test your eyes then sailor," Lucy budged in close to Natsu, his heart jumping at the feel of her smaller shoulder tucked into his side, his breath catching despite itself. Warmth flooded through his body, lighting his nerves on fire and making it difficult to concentrate.
He had no idea why his body was suddenly having such a sharp reaction. Like her proximity in this tight nest meant something.
There was an uncomfortable clenching in his gut, a heat that coiled and simmered enough that he was shifting his weight a little to try and cool himself off. He couldn't shake the feel of her body pressing into his side though. It was mapped out in his brain in a way he couldn't shake.
He wasn't the only one either.
Lucy certainly hadn't been blind to how attractive Natsu was before, but something about being up in the crow's nest like this had her flushing with sudden nerves and an excitement that made no sense. What was going on here? She hadn't reacted like this since she was a young girl and had her first kiss with her mother's cabin boy.
Was it because of the outing last night?
As soon as she thought it she rejected the idea. She knew very well what that trip out looked like on the surface, but that hadn't been it at all. That had been about cheering her up, and taking her mind off her father. Not romance. Something Natsu himself had made very clear when he'd kept his hands to himself.
Then what was this?
She wasn't sure really. She just couldn't shake the excitement churning in her gut, and the urge to melt against him was nearly overwhelming.
She gave herself a mental slap and told herself to pull it together. She was the pirate queen damnit! As attractive as Natsu was, she was not going to go swooning over him like a little girl with her first crush!
With that thought firmly in mind she handed him the spyglass, "Alright. We'll start with something easy. Take a look at that cluster of fishing boats there and tell me what you see."
Natsu grasped the glass from her, somewhat absent minded as he did so. However he became acutely aware of the brush of her fingertips under his own. They were smaller, feeling almost familiar against his skin.
He pulled himself upright, clearing his throat and bending forward to the edge of the nest. He had extremely sharp eyes without the spyglass. All dragons did, and Natsu was used to seeing things in low or dim lighting under the water.
However he didn't think those things were what helped him pick out whether or not a ship had just pulled in a new haul, or had come back empty handed. He breathed out through his nose, steadying the glass to his face as he observed the cluster.
"Boat on the left, it's older, probably passed down from father to son, unequipped for long voyages or sea defense. It's lightweight, easy to steer and man. 'Bout a crew of twenty strong Cap'n," Natsu rattled off.
The glass swept to the next one picking up how it had recently had its starboard side repaired, damages no doubt from a pirate attack.
He picked out tiny to broad details, managing to narrow it down to which sides would be better to board, how to prepare for resistance in different areas of the boats, and how to apprehend the crew in the tight and hidden crannies of the ship.
"Sharp eyes, you've done this before," Lucy observed, somewhat impressed by his first try at it. Natsu just shrugged, looking over at Lucy with a smile that could melt the coldest person's heart.
"Maybe I have, can't remember. But that was sure fun. Got any other tricks?" Natsu grinned at her, flashing that winning smile again. They did it for a couple more rounds, the tasks becoming harder with each one.
Eventually though they both gave it up, when Natsu began to stop taking it as seriously after he had proved he had good eyes.
"Aye Captain, you would ne'er believe it, but I swear I see a dancing catfish aboard that dingy," Natsu vowed solemnly, his lips twitching in his attempt to hide his lie.
Lucy gave Natsu a dry look and swiped the spyglass from him to check herself, not believing it for a second but her natural curiosity demanding she look anyway. He burst into laughter as soon as she glanced and she tried to shoot him a glare, but his laughter was contagious and her glare dissolved as she started giggling too.
"You know it's a punishable offense to lie to your captain." She smirked, "I could have you swabbin' the deck for a month!"
Natsu gasped dramatically and held his hand over his heart, "Surely you wouldn't do that t' me cap'n! Who'd be your lookout then?"
Lucy snorted and poked him, "I have other lookouts."
"Maybe." Natsu purred lowly in a tone that had her shivering, "But would they be as good as me?"
"Would you be my queen princess?"
Lucy's heart stopped for a moment as the words superimposed themselves over whatever Natsu was saying. Or maybe she was just hallucinating. Whatever the cause she froze as her entire world seemed to shift on its axis, and the sudden urge to grab hold of that smiling mouth and kiss it seized her.
Except, it wasn't smiling now.
In fact, Natsu was staring at her with an intensity that stole her breath and had her flushing all over. It was thrilling and terrifying and she ached to do something, but she didn't know what, and the indecision was killing her.
"Natsu..." She breathed, not really sure if she was asking a question or pleading for something.
Natsu didn't respond, his head throbbing from the whispers of remembered words quietly breathing in his ears.
"Yes"
"Yes captain?" Natsu asked her, his voice quiet as he groped for the memory he couldn't put a face or name to.
Lucy leaned her weight forward, testing his responsiveness to their tight quarters. It was like something was guiding her to him, pushing her to reach out and touch him.
"Alright you two!" Cana's voice cut in to sever the ties to the ghosts drawing them close, "You think you've hogged the nest to yourself long enough? Or you wanna let someone else give it a try?"
Lucy jerked away as if stung and Natsu turned his head back towards the ocean. He shook his head to try and clear it.
"Hey! Keep your britches on Lady Cana!" Natsu teased back to her, "We're coming!"
He stood, dropping a hand to the distracted Lucy and flashing her a brilliant smile.
"Come on Lucy, you ready?" He grinned, pushing away the thoughts of the past that were lingering on the surface. Natsu didn't know what was happening, but he also knew it wasn't exactly fair to him to push his reactions on his Captain. He would have to be careful.
Lucy just smiled and grasped his hand, trusting her new sailor.
Alright everyone, it looks like you made it to your sneak peek! Good job everyone, you really came out to show your support for us! We really appreciate it! Have a wonderful day and we will see you guys soon for next weeks chapter!
They had dropped anchor just off the edge of The Clover islands, their ship stopped a safe distance from the craggily rocks and sharp cliff faces.
Natsu observed the water currents, seeing them in a way only one of Lady Juvia's creatures could. The waves were strong, and capable of smashing a ship like theirs into the cliff face.
It was no doubt made worse by the buildup of ships buried beneath the ocean. Natsu wanted to dive beneath the surface to check himself, but Juvia gave him a dark glare whenever he looked longingly over the edge.
It wouldn't bother her if he jumped into the water, but it would make the charm a little hard to explain. Juvia didn't much care to explain herself after all.
"All clear Sailor?" A soft voice drifted to him in the morning air. Natsu straightened towards the person, a smile glowing over his face as he saw Lucy standing before him and looking perfect.
"Aye Captain," he replied.
"Don't let the sea call you over the side Natsu, ye never know how long it'll take to pull you from the ocean," Lucy eyed him, her expression critical when she swayed to him.
"Not to worry captain." Natsu assured her, "I worked hard to get my legs and I don't plan to give them up now. No matter how much I want to take a swim."
Lucy cocked her head at him curiously, "Why did you go to Juvia for legs?" She asked, "If you don't mind me asking that is. You've never really said, and well... if just getting your legs again was your goal surely you could've done it before now?"
Natsu regarded her thoughtfully for a moment, "I did it for you cap'n."
