Here is the 2nd chappie. Sorry for the long wait. Hope you all enjoy. Fairy Tail belongs to Hiro Mashima.
Rays of sunlight infiltrated their way strategically through the wooden blinds of a large covered window. Darkness slowly being cast aside, but not even the sun could remove the overwhelming emotion of regret that consumed the dark cavity of Lucy small apartment. Still asleep, her beloved lion celestial spirit watched as his master's tears stained her satin laced pillows. With bags over his eyes, clenching his teeth, he petted her blonde head as she continued to restlessly toss and turn.
"No, please no!" Lucy cried desperately in her sleep, quivering and reliving last's night struggle. With a hand clenching his chest, Loke wanted to wake her, wanted to save her from her thoughts and nightmare, but instead he watched the sun trying to sneak it's way into the darken room and in a trance-like state took the draw string and pulled. Hearing the click of the mechanism holding up the blinds, the rays of light permeated every corner of the room, and once Lucy's face was consumed in it's brilliant light he knelt down to kiss her brow and then disappeared in particularized light.
"Wake up my angel." Loke's voice rang into her sleepy ears and she awoke with a blazing light washing over her face. Searching for the source of the voice, she was disappointed to be met with the emptiness of her lonely apartment. Nothing was out of order, everything was left like yesterday and yet, this room had become so gloomy. "It looks like I cried all night too," Lucy said trailing her right hand up her wet cheek. Covering her wet eyes with her forearm she held her breath and refused to let out any cries from her mouth.
Last night was hell and thank Mavis she was shown mercy and allowed to leave. "I will be strong, I will forget, last night was a nightmare and now I'm awake." Lucy encouraged herself, as she slowly rose from bed. Pain laced her core, every inch of her body ached, but she mentally pushed it aside and walked normally. Heading towards the bathroom she let her body go into it's automatic morning routine; she brushed her pearl-white teeth, she took a shower, but this time with her eyes closed. Afterwards she went to her closet, retrieved a long sleved blue sweater and s pair of tight blue jeans. Finally she saw her dishevelled blonde hair, wanting to not see her depressed face she clapped her face and plastered a fake smile.
Needing to show her strength, her normalcy, Lucy knew that forgetting meant smiling and she had to be strong not for herself, but for the others who depended on her good mood. "Gate of the giant crab, I summon thee!" Lucy called onto her friend with his key in her right hand. Passing through his gate, and milliseconds before his master would notice, he gulped down and remembered what Loke had told the others in the celestial world, 'she's broken, don't destroy her with your pity, give her strength.'
"Ebi. Your hair! I will not allow my master to leave with whatever..." Cancer paused thinking exactly how to phrase the attack on her hair without referring to the previous night. "Whatever this is." He said finally finished his statement taking out his scissors and magically without cutting a strand, styled it perfectly long and straight, with a side pony tail. Finishing he revelled in his work, he took out his large hand mirror and showed his master. Waiting for a reaction, he placed himself in front of her and asked if all was alright. Tears once again took dominion of her lifeless chocolate eyes.
"Does this make me beautiful, do I look the same as yesterday? Can you tell that I'm Lucy and not Levy?" The blonde woman asked her friend who could no longer keep his composure, "Ebi, you are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. Lucy your golden hair is shinning brilliantly today, better than yesterday. None could ever confuse you." The celestial spirit said from a distant and then disappeared before breaking down along side his master.
Hair styled and alone, Lucy decided that she could no longer stay in the confines of her bedroom and she needed the delicious strawberry smoothie that only Mira can make. Locking her apartment door, Lucy chanted 'smile, smile, and forget,' as she forced her face to battle the uncertainty inside her conflicted heart. She would not blame Gajeel, she was a victim and sometimes there is no justification, sometimes it is futile to look for retribution, so she will forget and act like nothing happened. Limping slightly she decided not to walk on the edge of the street, bordering the large river. Passing by, the inhabitants of Magnolia greeted her warmly, like every day. Normal, everything had to be normal, so today even with her bit of hesitation, she greeted them with forced smile. Superficially, none could tell; Lucy was a superb actress and she would not let others pity her.
Reaching the large doors of the Fairy Tail guild, Lucy was hesitant to enter. Was Levy in there, might Gajeel remember what happened last night, could she pretend and lie to her family? Gulping down, she shoved all her reasonable doubts down and entered the boisterous guild. Laughing and smacking her head a little, she was astounded at the livelihood of the guild so early in the morning. Usually it was dead quiet before noon and people would be seen crawling on the floor begging for food or taking the rest of their slumber in the infirmary. The ambiance was perfect and exactly what she needed as headed towards Mira at the bar who was seen chatting with Evergreen.
"Afterwards the idiot jumped me, so I turned him to stone." Lucy overheard Ever who was talking to Mira. Taking her seat, she ordered her normal large smoothie with a side of toast. Placing her hand to Ever, she quickly gathered the breakfast ingredients and produced the breakfast from thin air. Thanking Mira, she continued to ease drop at the continuing conversation, "He was naked this time, I've told Levy a million times to lock her window," Ever sighed, taking a bite of her egg omelet. "So was anyone else there?" Mira asked excitedly, expecting red-eyed, blue haired babies in the near future. Sweating bullets, Lucy continued to cautiously suck the cold liquid through the thick straw. "This morning he was alone, but last night..." Ever stared at the celestial mage. "Lucy was howling like a cat in heat for Levy to open the door. I threatened to turn her to stone with all her ruckus." Lucy heard the woman tell the snitch of the guild, cross that of all Magnolia. Sucking hard on the straw, Lucy lost her breathe and began to chock on the cold liquid. Both women turned to the celestial mage, "So Lucy... did you ever make it in?" Ever asked curiously.
Sweat began to cover her brow, her heart begged her to run, her mind demanded truth and her conscience told her to compromise. Knowing full well that her abilities to verbally lie, were below par, she decided to confess to part of the question. "Well I stopped knocking like an idiot, remembering I had a spare key. I went in and waited for hours! Bored, I was um snooping through her stuff, then I found her agenda. Apparently she and Freed had an academic seminar, so I left and went back home." Lucy explained logically and sincerely. Ever looked at Mira with a puzzled look.
"Um Lucy... the dorm attendants never reported any guests ever leaving, that's why Ever went into Levy's room. She wanted you to accompany her this morning, since Freed was gone." Mira explained to a now slightly trembling Lucy. Words could not come out of her mouth, the whole guild was going to find out that she destroyed two friendships in one night. Waiting on their answer, they saw Lucy's face redden like her beloved strawberries when her keys began to glow. "Oh I can explain that!" Loki exclaimed as he willingly opened his gate. "I had a date with Aries and it was getting all hot and heavy." Loke started explaining with both women looking bored asking what that had anything to do with Lucy. "I was just getting there. When I finally had Aries undressed, staring at her perfection and hungrily as I approached her quivering body, all my senses went blank, Lucy's magic suddenly drop. Reluctantly I left a willing women spread upon my bed to check on my master." Loke twirled around with his hand on his heart. "Painfully, I left Aries and opened my gate to see that Lucy had slipped on a hard cover book and passed out. So like any gentlemen, I stripped her from the floor and with the sense of romance in the air I opened Levy's window and jumped rooftop to rooftop taking her back home." Lucy rolled her eyes at the blatant lie, asking herself who would believe such a fabricated story, sighing she placed herself mentally to confessed as both women ran to Loke.
"I can't believe you Lucy!" Both women said embracing her lion. "Ehh?!" Lucy asked bewildered. Mira and Ever explained that she should be grateful to her beloved friend for actually ignoring his instincts to bed his girlfriend to rescue his master. Smacking her forehead at the naiverty of her guild mates, she proceeded with making eye contact with Leo, who smiled softly at her and then disappeared. Finishing off her smoothie, she took money from her purse and gave it to Mira. 'Damn lion, always saving his incompetent master,' Lucy thought as she saw Nab attending to the request board. Natsu and the gang were most likely still attached to their sheets, so maybe a solo quest would help. Making her way to Nab she asked if he had any recommendations and he gave her the same silly excuse he always gave, "nothing seems to speak to me." Giggling at his response, she wondered how he could financially sustain himself with seldom taking any jobs.
"Ever get your arse over here." Gajeel yelled at the Medusa of Fairy Tail the second he opened the guild doors. Loud roars calmed the peripheral fights around the guild as they all gathered at the breakfast bar, awaiting the clash of stone and iron. His familiar voice, tugged at her heart, her eyes gazed with forlorn affection at the irate man. 'Forget Lucy, last night was a dream, no a nightmare. He belongs to Levy, pick a job and go...' the young mage thought, unable to take her chocolate eyes off the medium build man.
"Stop turning me to stone, woman!" Gajeel pointed at Evergreen with a threatening finger. Guild-mates roared gleefully for a battle, but Ever would not soil her hands with him, so she dealt verbal blows. "If you'd stop breaking into Levy's room and shacking up with her bed, maybe I'd consider it." Ever said as she took a sip of her coffee as the guildhall went into an uproar gasping at the accusations.
Scarlet eyes were glazed in burning rage, but the Iron Dragon Slayer knew that Evergreen was right and he had no right to defend himself. "You're lucky, I don't beat up on women." Gajeel stated as he stomped over to his dark corner of the guildhall. Lucy and the others were left dumbstruck at his rude, yet civilized departure from the haughty conversation. Cana and others were caught whispering, pointing and giggling at the moody dragon slayer. Gulping down and feeling guilty of letting her brother in guild into Levy's room, she approached him. 'Just comfort him, Levy's not here to defend him, he needs a friend.' Her turbulent mind suggested.
Approaching the dark corner of the guild, she took a seat next to a grumpy Gajeel. Patting his head lightly, she tried to comfort her best friend's lover. Her fingers transfixed in their ministrations, Lucy was caught in a trance, when he suddenly caught her off guard, violently grasping her wrist. "Are you here to make fun of me too, Bunny Girl? Cause I'm not taking that crap from you." Gajeel informed the blonde as he threw her arm from his proximity. Taking a breathe in, she held her wrist nervously. All she wanted was to comfort him, show him the compassion he had been denied for years and here he was accusing her of torture. Tears fell on their own as she recalled how warm, loving and passionate he was to her when he mistook her for Levy.
"Ahh... please don't cry Bunny. I thought you were here to laugh, not comfort me." He anxiously said as he took a cloth from his pocket and proceeded to wipe away the tears from her chocolate eyes. Smiling, she reassured the man, that she was alright and that it was a silly misunderstanding. Letting out a sigh relief, Gajeel relaxed in Lucy's presence and explained the ordeal he had endured since last night.
"Bunny Girl, if you ever want to ruin your reputation, get hammered with Laxus and Cana." Gajeel grunted remembering the gallons, upon gallons of ale he unwillingly consumed. "After I couldn't tell north from south, they spun me around and broke wooden bats against my iron body. Look at all these bruises." He motioned for his friend to view, who could only flinch, imagining the pain. "Like if that wasn't enough, then they started making out, leaving me on an IV of pure rum. Eventually I lost all concept of time and reality; so fully knowing that Levy was gone, I went to her dorm. All I wanted to do was sleep in her scent." The man reminisced to the best of his abilities. To all this miscellaneous information, Lucy grew rather nervous as he drew closer to when the chapters of their individuals stories intertwined.
"I don't remember anything, but I felt like she was there, you know. I didn't struggle to get in or anything, from the look of her dorm window. My clothes were all over the place, but I was cleaned and couldn't smell anything out of the ordinary." Lucy heard relieved as Gajeel continued, trying to solve the mysteries of his late night escapade. "Maybe you had a really intense dream, Levy doesn't always lock her window you know." Lucy lied nervously as she decided to rise from her seat. "Well it's time I get going. My rent won't be paying itself now, right?" The blonde patted the Iron Dragon Slayer on the back gently, motioning her departure.
Calming down after chatting with Lucy, Gajeel was now alert enough to tell that there was something amiss in her scent. She no longer smelled of pure vanilla laced with flowery strawberries, there was an aroma of neutrality. "Hey Bunny... did you change your perfume or something? You don't smell right." The man ask, holding onto Lucy's arm. Smiling she explained that Loke had imported some bath salts form the celestial world to mask her scent as she were to be travelling alone. As the explanation sunk in, he decided that it made sense and let his bunny friend hop away.
After Lucy left, Gajeel thought that maybe he should follow her example and start working. Picking up his empty plate, he reached the counter where his nemesis for the day was still chatting with the demon women.
"Can you believe if Gajeel would have gotten to Levy's any sooner, he might of raped Lucy." Evergreen told Mira as a plate shattered onto the floor.