FINALLY! I finally finished chapter 5! It seriously took me weeks to finish it because it's much longer than all the other chapters. I typed it, reread it, erased it, typed it again, reread it, erased some of it... You can see why it took me so long. I'm seriously sorry though. It's been, what? More than a month? Maybe two since I last updated? Well, again, I'm very sorry for making you wait so long. I hope you enjoy this painfully long chapter... Or at least, it was painful to me... It probably isn't long enough for you. ^_^"
Just to warn you, there's a bit of bad language up ahead!
Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.
Our Fake Relationship- Chapter 5
Lucy woke when the rays of the morning sun shined into her eyes through a crack in the curtains. She sat up and stretched with a yawn, peering around with dazed sleepiness. 'Right.' She thought to herself, throwing the covers off of her legs and slowly getting to her feet. 'Today we're supposed to go on that request.' Wondering what time it was, she made her way out of her bedroom to take a look at the clock in her living room. It was still pretty early, so she opted to take a bath. After entering the bathroom and turning the faucets to allow the tub to fill with water, she began to undress. She tossed her pajamas onto the floor, and climbed into the bath after turning the water off.
'Now that I think about it," Lucy thought as she shivered in satisfaction from the warm water, 'This is going to be the first request that we go on together since I found out that Natsu and Gray like me. And since Erza and I started 'dating'…' Suddenly Lucy felt like going on this request was going to be very awkward. Two out of the three of her nakama had feelings for her, and the other one she was supposedly dating. Going on this request was just asking for trouble.
Lucy sighed as she grabbed her shampoo bottle. Well, there was nothing she could do about it. She already told Natsu that she would go with them, so she couldn't back out now. Not to mention she might hurt their feelings if she told them she wasn't going. She might not share the same feelings as them, but they were still her nakama. She didn't like hurting them.
The blonde put her thoughts on hold in order to squirt some of the soap into her hands and lather it into her hair. Some of the soap dripped down her face, and before she could stop it, it went into her eye.
"Uuuuggh!" She shouted in pain, scrunching her eye up tightly and rinsing off her hands to attempt to rub the soap out of her eye. But the endeavor only seemed to make her eye burn worse. "Owowowowowowow –" She hissed, reluctantly deciding that she would have to wait for the burning to stop. As the pain subsided, she sighed. God, why did her life feel like a complete mess right now? This was all because her two best guy friends just had to fall for her. And why couldn't she have just told them straight up "No", instead of going and pretending to have a girlfriend? Doing that only made her life more difficult.
Lucy exhaled and then hugged her knees to her chest. Sure, dating Erza wasn't so bad. Lucy kind of thought of this as a way to get to know the Fairy Queen better. But still, there was no need to date her.
Lucy's mind drifted to the day before, when Gray had kissed her forehead and Erza had nearly bit his head off. If she and Erza weren't pretending to date, the red head probably wouldn't have even cared. She just yelled at him for the sake of the hoax they were holding up. Somehow, the thought depressed the celestial mage. But the tone Erza had spoken in when saying that Lucy was 'her girl' made Lucy smile. She had sounded so earnest that it was practically believable. But Lucy wasn't 'her girl'. Right? They weren't really dating, so… That was impossible.
Lucy cleared her thoughts again in order to rinse out her hair of the shampoo, taking care not to let any soap run into her eyes. After she was sure all the soap was washed out, she continued on to washing her body.
Even though pretending to date Erza only made her life more hectic, Lucy realized that she wasn't that keen on wanting it to end. She wasn't really sure of the reason, but she guessed that it was because dating the young woman gave her a reason to be around her. Before they had started 'dating', the only time they spent together was when they went on requests or when they were at the guild. In either case, they were never alone. 'Dating' her gave Lucy a reason to be alone with her, to learn more things about her.
Satisfied with that reason, Lucy rinsed the soap off of her body and then emptied the tub. As the water disappeared down the drain, the girl stepped out and grabbed two towels, wrapping one around her nude figure while putting her hair up in the other. She exited the bathroom and made her way back to her bedroom, planning on retrieving an outfit for the day. As she passed through the living room, she glanced at the clock. She still had enough time to dress herself, eat and still make it to the guild without being late.
When she entered her bedroom, she dug through her wardrobe and pulled out a tight, short-sleeved white shirt and a blue skirt with a belt. Using the towels, she dried her body and hair as much as she could, and then threw them into a corner, telling herself that she would pick them up later that day when they returned from the job. She put on her under garments and shimmied into her outfit, and then made her way to the kitchen to make herself breakfast. When she opened the refrigerator, she was shocked, and extremely pissed to see that it was nearly empty.
"Happy!" She hissed from between clenched teeth. Though, Natsu probably got his hands on some of her food too. She sighed wearily. Well, there was nothing she could do about it now. She'll just have to yell at them later and go shopping tomorrow.
Lucy grabbed an egg, which surprisingly none of them had been touched, probably because Natsu and Happy would've had to cook them before they could eat it. She retrieved a pan from the cabinet and proceeded to make her breakfast. She kept herself from thinking as well as she could, not wanting her mind to wander over how awkward the request was going to be. Before she knew it, her egg was done. She flipped it onto a plate with a spatula, and then moved on to sit at her kitchen table. She ate it silently, glancing out the window every so often, happy that the weather seemed to be particularly good at least. Once she stuck the last bite into her mouth, she placed the plate into her sink and headed to her living room. The clock said she was still a little early, but Lucy decided to head over to the guild anyway. At least she could keep Mira company until the rest of the group showed up. Not only that, but Erza was always there when Lucy arrived too.
Lucy paused. Her fingertips lightly traced over her forehead, remembering that the last time she had seen the Titania, she had left a kiss in that spot. The memory brought a slight blush to her cheeks, but she shook her head and dropped her hand to her side. 'Stop it!' She angrily thought to her body, upset that she was thinking about it so much. 'It was just a peck on the forehead! Why are you getting so flustered?' She took a deep breath to calm herself down, and then began making her way to the front door, doing her best to ignore her own thoughts. She opened the door and then closed it behind her, locking it with her key. Just as she was about to start walking in the direction of the guild, a figure standing near the canal in front of her apartment caught her eye. It was impossible to mistaken who this person was. After all, there was only one person that Lucy knew, and probably only one person in all of Fiore, that wore shining armor and had brilliant scarlet hair.
Erza stood with her back to the buildings, standing near the edge of the channel and staring down into the water's depths. Lucy was shocked to say in the least. What was Erza doing here of all places? She was normally at the guild by now! And she was right in front of her house! Did she do that purposely, or was it just a coincidence? Lucy slowly approached her, wondering if this was a trick of the light or just a trick in general.
When Lucy was only a few steps away from her, she decided to speak up. "Erza?"
The Fairy Queen half turned, and a smile appeared on her face when she saw the blonde standing there. "Good morning, Lucy." She greeted. Lucy noticed that she seemed genuinely happy to see her. "Are you prepared for the task ahead of us?"
"Uh, yeah, I guess." The girl replied, uneasily looking at the red head. "Um, Erza? What are you doing outside my house? Aren't you usually at the guild by now?"
"Well, normally yes." She said indifferently, "However, today I resolved to wait for you."
"Huh? Why?"
"I thought we could travel to the guild together." Erza offered her hand to the other, palm up. Lucy couldn't help but feel elated that the young woman actually waited around for her just so they could walk together. It made her feel special.
The celestial mage slid her hand into Erza's, which she didn't fail to notice that it was ungloved. They began walking towards Fairy Tail hand in hand, and Lucy couldn't help but appreciate Erza being there for her. Fairy Hills was pretty much right next to the guild, so Erza would really have had to come out of her way just to meet Lucy at her house. The blonde's gaze fell to their entwined hands, and she had an odd feeling that they were just meant to be there. She looked at Erza from the corner of her eye and saw a content smile on her face. Lucy couldn't help but wonder if she was enjoying this too.
Before long, the two mages reached the guild. Erza unhooked her hand from Lucy's in order to open the door for her, and the girl thanked her politely before stepping inside, the other following suite. The main room wasn't filled with people yet, though there were a few here and there. Lucy spotted Mirajane behind the bar, wiping down the counter and preparing for the day. The girl walked over to talk to her, and Erza silently followed. Neither of them noticed the stares they got from some of the other members, a few of them whispering to whoever was closest to them as they kept their eyes glued to the pair.
Mira looked up as Lucy neared the bar, a smile stretching across her face. "Good morning, Lucy. Erza."
"Morning, Mira." The blonde greeted, sitting in a stool in front of the barmaid. Erza merely nodded in acknowledgement, taking a seat beside the seventeen year old.
"So… You never told me how it went yesterday." The white haired girl said, continuing to clean the counter but keeping her eyes on the other two. "Did my plan work?"
Lucy glanced at the Titania beside her and then replied, "I… guess it did."
"Natsu and Gray were skeptical at first, especially the latter," Erza said, her eyes closed and her arms crossed over her chest. "But we were able to convince them that Lucy and I are dating. So the plan was successful."
"That's great!" Mira exclaimed, clapping her hands together. "Actually, I already knew the plan went well."
Lucy blinked. "You knew? How?" She asked, just as Erza muttered under her breath, "That is not surprising."
"Are you kidding? The whole guild knows!" The takeover sibling replied, gesturing wildly at the rest of the room, which Lucy noticed was beginning to fill with more people.
Lucy sighed. "I knew something like this was going to happen. This wasn't such a good idea after all." Right after she said that, she thought she saw Erza stiffen slightly out of the corner of her eye, but when she turned to look, the red head was peering off in the opposite direction, seemingly watching people walk into the guild. Before Lucy could think anything of it, a pair of arms wrapped around her shoulders.
"Luuucy!" The person said in a singsong voice, and the blonde turned her head to see Cana hovering over her.
"Hi, Cana." She sighed, knowing full well that the alcoholic was here to pester her.
"I heard you're a lesbian, Lucy. You too, Erza." The brunette said with a rather devilish grin on her face. "And I heard that you two are going out. Care to comment?"
"Who hasn't heard?" Lucy muttered, facing away from the card mage as Erza stayed silent.
"I also heard that you two haven't had sex yet, and you've already been dating for two weeks. What are you waiting for, the apocalypse?"
A blush appeared on the blonde's face, and she swatted at Cana's arm. "S-shut up! That's none of your business! I don't want to hear anything from someone who only gets together with someone just for the sex!"
Cana shrugged. "What can I say? I'm just not ready for the commitment yet. But you two –" She wrapped her arms around the two mages shoulders and brought them closer together. "You must be all lovey dovey! So are you gonna get married?"
Lucy opened her mouth to protest, but Erza beat her to it. "Cana, you need to learn how to keep your nose out of other people's business." She muttered with a weary sigh.
Cana pouted, her eyes shining mischievously. "Aw, but it's amusing! I was just poking a little fun!" Then she lowered her voice, "Anyway, I already know the entire thing is a hoax."
Lucy blinked at her in shock, while Erza sighed again. "What do you mean you know?" The blonde asked in a bewildered tone.
Before she could answer, Mira cut in. "I'm sorry, Lucy. I kind of told her…"
"Don't blame yourself, Mira." Cana said, waving at her dismissively. "I had it pretty much figured out already and went to Mira, because knowing her she had some idea of what was going on. But even when I found out the whole thing was fake, it didn't lessen how interesting it was." Then she pouted. "But why didn't you come to me? I think we'd make a great couple."
"Only in your dreams." Lucy snapped, pushing the brunette away from her. "As if Gray and Natsu would believe I fell for you."
"What? If anything, it's more believable than you falling for Erza! You and I are pretty close~!" At that statement, Cana wrapped her arms around the seventeen year old again and rubbed their cheeks together affectionately.
"Get off, Cana!" Lucy said, struggling to get out of the other's grip.
"Cana…" Erza said darkly, casting a glare at the brunette.
Cana chuckled and separated herself from the key mage. "You have to give her some credit though." The card mage said the Lucy. "She is very good at acting."
"Yeah…" The seventeen year old murmured, peering sideways at the woman beside her only to be disappointed that she had already turned away.
"Lucy!"
All four girls turned at the sound of the shout, spotting Natsu jogging over with Happy flying above him.
"Time to put up the act." Cana said with a wink. "Well, I guess I'll see you later. Don't mess up!"
The brunette walked away and was quickly replaced by the pink haired dragonslayer. "Hey, Lucy!" He said happily, his face instantly brightening at the chance to speak to his love interest.
"Morning, Natsu." Lucy greeted, trying to make her expression as cheery as possible.
"Are you ready for the request, Natsu?" Erza asked, as if wanting to remind him that she was there too.
"Course I'm ready!" He exclaimed, punching his hand into the air. "I'm all fired up!"
"I'm ready too!" Happy joined in, "I brought an extra fish just in case!"
"Don't think I forgot about you eating my dinner, Happy!" The celestial mage hissed at the cat, causing him to laugh evilly and fly higher in case she decided to come after him.
"So everyone's here already?" Came another voice, and when they all turned they saw Gray trudging over, surprisingly fully clothed. He cast a smile at Lucy who returned it rather awkwardly, and when he glanced at Erza, he quickly looked away when he saw her glaring at him.
"Yeah, we're all here!" Natsu said in excitement, oblivious to the awkwardness that had just settled between his companions. "So let's go!"
Team Natsu had left the guild shortly after that and now stood at the train station, much to the dragonslayer's anguish. Lucy sat on a bench not too far from the railroad tracks, patiently waiting for their transportation to arrive. Happy sat beside her, having already taken out one of his fish and was currently munching on it. Erza stood nearby the blonde and Gray was not much farther, both of them quiet and seemingly staring off into space. The only one not keeping still was Natsu who was restlessly pacing back and forth.
"Where the heck is it!?" He snapped in irritation, balling his hands into fists and engulfing them in fire. Some nearby bystanders visibly shrank away in fear.
"Relax, Natsu." Lucy said with a small smile, "It's supposed to be here in a few minutes."
"Well if it doesn't get here soon, I'm gonna walk there!"
"That's awfully far…"
"I don't care!"
"Chill out, pea brain." Gray said, obviously annoyed by the pink haired boy's behavior. "Quit being so impatient."
"Huh?" Natsu replied in a challenging voice, "You trying to start something, boxer boy?"
Before Lucy knew it, both mages were butting heads and insults were flying everywhere. She expected Erza to step in and stop their unruly attitudes, but was surprised when the red head sighed and a smile graced her lips.
Lucy's cheeks became lightly tinged pink. She couldn't help but think that Erza looked pretty when she smiled, and much more approachable. Normally she always had a stern look about her, especially when someone had done something wrong. Lucy decided that this was the Erza she wanted to get to know better.
The celestial mage was startled out of her thoughts when a ball of fire flew past her head, missing her by only inches. Natsu and Gray's fight had gone from verbal to physical in a matter of minutes. Lucy gasped when a chunk of ice hurtled towards her at an alarming speed and closed her eyes, bracing for impact because she knew she wouldn't have been able to dodge in time. When it never came, she slowly opened her eyes. Erza stood in front of her, her gauntleted hand fastened around the slab of ice that had threatened to smash into the blonde's face. Lucy beamed up at her to thank her, but the girl's smile quickly fell. The expression on the Titania's face was horrifyingly scary, easily able to inspire fear into the bravest of men. The large piece of ice was no match for her strength, and it effortlessly shattered in the woman's fist. The two boys didn't notice the deadly aura that had started to emanate from her and continued to fight until they were both hoisted up by the front of their shirts.
"Enough." She said in a threateningly quiet voice dripping with venom.
The boys began sweating profusely, fear seeping into their bones. "W-we're sorry!" They apologized hastily, "W-we won't do it again!"
She kept them in the air for a moment longer, giving them each a long, hard look that promised them death if they acted uncivilized again. Finally she set them down rather forcefully, the boys wobbling a bit as they attempted to regain their balance and bearings.
Erza turned her back on them just as a loud whistle sounded, announcing the arrival of the train. When it stopped, the door to one of the cars was conveniently right in front of them. As Lucy stood up, Gray and Natsu made their way onto the train, obviously still shaken from the Fairy Queen's rage. Happy flew after them, a fish tail sticking out of his mouth. Erza made to go through the door also, but before she could Lucy grabbed her arm. She turned towards the blonde with questioning eyes.
"Um…" Lucy wasn't quite sure as to why she had stopped the red head, but was quick to come up with something. "Thank you."
Erza smiled down at her. "It was nothing, Lucy." She gently pulled her arm from the girl's grasp and headed onto the train.
Lucy stared after her for only a moment before following. She found her nakama all standing in front of empty seats, having apparently been waiting for her.
"Hey, Lucy, sit next to me!" Natsu exclaimed, his boyish grin adorning his face. He let out a grunt when Gray elbowed him in the side.
"No way, Lucy's gonna sit next to me, right?" The ice mage said, turning his attention to the girl to hear her reply.
"Sit down so I can lie on your lap!" Happy piped up.
Before she could say anything, Erza placed her hands on each of the boys' shoulders, causing them to stiffen, and said, "Lucy will be sitting next to me." It wasn't a question; it was a statement.
Both boys grumbled unintelligibly as they took a seat beside each other, casting dark looks at the nineteen year old. Erza took the seat across from them and patted the empty spot next to her as she peered up at Lucy. The key mage took her offer, a little more than happy that she wouldn't have to sit next to the other two. Once she plopped down, Happy jumped into her lap and curled up.
After a few seconds passed, the train lurched briefly and began to move. Natsu immediately doubled over, clutching his stomach as his face instantly turned green. Lucy giggled, always finding it a bit humorous that the fire mage still got motion sickness. More minutes passed as the train picked up speed. Happy had already fallen asleep on the seventeen year olds lap, occasionally moving around and murmuring something about fish. Gray had his arms crossed over his chest, silently gazing out of the window at the moving landscape, Erza doing the same. Natsu sometimes made noises as if he was about to throw up, his head resting on the back of his seat. Lucy took a few seconds to glance at each of them and smiled. Really, there was no place she'd rather be then with her nakama.
Lucy turned her concentration onto the rapidly passing setting outside. After what seemed like hours, though she knew it had probably only been at most a half an hour, she felt her eyes droop. She leaned her head back against the chair and closed her eyes. It wasn't long before sleep overtook her.
Lucy woke with a start. She concluded that she was still on the train, bumping along as it continued on to their destination. She also realized that as she slept, her head had apparently slid sideways, landing on something rather comfortable. Lucy sat up with a stretch and glanced over in curiosity to see what she had been resting on. She flushed when she saw Erza staring back at her, her armor gone and instead replaced with some casual clothing.
"Did you rest well, Lucy?" The red head asked kindly.
"E-Erza…" The blonde said slightly embarrassed. "D-did I fall asleep on you…?"
"Yes, you did. But I don't mind." The young woman added after seeing the face the other was making. She paused and, after a moment, said, "You have some drool on your chin."
Lucy's blush got ten times worse and quickly wiped it away. "I-I'm sorry!" She whispered, her embarrassment nearly killing her.
Erza chuckled lightly. "Its fine, Lucy. It's rather adorable."
Lucy turned away, her face reddening. She couldn't tell if Erza was complementing her or teasing her. She slowly glanced back at the Titania, noticing her clothes again. "What happened to your armor?" She asked, for the most part keeping her voice from shaking.
Erza followed the girl's gaze. "After you had fallen asleep on my shoulder, I thought it would be more comfortable for you if I was wearing something more… suiting."
"You… You really didn't have to go through all that trouble! You could've just pushed me off or something…"
The Fairy Queen's eyes returned to Lucy's. "Lucy, it's fine, really. I didn't mind it at all. Nor was it any trouble."
Just then Lucy remembered that they weren't alone. She had forgotten that both Natsu and Gray were still there, and had a feeling that both would be confused at their conversation, seeing as how the girls were supposed to be dating. Lucy looked over at them quickly, but upon seeing that one was asleep and the other was too sick to hear anything, she let out a sigh.
A flash of light came from the corner of her eye and she turned her head to see Erza back in her Heart Kreuz armor. She gave her attention to Lucy and smiled. "It would be best not to doze off again. We'll be arriving shortly."
Lucy nodded in understanding, and then Erza turned away to look outside. A crimson blush made its way onto the girl's face as she thought about how embarrassing this train ride had been. Quite suddenly, the train began to slow, arousing Gray and Happy from their naps.
They both took a second to look around before the exhibitionist spoke up. "Are we there?"
Erza merely nodded.
The train lost more and more speed until finally it lurched to a stop. Once it became immobile, Natsu, on the other hand, immediately jumped up with his fists in the air. "REVIVED!" He shouted, startling a few passengers that were passing through the aisle to depart the train. He peered down at his comrades who were still sitting and said, "C'mon, let's get off this heap of metal already." The boy stepped into the aisle and began making his way off the train, followed by Gray and Happy. Erza stood up and allowed Lucy to exit before her.
When they got off, Erza was the first to speak. "We're supposed to meet our client at his house at the opposite end of this city." She said.
"To get the details, right? So what are we waiting for?" Natsu began running in the direction of the tall buildings, alarming people as he zipped by them.
"Natsu, wait!" The Titania called after him, but let out a weary sigh when he didn't acknowledge her. She turned to the rest of the group and said, "Let's catch up to him. Natsu has no idea where he's going."
So the three of them pursued their hotheaded friend, Gray grumbling the entire way about how difficult Natsu made everything. The path the dragonslayer took was not hard to follow seeing as how there was debris all over the floor and in some cases even people. After a few minutes, they found the boy standing on the edge of a dock in the city's port, looking out across the sea. They approached him.
"Natsu, what are you doing?" Erza said in a reprimanding voice, staring at her nakama sternly.
He turned his head to glance at them. "You said his house was on the opposite side of town, and that's where I went. Is his house in the ocean or something?"
Lucy shook her head wearily as Gray rolled his eyes. It was hard to believe that he was being serious. "Of course it's not in the ocean you dolt." The ice mage said irritably. "It's not exactly on the opposite side."
"Oh." Natsu looked a bit disappointed.
Erza turned her gaze out over the water. "This is a very nice place though."
Lucy nodded in agreement as Happy stood at the edge of the dock, drooling down at the water when he saw fresh fish swimming in there.
"Anyway, we should proceed to the house and collect information on the plant we're supposed to gather."
They all agreed and followed the armor mage out of the port, having to drag Happy out along with them.
Their client's home, which they found out was a mansion, was only several minutes away from the port. Upon arriving, they were greeted by the property's owner himself who introduced himself as a doctor. According to the man, his shipment of Red clover, a plant used for medicinal purposes, was delayed for a few weeks. However he was in need of some for several of his patients, thus he had sent out the request. He described the plant's features and where the best place to find it in the woods a few miles out from the outskirts of town. When Team Natsu had learned what they needed to know, they set out for the forest.
"We should rent a magic four-wheeler." Erza stated on their way through the city, heading towards the exit.
Both Lucy and Gray nodded in agreement, but Natsu's face fell. "What? Can't we just walk there?" He whined.
"But, Natsu, it's miles away!" Lucy said, grimacing at the thought of trekking so far.
"Well, Erza, Gray and I could make it just fine! And Happy could sit on my shoulder." The boy argued, and a grin appeared on his face. "If you get tired, I could carry you for the rest of the way, no sweat!" Erza cast him a glare, causing him to regret his words. "I-I mean… Erza! Erza could carry you the rest of the way…"
"We're renting a magic four-wheeler." The Titania said in a dismissive tone, and then spun on her heels and headed towards the nearest building that rented the cars out.
Natsu let out a defeated sigh and his shoulders slumped. Happy patted his leg in an attempt to comfort him. "It's okay, Natsu." The blue feline said, "You tried."
The group hit the road not long after that, having acquired a deep green magic four-wheeler. Erza had her arm strapped to the pump that turned magic power into fuel for the vehicle, her hand clutching the steering lever as she did her best to stay on the narrow road. Lucy sat beside her, peering around at the landscape as they drove by. Although the front seat was only meant for one person, Erza had demanded that the girl sit beside her, having said that she didn't trust the boys to behave in the back. Lucy didn't mind much though, besides the point that they were sitting too close for comfort and her shoulder was beginning to ache from constantly pressing up against the red head's protected shoulder. Lucy saw this as an opportunity to talk to the woman without Gray and Natsu interrupting them.
The blonde glanced at the red head from the corner of her eye as inconspicuously as she could. Erza's eyes were on the road, a look of concentration on her face. Lucy frowned, unsure of how to start a conversation with the armor mage, and least of all what to talk about. She heard Natsu's sickened moans from the back of the vehicle and did her best to ignore them as she tried to think of something to chat about.
"Is something wrong, Lucy?"
The key mage blinked and turned to see the Fairy Queen staring at her. "Um, what makes you think something's wrong?" She asked nervously.
"You have been staring at me for several minutes." Erza replied, turning her attention back to the road, "Is something on your mind?"
A faint blush crept onto Lucy's face. 'Of course she noticed.' She thought, slightly embarrassed at having been caught. "Oh, um, n-no, it's nothing…"
"If something is wrong, do not hesitate to tell me."
Lucy peered down at her lap. "N-no, I just… I wanted to have a conversation with you, but I didn't know what to talk about…" She stammered, fidgeting with the hem of her skirt.
Erza was silent for a moment, and then said, "I see. Well, feel free to ask me anything. I would be happy to answer your questions."
The celestial mage gazed up at her for a few seconds and then looked forward. She still didn't have any idea of what to ask, so she spoke the first thought that passed through her mind. "Do you like being alone better than being at the guild?" Well, that was a good start as any.
Erza stayed quiet for a few seconds, presumably thinking of an answer. Finally, she said, "I do enjoy spending time with my nakama. Being with them is like taking a breath of fresh air. They make you feel so alive." Lucy nodded in agreement as the other continued, "It's like an adventure when you're around them. However, I think everyone needs at least some time in solitude, away from anyone else. Those moments of peace are nice too. They allow you time to collect yourself." She paused momentarily before saying, "I believe both are essential for a healthy being, but if I were to choose between the two, it would be my nakama."
"I totally agree!" Lucy said, a huge grin on her face. It made her so happy knowing that she and Erza had at least had one thing in common. Suddenly she giggled as a new thought occurred to her. "Hey, Erza, who do you like better, Natsu or Gray?" She asked in amusement, curious to hear what the woman's answer would be and hoping that the boys could hear.
Erza didn't take much time to think of an answer, and almost immediately replied, "Lucy."
The blonde blinked, a tiny blush appearing on her skin as the Titania's answer seeped in. "U-um, thanks, but… I wasn't one of the choices…"
"I know, but I would rather not have to choose between the two of them. So I chose you."
Lucy cocked her head to the side, her next thought causing her blush to worsen a little. "So you… You like me better than them…?" She really hoped that she was right and didn't come off as conceited.
Erza took her eyes off the road to smile at the seventeen year old. "Yes, I do. But I don't think they need to know that."
A giggle escaped Lucy's lips. "No, I guess they don't!"
The older woman turned her attention back to the road which seemed to be getting narrower by the minute. Lucy followed her gaze as a new thought occurred to her. She wanted to ask the question aloud, eager to hear what the answer would be, but she realized it was a bit personal and might make the other uncomfortable. However, she decided to take the chance.
"Erza?"
"Hm?"
"Is there someone you like?"
Whatever reaction Lucy had been expecting, it wasn't one quite like this. The magic four-wheeler suddenly lurched to the side, causing Lucy to shriek and latch onto Erza's arm in fear of falling off the side. A yell of surprise was heard from the back along with thuds, signaling that Gray and Natsu had fallen out of their seats. Erza was quick to steady the vehicle again, both of her hands clutching the lever.
"I-I apologize." She said in a rather shaky voice, glancing down at the top of the blonde's head which was still pressed to her arm. "The question… took me by surprise."
"That… was f-frightening." Lucy stuttered without loosening her death grip on her nakama.
"Hey!" Gray's voice came from the car's window in a shout, "What the heck is going on!?"
"It's nothing!" Erza called back, "I lost control for a moment!"
Gray grumbled and disappeared back through the window.
Lucy finally separated herself from the S-class mage, staring up at her with wide eyes. "I-I'm sorry… I didn't think the question would bother you that much…" She noticed that the woman's face was almost as red as her hair.
"N-no, it's not your fault, Lucy. I should've been in control…"
They both fell into an awkward silence, calming themselves down from the recent shock. As Lucy's breathing slowed, she realized that the nineteen year old still hadn't replied to her question. Though she felt it was wrong to bring it up again, she decided to anyway.
"So… Does this mean there is someone you like…?"
Thankfully this time the car didn't swerve off the path, but the celestial mage observed that an uncomfortable expression adorned the Titania's face. "… Yes… You're right…" She said, avoiding the younger girl's eyes.
Lucy perked up at this news. Before she could stop herself she asked, "Is it Jellal?"
Surprisingly, the woman let out a chuckle. "No, it's not. Both Jellal and I have decided that it be would best if we didn't… get together." She finished simply.
"Oh… That's too bad…"
Erza cast her a smile. "It's quite alright, Lucy. I have long since gotten over him."
Lucy turned her attention to the trees that have been accumulating as they went farther towards the forest, thinking of what the armor mage had just revealed. Erza wasn't in love with Jellal anymore… So who was she in love with? 'Could it be Gray?' Lucy wondered, but soon after that thought she shook her head. 'No, I highly doubt that. Not with the way she's been acting towards him lately. Maybe Natsu…? No, no, there's no way… Unless she's into air-headed idiots…' Lucy became more and more disgruntled as she went down the list of potentials, shaking her head in disagreement at every single one. 'Gajeel? … No, absolutely not. Laxus? … I don't even ever see them talk to one another… You know what, why don't I just ask her instead of trying to figure it out myself?' Lucy turned her gaze to the other again. She hoped Erza trusted her enough to tell her. "Um… Erza? Who is it that you're in love with?"
Lucy could've sworn a flash of pain and sadness crossed the Fairy Queen's face, but when she tried to get a closer look, the woman's face had become indifferent. Suddenly, Erza steered the vehicle off the path and stopped it beside a large tree. She unstrapped the pump from her arm and stood up. "We've arrived." She said, her tone as emotionless as her eyes. After that statement, she stepped down from the vehicle and onto the grass covered floor.
Lucy stared at her with a slightly shocked expression until the red head disappeared around the car. Did this mean that she didn't trust her enough with the knowledge of who she liked? This thought greatly depressed the stellar mage. She hopped off of the car and followed after the other woman in time to see the car door open. Natsu fell out onto the ground, his face the greenest she's ever seen it. Gray soon followed along with Happy.
"Because of your horrible driving, Natsu threw up." The ice mage stated, pointing over his shoulder at the inside of the car.
"We'll take care of it later." Erza replied, peering around at their surroundings. "The magic four-wheeler should be fine here. Not many people travel this road and it blends in well with the trees."
"Why did you lose control before anyway?" Gray asked curiously.
"It's not important. For now, we should head deeper into the forest and search for the plant."
Natsu, having now recovered, looked up from his spot on the floor, his eyes going back and forth from Lucy to Erza. A rather devious smile appeared on his face. "Were you guys doing something naughty in the front?" He was answered by Erza's foot smashing into his gut.
"We're wasting time." The young woman said as if nothing happened, ignoring the groans of pain the fire mage emitted. She turned and began walking into the forest.
"W-wait up, Erza!" Lucy called, chasing after the red head.
"C'mon, flame brain." Gray told the dragonslayer before following after the girls.
Natsu groaned a bit more as he picked himself off of the floor. Happy flew up and plopped himself on top of the boy's head once he was fully standing. "Ready, Happy?" He asked the cat with a wide grin on his face.
"Aye!"
Natsu took off into the trees. "Then let's go!"
"Don't you think we're deep enough yet?" Natsu inquired for the umpteenth time, dragging his feet through the dirt as he followed his companions.
"For the last time, Natsu, no!" Lucy snapped irritably.
"You're so annoying." Gray muttered, sounding utterly bored.
The dragonslayer cast a glare at the eighteen year old. "Huh? What was that, icicle breath? Trying to pick a fight?"
"Enough." Erza reprimanded before a fight could ensue.
"Why don't we split up to cover more ground?" Natsu suggested, though Lucy suspected that he would go off to find something to fight.
Everyone else was silent, probably thinking the same thing. Finally Erza said, "That might not be a bad idea." Lucy looked at her in slight surprise as Gray let out a weary sigh.
"Great! So Lucy, Happy and I'll go this way while–"
"Lucy and I will go this way." The Titania interrupted, sending a cold glare in Natsu's direction. "Natsu, you, Gray and Happy will go in the other direction. Gray, make sure Natsu doesn't cause any trouble."
Gray sighed again. "Great, I'm stuck babysitting." He muttered under his breath, knowing full well the pink haired mage could hear him.
"Say that again, I dare you!"
"What, are you deaf now? Or are you just stupid?"
When Natsu raised his fist threateningly, Erza cut in. "Natsu, Gray, don't cause problems. If you run into any trouble–"
The flame mage laughed as a smile appeared on the ice mage's face. "C'mon, Erza! It's us you're talking about!" Natsu jeered.
Erza and Lucy both couldn't help but share in their humor, smiles stretching their mouths. "Very well." The red head replied, her face becoming serious once again. "I trust you'll be able to find us then?"
Gray nodded as the other boy grinned. "Of course! I can find Lucy's scent anywhere!"
Before Lucy could comment on how weird that sounded, Gray elbowed him in the side. "Let's get going already." The exhibitionist said, spinning on his heels and walking away. Natsu jumped up and chased after him, yelling insults at the top of his lungs with Happy flying behind him.
Lucy shook her head wearily and glanced over to see that Erza had already begun walking in the opposite direction. She jogged to catch up to the older woman and fell into step beside her. As they trekked deeper through the forest, it became more difficult to walk due to the increasing amounts of tree roots covering the ground. Lucy stumbled a few times as she struggled to keep up with the fast paced Titania. The girl bitterly noted that the other wasn't having any apparent difficulty with the terrain.
"H-hey, Erza?" Lucy called out to the woman who was now a few strides ahead of her. "C-can you slow down –" Her foot got caught on a root and she gave a startled yelp as she fell towards the floor. Before she made impact however, a pair of arms wrapped around her waist, stopping her from falling. Lucy grabbed whatever was in her reach to steady herself, and found her hands on something cold and smooth. The blonde's eyes blinked open, finding herself face to face with a concerned looking Erza. The red head's hands were placed on Lucy's hips while her own hands were gripping the Fairy Queen's armored shoulders, their bodies nearly pressing against each other.
"Lucy, are you alright?" Erza asked in a worried tone.
The girl in question blushed at their close proximity, but she didn't try to back away. "I'm fine." She said in a quietly shy voice.
Erza noticeably relaxed, apparently relieved by the news. "That's good." She murmured. The scarlet haired woman too made no attempt to separate from the seventeen year old, and they remained like that, their faces only inches apart for what seemed like a good five minutes. Finally Erza's hands fell to her sides and she took a step back, a regretful look upon her face. "We should return to searching for the plant." She said quietly, and then made to turn around.
Before she could, Lucy reached out and wrapped her hand around the woman's wrist. Erza turned her head to look down at the girl with a puzzled expression.
"Erza… You trust me, right?" The blonde asked, uncertainty in her voice.
"Of course I do, Lucy." The Titania replied, unsure as to why she would be asking something such as that.
Lucy, who had been peering down at the ground looked upward to gaze into the brown eyes staring down at her. "If you trust me, why won't you tell me who it is you like?"
Erza stiffened. Again? They were talking about this again? Why couldn't she just let it go…?
"Lucy…" Erza muttered, turning her gaze to the side. "Now isn't the time for –"
"Why are you evading the question?" The seventeen year olds voice came off as loud and angered. "You said you trust me, but apparently you don't trust me enough to tell me something simple like this –"
Erza grasped the younger girl's arms and stared at her with a pained expression. "I trust you more than you know! … But I can't tell you, Lucy… I can't risk losing her…"
Lucy's mind went blank. 'Her? The person Erza likes is… a girl?! No way…'
Erza was silent for a moment, simply gazing down at the other in front of her. When she opened her mouth to speak, she froze and her eyes widened.
The celestial mage noticed the change in her expression. "Erza? What's wrong –" The next thing the blonde knew, she was roughly pulled into the red head's embrace, narrowly dodging a knife that flew past and that would have hit her if she had remained in the spot a moment longer. The knife emitted a loud noise as it embedded itself into a tree's trunk behind them. Lucy fearfully looked up at the Fairy Queen as the woman protectively held the girl against her, her eyes narrowed as she peered off into the forest's dark depths. "Erza, what's going on?" Lucy asked, her alarmed voice barely louder than a whisper.
When Erza spoke next, her tone was loud and authoritive, and it wasn't directed towards the girl in her arms. "Don't hide like cowards. Show yourself."
Lucy stared up at her in confusion before turning her gaze to the forest around them. At first all she saw was darkness, but after several long seconds passed, she saw dark figures stepping out into her vision. They wore black and dark green clothing, easily blending into their surroundings. Half of their faces were covered by masks and fabric, their piercing eyes the only things visible. They had objects clutched in their hands, and after straining her eyes Lucy saw that they were holding an array of weapons.
'They must be bandits…!' The blonde thought, fighting to keep herself calm.
Erza released the girl from her embrace in order to stand in front of her protectively, standing in between Lucy and the oncoming men.
One of the bandits stepped forward, a large battle axe in his hand. He had a wide frame and broad shoulders, and part of his forearms was visible, revealing grotesque tattoos. A bandana was wrapped around the top of his head, and his unfriendly dark eyes peered down at the two girls. He raised his weapon to point it at them in a threatening manner, and a low, rough voice came from beneath his mask. "You've crossed into Blood Hound territory. Whatever reason you had for coming here, you won't be leaving this forest alive." At that, more men stepped out from the trees, surrounding the two mages and leaving no way to escape.
A dark expression appeared on the Titania's face, not needing to look around to know they were completely surrounded. She glared up at the burly man a few feet away. "Lay a hand on us, and I can't promise that you'll leave unscathed." She hissed loudly.
The giant man, obviously the leader, seemed to grow in size as he looked down at the red head with a boiling rage. "Learn your place, bitch! You're in our territory! Don't you know who I am? I am Shifner the Fearless, the leader of the Blood Hound bandits!"
"And I am Erza Scarlet, a mage of Fairy Tail!" The young woman said, her voice raised.
At the name of the guild, the majority of the bandits shrank back slightly.
"I'm sure you've heard of my guild before." She continued, "Of how powerful we are. You should make the right decision and leave now, or else I'll have you running with your tail between your legs." As if to emphasize her point, a sword appeared in her hand in a flash of white light.
The bandit leader's eyes grew wide in rage. "How dare you! I'll cut out your tongue, bitch! Get them!"
The bandits charged forward from all sides. Lucy quickly unhooked her whip and keys from her hip as Erza took a defensive stance. As soon as the men got close enough the Fairy Queen's blade slashed through the air, sending the nearest bandits flying. With a swipe of her hand, Lucy used her whip to trip the closest man to her, and then embedded the heel of her shoe in the gut of another.
'Lucy Kick!' The blonde thought smugly, thinking it wasn't quite the right time to say it aloud. When four of the bandits surrounded her, her hand rose, pointing one of her golden keys towards the sky. "Open, the gate of the golden bull!" Lucy shouted, "Taurus!"
In a flash of light the black and white cow man was there. With a great yell of, "Mmoooooo!" he swung his giant axe and cleared the bandits away. The other surrounding men hesitated, and the bull took that chance to turn to Lucy with hearts in his eyes. "Lucy-san, your body looks perfect today!" He sang happily.
Lucy facepalmed. "Not now, Taurus!" She snapped, catching sight of Erza who was easily taking care of at least a dozen bandits a few feet away. Among them was Shifner, who was swinging his axe wildly, apparently not caring if he hit any of his men. Lucy knew that Erza could easily take him out, but the grunts kept getting in the red head's way. "Taurus, let's help out Erza!" She called to the cow man who had just blown a bandit away with his axe.
"I will protect Lucy-san and Erza-san's wonderful bodies!" The perverted bull proclaimed before charging at some of the men standing in between him and the Titania.
Lucy herself rushed at one of the bandits, catching him off guard. Her whip wrapped around his weapon and she sent it flying through the air, landing squarely on another bandit's head. When he collapsed to the floor, Lucy swiped her leg under the other and he fell with a thud. The celestial mage glanced over at Erza again to see unconscious bodies piling up around her. However more bandits were quickly swarming around her. The blonde noticed that most of them paid her no attention and went straight to attacking the nineteen year old, probably thinking that she was of no threat, or at least not as much of a threat as the scarlet haired woman. This left the seventeen year old quite miffed.
'I'll show them that I can be as much of a threat as Erza!' Lucy thought irritably, but when she took a step forward, something caught her eye. Shifner was sneaking away from the fray, a rather nasty gash on his chest and a shallow cut on his face, probably gotten from Erza's sword. Lucy knew it wouldn't be wise to let him escape; he might be going to get reinforcements. She cast a last glance at the young woman. Erza was dealing with maybe fifteen bandits all at once. But Taurus was rushing to her side, easily bashing the men away. 'They'll be fine.' Lucy thought, turning and following after the bandit leader who had disappeared into the trees.
None of the grunts chased after her, which she found quite fortunate. As she ran through the trees, she wasn't sure if she was going the right way and hoped that she wouldn't get lost. She continued on, taking care not to trip, and noticed that the forest was beginning to thin. She wondered if this was the edge of the woods, but then she pushed through a wall of greenery and entered a clearing. The grassy area was completely surrounded by trees; however one side was a cliff, overlooking another segment of the forest. Lucy didn't dwell on the fact that the view was quite beautiful because she caught sight of the burly bandit struggling across the clearing, one hand clutching his chest where the deep cut was and the other grasping his axe.
"I thought you said you were Shifner the Fearless?" Lucy called after him, causing him to freeze. "So why are you running away?"
Shifner turned towards her with a glare. "Shifner the Fearless never runs away!" He hefted his axe up and grasped the handle with both hands, readying himself in a battle position.
"Could've fooled me." Lucy muttered, gripping the whip in her hand tighter.
With a roar the bandit charged at the blonde, swinging his weapon down at her head. The girl quickly jumped out of the way and the axe came crashing down into the ground. While the blade was still embedded in the dirt, Lucy ran behind him, and with a flick of her hand, wrapped her whip around the man's neck and pulled. A gurgling sound came from his mouth and he released his weapon to raise his hands to his neck. Lucy was caught by surprise when he spun around and grabbed her whip, giving it a strong tug that caused her to be pulled along and come crashing to the ground. Lucy grunted in pain and lifted herself up, but then a foot collided into her side and she toppled to the floor again, coughing.
"You aren't as strong as the other bitch, are you?" Shifner said, his voice smug and slightly cracked from having just been almost choked. "Good. I'm going to enjoy killing you."
Lucy was lifted by the front of her shirt and carried to the cliff. Her hands attempted to pry herself loose from his grip along the way, but his massive hands held her too tightly. When he held her right over the edge, she let out a small gasp when she looked down. The cliff was a lot higher up then she had originally thought. If she fell from here…
"I'm sick of looking at your face." Shifner said, and his grip on her shirt loosened. "Time to die, bitch."
'Is this really how it's going to end?' She thought, 'All I wanted was to be helpful, and yet…'
As the fabric slipped through his hand, she closed her eyes and the last thought that passed through her mind was, 'Erza…'
"LUCY!"
I apologize if the ending is a bit rushed... I just really wanted to be done with it. Sorry about the little cliffhanger at the end too. ^_^"
REVIEW! I know a good number of you leave reviews already, and I greatly appreciate that, but I have about 60 followers for this story. It's great knowing that people find it interesting enough that they're willing to wait for more chapters, but seriously, I want your feedback. Obviously you like it if you favorited and/or followed it, but I don't know WHY you like it. That's where your review comes in. Even something simple like, "Cute story" is acceptable. I mean, I like favorites and follows as much as the next guy, but, and I'm sure many of you agree with me on this, what we look forward to are the reviews. They tell us if we're doing something right! Or wrong, depending. SO PLEASE, REVIEW! It would make me ever so happy! ... Although I bet at least half of you won't even bother reading this long paragraph... but I thought I'd say something anyway.