Hi again! This one's really short 'cause I don't have a lot of time today, and it's got a different sort of tone than the rest have had so far, but I like how it turned out. It's sort of set very shortly after Lucy joins Fairy Tail, in case you happen to wonder.

Enjoy!

#8 Apathy

He is everything she's never understood. He is laughter, he is immaturity, he is strength, he is insanity, and he is freedom. He does what he wants to and goes where he pleases. He makes mistakes and he causes problems and he makes people angry, and he laughs it off with his famous grin and an innocent shrug of his shoulders. From the outside, he is careless and irresponsible. But she knows better. She knows the truth, and it baffles her.

All her life, she had been taught to be the perfect heiress. She was smart. She was quiet. She was gentle and she was polite. She studied and she read and she practiced and she learned. Her clothes were clean and perfect, her hair shiny and straight. She never left the estate without permission or instruction. She was warned not to trust too blindly or to care too deeply, and always to look after herself first, because no matter where she goes, other people will do the same.

But he is her opposite in every way. Where she is careful, he is reckless. Where she is polite, he is informal. Where she is neat, he is relaxed. And where she is guarded, he is passionate. He makes her question herself and the life she has lived, and he makes her realize that all she knows is wrong. He is what's right, and he is what she wants to be.

She sees his recklessness for what it really is. She was taught to see through the false niceties of others, to know when people are cold and cruel and seek to use her. And because of that, she finds it easy to see anyone's true intentions. And his are not what they seem. He appears too careless, but the reality is that he cares too much. His love and his protectiveness and his heart fuel his actions. He will do whatever it takes to keep safe the people and the things he cares for, and at first glance it makes him look irresponsible. But to those who know him, he is the best there is. And she could see it from the day they met.

When he smiles, it looks easy-going and carefree, but if you look closely you can see the promise to protect. His eyes are lazy and shine with mirth, but deep inside they hide an intense fear of losing what he holds dear. He jokes and he laughs while he screams and he cries, and he is strong because of the strength he inspires in others – especially in her. He is everything she never knew she wanted, and everything she always wished was real.

So in turn, she promises to care for him, because after all the care he gives she thinks he deserves some in return. But she is different, as in every other way. His care is fierce and strong, and hers is soft and gentle. He gives her strength and confidence, and she gives him peace and normalcy.

They are opposites, but in that they are the same. He lives from his heart, just as she does. They know what it's like to lose something important, and they know that it's what they want never to experience again. It may make him look careless, and it may make her look weak, but what matters most is that she knows the truth, and she knows he does too.

And even if no one else sees it, she is proud of him, and of the person he can help her to be.

Yay! I know this one was a bit different but I wanted to get one up today and I didn't really have anything planned, so I literally pulled up a random number generator and just went into MS Word and wrote what first came to mind. It turned out as more of a drabble, but meh, there's gonna be fifty one-shots in here. They can't all be action-packed, haha.

Also congrats to anyone who caught the subtle Doctor Who reference in the last chapter, haha (I know KitkatTenshi and Gotta Dance 88 both mentioned in reviews, so this is for them and any other silent fans, haha) :)

See ya soon!

-oMM