A/N: I am not dead. I'm just half way there.
Lol, just kidding. Hello everyone! Sorry for the EXTREMELY late update. Senior year in college kind of just hit me like a lay of bricks. One day everything was fine and dandy, and then BAM. Next thing you know I'm drowning in my three jobs, school work, club activities, and applications for nursing and grad school. But, you don't need to listen to my ramblings. Point is, I'm back.
And I apologize once more for such a long time in between updates! I've made the point to make this chapter longer than what I wanted the chapters to be to accommodate for the time period gone. I won't spend more time on my endless rambles.
I hope you all enjoy!
I don't own Fairy Tail nor it's contents.
From Across the Hall
-O-
Chapter 3: Hard Days Work
You can do this.
You can do this.
Relax, Lucy. You can do this.
That was the mantra that she had been repeating to herself for the last hour or so. A few days had passed since Lucy had formally met Mira and Gray and was offered the opportunity to work at Fairy Diner. As excited as she was, she was also anxious.
Not that this wasn't her first job, but this was her first job without a familiar face around. Magnolia was still completely new to Lucy, and without the help of her new friends, she'd be a lost cause. Not to mention, they had been completely enthralled by Allison and loved having her around. It made it easier for Lucy in the long run.
"Mommy! Are we going back with Auntie Mira today!?"
Allison came bursting through the door with a grin. Her tiny backpack was in her hands as a jacket was fit snug around her body. Her bright, blue eyes shone with excitement as she zipped up the bag in her hand.
Lucy sighed at the mention of the new nickname her daughter had for the pseudo owner of Fairy Diner. It had happened the other day after she had picked up her new uniform. She had been having a conversation with Mira when Allison had come back from the playground and began a new conversation. Halfway through the conversation, she dropped the name.
At first, Lucy was mortified. Calling Aquarius and Virgo "Auntie" was one thing, but giving that name to someone they hadn't known too long was embarrassing.
Luckily, Mira was accepting of it and indulged herself.
It was one less thing that she had to worry about.
"Yes. Now, get your coat on. I don't want you catching a cold."
Allison nodded with a smile as she ran off into the living room.
Reaching for her keys, Lucy full of excitement and apprehension. This was the first step of Lucy's and Allison's new life. Moving had been the first feat, finding a new job, the second. But this was the start. This was where Lucy would begin to make strides for not only her daughter, but herself.
"Mommy! I'm ready!"
Reaching out a hand to Allison, Lucy tightened her grip on her daughter, locking the apartment door behind them. She casted a quick glance at the door across the hall, but as quick as it came, it disappeared just as fast.
The trip to the diner didn't take too long as they spotted the infamous building straight ahead. Lucy could feel the nerves in her body tighten, the uncertainty settling in the pit of her stomach. Mind racing with the unexpected, she remained confident in her stature. If there was one thing that she had learned as a Heartfilia it was to stand tall and stay prideful. She would remain utterly confident in herself.
When they entered the diner, it was already in full swing of activity. Faces that Lucy had begun to familiarize herself with were in her line of vision. Some greeted her with a nod or smiles, others had casted her a glance, eyes looking up then down.
So typical.
Allison was already beginning to pull away from her, her small frame leaning towards the playground outside full of children. But Lucy would not give in to the temptation of her daughter's infamous puppy eyes and the quivering of the lip. A tight hold on her small hand and her daughter's body slumped. A smirk of victory reached her lips.
"Oh, Lucy! You're here!" Called woman found Mira standing in her uniform with a tray of food in her hands. She turned red on sight as more eyes fell on her.
"Good morning, Mira!"
"Hi Auntie Mira!" The blue eyed Heartfilia jumped as she waved with a bright smile encased on her face. The white haired maiden smiled sweetly.
"Good morning, sweetheart." In a flash, Mira had set out all the plates of food on the bar line, guests new and old thanking the bar maiden for her delivery.
It was kind of amazing how good she was at her job.
"You ready to start, Lucy?"
Taking a moment to recollect her thoughts, Lucy gave a confident smile as her eyes burned with determination. "You betcha!"
Kneeling down to fix Allison's outfit, Lucy pulled Allison's backpack off her back. "Alright, honey. Mommy has to work now so you can go to the playground. If anything happens, just come back inside okay? But don't try to ask mommy for too much because she needs to work."
Nodding her head in understanding, the youngest Heartfilia threw her arms around her mom. "Good luck on your first day, Mommy!"
Lucy smiled as she gave a chaste kiss on the top of her daughter's head. Allison ran off towards the playground and the blonde turned her attention towards the white haired maiden on the other side.
"Alright, Lucy. I'm going to go over things quickly. We don't have time for me to go over things slowly with you. You got that?" Lucy nodded with a determined stare.
Mira smiled wickedly. "Great. Let's get to it."
-O-
After the morning rush, Lucy sat, releasing a heavy sigh. She commended Mira for the work she did. Watching the snow haired maiden from the other side of the counter, she did it so flawlessly. Mira hardly even broke a sweat.
Lucy held high respect for the older woman. She made it look like a walk in the park. Though she was hot on her tail, Lucy was having a hard time just keeping up. But, the hardest part of the day wasn't even over.
She had yet to meet Mira's husband, Laxus. From what she could gather, he was somewhat of a mute, and only really spoke when he needed too. He also was rumored to have quite the temper and rarely listened to opinions of others. Apparently, he had quite the rebellious streak when he was younger, but has since then matured.
Of course she had heard all this from Natsu. Lucy couldn't really tell whether his bias was right or wrong. From what she had heard from others around her, and by others she means the Fairy Tail Diner regulars, Laxus was a stubborn fool who was wrapped around Mira's finger. She didn't know whether she should be anxious for their initial meeting or not.
"Great job, Lucy!"
The blonde looked up to Mira smiling down at her with a glass of water in her hand. She smiled at the white haired maiden as she reached for the glass in her hands.
"Thanks… I never imagined it would get this busy. It's insane how it's only a few of you working at a time!" Mira giggled as she sat down next to her.
"Well, we manage somehow. We've all become very good at handling business here. But, you've done such a great job today! I'm impressed! I would have never thought you didn't have experience before."
Lucy blushed, her cheeks growing hot. She owed her experience to Aquarius, who engrained the importance of hard work into her. After leaving home, Lucy realized the true meaning of hard work and earning your own keep. Especially with a daughter to look after, she had taken initiative to better herself at whatever job she could find.
"I just do as I'm told and hope I do it right." Mira smiled as she padded Lucy down on the head.
"Well, you're doing a great job! Keep it up!" Lucy offered another smile in return as Mira returned to the front. She sighed again, looking down at her hands.
Day 1, Lucy. Move forward from here.
Standing up confident and with a look of fierce determination, Lucy walked back into the diner, prepared for the late lunch rush that Mira had warned her about.
Speaking of lunch time…
Lucy's eyes looked out towards the playground that her daughter had been in for a majority of the morning. Allison was standing off to the side, staring out at the city with her bright, blue eyes. Though her daughter was young, she had inherited Lucy's sense of adventure. It was her own fault really. Lucy indulged her with stories of perilous, yet exciting adventures since her daughter's birth. Every night, the oldest Heartfilia shared or created a story to put her daughter to sleep.
And every night, with bright, doe eyes, Allison would listen.
It was time for Allison to come in and have her lunch while also reading the next chapter in her favorite book. Coming from behind the counter, Lucy walked towards the playground on the other side of the restaurant.
"Allison, honey! Time to come in for lunch!"
The young blonde shifted her gaze towards her mother with a smile. Next to her, was the young girl in the cowgirl's hat that had become great friends with her daughter in the last few days.
"Coming Mommy!"
Allison reached for her backpack next to her and ran towards Lucy. The dark haired girl came right behind her.
"Hi Ms. Heartfilia!"
Lucy smiled at her daughter's new friend. "Hi there Asuka. How are you doing today?"
"Great! Thanks for letting me play with Ally today!"
"It was super fun, right Asuka!" Allison and Asuka nodded at each other with smiles wide on their faces.
"I'm glad to hear. But Allison has to come in and eat now, okay? Say bye to Asuka, honey."
The blue eyed girl waved goodbye to her friend and followed her mother back inside. Out of the corner of her eye, Lucy watched as the young Asuka ran to her parents that were sitting in the corner of the restaurant. Asuka's parents, Bisca and Alzack Connell were from the western part of Fiore. It was easy to tell they were from the west as they took on a more traditional look from the infamous Wild, Wild West theme. But, they were very sweet and their daughter was equally as sweet.
Allison jumped onto her usual bar stool seat at the rail and took her book out of her backpack. Lucy already placed the order for her daughter and watched as she began to read away at the chapter book in her hands.
"She's quite the reader, isn't she?" Mira asked as she came up to Lucy.
"Partially my fault, really. I've loved books my entire life. My mother made sure to read me bedtime stories every night before bed. It's something I do with Allison now, and she's hooked."
"Well, I can't say that's necessarily a bad thing, right? Isn't it every parent's dream for their child to have their kid's nose in a book rather than in a phone?" Lucy chuckled and reached for the ticket on the window.
"I guess so. Allison loves reading as much as she loves her sweets. It's difficult to get her to do her chores when she's into what she's reading."
"Well, I would take it as a blessing, Lucy. Not many kids are sitting down at bar rails, reading chaptered books at 4 years old." Mira smiled then walked towards a pair of men that had just sat the bar rail.
Lucy dropped off Allison's food in front of her, but her daughter hardly paid much attention as she was engrossed into her book. Before she could comment, Mira called for Lucy as it looked like their lunch rush was about to start.
"Who's the looker, Mira?"
"This pretty lady is definitely new! These days you only see Cana, Laki, or yourself hanging around here!"
Lucy blushed immediately and Mira shot a glare to the two older gentlemen sitting at the bar seats. Both were much older in age as one was balding and the other had heavy bags under his eyes. The older man with the heavy bags was chastised by Mira immediately when she noticed the pipe in his mouth.
"Wakaba! How many times must I tell you no smoking! Besides, there are children in here!" Three pairs of eyes wondered over towards the oblivious Heartfilia who had her nose in her book.
Lucy thanked Mira for her interjection or else she would have done it herself.
"Ah, sorry Mira."
"So, who's the pretty lady?" Lucy could hear them whispering about her again as she rolled the silverware. The blush on her face grew even more immensely.
"Hush now, you old pervert." As much as she wanted to glare and put one of these forks in the man's eye, she knew she had to refrain herself. Chills down her spine as she thought about the disgusting, lustful man that she had been around her entire life. Vultures, all of them. They use to surround her mom like she was nothing more than meat on the table.
If it wasn't for her father and his ties to her, they could have very well devoured her.
As she grew older, the stares never stopped.
"My name is Lucy. Nice to meet you both." Both men jumped in surprise as if they were caught. But, their whisperings weren't very low to begin with. The red tinge on their cheeks indicated their embarrassment.
"Oh don't pay any attention to them, Lucy. They are just old perverts that still hang around here."
"Mira!" In unison, they flushed. She couldn't hold back her laughter.
The older Heartfilia sweat dropped. It was like Mira was the oldest and she was chastising two young, prepubescent boys.
"This is Macao, and this is Wakaba." The white haired maiden started, "As I said, don't pay any mind to them."
"We aren't as bad as she's making us out to be!" The balding man said, "Ahem, as Mira was saying. I'm Macao, and this is Wakaba. Pleasure to meet you, Lucy!"
Lucy smiled, waving a hello. "And this is my daughter, Allison. Honey, say hello." The young blonde looked up from her book, a small glare wondering why her mom decided to disrupt her reading when she did.
Wakaba's and Macao's eyes went wide as they shifted their gazes between both Lucy and Allison. Their mouths dropped and inwardly, Lucy smirked. That should get them off my back.
"Hello." Allison greeted with a quick smile, but then quickly went back to her book, not caring what the two gentlemen's response was.
"Daughter!?" They both shouted.
Mira shot them a look. "Don't be rude, you two!"
Lucy couldn't help but chuckle. But, Mira-san. You did the same thing.
"Are ya sure? You two look like you could be-"
"Sisters?" Lucy was sure she'd be a lot better off with how many times she has heard that phrase. It was just great genes that her daughter happened to look like her replica. As much as it pained her to think, with whatever genetics she came down with, Allison was going to be blessed with her looks. Her father was quite the looker.
"Yeah! Sisters definitely!" It sounded almost like they were trying to fish for a compliment for her.
Mira rolled her eyes, but also chuckled shortly after. Confused as to why Mira would pass on such behavior, Lucy concluded that the snow white maiden must had known these gentlemen for some time now. Despite their ridiculous comments, she could tell that they meant no harm.
"Well, thank you."
"Her kid can't be that much younger than yours, right Macao?" Wakaba asked and Macao hmmed, putting a finger to his chin.
"Allison's 4." Lucy responded as she took the plate away from the guest sitting next to Macao.
"4?!" Both replied with their mouths wide open.
Lucy couldn't help but laugh at their reaction. Allison's maturity deceives the true nature of her age, even though the young Heartfilia really is a four-year-old at heart. With all the two have endured, especially Ally in her short life, it's no wonder that she seems older then what she really is.
"Romeo is almost 13, you idiot Wakaba! Definitely not her kid's age and nowhere near it!" Macao replied and Wakaba narrowed his already slit eyes.
The two began to argue back and forth, causing Allison to tear her eyes away from her book and giggle at the two aging men. Both stopped immediately at the sound of her giggle and looked at the child.
"You two misters are pretty funny! Really loud, but funny!" She smiled and Lucy's mouth dropped, horrified.
When was her daughter ever going to learn!?
"Allison Heartfilia!" At the sound of her name, the young bright eyed girl tried to hide in her shoulders. "You know better than to say things like that. What has auntie Aquarius taught you?"
The child went pale white and Lucy sighed. She looked over at the two men, who were now laughing.
"Oh Lucy, don't be so hard on her. These old geezers over here are rather brash and loud." Mira attempted to smooth over the atmosphere with her motherly touch and Macao leaned in on the table and smiled.
"Mira's not wrong, Miss Lucy. We have been around a long time, and we are always this type of loud. You're kid just got a lot of spunk to call us out! Reminds me of a few kids we know."
Macao and Wakaba shared a grin with one another and Lucy was suddenly confused. Mira joined in their grinning as she nodded. "Oh absolutely."
With Lucy lost in confusion with their conversation, Allison took advantage of the situation and tried to hide away from her mother's wrath. But before she could even hop off the seat, Lucy put a hand on her small one. Allison looked up with pleading eyes.
"Oh no, young lady. You will stay here in this seat and read for an extra 30 minutes." Lucy and Allison shared a look and the young Heartfilia sighed and begrudgingly opened her book with a pout.
With a job well done under her belt, she turned back towards the trio and suddenly stopped at their faces of awe. Macao's jaw practically hit the ground as his eyes were popping out of his.
"What?" She asked.
"You know Lucy, for someone as young as you are, you have shown to be a really great mother so far. That's hard to see these days." Mira commented.
Lucy blushed. "Well, I merely go off of the lessons that my mother has taught me over the years."
"I could never get Romeo to sit still for a damn minute! How the hell- I mean heck was she able to do that?!" Macao received two harsh glares, one from Mira and the other from Lucy.
Don't you dare curse in front of that child.
Mira's eyes were gleaming in the sunlight, but her glare was fierce as she once was.
"Good afternoon, everyone!"
The tension was broken in a matter of seconds as Lucy's eyes landed on the new voice that joined the conversation. Macao and Wakaba greeted the newcomer with bright grins and a tilt of the head.
"Howdy, Levy!"
"How ya doing, Levy?"
The stranger – Levy - was a petite, young woman with beautiful charcoal blue hair that was held back by a stylish orange bandana that matched her outfit quite well. She had on red glasses and placed a stack of books right next to Allison. Her daughter's eyes went to the books and grew slightly.
"Oh Levy! Welcome back!" Mira gleamed and Lucy raised a brow. She took a peak at the books in her collection. Jane Austen, Fitzgerald, and other of her favorites part of her collection. Lucy was itching to see the titles she had collected.
"Hi Mira! Long time no see!" The young woman's eyes shifted towards the blonde and she blinked. Lucy smiled awkwardly. Mira giggled. "Levy's" eyes went down to her daughter and her brows rose.
"Magic Tree House books, huh? That's pretty impressive for someone young like you."
Levy offered a smile to Allison, who looked up from her book. Her blue eyes shifted immediately to Lucy. The blonde smiled and nodded her head, encouraging the conversation. Unnoticed to Lucy, Levy's eyes went back and forth rather quickly.
"I really like to read. I think these books are really cool!"
The petite woman – Levy - giggled as Allison's shy smile grew.
"I think those books are really fun too." She blinked and Allison grinned.
"Are those your books, Miss?"
The stranger smiled. "Yes. I work at the library, so I get to take a lot of books home with me."
"You have quite the extensive collection." Shutting her mouth quickly, Lucy internally cursed.
Now why did she have to go and open her mouth?
"I mean, I just noticed Austen and Fitzgerald. Those are instant classics. Not just anyone will read those titles, nor authors unless they understand the diction and purpose of their writing." Lucy defended and Levy's eyes went wide.
Allison cocked her head to the side.
"Are you a fan of old literature?" Levy asked.
"Am I ever. Austen, Bronte, Gaskell, Butler. They all have wonderful stories to tell! Some have been a bit too dark for my taste, but the way they have perfectly woven their words together and crafted them into endless tales. Not many people can understand the art and mastery behind their words!"
Levy's eyes grew along with her smile. She clasped her hands together and practically jumped off the bar stool, surprising Mira, Macao, and Wakaba (oops, they were still there, weren't they?).
And Lucy definitely had a job to do. Not talk to a stranger about her addiction to classic literature.
"You love Bronte?! I have read most of her pieces!" Lucy could hear Mira giggle in the background, saying something to Wakaba and Macao. Allison was watching the conversation intently. "And you know the other author's too! It's so difficult to find others who love these authors outside of teenagers who are required to read them in their classes."
"That's where I was introduced to them. And continued reading their books since then." Lucy's excitement rose as she connected with this stranger who loved the classics as much as she did.
"Girl! Where have you been all my life!" Levy jumped up from her seat and smacked her hands on the table, making Allison jump. "You're my new best friend! My name's Levy McGarden, but you can just call me Levy!"
New… best friend?
"Oh! Umm, my name's Lucy Heartfilia, but you can just call me Lucy." She smiled and stretched her hand out towards her daughter. "And this is Allison, my daughter."
Levy looked down towards the young Heartfilia and smiled. Putting her hands on her knees, Levy lowered herself to be at eye level with Allison. "Hi there, sweetheart! My name is Levy and it's very nice to meet you."
Allison hid behind her book at first, but gradually put it down and returned the smile. "Hi Miss Levy!"
"Looks like the reading gene was passed down because I can see that someone likes to read, hmm?" Ally's eyes lit up and she nodded vigorously with a grin so big.
"Mommy always tells me the best stories! Especially before bed time!"
Lucy watched as her new… friend? sat and listened to her daughter ramble on about her stories. She had been waiting for it; for the Wow, you are so young! You could be sisters!
But Levy had yet to say it. In fact, she didn't even blink at the introduction. The stark similarities between Allison and herself made it obvious that they were related. How? No one would know unless told.
"I bet your mom is the best story teller, huh?"
Lucy blushed at Levy's comment. But Allison just continued to nod as she raved on about her mother.
"Okay, honey. That's enough. You can continue playing outside now."
The book fell to the table instantly, the grin lighting up her face. "YAY. It was nice meeting you Miss Levy! Bye bye now!"
She jumped off the stool and ran off towards the playground with Lucy calling out to her. "Allison! Don't run through the restaurant!" but it was no use as the young blonde was already out the door, playing with other children.
"Heh, no matter how mature a kid might be, they're still kids." Macao commented as he leaned against the table.
"She moved so fast. I barely saw the kid run out!" Wakaba followed as he began to light his cigar. Mira scowled and smacked the lighter away from his hand. She pulled the cigar from his mouth and scolded him.
"What did I say about that filthy habit of yours? Honestly, Wakaba. You are going to dig yourself into an early grave. You have a family to think about." Both Lucy and Levy chuckled. Watching Mira scold these two grown men was like watching a mother scold their children for eating too much candy.
"Dammit woman! You're always making me feel bad about the things I do!"
"Only because I care! Now, put it away!" Mira threw the cigar back at him and Macao snickered.
"Always the slave driver, aren't ya Mira?"
Mira gave a sharp look in Macao's direction, but then smirked. "Now, you know that title belongs to Erza."
Both grown men paled instantly and Lucy was confused. Who was this Erza and why did these grown, adult men pale at the mention of her name?
"Your daughter has quite the spirit, doesn't she?" Lucy turned her attention back towards Levy and couldn't help but laugh.
"I guess you could put it that way. I can't keep up with her and I'm not even old yet!"
Both women laughed. "I'd imagine kids make you feel that way. I don't work with kids too often, but there are always so many here at the Diner that I feel like I have so many of my own."
Now that she thought about it, Lucy did notice there was always someone for Ally to play with at the playground. There were quite a few children that run amuck the restaurant. It was probably just the atmosphere of the place, she concluded.
"One is enough for right now." Levy joined in her laughter and she put a hand under her chin.
"So, you must be new in town I'd imagine?" The blonde sighed. Was it that obvious? She tried to make it seem like she had become accustomed to the city and its prosperous life, but coming from a small town didn't help her case. She was still always asking questions. Poor Mira was probably sick of her by now.
She nodded. "Yes. I just moved from Hargeon."
"That trader town in the East? Wow, you've come a long ways!" Huh, Gray had said the same thing, Lucy thought to herself. She wondered if they knew one another? Or if she knew Natsu?
Chances were high. It seemed that no matter the size of this town, everyone was connected in some way. Lucy found it interesting how it ended up like this, working in a Diner where she had been introduced to a fair amount of people in such little time. Back in her hometown, this would have never occurred.
"It was quite the trip, but we're happy to be here." Her chocolate brown eyes gazed out towards the playground and found Ally playing with other children. She was smiling as she ran around slide, hiding from another little girl who was attempting to chase her down.
"Well welcome! Magnolia truly is the best city to live in! I'm hoping you'll be sticking around for a while?" Was this another friend invitation? Lucy was touched. The speed in which she was gaining friends was incredible. Natsu, Gray, Mira, the Connells, now Levy… this was all very new for Lucy.
"That's the plan. I would like to stay in Magnolia if possible. I'm still exhausted from my road trip from Hargeon. I want to avoid moves like that for the next few years if possible."
Levy laughed. "I don't blame you!"
There was a job she was supposed to be doing. Attending to the guests and taking their orders during their busiest hour was her task. But instead, she was chatting with her new friend. They had so much in common with their love for literature and the English language. Engrossed in their books and stories, Lucy learned that Levy worked at a library and was currently attending Magnolia University, getting her master's in Linguistics and Foreign Culture.
While there was a bit of envy for the blue haired woman, Lucy was fascinated by the material Levy was learning. As she had said before, Lucy loved attending school and learning. It was something she excelled quite well in.
But having Allison made things a bit more difficult than in the past. Until she could provide a stable and healthy life style for her daughter, Lucy was to do all that she could to provide the best for her.
"Here's my number! We should have coffee sometime! And feel free to bring little Ally along! She is just the cutest thing!" Enclosing a piece of paper in her hand, Levy winked. Before strolling out of the Diner, she looked back at Mira, Macao, and Wakaba, waving goodbye.
"Gotta head back to work! See you all later! It was great meeting you, Lu!"
Waving good bye, Lucy turned back to Mira and sent her an apologetic smile. "I'm so sorry, Mira. I'll get back to work right away."
The snow haired maiden waved her hand with a smile. "Oh Lucy. If I really needed you, I would have pulled you away from Levy. I'm glad you two were able to become friends. I had a feeling the two of you would get along really well."
A warmth overwhelmed her as she clutched her chest. Spite, envy, jealousy, betrayal, pride, were all that she had known and been accustomed to for a majority of her life. She knew kindness from her mother, from some of her old servant workers in the Heartfilia mansion.
But never amongst friends.
Tears threatened to spill over her eyes.
God, she was such a cry baby.
"I-I should really get back to work." Mira and the boys sitting in front of her chuckled as she scurried off to another guest that had joined them.
Putting on a smile, she went back to work and ignored the lingering feeling of loneliness that she had known for a majority of her life.
The day passed rather quickly, and after 7 hours of work for the entire day, Lucy was exhausted.
Watching Mira jump from table to table with a grin on her face, not even breaking a sweat left Lucy's jaw hanging. The amount of energy and resilience this woman had was incredible. It almost matched that of Allison's.
Speaking of her daughter…
Allison was swinging on the arm of Mirajane's younger brother, Elfman. It was easy to tell the resemblance between the two siblings. They both shared that snow white mane. Apparently, there was a younger sister as well, but she was studying in Edolas at the moment.
The initial meeting of Elfman was intimidating. He was a brute of a man, with intimidating dark eyes and he loomed almost over everyone. The blonde expected a forceful, know it all, meat head who ridiculed others. Not a huge cuddle bear who shouted about being a man every five minutes.
Lucy was wiping down the counter of the bar, finishing up the rest of her side work so she could go home and rest. Her feet were killing her, her shoulders feeling sore and unrest. The blonde looked for Ally, who was sitting down with another little girl, playing with her toys.
Heavy footsteps approached and Lucy tensed. Looking up, she went wide eyed and almost gasped and the sheer size of the man in front of her. His arms had to be bigger than her, and he had a few scars that ran along his face and exposed arms. This man could probably crush her skull within seconds!
"Excuse me Miss, but do you work here?"
…. That was unexpected.
His voice was gruff and deep, just not as intimidating as she imagined.
Shifting her gaze to him, she looked eyes with him. He had a strikingly similar hair color to the person who hired her.
"Umm, yes. This is my first day."
The man arched his brow and crossed his arms. Lucy suddenly felt very small under his piercing gaze.
"You have to be quite the man to be able to work here."
Quite… the man…?
What the hell?
Lucy frowned slightly at his comment. "Well, I'm definitely not a man."
"Elfman?"
They broke their gazes from one another and looked over at the sweet voice of Mirajane Strauss. A candid smile made way and she walked over while wiping away at a glass in her hand.
"Big Sis! There you are!"
Big… Sis? A light went off in Lucy's mind and her eyes darted back and forth between the two newly discovered siblings. Of course his hair was so familiar looking. You don't just see white hair as pure as that of the Strauss siblings.
"What brings you here?"
The smile that broke on his face shocked Lucy. It was like he was a completely different person with his change in attitude.
"How could I not come visit my favorite older sister? It's the manly thing to do!" He puffed out his chest and punched a fist in his hand.
There he went with the manly thing again!
Mira giggled. "Should I get you the usual?"
"Only a true man could the meal you will prepare for me, Big Sis. Thank you!" Mira giggled once more and nodded.
"Right, right." She stepped away for a moment before looking Lucy over.
Why did Lucy not like that smile?
"Oh! Elfman! I have to introduce you to the newest member of our family! Lucy, this is my younger brother Elfman. Eflman, our newest resident of Magnolia, Lucy!"
Lucy gulped as Elfman eyed her. But after mere seconds, a grin broke his curious gaze.
"Welcome to Magnolia! Where you from, Lucy?" Sighing inwardly, the blonde smiled.
"Hargeon. And thank you. Magnolia has been wonderful so far!"
"Of course! You have to be the best man to live here!" He pumped his bicep and Lucy smiled awkwardly at his comment.
What was it with him and being a "man" about everything?
"My mommy isn't a man!"
The blonde's eyes almost popped out of her head as she looked down at her daughter, who had her hands fisted at her hips and an absolutely adorable glare etched on her face.
"Mommy?" The man – Elfman – looked back and forth between Lucy and Allison, his eyes growing wider by the second. "OH. Mommy! You're her kid!"
Lucy almost slapped her forehead.
"Mommy is a girl, not a boy!" It was cute how her daughter fought for her honor, but also disrespectful to argue with someone older than you without valid reason, especially a stranger.
"Allison Heartfilia… enough." Said girl looked at her mom with a defeating frown.
"But mommy! He called you a boy!" She defended.
Lucy silenced her with a quick look.
"I apologize for my daughter. She has quite the mouth on her." Laughing nervously, she hoped that this Elfman was easily forgiving of children. Or else, this would make for awkward and tension filled encounters in the future.
What happened next surprised both the Heartfilia's.
Elfman kneeled down too little Ally's level and grinned. "You have quite the spunk, kid. You definitely are man enough to hang around here!"
She puffed her cheeks and Allison crossed her arms out in front of her with red cheeks. "I am not a man."
Elfman broke out into boisterous laughter and ruffled the top of her head. He stood up and padded Lucy on the shoulder. Her shoulder nearly came off.
"You two are definitely manly enough to work here! Welcome to Magnolia!"
And thus, two hours later, Lucy was watching was Elfman allowed Allison, who did forgive him for calling her a boy, to swing on his insanely huge arms.
Lucy smiled. It was rather adorable seeing how much of a cuddle bear that man was. He was just as much a child as hers was. Mira had said something about Elfman volunteering with kids at the orphanage with another employee of theirs. So the brute of a man was definitely familiar with playing with children.
"How was your first day, Lucy?" Standing next to her, Mira grinned once more.
"Busy… but fun. It's amazing how many people you know, Mira." She commented and the snow haired maiden shrugged her shoulders slightly.
"That's great to hear! You did a great job today! So keep up the hard work!" Lucy blushed, but immediately noticed how Mira's striking blue eyes fell. "As for knowing so many, it just comes with the job. We really try to create a home environment here at Fairy Diner. For some people, this is where their family is. They come here to escape the harsh realities and just be free for a few hours if they can."
"That was what this place was for my siblings and I when we were younger. No matter what we may have been struggling with, this place as always open to us. You could call it our safe haven. And now that I'm older, I want to be able to provide that safe space for everyone else."
Lucy could see it in the diner. She could see how people gathered together, how the conversations grew, how comfortable they all were with one another. The blonde could feel the warmth, the home feeling throughout the day. Whatever Mira was trying to accomplish; you could tell it was working.
"Well, for what it's worth, I think you are doing an amazing job Mira."
Both young ladies shared a warm smile with one another.
It really had only been a few days since Lucy uprooted hers and Allison's life and made the decision to move to Magnolia. But, things had been changing and moving so quickly that it felt like a lifetime already.
The move wasn't easy, and accustoming to an entirely different environment and culture was proving to be difficult, but with the help of her new neighbor and the wonderful people she was given the opportunity to meet, it made every day a little more bearable.
Lucy smiled at the thought of Natsu Dragneel and his outgoing personality and charm. Despite the hectic life he lives, he still offered to help her when she needed it. And watching Allison get use to Natsu was fun too. He wasn't around too much, but when he was, it was definitely interesting.
The lingering chatters and conversations in the diner suddenly lowered as a new presence walked through the door. Lucy looked over at Elfman, who formed a tight smile. Allison must have noticed the sudden change in demeanor because she hopped off Elfman's back and looked at him in confusion.
She turned her gaze back towards Mira, who was now bearing a loving smile on her lips. She followed Mira's eyes to a giant of man that now stood in front of them.
"Why hello sweet heart! Welcome back!"
Sweet… heart?
"… I ain't letting you subject Lucy to that cruelty!"
"Oh hush you! I will deal with Laxus and that foul attitude of his. Don't you worry about his say."
She gulped as the blonde trailed her gaze.
Standing in front of her was a towering man with broad, muscular shoulders and a deep frown etched on his face. He had unruly blonde hair (slightly lighter than hers and Allison's) that was slicked back with numerous spikes falling down forward. Unlike a typical blonde, his eyes were a burnt orange color. His most identifying feature though wasn't the color of his eyes. It was the lightening shape scar that ran through his right eye. That must have been quite the story to tell, she would imagine.
He looked over her once, twice with his brow slightly arched. There was a thin line on his lips and Lucy felt her stomach churn.
"Who're you?" His voice was deeper than what Lucy imagined. It wasn't gruff like Elfman's, but it was a deep vibration.
Lucy should answer now, shouldn't she?
"Oh! Hi! I'm Lucy Heartfilia!" Even if she didn't feel confident, and scrutinized under his gaze, she wasn't going to let herself falter under his intimidation. She was a Heartfilia after all. "And you are?"
"Laxus Dreyar." She could tell he was surprised by her question. Does he assume that people just know him? That was quite arrogant of him.
"This is the young woman I was telling you about the other night, remember honey? She's had a really great day so far!" Mira clapped her hands together. The stark difference in personality between Mirajane Strauss and her husband was jaw dropping. Guess it just reiterated the opposites attract theory.
"You're not originally from Magnolia, right?"
Lucy shook her head. "Nope. I'm from Hargeon."
Another arched brow. "You're a far way from home."
She fought the urge to roll her eyes. This was going to be a question asked from now on, wasn't it? It was starting to annoy her.
"Yes, I guess I am."
"Look Blondie. My wife may have hired you, but I still have a say in what goes on in my restaurant. Don't think that this is just another half ass job. I expect hard work from you."
Blond- Blondie!?
He was blond too!
Her blood boiled at his statement. Natsu did make a comment about this Laxus Dreyar being a piece of work to her the other day.
"Look, Lucy. Laxus is an arrogant piece of shit who has a stick so far up his ass, you could probably see it in his throat." Natsu set Lucy's groceries bags on the counter of her apartment. She had half a mind to reprimand him for his vulgar use of language, but luckily Allison wasn't listening as she was watching TV in the other room.
"Not an image I would like in my head. Thanks for that Natsu."
He grinned and Lucy couldn't help but shake her head at him and his wild antics.
"ANYWAY! Yeah, don't let his 'intimidating' ass get to you. He may act like a selfish, know it all, jerk but one look from Mira and he turns his tail and runs off. So if he starts giving you a hard time, just look to Mira for help!"
Lucy chuckled.
Laxus couldn't be that bad, could he?
She refrained from lashing out at him. But that didn't stop Lucy from letting her angry show. She glared at him and bit down on her lip.
Who was he to call her blondie, anyway? He didn't know her!
"Whoa! That's a cool scar, Mr.!"
And just like that, the tension almost dissipated. Both adults were broken out of their locked trance and Allison strolled over with bright, fascinated blue eyes.
Laxus moved his eyes carefully down from Lucy to her daughter, narrowing them slightly. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Mira staring quietly; almost like if she was waiting for an opportunity. Opportunity for what exactly?
"How'd you get it? Did ya fight someone? Did ya kill them?"
Mira, Elfman, Laxus, and Lucy's eyes all went wide and the oldest Heartfilia immediately swooped in and picked up her child.
"Allison!" The young blonde cringed at the authoritative tone Lucy had taken.
Elfman erupted into a series of boisterous laughter as he fell to the floor. That was followed by Mira's giggles as she put a hand to her mouth. The rest of the diner, that was not so subtly listening in on the conversation, began to chuckle as well.
"You have to be a MAN to be able to talk to Laxus like that!" Elfman commented. Lucy watched as the blond haired man shot a glare at his brother in law.
"Why is everyone laughing? Does that mean that you killed someone?!" Her eyes went wide.
Oh for the love of…
Lucy sighed as she put a hand to her forehead.
"Allison. Enough."
The young, blue eyed girl pouted and began playing with her hands. Sheepishly, she looked up at her, then towards the man who was essentially her boss.
The brown eyed woman paled.
I'm going to get fired, aren't I?
"I'm just asking… I think the scars pretty cool."
She could hear Mira draw out an aww.
That definitely wasn't helping the situation.
"How many times have we talked about this, Ally? You have to be mindful of others. We have to be careful on how we ask questions." Lucy watched Laxus raise a brow out of the corner of her eye.
"So this is the kid, huh?"
The owner of the diner leaned forward and narrowed his eyes at Ally. Lucy glared and pulled her daughter away slightly, her mother instincts surging. She didn't care if this was her boss. Hell would freeze over before she allowed anyone to harm her daughter.
"Her name is Allison. And I apologize for the questions. She has quite the mouth and we're working on controlling it." Instead of the sympathy she shared with others, Lucy was monotonous. It was fine if he didn't want to be friends. Lucy had more than she had bargained for anyway.
"Kid reminds me of a certain pink haired idiot." He muttered and immediately knew he was referring to none other than her neighbor, Natsu Dragneel.
Before she could comment to his insult, Lucy went wide eyed at the small smirk that appeared on his lips.
"I didn't kill anyone to get this scar."
Lucy blinked.
Allison's head popped from around her embrace as she tried to wiggle her way out of her mother's grasp. "Really?! Then whatcha do?!"
"Guess that's a story for another time, kid."
The youngest Heartfilia pouted as she tried to cross her arms. "What?! That's no fair, Mr. Bolt!"
Mr… Bolt?!
Where did Ally come up with all these names?
Mira tried to stifle her laughter, but it was impossible at this point as even Lucy fell into Allison's charm. Elfman was still recovering from her last comment, but stood up and ruffled her daughter's hair.
"Your daughter is the MAN, Lucy!"
Allison threw him a frown and even Laxus shook his head at her, the smirk still playing on his lips.
"Oh come one, Mr. Bolt. You don't want to disappoint, do you?" Mira asked and she stifled another laugh. Laxus glared at his wife and crossed his arms.
"Like I said, story for another day."
"You promise!?" Ally perked up again, and oh no. She was staring down the older man with her sad yet adorable blue puppy eyes. Those eyes were impossible to shy away from. Even Lucy herself found herself falling for them from time to time.
Mira and Elfman looked at Laxus with expecting eyes and the man seemed in distress.
Yep, Ally will do that to you.
He gulped and sighed, running a hand through his unruly golden locks.
"Yes, I promise."
Her face broke in half with the grin that stretched from one end to another.
"YAY!"
She jumped out of her mother's arms and jumped. What it must be to be 4 and young. Lucy chuckled as her daughter danced in place. Elfman pulled her up and put her over his shoulders.
"Let's go on a celebratory horsey ride!" And they went off galloping throughout the diner.
"Yay! Go horsey go!"
"Oh my god! How cute! I need pictures!"
And Mira sped off, running towards her purse to grab her phone and snap photos of her younger brother and Lucy's daughter. It sent a smile to her face to see these adults, these strangers who just walked into hers and Allison's life, to accept them with such ease.
Laxus stared at them and dare she say it? A threatening smile almost appeared on his lips. Lucy had a feeling that he didn't smile too much.
"You know… she is going to hold you to that promise." He stared down at her, his eyes flickering back to his brother in law and her daughter. "She loves stories. It's her most favorite thing."
"It's not much of a story to tell." It was hardly noticeable, and if you didn't listen well enough, you probably missed it. But, Lucy could hear the slightest bit of bitterness in his tone.
There was always a story to tell. Everyone had one.
"So you say… Ally would say different."
"She is definitely your daughter." He muttered as he watched Mira chasing down her brother and Lucy's daughter with a phone in her hand. The diner was filled with laughter and chatter; some watched the ongoing scene with the owner of the diner and the new server that came into town, others focused on other conversations and indulged in the food.
Lucy smiled before a smirk played at her lips.
"And you're not as awful as Natsu painted you to be."
The statement caused Laxus to growl under his breath. His eyes darkened and he shook his head like a parent disappointed in the life choices of their child. The thought made Lucy giggle slightly.
"That idiot. He's still as stupid as he was when he was a kid."
"Now that's not a very nice thing to say, is it?" The two blondes were locked in a gaze as Lucy side eyed him. Now, Natsu was a bit brash and immature, but that was a bit uncalled for. Then again, they had all known each other for some time now.
"When you've known him your entire life, you can say something like that."
Touché.
Shrugging her shoulders, Lucy went back to watching her daughter playing with Elfman. Her shift was finally over and she could take her daughter home and they could relax for the rest of the day. Maybe they could take a stroll through Magnolia's Sakura Park. During the spring time, they had a Rainbow Sakura Tree Festival that represented the arrival of the spring season. It was rumored if you look close enough, the petals of the trees resembled that of a rainbow. Both were excited to see it in person.
"Alright honey! It's time to go home!"
Both Elfman and Allison moaned in disappointment. "But mommy! I wasn't done playing with Mr. Man!"
Mr… Man? Where did Allison get these names from?!
"But Mr. Elfman probably has his own job he has to go back too. And mommy is done with her job. So pack up your things and say bye to Mira and all your new friends."
Jumping off the back of Mira's younger brother, she pouted over towards her backpack and sighed. Lucy rolled her eyes.
So dramatic. Definitely something she got from me.
"It was MANLY to meet you two today! I will definitely see you around!" Lucy went to shake his hand, but instead, was embraced by the brute of a man.
"Bye bye Auntie Mira! Bye Mr. Man! Bye Mr. Bolt!"
All adults for the exception of Laxus laughed at the ridiculous nickname given to Laxus. And Lucy thought Mr. Pinkie was bad. She definitely had a lot to teach Allison about when it came to addressing people by their proper names.
"See you later sweet heart! Bye Lucy! Thank you for the wonderful work again today!" Mira gushed and Lucy took Allison's hand.
Before she walked out, she took one last look at Laxus. He was staring down both Lucy and Allison. That overprotective mother instinct kicked in and she narrowed her eyes back at him. A smirk suddenly appeared and the blonde was confused.
"See you at 8am tomorrow, Blondie. See ya later, kid."
She shook her head and smiled. "See you all!"
Hand in hand, Lucy and Allison walked out of the diner, making their way home.
A/N: Okay! So what did we think? A lot of character introductions for sure. That was definitely one of the most challenging parts of outlining this story. How do I introduce the characters without it being too overwhelming or just seeming like too much? So slowly but surely, all the important characters to the story are being introduced. The story is going to start off somewhat slow, but once the plot kicks in, it'll start moving a lot faster.
Natsu will be back next chapter! So no fret there. I want to explore a lot of the characters and give them all their own screen time while still being tied Lucy, Natsu, and Allison. Because this story is revolving mainly around the three of them.
So, I'm really going to try and finish this story by October. I know I'm shooting for the stars here considering my track record for updating, but I have submitted an application for the peace corps and if I get the position, I will be leaving for two years. So, instead of taking my time and then being on hiatus for two years, I am going to try and finish this story. Let's cross fingers and hope that can be achieved.
Enough of my rambles. Ya'll know my usual! Reviews are always welcomed! Any comments, concerns, etc. you know where to find me!
Until next time!
Dark Waffle