my answer is you
notes: oops i'm a little late! forgot to post this yesterday ahaha. it's here now! day 3 will be up soon too. hmm i don't really like this one but i didn't have any ideas for it. i wanna write more aus for this week! day 3 will be a modern au whoot. :D enjoy! remember to point out any mistakes if you catch 'em!
gratitude
It is a day like any other at Fairy Tail.
"You are literally the stupidest person I've ever met, flame brain!" Gray yells, already half-naked.
"Hah!? Who you callin' stupid, ice stripper!? You're the stupid one!" Natsu sneers back, jumping to his feet with flaming fists.
"Oh, you wanna go?"
"I'ma pummel you into the ground!" Natsu leaps at Gray and the twenty-second brawl of the week begins.
Mirajane shakes her head with a smile as she tends to the bar. "I'm surprised they managed to hold out for so long. Are you going to join in, Cana?"
There's a loud roar as Elfman eagerly throws a punch and is flung across the room.
"You bet I am!" Cana finishes guzzling the last bits of beer from her barrel at an unhealthy rate and wipes off her mouth with a satisfied sigh. "Ah, that sure hit the spot!" she grins and then jumps into the fight.
"Oh, not again," Levy groans as the noise distracts her from her book. "It's not even noon—Jet, Droy, stop! You'll break your bones again!"
"Gihihi! I've been itchin' fer a fight. Don' worry, shrimp, I'll put your lackeys outta commission 'fore they can get too hurt," Gajeel smirks, cracking his knuckles eagerly.
"Wait, Gajeel, don't—!" Levy sighs heavily. "How am I supposed to get any reading done now?"
Lucy, who has been observing everything quietly, laughs fondly and turns to her friend. "Oh Levy-chan. It's Fairy Tail, what else are you expecting?"
"You got that right," she agrees with a roll of her eyes. "Where's Erza, by the way? She usually would've stopped everyone by now."
"She's on solo mission. Won't be back for a few more days." Lucy smiles. "It's alright as long as they don't get too rowdy, isn't it? They have too much energy otherwise."
Levy eyes her blonde friend. "Are you okay, Lu-chan? You're acting a little strange. Aren't you usually the first after Erza to try to break up fights?"
Another laugh. "Well, I'm hardly ever successful, am I?" Lucy rolls her eyes. "And, I don't know, I've been thinking lately. About my life before and after Fairy Tail."
"Do you regret it?"
"What? No!" Lucy refuses incredulously. "Regret? Are you kidding? Coming to Fairy Tail was the best decision I've ever made! I just…I wonder if I'm selfish."
"Lu-chan, everyone is selfish."
"No, I know that but…more selfish than the average person. I mean, I had everything before, right? I lived in a huge mansion, ate all the delicious food I could ever want, had more money than I knew what to do with, never had to worry about rent or injuries or even death…I had it really good, didn't I?" Lucy sighs. "But I was so ungrateful for all of it that I ran away."
"How is that selfish? If you were truly selfish, you would've taken advantage of all that wealth and done whatever you wanted," Levy points out.
"Alright, so more ungrateful than selfish. Same difference."
"It is not!" Levy insists. "Look, you left because you felt imprisoned, right? It wasn't much of a life, Lu-chan. No one can blame you for wanting to make friends and go on an adventure. No one can blame you for wanting to be happy. Everyone wants that."
Suddenly Natsu falls onto their table, making the two girls shriek. He hops up, growling under his breath, before turning to Lucy and brightening. "Heya, Luce! Come help beat everyone up! You too, Levy!"
"No thanks, Natsu, I'm fine here. Or I was, before you destroyed the table." She glowers at him.
Levy sighs and gets up. "Guess I'll go read somewhere else. Later, Lu-chan. Don't destroy too much stuff, Natsu."
"Natsu! Look what you've done!" Lucy scolds.
"Ehehe, oopsy?" He sheepishly scratches his neck.
"Natsu!"
"Aw, c'mon, Lucy, join in the fun! Just sitting here watching us is boring."
She raises her eyebrows at him. "Not to me, Natsu. I like watching you guys."
"You're such a weirdo." Before she can Lucy-kick him, he jumps away and calls, "Hey, it's your turn to pick out a mission, right? Pick a fun one!"
He dives back into the fight and Lucy watches on, an affectionate smile settled onto her face.
Everyone wants to be happy, huh.
"Levy's right, as always," she mumbles to herself.
Her life before was truly boring, full of facades and fear. Everyone hid behind masks of nobility and money. It was an insincere lifestyle and she hated it. So it was easy to leave behind. But now…
Now her life has meaning. She has people who are precious to her, and who hold her precious as well. She has a family of friends, so tightly knit that she can hardly remember life without them anymore. This life—this is a life that Lucy will not give up for anything.
Getting up, she picks her way to the request board, stopping to yank Natsu out of the mad tumble for a second to plant a soft kiss on his cheek.
"Huh? Whazzat for?"
"Thanks, Natsu." She grins and tosses him back into the frenzy, ignoring his confused shouts.
Thank you…for that day in Hargeon, and every day after.
Thank you for everything.
Copyright 2015 by The Siege