Chapter 6: Overreactions

The guild was quiet when Laxus and I arrived telling me that Natsu hadn't yet been by my apartment yet, or any of my other team mates. I really hoped that my being attacked would be enough of a reason for Mira about why my stuff is currently at Laxus's place, although by the strange look Mira is giving me I wonder if she finds it odd that Laxus and I arrived together. When her gaze landed on Laxus though I was shocked to see her glaring at him what could Laxus have done to anger Mira?

"Oh Lucy are you alright?" Mira asked rushing towards me and shoving Laxus away from my side as she checked me over.

"Wait Mira-san how do you?" I started to say before Mira turned towards Laxus again and looked at him angrily with an equally enraged Cana approaching us.

"I thought we told you to leave Lucy alone in that manner?" Mira said her Satan Soul scar flickering on her face.

I was going to ask them what they were so mad at Laxus about before Cana lifted her hand and showed me an image of Laxus's apartment. The lacrima in her hand had a slight crack in it almost like it had been hastily dropped.

"It's a picture of Laxus's apartment so what?" I asked them before shrinking back thinking maybe I shouldn't have revealed that I knew what his apartment looked like. Something I shouldn't really be completely familiar with after spending one night when he had rescued me.

"What do you mean Laxus's apartment it showed yours yesterday!" Cana shrieked before looking into the lacrima herself. Not even paying attention that I had said that I knew what Laxus's apartment looked like.

Mira though had turned to look at me with a gleam in her eyes and a very familiar mischievous smirk showing me that she had payed attention where Cana hadn't. Then suddenly she seemed to turn angry again almost like the thought of me being with Laxus angered her. Did Mira perhaps think that I wasn't good enough for one of the strongest mages in our guild? Then again she had said that she and Cana had warned Laxus to leave me alone in a certain manner, but I couldn't really think of a reason why she would be preventing a couple. Besides didn't she realize that Laxus wouldn't see me that way unless if he was drunk.

"Lucy yesterday Laxus dropped this lacrima running off and we saw your apartment in it with you being attacked," Mira said looking at me with that familiar big sister expression as if she was trying to reassure me that I wasn't the one she was mad at.

At least now I know how Laxus had arrived in such a timely manner. Wait why the hell did Laxus have a lacrima that showed him my apartment? Turning to Laxus I stopped myself from glaring at him waiting to see if he had a reasonable answer before I would Lucy kick him. I never took Laxus for the type to spy on someone, so he had to have a good reason right? I mean especially because it was me that he was spying on. I've seen the type of girls he goes after why would he need to spy on me when he has them?

"Lucy, why aren't you attacking him?" Cana asked with a whine in her voice looking very disappointed. Had they both been expecting me to go after Laxus first and ask questions later?

"I'm waiting for him to tell me why. He's not an idiot like Natsu so surely he has a good reason, if not I'll leave him for you and Erza to deal with Mira-san. Not to mention bring it up with the Master, but I'm not going to automatically assume the worst especially considering that it was because of that lacrima that he got to me so fast yesterday," I explained to them. Hoping that my explanation was enough that Mira wouldn't start thinking that I had more trust in Laxus then I should. Pretending to not be friends with him is really difficult especially in this sort of weird situation.

Laxus was looking at me with awe almost like he didn't expect me to have so much faith in him. It's really confusing because after being friends for the time we have been and being nakama before that it should be obvious that I would give him the benefit of the doubt innocent until proven guilty after all even if the evidence seems to be pretty damning on its own. I am just glad that this happened now instead of them confronting us about this in front of the whole guild. I really don't need any rumors going around about me at this time especially rumors linking Laxus and I together.

"Fine then," Mira said with a pout sounding like a child who was told they weren't allowed anymore candy. Then her tone changed to demanding and she looked like she was about to unleash Satan Soul, "well Laxus aren't you going to tell us why you had a lacrima showing you Lucy's apartment? We're waiting."

Laxus turned a little red and mumbled something that I doubt anyone but a dragon slayer could hear. He actually looked really cute like this, but he didn't seem to look guilty even if he did look a tad embarrassed.

"What was that we didn't hear you Laxus-chan," Cana said in a sing song voice looking like the cat that caught the canary. That woman really does like her gossip after all, and I truly hope that this doesn't end up circling around the guild later.

Actually now that I think about it, Laxus and I are really lucky that they didn't notice the Lacrima had changed to show Laxus's apartment. Lucky because the room showing was his bedroom and who knows how the two of them would have reacted if they looked at it this morning. If either of them had seen it we would have been in so much trouble considering that we had both been sleeping in his bed. They might have even gotten the Master involved.

"I SAID I WAS WORRIED OK!" Laxus shouted his face redder then Erza's hair. His sudden explosion made me wonder if the other two had been bugging him when I was worrying about them finding out I had spent the night in his bed. Even if this time nothing had happened.

"Laxus," I whispered looking at him in shock. Not believing that he had been worried enough about me that he had put a lacrima in my apartment even though it could land him in misunderstandings like this one.

"Why were you worried Lucy can take care of herself," Mira said with a shrug her eyes narrowing at Laxus still looking at him in distrust. At least with this new development it seems that both of them have decided to leave me and my 'mystery man' alone for the moment. It also made me feel happy that Mira believed that I could take care of myself something others seem to frequently forget.

"She can't take care of herself properly when she doesn't have access to her magic, and you two know very well how many times Lucy has been captured. I installed it secretly after she told me her magic was on the fritz just in case a situation like tonight happened. The only times I looked at it was if I heard a crash or anything resembling a scream." He must have been really frustrated because this was the first time he had called me anything but Blondie in front of others, although I'm pretty sure both Cana and Mira missed that little fact. It seems that both of them are oblivious to anything that might seem link to romance between us showing just how much the Guild's two biggest matchmakers didn't want us together.

I had to admit though that Laxus was right. Without my magic I had been a sitting duck last night and even though I am good with my whip it's really difficult to use it to fight off too many opponents. Especially considering that last night I had also been trying to make sure that they never ended up hitting my stomach. Not that they seemed to want to hit my stomach considering they were after the baby that I am carrying. Actually I was sort of happy that he had cared enough to make sure that he had a way to make sure that I was okay, or be able to come to me as quickly as possible if I needed him.

Yawning slightly I felt myself leaning against Laxus. Even though I had slept very comfortably the night before wrapped in Laxus's arms, not that I'm going to admit that to him, I still feel drained from my ordeal. Really if it wasn't for making sure my team didn't go on a rampage if they found my apartment completely abandoned I would have just crawled back into bed.

Laxus stiffened as he felt Lucy leaning into him he hadn't even realized that they had drifted back near each other after Mira had pulled her away from him. He had to hold in his laughter as he saw the blonde mage falling asleep standing on her feet. Maybe he should have convinced her to go back to bed this morning instead of the both of them coming into the guild. Then again he wasn't really sure if that would have been the best idea considering that Natsu probably would have followed her scent to his place and would have started to act crazy when he couldn't get in. Then he most likely would have gotten the rest of his team involved and he really didn't want to deal with Erza when she got ideas in her head, that woman is almost as bad as Juvia with her weird fantasies about Gray.

Unfortunately Laxus was stuck between a rock and a hard place. He couldn't leave Lucy sleeping on her feet knowing that she would probably end up falling onto the floor, but he didn't really want to wake her up she deserved some extra sleep after what she had been through. There was a very clear solution where he could pick her up and go to his team's usual table and allow her to sleep on his lap, so that her team would see her safe and sound when they came into the guild. The problem with that was that he wasn't sure how Cana and the Demon Mirajane would see it, and he didn't need more problems from those two. He was really regretting what he had said to them with that Phantom Lord incident because they watched his every move with Lucy.

As he saw Lucy begin to sway on her feet he made his decision and pulled her into his arms locking eyes with the still angry looking Mirajane and Cana. He wished that it had been Ever who had found the lacrima when he dropped it instead of these two. Ever at least would have realized that he would never dare spy on a female guild member like that, he wasn't like those immature boys who had tried to spy on the girls when they were in the bath house.

Then again Ever would have also realized that his concern was a lot more than a future guild master towards a member of his guild. At least these two only believed that he lusted after the blonde and didn't realize how deep his feelings for her really went. The Raijinshuu weren't stupid he knew that they had realized that even though he was sleeping around that he was fighting himself. He was trying to keep his mind off of the blonde in his arms by having meaningless relationships with other women. Besides even if she had forgiven him he doubted that she would ever see him in a different light no matter how much he wanted her to. She was just too full of light for him to corrupt, and it would only be by her decision that he would try to pursue a relationship with her, even though he knew that she was the only one he could possibly have a happy future with.

"Laxus," Mirajane began in warning, her eyes full of fire as she glared at him.

"Don't worry I've heeded your warnings. I won't go after Blondie unless if she herself comes onto me," he told her and the meddling card mage before walking off to his teams table.

None of his team was there yet and there was plenty of room that he probably could have laid Lucy down on the benches, but he really didn't think that they would be comfortable for a nap. He wished that what happened yesterday hadn't because it would have made it so that she could have slept on the couch in his office like she had a habit of doing between paperwork. Instead he wasn't allowed to take her upstairs before her team saw her safe and sound meaning if he wanted her to have a comfortable sleep he was stuck with her in his lap which would be torture in itself. Really the only reason sleeping in the same bed as her last night hadn't been torture was because he had needed to reassure himself that she was safe, and he wouldn't have been able to sleep without her near him.

Luckily his teams table was out of the way, so most of the guild members who came in didn't even notice that he had the cheerful blonde mage sleeping in his lap. Mirajane and Cana were constantly checking on him like they thought he would pull something with her well she was asleep. He really had thought that those two trusted him more than that, but it seemed that whenever it came to Lucy they thought he had no common sense.

Laxus had just realized that Lucy was starting to shiver when the first member of his Raijinshuu came approaching the table. Although it seemed that Freed hadn't yet realized that he and Lucy were here. "Freed thank god," he said holding back a chuckle as Freed jumped and turned to him with wide eyes. Standing up he put his back towards his friend, "can you take my jacket off she's getting cold, but I don't want to wake her by shifting about too much."

"Of course Laxus-Sama," Freed replied his eyes sparkling.

Really if Laxus didn't know for a fact that Freed was crazy for a certain white haired bar maid he would have believed the rumors that Freed was in love with him. Yet he knew that it was just a deep respect for him that made Freed act the way he did towards him. That same respect also kept Freed from asking him about Lucy being asleep in his arms, although he could practically feel the questions bouncing around in Freed's head as he tugged the jacket that he used like a cloak off of his shoulders. As Laxus sat back down Freed also carefully draped the jacket over Lucy making sure he didn't wake her, but also making sure that she was fully covered.

Even though he knew he didn't have to explain Laxus still felt the need to. Not wanting his friend to think badly of Lucy he knew how Freed got with the floozies who came around him and didn't know when to leave him alone, and he really didn't want Freed thinking Lucy was like that. Besides he really did want the Raijinshuu to get along with Lucy just in case there was a small sliver of hope that she might see him as something more, one day.

"Blondie was attacked last night at her apartment, so I moved all of her stuff over to my place. With the ruins there though the pink headed idiot and his team wouldn't be able to get in, and she was worried about how her team would react at seeing her apartment empty. She fell asleep again about an hour ago and I didn't want her resting on a bench, but need her down here for when Natsu comes storming in causing a ruckus."

Freed was looking at him an unfamiliar gleam in his eyes that unnerved Laxus slightly. "Of course Laxus-Sama," he replied with a smirk which was even more odd for Freed to do. Maybe he had said too much to his bright friend. Naw Freed wouldn't dare think something like that about him without directly asking him.

Laxus still felt like he should explain in more details about the situation with him and Lucy. He didn't want Freed getting the wrong idea about Lucy and thinking that she was another of the women that Laxus tended to ask Freed to chase off. Lucy was so different, and he didn't want her chased off not like the others. He liked her being around, and hated when she went on missions since he couldn't see her as often. There were even times that he wished he could get Lucy to leave Team Natsu and join his team, but he had always been afraid about how other people would react to that.

At least for the moment he had Lucy working with him daily well she was suspended from missions. It still made him worry about her and what they were going to do, and he still wondered what exactly was causing her magic to malfunction. Lucy hadn't gone into any specifics and it had to be more than some other persons magic with the way his grandmother had wanted to carefully check her over last night. Yet Lucy had sworn to him that her life wasn't in danger, but a part of him still worried about the secrets and that one day whatever was wrong with her would take her away from him.

Laxus didn't have any more time to ponder about the blonde mage however because at that moment the front door of the guild slammed open admitting a frantic looking Natsu. Really only he, Mira, and Cana seemed to be calm as they stared at the fire dragon slayer. Considering that the three of them knew exactly what was going through Natsu's head.

"Luce is Luce is gone!" Natsu basically screamed looking frantic as Freed just looked at the blonde mage in Laxus's lap in confusion.

"Calm down flame brain, gihii," the iron slayer said his eyes looking mischievous. "Bunny girl's sleeping over there on Sparky's lap, gihii."

When I woke up it was too the guild suddenly letting out a loud collective "Ehh!" making me jump up and stare around. It was only then that I realized that I had once again been sleeping in Laxus's arms and that the entire guild was looking at us in confusion and that Natsu was spluttering as he stared at us. Making me realize Natsu had probably came in here screaming I was missing or something along those lines until someone brought his attention towards Laxus and I.

Looking into Laxus's eyes I wondered why he hadn't let me out of his arms rather instead his arms had seemed to tighten around me when I had jumped up in confusion. As I tried to maneuver myself out of his arms I realized that there was something draped over me, and lifting my arm up I felt my face turning pure red as I realized that Laxus's precious jacket was draped over me. Which is really really strange considering that as far as I've figured Laxus's jacket means just as much to him as Natsu's scarf means to Natsu meaning that neither of them would ever give it to just anybody.

"Yes," Natsu suddenly screamed making the entire guild turn to look at him in confusion. "Gajeel you owe me a month of food money," he said smirking as he stared at us. Natsu seems to have gone completely insane.

"No way Salamander this is not proof, gihii," Gajeel told him glaring back getting everyone's attention off of Laxus and I who had finally allowed me to crawl out of his lap and sit beside him. Then again his arm was draped behind my back and he was forcing me to lean against him. Really I was certain that the way he was acting had to look suspicious to the rest of the guild.

"It so is, look at the way she was... Ow what the heck was that for," he broke off as a spark bounced off of him courtesy of Laxus. Which is really odd because I don't see how Natsu and Gajeel's weird bet would be bothering Laxus.

"Shut up Natsu. Now that the idiot knows Blondie is fine and can tell the rest of their team Blondie and I can go get some paper work done," he said it gruffly making it seem like he didn't care. He didn't even give me time to say bye to everyone before he practically lifted me up in his arms and carried me up to his office. Only stopping to give a slight piece of paper to Mira, "make this for Blondie Porlyusica said it can help her condition."

Then we just left the dumbfounded guild down stairs. I wondered if any of them had even noticed the fact that I was still wearing Laxus's coat. The coat that Laxus hadn't even once tried to take back from me not that I really minded. His coat was really warm and smelled just like him, it was keeping my stomach from rolling like it had been doing since early this morning. Geez this pregnancy is trying to make me as weird as Juvia enjoying something that smells like him.

Like always it really astounded me that Laxus had been able to get us out of that situation without people really saying anything to us. Even though it must have looked really bad for me to have been willingly sleeping in Laxus's arms, and most of the guild didn't even know about the attack. Although knowing Mira and Cana they are probably filling everyone in to make sure no one misunderstands the relationship between Laxus and I. I really want to ask Laxus why they don't seem to want us to get together, but I really don't want to ask him and have him realize that it matters to me. Because if it only matters to me and not to him it would really hurt me to hear him say it doesn't bother him at all.

"Everything is going to be fine Lucy," Laxus told me giving me a slight hug. He had probably smelt that I was upset, but he doesn't even realize it is because of him. Most likely he believes that I am upset only because of the fact that I was attacked last night.

Really how strange am I I'm more worried about how Laxus feels about me then the fact that I had been attacked last night by people who had somehow known that I was pregnant. Was it really the best decision for me not to tell anyone my condition especially considering that I was being targeted because of the baby? What if not telling anyone puts my baby's life in danger, but at the same time if I told them they would need to know exactly why my baby is a target? And I'm just not ready, if I will ever be, to tell Laxus that he's going to be a father. I just don't know what I'm supposed to do anymore!