The Lost Heir
Summary: Novali and Laxus' first encounter isn't a good one… She literally crashes into him with a tray full of hot tea and cake, which makes Laxus furious since he has to leave for work. Novali then meets him again when she goes out to have a drink with her best friend Vivian at Fairy Tail, the local bar-which much to Novali's utter shock, the bartender is none other Laxus. After going home that night, both are surprised to find out that they live in the same apartment complex. After a few more incidents, they start getting closer and bump into each other more often. Soon Laxus asks Novali out on a date, not taking no for an answer. But on their way to the restaurant they get attacked by men in black suits. They're cornered when they try to get back to their apartment, but get saved by Freed, the butler of the Dreyar Royal Family. How will they both react when they learn Laxus is actually Prince Viktor Reyson Dreyar the lost heir of the Ikazuchiryū Kingdom?
Translations:
Japanese
Gensoryū – Elemental Dragon
Ikazuchiryū – Lightning Dragon
Hikazeryū – Fire Wind Dragon
Chapter Three – Similar Dreams
'Why is this happening…?' I thought as I nervously stood in his room.
I blinked at him with wide, conflicted eyes, Laxus laughed in amusement.
"Pfft! What's with that face?" He asked. "I'm not going to hurt you."
He walked towards me. I squeaked nervously.
"W-Wait, I-I…!" I stammered.
"My place is smaller than yours, but make yourself at home." He said, walking right passed me to his desk to rearrange his disorganized books.
I sighed, full of nerves, and looked around his room. It really was much smaller than mine with only a bedroom, kitchen and a bathroom. The only place to sit was the bed or the desk.
'I wasn't able to look around much, before…' I thought absently.
"I didn't think this room was used much, honestly." I said.
"Yeah, I'm renting it for cheap because it hasn't been used for so long." Laxus shrugged. "Being a college student, it's a real lifesaver."
"Oh, so you are a student." I said.
"That's right." He said, as I sat down on the edge of the bed. "I may be living here inGensoryū, but I'm studying at a graduate school in Ikazuchiryū."
"Ikazuchiryū…" I repeated thoughtfully. "So are you from the Ikazuchiryū Kingdom?"
"Yeah. From the countryside though." He said, smiling fondly.
When Laxus said he was from Ikazuchiryū, I got a strange feeling of déjà vu.
'What is this feeling…?' I wondered, 'For some reason I feel like I've seen Laxus somewhere before… Not from when he was first moving in…but somewhere else…'
"What are you thinking about so hard that you're practically staring holes into me?" He asked, with a raised eyebrow. "I'm just letting you stay here until you can get into your room. Don't get any weird expectations."
"I'm not expecting anything like that from you!" I scowled, turning red more from outrage than embarrassment.
"Really?" He said, teasingly. "You have a bit of a track record for it."
"Stop making things up that aren't true!" I snapped.
Just then my stomach growled. My mouth dropped in embarrassment and my face flushed brighter.
"U-Um…" I stammered pathetically.
Laxus laughed loudly, "And the beast roars! Guess I better feed you, huh?" He said.
"N-No, I'm fine!" I said stubbornly, but my stomach growled again.
"Uh-huh, sure." He said, smirking. "Well, I'm hungry, too. You just wait right there."
Laxus walked into the kitchen area across the room without another word. I watched Laxus take out ingredients for a stew and start to confidently chop up some vegetables.
'How will this turn out…?' I wondered. 'I feel like he'll make it too simple and student-y…'
"Um, I can help." I called out to him. "I may be a pastry chef, but I'm really good at regular cooking too."
"Hm? Right… Well, I can't let you ruin my perfect cooking." He said without missing a beat. "But I suppose I can allow you to peel the potatoes and then cut them into bite sized pieces."
I pouted, but moved so I was standing right next to him and started doing as he said. Soon I had peeled all the potatoes in no time.
'We don't need the skins…' I thought.
I started to gather the peels and went to throw them away.
"Wait, don't throw those away!" Laxus said quickly.
"Huh…?" I paused and looked at him.
Laxus takes the peels from my hands and places them on a baking pan.
"We can roast these and eat them." He said, seasoning and mixing them around in oil.
"Oh, that's right." I said. "You're a frugal person, huh?"
Laxus nodded, "My parents taught me never to waste any food." He said, smiling.
"That's very important, indeed." I nodded.
"Why are you being so condescending?" He asked, with a sigh. "You should follow my example."
"Yes, yes…" I sighed as well, and starting on chopping the potatoes.
Soon the meal was ready. Laxus asked me to set out the TV trays in front of the bed. I sat down after doing so, at Laxus' order. He placed a glass of red wine, a bowl of steaming stew with a spoon, fresh buttered bread and a small plate of roasted potato peels and ketchup on my stand before doing the same to his.
"Red wine, homemade stew, bread and roasted potato peels. Be grateful." He said, grinning smugly as he sat down next to me.
"Thanks…" I said flatly.
I pouted as I stared at my food.
'He wouldn't let me do anything else after the incident with the potato skins…'
This meal was almost strange to me. In all honesty it looked plain and without flavor.
'But he did go to the trouble of cooking it…' I sighed.
"Here goes nothing…" I mumbled, dipping my spoon into the stew.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Laxus asked, looking offended, before I could even take a bite.
I just stuck my tongue out at him. Then under his watchful gaze, I took a bite of the stew.
"Hm…? Wow, not bad…" I muttered. "It's really good, actually!"
"Of course it is!" He boasted, "I made it after all."
"Hm, sorry." I giggled, "I was a little unsure on how it would taste before I tried it. But it has so much flavor to it. It's delicious!"
"You're pretty rude, for someone who's eating someone else's food…" Laxus sighed. "I value what's more on the inside than the appearance. But you called it delicious, so I guess I'll let you off the hook this time."
Laxus smiled at me fondly.
'…So he can smile like that…' I thought in awe.
My heartbeat quickened and I hurriedly looked away, focusing on his desk as I ate.
"Wow, you sure have a lot of books." I commented, "What are you studying?"
"My specialty is politics, but I'm also studying history and othering things…" He answered.
"Politics…? Oh, speaking of that…" I turned to look at him, "…I still have your politics book!"
"Huh…?" He looked back at me in confusion.
"The little, old book with a black and gold cover that you dropped when we crashed into each other at the Glass Palace." I explained.
Laxus' eyes widened, and I could see relief pool into them.
"So you had it all along!" He said in relief. "I've been looking for it ever since… Give it back to me at once!"
"I tried giving it back to you the other day!" I huffed, my face growing red. "But you were…you know…"
"Huh?" He looked at me suspiciously.
"N-Nevermind!" I said quickly, "But anyways, I picked it up and kept it for you, so you shouldn't speak to me like that."
"I guess…you're right…" He said, looking as though the thought of speaking to me normally pained him. The tone of his voice softened considerably. "It's just that… That book is very important to me… Ever since I went into politics I've been rereading it whenever I'm stuck on an idea. It's only a small book, but it has all the basics of political theory…"
"I see…" I said, smiling softly.
He smiled back at me, "But I am glad you were the one who had it all this time." He said. "I just know it was safe with you. Hmm… I'll let you read before you give it back."
"Okay, I will definitely read it." I promised.
Laxus smiled fondly at me again.
"You're…" I paused, "…really serious about studying politics, aren't you?"
His smiled widened, "Of course!" He answered. "Because it is the path I want to take in life."
"You're path in life…?" I repeated.
"Yes. I'm aiming to become a politician." He said.
"I see…" I said thoughtfully.
"You may already know this, but the current state of affairs in Ikazuchiryū is not good…" Laxus explained with a frown. "Our economic growth plateaued, and corrupt organizations are gaining power."
I nodded seriously, "Yes, I'm well aware…" I murmured.
Ever since Vivian told me about the problems in Ikazuchiryū, I had decided to look more into it.
"You are…?" He asked. He pursed his lips for a moment, "I said this before, but I'm from a small village in the countryside. Those outlying areas are easily affected by the government's instability and are forced into difficulty." Laxus smiled again, "However, even in the middle of that, my father taught me to live with hope. Ikazuchiryū was once the greatest kingdom in the world. And that pride still lingers in the hearts of her citizens… If a worthy leader could appear, I'm sure we'd be able to regain that prosperity again. That's why…for the sake of impoverished villagers, and Ikazuchiryū as a whole…I want to become a politician who will lead the country back, so that Ikazuchiryū will once again be a kingdom admired around the world."
"You're amazing…" I whispered in awe, before I could think.
Like at the lecture back at the Glass Palace, Laxus gave off an aura that filled the whole room.
'Wow…' I thought. 'This side of him is really…incredible.'
"I came here to Gensoryū in order to learn what kind of interactions and policies this country has with regards to those around it." Laxus said. "It's the centermost, sacred kingdom that has strong links with the governments of all the surrounding kingdoms… They have institutions for just about everything you could think of, including the study of politics, and extensive documentation."
"That's true…" I nodded.
Then Laxus looked at me, "And you…?" He asked.
"Huh?" I wasn't quite sure what he was asking.
"You're not from Gensoryū either, are you?" He clarified.
"Right, I'm from the Hikazeryū Kingdom." I answered.
"And why did you come here?" He questioned.
"Gensoryū is a center for pastry making." I replied, my smile growing the more I spoke. "I'm here because I want to gain experience and become a recognized pastry chef. I've always dreamed of having the desserts I make bring smiles to people's faces." I suddenly looked sheepish, "Oh… But I know my dream is only a trivial thing compared to your dream…"
Laxus frowned at me, "There's no big or small when it comes to dreams." He said firmly. "I think you have a wonderful dream, and it's just as important as mine. After all there's a lot of joy in making others happy with the things and ideas you create."
I smiled brightly at him.
"I also get the feeling your dreams are similar to mine." He said softly.
"Huh? How so…?" I asked curiously.
Laxus smiled, "I'm wishing for people's happiness too." He answered. "Isn't it the same for you?"
Laxus looked like he was enjoying himself as he looked at me.
"It's very admirable that you're making your dream come true." He said. "I…still have a long way to go."
"Laxus…" I murmured.
I suddenly noticed how beautiful his stormy blue eyes were, and I found myself rooted in place.
'I-I… What the hell…?' I questioned myself.
My heart was pounding… I could feel it echoing loudly through my entire body. But then my cellphone rang, making me jump in surprise.
"C-Could be the landlady…" I muttered, as I pulled my phone from my jeans pocket.
It was her, and she said she had opened my apartment, leaving me a new key on my table. After I finished dinner with Laxus, I turned towards the door.
"U-Um… Thank you so much for letting me stay here while I was waiting…" I stammered. "And for going to the trouble of making me dinner…"
'I had decided to avoid him…and yet he keeps helping me out…' I thought.
"Well, I just can't leave you alone…" Laxus sighed like this was a pain for him, "Now, as thanks you can… Hm, yeah. That's a good idea. You can make me a dessert and bring it here sometime."
"Wha…?" I looked at him in surprise.
Laxus smiled at my bewilderment, and saw me home.
…
A few days have passed since I had dinner with Laxus. After work, I borrowed the bakery's kitchen to bake something for Laxus.
"Hi, Nova-chan." Mirajane greeted, as she came into the kitchen, "Are you practicing? You sure are a hard worker."
"Hey, Mira-chyan. Yes, kind of…" I admitted, "Sorry to borrow the kitchen without permission. I'll pay for the ingredients I use."
"Oh, don't be silly!" Mirajane said, smiling. "You don't need to worry about that. Please use whatever ingredients you need for your practice."
"But…" I started to protest.
'But, what I'm making is for my own personal use…' I thought shamefully.
"I insist. You might even take some to that guy you like, free of charge." She said, meaningfully. "The way to a man's heart is his stomach after all!"
Mirajane made a quick exit.
"It's not like that!" I shouted after her in annoyance.
I huff and spread out my ingredients.
'Ikazuchiryū Kingdom's most famous dessert is brownies.' I mused to myself. 'I've never made a very large batch before… I hope this goes well…'
As I mixed the ingredients, I hope that Laxus like his thank you gift. I take my time so they turn out perfectly.
'Maybe I should make them less sweet…' I snickered a bit, 'Heheh, I really hope he likes them!'
I smiled to myself as I imagined the usually calm and composed Laxus smiling happily as he eats my brownies.
'Ack! St-Stop that!' I scolded myself, 'Why am I so bothered about what he thinks…? I'm just returning a favor!'
…
After I had finished the brownies, I left the bakery. I puffed out my cheeks in a pout as I walk home, carrying a box full of the brownies I made.
'I ended up late because I was fussing so much over these brownies…' I pouted even more, before sighing. 'I wonder if it's okay to give them to him now…'
I hurried along the darkened street. But I soon became aware of what seemed like footsteps following behind me. I felt the blood drain from my face, as I turned around to look. But no one was there.
'I don't see anyone, but I have a feeling someone's following me…' I thought pursing my lips.
Frightened, I broke into a run, wanting to get to the apartments as quickly as possible.
…
'I must have been imagining those footsteps…' I mentally told myself.
When I'd gotten to the apartments, I looked around again, but had seen no one. Still feeling afraid, I headed straight to Laxus' apartment. I knocked on the door anxiously.
"Laxus, it's me. Are you home?" I called through the door.
Like the first time I was here, the door was slightly ajar.
"Laxus, your door is open again. I'm coming in." I called again, "You should be more careful."
I pushed the door open, but the room was empty.
'Oh, is he out…?' I wondered.
But suddenly the door to the bathroom opened.
"Dammit, where's my soap…?" My eyes widened in panic as I heard Laxus mutter.
"…Seriously! Again?!" I cried out, startling Laxus.
He swore as I froze in panic. Then I took a closer look at him. For some reason on his head was a big, poofy shower cap.
...
Alright, next chapter is when things start to get really crazy! Look forward to it! Please review!