The cumulative meeting of the quarter draws out longer than predicted, and I probably zoned out a while ago. I mean, I already presented, and who wants to listen to Laxus's annoying buzzing anyways? What time is it? I stare at the clock. WHAT NO. LAXUS, YOU ARE CUTTING INTO MY ALREADY ABBREVIATED LUNCH BREAK. WHAT ARE YOU DOING. SHUT UP. SAY THAT'S IT GREAT JOB EVERYONE AND LET US LEAVE THIS PRISON. I WANT FOOD. I twirl my pen between my fingers, slowing being drawn away from his monotonous voice.
It's been weird actually. Ever since then, it's been easier to talk to Laxus. Or maybe, it's just the fact that-oh right- Laxus practically broke into my house and he's been-
"-driving me to work? Everyday? I could never impose upon your hospitality, Laxus."
"Nonsense," he snickers, having his hand loftily, "It's my pleasure, you're on the way, after all, Luce."
"Sparky." I grit my teeth, snarling at him.
"Oh. Was I not supposed to call you that?" He asks, his muscular frame towering over me. I look down, wiping off my blouse.
"What?" He looks closer, squinting, "Was there something on your shirt?"
"Yup," I cheerfully pop the 'p', "I think your sarcasm dripped all over me." Without looking back to see his reaction, I hobble towards the door, which was thrown open by his abrupt, unwelcomed entrance.
"You aren't going anywhere, Miss Heartfilia." I hear his mocking tone behind me, followed by a laugh.
"Do you understand how horrible you are at laughing evilly, Laxus?" He doesn't answer. Huh-oh, fuck.
A hand wraps around my waist, and the other grabs my crutches.
"If I'm coming with you, we aren't listening to that goddamn reggae shit," I mumble sourly.
"Don't you understand, Lucy? I'm doing this for the good of all those poor civilians who would have had to ride that subway with you. I'm sacrificing myself."
"SHUT UP, LAXUS!"
And just like that we're sort of back, you know? It's like high school. Except it's not. It's hard to look at him in the eye, we can't sit in silence anymore, the awkwardness practically drowns us. It's not the cozy, comfortable silence, with his arm wrapped around my shoulder while we stare at the night sky, or listen to music, or read, or anything. We have to fill it with something now, and since we can't carry a simple conversation, it's filled with vicious, dry banter.
I tap my pen on the desk, waiting for his droning voice to just- oh, I don't know, shut the fuck up.
"-that concludes our meeting, please stay after if you have-" Bolting out of the chair, I scramble for my crutches and the door, finally escaping into the hallway.
"You know, Lucy," a snide voice of a very specific green-haired man says, "The sexual tension was practically leaking out of your pores. I thought it was going to get all over my papers and stuff, so I had to clean them up."
"Shut up, Freed."
"But seriously, Lucy, Freed's right. You guys need to figure something out. We'd be happy to help, you know. After all, you brought us together."
"Mira, the best way you could help is by leaving your ass out of this." Which might be difficult seeing how big-oh, nevermind.
"Then help the whole company out by leaving your issues out of the work place or solving them," the white haired woman says, "It'd be good for both of you, too, you know."
"Yeah, I know." I drop my head on the wooden surface of my desk.
"But it's just so difficult-"
"Because both of your big, fat egos are in the goddamn way. Stowaway your pride for a little while, and figure this crap out. That was high school for goodness sakes'!"
I jerk back, surprised at her outburst.
"Watch out for the She-Devil," a voice whispers hoarsely in my ear.
"Oh, hello, Laxus. We were just leaving. Freed and I have a daaaaate." Mira draws out the last word, smiling a feigned innocent smile.
"No, we-" One look at the expression on his girlfriend's face.
"Oh, right. We were going to that Italian place for lunch, right?" Freed's voice disappears as the She-Devil drags him out of the office.
"Mr. Dreyar?" I ask, turning around on my heel, making sure he feels the lash of my hair.
But he's gone. What the hell.
There's a ding from my phone. Ah, the sound of friendship. I glance at the screen and sigh. Or not.
LUCY, YOU BETTER DO SOMETHING ABOUT YOUR SEXUAL TENSION BECAUSE LALU IS CANON.
Damn you, Mira.
I TOLD FREED NOT TO LET YOU DRINK THAT MUCH MIRA.
!dayslater
From the second I clattered into the office that day, I knew something was going to happen. Probably something disastrous but I wouldn't know until it smacked me in the face.
"Lucy-"
"Stop, Mira."
"Miss Heartfilia-"
"Don't even, Mr. I'm-butting-into-other-people's-lives."
"Luc-"
"Nope."
"Mis-"
"Don't want to hear it."
"Luce-"
"Please shut the fuck up and get the fuck out. I'm sick and tired of everything."
Dry cough. Awkward silence. Oh, that was Laxus, huh. Oops.
"Miss Heartfilia, when you are addressing your employer, I would highly-"
"I get it. Sorry. Please continue what you wanted to say previously," I snap.
His eyebrow arches slightly.
"Lucy, you can talk to me. I know you don't fully trust me and we aren't full fledged friends, but you can still rant and shit to me."
And the dam breaks open. Everything comes pouring out. Well, almost everything.
"I'm just sick and tired of everything, okay? People keep telling me that the sexual tension between us is too damn high and we need to figure something out but if I'm not even ready to talk to you and straighten out the past and everything I can't begin to organize all this crazy shit going on my head. Freakin' Mira keeps trying to get us together and Freed wants me to talk to you but I don't even know who you are anymore. I lost what, like six years? A lot happened, and a lot of it, I'm not ready to talk about nor do I want to talk about it. My dad died, and I wasn't the first to know. Half the people that work for him don't even know I exist. I had to deal with those perverted fifty-year old bastards who wanted to marry me for my newfound wealth-or so they thought. Later I found out, he barely broke even and died poor. I missed so many years with him, years I thought I could make up, but he's gone. Everyone's moving on, you know? Erza and Jellal's wedding is coming up, Natsu and Lissana are dating, Levy and Gajeel are practically married, hell, even Gray and Juvia finally got together. It's not that I mind being single, it's just I'm constantly reminded of it. Just when I thought I could have freedom away from that at work, but then the first goddamn thing Freed has the audacity to ask me over the phone before my first day is, "Are you single?" and I still don't know what he wanted to know, the enigmatic bastard. And I can't do anything by myself anymore. Everyone thinks I'm some helpless little girl in the real world, struggling to make ends meet. Well, sure I struggle, but it'd be a whole lot fucking easier if people just butted the hell out."
"Sounds like you have a case of peer pressure." Laxus casually leans on my desk, his eyes flitting back and forth between the framed pictures on my desk.
"It also sounds like you basically had the conversation you thought you weren't ready for, just now."
Did I?
Oh, fuck.
I did, didn't I.
I groan, my forehead slamming against the wooden surface.
"Look on the bright side, at least you got that over with."
Tears leak from my eyes, trailing down my cheeks. Tears of relief. I sniffle once.
"You okay, Luce?"
"Just peachy," I mutter, not trusting shaky voice.
Laxus walks to the other side of the table and lifts me out of the chair, and into his lap as he settles himself on the ground, hugging me tightly.
I missed this.
I curl tighter and he pulls me closer.
I definitely did miss this.
wow. okay. sorry, i've been super busy finishing up sword art online. honestly kirito and asuna are the ultimate otp. total burn when kirito is like, "oh this is my friend, asuna." i was like ummmm 'kay.
thank goodness for thanksgiving break and not so much for writer's block but thank goodness for my 100+ fabulous followers and their reviews because you made my day after checking my sat scores.
so anyways, due to the sudden spike in popularity, i will be postponing updates for what if until i finish this story because i have commitment issues.
read and review at your leisure.
zephy out.