Chapter 15

"Let's go outside."

"Sounds like a great plan," I mutter saucily as he pulls me to my feet.

"Check yourself before you wreck yourself."

"Look who's talking," I shot back automatically.

"And I thought we were over that," he muttered. Over what? Wait, what?

We walk in silence through the hotel's elegant gardens.

The sky is the color of a dove's wing, grey, but not quite, I note silently. But everything seems to have some sort of rosy tint to it, flickering off lightly.

flashback

"You have to stop seeing the world through rose-colored glasses. Everyone uses everyone, and I used you. You thought I'd actually want to be friends with a blonde bimbo like you?"

"So you used me so you could fuck my best friend?" I said.

"I prefer, the much more sophisticated phrase, so we could commence our destined courtship," Ever replied, staring at me through hooded eyes.

"Puh-leez," I sneered, "Laxus would never go for you."

"He doesn't even see you as a girl, so what would you know?"

"Hey, Ever!" We turned at the sound of the all-too-familar voice.

"Laxus!" she squealed as she skipped towards him.

"Laxus, are we still on for today?" I asked.

"Sorry, Luce, I've got a date-"

"It's fine," I simpered, giving him a sugary sweet smile worthy of Umbridge to match before striding out off the hallway.

"What time is it?"

"5:22," he replied clicking his phone on, "Why?"

"It's stupid, don't worry about it," I reply, skirting by him to sit on the edge of the fountain.

"No, tell me."

"It's just that, well, uhh. Well, do you notice how everything has a pale, pink sheen to it right now? The sun is setting, but you can't see the usual colors because of all of the clouds. But they're not dark, stormy, ominous clouds. They're sort of light and fluffy. I don't know, it's sort of- how do I put this-the world's kinda shiny. Like before the rain, before the sun goes down behind the clouds, but coincidentally, at the same time. Like seeing life through rose colored glasses, but more realistically and less optimistically. But the sky is gray. I'm not really sure how it works, but if you saw it, you would understand. The light coming down from the sky isn't quite white and yellow like it usually is in the day time, but not the intense, vibrant colors from the usual sunset." I take a deep breath as he laughs.

"Only you would notice that, Luce."

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

"Good. It makes you interesting."

"Interesting? Seriously, Laxus, if this is how you compliment girls-"

"Only for you, Luce." He smirks, his face turned slightly upward towards the drizzling sky.

"It sort of feels like fairies doesn't it? All twinkly, tingly and tantalizing at once."

"It does," I smiled softly. But the comfortable air that had been there moments early had disappeared, seemingly swept away by the late-winter wind, replaced by a palpable, almost opaque chunk of tension. (What kind of tension? Who even knows?)

"I'm sorry. I know that's not enough. But I'm sorry. I don't understand why I'd ever leave you hanging like that. It's not right for me to want to blame this solely on my high school self, but I want to so bad. And I know that if I say you meant so much more to me than Ever, well, ever did, it wouldn't make sense. But you do. And what Sting said in there is true. I love you, and I probably did back then, but I probably pushed it away as platonic."

I stand up and don't look back at his sullen face. Mulling his words over and over in my head, I circle the fountain, once, twice, three times.

"You know, it took me a long time to get over you. I forgot about you, you know? I wanted to forget the hurt, the pain, the memories, so that meant forgetting you to. And I did. I threw myself into work, day in day out. I didn't give myself a chance to think about you. You didn't even cross my mind until I got that call from Freed and I saw that profile picture update. You hurt me badly. I'm not Lucky Lucy Heartfilia anymore. I'm not going to jump back into your arms, just cause they're open now. I'm jaded as hell now. I've gotten to the point where I've realized that the world isn't puppies, rainbows and butterflies. I've found out that Elmer's glue and Scotch tape doesn't fix jack shit. It's like miracles might not even make a dent, but then again, that's like assuming I believe in miracles, and who even knows? Do you still want this Lucy? The bitter, half frozen, mostly broken Lucy Heartfilia? I'm no Golden Girl anymore. My dad died, leaving me with nothing, I have college loans to pay and I had no one to turn to. Everyone had already gone and paired off without me. Levy, Natsu, they were all gone. I was alone again. And I thought I was never going to be alone."

I stop, regarding him coolly. This is not how I planned this. I hadn't planned to be Ice Queen Lucy, but here I was.

"And then, I didn't need anyone anymore. I coped. I went on with life, I left everyone behind. I got a job. And then, you showed up. Arrogant, loud, sarcastic, protective Laxus. My ex-bestfriend. It stung at first, and then it went away. But then everything came rushing back when I got locked in that closet, all over again. You were suddenly there, ready to be my friend. But how the hell am I suppose to know if you're going to stay or leave? How many times do you think I've given second chances, and how many times do you think that turned out well?"

Turning back on my heel, I walk towards him, my heels clicking the tiles, the rain coming down a little harder. Who cares about dresses anyways?

"Too many, and none, respectively!" I answer, before he can open his mouth.

"Don't you think I want to be swept off my feet in a beautiful clichè that's somehow going to work out and be okay? Don't you think I want that? But I can't just let my heart keep going off on it's own, gallivanting alone. I have to use my head now. And my head really doesn't want to give you another opportunity to break my heart again. But," I whispered, my face centimeters away from him, "my heart doesn't really give a shit." I lean in closer, my hair, slowly uncurling from its bun, brushing across his face.

"Laxus Dreyar-"

"Lucy Heartfilia. I won't break you again. I swear, as long as we live, I won't ever hurt you."

"How unrealistic," I mumble, my lips ghosting over his, "You should really learn how to be more rational."

"Clichès are never realistic, dear Lucy, you should really know that by now," he breathed, before pressing his lips on mine.

But here we are, kissing and making up in the rain. I should've seen that coming, I'm a writer for crying out loud.

"Are you really thinking about this set-up and pathetic fallacy while I'm trying to kiss you?"

"Maybe," I smirk.

Sorry for the long wait. Finals was hell.

I'm not even sure where I was going with that, but BAM, they're still pretty complicated and still have stuff to iron out, but they're kissing (while Mira's probably staring and video taping them).

There was a lot of angst and personal feelings and experiences involved, so that was nice to regurgitate.

Thanks for reading, guys, please review, I'd really like to know what you guys thinks and what you want to see next!

Zephy out.