Chapter 16
"What are we?" I ask as I lean my head on his shoulder, my face basking under the gentle beams of sunlight.
"I'd go anywhere with you, do anything with you," Laxus murmurs, his fingers running through my ponytail.
"I told you to be rational. What if I wanted to take on the Italian Mafia?"
"It depends on the reason," he replies as I turn to stare up at my unclassified, attractive companion.
"For fun?"
"What a hypocrite. Rational, pragmatic, practical you say. Does that sound reasonable to you?"
I narrow my eyes, glaring at him with mock ferocity.
"So you're saying I'm not badass enough to take them on?"
"Stop twisting my words, Luce. But no, you could do anything that you set your mind to."
We are nestled under the shade of a familiar tree, perched on one of the lower, wider branches rather precariously.
"Tell me if I'm missing anything or I'm misinterpreting your words." He nods in response, so I turn over onto my stomach so I'm no longer lying against his shoulder and I'm sitting delicately on his lap. Laxus' eyes widen slightly, but his stormy blue ones meets my brown gaze.
"Laxus Dreyar, technically, hypothetically and based upon the situation and reasoning, you would do anything with, for and to me. You are ready to do anything that I want to do."
"Lucy Heartfilia, you are correct."
"Laxus Dreyar, at the party, you said that you'd never hurt me again. But mathematically and realistically speaking, that's probably not possible. No, I'm not doubting you. I'm just saying, it's probably impossible to never hurt me again. I mean, let's be real, I'm going to hurt you, you're going to hurt me. Laxus Dreyar, I can't seem to put my thoughts into words."
His eyes capture my own, and I can no longer seem to form coherent sentences that properly convey my feelings.
"Damnit, Laxus, I was trying to-"
"And I gettchu." The blonde man winks saucily, and suddenly grabs my shoulders, shaking me slightly.
"I'll never hurt you with bad intentions."
"Well, depending on your perception of things and your-"
"Lucy, please, please, please, don't give me that lecture on your perception of life and how this could all be an illusion, cause I really want this to be real. I want to be actually sitting in the tree with you, talking about our future and feelings. I don't want to wake up and find out I was dreaming or that I was high and hallucinating and regretting all my life choices at a college frat party. I want to be here with you, my best friend, my possible girlfriend, my most likely soulmate, my soon-to-be forever."
"As long as you solemnly swear you've never been this mushy and cheesy," I squish his cheeks and he gives me an offended, adorable pout, "with any other person in your life."
"Lucy Heartfilia, I've never said anything so sincerely, so romantic, and so true in my life."
"You forget to say you solemnly swear."
"I solemnly swear that I've never been so sincere, romantic, or truthful in my life than I am," he checks his watch, "at three twenty one in the afternoon, on any day that has ever come to pass." "Pinky promise?"
"Damnit, Luce, are you trying to stall the inevitable epiphany? And when did your face get so close?"
"Does it matter since you don't really mind?" I reply, sweeping my hair over my shoulder, "And trying to stall what?" I inquire innocently.
He answers by closing the gap between us, sliding his hands down to my hips, and leaning in to kiss me teasingly on the side of my mouth.
"I see my words have had a dire effect on the accuracy of your kisses," I mutter. Laxus smiles, and presses his lips to mine.
"Wait," he says breathlessly as he tears his mouth from mine.
"What?" I murmur, annoyed.
"So are we a thing?"
"Yeah."
The is a crackle of leaves and twigs and an excited squeal followed by an irritated "SHHH!"
"WHO CARES, WE FINALLY HAVE RECORDED CONFIRMATION THAT THE LONG AWAITED COUPLE HAS FINALLY COME TOGETHER AFTER ALMOST SIX YEARS OF SEXUAL TENSION AND UNREQUITED CRUSHES AND LIFE'S OBSTACLES."
"MIRAJANE STRAUSS."
"NOBODY CARES WHAT YOU GUYS THINK. DON'T THINK, JUST DO. COME ON LAXUS, YOU DIDN'T PAY $100 FOR THOSE NIKES FOR NOTHING RIGHT?"
"FREED YOU'RE NOT GETTING OFF SCAT-FREE EITHER. YOU KNOW THAT EXTRA PILE OF PAPERWORK HAS YOUR NAME ON IT."
Said man sputters, and shakes the discarded branches and leaves from his neon hair.
"WHAT?!"
"BY THE WAY THERE'S NO COMPANY POLICY AGAINST PEOPLE DATING RIGHT? WE DON'T HAVE TO HAVE STRICTLY PROFESSIONAL RELATIONSHIPS?"
"LAXUS, EVERYONE IN THE GODDAMN WORLD IS WILLING TO MAKE AN EXCEPTION FOR YOU TOO BLONDE BIMBOS CAUSE YOU'VE TAKEN SO LONG. AND NO, BECAUSE OTHERWISE ME AND FREED WOULD'VE BEEN FIRED ALREADY."
"AND THAT WOULD BE TERRIBLE, WOULDN'T IT."
"YEAH, FOR YOU, CAUSE YOUR WHOLE COMPANY WOULD DIE WITHOUT US SLAVING AWAY DOING YOUR EXTRA PAPERWORK, WHICH WE'LL PROBABLY HAVE MORE TO DO BECAUSE YOU'RE GOING TO BE SO MUCH MORE BUSY NOW."
"THE HELL IS THAT SUPPOSE TO MEAN."
"SHUT UP YOU GUYS. WE ALL KNOW WHY ONLY YOU TWO HAVE THE KEY TO THAT ONE, SPARE SOUND-PROOF SOUND STUDIO WE USED TO USE FOR INFORMERCIALS."
"WE HAVE A SPARE ONE IF YOU WANT IT."
"NO THANKS."
"SO YOU'RE THE RISQUE TYPE?"
"MORE LIKE THE KEEP IT IN YOUR PANTS UNTIL YOU GET HOME TYPE."
"LAXUS, YOU PUT WAY TO MUCH FAITH IN YOURSELF. IT'S JUST TOO CONVENIENT."
ALRIGHT. THAT'S BASICALLY A WRAP. I plan to add an epilogue or two, so stay tuned. A lot of stories end with the couple married, but that's a bit too clichè, don't you think? Although Mira didn't intrude upon their talk at the party, I just couldn't resist her and her matchmaking ways this time. I would've love to continue this, but I've got so many other projects I want to get started on, and I was afraid I'd never finish. But definitely look out for a few more updates after this one.
Hasta luego, dearest friends and readers and followers, it's been real. I never imagined I'd get more than 100 people reading something I daydreamed and brainstormed about all day before I decided to put pen to paper. Thank you so much.
Zephy out.
Post Script: Here are a few blurbs that I wrote, they sort of fit into the story, in some sort of crazy alternate universe where Laxus had been dating Lis instead of Ever, but I decided that she was too innocent for the part. Another one was of like Lucy being super bitter and salty and sad after her first encounter with Laxus after a few years, and the other was more focused on the severity of Lucy's injuries. COMPLETELY OPTIONAL TO READ, BUT FEEL FREE TO DO SO.
UNUSED MATERIAL
Deleted Chapter 5
I'm an absolute mess. I curl up in my bed, pulling the covers closer, tighter around my body. Without looking in the mirror, I know my eyes are red and there are dark, violet circles around my eyes from exhaustion, lack of sleep and crying. Goddamn hormones. My phone rings, and I want to ignore it so bad after glancing at the caller ID. Laxus.
And I do ignore it.
I haven't been to work in three days. I've never avoided my problems. Why this one?
Oh, right. Cause I'm being a little butt-hurt bitch sitting in my house, eating mint-chocolate ice cream, rewatching Season 1 of Bravest Warriors.
!flashback
"You gotta watch this, Luce."
"Fuck off, Sparky." I continue flipping through Jurassic Park: A Lost World.
"No. I'm not even kidding."
"You say that every fucking time, Spark Plug. Besides, you're the one who gave me this goddamn book."
"But it's a good goddamn book. It's for realsies this time, I swear," he wheedles.
"Because you said for realsies, it's definitely not for 'realsies,'" I growl, turning the page sharply.
He shoves his phone down into my face, and I'm about to push it away in annoyance until I hear a high-pitched voice from it.
"You're my friends now! We're having soft tacos later!" I do a double take.
"What the fuck, Laxus?"
"That's Catbug!"
"My father is dead," I deadpan, my voice a little quieter. "Erza and Jellal are engaged, I saw Natsu and Lisanna kissing the other day, Levy and Gajeel may as well be married-"
He stops listening after 'Lisanna'.
"But I'm dating Lisanna."
"Still? You've been together, what, six years?"
"You saw them kissing?"
"At a bar, last Friday night," I confirm.
-POST FIRE
"Fuuuck."
"You're doing great, Miss Heartfilia," my therapist mutters, stretching my leg further back. Yeah, fucking right.
"Watch your mouth, Lucy." I hear a familiar voice, and I look up, scowling. Laxus. His blonde spikes aren't gelled back like they are at work. When he looks like a freaking fuck boy.
"What are you doing he- shit!" The doctor pulls my leg back rather nonchalantly.
"Visiting you," replies the tall man.
"Why?"
"What? Am I not allowed to visit my friend at the hospital?" He mocks a hurt face, placing a hand on his chest.
"But you're right. I brought your laptop and some work 'cause no one else knows how to manage the site properly."
"I thought I was on sick leave."
"Not anymore."
"And which bastard has the authority to take away my vacay?"
"This bastard, actually," he replies, pointing at himself.
"Why?"
"The company needs your work."
"What if I die?"
"You won't."