"Why don't you just take me with you?" Loke persisted.
He was slouched on her bed wearing his work-suit as he watched the blonde move hurriedly all around her room, gathering her belongings.
He came over immediately after she told him she was going to see her father. It was out of the blue, but she didn't feel like she could go through with it without telling her best-friend first.
She was now grabbing her keys and phone from the bedside table, dropping them into her purse, ready to head out to her father's mansion.
He lived about forty-five minutes away from her apartment.
Natsu had texted her a few minutes ago, alerting her that he's arrived and is waiting for her in his limo under her building.
"It'd be too much of a crowd if you joined me along too," she said, rushing to her closet and picking out her black heels.
"And what's the harm in that?" He asked with his high-pitched voice, standing up from the comfy mattress behind her.
"My father is excepting me only," she said as she slipped into her heels. "He said it was urgent, too," she turned around and met her eyes with his hazel ones, finally realizing the extensive worry that lurked in the center of his orbs.
"Don't worry, I'll be safe. I won't be going alone," she reassured, taking a step closer. "Nathan's coming with me," she brightly smiled.
He sighed, sitting back down on the bed as he scratched the back of his head.
"If you say so..."
.oOo.
In the Limo
"Ready?" He asked as the blonde shut the limo's door, getting comfortable in her seat next to him.
She was wearing her nude brown blouse with black jeans.
The same blouse he bought for her. As a small gesture of appreciation.
She let out a shaky sigh,
"I...think so,"
Her loose strands of golden hair reached her waist as her lashes curled up and her lips twinkled from glossiness.
Under all that beauty, though, laid fear. Fear of what might happen.
"So, where does your father live?" He asked.
After she told him the address, he felt her tremble.
He placed his hand on her knee, comforting her due to her uneasy expression.
"You can go, Gajeel," he called out to his driver.
And just like that, they headed off.
The night had crawled upon them. The birds had rested in their nests, buried in the trees, sleeping away the tragedy that was to come. The bright moon was round, floating in the black sky above them, shimmering a reflection of white as it followed their car. White—the purest color of all—surrounded by darkness.
Maybe that was why her mother always compared her to the moon.
The roads were dull and empty. The streetlights were yellow, standing in a row, pitiful of her as they passed by her window. It was silent, mostly. Dark. A little sweaty, from the heat. Her brown orbs which were full of life—and ignorance—were gazing upon the row of dead trees passing. The only sound that filled the air was the wheels, rolling on the rough texture of the road.
A warm hand laid itself over hers, startling her out of her thoughts.
She looked to her left.
"Have I mentioned how beautiful you looked?" His voice was low and deep.
Something in him wanted her to feel a little happiness before she felt nothing at all.
'Though still, he wasn't lying about her beauty.
She blushed. Her stomach fluttered and tingled.
Her heart thumped for him. The same heart he was bound to crush.
"It's the blouse you got me," she smiled, giving him the credit.
He lifted his hand and stroked her cheekbone—right under her eye—with his thumb as he looked deeply into her honey orbs.
He did that, knowing it was the last time he could touch her this way. The last time he could be close to her. The last time he could be kind to her.
"It brings out your eyes," he said, repeating his words from the first day he accidentally met her. He meant them, though.
Her lips curled into a smile as her eyes stuttered back and forth, too nervous to look into his eyes.
He felt a pang in his heart. An ache, maybe. He didn't know.
But that smile. He won't see it on her lips again. Those eyes. He would miss those eyes.
"Thank you," she mumbled shyly. Her cheeks hot and rosy. Her heart pounding faster.
She was full of life.
What a shame.
To suck it out of her.
He looked out his window as he drifted his hand away.
Silence filled the air for a few moments before she spoke up again.
"I'm scared," she blurted out, her eyes a little watery all of a sudden as she looked down at her legs.
He narrowed his eyebrows, looking back at her.
"Why?" He asked.
She had full reason to. But still. He didn't want her to.
"It's just...what does he want from me?" She looked up into his dark eyes. "I cut my dad off a year ago and he hasn't tried to contact me since," she paused. "Why contact me now?"
He stayed silent.
Before he spoke up again.
"Why did you cut him off?" He asked.
She paused, gulping down her words.
"Many reasons," she said, her voice soft and quiet.
He hummed.
"You think he tried to kill you?" He asked.
She nodded silently.
"Why?" He asked.
He didn't know why he was asking those questions. It wasn't like it mattered anyway. Not anymore. There was no point in learning more about her now.
But still.
"For the same reasons I cut him off," her voice cracked in the end.
Vague.
Too vague.
Maybe she really does know.
More moments passed. Silent moments. He looked out of his window again, thinking. He was always thinking. Always trapped in his own thoughts and poisonous mind.
Whatever he does, with all the power he has, he cannot change what he needs to do.
She pulled out a folded tissue from her purse and tapped her wet-stained cheeks, careful enough not to ruin her makeup.
There was no point in crying. She can do this. She can face him again. It's gonna be fine.
More moments passed.
"Why is there a row of limos following behind us?" She suddenly asked as she peeked out the limo's back window, finding identical black limos following their every move.
"They're bodyguards," he responded, making her look at him. "They're here for your safety," he added when he saw her confused state.
She sighed as she curled her lips into a smile.
"You do so much for me...I just don't know how I could thank you," she giggled.
He looked into her orbs.
"You don't need to," he said as he snaked his arm around her waist and drifted her body closer to his, placing her head on his chest as he looked straight ahead.
The only thing he could do now was enjoy his final moments with her.
She stayed there, silently enjoying his soft fingers playing with the strands of her hair. Massaging her scalp. Running along her arm, up and down, causing strong shivers to run down her spine; shivers to crawl all over her body. He ran his fingers down her cheek and brushed her soft lips. He was enjoying her. Comforting her, maybe, too.
Before it had to come to an end.
Finally, the limo began slowing down as they reached an open gate.
"We're here," said Gajeel. "And the gate is open," he added.
"Go through," responded the Don.
Lucy took in a deep breath as she untangled herself from his muscular body and sat up, shaking her hands in nervousness.
"Your father doesn't know I'm coming, right?" He asked.
She shook her head,
"He thinks I'm coming alone," she responded, rubbing her hands together.
He nodded silently.
The limo stood before the mansion.
He turned to her, watching her sweaty and nervous state.
"Let's go," he said. His voice more icy than usual.
She nodded innocently and got out of the limo.
"Wait here," said the Don to Gajeel before getting out of the limo too.
He nodded.
They walked down the path to her entrance before Lucy suddenly stopped.
"Wait," she said.
He stopped. Then turned to her.
"What is it?"
"I don't know about this..." she said. "I have a bad feeling,"
He paused.
His face expressionless; cold; solid; straight.
His eyes dark; dull; empty; hollow; lacking a soul.
But still. The pang in his chest was there again. The ache.
He hated it. He hated it so much he wanted to end it already and get it over with.
He took a step closer to her, closing the distance between them.
"Don't worry," he held her chin, lifting her face up to gaze into her tawny brown orbs.
The darkness of her eyes' ring faded lighter to the core of her orbs.
Honey. Earthy. Full of soil and seeds and warmth and life. Full of everything he'd want to have and nothing he could.
Her eyes flickered over his lips.
And so did his.
Like a compulsion, he found himself slowly leaning into her. Drawn into her.
He didn't know he was until he felt her soft lips against his.
Not finding the strength to hold back, or move away, he went in deeper. His hand held the back of her head, keeping her still from moving as he drifted his tongue into her mouth and danced and swirled around with hers.
Her face was flushed and her stomach fluttered intensely.
Her heart was beating fast.
His wasn't.
His heartbeats were always slow, cold, frozen.
But he did feel something.
Something different from the other times he'd kissed her.
He didn't understand it. All he knew was, he never wanted to feel it again.
So he pulled himself away. His eyes slightly wide as he gazed into her orbs.
He didn't know what just happened. Why he kissed her.
But it won't happen again.
Not that it could anyway.
He took a step back.
She wiped her tears away from her cheek and stepped closer to him, holding his hand as she looked into his dull jade orbs.
"Thank you," she said.
It helped her. The kiss helped.
It angered him, though. He shouldn't have done that.
And just like that, she began walking ahead and towards her entrance.
And he walked behind her.
Not Nathan.
The Don.
She rang the doorbell twice.
Not a minute later, a servant opened the door.
They weren't familiar since her father changed his servants every few months. He never kept anyone around for too long.
"Lady Lucy," she addressed her. "Mr. Heartfilia is in his office. Please come in and wait in the living room," she said, stepping aside-widening the entrance.
"Right," Lucy responded casually, already used to this and not expecting any less.
She walked in. Her heels clicked on the ground.
Before Natsu could follow, the servant stepped in his way.
Lucy was already ahead. She didn't see.
"Who might you be?" She asked, getting in his way.
He looked at her with his sharp eyes. His dull, deathly eyes.
"Step aside."
She felt a cold, strong shiver run down her spine just from his gaze.
He had his infamous all-black suit on. His hands were behind his back. His darkness. The maid could feel it. She could feel his presence in her skull. It hung in the air around her.
She quickly stepped aside and brought her head down, her heartbeats pounding out of her chest.
Fear.
He followed Lucy, without another word.
He walked through the hall.
His heavy footsteps trailed behind him.
Reaching the living room, he found Lucy seated on a nude-brown couch that matched her blouse. She was nervously playing with her fingers, too stressed to realize he wasn't next to her.
He stood in the dark corner of the room, waiting.
They usually relied on the long French windows to lighten up the room. But since it was night, the room was dark. A few yellow lamps were laid next to the couches. Not much else.
Crickets and odd birds sang out.
His deathly presence wasn't noticed by her yet.
She truly was naive, he thought.
She stood up, pacing back and forth, scared and nervous as to what her father wanted...not realizing she had much else to worry about.