Chapter 3
"Shit," Lucy cursed, throwing the covers off and jumping out of bed. She'd overslept somehow and was supposed to be at the train station in ten minutes!
She ran to her bathroom and quickly washed up before sprinting to her closet and grabbing a tank top and skirt. There was no time to worry about her hair, so she snatched a hair tie and pulled it all back into a high ponytail.
Satisfied that she looked moderately presentable, she gathered the few things that she needed for the job - her keys, her wallet, and a small map of the town they'd be going to.
"Alright, I think I'm ready now," she said to herself, slipping on her favorite pair of heeled boots and then looking quickly around the room to make sure she wasn't forgetting anything. She glanced at the clock again and swore, she was going to be late.
She swung the door open and then crashed into a warm body.
"Lucy!" a familiar voice cried out, as startled as she was.
She backed away a step, regaining her balance and exclaimed, "Natsu, what are you doing here?"
Natsu shoved a hand in his pocket and lifted the other to scratch behind his head. "I was just seeing if you were busy today. I thought we could..."
She interrupted him, suddenly remembering the time. "I'm sorry, Natsu. I already have plans." She watched his face fall, and something soured in her gut. "And I'm kinda running late so I really need to leave."
His face brightened suddenly, a smile stretching over his features. "Are you going on a job? I can go with."
Lucy grimaced and began walking down the stairs. "Well," she started, unsure how to proceed. "I am going on a job but... I'm already going with someone." His smiled faded and she felt her chest tighten. "I'm sorry," she added as she stepped outside onto the cobblestone street. Her eyes were turned towards Natsu, so she didn't see the man approaching.
"Ignia," Natsu growled, his body tensing.
Lucy's head spun around quickly and found Ignia standing not ten feet away, a red apple in each hand matching the color of his knee-length cutoffs. He was walking towards them with an unreadable expression.
"Natsu," Ignia said in acknowledgement, stopping when he reached them.
"Why are you here?" Natsu asked through gritted teeth, repeating the question Ignia had asked him the previous night.
Ignia's eyes narrowed, and Lucy swore the air started to get warmer. "That's none of your damned business," he answered, taking another step towards Natsu.
Lucy bit her lip nervously, her eyes darting between the pair. She could see the anger in both of their eyes and she quickly stepped between them. "I'm sorry, Natsu... but we have to go."
Ignia eyed Natsu over Lucy's shoulder. This was the last thing he'd expected to see when he'd decided to meet Lucy at her place, rather than at the station. He'd been hoping to catch her unawares and surprise her as she'd left. He loved doing that to her. She startled so easily, and he loved the reaction he always got from her. She'd playfully smack him, her face turning red and her eyes scrunching up.
But that idea had died swiftly when he'd, from a distance, seen Natsu walking into her building.
He took another step towards the dragon slayer, coming up against Lucy who pressed her hands to his chest. "Come on, we're going to miss the train," she said, looking up at him with concern plainly visible on her features. He didn't budge. "Ignia..."
Finally, he relented, "Alright, let's go." He gave Natsu one last look-over before turning and handing one of the bright red apples to Lucy as they started down the street.
He felt a warm satisfaction that he was the one walking down the street with Lucy. He knew that it was stupid... a foolish human emotion. But he'd never been one to restrain himself, no matter the situation. And since he was trying to fit in with these people now, he supposed that it was fitting that he started to experience things the same way they did... stupid emotions and all.
He knew that Natsu was watching them as they left and he grabbed Lucy's hand right before they turned the corner, threading his fingers through hers. He felt her stiffen for a brief second and wondered if she would pull away. But thankfully, she didn't. Instead, she hurried their pace as they wound their way to the station, making it just in time before the last horn blew.
Natsu watched the pair as they hurried down the street, anger bubbling like lava inside his gut. He didn't know why it bothered him so much, seeing them together. But it very much did.
A growl rumbled in his chest when he saw Ignia's hand grab Lucy's. How dare he touch her like that... how dare he - Natsu closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
What was he doing? Why was he reacting like this? So Lucy had gone on a job with someone else... what did it matter? He'd known something like this would happen. He'd expected her to find other friends and people to do stuff with. Heck, he'd even hoped that she had. Despite his absence, he'd never stopped caring about her. He always wanted her to be happy.
But why him?
His feet led him slowly down the street, finding himself in front of the entrance to the guild. He looked up at the Fairy Tail sign and for once, didn't feel like going inside.
Instead, he kept walking, losing himself in the busy streets of town. He didn't want to think about Lucy and Ignia, sitting on the train together, laughing together, going on jobs together. But he couldn't keep the images from flashing in his brain over and over again. It bothered him to no end. It should be him with her right now. It should be him laughing with her. It should be him...
He sighed heavily. This was all his fault. He knew it was.
"Hey Natsu!" a voice called out in the crowd, startling him from his thoughts and making him jerk his head to the side. "What are you doing here?"
Natsu waved at Gray, smirking at the brown paper bag the man was holding. "Quite the homemaker you are now, huh."
Gray scowled at Natsu, falling into step beside him. "Yea well, I am married you know."
Natsu smiled at his friend. "Yea, that seems to be catching on in the guild."
Gray chuckled.
"Speaking of, did you see Laxus and Mira last night? Are they..."
"Duh, Natsu. They've been together for years," Gray said before Natsu could finish.
"Hmh..." Natsu thought, scratching his head. Was he really that oblivious? He'd been surprised when he'd found out about Erza and Jellal, although Lucy hadn't been surprised at all. And then there was Gray and Juvia. That had been easy to figure out. Even Natsu had seen that coming. Though he hadn't a clue when Gray's feelings had changed.
"Hey, you should come over. We're making brunch and we have more than enough food. We need to catch up."
Natsu thought about it for a second and then nodded. He'd almost said no but then thought about what the rest of the day would have been like if he didn't go. Probably just more moping around, thinking about Lucy and Ignia.
He followed Gray out of the town to their cottage which sat beside the lake. He'd helped them move in a while back, way before he'd started venturing away from the guild.
"Natsu!" Juvia sang from across the room. She had a white apron on with tiny red hearts everywhere. A streak of white crossed over her cheek where she'd evidently touched herself while baking something. "Are you joining us for brunch?"
"Yea, I ran into him in town and invited him back," Gray said, walking across the room to give her a quick kiss and to rub the batter off her cheek. "Here are the things you wanted."
Juvia started rummaging through the bag, pulling out eggs and flour and... "Did you remember the cinnamon?" she asked, still looking in the bag.
Gray stuck his hand in the bag and pulled out a small container. "Right here."
"I knew you wouldn't disappoint Juvia."
Gray walked back into the living room where Natsu was standing. Somehow along the way he'd lost his shirt but Natsu was so used to it by now that he didn't bother saying anything.
"Here, take a seat," Gray said, indicating the sofa. "Do you want anyth..."
"Here you go!" Juvia interrupted, shoving two glasses filled with orange liquid at them. "I made mimosas!"
Natsu eyed the drink skeptically, unsure what it was. Tentatively he took a sip, scrunching his face for a second before swallowing. Not bad.
"What's Lucy up to?" Gray asked, taking a seat in the chair perpendicular to him.
Natsu felt his face fall and tried quickly to hide it. "She's out on a job," he answered, unwilling to elaborate.
"I'm surprised you didn't go with her."
Natsu shrugged, trying to avoid the conversation. Luckily Juvia called out from the other room at that moment. "Gray, can you help me with this?"
A while later, after finishing the food, the three of them went out to the back of the house and sat on some lawn chairs looking out over the lake. Natsu was glad he had come. It had been too long since he'd spent time with Gray. And look at them, they'd made it nearly two hours without fighting.
"How long are you staying in town for?" Gray asked. He was holding Juvia's hand, their fingers laced together.
Natsu shrugged. "I don't know. I don't have any plans to leave."
"That's good," Juvia said. "I think Lucy's been a bit lonely lately."
A pang of guilt tightened his chest.
"She seems better recently, though," Gray chimed in. "I've seen her with that guy Ignia a lot. They seem to get along well."
Juvia turned a glare on her husband and quickly spoke up to add, "But I think she misses you."
Natsu leaned back in the chair and grumbled, "That's who she's on the job with. I saw them this morning."
They both turned and looked at him in surprise but neither said anything. They sat in silence for a while and then eventually switched the subject to other things.
A few hours went by and Natsu decided to head out. He thanked them for the food and as he was stepping out the door, he turned to Gray and said, "You look really happy. I'm glad."
Gray nodded and smiled. "I am. And I hope you can find the same happiness someday."
Lucy took a seat in the train car, sliding over until she was next to the window. Ignia closed the door behind him and took a seat next to her. It had been a long day, between traveling and tracking down the rogue mages that had been terrorizing the small town, she was exhausted.
Overall, the job had been a major success though. Before they'd started, she'd told Ignia not to do anything until she said it was ok. She didn't want to risk causing any damage, especially since they were around way more people this time than compared to last. And he'd done exactly what she'd said. When his time had come to take out the guy, he'd gone a little bit overboard, but it had worked out fine. They were still able to bring the bad guys in without any trouble.
A couple kids ran screaming down the hallway and Lucy chuckled when Ignia's eyes went wide with surprise. She guessed he hadn't been around kids much.
Lucy's stomach rumbled uncomfortably, reminding her that they hadn't eaten anything since lunch earlier. And now here it was, well after dark and they had a good hour until they would arrive back in Magnolia.
"Hungry?" Ignia asked, a wide grin stretching over his face. But at that exact moment, his stomach rumbled even louder than hers had and they both started to laugh.
When they calmed down, Lucy stood up and started to step over him. "I'm going to go to the snack car. Do you want anything?"
Ignia stared up at her, his eyes alight with mischief. Lucy gulped nervously and wobbled slightly when the train shifted. She had to tense her entire body to keep from falling over while she waited for his response.
"I do want something..." Ignia said with a lecherous grin, his eyes moving slowly up and down her body. She could practically feel them as they moved over her, making her squirm on the spot. He must have realized the predicament she was in and decided to drag it out a bit longer.
"Ignia," she huffed as the train wobbled again.
He laughed and relented, "I'll take some pretzels if they have them."
Lucy gave him an annoyed smile and opened the door to the hallway. At just that moment, the same kids from before came sprinting by, knocking her backwards. A strong arm caught her by the waist as she fell and pulled her to safety just before she was about to topple to the floor. When she looked up, Ignia was smiling at her, holding her in his lap.
"Gotcha," he teased, his arm still holding her waist.
She gulped audibly, unable to look away from his golden eyes. Her hand was pressing against his bare chest to steady herself and she snatched it back quickly as if it was burning her. Then suddenly, when she was so caught up in looking at his eyes, his lips swooped down and sealed themselves over hers.
A bolt of lightning shot through her, heat pooling in her stomach. His lips were surprisingly soft, exerting a gentle pressure as he cupped the back of her head and tilted her back. Lucy sighed and he deepened the kiss, sliding his tongue along her lips before nipping at them with his teeth and pulling away.
Lucy was in a daze, her thoughts scattered. She wasn't sure how long she sat there, staring at his mouth before she regained her senses and jumped out of his lap. "Pretzels... yes, I'll go get those," she rambled as she fiddled with the door. Ignia had a hold of her hand, and he pulled her back just as the door slid open. She fell towards him, leaning over at the waist until her mouth connected with his again.
He released her quickly, still grinning wickedly. "And a coke too, please."
An hour later, Lucy still felt like her face was aflame from their kiss earlier as they departed the station and started walking towards her place. The streets were dark, but a lot of people were still out, music playing somewhere and people dancing. She wasn't surprised when Ignia took her hand again the gesture turning into a habit that she, if she was honest with herself, rather enjoyed.
"Thank you for coming with me today," Ignia said as they turned the corner. She could see her balcony ahead.
"Of course." She smiled up at him, her hand tightening on his when he smiled back. It was disarming how handsome he was. Sometimes she would catch herself just staring at him, trying to take in every detail. He would inevitably catch her though and she'd turn away, blushing furiously.
"How did you get the job, by the way?"
Ignia responded, "Laxus gave it to me when I saw him yesterday. Said something about testing me or something."
Lucy nodded, not surprised to hear that Laxus was considering offering him a spot in the guild. If there was any other member that Ignia had gotten close to since coming to Magnolia, it'd be Laxus. They seemed to have a lot in common and Lucy was glad that they were friends.
"Here we are," she said, stepping up to the bottom floor door and suddenly feeling shy.
"I'll walk you up."
"You - you don't have to do that," she argued but didn't stop him as he opened the door and pulled her up the stairs. They reached her apartment door and she started fumbling in her purse for the keys, feeling the metal slip through her fingers several times and falling back to the bottom of her bag. She finally got them out but then dropped them to the floor when Ignia suddenly leaned towards her and kissed her.
Her bag fell to the floor as well.
His hands were at her waist, guiding her backwards until she was pressed against the door. She had to arch her neck back to accommodate his height and he moved one of his hands to the nape of her neck, adjusting the fit of her mouth against his.
Tentatively, she placed her hands on his chest and slid them up until they wrapped around his neck. She heard him moan in the back of his throat and then he trailed his tongue along her lips, persuading her to open them and immediately took advantage when she did.
He crowded her against the door, his hand moving along her back to grip her hip. She could feel the fervency of his touch, the way his fingers slightly dug into her and clenched her hip bone. It made her feel powerfully feminine and sexy, fueling her to slide her fingers into his thick hair and grip the roots.
"Lucy," he breathed against her mouth before kissing her again. The urgency of his lips and tongue grew, making her heart thud wildly in her chest.
His hard body was pressed fully against hers, capturing her completely. She leaned into him and felt a rush when he gave way, letting her push him till their positions were reversed.
She backed away a step, letting her eyes get their fill while she sucked in a much-needed breath. His eyes were smoldering as he watched her and she quickly pressed forward again, sealing her mouth over his while her hands pressed against his chest. He was thickly muscled. His skin was hot and smooth, and she could feel his heart beating rapidly beneath her palm.
A gasp escaped her lips when his mouth moved to her jaw, placing tiny kisses along its length before moving south.
"We have to stop," she whispered breathlessly, though her actions didn't reflect her words as she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him.
He groaned into her mouth and grasped the back of her thighs, lifting her up and turning them around until her back was once again pressing into the door. She had the height advantage now and she took the opportunity to sift her fingers into his hair and tug his head back. She heard him growl just before she kissed him lightly along his jawline and then pressed her lips against his for a chaste kiss.
"We really should stop now," she said, lifting her face from his.
He didn't release his hold on her, but he turned them around and leaned his head back against the door. She kissed him softly and cupped his face in her hands. "Are you going to let me go?" she asked, smiling down at him.
A mischievous grin answered her question before he replied, "I don't want to."
Lucy giggled and kissed his forehead. "Come on."
He groaned in defeat and slowly loosened his grip. She slid down his body, feeling every hard inch of him until she was on her feet. She stepped back immediately, her face flaming.
Ignia bent over and gathered the stuff that had fallen to the floor. Lucy flushed even deeper when he handed them to her.
"Sweet dreams," he said, leaning forward and giving her a quick kiss. He started walking away, going down a few steps before he called out, "Dream of me."
To be continued.
Holy moly, look at me updating AGAIN! This must be a record for me.
