Here it is! Sorry for being a bit later than usual-lots of exams and revision were in need! To make up for it here's a longer chapter and what say we have a poll, LoLu, ZerCy or maybe another character coupling? Any ideas or improvements are encouraged so please feel free to write a review.
~I do not own Fairy Tail ~
Whilst the dark, dexterous figure busied himself in the kitchen, I began to unpack my suitcases into the small wardrobe laid parallel to my double bed. I had no intention to apply effort into folding or ordering my clothes neatly so I just tossed them all in and hoped that they would stay in place but I froze when I caught eyes with Zeref. Amongst his cloudy skin and his stoic face I saw his eye twitching with frustration.
"What are you doing?!" He growled at me. I jumped from his sudden aggression and stood still in my spot. "Nice and neat, Lucy, how are you going to live a good life when you are stuck with such a messy ward robe?" He pushed pass me and began folding my clothes, muttering vague words under his breath. Suddenly, he held one of my fancy underwear, by fancy I meant lacy. My cheeks were slapped with embarrassment and snatched it from his slender hands.
"What do you think you're doing? Take your hands off my undergarments!" I screamed at his startled face. I don't know why I said 'undergarments', what an awkward word. He just stood there, keeping his ground, slightly puffing out his chest like a proud pigeon.
"I was sorting out your clothes, that's all." Deep inside, I saw a tint of pink which vacated to his cheeks; he would have looked cute if I wasn't so embarrassed or angry at him.
"I'll fold my own clothes, how about that?" I sighed, relaxing my tense muscles and collapsing on the bed. "Sorry, I overreacted." Zeref blinked astonished at the apology, then forced out words I don't think he's ever said before.
"Sort them out later. Right now, why don't you lie down whilst I continue cooking something for us? I believe you've been through quite a lot today."
After eating a delicious beef stew cooked to absolute perfection, which was given to me in bed as I rested, I sighed appreciatively.
Aside from his weird phases I could get used to this!
"So, Lucy, tell me about yourself." Zeref stood up from the small, grey sofa and collected my plate from the bedside cupboard then began to clean up all the dirt and grime he could find. I smiled admirably, finally comfortable and with a full belly in a warm, clay-like bed I couldn't feel anymore at bliss, but remembering my past wasn't my most favourite subject. He then sat back on the distanced couch and faced me, probably forcing the interested look he applied to his face.
"Well, I love reading," as soon as I said that, his approving eyes lighted up to catch my gaze, "I've kind of lived by myself for a while, no parents or siblings." A slight lie, but who could it harm?
".. What about your magic?" He pondered, placing his long legs across the small couch; they dangled off the end and nearly touched the floor. Flashbacks of the scene where the secretary freaked out after trying to determine it flowed through my mind.
"Well, I don't really now what it is." I stuttered. "The lady freaked out when she tested me, saying something about there being 'death in me.'"
"Don't be taken aback by her, she also said that to me when I first joined." He flashed his rare smile which I find I can be easily enlightened by. "You see, mine is a rare and very old Dark-type magic, however I find it hard to control so I believe that's why the Academy enrolled me, so I could use it safely and to avoid Phantom Lord or Grimoire Heart Academy getting access to it."
"Who are they?" I leaned up and rested my back against the bed stand.
"Everyone has enemies, even schools like ours. Phantom and Grimoire are known as Fairy Tail's main competitors." I began thinking about this Dark magic he weld, interested in what it does. "You want to know what my magic is like, am I correct?" He assumed right, leaving a smug smile planted on his face. "I can control shadow, I can create shadow and I can become one." He stood up and sat at the edge of my bed, the top half of his face was covered by his jet black hair and his eyes smouldered a luminous red from the shadows. I felt uncomfortable around this new stranger which Zeref had deserted in his presence.
"Stop it!" I closed my eyes and screamed, unable to continue the torturous prolonged eye contact. When I looked up, his eyes were black and his face was full of sorrow, but I felt he was back to normal again.
"Sorry, I can't seem to be able to restrain it." He ran his fingers though his silky hair and walked away from me. "I apologise if I scared you, I'm afraid my own magic controls me sometimes." He laughed half-heartedly and slowly began to lie onto his bed. There was an excruciating silence.
Since I didn't feel like staying here all day listening to the heavy breathing of Zeref's sleeping body, I opened the wardrobe to choose a suitable outfit for the extreme heat outside. Unexpectedly loudly slamming the heavy doors, I jumped back from the sudden bang. I also heard Zeref ruffle through the bed sheets, alarmed by the sound.
"What happened?" He yelled half-asleep. I told him that I was planning to go to the beach that Loke mentioned when I first met him; maybe I'll see him there too.
"Wait for me, then, after all you have no idea where anything is in this town." He groaned whilst slowly crawling like a sloth out of bed. Then he began to take his shirt off, I was stunned to my spot and asked what he was doing.
"I'm changing into beach clothing." He proceeded to pull his trousers down.
"Stop, at least allow me to go in to another room." I insisted as I opened the door to the bathroom, he waited silently until I fully closed the door. After arriving in the lemon fresh and squeaky clean bathroom, I put on a turquoise bikini and rubbed in some SPF 50 sunscreen I found on the sink counter. Squeezing into the old but still fitting navy blue beach shorts and an orange, v-cut tee shirt, memories of my father reprimanding me for wearing them flashed through my mind, no I can't think of him! Shamefully, I also remembered that I forgot to pack shoes when I left the motel.
I opened the door to find Zeref swaying from side to side with a pained expression on his face.
"Need to pee." He brushed passed and nudged me away before he slammed the door.
"Erm, Zeref?" I squeaked weakly.
"What is it?" his voice boomed from the bathroom. A long pause.
Just ask him, Lucy.
"Do you have any shoes I can borrow? I only have these heels."
"You mean you only have that pair? Sure, there are some shoes near my wardrobe, help yourself." I quickly went to the said place and brought myself to his side of the room, which seemed remarkably darer than mine, I think it's the only spot where the light from the windows miss. It felt cold and a shiver was sent tingling up my spine. As soon as I found his shoe collection, I chose the only pair which weren't black loafers or brogues: navy blue flip flops. Maybe they were a present he hasn't gotten to wearing, or he just never goes to the beach. Sure does look like he doesn't.
"Alright, let's go!" I happily announced when I heard the bathroom door shut again. I turned around to find that his 'beach clothes' were in fact long black trousers, with a loose black t shirt and a black with a gold trim coat, which hung around his shoulders as he failed to put his arms through them. He nodded as he slipped on some loafers.
After a few minutes of walking next to "I always bring a dark wisp of cloud with me whenever I go to the beach", I could finally see the glittering, sapphire blue ocean and the golden sand. I started singing.
"We're going to the be-each!" Jumping up and down whilst balancing myself on Zeref's sturdy arm (I couldn't reach his shoulders) and smiled as wide as I can, I couldn't help but notice him let out a little chuckle and smile. "Oh, come along, Zeref, lose the cloud and enjoy the sun." I peered up at the black cloud, which had lingered over his head, and began to fade.
"Luckily, I put some sunscreen on otherwise I'd never agree to this." The light began to highlight his beautiful skin, pale as chalk but shining in the beams like a rare jewel. Soon, I began to realise that Zeref is not exactly the person who regularly goes to the beach since all the people we passed on the boardwalk stared at him like he was a trespassing angel. When I felt the hard, concrete ground disappear, I invited the soft granules of sand to massage and warm my feet.
"Oh, I love it, love it!" I repeated to Mr. Grumpy, who was staring back at the onlookers. They all seemed to be around our age, flashing their very muscular and picturesque bodies in tiny swimwear. Zeref suddenly stopped and announced that we were going to stay there, only then did I notice I was still holding onto his arm. I blushed a little as I watched him evenly straighten the beach towel across the sand, and then joined him with lying down.
"Aren't you boiling under that coat?" I wondered as I stared at his winter clothes.
"Yes, it is very hot however I don't plan on becoming tan." He closed his eyes and rested his head on his hands. "Then again..." he rose and shuffled his coat off then his t-shirt. I don't know why but I think every girl on the beach fainted a little inside, including me, when he did this. Noticing the attention he received, he smirked then continued his napping, creating a cloud to cover his exposed, paper-white skin. Goddamn him and his perfectly toned body.
"Instead of gawking at me, why don't you go talk to people, I'm sure enough that there are a lot of people from the Academy here." He whispered smugly. I turned my head away and already felt my face turn scarlet red. Even though his eyes were closed I still deemed it necessary to shelter my embarrassment.
Screams aroused from my left, there was a volleyball game going on between the guys; the girls' encouraging shrieks were ear piercing, however they all looked like they were having fun so I decided to join. I decided to take off my t-shirt, revealing my bikini top, which gathered the eyes of many passing boys, most of whom received slaps from their girlfriends or cheered and whooped at me. Something I kind of expected from guys my age.
Smoothly trying to fit in the little group of bikini-clad girls, I squeezed next to a blue haired girl with alert nutmeg eyes; she was quite petite in her orange swimsuit but so pretty!
"Hiya." I smiled at her, thankfully she smiled back
"Hey, you new here?"
"Yeah, how'd you know?" I still displayed my smile. This was going great!
"'Cuz you would know to take a step back when Natsu and Gray are against each other." She laughed and pulled my arm so I would take a step back.
"That's Natsu and his teammate Gajeel." She pointed to a salmon-haired boy with indigo eyes then to a spiky, black haired one who was exceptionally taller and larger than Natsu, but not as swift. "Against them are Gray and Loke." A tall, dark blue (almost black) haired boy glanced at us for a second when he heard his name though quickly snapped back into the game.
When I heard Loke's name I glimpsed at the familiar face and his deep orange hair, I noticed his hazel eyes lacked their blue tinted glasses. They all had extremely athletic bodies, especially Gajeel, and wore swim shorts. Never in my life have I seen so many boys my age with such big bodies.
"My name's Levy, what's yours?" She glowed and shook hands with me.
"Lucy." I replied.
"Come on boys, I think the girls should have a go now, we have a new girl who can be with Levy." A tall brunette with a revealing green swimsuit called out, causing the groan and moans of the annoyed teenagers.
"It's a draw, Natsu." Gray smirked, which seemed to enrage the pink-haired boy.
"It's not over yet, ice-freak!" He growled, and then they began arguing off the pitch with the restraints of Loke and Gajeel.
"Come on, Lucy, you're with me." Ignoring the argument, Levy ran to one side of the pitch and looked back at me.
"We're up against..." Suddenly she was smacked to the ground after Natsu pushed Loke towards her.
"Oh shit! Levy, are you ok?" Many voices asked the fallen body, who began laughing on the ground.
"No sweat, I'm fine!" Loke gently pulled her up and dusted the sand off of her body. I joined the crowd and asked if she was alright which caught the gaze of every single person, including the brunette and green haired women. Loke spoke up first.
"This is Lucy she's going to be in the Academy with us, pleasure to see you again." He winked at me. I smiled shyly.
"Hi." I waved weakly to everyone.
Soon, I discovered the names of the brunette, called Cana, and the teal-hair woman, Evergreen. When we all began chatting, they all seemed like absolutely lovely people and it was easy to get along with them, especially Levy who I discovered was also a bookworm.
"Lucy, huh, you seem really cool! What's your magic?" Natsu grinned.
"I actually have no idea-" my sentence fell short when I suddenly felt a cold, tight grip on my arm, I turned around to discover Zeref, who I've never seen so distraught before. I noticed Gajeel walked away.
"Lucy, let's go." Zeref urgently demanded, brutally pulling me away from my new friends who all shared confused faces.
"No! You said to meet new people and I have so..." He quickly interjected again.
"I'm not asking you, Lucy!" He raised his voice, snarling like a vicious snake.
"What the hell, Zeref?" I snatched my arm away from his constrictive grip. "What's your problem?"
He looked over at Natsu and they both exchanged macabre glares, it felt like time had frozen between them two.
"Nothing." He broke eye contact whilst shoving his coat on, and then clustered his t-shirt and towel in a bunch, which contradicted his personality completely. "Now, let's go." He grabbed me again and dragged me forward in an angry rage, I looked back to let out an apologetic face to everyone. They all looked shocked, except for Natsu, whose face crumpled up in a furious frown at Zeref.
I wonder what their problem was.
Remember to vote which coupling you would like to see in this story! Hope you forgive me for late update, love xoxo