Yay! Another Chapter! Thank you all for reading! I really appreciate it! I also want to thank all of those who took the time to leave comments on the story, thank you all for being so wonderful!
I do not own Fairy Tail just the plot.
The morning birds sang as yet another day begun. A soft breeze carried the relaxing aroma of pine through the air. The early rays of sunlight provided the undeniably perfect combination of cool winds and warm rays. The day was simply perfect.
"LAXUS!" A very annoyed blonde cried out, receiving only an uninterested grunt in response. "I thought you said we would be doing magic today!" Pouting, Lucy looked up at Laxus as she sat cross-legged on the ground.
"We are." The man in question yawned lazily not even bothering a glance in her direction. "And no more talking." He added.
"What does meditating have to do with magic?! Can't we practice conjuring weapons or something?! Heck I'd rather spar!" Chuckling he simply ignored her sudden outburst . The moment dawn broke that morning, Laxus was up and off to waking Lucy.
-Flashback-
He stepped into her room and walked up to the sleeping girl. Before he could rudely tear the covers off of her his movements faltered. Even while unconscious the girl before him had some kind of control over him. The way her hair splayed out on the pillow like a golden halo, the way her facial features seemed to have soften- if that was even possible, or even the way her chest rose and fell had his heart doing flips. After leaving the guild he knew he had a snowball's chance in hell with her. Why would a girl as perfect as her possibly want to be with a person as broken as him? Even before then he had accepted the fact that there was no chance, yet here she was: sound asleep in the room across from him. It had not been more than a few days since she had agreed to stay with him and it was still amazed him that she did. It surprised him how well they seemed to work together, it felt as though they had been friends for years. Well, what else was he supposed to expect from the light of Fairy Tail. Then before he could lose himself even more in his thoughts, he reached down and roughly pulled off her covers to start yet another day with the girl he loved with all his heart, but could never have.
-End of Flashback-
"Has everything to do with it." He started. "And please Blondie, I'd crush you with or without magic." He snorted, finally turning to look at her only to chuckle at her annoyed expression.
"Maybe not magic, but I could take you in hand-to-hand, Sparkplug. What do you think I've been doing for that past month?"She said smirking in his direction while standing to her feet. "Unless, that is, you're afraid to lose?" She quipped raising a challenging eyebrow in his direction
"You sure you know what you're getting yourself into, Blondie" He mused shrugging off his infamous jacket as he rose to his feet towering over her by at least a whole head.
"Bring it, Sparky!" She jumped into a boxing stance: her fists came to rest in front of her chest, legs slightly parted, just enough to not be thrown off balance, but be able to move at a moments notice.
"Just don't say I didn't warn ya." He chuckled, but made no move to get into a fighting position.
"Cocky, aren't we?" She ran at the still man jumping a few feet before she actually reached him aiming to hit him with one of her famous Lucy kicks. Before her foot could even come close to making contact with the tall blonde, he side stepped, avoiding her attack completely. Stupid, stupid. Really, Lucy? Did you really think he would fall for something as expected as that?
"Is that really all you've got, Blondie? I thought you said you'd been practicing?" His tone leaving no syllable unsarcastic. Quickly recovering from her missed attack, she spun to stare at the smirking man. Faster than he had ever expected, Lucy swiftly closed the gap between them. Okay, deep breaths. Do it just like you've practiced. Instead of kicking as Laxus had been anticipating, Lucy dropped and effectively slid underneath him and jumped up once behind him. Phew, okay nailed it, now where exactly was it that I have to hit? Ah, right… here. Without giving him a chance to react, she struck a sensitive point in his right shoulder blade then aimed another attack to his neck. He stumbled forward holding his now limp arm and turned to her with lightning speed. "What the hell, Blondie?!" He practically roared after realizing his arm was no longer functioning.
"Oh, just a little trick I picked up. You'd be surprised how much you can actually get from some reading and a bit of practice." She smirked confidently. "Don't worry, Sparky the feeling should come back eventually."
"Cocky are we?" He chuckled. Shit. He thought. What the hell was that? I can't move my arm. Blondie's got more up her sleeve than I thought. He sprinted toward her almost instantly reaching her, he swept his leg out and knocked her to the ground. He hovered above her, but before he could claim victory, her fist shot up and hit a yet another sensitive area this time, however, on his left shoulder. No longer having his arm to keep him up, he toppled over and subsequently fell on the busty blonde beneath him. You know what, I don't mind this quite as much I thought I would. Seeing this as an opening she used her knee to strike his abdomen and push him off of her. She quickly hopped up to her feet and placed her foot on his chest.
"Not cocky, confident. I guess this is my win, huh, Sparkplug?" She smiled down at the other blonde.
Now this I can get used to. He internally groaned. When he felt the weight of her foot on his chest he looked up only to be met with a great view of her creamy legs that seem to go for days. His eyes climbed those delectable thighs to her perfectly rounded ass in those shorts that just barely covered her most private areas. Her shorts hung low enough that he was able to see where her hips flared and continued upward into that tiny waist that was to die for. Today, though, luck was definitely on his side for her shirt was loose enough that he had a clear sight of her flat stomach and the underneath of her bountiful breasts. Why me? Why am I being tortured like this? God and that smile. After a good- and long-look at the blonde bombshell above him his eyes eventually reached her face. The smile that shone down left him breathless. I need to get away before I do something I'll regret.
Using his last functioning extremity, he knocked her down once more. This time he had caught her by surprise and quickly straddled her legs in order to hold her down. "I don't think so, Blondie. If anything, that should be considered cheating."
"You're just upset because you lost." She half pouted, half glared at the smirking man.
"What did you do to me anyway?"
"Just struck some pressure points." She shrugged, completely unaware of how close their faces were getting. "Comes in real handy when fighting opponents twice my size."
"I'm sure it does." He leaned in closer leaving no more than an inch between their lips.
Crack. Crunch.
At the sound of a branch breaking somewhere within the forest not to far from them the pair quickly broke apart. Both blushing madly of how close they had truly been. "S-sorry...umm how's your arm?" Lucy finally spoke up while standing up from sitting on the ground. Wow, what was that? Why am I blushing? It's just Laxus. It's not like I feel anything for him. Calm down, Lucy. She mentally told herself.
"Fine, it's fine. Don't worry about it. I'm starting to get feeling back in both as well as my leg." I. Am. An. Idiot. A mighty big one at that, too. What will she think now? The guy that hated everyone not too long ago, but is now training her straddles her then comes in way to close for comfort. Smooth, Laxus, real smooth. Be a creep in front of the only girl you've ever liked. It's not like it'll ruin your chances with her at all. Well, it's not like I really had a chance before anyway.
"So, when do we start the real training? You know, now that you know what I can really handle." She said confidently.
"Woah, Blondie calm down, all this proved was that you can kinda hold your own in a fight."
"What are you talking about 'kinda'? I totally kicked your butt back there!"
"You showed some real potential… with a teacher as amazing as myself you're sure to become at least decent." He snickered. Why did I say that? Why do I always have to be a total asshole?
"Wow." She completely deadpanned. "And here I thought you had finally said something nice, way to ruin the moment."
"Oi, who do you think I am, Blondie? Don't go trashing my reputation with the word nice, someone might actually think that I'm a good person." He smirked. I have no words. He internally facepalmed.
"Does that smirk ever leave your face? Cuz' I'm starting to think you were born with it."
A genuine laugh ripped from his throat and bellowed across the field. "As a matter of fact I was." He managed to finally say when the laughing died down. Oh my Mavis, I don't think I've ever heard Laxus laugh that. I wonder why, though, his laugh is amazing. It makes him look sound so genuinely happy. He should definitely laugh more often. Wait… did I just think about how amazing his laugh is? Why am I even thinking this? Stop it, Lucy, stop!
"Ughh, whatever, Sparky. Can we get back to training now?" She might as well have whined while putting on her best pouty face.
How could I possibly deny her of anything when she looks like that. "Sure, Blondie. I think that pressure thingy you did finally wore off. Let's see, show me what you can do with that weird golden magic of yours." They stood in the center of the training area with only a few yards separating the two blondes. Laxus, being the man he always has been stood tall and proud, arms crossed over his chest, and arrogant smirk (like always) plastered across his face. He stared at the small woman not to far away and simply waited.
Okay, you can do this. You've done this multiple times already, I'm sure you can manage to do it once more. She held her hands in front of her, palms facing each other and concentrated some of her magical energy into them. She pictured a small knife lying in her hands, and within seconds there in her hands lay the same knife from her mind. It was a golden, almost translucent color yet held all the weight of a real knife. A wave of pure happiness and excitement rushed through her as she held it up for Laxus to see. "See, see I did it! But to be honest I'm not too sure how." She started toward him to hand him the weapon she had just created.
"Not bad, Blondie." That looks just like Gray's ice-make magic, but without the whole spell part. He extended his hand to receive the weapon, but the moment she let go, it disappeared. "Where'd it go?" He asked dumbstruck.
"I-I don't know. They usually just disappear after a while, so I always assumed it was because I wasn't strong enough to hold them out here for too long. But I didn't feel any drop in my magic. Hold on let me try again." Once again she concentrated her magic and once again the dagger appeared in her hands. And just as the last time it disappeared right after leaving Lucy's hand. "I-I don't understand."
"Make another, but this time throw it at that tree." He turned to a tree that stood not too far and zapped it with a bolt of lightning to create a singed black circle on it. "Hit that mark."
"What's the point if it'll just disappear as soon as I let go of it."
"Just do it."
"But-"
"Do it." He said sternly daring her to talk back.
Grumbling something incoherent under her breath she did as she was told. With the new knife in her hand she looked at Laxus with uncertainty in her eyes then turned back to look at the tree. She lifted her arm, positioned the knife and let it go. It soared through the air and hit it's designated mark. It stayed for a few more seconds and then disappeared all together.
"Just as I had thought." He said tearing his eyes from the tree to look at the blonde next to him. Even the way she stares at the tree is cute...What the fuck is happening to me? Did I really just say she was cute? Not that she isn't… but why do I think her staring at a tree is cute?!
"Huh?! What do you mean?" She shifted her wide eyed stare to Laxus from the tree.
"Well, I can't be sure, but I'm assuming that whatever you create only stays for as long as you need it. The moment you let go of it or no longer has a use, it goes away." He stated like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"That makes so much sense. So that's why it always disappears! How have I never thought of that?!" She shouted hitting her forehead with the palm of her hand. "I'm so blonde sometimes."
"Are you done?" He deadpanned. His face the epitome of boredom.
"Yeah, Sparky I'm done. So what are we doin' next?"
"Take a lap."
"W-what?! B-but it's almost dinner and we've been working non-stop since noon!"
"Then take two."
For the next hour and a half they worked on magic: how long she was able to to keep them out, what she could make and how many. In the end Laxus was surprised. The speed of her progress had been close to exponential. She had been able to create almost every weapon he could think up, though when it came to how long she could last, it was only about an hour maybe more but by then her magic began to dissolve and lost some its solidness. When she had finally exhausted her magic they decided to call it a day and head in for dinner.
"Hey, Blondie I've got a question." They were eating the stew Lucy had prepared when Laxus spoke up.
"Okay shoot, and you're blonde too for your information." She grumbled while raising another spoonful of soup to her mouth.
"If you're a celestial mage why don't you use your spirits. I haven't seen you summon even one while training."
"Well," It was true, Lucy hadn't called any of her spirits since a week after she left the guild. She was on her own then: no home, no friends- except her spirits. She had been wandering a random forest when she encountered an insect-like creature. With no other option but to attack, Lucy called out Taurus to help. She had underestimated the creature's strength and was forced to watch her companion get torn to pieces. The pain she felt while watching a friend go through that was too much for her to bare. Ever since then she vowed that she wouldn't open another gate until she was strong enough to protect her spirits. "I-I-" She looked down at her plate and stayed quiet.
"What happened, Blondie?"
"I'm not strong enough to protect them." Her voice was so quiet he wouldn't have heard if it weren't for his heightened senses.
"What are you talking abo-"
"I watched him die and could do nothing to stop it."
"W-what? Do you mean you spirit? Aren't they immortal? So what does it matter?" He questioned, not really understanding what she talking about.
"They are, but they still feel pain. We're friends and friends are supposed to help each other. I failed. I let them get hurt. How can I say I'm a good friend if they're just saving me while they get hurt." Her voice was starting to waver and she could feel tears starting to form in her eyes.
"I'm sure they don't mind. No need to beat yourself up for it." He said plainly.
"That's the worst part, they don't. I hate how they never do mind, it just makes me feel even worse." The tears finally fell leaving streaks down her cheeks. "I should get to bed. It's late and we need to get up early tomorrow." She quickly wiped away any evidence of tears and left to another room.
"Damnit." He cursed and slammed his head down on the table the moment he heard the door slam. "I'm such an idiot." Good job, Laxus. Way to be an ass. Now how the hell am I supposed to fix this.
Crying Lucy and a very confused Laxus what's next? Who knows? First time writing a somewhat fighting scene, so don't hate me too much if it really sucked. Also want to apologize if the pacing is to fast, I'll try my best to slow it down. Like always tell me what you thought, leave a comment, ask me questions, or really anything I don't mind. I'm thinking of either starting another long fic or maybe a one-shot, I'm not too sure yet, but if you have any ideas I would be super grateful.
Until the next update,
your friendly neighborhood writer