Time for the next update.\(^_^)/
I don't own Fairy Tail, only the OC's and this plot.
Sorry for any grammar mistakes.
Chapter 6
'Lucy that is enough! Your magic level is too low, get everyone on the ground. You can't hold Aquila's gate open any longer,' said Mirajane concerned while holding Lucy in her arms.
Lucy knew she was right and nodded. Aquila saw a free spot and landed as fast as she could. The spirit disappeared and Lucy can't remember what had happened afterwards. She could hear her name but she saw only blackness.
-0o0-
Lucy tried to open slowly her eyes. The sudden light was too painful and she clenched her eyelids back together. Her body felt sore and heavy. To make thing worse, her headache was killing her. Where was she? She tried to focus on her surroundings. The smell of medicines were reaching her nose. The feeling of the soft fabrics under her body from a bed. She heard Porlyusica yelling in the background and Lucy knew she was laying in the infirmary of Fairy Tail. Slowly her eyes were able to adjust and she saw Laxus sitting angry with his arms crossed. 'I'm feeling fine, woman.' scowled Laxus.
'You're just as stubborn as that old fool!' yelled Porlyusica back.
Lucy hadn't meant to giggle. First because she knew it would be rude in this situation and secondly because her body was already in so much pain. But there was no way she could have stopped it in time. The laughing sound had already left her mouth before she had even noticed it. No one ever dared to speak up against Laxus and now in all those times he was getting yelled at by an old grumpy old lady. Laxus had heard the giggle and looked at her. 'Well glad, someone is enjoying this conversation,' he said annoyed.
Lucy felt a little bit embarrassed and noticed the glares in her direction.
'Sorry, I didn't meant to….How long was I out?' She tried
'You, girl, have been sleeping for around 40 hours.' Lucy shrugged back from the glare she got from Porlyusica, slightly relieved that the glance was marching between her and Laxus. 'Why would I even bother trying to save your filthy human lives, if you gonna throw it away anyway. If you both want to die so badly, do it somewhere far away from me! Don't call me again! Wendy can handle this fine.' said the fierce woman and she left the infirmary. Wendy stood in the opening and was laughing sheepishly, while Lucy was confused by the woman's sudden outburst. Not confused that Porlyusica had yelled at her, she knew of her own recklessness, but more that Porlyusica was talking in multiple form. "lives" "both" Lucy looked at Laxus, seeing anger and annoyance. Her glance was interrupted by blue hair and she finally met a couple brown eyes with a concerned look.
'How are you feeling Lucy-san?'
'To be honest, sore to the bone. I can hardly move a limp.'
Wendy stretched her hands above me and a blue light appeared. Lucy could feel the soreness slowly fading away. 'Thanks, Wendy.'
Wendy stared seriously at Lucy. 'Lucy-san…do you want to talk about it?'
'Talk about it? What do you mean?' asked Lucy confused.
'Well uhm... w-why are you accelerating your dead?' Wendy had really tried to look serious, but the slight forming of tears were already visible in the corner of her eyes.
'Stop joking, I'm not dying.' Laughed Lucy sheepishly. This isn't good, she didn't wanted Laxus to know that she is actually dying. The lesser people knew about it, the lesser they will treat her like a porcelain doll.
'Lucy-san, there are no secrets in this room. Master knows it already. Apparently he was able to get the knowledge by threatening Porlyusica for answers a couple days ago.'
'Tch, I only said I wouldn't leave until I had all the answers, I haven't threatened anyone.' He looked at Lucy, noticing the pain in her eyes and he sighed, while scratching on the back of his head. 'Look Blondie, I had a hunch you were hiding something about your condition and as a Guild Master I thought I had the right to know.'
'As a Guild Master? And as a friend?...Would you still have asked her, instead of me?!'
'Would you have told me?' He passed back while looking with a piercing glare at her eyes.
Lucy rolled her head away and knew that he hadn't done anything wrong. He did the thing he thought was right. She wouldn't have told him. She didn't wanted to. And now he knows. How many more people will get to know?
'And now?'
Laxus looked confused by her sudden question.
'What will you do now? Will you lock me up? Asking me to give up my magic powers?'
Laxus couldn't see her eyes, but he knew this was hard on her. The venom in her words. The increasing of her heartbeat. The unregularly flow of oxygen through her longs. The answer in his head was screaming just the things she hated the most. He wanted to lock her up safely. He wanted to ask her to give up her powers if it meant that she would life. But he couldn't say it. Knowing all too well that he would fight against those options, if he was in the same situation.
After a short while, everyone could feel the tension in the air.
'It's not up to me….to decide, it is your life.'
Lucy's eyes widened and she turned her head back in Laxus direction.
Laxus didn't smiled, he didn't showed any emotions. The old mask from his past had been placed on his face. She knew that mask, more than he realized. This was a decision against his own feelings. It was weird in some ways, how much they have learned about each other in these couple of months.
'Thank…'
'But!' Lucy flinched back by the sudden tone. 'But…you need to promise me that if something goes wrong that you will tell me.'
She appreciated his worry, but this wasn't a contract towards her liking. He wanted some control, knowing about her situation. What if her condition would getting any worse, would he keep his word, or would he take action without her permission? Making a contract is not only about trust. It's also about equality. No one is standing above the other and she didn't liked this position at all.
'Says a man, who has his own secrets.'
Laxus wanted to react, but knew he was busted. 'Porlyusica was yelling at both of us. In what way were you throwing away your life?'
Frustration was clearly on his face. 'Fine. You want to make a deal, Blondie?'
'Huhrum.' Both looked up when someone was making an obvious clearing her throat sound. 'Uhm….I'm sorry to interrupt, but I'm still here…. It's really late and Charle would be really mad if I made an all nighter like yesterday. So Master can I dismiss myself?'
Laxus simple nodded. The girl was trying to suppress a yawn, but it was clear to them that she was tired. But what would you suspect of healing suddenly so many mages Fairy Tail and Sabretooth alike one after another.
Wendy felt relieved. The tension in the room was getting too heavy for her liking. It was clear for her that Lucy-san had already set her mind in spending rest of her life. Wendy didn't wanted Lucy to make a promise, she could possibly break. The sky sorceress would have asked Natsu for help, but that wasn't an option now, so maybe Laxus would be able to help her to calm down. There was one thing they had in common and that was their stubbornness.
Wendy stood in the opening of the door and turned around. 'Oh, Lucy-san your medicines can be found in the first drawer next to you. And please….can you listen to Master. You know that we are looking for a cure, without taking your powers. It is just….out of our league for now.' The little sky sorceress turned around and headed home.
'That isn't why I was so reckless.' Muttered Lucy.
'I know….. I know it isn't because of your condition that you are so reckless, it's because of your fear for losing anyone ever again. You have lost your trust in your friends. You have lost your trust in your family you saw as a home. They had abandoned you, while family and friendship was everything for them. They gave you their words, that they would be for you when you needed them and they broke those words. You're a Celestial Mage. Promises, rules and contracts are everything for you. They hadn't realized that and someone still haven't realizing that.'
When Lucy started to look at him, tears ware already falling from her cheeks. Was she really an open book towards him? Was it even visible when she tried to covered it up with her usual smile. Then it sunk into her the last words Laxus had spoken. Her eyes widened and her body was started to shake.
'Where is Natsu?'
Laxus sighed. 'No he didn't left for another year. Flamebrain had a serious look when he saw Rogue and left with Sabretooth and Happy, for personal reasons, I guess. He was muttering that he had forgotten something important.'
Lucy didn't say anything she just kept staring in front of her like she was frozen. She couldn't hear anything, see anything or feel anything. It just felt like Fairy Tail had disbanded all over again.
Suddenly she heard the flicker of paper and felt a slight touch on her hand. Laxus had walked over towards her bed with a piece of paper and a pen in his hands. 'What's that?' Lucy suddenly asked.
'Paper.'
Lucy wanted to slab him, if that really was only his answer. But he looked too serious, so she waited a little bit longer for the answer she wanted.
'Paper….for making a contract.'
She blinked in confusion. 'A contract?'
'Look you want to make a deal with me, but deep down you don't trust me, you don't trust anyone for that matter. And because you are a Celestial Mage I came with the idea of making a contract on paper. Just between you and me. You will tell me when your condition will get any worse. I will tell you about my little secret in the days you are resting in the infirmary. Not tonight, thought. It has been a fucking long day. Are there any more things you want to write me down here?' Said Laxus while writing down the point he just had pronounced.
Lucy kept staring at him, like he was a ghost. A contract. She had never made this kind of a contract with a human before. Only loose words that had been communicated between one to another, that could be forgotten and easily broken. And this wasn't any business contract like her father would use to get hands on more money. This meant, even if Laxus was writing it just from a blanc page, a lot for her. No one had ever thought about how much trust was needed between her and her spirts. No one had ever realized how much words and promises meant for her. And now here stands Laxus before her, from all people she knew, writing a contract.
'Blondie?'
She blinked again and noticed that she was smiling. 'Oh yes, sorry.'
Lucy thought a couple seconds about it, but knew immediately what she wanted. 'You won't lock me away for any sort of reason without my permission, or force me to lose my powers.'
He nodded in acceptation and gave her a little communication lacrima, that was almost smaller than her hand palm.
'And you Blondie, are going to call me whenever you need me and I will try my best to come.' Lucy looked at the little lacrima in her hand and then back at Laxus. She couldn't understand where Laxus was going. 'Why?'
'Because you are doing everything by yourself. If you are in pain, if you have any problems. You keep them for yourself. I want you to trust me as a…as a friend.'
'How did you know?'
The ends of his lips were starting to curl. 'For that part, you are just like me.'
All the dotes were starting to connect. He was recognizing himself in her. He was the most closed off person of Fairy Tail. Always looking down from the second floor with his headphones on. A conversation for him was more like a nod or a grunt, if you had any lucky. Lucy looked at him more closely. He really have changed. She looked at how Laxus was writing on the paper, noticing his usual messy handwriting, what was still readable. Laxus placed his autograph and handed over the paper towards her. She read all the words over again and wrote her own autograph on it. When the contract was finished, started the paper to glow a slight golden light for a second. Lucy blinked a couple times and looked at Laxus. 'Did you saw that?'
'Saw what Blondie?'
'The paper, it glowed.'
His left eyebrow went up. 'You must be tired. Go get some sleep.'
Lucy wanted to say more, but she wasn't even sure of what she saw. 'You must be right.'
Laxus grabbed the contract and placed it carefully in his own drawer near his bed and crawled back in his bed.
Lucy wanted to refresh herself first, before getting some more sleep. She struggled on her way towards the bathroom to wash her face and did her daily thing before getting back towards her bed. The light were already off, the night noises from outside were reaching her ears, when suddenly a snore crossed the room. She giggled softly and laid down in her own bed. She had noticed that she was missing her keys. Apparently Freed was afraid that she would use her magic, the first thing in the morning and kept it hidden in Laxus office. She could understand it, but it didn't feel right. She missed hugging Plue before going to sleep. She even missed her spirits voices and feelings they would always sent towards her through their keys.
She looked at a sleeping, half snoring Laxus. He kept surprising her more and more, in a good way. Specially that contract. How will this go, will he break his promise or will he holt it? Was I really tired or did that contract really glowed? Questions she didn't really had answers for. Lucy yawned again and let the darkness consuming her.
-0o0-
Laxus woke up in the middle of the night, feeling a little bit restless. The rhythm of her heartbeat the slow breathing, it all calmed him down in some way. Why did she had such an effect on him? Why did he wanted to beat up that mind mage just when that freak was thinking about her? Why does he want to protect her? Why does he want her trust? His thought were interrupted when he noticed the scent of salt and the rising of her breathing. A nightmare?
He stood up and checked the temperature of her skin and cursed behind his teeth. She was cold, far too cold for his liking. It was the same as before. Laxus grabbed more blankets and placed them on her, but noticed no change. Damnit woman.
Lucy in her child-form was running after a butterfly in the garden of her old mansion, while her mother kept an eye on her. She laughed while she was running around. 'Momma look, Momma look.' Layla smiled towards her. Lucy kept playing around, until she lost sight of her mother. 'Momma?' Lucy looked around her and saw a flinch of her mother dress in the woods. She started to run and saw her mother walking away from her. 'Momma!'
The garden changed into blackness, her mother stood still and turned around. The blackness consumed her and slowly she vanished in front of Lucy's eyes. 'Momma! Don't leave me!'
Lucy noticed that her body had returned to normal. She saw her father appear near her. 'Papa, where is Momma?' But before he could answer, he disappeared before her eyes. Tears were slowing filling her eyes.
The surrounding changed into the battlefield of Tartaros and she saw Aquarius. Lucy felt on her knees. 'No not this again. Aquarius don't leave me too!' Aquarius was slowly disappearing with tears flowing over the spirit's cheeks.
Darkness had consumed the surrounding again and now Natsu and other guild members were standing in front of her. Natsu was the first one to walk away from her with Happy laying on his head and soon the other guild members were following his example. 'Natsu, Happy, Erza, Gray, Wendy…everyone, don't leave me! Why did everyone left?'
She cried, while the darkness was grabbing her body. She tried to struggle herself free, when suddenly Minerva came in her sight. Her evil smirk changed into a loud laugh.
'You are useless, you are weak!'
'Why are you still haunting me?' Lucy asked. Terror was visible in her eyes and she felt herself sinking deeper until she was completely consumed. She sank further away and it was getting colder. She laid down her arms around her knees, attempting to make herself warmer, but nothing was helping. She was alone and hurt, in the world and in her heart. Like she was after her mother's dead. She felt how her strength was leaving her body.
She widened her eyes when she heard another heartbeat. She felt a gentle heat in her back and Lucy embraced it in her mind. It felt pleasant, warm and trustworthy. She could feel her body strength returning slowly.
Lucy slowly woke up but saw it was still night. She felt warmth of someone's chest against her back. She could smell slightly a scent of a thunderstorm and she smirked. A wetness brought her attention back on herself and she felt tears on her cheeks. She had been crying again. Her body was shaking uncontrollable. The man's arm had embraced her and Lucy felt her shaking was weakening. Lucy's found a hand and shove her fingers in the man's fingers. The man didn't retreated and just lay still next to her. 'Thanks, Laxus.' Lucy mumbled softly. She wasn't alone. She knew it, but her mind couldn't admit it.
Laxus was surprised that Lucy hadn't Lucy kicked him. The only thing he could do was lying next to her, warm her up and comfort her. For some reason that was enough. He could hear her breathing slowing down, the scent of salt was slowly disappearing and he could feel her temperature returning to normal. He knew she wasn't in any danger anymore and closed his own eyes. His last memory before he felt asleep, was the scent of strawberry and vanilla flooding in his nose. It smelt good and familiar in all those months. Why is he laying there? He could have just woken her up.
It was morning and Laxus saw that it was almost time for Mira to open the bar. He saw Lucy still lying against him but this time with the face directed towards him. He wanted to leave Lucy's bed when he felt her hands grabbing on his shirt. Shit! If Mira was going to find them. He was shivering already with the thought what Mira would do to him. Laxus looked again at Lucy while keeping his ears focused on the door. He tried to unwrap her fingers from his shirt but stopped when he heard the mumble from Lucy. 'Don't leave me.' He could see a tear falling from her eye. He knew that feeling so well of being alone. With his father only seeing him as a weak fool and his grandfather too busy with the guild. He was even so mad at gramps for excommunicating his father. He had felt helpless and empty. No one deserved that kind of feeling. He hugged her gently. Fuck Mira punishment for the moment. Lucy moaned and crawled more closer towards him. Laxus tried to pushed all the inappropriate thoughts away, what was caused by her reaction. Fuck! Woman what are you doing with me?
He heard the footsteps from Mira on the stairs and knew what was coming. The door openeded. When Mira had sight of their position, her friendly aura changed into a deadly dark aura. Laxus arms flew up and pointed towards Lucy's hands who were still clenched on his shirt. Mira wanted to shout something but Laxus pointed his finger in front of his lips to sign her to be silence. We heard Lucy moaning again and crawling closer towards his chest again. Apparently he had shoved back a little because of the shock from Mira's entrance. Mira's deadly dark aura was fading away and her smile was worried. She gave hint that she would brought him some food. He just nodded and Mira walked back towards the bar.
Laxus sighed out some breath, he didn't knew he was holding and looked at the peaceful face of Blondie. He noticed some leftover tears on her cheek and shoved them away, with his thumb. Lucy woke up, by the sudden touch and saw that Laxus was still lying next to her. She blushed slightly when she noticed her hands were clutching on his shirt. 'Morning, Blondie,' said Laxus with a smirk on his face.
'M-o-o…o-o-rning.' Her blush was now the color of Erza's hair. The lightning dragon slayer saw her reaction and had the urge to tease her more. Certainty after the trouble she has caused him. He leaned forward and Lucy could feel his breath against her ear. 'Do you like my body that much?' whispered Laxus in her ear.
Lucy stiffened at his words. 'No.' managed Lucy to say, while avoiding his eyes.
'Oh really, because your moaning were telling me a different story.'
Lucy's anger rose up and Lucy kicked him in his face. Laxus flew of her bed towards the corner of the infirmary.
They heard footsteps and the door slammed open. 'Lucy!' screamed Mira
'As you can see, she is finally awake,' said Laxus without any emotions. Lucy was surprised by the sudden change in his emotions and was shocked. Was the whole thing a play? Did he did that on purpose to avoid couple maker demon Mira. Her thoughts were interrupted when she could see a faint line of a smile on his lips. Oh! She gave a small smile on her lips and had decided to play along. Her face changed quickly back into anger.
'Sparky! Why the hell were you in my bed?' yelled Lucy.
'None of your concern woman.'
'Master, I will take care of Lucy now. Will you leave this room, please?' asked Mira with a darkly smile.
'Tch, do as you wish.'
Mira went sitting on Lucy's bed when Laxus had left the infirmary.
Lucy knew that smile and sighed. 'What do you want, Mirajane?'
'Oh nothing dear, I was just curious why you were clinging so tightly on Laxus? Is there something I need to know?'
'Huh, was I really….?'
'You can't fool me Lucy, you need to work on your acting.' Mira interrupted her.
'There is nothing between me and Laxus.'
'I wasn't talking about you two. You were crying in your sleep.'
'Oh that….I-I just had a nightmare.'
A silence filled the room. Lucy tried to avoid Mira's eyes in any cause. The take-over mage was waiting for more, but noticed that Lucy just wouldn't give her the information she wanted to know.
She sighed and smiled towards Lucy.
'So do you love Laxus?'
Lucy's head was turning red. 'What are you saying Mirajane! I told you before there is nothing between me and him!'
Mira pouted. 'But you can still love him?'
'GET OUT!'
Mira giggled. 'Hi… hi….' She took the leftover from Laxus breakfast and left the infirmary.
Sorry I'm behind in responding reviews, will try to reply them as fast as I can.
This chapter was kind of hard to write. Lot of psychological things. Knowing that you are not alone, but deep down insecure to really trust that.
I have added in my eyes a really big thing, the contract between Laxus and Lucy. It was inspired by the writer ArouraLeona with the story "family". I found it a fresh and new and I wanted to do something different with it and everyone knows that promises and contracts are everything for Lucy. So I thought why not a contract between two humans. It's not a marriage contract with rings and everything, just a simple blanc paper contract, handwritten.
This was it for today, will upload the next chapter on Thursday. Smash, kick or hug the favorite/following button or leave a reply. \(^_^)/ Let me know what you think.
