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Hiro Mashima owns FairyTail
So warm.
Her eyes fluttered open and she found herself staring right into Natsu's face. He was sleeping peacefully and he had his arms around her. Her heart was pounding at how close they were… the intimacy.. it was so foreign.. yet so exciting.
Then she felt someone stir from behind her. Chills ran up her spine as she was startled by the revelation… that someone was laying right up beside her. SPOONING! His arm was cool… and that meant.
Lucy looked over her shoulder and saw Gray snuggled up against her back. His arm was draped over her waist below Natsu's arm.
Gulp*
She faced forward towards Natsu with a tomato face. She could hear her blood pumping through her veins. Her heart felt like it was going to pop out of her chest.
Trying to calm herself down, she took deep quiet breaths in and out.. she closed her eyes and began to relax.. it was his smell.. that smokey smell… Natsu.. it was his cool arms… the refreshing touch… Gray…
"What will I do with you two…" she thought to herself. Slowly she opened her eyes and decided she did not want to get caught with both of them awake in there current position. She gently placed Gray's arm back at his side.. then Natsu's.
Freeing herself, she got up as silently as possible and put their blankets snuggly on them.
She exited the tent and found it hard to adjust her eyes to the bright sunlight. Because of this, she ran into something.. something wet?!
"Eeek!" Lucy squeaked softly as she fell backwards. Arms wrapped around her and prevented her from falling. Gently opening her eyes.. she saw something she would never forget.
It was Gajeel… his face was covering the sun so she could see…his face was close enough for her to see every line.. every drop of water.. his hair was wet and so the droplets were reflecting the sunlight.. and the sun's rays were giving him a halo around his head. His red eyes bore into hers.. those mesmerizing red dragon eyes.. his lips slightly open to show his pearly white teeth.. the iron studs on his face..
Lucy was speechless..
"I thought I told you to be more aware of your surroundings." Gajeel said softly as he inched forward her to face..
Lucy reacted by pushing her hands against Gajeel's wet chest.
"Sorry Gajeel… I just…"
A bright light appeared.. "Prin-…"
But then...
Lucy's arms went limp.. her legs gave out beneath her.. her head fell backwards as she began to lose consciousness… her breathing became labored..
Lucy saw Gajeel yell… her world began to spin…
"LOKE GO BACK!"
His red eyes not leaving Lucy's face even for a second..
Lucy had felt an overwhelming drain… the minute Loke had arrived, her magic reserve had depleted fast.. and just as quickly as he had come, Loke was gone.
The strong arms lifted her up bridal style and she was brought to the campfire. Gajeel sat her on a log and steadied her as he sat right next to her. He had an arm around her and with his free arm, began to ready breakfast that he had already prepared.
Her vision was coming back.. the world wasn't spinning as much any more.. but she did feel weak and sleepy again..
"Bunnygirl.. snap out of it." Gajeel took turns giving his attention to breakfast preparation and Lucy's face.
"I'm….. fine."
"Don't lie to me. " He growled at her.
"I…."
"Here.. eat this." Gajeel placed a bowl of soup in her hands. A spoon was in the bowl.
Lucy sat leaning against Gajeel with the bowl in her hands.
"Eat Lucy… that's the only way you'll feel better. You need energy. Food = energy so eat up."
Slowly lifting her spoon.. she took a sip of her soup.. It was really good.
"Wow… it's really good."
"Of course it does. I made it."
Lucy looked at Gajeel's face. He was staring at her.
"Who would've thought.. Gajeel the Iron Dragon Slayer.. would be a great cook."
"Tch… it's cuz you've never tasted my cooking before."
"You never offered to share. And.. you're such a handy man." Lucy smiled as she admired Gajeel's spoon and took another spoonful.
"You like it?"
"Mhm.. it's very beautiful." She rubbed her thumb over the intricate design of the spoon's handle. There was a dragon and its tail trailed down the entire spoon. The wings and scales were all detailed and each groove, surface was smooth.
"Then you can have it."
"Really?" Lucy looked wide-eyed at him.
"Yea." Gajeel looked away blushing. She was always so cute looking up at him with those bright wide bunny eyes.
"Thank you Gajeel" Lucy smiled.
She continued eating… her smile faded.
"Gajeel.."
"hm."
"In your future, I'm not alive.."
"Bunnygirl.. we made it clear.. we will not answer any—"
"It wasn't a question…" Lucy looked into his eyes… there it was.. what she was looking for.. it was so small she almost could've missed it.. but it was there.. the fear.
"I know." Lucy said.
Gajeel looked at her wide-eyed… clenching his jaw together…
A flash of lightning appeared before them…
"You know what Blondie?" Laxus appeared
Lucy fake smiled. "I know that Gajeel will be a wonderful husband someday"
Gajeel just kept staring at Lucy's face.. he couldn't believe her.. how… how did she find out?!... and that fake smile.. had she been hiding her pain? how long did she know for?
"HAHA.. if he would be a wonderful husband… then I would be the most perfect husband in all of Fiore." Laxus said smugly as he crossed his arms.
"WHAT! What are you trying to say lightning freak." Gajeel growled back.
"Haha… Oh Laxus... you never fail to amuse me in how much confidence you have of yourself." Lucy said smiling.
"Oh I am very confident Lucy.. I know.. I will be a very good husband. I'm on a different level than you Gajeel… women… I know what women want.. what they need.. " Laxus smirked.
"HAHA…. You don't know crap. You can't keep up with me." Gajeel glared at Laxus
Lucy started getting uncomfortable and red.. she quickly downed her soup and gave Gajeel her attention once again.
"Thank you for the soup Gajeel… It was very delicious. I hope I can taste more of your cooking someday" she smiled.
"Hmph.. anytime.. but I'd rather have you cook for me. I don't like to cook if I don't have to."
"I can live with that. We can take turns for now." Lucy smiled.
Laxus was frowning at how close Gajeel and Lucy were..
"When the heck did this happen…" he thought to himself.
Gajeel's arm was around Lucy and he had cooked breakfast for her?! And why is she leaning on him!
Gajeel noticed and smelt the jealousy from Laxus.
"Gihi… sure bunnygirl."
He leaned in closer towards her ear..
"It's a date." He whispered huskily into her ear.
Chillss… oh chills ran down her spine.. and boy was she steaming now.
Laxus' eyebrows were twitching as he frowned and clenched his fists.. he glared at Gajeel with great intensity. He heard it.
Lucy was so embarrassed.. this morning had been soooo embarrassing.. waking up in her partners' arms… then falling into Gajeel's… almost passing out… and getting a date proposition from Gajeel?!.. while Laxus was watching!... "OMG.. IF I DIE EARLIER.. IT'S CUZ OF THESE BOYS!".. but then she was brought back to reality... she was dying wasn't she... and Gajeel.. or Laxus who were right in front of her.. would never be hers would they?...
Her eyes went towards Laxus.. and she could see Laxus' sour face.. why was he so angry? this was no time to mope about death.. she was goign to enjoy the time she had with them now.. enjoy the present... mustering up her smile again, Lucy targeted Laxus.
"Oh.. Laxus… where did you go so early in the morning?" Lucy asked.
"I went to the mayor's home at the Goyang Village. I picked up your reward money."
"OH I FORGOT ABOUT THAT!" Lucy slapped her forehead with her hand.
"You sure are clumsy…. Here." Laxus walked over and sat next to Lucy. He dropped a medium bag at her feet.
"What is it?" Lucy asked she opened the bag. Her eyes widened in shock.. so did Gajeel's.
The bag was filled with diamonds, rubies, emeralds, sapphires… Gems..
"What.. what?..." Lucy stuttered.
"Well.. the villagers were unable to hold their business and so had no reward money… but actually Mount Goyang is known for their rare gems acquired from mining. They thought this would be best as reward money."
"But.. isn't this too much?" Lucy looked at Laxus with worried eyes. "They have so much to build.. so much to repair…"
"It's fine Lucy.. this is an acceptable reward for the mission you singlehandedly completed." Gajeel said taking his arm back from Lucy.
"What do you mean…?" Lucy looked at Gajeel with a frown.
"I mean.. you did take an S-class mission." Gajeel looked at her with all seriousness.
"WHATT?! I DID WHAT?!" Lucy yelled. Gajeel and Laxus both clenched their ears.
"Geez Lucy.. why are you yelling so early in the morning." Gray stepped out and soon after Natsu followed.
"Yea Lucy.. what's all the screaming about." Natsu rubbed his eyes.
"YOU!" Lucy stood up abruptly and pointed at Natsu.
Natsu looked at her with wide-eyes.
"YOU TOOK AN S-CLASS MISSION?!"
"well.. yea. I don't see what the problem is."
"YOU DON'T SEE WHAT THE PROBLEM IS.. YOU STOLE AN S-CLASS MISSION!"
"Luce.. all of here are S-class mages.. we can take you on an S-class mission."
"BUT THE GUILD DOESN'T KNOW THAT. MASTER DOESN'T KNOW YOU GUYS ARE HERE WITH ME."
Natsu took a step back.. his face started getting pale as Lucy's rage was increasing by the minute..
"NNATSUU… IF YOU STEAL THE MISSION… IT COMES AS I STOLE THE MISSION! NO ONE CAN KNOW YOU OR ANY OF YOU ARE HERE…..MEANING… WHAT."
Gulp* "Luce… just calm down.. we'll figure something out. I promise I'll—"
Lucy walked over towards Natsu and punched him in the face.
Natsu collapsed onto the floor with a throbbing bump on this head.
"Lushhhyy…"
"AND YOU THREE!" Lucy looked at them. "YOU DID NOTHING TO STOP HIM!"
"ehehe… gomen Lucy… we just wanted to get you as much money as possible before we are forced to leave.." Gray said with his hands up to ease her.
"And.. what better than an S-class mission to train you bunnygirl" Gajeel said looking away. He was plagued with the truth.. that Lucy knew.. she knew of their future… the part he had wanted to protect her from..
"Everything will be fine blondie.. Jiji will give you a light punishment and everything will be back to normal." Laxus said nonchalantly.
Lucy cried comical tears… "my team is going to kill me when they find out I went on a S-class mission without them..ERZA IS GOING TO KILL ME… NATSU.. MY NATSU IS GOING TO NEVER LEAVE ME ALONE…"
Natsu smiled.. she had said "my Natsu"… it had a nice sound to it.
"And my Gray is going to do the same as Natsu… and then my Gajeel is going to ask me to fight him for completed the S-class mission! And OMG MY LAXUS…. I can't even imagine how he's going to react…. That a non-s-class mage… STOLE.. an s-class mission" Lucy squatted down and covered her face..
Gajeel.. Laxus.. Gray… looked away from Lucy… but were smiling as they heard her call them hers. Although they didn't' like her saying "my" to the other men present… it was still a nice title to hear.
Lucy peeked through her fingers to see their faces..
"And you guys are smiling! You think this is funny?! When I get back… the HORRORR.. THE HORRROORRR!"
"Oh come on Luce" Natsu went over to Lucy and lifted her up to stand. He hugged her tightly.
"Everything will be fine. You completed an S-class mission all by yourself. That is quite an accomplishment. Even though you did without listening to any of your partners.. but at least you did it!" Natsu smiled.
..
..
Lucy was mad…
…
..
The men waited for her to speak.. and when she did.. their hearts broke.
"Well.. Now that the mission is done… I'll start researching a way for you all to go home. I'm going to go to the river to wash up. Don't follow me." Lucy walked away from the campsite towards the river..
heartbreak in her chest.. time had gone by so fast.. it was already a week.. and now… the handsome four.. had to go home.. and when she went home.. she would have to face the truths she had tried so hard to ignore.. to run away from…
Natsu and her team had ditched her…
the four men will never remember the mission she just had with them.. she would have to live as if nothing happened… because for them… it never did happened.
She will have to live on.. having unreciprocated feelings for them.. because despite her efforts not to.. she had come to fall in love with them.. and they in her time period.. did not love her back.
That no matter what.. her time was running out. That even if she got with one of them… she would give them the pain of losing a loved one.. just as her father felt when her mother died…
She could not use magic.. if she wanted to prolong the end.
Tears streamed down her face.. she wasn't ready.. wasn't ready to go home… to let them go..
"how unlucky can you get... Lucy..."
"I told you this would happen.." Gray said frowning..
"It's for the best… this was the only way…I.. I want her home…" Natsu said out loud.. as if trying to convince himself.. to justify why..
"Just hope we didn't make it worse…" Laxus said rubbing his temples..
"She knows" Gajeel said softly.
Laxus and Natsu's eyes-widened.. "What?" Natsu said in unbelief. Gray didn't hear what Gajeel had said and so he was confused. He watched intently between the dragon slayers.
"She knows." Gajeel said out loud for everyone to hear.
"What….do you mean she knows?! HOW!" Natsu yelled. "WE PROMISED EACH OTHER WE WOULDN'T' SAY ANYTHING.. WTH DID YOU DO GAJEEL!"
"I DID NOTHING!" Gajeel roared. "SHE JUST FUREIKN KNEW!"
Everyone was silent now.
Sigh… "She… just told me this morning. Before Laxus arrived.. she said she knew that she doesn't exist in our time."
"What do we do now…." Gray asked softly..
.
.
.
"I don't know…" Gajeel said with his hands covering his face.