Chapter six! Hope that you all enjoy!

Invitation

Chapter 6

He was an idiot. He was a God damned, fucking idiot! Plain and simple. That was the only answer as to why he allowed Lucy to stick around. To give in to her determined look and accept that she just wanted to be his and Midnight's friend.

Then again, the fact that he was damn near greedy for her attention was another reason he had agreed. Just the thought of losing the light that she had brought into his life was enough to make him want to break down. The only other time he had felt fear of losing something like this was when his little sister had nearly been taken from him. If it hadn't been for the man that later became their foster father, she would have been put into the system and landed who knows where.

It had been enough to have him fighting anyone who came to close. He still recalled some of the cops saying that he had been fighting like he was possessed or something. Then Jellal Fernandez had stepped forward, only nineteen and starting the force. Somehow he managed to calm him down, and stating that he would take both of them in. He wasn't about to let them be separated like this. Hell, he had even took in Midnight once Cobra finally talked about everything that had happened.

It had taken a while for them to truly trust the older man, but eventually they had seen him as a true father figure. Even though he was just eleven years older than they had been. Thirteen in his little sister's case, since Kinana had only been five back then. Back when their father and Midnight's father had tried to...

A sharp knock on his bedroom door had him sitting upright sharply. His chest tight and heart pounding as memories attempted to pour into his mind. Something he refused to think back on. Those men were out of their lives, there was no reason to dwell on them. Inhaling deeply, and running his fingers through his hair, he slid off the bed and opened his bedroom door. Raising an eyebrow in question at Laxus who was standing on the other side of the door, his arms crossed.

"Can I help you with something?" He asked, watching as he scowled before jerking his head toward the living room. Releasing a sigh, Cobra knew that Laxus and Gajeel was most likely going to be ranting about how he was hanging around Lucy too much. Again. The day he had told them that Lucy was willingly seeking him out, they had tried to talk with the blonde, and from what he had heard from Midnihgt, since those two had foolishly cornered her in theater class, she had tore into them and then some.

"Let me guess, you two want me to stop hanging around.."

"Damn right we do!" Gajeel snarled, causing him to blink in surprise before looking over to the couch to see him sitting next beside Levy. Who looked like she had been crying recently, since her eyes were red rimmed and still bright looking.

"What is this?" He asked, remaining still as Levy leveled him with a glare and stood.

"Because of you, Lucy now has rumors circling her about being your bitch!" She screamed, causing him to blink before looking at the other two. Both of them were glaring at him, and he faced back to Levy.

"Does Lucy know?"

"Does she.? You jackass! A female came up to her, laughing and mocking her! Voicing, out loud, if sex with you was good since she seemed so glued to your side!" She screeched, causing him to shift, slight anger and guilt coursing through him at that.

"How did she take it?" He asked, afraid that Levy would say that Lucy started crying. That she would hate him now that he had accepted her at his side.

"She laughed!" Silence met that response.

"What!?" Cobra, Laxus, and Gajeel all shouted. Causing Levy to blink and stare at them.

"Lucy...Laughed? What else?" Laxus asked, causing Cobra to wait as Levy looked confused before glaring back at him.

"She told her that there was nothing like that between you two. That she wasn't like her and could easily be friends with a guy without the benefits." Levy snapped, and Cobra burst out laughing as Laxus and Gajeel looked at one another.

"S..Shrimp? Why were you upset by that? She...She actually stood up for herself. Finally." Gajeel whispered, cutting Cobra off in the midst of his laughter. Finally?

"But...That woman wouldn't have even approached her if it hadn't been for him." Levy pointed out, causing him to shrug as the other two looked at him before looking back to Levy.

"Levy, why are you so against Cobra? Any other time Lucy would have tucked tail and ran. Most likely with tears pouring out of her eyes. She's been standing up more for herself ever since she met him." Laxus pointed out, causing the little bluenette to frown.

"But..."

"Shrimp, when you came in here saying that Lucy was beginning to be targeted, we thought she was somewhere crying her eyes out. Not that she put the woman in her place." Gajeel whispered, tugging his girlfriend back down.

"But, none of this would have happened..."

"Look, I can guess that you're not to thrilled that your best friend suddenly has someone else. That she's suddenly talking to you about me, or whatever. But, the fact that you're targeting me because your friend suddenly found the courage to stand up for herself? That makes me wonder what kind of friend you really are." Cobra muttered, watching as she went still before glaring at him with enough venom in her look, that if he was anyone else he might have turned around and hid in his room.

"You're changing her! You're making her sneak around at night! You're making her leave her old friends behind! You're making her..."

"I'm not making her do anything. She is doing as she wishes, and from what these two just said, it's something she has never done before." He interrupted, watching as Levy looked to Laxus and Gajeel. The look in her eyes telling him that she was trying to figure out when she had lost their backing in this.

"Lev. No offense, but if Cobra is bringing her out of her shell, then I can't be against that. It means that she's finally getting over everything Jude did to her." Laxus whispered, and he frowned. Wondering who the hell this Jude was, and what he had done to hurt Lucy?

"And from the expression Cobra just had when hearing Jude's name, I can tell that he has Lucy's best interest at heart. Shrimp, I think you might be seeing this all in the wrong light." Gejeel added, causing Cobra to look at the pierced man as he rubbed the woman's arm. Not surprised when she shrugged it off, and stormed from the room.

"From the looks of it, I'm the only one who truly cares about Lucy!" She screamed, slamming the door behind her. Cobra gave a sigh, scratching the back of his head as he looked between Laxus and Gajeel.

"Uh..Sorry.." They both stopped when Cobra raised his hand.

"Don't be. You two honestly thought that Lucy was hurt by something. Hell, when she said that I thought she would be hurt to. I'm..Kinda surprised to know that she stood up for herself, while throwing an insult back." He muttered, a smirk appearing on his lips before he shook his head and looked to Laxus and Gajeel.

"Was she really timid as you make her to be?" He asked, watching as they both looked at one another before looking to him.

"That's something Lucy has to be willing to tell you. We're not going to tell her story." They said in unison, and he gave a nod. He could respect that, but now it made him all the more curious as to what Lucy had went through. But, he wouldn't like it if someone pushed him to tell his story, so he could wait. Just like he knew she would wait for him to feel comfortable enough to tell his past.

The sound of his phone ringing caused him to blink and reach into his pocket. Frowning as Midnight's name appeared on the screen and answered the call. That man never called, only sent texts!

"What-"

"Get to the college now! Your bastard of a father just walked into Makarov's office!"

Lucy blinked as their door to the dorm room slammed open, Levy marching in with tears in her eyes. Getting to her feet, she met the woman in the middle of the room, and wrapped her in a hug.

"Levy? What's wrong?" She asked, holding her friend's smaller, trembling body close as she gave a loud sob.

"Cobra, is what's wrong, Lu-Lu! He's mean, cruel, and I don't see why you want to hang around him?" She snapped, causing Lucy to blink and lean back to look down at her sister like friend.

"Levy?"

"He's all you ever talk about lately! He's made it so you have come out of your shell! Enough so that you actually defended yourself and threw an insult back this morning! He's changing you and I don't like it, but at the same time I'm grateful for it! But...I don't want to be put aside because of him." Levy whimpered, and Lucy felt her chest tighten as she tried to think back to the last time just her and Levy had hung out. Her most recent memory was just that morning, but it had been a long time before then...All the way back to the party when she had first met Cobra.

"Oh, Levy. I'm...I'm so sorry!" She whispered, wrapping her in a tight hug. She hadn't meant to push her friend away, especially since Levy had been there in her worst of times, and this was how she repaid her.

"Lucy, I...I can see why you're drawn to Cobra. He does have his charm. Even while putting me in my place, he did so in a way that didn't make me feel insignificant. Not to mention, he made me see that you are coming out of your shell. You're not letting people walk over you anymore. But...I still feel like I'm losing you to him."

"Levy, no. We're sisters, right? You've helped me out so many times, and I'm not saying this because I feel like I owe you or anything. If it wasn't for you, even after I got away from my father, I wouldn't have made it. You are my first ever friend, and I will always cherish that. And you. It's just...Back at the party, when I first met him, it felt like...That feeling you tried to explain to me when you first met Gajeel!" Lucy stated, smiling at her when she stared at her for a moment.

When Levy had first met Gajeel, she had loathed the arrogant man, until she learned about his more tender side. Then had to struggle trying to figure out why she wanted to be around him. Lucy had felt a bit pushed aside during that time, until Levy had talked with her about it. Asking her for advice, or coming to her whenever she became to frustrated. Hell, the only reason that Lucy wasn't going through the same thing, was because Levy had already taught her how to handle her emotions. So, she already knew that she had feelings for Cobra, but she wasn't at the point to really see how far they went for the man.

"Lucy...You...You love Cobra?" Levy asked, and she gave a sheepish smile before giving a small nod. Now that it was out...She felt nervous! Her emotions became just a bit stronger and she couldn't help but join in the squeal that left Levy.

"Oh my god! Lucy, I am so, so sorry for even saying anything bad against him! When...How?" Lucy gave a shrug at the rambled questions. She wasn't sure when she became aware of her emotions either, she just looked at him one time in the library and thought about love. She had just accepted it, but didn't think anything about him returning the feelings.

"Oh, we have to set you two up on a date!" That had her crashing back into reality, and she grabbed her friend by the shoulders.

"No! I..I doubt he'd have any feelings for someone like me." She whispered, watching as those hazel eyes stared at her before a pout grew on her face.

"Are you crazy Lucy! It's obvious that he has feelings for you..."

"But that doesn't necessarily mean that it's love!" She shot back, watching as Levy stared at her before giving a sigh and smile.

"Alright, alright. Baby steps. I get it, but I really hope that you have the courage to tell him sooner or later. Oh, this is just like a novel! So romantic!" Levy cooed, causing Lucy to roll her eyes. Leave it to her best friend to compare her love life, if she could call it that, to one of their cheesy romance novel collection.

"Sure, let's just hope that my turns out less..Dramatic than some of those." She muttered, turning around but paused when the dorm phone began to ring. Stepping around Levy, Lucy picked it up.

"Hello?"

"Lucy, child. Would you mind coming to the office? There is someone here to see you." Makarov sounded over the phone, causing her to raise an eyebrow to Levy.

"Alright, I'm on my way."

Hope that you all enjoyed! Until next chapter!