Bright rays began to peek through the curtains darkening Lucy's room. The young blonde squinted, putting a hand over her face to block out the offending sunshine. Looking at her clock, the mage noticed it was still pretty early. The Guild Hall wouldn't be serving breakfast for another hour.
Although she came home to rest, Lucy's mind continued to wander throughout the night. This caused her to toss and turn, not allowing her to get the rest she desired. The Celestial Mage couldn't stop thinking about her pink haired friend.
Hearing that Natsu left the party with Lisanna didn't sit well with Lucy. She wanted more than anything to be there with him herself. However, would her being there have changed the outcome of the evening? The Celestial Mage couldn't be sure. So many questions ran through her mind, it almost made it spin.
I wonder if I've missed my chance… The young blonde contemplated, turning away from the light coming into her room. I've heard so many stories about how close they were as children. It'd only be natural that feelings would come up out of the blue.
However, Lucy backtracked on her own thoughts, remembering something Wendy said. I can't shake the feeling that Wendy may be right. Our friendship is something unique. No one is able to take that away from us.
The Celestial Mage continued to ponder the answers to her own questions as she made her way to the bathroom. She turned on the shower and waited for it to warm up. ONce it was at the perfect temperature, Lucy stepped in with a bright smile. The hot beads of water splashed all over her skin, relaxing her
Natsu… The young woman closed her eyes. Will I ever be able to express my feelings to you?
Lucy spent nearly an hour underneath the scalding hot water. Along with getting herself clean, she contemplated on the best way to go about her situation. Even though she didn't really get an answer, she knew she needed to get out. The Celestial mage would've turned into a prune if she hadn't. A knock at her apartment doortook Lucy by surprise.
Pulling a robe on, the young woman quickly made her way through the living room to answer. Looking through the peephole, the Celestial Mage smiled at the three on the other side.
"Hey ladies." Lucy beamed as she opened the door.
"We decided to bring you breakfast!" Wendy stated excitedly.
"All of us had quite the day yesterday, and we just wanted to make sure you got settled back alright." Carla mentioned quietly.
"I tagged along because I didn't get to hear about your mission yesterday, Lu!" Levy beamed at her friend. "You have to tell me all about it."
"You guys are so thoughtful." The blonde gestured for them to make themselves at home. "I'm going to get changed and then I'll join you." Lucy walks to her bedroom, quickly getting ready for the day. Once she was finished, she joined the other two girls in her living room.
"So, what's special occasion?" The Celestial Mage questioned as she sat next to her best friend, Levy. "It's not everyday you guys come and bring breakfast to my place. I don't buy that you're 'making sure I got settled' stuff."
The Sky Dragon Slayer moved uncomfortably in her chair. She just knew Lucy would see through their facade! In truth, after Wendy and Carla came home last night, the two found the script mage in the main hall of their apartment. Levy was reading when they arrived, and the girls talked about Lucy.
"Hey ladies!" The script mage looked up from her novel as the door opened. "How did your mission go?"
"It was fantastic!" Wendy beamed. "We found plenty of herbs for our client. Not only that, she and her friend created a new dish with the ingredients we brought them. The meal was absolutely to die for! It's totally worth it."
"Really?" Levy smiled gently. "We need to take a trip to eat there soon. Did you guys make it back in time to see the festivities?"
"The party was starting to wind down when we arrived." The Sky Dragon Slayer rubbed the back of her head. "A lot of the people had already gone home."
"Oh darn.. Well, it's probably for the best. You ladies have had a long day."
"Levy…" Wendy couldn't decide how she wanted to bring this up. Lucy's face looked saddened by the news that LIsanna and Natsu went home together.
"Yeah?"
"I think I'm going to take Lucy breakfast in the morning, would you like to come with me?"
"Sure!" Levy grinned excitedly. "What's the occasion?"
"Well…" The Sky Dragon Slayer looked at the floor. "She seemed pretty down after she found out Natsu and LIsanna had gone home together. I just want to make sure she's okay. Making breakfast and bringing it to her was the best way I could think to do it."
The script mage gave a small nod. She remembered the two leaving together. At the time, Levy didn't think much of it at the time. However, she hated to hear about Lucy reacting badly to the news. Since the two had started their friendship, the Celestial Mage and Natsu were extremely close. Even to the point the Dragon Slayer would sleep over at her place randomly throughout the week.
She wasn't sure the last time that occured.
"I love the idea." Levy smiled happily, closing her book as she got out of her chair. "I'll come help out in the morning! Just let me know when."
"It was all Wendy's idea." The script mage chuckled. "I agreed you could use a good pick me up this morning. So we made you breakfast." Looking at her best friend, Levy was glad to see a smile on her face as she dug into the goodies they brought. The group ate in silence for a while, the only sound that was heard were the clanking of forks against glass plates.
"Hey Levy.." Lucy spoke between bites. "When did Natsu leave the party last night?"
"Pretty early." The bluenette recollected. "He arrived a little late, never seemed like he was in a great mood. I'm not really sure what was wrong. I watched quite a few people try to cheer him up, including Gray. None of it seemed to work though, It seemed whatever was bothering him was really tearing him up."
"I watched Natsu go up to the balcony and Lisanna followed. After a while, the two left the guild together. At the time, I didn't think anything of it. Natsu still seemed to be sulking when he left."
"I wonder what was on his mind.." The Celestial Mage became concerned instead of jealous about the situation. "I hope everything went smoothly with his job he took yesterday."
"When doesn't Natsu get the job done?" Wendy asked curiously.
"If he burns the town down, he can't finish the mission now can he?" Carla snickered.
All three of the women began laughing at the Exceed's joke. Levy took a good look at her best friend, who genuinely seemed concerned about Natsu. "Lu, all you have to do is talk to him! The two of you are close enough, you should be able to talk about anything! Who knows? He may tell you what was bothering him last night." That conversation could lead to you telling him the truth!"
"I know you're right, Levy." The Celestial Mage took a deep breath. "But, every time I think about telling Natsu how I feel, panic sets in almost immediately. We're best friends, and guild mates. I don't want to harm what we already have."
"What if it could be better?" Levy inquired, sipping her drink. While sitting there, the script mage thought of the Iron Dragon Slayer. The two of them have been getting rather close as well. The bluenette has been giving several hints to Gajeel. However, she thinks he's completely oblivious to her advances.
"Levy's right." Carla agreed, a small grin appearing on her face. "It could enhance your relationship with the Dragon Slayer."
"All of you are making a great point." Lucy admitted with a sigh. "I just don't think I have the courage to go through with it, just like someone else I know." The Celestial Mage side eyed her best friend, Levy.
"I'm sure you'll find the strength in time." Wendy placed her hand on her friend's knee. "It doesn't have to be right now. I know you're a strong woman, Lucy. You'll get everything figured out."
"I know! We could go on a mission together?" Levy asked excitedly. "We'll have a girls weekend and make some money in the process."
"Sounds great!" The Celestial Mage grinned. "We can go to the guild after breakfast. I'm sure there's a job that we can handle."
The four ladies walked through the streets of Magnolia towards the guild hall. Thankfully, Lucy's apartment was relatively close to Fairy Tail. It only took about five minutes for the group to stroll their way to the guild. Once there, Lucy and Levy immediately head to the request board.
Wendy and Carla broke off from them, spotting a few other guild members to speak to.
"Hmmm" The script mage gazed at the request board, noticing several jobs that would be easy enough. However, Levy was looking for something specific.
"How about this!" The Celestial mage looked at a post right in front of her. "It's just in the next town over, they need help with research in a library!"
"Maybe…" Shrugging it off, the bluenette smiled at her friend. "I love those types of jobs, I just am not a fan of the person supplying the reward." Levy sighed. "They can be pretty demanding and particular about things. I don't want you to go through that."
The blonde nodded as he continued looking. Lucy's ears perked up at the mention of her guild mate's name.
"So… How was your night with Natsu?" Lucy felt that Mirajane's giggle and laugh could be heard across the guild hall. "You came straight here from his place, right?"
Trying to ignore what she just heard, the Celestial Mage looked feverently across the board. Her eyes glanced over an ad for an undercover job. Lucy's brow raised as she stepped closer, trying to get a better look. Normally these kind of missions go to the S-Class board immediately. I wonder why this one is down here?
Upon further inspection, the young blonde noticed the wizard would simply be an inside worker for the facility. There had been a series of thefts and the owner needed it handled professionally. This job sounds so interesting… Lucy mused. It's not the kind of job I would normally take.
The Celestial Mage's eyes continued to scroll the board. "What about this one?" Lucy pointed to a post near Hosenka. "We could stop at the spa on the way home!"
"That sounds relaxing." The script mage mentioned with a bright smile. "I've worked for this person in the past as well!" Adding to her excitement, Levy continued to read the paper. "Sounds easy enough, and it's right next to the spa town. It looks like a great time!"
"Come on Lis! You gotta give me all the juicy details!"
"I'm gonna head home and pack." Lucy mentioned, quickly walking away from Levy and the offending noise in her ears.
"Uh… Okay, I'll meet you there, Lu!" Levy watched as her friend all but ran from the guild hall. The bluenette also heard the ramblings of Mira and her younger sister. There was no doubt that was the reason her friend left so quickly. Taking the piece of paper to the bar, Levy smiled at MIrajane and handed her the job request.
"Ooh, off on another job, Levy?" The she-devil asked with a bright smile.
"Yup!" Grinning, the young woman nodded to MIrajane. "I'm taking Lucy with me. She's pretty down that she missed the party. So we're going to have a girls weekend!"
"That sounds wonderful." Lisanna beamed. "I'm sure if Lucy would've been at the party, Natsu would've been in a better mood."
Levy's brow raised slightly at the comment, not sure what to make of it. "Yeah, she always knows how to cheer people up, especially him."
"Where are you goin, kid?" A gruff voice came from behind the bluenette. The Dragon Slayer must've noticed the job request in her hand. Her body shivered as she turned to see Gajeel standing there.
"I took a job with Lucy near Hosenka." Levy felt a heat rush to her cheeks. "We should be back after the weekend."
"Don't think you should be going alone." The Iron Dragon Slayer stated shortly. "I'll tag along with ya."
"Why?" The script mage questioned curiously. "I think we can handle this one ourselves."
"Some weird stuff has been going on around Fiore lately. I'd just feel safer if someone went with you. If you won't let me go, at least take Lily."
"I'd be honored to escort you ladies on your travels." A small black cat came out from behind the Dragon Slayer. Seeing Levy's stern look soften made him feel better about the situation. He wanted to ensure the girl's safety for Gajeel's peace of mind.
"If you're going to insist, I'd love it if he came along." The script mage looked at the Exceed with a grin. "I'm going to my place to get ready, meet me there in an hour?"
"As you wish." Pantherlilly nodded.