AN: This chapter happens at the beginning of the Tower of Heaven arc. It will followed by a continuation on the next chapter.
After everything that happened during the attack of the Phantom Lord guild, standing up against her father and all the Loke situation, Lucy couldn't be happier in spending time with her teammates in the Akane Beach. Thanks to Loke, they could know relax and enjoy their time there.
"Give me back my bathing suit, you flamefreak!" Gray shouted, as he went in pursue of Natsu, who was holding the former's bathing suit, while using Happy to cover his intimate parts.
"What's the problem? You're almost naked most of the time!" Natsu taunted, while running away from Gray. "But if you want it that much, then come and get it. Sure, you'll have to let Happy go, but… that's just a detail, right?"
"Ay…" Happy said, not feeling so good, as he was being used as a cover by Gray and agitated around.
Lucy and Erza observed them at some distance (along with Juvia, who was hidden a little more at the back observing Gray).
"Those two will never change…" Erza commented, while smiling. "But I guess it gets quite amusing after you get used to it."
"Yeah, speak for yourself" Lucy replied, while smiling nervously. "You know, I'm starting to crave for something a sweet. Do you want me to get some ice cream for you, Erza?"
"That's a great idea, Lucy" Erza told. "And I think you should also bring for the boys as well. After all that running, I bet they will also want something to eat."
"Sure, don't worry, I'll be right back" Lucy said, as she went to get her bag.
"Just don't eat any of our ice cream, Lucy" Happy said, having arrived while using his Aera magic. "It's not like you need to gain more pounds to the ones you already have."
"Shut it, you stupid cat!" Lucy shouted at him. "My weight is perfectly fine!"
It was then that Lucy realized something.
"Wait, Happy, if you're here, does that mean…?" she started to ask.
"Ay!" he replied. "Gray got tired of Natsu always taunting him, so he let me go so he could get his swimming suit back and beat Natsu up."
It didn't take long for they starting to hear feminine screams and it didn't take a genius to realize the reason for that.
"For goodness sake, those two are always causing trouble no matter where we go…" Erza said. "Their fighting is already causing so much embarrassment."
"Says the one that just now said their fights were amusing…" Lucy replied.
"It can't be help" Erza said, as she took Happy on her arms. "I'll put some sense on those two, while you go get some ice cream, Lucy."
"Got it!" Lucy said, hasting to move away, after seeing Erza going after Natsu and Gray. "I honestly didn't want to be on their shoes right now."
Lucy went to the many stands that were near the beach, trying to find a certain one that had the best ice creams.
"I know I've seen it around here…" she said, while looking around. "Oh, there it is!"
After buying from the stand a set of six ice creams that were on a holder of six, Lucy started heading to where her friends were, while savoring one of the ice creams (planning to eat the extra one). She was so distracted savoring the ice cream that she ended up bumping into someone.
"Hey, watch out!" a rude and deep voice shouted to her.
"I'm so sorry, I…" Lucy started, before realizing who she bumped into. "Laxus?!"
Yeah, it was Laxus! Master Makarov's grandson and one of the most powerful wizards of Fairy Tail (and also the jerkiest). Lucy was really caught by surprise by his presence there and, despite her great dislike for him, she couldn't help but notice him as a man. She already knew he was large and muscular, but, seeing him using only his black swimming board shorts with lightning pattern, Lucy was able to see how much. In an act of reflex, Lucy couldn't help but blush a little.
After Laxus noticed who had just bumped into him, he couldn't help but made his arrogant smile. There she was… the newbie rich girl with father issues that had caught his attention. He had already tried to imagine her in a swimsuit, but he never expected to see her like that without even expecting. As he thought, she looked even better like that. Just by looking at her, he could see that she also got surprised to see him, but, while she tried to show her dislike on him, Laxus could tell he was not indifferent to her.
"Well, well, look we have here… The little princess…" he said, tauntly.
"What are you doing here?" Lucy asked.
"I could ask the same thing, blondie" Laxus replied, with his taunting grin. "Don't tell me you got already tired pf playing guild wizard and went back to your daddy's lap."
"That's nothing of your business!" Lucy replied, puffing her cheeks.
Lucy didn't know why, but she couldn't stop looking at Laxus' build, something that he was able to pick up easily.
"Liking what you see, blondie?" he asked, teasingly. "If you want, I can let you put some sunscreen on my back."
"I'll pass, thank you" Lucy answered coldly, dodging her look from Laxus.
"Come on, don't be such a killjoy" Laxus said, as he leaned over Lucy and put an arm around her shoulders, taking then an ice cream from the holder. "Don't you want to have some fun with me?"
"What is wrong with you?!" Lucy exclaimed, while freeing herself from Laxus. "Just a few days ago you were saying that I was the one to blame for Phantom's attack and now you're shamelessly hitting on me?!"
"What can I say, I am a forgiving guy… deep down, that is…" Laxus told, as he started to lick the ice cream he got from Lucy. "Besides, how can I stay mad with such a beauty like you? But I still meant what I said about kicking out weaklings once I get hold of the guild. However… I am inclined to make an exception for you… After all, all guilds need a pretty face like you. But for that…"
With a swift of movement that Lucy didn't even notice, Laxus pulled her closer to him, having his arm around her waist.
"…you will have to be very nice to me. Wouldn't you want to spend time with a big and strong wizard that can protect you from anything?"
Laxus then did something that Lucy was not counting on: he sniffed her. When he did that, he could feel her sweet aroma.
"Now that is a nice aroma… Of course you would be one those women that take forever taking a bath with fancy bath oils."
"As if you were not creepy enough" Lucy commented.
She tried to free herself again, but this time Laxus had a much firmer grip on her.
"Laxus, let me go…" she demanded.
"Come on, blondie, don't tell me you prefer to hang out with losers like those" Laxus said. "I mean, I get Erza, but why Natsu and Gray? A girl like you can't possibly find them interesting."
"They are far better than you, that's for sure" Lucy replied, firmly.
"Sure they are…" Laxus replied back sarcastically. "Hey, I can feel you a little bit uneasy… Why don't I give you a little massage? It will help you relax… and maybe that way we can get to know each other better…"
When Laxus started to get his face closer to Lucy's, she reacted and just hit one of Laxus' eyes with the ice cream she was eating, causing him to drop his grip enough for Lucy to get rid of it and exclaimed:
"You're really such a pig!"
Having said that, she started to move away with an angry walking. Despite what Lucy did to him, Laxus looked more amused than angry. Chuckling, he took the ice cream Lucy hit him with, cleaning the bit around his eye with the back of the hand, and then shouted teasingly:
"Thanks for the ice creams! They will serve nicely to cool down my very hot body!"
That very last phrase really left Lucy uneasy again, as it caused her to remember her physical attraction towards Laxus, what made her blush more than ever.
As he saw Lucy moving away, Laxus went to lick both ice creams, as he admired the young celestial wizard walking. That girl really was everything Laxus loved about a woman: beauty and spunk. Not to mention that the fact she got pretty mad with all of his provocations only made her even more irresistible.
As she approached the place where her friends were, Lucy tried to calm down and ignore what had just happened with Laxus. She shouldn't let them know he was there, as that would just ruin their vacation. For starters, Natsu would for certain pick up a fight with him. But then there was the fact that, if they got to know how Laxus behaved with her just now, there was no doubt a big fight would happen between him and her three teammates that would only cause problems… not just for them, but also to the guild.
When she saw Erza appearing on her field of vision, Lucy was already in better control of her emotions. She arrived there and then saw that Natsu and Grey had been buried, with only their heads out.
"Wow…" Lucy commented, as she arrived. "I don't want even know why these two are buried in the sand."
"Well, it's the best way for them to learn their lesson" Erza replied. "Now, you two will reflect on your behavior for an hour and I hope, when you get out, you will act as the best friends you say you are."
"What?!" both Natsu and Grey asked.
"You can't let us here for an entire hour, Erza!" Natsu exclaimed.
"Yeah, it's completely nuts!" Gray shouted.
But when Erza made her intimidating look at the two young men, they immediately cowered and said at the same time:
"Yes, mam!"
"Good" Erza said, returning to her normal state. "Now, what about those ice creams, Lucy?"
"Yeah, Ice cream!" Happy exclaimed gleefully, as he went to get an ice cream from Lucy.
"Wait, ice cream?!" Gray asked.
"You got ice cream and you won't even give it to us?!" Natsu asked.
"Relax, boys, you will have your ice cream…" Erza replied. "Once one of us finishes theirs so they can hold yours."
"What?!" the two male wizards shouted.
"Don't worry, I can hold them for you" Lucy said, after giving Erza her ice cream.
"Lucy, didn't you get any?" Erza asked, confused.
"Oh…" Lucy said, as she approached the two buried boys and squatted to give them ice cream, remembering how Laxus had taken one of the ice creams at the holder and she hit him with the one she was eating. "I… already ate mine."
"Typical, Lucy, always eating like there's no tomorrow…" Happy commented, as he ate his ice cream.
"Yeah, Lucy, you should really watch what you eat" Natsu said.
"Some people just don't have any self-control" Gray sighed.
Those comments really irritated Lucy, who then just stood up, saying:
"Well, I guess since I eat too much, you won't mind if I eat these two ice creams."
"What! No!" Natsu exclaimed. "We're so sorry, Lucy! You really don't eat that much!"
"Yeah, your self-control is the best out of us all!" Gray added.
Seeing them apologizing and begging really made Lucy smile and quickly take Laxus out of her mind. Her friends could be really annoying sometimes, but they always knew how to make her laugh and forget her worries. And so Lucy went to give Natsu and Gray their ice cream…
Not so far away, Juvia was watching, feeling an immense deal of jealousy while seeing Lucy feeding ice cream to Gray.
"That damn Lucy…" she said to herself. "I should be the one feeding ice cream to my beloved Gray…"