#gildarts continues to be a mood

[itzgruvia]

Gruvia Week 2024:

Day 1: Laughter.

type: soft/comfort, warm, fluff, attempt at humor.

characters: Gray and Juvia, a slight mention of Cana, Gildarts and Macao, and little bit of levy.

this fic is also posted in AO3

Gray likes to joke around, he loves to tease his friends most of the time by cracking jokes or using his sarcastic humour, he doesn't want to admit and say that his jokes are better than Natsu, but judging by the reactions of their guildmates, he could admit just a tiny bit that his humour is better.

And Gray is not boosting himself up, this is coming from an objective perspective not his, because in the end of the day Gray doesn't care if he makes his friends laugh or not, if he finds the situation funny, he'll just use it as an opportunity to crack himself up or to humiliate Natsu, which works everytime.

does he enjoy making his friends laugh? no, not really, or maybe? he doesn't know but he doesn't make an effort to spark the joy around them, that's not his thing it's usually Lucy's.

However, there is an exception where he drops the cold and serious demeanor and tries to elevate the mood.

Juvia is the exception and while he yet does not realise the reason why he tries to goof around her more than usual, he just focuses on that bright smile that appears on her face. 

but that realization hit him today and it was quite a hit.

they were on their usual morning routine in the Guild main room, everyone was minding their own business, an unusual and rare moment ( because Natsu and Gajeel aren't around), but Gray would take it any day than losing his cool and fight without sense.

so he was enjoying the quiet ambience and of course Juvia was besides him, knitting some hat for him, although he told her he doesn't need it but her stubborn self exclaimed:" nonetheless Gray-sama! Juvia will impress you with her knitting skills! she has improved over the months".

he can tell by how many bandages were wrapped on her fingers on both hands, he is worried that she might hurt herself if she doesn't tune down her excitement.

and even if he tells her that, she wouldn't listen to him because she will delude herself with 'Gray-sama's worrisome is like medicine to me!' nonsense and it's too early in the morning for Gray to hear that.

so he just enjoyed the silence between them while she focused on her threads.

Few minutes ticked by and he can sense the frustration coming from the water mage next to him, he glanced to his side and noticed the -cute- frown and her hands tightly holding her straight needles.

her hands worked their way through the confusing loops of threads, their movement were shilly shally, not knowing how to continue the work, suddenly her hands stopped working and she dropped the craft on the table disappointedly.

she sighed.

" it didn't work out?" he asked, turning to look at her.

"No" she replied, her shoulders were hunched and her frown was still in her face, Gray doesn't know why he feels annoyed at her dejected expression but he felt the urge of making her feel better.

and what's best than making her laugh? ( also because he doesn't know how to comfort people and he is afraid he might ruin Juvia's mood by trying)

he scanned the guild for a potential target to use them for his humour and saw Cana dazed on the bar, her head between her arms, completely passed out, it is very unnatural for Cana to not express her love to her barrel of wine at his time, but Gray knows the reason.

"So Cana is not herself today", he nodded towards the brown haired woman, Mira was shaking her shoulder to wake her up.

"Yes, Juvia wonders why" she replied, her frown turning from frustration to worrying about her friend, Gray knows how much she cares about Cana, yet seeing her worry about her makes Gray smile slightly.

He got back at the task at hand, humiliating Cana with no guilt.

"well, I know why", with a smug expression he turned to her.

"I heard that she called Macao dad" he started, both of their heads leaned on each other as they began whispering.

"what?!" Juvia gasped, her smile widing a little.

" yeah, she was really drunk that she mistook him with Gildarts" Juvia laughed a little, it was a progress.

"Gildarts heard about it and challenged Macao and almost turned the guild upside down if Cana didn't stop him" Gray continued as he saw Cana batting Mira's hand away, she didn't want to be disturbed from her drunken slumber.

"Juvia can not believe this" she laughed, and it was like the bells of heaven in his ears, he felt satisfied.

"yeah, Cana felt so embarrassed that her dad destroyed half the guild, Macao wanted to seize the opportunity.. like asking her if she wants him to be her stepdad" Juvia cackled at that mention, and Gray joined in, they laughed to the point that their guildmates throw at them weird looks.

"and then she told him that the reason why she confused him with her dad is because he is old" their laughter turned into a chortle, Juvia wiped small tears from her eyes and all Gray could do is laugh beside her, looking at her softly.

that's when it hit him.

he loves Juvia's laugh, that's why he likes to joke with her more than he does with the others, because Juvia's laugh gives life around him. and when that hit him he cringed at himself internally.

You are lost Gray , he thought.

One morning, Levy had a task to sort out the new books from the boxes that were delivered to her in the Guild, and Gray was bored -Juvia wasn't around yet- and saw how she struggled with the boxes, so he offered to help her out. also the fact that she is actually pregnant and shouldn't be moving too much.

Levy was grateful that she got another set of hands to help her organise the books, it was a lot of them, and Gajeel was in a job.

Gray was getting the books out of the box and putting them in their own category of genres.

" Isn't this the book that Lucy wanted to read?" he held a medium sized book, with a hard cover titled 'The Persistence Of Joy', Levy took a look at it and snorted.

"Yeah she did, but she got spoiled by another book nerd when she was in her mission, and dropped it immediately" she replied, sorting the books at the same time.

Gray hummed in acknowledgment and got back to organising the books.

"So, what's up with you and Juvia?" she took a moment and added "again", Gray rolled his eyes at her remark, he adores Levy's company but the amount of books she reads makes her read between the lines a little too much for his liking.

"what do you mean?" he responded with boredom against his will instead of ignoring her completely.

"Well, it seems like you enjoy her company, last time I saw you laughing to tears with her" she explained, a little bit dramatically.

"have you ever laughed with a person before Levy?" he put the book that was in his hand on top of the others with force that dust was coming out of it, he looked at her pointedly.

she rolled her eyes, and went to put them in their shelves, Gray took that as a sign that she dropped the subject and he can finally focus on finishing his job, he began to regret ever offering a helping hand.

after a moment of blissful silence.

" I am just saying that you were laughing because of he-"

"i swear to god Levy" he glared at her, Levy just lifted her hands to show that she completely understood his point and won't make any unnecessary comments.

Finally, after finishing putting the books in their respective places, he hurriedly left the library alone since Levy was more engrossed in reading a new book that she found. the work was not tiring but he wanted to see Juvia so badly, he knows she is waiting in the Guild's Main room.

he heard her laughter from the door of the library's hall, and when he opened the doors, he spotted her laughing with Mirajane and Wendy.

He smiled softly as he looked at her, she shined brighter than ever with her eyes closed and the sound of joy she made, he could never get tired of it no matter how many times he hears it.

Maybe her laughter makes him crave laughing as well, it makes him want to reach for that joyful moment. So he joined them, completely oblivious about Levy's presence, poking her head out of the door and smiling.

#gray fullbuster #gruvia #fairy tail #gray x juvia #juvia lockser #fairy tail juvia #fairy tail 100 years quest #juvia loxar #gruvia week 2024

[fairytail-incorrectquotes]

Gildarts: Hey kids, I know you're struggling right now, but I'm here to tell you that everything gets worse forever.

#Gildarts Clive #gildarts continues to be a mood #i'm here to tell you this isn't true. #it does get better #you will be okay #please keep trying #please keep going #i promise you. it will get better. #fairy tail #source: twitter #source: wolfpupy on twitter #fairy tail incorrect quotes #incorrect quotes #incorrect fairy tail quotes #incorrect quote #anime #manga

[jemmahazelnut]

Two broken hearts with matching sides - Chapter 2

Summary: Freed and Laxus were inseparable friends, they always spent their days together ever since they were children, so much so that they were considered indivisible. That’s why everyone was surprised when during the last year of high school, the two boys no longer spoke a word from one day to the next. That’s why everyone was surprised when Freed left for Germany and Laxus knew nothing about it. After three years the two will be forced to see each other again, and for a period to live under the same roof. [Freed/Laxus]

Link: AO3

Here you can find Chapter One.

How relationships change

Eventually Freed stopped by their apartment. Laxus knew this because he had heard him talking to Bickslow and Evergreen from his room. He avoided him though. In fact, they avoided each other. When Laxus was with the two friends, Freed was locked in his room, and when Freed did, it was Laxus who locked himself away not wanting to have anything to do with him. Or rather, unable to bear the presence of the old friend.

For three whole years they hadn't heard from each other, Freed hadn't even sent him half a text, no calls. He had just gone and apparently had told Bickslow and not him. And Laxus still remembered how bad he'd been when he found out.

He remembered all the calls he had made, calls that had been ignored by Freed. He remembered all the unanswered messages. He had made a fool of himself for someone he considered his friend, for someone who treated him exactly like his father did, just by walking away and not giving a damn about what he left behind.

And that's just for a… Laxus didn't want to think about it, because if he thought about it, he realized that maybe, maybe, it was he who had ruined everything. That didn't mean Freed didn't blame him. The bastard was gone, and he hadn't even given him the opportunity to explain himself.

Laxus felt the irritation rise again, especially as he listened to the voices of the three boys on the other side of the wall. From what he understood, Freed intended to find another apartment, but Laxus knew it wasn't going to be easy. By now all the students must have already booked, so either Freed took one himself if he had the money - and he probably gave it that he had decided to go to rich daddy in Germany - or he would settle for cheap shit. Laxus just hoped he’d leave quickly so he wouldn't have to see him again.

Or that Freed would make up his mind to talk to him, explaining what the fuck was going through his head. He quickly pushed that thought away, not wanting to delude himself. Evidently, if he had been ignored for three years, Freed didn't give a shit about him. He certainly wasn't going to start now.

There was a knock on the door, and shortly thereafter Bickslow's head appeared from behind the door.

“Hey, would you like to take a walk downtown?” he asked.

“No” the answer came immediately. Laxus didn't want to go out with Freed. He seemed to have made it clear, but apparently the two friends were meddles who didn't understand shit, or didn't want to understand. Why the hell couldn't they just go about their business and leave it alone? He had almost forgotten Freed, and because of them, now he couldn't do it anymore. Because Freed was under his own roof.

“There isn’t Freed. He goes out with Ever,” Bickslow said.

“Anyway, I don't feel like it.”

“Not even if I buy you dinner?” the friend asked. Laxus didn't answer, honestly, he wasn't in the mood. He hadn't been for days, precisely since Freed had set foot in that apartment. No matter how hard he tried to avoid him, it was difficult to do so in such a small space. He was fortunate that Freed spent a lot of time in the library and that he never dined there.

“Come on,” Bickslow insisted.

“I want the double cheese pizza,” Laxus said, standing up.

“Gone,” Bickslow replied.

Soon after, the two went out downtown, heading towards the park where he and Freed always played hooky to skateboard. Not that there was a place that didn't remind him of Freed in Magnolia. They had spent years there, going around all corners, having fun like the kids they were. But if over time Laxus got used to it and managed to push those melancholy memories into a corner of his mind, now that Freed was back, he couldn't do it anymore.

The mood hit him again and as soon as they arrived at the park, Laxus lit a cigarette, hoping that it would help him calm down. It didn't work the way he wanted, unfortunately. Bickslow kept talking until two people caught his attention. Freed and Evergreen, at the bar in the middle of the park.

“Bickslow... I said don't get in the way,” the blonde told him, interrupting whatever his friend was talking about.

“They don't know we're here and we can leave if you want,” Bickslow said. “Can I just know what happened? You were inseparable…” he tried.

“No”.

Bickslow was silent and Laxus let his gaze wander towards Freed, feeling a new nervousness rise. The boy had taken an ice cream croissant, the same one he always took even in high school. Why did he have to get hit by those things? Laxus looked away but when he did, he saw the skatepark he and Freed spent hours on.

He fucking hated him. Why the hell was he back? Couldn't he have stayed in Germany with his rich daddy instead of going back there? Maybe because it had all been a game for Freed. Or maybe because a three-year journey was enough to forget him and move on. Or maybe he was still pissed about how Laxus had behaved three years ago.

In any case, whatever had happened, Freed had moved on. He didn't want to see it, he didn't care, he didn't even want to discuss it. It was just Laxus still thinking of him, pathetic as ever. And he hated himself for it. And he hated Freed for it.

“You two should talk,” Bickslow said.

“No”.

“I’m saying it for you,” the friend insisted.

“Maybe I wasn't clear,” Laxus began letting all his irritation shine through, because he was sure he would punch Bickslow in the face if he continued with that pantomime. He was unable to continue though because a third voice woke him from his thoughts.

“Guys, I finally see you” Gildarts greeted them “You arrived at just the right time. I’ve these packages to unload,” he said pointing to the truck full of cartons, probably full of drinks. Laxus snorted but forced himself to get up, knowing full well that complaining would do no good. Better get the job done right away and then get some free beers.

“You're a profiteer,” Bickslow said instead, but Gildarts smiled at them friendly.

“And you spent your whole adolescence getting me damned like a madman,” the man recalled.

The three each took a package and walked towards the bar. Laxus carefully avoided Freed's gaze, hoping the boy would leave as he always did, but Gildarts obviously screwed it up.

“Freed? You're back? Nobody told me anything” the man asked surprised, placing the cardboard on the ground to greet the boy. Laxus was forced to stop and only because he didn’t have the keys to the warehouse, which were in the hands of the man. He just hoped Gildarts would hurry.

“Hi,” Freed greeted him. “I've only been back a few days ago,” he explained kindly.

“I'm not surprised to see you here, I remember that you and Laxus spent hours skating and getting me damned like a madman” commented the man. The two concerned stiffened but said nothing. Laxus reached out to get the keys from Gildarts but he couldn't. “Maybe I should get you to work too, so as to take revenge for the swing you and Laxus destroyed.”

“Can we go into the warehouse?” Laxus asked slightly annoyed. The last thing he wanted was to start a chat about old times.

Gildarts handed him the deck, while Freed replied to the man telling him that at the moment he had other things to do. The blond thus managed to get away from there, not without hearing Gildarts remembering the old days, unaware that Laxus and Freed no longer spoke to each other. The warehouse wasn't far from them, so the blonde could hear the whole conversation.

“So, you live with Laxus, I'm not surprised. Some things never change” the man said cheerfully.

“Everything changes” was Freed's somewhat cold reply which, despite everything, sent a pang of anguish to Laxus's stomach. “And I'm looking for another apartment. Indeed, if you’ve to recommend me some places I’d be grateful”.

Laxus couldn't see how Gildarts reacted, but he bet he must have a pretty surprised look on his face. Obviously. Like anyone who knew them in high school. If someone had told him three years ago that he was going to fight Freed he would never have believed it.

***

“You can't handle alcohol at all,” Laxus laughed almost with tears in his eyes. Freed was trying to read something, but he was constantly swallowing the words and getting them wrong. The boy snorted and put the paper on the ground. Indeed, the friend wasn’t completely wrong. His head was spinning terribly, and he knew he wasn’t at the height of his mental faculties. Laxus's fault, however, he had proposed a drinking challenge.

“You're drunk too,” Freed said pointing a finger at him. Laxus laughed and Freed chuckled, he wasn't sure why he was doing it, but it looked funny.

The two were at Lucy's house. The girl had organized a birthday party for her, and she had invited all of her friends. Cana had brought a couple of bottles of vodka and dipped the gummy candies into a bowl by soaking them in alcohol. Freed had eaten a lot of them, found them good, and Bacchus, a guy who had sneaked into the party, had brought more drinks. And Freed had drunk them, perhaps stupidly.

“Shall we go out for a moment?” Laxus proposed, standing up. Freed nodded and stood up, but as soon as he did, his head spun and almost fell. Almost, because Laxus caught him on the fly but he too must have had little balance because they fell on a nearby sofa, bursting out laughing again.

“You're drunk” Evergreen said disgusted pushing them away and the two fell to the ground, still embraced and with their legs intertwined.

“And you're boring,” Freed said trying to sit up again, and avoid thinking about how good it was to be so attached to Laxus. With alcohol in his body, however, it was difficult not to, and drunk Laxus was much more physical than normal. In fact, as soon as they were both seated on the floor, the blonde leaned on his shoulders with a grin.

“Exactly. Boring,” he repeated. Freed nodded with conviction and Evergreen rolled his eyes.

“And you two are unbearable when you team up. Get out of here, go annoy somebody else,” she told them. Laxus stood up and held out a hand to Freed, who immediately accepted it so as not to fall again. The two stood up and giggling at something that only they understood, came out of the sitting room.

They walked down the hall, passing Gajeel and Levy who were making out great in a corner thinking they weren’t seen, and passed Loke who was doing a striptease on a table trying to attract the attention of as many girls as possible.

It took them longer than expected, because they both had little balance and leaned on each other. Before they could leave Jenny walked over to Laxus and took his face in her hands.

“You're drunk,” she said worriedly. The blonde chuckled and leaned even more against Freed.

“And you're boring,” he replied.

“Hey,” Jenny complained, but she wasn't particularly offended, probably realizing that Laxus didn't understand what he was saying. “Really, you can't walk around like this alone.”

“I'm with Freed,” the blond objected.

“He's drunk too,” she said.

“We’re just tipsy” retorted the person concerned. Jenny looked at him skeptically but Laxus nodded in agreement with his friend.

“Exactly. We're just tipsy,” he repeated and chuckled. Jenny rolled her eyes.

“Where are you going?”.

“Where are we going?” Laxus asked, turning to Freed, still with his arm wrapped around him to stand upright. Freed smiled.

“To get some air”.

“To get some air,” Laxus repeated turning to Jenny, who was looking at him worriedly. But then Hibiki grabbed her by the arm and told her that they were organizing a dance competition and she had to participate. He dragged her away without her being able to complain and Laxus and Freed walked back towards the exit.

They reached it but as soon as they were there, Freed forgot about the steps and slipped, dragging Laxus with him. The two found themselves lying between the steps and the grass of the lawn. The blonde laughed in his ear and Freed felt his face flush, but he too burst into uncontrolled laughter. They struggled to their feet.

“Where do we go?” Laxus asked.

“Let's go get ice cream in the park,” Freed replied.

“Nice idea,” the blond said and the two set off.

Luckily Lucy didn't live far from the park, and luckily there were no cars on the streets. They reached it and as soon as they got there, they realized that the Gildarts’ bar was closed. The two, however, had already lost interest in ice cream, and in agreement, without even speaking, they headed for the skatepark. Unfortunately, they didn't have skateboards, so they sat on the ground on the grass. They were silent for a few seconds, trying to recover from the hangover, at least as much as they could.

“Have you already had sex with Jenny?” Freed asked suddenly, morbidly curious and hoping the two hadn't done anything. Laxus turned to him and shook his head.

“Nah,” he replied. Freed felt the relief in his stomach and smiled as he lay on the ground, placing his hands behind his head and staring at the dark sky above him. Now that he was out in the open air and that he had walked, he was already feeling better. He didn't know if it made sense, but it seemed to him that the hangover was a bit over. Just a little, because he was still dizzy.

He turned to Laxus and watched as he tried to light a cigarette with little success. Freed found himself staring at him more than he normally would, completely in love with the sight. Good heavens, Laxus was so beautiful it was impossible not to fall in love with him.

‘Crush’ thought the boy. Being in love was too much. Freed wasn't in love, he just had a huge crush on his best friend. And a crush passed in no time. And even though it had been going on for so many months now, Freed persisted in telling himself that it would pass. Because obviously it would pass. Laxus was dating Jenny, and even if his friend didn't seem very interested in her, another girl would come anyway.

Laxus finally managed to light his cigarette and turned to Freed.

“But she gave me a blow job,” he said. Freed forced a smile but when he was drunk, he couldn't lie. He therefore remained silent not knowing what to say. “Has anyone ever done it to you?” Laxus asked.

“No”.

“Well, you should find a girl to do it for you,” Laxus commented.

Freed found himself blushing when the idea of the friend doing certain things to him crossed his mind. He chased it away, he couldn't think of Laxus like that! That was already too much.

“A boy,” escaped his lips. Laxus turned to him in surprise and Freed found himself blushing even more. Damn alcohol. “Nothing,” he laughed embarrassed. Laxus didn’t answer and continued to smoke in silence, without looking at him. For a couple of minutes Freed tried to recover, trying to control his heartbeat and not linger too long to look at his friend. He just hoped that Laxus was so drunk that he couldn't remember anything the next morning.

“Maybe a boy would be better,” Laxus said after a while. Freed turned to him with wide eyes. Had he heard right or was it his imagination?

Laxus finished smoking and crushed the cigarette butt under his shoe. He lay down beside him and turned to look at him. Freed became aware of their proximity, he could feel his friend's thick breath of smoke and alcohol on his face. Again, his heart began to pump faster. Perhaps for the alcohol or perhaps for the speech, he was able to take courage and ask what he wanted to ask him for too long now.

“You like boys?” he asked in a low voice. Laxus shrugged.

“You?” he asked and Freed almost felt his heart burst in his chest. Maybe… maybe he had a chance.

“Yes,” he replied in a whisper. Laxus looked at him without saying anything. Freed hoped the blond would tell him something, maybe tell him he liked boys too. The friend, however, didn’t speak. He kept staring at him strangely, and Freed didn't know what to think.

That was until Laxus pushed towards him. Uncertain and awkward he put their lips together and Freed immediately felt a rush of excitement rising from his stomach. For a moment he remained motionless and incredulous, and only shortly after he closed his eyes and went towards his friend. He moved his lips slightly, and Laxus cocked his head without moving away. They kissed for only a few seconds, and when they parted, they both looked surprised and red in the face.

Freed didn't believe it. Laxus had kissed him. A whirlwind of emotions was running through him, so strong that he was feeling high. Even more than it had been up to two seconds before with alcohol in the body. The blonde reached out and gently moved his hair behind his ear. Freed dared neither move nor speak, lest he break the moment.

Then Laxus pushed back towards him and again their lips joined in a second kiss.

#fraxus #freed x laxus #freed justine #laxus dreyar #fanfiction

[mdelpin]

Marigold for the naLi drabble and frosch for roray

I kind of got carried away with Roray so I will post it by itself and when I get to Marigold I will post it separately! I hope you like it. Let me know if  you have an AO3 account so I can gift it to you.

AO3

A Shared Darkness

It was a new feeling for Gray, this need to not be alone. It had started soon after returning from Avatar. The things he had seen and done there were on his mind constantly, making him wonder if he were even worthy of being a Fairy Tail mage again.

It was made worse by how quickly everyone had accepted him again, something which he wasn’t quite sure he deserved. Even Natsu, whom he’d expected to explode in a rage of fists and fire after their confrontation, and what he’d almost allowed to happen to Lucy, had been more than happy to take him back.

Gray guessed the year apart had changed them both enough to want to cling to what they’d had, and he knew more than anything he should be glad that Natsu never wholly doubted him, but the ease of their reconciliation just added to his discontent.

He tried to get back into his old routines - jobs with his team, guild brawls, avoiding Juvia’s advances, drinking with Cana, spending time with Natsu- but rather than reassuring him that things were back to normal, it was all just noise. Noise, he desperately needed to keep the voices in his head from grabbing purchase.

You don’t deserve them, you are worthless, tainted, evil… You bring pain and sorrow to all you hold dear…

And even though Gray didn’t want to listen, those thoughts continued to creep in until he was all but convinced of their truth. He wasn’t sleeping much either, his dreams a constant reminder of the things he had seen, the pain that could have been prevented if he’d just acted the way Ur, Gramps, and even Gildarts had always taught him. 

More often than not, he’d startle awake, heart racing, and a scream lodged in his throat. 

It was only the jarring sound of Natsu’s snores that kept it from escaping. Something else he’d missed in their time apart. Those snores were like music to his ears, a reminder of where he was. Gray would move closer to the dragon slayer letting his noises and warmth, the likes of which he’d never felt during his time at Avatar ground him.

The more Gray tried to hold it together, the more he was shattering, and he knew something was bound to give soon. He knew he should talk to someone about all of it, possibly Natsu or Erza, but Gray couldn’t bring himself to have them know the things he’d done. Mainly because he knew they would forgive him, which wasn’t what he wanted. 

What he wanted more than anything was to be held accountable for his actions.

That morning Natsu had gone off on a job with Lucy, while Erza was busy helping the Master. So Gray decided to avoid the guild altogether, content to go on a walk with Happy, letting the Exceed’s constant chatter keep the voices at bay, even though he wasn’t exactly listening.

“Hey, isn’t that Frosch from Sabertooth?” Happy asked suddenly, pointing at a small pink figure that was walking ahead of them, their head moving from side to side as they stopped every few feet.

“You think he might be lost again?” Happy wondered, already running towards the little creature, leaving Gray paralyzed where he stood.

Frosch was indeed lost, they’d gotten separated from Lector and were now trying to find their way back to Sabertooth, and failing pretty horribly if they’d made it to Magnolia. Happy immediately began pestering Gray to help the Exceed find his way back to Sabertooth, and Gray felt he had no choice but to agree, even though he’d much rather do anything else.

As adorable as Frosch was, seeing them brought back things he’d much rather forget. Words Natsu had told him of a future they’d only narrowly managed to avoid. A future that had been his fault.

In another life or timeline or whatever, he didn’t exactly understand it, he had somehow managed to kill Frosch and set Rogue Cheney off in a path of death and destruction that had culminated in the dragon attacks after the Grand Magic Games. And now here he was, herding that same Exceed back to their guild, full of a guilt that he couldn’t escape for an act he hadn’t actually carried out.

He was well aware that his new magic enveloped him in a darkness that affected his mood and his personality in ways he couldn’t always control. So it wasn’t enough for him that he hadn’t actually done it this time around, the fact remained that he had done so at least once and if it hadn’t been for Natsu’s intervention he might have done so again, and maybe even not have cared. That thought frightened him. What if he got worse, what if he attacked one of his friends?

With the Sabertooth guild looming ahead, he had no choice but to try to put all those thoughts aside. The three of them entered, with Frosch already skipping ahead as if he hadn’t ever been lost.

“Frosch!” a worried voice called out from the shadows beyond the guild’s entrance, “Where have you been? Lector said he couldn’t find you.”

Rogue Cheney appeared, grabbing the Exceed in his arms and checking him over carefully.

“Happy, and I found them in Magnolia,” Gray explained. He could see the shadow dragon slayer narrowing his eyes as he realized who had been behind the rescue, and the discomfort he’d felt before entering the guild intensified.

Frosch, however, didn’t seem to notice any of the tension, responding with a carefree, “Frosch went for a walk with Happy!” once they were set back on the ground.

And with that, Frosch grabbed Happy by the hand and skipped over to where Lector was waiting. Happy looked back at Gray in apology but the ice mage shrugged it away. Happy deserved to have some fun with his friends after spending all morning with him.

He felt Rogue’s glare and was surprised when the shadow dragon slayer addressed him, “Thank you for bringing Frosch back, we were getting worried.”

“It was nothing, I know Natsu would flip if Happy went missing,” Gray waved away his efforts, trying to figure out what he was going to do while he waited for Happy to be ready to go back home.

They stood in uncomfortable silence until a throat cleared itself loudly as Sting came out of his office. “Stop glaring at him Rogue, that’s not how we show hospitality to our Fairy Tail friends.”

The Sabertooth guild master shook hands with Gray, taking a moment to ask about Natsu. “Why don’t you join us for lunch? You must be tired after coming all this way.”

“Uhm, sure, thanks,” Gray replied stiffly. He’d actually rather not, he wasn’t social on his best day, but he also didn’t want to insult the guild master.

“Great,” Sting smiled, leading the way towards the bar area where there were some tables set up. Once Gray and Rogue had ordered their food, he looked at his wrist. “Oh, I didn’t realize it was that late. I’m going to have to bail. Sorry about that!”

He stood up, barely managing to look apologetic before retreating to his office once again.

“You don’t have to stay if you don’t want to,” Gray remarked, if he felt uncomfortable he couldn’t imagine how Rogue felt.

“Actually I do,” Rogue revealed, his features settling into fond exasperation, “I’d never hear the end of it otherwise.”

Gray blinked in confusion, “Excuse me?”

Rogue gazed at him, his expression unreadable, “Don’t worry about it. How are you holding up? It must be difficult readjusting to guild life after being in Avatar.”

“It uhm, yeah,” Gray responded, not knowing quite how to put into words how he was feeling and wondering if he should apologize for what the other him did to Frosch.

“For the record, I’ve seen the way you are with them. I don’t think you would have done it,” Rogue startled him by bringing up the very thing Gray had been thinking about.

“I wish I could be as sure,” Gray replied honestly.

Rogue regarded him, his eyes never leaving Gray’s, making him feel like he was peering into his very soul.

“It’s not easy, is it? The what-ifs…,” Rogue sighed loudly, “I know a little about what you feel. Sometimes I wonder if there is still a chance that I’ll turn into that man. I worry that something else will happen to me that will set off the events for that terrifying future. It keeps me up at night.”

Gray realized he’d never considered how Future Rogue’s actions would have affected their Rogue. He had only been worried about killing an Exceed. Rogue had to live with the fact that a part of him had been capable of killing his mate. Gray couldn’t even fathom what that must feel like.

“I - I’m afraid the time will come when I won’t be able to control this new power, and I might hurt the others,” Gray confessed.

“Do you really think you’d be capable of hurting your friends? The same you who walked miles out of your way just to bring a lost Exceed home?”

“I’d like to think I wouldn’t, but I don’t know.” 

“We all have darkness inside us, Gray, for some of us it’s just more literal,” Rogue’s mouth stretched into a thin smile. 

“Asking for help is not weakness. You have a lot of people that care about you, you should talk to them about what’s happening to you. Let their light help defeat your darkness. As for the magic, you already know how to fix that, and I am sure Natsu would love nothing more than to help you with that.”

Once their food finally arrived, Gray found himself thinking about Rogue’s words while he ate. He’d been afraid to train with his Ice Devil Slayer magic, worried that it would only lead to the darkness getting more control of him, but maybe he was wrong. If he trained with some of the others, he could test the magic’s boundaries and learn to control it so that it could no longer have any power over him.

Their conversation moved to lighter topics, laughing over the more idiotic aspects of their mates until Happy finally missed Natsu and wanted to return to Fairy Tail.

As he was getting ready to leave, Rogue stopped him briefly, squeezing his shoulder gently, “If it ever gets bad, don’t hesitate to find me. I fought off that Shadow for many years, I can try to help.”

Gray nodded gratefully, not sure what else to say.

They waved their goodbyes and began their long walk back to Magnolia, knowing that the others would be bound to be home soon and worry at their absence.

Happy flew next to Gray, “So, did you make a new friend?”

“You know,” Gray smiled, “I think I did.”

“Happy thinks so too!”

“Happy?” 

“Yes, Gray?”

“It’s only cute when Frosch does it.”

Happy pouted, and Gray laughed, feeling lighter than he had in a long while. As they walked home, Happy once again chattering away, Gray vowed to talk to Natsu and Erza about the things that were worrying him and to let them help him get stronger.

#fairy tail #rogray #brotp #ftlgbtales #gratsu #ftfanfics #ask #raioseucliffe-cheney #prompt: frosch #stingue #drabble request

[ft-wwtdp]

I Take Pride In What I Am 2019 Prompt: I hope people can change Pairing(s): Juvia & Cana, Gray x Natsu

Of all the so-called FairyTail Brats Cana Alberona had been a member of the guild the longest. At first, with no other kids to interact with, she had been content to sit and watch, not sure what to expect from the people that had taken her in. They were an odd bunch for sure, but she liked watching them, as she tried to figure out what these people had that her mother hadn't. Why would her father choose this life instead of one with them? It was a question that kept her up at night. She just didn't understand it.

She had tried to talk to Gildarts several times since she'd joined, but every time she got his attention Cana froze, never knowing how to bring up such a weighted topic. Just saying, "Hey, I'm your kid" to someone like Gildarts Clive just didn't cut it.

All she really knew about him were stories. Crazy stories, both about his abilities and his romantic exploits. Whether she wanted to or not those stories had created an insurmountable barrier between herself and her father. Larger than life did not even begin to describe Gildarts Clive and so she continued to watch, her yearning growing as her confidence plummeted.

Other kids began to join, and as she saw what they could do, she began to concentrate on learning her magic and making friends. It was something she felt she could do, and her confidence soon began to improve, but she was still on the outside watching in.

It was a role that continued all the way through adulthood, as she spent a significant amount of time at the guild drinking. You could learn a lot about people by watching them, almost as much as you did by talking to them, something else she had gotten better at.

One of the things that she had noticed was how one person could be an agent of change for another, sometimes without that person even seeing it.

Erza had been quiet and very reserved as a child. It was understandable, considering what she had been through, not that she ever talked about it. Cana had wanted to be her friend, to help in some way and even though she'd hadn't been able to someone else had.

Gray had somehow managed to get through to her, and slowly, Erza had started to change, to be more assertive and open to the others. Smiles became less uncommon, and once Mirajane had gotten there to challenge her as well, the metamorphosis from Erza the child to the woman they had come to know as Titania had begun, and Cana wouldn't have it any other way.

Gray had also been changed by someone, in his case, Natsu. The Fire Dragon Slayer's constant taunts and challenges to the ice mage since the moment they'd met had created a strange and sometimes worrisome friendship between the two, but there was no denying that Gray was a lot happier now than he had been when he'd first arrived at Fairy Tail.

Jet and Droy had done the same for Levy and Wakaba for Macao after his wife left him. Cana could go on and on about how many times she'd seen it happen over the years. But she had never done it, never seen the need to really, not when there was always someone willing to step in to do it.

The events of the Battle of Fairy Tail had changed that for her though. For the first time, she wanted to be that agent of change, and she knew for a fact that no one else was going to step up this time. Why would they? No one except Freed had seen what she had seen, and even if they had Juvia did not make approaching her easy. Cana had been so moved by Juvia's sacrifice that she could still remember her words clearly.

I wanted to prove to the guild that there's no reason to doubt me, I love all of you. The Fairy Tail guild will always be my home.

Yet somehow Juvia had gone from the strong woman who uttered those words, to someone who cared about only one thing. Well, person, and that was a problem because no matter how much Juvia followed Gray around or showered her affection on him, he was never going to return her love. That ship had sailed years earlier, and it would likely never change.

Juvia was only setting herself up for heartbreak, and Cana was really the only person to help. Even though the rest of the guild encouraged her, Cana was in the unique position to know what was actually going on.

She had noticed years ago that Natsu and Gray were in a relationship. They tried to be coy about it, but she'd been watching them for too long not to notice the changes, the looks that lingered longer than they used to and the occasional subtle touches under the table. It was beautiful, and Cana was happy for her friends. The only thing she couldn't figure out was why they'd chosen to keep it a secret from their family, but it wasn't her place to out them and outside of a few snide comments here and there she had left them alone.

But Juvia was blissfully unaware of all of this, and she had gotten to the point where she had isolated herself from the people she had claimed to love in a bid to claim Gray's love for herself.

Cana had spent a good time watching Juvia as well, and it was clear the girl did not see the same Gray the rest of them did. Who this Gray was that Juvia saw was a mystery to Cana, having known Gray most of her life and knowing he was none of the things Juvia declared.

Like the others, Cana had thought it was cute at first. She'd thought it was a phase, a bit of harmless hero worship for the man that Juvia felt had single-handedly saved her from a life she abhorred, and so she hadn't interfered. But as months had gone by with Juvia's behavior and attitude towards her guildmates only getting worse, Cana began to get concerned. Where before Juvia had been strong and assertive, now she was continually redefining herself as she struggled to find something that would gain her Gray's attention.

And gain Gray's attention she had, but not in the way she wanted. Gray was a very private person. He was not someone who liked to be the center of attention, content to sit quietly and listen to his guildmates or brawl with Natsu or Elfman if he was in the mood for a bit of fun. But lately Cana had noticed how he tensed up the moment Juvia entered the guild, almost as if he were expecting an attack, and in a way, Cana supposed that's what it must feel like for him to be put in the spotlight, or to have his personal space invaded continuously.

It was clear that Juvia made Gray uncomfortable and as much as he tried to be patient with the situation, Cana could tell he was nearing his limit, and so was Natsu. It must be putting a strain on their relationship, especially if Juvia followed Gray all the time, and they were still determined to keep their relationship a secret.

Simply put, Juvia had lost who she was, and Cana was determined to help her find her way back to the kickass mage she had once been. Hopefully, before she was put in a situation where she would have to face Gray or even worse a pissed off Natsu.

But how? How could she get the water mage to realize what she was doing and ease her back to who she had been before this unhealthy obsession had taken hold of her?

The only thing she could think of was to expose Natsu and Gray's relationship to Juvia, but that felt wrong. They had their reasons for being secretive, and it was not her place to go against them. So she decided to wait until Team Natsu was away on a mission, that way she could be assured of Juvia's attention.

Cana spent the rest of the afternoon thinking about Juvia and what had impressed her about her while she drank her usual amounts of alcohol, the empty barrels piling on the floor beside her.

The following morning Natsu and Gray were sparring playfully, making Erza declare that if they had so much excess energy, she would find them all a job to go on. Despite Lucy's complaints, she immediately went to the Request Board and grabbed a job, handing it to Mira before dragging her teammates out the door.

Juvia arrived about twenty minutes later, entering the guild with a hopeful expression that soon turned gloomy as soon as she realized her beloved wasn’t there. Cana decided she should take advantage of the opportunity she’d just been given.

“Hey Juvia,” She called out to the water mage noticing the suspicion on Juvia’s face at the attention, “What are you up to today?”

When Cana did not move from her stool, Juvia grudgingly made her way over to her, sitting on a nearby stool.

“Juvia doesn’t know yet,” Juvia replied thoughtfully. She remained quiet for a few minutes before asking, “Do you know where Gray-sama is?

“He left with his team on a job a while ago,” Cana answered honestly, “Would you like a drink?”

"It's much too early to drink," Juvia responded, making no attempt to disguise her disdain.

Cana shrugged with a smile, “Never too early for me.”

She wasn't really sure how to do this, the others made it look so easy, but she didn't know what to do or what to say to get the conversation going. Usually, Cana could talk about anything, but Juvia didn't really look too thrilled to be there, and Cana was nervous the whole thing would backfire on her. Come on, Cana, think.

"Hey, do you want to go for a walk? I heard it was supposed to be a nice day out today," Cana suggested, thinking a walk around Magnolia might be less stressful, it would also keep her away from the temptation of drinking the day away. She knew she needed to be sober if this was to have any chance of working.

“Juvia supposes,” Juvia replied without much enthusiasm.

"Come on, it will be fun!" Cana chirped hoping it would be true. She got up and led them outside heading towards South Gate Park, which was always pretty in the Spring.

“What was it like to live in Oak Town?” Cana asked, remembering that Juvia had lived there while she had been a member of Phantom Lord.

“It was rainy and gloomy, everything was gloomy before Juvia met Gray-sama.”

“Uhm, did you date anyone?”

"Juvia dated a fire mage named Bora, but he grew tired of the rain, so he dumped her."

"Bora?" Cana knew that name sounded familiar, and when she made the connection, she started laughing hysterically, "You dated the guy that tried to sell Lucy into slavery?"

Juvia looked surprised although Cana heard her mutter something about love-rival before responding stiffly, “Juvia was not aware Bora did that.”

"Oh yeah," Cana continued to laugh, "He tried to impersonate Natsu, it did not end well."

"But Bora looks nothing like Natsu," Juvia sounded puzzled, but then she laughed, "Bora was never very smart."

Cana laughed along with her until she added, “Not like my Gray-sama.”

Right, need to get her off the topic. “How do you like living in Magnolia so far?”

"Juvia likes being able to see Gray-sama every day, and because she is happy, it doesn't rain as much."

Gray again, ugh, time to change the topic. But no matter how many times Cana changed the topic conversation inevitably returned to Juvia's favorite subject. Cana was getting aggravated, and she really wanted a drink. It irked her to realize that not once had Juvia asked a question about her or any of the others, nor had she ever spoken about herself in any way that was independent of Gray.

This was ridiculous and so much worse than she'd feared, Fairy Tail was all about friendship, about the bonds that they had all forged together over the years. They were a group of misfits that had chosen each other to form a family of sorts, and they had welcomed this person with open arms, but it was like they didn't exist in her eyes.

How could one person have changed her mind so much in such a short time? Cana was surprised to find that somewhere along the way she had changed their course. She recognized the path they had taken during the battle of Fairy Tail, the place where they had been trapped in Freed’s runes was just up ahead.

When Juvia continued to go on about Gray, Cana found she’d had just about enough.

“That’s enough!” She snapped at the water mage as she pulled at her hair, “For God’s sake Juvia, do you even hear yourself? Gray this and Gray that. He’s all you talk about!”

Juvia became quiet, her eyes staring at Cana with a hurt expression that made her immediately regret her outburst. Juvia turned to leave, but Cana grabbed her arm to stop her. She pointed at their location.

"Do you see where we are?" Cana pleaded, needing for the girl to see, "Do you even remember what happened here?"

“Of course Juvia remembers, this is where we fought Freed.”

"Yes!" Cana said happily, "Yes, it is, but do you remember what you said to us?"

“Juvia doesn’t know what you mean, Juvia did her duty.”

"Duty?" Cana repeated, sad that Juvia had forgotten how impressive her actions had truly been, "No Juvia, you didn't do your duty. You sacrificed yourself for the guild, for all of us. Not for Gray, for all of us. That's when I knew for sure you were one of us. Only a Fairy Tail wizard would do something that reckless and stupid."

Juvia studied her, a frown marring her features as if she were trying to understand what Cana was saying, what she wanted from her.

“We’re a family Juvia, and sure a lot of us are annoying as hell, but every single person in our guild is as important as the next. It doesn’t matter how powerful they are, even Laxus finally learned that.”

“I understand you feel strongly about Gray, but you can’t focus on him to the exclusion of all others. That’s not what being in a guild is about, hell it’s not even what being in love is about.”

"If you want to take Gray for yourself, Juvia will not stand for it." Whether she realized it or not Juvia had adopted a fighting stance.

Cana stared at the water mage in disbelief, "Are you even listening to me? Juvia, not every girl in the guild is a rival for Gray's affection. Most of us see him as an annoying brother, to be honest. We're your friends, or we want to be, but you won't let us in."

"You're an amazingly strong mage, and your actions here proved that you're also a very strong woman. That's the Juvia that you should be, not whatever you think Gray will like. If there's something I've learned over the years, it's that you have to be happy with yourself before you can even try to make someone else happy."

And it was true, it was the biggest reason why she had yet to tell her father who she was. She wanted to be in a place where she felt he could be proud to call her his daughter.

“What if Juvia doesn’t know who she is anymore?” Juvia said in a quiet voice as she looked at the ground.

Cana kneeled so she could look into Juvia's face, "Then you let your family help you figure it out. Let us in Juvia, we want to help. We love you, you said it before Fairy Tail will always be your home."

“Juvia doesn’t know…”

“Well, just promise me you’ll think about it at least.”

Juvia kept looking at the ground before finally raising her head and giving Cana a small smile, “Alright, Juvia will think about it.”

“And if I can give one last piece of advice, maybe give Gray a chance to be your friend on his terms.”

Juvia's lips tightened, but she didn't reply.

“Do you want to go down by the river, it’s such a nice day maybe we can dip our feet in?”

“Juvia would like that.”

xxx

"I don't want to hear your excuses, you stupid dragon," Gray growled as he pinned Natsu underneath him. They had just returned from their job and had raced to their spot, Gray having beaten Natsu for once, "I won fair and square, and you said the winner could pick any prize they wanted."

"Gray, we're in public, and there's water nearby, you know I won't be able to smell her," Natsu reminded him as he tried to push his boyfriend off.

“I don’t care, it’s been ages since we’ve been able to be alone,” Gray complained before leaning down and claiming Natsu’s lips hungrily.

Natsu made another token effort to resist but was soon too distracted by the intensity of Gray's kiss to care, he was soon returning the kiss and nudging Gray to let go of his arms. As soon as they were free, he wrapped them around his boyfriend, hands moving as he caressed the hard muscles of Gray's backside.

Distracted as they were neither man heard the muffled gasps or the accompanying running steps. They did hear Cana yelling out Juvia's name, and they felt the drops of rain that began as a gentle patter but soon turned into a downpour. They looked at each other worriedly as they realized they'd been caught.

“Shit!” Gray punched the patch of sand by Natsu’s head.

“Shit!” Natsu agreed wholeheartedly.

“Now everyone is going to find out,” Gray stated unnecessarily.

Natsu remained quiet for a minute then shrugged, “Maybe it’s time, we’d been getting ready to tell people before Juvia showed up.”

Gray stared at Natsu, trying to gauge whether he was really okay with this and when he could sense no hesitation in his boyfriend, he smiled. "Okay, let's go."

“Are you okay with having to face Juvia?” Natsu asked, the worry on his face making Gray smile.

Gray wasn't pleased with the situation, but there was no getting out of it, "We knew this would happen eventually, let's just go get it over with."

They kissed one last time before getting up and making their way to the guild hall hand in hand, neither one relishing having to tell Erza that they’d hidden something from her for two years.

xxx

"Juvia! Wait, Juvia!" Cana chased after her realizing once again that she needed to exercise more and drink less. Juvia was surprisingly fast on her feet, which was impressive, considering she was crying. Then again her body was made of water, well more than usual anyway.

Juvia had finally stopped in front of the guild turning to glare at Cana and yell accusingly, "You said you were my friend, you took Juvia there to see them, didn't you?"

"No!," Cana protested, "I told you, they were out on the job. How was I supposed to know they were there?"

“But you did know about them, didn’t you?”

Cana didn’t want to lie, and besides the cat was most definitely out of the bag. “I did know, but no one else does. I just wanted to see you back to the way you were, and maybe I was trying to prepare you, I don’t know. I’ve never tried to do this before. Usually, I just sit and watch,” Cana said sadly.

"Why? Why is Juvia so important to you?" Juvia asked through her tears, and she sounded so lost it broke Cana's heart.

“What do you mean why?’ Cana tried to wipe Juvia’s tears away but quickly stopped, realizing it was pointless with all the rain. “I told you stupid, you’re my friend and my family. I love you, and I want to see you happy.”

"Juvia doesn't know how to be happy, she never has, that's the problem."

“Then we’ll help you figure it out, but we can’t do that if you don’t let us in.”

The guild doors opened, and people started coming out, wanting to check out what was wrong. Soon Juvia found herself surrounded by a worried Lucy, Erza, and Levy. Macao was asking her what was wrong and if he had to go beat up Gray. More and more mages came out, and Cana stepped back, letting them smother Juvia in their affection willing her to see what she'd been trying to tell her.

There was nothing more for her to do. Cana was a tad disappointed, nothing had gone the way she'd hoped but she'd tried her best, and she could only hope that Juvia would consider her words.

They would all be there for her if only she would let them. Just as they would be there for Gray and Natsu when they finally showed up. After all, Fairy Tail was a family, and that's what families did.

A/N: I officially give up, I can’t drabble. This is not meant to hate on Juvia, in all honesty, it’s how I wish the manga had been handled. That moment in the Battle of Fairy Tail was such a goddess moment for Juvia. She was truly at her best and I really wish she’d been allowed to keep that personality. She would have been a much stronger character. I purposefully kept this gen because I didn’t wan to take away from Cana’s motivation by their being a perceived ulterior motive on her part.

#fairy tail #ftlgbtales #ftlgbtpride2019 #cana & juvia #gratsu #ftlgbtales event #alt ships #ft lgbt+ #ftpride fanfiction #prompt: I hope people change #mdelpin

[mistye-dawne]

Finding the Words

Summary: A chance meeting while taking a break from her team sends Lucy and Laxus into unfamiliar territory as Lucy tries to find balance between catering to her team and moving forward with her own life, while Laxus fights his demons and struggles to accept that he just might be good enough to have the girl of his dreams.

FF.net

Chapter 12: Confrontation

Days had passed since Laxus and his team left Magnolia and in that time, they'd met with their client in a town located on the southern edge of Waas forest. There were rumors of a dark guild lurking in the forest attacking merchants and travelers passing through. The same thing was happening to those coming from the north end of the forest. With that information, the four easily assumed they'd find these mages in the heart of forest not too far from the road.

They spent a day traveling along the road and easily took out the guilty mages that ambushed them. However, the group felt a strange energy settle over the forest and were convinced that there was something sinister at work around them. They were compelled to investigate it before leaving.

Laxus had no trouble sniffing out whatever it was they headed toward but the moment he got close to it, they realized that they'd been caught in a misdirection spell. A powerful one. The lightning slayer felt like he'd get them a little closer each time, but then the scent would suddenly change directions before they could reach the source.

"This is getting us nowhere. We've double backed how many times now?" Evergreen inquired agitatedly.

Beyond frustrated with the situation and other things, Laxus spun on the woman with a glare that made her flinch. "Yeah, I know Ever," he growled. "Everytime I think we're close to getting out, this shit shifts around."

"I wasn't blaming you," she asserted. "I was just thinking that maybe we need to try something else since we've been stuck for so long that it'll be getting dark soon."

"By all means then, think of something," he snapped. "I've got a fucking headache." He stomped off ahead of them, beyond caring if they got separated.

Bickslow placed a hand on Ever's shoulder and she shook her head at him. "I'm good Bix. I could have said that better with tensions running so high," she confessed. "You should go check on him. He's been irate since the master called him the other night."

"We still have a few hours before it's completely dark, so Ever and I will try to look for a weak point," Freed offered. "Separating isn't an option."

"Right," Bix nodded. "I'll make sure he doesn't get too far ahead. You guys pay attention though and don't fall behind."

The two nodded and watched him catch up to Laxus. Freed wondered aloud if it had really been a wise choice for the guildmaster to inform Laxus that Jaice had not been apprehended. Ever didn't quite know how to answer. but she thought the master had to have had a good reason to bring it up while they were in the middle of a mission. She also offered the idea that maybe he had called as his grandfather rather than the guildmaster, reminding the rune mage that the call between them had been a rather long one.

Freed thought about Ever's words. The relationship between the lightning slayer and the guildmaster had slowly mended since Gildarts reinstated his status as a member, but to call them close would be an exaggeration. If anything, Laxus just respected his grandfather properly now. But maybe she was right and they had spoken about something of a more personal nature.

The fairy mage and rune mage for silent for some time after that, trying to feel a break in the spell surrounding them. Freed thought that since the spell only shifted once they got close enough to it's edge, that it was possible for there to be a rune surrounding them. If that were the case, then all he would need to do was locate a weak spot within the rules, and then rewrite it because a rune of large size could very easily have multiple weak points if it had been rushed. The remaining hours seemed to drag on until Ever and Freed felt the air change again, this time far more subtly than before that they expected Laxus and Bickslow to miss it since they'd not been looking for it.

"My hair is starting to frizz up," Ever complained.

"It's gotten humid." A heavy mist had settled over the two making it hard to see more than three feet in front of them as the sun was already low in the sky. "Fog?"

"Jaice wielded a type of mist, didn't he?" Ever asked, panic in her voice.

"Laxus! Bickslow!" Freed shouted. He'd only just realized that they'd gotten out of sight and prayed that they hadn't gotten too far, leaving the group separated. A second later, the men came into view.

"Why'd you stop?" Bickslow questioned. "You find something?"

"I don't feel the misdirection spell any longer. Instead this mist has settled in it's place."

He was right, none of them could feel the effects from before. However, when Laxus inhaled to catch the scent of something he could use to lead them back to the main road, all he could smell was the moisture in the air.

"Dammit. I can't smell anything past this mist. How are we gonna get out?"

"Well the spell changed for a reason. I also don't feel like my magic is being suppressed so I might be able to do something about the mist."

The group made a fire to give Freed a little bit of light as he and Ever worked on adjusting the spell around them.

"How's cosplayer?" Bix asked, hoping to get the lighting slayer talking since he been silent after his little outburst.

"Irritated to hell."

"Can't say I blame her. Weeks ago, she's told that she can't work solo and now she's gotta have a babysitter."

Laxus sighed and shook his head. "I don't think I helped to improve her mood any."

Bickslow eyed the blonde as he ran a hand through his hair. "Good lord, what did you say to her?"

"That I was glad to know that she was safe," he mumbled.

"What else, Laxus?" Bix prompted.

"I tried telling her that the old man is just looking out for her."

What he didn't tell his friend was that his grandfather had been speaking to Loke before he'd called him to inform him about Jaice the other night. They'd spoken at length about protecting Lucy and while both the spirit and his grandfather seemed against the idea, they were considering it simply because they didn't know what might happen to her once Jaice was near her again.

Laxus didn't want to consider the possibility of Lucy losing her memories so he decided that there would be no chance of it happening. The celestial mage might end up hating him, but if he wasn't there to help protect her he wasn't going to risk her losing everything because of her pride.

"I'm sure she knows that. But she's a mage in her own right," Bix explained.

"And a prideful woman that doesn't need anyone," he scoffed.

"Hey. Doesn't mean that she don't want someone around."

Laxus knew Bix was right. If Lucy didn't want him, she'd say so. This whole situation was just fucked up and he wanted to do nothing than just go home to her and try to make it better, not that he knew how to make things better. They continued to talk for a little longer. Lucy had finally found a new apartment and was starting to move in. Bickslow assured him that the distraction was a good thing for her. It would let her feel normal and lot like some crazed loon was possibly hunting for her.

Ever came back to sit with them as Freed made a few more adjustments to the enchantment. The lightning slayer apologized to her for snapping and she just shook her head offering her own apology. She rested with them for a little bit and asked about Lucy's new apartment. He told her that the celestial mage had found one that she was finally happy with even though it had more space than she could use up. The fairy mage joked about maybe moving in with her and Laxus said that all she had to do was ask.

The place had two bedrooms and two bathrooms. The selling point for Lucy had been the jacuzzi in the master bathroom. Evergreen was definitely going to consider asking her friend for the spare bedroom since she was getting tired of Fairy Hills.

When Freed walked over, Ever nodded at him and stood up motioning for the other two to follow. They returned to where he'd been working and she made sure they were prepared for whatever was waiting for them once the mist was cleared. The rune mage recited the incantation and the mist was lifted to reveal a small clearing surrounded by at least twenty mages. One of the mages stepped from the crowd and pulled back his hood, a smug grin on his face. His hair was black and fell over his gray eyes.

"So these are the four you've been so concerned about?" he mocked. His were held open to them as though her were extending them a warm welcome. "Well I must admit, to be able to clear the mist in such a short time and with little effort, it would seem that you all were rightfully afraid." The man narrowed his eyes at Laxus. "Leave all but the lightning mage alive. I have uses for their magic."

The man turned away and the others started attacking. Freed called out to Bickslow who moved to cover the rune mage as he began crafting another rune to give them control over the fight.

Ever leapt up and summoned her wings to hover over the group that had surrounded her. She shot them down with her fairy machine gun but was knocked out of the air by someone behind her. She managed to recover fought beside Bickslow as Freed finished writing his rune.

Laxus teleported after the man that had been speaking, cutting of his path and forcing him to jump back away from where he struck.

"You don't get to dish out orders and then walk away."

"Normally I do, but you seem to be an interesting sort and I've been rather bored since evading imprisonment by the council." Laxus furrowed his brow at the familiarity of the man's words. "I need this to end quick I have someone I need to be looking for."

"Oh? Maybe I can help when you're face first in the dirt," he taunted.

Laxus surged forward, his fist connecting with the mage's jaw. The lightning slayer showed no mercy but the mage was able to find some ground and tried to ensnare Laxus within his mist. He was easily able to teleport from it before he was physically trapped but the mage had already tapped into his mind.

"You seem to know the individual I'm looking for," he said, sounding genuinely surprised. Laxus fell to his knees and clutched his head after landing as the mage tapped into his mind. "Why don't you tell me where she is."

"Laxus!" Evergreen jumped between the men, devoid of her glasses and looked the man she now knew was Jaice. She'd already suspected as much with the mist but his mind melding confirmed it. Jaice looked away and fled before she could gaze into his eyes that had been glowing.

"Done!" Freed shouted as he finished his rune. Any mage that continued use their magic would find it hard to breath. "Bickslow, you and Laxus get back to Magnolia now," he ordered.

"Freed and I will clean up things here. Hurry up," she added.

Bickslow knelt down beside his friend and pulled him to his feet, dragging him away from the fight. With Laxus' lightning they could be back home in no time, but Jaice had done a number on the man when he looked into his mind. Bickslow only hoped that he'd come to his senses soon so that they could get to Lucy first.

Two days later, a strange fog settled over Magnolia when the sun was peeking over the horizon as Jaice tried to find the celestial mage within. Lucy was fast asleep in her bare apartment and woke up, feeling a familiar tug on her mind. Before she came to, Horologium's gate was opened and she was taken to the spirit world.

She looked down at herself and recognized the clothing as something Virgo had once brought her. Still half asleep she watched Loke offer his hand to help her stand, a sad smile on his face. All of her spirits were there, each happy to see that she was safe but also a bit saddened. Loke would be the one to take her wrath and anger since he'd been the one that sent Horologium to get her, but they each felt a bit guilty about bringing her here to protect her.

"Loke, what's going on? Why am I here?"

The lion spirit just shook his head. "I'm sorry, Lucy. I waited as long as I could."

"Loke," she whispered, placing her hand on either side of his face and forcing him to look at her. "Waited for what?"

"Jaice just arrived to Magnolia."

He could see that she was confused and lead her over to the fountain where they watched over her on occasion. There, she looked down at the water and saw her home blanketed in the familiar mist.

"Loke, you have to take me back," she said shakily. Now was not the time to lose her cool because he;d never let her go back if she wasn't calm. "I need to warn the others."

"I'm sorry, Lucy. We can't risk that."

She spun on him and glared. It hurt that she was looking at him like that but this was what had been agreed upon. They were doing what they could to protect their mage, consequences be damned. "Loke, take me back this instant," she fumed.

"You're as obnoxious as ever, girl," came a familiar voice.

Lucy turned around to see Aquarius on the other side of the fountain, a rare gentle smile gracing her face. "Aquarius," she sputtered.

"You have to stay here until this passes," she commanded bluntly.

Lucy tried to argue but the sad look in the water spirit's eyes made her think of the day she broke her key. She walked over to the spirit and collapsed, tears streaming down her face. She'd missed the spirit so much and if Aquarius was honest, she missed Lucy as well. But now was not the time for an emotional reunion. She explained to Lucy that bringing her to the spirit world had been her idea in the first place. She told her that if she wanted to be mad at or hate anyone, that it needed to be her.

Lucy pleaded her case to Aquarius. She needed to be there to fight with her family if it came to that. She didn't need to be hidden away and protected. She was perfectly capable of doing that herself. The spirit just chided her and reminded her that she'd grown too prideful in wanting to do everything on her own.

The celestial mage wanted to argue but the spirit was right. Loke had been telling her so for some time now and she hadn't listened. Instead, she'd acted like a child and ignored him saying that she needed to stop relying on others to solve her problems.

Lucy looked to the pool and saw Laxus approaching Jaice, who was standing on the cliffs that overlooked the city. She looked up at Loke who looked truly regretful that he'd brought her here. She reached out to him and tried to reassure the lion with a smile before looking back at the pool.

"She's vanished. Hmm, maybe I can wait until those spirits bring her back," Jaice mumbled with a shrug.

"What do you plan to accomplish? What's all this for?" Laxus barked out.

Jaice turned to look at the lightning slayer, annoyed at his persistence. "You mean the ritual? Hell, I don't even know if it'll work. I was just curious to find out."

"Curious?" he scoffed. He couldn't believe it. This prick was going to use Lucy asa fucking sacrifice just because he was curious. "Is this a fucking game to you? Playing with people's lives?"

"I wouldn't say easing my boredom always included someone dying," he sighed. "But she's eluded me again and I'm quickly losing interest, which is never a good thing."

Laxus saw nothing but red and as he did two days prior, the lightning slayer charged at the man. Lucy was forced to sit back and helplessly watch as the two men traded blow after blow. Jaice was physically weak, but the celestial mage was afraid to see what he would do when he was pushed into desperation. And Laxus, she hardly recognized him and realized that she'd actually never seen the man when he was in dragon mode.

It reminded her of Natsu, how uncontrollable and feral he seemed when he was pushed that far. Was Laxus this way because of her? Was he fighting purely on instinct because her life had been threatened? It was clear that he wasn't going to let up until Jaice was dead. However, the mind-melding mage didn't look like he was giving up easily either.

There's was something different about him. Just as Laxus could become part of his lightning, Jaice had become part of the mist and Laxus' attacks had ceased to do anything to him. Lucy was starting to panic as Laxus started to fall behind. Jaice was able to get in a solid blow and knocked him back and he didn't immediately get up.

Laxus shouted in agony when the mind-melder gripped his mind. The mage's eyes and tattoos were glowing. The lightning mage was unable to fight against him. "I'm sorry... Lucy."

"Oh you will be," Jaice spat. "She would have died quickly, but now I'm going to make her suffer."

"Let me go back!" Lucy cried. "Please... please. Live. Laxus"

"Live. Laxus." Lucy's voice rang through his head and his eyes snapped open. That's right. He was fighting for her and she was waiting for him. He took the deepest breath he could manage, summoned his magic forth and let out that same breath with all his remaining strength before his world went black.

As soon as Magnolia was in sight, Laxus sent Bickslow to find Lucy. He had tried her old place only to find her bed empty. He didn't know where the new apartment was so he just headed to the guild praying that she'd be there.

"Bickslow?!" Mira was more than a little surprised to see the seith mage burst through the doors.

"Mira! Where's Lucy?" She opened her mouth to tell him that she hadn't been in yet but words didn't come. "Mira!" he called again. His voice was filled with desperation.

Makarov, hearing the commotion downstairs, walked from his office to investigate. He saw the seith mage leaning against the bar, out of breath. He also saw a confused Mira who couldn't seem to answer him.

"Bickslow," he called. The mage looked up at him. "Tell me everything," he demanded, narrowing his eyes.

Bickslow, remaining on the first floor, explained to the guildmaster, and everyone else sitting the hall, what had happened to them in the forest. How Jaice had organized an ambush after trapping them inside the forest. The mind-melder had tapped into Laxus' mind and learned that Lucy was here. Laxus and he had been the only ones to give chase. He assured the guild that Evergreen and Freed were fine and probably already on their way back to Magnolia.

Makarov responded by informing him that Lucy was safe, though he wouldn't say where she was. Bickslow pleaded with him, but the old man simply ignored him and asked where his grandson was. Bickslow assumed that Laxus had sought out Jaice by himself to finish this. Only then did the seith mage realize what a horrible mistake he had made leaving the lightning slayer alone..

Bickslow turned on his heel and ran outside, looking for his best friend's lightning. Seeing the strikes on the far west side of the city, he took off hoping that he could get there before this was all over. It wasn't that he wanted a piece of the action per se, but they had no idea how to protect themselves from Jaice's mind-melding. The only way they could prevent him from even attempting to use it was keeping him on the defense.

He ran past Natsu who was shocked to see him and called back to the fire slayer to follow him. Picking up on the urgency in Bickslow's voice, he ran after him. When the two reach where Bix had seen the lightning, they find both men collapsed and unconscious. The seith knelt beside Laxus and rolled him to his back. He was pretty beat up but Jaice looked ten times worse. Seconds after Bix looked over the lightning slayer, Lucy appeared.

"Bickslow!" she called and ran to kneel opposite of him.

She cradled his face between her hands and leaned over him, pressing her forehead to his. She felt Bickslow lean over and rest his head against her back as he let out a shaky breath.

"You're okay," he sighed. "Where the hell were you? Master wouldn't tell me?"

"I was taken to the spirit world," she admitted sadly.

"Did anyone know?"

"I can only assume that both Laxus and his grandfather knew," she answered.

Loke would never have brought her there without seeking advice from the guildmaster. And if he did go to the master, then she knew that he would have told Laxus. Had he given Loke the okay to just take her while he fought to protect her?

"If he knew, then why would he send me to find you?" Bix choked out.

His weight left her back and she say up to look at him. Why would Laxus fight alone if he knew that she was already safe. Her eyes grew wide and filled with tears as she looked back down to her unconscious boyfriend. She wanted to be upset with him for sending her away but knowing that he'd fought alone to protect his best friend as well, knowing the risk.

"Bix," she sobbed. "What if he did something to him?"

He reached over and wrapped his arms around her as tightly as possible, given how they were sitting. "Shhh. He's gonna be okay. He's just a little beat up is. Everything's alright now." She wanted to believe him but she just had too many questions.

"Lucy!" The two looked behind the celestial mage to see Wendy run past Natsu and directly to them. Lucy hadn't even realized that he had been there.

The girl knelt beside Lucy and made sure that they could move him to the guild. He had several fractured bones and she could definitely tell that there was some brain damage, but she couldn't say that. Looking at both the seith and celestial mages, she tried to think of what she could do to help them. They were grief-stricken and lost in their heads with uncertainty and self-doubt. They needed something to keep them grounded and focused on the now.

She turned to Natsu who was hovering over the other mage.

"Natsu, is he alive?" she inquired.

"Yeah. He's in bad shape but he'll live." Laxus had done a number on him but it was clear that he was still alive. Natsu's instincts raged and he had half a mind to take the mage to finish him off, but that wasn't going to help anyone.

"Good," she acknowledged and nodded. "I need you to get Laxus back to the infirmary at the guild. He's fine to move, just be careful please. And send for Porlyuscia when you get there." She stood up, holding Lucy close and stepped aside for him. She thought the blonde might fight her but the woman was limp and allowed herself to be moved while clinging to the healer.

Wendy watched the fire slayer carry Laxus away and then turned back to the seith mage. They needed to get Jaice back to the guild as well, but she wasn't going to risk anyone touching him and falling under his influence. She sat Lucy back down and asked for Bickslow to follow her. She explained that she was going to heal him just enough to be conscious and able to move.

Without needing an explanation, Bickslow agreed to go along with her plan. She would heal him and he would use his figure eyes to bring the man back to the guild without ever having to come into contact with him. While doing so, he'd be able to see into his very being and see if there was something he could possibly glean from the man.

Wendy felt ill at the idea of healing this man but they needed this man alive just in case he had done something to Laxus. When he opened his eyes, Bickslow removed his visor and looked down, reaching for control. When he had it, he lead the mage back to the guild with Wendy and Lucy following just behind her. Both prayed that nothing serious had happened to the lightning mage or there would be hell to pay.

#ficsforvera #ftfanfics #laxlu #Laxus Dreyar #lucy heartfilia #fairy tail fanfiction #fairy tail #mistye-writes #finding the words #multichapter

[iseriaarisphodel]

8, 10, 26, 29, 33 for Aven

8. Did they have pets as a child? Do they have pets as an adult? Do they like animals?

Aven never really did tbh. The option was always there, but just one that they ever pursued. They do, however, like animals, yes. It’s a kind of “I like them, but not enough to keep one for myself” kinda deal for them. I’d imagine the fact that their life span being what it is would mean. A lot of pets.

10. Do they like children? Do children like them? Do they have or want any children? What would they be like as a parent? Or as a godparent/babysitter/ect?

There’s been quite a few times where he’s needed to interact with children, though none of them for very long. It tends to be more the thing where the kids get to meet the prince in passing, and he talks to them a bit. He hopes that he can be a positive role model for them, since he’s. you know, next in line for the throne and in a way a role model for the whole kingdom. As for having kids, I mean. That kind of thing is expected eventually to continue the bloodline, so it’s definitely crossed their mind before, but not for very long. There’s time.

26. How do they act when they’re happy? Do they sing? Dance? Hum? Or do they hide their emotions?

Typically, they’re not too forthcoming with their emotions unless they need to be, but I do like to think that the tip of their tail wiggles a little when they’re in a good mood.

29. What do they do when they find out someone else’s fear? Do they tease them? Or get very over protective?

[Gildarts voice] Fear is not evil. gfhskf but seriously they’re pretty rational about it I think, fears are fears for a reason, but they can be dealt with, like most things.

33. What underwear do they wear? Boxers or briefs? Lacey? Comfy granny panties?

This is gay Maru and so I sent you one in return but--

probably boxers honestly.

#oc talk #aven #sinouhara

[miss-zei]

Anathema - Chapter One

Rating: T+ for swear words, and suggestive situations.

Pairing: NaLu

Story summary:  As the daughter of a devout martial artist, Lucy Heartfilia works hard to become strong enough to carry on the name of the Heartfilia dojo. Things become… complicated when a certain pink haired tornado blows into her home and completely turns her life upside down.

A/N: This is the kind of AU where Ranma and Akane are basically Natsu and Lucy. Of course... there are differences in personality amongst other things to keep the story still somewhat my own c:

Prologue | Current Chapter | Chapter Two

--

"You did what?" Lucy demanded as she stared into her father's stoic face, not entirely sure she had heard him correctly. She couldn't have.

"It was something we had discussed long ago." Jude explained, "You weren't even born yet. Your mother thought it was a good idea at the time as well." He grimaced in response to the glare that his daughter sent his way. "He is a very strong and capable young man! He will help to make the dojo strong. Your mother-"

"Don't." Lucy warned, holding a finger up as she struggled to contain her anger. "Don't you dare bring mama into this, dad. I'm only seventeen!" She stood up from the table and her glare hardened further, "I know mama wanted the dojo to be strong. I know that. But how could you just marry me off to some boy that I have never met? Some boy that you have never met!" She folded her arms across her chest and stared expectantly down at her uneasy father who remained seated.

"Well, Lucy… we just believe that it will be in both you and Natsu's best interest."

"That's another thing!" Lucy shouted as she waved her hands in the air, as if to exaggerate the point that she was about to make. "I've never even met this Gildarts man! The only thing I know about him was that he and mother traveled together, training under grandfather." She frowned, "Yet the man didn't even come to her funeral! How could somebody who was so close to mama not come to her funeral?" Lucy couldn't bring herself to even try to understand.

Jude held up a postcard that had a very cute panda on the front of it, and pointed to said card. "Well, both he and Natsu have been in China for a little over a year now. I don't think he even knows about Layla's passing. They will be arriving today." Thunder rumbled immediately after that statement and it began to rain quite hard.

Perfect weather for the mood that Lucy was in.

"I can't believe this," Lucy groaned before she moved to the back door and leaned against the frame and could actually appear to be mournful as she watched as large raindrops began to pelt their koi pond.

The teenager didn't want to believe for a second that her mother would have agreed to marrying Lucy off to somebody whom she'd never met before. Especially when she had no idea what kind of person Gildarts' son would turn out to be.

Then again… Layla had to have been quite young and perhaps even impulsive back then. Lucy had no idea what kinds of things her mother would have said or done. There was a very good possibility that her father wasn't just saying all of that stuff.

"Put me down! don't make me do this!" Someone began shouting towards the front of their house and Lucy felt herself bristle immediately in response. Laxus was at her side in an instant, his expression was difficult to read.

"That must be them!" Jude exclaimed excitedly, getting up and hurrying towards the front door. Wishing to be the one to welcome Gildarts and his soon to be son-in-law into the Heartfilia residence. Lucy was almost positive that she'd never seen her father move so quickly. She supposed that she must have underestimated the friendship that he'd had with her mother's old friend.

"Don't worry," Laxus said after Jude's figure disappeared from their line of sight. "I am sure that grandfather will not accept this," he tried to reassure the brown-eyed young woman and she sighed softly.

Their grandfather had been gone for a few weeks now, talking about some business he'd needed attending to before leaving without any other means of explanation.

A bloodcurdling scream almost immediately drew both of the teenager's attention and they were about to hurry to Jude's aid… before he came running into the room and hid behind Laxus as though he were a large shield.

A panda, carrying a red-haired girl entered the room and stared at the three of them intently, with eyes that seemed a bit too self-aware to truly belong to an animal.

Then, he calmly set the squirming girl down in front of them and pushed her forward.

"Um… I'm Natsu Clive." Her gaze found Lucy's shocked expression before she looked away, "I'm uh, I'm sorry about this." The other girl looked extremely flustered and embarrassed.

"Wait… you are Natsu?" Jude asked incredulously. Natsu quite clearly was a female, Even the baggy black chinese shirt that she wore couldn't necessarily hide the relatively large breasts that were hidden by the thick material. "Where on earth is Gildarts? I don't understand..." Jude stared at Natsu unabashedly before slowly turning his attention onto the Panda that continued to stand on his hind legs. He was also staring at Jude with an equal amount of intensity.

Lucy, of course, was thrilled by the news and moved forward. "Hello, I'm Lucy Heartfilia. You don't need to apologize for anything, it is our fathers who should be apologizing." She sent a pointed look to Jude who only continued to stare at the panda in a state of perplexity. "They are the ones who messed up after all." Lucy laughed softly, and Natsu hesitated before nodding in agreement.

"You just came from China, didn't you? Would you like to spar a little?" Lucy was already dressed in her Gi, having been in the dojo before her father had asked her into the living room so that they could talk about something important.

So much for that.

"Oh well I don't know, I'm not sure I really wanna spar right now…" Natsu trailed off, scratching the back of her head anxiously.

"Oh come on, please? I only ever get to spar with my cousin, but he never takes me seriously. I love him… but boys just really piss me off lately."

Natsu laughed at that, a very bittersweet sound before finally agreeing and willingly followed Lucy when she began to lead the way towards the dojo.

"I can't even begin to tell you how relieved I am that you're a girl," Lucy said as they walked, "My dad only just told me about the little arrangement he and your father had." They turned a corner and found another long hallway. "I don't think he was expecting for you to be female." She then quickly waved her hands around. "Not that there is anything wrong with same sex marriage of course!" She felt quite embarrassed for her words all of a sudden. "I'm just straight!" Lucy then smacked her forehead, "I have a gift at making things worse than they already are." she sighed and Natsu laughed loudly at the blonde's display.

"Don't worry, I am too." Another laugh before she looked around a little bit, "You have a really big house." She observed, "Your dad isn't a martial artist, is he?"

Lucy shook her head, "No, he owns a branch of department stores." She shrugged, "He does a lot of his work at home though. Paperwork and all that. I can't even imagine doing that kind of thing for a living. It seems so boring." she shook her head and quickly added, "Of course, I do enjoy writing stories on paper. That kind of paperwork I wouldn't mind."

Natsu continued to look around with large, emerald eyes. Lucy wasn't entirely sure that the strange girl was even listening to Lucy anymore at that point. It appeared as though she had never been in such a large house before. Lucy herself thought that it was unnecessarily large. But this was the home that her mother and father had lived the entirety of their married lives in. So Lucy never said anything about it to her father.

When they finally made it to the dojo, Lucy already felt so much better as she breathed in the dojo air deeply and slipped off her shoes.

"Um listen, I'm really not sure about this." Natsu said slowly as she watched while Lucy began to stretch her weary muscles. "Maybe we should wait a little bit for this? Um…" The redhead really didn't seem to want to spar and Lucy felt a small pang of guilt for insisting so much

But only a very small pang.

"I promise I'll go easy on you," Lucy said as she dropped into a ready position and held her hands up defensively, "we don't need to go all out right away. I know you must be tired from your trip here. We don't even have to go very long, how about we just try to knock the other down?" Natsu sighed before nodding.

Lucy waited for the other girl to get ready, but Natsu only stood there and smiled as she watched Lucy. So, the blonde decided to make the first move. She ran at Natsu and began to throw a few punches and kicks. Definitely going a bit slower than she usually would with Laxus or the Master. The last thing she wanted was to actually hurt the other martial artist, especially so soon into their relationship. Though it quickly became clear that this wouldn't be an issue. Natsu evaded each of Lucy's attacks easily. Too easily.

So the blonde picked up the pace, but as her attacks moved quicker… so did Natsu's dodges. It was apparent that Natsu was at a much, much higher level than Lucy. Her gaze darted to the other girls black chinese shirt. She hadn't noticed earlier because it kind of blended in, but Natsu wore a black belt.

It was then that Lucy lost her footing and fell backwards when Natsu reached forward and lightly poked Lucy's forehead, easily pushing her off balance.

Lucy, stunned, fell onto her backside. This girl could probably give even Laxus a run for his money. That was amazing.

"You're really good," Lucy accepted the hand that Natsu had extended to help her up. "I wish I had your reflexes. You must have been training your whole life in order to achieve such a fluidity with your body."

Natsu nodded, "Yeah, pop and me have been traveling and training as long as I can remember."

Lucy then blinked when she realized something, "Right… speaking of your dad. Where is he?" She also thought about the panda that had come with Natsu.

How strange.

Natsu grimaced and opened her mouth to answer Lucy's question before a fairly large and very wet man ran into the dojo with his arms open wide.

"Lucy!" He shouted, immediately taking said girl by surprise. She'd never seen that man before in her entire life, though for some reason his face did look a little bit familiar…

Fortunately for her, Natsu was not phased by the strange man's antics and stepped in front of Lucy and punched the guy square in the face without any sign of hesitation, effectively deflecting him.

"Ow!" He shouted, rubbing his already reddening cheek, "Natsu! Is that any way to treat your poor father? I just wanted to greet Lucy properly!" The fully grown man folded his large, muscled arms across his chest and actually appeared to be pouting.

"Oh I didn't know that a 'proper' way of greeting somebody was to attack them without even introducing yourself." Natsu groaned loudly before gesturing to the mumbling adult. "This is my pop." She said with a grimace and Lucy looked the man up and down, curious.

"So you're Gildarts." Now she knew where she recognized his face from. A photo of her mother, grandfather, and three other men that she'd never actually met before. She definitely recognized this man as one of those other people in that photo. "So you traveled with my mom, huh?" she asked.

"Yeah…" Gildarts smile faded, "I had no idea that Layla…" he shook his head, as if to ward off any of the sadness that was beginning to affect his mood. "I'm sorry for your loss. If I had known how bad Layla was getting…" He looked to Natsu, "We probably wouldn't have gone to China."

For some reason… those words seemed to hold a weight to them. More weight than Lucy could understand.

"I'm sure mama wouldn't have wanted to get in the way of your training." Lucy said after a long moment of watching Natsu and her father hold each other's gaze with a matching expression on their faces that she couldn't read.

These two were… strange.

It was then that Lucy noticed how wet the two were and she immediately felt guilty as her attention returned to Natsu, "I'm sorry, I should have taken your state into consideration before I asked for a spar." she gestured to Natsu's wet clothes. "I'll go get baths going for the two of you, if you leave your clothes outside the bathroom doors, I'll have one of the maid's get them clean for you. I should have thought of that first." She laughed as she bopped herself on the forehead, "My brain is all jumbled up because of the whole 'engagement' thing." She then began to leave the dojo, "I'll have my father or somebody come get you when the baths are ready. You can continue to use the dojo if you'd like." She then left the two to their own devices.

Her face slowly fell into that of pensive focus as she walked through the house. So much had happened since she woke up that morning, too much actually. It was so frustrating that her father had waited so long to tell Lucy of her betrothal. She didn't want to be angry at him, because she knew that he'd never been very good at talking about things that may upset her.

Ever since her mother died, Jude had been especially wary of Lucy's feelings. With Layla's death having been expected for so many years… the man had the time to accept the fact that he would need to carry on raising Lucy without Layla's help. It was because of how hard he'd been trying that Lucy didn't want to get too angry with the man.

Lucy entered the first bathroom and began to run the bath. She set out a clean towel for whoever would use that bathroom before she turned and began to head towards their second bathroom.

She supposed having a large house was good for an unexpected houseguest or two.

It was as she was entering the second bathroom that she ran into her father who seemed to have had the same idea as she. "You must be feeling quite silly, father." Lucy scoffed as she passed him and did the same with the second bathroom that she had with the first. Although the only clean towel in that bathroom was one that had her name sewed onto it. She was sure that neither Natsu nor Gildarts would really care about such a thing.

She certainly didn't mind.

"Well… Lucy…" Jude hesitated as she passed him once more upon leaving the bathroom, "Listen…"

"Papa, I'm gonna get started on dinner, please show our guests to the bathrooms, they should still be in the dojo." The blonde spoke over her father, not wanting to snap at him because of her salty mood.

It was when she entered the kitchen that she began to wonder about that panda again. Where on earth had it gone?

More importantly… why did she feel so unphased by a panda striding into her home like it owned the place? Maybe the news of the engagement had affected her more than she'd initially thought.

She sighed softly and took her apron off of the hook that it hung from beside the refrigerator and put it on. She would cook dinner… and then things would begin to return to normal.

At least… she hoped so anyway. But something told her that things weren't going to be quite that simple.

#zei writes #nalu #fairy tail #fairy tail fanfiction #nalu fanfiction #anathema

[fairytail-incorrectquotes]

Cana: Wig. It's like when something is so astonishing that it, like, snatches your weave.

Cana: You know what I mean?

Gildarts: Literally not at all.

#gildarts clive #Cana Alberona #cana continues to be a mood #gildarts continues to be a mood #fairy tail #source: my conversations #fairy tail incorrect quotes #incorrect quotes #incorrect fairy tail quotes #incorrect quote #anime #manga

[fairytail-incorrectquotes]

Gildarts: You cook ten meals, but you're not a chef.

Gildarts: You paint twenty paintings, but you're not an artist.

Gildarts: BUT YOU SUCK ONE (1) DICK-

#mlm!gildarts #Gildarts Clive #gildarts continues to be a mood #fairy tail #source: unknown #fairy tail incorrect quotes #incorrect quotes #incorrect fairy tail quotes #incorrect quote #anime #manga #pride 2022

[fairytail-incorrectquotes]

Gildarts: Things I have in common with an avocado:

Gilarts: If I'm on my own I'm pretty bland

Gildarts: I swing drastically and unpredictably from too hard to too soft

Gildarts: I'm pleasant for only a very brief window of time

Gildarts: I'm often found with chips

#Gildarts Clive #gildarts continues to be a mood #fairy tail #source: twitter #fairy tail incorrect quotes #incorrect quotes #incorrect fairy tail quotes #incorrect quote #anime #manga

[fairytail-incorrectquotes]

Romeo: Your mom’s a hoe!

Cana: No she is not.

Romeo: Well then...

Romeo: Your DAD’S a hoe!

Gildarts: Fuck yeah he is.

#Gildarts Clive #romeo conbolt #Cana Alberona #gildarts continues to be a mood #fairy tail #source: unknown #fairy tail incorrect quotes #incorrect quotes #incorrect fairy tail quotes #incorrect quote #anime #manga

[fairytail-incorrectquotes]

Gildarts: So I'm sitting there, being bisexual,

#bi!gildarts #Gildarts Clive #gildarts continues to be a mood #fairy tail #source: tumblr #source: taur on tumblr #fairy tail incorrect quotes #incorrect quotes #incorrect fairy tail quotes #incorrect quote #anime #manga

[fairytail-incorrectquotes]

Gildarts: I'm dad inside

Gildarts: I mean dead inside

Gildarts, glancing at Team Natsu: No I didn't

#Gildarts Clive #gildarts continues to be a mood #i too am the dad friend #bad puns misunderstanding teens and alcoholism #and like isnt that everything a dad should be #heres a fun game did i just describe myself or gildarts #fairy tail #source: unknown #fairy tail incorrect quotes #incorrect quotes #incorrect fairy tail quotes #incorrect quote #anime #manga

[fairytail-incorrectquotes]

Gildarts: It’s not that children make me uncomfortable, it’s just that, why be a dad when you can be a fun uncle? I’ve never heard of anyone rebelling against their fun uncle!

Cana, who is RIGHT THERE:

#gildarts has clearly never seen atla #cana x zuko cross-universe brotp? #idk i think cana would love zuko and zuko would think of cana the same way he thinks of aang #Cana Alberona #cana continues to be a mood #Gildarts Clive #gildarts continues to be a mood #fairy tail #source: unknown #fairy tail incorrect quotes #incorrect quotes #incorrect fairy tail quotes #incorrect quote #anime #manga

[fairytail-incorrectquotes]

Natsu: I’M TOO YOUNG TO DIE!

Gildarts: I’m not, but I still don’t wanna!

#Gildarts Clive #natsu dragneel #natsu continues to be a mood #gildarts continues to be a mood #fairy tail #source: atla #source: avatar the last airbender #yep guys i'm finally watching atla #y'all didn't stop hounding me about it so i finally #FINALLY #watched it #and i fuckin love it #only on s2e5 but im watching it #when im not watching ft #or doing homework #or in class #or babysitting #or doing commissions #i'm watching atla and im loving it #yall are magic and i love ye #fairy tail incorrect quotes #incorrect quotes #incorrect fairy tail quotes #incorrect quote #anime #manga