" Said "

When I was younger, my teacher taught me that replacing the word 'said' with something more interesting would take my writing further. In a lot of my work so far, you'd be hard-pressed to find someone who simply said something. They're always exclaiming, inquiring, asking, noting, grunting, smirking, mumbling, murmuring, laughing, shouting, groaning, moaning, scoffing... but never simply saying.

Granted, I do what not many writers do; that is, predominantly write in the present tense. So rather than a character who 'said' something, I'll have characters who 'say' things. But even then, they don't just say. They say slowly, or quietly, or hesitantly, or mysteriously, or furiously, or suddenly — the list of adjectives is inexhaustible, and perhaps it is therein that the problem lies.

I believe that you can over-describe. And I know that right now, it is one of my greatest weaknesses when it comes to writing. It always has been, as well. Even as a kid, I'd get pulled up for going into far too much detail describing how creepy a forest was and not proceeding with the plot of whatever Halloween story we were supposed to be writing. And the thing is, you don't even know you're over-describing when you're doing it. It's so hard to pick yourself up for it, because it comes naturally, and it feels like if you make a concious effort not to do that, everything sounds over-simplified or stilted, as if someone five years younger than you is sitting in front of the paper.

But when I was re-reading something I wrote quite recently (so, within the last year), I find myself getting frustrated because — as nice as it is to have lots of description and get a real sense of how everything looks and the actions everyone makes and the feelings behind those actions, etc. etc. — the plot suffers, and more importantly, the pace suffers. That's not to say that plot is more important that than pace, but there are other ways to keep a good story. But if too many words are spent describing what's going on, the deliverance of the story —how the reader learns it — is compromised. And that's a very big sacrifice to make, even more so when it's not necessary at all.

The other main problem with this phobia of 'said' is that you lose impact. When everything is said in a certain way, when you really want to stress that aspect of a scene, it becomes near impossible to do so. More is less in this case, and if you keep describing everything so fully, I think the reader becomes a bit desensitized to it all. Or (worse case scenario), they just stop caring because it takes so damn long just to read on.

Avoiding 'said' doesn't just slow down the reader. It slows the writer down as well. I already have so much trouble with my inner editor; being slowed down even more is catastrophic when I'm trying to keep up a certain pace, or working on a longer piece, or — and this is what I always find myself dealing with — trying to write chapters in continuity. Because each chapter takes so long, and I'm trying to create this level of writing that, at the time, feels good, it's easy to lose motivation and... I wouldn't say interest, but more... drive? It's hard to keep doing that. And it makes trying to edit things a nightmare (even though I don't really edit stuff to begin with) because I spend so long just writing it and trying to make the first draft the final draft.

Anyway, after considering all this, it just makes sense for me to try face my fears and re-accept the word 'said' back into my life. You can't build a castle without strong foundations, right?

Flowers

Her blood is staining the grass as it leaks out of her body into the earth.

Knots of colour swirl in the clouds behind the dancing leaves, and the branches fashion broken glass out of the sunrise. The wind kisses her skin like a gentleman. And it's sunny — so, so sunny. The ground is cool, and the day is sweet.

A great day for a photograph, she thinks as she squints up at her lover, watching the breeze play with his lovely golden hair.

She softly calls his name, but he doesn't meet her gaze; his dark eyes are transfixed on something she can't see — something far away, and she's suddenly gripped with a panic— with a fear— with the sudden urge to grab him. She needs him to crouch beside her, to stroke her hair, to touch her lips, to breathe some of himself into her like he did last night... She doesn't want him to leave.

He stares blankly, already lost.

Because her blood is staining the grass as it leaks out of her body, and there is a gun in his hand.

*

They leave him in the time travel chamber with old money, vague directions, and two photographs. One is a mugshot of her now: a pale-eyed woman with a deep scar along her right cheek, hollowed and harsh in the prison light — that one, he crumples and discards immediately.

The other is hard to look at. It's of a teenage couple: a seventeen year old girl laughing as her boyfriend teasingly sprinkles crushed daises over her hair. She's unconventionally pretty, and her eyes are alight with a vitality that can only belong to someone in love.

And he is the boy beside her.

In thirty-seven years, the girl with the flowers in her hair plants a bomb that kills his parents and blows his little sister's legs off.

But he can't tear his eyes from the picture of himself even though he's looked at it at least a dozen times. It still makes him shiver.  Because he knows himself, and he knows his smile, and he knows when it's fake and when it's real. And he's wary of what made him— No,  what will make him smile like that. Has he forgotten that he's standing beside a lunatic? Beside a murderer?

Not everyone gets an opportunity to change the past. He can't mess this up. His parents' savings won't last for much longer, and his sister won't survive another operation. Three funerals await him should he return with a loaded gun.

There isn't time for a second chance at fixing this.

*

She finds it in his jacket pocket one day, and asks, "Where's this from? I don't remember taking it."

His eyes widen as a cold sweat settles on his skin, the hair at the nape of his neck rising. His heart races; he's breathing too quickly — it's far too obvious that he's frightened. But all she does is drop the photograph on the kitchen table, and grin up at him. "Shall we take it tomorrow?"

 Does she know? his mind is screaming. How could she know!?

When he doesn't answer, she pulls his face down and gives him a light kiss. "I'll drive."

In the car the next day, she finally asks him. Her hands are tight on the steering wheel, but her voice is steady. When she speaks, he only glances at her before his gaze flits back to the scenery outside the window.

"Are you going to tell me or not?" she repeats after a few minutes of silence.

The seconds tick by.

 "I know you know," he mutters eventually. The trees fly by too fast, and his throat feels constricted. He's choking on this moment. "You've already worked it out."

She doesn't hesitate. "So what?"

He silently pushes the heavy gun off his lap in reply.

"Is it so bad that I want to hear it from you?" She suddenly swerves off the road and stops the car. "I read a few message on your phone last month, okay?" Her gaze burns his flesh. "The photo just helped me make sense of it. It proved it. But..."

"Please don't make me say i— "

"I need to hear you say it!" His eyes meet hers; she's crying, her face flushed and determined, but she hasn't noticed. "H-How am supposed to do this if you can't even...?" She gulps down some air. "I need— " Her hand covers her mouth to stop a sob. "Why... I don't know what..."

He pulls her into his arms without a second thought. How's he meant to kill this girl? She's innocent! She's his— She's his...

She is his.

Her shaky breaths waft across the nape of his neck as she curls into his body. "The last six months were the best of my life, you know," she mumbles, using the heel of her hand to wipe away her tears. "The best."

He grits his teeth. "I won't do it." She tries to wrench herself away, sounds of protest already leaving her mouth, but he tightens his hold on her. "No! I won't. How can I? You haven't... You haven't done anything wrong."

She laughs weakly. "Yet." She hugs him fiercely, her hands suddenly gripping the fabric of his shirt. "I don't want to grow into that monster." She sniffs, crying again. "I'm asking you. Please."

He's holding her so close he's sure he can feel her heartbeat through her skin. His fingers spread out across her waist. He's speechless, because how can he kill her? How? How!? He doesn't need the future if she's not in it.

But then he feels her ghost a kiss against his throat, the corners of her lips upturned. "Keep the picture, okay?" she murmurs against his neck.

*

She dies smiling, with crumpled flowers framing her face.

He squints at the sky, then drops the gun, and walks away. And it takes all the strength in his body not to look back.

(Its a sad little story about a boy, his gun, and the girl with crumpled flowers in her hair.)

figment.com/books/775640-Flowers  

for The Here And Now contest.

 

Fairies, Misfits & Little Brats .8

8. Holy Heartfilia

5th June 2012

Gray's facing the opposite wall to keep my dignity intact, but he refused to leave so it doesn't really make a difference.
The tension in the room is palpable and suffocating.
The metal plate of the stethoscope is shocking; every time Wendy moves it along my chest, I flinch. She kindly pretends not to notice, her focus directed on whether or not my heart's behaving how it should. She's already checked my head – it turns out there wasn't even a concussion. Just like I'd expected.
"All done," she says eventually, interrupting the silence in the room. "You can put your shirt back on, Lucy," she says, turning and folding the stethoscope back into the case lying beside me on the bed.
I start to button up my shirt with a scowl. "That was entirely unnecessary, Wendy."
"No, Lucy!" Wendy turns to me with a beseeching expression, her bunches whipping in the air, while Gray – who's sitting at the foot of the bed, undoubtedly sulking – just scoffs. She insists, "Its good practice to check up regularly-"
"Not after I just trip."
She shakes her head, frowning. "I know, but... You can never be too careful about these sorts of things."
"Too careful?" It's my turn to scoff. "So I was knocked out after hitting my head – what's the big deal? You didn't have to bring all this stuff and you know it."
"It's best to be prepared," she says quietly.
I shake my head, not letting her get away with it that easily. "Maybe straight after an operation, yeah, but Wendy, the transplant was years ago."
"But Lucy, you're still recovering from the complications, aren't you?" She bites her lip worriedly. "Your fainting and stuff-"
"-is something I deal with!" I glare at her, suddenly feeling furious. "You can't keep fussing over me, Wendy. You're not my doctor or- or my mother – it's not up to you to take care of me."
"Yes, it is!" Unexpectedly, Wendy doesn't back down; instead, she adopts a fierce stance, her chocolate eyes steely once again. "As your friend, it's always my job to take care of you. If I can- I don't know, if I can lessen the risks of you having any more heart attacks, then I don't care how much of a bother it is, Lucy! I want to help!"
My eyes widen as I falter, taken aback. "W-Well, you don't have to. There's nothing wrong with me anymore-"
"Hardly," Gray butts in before Wendy can answer.
We both turn to stare at him; he's gotten up from his perch on the bed and is now standing with his arms crossed, scrutinising me. "Heart transplants are no walk in the park, Lucy. Wendy's been here from the beginning – she knows about all the complications. The spasms, the attacks, the fainting, the fact that you can't put any strain on your body-"
"I can put as much strain on my body as I want to!" I cut him off, fuming. "Who are you to say what I can and can't do?"
"Your brother!" Gray hisses. "Excuse me for actually having some sense and knowing that if you aren't able-"
"I'm very able-" I interrupt angrily, trying to keep my voice hushed for the sake of privacy. "I can do whatever anyone else can."
"What able person faints after bumping their head!?"
My eyes widen in surprise. "I hit my head on the road! Hard! Twice!"
"This isn't about that though, Lucy! This is about you being too childish to accept that there are some things you can't do and that you need to be taken care of-"
"What!?" My voice rises. "How dare you!? I'm not the one being childish here – you don't know how to let things go!"
Gray's words are heated and loud, his eyes dangerous. "Fine then, I'm childish! I don't care what you say, Lucy, you and I both know the seriousness of your condition. You may have gotten away without a scratch this time, but who knows, maybe the next time you aren't careful, or maybe when you run just a little too hard, you're going to have another heart attack! Stop making it so hard to monitor you, will you!?"
"There's a difference between monitoring and trampling, Gray," I snap, my tone deadly. "You're not helping me recover; you're just making sure I don't need to."
He chokes on his words, before exploding, "So what!? That's better than letting you d-!"
He cuts off abruptly, paling as he catches himself.
I stare at him, suddenly feeling close to tears. "Letting me... what?" My voice shakes. "Oh, please, don't stop there. Go on. Letting me... what?" The next word's like a bullet in my chest. "Die?"
He flinches when I say it, his gaze glued to ground, staring at something I can't see.
"Um, guys?" Both of us whip round to look at Wendy, who tries not to cower under our dark stares. "You... You're really loud," she says quietly, her gaze falling to the floor. Her words bring my awareness to the tense atmosphere in the room. Even the sounds from across the hall have stopped; no doubt those in the kitchen heard us.
A knock on the door interrupts the silence and makes all three of us jump. Gray blinks, seeming to snap out of his daze, and goes to open the door. It swings open to reveal none other than... Natsu? "Uh..." he says uncomfortably, his hand awkwardly scratching the back of his head. "I don't mean to interrupt or anything."
Gray, who tensed as soon as he saw the pink-haired teen, shakes his head stiffly. "You weren't. What do you want?"
Natsu takes in the atmosphere in the room, his troubled gaze landing on me. "I just came for Lucy. Master suggested we give you guys a tour while Gajeel fixes your truck..." He pauses, glancing at Wendy, who's staring at Natsu with round, frightened eyes. He hastily adds, "But I can come back later, you know, if you're busy or-"
"We were just finishing," Gray says icily. "Let's go, Wendy." He brushes past Natsu as he leaves the room; Wendy squeaks out a, "Yes," and follows him, carefully edging out the door so as not to bump into the rose-haired boy. Once they leave, Natsu steps inside. The door swings shut behind him.
There's an awkward silence and neither of us really knows what to say. It only takes a moment to get to the point where I can't take it.
"You said you were looking for me?" I ask hesitantly, not quite meeting his gaze. My voice is too high-pitched, a telltale sign of the raging emotions inside me.
"Yeah," he nods slowly. "Thought I'd show you around Fairy Tail. You seemed interested."
I let out an unconvincing laugh, my hands coming up to wrap around my elbows as I hug myself. "Yeah, I was, wasn't I? Shall we- shall we go?"
Natsu walks forward slowly, biting the inside of his cheek as he watches me with worried eyes. "Sure. Maybe we should wait a while, though."
"Hmm? Why?" I ask, finally meeting his gaze. I attempt and fail to smile at him, instead coming up with some half-hearted grimace.
His eyes narrow – I haven't seen him wear such a serious expression before. He looks much... older. Natsu watches me with careful eyes, his next words a little strained. "You're crying, Lucy."
"W-What?" I raise a hand to my face, and he's right. My cheeks are wet. "Sorry, I-I had no idea, I-" I sit back down on the bed, trying to stop the tears that suddenly won't stop escaping from my eyes. Now that I'm aware of it, I can't stop crying. Embarrassed and confused, I turn away from him. "I don't know why, I'm sorry, it-"
"Don't worry about it," I hear Natsu murmur. The bed dips as he sits down beside me. "Take your time."
"No, I don't- I'm fine, really," I insist, hiding my face behind my hands. "I don't know why..." A sudden sob cuts me off and I gulp, trying my best to stop already. "S-Sorry," I mumble into my palms.
"You apologise too much." His voice is quiet, his tone gentle.
Just look at yourself, Lucy. You're making an absolute fool of yourself. He's still a stranger at best and you're just sitting on his bed crying for no reason. "I'm pathetic," I whisper into my hands shakily, already hiccupping.
"No, no, Lucy, you're not." I feel a sudden pressure on my back; his hand, warm and comforting, strokes me gently between my shoulder blades. "I heard you and your brother arguing from outside. That's... That's deep stuff. You don't have to make excuses; I can see why you're so..." He searches for the right word. "Emotional?"
A sudden bitter laugh leaves me. "Right. Emotional," I snort, taking a deep breath and trying to control my breathing. "Thanks, Natsu." He doesn't answer, just continues the circular motions of his hand against my back. Slowly but surely, I begin to relax under his silent reassurance. Eventually, I manage to raise my face from my hands; wiping the tears away with my wrists, I sniff and give Natsu a watery smile.
His expression is slightly amused. "Better?"
I nod mutely.
"You wanna... talk about it?" he asks hesitantly. I can see curiosity burning behind his cautious expression.
I clear my throat, take a deep breath and blink away the last remaining tears. Keeping my eyes on the door so as not to look him, I ask, "What do you want to know?"
He didn't expect me to say that. Running a hand through his unusual spiky hair, he lets out a nervous chuckle. "I don't know, uh... Do you and Gray do that often?"
"Do what?"
"You know... Argue. About... that," he says slowly, seeming unsure of his own words. His eyes are narrowed in confusion, apparently with himself.
I can't help but tease him about it. "That? It's not a bad word, Natsu," I giggle. He grins sheepishly when I do. "Um, but yeah, we... We can't really talk about it without getting into a fight," I confess, pursing my lips and looking back at the wall. "That's why we don't really talk about it often. It's really unusual for Gray to act like that."
"That makes sense," he agrees. His next question catches me off guard. "Why do you fight?"
He asks it so easily, like it's a simple question. "Ah..." I sigh, bringing a hand up to rest my chin on my elbow. "It's complicated. I... don't really know where to begin with it."
"From the beginning?" he suggests innocently. When I turn to see if he's joking, he meets my sceptical gaze with his own encouraging one.
"O-Okay," I start falteringly. "Gosh, um... Okay." I take a deep breath and turn to him. "So when I was a kid, I was really sick. Like, I couldn't leave the house, my mother had to take me to the hospital at least twice a month, I would collapse and faint and sometimes have like, fits, you know?" He nods wordlessly and I go on, "And the doctors weren't really sure why. It... I don't know, they just didn't really find anything wrong with me."
"But they figured it out in the end, right?" Natsu asks. His charcoal eyes are narrowed in concentration as he tries to envision this in his head. I don't know if the sight makes me want to laugh or cuddle him.
"Yeah," I agree. "When I was around six or seven, they did a CAT scan and figured out that I, uh... basically, had a couple holes in my heart."
He leans back with an alarmed expression. "Shit! Really?"
I nod, biting my lip. "To put it really simply, yeah."
"So what happened?" he demands, eyes wide. "They can fix that, can't they?"
This time I do laugh, loudly. "No, idiot, they can't fix a hole in your heart! Stupid," I giggle, turning my face into my palm. "What, they'll stitch you up and abracadabra, you're good to go? It doesn't work like that!"
"Hey, it's plausible," he defends himself good-naturedly. "So what did they do?"
I calm down, shaking my head in amusement. "Natsu, don't be silly. They couldn't do anything."
This makes him reel. His eyes get wider and wider as he stares at me. "So you... You still..." His gaze then jumps from my face to my chest.
My eyes widen and I blush – he's staring right at my-..."H-Hey!" I instinctively slap him upside the head, using my other arm to cover my chest. "Natsu!"
"What?" He looks up at me, rubbing the back of his head with a pout. "What did you hit me for!?" He then takes in my pose – I'm sitting leaning away from him, my face pink and my arms crossed over my chest. "I-I wasn't- ah, sorry!" He falters, managing to look both abashed and defiant. "I wasn't... I just, the hole... Nevermind. My bad, go on," he says finally, gesturing with his hand to continue. "What then?"
Despite myself, I laugh. "Idiot." My hands lower to rest in my lap again and I continue while trying to fight back a tiny smile. "Well, my parents made sure to shelter me – I didn't go to school with Gray or anything, I didn't really leave the house unless it was to go the hospital. I couldn't over-exert myself; my parents didn't want to take any risks."
Natsu's expression switches from resigned to a mixture of pity and alarm. "You stayed in the house? All the time?"
I nod wordlessly.
"But you were just a child! If you didn't go to school or anything, how..." He glances over at me, looking guilty. "You must have been one hell of a lonely kid."
My eyebrows rise in surprise. "It was lonely, but..." I pause, trying to think of the silver lining. "Yeah, I wasn't very happy," I eventually concede with a quiet laugh. "But I mean, it was either that or dying, so easy choice, right?"
"Shit," Natsu breathes out. "That must have sucked. How old were you?"
I shrug. "That went on from when I was six to, um..." I try to do the numbers in my head but it's hopeless. "To when my mother died. April 2004, so I must have been... eight, nearly nine."
Natsu's eyes couldn't get any wider if they tried. He doesn't say anything but the information changes the atmosphere around him; all of a sudden, he looks guilty. However, he stays silent and I take it as a mute invitation to carry on.
"She was an organ donor. To be blunt about it, when she died, my dad pulled some strings and I-... I got her heart." I pause; my hands are fisting the material of the jeans I borrowed from Erza, the knuckles seeming pale and weak. Fragile. Breakable. I take a deep (slightly shaky) breath. "You know, it's weird. Apart from the Loxars, I haven't actually told anyone that. That I got my mother's heart, I mean." I glance at Natsu; his gaze is fixed on the opposite wall, his expression unreadable.
"Natsu?" I ask quietly. "You okay?"
He snaps out of it and looks at me, surprised. "Me? Are you okay? I'm fine." He laughs. "Why wouldn't I be?"
"I'm okay," I smile at him. "I thought it would be painful to talk about my mother to someone other than family but... It's nice." I glance down at my entangled fingers. "She was a really great woman."
"It's cool that you got her heart," Natsu says suddenly, leaning towards me. "There's always a part of her with you."
I nod, my smile widening. "That's how I like to see it."
"Heart transplant though..." He trails off, looking lost in thought. "Must have been a lot for a nine year old kid to take on. And straight after your mother dying, too..."
"We got through it," I murmur. Seemingly on its own accord, my hand leaves my lap and goes to rest over the one he has on his knee. He jumps slightly, which makes me jump and snatch the hand back instantly. "S-Sorry," I stammer, eyes round.
"No, no, it's- it's fine!" Natsu insists, his voice too loud. He clears his throat with a chuckle. "Took me by surprise, that's all. Anyway, uh, this transplant thing... Did it go smoothly? Like... were there any side effects I should be aware of?"
"Well," I say slowly, deciding to take advantage of the lighter atmosphere in the room, "Once a month or so, I'll have a heart spasm and go into cardiac arrest. If that happens, just hold me upside down for a couple minutes so all the blood goes to my head. That should solve it."
He rubs his chin thoughtfully. "Right," he acknowledges without hesitation. "Anything else?"
I stare at him. "Natsu, I was joking!"
"Wait, what?" He glances over at me. "Seriously?"
I laugh at his astounded expression, hitting him across his bicep. "Yes! Idiot! Cardiac arrest is a heart attack – you'd have to go to hospital for that!"
"R-Right!" he corrects himself, looking unsure. "Course it is."
I shake my head, amused. "Your general knowledge sucks."
"Yeah, I know, but my specific knowledge is excellent," he shoots back with a smirk, raising his index finger as if to make a point.
"That doesn't even make sense!" I giggle.
"To you, maybe it doesn't, but to me-"
"Just stop, Natsu," I cut him off, raising my hands in mock-defeat. "Do you wanna give me that tour now? All this talk of operations and heart attacks, its pretty depressing stuff, and-"
"Hell yes," he says quickly, standing up and glancing back at me. "By the way, everyone else has already left, you know. We were supposed to follow on right behind them."
My jaw slackens. "What!? And you didn't tell me!? They could all be waiting for us! You idiot, Natsu!" I rush past him into the hall, grabbing his arm as I do and dragging him behind me. "We have to go, come on!"
His laughter echoes in my ears as I pull him to the door. "Jeez, Lucy. You're emotions are all over the place – one minute your angry, the next you're crying, then you're laughing and now you're-"
"-going to kill you if you don't hurry it up," I threaten him, pushing him out the room and following behind. "You said we were going to go downstairs, right? Natsu?"
I glance up at him when he doesn't answer; he's looking at someone standing in the hall right in front of the door to the joint kitchen and living room. Said person – Gray – meets my gaze guiltily; my eyes widen before settling in a glower. Was he listening!?
"I'll wait for you outside, Natsu," I say quietly, walking down the hallway towards the front door of the apartment. "Don't take too long."
Pushing past Gray, I open the door and quickly slam it shut behind me. I do not want to talk to him right now.
I take in my surroundings; the corridor is unremarkable in that it's just like any other apartment complex hallway. However, if there would be one unusual thing about it, it would be that it looks a lot more personalised than it should be.
There are pictures all along the wall, all of people – the one closest to me hangs right across the hall beside Erza's apartment door. It's of five kids at the beach; three have unusual white hair – two girls, one boy – all surrounding a red-haired girl of around the same age. With a start, I realise its Erza.
On the ground in front of the four of them lies a boy with an unmistakable mess of pink spiky hair. Natsu. He's grinning that wide smile I'm already familiar with, his head resting on his elbow as he lays sprawled along the sand. Everyone's dressed only in their swimming suits except for Natsu, who's also wearing a black-and-white scale-patterned scarf around his neck
A smile finds its way to my lips at the sight of them. In the bottom left hand corner is written "Summer 2005" in messy handwriting.
I guess the inhabitants of Fairy Tail are all familiar with each other – from the looks of this picture, they look almost like a happy family, even if they're not related by blood.
The thought freezes me in my tracks. A family...
Shaking my head, I look away from the picture and lean against the door to Natsu's apartment. Now is not the time to sorry for yourself, Lucy.
"Well, now that she's gone, are you gonna go too?" The voice is muffled but unmistakably familiar; I start when I hear Natsu's voice through the thin door. I shouldn't... Oh, but I want to...
"Actually, I came to talk to you." Gray's voice sounds clearer – probably because he's standing closer to the door. Wait, he came to talk to Natsu? I can't help myself; the curiosity is too much. I turn and rest my ear against the door.
"Me? What do you want with me?" Natsu sounds surprised.
"I'll get straight to the point," Gray deadpans. "Lucy was lying. She's still sick." I scowl instantly when I hear what he's talking about. How dare he? "She faints," he continues, "if she over-exerts herself. She may have a heart attack if it gets to be too much – if that happens, she'll have to be hospitalised again. Three years ago, her heart stopped beating altogether because of one." He sounds like he's already prepared this lecture beforehand; his voice sounds tired. "To stop that from happening, you have to make sure she's careful. She's stubborn, she doesn't listen to me at all, but you have to make sure you take care of her."
There's a silence following his words. I strain to hear but it sounds like no-one's saying anything. Eventually, I hear Natsu say, "You stayed back to tell me that?
Gray makes an irritated noise. "Were you even listening? Don't let her run, don't let her carry heavy loads, stuff like that. If she looks a little pale, sit her down – she'll protest but just-"
"Ignore her?" Natsu's being sarcastic.
"If you need to, then yes. She doesn't know her limits yet."
"And when do you think she'll learn them?" I hear Natsu bark out a strange-sounding laugh. "Look, if I think she's in any danger, I'll take care of it. I don't need you to tell me that."
I expect Gray to get angry – Natsu really seems to get on his nerves as it is – but instead of getting riled up, he says coldly, "I didn't talk to you because I have fun doing it, moron. As long as you're aware that my little sister is sicker than she makes out to be, fine."
"Got it," Natsu says in a similar clipped tone. "We done?"
"Get lost," Gray snaps back. "I gotta use the toilet anyway. Don't wait for me."
"Wasn't gonna."
All of a sudden, the door is yanked open – I fall forward with a yelp, losing my balance. Looking up, I see a disgruntled Natsu looming over me. I grin uneasily. "Hi?"
He raises an eyebrow. "Eavesdropping?"
I laugh guiltily, raising a hand to the back of my head and then wincing from the pain the pressure causes. "Uh... no..."
He shakes his head exasperatedly, but I don't miss the upturned corner of his lips. "You're unbelievable."
He steps through the doorway and I jump back. "Maybe it's a family trait?" I suggest, my expression apologetic.
He laughs at that. "Could be. You Heartfilias, you're hopeless."
"Actually," I correct him, "Gray's second name is Fullbuster. He changed it years ago."
"Really?" Natsu turns to me with a surprised expression. "So it's Gray Fullbuster? Why'd he change it?"
"Uh..." I shrug uncomfortably. "Maybe you should ask him."
He shakes his head straight away. "No way. I don't care enough to ask that asshole."
I snort but don't say anything, again glancing down the unfamiliar corridor. There are pictures running down the entire length of the walls – at least, where the doors don't interrupt them.
"Hey, you know what I just realised?" he asks me as he shuts the door behind him.
"What?" I ask, turning to look at him. He catches my eye with a devilish grin.
"You should be a nun."
"Huh?" I stare at him. "What are you talking about?"
Like he's telling the punchline of a joke, he says, "Holy Heartfilia. Heartfilia. Like holey heart. Get it? "
My jaw drops as he proceeds to burst into loud laughter, saying 'holey' over and over between chuckles.
"That... That's not even funny, Natsu. It's just stupid!" I roll my eyes as he doubles up from the force of his mirth. Leaning down, I take hold of his wrist and tug as I turn and start to walk down the corridor. "You're so weird."
"Lucy?" I turn back and see that adorably wide grin again.
"What is it, Natsu?" I sigh, trying to feign annoyance – maybe then he'll get the message that his jokes suck.
His grin widens. "The stairs are-" he points in the opposite direction of the way I'm going "-that way."
I glance behind myself, blinking stupidly. "I-I knew that," I snap, ignoring my embarrassment and turning on the spot. He just laughs and lets me lead him down the hall.
Time to see what exactly 'Fairy Tail' has to offer.



IMPORTANT: When a surgical transplant is performed, the organ transplanted must be the same size as that of the original (aka it's weird for a child to get an adult's heart).
('The day a reckless pink-haired idiot gives Lucy a concussion is the day her life changes forever; before she knows it, she's thrust into a world full of charismatic friends and villains alike. Welcome to the cosy insanity of Fairy Tail, home of outsiders. And you know what? For the first time in her life, Lucy feels like she actually belongs, misfit and all.')
www.fanfiction.net/s/9464601/8/Fairies-Misfits-Little-Brats

Fairies, Misfits & Little Brats .7

7. Hurricane Wendy

  

5th June 2012

The taller of the two is a young teenage boy with spiky black hair sticking up in all directions – if it weren't for the difference in length and colour, I'd say it resembled Natsu's mess of pink. The kid's bangs hood his dark eyes; his expression is uninterested, like he's bored to be here. He's sporting ripped jeans and a dark green t-shirt, and despite the fact that he can't be more than five feet tall, he's lean.
Beside him stands a much shorter, much older man dressed in an eccentric orange-and-blue outfit. Small tufts of white hair stick out from under his ridiculous striped hat, matching his monster of a moustache. His crazy attire, coupled with his gnome-like presence, would have had me giggling were it not for the enraged look on his face.
His black eyes are glued to Natsu, his face pulled back in a ferocious scowl. Natsu cowers into his chair soundlessly. The tiny man's glare shifts to Erza, who seems to have frozen in her position. Her eyes are wide, her expression a mix between wariness and... guilt? I don't know what to make of their reactions to him, but I have a feeling there's more to the tiny stranger than meets the eye.
"Would either of you care to explain," the elderly man growls, "why exactly you're up here, and not helping Mira?"
Natsu curses under his breath. I glance from him to Erza again, confused. Both the boy and the old man act as if only Erza and Natsu are in the room – I don't know whether to be thankful or offended.
The old man's eyes narrow further. "How exactly do you think I should react when I see the both of you relaxing? Natsu? Erza?" They both flinch when he says their names.
Erza clears her throat nervously. "I've finished my work already?" she offers uncertainly.
He scrutinises the scarlet-haired girl for a moment before his gaze whips to the Natsu. "And you, boy?"
The pink-haired teen opens his mouth and closes it again, seeming lost for words.
"Actually, I've already done the work for you, Natsu-nii." The dark-haired boy standing beside the dwarf finally enters the conversation. All eyes turn to him and he just blinks down at the old man, his expression blank. "I knew he was busy," he defends himself half-heartedly.
"Wait, what?" Erza suddenly pipes up. "You what?" She turns to Natsu. "He what?" Glancing back at the young teen, she yells, "You what!?"
Before anyone can react, she's out of her chair and pulling a helpless Natsu out of his.
"How dare you make your little brother do your dirty work! You stupid lazy ignorant idiot! You moron!" She continues to heatedly apprehend him as she drags him towards the door; the black-haired boy and the old man sidestep to give her room. I hear the sound of what I'm guessing is the front door open and close. Her furious voice is still audible after the click. "Did you really think you could get away with that? What kind of big brother are you!?" No-one moves until Erza's wrath – "You need to learn a lesson in responsibility! Set a better example!" – trails out of earshot.
An uncomfortable silence settles in the kitchen.
"Well, nice to meet you all!" My eyes snap back to the old man still standing in the doorway. His previous irritation is replaced by a calm smile. He glances around the room, taking in our bewildered expressions. "And welcome to Fairy Tail." With that, he turns and follows the path Erza and Natsu took out of the room and I hear the front door click shut again.
I glance around the table anxiously; everyone has a similar expression of confusion. Levy catches my eye with a raised eyebrow, and I shrug, nonplussed.
"Uh..." The dark-haired boy finally looks directly at us. "Who are you?" He walks towards the granite table, flipping his hair out of his eyes absent-mindedly. "And why are you in my house?"
"Um," Gray starts.
"Well, we, uh..." I continue. "We're like- uhh..."
"Hi," Jellal says awkwardly.
The boy stands behind Natsu's empty stool, splaying his hands out on the table in front of him. He turns and stares at me blankly – I meet his gaze, not sure what to make of his scrutiny. Eventually, he shrugs lazily and asks, "You Natsu's friends?"
I breathe out a quiet sigh of relief. "Yeah, we-"
"Hell no!" Gray interrupts fiercely.
"Ignore him," I quickly cover up. "Natsu said we could stay the night. I'm Lucy." I smile at the young teenager, decidedly ignoring my fuming brother.
The suspicion leaves his eyes but he still doesn't smile. "I'm Romeo. Romeo Conbolt." He looks around slowly as he says this, taking in all of our faces. "If Natsu said it was cool, Dad'll be fine with it. Stay as long as you want," he finishes, his gaze coming to rest on Levy.
She gives him a nervous smile. "Thanks, but, um- We should probably get home soon anyway, we have people waiting for us."
Juvia nods and adds, "Wendy and Grandine will get worrie-" She cuts off suddenly, her eyes widening in realisation. "Wendy... will be worried..."
Crap.
I completely forgot about her! And from the looks on everyone else's faces, they had as well. Dread settles in my stomach as a mixture of worry and guilt churns in my gut; memories of the last time sweet little Wendy was worried haunt my thoughts and I gulp, anxiously shaking my head to dispel the sudden distress.
"Well, shit," Gray mumbles, voicing everyone's thoughts. "W-We should probably- aw, shit." He proceeds to bury his face in his hands.
Juvia gets up shakily. "J-Juvia will call Wendy...
"If she's left the telephone intact..." Jellal mumbles as his sister leaves the table.
She walks out of the room in a daze, her cerulean curls swinging behind her back. The rest of us stay seated, looking depressed. I don't think I could move if I wanted to. Guilt – or maybe its fear – roots me to the spot. Poor Wendy. Or no, poor house. Poor... poor us when Grandine gets her hands on us.
"Jeez, what's wrong with you lot?" From my peripheral vision I see Romeo hop into Natsu's recently-vacated stool, glancing around with inattentive eyes.
Levy re-adjusts her hair-band, shooting him a troubled look. "My sister, Wendy, must be so worried right now. No-one thought to call her and let her know where we were for the night..."
Romeo stares at her. "Well, how old is she?"
The blunette gives a tiny flinch. "Thirteen."
To my surprise, Romeo snorts dismissively – it's the most expression he's shown since he entered the room. "Pfft. I'm sure she can take of herself. And no offense, but what's your name?"
"No, no, it's fine. I'm Levy. And uh, that's Jellal – my older brother – and Gray, Lucy's twin." She points to them in turn. "And to be honest, it's not really her we're worried about..."
"Whenever Wendy gets worried, she... she goes crazy," Jellal explains, his hazel eyes narrowed as he frowns.
Gray gives Romeo a dark look when the boy opens his mouth to argue. "We aren't joking, kid. It's like a- a hurricane's been through the house."
"Wait, seriously?" Romeo's bored expression suddenly falls away to be replaced by apprehensiveness. His eyebrows meet in a light frown, scepticism still etched in his eyes.
I nod dumbly in reply, my gaze falling to the kitchen table. "A-And she gets worried a lot."
"You guys have got to be over-exaggerating," Romeo says uncertainly. "I mean, she's just a thirteen year old gir-"
"You didn't see it last time," Levy cuts him off in a quiet murmur. "She broke the car."
I cringe, remembering her tears as she held Pantherlily's crooked bonnet in her hands, having wrenched it right off in an effort to help Jellal fix the engine last time it broke down. "That was awful."
Romeo's eyes are wide as he stares at me. "Jesus, what's this girl like?" He scans the kitchen, taking in everyone's morbid expressions. "Hell, I can't even tell if you're worried about her or for what's in her path..."
When I look up at him, I'm struck by how different he looks when he loses his mask of disinterest; the bangs have slipped back to reveal more of his dark eyes, which are round and expressive. His pale cheeks are coloured with a very light flush as he nervously purses his lips. All of a sudden, it strikes me that his expression resembles that of Natsu – even though they're not related, they look kind of similar!
"Not to change the subject or anything," I say quickly, "but Romeo, how old are you?"
He flashes me a confused look – now that I can see his eyes properly, it's striking how expressive they really are. "Fourteen. Why?"
Before I have a chance to answer, everyone's attention is reverted to the doorway; Juvia re-enters the room, looking shaken. "They are, um... They're coming here."
The effect of her words is sudden and instantaneous. Jellal jumps up from his stool, his expression alarmed; Levy claps her hands over her mouth; Gray lowers his head to the table with a groan.
"Grandine's going to kill us," I mumble, wincing as I think of all the horrible punishments she'll have lined up.
"Uh... Who are you?" Romeo asks Juvia, looking more confused than ever.
"Hello," Juvia gives him a wan smile. "Juvia is thankful to you for letting her friends stay here last night."
I watch Romeo carefully – whenever Juvia introduces herself, people always react to her way of talking. I hate that; not only is it rude, but it's unnecessary as well. To my surprise, Romeo doesn't react to it at all. "Nice to meet you," he says pleasantly. "Anyway, Juvia – how do they know where this place even is?"
Juvia shakes her head as if she was expecting the question. "Juvia asked the same thing. Grandine was on her way here already – it's just freaky coincidence that we ended up here, too. Apparently, she knows someone called Maracob?"
For the first time since I've met him, Romeo smiles – actually, he laughs, and even though it's a quiet sort of chuckle, I find myself fighting the urge to get up and squeeze him in a hug. Who'd have thought he'd be so adorable when he smiled!?
He gestures for Juvia to sit down. "Not Maracob, Makarov. Ma-ka-rov."
"Sorry," I butt in, "but who's Marakov?" The name's familiar but I can't place it...
He shakes his head again, the soft smile still playing on his lips. "Ma-ka-rov. It's Russian, I think? He's the mast- Uh, the, uh, landlord here," he corrects himself. "He was just in here a second ago."
"Wait, what?" I stare at him incredulously. So that's who Natsu had been talking about? "That 3 feet guy!? Are you kidding!?"
Romeo snorts. "Nope, that's him. This Grandine chick knows him, huh?"
Levy nods and brushes a few stray strands of her blue hair from her face. "That's what she said on the phone, right?"
Juvia – who is once again sitting beside Gray – nods, her chin resting in her hand. "That's all she said before hanging up on Juvia." She closes her eyes, frowning. "She sounded angry."
"Is that a bad thing?" Romeo asks curiously. "I mean, is she scary like Wendy or...?"
I laugh, albeit a little nervously. "Wendy's not scary, she's actually a total sweetheart. Just... Just don't get her anxious, and you'll be fine. But trust me when I saw you never want to meet Porlyusica Grandine when she's in a bad mood."
Romeo reacts to what I said a bit more dramatically than I'd expected – he physically pales, his eyes widening again. "P-Porlyusica?"
Juvia grimaces, not questioning Romeo's interest. "Yes."
"Why?" I ask, taken aback by his alarmed tone. "Do you know her?"
He answers my question with another question. "Pink hair Porlyusica?"
Juvia nods mutely in reply; she then rests her head on the table as if she's got a headache. "She's really angry."
Romeo gulps nervously.
"Romeo," I whine, "how do you know her? Don't just ignore me!"
"Ah, um, she-" he mumbles brokenly. "She takes care of the master's health. That'll be why she was on her way here already, huh? I can't remember a Monday when she wasn't around."
From beside me, I hear Gray moan, "I still have the bump from last week when she hit me with that damn broom." He rubs his head gently. "She's got some strange medicinal practices, huh?"
Everyone around the granite table grimaces as they remember some past injury Grandine's given them – even Romeo, I'm surprised to note.
"Juvia." I turn to her. "Did she say how far away she was? Is she bringing Wendy?"
No sooner have I finished my sentence does the door fly open to reveal the tiny old man – Makarov – with a tall, severe-looking woman standing behind him. My gaze runs from her pink hair – which is tied back with two crescent styled pins in an immaculate bun, excusing the choppy hair that frames her face – down to her practical brown shoes – immaculately polished and as pointy as ever – and it's impossible to mistake who she is.
Grandine is here.
She doesn't hesitate to storm into the room. Her fury is palpable – her stomping could cause an earthquake, her glare could curdle dairy. She goes straight for the unfortunate soul closest to the door, who, in this instance, happens to be Levy.
The poor girl shrinks into her seat as the pink-haired woman comes to loom over her hunched figure. Grandine's statement cape, a crimson affair with horns adorning the collar, billows behind her in a breeze that she seems to have created with her entrance.
She leans in close to Levy, who I can tell is fighting to hold back a whimper. She cowers away as Grandine comes to face level with her. She opens her mouth and says in a cool voice crackling with anger, "How dare you make me come here."
Levy squeaks.
I swear I see sparks fly from Grandine's eyes as her gaze slips to Juvia. "No apology?"
Juvia stammers, "J-Juvia is sorry..."
The aged woman's maroon eyes find Jellal. "Explain."
He clears his throat in an attempt to seem put-together. "W-Well, we- You see, last night, uh... Pantherlily kind of... died." He coughs. "...Again."
Grandine's temple twitches as she hears the news.
I cringe, knowing what's coming next, and unsurprisingly, not two seconds later, she explodes.
"Beds empty! No note! Car gone! You stupid, stuipd children! I say time and again – don't I say it? – I say time and time again to get that damn car replaced, but do you listen to me!?" Her icy stare finds Jellal. "No! You make me come all the way out here – to Magnolia," she yells, turning to a wide-eyed Juvia, "to pick up you up; do you know how expensive it is to drive here from Hargeon? Oh, no, of course you don't, because I'm the one who's paying every time you lot decide that it's a good idea to take a trip in that rust-bucket!" All of a sudden, she whips round and focuses on Levy, pointing a warning finger right in front of the blunette's face. "You know how irritating people are! How dare you make me come all the way out here! Why I decided to take you lot in, I don't know – there should be a plaque on my grave with just 'blame the Loxars' written on it. You're gonna lead me to an early grave, I'm telling you now. All this exposure to humans, it's going to be the death of me – and you three are to blame! You're the worst of the lot, you are, you stupid, stupid children! You remind me every day why I hate humans so much; such a race of simpletons, so reckless and selfish..." Taking a second to catch her breath, Grandine closes her eyes and sighs before snapping her eyes open and hissing, "Do you have any idea how worried I was!? You didn't even think to call!"
She finishes her lecture with an anguished sigh, pretty much collapsing into the stool that Erza had vacated. "For all I'd known, you could have died last night," she mumbles into her palm. "Please, you imbecilic little brats, learn to think."
God, please let a hole open up in the ground and just swallow me up.
Right now, the guilt could kill me, and she's not even my surrogate mother. One glance at the self-disgust on the faces of Levy, Jellal and Juvia is enough to tell me that they're kicking themselves right now. Even Gray looks like he feels a little sick.
A quiet 'achem' from somewhere near my right arm causes me to look down; Master Makarov clears his throat politely, looking very interested in his hands.
"Um..." I'm clueless as to what he wants me to do, but Romeo obviously understands; he hops off his seat and holds out a hand to the tiny man. Makarov grasps it and uses it as leverage to clamber onto the stool. In any other situation I'd have giggled, but the awful remorse Grandine's lecture created is still fresh.
"Not to change the subject or anything," he says loudly, capturing everyone's attention, "but which one of you is Lucy?"
My eyebrows rise in surprise. "Me?"
His smiling dark eyes find mine. "The other girl is just getting some stuff from the car for you. She said she wanted to get all of your medicines."
My eyes widen in shock. What's Wendy thinking!? "N-No, no, no, it- She- You've got it wrong, I don't- I'm fine, I don't- I-..." Romeo and Makarov watch me with a wondering expression; I glimpse Gray scowling in my peripheral vision. "I'm fine, damn it! I don't need any medicine! She- Hold on, I'll go stop her, she- Damn it, Wendy!"
Without a second thought, I jump out my chair and make out of the room. However, before I'm even halfway across the kitchen, Wendy herself rushes through the door.
Well, more like trips into it.
She lands on the floor with a muffled 'oof' and we all stare as she lays there for a moment. Her dark blue hair – up in the usual bunches and tied with two white ribbons to match her summer dress – is splayed around her head, the contents of the bags she'd brought with her scattered across the floor. I can see first aid kits, bandages, boxes of medicine and who knows what else; it's like the girl's a mini portable hospital.
"Oh, really," Grandine rolls her eyes, still mumbling into her hand. "The lot of you are hopeless."
Wendy raises her face slowly, her eyes squeezed shut and her expression sheepish behind pink cheeks; her long hair swishes around her waist as she kneels and scrambles to stuff everything back into the plastic bags. Romeo eagerly gets on his knees to help her.
"Ah, um, thank you," she mumbles, not making eye contact with him as he hands her a couple stacks of eye-drop boxes. He sits back in his stool wordlessly, his eyes glued to her face.
Wendy gets up and glances at her siblings anxiously. Once her gaze finds mine, she jolts forward, her brown eyes wide and worried. "Lucy! Are you alright? Who hurt you? I'll avenge you, just you tell me!" She shakes her head vehemently; her cute bunches swing around her head as she does so, completely negating the effect of her fierce words.
I laugh nervously, reaching out to tuck a stray strand of her hair behind her ear. "Don't worry about it, Wendy..."
Romeo suddenly shouts, "Wendy!?" Both of us jump and stare at the boy, who's seemingly transfixed by the youngest Loxar. "You're Wendy!?"
She nods timidly, her eyes wide and confused. "Umm... Hello..." she mumbles, her previous gusto disappearing as she shuffles her feet to shield half of her body behind me. "How do you... know me?"
Romeo just watches her with round eyes, his mouth hanging open and a noticeable pink rising up his cheeks. "I, uh-..." He blinks at her again. "I thought you'd be... a little less... different..." He visibly gulps, his gaze wide and unwavering.
"I-I'm sorry!" Wendy apologises hastily. What's she even apologising for?
Romeo ignores her, instead turning to Gray. "You said she was supposed to be like a hurricane!"
Gray shrugs, bemused. "I did, didn't I? Maybe a meek hurricane."
Wendy adopts an expression of horror as Romeo stammers, "M-meek..."
"I-I'm not meek! I'm strong! I'm- I'm... I'm..." she trails off, not sure what she wants to say as she wrings her hands uncomfortably.
"Wendy, do you want to take a look at Lucy?" Jellal intervenes kindly, breaking what could have become a very awkward silence. He's very over-protective of Wendy – I'm not surprised he wouldn't want to see her squirm.
Well, would anyone? Her adorable innocence has left even the worst personalities at her mercy.
"Yes!" she says straight away, her nervous expression falling away to be replaced with a grin directed at her brother. "Lucy, I brought all of your medicines!"
Before I can argue – because never have I used eye-drops in my life – Gray gets up and grabs my arm. "Come on, Wendy," he urges her, starting to drag me from the living room. "You can check her over in the bedroom."
"Gray!"I start pulling against his grip. "I really don't need-" Without hesitation, Wendy starts helping Gray push me towards the door. "Guys, seriously, I'm fine! Stop, wait!" I struggle against them but with Wendy pushing and Gray pulling, I can't do really do anything but complain loudly as they drag me out into the hall.
Out of the corner of my eye, I spy Makarov and the Loxars watching us with an amused expression; Grandine still seems to be sulking – as usual – and a heavily blushing Romeo is staring in our direction – or more accurately, at Wendy – with his mouth hanging open, his eyes glazes over, and his expression flustered.
Just before I'm out the door, I hear Jellal murmur to Romeo, "Shut your mouth, you'll catch flies."
Wait, it can't be-... Has Romeo fallen for Wendy!? I forget to fight against my captors as thoughts of young love fly through my mind. He's only one year older than Wendy, and he seems to be a nice kid; they could be so perfect together! Aw, it's so cute! Wendy's shyness mixed with Romeo's flustered reactions – I can already see it, they'll be the cutest couple to ever grace Fiore!
My thought process is halted by Wendy and Gray shoving me onto a bed. Looking around, I realise they've dragged me back into Natsu's bedroom.
Wendy stands over me, her posture intimidating. Her usual sweetness is replaced with a fiery determination, and in my mind, I can see her resorting to extreme measures to ensure I 'recover'. She flips her dark blue bangs out her face impatiently while watching me, eyes steely. "I have to check your head and heart," she explains sternly as she tightens one of the white ribbons in her hair. "Please sit still, Lucy. This won't take long."
In that split second, I switch from rejoicing for Romeo's new found crush to pitying him.
Poor confused Romeo – he has no idea what he's getting himself into.



('The day a reckless pink-haired idiot gives Lucy a concussion is the day her life changes forever; before she knows it, she's thrust into a world full of charismatic friends and villains alike. Welcome to the cosy insanity of Fairy Tail, home of outsiders. And you know what? For the first time in her life, Lucy feels like she actually belongs, misfit and all.')
www.fanfiction.net/s/9464601/7/Fairies-Misfits-Little-Brats

Fairies, Misfits & Little Brats .6

6. Tales Around the Kitchen Table

5th June 2012

Jellal, Levy and I had still been chatting in the living room when Erza finally dragged in a half-dressed Natsu and demanded that someone start cooking. Twenty minutes and one fire alarm later, here we are sitting around the granite kitchen table of Natsu's – well, Natsu's family's – apartment and tucking into a meagre lunch (or breakfast, in mine and Natsu's case) of cereal, fruit and eggs-on-toast.
I tug at the t-shirt I'm wearing right now, courtesy of Erza's wardrobe – turns out she really does live right next door. She'd been kind enough to lend me a shirt to change into after I'd washed up a bit.
"Hey, Levy?" Jellal shifts on his stool so that he's facing his sister.
"Yeah?" Levy turns to her left and sends her brother a questioning look. To her right Erza eats her food quietly; to Erza's right sits Natsu, and beside him is me, followed by Gray, Juvia, Jellal, and back to Levy. Gajeel seems to have disappeared after last night but I've yet to ask about him.
A secret smile hides behind Erza's twitching lips and I get the feeling she knows exactly what Jellal's going to ask; I smirk and bring an elbow up to rest on the table, thinking along the same lines as her.
And like a good little boy, Jellal doesn't disappoint. "What was my first kiss like?" he asks Levy, his hazel eyes innocent and curious.
I hear Gray cough from my left as he chokes on his food. "What the hell?" he asks, his eyebrow cocked at Jellal.
"Apparently it was at the hospital," the older boy shrugs. "I want to know."
Natsu chuckles from beside me, a wide grin on his face as he runs a hand through his drying pink hair. "What's this first kiss crap about?"
"We were talking about the events of last night," Levy supplies for Natsu, a wicked grin on her lips as she sends the salmon-haired boy a suggestive look. "And somehow the conversation went from first kisses to Jellal's first kiss, and brought to light the fact that he doesn't actually remember said kiss."
"Sure, sure," Natsu brushes aside, completely dismissing her joke at his expense. Or maybe he just didn't notice – I wouldn't put it past him. "But what's this stuff about a hospital?" he continues, shooting the blue-haired boy a questioning look.
Jellal scrutinises Natsu for a second before taking a deep breath, looking like he's preparing to explain something he has to talk about way too often. He begins, "A couple years ago-"
"How many?" Erza cuts in before he can get five words into the story. I glance at her; her eyes are guarded, narrowed and scrutinising Jellal.
The cobalt-haired teen sends her a weird look. "I dunno, six?"
Juvia shakes her head. "It was nearly nine years ago. Juvia remembers Wendy's fifth birthday in the hospital."
I stare at Jellal, eyes accusatory. "You'd think you'd remember something like that, Jellal!"
He shoots me a sarcastic look. "Ha. Funny."
"I wasn't making an amnesia joke, idiot."
"Guys," Natsu whines. "Hello? Hospital?"
"Sorry, Natsu," Levy cuts over us quickly. "Anyway, nine years ago, Jellal got into this accident and-"
"What accident?" Erza butts in again. When Jellal frowns at Erza's continued interruptions, she blinks innocently and lifts a forkful of fruit to her mouth. Her question hangs in the air.
"Housefire," he says shortly, sounding dismissive. "Killed our parents."
Natsu lean back in his seat as a sudden hush settles in the kitchen. "Shit," he says lowly, his tone apologetic. "We probably shouldn't have asked-"
Juvia shakes her head, her curls bouncing. "It's okay," she insists, smiling happily at Natsu. "It was a long time ago."
I purse my lips and look down at my cereal. Even if the Loxars don't mind talking about their parents' death, I do; I can tell Gray feels the same by the way his shoulders slump and his eyebrows draw together.
Levy clears her throat, trying to dispel the tense atmosphere. "Wendy was four at the time. She was caught in the fire, but-" she pauses and starts to grin "-Mr. Hero here-" she pats her brother on the back, surprising him "-saved her."
Jellal glances up at the sudden contact and his gaze catches Natsu's, a painfully modest smile sneaking its way onto his face. "Juvia would have if she could, but the firemen caught her before she could re-enter the building." I don't miss Juvia's slight flinch, but before I can react to it, her facial expression smoothes over again. I bite my lip, frowning.
They're not completely unaffected, after all. I guess incidents like the fire always leave scars, even if they're not visible to the human eye. No matter how well someone covers them up, there will always be at least one mark – one change to their character that they can't affect, no matter how hard they try.
"But," Jellal continues, snapping me out of my thoughts. He touches the tattoo that runs across his cheek, his words unknowingly adding insult to injury as he says, "I got scars all along this side of my face – this tattoo is to hide them. Anyway," he casually changes the subject, "while I was in the hospital I accidentally got hold of some drugs that messed up my head, and-"
"That made him lose his memory," Levy interrupts, rolling her eyes. "Why he insists he has brain damage, I don't know."
I laugh along with everyone else, but as I do my gaze comes to rest on Erza. She doesn't join in with the rest of us, instead examining the sliced strawberry on her fork with an unreadable expression, lost in thought. Natsu pipes up before I have the chance to call her out on it; "But then how d'ya know you kissed some girl while you were in there? If you lost your memory, I mean."
Juvia giggles as Levy deadpans, "Because Juvia, Wendy and I walked in on it."
"What?" This is news to Jellal. He gives his older sister a flustered glance, his hazel eyes incredulous. "All three of you!?"
"And Grandine," Juvia corrects. "You weren't very discreet," she confesses to him. "Juvia didn't really have a choice; you were standing in the very middle of an empty room, Jellal."
"Wait, wait, wait," Natsu interrupts as Jellal grimaces; the pink-haired boy has a wide smirk on his face and for the third time, I notice how unusually sharp his canines are. It makes his already boyish grin look adorable, or impish even. "Start from the beginning," he insists to Levy, inadvertently deeming her the storyteller.
I smile at his enthusiasm and rest my chin on my hand, winking at my best friend. "And leave nothing out."
The petite blunette smiles back at me gleefully. "I won't, Lu-chan." Without a moment's hesitation, she launches straight into the tale; "The four of us were visiting for Wendy's birthday – it was..." She trails off, screwing her face up as she tries to remember. "Two weeks?" She looks questioningly at Jellal, who gives her a look as if to say 'you're asking me?' She shrugs and continues, "Two or so weeks after the fire."
I interrupt before Levy can continue. "The fire was on the 30th of November 2002, Levy. Do the math."
She purses her lips. "Well, Wendy was born on the 11th of December, so that's-"
"Twelve days," I interrupt again, frowning slightly. She should know this.
"Thanks, Lu-chan!" Levy beams at me, not at all affected. Gray scoffs under his breath, so quietly that only I hear. Neither of us understands the carefree attitude all the Loxars have when it comes to the death of their parents. I know when our mother-
No, Lucy. Not now.
"Jellal was in the kids room – you know the one they keep exclusively for sick children?" Levy continues happily. "It was the one for the in-and-out cases, so it was pretty much empty at the time." Levy pauses and laughs as Jellal raises his hand like he would in a classroom. "Yes, Mr Loxar?" she says teasingly
"How do you remember all this?" he asks her, his expression somewhere between surprised and impressed. "You couldn't have been more than eight years old."
"Six," she corrects him. "I have a good memory."
"Makes up for yours, eh?" Natsu chuckles, managing to reach behind both Erza and Levy to pat the blue-haired boy on the back.
Jellal shoots him a withering look. "Ha freaking ha."
"Natsu!" Levy emphasises, "Shush. Let me tell the story!" I giggle despite myself when he playfully sticks his tongue out at the blunette. She smiles at him and continues, "So anyway, the three of us walked into the room with Grandine, right? And the ward was completely deserted except for Jellal and this one other girl-"
"What did she look like?"
"Erza!" Natsu growls before Jellal can get a word in. "Let her tell the story already!" I laugh when I realise that he's just repeated exactly what Levy said to him. So does Erza; she holds her hands up in apology, a small smile on her lips.
"No, it's okay," Levy insists. "I can't really remember, if I'm honest, Erza... I think she had blonde hair?"
Juvia nods from beside her. "Juvia remembers! Bleached blonde, with dark red roots. Juvia wondered why she'd changed it; it seemed to be such a lovely colour before..." She shakes her head as if trying to bring her attention back to the present. "Light skin, hospital gown – that's all that comes to mind. Juvia only saw her back, but she is certain the girl was Jellal's age."
If I hadn't been watching so carefully, I'd have missed the way Erza's eyes clouded over at the description. However, within a split second, they clear again and she smiles at Juvia. "Thank you, Juvia. Sorry, Levy, you continue."
Levy's hair-band slips down her forehead as she shakes her head at Erza's apology, releasing some of the messy blue strands that just don't seem to be able to lie flat. "I'm sure Jellal was wondering the same thing."
"I wondered whether she was hot or not, but hearing she was eight years old is kind of a turn off," Jellal admits. The girls around the table all scoff as Gray and Natsu both smirk and seem to share a 'guy moment' with Jellal. I roll my eyes at their wolfish grins. Idiots.
"Back to topic," Gray insists, failing to keep a straight face. "What happened then?"
"Is it PG?" Natsu chuckles.
"Shut it," Jellal shoots at them despite the smirk still on his lips. "Go on, Levy. So you walk in and this girl and me are in the middle of the room, and...?"
"And?" she asks innocently. "Well, it looked like you were leaning down in all your hospital gowned glory and giving her a little smooch-" she giggles at the word "-and when we walked in, she jumped away from you, glanced back at us and then she-" She starts laughing again, harder this time. "And Jellal's just standing there, stooped down, bright red, eyes screwed shut and-"
When Levy starts cackling, Juvia sighs and takes over the story-telling, pretending that there isn't a wicked smile on her face as well. "The girl lifted her hand like she was going to stroke his face or something, and Juvia thinks this is what Jellal thought as well, but then all of a sudden she-"
"Bam!" Levy slams her hand on the table, her eyes screwed up as she giggles uncontrollably. "Punches Jellal right in the face!" She leans back in her stool, overcome with the force of her laughter as Jellal's stare moves from Juvia – who's also laughing though not quite as hard as her sister – to Levy, who practically has tears of mirth streaming down her cheeks.
I can't help but giggle as well, but whether it's at Jellal's misfortune or at Levy and Juvia, I don't know. From beside me, I hear Natsu hoot with laughter and Gray trying and failing to hide his amusement behind a cough.
Jellal – too shocked to be embarrassed – looks over each and every one of us laughing at him; it's only when his gaze comes to rest on Erza, who throughout the story had demurely been eating her fruit, does the blush begin to rise to his face. Erza's hiding her face with her hand, although by the shaking of her shoulders, I can tell she's laughing almost as hard as Levy is, albeit silently for Jellal's sake.
His cheeks get pinker and pinker; when Levy starts to clutch at her side, a single tear escaping her eye, my giggling intensifies to the point where it's painful. The story isn't even that funny, but just seeing the Loxar sisters lose control like this is too freaking hilarious.
"K-kiss and run," Juvia cackles, poking the hapless Jellal in the arm. "Just as well you don't remember that, Jellal!" She pauses for a shaking breath, wiping her eye with a finger. "Wooh! Juvia would die if that had been her first kiss," she pokes him again mercilessly, her grin wide and teasing.
Jellal sighs as he shuts his eyes. My own laughter dies down to a wide smirk because no matter how hard he tries to keep his composure, we all know that his male pride and dignity are not going to stay intact quite so easily. "I..." he starts, struggling with something to say. Giving up, he rests his head in his hands. "I don't quite know what to say," he mumbles eventually.
Natsu leans forward and pats Jellal's bowed head with a wry grin. "You'll get over it, buddy... Shouldn't be too hard," he adds on, "considering you've already forgotten about it." He proceeds to cackle at his crappy joke, and to my surprise, Gray joins in. So they can get along about something, at least...
"You know my memory's not permanently gone," Jellal whines grumpily. "You can stop with the amnesia jokes."
Pity it's only over making fun of Jellal.
"We only just started!" Natsu defends himself. "That's not fair; these guys have had years, I only met you today."
"Yesterday," Gray corrects.
"Shut up," Natsu retorts.
Gray and Natsu start to bicker behind me; I lean forward so as not to interrupt, already feeling used to it for some reason. The rest of us tuck back into our cereal, fruit and toast, wide grins on everyone but Jellal's face – his cheeks are still rather red.
Aw, the poor guy. I bet he didn't expect to be so mortified when he first asked Levy to tell him about it. I smile into my food; she was unusually cruel in the telling of it, too. Well, unusually cruel for Levy. We are talking about the girl who gets upset when someone folds the corner of a page instead of using a bookmark. She's the sweetest girl I know most of the time.
The thought sparks a chain reaction in my mind, and I find myself turning to ask Erza, "Where's Gajeel, by the way?"
"Oh, he's downstairs," she elaborates for me, her scarlet bangs falling over an eye as she looks up. "Left as soon as he woke up. Something about wanting to start work on a truck as soon as possible?"
"Pantherlily," I confirm. "I kind of remember it breaking down." I shake my head at the fuzzy memory. "I'm not surprised; it breaks down every other day, stupid thing."
"If there's anyone who can fix it, it's Gajeel," she smiles at me reassuringly, brushing the hair from her face. "He's been in the garage all morning."
"Garage?" I raise an eyebrow and look around the kitchen/living-room as if the walls might hold some clues. "Hey, Erza... Where exactly are we?"
She gives me a weird look. "Natsu's apartment...?"
"Yeah, no, I know," I backtrack, "I mean, where is this?" I gesture around me with flailing arms. "Like, are we still in Magnolia, or...?" I blink at her, clueless. "I was unconscious when you got here, remember?"
Understanding dawns on her. "Oh, of course! Sorry. Yes. This," she says in a grand voice, "is Fairy Tail."
She goes back to her food as if this explains everything. "I-... Uh..." I glance around hopefully; maybe someone else can explain. "Gray," I interrupt the two boys' bickering; my brother gives me a questioning look. "Where are we?"
"I, uh... Fairy Tail?" he supplies uselessly.
"Yeah, that tells me nothing," I deadpan.
He shrugs happily. "Then I dunno."
I blink at him. How am I related to this idiot? "In all the time you've been here, it didn't occur to you once to ask someone where we were!?"
Gray raises an eyebrow. "No. Does it matter?"
"Yes!"
"More importantly," Gray insists, completely dismissing what I was saying, "how do you feel?"
"What?" I tilt my head, confused at the random question. I roll my eyes when he raises his hand to rest on his chest over his heart with a concerned expression, realising what he's referring to. "I'm fine, Gray."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. Stop asking."
"I only asked once!"
"Twice."
"No, I di-"
"Yes, you did. In Natsu's room."
His voice takes on an exasperated tone. "Is it so bad that I'm worried about my sister?"
"It's bad that you're worrying over something so stupid. I'm not so sick that I'm about to drop to the floor and – I don't know – have a heart atta-" I cut off when I realise from his expression that I've just voiced his thoughts. My temper spikes and I take a deep breath to reign it in. "I'm fine, Gray. Drop it already."
He just scowls lightly and looks down at his empty plate. I roll my eyes with a sigh, also returning my gaze to my half-finished food. Leave it to Gray to worry unnecessarily. I mean, one little bump on the head and he thinks I'll have a seizure or something. How the hell would a head injury affect my heart? And I'm not even that sick anymore anyway, for crying out loud! I pout, stirring the spoon in the soggy cereal dejectedly. Stupid over-protective idiot.
"What's wrong with you?"
I start out my thoughts and look up; Natsu's eyeing me, eyebrows drawn together in a frown. I immediately bristle; "I'm fine! Will people stop fussing over me!?"
My voice is too loud, and the rest of the teenagers in the kitchen glance at me before resuming their conversations. I bite my lip and grin uneasily to Natsu. "Sorry. Sore head."
He shakes his head as if it's a non-issue, unperturbed. "Whatever. You just looked like you were thinking about something."
"Sorr-"
"Why do you keep apologising?" The pink-haired boy gives shoots me an easy grin. "Quit it already."
His smile is infectious. "Sor-" My eyes widen and I cover my mouth with a hand. He chuckles when I do. "Force of habit, I guess..." I mumble.
He looks at me for a second with an unreadable expression and I try not to squirm uncomfortably; those damn charcoal eyes are unnerving. Finally, he remarks, "You're weird."
How am I supposed to respond to that? As I'm scrambling for an answer, inspiration hits me. "Hey, you must know where we are!" I sit up straight, suddenly eager. "What the hell is Fairy Tail?" He gives me a look akin to the one Erza gave me when I asked her, and I grumble, "As far as I know, it's another name for a bedtime story, Natsu."
His answering laugh causes me to scowl at him. It just makes his grin wider. "All of this," he explains, his slanted charcoal eyes darting around the walls of the kitchen/living room, "is Fairy Tail. We're in the apartment complex of Fairy Tail – well, I say complex, it's really just two buildings; this one, and another one across the road called Fairy Hills, and that one's only for like, housing and stuff-"
"Wait, wait, wait, wait," I interrupt as I try to process the new information. "Then what's this one for?"
"Oh, yeah! I forgot you were doing that whole Sleeping Beauty act when we got here-"
"Act?" I growl, frustrated. "For your information, I was unconscious!"
"Whatever you say, princess," he brushes it aside. I sigh but don't interrupt as he continues, "There's a- a bar, I guess, beneath us on the ground floor. We're on the first floor; Erza's apartment is just across the hall and yeah, on and on, but anyway-"
He pauses as he gulps his orange juice; I rest my chin in my hand again, crossing my legs to sit more comfortably. Natsu's got this way of talking that kind of... addictive, I guess? It's like he's really passionate about what he's talking about, and it's so nice to see someone talk as openly as he is. At home, no-one ever sounds like they care so much about... about anything, really. That's why Gray and I are so often accused of apathy; we were raised to show restraint.
I can't help the smile on my face as he sets the empty glass and looks back at me enthusiastically, ready to resume his explanation; he runs a hand through his unusual hair as he continues, "Anyway, the bar. Okay, so Fairy Tail's what you see when you first come in, right? You saw all that, but there's also-..." A confused smile finds its way to his mouth, amusement in his eyes. "Why are you shaking your head?"
"I was passed out, remember?"
"Oh, yeah, of course!" He gently taps his forehead with his palm. "Sorry, keep forgetting. Fairy Tail's the name of- well, basically it's a bar where you can drink and hang out and stuff. Well, no, not basically, that's actually what it is-" he laughs openly "-and Makarov's hired a bunch of people who take work and-"
"Natsu!" I interrupt, smiling despite myself just at the abundance of energy he exudes. "Who's Makarov?"
"Master?" Natsu ruffles his spiky hair again. "He owns Fairy Tail. Well, co-owns but really, he's the owner- Actually, he does still own Fairy Tail, I guess-"
"Get to the point, Natsu," I smirk, already used to his scattered way of talking.
"Right, sorry," he beams. Does this guy ever stop smiling? I kind of hope he doesn't; his grin is so endearing (and cute but let's not mention that). "In all rights and stuff, Master is the owner but a couple months ago – seven, I think? – we had some trouble with, uh..." He scratches the back of his head sheepishly. "Basically, Macao got fired and he needed a job, so Master offered him co-ownership of the bar-"
"Wait, wait, wait a second!" I interrupt for the umpteenth time. "Who's Macao?"
"Oh, he's my adoptive dad." He says it so offhandedly that I have to look twice to make sure I heard him right. Natsu's adopted?
"O-okay?" I don't have the chance to say anything further; the boy's off again, rambling on and on at a hundred miles an minute. I take a sip of water as he complains about the newest worker 'Master' Makarov has hired for the bar, his fiery words emphasised with (adorably) exaggerated facial expressions.
For the first time in a long time, I can't stop smiling; Natsu's enthusiasm is catching, and God knows a little more positive energy in my life couldn't go amiss.
"But it's okay," he continues, barely stopping for breath as he catches my wide gaze with his own, "because Mira'll kick the new kid into shape one way or another. Either that or it's sayonara, Fairy Tail." He chuckles to himself. "To be honest, I feel sorry for 'em. Mirajane's really sweet but damn, she can be terrifying if she wants to be. I'm not kidding, she..." He pauses, looking like he's reliving a memory. Suddenly, he shivers, and throws me an alarmed look. "She's a demon in disguise, I'm telling you. You know, this one time some dude was gonna perform – you know, sing and stuff – and Mira-"
Natsu stops mid-sentence, his mouth snapping shut as his eyes widen comically, resembling saucers; he stares at something behind me and before I can turn around, a furious voice snaps, "What are you doing here!?"
The conversation in the kitchen silences instantly; I turn around with everyone else to see two new figures standing in the doorway, one of whom is glaring at us so fiercely that terror settles in the room like a blanket.
My stomach drops and I gulp. Just when things were going well...



('The day a reckless pink-haired idiot gives Lucy a concussion is the day her life changes forever; before she knows it, she's thrust into a world full of charismatic friends and villains alike. Welcome to the cosy insanity of Fairy Tail, home of outsiders. And you know what? For the first time in her life, Lucy feels like she actually belongs, misfit and all.')
www.fanfiction.net/s/9464601/6/Fairies-Misfits-Little-Brats

Fairies, Misfits & Little Brats .5

5. Welcome to the World of the Living

5th June 2012

Previously
"Hi."
A male voice – a nice male voice – brings my attention back to the present and I feel the blood drain from my face as I realise who it belongs to.
Shit. Please, no.
I screw my eyes shut in an attempt to pass it off as a dream - please, please, please let this not be real - but to my mortification, when I open my eyes, I'm still in bed with a half-naked (please let him just be half-naked) teenage boy.
I look up as slowly as I can get away with; dread joins the nausea that's coiling violently in the pit of my stomach as my gaze passes over the expanse of lightly-tanned skin taut across his broad shoulders, over his relaxed neck, his defined jaw, a sharp-toothed grin, dark slanted eyes, and – I knew it – salmon-pink hair sticking up in all directions.
Natsu chuckles deep in his throat. "Morning, princess. How's your head?"
Holy shit.
Gray is going to kill me.

I stare at him, unblinking. He happily meets my gaze, a slight smirk on his lips and his arm still draped lazily across my waist.
After a moment or so of silent eye contact, he clears his throat awkwardly. "Is your head, uh... okay? You bumped it pretty hard..." He pauses, looking guilty. "Both times." I stare at him for a little longer and he squirms uncomfortably under my scrutiny, his gaze drifting up to the ceiling. "Can you not... stare so much?"
Can I not stare?
Can. I. Not. Stare!?
Screaming, I wrench his arm from my body; pushing the blanket off me with my other hand, I leap from the bed (elbowing his stomach as hard as I can in the process) and glance around frantically. Without wasting so much as a second, I rush for the first door I see and slam it shut behind me.
I lean my back against it, panting and holding one hand to my racing heart. "Holy shit. Holy crap. Oh my holy crap." I keep this chant up until my heartbeat slows down, keeping my eyes clenched shut. "Holy fucking crap."
Okay, Lucy, worst case scenario: you slept with him. Which obviously isn't the case. Second worst case scenario: he kidnapped you and is now holding you hostage for a ransom against your will.
That is definitely a possibility.
Holy shit. I can't believe I've been kidnapped. I'm going to die. Oh my God, I'm going to die!
No no no, deep breaths; think about this logically, Lucy. Stay calm and think about it logically.
So I've been kidnapped, no big deal, right? I can pay him, can't I? I can – I don't know, I can cook for him? Wait, I can escape through a window! Find a window! But what if he's waiting for me on the other side?
"Hey, what was that for?" His petulant groan sounds muffled through the door, and it halts me in my tracks.
"Wh-wha-" I stop, clear my throat and try again. "I-I can pay you! I'll give you the money, just please let me go!"
There's silence on the other side of the door. That's not supposed to happen; the kidnapping murdering terrifying bad guy is never supposed to not answer. I keep my eyes squeezed shut, too scared to open them.
"I can, um, I can," I add on, trying to convince him. "I'm a good cook! I'll make anything! Please don't kill me and-" I gulp "-eat me..."
Because cooking always saves the day – fantastically handled, Lucy.
That leaves the window option. I snap my eyes open; my gaze darts around what seems to be a bathroom only for me to realise that the only window is too small for Levy to fit through, never mind me.
Oh my God. Levy.
What have the kidnappers done to Levy? And Jellal and Juvia and Gray? What'll I do if they've eaten Gray!?
A knock on the door snaps me out of it; I run and press my back to it again lest my kidnapper try to break in. Bastard ate my brother, like hell I'm letting him in! When he knocks again, I fall to the floor with a choked whimper. I can't believe this is happening to me – I'm too young to die! There are so many things I haven't done yet! I've yet to publish a novel, or become a model, or be self-sustaining, or- I mean, I haven't even met my fans ye- I don't have any fans yet! I can't die!
I've almost reached the point of uncontrollable hyperventilation when a familiar voice calls through the door, "Lucy?"
"Gray!? You're alive!" I twist and clutch the door-handle above my head desperately. "Gray, help me! Quickly, before he returns with backup! Tell Father I've been kidnapped! And beat Pinky up for me, I'm too scared to- oh, but be careful, he could try to eat y-"
"I'm not that easy to beat up!" an indignant voice I recognise to be Natsu's pipes up.
"Go, Gray! Do it now! Before he kills me with his cannibalistic cruelty!" I whimper, my hands falling by my side as I scramble away from the door to the centre of the bathroom.
After a silent moment, the handle twists and the door slowly clicks open. Half of me doesn't want to look – what if I see Gray with a knife sticking up from his heart, his hand extended towards me as he desperately tries to save his dear little sister even in the cold clutches of dea-
"Oh."
I blink rapidly.
Juvia is standing at the door with an amused expression while a confused Gray stands beside Natsu, who's squinting at me like I'm crazy. "Uh... So... You guys were, uh-" I clear my throat awkwardly "-kidnapped too, huh?"
Gray's eyes are round and worried as he watches me like a hawk. "Do all fiction writers have this kind of imagination?" he asks warily. He's wearing the same clothes he was yesterday, although his hair is wet. He showered?
"Um," I stutter, still perplexed, still kneeling in the middle of a stranger's bathroom and staring, dumbfounded, at my twin.
"Juvia heard you scream," the older girl explains, walking towards me and helping me to my feet. "Gray-sama and Juvia rushed here as fast as we could, but Natsu told us you, um-"
"Went batshit on me," Natsu supplies as Juvia trips over her words; his eyes are wide as he continues to eye me up cautiously.
Juvia nods with a straight face. "Yes, uh... that."
Sudden relief leaves my knees a little weak, and I lean on her for support. "So w-we're not kidnapped?"
Gray makes a choked noise of disbelief as Juvia giggles, "No, Lucy. We aren't kidnapped."
"And, um," I falter, glancing at Natsu, who's turned away from me, his shoulders shaking from the force of what appears to be silent laughter. I purse my lips, feeling stupid. "He's not a bad guy?"
"He's an idiot, but he's not gonna kill us," Gray supplies.
"I'm not an idiot, idiot," Natsu snaps at him, amusement cut short. He turns to face me again and I'm suddenly very aware that he is indeed very, very shirtless. And has a defined six-pack. And messy bed hair. And a really adorable grin...
"But," I say quickly, glancing away and hoping he didn't notice me checking him out, "that still doesn't explain why he was sleeping with me."
"Wait," Gray says quickly, "what?"
I blink as Juvia tenses under my arm. "What?"
"What did you just say?"
"What about it?"
"N-no, repeat what you just said!"
"What?"
"What what?"
"What are you talking about?"
"What you just said!" I watch, confused as his incredulous gaze snaps from me to Natsu, who looks just as bewildered as I am. "Repeat what you said, Lucy!"
"Wh... why?" I narrow my eyes in suspicion.
"Just do it!" he snaps.
"Woah, okay! Sorry," I mumble as I struggle to remember. "I just said that, uh..." The phrase comes to me in an instant and I grin in victory. "It doesn't explain why Natsu and I slept together, that's all!"
There's an awkward moment as I realise simultaneously that I could have worded it better and that it's new information to both Juvia and Gray. "N-Not like tha-"
"How dare you!?" Gray cuts me off, shouting as he jumps at a flustered Natsu, who side-steps out of the way like he was expecting it.
"She said she was cold," he defends himself, although I don't miss the hint of pink in his cheeks. Aw, he looks so cute when he's pouting...
Gray's fist connects with his face, halting my admiration. "Yeah, I'm sure you warmed her right up! You're dead!"
"Gray!" I yell. "Stop! What are you doing!? You can't just..." I trail off as Natsu flips Gray over onto the floor and jumps on him, fists raised. "Y-you... shouldn't fight..."
Juvia sighs exasperatedly behind me. "You okay, Lucy?" she asks me. I turn to see her bright smile.
"I, uh-" I glance back at the two boys wrestling on the floor. "I'm fine, but shouldn't we, um-" I wince slightly as Gray's foot collides with Natsu's toned abdomen, and doesn't even elicit a flinch "-stop them or something?"
Juvia shakes her head. "It was exactly like this last night, too. They don't exactly get along," she explains. "Natsu's bullying of Gray-sama aside, how's your head?"
"Actually, now that you mention it, it kind of hurts." I raise a hand to the back of my head and grimace when the pressure of my thumb creates a stabbing sensation. "A lot. What happened last night? The last thing I remember is..." I trail off as I remember it all over again. "Oh my God." I drop my head to my hands in embarrassment.
Lucy Heartfilia: alcohol virgin, perhaps, but kiss virgin no longer.
Juvia giggles, well aware of what I'm blushing over. "Levy and Juvia were just talking about it." I feel my spirits drop further. "Anyway, after that," she smiles wickedly, "you hit your head again and passed out for the night; you really had us worried, Lucy. And Gajeel couldn't fix Pantherlily so he, Natsu and Erza helped us push it here and by then it was around two in the morning, so we all just stayed over. This is Natsu's place, actually."
"Huh," I murmur, glancing again at my brother. "I can't believe I gave my first kiss to..." Natsu squirms violently as a Gray yelling something about 'stolen innocence' holds him in a chokehold. "To, uh... that."
"Perhaps Juvia should call Erza," Juvia speculates, eyeing them. "Poor Gray-sama – he's so kind to put up with Natsu's harassment."
I can't quite wrap my head around her logic. "I wouldn't really call that 'putting up with', Juvia." She just hmms and dodges Gray's shirt as it flies over her head. "Who's Erza, by the way? I kind of remember Gajeel, but-" I pause as I realise Juvia's not listening; her large ultramarine eyes are locked to my twin's naked torso. I cringe – Lord knows what she sees in him. In a louder voice, I repeat, "Who's Erza?"
As soon as the name leaves my lips, a confident female voice from behind me answers, "I am." I turn, as do the other three – Gray and Natsu frozen in their places – to see a curvaceous girl about my age with striking scarlet hair and eyes so brown they almost look a purplish grey striding towards me. She's dressed in a short white skirt and a matching high collared top.
She holds out a hand to me, a welcoming smile on her lips. "My name is Erza Scarlet. I'm eighteen years old, and I live across the hall. I helped push you here. Well, your truck here. Well, J-Jellal's truck here." She pretends she didn't stammer on his name.
"Uh..." I take her hand hesitantly; her grip is firm and warm. I grin back uneasily and her smile widens. "Lucy Heartfilia, sixteen. I live... across... uh, from my neighbour?"
Despite my anything-but-stellar introduction, she smiles. "Pleasure. Is there anything you need?"
"I, um..." I scratch the back of my head out of habit and wince when it worsens the ache. Erza catches my grimace and her smile immediately drops, her face morphing into an expression so guilty I'm taken aback.
"Your head! Of course! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" She brings her other hand to mine and clasps it in despair. "Had I arrived earlier, you wouldn't have sustained such severe injuries. I've completely let you down, I know I have - please, hit me! I'll never let it happen again!" I stare at her, open-mouthed, as she continues in her completely unnecessary heartfelt apology. "And I apologise on behalf of Natsu, he's just an idi- Oi, you!" Her gaze slides to the pink-haired boy (who still isn't wearing a shirt – I mean, not that I noticed! He just... He isn't...); she drops my hand and starts stomping towards him. "Apologise to Lucy!"
"Aye!" I watch, dumbfounded, as Natsu rushes forward and salutes. "Lucy, I apologise!"
"Introduce yourself!"
I take a moment to take in my surroundings as Erza disappears into a third door leading from his room which I can only assume to be his wardrobe; this bedroom has rich maroon walls, and all the furniture is made of a warm-coloured wood save the cream leather spinning chair tucked into a desk. It's surprisingly stylish – minimalistic, but homey at the same time.
"This is my room," Natsu informs me in an amused voice, catching me sizing up his bedroom. "Natsu Dragneel. Seventeen. Kidnapper extraordinaire."
I can't help but giggle at his smirk. "Nice to meet you."
I glance around again. No posters, no pictures, no overpriced guitars or piles of books – it's a nice room, but it's not very... I mean, I'd have guessed someone like Natsu would have a different room to this, that's all. It's just- Come on, what teenage boy doesn't have suggestive cut-outs pinned over his bed? Or is that just Gray being a creeper?
And seriously, what seventeen year old is that toned? I mean, not that I'm complaining or anything - and not that I'm looking - but he must work out a lot. I know Gray trains for three hours a day minimum, and he and Natsu have the same lean, muscular build.
Natsu's charcoal gaze catches mine and he beams a genuine smile. "I'm not gonna eat you, by the way," he teases.
I laugh awkwardly. "Yeah, thanks for the newsflash."
"Thought I'd let you know."
"I appreciate that."
Our introduction is cut short by Erza, who reappears suddenly and shoves a bundle of clothes into his arms. "Get dressed. Breakfast in ten minutes."
"Aye!" he shoots back, grasping the clothes and walking past me to the bathroom. As he passes me, he throws me another wide grin. "Welcome to Fairy Tail."
"I- um- thank you?" He closes the door behind him, leaving me in confusion. I turn my gaze back to Gray, who's still sitting on the ground, shirtless, while Juvia fusses over him. He glances up and catches my eye.
"You okay?" he asks me.
"Definitely." I smile at him. "Some painkillers and I'll be good as new."
He nods. "Cool." He takes the shirt Juvia is brandishing towards him and struggles to put it on as quickly as possible. I shake my head at him; hopeless boy.
"Lucy, come with me," Erza exclaims suddenly, grabbing me by the wrist and leading me out of the room. I follow without resistance, taking note of my unfamiliar surroundings; it looks like we're in an apartment of some sort.
She leads me through a hallway and straight into a joint living room and kitchen. The back wall of the living room is dominated by a glass door that bathes the beige walls with sunlight and illuminates the whole room. Outside, I can see a small terrace, just big enough for two deck chairs and a tiny coffee table.
Two familiar heads of blue are visible over the back of a cream sofa, a muted TV sitting in the background as they talk quietly to each other. They glance up as they hear us come in; Erza goes straight for the kitchen as I make a beeline for my friends.
"Jellal, Levy," I laugh in relief. "So everyone's here, that's good."
Both their faces split into wide grins at the sight of me.
"Lu-chan!" Levy leaps up, offering me her seat as she perches on the armrest of the couch. "It's already twelve thirty; I thought you'd never wake up!"
"Wait, seriously?" I look around worriedly for a clock as I sit down beside Jellal. "Why didn't you guys wake me? This isn't even my house!"
She giggles. "We tried to but Erza wouldn't have it. She insisted you needed to heal."
I sigh, shaking my head. "I'm fine, really. She shouldn't make such a fuss."
As if on cue, Erza places a glass of water and two pills on the glass coffee table in front of me. She kneels on the floor and hands me a plate of sliced apples. Smiling sweetly, she tucks a strand of scarlet hair behind her ear. "You must be hungry."
"Really, Erza," I mutter, flustered, "you're too kind! I can take care of myself, you don't need to-"
"Nonsense," she shakes her head. "You're a guest here. Besides, it was partially my fault you were injured so it's my responsibility to ensure your recovery. Anyway," she adds on as I open my mouth to argue, "I've been waiting for you to wake up." She glances down at the plate on my lap. "So eat."
Giving in, I pick up a piece of apple and smile at her sincerely. "Thank you."
"Yeah, thank you, Erza, really," Levy pipes up. "Gajeel said last night it was you who made him come help us. I'm not sure what we would have done without you."
"Probably just called someone else," Jellal finally enters the conversation. When Levy turns to glare lightly at her older brother, he backtracks, "But thanks anyway. Thought that counts."
I frown in confusion – someone's being negative – as I chew on the sweet fruit. "You okay, Jellal?"
He smiles at me, his hazel eyes bright. "Of course. Why wouldn't I be?"
I shrug noncommittally and go back to eating. "Nevermind."
Levy's expression clears and she turns back to me as I watch Erza twist her hands in her lap distractedly. "Lu-chan, do you want me to explain what happened? You must be confused."
I tear my gaze from the scarlet-haired girl and give my friend a relieved smile. "Yes, please."
"Sure," she says happily – too happily. Uh oh... "Okay, so you bumped your head after you kissed Natsu-" I hear Jellal chuckle quietly from behind me as Erza ducks her head to hide her smile "-not that it meant anything, we know!" Levy adds on. She's also smirking, though.
I scowl in humiliation at the plate in my lap. "Blame the concussion, please," I mumble dejectedly.
"We know," Jellal says knowingly from beside me, "but that doesn't make it any less funny. That was your first kiss, right?"
I groan as Erza gasps. "Really? You gave Natsu your first kiss?" I drop my head to my palms as a way of admission, and she lets out a low whistle. "You poor girl."
Levy, however, laughs. "Look on the bright side, Lu-chan! At least Gray can't tease you about it anymore!"
"Nah, I'm sure he won't ever bring it up again, considering it was his archenemy that you kissed," Jellal adds in helpfully. "What a lovely little sister." The three of them laugh at my expense and I feel myself blush in mortification. I keep my hands to my face to hide it.
"Shut up, you guys," I mumble into my palms.
"Make me, princess," Levy giggles in a deep-voiced imitation of Natsu.
"I will," Jellal joins in, pretending to be me. Erza snickers at the high-pitched voice he puts on. I notice Erza's talking normally now instead of the formal tone she had earlier – she was probably just nervous, and I can't help but find that endearing. But I'd like her even more if she'd stop laughing at me.
"Why am I friends with you people?" I whine. "You're all so mean!"
"Now you're even starting to sound like Natsu," Erza says thoughtfully. "He's always calling me and Gajeel mean."
"Wow, thanks, Erza. Just what I needed to hear," I grumble morosely. "You guys are awful."
"Aw, it's not so bad, Lu-chan!" Levy pats me on the back, half-comforting, half-mocking. "Nobody's first kiss is ever perfect. Take Gray for example! His wasn't anything special."
"Mine's as far away from perfect as I think it gets, Levy," I sigh, looking up again. I place the plate on the glass coffee table and pick up the cup and pills. "At least Gray doesn't have to face her again."
Levy sighs. "If it means anything, I'd rather have your first kiss than mine."
Jellal splutters, "Y-you've kissed someone!?"
I smirk at his overreaction. "What, so the big brother's not so teasing when it's his sister, is he?"
"Who? When?" he demands to know, ignoring me completely. "Who!? Why didn't you tell me? You're only sixteen, you're too young!"
Levy snorts. "You're not even a whole year older than me."
"Eleven months is pretty much a year, Levy. More importantly, who did you kiss? Who was it!? Did you two know about this?"
The scarlet-haired teen jumps as Jellal rounds on her unexpectedly. "Why on earth would I know about it?"
A flustered Jellal just stammers some more. "I-I... I'll kill him," he declares to no-one in particular, nodding at some plan formulating in his mind.
Levy watches him, amused, as he works himself into a panic. "I was seven, Jellal. No need to go all crazy. It was Jet, actually; he and Droy were arguing about who cared more about me-" I snort; nothing's changed, then "-and Jet stole the book I was reading to prove his point. I asked for it back and he said only if I kissed him." She giggles at the memory. "Me being the little prostitute I was, agreed. Then Droy got jealous and kissed me straight after." She laughs, shaking her head. "So typical."
"That shouldn't count – you weren't even a decade old and I'm nearly two," I grumble. "Erza, comfort me. How was your first kiss?"
"Wh-what? Me?" Unprepared for the question, she squirms uncomfortably before changing her position so she's sitting cross-legged instead of on her knees. I take the pills as she wrings her hands again and looks anywhere but at us, ignoring the three curious gazes on her. "I-I don't really remember."
Levy scoffs sceptically. "Really?"
Erza shrugs; she looks distracted again, like she's thinking something over. "Jellal, how was your first kiss?" She looks up and pierces him with an unreadable expression. Both Levy and I look over to the blue-haired boy, who shrugs good-naturedly, not seeming to mind the question.
"I don't know if I've had it."
Levy answers immediately. "You have, I walked in on it."
"Really?" Jellal asks curiously, leaning forward. "When? No, wait, who?"
Erza gives Jellal a weird look, an indecipherable emotion in dark eyes. "How can you not know?"
Jellal shrugs again, glancing at the red-head. "I might have forgotten."
She cocks an eyebrow in disbelief. "You're kidding, right?"
"I have gaps in my memory," he explains. Erza manages to look both dubious and interested at the same time. "I got in an accident when I was younger, was in the hospital for a while. Got a nasty scar too, that's why I have this-" he lightly brushes the reddish tattoo bordering his right eye with his fingers "-it's to cover it up. Anyway, they gave me some weird drugs by accident." He grins crookedly. "Screwed up my brain."
"He's exaggerating," Levy rolls her eyes. Erza's dark eyes flash to her hazel ones. "He just forgot about most of his time in the hospital, and a couple months prior to the accident. And it's coming back too, you know," she continues, tucking a stray strand of her messy blue hair behind her ear. "He remembers the fire and everything now. Right?"
He nods when Levy throws him a questioning glance. "Everything but the stay in the hospital itself, actually."
"Yeah, I've always wondered why that is," Levy ponders.
I glance at Jellal. "Maybe it's because you have like, triggers here, you know? Your family and me and Gray and everyone to remind you. The only reminder of your time in the hospital is Grandine, really, and she was hardly around when you were in there, anyway. I doubt that's enough to overcome the amnesia."
"Yeah," he agrees, eyes narrowed in concentration as he struggles to remember. "She was... quitting, right?"
"We've told you a million times," Levy teases. "If you don't remember by now-"
"Hey, it'll come back eventually," Jellal defends himself. "Patience, Levy. Patience."
"Don't you mean 'my young padawan'?" she scoffs at his tone.
He rolls his eyes at his younger sister. "Dork."
"I'm not a dork!"
As the siblings argue, I turn back to the scarlet-haired teen, but when I glance at her, I freeze. Erza's gazing at the carpet, looking lost in thought as she wrings her hands in her lap almost viciously. Her expression is forlorn.
"Um, Erza?" I prod gently. Jellal and Levy don't notice, still caught up in their light-hearted bickering. "Are... you okay?"
She glances up at the sound of her name, her hair falling over her face as she does. There are tears in her eyes. She blinks rapidly before I can do anything, and within two seconds she's smiling at me again, a perfect mask of composure on her face. "Of course," she assures me.
I falter for a moment; the smile doesn't reach her eyes.
She keeps her gaze locked with mine, daring me to look away, to pretend like I don't notice.
"Erza," I start in a quiet voice, but I cut off as she suddenly stands up; Jellal and Levy pause in their conversation to look at her curiously.
She frowns lightly. "I'm going to see what's taking Natsu so long."
Levy gives her an open smile. "Okay." Erza doesn't return it, quickly walking past the couch and out the room.
As soon as she's gone, Jellal leans close to me and whispers in my ear, "When she first saw me, she had a panic attack. I was ignored for the rest of the night."
"What?" I turn to stare at him; his easygoing expression is replaced by a suspicious one, his hazel eyes narrowed.
Levy nods, very suddenly looking anxious as she checks behind her shoulder to see if anyone's listening. "I don't know why, when we asked she just laughed it off. Lu-chan, I think... Maybe she knows Jellal?"
I shake my head in confusion. "I don't have a clue."
Jellal catches my eye. "We should be wary of her."
Both Levy and I blink at him; I laugh uneasily when he doesn't say anything. "Are you kidding? It can't be anything bad, just... Maybe she was just having a bad night, or maybe you look like someone she knows, I don't know."
Levy nods, agreeing with me. "She's a good person, Jellal. There's no need to be so paranoid."
He just frowns, looking down at his hands. His cobalt hair falls across his forehead and over his eyes. "I know she's hiding something."
I sigh. "You don't trust anyone."
"My gut's telling me she's suspicious. You admitted it yourself, Lucy – there's something going on with that girl."
"No, I'm just saying that she might be struggling with something right now. It's not our business, Jellal. It might not even have anything to do with you!"
His frown deepens, doubt written clearly across his face. "I'm telling you, that Erza's hiding something – something important."
I laugh uneasily. In the pits of my stomach, I can't help but feel that he's right.



('The day a reckless pink-haired idiot gives Lucy a concussion is the day her life changes forever; before she knows it, she's thrust into a world full of charismatic friends and villains alike. Welcome to the cosy insanity of Fairy Tail, home of outsiders. And you know what? For the first time in her life, Lucy feels like she actually belongs, misfit and all.')

www.fanfiction.net/s/9464601/5/Fairies-Misfits-Little-Brats