Stronger Than You Think (Fairytail)

Back To Me

Lucy blinked questioningly when someone unexpected waltzed into her room.

Lisanna stood there, seemingly uncomfortable. She nervously shifted from foot to foot, a vase of daffodils in her right hand. Lucy couldn't quite comprehend the fact that Lisanna had walked into Lucy's room, of her own accord. 

"Lisanna?" Lucy question hoarsely, her voice scratchy and dry. She coughed, not at all liking the unpleasant cracking of her voice. Lisanna gulped and set the pink vase down on the bedside table, which was covered with different flowers and gifts from other guilds.

"Is everything okay...?" Lucy asked, starting to really question Lisanna's presence. Didn't the youngest Strauss hate her...?

"Look...Lucy. I came to apologize for the way I've been acting towards you..." Lucy stared, dumbfounded, as Lisanna sat on the edge of her bed, with her hands folded. Lucy honestly had no intelligent way to respond. 

"I was jealous...and I loved, and still love Natsu. But...he obviously loves you..." She spat, a bitter laugh bubbling from her throat.

Lucy just watched her, not sure how to reply. Lisanna took a deep breath, calming herself down. She hastily tucked a stray silver strand of hair behind her ear.

"The point is...I was being petty, by taking it all out on you. I may not be friends with you...but I don't want to fight for Natsu...."

"I don't even like Natsu that way! I promise I'm not intentionally trying to steal him from you!" Lucy sighed, tired of people thinking she liked Natsu that way. How could they ever think they would be an item...it was too late for that...

Lisanna rolled her eyes with a smirk tugging at her lips. She had noticed things. Since she had 'hated'  Lucy, she had found herself staring at her a lot, with what Lisanna could only describe as an envy-filled glare.

"I know you don't like Natsu...I realized that after seeing you with Laxus..." Lisanna said, giggling. Lisanna did admit, that was the main reason she had come to make amends. She had realized after Lucy had almost died, that Lucy was in love with Laxus. Just in the way she had clung to him the whole night after her almost-fatal hit. It was also a bunch of little things...things most people overlooked. Lisanna felt blind that she hadn't noticed it sooner. Just why had she been hating on an innocent girl, who only showed kindness towards her?

"H-Hey! What are you implying?" Lucy demanded, her face heating up. She did NOT appreciate being accused, this early in the morning! Couldn't this wait until after she had her coffee?

"Oh, nothing...just that you have a crush on Laxus Dreyar!" Lisanna shouted, knowing Mira was waiting outside the door, waiting for her. Mira had wanted to come in, but Lisanna had begged her to let her do this alone. She had to at least apologize...

"I do not! We're just friends...." Lucy argued, ready to hit the cheeky Lisanna.

 Lucy puffed out her cheeks, not at all impressed. Why did everyone think something was going on...oh yeah, wait it's because there was...she laughed mentally at herself. Everyone already knew Laxus was interested in her...he had said so himself...but, Lucy knew, she would be the deciding factor. As a lot of her friends had told her, it was a decision between Natsu and Laxus. Oh and Sting, now that she thought about it. She wasn't as dense as people portrayed her...she was just always denying that people had feelings for her. She was no Erza, Mira, or even Juvia. She wasn't someone you immediately got intrigued with...she was a normal girl, sometimes seen as the most boring out of her friends. So, it was hard to adjust to having so many admirers. Somewhere inside, Lucy knew it was because of her new personality. She had always known her old-self was a bit whiny and boring. She just hoped people liked who she was now...

"If you say so...well, I have to go now...there are a lot of people who want to see you," Lisanna said with a half-wave. 

"W-Wait! Do...do you know where Laxus is...?" Lucy asked timidly, actually frightened when a sickly sweet grin spread across Lisanna's face. Lisanna felt really smug. She could just tell Lucy had feelings for the lightning dragon slayer.

"He's with the others...it's the last event of the GMG. We had to combine both our teams. Too bad you couldn't be on it...you would've destroyed everyone..." Lisanna said with a slight pout. 

"Who's on the team...?" Lucy asked, curious.

"Gray, Juvia, Laxus, Gajeel, Erza, and Natsu." 

Lucy sat quietly, watching Lisanna wish her goodbye, before exiting. She didn't know if she was sad because she couldn't participate, or because Laxus would be busy all day.

People came and went, but Lucy was out of it. She...she had to get out of this stuffy room. She loved her friends, she really did, but being stuck in a banal room all day got tiring. She got to her feet, pulling on a hoodie, and a pair of sweats. She was going out...she didn't even care that she looked like she just rolled out of bed...because she kind of just did. She absentmindedly remembered Laxus would be angry if she left. But she dismissed the thought. Why did she care? Sure, she was still sore, and if she put too much pressure on certain places, she'd wince, but what was the benefit of sitting in that rock-hard bed all day? 

Lucy walked towards a cafe a few blocks outside the arena, her mind set on getting a milkshake. Even she didn't understand her weird obsession with them. It was similar to Erza, and her god damn strawberry cake.

Lucy made it to the adorable cafe, admiring the yellow and pink ruffled drapes. She always liked the decorations of the small shop. She used to come every time she passed through on one of her missions with Jellal...but that was a long time ago.

'Too long...' She thought to herself. She settled herself at a table, absent-mindedly sipping on the vanilla milkshake she ordered. It was in a shimmery, pale pink opaque glass, with lots of fluffy whipped cream. Lucy had also asked for one of those swirly straws that looped in crazy curves...what could she say? She was a kid at heart. Probably because she had to grow up so fast.

Lucy's mind wandered, and she started thinking about yesterday's incidents. She had escaped death...and had partially accepted who she was...? She wasn't all that sure if accepting herself changed anything. She still felt the same...no different from the day before. She didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing. 

There was ONE thing that had changed, though. Lucy felt stronger....not physically, but emotionally. Emotions were one of her biggest weaknesses...she just never could accomplish being stoic or wiping all traces of human feelings off her face. So, being emotionally stronger was a feeling she relished. She felt like she could take on anything...

'Like, I could do anything...'

Lucy swallowed thickly. She...she would do it tonight. She would tell him.