Hear me

7

Natsumi inhaled the scent of her hometown, glad to finally be off that godforsaken train. Normally she'd have walked back, since Hargeon was so close to Magnolia, however, she was too excited to be home. After a week away from her family, she wanted to see Lucy and Erza and even that damned stripper.

It also helped that she felt lighter than she had. Being away helped ease the unfamiliar anxiety she carried about Laxus, and though she'd been haunted by the memory of him both while sleeping and while conscious, she couldn't avoid the problem forever. It wasn't in her nature to stand idly by while the world spun on around her.

She'd come to a decision: she was still loathe to talk to Laxus, and she didn't intend to until he came to his senses, but she wouldn't avoid her family for his sake. They were more important than her desire to be away from him, and their support was far greater than her problems.

Happy fluttered around her, tucking on her scarf in the direction of the guild. Smiling, she followed the airborne feline through the flower-lined streets, taking in the storefronts and the passersby that she'd missed while away.

"It's good to be back," she sighed out, bringing her hands behind her head as she ambled along the road.

"I hope Carla missed me as much as I missed her," Happy purred out. He let go of Natsumi's scarf so he could spin around in circles, his mind wandering to Wendy's Exceed companion. Natsumi laughed, hoping for his sake that Carla decided to finally acknowledge him.

"Let's hope so, buddy," she said, knowing that the white cat was just going to turn up her nose at Happy's next fish offering regardless. She hoped Happy would bounce back as quickly as he usually did, as it seemed like he was as unlucky in love as she was.

Natsumi stopped in her tracks, eyes widening at the direction her thoughts had turned.

In love?

She slapped both hands to her cheeks to scramble those forbidden thoughts. She was talking crazy. Well, thinking crazy, at least. Natsumi couldn't possibly be in love with that idiot, and it was so stupid that she felt angry for letting her brain slip up like that.

She was past this. It wasn't worth the energy of thinking about, since she couldn't accept someone that didn't respect her enough to see her for who she was, and not some worthless doll. Natsumi could never allow herself to love someone that thought that was okay.

With that single errant thought, her mood plummeted. As she grew closer to the guild, Happy noticed her souring demeanor and stopped his love-struck babbling.

Angry at her shattered resolve, Natsumi pushed onward, trying to swallow the sinking feeling in her gut. Laxus would be at the guild, waiting for her. Would he try to talk to her? Her fist clenched at the thought. Like hell she'd just let that fucker try to butter her up again with fake platitudes.

"Are you okay?" Happy flew to Natsumi, eclipsing her vision with his closeness.

Natsumi tried to smile, but it came out as a grimace. Reaching forward, she wrapped her arms around the Exceed in a fierce hug.

"I'm not sure, but I'm trying to be," she said into the hug. "But I won't know until we go back."

Pulling away, Happy smiled up at his best friend. "Don't worry! I'll be with you the whole time! And so will Lucy."

Natsumi's smile was successful this time. "Thanks, buddy."

Pushing down the panicky feeling that made her hands shake, she released her hold on the cat and resumed her journey to the guild hall with renewed purpose. Her determination stayed with her as she pushed open the heavy wooden doors of the guild hall. Heads turned at the commotion, shocked by the way Natsumi entered the guild as if prepared to face an army of attackers. The girl's eyes darted back and forth as she advanced, making no greetings.