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"Why am I here again?" asked one blonde.
"Because Erza would have my ass if Fairy Tail loses the College Cup over some extra-curriculars, Blondie," said the other blond.
"Honestly, Laxus, you have to stop calling me that," the one nicknamed Blondie huffed. "It'll get confusing."
"Whatever, Lucy," Laxus gruffed, turning away from her.
"Oh, so you do know my name," Lucy gasped, dramatically pressing a hand to her mouth. "I was convinced you had forgotten it."
"Honestly, you two, stop flirting," came a voice from another blond man. "The meeting is about to start."
"F-flirting?! We're not flirting!" Lucy stammered, shaking a fist at the new voice.
"Flirting, foreplay, tomato, to-mah-to, whatever guys, just take your seats," the other blond man flippantly replied, making his way to the front of the classroom. Lucy sputtered, rooted to the ground, face as red as said tomato.
"Come on, Bl-Lucy," Laxus sighed, grabbing her wrist and dragging her to a couple of seats at the back of the classroom.
"The nerve..." Lucy grumbled, plopping down into the seat beside Laxus. "Who's bright idea was it to start this club anyway?"
"Who else?" Laxus sarcastically asked, jerking his head to the front of the class before hunching down in his seat.
"Hello, everyone, I'm glad you could make it," the voice at the front of the room projected. "My name is Sting Eucliffe, and I am pleased to preside over the first meeting of The Blond(e) Club!" With a flourish, Sting pulled on a rope revealing the new club's banner.
"Good grief," Lucy griped, dragging a hand down her face. "How in the world did Sting get this approved?"
Wordlessly, Laxus gestured vaguely to the right side of the room. Lucy followed the direction of his hand to find Mavis, their college's founder, sitting in the front row, beaming at the new club's president. Every club at the Fiore Post-Secondary Institute required a faculty member to supervise its activities and, with Mavis' easy-going disposition, and the fact that she was also blonde, meant getting approval for the club a breeze.
"I'm pretty sure Mavis is willing to do anything to increase the chances of Fairy Tail winning the College Cup this year. Heck, if I didn't want to rub it in Sabertooth's face when we win, I wouldn't be wasting my time with you lot." Laxus spat, resting his face against his palm.
"Of course, we lowly peasants aren't worthy of your presence, oh Great Laxus." Lucy sneered, turning her attention back to the front of the room.
"Right, so if anyone has any questions, I'll be happy to answer them." Sting's voice filtered back through their conversation.
Before Lucy could help it, her hand was in the air. "What exactly do we do in this club?"
"We bond over our shared experiences of being blond, of course."
"What is there to bond over?"
"Many things, my dear Lucy. For example, how do we keep our beautiful blond hair from turning brassy?"
"Uh, purple shampoo?"
"See, I didn't even know that existed. Through this club, we shall strive to maintain the vibrance of our beautiful blond hair!" Sting finished with gusto, pumping a fist in the air.
"Um, should somebody stop him?"
"Good luck trying, Blondie."
"Right, now onto some administrative matters. The first rule of The Blond(e) Club is-"
"We do not talk about Blond(e) Club?"
"No, Laxus, that's Fight Club. If you want to join The Fight Club, talk to Natsu. As I was saying, the first rule of The Blond(e) Club is that, for your participation in this club to count for College Points towards the College Cup, you must remain a member for the entire duration of the year. That said, in order to be recognized as an active member, you must attend all meetings and events unless you have extenuating circumstances that must first be pre-approved by myself or Mrs. Dragneel, who is acting as our Faculty Supervisor. The second rule of The Blond(e) Club is-"
"We DO NOT talk about Blond(e) Club."
"Honestly, Laxus, you're not even in The Fight Club. How do you know the first two rules of The Fight Club? No, the second rule of The Blond(e) Club is that all members must be natural blonds. That means no hair dye nor wigs are permitted, Loke! I see you. What are you doing here anyway?"
"I am Lucy's knight in shining armour. I am never too far away."
"You're not even blond!"
"I am so, you see this?" Loke disputed, grabbing a fistful of his hair. "This is strawberry blond."
"Yeah, no, only natural blonds in The Blond(e) Club, otherwise we cross into some gray area with The Ginger Club, and I don't want to deal with Ichiya. Laxus, why don't you make yourself useful and escort your college-mate out?"
Laxus grunted his acquiescence and made his way over to the orange-haired man.
"Noooo, Lucy ~~~ Nobody can get in-between our love."
"Tsch, you're like a cat in heat."
"That's lion to you, you live wire!"
"I don't even consider that an insult. It's time for you to shoo, cat." Laxus heaved the shorter man over his shoulder and made his way to the door.
"Lucy, my love, I'll call you ~~" Loke bid, throwing kisses toward Lucy as the two men left the room.
"Speaking of, what are you doing here, Master Makarov? You're not blond either."
"Boy, I'll have you know I had the most luscious blond hair in my youth! Where do you think Laxus gets it from?"
"Right... Anyway, as I was saying, the third rule of The Blond(e) Club is..."
"If someone yells stop, goes limp, or taps out, the fight is over."
"Lucy, what the hell? You're not in The Fight Club either!"
Meanwhile, in the hall outside of The Blond(e) Club
"Honestly, man, she doesn't even like you like that." Laxus reasoned.
"How would you know, you loveless fool. Lucy and I share a love that people would write about in books, or at least have its own dedicated arc in a manga or something; I'm not picky." Loke shrugged. "Now put me down, Laxus, a knight must carry himself with dignity. "
"Whatever, tomcat, I'm out." Laxus brushed himself off and stormed out of the building.
Some time later, back at The Blond(e) Club
"So that concludes the first meeting of The Blond(e) Club. Our next meeting will be next week at the same time back in this room. If everyone could pick up these intake forms on their way out and have them filled in for the next meeting, that'd be great. Have a great night, everyone, and see you next week!"
Lucy yawned as she stretched out of her seat. Making her way to Sting, he passed her an extra form.
"Here, Lucy, could you pass this to Laxus, please?"
She nodded, and they exchanged goodnights. Lucy bid the rest of the members farewell and then made her way out of the building. It was late, but the campus was still busy with people attending late-night classes.
I wonder where Laxus would be at this hour, Lucy thought. He could be in the engineering building, or maybe he's back at Fairy Tail College. Hopefully, he hasn't gone home yet, I don't know where he lives, and I probably won't see him until next week.
Suddenly an idea came to her, and she took out her phone.
Leo ♌
Me: hey loke u alright?
Leo ♌: of course princess 💕💕💕
Leo ♌: im not afraid of some overgrown spark plug 😤😤😤
Me: right... 🙄
Me: speaking of did u see what direction he took off in?
Me: i have a form to give him for the club
Leo ♌: i think i saw him meander towards the engineering building but i dont know if hes still there
Leo ♌: do u want me to come with u?
Leo ♌: its late and a lady like yourself shouldnt be out alone at this hour
Me: no thats alright loke
Me: thanks but im already omw
Leo ♌: if u insist...
Leo ♌: u know its no trouble ...
Me: how about i call u after im done?
Leo ♌: alright its a date 😘😍🥰
Leo ♌: be safe my love 💗💗💗
Me: will do 😊 ttyl
Leo ♌: i shall wait with bated breath 💋💋💋
Locking her phone, Lucy jogged the rest of the way to the building. It was a modern-looking structure with glass windows all along two sides and dark gray slate walls on the others. Pushing the heavy glass and steel doors, she hurried inside.
Being a first-year astronomy major, she had yet to find a reason to step into this building, but thankfully there was a directory immediately to the right of the elevators that sat directly across from the doors she just came through. At this hour, the spotlights around the area were dimmed, so Lucy had to squint slightly to make out what it said.
Each department at the institute had its own cafeteria, each offering different types of cuisines. It was probably closed by now, though students liked to sit around at the tables to catch up on schoolwork. There was also a mess area in the other direction of the cafeteria with tables and chairs where students could sit around for group work. As they were both located on the first floor, Lucy decided to check both out before making her way to the fourth floor that contained lab spaces for electrical engineering.
Perhaps Laxus decided to stop by his locker there before heading home, she thought.
Decided, Lucy quickly walked toward the direction of the cafeteria. While there were still some students lingering about, the dark modern interior of the building, coupled with the dim lighting, gave the room an eerie chill. She didn't linger and set off for the mess area.
Having no luck there either, Lucy soldiered on to the staircase. Blinking rapidly at the sudden influx of light, she silently cursed herself for choosing to take the stairs to the fourth floor. Once at her destination, Lucy heavily slumped against the door, using her body weight to push it open. She stumbled slightly, panting with laborious breaths before she cast a gaze around.
Along one wall were various offices for faculty members. Directly across from that were glass walls that spanned all floors, giving a view of the mess area below. Surrounding these walls were hallways leading to labs. Turning toward the direction of these labs, Lucy cautiously opened the double doors dividing the two areas. No lights were lit save the emergency ones, so she was thankful the halls were partially lit by the moonlight that shone through the glass walls. The sound of her footsteps against the linoleum floor was the only thing that broke the silence as she made her way around a darkened corner.
Suddenly, there was a thunderous sound of a door slamming shut. Its abruptness startled Lucy, causing her to drop the phone she had clenched against her chest.
"Eeep!" She cried, squeezing her eyes closed.
"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" A low gravelly voice sang. "It doesn't look like you belong here, girlie."
At that, Lucy opened her eyes to see a tall, tanned man with scruffy black hair and multiple piercings standing before her.
"What's got you looking so scared, girlie? Your eyes are as wide as a bunny about to be hunted." The man taunted, encroaching further into Lucy's space. "I won't hurt you, little bunny. This big bad wolf only wants to talk, gihihihi."
Practically in her face, Lucy could smell the scent of cigarettes on his breath.
"What the hell do you think you're doing, Gajeel?" Shouted a voice further down the hall. The two snapped their heads to face the new voice.
"Aww, I'm just having some fun, Laxus." The one named Gajeel whined, slinging an arm around Lucy. "Me and bunny girl here were just getting acquainted."
"Get your filthy hands off her, you rust bucket." Laxus sneered, roughly shoving the other man. "And her name is Lucy, not bunny girl."
"Tch, whatever, you're no fun." Gajeel pouted, straightening his clothes. "Catch ya later, bunny girl, gihihihi." With a lazy wave, Gajeel continued on his way.
"Are you alright, Lucy?" Laxus asked after Gajeel had sauntered out of view. "Did he hurt you?" He continued, placing his hands on her shoulders and perusing her for any injuries.
"N-No," she stammered, eyes rapidly moving around until they caught Laxus'. "Just spooked me, that's all. Thank you, Laxus."
"It's nothing," he waved off before meeting her stare. "Let me get my bag, and I'll walk you back to the college."
As Laxus went to retrieve the bag he had dropped at the end of the hall, Lucy bent over and picked up the phone she had dropped. Sending a quick thanks to the stars above, it appeared her phone had survived the fall unscathed.
"What are you doing here anyway, Lucy?" Laxus inquired, breaking Lucy out of the intense perusal of her phone.
"Huh, oh, you left the meeting early, so you didn't get a chance to pick up one of these intake forms." Lucy rummaged around her bag before handing one to him. "Sting says he wants to have it back filled-in by next week's meeting."
"Uh, thanks," Laxus raised a brow at the proffered paper and shoved it in his bag. "Right, let's get out of here; it's getting late."
Lucy nodded and dutifully followed the larger man as they made their way to the elevators. An awkward silence descended on the pair as they waited for their lift. The ding of its arrival broke the tension as the two entered.
Inside, Lucy tried hard not to fidget as she could feel Laxus' intense gaze on the side of her face. Clenching her backpack straps in her hands, she focused on the illuminated numbers instead. Once they had finally reached the first floor, Lucy forced herself not to immediately sprint out the doors. A sudden gentle weight on the small of her back just below her backpack caused her to tense momentarily before she realized the hand belonged to Laxus.
There were 6 main colleges at Fiore: Fairy Tail, Sabertooth, Lamia Scale, Blue Pegasus, Mermaid Heel, and Quatro Cerberus, that were located along the outskirts of campus. While the distance was walkable, many often chose to drive or take public transit to get to and from the institute. Knowing Laxus' proclivity for motion-sickness while in moving vehicles, Lucy braced herself for a walk in the brisk chill of the night. It was just the start of the fall semester, and so the days carried the remnants of the summer heat while the nights foretold the beginning of fall. Wishing she had brought a cardigan, Lucy attempted to subtly curve inward to preserve body heat.
"Here, take it," Laxus offered, holding his large fur-trimmed cloak in front of her.
"No, it's alright, I'm fine," Lucy declined, straining to keep her teeth from chattering.
"Just take it, Blondie. I can literally feel you shivering." Laxus scoffed, insistently pushing the cloak closer to her.
Having forgotten that his hand had been on her back, Lucy protested, "It'll be too big for me and end up dragging across the floor and getting dirty."
She watched as the deliberation played across his face. After some time, Laxus opted to don the coat. Having seemingly won the argument, Lucy turned her attention back to their journey.
At this hour, the streetlights cast a warm glow across the gently rippling riverside, causing light to dance across its surface. So entranced with the sight, Lucy jumped slightly when she felt a heavy arm drape across her right shoulder. Staring at the man in question, Laxus avoided her gaze and instead let out a hesitant, "Is this okay?"
Flushing, Lucy dropped her gaze to her left arm that was awkwardly squished in-between their bodies. Already, she could feel her right side warm under the cover of both his cloak and arm. Tentatively, she slipped her left arm so that it hung loosely across Laxus' waist, though it didn't quite reach all the way.
"Is this okay?" She parroted back, too shy to look at him.
Laxus emitted what Lucy assumed was an affirmative grunt before tucking her closer to his side. Resolutely looking anywhere but at him, Lucy smiled into his side, briefly squeezing his waist in return.
Having known him for about a year now, it wasn't often that Lucy got to witness this side of Laxus. They had first met when she was in her last year at Magnolia High while he was in his first year of his master's at Fiore. The pub they met in was a second home to many of the students of Fairy Tail College, where most had grown up there as children. Being a transfer in her senior year, Lucy had been subjected to an intense, but well-intentioned, scrutiny by some of the key members of the pub. While Laxus hadn't participated in the interrogation, she remembered he had given her an acknowledging nod in greeting when she mentioned her dream to pursue a fellow physics-heavy major. While their branches of physics differed, she enjoyed listening to him talk passionately about his research.
Surrounded by his scent of sandalwood and ozone, Lucy was lulled into a comforting warmth. She felt the events of the day catch up to her and let her body slump from its previous tension.
The sudden buzzing of her phone disrupted Lucy from her musings. Awkwardly, she freed her left arm and retrieved the phone from her pocket, trying not to jostle Laxus too much. On the screen, Lucy panicked to discover that she had missed several calls and texts. Hurriedly, she grabbed the phone in two hands and set about placating her friend.
"Everything alright?" Laxus asked, sensing Lucy's panic when she had roughly clutched her phone.
"Yeah, I think," Lucy answered distractedly, not taking her eyes off the screen. "I was supposed to call Loke once I got home, but he got antsy after an hour had passed, and I still hadn't called. I'm trying to convince him not to call campus security."
Laxus grunted in reply, hand squeezing Lucy's shoulder where it had been moved after being jostled. After a beat, he nonchalantly hedged the question that niggled at his mind.
"You guys dating or something?"
"What?" Lucy asked, finally taking her eyes off her phone to look at him in disbelief.
"You and the overgrown cat, you guys together?" Laxus reiterated, attempting to appear disinterested.
"No way, he's the Head of the Astronomy Department."
"You don't see that stopping him."
"What? Loke's always been a massive flirt. You know this, Laxus. You've known him longer than I have."
"Yeah, and I've known him long enough to know that he treats you different, Blondie; everyone sees it."
"He's just overprotective, but he means well."
"Whatever," Laxus dismissed, tearing his gaze from her.
"Where is this coming from, Laxus?" Lucy implored, searching his face.
"I just know he likes to play around. Don't come crying to me when he breaks your heart." He mocked.
"First off, don't use that tone with me. Second, who are you to tell me whom I can or can not date? You are not my keeper." Lucy huffed, using her finger to jab at the man's side.
Laxus sighed, still refusing to meet her stare. "I just don't want to see you hurt, Lucy."
Lucy smiled tenderly at that, replacing her arm at Laxus' waist. "I appreciate that, Laxus, but I promise you, nothing is going on between Loke and I."
"But he wants there to be."
"Damn it, Laxus, fine, I'll tell you, but no one is supposed to know." Lucy relented. "Long story short, is that back during the summer, when I was in that Secondary to Post-Secondary School Transition Camp, I overheard this upper-year student verbally harassing one of the department's professors. I saw Loke step in after things started to get physical, and he had to use force to stop that right bitch. Unfortunately, the bitch's father was some big wig donor, and he threatened to have Loke fired for raising a hand against his daughter. The Dean wanted to appease the father, so he was going to agree to his demands, but that bitch wasn't the only one with a rich daddy. I was able to pull some strings and get the surveillance footage of the incident and threatened to release it if the father didn't drop the charges. I'm not sure of the particulars after that; there was probably some money exchanged, but Loke was able to get away with a warning, and I haven't seen that bitch around."
"I see," Laxus said after a while, finally turning to her with a thoughtful look on his face. "I guess I'd be thankful too if some stranger saved me from being fired."
"Well, I did it because it was the right thing to do."
"And that's why you're the better one out of the both of us."
"Aw, don't sell yourself short, Laxus. You did just save me from that creep earlier." Lucy said, playfully nudging his side.
With that, the pair found themselves in front of Fairy Tail College. It was a large building made of limestone and wood, giving the structure a modern wood cabin appeal. There were three distinct wings: the main hall, the residence, and the infamous pub. While they were all connected, each had its own separate entrance and exit. The pair currently stood outside the doors to the residence wing.
"You don't have to walk me inside, Laxus. I'll be fine getting to my room." Lucy began, attempting to remove herself from the man's side only to be stopped by him, himself.
"Yeah, about that creep, apparently he's a part of Fairy Tail College. He just started the program for civil engineering. I haven't seen him around the pub, but I'm not taking any chances. I'll take you to your room." Laxus directed, a stern expression on his face leaving no room for debate.
"Alright," Lucy acquiesced, digging her lanyard with her key card out of her bag and opening the door.
Fortunately, being a first-year meant Lucy's room was on the first floor and a short walk from the entrance.
"Thanks for saving me earlier, Laxus," Lucy said once they reached her room.
"I told you, it was nothing."
"Maybe so, but you didn't have to walk me back."
"Also, not a problem; it was on my way."
"Even so, you didn't have to keep me warm," Lucy argued smugly.
"W-well, it wasn't like I was gonna let you freeze..." Laxus stammered, the beginnings of a blush visible under the light outside her door.
"Well, if you ever need me to keep you warm," Lucy said coyly, moving onto her tip-toes to get closer to his face. "Let me know," she finished, pressing a quick peck to his cheek. "Goodnight, Laxus, thanks again!"
Before Lucy could open the door and escape into her dorm, a hand shot out and grabbed her wrist. Too embarrassed to turn around, she felt Laxus press closer into her space so that his front was against her back.
"You call that a goodnight kiss, you tease," his voice growled in her ear, its vibrations tingling across her body.
Lucy was stunned, motionless as Laxus turned her to face him. Not giving her a chance to look away, he cradled her head in his hands.
"Let me show you a proper goodnight's kiss," he smirked, waiting for her response.
Lucy could only nod dumbfounded before his lips were on hers. Whatever she was expecting, she hadn't expected Laxus to be so gentle. Easing their lips softly together, it was as if he was letting her set the pace.
Once she started reciprocating, did he dare to get bolder. His tongue swiped across the seam of her lips, looking for access. When granted, his hands buried themselves in her hair and tilted their heads for a better angle.
Once her tongue danced with his, did he pull her closer. His hands left her hair, one snaking across her back to grip her shoulder, the other slithering around her waist. When his hands found purchase, he moulded their bodies together.
Once her hands burrowed into his hair, did he move his mouth down to her neck. His mouth leaving a trail of nips and bruises in its wake. When their mouths separated, they panted for breath.
"You liar," Lucy wheezed after she found her voice. "That wasn't a goodnight kiss. That was an I'm-staying-the-night kiss."
"Let me take you out on a date, and I'll show you an I'm-staying-the-night kiss," he chuckled into her nape.
Lucy could only nod dazedly before he moved off her and beamed.
"I'll call you ~~" Laxus teased, running a hand through her hair where he had mused it before pressing a parting kiss on her forehead.
Lucy flushed at the reference as she watched him walk off.
.
.
.
"Wait, he doesn't even have my number!"