Time Changes Everything

New Mission and New Beginnings

   "If you promise to stick with me through the entire mission this time and not ditch me last second, maybe I'll think about doing more with you, until then you need to prove to me you can handle one without storming off." Lucy reprimanded Cobra, watching as he slunk back from her predatory gaze. 

   "Jeez Bright Eyes, you damn sure know how to put someone in a bind. Can't go on missions myself to earn money to survive and we know damned well I won't work with anyone else. Fine, if I prove to you that I can stick through this think and thin, we can spend more time together on missions right?" Cobra cleared up any confusion left behind, making sure he understood what was happening. 

   "So long as you stick with me this entire mission, that means when we leave and when we get back, we can go on more after." Lucy smiled Cobra, giggling when he jumped in the air and let out a little celebratory cheer. "Whoa there Cowboy, we haven't even chosen what mission we are going to do, no need getting excited yet." 

  Cobra just sticks his tongue out at her, scurrying off to look at the request board as Lucy meanders to the bar. Mira offers her a small smoothie at the forlorn look on her face. 

   "Gods Mira, you're a life saver." Lucy mutters, giving the barmaid a small smile as she slurps as the drink. 

   "Something bringing you down Lucy?" Mira inquires, raising a brow as the blonde slumps against the bar. 

   "Cobra is starting to worry me. I know he's trying, Gods he's doing so much better than I thought he would from the get go, but he's struggling and it's hard to watch when he's going through it." The blonde grunted, shifting in her chair as she turned to face the tanned male as he stared at the request board. 

   Her eyes softened at the sheer look of concentration on the man's face, his one good eye narrowed in thought as his gaze shifted from paper to paper, scanning the multitudinous amount of requests. 

   "He just needs someone to be there for him right now and I really want to get to know him better. I know he's a good guy deep down and he just needs someone to help him bring it out." Lucy smiled softly at him, watching as he looked over to her, a small grin taking up his features as he waved at her. 

   Lucy waved back at him before she turned around to face Mira, watching as the white haired barmaid gazed at her warmly. The happy look in her eyes had Lucy stalling, a sweat breaking out over her skin as the other female began to smile wickedly.

   "No Mira! I don't need you to get involved with my love life." Lucy responded quickly, watching as Mira's creepy smile slowly fell into a disappointed frown.

   The two were interrupted by a body crashing into the blonde perched in her designated stool, causing her and the person in question to tumble to the floor. They landed with muffled groans before Lucy shoved the person off of her, standing quickly before glaring down at the oblivious pink haired mage. 

   Natsu was currently shouting obscenities over to Gray who quickly avoided his gaze once the fury of their spitfire celestial mage turned to him. Lucy bent down at the waist, hefting the rather large man child off the ground to face her. If she wasn't so angry with him at that moment she would've laughed at the sudden look of dread that crossed his face. The blonde growled at him, pulling his collar tighter around his neck before she hissed to him.

   "If you and Gray want to fight, fine, but I swear if you get anyone else caught up in the crossfire I will personally tear you limb from limb, got it?" Keeping her voice even, she watched as Natsu blanched before nodding quickly, muttering his apologies before she dropped him to the floor to turn back to Mira.

  The barmaid was watching her with a small grin on her face. Lucy rose a brow in question, turning to where Mira pointed her in direction. Cobra was facing her general direction, slack jawed as he just barely clutched the mission request for to his chest. Lucy smiled at him, waving him over before he collected flies and took the paper out of his loose grip. Reading it over, she smiled softly at the reward. 

   "You do know we don't have to do something so simple just because of the reward right? You're the one who needs money right now." Lucy giggled, watching out of the corner of her eye as Cobra flushed red momentarily. 

   "Yeah well, I think your gate keys are more important than some stupid jewels that can barely keep a normal person alive let alone a dragon slayer." Cobra muttered weakly, rubbing at the back of his neck awkwardly. 

   Lucy smiled at him warmly before she turned to Mira to get it stamped for approval. Thanking the barmaid, the blonde pulled an eager slayer from behind her, calling out her departure from over her shoulder before the two disappeared out the front doors. 

   "Let's just hope he doesn't do anything to screw this up." Mira muttered to herself, the smile on her face falling as she turned to attend to the others in the guild. 

   Cobra could barely catch his breath as the blonde drug him down the street towards their shared apartment, squealing in excitement about the reward on the mission he chose. She kept flashing him smiles when she turned to address him, something that made his chest constrict tightly and uncomfortably. Each time he fought back the urge to pull away and distance himself, gritting his teeth and smiling through the uncomfortable feeling. He promised Lucy after all and he'd be damned to disappoint her so early in their mission.

   When they reached her apartment, the blonde tugged him inside, setting him on the couch as she scurried around to pack their bags. It wasn't a long mission, they would probably be in Crocus for at most two days, but she didn't want to be caught off guard. Zipping the suitcases closed, she called out Virgo to store their stuff while they were on the train. Clasping their hands together, Lucy led the two down to the train station, easily buying tickets to the capital city. The train wasn't to depart for another ten minutes so the two sat down on one of the empty benches and watched as all the people rushed two and fro. 

   Cobra glanced down at their still connected hands, his chest constricting once more before he turned away. He could feel his wrists begin to itch and fought back the urges to scratch at the scars he knew laid beneath the heavy coat that covered his arms. Lucy felt him shiver, glancing up to see his face screwed up in pain as his grip tightened on her hand. Frowning at the sudden amount of sweat that gathered on his brow, she pulled her hand away, pressing her palm to his forehead. 

   Cobra's attention snapped to the blonde beside him. Feeling her palm on his heated skin made him feel a tad bit better and he leaned into her touch, a rumble forming in his chest as his eye fluttered closed ever so slightly. Lucy grinned at his content smile, glancing up when she heard the call of a whistle.

   "Come on Erik, let's catch that train." Lucy cheered, pulling him up and to the train to kick of their mission right.

   "Yeah, let's kick some ass Bright Eyes!" He responded, pumping a fist in the air as he trailed after her.