Stuck in Runes

Chapter 42

((Sophia POV))

I dust off the crumbs that had gathered on my shirt while eating. Pulling my bag off the chair I look up to meet Freed's gaze.
"Ready?" I ask swinging the small brown bag over my shoulders wearing it like a messenger bag. He nods picking up his suit case, witch honestly just looked like a briefcase, and started down the street.
"Do you know where we are going?" I ask skipping a few paces shifting to a float to stay just behind him.
"Yes, it's fairly close to here actually." He smiles turning down a street, I follow.
"Have you been to the station before...?" I ask awkwardly, realizing only after the fact that what I asked was stupid.

"Yes a few times. But not really why you would think." He says shooting a side glance and smirk at me. A soft blush dusts my cheeks.

"And why might that be...?" I ask quizzically peering over his shoulder.

"I wasn't here dropping people off, but to pick up some 'criminals'" he says making air quotes while saying criminals. I cock my head to the side, listening, waiting for him to continue.

"You see after a long night of drinking a few of our lovely guild-mates got put in the drunk tank for nearly burning down a local pub, I just so happen to be here while traveling back from a solo mission, when I was yelled at through the window. So I went in and got them let out and took them home on the next train." He laughs, I join him giggling into my hand. I still don't know most people by name, or face, but maybe soon I'll be able to ask who he "saved".

"Also! I was down here and ended up getting lost and nodded of while sitting in the park, and I guess someone thought I was day drinking and had blacked out, so they had the cops come and pick me up! I explained the misunderstanding, but I still had to go in with them to fill out some paper work, but they were pretty nice about it, so I wasn't mad." He says taking another quick turn, in front of us sat a two story gray building. The top floor had barred windows, while the bottom had re-enforced magic glass, as we step off the sidewalk the energy in the air changed, it felt heavier...? It was probably some kind of spell, but I'm not sure. Freed steps on the small wooden porch, it was clearly old, the wood steps squeaked with each step. He pulls open the door allowing me to step in first. Though the outside looked quite dated the inside was busting with new tech and magic equipment, along with bustling workers running around busily.

The environment was quite sterile, the walls and floors striped of anything not needed, and most of the stuff that was there was bolted down, I look up at Freed.

"Why is...?" I begin

"So magic users brought in can't use it to escape or hurt anyone, they are magic bolts, only those with the enchanted machine that put them in can take them out, well, unless you are an you are incredibly skilled as building magic." He explains. I nod, he must have also wondered that first coming in. We walk up to the front desk where a small woman with large eyes sits, her bobbed pink hair, falling in natural curls around her face. She peers at us through thick rimmed cat eye glasses with lovely deep brown eyes.

"How may I help you today?" He asks, her voice was soft, but clear, she was easy to understand even with the busy office making a ruckus around her.

"We are here to answer some questions about our capture last night? As well as see the young ladies."  Freed says holding up his hand showing off his mark.

"Oh my! Wow! What you did was amazing! I haven't worked here long, but that was by far the most impressive thing I have ever done paper work on!" She coos. "I mean you saved all those young women! And found him even when the magic council couldn't, I mean that's astounding!" She hops up grinning up at freed. I shift uncontrollably behind freed. I don't like this lady... she needs to back off.

"Well, in all honesty I can't take much credit, it mostly belongs to my partner here, if it weren't for her I don't think we could have done it at all." He says rapping his arm around my shoulders pulling me to the front of him.

"N-no! Really freed wit-" I start but he cuts me off.

"Without your plan, you volunteering to basically be bait, your idea for me to track you, you escaping the cell and apprehending him so the girls could escape and bringing the ship to the ground, we couldn't have done really anything, all I did was trap him at the end." He says looking down at me, the hand resting on my shoulder squeezes softly, a soft blush dusts my cheeks.

"W-well... thank you..." I mumble, I look up to realize the woman looking a little upset, but also still very impressed.

"Well, what you both did was great, the sarge should be here in a few to bring you in to the girls, y'all can sit over there for a moment." She says waving at a few chairs that sat along the wall.

We walk over sitting down. In chairs next to one another, freed bringing his hands to his lap, me doing the same.

"You didn't have to say that stuff..." I mumble heat consuming my face.

"I'm sorry, I didn't want to embarrass you, but I was trying to get her to stop flirting with me... it's been more and more of a problem sense the article they posted in last months wizarding magazine."

"What are you talking about?" I ask confused, although I Iv always tried to keep up to date on things, I never liked magazines. It was hard to tell what was true and false, and a lot of it is personal opinion, and I don't really have much use for it.

"Last month I was the 'most eligible wizard bachelor' I had no interest in it, but master insisted I do it. He thought it would help increase the application rate for people wanting to join fairy tail. But in all honesty all it has done is increase the amount of females that flirt with me, she had the issue on her desk." He explains, I nod, not completely understanding, but enough to know he didn't like it.

"I'm sorry... maybe it will blow over after the next issue?" I say patting his hand.

"I hope so... and thank you, well thank you and sorry for embarrassing you if I did... but I was pretty sure you could handle it, I mean it's surly not much worse than the ship." He smiles taking my hand in his. He brings it to his lips kissing my knuckles softly and letting our hands fall back in between us. My face lights up like a Christmas tree.

What. Just. Happened?

((So this is the first chapter  -in a LOOOOOONG- time to come with any kind of art from me. But I thought it would be cute. When I add art to chapters I think it will be a mix of doodles like this along with more polished digital pieces.This is done by me, but if i add art that were to come from someone else I will be sure to give proper credit, hope y'all enjoy the doodle and that chapter ;3
<3 Le author))