March Like A Soldier [NaLu] {Fairy Tail AU} (ON HOLD)

Chapter 8 - When It's Broken

March Like A Soldier
Chapter 8 - When It's Broken
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|Lucy|

Finally, I was allowed to look normal again. My curled, cropped hair was tied back into a short ponytail, my body once again clothed in camouflage pants, a white undershirt (with a bra) and black jacket with sleeves so long they reached my palms.

I took the first deep, clear breath I have taken in three days and two nights, and stepped up to the punching bag. Both my clenched fists were wrapped in hand wrap, courtesy of the storage building next to my tent.

I studied the punching bag, though there wasn't much to study. It was long, leathery, stuffed with sand, and hung by not twoーthree chains attached to the ceiling.

I summoned a small amount of my past rage, loosened my hand, then clenched my fist again, thumb out. If you keep it in, then the bone might break. I threw punch after punch, my knuckles beginning to feel numb. I heard footsteps coming from behind me, but still I did not turn around. Not even when the footsteps stopped.

"Sorry to bother ya, Miss Ashley, butー"

On the eleventh hit, one if the chains holding up the punching bag snapped, and the side of the leathery material ripped open. Piles of sand leaked from it, and I wiped a drop of sweat from my temple. I turned around, and my eyes locked with a pair of wide onyx orbs.

"Three things," I say, my eyes unblinking. "A), If you ever call me 'Ashley' ever again, I will gut you. B) This punching bag isn't up to my standards. I barely hit it and it's already broken. And C), what is it?"

Natsu Dragneel gulped. "I-I apologize, ma'am, but what should I call you?"

"Commander is fine." I replied, reaching back to take off the hairband out of my short ponytail. My cropped hair fell in short waves around my face, and I shook the stray hand out of my face. I ran my fingers through its soft blonde strands.

When I looked up again, Natsu Dragneel was staring at me in wonder. "What?"

He shook his head, as if to snap himself out of the daze he put himself in. "Sorry, but I was just wondering, how old are you?"

"I don't see how that's any of your business, but I'm twenty-two years and seven months old." I stared him up and down. He had good posture, strong legs, a great build... He was just lazy in the track and obstacle court, I guessed.

I looked back up, and into his eyes. "I'm sorry, we're off-track. Why are you here?"

"Well, you've been in here for three hours"ーin the gymー"and it's almost midnight. Everyone wants to sleep and you're keeping them up," He scratched the back if his neck awkwardly. "Also, the gym closed four hours ago."

"Right." I muttered, already slowly removing the hand wrap from my clenched fists. I loosened my hands, and took off all the tape. "I apologize. I suppose you do need your sleep. I'll just go to my tent and do some paperwork."

I led him out of the gym, turned off the lights, then closedーand lockedーthe large metal doors to the gym. I left him to wander to the boy's dormitory. Meanwhile, I moved to the small coffee shop they set up only a couple tents from mine. It was a small, wooden building with no chairs or tables or anything. It was just a furniture-less room with a man standing behind a cash-register-less counter. He had sixteen coffee makers and about ten dozen paper coffee cups. Everybody in the military was a caffeine addict.

"Hey, Joshua." I greeted as soon as I walked in, giving the man behind the counter a crooked half-smile. He was old, but nice.

"Hey, Commander." He grinned. "What do you want this time?"

The edges of my lips curled upwards when I was reminded that I was seconds away from getting my darling coffee. "Five cups of coffee. As black and bitter as my soul."

He quickly began to satisfy my order, and the scent of fresh coffee beans hit me in the face. I could practically taste them. "You have some friends over to drink all this coffee?"

He was done with the sixth cup of coffee when this question popped up, snapping me out of my reverie. I somehow took all the coffee into my arms, sipping on the first one. "Nope." I responded, opening the door and making my way towards the sturdy building that are my quarters.

I didn't sleep that night. I spent my time at the desk, signing and reading and doing as much paperwork as possible whilst quickly drinking all my coffee.

The things I do for our kingdom.