Maturity

There are many defining moments in life. And in a mages, even more. From the first time one picks a magic to learn to the time that he finally masters it, many things change. Factor in all the other funny things in life that get thrown at you constantly and, well, you're in for a freaking rollercoaster.

For Bickslow though, that was the best part of it all. The unexpected turns and drops, the rising and falling. He faced it all with a wide grin and a baleful cackle. Life was the ultimate game to him and, win or lose, he was just happy to have a chance to play.

So, because of that, he laughed a lot of things off. Everything was a joke to him. And that was okay. He got through many near death experiences that way. It made it harder for the enemies to read him any how. He was outwardly the same whether he was winning or completely getting his ass kicked.

He approached his relationship the same way. And, considering it was with Lisanna, that wasn't so bad. She was just so much fun! She liked to do all sorts of stuff with him. They trained together, hung out together, slept together (that was the most important one), and now she was a honorary member of his team of one that got to create the babies bodies.

It was pretty awesome, he would admit.

They had to hangout, like, literally every day that one wasn't out on a job. Even if she got stuck working up at the bar or he was supposed to be busy training with Ever and Freed, they'd find some way to be together. She'd take a long break or he just wouldn't show up for the practice. The others didn't get it; they needed one another.

But back to defining moments. Just thinking about Lisanna could get him off track. The point though had been that it wasn't until about nine months into them actually, officially dating (they'd hung out a few times before she first called him her boyfriend and he'd grinned with a nod) that he had the most defining moment of all.

"I dunno, Mirajane. He's just so…mature."

He realized that he was a grownup.

It was when he was sleeping over at Lisanna's place that he overheard that. It was from her, of course, and Mira who were in the kitchen, making breakfast. He'd been heading in there as well as he'd just finished his shower, but hearing that made him stop.

"Mature?" Mirajane sounded unsure. "Bickslow?"

"Yeah," Lisanna was quick to respond. "He, like, has his own place and he takes care of his babies and he buys me dinner, like, more than half the time we go out-"

"Wow." That time she sounded unimpressed. "So mature."

"I know." Lisanna didn't pick up on Mira's sarcasm because, well, honestly the woman wasn't that good with her tone. She actually sounded complete sincere. Err, maybe she was. Bickslow never could rightly tell. Sarcasm probably went over Mira's head. "He just… I dunno. I mean, I've always really liked Natsu-"

"Yeah," Bickslow heard then as he stood out in the hall, just eavesdropping. That was a deeper voice though. Elfman. "We know."

Lisanna giggled then. "But he's, like, such a kid, you know?"

"Natsu is a kid," Mira repeated. "But Bickslow is an adult."

"Yeah."

"Okay. If you say so."

"I mean, yeah, Natsu can get serious," Lisanna was quick to say. "And I still…well… But Bickslow's, like, a man."

"A man," he repeated softly out in the hallway, taking to rubbing a fist against his chest. "A mature man."

"A mature man who's eavesdropping."

Bickslow about died. It was just the boss though. Laxus. He was standing there, looking all disapproving and stuff. He'd have been more convincing if he didn't always look that way. Oh, and if he wasn't just in his boxers.

"Boss," he greeted. "You're up."

"The demon's makin' me breakfast," he grumbled, moving to walk further down the hall and into the kitchen. At the sound of him speaking, Lisanna shut right up in the kitchen. That was fine though as Mira took to happily speaking to her boyfriend when he showed up, showering Laxus in praises that made Elfman just want to bang his head into the table to end it all. The only time Mirajane wasn't a man was when Laxus was around. Annoying.

But the damage had been done. And, after a gulp, Bickslow headed into the kitchen, head held high. Like a mature adult. Because that was what he was. He was Lisanna's mature, older boyfriend. Manfriend. Yes. That sounded much better.

"Evenin', Lissy," he greeted as he strode into the kitchen after Laxus. She was over by the counter, watching her sister cook, and giggled at his entrance.

"Bickslow," she said with a grin. "It's morning. Not evening."

Yeah, but evening sounded so much more mature. Was there a mature word for morning? Hmmm.

"Isn't there some sorta rule?" Elfman complained to Mirajane as Laxus joined him at the kitchen table. "About only wearing your boxers around the house? In mixed company?"

"Haven't you heard, Elfboy?" Laxus asked as he picked up the paper where it was waiting for him on the table. "Real men walk around in the boxers. It's a thing."

"Is not."

"Is too." Then, glancing the other guy up and down, he said, "Less you're, what? Not a boxers guy?"

"And what if I'm not? Huh? What business is that of yours?"

"Calm down, boys," Mira sighed as Lisanna and Bickslow just mostly tuned them out. They were much more focused on one another, after all.

Err, well, Lisanna was focused in on Bickslow like usual, but he was focused on himself too then. On making sure that he was as grownup as possible that day. For the rest of his life. To impress Lisanna.

"So," she prompted as he came to stand in front of her. "What are we doing today?"

"Huh?" He was busy trying to figure out if grown adults talk about the cool looking dump they'd taken the day before. He was gonna go with not. Yeah, reading the room, he was going with definitely not.

Everyone didn't realize it at the time, but they would have been glad he figured that one out.

"I asked what we're doing today." Lisanna was smiling at the face he was making. It was his deep contemplation look. She just thought he was trying to look extra cute. Because, well, he did. "Do you have plans?"

"Uh…" No. Not really. Should he tell her that?

"Hey, Laxus, Lisanna brings up a good point," Mira called over to her own boyfriend who was happily looking through the paper. At the sound of her voice, he frowned some, but did grunt. "I don't go in until the afternoon. Anything you want to do?"

"Busy."

"With what?'

"I'm just busy, alright? I'll see if I can fit some time in for ya."

Huh. Laxus was an adult. And he had a very grownup relationship with Mirajane. So…

"I'm busy too, Lisanna," Bickslow said. "Packed schedule."

"Oh, well, okay then." She grinned then. "Natsu and Happy wanted to go fishing today anyhow."

Natsu?

"W-Well, I ain't that busy. I-"

"No," she said with a shake of her head. "Do whatever you need to. Seriously. Lucy and Erza took a job together without Natsu and he's pretty annoyed about it. I'm sure that'll be all he wants to talk about. So I'll have fun dealing with that."

Right. So two people who'd known one another forever, raised a freaking talking cat together, were going to go lament about how their significant others were too busy for them. Because that ending didn't write itself at all.

It actually didn't. At all. Or at least not the way that Bickslow had envisioned it. In fact, they didn't talk about Lucy or Bickslow at all. Natsu had forgotten he was mad at her or that she was even out of town. At one point he complained that she hadn't shown up to go fishing as well, to which Happy just groaned. And Lisanna didn't know to be mad at Bickslow. It was so rare that she ever was. No, they spent the day talking about, well, fish. Or Happy did. And Natsu seemed kinda tired, so he mostly sat around bored, waiting to cook the fish that they caught. And Lisanna was happy to squeeze in one of those rare moments when it was just the three of them again. Like the good ol' days.

Back in the kitchen though, before that sweet platonic friendship moment could occur, Bickslow had a little panic attack. He wanted to tell Lisanna then that she couldn't go and that he was jealous, but not really and that they would just spend the whole day together as well as the rest of their lives and she could forget about Natsu all together.

But he couldn't do that. Because Lisanna, apparently, was attracted to his maturity.

"Your what?" Evergreen laughed later that day when he relayed this to her and Freed.

"You heard me," he grumbled. "And now, 'cause of it, she's probably sucking face with the damn Salamander!"

"Trust me, Bickslow," Freed sighed, not believing that he was honestly discussing such a thing to begin with. But Laxus wasn't around and it beat listening to Evergreen drone on about her (not) relationship with the male Strauss sibling. "If Lisanna and Natsu were going to do anything with one another, it would have already happened. That ship has sailed."

"And she got stuck rowing out into the waves with a dingy," Ever finished.

"Don't use your sophisticated boat analogies on me, woman," the seith complained. "And besides, I think we're all missing the point."

"Point?" Freed frowned. "There was a point to all this?"

Ignoring that, Bickslow just continued on. "Assuming that Natsu and Lisanna don't hook up out on this fishing trip-"

"I think that's a safe bet," Ever told him.

"-that means that I have to keep looking mature in front of her," the man finished. "And now that I know that this is what she's liked about me all along, I don't know if I can keep it up!"

"This might sound a tad odd to you, Bickslow," his female teammate said slowly.

"No, no. Go ahead. I'll take any advice I can get."

"Have you ever thought about, gee, I dunno, just keep on acting the way you always have?" Ever shrugged slightly. "Since apparently she finds that mature? In whatever twisted world she lives in?"

"This me has made her like me, sure," Bickslow said. "But I want her to be in love with me. And apparently, she goes for mature men. I can be more mature than this. Don't you think I can be more mature than this?"

"I don't think you are mature at all," she said. "So, actually, yes, I do think you could improve."

"Ha ha, Ever. I'm so glad that my life is just so funny to you."

"It really isn't. It's more an annoyance than anything else."

"I think that you are over analyzing things," Freed told him with a shake of his head. "From my observations, Lisanna likes to do more…frivolous things. Like go for walks in the park or watch you play with your dolls or just hanging out. I don't really think that it's your maturity that she's drawn to."

"But she said-"

"Maybe she just meant your age," the other man offered up. "I truly do not know. But one thing that I am sure of is that you are, without a doubt, not mature."

"Oy," he complained with a frown. "Now you guys are just being hurtful."

"What do you want us to tell you?" Ever was growing bored with the conversation. "Honestly, I know many ways that you could become more mature. Fast. But you won't like them much less want to do them."

"Tell me." He seemed so serious too. Even though his visor was covering his eyes, she knew that he was giving her a cold stare. "All of them."


There were numerous things that Bickslow did that Lisanna loved. To begin with hardly anything they ever did was planned. Their whole life together was spontaneous. They could just be heading out to the market to get some eggs and end up three towns over, at some random party with people that neither of them knew. That was just the way that they were.

She also loved the way that no matter what had happened that day, whether it was a fight with one of her siblings or just feeling badly about how useless she felt sometimes, he could always make her smile. Always. Usually from not even doing much. Either his enchanted dolls would say something or he'd just give her that big, goofy grin of his. And his laugh could make her launch into her own for hours. He was, by far, the funniest person she'd ever met. And he told her frequently that she was the only one that truly appreciated that.

Then there was the way that he liked to buy her ice cream. Like, all the time. Which she loved. And that he liked to eat her cooking and never critiqued it the same way that Mirajane had the tendency to do. One of the most important things though was that he was always available. Always. So long as he wasn't working or training, he was up for anything. He'd drop everything for her.

That all changed though very suddenly.

"Sorry, can't hangout today," became the frequent thing for them. "I have plans."

Plans. Bickslow. The guy that played with dolls was turning her down. Right. Slowly, it got to the point that they only went out together once a week. It was crazy.

At first, she found herself just nodding when he said that and apologizing for bother him. After awhile though, it got annoying and she founder herself asked him, "What plans, Bickslow, could you possibly have tonight? I mean, seriously?"

That night? None. He was going to go hangout at Freed's, get drunk, and do nothing.

"Adult stuff, Lisanna," was his response. "Nothing that concerns you."

That sounded mature, right? He sure hoped so.

Evergreen had given him all sorts of tips like that one. It was a biggie. Always be busy. Always. It made him sound more important than her. That he wasn't available to just goof off and do nothing. Which sucked sometimes, seeing as he really wanted to goof off, but hey. Lisanna's love was worth more than that.

Another tip was to make more money. And to do that, he had to go out on more jobs.

"You're leaving again?" Lisanna would complain frequently. "But you just went out on a job, like, two days ago. And it's not even S-Class trials time!"

"Men go on jobs," he'd say, all nonchalant and like he too wasn't peeved that he had to leave. "They make money. Get used to it, alright? I'm not a kid. I can't just hang around and play with you all day."

That never seemed to go over very well, but Ever had insisted to him mature, refined men worked constantly. They didn't have time to do fun things like hangout with their girlfriend and just goof off. No going to the park and hiding behind trees to scare people. Or racing around the town. Couldn't even think about lighting up and just spending the day in his dark apartment, doing nothing. No way.

But… He really liked doing all those things. And he could tell that Lisanna did to. Sigh. It was so hard, making someone love you. But what choice did he have? Apparently, Lisanna was attracted to men and the more manly he acted, the more she'd love him.

It only made sense.

To him.

"Men don't dress like they're twelve," was another one of Ever's decrees. "I mean, what you wear down to the guild is, like, your outfit or whatever-"

"It's not an outfit!" he'd complained. "It-"

"But when you guys are out on dates and you're dressed like a slob and in that silly visor, I mean, that's probably one of the most childish things you do."

"I gotta wear my visor though. I-"

"No," she said slowly. "I have to wear my glasses, just in case I accidentally turn someone to stone. You, however, can control your magic very well. You know that you can. You just like wearing it. It's, like, a safety net for you. But if you want to be a man, Bickslow, it starts with losing that stupid sallet."

He didn't want to. But…Lisanna had told him before that he looked just as good with out it. She'd told him that she thought that his face tat was cute and that his eyes were nice to look at and, well, he…just…

"Where's your visor?" Lisanna asked nearly every time she saw him. But he'd resist the urge to stick his tongue out at her because, as Ever told him, that was very, very immature and instead just shrugged.

"Does it matter?"

"No, but-"

"Come on," he'd sigh. "We're going to be late."

Which, Ever explained, important people always were.

"But Evergreen," he complained. "I don't want to be important. Just mature."

"Mature men are important," she said.

"Yes," Freed remarked. "Because Elfman is just busy, busy, busy."

"I never said that he was mature, Freed, so maybe you should mind your own business."

"Touchy, aren't we?"

Bickslow as just miserable though. Being all mature and shit just wasn't cutting it for him. And, for some reason, Lisanna seemed more distant than ever. She seemed annoyed with him a lot of the time and, when they actually did go out on a date, it very rarely ended up back at his apartment or with him going home with her. Mostly she just appeared disinterested. A few times, she even blew him off to hangout with Natsu and Lucy. After he'd spent the whole week blowing her off (though that was really for no reason at all). It was getting crazy. And he was getting desperate.

So, with no options left, he had to go through with Evergreen's final plan to prove his maturity to Lisanna. And he needed Mirajane's help to do so.

"I don't see," Evergreen complained as she sat on the couch, watching, "why you trust Mira with a razor more than you do me."

"Because Mirajane has no ill will against me," Bickslow said simply as he sat down in a chair in the center of the living room. "That's why."

"You're boning her baby sister."

"…I'm having second thoughts."

There were no time for those though as Elfman, who was on the couch with Ever, was about on the edge of his seat in excitement.

"Taking drastic steps to win the love of a woman is so manly," He said, fist pumping. Mirajane just giggled as she stood behind Bickslow, looking over his Mohawk one last time.

"Are you sure you wish to do this?" Freed asked he as he stood by, more depressed by the fact that Laxus had left than anything else. "Bickslow?"

"Of course," he said as his babies floated around in concern. "I have to be mature. For Lissy."

"For Lissy," the babies agreed though, honestly, they themselves were a tad skeptical.

It was about that time that Laxus was arriving at the guildhall. Anything to get away from the Thunder Legion and his girlfriend. Ugh. All of them together, plus Elfman? He couldn't handle it. No way.

"You might wanna get down to your house," he told Lisanna as he passed the table she was seated at with Natsu and Happy.

"Why?" the man asked, thinking he was speaking to him and his Exceed. "You try and rob us?"

Blinking, Laxus came to a stop. Then he narrowed his eyes at Natsu. "That'd be kinda hard, flame breath, considering you have nothing and live off your girlfriend."

"I am a land owner, I'll have you know!"

"Why would I wanna go home?" Lisanna asked, just staring at the man. "Does Mirajane need me?"

Shaking his head, he said, "It's your boyfriend. You might wanna get one last look at 'im."

"What do you mean?"

"You know," the man said, gesturing to his head. "He's lettin' your sister give him a haircut."

"He's what?"

"Shavin' the whole thing. Crazy, huh?"

"Why would he do that?"

Natsu frowned. "Don't fall for it, Lisanna. This is just a trick so that he can make off with me and Happy's stuff!"

"Why would I come and tell you, idiot, if I was robbing you?" Laxus was frowning then too. "Huh?"

"I don't know, Laxus. Because you like to brag about your crimes?"

"You sound like the type," Happy agreed, though it was from the safety of two tables over, where he flew to go sit with Lucy. No need to get in the middle of that brewing fight.

"Laxus," Lisanna hissed, standing up. "Why's he cutting his hair? He loves his Mohawk."

"'cause of you, kid," he grumbled, glancing over from Natsu who was already getting to his feet, ready for a fight.

"I didn't ask him to do that."

"He sure thinks you did. Something about him being more mature this way or whatever."

Though the old Lisanna would have definitely stuck around to see if Natsu really did get a fight out of the man, there wasn't any time for that it seemed.

Why would she want Bickslow to shave his head?

She got there just in the knick of time too. Err, well, she got there as Bickslow was standing up from the chair and trying to think of a valid excuse not to do it (Ever was egging him on though). At the sight of his girlfriend coming through the front door, the seith sat right back down.

Well, shit.

"Lissy," he greeted. "You're uh…I'm…"

"Bickslow's letting me cut his hair," Mirajane said, waving the razor around all willy-nilly. "I don't know if you guys have noticed, but I do excellent work. Ask Laxus."

Lisanna decided not to bring up the fact that it was Edolas Mirajane that gave the other Elfman that bowl cut…

"Laxus' hair is from the gods," Freed told her. "You could not ruin it if you tried."

"Wanna bet?"

"Mira, I don't think you understand the argument," Evergreen sighed.

"Why are you cutting your hair?" Lisanna asked as Bickslow still just sat there, looking rather sad. "Bickslow? You love your Mohawk."

"I ain't a kid no more, kid," he told her simply. "I'm a man. And I need a man's haircut."

"I like the new him," Elfman told them all.

"I thought you would," Ever agreed. Freed just frowned at her.

"Tell me," he said slowly, "that this was not your attempt to change Bickslow into Elfman?"

"Of course not." Was it? Huh. She hadn't even realized. "I'm just helping him mature."

"Well, I ain't gettin' those sideburns," the seith complained, glancing over at them. "I mean, Elfman, they suit you, but with my facial structure? I-"

"Bickslow, pay attention." Lisanna was glaring at him then. "What is Freed talking about? What's Evergreen doing to you?"

"I am doing you a favor," the woman said, glaring over at her, "little girl."

"I like sideburns," Elfman mumbled, reaching up to touch one. "I think they're manly."

"Bickslow, if I wanted to date Elfman, I would," Lisanna complained.

"No," Mira was quick to interject, sounding serious for once. "You wouldn't. For a multitude of reasons. Ones that I don't feel like I should have to go over right now."

"I'm not trying to become Elfman," Bickslow said. "Gross."

"Grosser."

"Grossest."

"Do we have to watch them do this?" Ever asked with a frown. "I mean, if he's not going through with it, then what am I doing here?"

"He's shaving his Mohawk to impress you," Freed said then, more to just get it all finished with. "The same as all the other things he's been doing recently. You like mature men and he wishes to be more mature to impress you. Like the jobs and the being busy. There. Now can we all leave?"

"Thanks a lot, Freed," Bickslow said, frowning over at him. "It makes it sound a lot less mature of me to do these things when she finds out that they weren't done just because."

"They're not mature at all," Lisanna said then, frowning at him. "Why would I want you to be mature anyways?"

"I heard you," he said, reaching up to scratch at his head, glad to still feel all of it up there. "You said that the reason you like me more than Natsu is because I'm a man."

"Man!" Elfman agreed from the couch as Ever just rolled her eyes.

"And so I thought that if I was more manly and mature that you'd like me even more." He dropped his hands then. "But now you seem to be expecting more and more of me."

"What are you talking about?"

"You never wanna hang out or nothin'. It's like you want me to always act so mature and adult-like. Workin' and not goofing off. I-"

"Bickslow, I never asked you to do any of that," Lisanna said, frowning at him. "I mean, seriously?"

"Seriously, Papa?" His babies came to float around the woman. "Seriously?"

"You guys stay out of this," he told them with a frown. Lisanna wasn't playing though.

"I never asked you to do any of this," she said. "You did all of that on your own. Bickslow, if I didn't want you, why would I date you?"

"That's what women do," he told her. "You pick a guy and then you try to change everything about him."

"It's true," Mira said. "That's why I'm with Laxus. He just has so many problems."

When they all looked to Ever, she just frowned.

"He's a work in progress, okay?"

"Who?" Elfman glanced around. "Me?"

"Well I'm not them, stupid," Lisanna said. "I-"

"I'm not stupid," Bickslow interrupted. "You're stupid."

"You're stupider."

"You're stupid-"

"Can we fast forward this some? Please?" Freed asked. "Are you cutting your hair or not, Bickslow?"

"No," Lisanna said, glancing over at the other man. "He's not. I mean… You don't want to, do you, Bicks?"

"No! Of course not," he said as she looked back at him. "I just… I want you to want me. That's all."

"Aw." Mirajane clapped her hands. "This was way more fun than cutting your hair."

Ignoring that, Lisanna said, "I'm with you because I like doing stupid stuff with you."

"Well, I think I've proven I'm not stupid, but-"

"Bickslow."

"I just wanna make you happy, Lissy," he said, patting at his chest. "And if you want a man, then-"

"I don't want a man. I want you."

"This would be cute," Ever remarked. "If she didn't just totally insult him."

Elfman just sniffled, wiping at his eyes. "I've never been prouder for my sister to not be dating a man. Man!"

"Thank god," he said as she moved to hug him. "I love you, kid, but my Mohawk is a part of me."

"I love you too. Even if you are completely irrational and silly some times."

"You're silly."

"You're sillier."

"You're-"

"And I'm leaving. This was a waste," Freed as he headed to the door. "I-"

"Wait, Freed." Mira was quick to give chase. "I was promised a chance to cut someone's hair, and, well, if you don't let me, I'm gonna tell Laxus that you didn't."

"Stay away from me, Mirajane!"

"This was horrible," Ever remarked as Elfman sniffled some more. "Best laid plans, I guess."

"Laid?" That reminded Bickslow. "Hey, kid, are we all made up now, huh?"

"Mmmhmm," she mumbled against his chest.

"Great! Because I've missed hanging out with you. And fucking."

"Bickslow."

"And I've lost my desire to be here," Ever said, getting to her feet as Elfman stopped sniffling.

"This went south," he grumbled, getting to his feet. "And fast."

Once it was just them and the babies left in the house, they both went to go take a seat on the couch.

"It's so easy to get rid of them," he remarked as he patted her on the head. This was in retaliation, really, as she kept reaching up to mess with his Mohawk. "Uh, Lissy?"

"Now that I think about it," she said, glancing at his face before back up at his hair. "You would look nice without it."

"That's the conundrum," he said. "I look unbelievably sexy with it and remarkably hot without it."

"I don't think you understand what a conundrum is."

"And I don't think you understand how far I'm willing to go to be with you."

Shifting, she moved to lay her head in his lap, staring up at the man as he just smiled down at her.

"Would you really have shaved your Mohawk?"

"Yep."

"Just for me?"

"If you wanted."

"Well, I don't want," she said. "Right now, I mean."

Poking her nose gently, he said, "You know what I want?"

"What?"

"A face tattoo," he said, moving to poke her between the eyes then. "Right there."

"Keep dreaming."

"I figured."

"And what were you doing then, all these days that you've been telling me you were busy?" Lisanna asked. "Going on jobs?"

"Sometimes. Training too. But mostly just missing you."

"Awe."

Nodding his head, he said, "And getting drunk. But I tend to do that with or without you."

"Yeah, I've noticed."

"So I can go back to wearing my visor?" he asked. "And not having to leave town on jobs so much?"

"Please," she said. "I like you better the way you wanna be. Not how Ever wants you."

"Thank you," he sighed, lulling his head back as if in relief. "This has been the worst couple of weeks, huh?"

"I've known worse, but yeah, these were pretty bad," she agreed. "You're more than enough of a man for me, Bickslow. And mature."

"And you're more than enough for me too," he agreed. "But I hear your sister and Freed arguing outside and, well, someone's gonna have to get their haircut, I fear."

Groaning, she pushed out of his lap. "I'll go get Laxus."

"I'm thinkin' he needs something more edgy," Bickslow said as they both headed to the door, him to go save his friend from the she-demon.

"I think he needs a new girlfriend."

"Or just to learn how to say no to her."

"And ruin the rest of our lives? No thank you."

Snickering, Bickslow pulled Lisanna in for one more hug. "I love you, kid."

"Yeah," she sighed. "I know."


And some Bickslow and Lisanna to round out the week. I'll try and get the next chapter of Couple's Therapy done tomorrow, but we'll see.