Laxus feels awkward. For the first time in his life, he feel big, a little too big. And He was exhausted. one move could destroy everything.
Just one move.
" Mr. Laxus, why do you have fur on your coat?" A kid asked innocently. Before he could respond, another kid tugged on his shirt.
" Mr. Laxus! Show me a trick!" She said happily. He was about to say no before he felt a strong pull on his back. One kid had climbed on to his back like magic.
" Stop that." He said gruffly, then looked in horror as the kid's lip trembled.
Shit.
She cried loudly, which sets a domino in motion, resulting in all the children crying. He try to soothe the kids , spark rising from his fingertips. They stopped and looked mesmerizingly at the lights.
One down, four to go.
He sighed in almost resigned exasperation. Why did he had agreed to this. Fighting, fighting anything, would be better than this.
" You having trouble Laxus?" Cana sauntered by, sober for once. Her brown hair bounced by like a L'Oreal commercial. She gave a shit-eating grin as he shoot daggers at her.
" It's all your fault." he hissed. She just smirked, then looked down at a girl with a black skirt tugged on her shirt. Cana bent down, her usual brown eyes melting like brownies.
" Look a butterfly!" The girl said happily, her hand revealing a orange butterfly that was curled up in her palm. Cana kneeled down beside the girl, as she examine the treasure.
" hmmm. The butterfly looks sad." Them girl's eyes grew wide.
" Why?"
" It wants to be with the pretty flower and it's butterfly friends." She said with certainty. The girl reluctantly let the butterfly go to a milkweed bush. She looked trustingly back at Cana.
" Would it be happy now?" Cana smiled and pat the girl's head.
" yes."
Happy that she had gained approval, She ran off to play with her friends. Laxus looked at her. When Cana is around kids she's like a whole different person. Her usual guard is down and she was like a child again.
Young.
Wild.
Free.
Where did that thought came from? He shook his head. A kid started to tug on his shirt again. He sighed and leaned down. What is it this time?
" Do you like that lady?" The boy asked innocently. Laxus took a quick step back. Is he that fucking obvious?
" N-NO! Y-yes! Maybe…" He said, getting increasingly agitated. Don't they have any sense of personal space? The boy just made a grossed-out expression.
" Girls have cooties, cooties are gross." Then he ran off. Probably telling everyone about what Laxus had said. He groaned and stopped at a wooden bench, and promptly sat down next to the sandboxes, resting his legs.
Who knew taking care of kids would be harder than strength training? He sneaked a peek at Cana. Her arm tugged by a girl with black pigtails.
" Ms. Cana, You should rest here" She said forcefully. .Planting Cana into the wood bench next to Laxus. She then giggled and ran away. Laxus has a sneaking suspicion that something was going on. He shrugged it off, what could kids do?
" So Laxus, how do ya like the job?" She asked teasingly.
Oh.
Right.
He was suppose to be mad at her.
Laxus tried to muster up strength to be angry, only finding an endless supply of exhaustion.
" It's more tiring than I thought." He admitted. She looked towards the edge of the sandbox, at the group of kids snickering and pointing at them.
" That is why this is good for your socially awkward self!" She said to him. He snorted.
" I am not socially awkward."
" Keep telling yourself that Mr. This-fist-is-made-for-fighting" She said to him. He said nothing in response. Hating that she's right.
" Whatever."
" Now Mr. Grouchy, go and have fun." She said to him. A smile curving her lips.
" Master gave you this job for a reason."
" Yeah, and of course you have to tag along." He snorted.
" What? I want to see you with little kids!" She protested. But her eyes were sincere.
" The kids can sense it. They can sense your awkwardness." She said seriously.
" So don't push them away."
He got up reluctantly, then stopped midway as the crowd of kids pushed him down back to the bench.
" NO." They cried. Cana lifted an eyebrow.
" They're planning something all right." She said as Laxus watched in disbelief at the angry little mob. The children started whispering again. Then they part into two groups, way more organized than he could ever had made them. Two girls came forward, bearing flower crowns. Laxus's suspicion grew stronger, a doomed feeling in his guts.
" This is for Ms. Cana and , thank you for being a substitute for us!" They said sweetly.
" Awww.. Girls!" Cana said happily as she hugged them, she then silently hissed to Laxus
" Just go with it…" He shrugged and picked up the flower crown, it was from the grass field near the edge of the kindergarten. The daisies was knotted together with the grass. He put it on, feeling very awkward and stupid. The kids clapped. His expressions softened. Maybe kids aren't so bad after all.
" Since you guys behaved so well.. We should give you a prize." Cana said confidently, giving side eyes at Laxus. Laxus's eye widened, had she gone crazy?
" Could we choose them?" A girl with blond hair asked. Her name was Kritina, he thinks. Or at least he vaguely remembers, there was so many kids he mess up easily. Cana nodded. Laxus's eyes widened. He pulled her aside.
" Have you gone crazy? They could ask us do anything! Tell you to spent 20,000 jewels, destroy a wall, use fairy glitter.." He ticked off the possibilities.
" … And I am not piggybacking 23 people." He finished defiantly, looking out of the corner of his eyes the crowd of baby devils whispering and snickering. Cana put a hand on his shoulder. Laxus stiffened. Trying to ignore the heat of her fingers.
" Laxus, trust me on this, it'll be fine. Beside, don't you wanna see what they are whispering about?" She said gleefully.
" Well if they ask someone to carry them I am not doing it." He said finally. The feeling in his guts getting stronger and stronger. It's a curious feeling, sort of flutters in his stomach. A sense of doom yet also a sense of nervousness and excitement. There was a term for it, yet he can't exactly remember. He shook it off, there was more important thing right now.
" Ms. Cana. We decided our prize." A girl said sweetly. Cana flashed a smile.
" What is it?" She asked, her eyes gleaming. The little kid, giggled and pointed at Laxus.
" We want and to kiss." she said with a bubbly kind of happiness that only occurs in little children. For three long seconds it was completely and utterly silent.
" What?" Laxus choked out, those fucking demons! He takes the kid comment back. Cana gave a shrug.
" Why not? If it's what they asked for. That isn't so bad." She said casually.
" Isn't so bad? W-wait" He stammered as Cana marched over to him. The feeling that he had before imbued with panic and…..longing? She ignored him and leaned into his personal space.
"Here I go.." She whispered, her breath hot against his cheeks.
"W-" Before he could finish, her lips were on his mouth.
It was tantalizing, and her breath smells faintly of sugar and grapes.
It was soft, like a feather light stroke of a pen.
It was agonizing, the way her hand wrapped around his neck.
It was electrifying, and he closed his eyes, lost in the feeling.
They broke apart, and Laxus noticed the deep blush of her cheeks for the first time. No that he wasn't blushing himself. The feeling before had however, vanished, leaving behind a strong whisper of yearning.
He wants to do it again.
The kids stared open-mouthed at the spectacle. It was a show, and some clapped in the end. He flushed with embarassment. Cana gave a thumb up and grinned. That was when Laxus finally realized what the feeling he had before was.
Butterflies.