Memorable Night

The first time she awoke, it was groggily and to the feeling of someone's arm around her waist. Still out of it, she just stroked the arm gently a few times, feeling the muscles and indentions as she drifted off once more, not giving it much thought.

The second time she opened her eyes, it was to the feeling of that arm being taken away, as well as the warmth. Just as quickly though, she felt a kiss being pressed against her head and the covers pulled up around her more, replacing the body heat.

And finally, the third time was when she really woke up. The sun had finally come up outside, lighting the room she was in completely. When Mirajane sat up to press a hand to her head, she realized that she had no idea exactly whose room that was.

The room was actually rather tiny. Given that the bed was so large, it took up most of the space, a tiny dresser being the only other furniture. It was shoved up in the corner of the room and, on it, sat an alarm clock, but otherwise was clean. The floor though was littered with a few shirts, tossed here or there. None that would help her identify exactly who she'd gone home with the night before.

No. Instead it was the fact that it hadn't been an extra blanket that had been laid over her previously, but rather a oversized coat, the fuzzy lining soft to the touch.

"Laxus," Mirajane whispered gently as she slowly moved to press the fabric against her face, nuzzling against it. It was so nice. And it smelled clean. Not something she was expecting at all. Then something hit her. "Laxus and I…"

The night was coming back to Mirajane then as she thought hard on it. They had been celebrating something, up at the bar. And usually she didn't drink on those day, but Lisanna and Kinana had both been helping her and, well, sometimes she liked to cut loose too. And, since Elfman was always all over Ever and Lisanna was practically best friends with Bickslow and Freed those days, it was only natural that she found herself drawn to the Thunder Legion.

It was not, however, natural that she ended up screwing their idol.

But his jacket smelled so nice. So did his sheets. Mira didn't want to get up. Not just yet.

Eventually though, she knew that she had to. Mainly because she was wondering where the man had run off to.

"Laxus?" she called out as she slipped his coat on, not feeling much up for dressing otherwise. He lived alone she was pretty sure, anyhow. "Are you here?"

It was in the kitchen that she found a note sitting on the kitchen table, scrawled quickly by the slayer.

Had to take off early. Training sess with Thunder God Tribe. Had fun last night though. Help yourself to anything. See you up at the bar later. Maybe we can do this again sometime.

- Laxus

Mirajane just stood there for a moment or two, reading over the note a couple of times before setting it down.

"Help myself," she whispered, glancing around the apparently empty apartment. Oh, how he'd regret adding that in.

Now, a normal person would have known that such a sentence meant, clearly, that she could grab herself some breakfast, maybe a quick shower, and then be on her merry way. Mirajane, however, was not a normal person. And Laxus should have known that. Shame on him.

No, Mira, as always, took the invitation a step further. Obviously, in his short and brief little way, the slayer had been offering Mirajane possibly her once in a lifetime opportunity to snoop around his apartment.

Obviously.

And, knowing that that could really be the last time she ever stepped foot in the place, she did a thorough search. Looked in draws, over old journals, checked under his sink, in his bathroom, even under the bed. And the closet? Mira went through that with a very critical and nostalgic eye, taking in the things that she remembered him wearing years ago with as much scrutiny and remembrance as she did that awful vest he'd taken to wearing sometimes.

All in all, Mira was having a good day.

That is, right up until she got caught.

She was actually in his living room, going through a bookcase of his where, along with a couple of books, she found he'd shoved some old envelopes and papers. It was while she was looking over his lease agreement that the front door, which happened to be right there in the living room, opened and Laxus came in.

She froze too, just standing there, naked as a jay bird save his coat (being in modeling, she was quite comfortable with her body), as she held the document out in front of her, staring at it. And Laxus just stood there for a moment too, previously having been whistling along with whatever song was playing in his headphones.

"Mira?"

"Yes, Laxus?" she got out through half a breath. She couldn't even swallow. Or look at him, really. Just glance, kinda. Slowly, he shut the front door behind him.

"You look hot in my coat."

She blinked. "Thanks."

Grunt. Then he kept walking.

"Oh, and Mirajane?"

"Yeah?"

"Put my shit down before I fucking fry you."

"Of course, Laxus."

He went back to whistling as he headed into the kitchen. With a slight sigh of relief, Mirajane put the paper back down where she'd found it before heading after him.

"You gonna stay like that all day?"

"Huh?"

He nodded over at her from where he was, at the fridge, peeking in. "Naked. You ain't ever gonna get dressed?"

She blinked before slowly coming further into the room. "I kinda likes the way that your coat feels, you know? On my skin?"

He grunted before pulling some stuff for sandwiches out of the fridge. Glancing at her, he said, "Well, you look better than I ever have in it."

"Thanks."

"Mira?"

"What?"

"Why are you still here?"

"W-Well-"

"Was it just to snoop?"

Nodding slightly, she said, "In my defense, I was asleep until about an hour ago."

With a shake of his head, he sat the stuff down on his kitchen table before asking, "You walk around your house like this? Huh? All nude and shit?"

"Ew, gross, no. I live with Elfman and Lisanna, you know."

"That's why I was concerned."

She came over to the table as well then, leaning her palms against it and she could tell too, just from watching him that it was taking every fiber in his being not to glance at her, to just keep making his sandwich like nothing was wrong.

"I guess," she said slowly as she stared at him through her bangs, which she hadn't put up yet that day. Laxus had taken them down. She remembered that from the night, at least.

"Damn, Mira," he'd whispered after doing so, just staring at her. "You look so much more sexy this way."

"Yeah," she'd whispered back. "I know."

At the moment though, she was enjoying the way he was avoiding ogling at her. It was almost…cute.

"You guess what?" he grumbled when she got lost in her own thoughts. "Mira?"

"That I'm just more comfortable this way," she said with a slight shrug, the oversized jacket almost slipping down one shoulder. "It's weird, huh?"

"Ain't weird. It's the way it's supposed to be. You look damn fine, why should you be ashamed?"

Giggling slightly, Mira gave him a smile before asking, "What about you?"

"What about me?"

"Do you enjoy it? Or are you ashamed?"

With a snort, he said, "There ain't a damn thing I'm ashamed of in this world. Not a damn thing."

"Then do you ever do this?" she asked. "I mean, you live here all alone, huh? Do you ever just get out of the shower and not even worry about slipping something on?"

He did glance up at her that time, though it was only to meet her eyes. Staring into them, he said, "Why? The thought get you hot?"

"Not really," she said truthfully. "I was just projecting, I guess."

"Projecting?"

"Myself on you," she explained. "It's what I would do if I, you know, lived all alone."

Finished with one sandwich, he went to work on a second. "Then why don't you?"

"Excuse me?"

"Why don't you," he began, not even looking up, "live by yourself?"

"Because, Laxus, I live with Elfman and Lisanna. I-"

"And? You're all grown now," he pointed out. "And I know at first, it was a shock getting her back, but Lisanna's been home for years now. What is it that makes the three of you have to live together?"

"I-I don't know," she said slowly. "Honest. I haven't ever really given it any thought."

"Well, you should," he told her. "Sometime. Then you can walk around naked all you want, huh?"

"I guess I could."

"Or," he went on, "you could just come over here and do it. Believe me, I'll make no complaints. So long as you don't through my shit again."

"You said to help myself to anything," she pointed out. "Which I took to mean-"

"Don't play with me, woman. My stuff is mine," he told her, his tone no longer inquisitive nor playful. "We're friends, Mira, but we ain't that close. Got it?"

"Just close enough to sleep together?"

"Hopefully again," he agreed as he glanced up at her once more. "I rather enjoyed myself."

"Mmmm. I guess I did too."

"Guess? You guess?"

Nodding slightly, she said, "I can't really remember. I mean, Laxus, I never took you to be this way."

"What way?"

"Forgettable," she said, his eyes blazing at the way it fell so easily from her tongue. "What would all those women think that fawn over you? The Laxus Dreyar, not even worthy of-"

"And what do you think you were? Huh?" His tone was tight and she knew she'd gotten under his skin.

"I think the fact that you not only caught me going through your things, but I'm also standing here, naked, in your favorite coat, mouthing off to you says it all. Don't you, Laxus?"

He narrowed his eyes then. "You're so close to getting fried."

"Mmmm." She seemed disinterested with that threat as she gave him another half shrug. "At least that would be memorable, huh? Dragon?"

"Look, woman, I am not your…dragon. I am-"

"Easy to get to, clearly. Dragon."

"Stop calling me-"

"Why? Dragon?"

"Why are you bothering me?" He went back to making his lunch then. "Huh? Me and you, we aren't even really that great of friends. So we fucked. I let you stay the night. Now what? You think that you have to hang around here or something? Because you don't. And I'm not finding this amusing. So just fuck off and-"

"You know, Laxus, you really should get over it."

"Over what?"

"The way that you can't handle when someone else has the upper hand in the conversation," she said. "You loved it when you were the one with the power, but when I had it? Not so much."

"You don't any fucking power. And you haven't had any the whole damn time you've been here," he told her gruffly.

"Oh?"

"Yeah." Dropping the piece of bread in his hand, Laxus glared over the table at her. "And don't forget it."

"Poor dragon." Slowly, Mira moved to slip the coat off, his eyes leaving hers then as he gave in, if only for a moment, taking stock of her body in the light of day. The woman just held his coat out to him then. "You just don't know how to keep friends, do you?"

Snort. Taking his coat from her, he said, "I got friends, alright? So-"

"Brrr." Mirajane rubbed at her bare shoulders, more in an attempt to bring his gaze back to her body. It worked. "I'm so cold. I'm gonna go dress, 'kay? And get out of here? This really has been great, dragon, but I have to get down to the guild soon, I'm sure. You have a lovely apartment. Maybe next time I'm over we can do something, oh, gee, I don't know, at least somewhat worthy of a memory?"

"Go fuck yourself. And for the last time, I ain't your dragon, woman."

"Poor dragon. You really don't like being last on my list, huh? Of guys that I've-"

"That's it." He threw his coat down then before stalking around the table to catch her. "You stupid-"

"Hey, Laxus-"

"No," he growled as he grabbed her by the wrist and literally whirled her around to face him. Finally Mirajane did blush a little, as, no matter how comfortable she was with herself, it was a rather awkward position. "You're gonna listen to me, got it? I am not just some stupid man that gets down on his knees to beg to be fucked by Mirajane Strauss so that he can die happy, got it? You are fucking lucky that you are even being graced by my presence right now. And you taunt me? Are you that-"

"Are you that serious about this all?" She wiggled her hand free of his before moving to press it against his chest, pushing him back gently. "Because I wasn't. I mean, gosh, Laxus, I'm just teasing you. I... Last night was great for me too, alright? Stop taking everything to heart. I thought that we were joking."

It wasn't that easy to bring the Thunder God back down though. No way. Not after she'd gotten him so riled up.

Glancing down at the hand she had pressed against his chest, Laxus frowned before bucking up and, with dark eyes, walking forwards. Mirajane had nowhere to go, but backwards, right up until he had her back pressed against one of the kitchen walls.

"What are you-"

"Check out time was in the morning, Mira," he said simply, staring heavily into her eyes then. "And it's now, what? Later than noon? That means you either overstayed your welcome or you've booked another night."

She started to grin then, if only slightly, but at the sight of it, one of Laxus' hands shot out to grab her face in it, squeezing tightly.

"This isn't going to be fun," he growled before adding, "demon."

Never breaking his gaze, she just jerked her head from his hold before saying, "That's what makes it memorable, dragon."

"You totally owe me this day off," Lisanna complained to Mirajane the next day as they opened the bar. "I mean, seriously, Mira? Disappearing for a day? And then coming back-"

"I already said that you can go after you finish helping me prep," the woman told her sister with a slight frown. "And that I didn't want to talk about it."

"I didn't ask about it," Lisanna pointed out. "I really don't care to hear about whatever his name is and whatever the two of you do. However I do want you to acknowledge that-"

"Yes, Lisanna, you covered for me. And I'm thankful. What more do you want?"

Needless to say, the two of them were not having the best of days. Mira knew though that Lisanna had actually had plans with Lucy and Natsu the day before and, in her failure to show up, she'd forced the younger woman to cancel them, which wasn't any fair. So she didn't really hold her sister's annoyance against her. Just wished that it would dissipate soon.

They were still busy prepping the bar too when the guildhall doors opened. Mirajane was behind the bar, actually, doing a stock of the liquor and didn't glance up. Lisanna though, who was busy sweeping, did and called out to the person.

"Hi, Laxus," she greeted making Mira freeze and glance his way. "You're here early."

"Yeah," came his low response as he just walked over to the younger of the two. Lisanna had taken to leaning against the broom, just watching and waiting for an explanation.

"I'm looking for a job," he told her. "A real long S-Class one. But the last time I checked-"

"Oh, yeah, I didn't post the new ones this week. I keep forgetting. Mira normally does it, but she's letting me do it these days and I have a hard time remembering."

Slowly, he nodded. "Were there new ones?"

"A couple," she admitted. "Let me go get them, alright? They're in the back."

As she scurried off, Laxus took to his true destination, heading right over to the bar.

"You going on a job, dragon?"

The man just stared at Mira with his usual deadpan look. "I am."

"Have fun."

Grunt. Then, "You know, demon, when I get back, I'm probably going to need someone to come over. Spend some time with."

"It's been a few hours," she told him, tone slightly mocking then. "Don't tell me you're missing me already?"

Staring at her, he said simply, "Maybe, when I get back, we can even have another one of those fun little conversations again."

"Now it's your memory that was shoddy," she accused. "You got all pissy at me yesterday when we spoke. I think you just liked the screwing."

"Yeah, I liked that," he admitted. "But the way I remember it, we had to talk a bit to get to that point, did we not?"

With a grin, Mirajane said, "Well, you know, fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Three times-"

"It'll be a date," he told her then with a confident nod. "Not just a hookup. Does that make it better?"

"Why, Laxus, should I be honored?"

Grunt. "Hardly."

"Well, I am."

"Are not."

"I'm trying to be, at least, but you're making it a tad hard," she told him. "And Lisanna will be back any second, so-"

"I think I'm interested in you, demon," he interrupted. "And I'd like to see if I really am or I just gotta get you out of my system."

"Yeah, I liked it a lot better before you started explaining it."

Just staring at her then, he said, "Do you want to then?"

"I'm thinking about it."

"Mirajane-"

"Of course I'm going, Laxus," she complained. "I mean, really?"

"Well."

"But," she said as she reached across the bar, her hand coming up to, at first cup his cheek before turning to grip his jaw in her palm tightly. "It's not going to be fun, dragon."

Staring her down, he grumbled out, "That's what makes it memorable, remember, demon?"

She released him then with a grin. "I guess I'll see you then."

As he spotted Lisanna coming back from the hallway, a few fliers in his hand, he turned to walk off over to her.

"I guess you will."

I honestly was trying to write the next chapter of Mohawks and Manliness, but this just came out instead. Alls well that ends well though, right?