Forever

Her first morning of waking up as Mrs. Laxus Dreyar, it was to the smell of some sort of fabric softener and a comfortable pillow beneath her head.

"What time is it?"

"Too early," she heard Laxus grumble from behind her, right in time with any hour they might wake up together. It could be three in the afternoon even and he'd say that.

Still though, the sheets rustled then as he turned from being on his back to face her. She still only laid facing away, staring out the picturesque glass balcony doors on the far side of the room. The sun was just rising and it was too pretty to look away from.

"Mmmm," Laxus groaned as he reached out to wrap his arms around her, snuggling her back close to his chest. He was not one to be ignored. "I still feel drunk."

Giggling, Mirajane moved to stroke the arm around her waist. "You're just happy, silly."

"I am?"

"Mmmhmm."

"How you know? Maybe this hotel, like, drugged me."

"We checked in at two in the morning. Then we went to bed. When would they have had time to drug you?"

"Don't question me. I'm the husband, Mira. Did you forget? Already?"

"Lax-"

"Gotta beat it into you?"

"Try me, dragon. I'll kill you."

He only kissed her shoulder then before letting her go. "I believe you."

Not liking being without him then, she gave up on watching the sunrise and turned to face him finally.

"What do you wanna do right now?" she asked, scooting closer so that she could snuggle into his chest. Against it, she mumbled his name.

Kissing the top of her head, he said, "There's a lot we could do, Mira. We could go down to the beach, order room service, go out to breakfast, go take a shower, take a long bath, fuck-"

Her pressing a slight slap against his chest made him laugh about that last one.

"Or," she said as he only nuzzled against her. "We could do what you really want to do."

"What do I really wanna do?"

"I'm assuming sleep."

"Mmmm. Yes. If fucking isn't on the table." Then he lifted his head and glanced on the room. Nodding over at a corner of the room, he said, "Or fucking on that desk. Either's fine."

"Behave."

Bowing his head once more, he mumbled against her white hair, "Sleep sounds nice."

"But Laxus-"

"Mira, I'll do whatever you want. Whatever. But I'd prefer to sleep some."

"But what am I supposed to do while you're sleeping? Huh?" She tilted her head back to stare up at him. "I'll be, like, super bored."

"I have a thought."

"All ears."

He reached up to stroke her cheek. "What if, and hear me out on this one, you try this funny thing called sleeping too?"

"I don't like that idea."

"Of course not."

"What if I get up, shower, go walk around some and then-"

"No." He wrapped his arms tightly around her. "What part of me being the husband didn't you get? You don't get to go nowhere without me, Mir-"

"This wasn't funny a minute ago and it's not funny now."

He only snuggled her closer. "Just stay for another hour or so, huh? Then we can get up, bathe, go out. Spend the whole day hanging out. Go wherever. Just right now, I wanna lay here with you. I love you."

And it was just so cute when he said that that Mira did decide to lie there with him, to snuggle and sleep. It was only for another hour, right? And then they would get to go do whatever she wanted?

Wrong.

As the hours drug on, the sunrise faded and it moved to being high in the sky. Mira tried hard to sleep, she really did. They were on vacation. Their honeymoon. She needed to rest. Relax. Use the time off to her advantage.

But she couldn't. Even on normal days off, she had a hard time just laying around in bed. She was always too keyed up, too used to her regular schedule, to actually just lay around all day.

Laxus loved to though. Lay around. Sleep. Do nothing. Just rest. And she never blamed him. Because when the man went to work, he went to work. He took his jobs seriously. And training? Sheesh, there was no one that trained like Laxus.

No one.

He was the way that he was for a very good reason. Maybe part of his power was gifted to him from his lacrima, but the rest came from the brutal things he did to his body, the turmoil he put it through as he would tirelessly train day in and day out in a vain attempt to best himself.

So when he was ready to just chill for awhile, he did. For a long while. And that was okay. She liked when she'd leave for work and see him still snoozing in bed, headphones in, as he was oblivious to the world. Or when she'd come home to find him napping on the couch and she could just cuddle up there with him and catch a few too.

Sometimes though, it really, really bugged her.

Like it did when, as the day wore on, Laxus refused to get up. Mira did, of course. She showered and offered him to join. Nope. Went out and brought some breakfast back up to the room. Wasn't hungry. Was going to go down to the beach. Just told her not to let any men stare at her.

He was just intent on staying in the hotel all day apparently.

In fact, she didn't see him again until, after spending most of the day shopping and looking around town, she came back to the hotel room to find him up and in the bathroom.

"What are you doing?"

"Getting ready to go out. What are you do-" He glanced over at the doorway to the bathroom frowning when he saw all the bags in her hands. "Mira-"

"I had to get a gift for everyone."

"It's our damn honeymoon, woman," he grumbled, going back to shaving then. "Why would you-"

"When did you finally get up anyhow?"

"Twenty minutes ago. Showered, now I'm shaving, and in a minute, I'mma get dressed and take you out to dinner."

"Really?"

"Mmmhmm. Of course. What were you expecting?"

She only giggled though, rushing to go drop the bags before calling out to him, "I need to shower first though, okay? And get ready?"

"Wouldn't have it any other way."

The annoyance that she'd found in him earlier that day was vanishing quickly. He was just giving her so much attention, the type that she'd craved the entire day. And after dinner, he took her down to the beach and walked around with her. It looked just as pretty with the sun setting as it did rising. And the moon wasn't half bad either.

Then of course, after, was the same as always, when they made it back to their room. And as they found out, yes, the desk was very useful.

The only thing that had changed was that Laxus wanted to hold her a lot more when they finally did go to sleep that night than usual. She couldn't escape him. If it had been cold, that wouldn't been half bad, but it was the middle of summer and his body heat was not helping her cool down.

But there was no way she'd fight him on it. If he wanted to hold her until she died of hyperthermia, then so be it. At least he loved her.

"I don't ever wanna go back."

That found its way out of her mouth at one point as she laid against his chest, one of his hands on the back of her head, playing with her hair. Laxus tilted his head down then, glancing at her, but she only smiled.

"I don't," she told him. "I don't wanna work or-"

"Then don't." His head fell back once more and he stared up at the ceiling.

"What?"

"Don't work." His hand was still playing with her hair, but then it was becoming more of an annoyance.

"What do you mean? How could I not-"

"I take the jobs the rest of the guild is too pussy to. I make the big jewels, Mira. You know that. You have my name now. You're Mrs. Laxus Dreyer. Just stay at home, making me food when I'm around, and fuck with me whenever I want."

"Laxus-"

"I don't want you working no more. I want you…you know, to stay home." He patted his chest with his free hand. "Have my babies."

Rolling her eyes, she snuggled closer to him. They'd discussed that before. "I can do both."

"But you don't gotta," he reiterated. "You can just hang around, spend my money, and, you know, have fun. You never got to have fun."

"I'm having fun right now."

"You know what I mean. Your parents died and then you had to raise Elfman and Lisanna. Then Lisanna died and you couldn't… You ran the guild then. Well, now you don't have to. You have me to take care of you. It's your turn, Mira." He let out a slow breath. "Let me take care of you."

"You do," she said softly. "And you still can. But I have to-"

"Just take some time off, huh? When we get back? Kinana can run the bar. And, if after six months-"

"Six months? Laxus-"

"Hear me out," he said, patting her head then. "If after that you still wanna work, you can back. There ain't nobody, Mirajane, that would do better than you as the barmaid. There just ain't. But that doesn't mean that you have to be that."

She rested against him for a moment before saying slowly, "But if I didn't run the bar, I wouldn't be a part of Fairy Tail."

"Hmmm?"

"I'm not a real guild member. I don't take jobs anymore. I'm still on as the barmaid. That's all."

"That's not all."

"Technically, yeah, it is."

"You'll always be a part of Fairy Tail." He gave her head another pat. "And if not as the barmaid then…as the Master's wife."

She blinked. Then she really did lift her head. "What are you telling me?"

He let out a slow breath. "Gramps said that… Before we left the reception, he wanted to talk to me. You know he hasn't been doing well."

"Laxus-"

"And he said that I get it now. How to be a master. How to care for things. How to run things. That it's not just about being the strongest. That-"

"What did he tell you?"

He laughed slightly. "Not to say anything because it was your day, but that when I got back, it'd be mine. The day. And…and he was giving me the guild."

"Laxus!" She put both hands on his chest then, putting all her weight against it as she pushed up. He only grinned at her though, their eyes finding each other easily in the darkness. "Why didn't you say-"

"Because this was for you," he said as she only smiled back. "This whole thing has been for you. The wedding, the vacation. I didn't wanna take nothing from-"

"You're me now, Laxus, and I'm you," she reminded though the excitement hadn't left her tone. "We're in this together. You don't have a day and I don't have a day. We have days. Together. Forever."

"Forever."

Then she was leaning down and he was leaning up, meeting her in the middle. And just as quickly, they were reminded that while the desk was great, it wasn't everything.

"Have you thought more about it?"

It was the next morning and Mira didn't even glance at him. "You're up early."

"You got out of bed. I got cold."

"There is no way that you got cold with the temperature in that room."

He only shrugged, coming closer.

There was a tiny balcony connected to their room, just enough for two chairs and a small table. Laxus only shut the door behind him before going to take the other seat as Mirajane continued to stare out at the beach before them, wearing a pair of his shorts and one of his dress shirts, though it was hardly buttoned.

"You really like this, don't you?" he asked, grinning at her. "The beach?"

"A whole bunch," she admitted. "I think it's pretty."

"I think you're pretty."

"Shut up, Laxus."

He only grinned then, shifting in the metal chair, trying to get comfortable. He'd never rightly liked tiny spaces and, well, that balcony was the definition of those. But if Mira wanted to sit out there, so would he.

"To be honest, demon," he said randomly. "I don't like it."

"Like what?"

"The beach," he said. "Smells like sh-"

"Laxus!"

"It does," he insisted. "Those little bottles of perfume and stuff you have? That say they smell like the beach? They don't smell nothing like this. And thank the high heavens they don't. Because-"

"Who doesn't like the beach?" she grumbled as she took a sip from the coffee cup she had sitting on the table. "You're so full of it sometimes."

"What? I can't hate something now?" He had his eyes shut then, relaxing as best he could. He planned on falling back to sleep out there. "Mmmm. You hungry?"

"I was having a tranquil moment out here, Lax," she told him as she went back to watching the sun come up.

"Tranquil. Like what? You on drugs or something? What did you bring with you? And why didn't you give me-"

"Tranquil. Peaceful. Not tranquilizers." She rolled her eyes. "And those aren't something anyone would want to take."

"That's what you think."

"Shut up, Laxus."

"You're really mean today," he grumbled. "And to your master."

He thought that the would make her giggle, but she only sighed. Frowning then, he sat up some.

"You really wanna be alone, demon?" He got up then, patting her on the head. "That's fine. I'll be in the shower then, if you wanna join me."

"Run a bath and I'll be there in a few minutes, okay?"

With an incentive, he was fine with heading off to do just that.

Mirajane only giggled slightly, taking those few minutes to finish her coffee and find her peace again. When she had it, she went back in to join her husband.

Husband. That still made her grin.

"We have got to get a tub like this," was the first thing he told her when she appeared into the bathroom. "Seriously. It's so deep. And wide. I could have, like, ten other people in here."

Rolling her eyes, Mirajane began to undress, which distracted him for a bit. When she joined him, neither wished to use the size nor the circular shape to their advantage. Instead she sat right between in legs, back to his chest, like always.

"Do you want ten people in here?"

He kissed her shoulder. "Nah. Just two's fine."

She giggled as he ran a hand one of her arms. "Is it?"

"If it's me and you, of course."

"Mmmm. But you shouldn't wear your ring in the tub," she sighed as relaxed into him. "It might slip off and go down the drain or something."

"Nah."

"Yes."

"No." Her head got a kiss that time. "It ain't coming off for shit."

"Mmmm. You think it'll mess with your magic?"

"What do you mean?"

"Is it a conductor or-"

"Yeah. I looked into it." He kissed her shoulder once again. "Before. You're important, woman, but not that important."

"Laxus-"

"You'd give up your magic for me?" He laughed slightly then. "Besides, if it wasn't, I'd have gotten a different metal. That's all."

"I know. I was just-"

"And coming from the woman that won't even give up her job for me-"

"Why do you not want me to work so badly, Laxus? Huh?"

"It's not that," he told her then as his hands found there way to her shoulders, which he immediately dug into, Mira shifting to sit up more then. "I just want you to get, Mira, what it's like to have nothing going on. To have nothing to worry about. Before, you know, we start having kids or whatever and have more responsibilities. You've never had that. Let me give it to you."

"And you've had it then?" she asked. "That?"

"I-"

"You didn't have it easy either, Laxus. So stop trying to make my life off to be worse than yours. My parents died, fine, but they loved me. I mean, do you even know your mother?"

He was really digging into her shoulders then. "No. Not really. Just that she left me."

"Then see? You've always had to worry about things. Even when you got older, you took care of yourself. Ivan never did anything for you and, even though Master tried, you wouldn't let him. That's worse, if you ask me, than what happened to me. Elf and Lisanna, they learned my magic just to make me feel better. You don't have anyone like that. You're alone."

"Got you."

"Well, yeah, Laxus, you have me now. And, fine, you have the Thunder God Tribe, they love you, but-"

"I don't care about me, Mira, or what I went through or what I caused or why Ivan was a dick or how come my mom didn't wanna stick around. I care that you work nearly ever fucking day. I care that you had to raise two kids that you were, what? A year or two older than? I give a shit about that. I want to make up for that." His hand stilled then as he said, "So just take a few months off and let me provide for you. I want to. And then, if you hate it, go back to work. If you don't, then that's fine too. We'll be fine. I'm the Master now, Mira. I make the rules. Remember that."

For a moment, she just let that sink in. Then she reached out to grab the soap on the side of the tub.

"Let's not let the warm water go to waste, huh?" She glanced over her shoulder at him. "Get my back?"

"I got all you, baby." He took the soap when she handed it to him. "And I ain't letting go."

The night before they had to go back found Laxus and Mira like most the others. Snuggled up in bed, a bottle of wine, but no glasses to be found. It made her feel silly at times, watching him drink straight from the bottle, tilting his head back as they laid around, both naked and just enjoying one another.

And talking. She felt a lot like talking that night. Laxus was fine with that though, as he was mostly still worried about the next day. They'd be catching a train in the afternoon and, by nightfall, be back into Magnolia. Back home. To the guild. Which he would the be crowned master of.

"When did you wanna start?" Mira asked at one point as she laid facing away from him, though that was made up for by the way he was snuggled up to her back, cuddling her real close. They'd left the curtains open and even though it was night, those glass doors were still something to be appreciative of. Even he'd admit the beauty to be found in what lied beyond.

"Start on what?"

"You know," she giggled. "Trying for a baby."

He kissed her bare shoulder. "Thought we were already."

"Laxus," she giggled, shifting slightly. "I didn't want to stop taking anything until we really talked about it."

"Whenever you want to, we can," he told her candidly. "I know that you want like, what? Two?"

"Five."

"Mira-"

"One sounds good."

"Yeah." He kissed the back of her neck then. "One kid sounds great."

"…Or five."

He only snuggled her closer. "You do realize, silly, that those kids have to come out of you, right?"

"Right."

That time, her neck got nuzzled. "And that it might not even be easy for us. You know, to get you pregnant the first time?"

"You trying to tell me something about yourself here, dragon?"

"Only bring you back down to reality, demon."

"The reality is that, if you can't get me to five, I'll find another way."

Not liking the sound of that, he nipped at her shoulder. Mira only giggled, wiggling slightly.

"I only mean that I'm not someone that would be against adopting a kid, dummy."

Grunt.

"I just, like, love babies. And kids. And people. Can we just live with, like, a bunch of people?"

"You're so weird." He kissed where he'd bitten before. "My weird little demon."

"People are fun. I like talking to them and just being around them."

"Then," he said slowly. "I take it that you won't be taking any time off? Like I suggested?"

"Mmmm…one month."

"Two."

"Laxus-"

"If you get bored, come back," he said. "You'll be up there all the time anyways, with me. You know, as I'm cracking heads and ruling with an iron fist."

"Iron fist huh?"

"Heck yeah."

"Gajeel might just gnaw that right off."

Pressing a kiss against her ear, he said, "I beg him to try."

"Mmmm," she sighed as he just took to snuggling again. "Laxus?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm gonna tell you something, alright?"

"What?"

"I always thought that I'd be master."

For a moment he paused. Then, slowly, he said, "Really?"

"Yeah. I mean, I'm the one that helped Master all the time and took care of everything when he couldn't. I-"

"Mira," he snickered. "You're…you. You couldn't lead."

"I could lead. Mavis led."

She had a point…

"Tell you what," he said as he rested against her. "If I suddenly fall ill or something and can't perform my duties, I'll chose you to-"

"No, Laxus. Now you can't."

"Why the heck not?'

"Because we're married, silly. That'd be, like, a conflict of interests."

"And being a grandson of the previous master wouldn't be?"

"It would. And it is," she assured him. "In fact, I'm going to bring it up and have everyone overthrow you."

"You think they'd take you then? After me?"

"Of course. Everyone loves me."

"Not like I do," he mumbled as he shifted lower, so he could rest his head against her back. Pressing a kiss in the center, he mumbled against her flesh, "And you're going to stab me in the back."

"After the baby."

"Mmmm. Is your body even built for a baby? You're mighty thin."

"Not that much."

"Just right."

"Mmmhmm. And I think my hips are meant for it."

"Really?"

"Really."

"Hmmm."

It was her turn to shift, though it wasn't far. Just to reach out and grab the wine bottle on the nightstand. She took a swing before letting him.

"What am I gonna do with a month off?"

"Two months off?" he asked as they both changed then, so they could lay back against the pillows, taking turns with the wine. They were almost out. "I dunno. You wanna look for a bigger house?"

"Laxus-"

'Babe, I'm telling you, I got us. And we need a new place."

"Why? I like-"

"We live in a three room house with your brother and sister."

"I'll have you know that Elfman and Ever are going to be getting married soon."

"And? We need a place for us. Our house. Our first house. Not the same tiny one that you share with your siblings. Let them have it. Or sell it. Whatever." He smiled as she snuggled up against him. "It's like what you said the other day. This is our life now. Together."

Giggling, she patted his chest before closing her eyes. "Forever."

Kinda of a pointless little one-shot, I admit, but I think of it more as like a cutout from some point in their life. Or something. Could tie into most the things I write, I guess.