Warm.
That's how she felt when she woke. Mirajane Strauss let out her breath in a whoosh and rolled over on her side, blinking as she pushed her bangs away. "Mmph?"
Silence reigned in the house. By the way sunlight poured in through the window, Mira could tell it was about midday. She was about to roll over and continue sleeping, but then she bolted upright. "I have work today!"
"Don't worry, Mirajane!" Lucy burst in from the other room, with a bento box. "You are off for the day. Kinana will take over for this morning!" She set it down and scurried to the bartender's side. "You collapsed from exhaustion yesterday morning."
"I…what?" Mira groaned and rubbed her head. "Oh…I remember." The memory of suddenly meeting the paneled floor of the ground rose up in her mind. "Ow…"
"I hope you're okay." Lucy fretted. "You were very pale, and we had to carry you home. Laxus did that, of all people." She gave Mira a significant look.
Mira vaguely remembered warm muscled arms lifting her gently, and the rocking motion of being carried. She had assumed at the time that they were Elfman's but then she remembered that her macho manly brother was off on a job request with Lisanna. The inevitable blush surged into her cheeks. "He's…"
Lucy just winked, grabbing a glass of water and handing it to Mira, who suddenly felt very thirsty. "He was all aloof about it, but he practically growled at the other guys who offered to carry you. Aw…"
Mira swatted at Lucy. "Come now, he was just being friendly…" But somewhere inside her girly heart she felt that flutter of excitement. And judging by the silly grin on Lucy's face it showed.
"So you just rest up from working too hard, and the girls will help take care of you. Miss Porlyusica thought you had a touch of the flu, so she wants you on bed rest for a couple of days just to make sure." Lucy produced a dish of curry and brought it over to the bed. "Come on, let's get you all fed up."
As Mira ate, Lucy kept Mira up to date on what had happened. Mira knew she had been working herself to the bone, but usually her magic sustained her to an abnormal level. However, recent strains of virus had not only infected her with flu, but had prevented her from relying on her magic. She hadn't realized it until her body had simply shut down.
"At least, that's what Wendy guessed at." Lucy beamed. "She's getting to be quite the healer, isn't she?"
"Mmm!" Her mouth was too full of curry to answer back. It was good curry too, full of meaty potatoes and chicken and carrots with a hint of spicyness.
"Anyway, Bisca will come to visit you soon. I need to go make sure Natsu and Happy aren't breaking into my house…" When Lucy trailed off, Mira watched as gears connected and Lucy jumped up with a shriek. "SHOOT, I bet that's exactly what they're doing! Sorry Mira, I gotta go!" And with that VERY impromptu taking-of-leave, Lucy rocketed through the door, leaving behind her beautiful bento box behind (heh heh…alliteration). And it was a nice one too.
Mira sat for a while in the picturesque moment; a dish of hearty food in her lap, a pillow propped behind her, and the sunlight gushing in pools on the floor and dancing on her hair.
The moment lasted for precisely one minute.
A crash resounded in her house, making her jump, and there was the sound of a tussle in her living room. Mira hurriedly tugged on her bathrobe before taking a few steps to investigate the almighty ruckus in her home.
Laxus and some horny looking bandit were having a punchfest in her living room. With their wild combat and rolls, it was a miracle her living room was only minimally damaged, with one broken window and a couple overturned sofas.
Mira suddenly wobbled, feeling dizzy from her sudden movement. Holding on to the doorframe for support, she watched as Laxus finally punched the bandit 'nighty-night'.
"Lauxs." Mira smiled. "What the hell are you doing?" She said this so sweetly that Laxus had to do a double take to realize she was talking to him.
"Well, I just knocked out a guy that could've become a potential assassin, vandal, robber, and drug dealer." Laxus said matter-of-factly, barely sounding winded. He dusted off his fists that still flickered with lightning energy. "Though I might've ruined your room."
"It's just furniture." Mira bent down and picked up a vase that had somehow managed to stay in one piece. It was a lovely marbled one, but the flowers had spilled out along with the water. "Where's your Thunder Legion? I thought they'd be with you in this type of mess."
As if on cue, Bixlow smashed through the front door, holding three different kicking guys by the ear with his babies. "Boss, I got them! Oops." "Oops, oops." Whispered his dolls.
Evergreen landed on her behind just a heavy statue toppled through the hole. Judging by the statue's posture, he was a victim of her Medusa-esque eyes. "Ta-da! OH MY GOSH! Mirajane, I am SO sorry for disrupting the calm and privacy of your time…" etc., etc.
"Where's Freed?" Mirajane queried, looking around in vain for the green-haired mage. "He's usually with you." "He's in jail." Bixlow said cheerfully. "Undercover, you understand." "Undercover! Undercover!" Chanted his babies.
Evergreen shrieked. "Still?! He's been there for four days!" "So?" Bixlow retorted. "We need him to report on Lump and his goons! What did ya think, woman?"
Laxus turned to Mirajane as the two continued to bicker like siblings. "You okay?" She was still unnaturally pale, and her body was trembling from the exertion of standing upright. "Oh, yeah, you're on bedrest. Come on." He then scooped her up easily, making Mira start, and strode to her bedroom, pushing the door open with his shoulder.
He dropped her rather unceremoniously onto her bed. "There. You stay put, understand?" He looked indifferent, but there was something…a spark…in his lightning scarred eyes. "Don't want you dying on the old man. He's pretty reliant on you."
Mira smiled as she crawled into the rumpled covers. "I'll try not to." She froze as Laxus stepped forward, arranging the covers around in a suddenly uncharacteristic move, however not meeting her gaze as his hand brushed against hers.
"You take care of yourself." He said gruffly. Mira looked at him steadily, very aware of the fact that his hand had not budged from touching hers. "I will."
Abruptly, he leaned down, his lips meeting hers. Mira had already anticipated the move and closed her eyes, arms threading around his neck as his hand caressed her jaw, tongue meeting tongue in a heated exchange. Mira moaned just a bit, and she could feel Laxus' smirk against her mouth as his arms pulled her closer.
"He's banging her! Banging her!"
The sudden voice of Bixlow's babies startled the two from their little world. Bixlow had turned beet red then ghost white as Laxus zeroed in a glare at him.
Apparently, the two Thunder Legion members had finished their argument and had wandered into her room in search of Laxus, and had been greeted by the sight of the two making out. Bixlow then made a…um…sexual comment in an undertone to Evergreen, and his ever-faithful babies repeated the key words out loud.
"L-laxus…this isn't what it l-looks like…" Evergreen stammered as their leader slowly straightened, still glaring at the two.
"Oh? Then what should it look like? Enlighten me." The voice was low, smiling, and as scary as hell.
"Um…er….AUGH!"
Mira rolled her eyes as Bixlow's poor babies were electrocuted into ash, and Evergreen was frantically trying to take off her glasses but her hands were shaking too hard as Laxus kicked the two to high heaven through the still-broken front door. He then pursued them.
A few moments later, and Bisca poked her head in through the holey door. Her face was stunned. "Mira…? What on earth was going on…?" Asuna popped her head in as well. "Laxus kicked Bixlow's butt!" She reported happily.
"Just come in." Mira sighed. It was already proving quite a challenge mating with the Lightning Dragonslayer. Quite challenging indeed.
Another Miraxus fic! Leave a like and a review if you liked this!