I had to rewrite this whole thing! Kill me now! I didn't even want to post this because of home disappointed I am in this. No mean reviews please.
And to Lucyloveslaxus, I'm not changing my story to please you. Don't like it? Don't read it. If I want to make Laxus a playboy, he's going to be a playboy.
Thanks for your support Gaylebrionna!
A sigh left pale thin lips, green eyes gazing up at the plain white ceiling. Sleep evaded him, his mind running rampant, his wife on his mind.
Turning silently in their bed, Darren took in the form of his beautiful wife. Lucy Heartfillia, who chose to remain a Heartfilia, was a diamond among stones. She was beautiful, smart, funny, compassionate. She was perfect. He fell for her the moment Jason introduced her to the team at Sorcerer Weekly. At the time she was with Laxus.
His lips pulled down into a frown at the thought of the larger man. Laxus was her ex-fiancé. Her first love. How jealous he had been, watching her kiss him, watching him grab at her like a man starved. How he wished to be Laxus. That is, until he screwed up.
He slept with some random woman, Darren didn't know who, and Lucy left him. He realized it was low of him to take advantage of her pain. He knew it was wrong to give in to her the way he did when she asked him. But he couldn't help it. He had pinned after her for years! Silently admiring her from the shadows, from Laxus' shadow, trying all he could to let his love for her go. So when the chance arose, he struck, and he struck big!
She agreed to date him. Although reluctant and still hurt over Laxus' betrayal, Lucy allowed him to court her and soon she had agreed to marry him!
How overjoyed he had been when she said yes. Reluctantly, hesitantly, his traitorous mind whispered.
Another sigh left him, his hand reaching up to brush her bangs from her face.
He should have been happy. He finally had the girl of his dreams. He was married to her and now a big shot reporter and writer for Sorcerer's. So why did he feel so... not happy?
That's right, he thought disdainfully, Laxus' large muscular form, cocky smirk and all flashing across his mind. Because she still loves that big oaf.
It was plain to see she still loved Laxus. A part of Darren had hoped and prayed that Laxus would have become nothing but a memory to her but, how wrong he been. She wasn't happy. She didn't love him. Darren's fist clenched, No matter what I do, I'm still living in his shadow!
Lucy mumbled in her sleep, turning to her side. "L..mhhh...xus... Sorry...Ren..."
Darren's eyes sharpened into a glare, staring hard into her back. He tried to be mad at her. He tried to focus at least a fraction of the anger he felt towards Laxus on to Lucy, but he couldn't. He just couldn't bring himself to hate her.
He pursued her knowing she loved the Lightning Wizard. He married her knowing she didn't truly love him. At the end of the day, he was just as much to blame for this pain in his chest as she was. But he couldn't really fault her for that. He couldn't.
Settling back on to his back, his gaze return to the ceiling, pondering his life and hers, and what his life had become.
"Lucy?"
Turning to her husband, her head tilted in silent response.
"Can we talk?"
Blinking she nodded curious as to his sudden change in demeanor. Standing up for her writing desk, she moved over toward the living room and sat on the couch across from him.
"What is it?"
She watched as he sat, elbows settled upon parted legs, his finger interlocked and covering his mouth. His usual wide eyed gaze narrowed at he started at her, contemplating, studying her. Lucy squirmed slightly, wonder what could have brought such an expression to Darren's face.
"Lucy," he began slowly, his voice deeper, lacking its usual Natsu-like cheerful tone. "What are your feelings in regards to myself?" He questioned.
"What kind of question is that?" Lucy asked confused.
Darren frowned. "Do you love me, Lucy." This time the question came out sharp, more of a demand.
She blinked one, twice, shocked he had taken such a tone with her. "...why are you asking me that? Are you okay? Is something wrong?"
He huffed in frustration, shooting to his feet and pacing the floor. His hand came up to run through his brunette locks. "You're avoiding the question." He said before turning to look at her. "How long have we been together? Not counting marriage."
"Ummm, okay? Seven months together and married for a month now." She answered. "Are you sure you're okay?"
"And in the past seven months, or shall I say eight, you've never once told me how you've felt about me. You've never told me that you loved me."
Lucy stiffened, eyes widening in shock. "Darren-"
"Be honest with me Lucy." He said. "Do you have any feelings for me? Romantic feelings?"
Brown eyes closed, tears spilling down her face as she bit at her bottom lip. Her hand came up to grasp at her shirt, right above where her fast beating head sat. "No," she answered with a barely suppressed sob. "I'm so sorry Darren, I tried... I really tried, but I still..."
"Still love Laxus." He finished in bitterness, his own head bowed down.
A soft nod of the head was his only answer as she began to cry.
He followed soon after. Tear silently trailing down his face as he listened to her sob. It hurt. It hurt so much to know that she didn't love him. That she still loved the blonde brute of a man. For a brief moment he finally managed to transfer some of the anger he felt on to her. His bloody gave their barest of tingles, his breathing hitching just the slightest.
She led him on! She let him believe that they could have a further together! That she could love him like he did her and forget all about Laxus! She married him when she didn't love him! But just as quickly as it came, it vanishes like a candle flame put out, its smoke rising into the air and slowly dissipating in seconds. He was back to the same train of thought he was that night.
He was just as much to blame. The signs were all there. He had just chosen to ignore them, pretending they meant nothing. He chose to believe that love would come in time. He chose to ignore her true feelings. He chose to turn a blind eye to the obvious lack of love in her eyes. Instead, he had focused on the way she tried to play it off. The way she tried to make herself love him. He focused on the affection of friendship he saw in her eyes, in his mind replacing it with growing love.
He was the one who still perused her when she was still hesitant to date again. He was the one who proposed to her knowing damn well what her true feeling were. He was the one that allowed her to say 'I Do' with tears running down her face. Tears that he knew weren't from happiness but just pretended they were. He was the one who said 'I Do' when he clearly knew it was a mistake. But he had wanted her so bad. He had wanted to be able to call her his. His wife! His love! His Lucy! But she was nerves truly his to begging with.
She never was.
His mind flashed back to the conversation he had with Wendy and the other Slayers after asking to speak with them all.
"What exactly is he to her? Why were you, Natsu, and these other Dragon Slayers so opposed to Lucy's and my marriage?" Darren asked
Wendy sighed, exchanging glances with Gajeel and Levy, Natsu and Lisanna, and Cobra. Sting and Rogue were on a mission so we're unable to make it.
"We Slayers were raised by Dragons. Actual living, breathing, beasts. They thought us their magic and with that magic came changes to our lives. We gained their large appetites and a love for fighting. We gained heightened senses and stronger than normal bodies. We also gained the ability to find what we call Mates. For a Dragon Slayer dating and marriage are a lot more complicated and different compared to what normal people do. A mate to us is the one person destined to be our own. It's like two halves of a soul, each a puzzle piece fitting perfectly together. There is no one more valuable or more important to us besides our Mates, the one person in the world who can fully awaken our inner dragon. Our Mates are the perfect match for us. Our strength and weakness. They can handle our temperament and thirst for battle. They can handle and synchronize with our magic like a unison raid and support us. They are the key to our happiness." Gajeel said holding Levy close.
Natsu took over, gazing gently down at Lisanna. It was quite the sights to see and even more so what Darren heard come out of the usually naïve Fire Wizard. "She'll be the only woman who can satisfy you completely. She'll be the only one who can quell the roaring dragon within our heads that begs to break free. Unlike every other woman out there, no matter how many times you couple without protections, She'll be the only one you ever impregnate with your hatchling- the only one you'll ever want to impregnate. She's the one. Theres no if's, and's, or but's about it. She's your beginning and your end."
"Mating for us Slayers is unbreakable." Wendy picked back up once Natsu has said his piece. "Once the mark has been placed upon our Mate, both souls become linked. An unbreakable bond is forged as our powers and venom enter their body, binding us together. Emotions can be shared. Power can be given when needed. There is no separation or divorce for us. The only thing capable of breaking a mated pair is death, and even then the other mate will find a secluded area, most likely their home, and wait for death to claim them to be together in the afterlife."
Cobra sighed as he listened in to Darren's mind. Picking up on the man's confusion he decided to speak up. "Unlike these three and the Twins, Spark Plug and I weren't raised by fucking Dragons. We had Dragon Lacrima's implanted. Laxus and I knew nothing of Mate's and all of the other shit the others were taught." Cobra spoke. "We especially didn't know about heats and mating season. For us Slayers, every year, just before summer, our mating season begins after we've reached maturity. We have a tendency to get violent and have the worst fucking libido. Apparently, Sparky apparently gets very violent and rough with his partners during this time. This was his first mating season with Lucy around and the intensity of his dragon and instinct scared shit out of him, never having loved a woman before. He didn't want to lose control and hurt Bright Eyes."
"The idiot went home to pack so he could leave and ride out his heat, and from what Cobra gathered the woman was there waiting for him." Gajeel said.
"But if Lucy is his mate why did he have sex with that other woman? It makes no sense!" Darren exclaimed. "He shouldn't have sleep with her when he had Lucy if this whole mating this is even real!"
The four Dragon Slayers shared a long look, emotions flashing across their faces as they debated on what to tell Darren. No words were said. Cobra and Gajeel's eyebrows were simply raised and scrunched with a few grunts exchanged. Natsu's jaw clenched and jutted with hums and light rumbling leaving his chest. Wendy bit at the insides of her cheeks and abused her bottom lip in uncertainty.
Cobra was the first to speak, irritation showing in his sole narrowed eye as he turned to look at Darren.
Darren squirmed in his seat, uncomfortable with the intensity of the Sound and Poison users gaze. He knew all about Cobra being a former criminal and killer, turned good after joining Crime Sorcière and Fairy Tail. He still couldn't understand how Lucy had come to value and care for the ornery vulgar man. Cobra, quite frankly, scared him. Gajeel too, followed right behind him. He had heard stories about Fantom Lord's Black Steel. That man was a legend in brutality back in the old days.
The older man scoffed at him. "Grow a pair, fucking pansy." He snapped. "Can't believe Bright Eyes married such an imbecile."
"Cobra!"
"Don't start with me, Half-pint. You were the first one to disagree with their relationship. Not my fault this pretty boy's about to piss his pants from just being in the same room as me."
"That's beside the point!" She exclaimed in indignation. "He's here for help! Be nice to him!"
Cobra let out another scoff. "Yeah, ain't happening, Shortcake. Keep dreaming though." Before he turned back to the others. "I'm not going to sugarcoat shit for anyone or keep quiet just because its not my fucking business. I don't give a damn if Laxus gets pissed about what I'm going to say. He can suck it. Lucy didn't want to fucking listen to anyone when we tried to tell her what happen, because this little fuck convinced her we were on his side, and I'm sick and tired of having to listen to this angst fest! It's like a bad daytime soap opera and it's giving me migraines! Maybe this will help get the ball moving in the right damn direction."
"I hate to admit it," Lisanna cut in, speaking for the first time, ducking her head shyly when all eyes turned to her. "But Cobra's right. I'm sure that once Darren knows the truth of what happened he'll do the right thing and talk with Lucy. Maybe she'll listen to him."
"Hmm," Darren cut in, face filled with confusion as he watched them banter. "What truth?"
"Sit tight, Pansy. This is a long story." Cobra began before a wicked smirk curled across his face. "And you better hope you do the right thing by the end of it, because if I have to sit through anymore of this daytime soap because you want to stay with her and feed her anger, I'm going to kill you."
Lucy Heartfilia was Laxus'.
She was Laxus Dreyar's Lucy.
She was his mate.
Over and over, their words replayed in his head like a broken record. To have a person destined to forever be yours, the only women or man out there for you. It sounded so magical and so unbelievable. But he had seen with his own eyes how the other two treated Lisanna and Levy. How Sting and Laxus has acted when with their mates. Darren had heard tales of Black Steel Gajeel, Sting Eucliffe, and Laxus Dreyar. They were playboys and womanizers. Women of all ages flocked together for a chance to be with them. Then they suddenly just stopped.
No more picking up women in bars.
No more getting caught in hotels with random ladies.
Gajeel was always seen with his Shrimp, the silent shadow that always followed where she went.
Sting was at Yukino's beck and call, always kissing her in public to get a rise out of the small silver haired woman.
Laxus was no longer the object of hatred for jealous men hopping to get lucky at bars, having completely stopped visiting bars altogether. He was always seen possessively holding Lucy. The Blonde Celestial Mage was always either in his lap or tucked into his side. It was rare to see one without the other.
Even Natsu had changed! He wasn't as destructive as before and had lost some of his childishness. Always following Lisanna around and giving her affectionate nuzzles and hugs, always tickling the blue eyes girl.
If anything, the conversation had made him feel even worse. Darren had asked Levy for any information she had on mates, and the bluenette had waisted no time in loaning him an old book. One he had finished reading it…
"You know I love you, right?" he finally broke the silence that had enveloped them. When she gave a week nod of the head, stiffing and little hiccups here and there, he moved to sit beside her. Taking her hands in one of his own, he lifted the other to lift her face up to his.
"Darren, I'm-"
"Shhhh." He shushed her, thumb gently wiping away at her tears. "I know, Lucy. I know." He said moving to bring her into his arms and holding her tightly. "It's not your fault. If anything I'm also to blame for this. I knew you didn't love me and I still asked you to marry me. I still said I do. The truth of the matter is, I'm the one at fault. I used your pain as a means to finally have you and call you mine. I fed your anger and hurt by bad mouthing Laxus when he was a victim too."
Lucy's head shot up, eyes wide. "Laxus? A victim? He-!" Darren's finger cut her off.
"Lucy, that man loves you. There's more to the story than you know. The others tried to tell you but you wouldn't listen to them, and I'm afraid I am to blame for that as well," his head fell in shame. "I told you such vicious things. I set more gasoline to a fire already burning high, because I wanted you to look at me. I wanted your anger and pain to grow so that you wouldn't run back to him and leave me. As much as it hurts to say... Laxus Dreyar. Loves. You. And if what the others told me is true, you need to go to him and fix this."
"Darren, I-"
"Tell me, did you ever once doubt his love for you?"
Her head turned to the side, glaring off to the side, trying to ignore him. But the feel of Darren's gaze boring into the back of her head made it hard.
"No." She finally answered.
"Did he ever once give you any indication that he wasn't happy with you? That he didn't really love you? That he was seeing someone else?"
"No. Everything was perfect. It was like a dream come true." She gave a small little sob as the words caught in her throat. "and then I walked in and he was… he was…"
It hurt hearing her say those things but he pushed the hurt aside, comforting her instead. "I know it's not easy to forget what you saw Lucy. But would you rather spend the rest of your life in a loveless marriage while the two of you could have gotten back together and lived happily together? Would you rather carry on unhappily thinking of what could have been? Mirajane told me about the plans the two of you had. Rebuilding his Grandfathers home by the lake. Having a little girl named after both of your mothers that you could spoil. That little boy who he would raise like his grandfather did him. Believe me when I tell you, I would rather be convincing you to stay by my side than return to his but," he paused trying to swallow around the ball that had formed in his throat. "You are mates. You were born to be with him Lucy. And he was born to be with you."
Taking in a deep breath he gazed into her wide eyes.
"Will you listen to what I have to say? To what the others have tried to tell you?"
"..."
"Lucy...?"
"...O-Okay."
I know this is a terrible chapter. I had this story finished but before I could save it my computer just turned off and the stupid thing only saved the first few paragraphs! I have the worst luck! Now I have to try to remember what I wrote for this story and rewrite it! The original was so much longer too!
Unedited because I'm too aggravated to even look at this anymore than I have in the last two days.
Who can Beta for me? And who can I ask to do some cover art for me?