Here is Antivenin's third chapter at last! I decided that I'm going to ignore my original intentions regarding the length of this story. This is going to be at least 6 chapters, I think.

Song: "Redefined" by tyDi featuring Melanie Fontana

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or they song.


Falling Like An Angel
Who Forgot How To Fly
Like A Stranger
That I've Seen Too Many Nights


Cobra maneuvered the apartment door open as quietly as possible. Lucy had cried herself to sleep in his arms along the way, and the Dragon Slayer was loathe to awaken her. With a soft click, it swung ajar. Turning, Cobra nudged the wooden object closed with his foot. However, locking it proved to be just as difficult a proposition with the blonde clinging tightly to him.

There was absolutely no way in hell he was dropping Lucy, however. So he shifted her weight and propped himself up against the wall at an odd angle. Eventually, he succeeded in locking the door and was free to move about again.

Stepping into the apartment proper, Cobra wound his way around the obstacles of her couch and chairs to reach Lucy's bed. After all this time, he still didn't quite understand the blonde's preference for sleeping out in the open instead of taking the bedroom for herself. Intellectually, he did, but on a more primal level it left him with a sense of distaste. Cobra had been the intruder, so Lucy should have claimed the new room, he reasoned – she had every right to it. But habit and a desire for constancy kept her out in the main area. Still, Cobra was grateful that he had a room to himself. Much as he'd despised his prison cells – all of them – he felt much better sleeping with solid walls around him. Or sitting with one to his back; he suspected it was partly left over from Brain's betrayal during the Nirvana incident, but more likely it was from all the years he'd had to watch it against attack.

As gently as he could, Cobra lowered his slumbering partner to her bedsheets. Her fists clenched around his shoulders as he attempted to stand, causing him to lose his balance. Putting his hands out to either side of Lucy, Cobra just barely prevented himself from falling on top of her.

Lucy continued to cling to her friend and partner, face scrunched up in determination.

Cobra felt like facepalming. She wasn't even awake!

"Don't leave," she murmured.

The Poison Dragon Slayer froze. Scenting saltwater from his partner, he inspected her closely. Lucy was trembling, trying desperately to hold onto him.

She was dreaming of Tartaros again.

Biting back a growl, Cobra attempted to shift her grip. "I'm right here – I'm not going anywhere Bright Eyes. Now let go." Instead of loosening, the strength of her hold on him increased.

With a sigh of exasperation, and certain he was going to be kicked for his impertinence later, Cobra climbed onto the mattress with Lucy. Oh well. He was tired, too. And feeling a bit masochistic, he reflected as he moved her until she half lay on top of him. A tug had the comforter up and around them.

Lucy let out a soft exhalation of contentment, and snuggled into him.

It made his heart clench in pain.

Cobra knew that Mirajane and most of the guild wanted them to become a couple. Which would be perfectly fine with him. Scratch that, he wanted his relationship with Lucy to reach a deeper level of intimacy with a voraciousness that even gave him pause. Not just the physical component, either – Cobra wanted all who saw them to know they were together. He wanted the world to acknowledge they were meant for each other, that their souls were intertwined to the point where separation would tear them both apart.

He just needed the go-ahead from Lucy herself. To his increasing despair, it felt like the blonde would never come to realize that she, too, felt more than friendship for Cobra.

There was nothing stopping him from confessing himself, but Cobra didn't feel prepared for that just yet. The fear that he was projecting his own desires upon her was almost overwhelming, and the threat of rejection loomed heavily inside of him.

Wrapping his arms around Lucy's warm form, Cobra felt his eyelids start to close in drowsiness.

This was enough for now, he decided.

He drifted off to sleep, with his partner in his arms, to dream along with her of the people they had both once been.


And All These Layers
Building Up Over Time
You Peeled Them Back To Let Me Out


Honestly, if the light guilds were going to band together to destroy one of the three top dark guilds in the country, they really ought be a bit less vocal about it. Then maybe the dark guild being targeted wouldn't catch wind of the plot. Or, well, the general idea of a plot. None of the light guilds were going into the conspiracy with a solid plan. It was a make-this-shit-up-as-we-go deal, to Cobra's best understanding.

At least, until the first guild to arrive at the bungalow – Blue Pegasus – entered the building. Then Cobra couldn't hear their thoughts anymore. Some sort of protective spell must have been cast over the structure that prevented his Soul Listening magic from being effective. The criminal frowned, as he realized that his Dragon Slayer senses were no good either. A really strong barrier spell, indeed, if it was messing with those.

Which would be a problem if the legal mages actually did manage to pull themselves together and concoct a plan.

Cobra was not looking forward to the inevitable taunting that would accompany Angel's involvement. Or the fact that he was going to have to admit his failure at spying upon these bumbling morons.

As he was about to leave, he paused, Cubelios coiling around him as he hesitated. His Soul Listening magic had picked up more mages arriving at the rendezvous point. One of them was a Dragon Slayer. Eyebrow lifting in interest, he observed their arrival, taking note not only of the rather infamous Natsu Dragneel, but also of the widely venerated Titania. Forget the Fire Dragon Slayer – Titania was the one to watch out for within this group.

Cobra had almost overlooked the blonde woman accompanying the other mages, at first. She was gorgeous, of that there was no doubt, but there wasn't anything particularly interesting about her that he could immediately observe.

Until he saw the whip, that is.

Nearly snarling at the sight of hateful object, he would've given away his existence to the mages below if he hadn't reined himself in at the last moment. Cobra despised whips, more so than anything else in the world. He wanted to tear its wielder apart – only Brain's firm warnings and the looming threat of punishment by Zero kept Cobra hidden.

Instead, he glared balefully at the fellow teenager as she joked along with her dark haired teammate about the building's architecture.

A few moments of skimming her mind caused him to lower his hackles. Something was off with this one. Try as he might, he couldn't find an ounce of maliciousness inside her. How was that possible? She used a whip. It left him confused, and uncertain. Heavy upon her mind and soul were memories that exuded freshness, and those gave Cobra further pause. The girl – Lucy was her name, he discovered – was trying to keep her inner turmoil hidden from her teammates, but she couldn't shroud them from Cobra.

He tilted his head to the side, regarding her with something that felt oddly akin to respect; which would be completely ridiculous, she was a member of a legal guild, after all. Conflict was raging in her head over… her father? No – her abuser, Cobra decided. Or both. Both.

Curiosity surfaced within the Poison Dragon Slayer as she entered the building and the flow of her thoughts was suddenly cut off from him. He stood, for several moments, with Cubelios as he sorted out all of his new information. She'd stood up to the man her mind saw as both a monster and as kin. She had protected herself more than once against someone who'd only sought to imprison her.

Then, in complete contrast with the rest of her heart, Lucy had taken out a dark guild by herself. Granted it wasn't the full force of the guild. Cobra found it intriguing all the same. Four golden spirits she had summoned. And she had more. Angel would be pleased to add them to her collection, but that wasn't the main source of Cobra's interest.

The girl's mind was keen and overflowing with interconnecting thoughts that wound together in a serpent's dance. He was curious as to how his Soul Listening magic would fare against someone like that. The blonde possessed the same magic as Angel, which would give him trouble if he were to be matched against her. Not that there was much chance of that – Brain was fond of symmetry in his way. It was far more likely Cobra would be facing either the Titania or the Salamander. Still… it was a little disappointing.

When the time finally came to face them, he again found himself surprised by the innocuous-seeming Fairy.

Despite the gravity of the moment, of the inevitable death about to be visited upon this silly coalition of light guilds, or perhaps even because of it, Cobra appreciated the levity the blonde had unknowingly brought upon him.

"Is is strange that I'm terrified of the sleeping guy?" the girl muttered, mostly to herself.

It took everything he had to keep from laughing at her observation.

'This one has good instincts. Better than the rest.'

In that moment, he was glad his opponent was to be the Titania rather than her.

It would be such a shame to snuff out the light in the blonde's eyes.

And if the depths of her mind were any indication… Angel was in for a hell of a fight.

Cobra couldn't help feeling smug when, hours later, he was proven correct.


And You Revealed The Mystery
Rewrote My History
When I Had Half My Truth
I Found The Rest In You


After seven years, it was time to once again face-off against the guild that had ruined his life. Even after all this time, the loss of his friend tore Cobra's soul apart. It was the Soul Link, he knew. The bond formed between two individuals that tied them together for life – born of mutual respect and care.

Cubelios.

Her Soul Link with Cobra had been broken, shattered. Cobra couldn't find her. Why couldn't he find her?

Fairy Tail was to blame for tearing them apart, so Cobra would do the same to them. He didn't give a shit about what Midnight wanted. Not really. This path would lead him, if not to his dearest friend, then at least to his revenge upon the ones who took her away.

Cobra did have to admit he felt a slight twinge of remorse, though, for their chosen sacrifice.

She was, after all, still reeling from recent loss not too unlike his own. But if Midnight's plan was successful, then it wouldn't matter at all. Because it would have never happened in the first place. So in the end it didn't matter how much her despair and sorrow was alike to Cobra's; it would be erased.

Soon, it wouldn't matter at all.


It Was Like Water
Slipping Right Through My Hands


The day Cobra finally worked up the nerve to enter the guildhall was quite possibly more terrifying than even the Tower of Heaven had been in his youth. Within the half-demolished building in front of him lay a future he desired, and now that he was at last the master of his own life he would choose his path.

His oldest friend wasn't inside at the moment. But then, almost none of the mages with whom he'd come into conflict with during the Nirvana incident and later the Infinity Clock were there either. Only the blonde was there – he thought. Something felt off about her thoughts in comparison to his recollection of them but he also hadn't paid much attention back then to her (though to say he had been unaware of her would have been a complete lie). The Salamander and Titania weren't there, which was his main concern.

Cobra almost lost his will to enter anyway, afraid of being turned down by the guild that supposedly accepted anyone. This was his best chance to move forward. The Magic Council was gone, and even if it could reform it would be a long time before they came looking for him. Cobra hadn't joined Crime Sorciere with the others, though he'd been tempted. It would have been a good choice, and it was the expected one. He found that he couldn't do it. He couldn't follow the person that had given them to Brain and Zero. It was time to make a decision for himself for the first time in years – not even the escape had been entirely of his freewill.

So he chose for the first time. He chose Fairy Tail and Kinana.

He had no clue what he would do if they rejected him.

A sudden wave of fetid darkness washed over Cobra as he reached for the door. Gagging, he struggled to stand against the onslaught of rotten that was assaulting his senses. His eye watered with the force it took to keep his stomach contents within him.

Once the tidal wave had passed, and Cobra's vision cleared, he stared in horror at the guild's entranceway.

'What the fuck was that?' he wondered. With his mind, Cobra sought out the culprit behind what he could only assume was an intentional attack.

He blanched as he found what seemed to be a pool of the stuff deep inside one nearby soul. Now that he could properly assess what it was, he found his answer almost immediately. Something inside of his own soul churned at what he was hearing from a familiar blonde Fairy.

Someone, or something, had ripped out one of her Soul Links, roots and all.

'No, wait…' Cobra listened a little deeper with his magic, unsettled with his finding.

More than one Soul Link.

Five.

Five of them were gone.

Gaping holes in Lucy's soul were all that remained, the putrid liquid from before now filling them instead of where there was supposed to be happiness. Utter wrongness accompanied it.

Cobra had never heard something like this before, and just the sound of her enduring it made him want to be violently ill.

How the fuck was she still standing?

Needing to see this for himself, he pushed open the doors to the guild. Controlling his breathing and his strides to give no hint of his internal distress, he found himself standing in the middle of the guild hall. The commotion died, as the members realized who was amongst them.

Then the girl turned and saw him as well.

'He looks lost,' she observed. Then, much quieter, her soul whispered, 'Like me.'

The Dragon Slayer glared at her. He wasn't lost. Not in the least. And he certainly wasn't experiencing anything like she was.

An approaching, very powerful and old soul pulled Cobra's attention away from the blonde. A tiny man with a giant of a soul stood before him smiling gently. This was it. Cobra's gut twisted up into knots at the leader of the Guild. Finding his words stuck in his throat, Cobra glared at him.

The knowing smile that crossed Makarov's face sliced through the Gordian Knot inside of Cobra. "Where would you like your stamp?" Makarov asked, understanding what Cobra could not say.

"Left shoulder. Red," Cobra choked out through the blockage of his throat. He was glad that he didn't sound nearly as emotional as he in fact was. He didn't want to seem weak.

Cobra could feel Lucy's gaze upon him still. Inspecting the new mark upon his skin, Cobra listened intently to her soul for a trace or hint as to what caused her condition.

"Did it pass muster?" Makarov's question startled Cobra. "Oh my, I didn't think it was possible to surprise a mind-reader."

Embarrassed, Cobra could only work up a half-snarl in response. "It's Soul-Listening Magic. And I was listening to someone else," he accidentally admitted. Shit. He hadn't intended to say that.

"You mean eavesdropping on someone else?" the small old man teased his newest brat.

"Screw you."

"No, my boy," Makarov corrected. "Now that you're a part of the guild, you're going to have to show some respect for your Guild Master. Instead of, 'Screw you,' it should be, 'Screw you, Master Makarov.'"

"SCREW YOU, MASTER MAKAROV," Cobra growled with all the venom he could imbue the statement with. Which was a considerable amount.

Then Cobra heard delight, bright and warm, rushing through the blonde woman standing at the board. A small laugh accompanied the cheerful sound her soul was making.

Fixing her with a stoic stare, Cobra pretended to be unaffected by the tones emanating from her soul. It was difficult, however. Compared to what he had heard before, this sound was breathtaking in its beauty.

He'd… never heard anything quite like those clear, ringing notes before.

Flustered by the attention she'd drawn to herself, Lucy did her utmost to flee as quickly as possible.

Cobra snorted in amusement when she pretended she didn't notice his stare.

He decided to leave the issue of the missing Soul Links alone for now. It was none of his concern – the woman was surrounded by her friends and family. Surely they were helping her to mend the rifts and drive back the darkness.

There was no need for him to get involved – even if he did, at least a little, sympathize.


Tried To Hold On, But…
Never Could Understand


It became clear to Cobra, as the week passed, that he had been very, very mistaken.

The girl, Lucy… her soul was drowning in the fetid, poisonous waters spewing from the gaps within it. Cobra had paid a great deal more attention to it than he should have, he knew. But he couldn't help it. Just listening to the sounds of her very being screaming in agony was enough to make him ill – not elated as it would have before. Whenever he entered the guild, Cobra was confronted with the discordant, rotten noises.

Something needed to be done about it. He couldn't stand hearing it any more. And not just because of ugly sounds – he did feel for the girl. Cobra understood better than anyone how painful it was to have his friends, his closest companions, wrenched violently from his life.

Now he was watching as his friend again went to a place he could not follow.

And he would let Kinana find that happiness, because she deserved it. His own hopes, he would bury. Cobra would be her friend for as long as he lived, and that would be enough. It would have to be.

But Cobra desperately needed something to take his mind off of Kinana. Before he fell into the same state as the blonde.

When Lucy approached him with that job request to hunt to hunt down some bandits, he seized the chance at a distraction. He felt an odd kinship with the blonde, and when her soul pleaded for him to accept, there was no possible way he could have refused.

Cobra understood what the fear of rejection felt like.

And if no one else was going to help the Celestial mage, if no one else could help her, then he would do it.

That was what being nakama meant, right?


That I Was Stronger
Than All The Physical Plans


Cobra stared deeply into the violet eyes of the young girl sitting across from him at the table.

The child giggled cheerfully, setting Cobra's eye to twitching at the sound.

"…What on Earthland are you doing?"

So deep in concentration he had been, Cobra hadn't heard his unofficial partner walk up to him. Startled, he blinked.

Asuka let out a whooping cheer of victory and Cobra groaned.

"Dammit, Bright Eyes," he growled. "You made me lose."

Lucy paused, confused. "Lose…?"

Still cheering, the young Connell jumped up from her seat to grab the blonde Celestial mage's hand. "Did you see that, Lucy-nee? I beat Cobra-jii in a staring contest! Now he owes me a milkshake!"

The profound look of disgust on Cobra's face was truly a sight to behold.

Amused, Lucy struggled to keep a laugh from escaping. "Cobra… jii?"

"Yes, it's fucking hilarious. Ha. Ha. Ha," Cobra muttered darkly. "Now go tell the Demon what you want."

Asuka released Lucy's hand and ran off to regale the white-haired barmaid with the tale of Cobra's stunning defeat at her hands.

Lucy bit her lip. "Did you… just challenge a six-year-old to a staring contest…?"

"She challenged me," Cobra asserted. "I wasn't about to let a six-year-old call me a chicken-shit."

Lucy found it very difficult to breathe through all of her laughter.

"Hey!" he protested as she held onto the table for support, tears of mirth leaking from her eyes. "It's not that funny!"

"Yes!" she wheezed. "It is!"

"…Since you're the reason I lost, you're the one who's paying for it," Cobra informed her, smugness crawling across his face.

Suddenly, Lucy didn't find it so funny anymore.


Until You Came Along
And Showed Me How


Lucy was quite surprised one morning to discover a second toothbrush in her bathroom. For a moment, she stared at it. Then she rubbed her eyes.

Nope. It was still there. Innocuously existing. In her bathroom. Next to her own toothbrush.

She ducked her head out the door, spying Cobra wandering around aimlessly. "Is that your toothbrush in here?"

The Poison Dragon Slayer raised an eyebrow at her. "I would be rather concerned if it belonged to someone else."

Groaning, Lucy withdrew. "Why is it in here?"

"Because that's where toothbrushes go," he reminded her.

"I know that!" Lucy shouted. It was too early for this conversation. The Celestial mage suppressed a yawn. "I meant, why is it in my bathroom? Specifically?"

Though she couldn't see it, Cobra shrugged. "Why not? I sleep on your couch pretty much every other night. Thought it would be more convenient."

Lucy yawned again. Yup. Too early for this. "Alright, then," she said, accepting the presence of the toothbrush. It hadn't harmed her – it could be allowed to persist in existing.

Both of Cobra's eyebrows shot up to his hairline. "That's it? No more complaints?" He had expected her to put up more of a fight than this.

Rolling her eyes, Lucy replied, "Trust me, we all benefit from you brushing your teeth."

Mildly indignant, Cobra shot back, "And what exactly do you mean by that?"

"You know full well what I mean, your breath reeks of poison and death."

"No shit." The Dragon Slayer stepped into the bathroom's threshold, leaning against the doorjamb. "I shoot poison from my mouth on a regular, almost daily basis. What did you expect?"

Lucy started to brush her hair, facing the man slightly. "From now on, we're taking breath mints with us on missions."

"Breath mints are disgusting, did you hear about that guy who got a jaw infection and used breath mints to cover it up, so they had to replace his whole-"

With a strangled noise, Lucy interrupted, "I will launch you off a goddamn cliff why do you know this? Why are you telling me this?"

Cobra grinned widely at her. "Because I enjoy pissing you off." He really, truly did.

"...Again. Cliff," Lucy pointed out.

Laughing at her, Cobra responded, "Well, unlike you, I wouldn't be shoved off the cliff. I would jump gracefully and not be covered in gunk."

Beginning to get flustered, Lucy slammed her hairbrush onto the counter with far more force than necessary. "I will kill you in your sleep and piss on everything you love," she threatened, saying the first thing that came to mind. She really needed to stop hanging out with Cana. The alcoholic was a bad influence on her vocabulary. So was Cobra, actually.

Infuriatingly, Cobra continued to chuckle at her. "Now that's just petty."

"Bite me," Lucy growled.

All traces of amusement vanished from Cobra's personage. Oh, if only she knew just how tempting that really was. "Now as much as I'd love to," he joked, trying to diffuse the tension that had leaked into the air, "a trip to the hospital for antivenin isn't something I had planned to do today."

"You planned that didn't you, you smarmy shit," Lucy groaned.

Situation now a little less tense, Cobra added, "And besides, haven't you learned your lesson yet about daring me to do things? Need I remind of what happened with the cliff?"

"...Why do I put up with you?"

Candidly, and before he could stop himself, Cobra blurted, "Because you love me."

Heavy silence descended between them. Internally, Cobra kicked himself over and over for what had just passed his lips. This was not how he had meant to broach the delicate subject. He wasn't entirely certain how he felt about her growing feelings for him. Cobra was going to have to analyze his own, conflicting emotions towards the blonde before too much longer. But now – he wasn't sure if he was entirely prepared to deal with it.

Fucking hell, maybe he did need a filter on his mouth.

Then Lucy, incredulous, said, "Riiiiiiight."

Even though he hadn't meant to say it, Cobra found that response to his declaration mildly offensive. "I'm serious."

"Okay, how drunk are you?"

Cobra remained silent for a moment, and then sighed. She was nowhere near ready to hear this. Which was, honestly, a relief. So he followed her redirect. "I'm not. But I did sweep Bacchus under the table yesterday."

Giggling, Lucy reached for her own toothbrush – nearly grabbing Cobra's instead. "How you aren't dead yet, I don't know. …Oops, sorry, this one is mine…"

Cobra wondered if he should mention to the Celestial mage that his toothbrush had been there for three days before she'd noticed it. And that she'd already accidentally used it before – more than once.

'Nah,' he decided. 'I'll just… let her stay in the dark on this one…'


Got The Ability
To Take A Broken Dream


It wasn't common knowledge, but Lucy was the only person aside from Kinana allowed to invade Cobra's personal space at will.

Though this was an obvious fact to anyone who observed the Dragon Slayer at length, few bothered. Wendy did, though. The Sky Dragon Slayer watched Lucy with the older Slayer constantly. It wasn't that she didn't trust Cobra – if the Master said he could join Fairy Tail, she wasn't going to question it. Also, Lucy seemed to glow in his presence. Far more than she did with anyone else.

This right to approach him that Lucy seemed to possess, though… it was hard won. Through countless jobs together and arguments, Cobra had eventually come to trust the Celestial mage.

Wendy didn't understand why no one else seemed to see how ecstatically happy it seemed to make the Poison Dragon Slayer. The fact that he could trust someone to the extent that he did Lucy was unheard of for him.

Maybe it had to do with the fact that only Wendy could get away with her observations without Cobra turning into a snarly, snapping mess.


And With A Four Letter Word
Redefined What It Means


"Hey. Redheaded-Monster."

A pinprick of irritation grew within Erza's chest at the now familiar nickname she'd been given by a certain dark-skinned Dragon Slayer. "Cobra," she stated levelly, looking up at Lucy's roommate. Once she saw the look on his face, however, she bit off the lecture she had been about to deliver. Instead, she furrowed her brow as she took in his defensive posture, his arms crossed over his chest rather than buried in his pockets like they normally were. His ubiquitous scowl was as ever present, but the skin around his one functioning eye was pulled tighter than it usually was.

Something was wrong, that much was clear to the Requip mage. There were very few things that could upset the aggressively snarky Dragon Slayer to this extent. "Cobra? Is something the matter?" Erza asked, concern leaking into her voice. "Or is it Lucy? Is Lucy alright?"

"Bright Eyes is fine."

Relief washed through Erza's entire body in soothing waves. "Thank goodness. You scared me for a moment. So, what's going on?"

Uncomfortable, Cobra shifted in place. "Look, let's skip the bullshit. I need a favor."

Erza drew back in surprise. This was a first. The Poison Dragon Slayer had never asked anyone for anything, as far as she was aware of, ever since he had joined the guild eight months prior. "What is it?"

He uncrossed his arms, and withdrew a folded slip of paper from his jacket pocket. Taking it, Erza opened the paper to reveal a job flyer – an S-Class one at that. "Take Bright Eyes and the Sky Maiden."

Head snapping up, Erza fixed Cobra with her hardest stare. "This is an S-Class job request, Cobra. I'm not sure I'm comfortable taking them on a job of this nature and difficulty." With a purse of her lips, she added, "Also, I don't understand why you would ask this of me. The Master had granted you permission to take on S-Class jobs. You could take them yourself."

Cobra's lip curled upward in a restrained snarl. "I asked because you're S-Class and you don't coddle them. I can't take them on this job. It has to be someone else. I would rather it be you instead of that walking Circuit-Board."

Silence fell between them, the Titania taking her time in processing Cobra's words. There were many questions she wished to ask of Cobra. Finally, she inquired, "Why do you think they need to go on this job in particular?" There was nothing special about it as far as she could tell – just a standard monster elimination request. Granted, the monster in question was a Haint – thus the S-Class designation. Physical attacks didn't affect them, only magical ones. Erza had weapons with purely elemental attacks, so she wouldn't be at a disadvantage against one, but Cobra's poison element along with his ability to amplify sound offensively would be far more effective against this type of creature.

This was the kind of job that Lucy and Wendy both hated, too, now that she thought about it.

Pain flashed in Cobra's single indigo orb. "It wouldn't do any good if I took them," he admitted. "Bright Eyes… she thinks…" With a sudden growl of frustration, he spat, "She doesn't think she's good enough to be my partner! All because of what one misogynistic asshole pulled out of his rectum."

Cold calm settled over Erza's countenance. "Excuse me?"

Pure, unadulterated fury rippled off the Dragon mage in menacing waves. "The requester on our last job implied that she was completely useless. He outright stated that I must have done most of the work. I… disavowed him of that notion."

Erza had no doubt that had involved a very terrifying version of Cobra indeed.

"I told Bright Eyes that he was a fucking moron, but it got to her. Because I did have to rescue her at one point." Cobra shook with the force of his emotions. "She won't listen to me when I try to show her how she covered my ass during the fighting multiple times. That's what being partners means. You make up for the others' deficiencies – it doesn't make her any less of a mage but she won't believe me."

"So you want her to go on a job where she can prove herself. Without having to rely on you at all," Erza guessed.

"Right," Cobra agreed.

"Then why do you want Wendy to come, too?"

Cobra hesitated for a moment. "Because…" he said slowly, "Bright Eyes isn't the only one who's been having self-esteem issues lately. The Sky Maiden is worried that she's less of a Dragon Slayer than the rest of us. Which is utter bullshit."

The redheaded woman glanced over to where Wendy sat with Carla and Lucy. They appeared to be happily chatting. Though, as Erza looked closer, she could see the slumped shoulders, and a sad cast to their eyes. Returning her gaze to Cobra, she nodded. "I'll do it, then. Besides…" A smile crept across her face. "It'll be good for the three of us to do something together."

In a rare display of what Erza could only describe as gratitude, Cobra nodded curtly at her. His entire form relaxing, he said, "I've already cleared the plan with Makarov. All you need to do is invite them and go."

Erza silently noted that Cobra was still having a difficult time calling Makarov "Master" unless it was strictly required, or he was faced with the man himself. She didn't blame him – it had taken her quite a while to warm up to the notion herself when she had first escaped the Tower.

Some scars aren't visible.

"Don't worry," she told him, standing up. "I'll make sure they stay safe."

Cobra snorted at that, amusement dancing in his eye. "I'm not worried," he said, turning to leave. "They can handle themselves in a fight."

Erza couldn't help but smile fondly as Cobra departed. He was good for Lucy, she decided. And for all his bravado, she had the feeling that he was going to worry deeply about the safety of the woman he had fallen for.

A LOT.


You Only Need One Spark
To Start A Fire
You Only Need One Heart
To Save A Life


Cobra had been wrong when he thought joining the guild was the most nerve-wracking day of his life.

Because this was definitely it.

He was tired of waiting. Exhausted by the march of time where the tune never changed.

The inevitable return of the fire-breathing Salamander, however, gave Cobra pause. While he normally had no problem with pursuing what he wanted, what he wanted no longer included just himself. His own desires now must coincide or compromise with another's – with Lucy's.

But there came a point where patience ended, and Cobra had waited long enough. So had Lucy.

It was time to move forward.

And so, with great inner unease, he cornered Lucy in her kitchen one morning.

Literally.

Her back pressed into her counter as Cobra rested his hands on either side of her. Not quite touching her, Cobra leaned in, leaving very little distance between their bodies. Uncertain as to why her normally touch-phobic friend and roommate was suddenly in her personal space, Lucy eyed him up and down. Trying to discern even a hint from his posture what it was he wanted.

"Um… Did you… want something, Cobra?"

Yes. Her. He wanted Lucy. In any way, shape, or form he could have her.

"Be my partner." The words were spoken with far more smoothness and calm than he had believed himself capable of in his raw, emotional state. "Be my partner, Lucy." He didn't just mean for jobs, nor did he speak of friendship. Cobra desired far more than mere friendship or comradery from the effervescent woman trapped before him.

But he would let her define the relationship between them, nonetheless. For he wouldn't be able to live with himself if he scared her away. At least he was confident that this much wouldn't. His beautiful blonde possessed a soul far stronger than most others. Including his own.

Lucy blinked up at him, the demand confusing her. "I thought we already were partners?"

"I want it to be official," Cobra stated, his eye boring into hers.

"O-oh," she replied shakily. The thoughts in her head tumbled around like mad things, crashing into each other before running pell-mell around her skull once more.

Her face turned crimson as one of those thoughts rose to the surface, now guessing at Cobra's intentions and wondering if he meant something other than as mage partners.

Cobra waited for her to sort herself out, a mere hair's breadth away from bumping noses with her. It would be a simple thing to just… lean forward a little more. With just one quick movement, he could capture those full lips he'd been fantasizing about for some time. He would bruise them with his ministrations, and explore what lay beyond them until Lucy panted for more. A simple tug of his arms on her waist would force her hips against his, or better still if he stepped forward and truly pinned her to the counter for his hands would be free to roam to his heart's content.

It wasn't the first time the impulse had overtaken him, and it certainly wouldn't be the last. The Poison Dragon Slayer knew that touching her at this moment would be his undoing. How many times had he needed to pull himself back from her hand upon his shoulder, or the times he'd discovered himself reaching out to her? His still-present aversion to contact with other human beings made it complicated for the former slave to display physical affection or receive it in turn, but that was not the only reason behind his withdrawals.

Cobra knew it sometimes hurt Lucy, but it was for her own benefit that he tried to keep a distance between them. Long gone was his fear of her touching him for what it might do to him, now it was for the terror of what he would do to her. Which namely consisted of claiming her for his own in the most physical way possible against whatever surface was available. And Cobra respected Lucy far too much to do that to her when she wasn't emotionally or physically prepared for it, nor even willing to do so. He would not steal from Lucy her free will.

Now was, however, not a good time for these thoughts. As small a space as existed between their forms at the moment, if he allowed his need to go too far it would create a reaction in his member that would definitely eliminate that minute distance between their lower halves.

With great effort, he clamped down on that rising desire before it could be allowed to proceed to that. For now.

Lucy seemed to be wavering in her decision – torn between saying yes to someone she cared deeply about and respected, and between honoring her exuberant and vibrant, yet long-absent, friend.

The Poison Dragon Slayer was not above using petty tactics to skew Lucy's choice in his favor, however.

So he did get a little closer to her, Cobra's forehead angled to rest upon the Celestial Mage's with only the merest brush of skin-on-skin. Though a risk given his desire for Lucy, the simple contact calmed rather than excited Cobra. It was a move far different from, and yet reminiscent of, one that Natsu used to do with Lucy. Cobra's version of the act, though, was but a whisper of contact, rather than the fiery press of superheated flesh to her forehead. It was gentler than her old partner, and far more considerate towards her.

That difference decided the matter for Lucy.

"Yes, I would love to be your partner."

Victorious, Cobra then withdrew from the minute contact. He felt a smirk start to crawl across his face at Lucy's downtrodden expression as he did so. There was hope for him, yet.

"Good."


It Only Takes One Word
To Get Inspired


Cobra was violently pulled out of his dreams of the past year. Instinctively, he pulled Lucy closer to him, the blonde sleepily muttering at him.

Listening closely, Cobra heard a commotion outside. That must have been what had woken him up.

"OUCH! DAMMIT, ERZA! I JUST WANTED TO SEE LUCE!"

Indigo eye narrowing at the familiar voice of the Salamander outside the apartment, Cobra growled lightly.

"If you cannot follow the Master's will, you'll have me to answer to," the Titania lectured. "Now come along."

"Ow ow ow ow ow!" Natsu screeched. "Let go of my ear! Why the heck are you here, anyway?!"

"I was guarding the door in case you pulled something like this," Erza stated. "You will face the Master's punishment over this."

"What… wait… no, Erza!"

Ignoring the Fire Dragon Slayer's protests, the Titania dragged him away by his ear.

Cobra snorted. He owed the crazy, hammer-wielding redhead for that.

"Cobra?" Lucy said, the noise stirring her from her own slumber. "What's going on?"

"Nothing," he told her. "Go back to sleep."

She sighed, pressing her face against his warm side. With a shrug and a shimmy, she adjusted her position to something a little more comfortable. "Do you… do you think I'm a coward?" Lucy asked quietly.

"Of course not. What makes you think that?" Cobra was perplexed by her question.

Lucy gave a slight shake of her head. "I think I am sometimes." Smiling into his side, she said, "I had a strange dream. I dreamt I was you. It was… different." With a final, sleep-ridden sigh, she started to slip back into her dreams. "Night, Erik. Love ya."

Gently squeezing her shoulders, Cobra said to the already unconscious woman, "Love you, too, Bright Eyes." He knew she wouldn't hear him, or even recall what she'd just said when she awoke. But he had needed to say it nonetheless.

Cobra felt like crying.


Now When I Think Of Love
It's Redefined


And there ends the first batch of Cobra's flashbacks. There are going to be more before this is over though! I've gotten a large number of them written, so hopefully I'll be able to update a lot sooner this time!