Chapter 4: Brother

(Men, Laxus decided, were absolute trash.)

Laxus was in a weird age group in the guild. There was a large age gap between him and the technical 'adults' of the guild, ranging anywhere from 15 years to over 40. However, there was also a large-albeit smaller-age gap between him and the kids. That one ranged anywhere from 3 to 7 years. The closest person in age to him was Bickslow, who was only a year younger than him. Freed, Bickslow, and Evergreen were the closest thing he had to friends in the guild and he wasn't even sure if he could call them that. They definitely seemed to like him, but he always thought it was more in admiration than anything else.

Laxus had never been very in touch with his emotions, his mom had died in childbirth, his father had been a cruel man whom he hadn't seen since he was a little kid, and his grandpa tried, but he was old, and he was a lot of things, but he had never been a very good father. But here was the thing that even Laxus didn't seem to realize. As annoying as the kids might have been, they were his younger siblings and Laxus was fiercely protective of them even if he didn't realize it yet.

He was too young to really be taken seriously by the more senior members. And yet he was also too old to really be relatable to the younger kids. He was seen as cool in their eyes (which pleased him more than he would ever let on) and everyone seemed to like referring to him as their big brother.

Which was ridiculous.

Laxus could barely stand to be their guildmate, let alone their big brother. They were all just so annoying and small and didn't they understand that he didn't have time to hang out with little brats? For the most part Laxus could willingly admit that he was proud to be part of Fairy Tail, they might not have been the biggest guild or the strongest but they were far from weak. Even if a good percentage of that power was made up of teenagers not even 18 yet.

But a lot of time Laxus would be hard pressed to call any of them family, let alone friends, despite the nonsense his gramps kept sprouting. He couldn't imagine wanting to spend time with them, let alone protecting them. Than something like this happened and made him second guess his emotions.

"Let me go Edmund!" That was Lucy's voice, Laxus noted just coming back from a mission. They were closer to the edge of the woods, and far from anybody else. Laxus took this route regularly coming in and out of town, no stupid kids to bother him and it was blissfully silent of mundane city noises. It was peaceful, something that Laxus had too little of in his life. His blue eyes automatically went to seek out the familiar voice, seeing the familiar blonde with an unfamiliar brunette. "Are you even listening to me Edmund?"

Had Lucy gotten taller? Laxus thought, stopping in his tracks and turning to narrow his eyes at the couple about 30 feet from him. His senses may not have been as good as first generation Dragon Slayers but they were still much better than regular humans. The duo may well have been standing in front of him. The male wouldn't be surprised if Lucy had gotten taller, it seemed like just yesterday she was under five feet and flat as a board, with short-ish blonde hair that wouldn't do anything but be limp. Than, as if overnight, Lucy had grown out her hair along with a pair of tits that were already bigger than Mira's had been at that age.

"Come on Lucy, can't you forgive me?" The boy-Edmund-pleaded. He was 14, maybe a few years older than that but no older than 16. Lucy wasn't dumb enough to date guys out of her age range. Laxus was secure enough to admit he could see why Lucy would want to date him, he was tall and he had good skin with neat brown hair and green eyes. Laxus frowned, he didn't like this guy. He had a bad feeling that had nothing to do with the fact that the guy smelled a little like chemicals and another girl's perfume. "It was just a mistake. I'll never do it again."

"You said that last time," Lucy growled, brown eyes flashing and yanking her wrist from his grasp. She stood her ground, not cowering or looking away but Laxus could see her unease. "And the time before that. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Fool me three times well there isn't going to be third time is there?"

"Lucy!" Edmund tried again, stepping forward, and Lucy took a step back. "The girl pushed herself on me! It's not my fault! Please, Lucy. Baby."

The boy tried to grab her hand and Lucy slapped him. Laxus winced, that hurt he could tell. He had been on the receiving end of her attacks multiple times and the girl was deceptively strong for someone so small. Lucy sneered, "I told you to leave me alone. Or is your brain even smaller than your dick?"

Laxus slapped his hand over his mouth to stop the sudden yell of laughter. Lucy could curse with the best of them, but that had been ice cold.

"Oh you little bitch," Edmund spat, grabbing her roughly and Laxus stood up straight like a lightning bolt had gone through him. He saw the fear in her eyes. Something in his blood boiled. Before he even knew what he was doing Laxus is across the street, grabbing the boy by his collar and dragging him back from Lucy.

"The lady told you to leave her alone," Laxus said, voice crackling like lightning in the middle of a storm.

"Laxus," Lucy says, eyes a little wide and a lot grateful. "When did you get back?"

"Just now," the young man grunted, as Laxus lifts Edmund off the ground, feet not touching the street anymore.

"Who the fuck are you?" Edmund yells, thrashing in the blonde's grip. His eyes are angry, "Her boyfriend?!"

A look of horror and slight revolt cross both their faces at the thought. Lucy was far too young for Laxus and even if she wasn't, Laxus wouldn't date her anyway. He was more into brunettes.

"No!" Lucy yelled, disgust making the words come out with more force than necessary.

"Than who the hell are you?"

"Her brother dipshit," Laxus growled, throwing the boy into the street. The boy's skinny body bounces and rolls for a little over five feet before he gets his bearings enough to stand up. Edmund gives them both a look of fear before turning and running off.

"My brother huh?" Laxus turns back to see Lucy staring up at him with a raised eyebrow and crossed arms.

"Put on some clothes, no wonder you got creeps trying to feel you up," Laxus says instead.

"There is nothing wrong with what I'm wearing!" Lucy scowled, she was wearing a dress that Lucy was sure hadn't been this tight-especially in the chest area-a week ago. Erza was right. Puberty sucked.

"So who was he?"

Lucy sighed, running a hand through her blonde hair. It was getting a little too long for her taste, she would have to ask Cancer to cut it soon. "Ex boyfriend. I went on a couple of dates with him but I broke it off like two weeks ago when I caught him with his hand up another girl's skirt. Again."

"That's rough, kid. You want me to go make sure he ain't gonna bother you again?"

"Nah," Lucy finally said after careful consideration. She couldn't do that, no matter how tempting the offer was. "If he bothers me again, I'll just throw his ass in the river. Or break his arm. Just, uh, do me a favor okay?"

"Depends on what it is," Laxus said, both of them were starting to walk towards the guild now. Laxus had always gotten along with Lucy well enough, maybe not as well as Cana or Mira or even Erza but better than most people in the guild. She was okay with silence but she could also give him better conversations than most of the guild. The fact that she didn't feel like she had to treat him different either just because he was the Master's grandchild was a bonus.

"Don't tell the rest of the guild that Edmund is bothering me okay?"

"Why not?" Laxus frowned, he didn't like the idea of Lucy having to handle him on his own. Laxus didn't doubt her abilities-far from it-but hadn't Fairy Tail hammered the idea into his head that no one should have to stand up alone?

"Because you know how the guild would get," Lucy sighed, kicking a rock, "and Edmund's uncle is pretty connected. At least enough to become a real pain in the ass for Fairy Tail, and that's the last thing Fairy Tail needs. Especially with the Magic Council already breathing down Master's neck to tighten up ranks."

"That...makes sense," Laxus had to concede. His guild didn't understand the meaning of minimalism or subtly. "But Edmund-"

"Is my problem," Lucy cut him off. "And I'll deal with him. He's not the first guy I've had to put in his place and I doubt he'll be the last."

Out of the corner of his eye Laxus spied the deep frown on Lucy's face, and there was resentment in her eyes he knew had nothing to do with Edmund. Laxus didn't pry and he didn't ask. Most Fairy Tail members, for all of their liveliness and closeness, were a mystery to each other. Everybody was hiding something, a secret, a past, sometimes both. Laxus and Lucy fell into an easy conversation the rest of the way. Lucy caught him up on what had happened in the time he had been gone and Laxus told her little stories of what had happened during the mission.

They carefully stayed away from heavy and explosive topics and that was fine with Laxus. After all, he had a few secrets of his own. (Still, he made sure to tell a certain Card Mage to keep an eye on Lucy for the next few days for him).

Sometimes Laxus would get those flashes of-something. Anger maybe. That was the only thing he could describe it as, the only thing that explained what he felt. Like when the people of Magnolia called Natsu crazy or stupid. Or when some people looked at a half naked 11 year old Gray with a gleam in their eyes that both disgusted and unsettled him (those people found themselves with broken legs and arms in a dark alley to make sure they couldn't touch a kid ever again, let alone Gray). Or when they clicked their tongues and shook their heads, judgment in their eyes and saying what a shame it was that mirajane and lisanna were mages. they would make such good wives if their magic wasn't so hideous.

And sometimes, in the dark of night when he can't quite sleep and his father's voice is still ringing in his ear, he'll admit that he doesn't know what he would do without the guild. And that, just maybe, he may even love them.