.

The next morning, Laxus was in a better mood than the day before. His group had agreed to take a break, despite the flooding job requests directed to him. It took him a minute or so to want to get out of bed. He ate breakfast, cleaned up some of his late night mess and was dressed by eleven o'clock. The bizarre feelings from the night before had yet to return. Cana, on the other hand, she stayed glued to his train of thought. Laxus never talked about what had happened, but he was grateful for everything Cana had helped him get through. He felt guilty for never really telling her, but telling her would involve an opportunity to go digging up thing that had been buried for years. Laxus hoped that eventually it would die off and be forgotten. Maybe he could get a surgical scar revision and his father could finally fuck off, forever. Both of those things were never going to happen, but Laxus could still hope.

He stayed at his apartment for a good portion of his day, listening to music and going through old pictures. He burned a few fan letters and reflected on some old memories. Cana was still, however, the topic on his mind. Nothing was really going to get her out. Laxus seemed to have a somewhat photographic memory, and Cana had a lasting smile. The two made it nearly impossible to simply forget her.

He went to the guild around a quarter to five. He still kept his distance from everyone around, but he was content. Bixlow and Freed noticed this. They both knew that Laxus had been at Cana's the night before. Bixlow had suspicions and Cana had confirmed them in the early hours of the day. The two saw the drinker sitting on top of a table with a keg of liquor. They silently agreed to go bother her.

"Hey, Cana. Why was Laxus at your apartment in the late hours of the night? Were you two, well, you know." Bixlow asked convinced Cana was having a romantic affair with Laxus.
"It wasn't like that! He just came over for a card reading, that's all." Cana said with a slight sternness.

.
Freed wasn't the one who would talk about sex in a conversation, but this had to do with Laxus so he had to know one important thing. "Are you two using protection? I don't want to find out that Laxus was doing the dirty with you and he made an unexpected offspring. A child may ruin Laxus' career as an S-class mage." He scanned Cana over. "An STD wouldn't be great either, but at least that's usually treatable." Freed asked with a straight face and was expecting an answer from Cana right away.
"Ah ha, go fuck yourself, Freed. Don't pick on me, we didn't do anything. Why am I being attacked for Laxus breaking and entering?"
"Oh! Breaking and entering into those panties?" Bixlow smirked, making fun of Cana on the fact that he had nothing better to do.
"You're ethics are fucking screwed!" Cana snapped back, taking in what that line would imply.
"I know that! I would like to know if Laxus got 'fucking screwed'."
Happy came up behind the three guildmates and started to giggle.
"Cana and Laxus are doing it?! Geez, and I thought Natsu was desperate when he hooked up with Lucy." The blue cat said, trying to hold back his laughter.

"UH!" She commented to Happy. He had the most adorable voice, but he still said some of the rudest things. She kind of expected it from Bixlow, but not from a blue cat that sounded so much like a little kid. "How many times do I have to tell everyone?! I'm not fucking with Laxus!"
Bixlow threw his hands up. "Evergreen said the same damn thing! You know what she's doing right now? Bonding with her lover's lil sis, because they're at that stage. You won't convince me otherwise. You and Laxus are a thing. Now, I'd like to know the details of the hanky panky that was in your trash can of an apartment." He smiled and wiggled around as if he was getting comfy. Bix anticipated Cana's inevitable anger outburst.

Happy fell down and laughed so hard he was crying. Freed smiled and shook his head.

Cana, however, was not amused by any of this. She threw an empty bottle at Bixlow and threatened to hit him with the keg. Laxus had been watching their conversation from across the guild in a corner, but couldn't hear what they were discussing. The guild was a little too lively to focus on just one conversation. He walked over to see what was wrong. He didn't like to see Cana this upset.

"Have you three been teasing Cana about her boobs showing again?" Laxus asked Freed, Bixlow, and Happy.
"No," Bixlow answered. He had been keeping an eye on Laxus throughout the talk. The young man made note of when he came over. "it's more about her love life."
"Is she still calling the keg her 'Boyfriend'?"
"Nope! It-it wasn't that!" Happy giggled.
"What was it then?" Laxus questioned.
"How long have you and Cana been having an affair?" Freed asked casually.

Laxus just stood there frozen. His expression stayed the same, despite his surprise. He was not expecting someone to say that, let alone Freed. He was starting to like the brunet and now this happened.

"We aren't having any affair." Laxus said, finally speaking.
"Oh?...Well, why were you over at Cana's place last night?" Bixlow disheartedly asked.
"I wanted a card reading."
"No booty calls?"
"No Bix. No booty calls. Why would you think that anyways?"

"12:30 is the time for the dirty. You two should have trashed up her apartment last night… I mean… It still is trashed, but-" Bixlow stopped when he realized that Laxus didn't care.
Laxus rolled his eyes and walked away to the job request board. He didn't realize it, but a certain someone was following him.
"Hey. What the hell happened to you?"
Laxus turned around to see Cana behind him. "What do you mean?"
Cana took Laxus' right hand and shoved it in his face. It was all wrapped up and it was starting to bleed again. "This. It's gross."
"It's nothing to worry about, go back to drinking your liquor." Laxus replied, patting the young woman's head.
Cana swatted him away. "Tell me or I'll tell Freed you're hurt. You're still going to have to spill what happened."
"You're a bitch."
"Yeah, and you're bleeding like an idiot. I'm honestly surprised Freed didn't see it... Do you even know how to bandage yourself!?" Cana asked, removing the hand from the front of Laxus' face and looking at it closer.
The bulky man pulled his hand from her grasp. "I got upset and punched a mirror, okay miss nosey? It's just a little cut."
"Psht, little cut my ass. Why is your hand still bleeding if it's just a little cut? Let me see it."
"No." Laxus pulled his hand out of Cana's reach.
"Why not? You worried Freed and Bixlow will think we're a thing? Kind of already happened. At least you're single! It's not so bad for you!"
"From what Evergreen has said, they get really annoying when two people look like they're getting with each other!" The team leader reminded. His face was slightly pink and Cana thought it was, in a way, adorable.

The 19-year-old tilted her head a little, crossed her arms and stared at Laxus.
"What's that look for?"
Cana didn't reply to the man. She kept steady.
"Fine then."
He cocked one eyebrow and crossed his arms, staring back. A few seconds later, he felt his blood soaking through his shirt. "Damn it, I like this shirt!"
"It looks like a very nice shirt. Too bad you're ruining it… Cold water helps get blood out, but I don't know if it can help by the time you get home." Cana nodded as she spoke. She waited for him to finally give up.
"You're not going to go away, are you?"
"You'll bleed out before I leave. You're a stubborn prick, but I'd like to keep you around."
Laxus broke his pose. "Fine, I'll accept your help… You probably know more than I do about this..."
She smiled at him, thinking of how stupid and stubborn Laxus was sometimes. "Let's go to the infirmary and get you to stop bleeding, kay? I think you got some of the mirror you mentioned stuck."

"His pride is going to kill him one day." Cana thought to herself. Laxus was kind of cute when he got like this. Sometimes he was a real pain in the ass but, he was starting to be a better guy. When he was young he was always so sweet, but that was what seemed like ages ago. Cana walked him to the infirmary, trying not to draw attention. As they sauntered into the medical room Cana was surprised no one was there."I thought Natsu got back from his job. Huh… Well, where do you want to sit?"
"Somewhere, I don't give a rat's ass."
Cana sat him down on a bed and grabbed a few things she needed to fix his hand.
Normally Laxus would be looking at his arm, not staring into space in Cana's direction. He thought about what Bixlow said. The young man felt some nostalgia from Cana's help. She shouldn't have been the one helping him. She shouldn't have helped him at any point.
Cana's face got warm as she realized where he was looking.

"See something you like?" Cana asked.
"Huh?" Laxus said waking from what seemed like a deep trance.
"Never mind. I was right by the way, I found a piece of glass you missed. That might have reopened some stuff."
"Really? Where is-AH!"
"Sorry, did that hurt?" Cana was examining the shard with a pair of tweezers.
"Not at all! It felt like butterfly kisses you ass hole." Laxus said sarcastically.
"It would've hurt more if I told you I was pulling it out. It was on the side, near your pinky. Now I have to stitch you up and then you can do whatever." The young woman said. "I'm so sorry, but I've got to clean this before injecting the numby stuff… Try to be more careful, okay?" Cana placed a bowl under his hand. She gripped his arm at the wrist as she poured peroxide over the cuts and watched them bubble. Laxus didn't flinch despite the agonizing burning sensation. She was confused to see him so calm. A second ago he had snapped at her for something far less painful.

Laxus noticed her surprise and figured she deserved an answer. "I can prepare myself if I know I'm about to get hurt. If you're going to do something, I would rather have you tell me than just doing it."
Cana nodded and patted away the excess liquid and any dirt that had come out. "I'll try to remember that in case I have to do this again." She smiled at him, but she knew what he was thinking about. She should have remembered this from ages ago. Cana unwrapped a new syringe and began drawing a small amount of the Lidocaine. She felt a bit stupid and awkward for not taking years of helping him into consideration. Her hands were, however, still steady as she injected the numbing agent into his flesh.

Cana threaded a needle and stitched the deep cut on the side of Laxus' hand. She bandaged up the more shallow cuts on his fingers and knuckles. Her hands were so steady and gentle, which Laxus didn't expect. He thought of Cana as the party girl who would kill someone over a keg, the tarot card reader, or the chick with a nice ass. That last thought of her didn't come up as much when he found out Gildarts knew he was her father. After he snapped out of his thinking, the caregiver was done.

"Thanks, Alberon." Laxus said standing up.
"It's Alberona! You're welcome Dayer." The brunette responded.
"Dreyar." A smile ran across Laxus' face as he corrected Cana.
"Whatever, don't you have fagget to explain this to? Whoops, I mean Freed."
"Why do you have to call him that?"
"Why does he stay in the closet for so long? I'm fine with him being gay, hell I'm bi, but he needs to be okay with telling someone for me to be able to respect him enough."
"You should know how fucking offensive that word is. Don't use it, at all, even if you are bi, it gives you no right or privilege to use that word. He hasn't even said so, so we don't know."
"Uh-huh… I have evidence to prove otherwise, but whatever you say."
Laxus closed his eyes and shook his head. He stood up. "Hey, you fixed my hand. Why don't I buy you a few drinks tonight?"
"Well, I do like free booze... so, yes."
"Do you want to go now?"
"Liquor? Now?"
"Yes."
"What the fuck are you doing standing around? Let's go get something already!"

Cana and Laxus walked out of the medical room to see a bunch of guild mates beating the crap out of each other. Just another day at Fairy Tail. Natsu probably walked in and immediately started something. Bixlow was sitting on the floor laughing at people getting hit, and then he noticed Laxus and Cana walk out of the same room, together. He walked up to them.
"So, was Cana on top?" Bix asked.
"No!" Laxus shouted over the noise of breaking tables.
"So you were on top? I'm disappointed in you then. I would imagine you would bang her hard enough for the whole guild to hear it. Wait, is she still considered on top if she's giving you a blo-"
"Bixlow, drop it!" Laxus snapped, flustered and concerned that his team mate was already taking this to an extreme level.
"He means to say we didn't fuck in there. I had to stitch up his hand." Cana laughed staring at Laxus turn reddish.
"Damn it, I can't think of any wordplay jokes for that! Oh well… I think he likes you Cana. Look at him in his state of mindfuck."
Cana was still laughing. "I think he's just pissed off!"
"No, I've seen pissed off. I haven't, however, seen him get this way before, and I haven't seen him while he has a big crush on someone. Coincidence?" Bixlow whispered to Cana. "What do you think babies?"
"Laxus has a crush! Laxus has a crush! Laxus has a crush!" the five dolls chanted.
Laxus wasn't happy at all, but no one except Cana and Bixlow noticed because everyone else was brawling. "I swear to Mavis if you don't shut up those damn dolls." Laxus threatened. Cana put a hand on one of the dragon slayer's large shoulders.
"They just want to have some fun. Let 'em be Laxus. I feel the same way when your team picks on me and my kegs."

Laxus got calm when he glanced over to Cana. He kind of felt bad for letting everyone bully her, but she seemed to be used to it.

"Now, you still need to buy me a few drinks." Cana grinned at him. She always gave off that kind, toothy smile.
He felt a moment of peace as his heart went easy for a moment. It made Laxus grin a little too.