Chapter 4

Lucy and Laxus trudged through the market place located in the southern part of Magnolia. Lucy begged Laxus to come with her so he could carry her, their groceries. They walked from stand to stand, buying the things she needed to make a nice meal for the two of them. It was all part of her secret plan to get to know her blonde dragon slayer of a fiancé.

She looked over at the man walking next to her. She was silently memorizing his features and was growing more curious by the minute to see what his real smile looked like.

"Gonna keep lookin' at me like that, Blondie?"

His baritone voice was music to her ears and though she would never admit it to him or anyone for that matter, she was beginning to like the idea of being married to the man. "Pshh. As if, Sparky. I'm merely wondering what your smile looks like."

He gave her a smirk. "Really now? You wanna know what my smile looks like? As if I would ever show a newbie like you."

Lucy mentally face palmed herself for saying part of her intentions aloud. "Yeah well, we're stuck together so the least you could do is smile." She said defiantly.

He rolled his eyes at her. "Right, Blondie. And the least you could do is carry your own groceries."

"You have it so much easier, but if it'll make you smile more, hand them over." Lucy held her hand out for the bags.

"You're trying to make me look like an asshole, aren't you?" He grunted then he looked at her and forced a smile.

"That's progress!" She smiled at him, which transformed his fake smile into a half real one.

"You look better smiling like that, Laxus."

Both blonde mages turned to find Mira carrying groceries for Master who was to her left. Laxus let out a frustrated sigh. "What do you want, Gramps?" Laxus was embarrassed. Not a lot of people got the chance to see him happy, even if he was hiding it beneath all of his grumbling and complaining.

"I'm happy, Laxus. You've found someone who's not scared to put you in your place, other than myself and Erza."

"No offense to Erza, Master, but Laxus is stronger." Lucy blurted out. "I mean I love her like my older sister, but when it comes to magical strength, Laxus takes the cake. Well, okay, taking cake from Erza isn't the safest thing, but that's not my point. Based on all the times I've seen Laxus fight, he's just stronger than Erza."

Laxus smirked. "I might keep this one, it's like Freed without all the fangirling and borderline yaoi tendencies." Then he quickly added, "No offense, Mira."

"I'M NOT A THING, LAXUS!" Lucy whined.

"None taken." Mira nodded. "But I have to agree with Lucy on some things. Taking cake from Erza just isn't safe, let alone healthy."

Master Makarov watched his children chatter mindlessly on Laxus's strength. He smiled on how easy it has been to catch Laxus easing back into the guild.

"Master we should be getting back to the guild." Mira said, breaking the Master's train of thought.

"Go on ahead. I have something to tell these two." Master said calmly and waited for Mira to leave before speaking to the two blondes. "Jude and I both think it's appropriate for you two to find a house for you to live in before you get married. There's no rush, but keep it in mind. You both can't live separately forever." Master Makarov walked toward the guild hall, both hands behind his back.

Laxus let out another frustrated growl. "Now a house. Do we have to live in a house?"

Lucy stepped away from him in an effort to escape his unknowingly harsh words. "Do you have a with problem house hunting?"

He blinked at her then thought over his actions. "I didn't mean it to come out like that. It's just I like the house I live in now. It's a little cabin, four bedrooms. It has a waterfall and a lake not too far away."

"Then it's decided then. We'll live there." Lucy smiled at him.

"Great. We'll move your stuff there as soon as we get there." He knelt down with his back facing her.

"Um, Laxus? What are you doing?"

"We're going to my house." He answered as though it were obvious.

"No, that's not the right kind of question. Are you okay?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well you're on the ground." She answered his stupid question.

"Do I have to spell everything out for you? Get on my back, I'm carrying you home."

A large blush made its way across Lucy's face as she climbed onto Laxus's back. She wrapped her arms around Laxus's neck as he stood back to full height. He carried her into the woods, holding the groceries in both hands while holding the back of her knees at the same time. He carefully stepped over each tree root and jutted stones in the path to his home.

Something Lucy didn't know was that Laxus had a plan to get to know her too. Granted his methods weren't as innocent as hers, he was going to get to know his new fiancé. He heard her gasp in awe as the cabin came into view. She could see the water fall and lake peeking out behind the large cabin along with the sound of the running water that came with it.

Lucy was in awe. Everything seemed to be surreal and fictional. "Wow." She breathed. "How come you've never shown me this before?!" She quickly wanted to take back her words. She didn't know Laxus like she knew Natsu or Gray. But in the end, she didn't even have them.

"I was scared."

Lucy perked up a bit in confusion at Laxus's confession. In those three words she understood why he had agreed to the arrangement. She leaned down to his face and pecked his cheek. Just because she knew his true feelings didn't mean she wasn't going to tease him about it. As much as she learned about the blonde dragon slayer, she knew he wasn't a man to put his emotions out in the open. This confession meant a lot to her.

"I'm glad you're brave enough now, just like you always were and still are."

Laxus blushed at her words and her kiss to his cheek. Her lips are so soft, he thought. "You think I'm… brave?"

"Of course, Laxus. I've noticed your bravery since the day I joined the guild. Granted it wasn't always on the good side of things, but brave none the less."

He let out a laugh as he set her down on the porch of his cabin. "You're the only one who thinks like that, that the enemy could be brave. Bravery is for the heroes." He walked inside his cabin and started to put away the groceries when he heard Lucy stomp her foot on the solid wood floors.

"You're my hero!" Her nostrils were flaring with anger as a blush crept across her cheeks. "You saved me not just yesterday, but five days ago too. Five days ago, I was in the pit of fear and despair. I left Fairy Tail, Laxus. Yet, you… You brought me back, defended me, fought Gray and Natsu for me. So if bravery is reserved for the heroes, then you're my hero!"

"I only did that because of the arranged mar-"

"Back on Tenroujima, you saved me there, too. At the Grand Magic Games, sought your revenge on Flare! Just accept that someone outside the Raijinshu accepts you for who you are, Laxus! That someone loves you for who you are!"

Laxus now had a blush whose color now challenged Erza's hair. "Well, you know what?" He charged at her before embracing her. "I accept you for you, too."

Lucy returned his hug before he made enough space between them to lock eyes. Slowly the distance between them closed, along with their eyes, as their lips collided in their first kiss as a new couple.

Their kiss was short however, due to the sudden cat calls coming from an open front door. There stood the Raijinshu, smiling at their leader's short-lived happiness.

Hiya guys and girls! What's up?

I'm sorry if that sounds too cheery for you. Today is the death aniversary of a really good friend of my and this was based off of one of my memories of him. That whole bravery speech was what I said to him in different context and minus the Fairy Tail stuff. I tried to distract myself because I couldn't get a flight out tp visit his grave.

Oh, well...

I'll see you guys tomorrow, hopefully, with a new chapter on another story.

With that,

Jay, signing off.