Hi everyone!

Sorry for the slow update. There were some reason which I won't bore you with right now. I only ask that you see the notes at the end for an important PSA and notice.

On to the reading though!


Chapter 8 - The Bargain

Laxus stared up at the ceiling, his mind still reeling. The tremors had long since abated, his breathing even to match the blonde that was curled against his side. His body still tingled in all of the places she had touched. She was amazing. Beyond that really, in every sense of the word. It was hard to take him by surprise, yet she did it at every damn turn. Even with countless lovers under his belt, not one of them came close to comparing with the experience that was her. The first time had not been a fluke, and neither had the second. This just set things in stone, she was not only different. She was wholly his equal in the physical realm of things. Equally aggressive, her sexual side bordering the same debased line his flirted with. She had a dark side that seemed to call to the beast that lived inside of him, and completely walking away was no longer a viable option.

This was the time he usually got up and left, yet he couldn't find it in himself to move. Instead, he found himself sinking into the comfort of her bed and enjoying the sound of her labored breath. The thought to pull her naked, sweat slicked body against his flittered through his sex-addled mind, but he mentally chastised himself for it. No matter what he was thinking or planning, that shit just wasn't happening. That was too much like being a couple.

"What the hell is this?"

He lazily turned his head to find her staring at him, confusion dancing in her cinnamon-colored eyes. "Great sex?" he smirked.

Lucy gave a roll of her eyes and turned to stare back up at the ceiling. "Whatever."

"Well that's what it is," he chuckled. "Not like I'm asking ya to marry my ass."

"Thank fucking god for that," she tsked. "I wouldn't marry you for all the jewels in the world. Although…" She paused and turned her face back, a brow quirking. "You do realize you called me your girlfriend, right?"

Laxus' brows furrowed at her question. There was no way in hell he'd called her that. It was a word that gave him hives, he could already feel the itching start. "What? No the fuck I didn't."

She studied him for a moment before a snicker of laughter slipped past her lips. "Uh, yeah. You did, at least that's what you told Eve."

"Don't mention that creeper's name to me," Laxus growled. "It was a slip of the tongue to get his ass out of here."

"Ok, whatever," she chuckled. "That's why you seem to enjoy calling me baby when we're fucking. Is that a habit, too?"

"Huh?"

She rolled onto her side, propping her head on her hand as she smiled in amusement. "You call me baby, during sex."

Laxus blinked before turning his attention back to the ceiling, his lips turning down into a concerned frown. Surely, she was wrong. Baby? That wasn't a word in his vocabulary. Okay, with the exception of referring to the younger idiots that surrounded him occasionally in the guild. But to call a sex partner that? It implied an attachment and he didn't get attached. Ever. It wasn't a possibility.

"Have you considered the possibility that you may have just found the cure for your allergy?"

Freed's words came rushing back in but he quickly pushed them to the side. She wasn't exactly a cure. She had the same issues, or so it would seem. It was why he'd even come to see her. "A proposition for you, Blondie."

"You're blonde too, you know."

Laxus chuckled at the groan. Her ire seemed to jack up every time he called her that. It was why he kept doing it. He'd found a button and he'd beat on that thing because her anger was a turn on. But then, there was some truth there. He'd seen some of the boys she'd dated over the years. "Yeah, I know but apparently you've got a thing for blondes."

"What?" Lucy blinked. "I do not."

He smirked and arched a brow. "Really?" he challenged. "Me, Creeper, that really annoying guy that works with Sorcerer's weekly and then there was tha-"

"Ok!" she shouted, cutting him off. "I get it, so I've been with a couple of fair-haired guys but they weren't all blonde. Just so you know."

"Name some that haven't been fair-haired. And no, Flame Brain doesn't count."

She narrowed her eyes for a moment before huffing. "Fine, Hibiki and-"

"Techno-whore? He's a darker shade but still blonde," Laxus smirked as he rolled onto his side to face her. "Nice try, though."

"Ass," she scowled.

"I have one, thank you for noticing."

Lucy gave him a pinched resemblance of a smile. "Hard not to when it's perched on top of your shoulders." She paused as the fakest look of shock came over her face. "Oh wait! That's just your face… I'm sorry."

"Lame," he smirked. "You sure as hell didn't have any complaints when this face was between your legs."

She gave a slight shrug of her shoulder. "Well, it looks better with my snatch attached to it."

"And you sound better when you're gagging on my dick."

"I know, right?"

Laxus blinked at the strange, dreamy-like grin that settled on her lips and the gleam that flashed in her eyes. He'd been expecting another smart ass comeback, not whatever that was on her face. Fucking demon snatch… "You're stalling, Blondie."

"Stalling what?" Lucy smiled.

A snicker of laughter slipped between his lips as she batted her eyelashes, almost innocently. "You're blonde," he chuckled. "But you definitely aren't dumb, sweetheart. Out with it."

She let out a heavy sigh and fell back on the bed. "A guy."

Seriously? "A guy."

"Yep."

He reached over and poked at her side, garnering a laugh as she batted at his hand. "And who was this guy? What color hair?"

"Just some guy with blue hair," she giggled as he poked at her side again.

Blue hair? He blankly stared at her as he raced through men he knew in his head. It wasn't exactly a common color among men, and those that did come to mind made him shiver. "Please tell me you did not stoop so low as to fuck Macao…"

Lucy's head snapped in his direction, a look of utter disgust coming over her face. "I do have standards you know," she grimaced. "That's just… Oh god, fuck no. Ugh…"

He laughed when she visibly gagged and shook her head. "You so pictured it, didn't you?"

"Shut up!" she wailed before sticking her fingers in her ear. "Lalalala. I'm not listening anymore… Happy place!"

Laxus gave a roll of his eyes before they drifted down. His tongue struck out over his lip as his gaze traveled over her chest, her squirming making her full breasts bounce. Unable to resist, he reached over and captured a dusky pink tip between his fingers. Her childish singing stuttered before melting into a moan that only seemed to breathe life into his arousal once more. She's gonna be the fucking death of my ass… "So, not the old guy," he teased as he pinched and pulled her nipple so that she arched off the bed. "One of the idiots in Lamia Scale? Unibrow Fucktard or… What was his name, Gray's brother or whatever?"

"Y-Yuka," she stammered as her fingers clutched at the bed sheet. "He… He has th-the crazy b-brows."

He quickly pulled his hand back and stared at her, his initial desire to tease her derailing. If she knows his name… The image that popped into his head was too much to take. Those brows… Her… "Please tell me… Please say it wasn't him…"

"What?" Lucy blinked, her head turning towards him. "What would… Oh god, NO! Never!"

He let out a sigh of relief. "Ok, so then it was Gray's brother?"

"Lyon?" She chuckled. "No, but…"

"But?"

Lucy rolled onto her side, resting on an elbow as she gave a nonchalant shrug of her shoulder. "He is attractive. So…"

Laxus quirked a brow in amusement. Bicks was right… "Didn't he try killing your ass on Galuna?"

Her eyes narrowed as a creepy smile crept onto her lips. "And you had Ever turn my ass to stone, yet here we are…"

"Touche," he smirked. "So if not them, then who the hell is this mystery guy?"

"I told you, just some guy."

His eyes narrowed as he studied her face. He could practically smell her nervousness and it only seemed to pique his curiosity more. Who exactly was she protecting? Without warning, he moved at the speed of light to trap her beneath him. A sadistic grin pulled at the corner of his lips and her eyes widened. "I have ways of making you talk," he chuckled darkly. "Ya little shit."

The sound of her laughter filled the room as his fingers attacked her sides. Her arms flailed and she squirmed beneath him, trying in vain to buck him off. "N-no!" Lucy squealed. "P-please… Oh god! Please… St-stop!"

"Not until you give in," he laughed as his tickle assault continued.

He slid a hand up, his fingers pressing into her armpits as the other crab-clawed her waist. His face dropped to the crook of her neck, his lips attacking her neck. The sound of her carefree hysterics was like a shot to his nervous system, arousing him. Her body moving beneath him only added fuel to that fire until he was sure he could easily take her again. And it shocked him that he wanted to. He wanted to sate the lust she inspired by sinking into her once more.

"Do not close yourself off to all possibilities. Lucy is different, so think differently with her."

"O-OK! I give! P-please!"

It wasn't her verbal tap out that stilled him, but Freed's words coming back to haunt his ass like the bitch in the well from the Ring. He found himself having to resist the sudden overwhelming urge to look back into her living room. Just to make sure the green-haired bastard wasn't crawling out of the lacrima-vision. I hate him for subjecting me to that piece of crap movie, Fucking creepy ass girl in a well…

"-xus?"

He blinked and looked down to find her looking up at him a little strangely. "What?"

"You spaced and got this… weird look on your face," she chuckled. "I wasn't sure if you were gonna stroke out or crap yourself."

Both if that bitch comes crawling out of the fucking lacrima vision. "Whatever, so spill."

"Mystogan…"

"Excuse me?"

He wasn't sure he'd heard her right. There was no way she'd said who he thought she said. That guy… It was a name he hadn't heard in what seemed like forever. His grandfather had told him of the Edolas events after he'd returned to the guild. And it made sense in a way. The guy was as antisocial as they came, with his putting everyone to sleep and covering himself the way he did. "Mystogan? As in..."

"Yeah," she chuckled. "That Mystogan."

Laxus couldn't wrap his head around the possibility. Maybe it had been Jellal and she'd mistaken him for the other? His arousal effectively doused, he rolled off of her and onto his side. "But... When?"

Lucy's lips pursed as if in thought for a moment. "Um… Right before the whole Fantasia incident," she lamented. "I believe. I'm guessing he needed a drink after his mission and I happened to stumble upon him in the bar down the way... We ended up at my place. It's why he was still in town when all of that went down..."

"You're fucking kidding me, right? I mean, this couldn't have been a regular thing."

She canted her head as she reached over to trace her fingers over the tattooed swirls on his chest. "It wasn't a set in stone sort of thing but we hooked up on and off up until he had to go back to Edolas."

"That's just…" His words trailed off for a moment as the disturbing image of Mystogan rutting on top of Lucy came to mind. Mummy sex, Anyone? "That had to be weird."

A snarky shot of laughter sprang from her lips as she playfully slapped his chest. "Why the hell would you say that?"

"Ok, first off, the guy wasn't exactly known for his social skills."

"Actually, he was quite talkative in the right setting."

Laxus blinked rapidly a few times before dead-eyeing her. He'd heard the guy talk maybe twice in all the years he'd been in the guild. Each time, it was like listening to the guy that used to do the Visine commercials. Monotone without any interest or inflection one way or another. He had all the personality of a wet noodle. No sense of humor. He was so dry, he made the Forgotten Desert look like a fucking oasis. "You're joking right?"

Her soft, thin fingers trailed along the etched lines of his muscles, her full bottom lip pulling under her teeth. "Nope," she responded as though distracted. "He talked a lot, especially when…" Her gaze lifted up to his, a hint of a grin resting on her lips. "Well, you know. Kinda like you."

Like me? No, fuck that.

A scowl pinched his brows and he slapped her hand away the way. It was petulant, he knew and didn't give a single fuck. "He and I are nothing alike."

Her head fell back as laughter erupted from between her lips. "That's where the comparisons stop, Luci… I assure you."

"Uh, why the fuck did you just call me by your name?" he questioned with a blink.

"I didn't," Lucy giggled. "I called you Luci, L-U-C-I as in Lucifer."

He had to admit that was actually pretty fitting, given he was convinced her damn snatch was either magical as fuck or cursed. Either way, they made a pair between the two of them. "Glad you think so highly of me," He smirked. "But, back to the proposition."

"Something tells me I should be very afraid," she said with narrowed eyes. "What is it?"

Welp. Do or die time, Dreyar.

This could go one of two ways and while he hoped for the route where she agreed, he didn't really see how there'd be much of a loss if she declined. He got his, or so he figured. "An open relationship," he stated after a few moments of kicking his ass into gear. "Fuck who you want and I'll do the same. I only ask that we let each other know, even compare notes."

"WHAT?"

Laxus winced at the shrill note to her voice. He was pretty sure that even old Cobwebs downstairs had heard her. Hell, probably everyone at the guild too. "I didn't stutter and I think it's a good arrangement."

Lucy stared at him, shock clearly written across her face, before she turned away and rolled off of the bed. "For who, Laxus? A prostitute?"

He hadn't exactly been expecting anger or the condescension in her tone. Perhaps it was just his cocky attitude, but he expected either a quick yes or a simple "That's not really me" reply. But instead, he practically saw steam billowing out of her ears as she yanked her closet doors open. He sat up and slid to the edge of the bed. "Hey, neither of us want a real fucking relationship but you can't tell me you don't like the sex."

"So why not be fucking normal and go for fuck buddies?" She hissed as she pulled her robe from a hook and turned to glare at him. "You do you, I do me and we occasionally do each other. Why do you need to know who the hell I'm fucking outside of this?"

The fact that she hadn't exactly said no or ordered his ass out was a sign that he'd take. She was seemingly open to it. "Because I want to see if you can actually find anyone else who's as good as me and I want to know who you're fucking."

"Your ego knows no bounds."

You have no damn clue, Blondie.

Laxus gave a shrug of his shoulder as he watched her slide on her robe. He felt a twinge of jealousy for the fabric, being able to lay against her skin without any remorse or misgivings. It had no need to avoid an attachment. "Eh. You're right but again, I like the sex. You like the sex. This way we're not technically tied down. We still have freedom and can fuck whenever we want. We'd be…" his words trailed off as he silently scoured his brain for the right word. The only thing that came to mind left a sour taste in his mouth, but… It could work. Sell it, Dreyar and she's yours for the taking. A slow smirk pulled at a corner of his wide mouth. "Dating with a twist."

He watched as she seemed to mull it over, the gears in her head turning at lightning speed. There were a few moments that he had to question whether a random squeak in the room was indeed coming from her. He'd be lost in her thoughts though if it weren't for her eyes. Those large, mocha pools were like a window to her inner sanctum. They gave her away every damn time and added to the fact that Natsu was a big fucking idiot. That boy was always oblivious.

A light seemed to come on in her eyes and a devious grin rose up onto her lips as she slowly made her way over to stand between his legs. "Fine but I want to pick your partners every now and then," she challenged. "And you can do the same with me. Hell, we can even join in if we want."

Ohhhh, little girl. You really don't know.

He had her so perfectly figured out. She was banking on his refusal to those terms. Little did she know, he could care less. Her choosing someone for him from time to time would save him the headache of seeking a suitable one out himself. "Fine by me."

Her face fell and she blinked. "S-seriously?"

"Fuck yeah," he grinned. "Best of both worlds."

"So you're saying you'll actually let me chose who you fuck?"

He loved the way she seemed to choke on her words. The exasperation on her face was absolutely worth it. "Why not? I trust your judgment," he shrugged nonchalantly as his fingers found the back of her toned calves. "And really, Blondie. What guy would pass up the offer of a threesome with you and another chick?"

He felt her shudder as his fingers grazed the backs of her knees and he could completely relate. It was the same involuntary reaction he had when she touched him. Fucking Demon Snatch… He saw the expression of contemplation in her eyes waver as his fingers ghosted up the back of her thighs, pushing up her robe. He stopped just shy of her ass and pulled her closer. Even with the barrier of cloth, he could smell her. She was covered in the scent of sex, him and her usual strawberries and honey. It bothered him that someone else would get to enjoy that.

"Then… I guess you've got a deal."

Her quiet admission brought him back from the edge of his thoughts and words fell out from his lips before he could reel them back in. "Not quite, another stipulation…"

She blinked down at him. "What is that?"

What the fuck am I doing? "I'm the only one you fuck on a regular basis, everyone else is a one-shot deal."

"That's pretty fucking selfish of you," she tsked.

Laxus smirked and twisted, pulling her back down onto the bed with him. He knew it was selfish but he didn't exactly care. The terms were no less than his own personal rule. "Probably," he grinned as his fingers captured the tie of her robe. "But I'll even accept the same terms. Any other women only get one go."

Lucy's eyes widened a fraction. "So I'll be your only regular?"

He gave a nod of his head as he pulled at the tie, undoing the small bow.

"Why?"

"Why what?"

She squirmed and captured the hand he slipped beneath her robe with her own. "Well, if you're wanting open, why the whole one time only rule?"

Why was he doing this? It was a question he'd been struggling with. All of this was supposed to be off limits, not allowed. But there was no escaping the fact that he did indeed want her. Perhaps not all for his own, but he wanted to claim her body. He pulled his hand from her hold and slid it beneath her robe, his fingers caressing over her smooth stomach. "Simple," he started as he dipped his head to kiss along her jawline. Might as well be honest, so she can't ever say I wasn't. "I'm a greedy ass bastard and I don't want anyone else thinking they can have you full time."

A gasp slipped from her lips when his fingers found her breasts and he smirked against her ear. "Wh-what the fuck are you going… Are you g-going to do if I find someone I actually want to be with?"

"You won't…" he breathed as his fingers pinched at her pebbled sound of her whimpering only served to make him want her more. He could get addicted to the way she reacted. He knew he was already salivating at the scent of her arousal.

"God, y-you're evil," she moaned as she arched into his touch. "But… your co-cocky fucking attitude aside, You don't know that."

Laxus kissed his way up to her lips, enjoying the taste of her skin. "Sure I do," he whispered against her lips as his fingers traveled down the length of her torso once again. His tongue struck out over them, pulling back when her tongue rose to meet his. He wanted to see the look of pleasure on her face again as his fingers brushed against the apex of her thighs. "You won't find anyone else that will make you feel the way I do."

"You're a Jackass."

"So you've said," he grinned as he slipped a finger into her folds to tease the small bundle of nerves nestled inside.

A strangled moan sounded from her throat as her hips bucked against his hand. "Fu-fuck… y-you're gonna be the death of me!"

He smirked at her words and nipped at her parted lips. "Nah, I know CPR. I'll bring our ass back."

"Just to-Oh god!" she moaned as his finger slipped down to tease her opening. "Ju-just to k-kill me all over again."

"Mhm," he hummed. His tongue teased her lips, just barely flirting with her own tongue as he slipped his finger inside of the tight confines of her body. Already he could feel his own arousal aching to replace it, to be buried inside of her again. Her warm breath tickled his skin in rushes as his finger moved inside of her. "Fuck, I love just how damn wet you get."

"A-again? But-"

Laxus sealed his lips over hers to cut off her mumbled words. His tongue stroked hers in time to the thrusts of his hand and her hips rose to meet him. "And maybe rounds three or four before we're done," he smirked against her lips.


Natsu sighed contentedly. The sun on his skin felt like heaven, but even more so was the cool hand that was wrapped around his. Glancing over at the man beside him, he smiled. It was a reality that he never thought would come to be. He wasn't sure exactly when his feelings towards the Ice Make mage had changed. They'd been rivals from the first, always fighting and pushing each other to extremes. But then, one day he'd looked at the droopy eyed bastard and it was just… Different.

Instead of the anger he'd grown used to, the sense of competition that lingered in the distance between them, he found his heart pounding for reasons he didn't understand at first. He began noticing every little nuance Gray had. The way his jaw ticked when he was deep in thought or agitated. The slight twitch of the corner of his mouth when he was eating Lucy's curry. He claimed to hate the stuff, but Natsu knew better. The slight gleam that shone in those deep navy colored eyes when he claimed disinterest with morning cartoons. The way he sighed in his sleep.

Natsu didn't know a lot of things. He wasn't book smart and common sense often passed him by. But there was one thing he did know. He'd fallen in love with his greatest rival and closest friend. And there was nothing he could do about it, or so he'd thought. He'd kept it in, bottled it up. For the first time in his life, he believed he'd found the one thing he had to give up on. It wasn't a feeling he enjoyed and he'd almost completely destroyed things with the people around him because of it. He'd been an idiot to think turning his attentions to Lucy would wipe away his feelings. That had only solidified his affections for the man and drove him deeper into a hole filled with shit.

Then the kosmos, or karma, had stepped in when he least expected. The walk of shame from one lover's bed brought him face to face with the object of his greatest desire. Trying to avoid the guilt that was swallowing him whole, he hadn't been paying attention to where he was going. A tree root acted as a catalyst, sending him tumbling only to land on top a very surprised Gray. Their bodies pressed together, bare chest to bare chest, the peppermint and vanilla scent that haunted him, the unguarded expression of shock and fear that he found in the blue depths of his eyes. It had been too much to resist. He'd given in and found the Ice Make mage responding.

What started as a lustful act of desperation, hard and fast physical release that they swore would never happen again, became an illicit affair. They kept it secret, figuring it was just a passing fancy. The newness would wear off, or so Gray had claimed. But then came the moment that had left Natsu breathless and on the verge of grief-driven insanity. He didn't need Gray to tell him what had happened during the battle with the dragons. He'd felt it. His heart had stopped and a dark sadness had swallowed him whole. It was only by some stroke of unknown luck that time had rewound. He'd been given a second chance, and apparently Gray had known it too.

"We need to take the whole team out next time."

Gray's voice pulled him out of his reverie and he blinked as he saw the city skyline rising up in front of them. They were almost home. Home where Happy's waiting for us… He glanced over at the raven-haired man, giving him a cheeky grin. They were now sharing a home. It had taken no convincing to get Gray to move in with him. And while it was still new, they seemed to just fall into step with one another as though they'd always lived together. He'd found his mate and the ring in his pocket would make it official.

"What?" Natsu chuckled as he gave the hand he held a squeeze. "Don't like being alone with me anymore?"

A light dusting of pink brushed across Gray's cheek as his tongue clicked against the roof of his mouth. "No, you Flametard but Lucy's got rent and we're still a damn team."

"Oh," he winced. He'd been so wrapped up in his own happiness, he'd forgotten the rest of the world it would seem. I owe her a lifetime of debt... "Yeah. I gotta make up to her for the last job we all went on."

"Yeah, you do."

Natsu's eyes narrowed, unsure whether to kiss or punch the smug look off of his boyfriend's face. Boyfriend… The thought still made him want to giggle. "Shut the hell up, Ice Prick."

A chuckle fell from Gray's lips as a gentle smile tugged at his lips. "Love ya, Ash Breath."

"Love you too, Elsa."

Movement caught his eye and his gaze dropped to find a miniature snowman sitting in the Ice Make mage's palm. He would have laughed if it didn't come off so damn sweet. He suddenly wished he could make things like that, other than fireballs of destruction. "I thought you were supposed to ask me to help you build one," he pouted.

"That comes later, Great Balls of Fire."

The deep sound of Gray's voice always got him, but when that husky, breathy quality laced in, it was like a bullet that raced straight down to his arousal. He bit his lip and glanced around, tempted to attack him right there on the roadside. But the sight of someone approaching squashed that idea. Ride the train, Ass- His mental chastisement of the ruination of his spontaneity cut short as he took in the person's clothes. He knew that mop of blonde hair, that yellow button down shirt. Just one sniff at the air and he knew exactly who that overly sweet ice cream scent belonged to.

"Is that Eve?"

Natsu gave a short nod of his head as he hummed a response. He took in the young man's sluggish gait, the hung head, the way a hand came up to wipe at his face. "Lucy must have talked to him," he commented aloud.

"Yeah," Gray lamented before calling out. "Hey, Eve!"

The Blond lifted his head to reveal puffy, red eyes. A sad resemblance of a smile forced its way onto his lips. "Oh... Hi, guys."

Natsu forced a smile, but he felt sorry for the poor kid. It was clearly evident that his heart had just been ripped to shreds, but it couldn't be helped. He knew Lucy did what was right. She would never return the kid's affections, no matter how it ended up. The kid was not Lucy's style. But then Laxus isn't either. There was no doubt in his mind that the Lightning Dragon Slayer would ultimately hurt his best friend. But if that was the choice she made, he'd support her in it."What's up man?"

Eve gave a shrug of his shoulder as he averted his eyes. "I just," he sighed. "I'm on my way home."

"Ah, here on guild business?" Natsu ventured, fishing for a confirmation.

"No, personal errand but…" the Blond replied tightly. "I need to get going."

Gray lightly elbowed Natsu and gave a shake of his head. " ," he replied with a small smile. "Well, be safe out there."

Eve glanced hesitantly between them both. He looked as though he was going to ask something before his face fell with his shoulders. "Yeah… See ya."

"See ya," Natsu replied as brightly as he could. It was uncomfortable to see the guy so distraught and it made him wonder how Lucy was taking it. She had a tender heart, so hurting the guy wouldn't have been easy.

"Wow," Gray finally said after a few moments of silence. "He looked torn up."

Natsu frowned and grabbed for the Ice Make mage's hand once more. "Yeah," he said worriedly as he started to pull the other man off towards town. "Which means I need to go check on Luce."

He was glad that Gray didn't fight him, but rather kept up the fast pace he set. If Eve was crying, he couldn't imagine the kid had the brains to hold it. He could only imagine the kid breaking down in front of Lucy, most likely groveling at her feet. It would only make her feel worse than he already knew she felt over the situation. That would only lead to her crying. And he hated to see her cry. It broke his heart every time.

She was a proud woman, strong and so incredibly smart. He knew that even if he did tease her otherwise. He did it to push her at first and it just became a habit. He loved Lucy, almost as much as he loved Gray. She was his best friend, was always there to support him. Even at his lowest. No matter how much he teased her or lost the pay on a job, she was always there. He knew that life would not be the same without her.

They finally reached her apartment building and he thought it odd that her window was closed. She must be crying. He let go of Gray's hand and yanked the door open. Ignoring the angry glare of the Landlady, he raced up the stairs. As he drew closer to her door, though, his steps slowed. His nose twitched at the scent that laid over the top of hers. He knew that smell and it wasn't the smell of tears. Laxus…

He wanted to think that the other Slayer was just visiting, but the smell of sex mixed in with the fragrance of the two inside. And if that wasn't enough to convince him, the sounds that reached his sensitive ears certainly did. The low grunts, muted moans, the barely discernable squeak of bedsprings. Heat flared in his cheeks and he made to turn away only to find Gray beside him, a hand lifted in preparation to knock.

"Don't," he hissed in a whisper as he grabbed for the mage's hand.

Gray glanced at the hand wrapped around his wrist before furrowing his brows in confusion. "What? Why?"

Natsu glanced back at the door and shook his head. "She's…" he paused. For once, he was glad Happy wasn't with them. Outing the fact that she was in the middle of a sexual tryst was not something he or the exceed was at liberty to divulge. He definitely wasn't going to out who she was having sex with. If she wanted others to know, she would say so herself. "She's fine."

"Oooh g-god, Laxus!"

The cry of pleasure that came from behind the door gave birth to a heavy sigh. He prayed that he'd been the only one to hear it. But one glance at his boyfriend and he knew. Wide navy eyes, a deep scarlet tint to normally pale cheeks, those kissable lips parted in shock.

"Uh…" Gray blinked.

"Yeah, come on," Natsu sighed as he gave a tug on his hand. "We'll um… We can talk to her later…"


Eve made it as far as the next rise before he stopped and looked back. A sob broke free from his lips as he watched the two men hurry off towards the city he'd just left. The city where she was. The city where his heart had been ripped out and crushed into dust. A hand came up to grip his chest, his fingers curling into the button up shirt. It felt as though there were nothing but a gaping hole there. He wished there was. Bleeding out seemed a better alternative to the pain that was consuming him.

Then there was the anger.

He knew Natsu and Gray had to have known. Everyone in Fairy Tail must have mocked him. Lucy and Laxus were probably mocking him right at that moment. That was why she hadn't returned his calls or responded to any of his missives. He had become a complete joke.

Why?

It was the million dollar question. He had believed her to be so innocent, so kind. He had believed her to have a heart of gold, the wings of an angel. But she was none of that. She had given him hope. She had allowed him to believe he really had a chance. When had that chance passed? He didn't want to believe she was always that cold. The look on her face made him want to believe that she wasn't. But that womanizing asshole's words had said very differently. She'd toyed with him, probably for their own amusement.

That had to be why she'd disappeared from his room. His fingernails dug into his palms as a shudder of disgust racked his slight frame. She probably ran straight back to him so they could share a laugh…

He turned from the city and continued down the path with no real destination in mind. He wasn't ready to head home. Ren, Hibiki, Ichiya… Master Bob. They'd all be waiting to celebrate. There wasn't anything to celebrate. The promise ring he'd so foolishly purchased was still nestled in his pocket. The weight of it was inconsequential, he knew. But since he'd left her place, it felt like a lead weight that was slowing him down. It felt as though it were pulling him under, into a dark oblivion.

Why?

Why had he given into hope? Why had he believed in her? In love? Why had he ever thought he would have a chance? Her face came to the forefront of his mind. The evil that was his thoughts replayed every moment he'd shared with her. The touch of her hand, the feel of her lips, the way she smiled brighter than the sun. Every single flash felt like a sword running him through until he felt as though he was littered with holes.

The burden of the pain became too much. His knees buckled and he hit the earthen path, his breath leaving him in a rush. His shoulders trembled as he pressed his forehead to the ground beneath him, his fingers curling into the loose dirt. A new wave of tears spilled and he just let it go with a roar of pain. He did not care if others saw him or that his clothes would be soiled. He let the pain consume him and let the tears come.

I loved her… and I hate… I hate that I still do…


Laxus… He's such a cocky ass. I love him that way hehehe. And Lucy with Mystogan O.O Don't ask, it came from left field but was too good to not roll with the fluffy Natsu and Gray. Our precious Fire Dragon Slayer's been really pressing on me a bit lately to show his mature side. He's surprised me but then… He DOES have a mate now hehe. And poor Eve… I do feel sorry for the guy.

For the Notice. I need to start off with an apology. My "muse" took a pretty solid hit and refused to work with me for a while. She's still struggling but we're getting there, slowly. But huge news personally for me, I got an unexpected promotion at my job. Unfortunately, with that new title comes a bit of traveling. At least once or twice a month. This will hinder some of my writing time. I will still be updating but it may not be as fast as usual aka once a week. I promise I am not giving up on my stories. I just now have to split my time between writing and real life lol.

For the PSA:

Artists put everything they have into their work. Whether it be writing, painting, drawing… They take the time to put their soul into their work. And then they essentially bare their souls by publishing it. For those who do it professionally, they are lucky. They have a buffer between them and the people who get to appreciate it. There are layers of people who insulate them from the "end user." For those of us on fanfiction, Tumblr, AO3. We don't. We aren't getting paid for our hard work. We are putting our souls out there for free, for the reader's enjoyment. We subject ourselves to the fact that there is no buffer. So, we get to see everything said about our work… Good and Bad. Why? Because we truly enjoy what we do and wish to share it.

Before you review, take the time to remember that and chose your words carefully. Constructive criticism is ALWAYS a welcomed thing. It's how we grow as artists. Hateful, rude, inconsiderate notes about how much the artists sucks or how much you hate them/their work is uncalled for. It's a form of bullying. It's hurtful. Rude comments are just that… Rude. Myself and most of my friends have pretty thick skin, so it usually doesn't get to to us. But the truth of the matter is, it does.

There are those out there that aren't so fortunate to just stumble. It can drive an artist to quit, to walk away from what they love. They take it to heart, pull down their work and deny the rest of the world of something precious… Them, part of who they are. We should all be thankful for that, for their efforts to make this world a better place by giving pieces of their heart and soul.

I do understand bad days. I'm human and as humans, we ALL have them. But that does not give any of us the right to go around bashing others just so that they feel as miserable as we feel. If you can't find a kind word, don't say anything. Or better yet, just drop a review thanking them for posting. Why? Because they did something a lot of people won't. They exposed their souls and aren't getting paid to do it.

Sorry, not sorry, for the long rant.

Next update with be A Soulful Fugue.

Big hugs and lots of Love!

Princess Nana