First off, I'd like to say I'm sorry this chapter took so long. It wasn't because the story didn't want to be written. It was, in fact, that I've been pretty sick for the about the last week. I kept trying to write this chapter, and either I would feel really horrible or something else would come up and completely bomb my concentration. Anyway, that is neither here nor there. The important thing is that I have finally completed it! YAY! So before we get to the chapter, let me say thanks again to all you terrific followers, thanks to you guys who've added me and my story to your favorites, and thanks so much for all of your reviews! Special thanks goes to XxShyxX for giving me some ideas for this chapter. Your input is, as always, indispensable!

Hiro Mashima owns all things Fairy Tail, because you know if I did, scenes like this would make an appearance in the OVA.

CHAPTER 10: YOU MAKE ME FEEL

Lucy's POV

I awoke to the feeling of warmth all around me, and I vaguely wondered if Natsu had found his way into my house again. Of course, if that was the case, there was nothing to do but kick the shit out of him for presuming to sleep with me. I was so very comfortable though, which then lead my sleep addled mind to conclude that it couldn't be Natsu. His level of heat was off the charts, and I always woke up sweating to death. That thought, in turn, required my brain to start waking up, because it just might be time to panic! If it isn't Natsu, who the hell is snuggling up with me?!

I peeked open an eye, taking in the sight of a very large, very muscular, very naked chest. I blinked, feeling a surge of panic until my eyes caught sight of a very familiar tattoo beside my head. Laxus...I sighed as my heart beat slowed, and I was once again taken into that comforting warmth. The thought that I'd slept, not only in the same bed, but in his arms seemed incredible to me. Somewhere inside me, I knew I shouldn't be this calm; I should have already jumped out of this bed and his arms. Why wasn't I freaking out? I had always gone ballistic when I woke to Natsu sharing my bed, and he was my one of my best friends. I barely knew Laxus, but strangely, I didn't feel the desire to pound the shit out of him for doing what I wouldn't let Natsu get away with. I should feel weird, but I really didn't. Shouldn't that bother me? I thought back over the last day...wow, has it really only been one day?...and I suddenly realized how much he had gotten under my skin. Somehow, this eternally arrogant man had gotten me comfortable.

I took a moment to admit to myself how much I liked waking up to find Laxus beside me. How the hell did that happen? Before, he was just a guy at the guild; he was obviously gorgeous, insanely powerful, nakama, but ultimately he was still just a guy in our guild. I didn't know him well, and before, it hadn't really mattered to me to change that. Of course, that was no longer the case; now it seemed he was never far from my thoughts. My thoughts seemed to be quite happy to circle around him. My lips quirked, remembering how much he had smiled since we'd arrived, how hard he had laughed. He just seemed...free somehow, and I began to recognize how much it meant to me to see him happy. I found myself hoping that this free side of him was, at least in part, because of me.

I had already accepted the fact that I liked this Laxus, but it was more than that. I didn't just like this fun, playful side of him; I was coming to be drawn to even the less thrilling sides of him. Yesterday, when I'd found him sitting on the bed, his face so sad, I had wanted nothing more than to take his pain away. I didn't like the idea of anything hurting him; I wanted to save him. The thought made me smile, me saving someone as powerful as Laxus. Still, I knew from experience, that sometimes the worst pain is the kind that doesn't touch you physically. Sometimes, what cuts the deepest are the scars in your heart.

My gaze traveled up to study his face, still slack with sleep. He looked so peaceful like this, with his lips slightly parted, his breathing deep and slow. I was marginally disappointed that I couldn't see his stormy gray eyes; then again, if he were awake, I might not have the courage to do what I want to do. I lifted my hand from his chest slowly, careful not to wake him and spoil my fun. I held my breath and gently touched his face, caressing his jaw line. Such a strong face...You wouldn't look at him and say, "Cute" or "Beautiful." He would never be those things; he was too rough around the edges to ever be described by such paltry terms. No, Laxus was rugged and masculine. There wasn't a soft part anywhere on his body; he was all man. My hand drifted up and followed the line of his eyebrow, stopping at the scar that bisected both brow and eye. I gently pressed a finger to the marred skin. My finger ghosted down the scar, barely touching; I didn't want to wake him just yet. I bit my lip as I concentrated on studying the area, before suddenly realizing that Laxus had opened his eyes and was watching me quietly. Oops...

I jerked my hand back and tucked it under my chin, muttering "Sorry." Reaching out, he grasped my hand and brought it back to his face. He looked at my slightly flushed face, and spoke in a sleep-laden voice, "It's okay. You don't have to stop." His hand gently began teasing up and down my back and I faltered for a moment, before raising myself up onto an elbow. I eased a hand forward to graze my middle finger along his hairline. I traced down the side of his face, before threading my fingers into the hair above his ear. My thumb stroked over his scar softly, as he breathed out a sigh and closed his eyes. I lingered over the spot, testing the texture, memorizing the feel of it. I knew he'd gotten it as a child, when his father had the lightning lacrima implanted. I frowned, imagining how much it had to have hurt; to be honest, I was amazed that his eyesight hadn't been damaged in the process.

His eyes fluttered open again to see my pensive expression, and he put his curiosity into words, "You look so serious. What are you thinking about?"

I looked into the cloudy grayness of his eyes and asked, "Did it hurt?"

He furrowed his brow before answering my question."I don't remember much about when it was put it. It hurt afterward though," he said simply.

I bit my lip, considering the next question I wanted to ask. I was more than a little unsure about this one; it was far more personal, and there was a chance that he wouldn't appreciate me sticking my nose into it. Still, I decided to chance it and inquired, "Why would your father do something that would cause you pain like that?"

He went stiff for a moment, and I suddenly wished I'd kept my mouth shut. "I'm sorry Laxus; I shouldn't have asked," I rushed to say, hoping he wouldn't be too angry with me for being so thoughtless.

He gave my hip a small squeeze, and my eyes looked into his as he sighed, saying, "Basically, the bastard couldn't give two damns about anyone but himself. He was tired of having a "weak" son, so he figured he'd fix me."

He'd fairly sneered the word "weak", and I reasoned that his father must have beaten him down with it. I couldn't help but find the sad irony in his statement; his father had made sure that Laxus felt like he was never good enough, and then Laxus had continued the pattern, treating the rest of the guild the same way. I wondered if Laxus's preference to be alone was leftover from his father as well.

I looked down, as my fingers followed the lines of his tattoo, and thought how sad it all was. Here was one of the strongest mages in our guild, and his father had made him feel so small. It had obviously made him feel like he had to prove his strength over and over again. He had to be better, stronger than anyone else. I looked up as I shook my head sadly and said, "He really fucked with your mind, didn't he?"

My heart dropped as he turned his head away in shame, flexing his hand on my side. I cupped his face in my hand, and pulled him back towards me, telling him, "Hey, don't do that. I'm sorry; I wasn't trying to make you feel bad. I only meant that he had you so messed up, trying to be what he wanted; I know how that feels."

His eyes watched me warily. He didn't seem to know what to say, so I continued, "You're not a bad guy, Laxus; please don't think that. You just got a little lost along the way. I know what it's like to try to be everything your father wants and never be able to measure up. I fought so hard to make mine happy, but it never worked. Then one day, I realized, it was never going to be enough for him, but it wasn't because there was something lacking in me. There was something lacking in him. It's the same with you. You may have let your dad's words guide your actions for a while, and you made mistakes, but you learned from them. You've changed."

Laxus's POV

For a moment, I laid there stunned, her hand still holding my face. I couldn't believe what she'd said. She really doesn't think I'm horrible. Obviously, I realized that she wouldn't have come here with me if she hadn't felt safe, and she damn sure wouldn't be kissing me and touching me the way she had. I knew all that, but some little piece of me had felt sure that in the back of her mind, I was always going to be the man who'd hurt everyone she loved. I hadn't understood how much I needed to hear her say that I wasn't bad, that she knew I had changed. When she'd said those words, I felt a tightness, that I hadn't even known existed in my chest, ease. She really is something else, I thought, as I pulled her face to mine.

I caught her eyes with my own and tried to put everything I was thinking into that connection. I wanted her to know how amazing I thought she was, how grateful I was for this second chance. She smiled gently, and I slipped my hand into her hair, and kissed her, slow and deep. She met my lips, releasing a soft breath. I rolled us over and pressed her into the bed, my leg slipping between hers. My left arm cradled her as I continued my slow assault on her mouth. I slid my right hand from the back of her head to cup her face, brushing her cheek with my thumb.

She grasped my face in her hands, tilting her head to deepen the kiss. Our tongues brushed, swirling around each other, learning, savoring the experience. I left her lips, and opened my eyes, seeing hers do the same.

I searched her face, saying "How, Lucy, how do you do it?"

Her face screwed up in confusion, as she asked, "How do I do what?"

I stroked her face, and asked all the things that confounded and amazed me, "How can you forgive me so easily for everything I've done? How can you offer me a way to let go of my guilt, when I deserve to feel like that?"

She shook her head lightly as she pulled my face in to offer a brief kiss, before saying, "You've made up for what you've done, Laxus; you've earned forgiveness and trust. You shouldn't have to live with your guilt forever; you deserve more than that."

My breath shuddered as I closed my eyes, leaning forward to rest my forehead against hers. "I don't understand it; you should hate me. You should look at my face and feel nothing but disgust."

She pushed my face back, making me look at her, and saying sternly, "Laxus, stop. I'm not about to hate you for making mistakes that you've already paid for. Trust me, I've made plenty of them myself. No one's perfect." Her mouth inched up, grinning impishly as she continued, "Besides, it definitely isn't disgust that I feel when I look at your face."

It took a minute to switch gears from the serious talk we'd been having, and I realized that she was trying to get me to do what she'd done and let it go. I didn't know if I could ever leave it in the past, but I was going to try, for Lucy. I felt a smile stretch across my face as I asked, "Really? Why don't you tell me what you feel when you look at me?"

Lucy let loose a giggle, before answering, "I like looking at your face; it makes me smile."

I laughed, tapping her nose with my finger, "I like that it makes you smile, but that wasn't the question. The question was what do you feel?"

She smirked mischievously, as she let the silence gather. Then she pulled my head closer, leaning forward to whisper in my ear, "Hot...looking at you makes me feel hot."

I froze as the words seemed to shoot straight to my groin. Gone was the light, playful moment and in its place was heat, instantly consuming my body. A groan was ripped from my throat as she nipped at my jaw. My hand clenched, the sheets twisting in my fingers, as her leg ran up the length of my own.

She made her way down my neck, whispering words between each little bite. "Your eyes make my heart pound"..."Your lips make my mouth water"..."Your scar makes me itch to touch it." Every word she spoke was like a jolt to my already fried system.

Pulling my head back, I saw her eyes were hooded, and she was breathing raggedly through parted lips. "Fuck!" I smashed my mouth over hers, ravaging her lips as she had ravaged my control. She'd ripped through my good intentions with nothing but her truth, and there was no putting it back. I pulled my arm from beneath her, and suddenly I found myself between those incredible legs. I ran my hand down her side, brushing her shapely ass, and hooked her leg over my hip. My hand lingered over her knee, pressing into the soft skin, before smoothing its way back down to her hip, sending a shiver through her body.

I pulled back on the kiss to suck her plump lip into my mouth, nibbling on it , then soothing it with my tongue. Her breathing matched mine, climbing higher and higher as our hearts pounded seemingly together. I left the warmth of her mouth to lick a path to her collar bone, sliding my hands up her legs to cup her perfectly round ass, pulling myself in closer. She shuddered as I brushed against her core, and her hands on my back clenched. Her legs tightened, pulling me in again to rub deliciously against her warmth, and my breath left with a hiss.

I moved my hands to brace myself over her, as I grazed my teeth against the skin of her neck. I flexed my hips, wanting nothing more in that moment than to push myself inside her, to take her over and over again. I wanted to push her over the edge, to hear her cry out my name. I returned to her lips to kiss her ferociously, thrusting my tongue into her mouth. She moaned into my mouth, pressing against me like she couldn't get close. I understood the sentiment.

Just as I had begun to ease my hand up her shirt, we heard a brisk knock at the door. I considered ignoring it until I realized that it could only be related to the job we were here to do. After all, the money drop was scheduled for later today. Fuck, fuck, fuck! I stilled, leaning my head against hers, while I was internally letting out the most inventive string of curses I could think of. Of all the damn times... I leaned back to sit on my heels, shaking my head, and opened my eyes.

Lucy was breathing hard as she rasped out, "Shit, it's...about the job...isn't it?"

She laid there, her face flushed and her legs spread before me, and I had to fist my hands to keep from touching her again. I wanted so badly to deny it and finish what we'd started, but I made myself answer, "Most likely."

The knock sounded again, and she sat up and climbed over the side of the bed, adjusting her clothes. "Ugh...I'm coming!" she yelled to the person at the door, before glancing at me. Her face flushed as she realized what she'd said, and she leaned down, brushing a kiss across my lips, muttering, "I'm sorry; I'll see what they want."

I stood beside the bed and watched as she got further down the hall. I was so hard already and watching her like this was just making it worse. I groaned as I walked into the bathroom and turned on the shower. There's only one thing to do, I thought, as I climbed under the hot spray. Damn, I'm too fucking old to be doing this shit.

A/N: I really wasn't planning the last part of this chapter, but apparently, they really want to be together! Of course, there's always the remote possibility that I'm just a closet pervert that keeps trying to put them there. Anyway, I tried something a little different with this chapter. I got a suggestion on my other story, and thought I'd test the theory here. My reviewer thought that it would be easier to read if I put each character's spoken words on a separate line. So please, let me know if you like it this way or you prefer the other way. It doesn't bother me either way, so I'll let you guys decide! :)