Author's Note: I don't even know why I bother making plans anymore. FAHSFJK. Anyway, long story short for those who care; Real life got in the way of me writing this. My sister had her baby, problems happened at work, family drama went down, I got addicted to Pokemon Go (again), my mental health wasn't the best, etc. etc. Anyway, I'm FINALLY back to update this.

I'm not making any more promises on uploading because every time I do, something happens that makes that update date change. But know I'm gonna work as much as I can on this, but with the holidays coming up, I can't promise a lot. I'll do my damndest, though, and that much you CAN hold me to. Here is, finally, the moment so many of you were just waiting on, and I'm so happy to bring this to you. c:

I hope you all like it, I hope you can forgive me for taking 2839425 years to post this, and I hope you all have a wonderful Halloween / Samhain! Have a Merry Day, I wish you the best!


The parties that broke out afterwards, specifically hosted by Fairy Tail, were intense. The guild's parties were known for being… Outlandish, but this time was a whole new level. When they got home, they weren't only greeted by Fairies, but also from members of allied guilds who watched it as it was broadcasted on their LVs. The parties lasted two whole weeks, where in those promoted barely had time to sit with Makarov or get the appropriate promotion paperwork done. They were able to get a few smaller answers for their questions, though. Natsu nor Gray were planning and were solely relying on their strength to pull them through, whereas Gajeel knew when to boost defenses or his offense and one when to strike and when not to.

Wendy showed awe inspiring skill, but unlike the calmer and lower level one had to be when Mira and Erza were promoted, they wanted to give the lass a little more time to age and grow before promotion. That was literally the only reason, which proved just how fearsome the youngest dragon slayer was. Cana had all the qualifications, she just didn't believe in herself enough to bet on herself and showed hesitance in quite a few of her own spells.

All in all, their questions were answered. Their stomachs were filled by their guildmates buying their booze or guild meals as a means of congratulations. And their spirits were on high from the partying.

When things began to wind down and relax halfway through the second week, that's when things finally began to get back where it needed to be. More specifically, that's when Laxus was finally able to get Lucy out for dinner again. The night was lighthearted, both dressed down to come to an Alvarezan restaurant, wearing really nothing special. Lucy was wearing a large t-shirt that, though Laxus did think was rather cute on her, he hated dearly. Mostly because it was Gray's and despite obviously coming from the blonde's house, it still smelled a bit like the ice mage.

She wore black leggings under the t-shirt and black flats. He wore sweatpants- as the weather was getting cooler- and a dark three-quarter sleeve shirt that was a bit tight but breathable.

"So how's life been?" he asked before he took a sip of his tea.

She shrugged. "Other than everyone offering to buy my drinks and food at the guild, relatively the same. I'm just happy that's behind us now." Lucy shoveled a bite of barbecued beef into her mouth. "Too much stress," she said through the food, referring to the tests.

He nodded in agreement. "It stressed me out when I took the tests, too."

"Really?" Her brows went up in astonishment.

Laxus nodded. "Sure did. Did I show anyone that? No." He lifted a shish kebab to his face. "But it was a moment where I was afraid to let everyone expecting greatness from me down. Macao was my biggest competitor."

The lass thought about that for a moment but nodded her understanding after a second. "After the mission Natsu and I had to go save him from for Romeo, I don't doubt it. Nowadays, Vulcan aren't much, but… We've all grown a lot since then."

Laxus smirked a bit. "You do know you were always going to be promoted, right?"

Her eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"

Yes, she thought- what with that remark he made- that he may have rigged it. However, he put the kebab down after biting a few beef strips and mushrooms off, and held his hands up in surrender. This only confused her further, but she waited for him to finish his bite for him to respond.

"You wanted it so bad you didn't stop training," he elaborated. "The others didn't want it that bad. You were the top pick because even in your match with Juvia, it showed."

Lucy shook her head. "Juvia went easy on me. She went easy on everyone before Gajeel."

"But the same could be said about you," he countered. "You didn't bring half of what you had, even against Freed. Which, by the way, the Erza bluff was so beautifully executed."

She smirked and waved her fork a bit. "Thank you, thank you. I didn't expect anyone to see through it, but I'm not surprised you did."

"The armor wasn't as damaged as it is now," he explained.

"Yeah, I know. But back on topic," she continued. "Why are you so sure about that?"

He shrugged and took another drink before explaining. "Natsu and Gray are cut from the same cloth, even if they don't want to acknowledge it. They think that strength enough will pull you through to S-Class if you show enough. If that were truly the case, they both would have come back to the guild after Tartaros as S-Class mages. But they never really understood that it isn't strength that makes an S-Class mage."

Lucy obviously got him started on his soapbox, but she didn't mind. His voice was soothing and yet stirring her gut into a frenzy of butterflies, but it made her so happy to know he was willing to talk this much around her. While he talked, she ate but listened diligently.

"Gajeel almost didn't make it, in favor of Wendy… But she needs time to grow mentally. She has everything else we look for; compassion, understanding, strategy, guts, grit and enough power and ability for assessment so that we don't have to worry about her. But she's still learning a lot about life in general. Adding the stress that comes with being S-Class would only cause one of two things- emotional hardening like Erza, or an emotional snap if something awry happened- like Mira."

This made Lucy speak up. "But Erza was always pretty stiff, and a death can cause anyone to reassess who they are, trust me on that one."

He nodded in understanding. "And I'm not discounting that. What I am saying, though, is that it worsened. Erza was more open as a child and, through battling and seeing some nasty shit on her solo S-Class missions, eventually closed up. Even being in the Tower doesn't mean she was ready to deal with some of the missions she went on. And Mira didn't change that drastically after Lisanna's death. She changed and got softer- even made the oath to not use magic- after it happened, yes, but she still had responsibilities that gave her very little time to really mourn. If Wendy happened to go through a tragedy like that, I highly doubt that at her age, she'd be able to accept responsibility while also taking time to mourn."

Lucy thought this over and nodded, finally accepting what he was trying to get across.

He took another bite of food before continuing. "Cana was damn near almost chosen instead of Gajeel, too, but her problem was obvious in both of her battles. She was willing to put all of her faith in others and not willing to spare any for herself. Sometimes, you have to bet on yourself. Putting Cana as S-Class with such little faith in herself would only cause her to overthink every mission she goes on and cause a deterioration of her psyche.

"But you?" he asked as he motioned to her. "You already proved to be everything we needed. You proved it during the last Games we entered- specifically during the Naval Battle and your match against Flare. You protected your guildmates and knew to lay low until Asuka was safe. You then took a bet on yourself to win- which you would have if they hadn't have cheated- and proved that despite being called weak, you still believed in your spirits enough to believe in yourself as a repercussion."

She felt herself blush harder and harder with every word that he said.

"You showed resilience," he continued without pause, "and heart, diligence and showed your strategy even in the face of Juvia in the water. You showed your guts to stand up to Minerva and showed your grit and determination to get through it. When Fairy Tail disbanded, you kept tabs on everyone and made sure to know most everyone's whereabouts in the event that we'd reform. You've always showed all the qualifications, you just didn't have the strength to back it up yet. After Alvarez? None of us- no matter how far you made it- would have voted against you. Now, you're a monster though."

Lucy looked down at her hands sheepishly, not knowing what to say.

This seemed weirdly familiar.

Laxus saying sweet things that leave her speechless. At least this time, it wasn't about friends falling in love.

Whoops.

Now she was thinking about that again.

And it seemed like her silence was worrying. "Blondie?"

She snapped out of her spiraling thoughts, still very red-faced, and promptly shoved a huge bite of food into her mouth. "...Gross."

His brows furrowed. "Is the food too cold or…?"

Lucy shook her head and refused to look him in the eye. "You're being all sappy and gross."

He snorted, now understanding that she didn't know how to respond. To be fair, it wasn't like he was going to openly admit that he'd kept his eyes on her since he was reinstated… But this was close enough. "And that's gross?"

"Yes."

"You're a dork."

She gasped. "Rude!"

"Thank you," he belched out. "Glad you know I am."

Her nose crinkled at this. "Now that's gross."

"Oh please," he waved off. "You've done grosser."

She could clearly remember walking for almost an entire day in drying wyvern blood. "...Fair enough."

He chuckled and nudged her arm with his finger.

She tilted her head.

Then, he smiled softly at her. "I'm glad we're doing this again."

Her heart stuttered. "O-Oh… I am too… I, uh…" Lucy paused to look down at her almost empty plate. Maybe she can finally ask about where they were. "I… I have a question… About u-"

She was then cut off by her comm bleating out an annoying alarm sound. She quickly snapped her mouth shut and frantically pulled the communications lacrima out of her purse, once again refusing to look at him. This wasn't lost on him, nor was it lost just what she was going to ask. However, he didn't know exactly what the question was. His heart was beating scarily fast and he was almost too relieved for the interruption. But, if he was so relieved.. Why did he feel a little disappointed?

"It's an S.O.S."

His eyes snapped to her. It was rare anyone sent them out anymore.

"Yukino and Orga were on a mission to take out a dark guild and were overwhelmed by the master. They need help ASAP," she quickly read off as she stood up and began gathering her things.

He bit his lower lip but made a decision. "...Where at? I'll go with you."

She finally looked back up at him with wide eyes. "...Okay. It's just outside of Oak Town."

"That's close enough," he admitted and urgently flagged down a waiter. "I'll pay and port us. We'll need to get there as soon as we can."

Lucy watched him talk to the waiter carefully before sending a small message to Virgo. Hopefully the maid could gather her things quickly because while she did have her keys, she did not have her whip. Only then did a thought occur to her. "...If they sent me the S.O.S. then it means it's something I can handle over anyone else. What is that?"

Laxus didn't speak until the waiter had more than enough jewel for the meal in his hand before he spoke. "You're the only holder mage that's S-Class that I can think of, since Mystogan's gone." Something about his words made his stomach drop. This suddenly didn't bode well with him. "I'm still going with you."

"I never said you shouldn't."

"Good. Come on," he urged. She went to follow him without question, but he still took her hand in his. This tiny little action made her stomach do a flip and she quickly realized just how deep she was. Maybe going on an S.O.S. call with him wasn't the best idea… But in the same breath, two S-Class mages were better than one.

Lucy didn't even hesitate to step into his arms when he got ready to port them.

"It'll take about two jumps to get there, so be ready to get into battle as soon as we land."

She nodded, quickly trying to get a response from Virgo. The maid still didn't have her whip but offered one of her own to tide the blonde over until the mission was over. Lucy sighed a bit but squeezed Laxus' waist to let him know that she was as ready as she could be.

His magic engulfed her again, and she was reminded of just how gentle the lightning could be. It appalled her nearly every time she felt it, since lightning was typically so destructive and so powerful, but Laxus' magic… It never hurt her. It engulfed her, filled her, surrounded her and protected her. It soothed her worries and it was easily one of the most fulfilling feelings. She could only hope that her mothers' words about magic being gentle in love were true.

She hoped it was.

Hope.

Once again, Lucy realized how deep she was.

It took maybe ten seconds for the two blondes to get to the battle site, and upon landing, Lucy jumped away from Laxus to get straight to the fight… Well, she was… Until Orga screamed out.

"LAXUS, GO HOME!"

The dragon slayer, on high alert, was suddenly smacked in the face by a wave of something that Lucy wasn't affected by. Something that caused the slayer to drop to his knees almost immediately. It raised the hairs on her neck and had her glaring at the green clad woman hovering just above the ground. Yukino seemed to have a decent enough grasp on the battle for Lucy to have a little wiggle room.

"What's going on," the lass demanded.

The god slayer, flat on the ground, looked up at her in pain. "She can cancel out ability magic. It feels like I don't have access to my magic container, Shortstack."

Lucy's brown eyes went wide at this.

A mage grows so dependent on their magic and their containers that suddenly ripping a mage away from the container could kill them. Her eyes went back to Laxus, who was doubled over on his knees. He coughed horribly and Lucy couldn't unsee the blood that came out when he did. The man already had a bad enough problem with Ethernano, adding this to the mix…

Then, Lucy saw red.

Hatred, anger, panic and adrenaline flooded her veins. When her wide, wild and near feral eyes turned back to the woman Yukino just got knocked away from, they were glowing an alarming golden hue. The assumed dark guildmaster looked at the blonde with a cocky smirk on her face and flicked her red hair back as though the other celestial mage wasn't more than a flea to her.

"Another holder mage?" she taunted. "When will you lot learn that holder mages will never be as strong as casters?"

Lucy's hair lifted from her shoulders in an unseen and unfelt wind.

The guildmaster cackled. "You can't touch your magical object without being burned, pretty little girl. Everything magical has been turned to poison because of my spell!"

Lucy growled.

Laxus peeked open a clenched eye to look at his mate.

"I don't need to touch anything," she snarled. A golden magic circle encompassed her, blinding the woman long enough for the fairy to now be in Cancer's stardress.

The redhead narrowed her eyes dangerously. "How can you requip under this spell."

"It's not requip and it's not my magic," she growled out.

Cancer was her fastest spirit.

She already had a wicked fast speed because of her training with Orga.

Combining these elements instead of using Cancer's blades was what she knew would give her the win. She trusted Cancer, but more than that…

Lucy was out for blood.

Laxus could barely keep his mate in sight, despite being used to massive speeds himself. Yukino blinked and suddenly the blonde was in front of her. Lucy jumped up, changing to Taurus' star dress so fast Laxus wondered if Erza's requipping speeds could keep up. The blonde grabbed the back of the woman's head and tugged it down hard, connecting her knee with the guildmaster's face. The woman flew up a little more then fell back hard in a double-whammy. First a powerful knee to the face, then landing awkwardly on her shoulders on the ground afterwards.

Laxus felt the guildmaster's hold on the spell he fell under loosen. It seemed like Orga did, too, as they both managed to get into a one-knee kneeling position. The dragon looked over at the ogre, only to see him share a knowing look with Yukino. What that meant, he didn't know. His attention was quickly brought back to the fight when the dark mage let out a shriek of frustration.

Her red hair went wild, her eyes glowing green. "WHAT ARE YOU, YOU BITCH?!"

Lucy dodged the haphazard spiked vine that bolted straight at her. It turned as though trying to stab her and she jumped up onto the wildly flicking green tendril. "Your worst fucking nightmare," she growled out as she jumped again and changed to Gemini's star dress. "A Celestial Mage."

"DON'T LIE TO ME! THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE!" The dark mage screamed again and held her hand out to send a wave of acid-like poison at the blonde. "YOUR KEYS WOULD HAVE POISONED YOU! YOU'RE NOT EVEN USING KEYS!"

"Cetus!" she called.

Not having to touch her key to summon a spirit was such a convenient thing at the moment.

The spirit came out in a little flourish before drawing the poison to his body. She could sense the magic of the dark mage and could tell it was quickly fleeting. Lucy didn't know what was causing the rapid depletion, but she assumed it had something to do with the consistent use of a spell that blocked ability mages from their magic containers. At least this would end sooner than she anticipated.

If you believe in yourself, I'll believe in you.

The memory of Laxus' words only managed to make her more anxious to finish this fight fast. He meant too much to her. She couldn't lose him.

She couldn't.

This was her moment.

Then, in that very moment, everything clicked into place.

She knew she loved him, that wasn't anything new. However, things she didn't know were connected suddenly pieced together. Erza's sudden acceptance of her feelings towards Laxus. Natsu's almost stated words. Ever's adamance that Laxus doesn't lie even after Laxus seemingly poured his heart out for her. He did pour his heart out for her. His magic didn't lie. He loved her. More than that, she quickly pieced together that she was most likely his mate.

She realized he lead her into their comfortable current relationship because he must've known that she wasn't as confident as she seemed to be. He must've known that she needed the time to feel for him. He knew this and never once brought it up, brought up his feelings. He did have ulterior motives, but they were centered around making her fall for him so he didn't scare her off.

The world fell away, leaving only you for me to see.

You already proved to be everything we needed. You proved it during the last Games we entered- specifically during the Naval Battle and your match against Flare.

I knew it was love when you plagued my dreams.

Stay?

Two dozen roses for a woman who looks stunning in red.

Let's get you home.

Anything for you.

Are you okay, though?

Every single time I see you, I fall in love all over again.

Her heart filled to the brim. Acceptance, excitement and happiness flooded her being for less than a second. The image of Laxus coughing up blood replayed in her mind and those great emotions were quickly replaced with yet another surge of anger and hatred directed at the dark mage, as well as another huge wave of adrenaline. She couldn't lose him. She wouldn't lose him. She'd never leave him like that.

Lucy, still standing behind Cetus as he collected the poison, did the thing she swore she wouldn't. The thing she promised her spirit she wouldn't do unless she thought it absolutely necessary. Even though she did nothing in Gemini's dress, she changed to Capricorn's.

Now dressed in a black tuxedo-like suit with horns coming from her head, her hair in a tight and high ponytail, Lucy jumped past the silver spirit. Ignoring the stinging pain from the light and faint splatter of the last of the poison, she rushed towards the dark mage with a sense of absolute urgency. Mentally, she called an apology to Capricorn and a wish for Virgo to appear- who did so without her name even being called.

"I haven't seen this star dress before," Laxus idly said.

"This must be Capricorn's…" Yukino watched with wide eyes as the blonde looked absolutely fearsome like this.

Virgo worked quickly, burrowing under the ground before three chains shot up at the dark mage. One captured her left wrist, one her right, and one around her right ankle. Without Lucy's entire focus, this was all Virgo could manage.

The image of Lucy using Capricorn's Palm Strike on the woman with such force that it obviously broke her jaw was forever imprinted in Laxus' mind. The blood splattering from the redhead's mouth, the angry and determined look in her glowing eyes, the slight upturn of her upper lip to bare her teeth in an angry snarl… She was so fucking radiant in his eyes.

The dark mage was hit with such brutal force that it almost made Taurus' star dress seem like child's play. She rocketed towards the ground, the chains snapping apart and breaking the joints they were originally around, and when she impacted it caused a deep crater. This was all thanks to Virgo, making it so that there would be even more damage by tunnelling beneath the topsoil.

For a moment, Laxus didn't understand why she never used this star dress- but then, it became very obvious.

It was somehow too powerful.

It didn't make her as fast as Cancer's did. It wasn't as strong as Taurus'. It didn't give her elemental control like Aquarius'. It didn't give her a magical force behind everything like Leo's. It wasn't as defensive as Virgo's or Aries'. Yet still, it was the perfect star dress for Lucy. Laxus quickly realized, just after Lucy landed what should have been an impossible Lucy Kick to the woman's side, exactly what this star dress did. It boosted the most devastating of her abilities- it boosted her accuracy. The biggest fault in Celestial magic was mostly centered around missing attacks, as if you missed it created an opening to get close and get those keys. Lucy, however, already had near-deadly accuracy as is…

Now, it was like she'd never miss.

"Capricorn is her Ophiuchus," Yukino whispered in awe.

Orga turned to his girlfriend and tilted his head. "What do you mean, Kino?"

The tigress pointed at the lass. "Every star dress will boost something for the mage, if not multiple things. But, there will be one star dress that a mage shouldn't use because it'll make the mage too much," she explained. "Lucy's never really had a problem with accuracy. Most, if not all, of her misses come from the opponent dodging. Boosting that means she'd never miss her attacks."

Laxus raised his brows. "And why is that a bad thing?"

"It's not," she agreed. "But, there are laws we as Celestial Spirit Mages have to abide by. The laws here on Earthland and the laws in the Celestial Realm. One of which states that a mage can never abuse the power of their spirits, in any regard. Using a star dress that makes you deadly too many times can easily be seen as abusing the power leant to us."

Orga nodded at this. "What's Ophiuchus do?"

"Boosts my regeneration," she admitted. "Being mated-"

"Bonded. I'm not a fuckin' barbaric dragon slayer," Orga 'scolded' (though it was an obvious tease to Laxus).

"Excuse you?"

"Being bonded," she clarified, cutting off the dick measuring contest, "to a slayer means I can heal much faster than should be humanly possible already. Boosting that further means I'd take almost no damage at all, at any time."

"YOU WON'T HURT HIM!"

Their attention quickly went back to Lucy, who dodged another vine attack by running up the spiked tendril. She jumped up above the dark mage and held her leg out. They watched as a spiral of stars came off of her leg. The blonde somehow did a flip mid-fucking-air (and Laxus was now convinced that she was half-cat) and dropped the glowing leg onto the redhead's face. The moment it impacted, the already weak spell Laxus and Orga were still barely suffering from completely vanished.

"COSMIC KICK!"

The dark mage once again was kicked into the crumbling earth.

She didn't move after that, now knocked completely out. The woman would later wake to find she'd broken several bones in her fight against Lucy, but for now, she just lay motionless on the ground.

However, Laxus was quick to use his lightning to- once again- catch Lucy as she fell.

She looked up at him with those big eyes that made his heart stutter.

Her smile made his heart flood as she changed back into clothes she wore before.

"Laxus," she weakly said.

Then promptly passed out in his arms.

He sighed, looking down at her with a warm smile.

"Prince?" Virgo asked as she approached.

Confused about the sudden title, Laxus could only manage a confused look.

"She has a bit of burning from the acid attack earlier. It's on her left thigh, left arm and left hip," Cetus said as he approached the blondes as well. "It's not poisoning her, but it'll sting when she wakes up. A burn cream should fix that."

"Here," Virgo offered a small jar out to the slayer. "Please stay by Princess' side until she wakes. She's liable to panic if you're not near."

His brows furrowed. "What? She should be fine…"

Not that he was even thinking about dropping her off with anyone else, anyway.

He wouldn't dare.

Laxus would take this little gift and run with it.

"She panicked after you coughed up blood," Cetus clarified. "If she doesn't see that you're fine after waking up… Just… Just take care of her."

Then Laxus got it. She'd be more worried about him than about herself. He nodded at the two spirits. "You don't have to tell me twice."


"I just don't know what to do, man."

"Brother, I've been trying to get Savvy Baby to be my girl for a minute now without luck. I don't know what to tell ya here."

"She just… Bicks… She's my mate and she already loves me. I just…"

"Don't know what to do with that information?"

"I don't. Should I… Should I do something..? But what if I've been reading it wrong?"

Lucy slowly opened her eyes, listening in on the conversation being had in the other room. Maybe it was wrong to do this, but in her defense, they had loud voices and it didn't seem like they even cared that she might hear. They just weren't trying to be quiet.

"Nah, bruh, I don't think you're reading wrong."

"But why would she love me so quickly..? I've done nothing for her before this… I did nothing but hurt her and avoid her at all costs… Bicks, it just doesn't make sense."

Okay, now she needed to cut in. Somehow. If he was questioning himself like this, it wouldn't end well. Thinking quickly, Lucy rolled over as though she were still asleep and made a point to thump out of bed. However, in doing this, she forgot to move her head a little and ended up clocking her forehead against the side table. This made her groan in pain.

Sure, she was mentally awake… But that didn't mean she was ready for much of anything past getting up and moving enough to go get coffee. A hit to anywhere this early wasn't ever acceptable. However, the two did stop talking after her rather loud 'announcement' of sorts.

"...I'm going to go see if the hag can replicate this salve. Have her put a bit on her wounds while I'm out."

"Dude, her spirits said for you to take care of her, not-"

Slam!

"...me. Well fuck you too, dickwaffle."

Any other time, the lass would have laughed at Bickslow's struggle, but this was grumpy morning time. Lucy wasn't the best morning person as is, and clocking her head like she did only amplified her grumpy morning disposition. She dragged her feet along the carpet, her eyes squinted as she trekked straight for the coffee maker. The fact that Bickslow's eyes never left her body was blatantly obvious, despite her not looking back at him.

"...How much did you hear?"

Lucy didn't amuse him with an answer until coffee filled the mug she pulled down and she had at least to gulps in her. "...I heard enough."

The seith eyed her up and down. "...And?"

"I love him and I totally accept being his mate," she deadpanned as she took another swig of coffee. While it was a deadpan, it was obviously her truth.

He nodded. "Are you going to do something?"

She shrugged. "Kinda thinking about it. After yesterday," her eyes darkened as she remembered the idea of two things working together to kill Laxus from the inside out, "I don't want to chance anything else getting in the way."

Bickslow smirked at this. "Atta girl."

She flipped him off.

He only shrugged. "Just do me a favor?"

"Hm?"

"Let Laxus come to you." Without his visor on, Lucy could see the way his eyes hardened and how he seemed more serious than she'd seen him in a long time. "He doesn't think he's good enough and even though he knows you like him, he's struggling to accept that. I don't want him to retreat and fight his instincts again because he wasn't in control of the situation."

Lucy sighed. "I don't know why he doesn't think he's good enough."

"Fantasia," Bickslow answered. "And before you say you've long forgiven us, it's still a heavy guilt to know you hurt your friends and family. It must be even more intense knowing you're his mate and he hurt you then."

She accepted this, but wasn't about to back down without a fight. "I get it, I do. I might not know what that feels like, but I understand the concept… But even still, I don't understand it."

The seith furrowed his brows. "...You literally just said you understand, though."

The lass ran a hand through her hair. "No, I mean like… Laxus showed, several times over, that he loves us all. Tartaros, for instance. His actions proved his change so clearly, then. During the games against Raven Tail. During the Eclipse Gate when he fought beside Wendy to make sure she could handle it. Hell, even during the Trials when he fought Master Hades… He shed blood, sweat, tears and magic security for us all. His actions alone… They've more than made up for a few fights way back."

Bickslow's eyes softened at how adamant and passionate she seemed about him. "...If only he could see that."

She took another swig. "No shit… But I'll wait. I'll wait as long as he needs me to. He waited for me, and if it means he'll be happy with himself, I'd wait a lifetime for him. It'll be torture… But I can wait."

Unbeknownst to the two, the slayer hadn't yet moved away from his door. He moved away from the door stealthily only after Bickslow changed the subject to something about Saveya, his hands clammy and his heart in his throat.

Lucy and Bickslow ended up just sitting and talking for a good two hours before Freed showed up. Then, they only added the rune mage into their conversation which- at the time- was about the pro's and con's of designer items. Evergreen was out with Elfman at the time, meaning there would be no surprise visit from the brunette, much to Lucy's disappointment. Not that the other two weren't company enough, she just grew fond of the woman. Still yet, Laxus had yet to show back up.

Hours passed, still nothing.

It was roughly nine when Freed finally departed. And, just as Bickslow went to leave almost thirty minutes later, Laxus opened the door first. The two shared a look, but said nothing as they passed each other. Upon seeing this, she could only be reminded of the bond she and Natsu once had. It was understandable, in that sense. But even then, it left her alone with the slayer- and she didn't know how to feel about that.

He was silent as he started putting things away from the shopping bags she only just noticed. It was tense. It was awkward. It sucked. Lucy hated that this was where they were. The idea that they'd somehow missed a mark, that they somehow managed to reverse everything they'd worked towards before. It hurt.

It hurt so much.

Not wanting to feel this way, Lucy quickly looked for a way out.

"Um… I'm gonna go home," she said softly. He stopped his movements, but didn't say anything right away. "I have the salve Virgo brought and I should be fine."

"It's already dark out," he reminded, turning around to face her.

She couldn't read his eyes and it stung.

"I'll be fine. I have seventeen spirits going with me," she urged.

His mask cracked. She saw a brief flicker of desperation in his storm eyes. "...But what if you don't have enough of the balm?"

"I can ask Virgo for more."

Another crack. His brows went up oh so slightly- but it was enough for him to visually look sad. "...You can't reach the ones on the back of your hip."

"I'm very flexible and if I really can't then I can call Virgo."

He sighed and the mask fell completely. His eyes looked pleading at that point. She noticed that in his hands was half and half and thai tea leaves. "...I have a movie we can watch…"

"Laxus…"

Why was he so hard to leave?

Wait...

Why was she trying to leave, again?

"Please," he finally said. "Stay?"

Lucy suddenly had no idea why she wanted to leave. Not when he was looking at her with those sad eyes. So, she gave in.

"Alright."

Like a peacock, as soon as her assent was verbalized, he puffed his chest out and smirked a bit. He seemed like a child, feeling proudly triumphant after proving they have a skill most others don't. She couldn't help but giggle at his demeanor, though she didn't really have to do much else.

"So, we learned how bad I was in here… But I got some stuff for dinner…"

The lass laughed fully and stood from her seat, moving around the kitchen island to join his side. "Alright, alright, I can make dinner. You just have to move."

"What if I don't wanna leave?"

"You'll just get in my way."

"Rude."

"It's true," she snarked.

He stepped closer and smirked down at her. "It's my house though."

She looked up at him and felt her heart rate increase. He so easily had such an effect on her that it was almost scary. Almost. Instead of snarking back at him, she just smiled warmly and reached up to pat his cheek. "Sure is, but right now, it's my kitchen."

A very faint dusting of pink hit his cheeks and he turned away from her. He sulked over to the other side of the kitchen island and took a seat next to where she had been sitting earlier, so he wasn't too far away from her. "I got stuff for the spicy ramen you wanted."

It was adorable the way her cheeks reddened and her face lit up before she eagerly tore apart the remaining two bags to get to the food inside. Still, he watched her as she moved around his kitchen, getting a feel for where everything was and being unafraid to just explore what he had and where he had it at. Her eyes were softer than earlier, where before they seemed pained. The gentle smile on her features made his chest warm.

"..Why did you," Laxus began, startling both of them. He paused and licked his lips before continuing. "Why did you seem… Hurt… A second ago?"

Lucy stuttered in her chopping and he briefly worried that he should have waited until the knife wasn't in her hand. But, there was no scent of blood, no jump and no exclamation of pain. "Why do you ask?" she whispered so low he could barely hear.

"I hate it," he answered. "If… If it was me… I don't…" He stopped to think, trying to find the words. "I never want to be the cause of your pain, Lucy… Tell me what I did so I… So I won't do it again."

The sound of the knife chopping on the cutting board was the only thing filling the dead silence for a moment too long. Every second she took to reply to him only made him more and more worried. What if she hated him? What if she really did leave? No, she said she'd wait on him a lifetime… He didn't do anything bad enough to change that already, did he..? A panic filled his gut and rose to his throat just when she turned around. Their eyes locked and she quickly put the knife down.

She was right in front of him a second later, a hand on either side of his face. Her eyes seemed worried, yet gentle. He didn't understand.

"Calm down, Lax. I'm not going anywhere, I promise."

He let out the breath he had held.

"You… You were blocking me out."

He cringed but didn't look away. "I, uh… I didn't know how to start… Conversation… I'm not good at the casual talking thing…"

She giggled and his heart filled up again.

Gods be damned, this one little woman was causing him to feel an absolute rollercoaster of emotions. Was this what it was like to be completely smitten? It had to be. It's the only thing that made sense. "I'm sorry," he rushed out, trying to quickly get over this little bump. "I won't promise that I won't do it again, not yet… But I will promise to do my best to not. I just… Need to break the habit first."

The smile that graced her features left him starstruck. "That's all I can ever ask for. Thank you, Laxus."

He wanted to kiss her.

To hold her.

To openly and freely love her.

The urge had never been this strong. Never. And, because of the rumbling he felt in his guts- that had nothing to do with food and everything to do with his dragon- he made his mind up. They'd at least talk about where they were tonight. When she pulled back, he quickly grabbed her hand and kissed the back of it. She blushed. He tried not to smirk. At least it was, most likely, a mutual feeling. He pulled back to let her continue with dinner, and in the meantime, he fiddled with the stereo for some background music.

It wasn't exactly exciting after that. He sat back down and watched her finish up dinner- the whole hour it took. The only words spoken were few and far between, mostly Laxus asking her to grab him some water and she asking Laxus to make sure the noodles wouldn't overcook while she went to the bathroom. But it wasn't an awkward silence, thankfully. He watched her happily, contentedly, with the ghost of a dorkish smile on his features. She caught this look a few times and blushed every time.

Every time.

I may not have much faith in myself, he thought as she set the table for them, but I have faith in her.

"Alright, let's eat!"

"You love food a startling amount."

"Don't judge me. Besides, you eat a lot more than I do."

"But I'm a dragon slayer, so it'd be weird if I didn't."

"...Fair… But still."

He nudged her shoulder, laughing a bit at her. "Sit. Let's have dinner."

She rolled her eyes but sat down nonetheless. "Pushy pushy."

"I'm not," he insisted. Lucy smirked at him, but didn't argue. This brought a pout to his face, because he knew she won. She knew she won. It was silent for another moment or two while they began eating, but he had to break that silence. He had to.

"So, uh…"

When he paused, Lucy looked at him so he knew she was listening but not rushing him.

"This may be weird to ask but.. Uh… Do.. Do you trust me?"

"With my soul."

Her answer caused Laxus' eyes to widen and the tension in his gut to release. Her eyes were so determined, her words came without hesitation, her demeanor was confident… She didn't just trust him with her mortal life, and he knew that. Her soul, her very essence, everything that made her… Lucy… She trusted him wholly and unabashedly.

Even if he was scared and didn't necessarily trust himself, he trusted her. And if she trusted him then, in a weird turn, he trusted himself.

That was all he needed.

"Alright," he nodded.

"Are you okay?"

"Better than okay," he admitted through another bite of noodles. "Much better than okay."

She smiled and he couldn't help but reciprocate it.

They finished eating and he put on the movie. She expected to sit next to him, but he drew her to his side and let her rest against him. And that's how they fell asleep, halfway through a movie that was supposed to keep their attention.

She awoke before him, laying atop his chest.

They had to stop sleeping on couches.

Lucy tried to move, but his arms wrapped tighter around her. She tried once more, but again, to no avail. This time, though, he grumbled in his sleep and mumbled her name. When she looked up at his peaceful features, she smiled warmly. He was asleep, so what harm could come of indulging herself? None- well, none that she could actively think of with her sleepy brain. So her hands moved to let her fingers thread through his hair. It was much softer than she thought it would be, but that didn't surprise her much.

His eyes lazily opened around five minutes later to see her leaning over him. The smile on her face was so very warm, so very inviting and gentle. The feeling of her fingers playing with his hair made him smile just as lazily as he opened his eyes. Her face was merely two inches- at most- away from his. She was so close, so gentle… So beautiful. Her hair fell like a curtain around them.

Gods knew he was tired of fighting his instinct.

He reached up and caressed her face, suppressing a purr when she leaned into the touch. Without thinking about it, he leaned up and very softly placed his lips on hers. When she tensed (out of shock, mind you), he realized that the move probably wasn't the smartest. But it took less than two seconds for her to melt against him, kissing back just as gently as he kissed her.

She pulled back, cheeks pink and a bright smile on her face.

Again, he couldn't help but smile back.

"I gotta pee," she finally said.

He barked a laugh. "Charming."

"Of course I am."

"Alright, alright. Go to the bathroom. I'll be here waiting."

Her smile brightened impossibly. "..Alright."

True to his word, he awaited her return without even getting up from the couch. Instead, he held a little hope that she'd lay back down with him… But she didn't. Instead, Lucy walked up and put her hands- cold from washing them after using the restroom- right on his neck. He squacked in indignation and surprise, his jerk nearly causing him to fall off the couch.

"Little sneak!"

"Yeah, well, we need to get up. I gotta take a mission soon."

"But I don't wanna," he complained, wrapped his arms around her waist and dragged her back onto the couch with him. She squealed but managed to wiggle out of his hold.

"Laxus, I need to eat and get ready."

He huffed. "Fine, fine. Make breakfast..? Please..? Or I can go get it and bring it back? We can eat here before you have to go, you know. I just-"

She placed her hand over his mouth and kissed his nose.

He was beginning to ramble in his rather desperate attempt to keep her there even a moment longer.

"I'll make breakfast. Go get up and ready okay?"

He nodded.

Not knowing anything about what was going through his head, this night only left Lucy with more questions about where they were. She got cut off trying to ask before, but now… Now, she had the opportunity to ask. But would it ruin their morning?

Let Laxus come to you.

Dammit Bickslow. Didn't he know that curiosity killed the cat and only satisfaction brought it back?Did he want her to die of curiosity? Okay, maybe that was dramatic, but Laxus was a confusing man. He asked if she trusted him, but didn't say anything more than that. Cuddled her all night and kissed her this morning, but hasn't said much about it. Where, exactly, did that leave her? Leave them?

Consumed by her thoughts as she started the rice maker, she didn't notice Laxus had come back until his arms were around her waist. Startled, she grabbed his hand out of instinct and pulled it back. He hollered in pain when his middle finger almost touched his forearm, his hand bent backwards by her.

"Dammit, Laxus! You have got to stop sneaking up on me!"

"I was trying to be cute, little miss vicious!"

"You're not cute, you oaf!"

"Ouch. My pride."

"Devastatingly handsome, maybe. Cute? Not so much."

"Oh," he wrapped his arms around her again knowing now he won't get assaulted, "is that so?"

"...You know what? I don't want to have to grease your head up to get your ego outta the house. I retract my earlier statement," she teased as she leaned into his hold.

"Hmm… Nah. You're not allowed to retract it."

"Wow, rude."

He chuckled softly as he rested his chin on her head. "So what's for breakfast?"

"Rice and eggs. Little soy sauce, of course."

"Omurice or Tamago Kake Gohan?"

"Tamago."

"The only thing I can actually cook," he laughed out.

She giggled but nodded. "It's quick and easy but filling, so I didn't think you'd have a problem with it. Especially since you have mirin, soy and bonito flakes in the cabinet."

"I'll have to ask for a little more protein, though," he said softly. "Slayer and all."

She rolled her eyes. "I've got you covered. The rice will take about thirty minutes, so halfway through I'll grill the last of the chicken I cut last night."

"Oooh, sounds nice."

Lucy wiggled a little, but it was obvious she was just getting more comfortable in his hold. "You like chicken?"

"Chicken's fine, I was talking about being able to hold you for a bit longer."

"O-Oh," she stuttered out with a light blush and a happy smile.

Still yet, that left her even more curious about where they were.

But not for long.

"So, I've kinda been in love with you… For years."

Her heart stuttered to a stop.

"My dragon pulled me to you when I first saw you, but I… I ignored that because I was already balls deep in trying to fight my instincts. When I saw you on the ground after fighting Hades… I… I knew you were my mate. It… It didn't take long after that for me to fall."

"Seven years," she teased, though her voice was so light and airy it was obvious she was breathless and stunned by him saying this.

Hope anew washed over her.

"Yeah, I guess it took seven years and one month. But, uh… I wanted you to get comfortable with me first. I didn't want you to feel like you had to get with me because you're my mate. I wanted you comfortable so you knew you had the option… And uh…"

She heard him gulp.

"I kinda… I… Uh… Would you… Want… To be with me..? Whenever you're ready..?"

Lucy turned in his hold and looked up at his red face, desperate yet loving eyes and his pursed lips. She smiled widely, her eyes watering just a bit. "I've been ready, Laxus. I want nothing more than to be yours."

His eyes widened and an incredulous laugh slowly left him. Happiness flooded his person, filled his heart to the brim, and he lifted Lucy in his arms and spun her around. Their happy laughter filled the otherwise empty house and it only stopped so their lips could meet. Several hushed I love you's and kisses peppered all over one another's faces were had before he finally set her down on her own two feet again.

Laxus' eyes, this happy and love-filled, made Lucy feel like the only other person in the world. The only other person who mattered. He made her feel like a Princess- or, maybe even a Goddess. He made her feel loved, wanted, and so very important in just one look. Her hands lifted so she could hold his face, her thumb lightly grazing his cheekbone.

"So… Mating…"

He paused. "...Not right now. I… Uh… I'd like to have you as a girlfriend for a bit longer first."

She smiled and he couldn't resist the urge to kiss that smile.

"That works perfectly for me. Whenever you're ready to have me as a mate, know that I'm ready."

He leaned down and nuzzled his nose against her neck. "Gods, I love you."

"I love you, too, Laxus," she whispered happily.

Then, her brown eyes caught sight of the timer.

"I need to finish cooking, Laxus…"

"But baaaaabe…"

"Laxus."

"Ugh. Fine."

"Love you~"

He smiled as he let her go. "And I love you."