Hiro Mashima owns Fairy Tail
Star Light, Star Bright
Just a fluffy/filler chapter, sorry! But I wanted to get it out before too much more time had passed. Next chapter is the one you've all been waiting for when Laxus and Gajeel finally make Lucy theirs…
The Maid
Gajeel kicked into his Shadow Drive once he was clear of Sparky's – theirs now he guessed – home. He hadn't seen much of the place except for the master suite but it gave off a general feeling of light and space with all the glass, stone, and metal work that went into it. He winced as he felt his stomach rumble at the thought of all that yummy metal…construction grade iron and steel…
He sighed – a weird proposition while he's still a shadow – Bunny would have his ass if he ever gave in to temptation and started munching on all that metal. And he doesn't even want to think about what that monster Sparky would do to him. Getting zapped isn't good for him, in fact it's probably one of the most effective attacks against him, especially with his metal scales up…iron is a damned good conductor after all.
The Iron Slayer sniffed out his cat as he entered the shadows cast by the massive resort complex Fairy Tail calls its guildhall since they reclaimed their building after the GMG.
Personally he thought the Old Man was more concerned with getting back the pool area – that his office conveniently overlooks – than he was about the pride of the Guild.
Not that he had anything to complain about in that respect. He could hardly wait to get Bunny back to the guild and show her off with Laxus. Too bad they don't make bunny costume bikinis…
Stepping from the shadows, Gajeel stealthily entered the guildhall through one of the lesser used back entrances, thoughts of Bunny as a bunny swirling through his head only to be brought up short by the figure waiting for him inside.
Cobra faced off with the younger man, taking a deep breath to catch and catalog all of the scents swirling in the air as he carefully skimmed the Slayer's surface thoughts. He gave a miniscule grimace over the carnal nature of most of them but smiled over what he found, glad for both his fellow slayers and for the happy young woman that was one of the first to welcome him after he was released. Lucy Heartfilia had to be one of the most forgiving creatures on the face of both the planet and the Celestial Realm to welcome and befriend even the most dangerous guild members let alone to mate two of the most anti-social creatures Cobra's ever met.
And he used to be a dark mage.
"How is she taking everything?" Was all he asked, not wanting to delve any deeper into Gajeel's mind.
"Better than either of us had any right to hope for." Gajeel gave a short chuckle. "Worried about Flame-tard and a little wary of the mating part of being a mate but other than that she's managing great."
"That's good." Cobra nodded once, moving alongside Gajeel as they walked further into the guild, the telepathic Slayer already knowing the other's destination. "Nobody has commented on you guys and Natsu being gone but that won't last long. You probably have one more day before they start noticing."
"Hmm." Gajeel gave a short nod. The only reason people probably weren't asking questions already was because he and Laxus are mostly loners outside of the Rajinshuu and Lily. It was Flame-brain's absence that's going to sound the alarm soon, especially if that flying blue idiot started freaking out in the middle of the guild.
Warning delivered and information gained, Cobra returned to his permanent seat at the bar that he uses to talk to and watch over his mate Kinana as Gajeel remained mostly hidden in the shadows.
Scanning the room quickly, the Iron Slayer found Pantherlily sitting on a table near the perimeter of the large room talking to Wendy and Carla while Happy sat in the rafters over their heads no doubt pouting over something. Likely either Natsu's temporary disappearance or Carla refusing his latest offer of fish. Gotta give the cat some credit, he was a persistent little menace.
Moving around the edges of the room, Gajeel caught Lily's eye, the black Exceed quickly saying goodbye to his friends as he met Gajeel in the darkened hallway.
"Gajeel." Lily gave his best friend a short nod as he hopped up on one armored shoulder. "I was starting to worry."
Gajeel accepted the mild rebuke with a careful shrug, making sure not to dislodge his friend as he got them out of the guildhall. All he wants right now is to be there when Bunny wakes up.
"Got sidetracked."
"Hnn." Pantherlily folded his arms across his chest and arched a brow. "And how are Laxus and Lucy?"
"Gihi." Gajeel chuckled. "Good to see your nose still works."
"Gajeel."
Gajeel explained the last couple days as he jogged lightly down the path back to the Lightening Slayer's house.
"Bunny was still passed out when I left to pick you up. We'll be moving into Laxus's place if everyone likes it." He finished waiting anxiously for his partner's response. Lily was the first person besides Juvia to ever want to be his friend. Their opinions matter more to him than anyone's besides Bunny's and Metallicana. He just hoped Lily would be accepting of this situation, he knew how much his cat liked Levy and how upset he was when Shrimp started dating Speedy.
And for all that they're best friends, Lucy and Levy couldn't be two more different women, especially now with Bunny's amped up powers.
She's playing with forces Levy could only dream of.
*x*x*x*
Pantherlily listened patiently to everything his Slayer had to say, his several years' experience helping him to read between the sparse lines of information for how Gajeel was actually feeling and thinking.
And Gajeel was excited and even happy, in more than one way.
Granted, Lily could all but smell the choking clouds of pheromones the Slayer was pumping out. Although that wasn't exactly new behavior for his friend when it came to pretty blonde Lucy. Gajeel had always watched her, always looked out for her even though it was at a distance. He helped Levy out of a sense of duty and redemption. Lucy was all about desire and wanting.
Frankly, the black Exceed was surprised it took him this long to claim her.
It was only the addition of Laxus into the mating dynamic that was giving Lily reason for pause. Lucy herself could never be the cause of hesitation on his part. She's a bright, funny, cheerful woman who always has a kind word for him and everyone else. A perfect counterbalance to his more stoic, gruff, and anti-social friend.
But Laxus…
He wasn't known for being a "sharing" kind. Lily himself wasn't there during Fantasia or Laxus's meltdown and what he'd heard was a reason for concern. Even though Gajeel's and Lily's own pasts weren't exactly spotless either.
He gave a little chuckle.
Maybe that was one of Lucy's talents. Giving formerly misdirected but powerful mages a reason to change. She was like a bad-boy tamer.
"I'm sure if Lucy likes Laxus's house, we'll be fine." Pantherlily said at last as the large house came into view, his catlike sensibilities appreciating all of the warm, sunny napping spots all that glass would create.
Pantherlily sighed, seeing the vague shadow in his partner's red eyes.
"I like her." He said bluntly. "She's a great girl and will be good for both you and Laxus."
Gajeel nodded with a grin. He thinks so too.
"But." Lily gave him a stern look. "The guild might be a problem and I don't want to see anyone get hurt. Especially you or Lucy."
"I'm only worried about how Natsu is going to take it." Gajeel frowned as he opened the door. "He was pissed when he found out Laxus and I were both checking on Lucy. And that was before we mated her."
*x*x*x*
After Gajeel left for the guild, Laxus busied himself with rearranging his closet and drawers just in case Lucy decides she wants to spend her nights with all three of them together. There was already enough empty space for Gajeel but after glancing into the black hole Lucy calls a closet while she was packing earlier he knew that he would probably be taking Lucy to pick out a new wardrobe and maybe another dresser soon. He hoped she would decide that all of them together was what she wanted.
He can't imagine being forced to spend every other night banished to another bed and he knows Gajeel feels the same.
The vague sounds of Virgo puttering around in his restaurant-quality kitchen came to his ears as he reentered the main part of the bedroom from the walk-in closet, sitting in an armchair by the bed with a soft smile on his face as he watched over Lucy's sleeping form.
Her long fall of golden hair was spread out around her reposed face in a halo, only serving to exaggerate Laxus's private vision of Lucy as an angel. But not the sitting on a cloud and strumming a harp kind of angel.
No, his angel was fierce and sexy as fuck.
As if she's Fairy Tail's own avenging angel who wields Spirits instead of a flaming sword. She went all-out on that Flare bitch after she threatened Asuka. Flare only survived without massive damage from Lucy's spell because Ivan fucking cheated and canceled out Lucy's magic.
A lot like him and Gajeel actually in that way.
They'll never be the nicest guys in the guild or the most social or the most popular. All of which Lucy could easily be from among the girls on any given day. But him and the other Slayer are protective as fuck over their nakama – a lesson Lucy taught them both through practice instead of just preaching at them like Natsu and Gramps.
He brushed a lock of hair off of her cheek.
Yeah, his little angel would forgive anyone for almost anything, Flare included.
From what he's heard and seen for himself, the only people Lucy has ever held a grudge against were Angel and Karen Lilica for abusing their Celestial Spirits. It's the one crime she'll never forgive and refuses to forget, even though Lilica is already dead and gone.
Finally recovering from her magic depravation Lucy lifted her heavy lids, blinking up at the smiling Laxus like a sleepy kitten.
"What happened?" She asked with a yawn, propping herself up on one hand to look around her. "Where am I?"
"You collapsed," Laxus gently helped her sit up, leaning her back against the padded headboard. "Scared the hell outta me and Gajeel." He waved one hand vaguely around the room. "Brought you to my place to rest."
Lucy hummed under her breath as she looked around some more, her interest spurred on by finding out where she was. The glass and decorative steel ceiling catching her interest right away but she found the rest of the comfortable room with its clean lines and open spaces. She ran one hand down the soft, fluffy comforter keeping her nice and toasty and gave Laxus a bright smile.
She could definitely see herself living here…but it would need a few of her personal touches. Like more color and less black…
Laxus caught the sound of Gajeel and Lily's approach along with Virgo setting out dishes on his dining table.
"Time for dinner, beautiful." Laxus scooped her up ever-so-gently, cradling her in his arms with infinite tenderness. "Gajeel and Lily are almost here."
"Pantherlily," her face brightened even more at the thought of the black Exceed. While she didn't like to pick favorites among the feline creatures, Lily was definitely one of most interesting Exceeds in her opinion…even if Frosch does win out on pure cuteness every time. "Laxus?"
"Hmm?" He answered, maneuvering down the spiral stairs with ease.
"Do you wish you had a companion like the rest of the Dragon Slayers?" Even Cobra had Cubellios before the giant snake got turned into Kinana or however that worked.
"Sometimes." Laxus said after thinking about it a moment. "I think because I'm older or I've never really been alone like the others except for when I was exiled, whoever sends companions to their Slayers just…missed me somehow." He walked down the main stairs just as Gajeel and Lily entered the house.
"Besides." He arched a brow at the Iron Slayer and smirked at Lily. "Sure I could've gotten an awesome warrior-cat like Lily here or I couldn't gotten a flying pest like Happy or Lector."
"That's right, gihi." Gajeel grinned at Sparky as he and Lily followed the elder Slayer into the dining room where Virgo waited with her head bowed and her hands clasped before her. "Now you're the only Slayer without an Exceed except Cobra…hmm…I wonder if he would want one now that his snake got turned into his girl?"
Laxus noticed that Virgo had set four places on the table all along one side. Smiling at his mate's Spirit, he seated Lucy in one of the inner spots before taking the outer seat beside her with Gajeel sitting on her other side and Lily flanking his Slayer. In her foresight the Maid had set a bowl of kiwis in front of Lily's place with an iron brick in front of Gajeel, lightening beef before Laxus, and a strawberry shake by Lucy. After they all sat, she removed the domed covers over their plates revealing appropriately-sized portions of chicken tikka masala with basmati rice, naan, and a hot mixed vegetable dish. In the center of the table were four individual desert plates, each with a different tart in each person's favorite flavors.
"Thank you, Virgo!" Lucy gushed as she caught sight of the spread. "I've been craving this for ages!"
"You're very welcome, Hime-sama." Virgo bowed low. "I will return after you've finished your meals."
With a puff of pink sparkles, the Maid closed her gate and joined her fellow Spirits watching over their Princess, smiling wryly at the arguments still going on between Brother Leo and a few of the newly contracted Spirits, especially his rival little brother Lev.
"Does your Spirit cook like this for you often?" And how does she know exactly what to make for each of them? Lily asked/wondered.
Lucy gave a little shrug and giggle.
"Not too often." She said as she took a bite of her chicken and almost moaned. "She would if I asked her too but I don't like to use my Spirits for every day chores that often. They're my friends not my servants no matter how often Virgo reminds me that being my maid is part of her duties."
Lily just nodded his head as he helped himself to his kiwis. If living with Lucy meant getting treated like this it was no wonder her team used to spend so much time at her apartment, a sentiment unknowingly echoed by the other two males at the table.
Laxus and Gajeel were already well aware that they were already spoiled just by being with Lucy. Having her Spirits watching out for them like this was just an unexpected but pleasant bonus.
*x*x*x*