The Shackled Rune

by GemNika

Lucy becomes a solo mage after Makarov disbands Team Natsu for their destructive nature. Three months later, what she discovers on her mission will change her life forever. [Complete.]

14. Reunited

The Raijinshuu slowly made back to the hotel with wide smiles on their faces, happy that everything was back to normal. Freed would be coming home with them, Lucy was completely herself again—and hanging onto Freed as if he would disappear, which was understandable—and the rest of the team was able to feel the love between the two and a weightlessness they wanted to relish in forever.

"How are you feeling, sis?" Laxus asked softly, unable to keep his grin off of his face.

"Wonderful, Laxus," Lucy said with a smile. She looked at everyone for a moment, then sighed and said, "Guys… I'm sorry…"

"Lulu, there's no need to apologize," Evergreen said softly. "We understand…"

"Yeah, Cosplayer. Don't worry about it," Bickslow added.

Lucy shook her head and pressed on. "No, you guys did everything to help me, and I couldn't even properly thank you for it… I know you hardly slept to keep an eye on me, and how much it hurt you guys to see what I was going through… And then every time you tried to help, I just…" Lucy dropped her head in defeat. "I'm sorry for what happened. I really do appreciate everything you guys did to help me." She sighed and leaned into Freed's embrace when his arm wrapped around her waist.

Laxus chuckled and said, "Well, while I never wanna see you that way again, it was pretty badass to watch you rip into Freed's family like that… I thought his dad was gonna shit his pants!"

There was a round of laughter before Freed nodded in agreement. "It's true. I have never seen him so flustered in all my life. I am curious to know how you quoted that book to him though."

Lucy blushed and said, "Um, I may have had Crux find everything he possibly could on your dad and brothers. I found out what he got a degree in, and then read his final thesis on Paradise Lost. So… I may have read it a few times and memorized it…?"

Laxus snorted and added, "She read every book in your library, and most of the law books in the guild's library. Plus… What else?"

"Philosophy, Literature, Finances, Business, Ethics, Mathematics, Law," Evergreen started listing off, counting each one on her fingers.

"Psychology, Biology, Anatomy," Bickslow added, letting his tongue loll out of his mouth, "English, Grammar, Ancient Languages, History, something about runes…"

Lucy blushed and said, "I didn't read our whole library… I only had two shelves left when we left the house on Monday, and we haven't been back since." She paused for a moment, then mumbled, "It would have taken less time if I'd remembered to use those stupid Gale Force glasses…"

Freed's jaw dropped and he looked down at Lucy in shock. "I've been gone for three weeks, how did you read so much?"

"Um…" Lucy mumbled, turning away from Freed. She really didn't want him to know how bad it had been while he was away. She had been a mess, now that she thought about it. Not eating or sleeping for that first week, and then only sleeping when Laxus was around and eating when he convinced her to do it. There had been some part of her that had allowed her big brother to comfort her, even though she couldn't feel any comfort from it.

"She didn't sleep, Freed," Evergreen sighed. "Or eat…"

Laxus nodded and said, "She wouldn't let anyone get close to her or touch her, except me. I was the only one that was able to get her to do anything aside from reading."

"Yeah, she even attacked Natsu when she got to the guild on Christmas when he got too close," Bickslow said. "We didn't let anyone come by to see her like that, until I finally said Gray could come see her so the guild would understand what was happening… She almost killed him when he tried to hug her…"

Freed's head whipped around from looking at everyone while they spoke to gape at Lucy, who looked completely ashamed of herself.

"Can we… um… Can we not talk about this right now?" Lucy asked softly as they arrived at the hotel. She kept her gaze on the ground as they walked inside, and was gently pulled to a stop by Freed once they reached the front desk. Lucy kept her eyes on the ground, not hearing what Freed was saying. After a minute, he carefully led her down the halls to the room. Lucy looked up and then furrowed her brow. "This isn't the right room, Freed," she said as she turned around.

Freed nodded and said, "I haven't seen you in three weeks, Lucy. I have several things that I need to discuss with you, and wanted privacy."

Lucy nodded and then looked back at the ground as she walked into the room towards the bed, taking her coat off and draping it over a chair while she walked. Her head shot up when Freed's hands snaked around her waist, pulling her tightly against him. She felt his warm breath dancing across the bared skin of her neck, and shivered.

Freed kissed Lucy's neck lightly before moving up to her ear. His jacket and sword were already discarded on the same chair Lucy had laid hers on, and he couldn't keep himself away from her any longer. "Lucy," he whispered, reveling in the reaction she gave him, "You must be extremely uncomfortable in this." He smirked when Lucy gasped and slowly nodded. He continued kissing every inch of her skin on her neck and shoulders while his hands quickly unbuttoned the back of her dress.

"I-I thought… you wanted to talk…" Lucy said wistfully, gasping in the middle of her sentence when Freed's tongue ran up the column of her neck.

"I do," Freed whispered. "There's something I need to do first."

Lucy shivered when she felt her dress loosen slightly and tried to stifle the moan that wanted to creep out when Freed's hands slid the fabric down her arms, his fingers dancing lightly across her skin. She kicked off her shoes and started to undo the rest of the godforsaken dress she was wearing. Damn these stupid skirts, she thought, I always hated these things… She whimpered when Freed stopped her hands, then moved his lightly over her completely bare shoulders. His lips never stopped kissing every morsel of skin he could find, and Lucy gasped when she felt him deftly loosening the laces on her corset. In less than a minute, she sighed in relief and watched the offending article of clothing fly across the room to land haphazardly on the dresser.

Freed smirked when he heard how relieved she sounded once the corset was gone. He pulled his mouth away from her to carefully remove her necklace, earrings, and bracelet and place them on the nearest nightstand. When he stood back up, his fingers smoothed over her bared back, and he bit lightly on her neck. She was panting already, small mewls of pleasure coming from her. Freed pulled back again, and lifted his hands to Lucy's hair, carefully pulling each of the ruby pins from it and then watching as it cascaded down her back and ended at her waist.

Lucy moaned and leaned back against Freed's chest with a smile on her face. Her hands reached behind her to tangle in his hair, and she couldn't find any part of her that cared about being completely topless right then. Especially not when Freed's breath caught in his throat and his hands smoothed up her stomach to her breasts, then lightly tease her nipples between his fingers. Lucy turned her head and captured Freed's lips in a searing kiss, arching her back to press more firmly into his hands.

"Lucy," Freed rasped with want when their lips separated. He groaned when she breathily whispered his name, and pulled his hands from her perfectly pert nipples to tear away the last of her clothes, tossing her skirts, stockings, and panties away from them as quickly as possible.

Once she was completely bare, Lucy whirled around and slammedher lips over Freed's while quickly unbuttoning his shirt. She moaned again when she felt the scars running along his chest, but didn't waste any time as her hands dropped to his pants while he pulled his shirt off the rest of the way.

"I missed you, Lucy," Freed whispered, sliding his hands from her hips upwards to palm Lucy's breasts again while she undid his pants and pushed them and his underwear down his body. He grunted when her hand immediately closed over him, stroking over him quickly and rubbing her thumb over the tip before returning to his base. Freed kicked off his boots and pulled off the rest of his clothes before lowering Lucy onto the bed, kissing and sucking a searing path down her body.

"I missed you too, Freed," Lucy whimpered with apparent need, her legs instantly spreading as Freed moved lower and lower. His tongue circled her navel, dipping inside briefly before he continued making his way to her already dripping sex. Each press of his lips to her skin had her body clenching in anticipation of what was to come. By the time he pressed one last kiss to the small patch of golden curls above her slit, Lucy was panting and gripping the sheets tightly.

Freed's hands slowly slid up the inside of Lucy's legs, and he kissed and nibbled on her inner thigh while she started to writhe. He had spent too long away from her, and wanted to savor every moment they had together. While Freed would have loved nothing more than to show Lucy just how much he had missed her by planting himself firmly into her warmth, he was determined to take his time. There was no rush to please her, because he planned on doing it over and over again until neither of them could move.

"Please, Freed…"

Freed looked up from between Lucy's legs and saw her watching him intently. His lips ghosted over her core, barely touching the skin. He pulled back just enough to flick his tongue across his lips and taste her arousal on them. "Please what, Lucy?" he asked as his hands finally reached the tops of her thighs. The sight of Lucy's heaving breasts, flushed face, and lust-filled eyes nearly broke the control Freed had. Just as she was about to answer him, Freed smirked and brushed a finger lightly up her slit.

Lucy's body tensed at the small touch Freed gave her, and a moan spilled from her lips. His warm breath on her core only made her feel hotter, and Lucy wanted to feel everything she possibly could from the man she loved. "Please," she whispered. "Don't tease me…"

"I don't… Believe… I'm teasing you," he said with a smirk, his words separated by light kisses to the juncture of her thighs and sex. He listened to her breath catch in her throat as he pressed reverent kisses to her outer lips while his hands spread her legs as wide as they would go.

Lucy felt her face heat up in a deep blush when Freed pushed her legs open and she saw the devious smirk on his face. I've never seen him like this before, she thought as her arousal spiked. His eyes devoured every inch of her bare flesh from her flushed face downwards, and when they returned to her core she watched as he licked his lips before slowly lowering his head and running his tongue up her slit. His hands moved back down to her center and she felt his thumbs pushing her lower lips apart before all thought escaped her.

Freed moaned when his tongue circled around her glistening entrance, and he heard a much louder moan from Lucy. He kept his eyes locked on hers while he lightly blew on the moist skin, and when she shivered and moaned again, he decided that enough was enough.

Lucy cried out in pure pleasure when Freed slammed two fingers into her and closed his mouth over her sensitive bundle. His tongue flicked and flitted over that little nub before he lightly sucked and clamped his teeth around it. "Freed! Oh god…" she moaned, arching her back as his fingers pistoned in and out of her.

Freed slid his free hand up her body, reveling in the smooth skin of her hips and waist before he finally palmed her breast. He brushed his thumb over her nipple, feeling it harden at his touch, and couldn't suppress the groan that spilled from him. He'd never seen Lucy react the way she was, her moans turning into all-out screams and cries of pleasure, her body writhing and bucking as he brought her closer to her climax. She couldn't feel anything while I was gone, he thought, I'll be sure to make up for that… Between one thrust and the next Freed added a third finger, pushing harder and faster into her as he felt her walls tighten around him in anticipation of her impending orgasm. "That's it, baby," he rasped against her sex before he nibbled on her clit again. "Let me hear everything."

Lucy's eyes rolled back, her core tightening painfully around Freed's fingers when he spoke. Every thrust into her had her climbing higher and higher, the cord inside of her wound tighter than she'd ever thought possible. Her hands finally left the sheets and tangled in Freed's hair as she rolled her hips and ground herself against his mouth and fingers, screaming loudly with every thrust into her. Garbled versions of his name, pleas to any and every deity out there, and even a few curses left her mouth while she let herself get swept away in the pleasure coursing through her. She felt every twist of his hand, every time his fingers swirled around and curled inside of her, every flick of his tongue across her, and as she continued climbing Lucy didn't think she would be able to handle what was surely going to be the most intense orgasm she had ever experienced.

Freed had never known that the sight of Lucy just before she climaxed could be so erotic. The way her breasts quivered with each gasp, how her body went completely rigid and her legs tensed in anticipation. Most importantly, the way her mouth opened in a silent scream and her eyes went wide almost as if she was shocked by what was happening. Every detail he took in had him hardening further. He memorized every bit of it before he finally threw her over the edge with one last forceful thrust into her and a long moan against her engorged bundle of nerves. He quickly pulled his fingers out of her and pushed his tongue into her waiting heat, lapping up every bit of her climax before she could even finish screaming his name. His hands slid under her legs and wrapped around her hips to keep her pressed against his mouth as her back arched, and he drew out the clenching spasms inside of her for as long as he possibly could.

Lucy's hands never left Freed's head all through her orgasm, and when she slowly floated back to herself, she realized that her entire body was quaking in the aftermath of it all. Her grip on his hair loosened and her hands slowly slid from his head to fall limply onto the rumpled sheets beneath her. She whimpered and mewled in pleasure as Freed slowly and carefully licked every remnant of her arousal from her, blushing lightly when his tongue moved down to the rounded cheeks of her rear and up onto her thighs. No matter what he did, Lucy couldn't bring herself to move or try to stop him, and her breath caught in her throat as he spoke.

"I never thought I'd see you again," he said softly, lightly kissing her thighs. "I missed you so much." Freed smirked at Lucy when he saw her watching him, and he carefully pulled her limp legs up while he sat up on his knees. His hands slid down her legs to her feet, and he felt the shiver that ran through her as she moaned at the small contact. He pulled her feet up and pressed a light kiss to the tops of each one, saying, "I missed the way your feet are always cold when we go to sleep, and how you warm them up with mine." He trailed kisses up one calf to the knee, then paused and repeated on the other. "How happy it makes me to see you kicking your legs back and forth while we sit at the guild." He paused and chuckled before adding, "The way you always kick Bickslow for being a pervert." He smiled when he heard Lucy giggle, and continued the trail up both of her thighs, making sure to stay away from her core while his hands massaged her legs. "The way your legs wrap around me when we're making love; how soft and smooth they are when I run my hands over them; the way you lay them across me while we sleep."

Lucy couldn't believe what he was saying. Freed was taking his sweet time to show her exactly what he loved about her, what he had missed while they were apart. Each kiss he pressed to her skin was soft, gentle, and filled with love and adoration, and her heart swelled and sent a renewed warmth and a sense of serenity flowing into her veins while he continued.

Freed chuckled lightly as he kissed her hips, gliding his tongue from one to the other before saying, "How just seeing your hips takes my breath away; the way you move while you're dancing." He pressed a single kiss to her glistening curls. "The way you taste; how absolutely breathtaking you are when you fall apart at my touch."

Lucy blushed when he mentioned enjoying how she tasted, but there was a soft smile on her face as tears welled in her eyes.

Freed kissed every inch of Lucy's stomach and waist, stopping just under her breasts and letting his breath dance across her chest. "How it feels to have my arms wrapped around you, holding you close and never letting you go again." He deliberately kissed each of the scars that had been left from Ansa's whip on her ribs, and said, "Your dexterity, agility, and—" he smirked while lightly grazing his teeth over her ribs, reveling in the way her breath caught in her throat, "stamina." His nose lightly dragged up her sternum, and he kissed right between her breasts. "You spirit and determination; the beautiful soul that sits inside of you, that you've bared for me to admire." He slowly dragged his lips across her breast, kissing one nipple before closing his mouth over it and running his tongue lazily across the pebbled tip, then moving to the other and repeating. He cupped her breasts in his hands and massaged them as he kissed up to her collar bones. "The way you quiver when I touch you; how scrumptious you look wearing only my shirt to cover yourself." He moved down slightly and kissed her chest, just above her heart. "The way you love me for who I am; how you open your heart to everyone you meet, giving each of them a piece of it and changing their lives for the better; how forgiving you are; your compassion and bravery; and the love you have for your spirits."

The tears that had welled in her eyes slowly fell, and in that moment Lucy knew without a doubt that her life really would never be the same without Freed. She had done everything in her power to get him back, and the joy she had felt was completely overshadowed by his own words of adoration. "Freed…" she whispered happily.

He glanced up to look into Lucy's eyes, and returned her smile while his hands slid down her arms. Once he reached her hands, he laced their fingers together and pulled them towards his mouth. He kissed her wrists, palms, and then the tips of each of her fingers before he said, "The way you run your fingers through my hair; how just a simple touch from you can bring me to my knees; how you make my heart melt when you touch my scars without pulling away from me." His lips lightly dragged up her arms while continued. "I missed the way you hold me; how it feels to have your arms wrapped around me after a nightmare; how safe you've made me feel."

Lucy's body was having a hard time deciding whether it wanted to be turned on by his actions or melt into a puddle right then. Her heart had already melted, and her nerves lit up when Freed settled himself between her legs while he softly kissed her neck. She would never get tired of hearing what he loved about her, how she had brought happiness into his life, or how safe and loved he felt with her. A small part of her brain marveled at the fact that any time Freed had said something concerning what he loved about her, he had never used the same words twice—always finding new and more romantic ways to tell her, and taking her breath away every time.

He pressed one last kiss to her neck and whispered, "The soft lilting of your voice; the way you scream my name; your infectious laughter; hearing you sing when you think no one's listening." Freed moved slowly up to one ear and nibbled on the lobe. "How you can spend hours listening to everyone around you; your… interesting…" he smirked, "taste in music; how red yours ears get when you blush." He chuckled when he pulled away to see the ear he had just whispered into turning a darker shade of red when she blushed, then pressed a gentle kiss to her hair while he ran his fingers through it. "I missed seeing your hair shining in the sunlight; running my hands through it and brushing it for you in the morning." He kissed her forehead once before moving to the other ear and whispering, "Trying to figure out your riddles; the way you outsmart me with a smile on your face; how difficult it is for me to do the same to you. I missed your intelligence, quick thinking, and your sense of humor."

Lucy's eyes closed and she basked in the books-and-darkness scent that was unique to Freed, sliding her hands up and around his back to play with the ends of his hair. She smiled at the small shiver that ran through him before she felt him press a soft kiss to her eyelids.

"I missed your eyes; seeing a part of my magic in them; the warmth that spreads through me when you look at me; how you view the world around you; how you're able to scare even Laxus with just a look—" They both laughed lightly. "—And the way you see me for who I am, and don't see scars when you look at me." Freed kissed Lucy's nose and with smirk and said, "I missed the way you smell: vanilla and honey… just like I did when you saved my life and bathed me."

Lucy's eyes shot open and she stared at him in shock. I never told him about that…

Freed chuckled as he looked at her stunned expression. "I knew that night when we fell asleep. My hair was still damp, and I was clean. When you laid down next to me, I smelled your shampoo and put it together."

Lucy blushed, opening and closing her mouth before finally saying, "I-I… Well, I had to clean your w-wounds, and… I swear, I didn't see anything. I looked at the ceiling when I moved down to wash your feet… So…"

Freed smiled and shook his head before pressing his lips to hers. The kiss was gentle, soft, and perfect. When he pulled away, he could see the dazed and happy smile on her face. "I missed your smile, Lucy; the feel of your lips against mine; the way you use everything else that I love to bring happiness to everyone around you with just your words." He smirked and ran his nose along hers before lowering his lips once more.

The kiss was tender at first, but it quickly changed when Lucy's tongue flicked out before sucking Freed's lower lip into her mouth. She nibbled on it and heard him groan, and when their lips met again Freed's tongue roughly pushed past her teeth to battle with hers. He'd made her feel like an absolute goddess while he kissed every inch of her body, almost as if he was worshipping her very existence, and the previous confusion in her body on what it wanted was gone. She wanted—no, needed—him more than anything else.

Freed's arousal hadn't diminished, but he'd been able to hold it at bay until he tasted her. No longer gentle, his lips moved roughly along her scarred ones while he pressed himself closer to her. He hadn't realized that her core was pressed against his bare manhood before, but it became glaringly obvious when she rolled her hips. His hand slid down her body and his thumb moved in slow circles over her hip while he ground himself against her, groaning when her lower lips spread and her awakening arousal coated him in her slick juices with each pass over her sex.

Lucy' hands left his hair to run across his back, her fingers feeling every muscle as they bunched with his movements, and every small raised portion of his scars. Their bodies moved in unison, and each time his head brushed over her engorged bundle, she moaned. Between one thrust and the next, she felt the velvety tip of his completely bare manhood probing her entrance, and she whimpered when he stopped. She felt him groan against her lips, and then his head dropped to her shoulder in an instant and she felt him tense up with restraint.

"We… We can't…" Freed whispered through gritted teeth. Of course they couldn't do what they really wanted, because he didn't have a single condom on him anywhere—he hadn't needed them while he was at his father's. He had been so clouded with lust once his lips had touched her that the only thing on his mind was pleasing her, being nestled between her legs and buried deep inside of her. He hadn't thought about what was missing until he felt her already slick sex on him, and it took every bit of his resolve to stop himself.

Lucy pulled Freed's head up and looked deeply into his eyes. She had spent three whole weeks unable to feel a thing and working to get him back. She wasn't going to let the lack of protection stop her from feeling every solid inch of him plunging inside of her. "Freed," Lucy rasped, her voice thick with need. "If you don't fuck me right now, I'm going to lose my mind. Condom or not, I need you."

Freed's eyes widened in shock, then he groaned when Lucy roughly tangled her fingers in his hair and pulled him down into steamy kiss. Her tongue forced its way into his mouth, gliding greedily along his. He felt Lucy's legs wrapping around his hips, and Freed reached between them to guide himself to her entrance. She moaned into the kiss when he rubbed himself along her moist slit, her hips already rocking as she tried to push herself onto him. His free hand slid down her side until he reached the rounded globe of her backside, and he started to massage it while teasing her entrance.

"Please, Freed," Lucy begged between kisses, her fingers massaging down his neck and onto his shoulders. "Please don't make me wait."

Freed's breath caught in his throat at her breathy pleas, but his hips flexed in response and he pushed into her until only his head was nestled in her warmth. He groaned at how different she felt wrapping around him without anything as a barrier between them, and slowly filled her until his hips were pressed to her pelvis.

"Yes," Lucy moaned, trailing kisses across Freed's neck. He slowly pulled back, ripping another moan from her throat before slamming back into her. She felt every bit of his need for her as he began devouring every inch of her flesh, sucking roughly on the tender flesh of her neck and leaving marks in his wake. Lucy met each of his thrusts with a roll of her hips, causing her body to wind up faster than she thought possible. "Freed," she panted just before his mouth slanted over hers, his tongue diving into her mouth in time with his quickening pace.

He had no control by that point. There wasn't even an illusion of it as he continued plunging into her soaking depths. "Oh, Lucy," Freed grunted as he felt her walls fluttering around him. Her answering moan made his hips snap back into her with more force than he had ever used before, but before he could worry about having hurt her, Lucy's scream made him want more. He slammed himself into her core again and again, feeling her body tense around him before her head flew back and she found her release. Freed's pace faltered when he felt her contracting around him, and his breath hitched at the thought of filling her to the brim with his seed. He quickly recovered, trailing small bites and kisses down her neck and chest until he sucked a nipple into his mouth and let out a long moan.

Lucy writhed as Freed feasted on her flesh. It was like he had been starved, and her body was the only nourishment that could sustain him. Her hands tangled in his hair again, pressing him closer to her, and she could have sworn she saw stars when his teeth clamped down lightly on her nipple and he groaned against her. "F-Freed," she panted, her voice higher than usual and barely more than a whisper. His arms wrapped tightly around her waist, and Lucy gasped as he pulled her tightly to his chest and sat up on his knees, never breaking stride.

Freed groaned loudly when the angle changed, and he felt better than ever that wonderful sweet spot deep inside of her. Lucy's breathing quickened as he made sure to hit it with every thrust, and Freed could feel his body tightening in response to hers. Even though he was lost in every noise she made, and just how wonderful it felt to have her wrapped around him, Freed's conscience decided to pop up right then and ask what he planned on doing when his own release came.

Freed's pace faltered again, but Lucy could tell it wasn't from his impending orgasm. She placed her hands on his chest and roughly pushed him down onto the bed, then slammed herself onto him and rolled her hips before repeating. She watched with a swell of feminine pride as Freed's eyes widened then rolled back, his adam's apple bobbing deliciously as he swallowed to try and relieve his dry throat. His hands locked onto her hips and pulled her more forcefully onto him, his hips flexing to meet her with every thrust. Lucy lost her balance and fell forward, catching herself with her hands on either side of Freed's head while she kept riding him, both of them not caring in the slightest how loudly they were moaning at that point.

Freed's eyes shot open when he realized just how close he was to his own climax, but he was instantly mesmerized by Lucy's body. Her breasts were bouncing in time with each thrust, her skin was covered in a thin sheen of sweat. His hands slowly slid along her thin waist and he felt the small indentations in her skin from where the corset had been cinched. He felt her walls clenching around him again as she neared her own orgasm, and finally broke from his perusal of her body. "Lucy," he groaned, "We have to… Mmm… to stop… Ngh… Oh God!"

Lucy moaned when she impaled herself completely and then swirled her hips. It felt absolutely wonderful, being filled by Freed so completely, with nothing between them to stop her from appreciating every bit of him, and when their eyes met she smirked deviously at him. What had made her smirk was the reaction Freed had while he was trying to stop what they were doing. His eyes had nearly bugged out when her hips swirled around, and his whole body went tense while he tried to hold himself back. His breathing was ragged and she licked her lips when she saw how his muscles were clenching along with his heavy pants. "Why?" Lucy asked, sitting up fully and swirling her hips again before pulling up and slamming herself back onto him.

Freed grabbed Lucy's hips to try and make her sit still, pressing her firmly against him so he was filling her completely. The feel of her wrapped so tightly around him was testing every shred of his resolve to stop right then, and with her moving it only made it worse. He was so close that his body had already tightened to let him spill over, but he had to tamp that urge down. He took a deep breath and looked into her lust-filled eyes, saw the small smirk on her face. "I… I can't…" he panted. "Lucy, please… God, you feel so good like this…" No matter what he did to try and stop her, Lucy found a way around it.

Lucy rolled her hips against Freed when his hands locked around her to keep her still, holding her tightly against his own hips. "Can't what, sweetie?" Lucy whispered, leaning forward to lightly tug on his lower lip with her teeth. His grip tightened again as he groaned, and Lucy pressed her chest to his. She let his lip go and slowly rolled her hips again while looking into his eyes. "Tell me," she whispered.

Freed stared into the mismatched eyes of the beautiful blonde. "I'm so cl—oh, Lucy…" His eyes rolled back again when she managed to pull him almost completely from her, just to lower herself onto him slowly.

"Are you close, Freed?" Lucy rasped. She nipped at his earlobe and smirked when he nodded. "Mmm, good," she hummed. Lucy's hands slid down his arms to hold onto his wrists. She lifted herself, with just the tip of him still inside of her, and waited. "Why should we stop if you're so close?" Lucy swirled her hips while still poised above him, then chuckled when Freed gasped.

"Because… I don't have… Ngh…" Freed was losing a battle with himself, his hips itching to slam back into her warmth. Lucy loosed the grip his hands had on her, and slid them to back to her rounded cheeks.

"I want to feel all of you, Freed," Lucy said huskily, then sucked that sensitive spot on Freed's neck that she knew drove him crazy.

"A-All…?" he stuttered. Freed's body was raring and ready to please Lucy in any way she wanted, and his heart swelled at the thought of giving every bit of himself to her. His mind on the other hand wasn't so convinced it was a good idea. You wear a condom for a reason, idiot!, it practically shouted at him.

"Mm-hmm," she purred before letting his neck go with a pop. "Every. Last. Bit," she said, each word separated by a kiss that led back to his mouth. Lucy's hips swirled again, and she allowed only a few short strokes of his manhood before poising herself above him again. She was reveling in the feel of his flared head barely pushing inside of her, feeling just how different it was without any protection. I could get used to this. Thank Mavis I've been on birth control since I joined the guild.

"But—" Freed gasped, his head pushing against the bed as it tried to fly back when Lucy slammed down and impaled herself on his turgid length again. He groaned and massaged the soft flesh that sat in his hands, and felt his hips involuntarily flex to meet her.

"That's it, baby," Lucy moaned. Her eyes widened when Freed roughly pulled her down onto him again, then held her in place while his own hips slowly rocked into her over and over. "Oh, just like that!" Lucy sat up quickly, and picked up the fast pace they had abandoned. She whimpered and locked her eyes with Freed's as she teetered on the edge of an orgasm.

Freed grasped her tightly and forced her down onto him, grunting every time he filled her. He was once again mesmerized by the sight of her as she rode him. The blush across her cheeks, her eyes heavy with lust as she looked into his, the way her breasts bounced with each thrust, and how her hands slid up her body to tease her breasts, the full mounds spilling between her fingers. She made it glaringly clear that she wanted to keep going, and his mind had finally given up trying to convince him otherwise. Her body had him in a death grip as she neared her climax, and he couldn't imagine how it could get any tighter when she finally crested that peak. He roughly pulled her hips down onto him and held her in place while grinding her against his rocking hips, pushing deeper than before and teasing her sweet pink pearl relentlessly as it rubbed against his pelvis.

"AGH! FREED!" Lucy screamed as jolt after jolt of pleasure wracked her body, and there wasn't a single thing she could do to hold back the screams that spilled from her. Her body was burning with desire for this man, and Lucy planned to give him everything he wanted and more. With lust blazing through her veins, Lucy found herself leaning forward and pressing her hands to Freed's chest to gain the leverage she needed.

Freed groaned loudly as she started moving faster on him, and he responded by pounding into her with everything he had. She was like a goddess above him, her golden hair spilling around them in soft waves and her lips parted just enough to get her heaving breaths out. Her nails dug into his chest, and Freed's hand dove between them to rub quick circles over her engorged and glistening bundle between her legs. He groaned when her hips bucked wildly against him, and when Lucy's body tensed that last time Freed felt as if all of his air left him at once.

Lucy screamed a garbled version his name to the heavens as she found her release, and Freed slammed himself into her one last time as he fell over the edge as well. She collapsed onto his chest and felt a new and strange warmth pulsing into her in time with her sex, then blushed when she realized just what it was. She smiled and pressed lazy kisses to his shoulder when his hands slid up her back lightly, holding her gently while their bodies returned to normal.

Freed knew he would have collapsed with the force of his orgasm, and slowly slid his hands along every inch of her shivering bare skin while her sex sucked every last drop from him further into her. He couldn't help the spasms that wracked his body every time her core tightened around him, or the soft moans that escaped him, and all he could do was try to figure out how to breathe normally. He felt and heard a contented sigh slip from Lucy's lips before she slowly reached one hand up to cup his cheek. "I… love you… so much," Freed panted when he felt the small smile on her lips as they pressed more tender kisses to his neck. He answered with a sweet kiss to her shoulder before brushing her hair away from her face.

A soft smile graced Lucy's face when she slowly lifted her head and their eyes met. "I love you too, Freed," she whispered, running a thumb across his lips before leaning down for a tender kiss. It was sweet, gentle, and everything that they both needed in that moment. When Freed carefully slid out of her, Lucy couldn't help the light moan that slipped out. She bit her lip timidly while they readjusted and he pulled her into his embrace and kissed her again. She had no idea how long they laid there, their lips slowly moving along one another's as they basked in the perfection of being reunited in more ways than one, but it couldn't have been more wonderful.

Freed finally pulled away, then kissed Lucy's forehead and smiled. He hadn't thought that she would want to do anything remotely close to sex when they didn't have any protection, and he especially didn't expect Lucy to allow him to go as far as they did. The experience was wholly different from every other time they had been together. Aside from how different it felt to have every inch of her gripping his bare manhood, there was the knowledge that he let his climax loose into her body. It sounded strange when he thought about it, but some deep part of him had swelled with all-encompassing love for the woman in his arms. Freed chuckled when Lucy started tracing his scars lazily, and twitched when she found a ticklish spot on his side.

Lucy's head shot up and she narrowed her eyes before brushing her fingers over the same spot. Freed bit his lower lip and twitched again. "You've got to be kidding me," she whispered in disbelief, "You're ticklish?"

Freed shook his head quickly and stifled his laughter, hoping to deny the truth of her observation, but Lucy saw right through it when she tickled him again and he laughed.

"You are!" Lucy shouted with a wicked grin. She shot up and threw her leg over his, not caring that they were both still stark naked, and started tickling Freed. "Six months!" she shouted with glee, "I've been living with you for six months, and I never knew you were ticklish?!"

"Lucy!" Freed shouted as he wriggled to get away from her devilish hands. "Stop! HAHA! Please!" His hips bucked several more times before Lucy was finally thrown off of him, an excited grin spreading across her face.

Lucy lunged at him again, squealing in delight when she was able to get her hands into his sides. She absolutely adored the hysterical laughter that pealed from Freed, and she laughed right along with him. I'm not empty anymore, she thought happily. I'm not alone.

Freed took her momentary distraction to flip their positions and get revenge for her tickling him. He smirked down at her and said, "I seem to remember someone being very ticklish."

"You wouldn't dare," Lucy said wide-eyed, and grinning like crazy. She squealed when Freed pulled her hands up and pinned them with one of his. His free hand slowly slid down her body while his eyes drank in every inch of her bare skin, and Lucy shivered in anticipation. She bit her lip and smiled up at him innocently before a howl of laughter left her mouth. Her legs flailed, and her body twisted back and forth while she tried to wrench her hands free.

The light in Lucy's eyes was back, and Freed couldn't have been happier. It had nearly killed him to see her looking so empty before they left his father's estate, and he couldn't understand why she had been affected by his disappearance that way. They said she hardly ate or slept for two weeks… Freed stopped tickling Lucy, and furrowed his brow in thought while she caught her breath.

"Sweetie?" Lucy panted, still giggling occasionally. She looked at Freed and saw the serious expression on his face and pulled her hands from his loosened grip to sit up. "Hey, what's the matter?" she asked, running her hands through his hair.

"Why did it happen?" Freed asked quietly, more to himself than to Lucy.

"Why did what happen?" she replied, confusion lacing her voice.

Freed shook his head quickly and looked into Lucy's eyes. He hadn't realized he said anything out loud, or that he had zoned out at all. "I can't understand why you lost your ability to feel when I was gone…"

Lucy looked away from him, and down at the bed in shame and shrugged. "I don't know," she whispered. "After they took you, I just screamed and cried until the tears wouldn't come anymore. Those shackles took at least thirty minutes to disappear, but I probably laid in the snow for over an hour… Then I saw your sword and knew I had to get to the guild. While I was walking, everything just slipped away until I was empty… There wasn't any reason to feel anything if you weren't with me."

Freed lifted his hands to cup her cheeks, then raised her face to look into her eyes. "Lucy," he whispered sadly. "You have plenty of reasons to go on living life to its fullest even if I'm not there."

Lucy shook her head, and felt tears welling in her eyes. "You're my reason for living, Freed. I love you with all of my heart, and without you I'm just… empty…" Lucy sighed and closed her eyes, her brows pulling together while she tried to contain her emotions.

"Why didn't you eat?" Freed whispered.

"I couldn't taste anything. Besides, I knew that finding you would make me better, so I decided I had more important things to do," Lucy answered, wincing at her explanation. In retrospect, she should have known better: there was no way to keep her strength up if she didn't eat.

Freed laid down on the bed, pulling Lucy down with him and sighed when her head instantly nestled against his chest. His fingers trailed through her long hair, and he asked, "Is that also why you weren't sleeping?"

Lucy nodded. "I only ate a couple times that first week, and slept even less. I would usually only fall asleep in your chair while I was reading, and then wake up and get back to work… And I never slept for more than a few hours at a time. Just enough to recharge a little, I guess… I never had any dreams though, so it was more like blinking than actual sleep."

"What about the second week?"

"It got a little better…" Lucy said as she turned to look into Freed's sad eyes. "At the end of the second week, I finally realized I hadn't called Crux to have him search for information. He's much faster than I could ever be, so he was a huge help. I had been sitting in the office, reading… Wow," Lucy said with a chuckle when she realized what she had done in Freed's absence, "Now I get why Laxus kept saying I looked just like you…" Lucy laughed again and buried her blushing face in Freed's chest.

Freed chuckled a little and asked, "What do you mean?"

Lucy lifted her head again, laying her chin on his chest and tracing the scars right in front of her face. "Do you know what you look like when you're working on something?" she whispered with a smile. When Freed shook his head, she giggled. "You tuck your hair behind your ear to keep it out of your way—even though your bangs are always in front of your eye." She tucked the hair on the left side of his face behind his ear. "You usually have about three or more books in front of you while you jump from book to book looking for what you need. You get that adorable little wrinkle in between your eyebrows when you're concentrating." She lightly touched the space between his eyebrows and drew slow circles. "You sit completely straight, and on the edge of your seat, with your sleeves rolled up. And, of course, you take notes by rotating the paper when you run out of room."

It was Freed's turn to blush as he said, "I didn't realize you watched me so intently while I worked, Lucy."

Lucy grinned and nodded. "Absolutely, sweetie. I love seeing you working on things, especially when you find what you're looking for and you start smirking at the paper," she teased lightly.

Freed chuckled and kissed her forehead again before asking, "So, why would Laxus say you looked like me?"

"Oh, because that's almost exactly what I did every time I was reading in the office. I wore your shirts instead of my own since they reminded me of you, and had the sleeves rolled up. I tucked my hair behind my ear, always had four or five books in front of me... I sat up straight on the edge of the seat." Lucy giggled and said, "I even started rotating my notes!" She dropped her head again and shook it over the absurdity of it all. "The only thing I didn't do was make any facial expressions," she muttered.

Freed chuckled again and said, "It seems our team will be better off if there are two of me working together." He squeezed Lucy gently when she started giggling, and then said, "So, you were reading in the office?"

"Right, Laxus was trying to get me to eat a salad," she said. "He took how I was acting harder than anyone, and he blamed himself for not walking with us that morning like he always did. He was almost always by my side while you were gone, and I even caught him crying a few times when he wasn't in the room with me…" Lucy sighed, then laid her head down and let the tingling in her scalp from Freed's fingers running through her hair comfort her. "Laxus asked me why I wouldn't let them help me more, and after I called Crux I actually ate. He said I should sleep since I hadn't slept in two days, and that a bath would help me relax and sleep better. That was the day I told him that I knew how I was going to get you back, but I didn't have enough information to do it."

Freed nodded, but stayed silent. He wished that it hadn't been so difficult for everyone while he was missing, and he especially wished that Lucy hadn't reacted the way she had. If it hadn't been for their team, she would have starved. Her body seemed to have taken care of sleeping, but he knew that she had pushed herself too hard—that's just what Lucy did.

"So, I went upstairs and took a shower, then I grabbed my brush and let Laxus brush and braid my hair. I ended up leaning back to lay on him after he was done, but I didn't even realize it at the time, and then I fell asleep. When I woke up, he was sleeping right there in the same position we'd been in when I passed out." Lucy smiled at the memory of it. "I woke him up to let him know I was going back downstairs, and he smiled at me. He looked so happy then, like there was something that had changed that took away how sad he was all the time." Lucy paused, and felt a mountain of guilt trying to overwhelm her. "I was a horrible sister to him…"

"You were doing what you could, Lucy," Freed said softly. "I'm sure everyone understood that."

Lucy nodded. "They did, and I guess they still do." She sighed and hugged Freed tighter while she continued her story. "When I got downstairs, Gray was there with Evergreen and Bickslow. We went into the office, and he started talking to me. I added more work on top of what I was already doing to make up for the time I had spent sleeping, and ended up with nine books on the desk."

"Nine?!" Freed asked, pulling Lucy away to look worriedly at her. "Lucy, you know what overloading yourself like that can do—remember what happened to me the last time I did it on a mission?"

Lucy cringed and nodded. "You passed out and didn't wake up for a whole day… I know… I just wanted to get you back. Trust me, Laxus got me to understand what I was doing wasn't going to help anyone, especially after I had another nosebleed…"

"You were having nosebleeds?" he asked worriedly.

"Every time I tried to do too much or started thinking about too much at once… I'd had one the day before, and they only happened once every few days, but Laxus was always there to take care of me. Gray had asked me about what I would feel if I was able to, and Ever and Bix took him out of the office to try and convince him to leave instead of letting me tell him. I… I had a really bad nosebleed when he came back in, and he told them that I should try to get my emotions back so I could get over you and move on."

Freed furrowed his brow in confusion, but he pushed that to the side when he saw tears falling down Lucy's cheeks. He gently wiped them away and pulled her closer so she could lie on his chest, and started running his fingers through her hair. "I know you wouldn't do that, Lucy," he whispered, "Everyone knows that when you set your mind to something, you don't stop until you get what you've been looking for."

Lucy smiled sadly and nodded, then hugged Freed tightly. "Eventually Laxus got it to stop, and then I told Gray what he wanted to know…" Lucy spent the next several minutes telling Freed every single word she had said to Gray about how she would feel, pausing only when it was too difficult for her to talk. He had said she didn't have to say any more than she was willing to, but she wanted him to know what happened so he could help her move past how horrible she felt over it. "He was crying because I didn't stop until I had answered his question," Lucy whispered. "I did the same thing to Ever when she asked me just after you were taken… I didn't feel remorseful or anything like that, so I didn't see any reason to stop talking even though they were upset by what I was saying. He tried to apologize, and then when he tried to hug me, I cast Pain on him."

Freed's hands never stopped moving, one along her back and one through her hair while he tried to soothe her. He listened to everything she had to say, and while it broke his heart to hear what had happened, to know just how bad things were for her and their team, he knew she needed to let it out. "What happened after you cast the spell on him, Lucy?" he whispered.

"Y-You're not mad that I used it?" she asked, looking up into Freed's eyes sheepishly.

"While I might not like the fact that you used it against a guildmate, I can understand why you would do it," he answered before pressing a kiss to her forehead. "I'm not mad at you, Lucy."

"You should be…" Lucy whispered, then sighed. "After I cast the spell on him, I decided that he needed to see for himself what I would be feeling…"

"How?"

"Pain, Fear, Suffering, Desperation, and Anguish…" Lucy then told Freed everything she had said to Gray while he was under each of the spells, how she had laid them on top of each other, and that she had lost track of time and kept them going for almost an hour. "It took Laxus breaking down in front of me and telling me that I would normally show mercy for me to snap out of it," she whispered, her whole body wracked with sobs and filled to the brim with overwhelming shame. "I stopped them just before I passed out and started bleeding again—but from my nose and ears that time—but I almost killed him. I almost killed one of my friends…"

Freed was silent for a long time, letting Lucy cry it out while he held her. He could practically feel the guilt coursing through her, and knew that the only thing he could do for her was support her and try to soothe her worries. During their time together, Lucy had asked Freed to cast each of the spells she had learned on her during training; she had said that she wanted to know what she would be subjecting someone else to with the spells. He didn't like doing it, hated hearing her scream the way she had while they were in the training grounds, but he understood her reasoning and had finally relented. She had a very intimate understanding of the spells she had used, and the order that she had cast them on Gray was perfect for torturing someone for hours on end if you knew when to end the spells and had the ability to use that much magic. "It's alright, Lucy," Freed whispered, "Gray's not dead. You lost track of time, and you couldn't feel mercy for him. Everything's alright now though."

"Why don't you think I'm a horrible person, Freed?" Lucy whimpered, wiping her tears away roughly before hiding her face in his chest.

Freed smiled sadly and carefully lifted her chin until her eyes met his. "Because I know just what my magic can do. It takes a lot of self-control to handle that many spells without going overboard, and there is quite a bit of darkness that is linked with my magic inherently. It's easy to get pulled under by it, to let it take control of you and even make you lose track of how much time has passed." He paused and brought her lips to his in a tender kiss, then continued. "There were extenuating circumstances for what you did, and I know that normally you wouldn't have done anything like that to Gray. No matter how upset you get with someone, your heart is too big to cause them true harm."

"You… You really think that?" she asked hopefully, biting her lower lip and sniffling while she looked into his eyes.

"I do. I know you, and killing somebody isn't something you're normally capable of," Freed said while he brushed her hair from her face. "I promise you. I'm not upset with you. It was a mistake, and you're clearly remorseful for it. All you can do at this point is apologize to him, and let him decide if he forgives you, okay baby?"

Lucy's eyes widened and a small smile crept across her face while a blush tinted her cheeks a light pink. She nodded slowly, then said, "That's the first time you've called me 'baby' without us… you know…"

Freed chuckled and pulled her close, gently pressing his lips to her hair. "Well, Aquarius did say if it feels right," he whispered, smiling when he heard Lucy's light giggle.

"Can we not talk about that day right now?" Lucy asked after a few silent minutes. "The rest of the team was with me nonstop after what happened with Gray, so you can ask them… I don't want to think about it now."

"Of course," Freed said gently. "So, what about this past week? What was different?"

Lucy briefly explained how her emotions came back bit by bit, with the rest of their team each giving her the ability to feel one specific emotion. She told him about the information Crux had given to her, and how they had all fallen asleep in Laxus' bed—with everyone holding onto Lucy so she wouldn't be alone when she needed them the most. Then, Lucy explained everything that happened at the guild the next day, from talking with Makarov to Christophe's letter, and finally how she had figured everything out based on his letter to her. "Every night for the past week, Bickslow and Evergreen have been cuddling while they sleep," Lucy said while she started laughing. "Laxus got a picture of it and gave it to Mira for blackmail." When Freed laughed, she sighed happily. Lucy paused for a moment, then said, "You know, if it wasn't for everyone else I never would have gotten you back."

"How so?"

"Well, the team took care of me no matter what, and they tried to help me research and got more books for me when I told them what I needed. Levy was researching at the guild, but she only found a few books that might help and had them sent to the house. Crux found the information on your family I asked for, Capricorn had the engagement contract—apparently, he didn't want to let me know about it unless it was necessary. Laxus slept next to me every night, got me to eat, did everything he possibly could to take care of me when I couldn't do it myself. Evergreen was so sad all the time, but she always gave me hope that things would work out. Bickslow used his Figure Eyes on me when we left Magnolia so that I could get past the runes that Eden put up around town to keep us from coming after you."

"She put up runes around the city?" Freed asked incredulously.

Lucy giggled and nodded. "Pretty much. We couldn't search for you. Any time someone tried to leave Magnolia with the intent to look for you anywhere in their minds, they would get electrocuted. So, when Crux found the information I asked for, I decided that we should get out of town before I tried to figure anything else out. We took a mission in Acalypha, and Bix used his magic so my mind would hardly be functioning, but I refused to tell anyone what was going on until the train stopped. Once we were done with the mission, Capricorn contacted me the same way Aquarius did that night you and I kissed, and had us go to my parents' graves. He gave me the information Crux had found since I still hadn't read it, along with the engagement contract, and I read through everything there. Afterwards, I had set up a mission here in town so we would have a reason to be in the area, and we've been here for the past week. Hisui arranged the meeting with your father as a favor to me, and of course Virgo helped us all get ready."

Freed nodded and thought for a moment, then shored up his courage. "I have a question for you, Lucy."

Lucy lifted her head and smiled softly at him. "And what might that be?"

Freed's face was set in his concentration, and he asked, "How do you feel about that contract, anyway? The one our parents signed when we were kids…"

Lucy's eyes widened in shock. She was wondering when he was going to bring it up, but she didn't think it would be so soon. Freed's face was completely closed off, so she couldn't tell what he was thinking either. "Um… I don't know. I hate that I can't remember our parents even knowing each other, especially because that means that you and I must have known each other. I hate the concept of being promised to someone without having a say in the matter, since that's what my father was trying to do when I came to Fairy Tail," she mused. "But…"

Freed froze. He could understand her not wanting to be contracted off like some object. It was a tradition he entirely despised, and a part of him was upset that his parents had done something like that when he was still so young. However, he also had fallen in love with the woman that he was technically engaged to, so in his eyes it wasn't all bad. When Lucy made no move to speak, clearly lost in thought while she tried to figure out what she felt concerning their forced engagement, he said, "But?"

Lucy shook her head, then smiled apologetically at Freed. "Sorry… I don't like that it was made, but… I also love you, and if the past three weeks are any indication, I clearly can't live without you in my life." She smiled softly at Freed before pressing a sweet kiss to his bare chest.

Freed contained his smile as best as he could and nodded. "Sit up and close your eyes, Lucy." He chuckled when she raised an eyebrow at him, but they both sat up and she draped the sheets over her legs. He stood up and made sure her eyes were closed before walking over to his discarded jacket. It seems that Virgo is one perceptive spirit, Freed thought with a smile as he pulled the ring box out of his jacket. That morning when he had gotten dressed, he pulled the picture out of his pocket to look at Lucy one more time before starting his day and counting the hours until he saw her. When he put it back, he felt something else in the pocket, and was surprised to see the box sitting there. Based on the fact that the picture he'd been given only existed in two places, and that he didn't recognize the handwriting, he figured it must have been from Lucy's spirits. The addition of the box in his jacket had him smiling when he figured out exactly who had done it: Virgo, the spirit that popped out any time Lucy needed something with everything ready to go. He had no clue how Virgo had known he was going to propose to Lucy, but it was definitely worth it now that he had just what he needed.

Lucy sighed with a smile on her face, her eyes still closed while she heard Freed rummaging around in the room for something. She giggled when he sat on the bed behind her and pushed her hair over one shoulder to kiss her back.

"I have a riddle for you," Freed said with a smile as he started massaging her back after setting the box on the bed next to his leg. His fingers moved in small circles over her tense muscles, and he could tell that she really had been sitting in his chair for far too long—every muscle of his that was usually tense after sitting for a prolonged period of time was tense and knotted in her back.

"Mmm," Lucy hummed happily. "I do love a challenge."

Freed chuckled and kissed her shoulder before saying, "A knock on the door in the middle of the night wakes you up. When you answer the door, you find our team standing there asking you to make them something to eat. You only have a few ingredients available: jam, honey, wine, bread, and cheese. What is the first thing you open?"

Lucy giggled and shook her head. "If our team showed up in the middle of the night asking me to cook for them, I'd Lucy Kick them all the way to Bosco."

Freed laughed and nodded. "I can just picture the looks on their faces when they landed…"

Lucy hummed in thought, her head dropping while Freed found the last of her knots and got rid of them. Let's see, she thought, Maybe I'd open the jam so that I could put it on the bread. Well, I'd have to open the bread first to toast it. Wait, if I answer the door… I'd have to open it, and that would be before I knew I had to cook.

Once Freed was finished, Lucy leaned back and sighed contentedly as her head rested on his chest. He peeked down and smirked when her eyes were still closed.

Lucy smiled when Freed's arms wrapped around her, and she snuggled closer to him. "I think I have the answer, Freed."

"And, what is your answer, Lucy?" Freed asked softly, nuzzling her hair with his nose.

"The first thing I would open would be my eyes. If the knocking woke me up, then I would have to open my eyes before I could do anything else," Lucy said proudly.

"Then maybe you should open them," Freed whispered, his heart pounding loudly in his chest.

Lucy giggled and opened her eyes, ready with a comeback about Freed choosing more difficult riddles. Then her mouth dropped open and she gasped. In Freed's hand was a small open box with red velvet surrounding the most beautiful gold ring she had ever seen in her life; it was absolutely breathtaking. In the center, was a perfectly cut ruby that caught the light in just the right way to look like the center of a rose, and there were six smaller elongated rubies that formed the outer petals around it and even smaller emeralds adorning the carved leaves that ran across the sides of the ring. The ring sloped gracefully down to join with the band, and on both slopes were carved roses with small rubies in the center. "F-Freed…" Lucy whispered. She felt a single tear trickle down her cheek as she stared at the ring.

Freed kissed her shoulder again. "Lucy, will you marry me?" he asked softly. He was more nervous than ever as he waited for her response, and he could feel her shaking in his arms. He started to get concerned when he heard her sniffle, and almost asked what was wrong.

"Y-Yes…" Lucy said with a smile stretching wide across her face. "Of course!"

Freed let out the breath he hadn't known he was holding and carefully pulled the ring from the box. He pulled up Lucy's left hand and slowly slid the ring onto her slender finger, grinning widely when he saw just how perfect it was.

Lucy looked down at her hand for a moment and felt like she was complete, and knew that it had everything to do with the man who held her. Lucy quickly turned around in his arms and gave Freed a watery, but ecstatic smile. She slowly lifted her hands to his face and pulled him into a tender kiss as she straddled his lap.

Freed's hands slid up Lucy's back to cup her neck. They separated from the kiss, both smiling at each other, and he brushed away her tears, then kissed her nose.

Before Freed or Lucy could say anything, there was a faint click of the lock on the door and it swung open to reveal Laxus calling, "Better be decent in there! I'm ope—" Laxus paused in the doorway with wide eyes then covered them instantly and screamed, "Shit! My fucking eyes! Oh god… I really didn't need to see that…"

Lucy squeaked and quickly scrambled to sit next to Freed and cover herself with the blanket, clutching it tightly to her chest. "Goddamnit, Laxus! Knock next time!" she shouted, hiding her blushing face in her hands while she heard Bickslow cackling in the hallway.

Freed watched Lucy sit down as innocently as possible as if she had just been caught doing something very, very wrong, and then chuckled and pulled the blanket up over his hips with a blush on his face. "It's safe, Laxus."

Laxus carefully uncovered his eyes and shook his head. "Don't worry, I'll knock in the future… I really don't wanna see you guys naked." He looked around the room, seeing the tattered remains of Lucy's dress and undergarments thrown everywhere, her corset hanging on the dresser, and even Freed's clothes tossed in random directions. "Damn, Freed. Way to tear her clothes off," he said with a chuckle as he pulled one of Lucy's stockings off of a lampshade before it caught on fire.

Lucy's eyes widened when Bickslow and Evergreen happily walked into the room behind Laxus before closing the door. Oh my Mavis… Kill me now…

Bickslow grinned at the couple on the bed, noticing just how many marks they were sporting, before he sat down at the small dining table with Laxus. "Alright, Cosplayer. Showed Freed what he was missing, huh?"

Evergreen rolled her eyes and smacked both of the men with her fan. "Stop being perverted!" she scolded. "I'm sorry about them, guys."

Lucy and Freed sweatdropped at how oblivious Evergreen could be. "Thanks, Ever," Lucy mumbled.

"So, we were thinking that we should all probably head back to Magnolia and report in with Gra—" Laxus started to say, then paused and looked at Lucy in confusion. "Sis, what's that?" he asked.

"Huh?" Lucy replied, tilting her head to the side.

"On your hand," Laxus said softly, his eyes widening and a smile creeping across his face. He glanced quickly at Freed and saw the proud smile on the Rune mage, then a subtle nod.

Lucy looked down and blushed, then smiled back up at the rest of their team. "Oh, this old thing?" she asked playfully, laying her head on Freed's shoulder and holding her hand up to admire her ring.

"OH MY MAVIS!" Evergreen screeched. She danced around in circles and fluttered herself with her fan before relaxing and looking incredulously at Freed. "You… And you… You're…" She grinned and finally passed out from a mental overload.

The other four mages burst out into laughter at the Fairy mage's reaction. Bickslow looked at Freed and Lucy for a second, and gave them a genuine smile. "Pretty lucky, Cosplayer. I'm pretty sure you're engaged to the one guy Laxus won't pummel into the ground for looking at you," he said.

Laxus nodded in agreement. "He's right. Then again… I did just catch you guys all kinds of naked in bed together. Do I need to protect your honor?" he asked with a playful grin on his face.

Lucy giggled and said, "Aww, big bwudder Waxus is all over-pwotective of wittle ol' me?"

"Oi, watch it, Blondie!" Laxus shouted, glaring at her even though his amusement was clear in the smile on his face. "At least we know that Freed's dad approves."

Lucy blushed and Freed chuckled. "This is true," Freed said with a smile. "I think he would have tried to get me to marry you if that contract hadn't already been signed before. Especially after you spoke to him the way you did."

"It wasn't that bad!" Lucy shouted.

Freed wrapped an arm around her shoulders and nodded. "You're right, it wasn't bad. But no one has ever confused him more than once in a meeting before. Add to that the fact that you wrote out two contracts without a single loophole. And the threat to destroy his business—no, his entire existence—while you were smiling like Mira. And quoting a whole passage from the book he wrote his thesis on to prove him wrong. And not showing a single emotion when Avery started speaking ill of you. And your friendship with the Princess of Fiore. And the Spirit King. And—"

"Alright, alright," Lucy giggled, poking the ticklish spot on Freed's side. When he jumped and pulled his arm away, Lucy laughed before saying, "You know, that Spirit King part was a bit of a stretch… Everything's in the Spirit World, but I haven't talked to Stache Face in a while… It was more of Capricorn and Leo talking to him about it, and him agreeing to hold onto everything. I wonder how he's doing…"

Everyone's jaws dropped. "The fact that you're even wondering something like that just backs up your case," Laxus said. "You make it sound like you guys were best friends back in the day."

Lucy shook her head and laughed. "Nah, but he really is a pretty cool guy. If you can get over him being all gigantic and kingly!"

They all laughed and joked around for a bit, the awkwardness of Freed and Lucy's lack of clothing completely forgotten. After a while, Bickslow looked at Lucy's soul, and grinned. "Cosplayer, your soul's back to normal now."

"What do you mean?" Lucy asked.

"I've been keeping an eye on it since Freed was taken," Bickslow said, the smile never leaving his face. "It was barely an outline on Christmas, like the center of it was ripped out and you only had a shell. Then the last few weeks it's gotten a little better, and came back pretty steadily once we got to this town. When you and Freed kissed earlier, it all came back, and now it's brighter than ever!"

Lucy grinned at Bickslow and said, "I guess that's why I could feel everything since that kiss. It's wonderful… I never realized how empty I was before everything came back."

"No worries, Blondie. You're all better now," Laxus said with a smirk. "More than better if all those screams earlier were any indication."

Lucy dropped her head to her hands, then squeaked when the blanket started sliding down her chest. She quickly readjusted it and then maneuvered so she was hidden behind Freed. "Pervert," Lucy muttered.

"I'm not the one trying to show everybody my tits, Blondie," Laxus shot back.

"Well… No one wants to see your tits!" Lucy shouted.

Laxus' jaw dropped, and he almost got offended until he realized what Lucy had said. He dropped his head and burst out laughing while everyone else tried to hold in their laughter. "Touchè, sis… Tou-fucking-chè."

"You guys are so weird," Evergreen muttered when she sat up.

"Ever, you passed out from finding out they got engaged… When they've technically been engaged for years," Bickslow said.

"True…" Evergreen mused, then turned to Lucy and Freed. "Freed, where'd you get the ring?"

Freed blushed and said, "It's been passed down in my family for generations. I was planning on proposing when Lucy and I returned home on Christmas night, but…"

Lucy lightly rubbed her hand over Freed's back. "There was a change of plans," she added softly. "Were you going to have me answer that riddle?"

Freed shook his head and smiled. "No, I just thought of it while were laying here," he said with a chuckle.

"Another riddle?" Evergreen asked excitedly.

Lucy nodded. "He had me close my eyes and I guess that's when he went to get the ring. Then he came back and gave me a back massage while I tried to figure out the answer. I told him that it was "Open my eyes" and he said I should do it. And, BAM! There was the ring," she recounted happily, wrapping her arms around Freed's waist and kissing his shoulder.

"Aww, so sweet!" Evergreen gushed.

Laxus looked at the time and smirked before standing up. "Well, we'll be taking the train out of here at five. So, you guys have some time…" He gave them a lecherous smirk before standing up. "I'm getting the hell out of here until then… I could hear you guys at the front desk… With my music blasting in my ears…"

"Ass," Lucy muttered.

Laxus lifted his hand into the air as he reached the door, extending his middle finger back to the feisty blonde. "Love ya, sis!" he shouted as he walked out, followed shortly by Evergreen and Bickslow who were arguing about Mavis only knows what.

Once the door was closed and locked, Freed turned his head to look at Lucy. "You can stop hiding now. They're gone."

Lucy giggled and moved back to sit next to Freed before throwing her leg back over his and smirking at him. "Well, we've got some time…" she purred, leaning in to run her tongue along the shell of his ear.

"We do," Freed agreed, slowly leaning back against the headboard with his hands on Lucy's hips, his thumbs drawing slow circles on her bare skin.

"I think I know just how to spend it," she whispered as she leaned down and captured Freed's lips with hers.

---

The guild was bustling with activity as everyone prepared for Freed's return. Laxus had called Makarov after they left Freed and Lucy to get "reacquainted" and told the older man what time they would be back. He conveniently left out how Lucy had gotten Freed back, along with the fact that they were engaged in more ways than one, and only said that she had ripped into Freed's dad and that everything was settled; along with letting Makarov know that the one to truly blame for what had happened to Freed was his youngest brother, Avery.

"Thank you so much, Droy," Mira chirped as she looked out across the hall. "It's perfect." She paused and glanced up at the rafters, then smiled when she saw Natsu and Gray working together to put up more decorations. Wendy was throwing out small gusts of air to push the decorations into the air, then Happy, Carla, and Pantherlily would catch them and hand them to the rivals. Gajeel was grinning like crazy while he set out tablecloths, and Lisanna was back in the kitchen with Kinana and Laki while they worked on the feast for the party.

"It's a good thing it's still snowing," Erza said in passing while she carried several crates from a back room filled with more decorations.

"Yes," Mira said with a smile. "This is going to be perfect…" She glanced at the clock, and saw that they had less than ten minutes to go until the Raijinshuu returned to the guild. Thank Mavis Laxus called me while they were on the train to tell me what time they would be here. "Happy!" Mira yelled out over the noise of their guildmates, "Go keep an eye out for them, they should be here soon!"

"Aye sir!" Happy yelled, then flew out the guild doors to wait for everyone to get back.

---

"I don't understand why we need to go to the guild today," Lucy sighed. "I love them, but I just want to go home."

Freed chuckled and pulled Lucy closer while his arm wrapped around her waist. "We'll have all the time in the world to spend at home, Lucy."

"Seriously," Laxus said with a smirk, "Haven't you guys fucked enough times today? Breathe, little sis… You're gonna kill Freed with that kind of appetite."

While Bickslow cackled and Evergreen smacked the Seith mage with her fan, Lucy smirked back at Laxus and said, "A few things you should know, big brother. One: no, we have not 'fucked enough' today—I've got three whole weeks to make up for." She giggled when Laxus stumbled on what he will forever claim was a huge rock in the road. "Two: my insatiability is Freed's fault to begin with. Three: it's definitely not going to kill him, because he's worse than I am!"

Freed was blushing up a storm but kept quiet while he watched everyone go silent.

"And four," Lucy said with a wide grin, "Freed can take it, he's got stamina and—"

"And, that's enough of that topic," Freed said quickly while he covered Lucy's mouth.

Everyone was silent for another moment before all five mages ended up laughing hysterically. "Damn, Laxus," Bickslow said with his tongue-wagging grin, "Cosplayer's just handing out punishments today."

Lucy pulled Freed's hand down and quickly yelled, "Punishments are Virgo's specialty, not mine!"

Everyone laughed again, and Evergreen said, "That's true, but she's always asking you for punishment, so clearly you must be good at it." She smirked at Freed and said, "Tell us about it, Freed. We're here for you."

When Freed blushed again and shook his head while he laughed—fully enjoying how happy he was now that he was back, even if it was an intensely uncomfortable conversation—Laxus cut in and said, "Please don't talk about that… I really don't need a mental picture of my little sister as a dominatrix."

"Oh, but—" Evergreen tried to say, until Laxus glared at her.

"Ever, you do realize that Laxus got a picture of you and Bix cuddling while you were asleep, right?" Lucy asked. When Evergreen and Bickslow stopped dead in their tracks, she added, "Mira's got it…"

"Fucking kill me now," Bickslow whispered, dropping his head in defeat.

"Seriously," Evergreen agreed, "Bickslow, you kill me, and I'll kill you afterwards…"

"I don't think it works that way," Freed sweatdropped.

"LUSHYYYYYYY!" Happy yelled as he quickly flew towards the approaching group. When he was only a few feet away from the now-bubbly blonde he loved, he stopped altogether and looked uncertainly at her.

"Aww, hi Happy!" Lucy said with a wide smile. "Come here, I haven't given you a proper hug in a long time."

Tears welled in the blue Exceed's eyes and he flew forward into Lucy's chest. "I missed you so much, Lucy! And Freed, and everyone!" he cried dramatically. He looked over at Freed while Lucy stroked his fur and sniffled, then said, "Don't go away again… It wasn't the same without you and Lucy."

Freed smiled down at Happy and lightly petted his head. "I have no intention of leaving again, Happy. You have my word."

Happy grinned, then looked up at Lucy expectantly.

Lucy rolled her eyes, though only her normal eye was visible, and laughed. "No worries, Happy. I'm all better, and I plan on staying that way for good." When Happy hugged tighter to her, she said, "Happy, has Carla accepted a fish from you yet?"

"No," Happy said sadly.

"Well, how about you buy her a super special fish when we get to the guild? Maybe she'll be so happy that things are going to be okay that she'll take it! My treat!" Lucy said, kissing the top of his head.

"You really think so?"

"You won't know until you try," Lucy answered. "Besides, once she accepts the first one it'll be much easier to get her to take another later on. You'll get there, little buddy."

"Aye!" Happy shouted. "I'm gonna go get her that fish!"

Everyone smiled at the Exceed as he flew into the guild just as the doors were closing. Laxus, Evergreen, and Bickslow looked expectantly at the happy couple, and finally Laxus said, "Well, you guys ready to see everyone?"

Lucy nodded with a smile and looked over to Freed. "Most definitely," he answered. "We've been gone far too long."

Laxus nodded to Evergreen and Bickslow, all three of them having full knowledge of what the guild had planned for Freed's return, and the two opened the guild doors wide as they ushered the couple inside.

Lucy's and Freed's jaws dropped while they grinned at the transformation of the guildhall. It was three weeks after Christmas, but every single Christmas decoration had been put up. There was even a large tree over by the bar with mounds of presents underneath it. "Wh-What is all this?" Lucy asked breathlessly, never letting go of Freed while they slowly made their way to the crowd standing in front of the bar.

Makarov smiled at the Raijinshuu as they came inside, Lucy and Freed entering first with Laxus, Evergreen, and Bickslow walking just behind them. After everyone had shouted out their unified greetings, Makarov cleared his throat and said, "Freed, welcome home." There was a round of cheers, and when it died down he continued. "Lucy, we are happy to hear you're feeling better, and even happier that you were successful in returning him to us."

"Thank you, Master," Lucy whispered with happy tears in her eyes. "What's going on, though?"

Mira stepped forward and said, "Well, Freed was taken away on Christmas before we got to open any presents, and when you came in we all realized it just wouldn't be the same without you two. No one was willing to try and be happy while you and your team were suffering so much, so we put away all of the decorations that day and decided we wouldn't celebrate Christmas until our entire family was here to celebrate with us."

"M-Mira," Lucy cried, tears finally falling freely down her cheeks. She looked up at Freed and saw that even he was tearing up while he smiled at everyone. "Everyone, you d-didn't have t-to…"

Gray made his way slowly to the front of the crowd and stood right in front of Lucy and Freed, still staying at a safe distance even though Happy had told them that he was able to hug Lucy and she was back to normal. "We did," he said with a soft smile. "You were right… We didn't do anything to help you get him back, and that's our fault. I even made it worse that day when I came to see you. It wouldn't have been the same without you to celebrate with us, and we couldn't bear the thought of even trying." He paused and looked from Freed to Lucy, then sighed and said, "Lucy, I'm sorry for what I did—for getting too close when everyone told me not to, and for ignoring you all this time. And for what I said to you. I was being selfish, just wanting you to get better so I didn't feel like a horrible friend—even though that's all I've been to you for the past year. I should never have said that you should get over Freed and move on with your life, and I don't know if you'll ever forgive me for it, but—"

Lucy reached out and took Gray's hand, then stepped away from Freed to pull the Ice Make mage into a tender hug. "I forgive you, Gray," she whispered. "I wasn't myself, and I'm sorry for hurting you that day… and for almost killing you… You know I'd never—"

Gray chuckled and locked his arms around Lucy while he hugged her tightly. "I know, Lucy. I forgive you, too." He pulled away and sniffled lightly while trying to wipe away his own tears, then watched with a smile as Lucy immediately tucked herself back into Freed's side.

"Well, what do you all say to starting our Christmas party?!" Makarov shouted with a wide grin. There was a large round of cheers from the guild and everyone instantly started mingling, and congratulating the happy couple on Freed's safe return.

---

After several hours of talking with everyone, eating more than they could handle, and just having a grand time in general, Mira silently walked up to Lucy with a wide smile. "Sooooooooo," she crooned. "How long are you going to make me wait until you explain why there's a ring on that finger?"

Lucy and Freed blushed, but it was Laxus that started talking as he pulled Mira into his lap. "Oh, these two?" he asked loudly, gaining everyone's attention, "They've been engaged since they were kids!"

"WHAT?!" everyone shouted in unison.

Lucy giggled and nodded while she laid her head on Freed's shoulder, lacing the fingers of her left hand with those on his right and looking lovingly at her ring. "He proposed earlier today, Mira," she said softly, knowing the news would travel faster than humanly possible regardless of how softly she spoke. "But, yes. Our parents arranged a marriage when we were little. Neither of us knew about it until recently."

"How recently?" Mira asked.

"Lucy found out after leaving Magnolia, and I found out when she revealed the contract to my father," Freed said softly, then kissed Lucy's hair.

Lucy saw that Mira wanted to ask more questions, but she didn't feel like thinking about what had happened that afternoon. "I'll tell you all about it some other time, Mira," she said happily. "What's important is that Freed got to propose to me on Christmas, just like he wanted!"

Freed chuckled and nodded. "Well, since we're celebrating it today, then I guess you're right."

"AWWWWW!" Mira screeched. "He proposed on Christmas!"

There was a resounding "Awwww" heard from every female member of the guild, causing both Freed and Lucy to blush again. Makarov grinned at the happiness radiating from his children, then shouted, "TIME FOR PRESENTS!"

Luckily, the guild had created a complex system for handing out presents several years ago when the mad rush to find any presents addressed to a single mage had nearly crushed a few of the younger members. All of the S-Class mages would gather every present and hand them to their addressees until the tree was left bare, and then the mages themselves could open their presents at their leisure—either doing it at the guild or taking them home to be opened later. Of course, because it was Fairy Tail, there was a massive mountain of gift wrap and discarded paper that would eventually become an area to play in, so most people opened their presents right away to make sure to add to that pile.

Lucy sighed happily once they were almost done unwrapping their presents, and she loved each and every gift she'd gotten from her guildmates. Levy had given her the business card of a publisher that had read Lucy's manuscript and wanted to meet with her to discuss her future as an author; Erza gave her and Freed two tickets to Akane Resort for a weekend getaway; Natsu and Gajeel gave her a newer and sturdier key ring, with Gajeel providing the metal and Natsu superheating it so they could layer the metal again and again to make it as lightweight as possible while retaining the strength of the Slayer's iron; Makarov, Lisanna, Cana, Gildarts, Evergreen, and Bickslow all gave her two keys each—equaling a dozen new spirits for her to make contracts with; her spirits gave her a sword that was similar to Freed's, but it channeled the ranged attacks of any one spirit she chose (which Capricorn had swiftly informed her that she would need to train to control it better). Gray and Juvia gave her a rose made of ice that was the size of her cupped hands, which they assured her would never melt; in the center of it, the very core of the blooming petals, was an ice-encapsulated globe of swirling water that Juvia explained was actually a portion of the water that made up her own body. Mira had found copies of every picture that Lucy had lost when her home was destroyed, and made several photo albums out of them and every picture she could find that had either Lucy or Freed in them (or both). Laxus had already given her the red fur-lined coat when the weather cooled down, but he surprised her with a golden heart-shaped necklace that had a small lightning lacrima in the center of it.

"There's still one more," Freed said softly as they watched the rest of their team with their significant others. Evergreen and Elfman were cuddling in the opposite corner of the guild, Bickslow and Cana were drinking with Gildarts and Makarov, and Laxus was dancing in the center of the guild with Mira to a slow song. Freed carefully handed Lucy the large wrapped envelope and kissed her gently just before she opened it.

"Hm," Lucy said with a smile, "I wonder who this could be from. Gorgeous penmanship, written in this strange code that says, 'I love you'…" She peeked at Freed with a smirk and said, "I guess I'll never know." Then she opened it. She read through the papers in her hands, and her mouth dropped open in shock. "F-Freed… You…"

"I didn't know what else I could give you," he said softly, "So I had your name added to the deed of my house. We've lived together the entire time we've been dating, but I wanted you to know that I wish to share everything with you. Originally, you were supposed to open this and then I was going to propose to you when we were at home." He chuckled. "However, it seems that we've taken a slightly less traditional route yet again."

"This is… amazing," Lucy whispered through her tears.

"So, Lucy… Would you like to officially move in with me?" Freed asked while she turned and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"Yes, Freed," Lucy replied with a watery smile. "You and I can't seem to catch a break, huh? We just don't do anything in order."

"That's very true, Lucy," Freed whispered. "If anyone can create chaos in my life and make it so that I don't mind it at all, but embrace it wholeheartedly, it's you. All you have to do is sign the paperwork, and I'll submit it tomorrow."

"Later," Lucy said with a sniffle. "I still have to give you your present. I can't wait to see what you think of it." Lucy pulled away slightly and grabbed a large box with a small envelope taped to the top. "Here, it's actually two gifts."

Freed raised an eyebrow at her, then carefully opened the envelope. Inside of it was a receipt along with a note. Merry Christmas, Freed. After a lot of thought, I figured the best thing to get for you was something I know you'll cherish forever. Here's a receipt for your present; Virgo has already set everything up at the house. Freed tilted his head to the side, then looked at the receipt and instantly dropped it. "How did you…"

Lucy giggled and picked up the receipt, then said, "I saved up a little here and there from our missions and got in contact with a few collectors." She looked down at the small paper and grinned as she said, "Three-thousand four hundred and fifteen books, all dating back at least a century. From lost magic to archaic runes, forgotten languages to lore, and almost anything else you can think of. I know how much you love knowledge, and the majority of these are the only ones in existence now."

"Thank you," Freed whispered, still completely in shock. "I don't even have the words to describe this…"

Lucy giggled again and pulled Freed into a sweet kiss, her lips lingering on his for as long as possible before she finally pulled away. "Well, open your other present. I'm sure it'll give you an idea of how you can thank me."

Freed looked down at the still-wrapped box in his lap, then cautiously up at Lucy. As carefully as if the box was set to detonate at any second, he pulled away the wrapping and slowly opened the box only to quickly shut it again and stare at her with wide eyes. "I think I know exactly how to thank you, Lucy," he said while he gazed longingly at her, the hunger evident in his green orbs. "This is a wonderful present."

Lucy blushed and bit her lower lip, then whispered, "I hoped you'd like it." Lucy squealed when Freed's lips crashed onto hers, his tongue roughly invading her in the most outrageous form of public displays of affection either of them had been involved in. She was pinned to the couch, her back slightly arching over the arm while he pressed closer to her. They moaned in unison when her hands tangled in his hair, tilting his head to deepen the kiss, and his hands sent a tingling sensation running through her when they started slowly caressing her back.

"Get the fuck off my sister, Freed!" Laxus shouted across the guild hall, alerting everyone in attendance to what was happening with the couple in the corner. Laxus choked on his beer when two distinctly different hands with guild marks, one in pink and one in green, shot up with only a middle finger extended while the pair kept kissing.

"Holy shit," Bickslow cackled, "Cosplayer's such a bad influence on him!"

"Nah," Cana slurred, "I'm sure he's always had it in him."

"He probably knows that Laxus won't kill him as long as he keeps her happy," Gildarts mused.

When Laxus saw the pair roll so that Lucy was sitting on Freed's lap, still ignoring everyone in the room, he rolled his eyes with a smirk and sent out a small jolt of electricity right into her ass. "Cut that shit out! Fiancée or not, you're gonna damage my retinas!"

Lucy pulled away with a squeak, then gave Freed one more swift kiss on the lips before she jumped off of his lap and rushed at Laxus. "How many times do I have to tell you not to shock me, you overgrown outlet?!" she yelled, tackling Laxus to the floor with a grin on her face.

"Did she just…"

"What the hell?"

Murmurs and laughter could be heard throughout the guild while everyone watched in utter shock at the two blonde's antics. Makarov, never having seen them acting like this, spit his beer all over the place from his seat on the bar.

"Who are you calling an overgrown outlet, Blondie?!" Laxus yelled, struggling to get away from Lucy while she tried to pin his hands to the ground. "And when the fuck did you get this strong?!"

Lucy cackled maniacally when she gave up on pinning his hands and dove right into tickling him. When he started howling with laughter, bucking his hips and thrashing every which way to dislodge her, Lucy's thighs tightened around him and she shouted, "Awww, big bwudder is all tick-wish? Uh-oh! Widdle Wucy's tick-wing you, Waxus!"

"Oh dear," Mira giggled, placing a hand over her mouth and glancing at Evergreen to silently communicate that the Fairy mage needed to get her camera out.

"Goddamnit, sis!" Laxus shouted through his laughter, tears streaming down his face, "Fuckin' stop!" When she made it clear she wasn't stopping any time soon, he yelled, "I'm gonna fucking kill you!"

"Nuh-uh!" Lucy taunted, quickly pulling his soundpods off of him and jumping away, then dangling them in the air while he caught his breath. "Missing something?"

Laxus lifted his head and his eyes widened before he glared at her. "Give 'em back, Blondie," he warned as she put them around her neck the same way he always had them while he wasn't listening to his music.

"She's lost her damn mind…"

"They're both insane…"

"This is priceless."

Lucy grinned and yelled, "Come and get me, Sparky!" She turned around and ran through the guild, laughing with reckless abandon as she dodged between tables and their stunned guildmates. "Don't you cheat, Laxus!" she shouted when she heard a crackle of lightning as his steps started to quicken.

"C'mon, Cosplayer!" Bickslow shouted, beckoning her over to him at the bar.

Lucy quickly redirected and lunged at Bickslow, laughing when he vaulted her into the air. Her laughter quickly turned into a shriek of terror when Laxus appeared right in front of her, streaking through the air in his lightning form and grabbing her before heading back to the ground.

Laxus held Lucy by her ankle, dangling her in the air triumphantly while he pulled the soundpods from her neck. "I warned you," he chuckled darkly.

"Laxus, put me down!" she yelled. She squawked when he dropped her to the ground, and was instantly back on her feet, jumping onto his back while he turned to walk away. Her legs wrapped around his waist, her arms around his neck, and she tried to throw him off balance with everything she had.

"You keep this shit up, I'm gonna bite you," Laxus shouted while he turned to glare at her.

"If you bite me, I'll rip your teeth out and hang them on the wall as a trophy!"

"Good luck with that, Pipsqueak!"

"Watch me, Thunder Butt!" Lucy shouted.

Everyone was utterly confused by that point, except for the Raijinshuu. They had all been able to witness this exact same interaction between Laxus and Lucy countless times before Freed was taken, and it warmed their hearts to see it happening again.

After turning in circles and failing miserably at dislodging Lucy, Laxus sighed and said, "What do I have to do to get you off of me? You're like a fucking leech back there…"

Lucy grinned and gave him a quick peck on the cheek, then laid her head on his shoulder and said, "I want a piggyback ride."

"What are you, five?" Laxus asked, though he still placed his hands on her legs and adjusted her as she started to slip off of him.

"Nope!" Lucy chirped, "Six and a half, thank you very much!"

Laxus chuckled and shook his head, completely forgetting that they were in the guild—or just not caring because Lucy was back to normal. "Where to?"

"Hmmm," Lucy hummed, then smiled softly when she saw Freed smiling back at her. "Take me to the man of my dreams, my valiant steed!"

Laxus rolled his eyes and walked back over to where Freed and Lucy had been sitting before she attacked him. Once they were in front of the clearly amused Rune mage, Laxus carefully helped Lucy get down, then pulled her into a hug and kissed the top of her head. "Love you, little sis… Even if you're a brat sometimes."

Lucy smiled up at Laxus and whispered, "Love you too, big brother. Thanks for taking such good care of me." She pouted when he ruffled her hair as he walked away, then sat back down next to Freed and curled up next to him.

Freed smirked and lightly laced his fingers with hers, running his thumb over her guild mark. "It's good to see you enjoying yourself again, Lucy," he whispered.

"I could say the same to you," she said softly while looking deeply into his eyes. "So, you were saying something about liking your present?"

Freed smirked, pulling her closer so he could whisper into her ear. "I'll like it even more when I can see you wearing it… And then while I'm slowly pulling each and every piece off of you."

'Lingerie… Dark green, sheer, lace lingerie with purple garters. Lucy, you are truly an angel.'