Chapter 25: Determined
An entire week passed after Tessa and Gajeel mated. The couple had not shown their faces that entire week at the guild. Some were concerned after it had been two days since the couple hadn't arrived, but then Levy went on a long explanations on how new mated dragons would seek isolation to complete their mating ritual. There was no special ceremony or such. The isolation was necessary in order to complete the bond. Levy explained to everyone that the mating was rather exhausting for the female, since she would be gaining some of the magical power from her male. Everyone went into different theories on what Tessa could be capable of now, but nothing was set in stone until the mage would show up. By the fourth day, the Master was becoming concerned although he had heard what Levy had said and was thinking of sending someone to check on them.
Panther Lily had quickly shut down the idea. When Carla had asked him why, the black cat started shaking his head furiously, a deep blush on his face. Panther Lily had made the mistake of going to the house the second day and quickly regretted it. Aria had offered for him to stay with her in her new room at the Thunder Legion house and the black cat was deeply grateful about that.
That was something Aria was still getting used to. Being part of the Thunder Legion.
She had wanted to say no and to tell Laxus to fuck off and to get his money back from Kinana for paying her debt of seven years. However, the other three members had persuaded her, specially Evergreen. She couldn't say no to the woman. As much as she wanted to. She could see that Ever desperately wanted another woman in the team, being tired of being the one on everyone's asses. Freed had gone into a long explanation on how her power would fit in with their team and Bickslow just wanted her because he thought she was cool. Aria knew Laxus had played dirty, knowing well she would've refused to join if he had asked him by himself while she stayed at Fairy Hills. In her long list of insults that she had prepared for the lightning mage, sneaky bastard was one of them. So she had joined and they went on a mission the following day.
It had been successful. There was no destruction whatsoever or anything. With her speed and cat like movements, they had been able to easily take down a group of bandits. The reward wasn't as much as they would've liked, but they were barely getting back on business again so they knew they had to be patient.
The only thing that the team had to put up with was the constant bickering from Laxus and her. They didn't know what to make of it. One moment they're being super understanding and respectful of one another. The next, they're throwing insults left and right. Freed had known Laxus for years and for the first time, he saw him losing his temper in various occasions during their entire mission towards her. It was entertaining to say the least.
He groaned softly and as he shifted slightly on the bed, he felt a warm body cuddled against his body and he grinned sleepily. He moved his arm and wrapped it around her naked waist and pulled her closer, burying his face on her head. He took in her scent, mixed in with his but a whole lot differently now. Flashes of the previous week flew in through his head, and for the first time in his life, he felt whole.
And it was all thanks to her.
However, there was a dark voice in the back of his head that was telling him that he had ruined her. That he had ruined her chances of meeting someone proper, someone that she deserved. She was the light in his life. A pure light and that voice kept telling him he had tainted her. He started to growl softly, making her to subconsciously press her body against his more so than what it already was. That made him stop growling. He took a deep breath and started to think about things, to not let his own insecurities get in the way of what had happened.
She had chosen him. She had given her soul to him to mix it into one with his. If she wasn't connected with him, the mating wouldn't have gone through. Dragons were notorious for their mating. They would pick one mate and share the same life span of one another. If one of them were to die, the other would eventually die literally by a broken heart. That's why dragons would take years to court their intended, however, when connections were too strong and the courting didn't go as long as it should have, the strength of the bond tended to be immediate.
Her body had taken well his magic circulating through her body. She had been beyond exhausted the moment the mating had been completed. But she could feel the new strength within her and he could feel a difference as well.
She was everything to him.
She groaned in her sleep as she finally woke up and she sleepily smiled as she saw him staring at her. She wrapped her arm around his chest and kissed his chest, "Good morning…"
He kissed her forehead, "Morning. How'd you sleep?"
Her green eyes sparkled as she looked at him, "Amazing. You? What's wrong?"
He ran a hand through his face as he forgot about that particular detail on the mating. Their emotions would be shared with the new link they now had, meaning she most like awoke by him getting irritated by his stupid thoughts.
He sighed, knowing damn well he couldn't lie to her, "Part of me feels like I stopped you from finding a man that did deserve you."
She rolled her eyes and moved her body so she was now straddling his body. His eyes automatically went to the slight bounce of her breasts with her movements. She snapped her fingers in front of his face and then pointed at her face.
"Hey! Eyes up here for a moment!" Once he was looking at her, she tenderly grabbed his face with both hands.
"I love you. Can you get that through your thick metal brain of yours? I chose this. I chose you. I'm well familiar with the mating ritual and such. You're not the only one that grew up with a dragon. You are everything I need so get that stupid voice out of your head before I do it for you. This past week, it has been amazing and I am looking forward with spending forever with you. Now, why don't we shower so we can head back to the guild? I found a note under our door yesterday from Aria. Makarov is calling a meeting."
He smirked at her, the all familiar fang sticking out, as he suddenly grabbed her by the hips and switched their positions. He kissed her neck and then her shoulder, where the two puncture wounds from the marking lay. They were there for the world to see, that she was his.
"We have an hour."
And at any other moment, she would've argued with that, but she knew he needed a way of reassurance and that's exactly what she was going to do.
"You're horrible."
He laughed wholeheartedly and her heart fluttered at the sound.
She gave in, "Just one round! Then we have to shower and go to that meeting."
He nipped at her lip, "So you say."
They had another one in the shower and another one in the living room before they left. She really had a hard time saying no to him.
A knock on her door brought her out of her thoughts. She had been awake for hours. She had tossed and turned on her new bed in her new bedroom. It had been a week since she joined them and she was still getting used to her new surroundings. She had spoken to Lily about it, since the cat had sensed her not getting enough sleep. He had told her that it would take some time to get used to it and that her body should get accustomed to everything soon enough. She found comfort in the cat, so she had also voiced her concerns to him about Sabertooth in more detail than the day at the creek. He told her, or more like reassured her, that there was no way for her to see the man that put her through years of abuse any time soon. That was somewhat comforting.
She was alone in her room since Lily had left a lot earlier. The knock became more persistent and she sighed. She knew who it was from the other side of the door. Part of her wanted to pretend that she was asleep and ignore it, but she knew damn well he wouldn't fall for that. She sighed again.
"Come in."
The door was opened slowly and Laxus came in, a glass of juice for her in hand. She found herself inwardly swallowing as he was only wearing pajama pants and shirtless. Part of her wanted to slam the door shut and throw him on the bed. She took in the contour of his muscles and his large tattoo.
He was not making things easier for her to forget about her feelings for him.
"Thought I would bring you this," He said as he handed her the glass as she sat up, "Ever is already cooking breakfast downstairs."
She welcomed the coolness of the juice going down her throat. Hopefully it would diminish the heat that was settling inside of her, "Does she always cook?"
He snorted, "Not really. Usually it's Freed. Or myself."
"Bickslow doesn't cook?"
"Last time he did we had to repair the entire kitchen."
He could see the amusement in her eyes, "Why am I not surprised to hear that?"
He chuckled, "Ever wants to celebrate you surviving your first week with the team. I don't think she's ever been this excited before."
"Well she's been stuck with you three for so long. I honestly don't blame her. I would've gone inside. I should've already been insane since I spent a month with you."
He rolled his eyes, "You were insane way before that, so don't blame it on me."
He looked at her face and he noticed the dark circles under her eyes, "You haven't been sleeping well?"
He had a feeling he already knew why she didn't. It had to do with Sabertooth, but he couldn't find the courage to ask her outright. He wanted her to say something on her own.
"Still trying to get used to this whole team thing," She paused for a second as she finished her juice, "Nightmares as well."
Laxus couldn't hide the concerned look that spread on his face. He hesitantly sat on her bed and looked at her, "Want to talk about it?"
She didn't look at him as she said, "The whole thing about Sabertooth set them off…"
"You ran out of the guild. The old man wouldn't tell me anything."
She sighed heavily as she got up. She crossed the room over to her small dresser where her clothes were. His eyes immediately went to her legs as she was wearing an oversized t shirt as pajamas and her legs were bare. He could feel his inner dragon on the back of his head demanding to take her but he pushed it aside. She pulled out her clothes for the day and as she closed the drawer, she sighed again.
"Their guild master is Jiemma, my uncle."
Laxus' eyes widened in surprise and slight horror at the sound of that. Only a few times on their time training did she speak about she went through with her aunt and uncle. All the things they did to her to bring some sort of power from her. The worst was forcing the lacrima in her chest.
He found himself standing and walking towards her. He carefully placed a hand on her shoulder, "What are you afraid of?"
There was a moment of silence until she barely spoke above a whisper, "Facing my past."
She turned around and looked up at him. Just then, he reminded her of a child. Her eyes were big with concern and worry and he desperately wanted to wipe those emotions away from her face, from her eyes. It didn't suit her.
Just as he raised his hand to place it on her cheek, they heard a crash from downstairs.
"Bickslow! How many times do I have to tell you that your babies are prohibited in the kitchen?!"
"Come on Ever! They wanted to help too!"
"Help Freed with the cleaning and leave me alone!"
The hand he was going to place on her, he smacked it on his forehead and mumbled under his breath. She laughed, "Is it always like this?"
He rolled his eyes as he took a step back as she gathered her clothes on her arms, "Laundry day is worse. Bickslow likes stirring shit with Ever. When he gets her clothes he likes pointing out her underwear."
Her eyes widened, "He's not allowed to come in my room then. He does my laundry I'm electrocuting him. Anyways, I'll see you downstairs? I'm going to shower really quick. That way we can eat and head out to the guild for the meeting."
He snorted as he started to walk out. As he descended the stairs all he could think was that he would personally rip Bickslow a new one if he did that to her.
"BICKSLOW YOU JUST BURNED THE PANCAKES!"
After an eventful breakfast, the team and their new member made their way across town towards the guild. Various townsfolk kept giving them unbelievable looks as they strode into town. It was still hard for them to believe that the strongest of Fairy Tail were back in Magnolia. It was something to get used to, but there was that small glimmer of hope for them to regain the status they once held seven years ago. Makarov, Mira, and Erza had taken cared of the whole situation with Twilight Ogre, and now Fairy Tail was free from debt which was another talk throughout the town as well.
Everyone that was on Tenrou Island was still having a hard time accepting what had happened the past seven years. Lucy had lost her father during the time they were trapped and she had entered a small stage of depression, but thanks to Natsu and the rest of her team, she was able to smile brightly again.
Today, Makarov had called a guild meeting and everyone had to be present. No one knew what was going on as everyone gathered in front of the bar. Aria had her arms crossed and Laxus lazily had an elbow on her shoulder and leaning against her as they waited for his grandfather to speak up. The doors were suddenly opened, and Tessa hurried in with a not too happy Gajeel trailing behind her. Lily grinned the moment he saw them and the rest of the guild erupted in various catcalls and whistles, making the brunette blush furiously and Gajeel growl at them as he grabbed her by the waist. She made her way over to Aria who had a knowing look on her face.
"Finally decided to join us peasants?" She said in a mocking voice. However, her golden eyes widened as Tessa's scent hit her.
"Holy shit- you have been at it like rabbits!"
Laxus raised an eyebrow at the couple and nodded his head, "Not bad metal head."
Gajeel smirked but didn't say anything.
Tessa blushed again but rolled her eyes at the two of them, "Where's Lucy and the rest of them?"
Aria shrugged her shoulders, "Erza is over there, but about the others, according to Levy, they went to see the old witch out in the forest."
Makarov cleared his throat, getting the attention of all of the members present as he stepped on the stage.
"After further consideration, I have finally decided to retire."
This quickly brought on various questions from everyone. Aria looked up at Laxus, "Did you know this?"
He shook his head, "Nope."
He motioned his hands for everyone to quiet down, "It has been wonderful serving as the master of this guild, but my time has come. And without further ado," Makarov continued, "I present you your new guild master, Gildarts Clive!"
And he pointed to the direction where Mira was standing, with no Gildarts.
The wizard had left a note with the explanation on why he couldn't become guild master. In his letter, he gave Laxus the position of S-Class again and assigned Makarov as the sixth Fairy Tail master, angering the short old man. At the end of the letter, he asked for the guild to become number one again, making that their job and not his and that he knew they would be capable of doing so. He had left a letter to Cana with a calling card, which the young woman had quickly ripped apart. The guild had exploded with laughter and congratulations were given to Laxus for having his position back, although he was still unsure what to think of it.
Warren laughed, "Leave it to Gildars telling us to make ourselves the best in Fiore."
Max sighed, "He always talks way too big and not realize how a request like that could almost be impossible."
Erza shook her head, "Not true. Upward advancement is an excellent goal."
"Seven years ago. But things are different now," Warren responded.
"Sabertooth is number one, and then there's the fact that Lamia and Pegasus are extremely good too. We can't compare to them now," Alzack added with a sad smile.
"We have seven years to catch up power wise, but we can do it," Tessa said as she sat on one of the tables with Gajeel staying at the bar with Panther Lily.
Erza nodded at her, "Indeed. It'll take some time but we have never been known to give up."
Aria's eyebrow rose the moment she saw young Romeo getting on a table.
"Well, I waited seven years and I don't wanna take seven years this time!"
Macao yelled at him, "Romeo!"
"Enough Dad!" The kid turned to the others, "There's only one quick way to get us to be number one and I know what it is!"
This quickly brought multiple screams of refusal and various curious questions. Laxus walked up to Romeo, both hands in his pockets and looked at him, "What do you mean?"
He ignored the way Macao was refusing in the background.
Romeo looked up at him, "There is this thing called—"
"I refuse to allow it! It doesn't matter that I'm not the guild master, but as a member!"
In that moment, Natsu, Lucy, Wendy, Carla, Gray, and Happy were finally back.
"It was beyond embarrassing last time Romeo," Bisca tried to reason with him, but the kid wasn't having it.
"We have been humiliated enough!" He finally cried out, small tears visible on the corner of his eyes, "We have the Tenrou Team back! We have a chance to win this!"
Aria saw Macao opening his mouth again but she raised a hand at him to stop, "What are you talking about?"
Romeo took a deep breath, "While all of you were missing, Fiore started a festival to determine the number one guild of all of the country!"
"That sounds fun!" Natsu cried out, wanting to know more about the festival.
"It's a huge magic competition called The Grand Magic Games!"
Realization set in on the Tenrou group.
"If we win this… we could become number one again," Erza said, the familiar competitive glint appearing in her eye.
Gray smirked, "Alright, I like the sound of this!"
"Yeah, that doesn't sound bad at all," Lucy said.
Happy flew up to Natsu, "This sounds awesome!"
"It does sound great," Makarov interrupted, "But it doesn't change the fact that everyone has grown in power the past seven years except the whole Tenrou group. I do doubt we will win with all of the mages current state."
Romeo smirked, "The guild that wins gets thirty million jewels!"
"WE WILL ENTER!"
Laxus rolled his eyes at his grandfather's attitude towards the money, Old man never changes he thought.
"It's not just a fighting competition," Jet said loudly, "It's various events that are random that you won't know about until the day of the event. We've come dead last every single time it's embarrassing. We won't have the support of the audience."
Erza shook her head, "We don't need the support of the audience. We will gain it. All we need is for all of us to work together to win."
"I agree with Erza," Mira said happily, "We can totally do it!"
"Now that's a real man's attitude!" Elfman cried out, earning him a smack from Evergreen's fan, "Can't you just not say 'man' for once?!"
"When are the games?" Natsu excitedly asked Romeo.
"Three months!"
Laxus smirked and looked down at Aria. Entering the games it would mean she would have to face Sabertooth and more specifically, her uncle. He would understand if she rather just watch from the sidelines. She felt his eyes on her and she turned to look at him, "We should get to work. We only have three months."
His eyes widened, "So you will enter?"
"If Makarov picks me to be part of the team that will participate, I won't say no. It was going to be a matter of time for me to see him anyways, might as well do so as I kick his guild's ass."
That night at the guild, Team Natsu, Juvia, The Thunder Legion, and Shadow Gear sat together in hopes of figuring out where they would go to train. However, Erza had found a beautiful beach spot for them to go train and she was inviting the rest of them to do so.
Aria flipped through the magazine that Lucy had brought of the spot Erza was talking about, "Why does this feel more like a vacation than training grounds?"
Erza smirked, "It is always good to have a moment of relaxation after vigorous training."
Laxus snatched the magazine from Aria, earning him a glare from her, and looked at Erza, "You should be more focused on what you're going to train, not the location."
"Oh, really?" Gray asked, "Where are you guys going to go?"
Laxus smirked, "Somewhere."
Aria turned to Tessa, "Where the hell is Gajeel?"
Tessa was examining the tips of her curls as she casually replied, "He already left with Lily."
"WE NEED TO GET GOING! I HAVE TO GET STRONGER THAN THAT METAL FACE!"
Erza punched Natsu on the back of the head, "Calm down."
Lucy's eyes widened, "And he left you? Didn't you guys just become mates?"
Carla sipped on her tea, "That is rather unusual."
Bickslow started to giggle, "He's already tired of her!"
Tired! Tired! His babies repeated excitedly.
Tessa glared at him and threw a glass dagger, which he was barely able to move his head to not get hit, "Don't you have something to give to Cana before she leaves with Mira? And Gajeel said I would be a distraction if I came along. Besides, I should be training with my team."
Bickslow's eyes widened in realization and Aria shook her head, "It's on the table in my room."
He immediately left.
Laxus got up, "We should get going. We are leaving tomorrow morning."
Tessa looked at Laxus and then at Aria, "Wait, you're going with them?"
Ever smiled, "You've been gone for a week. She's part of the Thunder Legion now."
Tessa's eyes widened since she was the only one that didn't know, "Say what?!"
Aria laughed nervously as she scratched the back of her head, "Well you've been busy. Besides, Ever insisted. Something about too much testosterone in the goddam team."
Erza nodded understanding, "I'm glad you have another female on the team Evergreen. It's worried me for a while that you're on a team with three other males."
Laxus rolled his eyes, "Only one that's a pain in the ass is Bickslow."
Aria rose her eyebrow at him, "The only one?"
He glared at her, "Let's go."
Aria gave him a look, "It's not even that late!"
That was immediately followed by a yawn. Wendy couldn't help it and yawned as well as she leaned against Tessa.
He rolled his eyes. Not tired my ass, he thought as he abruptly picked her up and threw her over his shoulders like a sack of potatos.
"GODDAMIT SPARKY PUT ME DOWN!"
Tessa started to laugh, "How do you guys deal with them two?"
Freed chuckled as Laxus was nearing the exit, "Actually, it's them two that have to deal with our crazy morning routine."
Evergreen fanned herself, "At least there's another chick in the group. It was becoming too much being the only girl."
And once the Thunder Legion left, Tessa turned to Lucy.
"How much you want to bet those two will hook up during their three month training?"
Juvia blushed, "Juvia thinks they will."
Levy nodded, "I think so too."
Lucy thoughtfully looked at the guild doors as they closed, Aria still cussing out Laxus in the background, "That's a suckers bet. They will."
Gray snorted, "I don't think so. She's too stubborn."
Erza's eye started to have a twinkle, "I think they will."
Tessa smirked and looked at Lucy again, "You think I can crash at your place?"
"Wendy, Erza, Juvia, and Levy were already going to! So yeah, come along. Besides," Lucy said with a wicked grin on her face, "I want to know what Bickslow is supposed to give to Cana."
Tessa laughed, "Deal!"
And so everyone got ready for three months of training. It was important for all of them to be at their strongest. Their guild, their family had put up with seven years of humiliation and now it was up to them to regain the reputation that Fairy Tail once held. It wasn't going to be easy at all, but they were determined and that's all they needed.