A/N: ok, so as pointed out in the last an this fight scene wasn't my favourite thing in the world and once I'm through this dialogue ridden arc I will most likely rewrite it, not plot wise, just the detail and such. And in the spirit of *just get through this arc, just get through this arc, just get through this arc* here is another chapter before I go back to school. Thankyou everyone for our support, and constructive criticism (hint hint). Once again this is hot off the presses so don't expect the best. Umm yeah, so read, review and enjoy!
Disclaimer:
"Laxus, you better say it this time." Jude said, her tone laced with irritation. They stared at each other, testing the other's resolve, neither willing to give in.
"Just say it Laxus, I'm hungry." Cana ordered, winking suggestively at the blonde mage. His eyes widened slightly, raising a questioning brow.
"Jude Morgenstern doesn't own Fairy Tail, Hiro Mashima does." He said dryly, taking a step towards Cana only to be rebuffed.
"Really you make this too easy." She said, chuckling as she smirked at him to which he glared in return.
"Will you two stop flirting and go back to being in the story?" Jude snapped but was ignored by both mages as she had expected. Sighing in frustration she turned back to her laptop screen. "Anyway, on with the show!"
OOO
Laxus nestled his head further into her lap to block out the irritating sunlight. Cana chuckled at his reluctance to leave the warmth of the bed, his chest like a blanket over her legs. Her fingers once again racked through his hair in the same way she had been doing for what seemed like hours, enjoying the feeling of his hair against her skin, it's coarseness somehow soothing against her warm palm.
"Sparky?" she asked, making no move to shift him from his position.
"Mmm?" he asked, sending vibrations through his chest that were somehow comforting, the feel of his bare skin on hers was now natural, normal.
"If we stay here we'll miss breakfast." She answered, resting her hand on the curve of his neck rather than immerse in in his spiky golden mess of hair.
"Fuck breakfast." He murmured into her thigh, his muscular arms sliding around her hips to hold her in an awkward hug. Cana rolled her eyes beneath closed lids, smiling to herself. The thought occurred to her that months ago, well at least to her, if someone had told her she would be in this position, Laxus snuggling into her, she would have called them crazy and probably asked if they had drunk her booze. Now, she couldn't imagine what it would be like to be away from him, something that scared her more than she wanted to admit. That fear brought back the flash of blood and the mysterious glowing orb that she had successfully forgotten in the feeling of his warmth. She knew asking was a mistake, if he wanted her to know he would have told her by now, plus if he hadn't realised she saw it too he would be even more upset. Cana sighed, more frustrated at Laxus' lack of motivation for food.
"If I'm going to get through todays pool extravaganza I'm gonna need at least a coffee and a hell of a lot of booze." She reasoned, resuming her now warn path through his hair. Laxus groaned in response, his grip tightening.
"Fuck the pool." He muttered stubbornly. Cana finally opened her eyes, glancing over what little of her boyfriend was exposed, his face unusually peaceful. She began to think that perhaps it wouldn't be so bad if they stayed like this; that was until of course until Laxus lazily opened an eye, meeting her gaze and smirked knowingly. "See anything you like?" he asked, his smug tone ruining what little solace Cana found in those few seconds.
"Not yet." She said, pursing her lips in disappointment. Laxus sensed the shift in her mood, raising an eyebrow in question which she shrugged off. She tried to wriggle out of his grasp, wiggling her hips from side to side to no avail, his grip tightening.
"Come on, shift. I'm hungry." She complained, pausing due to her inability to move. She let out an angry gust of air and reasoned that ridiculous actions called for ridiculous measures. "I didn't say what I was hungry for.." she said, letting the insinuation lie between them. Unsurprisingly he released her just enough to pull her down beneath him, sliding easily against the sheets. She chuckled as his lips came down on hers, his smirk matching her grin. She shuffled her hips slightly, brushing against his crotch to his delight. Reaching up to grasp his shoulders she pulled him closer before rolling on top of him. He leant forward to kiss her but she was already out of his grasp, trifling through her bag to find something appropriate to wear before Laxus closed in.
"What are you doing?" he asked incredulously, mouth gaping. She didn't bother turning around, pulling of her nightdress to slip on her favourite white jacket.
"Getting dressed, what does it look like?" she replied sarcastically, the grin clear in her voice.
"What happened to your sudden 'hunger'?" he grunted, disentangling himself from the sheets to stand behind her, hand on her shoulder. Cana ignored him, sliding a pair of shorts up her slender legs to rest snuggly on her hips.
"I'm still hungry, I really want some toast before Natsu eats it all." She said, turning to face him with a playful smile which most certainly didn't return. "Don't look so serious Sparky, it doesn't suit you." she said, chuckling at her own joke as she gently slapped his shoulder. When his unimpressed air didn't shift she sighed in defeat, folding her arms across her chest, hips on a familiar angle. "Is sex all you think about?" she snapped, her expression souring as he nodded expectantly. "Well you can forget it, I'm going to eat." She said, making a b-line for the door. When he tried to clutch her arm he felt an unpleasant jolt of electricity snap up his arm, propelling it backwards. While it did no harm it was still an unpleasant sensation.
OOO
"Where's the boss?" Bixlow asked, only to receive a glare full of daggers and other equally pointy implements. Cana turned back to her plate, chewing on a piece of bacon rather aggressively.
"Probably in a brothel somewhere…" she muttered, hunched over her plate. Bixlow and Freed considered taking a step away from the girl but didn't want to abandon their food.
"Stop sulking." Laxus intoned, his arrival somewhat a mixed blessing; they were glad Cana stopped emitting a black aura of rage yet didn't want to be near the couple when Laxus eventually brought up whatever was making her so irritated. Bixlow was glad that Laxus' nightmare last night had been forgotten but still, why was it that whenever they were together they were either fighting or making up? Surely that wasn't healthy for either of them?
"I'm not sulking!" she replied stubbornly, taking a sip from her now brimming flask. He sighed, a short gust of air which matched his tired expression, not just the dark bags under his eyes but the way his arms hung loosely at his side and the lazy way his gaze rolled over her.
"Whatever…" he muttered as he turned his back on her, walking towards the now decimated buffet. Bixlow lightly kicked Freed under the table who refused to look up, his eyes glued to his now half eaten piece of toast. A tense silence followed completely unnoticed by Cana took another sip of her flask. The pair were thankful for the reprieve when Laxus appeared, holding a plate full of food, though substantially less than his usual portion.
"You were right, we should have come down earlier; that idiot Natsu's already eaten over half himself." Laxus said casually, pulling up a chair between Cana and Bixlow. At this Cana looked up, her pout slowly but surely turning into her signature grin which hid behind the lip of her flask.
"'Bout time," she snickered, offering him a piece of bacon which she had secretly been coveting for him. He nodded in appreciation, opening his mouth so she could (reluctantly) place it between his teeth. He grinned at her whilst chewing, the sound of his chuckling concealed by the food filling his mouth. Bixlow chanced a look at each other, glad at the decrease in the chance of grievous bodily harm being inflicted.
"I recon we should ditch the pool and go explore." He offered, the statement obviously directed at Cana but before she could reply Laxus felt a tug on his cloak.
"Laxus?" called the sweet childish voice of the First Master. He grunted in reply, directing his gaze at yet brushing his fingers against Cana's in a gesture he hoped was missed by the others. "Would you accompany me and the Sixth Master to the pools today?" she asked, eyes large and glistening.
"What?" he asked nervously, hoping he had heard wrong.
"Would you come play with me today?" she asked, revealing her true wishes, beaming up at him. Laxus shuffled uncomfortably, not sure if he could refuse the First let alone a little girl.
"She liiiiiiiiiiikes you!" Cana taunted close to his ear, eliciting a stifled laugh from both Freed and Bixlow.
"Shut up!" he snapped at her, glaring at her, hand over her mouth in a vain attempt to hide her grin. He was about to continue chastising her when he felt another tug on his cloak, turning with dread to see the First practically sparkling as she stared up at him.
"Uhhhhh…." Was his reply, trying to think of a way out of it but unable to. He glanced to Cana for help but found her imitating the first, her rendition amusing Freed and Bixlow to no end until they were painfully reacquainted with his lightning.
"Just say yes already, I'll be fine by myself." She said with a roll of her eyes, stuffing another slice of apple into her mouth. Laxus glared at her before for a final time turning back to the First.
"Ahh Ok." He said awkwardly, watching as she threw her hands up in the air in celebration, dread seeping into his already bad mood.
"I'll see you there!" she declared with a face shattering smile, sauntering off back into the crowd of misfits. As soon as she was out of sight Laxus snapped back around to his sniggering girlfriend.
"What the fuck was that?" Laxus snapped, Bixlow watched as Cana feigned disinterest making Laxus even more irritated.
And here we go again.
OOO
"What do you mean you didn't bring swimmers? I saw you in a swim suit in the games." He asked, her statement explaining the lack of a bag. Cana shrugged, taking yet another sip from her flask, wandering towards the bar.
"The First gave it to me but I had to give it back." She said with disinterest, propping herself up on a stool, disliking how even with the added height she was still more than a head shorter than Laxus.
"If you knew that then what did you think you were going to wear in the pool?" he asked, ordering a beer himself, scanning the crowd for the First and her inevitable entourage.
"I'll just swim in my underwear, it's not like there's such a big difference anyway." She said, but before he could protest Laxus found himself being carted away by the insistent hand of the First, his beer abandoned on the counter which Cana happily tended to. The beer tasted good, not sure whether it was because of the beer or the prospect of some alone time where she didn't have to worry about Laxus combusting or bursting in. The more she thought about it the more she had a feeling that today was going to be a good day. As if on cue a fantastic distraction appeared in the form of a drinking rival, the familiar smell of rum coming off him in waves as he slid into the seat next to her.
"Hey, doll." Bacchus said in his usual droll, eyes raking over her chest.
"Hey," she replied, offering him a beer which he took, eyes still playing over her body. "What brings your drunk self out here?" she asked, eyeing him with curiosity. She knew Laxus would blow a gasket if he found out that she was having drinks with the rival mage but it was all fine as long as he didn't find out, right?
"The young'un's wanted to check it out, so they dragged me along. Wild!" he exclaimed, looking to her for the required response but she just continued to drink. "What about you doll face?" he asked, leaning towards her suggestively.
"My guild kind of recruited me." She replied, filling up her tankard yet again. He chuckled, sliding off the chair to stand next to her.
"I'll share my booze with you if you go on that wild slide with me?" he offered, pointing to a fearsome water slide named "Granny Killer". Cana raised an eyebrow, but considered it nonetheless.
"Is the slide too wild for little Bacchus to go on by himself?" she teased, her spirits rising due to his happy go lucky attitude though she'd never admit it.
"Nothing is too wild!" he declared, snatching her tankard and gulping the remainder. She rolled her eyes but slid off the seat, pulling off her scarce clothing to reveal her black underwear and began walking off towards the death inducing water slide, Bacchus in toe. They walked through the crowd, her eyes constantly searching for Laxus and thankfully never finding him. She was too preoccupied avoiding getting sprung to notice the way Bacchus stood a little too close, his body constantly brushing up against hers. However this fact was all too obvious when they finally encountered the line which was rather shorter than she had expected, she wondered if the slide had actually incurred fatalities but dismissed it immediately.
"You know, my man won't be too happy when he hears you've been invading my personal space; see, he's very possessive." She said, her words carrying a warning rather than a threat. Bacchus took a small step back but otherwise took no notice.
"Why should I care if your old man's happy?" he asked, leaning forward slightly, but she thought that had more to do with the amount of alcohol in his system than attempting to make a pass.
"Because he'll zap you're arse from one side of Fiore to the other if he even thinks you laid a hand on me." She said, looking him up and down with disinterest.
"What makes you think he could?" he asked, she could feel the slight rise in his magic energy. But before she could answer the usher was gesturing towards the opening of the slide. Cana shook her head at Bacchus but climbed up to the top of the slide, a slight wobble in both of their steps. She slid in first, waiting for Bacchus to sit behind her on the painfully too small craft. Within seconds Bacchus was behind her, his broad chest warm against her back, but it wasn't as wide as Laxus', would he even it in this thing? No matter, Bacchus thrust his hips and set them off down the slide, they began to get thrown violently from side to side, the two of them forced to hold onto each other in the pitch black tunnel.
A bump beneath them signalled the start of a new section of the course, crimson lights lined the walls to provide an eerie atmosphere. But instead of the familiar shot of adrenalin coursing through her body making her excited she was thrown back into the dream, her excitement quickly becoming terror, the colour draining from her face, her nails digging into Bacchus' flesh. He tried to see her face but the flashes of red weren't enough. Thankfully the end of the tunnel was seconds away, the light revealing her shaking form, eyes closed as she nestled her head under his chin, wishing it was Laxus she was holding instead of this stranger.
OOO
Laxus laughed as Bixlow pushed Freed into the pool, his long green hair billowing out like sea weed until his head bobbed up, eyes glaring.
"Bixlow!" Freed bellowed, but Laxus didn't see the amusing scene in front of him, his attention was directed to the fear brushing against his consciousness. It was so feint it was hard to discern it from his own emotions but it was growing stronger at an alarming rate. He stood, ignoring the questioning looks from those around him and began to jog towards her, sensing her location in a way he didn't really understand. She was travelling unusually fast, that's how he realised she must be on the slide. Quickening his pace the crowd parted around him, no one questioning his entry into the exit zone for the "Granny Killer".
Then he saw her. The first thing he noticed was her obviously terrified form, the second thing he noticed was what or who she was clutching for dear life. He was instantly furious but his concern came first, wading out into the pool to snatch her from the drunk's arms.
"Oi, what do ya think you're doin'?" Bacchus snapped but Laxus didn't even acknowledge his existence, holding Cana to his chest as he quickly exited the pool.
"Cana, it's ok…" he murmured soothingly, sitting on a bench near the exit out of Bacchus' line of sight. He rubbed her shoulders roughly in an attempt to warm her up, her eyes still scrunched shut.
"Laxus?" she whispered so quietly he almost missed it. He smiled slightly, relaxing as the terror she was feeling all but dissipated over the span of a few seconds. Eyes still sealed shut she reached up, hands trailing the comforting imprint of his chest to wrap around his neck, her grip firm.
"It's ok.." he said, loosening his grip on her as she leaned against him, breathing in his scent. She blinked, looking out she saw the plane of his shoulder, his golden skin glowing dully in the artificial light.
"Sorry.." she whispered into his skin, her lips brushing against his chest without meaning to but the sensation was pleasant to her spinning mind.
"There's nothing to be sorry about." He said, though he was curious what could have possibly done this to her, she was hardly the type to be scared of a water slide. Maybe that Quatro Puppy scum had done something to her? "What happened?" he asked but instantly regretted it as she retensed, her grip on his neck becoming painful but he wouldn't dare budge her. After a few moments she began to calm, her breathing coming in slower gusts, warm against his skin.
"I saw… a little of your dream last night…" she said, now it was his turn to tense, the shock and then guilt overwhelming him.
"How much did you see?" he asked, subconsciously tracing a random pattern on her thigh. She leaned closer into his throat, taking a deep breath before continuing.
"I saw darkness, then flashes of blood, and then a weird glowing gem and that's when Freed punched you." she said, relief flowing through him. She hadn't seen the true horrors of that mission, she hadn't seen who that blood had come from… But just the fear of those images was enough to do this to her? But even more worrying was the fact that she saw it to begin with, what did that mean? Was the merge getting that strong? They knew it would progress but sensing the others emotions was completely different to seeing into the others mind. Was his terror so strong it forced her into his mind? There was no way she would have done it willingly…
"Sorry I made you worry…" she said with a grim smile, her fingers playing with the hair at the cape of his neck. He shook his head, holding her closer to him.
"It's ok, I don't mind." He said, his chin resting on the top of her head. "Why don't we go get a beer?"
OOO
"No, I am not getting on that thing." He said, shaking his head from side to side. Cana stood, her hips on the same blasted angle they always rested on whenever she had made up her mind on something.
"It's a lovers ride! You never do anything romantic, and we barely ever go on dates! The least you could do is going on one ride with me!" she reasoned. He didn't like the way she said he wasn't romantic, he did plenty of romantic things, how was it his fault it was generally a prelude to sex? Plus they did go on dates when they were actually together… sometimes. With a loud groan Laxus stood, ignoring the victorious grin on Cana's face. Up the damned stairs of shame they climbed to the top of the tower, sitting as close as they could as they descended the ride. Cana laughed loudly, brunette hair flying everywhere as she clung to his arms. If not for the secret camera placed in one of the ridiculous looking love hearts she never would have noticed the small amused smile curving his lips.
But soon enough the ride was over, Cana beaming up at him, eyes begging for another ride which he easily refused. He was about to head back to the bar when the First appeared, pouting with her hand's folded across her chest.
"Where have you been?!" she demanded, taking his large hand in hers and marching him back to the paddling pool she had been monopolising so abruptly that he didn't have time to even wave goodbye. He had a bad feeling that as soon as he left Cana that idiot Bacchus would show up and knowing Cana she wouldn't think twice about doing something equally stupid as going on the Granny killer with that creep. When he was finally lead back into the pool he was met with looks of pity from Freed, Bixlow and Gramps.
"We tried to hold her off as long as possible, Boss." Bixlow said discretely, gesturing to the First. Laxus nodded in appreciation, reading himself for another round of 'who can throw the First the highest?'.
Back at the bar Cana sat, smiling to herself as she sipped her beer. Suddenly a flask was shoved in her face, she looked up to see an irritated Bacchus.
"Hey doll, I said I'd share mi booze with ya, didn't I?" Bacchus slurred, wobbling slightly like he always did.
"Hell yeah!" she exclaimed, raising the bottle to her lips without enquiring what was inside.
Minutes later
"Wooooooo!" Cana yelled, falling once again in the pool, the rest of Quatro Puppy looking on in awe.
"You sure are Wild!" Bacchus exclaimed, passing the bottle back to Cana who drank from it greedily. Cana could barely walk straight let alone think straight, as Bacchus well knew, feeling the familiar continuous warmth in his veins. He stumbled towards her, the water making it easier to walk but even so he still had trouble. He moved closer and closer, leaning his face towards hers when suddenly he felt electricity course through him, burning him from the inside out. Cana was left in a pool of unconscious floating men much to her confusion, but taking it in stride she continued to drink, barely noticing the explosion more commonly known as Natsu that ripped through the water park. She was in such a world of her own that when Laxus finally found her under the rubble, lightning zapping through his hair in panic, her only complaint was that Bacchus' flask was empty.
OOO
"Are you going to be alright to sleep tonight?" she asked, concern creasing her brow despite the usually lethal amount of alcohol in her system.
"I'll be fine." He said, snuggling into the curve of her neck, his broad chest covering her body in a way she would have assumed to be suffocating but now the pressure was comforting. She reached for his hair, intertwining her fingers between the coarse strands.
"I love you, Bug Zapper." She murmured, closing her eyes, the darkness no longer haunted by crimson ghosts.
"I love you too…"
