The winter melted away and brought spring to our city, sunlight causing flowers to bloom even as pockets of snow remained, clinging to winter's chill and pale icicles shone as the light caught their crystalline figures. It wasn't warm enough for summer clothes yet, so I remained in my winter wardrobe but it was nice to see crisp blue skies and not the endless white that had held its grip for several months.

Today was my day off from working at the guild so I was busy cleaning my flat, making sure everything was pristine and spotless as I could not abide mess. I'd already visited Natsu at his home where he and Happy had always somehow seemed to make the hugest catastrophe of a mess in between my visits whereby I'd work hard to clean things up for them. I was close to simply giving up on them ever organising themselves at home.

There was already another wedding planned for later spring, Juvia wanting to move things forward with Gray as soon as possible but he didn't seem in too much of a rush. He was very reserved with his feelings, however one time I had accidentally stumbled across them behind the guild supposedly alone and Gray had been much more open with Juvia then, kissing her rather heatedly against the wall until she'd flushed bright red and almost fainted. I'd left quite quickly, not wanting to disturb them but it made me realise that Gray was a private person, keeping his emotions to himself and only let them show when he was with the person he wanted to be with.

I was so happy for them that I greatly anticipated the wedding. Gray would have liked to have simply stayed engaged for a couple more years but Juvia was not so impatient. It took Lucy and I a lot of convincing her not to simply have a wedding put together in a week and that she should wait at least until after the new year to have her wedding so that things did not become so overwhelming. Lucy then pointed out that in spring, the rainbow blossom tree would be in bloom and to have a wedding under the tree would be the most romantic thing in the world. Juvia instantly agreed and she started planning for that date instead.

Sighing softly I stood up and wiped my brow, looking at my newly polished floors with satisfaction. I rather enjoyed cleaning, it gave me a sense of pride in my home. Just the polishing and dusting to do and then I'm done. Brushing out my little pinafore I made sure that there wasn't any dust stains before reaching up to adjust the headscarf I had wrapped around my hair to keep it back from my face, the rest flowing freely down my back. Just as I was about to start on my next chore I heard a heavy knock at my door which instantly made me stop and look towards the sound. Strange, I wasn't expecting any visitors today. Maybe it's Lucy, I had promised to help her search for Aquarius's key, perhaps she is here to start planning a manual search.

Going over to the door I pulled it open but instead of a curvaceous blonde, I found a thick muscled one instead. "Laxus!" I started, my voice choking slightly as I instantly flushed and averted my eyes, pulse quickening as his electrifying scent filled my nose. He was leaning against my doorframe with one arm, looking down at me with uncharacteristically soft eyes.

"Hey." He greeted so I jumped to stand a little taller, forcing myself to meet his gaze.

"H-Hi…" I silently cursed myself for getting flustered. This was not like me at all! You must get a grip on yourself. Laxus lifted his eyes and glanced inside, noticing my shiny floors and how everything was either freshly washed, waxed or polished.

"Looks good. You gonna let me in or do I have to stay standing out here?" He asked and I gulped slightly before opening the door, once more dropping my gaze as I let him step inside. His presence immediately filled the entirety of my flat which was small to begin with but now it seemed to shrink the further he stepped inside.

"Um…can I get you anything?" I offered but Laxus shook his head, dropping his coat on a chair then dropped onto the sofa, making himself at home and placed his hands behind his head.

"I'm good. How long you been cleaning?" I frowned slightly as I closed the door, thinking it an odd question. I do not think Laxus usually asks people about their cleaning habits so I began to grow suspicious. What was he doing here in the first place? If he's going to tease me about what happened on that mountain then he'll find himself flying through my wall. I can magically restore it anyway, so there's no reason why I couldn't.

"Since this morning." I replied, standing on the opposite side of the coffee table so at least there was something between us. Call it a precaution. "Was there something you needed, Laxus, or are you here just to make things even more uncomfortable than it already is between us?" I deadpanned, folding my arms and narrowing my eyes at him sternly.

Without a word Laxus lifted a hand and patted the sofa, indicating that I should sit down in the space next to him. I glared, a very slight pout appearing as I elected to be obstinate however Laxus looked at me, a slight smirk touching his lips in challenge. Haughtily I lifted myself higher then stalked over to him, spinning around so that my hair swished elegantly and I gracefully took my seat. I remained as stiff as a board, refusing to even look at him.

Suddenly his hand curled around my head and quickly yanked me down so that his head was resting against his lap, making me squeak indignantly and start to struggle but he easily held me pinned in place. "Just relax a little, try letting go for a little bit." Laxus instructed me and I went still, frowning slightly as I lay curled up into a tight ball with my head resting against his leg.

I was burning bright red and my heart gave sharp thuds in my chest, tummy tightening as I felt my entire body tense against him. Laxus remained relaxed and calm so I listened for his heartbeat. It was faint, barely louder than the flutter of a butterfly's wings, however the steady rhythm started to creep into my breathing pattern and I found myself slowly sinking into him, relaxing minutely though I remained curled up. This still made no sense.

"Laxus…"

"Don't talk." He ordered rather firmly so I clamped my mouth shut, blushing hotly again. Pursing my lips I decided that since I was trapped here, I might as well rest a little while. Closing my eyes I became more focused on Laxus. His heartbeat, his slow breathing, the way sparks seemingly travelled down my spine and the flushed feeling of my cheeks, neck and chest with him being so close.

Soon I found myself being lulled, only now realising just how tired I was. I had been cleaning since before dawn, but I was always an early riser. Giving a long exhale my body finally let go of all its tension and my breathing deepened, falling asleep against Laxus as he started to fiddle with my hair, curiously running it through his fingers to feel its silkiness.

I did not remember falling asleep, however when I awoke it was dark and Laxus was still there and I was still sleeping on him. The only difference was I had a blanket wrapped around me and I'd even snuggled up closer to him for his warmth. Slowly I roused myself from sleep, giving a little moan as I shifted my position. "Told you that you need to relax a little." Laxus suddenly spoke and instantly I was sitting bolt upright, gripping the blanket close to me like a barrier as I stared at him.

"What was all that about?!" I demanded to know, shrinking back away from him however with my legs tangled in the blankets I lost my balance and fell off the sofa, landing heavily on the ground and I grunted, glad that the blanket cushioned my fall for the most part as Laxus just looked at me.

"I was bored." Such a boorish statement hardly clears matters up! Honestly, I feel as if men in general are just idiots. My eyes narrowed dangerously, flashing with anger but Laxus remained perfectly relaxed, lounging on my sofa without a care in the world.

"But why are you here?" I pursued, not allowing him to get away with such a bland answer. For a moment or so he did not answer before finally he turned his head, a dark gleam in his eyes though his smirk made him look all the more dangerous, as if he were looking at his next victim in a battle. A spark crackled off his hair and jumped onto me, making me jerk slightly but the sharp sting did not bother me nearly as much as how close Laxus suddenly became.

He loomed over me, planting a hand down on the ground and trapped me underneath him though he still lay on the sofa, leaning down so that his spicy breath fanned across my face and neck. "Because I've decided I'm going to make you fall for me, so get ready. I won't lose." My eyes widened, staring up at him in winsome shock at his words. His smirk deepened, displaying slightly sharper canines and his predatory eyes slowly began to roam over my body, making me blush further and my hands instinctively curled over me to hide.

"Don't…don't stare at me that way, it is discourteous." I stuttered, losing my nerve as Laxus lifted his hand began to trail his finger along my jaw, a small spark connecting with my skin but surprisingly the sensation only made me gasp but not from pain. His already smug expression deepened. Abruptly he lifted me onto his lap, pulling my legs so that there was no space between us, canines bared challengingly as my hands immediately went to press against his shoulders.

"Gotta say, that little apron is cute." He started and I choked when I tried to respond, completely caught off guard as he tugged at the bow at the back. "You look like a little maid. Call me master, I dare you." This was…this was so unlike Laxus that I could scarce believe I was awake. Perhaps I am still asleep and merely dreaming, though this is a horrible dream and I wish to wake up. "Go on, say it. Say 'master'." He crooned, lips brushing against my neck as his fingers gripped on a little tighter to my legs. At the sudden leap in tension, I blurted it out before I could even stop myself.

"Master!" My voice was weak and airy, making me shudder hatefully at myself as Laxus smirked in satisfaction. I could not even control my body's reactions anymore, my fingers instinctually gripped tightly onto him as his fingers brushed against my lips, face and neck.

"Good. Now say…" He trailed off in thought and I immediately knew that this was dangerous territory we were entering.

"Wait…Laxus…" But I couldn't seem to make my voice work and even as I tried to move off him I only managed pathetic little pawing motion on his chest. It were as if he'd drained all my energy from me with a snap of his fingers. It was hopeless.

"I got it, say 'please forgive me master'." I have no idea whether or not this was something that Laxus was into or he was just getting drunk on dominance, but even as I tried to protest, Laxus pulled me closer towards him so that my stomach was flush against his and sparks jumped around us as my pulse shot through the roof. "I can't hear you." Growling with an authoritarian tone, my lips started moving of their own accord as my voice wavered and whispered.

"P-Please…forgive me, m-master…" Instantly I winced, loathing how pathetic I sounded.

"Louder." He ordered and immediately I obeyed.

"Please forgive me, master." My eyes drooped slightly and I breathed quickly though lightly, hardly able to get the air into my crushing lungs as Laxus leaned back, his hands now resting on my hips.

"Better. Now maidservant, what should I have you do for me?" He questioned tauntingly and immediately my eyes flashed in a fearful panic, expecting the worst however his sharp eyes caught my expression even as I rapidly hid it and his entire façade softened and faded away, a hand raising to take my chin between his thumb and forefinger. "Don't worry, I'm not into the punishment thing. I'm more of a positive reinforcement kind of guy."

"I find that difficult to believe." I answered, finally finding my voice so with all my might, I pushed myself off him, my entire body flushing red as I hastily looked away from him. "I think it time you left. It is late and if rumours start to spread then I'll never become a bride." It was an old fashioned saying however I felt it prudent for this situation. Of course, my behaviour hadn't exactly been virtuous, I must become more vigilant!

"Like that kind of stuff matters anymore." Laxus shrugged but got up, his frame instantly towering above me and I shrank back towards the door, pulling it open a little too roughly and waited beside it, giving him the deadliest of glares as he collected his coat and dropped it over his shoulders, not bothering to put it on properly. "I'll see you around." He said, heading out the door however as I closed it on him, his hand suddenly appeared between the gap and forced it back open.

"Laxus what are you-?" My words were cut off rather forcefully as he swooped down and claimed my lips, the rush of the door swinging wide open causing my hair and his jacket to flair as his hands framed my neck and face, holding me without applying pressure and I stood there helplessly, staring into space as Laxus pressed his lips to mine in a very simple yet dominating kiss before all at once he pulled away, smirking.

"Real soon." He finished, smirk spreading into a one sided grin as he reached out and gripped the door handle, pulling the door closed behind him so that I stood there staring at it, still frozen in place. Had that…just happened?