As always - Fairy Tail belongs to Hiro Mashima and everything Pradesh belongs to Desna.
A/N - So I wrote a few chapters and didn't like where it was going so I scrapped them and started over. I hope it was worth the wait for the next chapter. I made it a longer one to make up for the wait :)
"How the hell am I supposed to get to sleep now?"
Vander grinned as he heard her grumble about the stolen kiss. He settled on his bedroll in his tent and mused about how easy it was to fluster the blonde. She really had no idea how appealing she was and was almost skittish when it came to anything sexual. His thoughts meandered to how much fun it would be to get her into a Boscan bathhouse and then returned to the kiss that prompted that line of thought. A kiss? Was it really even qualified to be called a kiss? He frowned as he decided it was a peck at best. A peck? He should be mortified to consider that a win. Kids Lucas' age back home would be embarrassed for him. He groaned as he thought about how his siblings or hell, even his father would react. He, the great Vander, happy about a peck on the cheek. They would take away his man card and kick him out of the family.
He had spent too much time with Lucy and not enough time being himself he determined. He needed to get laid and get into a fight and he would rectify both tomorrow.
Vander, how goes the training? Kaleb's thoughts broke through his ruminations. He didn't exactly feel like having a discussion with his brother at the moment.
Don't you bother knocking? What if I was balls deep or jerking one? He grouched back.
You would gladly share with me the image of whatever potentially immoral act you were enjoying. And since when you do need to "jerk one" as you so phrased it? I'm sure even in the woods you can find something or someone to fuck.
Nevermind, I'm going to get some well deserved relief tomorrow. I'll be sure to share with you the imagery. He smiled when he heard Kaleb sigh. The kid is doing great, we get a solid test tomorrow when some of Lucy's teammates show up.
Are they the relief you are expecting? From Bickslow's depiction of Lucy, she isn't one to tolerate an orgy in the woods.
Hell no! Vander scoffed. A slayer and his mate? I'm not going to get involved in that without an express invite. Speaking of... how is Cris?
Exceptionally happy, as is Dad. He's already buying baby supplies in hopes it will happen soon. When do you think you will bring the boy to White Sea?
If tomorrow goes well, we will take him into a nearby town for more exposure and then plan the trip from there. Should be soon. Need me for anything before then?
No, I just wanted to get an estimated time frame. Cobra from Fairy Tail came here and is working with Presca on a small mission at the moment. Said he had to get away from all the blue hair. He's quite gifted.
Vander smiled. Yeah, I like him too.
Keep me updated if there is a change. Feel free to "jerk one" now.
Vander was sorely tempted to masturbate and send that imagery to his brother just for fun. Elsewhere in Fiore another Pradesh was interrupted. Bickslow, I need you to check in on Vander and Lucy.
A grouchy and exhausted Celestial mage escaped her tent in the morning to see Lucas and Vander gone. Virgo helped her get some much needed coffee and food prepared. She was quietly sipping coffee when the boys returned.
After breakfast and meditation, Vander went to train on his own at the other end of the clearing and Lucy tried hard not to be obvious as she watched him perform acrobatics shirtless. Lucas had to call her name twice to get her attention when he had a question about the math assignment he had been given. Embarrassed she rushed over to help him a little blush on her cheeks.
Vander was just finishing when a blue blur flew through the campsite screeching "Looooshie!" and collided directly in the blonde's chest. Lucas' anxiety spiked high and he jumped to right behind her a sword ready in hand when both he and the boy realized she was cuddling the lump of blue fur.
"Happy! How are you?" an unintelligible reply was mumbled into her ample chest. "Aww, I missed you too. I want you to meet Lucas. Lucas this is Happy, Happy this is Lucas." She delicately pulled the flying cat from her and pointed him towards the bewildered boy, his aura now calm. "Let me call Plue out too and you three can play. I'm sure Natsu and Gray aren't too far behind you." Before the little dog spirit, Vander still had a hard time believing it was a canine could be summoned a far too serious looking Natsu and a smiling Ice Make mage appeared in the clearing. Lucas froze when he saw them and Vander could feel the anxiety spike once again.
"Deep breath, kid. We were expecting them." Vander told him. Lucas took a deep breath and reigned in his emotions.
Natsu eyed the Shadowquip mage suspiciously. He knew the man's reputation and wasn't keen on him spending time alone with his best friend. Gray put a hand on his arm and he visibly relaxed a little.
"Hey Lucy," Gray started. "Been a while." He calmly led his mate over to the pair of mages. Lucy grinned and ran to hug them both while simultaneously summoning Plue. The little spirit seemed to know what to do and ran over to Happy and Lucas.
"I missed you two! How is being mated? How was your mission? Have you had any changes in your magic since mating? How-"
Gray held up a hand and smiled, "Take a breath Lucy. We will talk about all of it."
Natsu meanwhile had not stopped looking at Vander while embracing Lucy. "He been good to you Luce? Because if he hasn't…"
"Don't start Natsu. He's been a perfect gentleman," Vander internally cringed at the comment. This was how his reputation would get ruined. "Just a little teasing. And it's nice to have some company out here and he's been a great help with Lucas. It's also nice to have such a powerful mage here just in case, even though I'm perfectly capable of handling most things myself." She directed that comment with a look directly at the Shadowquip.
"So powerful huh?" Natsu released Lucy and grinned wickedly at the Shadowquip. "Let's test that. Fight me!" His right hand flared up with fire as Gray sighed and rolled his eyes.
Lucy was about to protest when Vander stopped her. "I was expecting… Hell I was hoping for this. Come on big boy, lets see what you've got." Vander disappeared and reappeared behind the Fire slayer and the two vanished. Gray was visibly shaken with his mate's sudden disappearance.
"Don't worry, I think he was hoping for a fight and took them somewhere safer to battle it out." She reassured Gray and pulled him towards her log for sitting next to the campfire. "So tell me, how is the mating?"
Gray blushed a little. "I need to thank you. I know you put ideas in my head to make it happen. I talked to Mira. It's… well it was unexpected but it is amazing. I can't believe how happy I am. It's like something I was missing my whole life was found. I feel… complete now. I kind of feel stupid I didn't realize it sooner. Does that make sense?"
Lucy grinned ecstatic for her friends. "I think I do. I mean, I can only hope I find the same. I'm just happy for you both."
Gray hugged her, "You will find yours eventually. There's someone extra special out there for you. There has to be with how special you are."
Gray and Lucy chatted about the mating and the pair's last mission while waiting for the two men to return. Lucas, Happy and Plue played happily. Lucas was relieved to get out of his lessons for the day, as they were seemingly forgotten.
"He seems like a good kid Lucy. You did a really good thing taking him under your wing."
Lucy blushed a little, this seemed to happen a lot lately she noted to herself. "Thanks, but I think anyone would have if they could. It was just luck that I don't get overwhelmed by his emotions like others did."
"Don't underestimate yourself," Gray commented. "You are exactly what he needed. Seems like fate to me. And how are things with you and… Vander isn't it? Bickslow told me very little about his brother."
Lucy blushed a bit more. "It's fine. He's fine. By that I mean he's nice and helpful, not that he's fine. Although he is that too…Stars. If you could watch him train."
Gray laughed and put an arm around her shoulders, "Yeah if I wasn't happily mated, I'd be tempted even before I knew I was okay with that. I had only seen him in passing a few times at the guild. You get along though? And really, he isn't being too forward? I know how Bickslow can get and he doesn't even live in Bosco."
"No no. He's been sweet really. Just likes to tease me, which I can handle." She waved off his concerns. "He's been a huge help with Lucas. I don't think he would be where he is right now without him."
"Fair enough, but know that if he ever oversteps your boundaries I will freeze him into a Bosco-pop in a heartbeat." Lucy giggled and promised to let Gray know if that ever happened. "That of course is only if you don't want him to overstep."
Lucy turned away from Gray and her heart hammered in her chest. "He doesn't want someone like me. He's a playboy and I know it. Not my type." The fact that she wouldn't look at him while she said that spoke volumes to Gray. He decided not to pester her about it though.
"So, when do you think they will be done?"