Sorry about the delay, my muse needed a break from Mard. We got through it and are back to updating. While taking a break, I started working on The Want Ad, a LaharxLucy story, go check it out. First though, enjoy this citrusy chapter!


Mard was ready to do another lap around the burnt barn when he saw a small flash of light. He blinked and smiled before breaking out into a full run. Rosebud was standing there, looking radiant and healthy and he quickly scooped her up into arms and kissed her.

She tensed for a moment before returning it and Mard could finally relax. Rosebud was back and for all that was unholy she was perfect, a little damp, but at least in one piece. As their kiss finished, he set her down, "you are never allowed to almost die for anyone. You and Death, will not know each other. Also, Death is boring and likes everything deep fried."

"Mard, it's okay. I'm fine," she sighed, "you should be thanking Corvus."

He looked over her head at the Raven spirit who was pretending to be looking at his black boots. "Thank you for taking care of her, Corvus."

He smiled, "you're welcome. So now what?"

Mard placed another kiss to her forehead, "I should get you caught up on what you have missed."

Rosebud looked around the ravaged farm, "yeah, like where's Cobra?"

Mard explained everything that happened. He talked about Belial taking Cobra to Hell. The theory about the black sludge ball and that Meredy and Natsu were investigating the Dark Guild. Rosebud handled it well, he thought. Well, based on the fact she wasn't screaming, and her lips stayed in a neutral line as she listened.

"Anything else?" she asked and Mard put a hand to her forehead. Rosebud didn't feel warm and didn't look paler than her usual skin tone. She just felt off to him, little too detached.

"You are strangely calm." Rosebud pushed his hand away, "are you sure you are alright?"

Rosebud sighed and nibbled her bottom lip before waving Corvus over to join them. "What's up Queenie?"

"Can you get to Hell?" she asked.

"Yep," he scrunched his angular nose, "it's not one of my favorite places and anchoring your magic is gonna be a bitch. Polar opposites and all that."

"Okay, let's give Belial a couple days. Cobra is a badass he should be fine. We should go help Meredy and Natsu, if that guild was messing with Abyssal creatures and demons. Mard you're our best resource on that." She said, her voice a little disconnected and Mard grabbed her shoulders.

"Where is Rosebud? What is wrong with you?" he felt his left cat ear twitch.

"Nothing, besides the fact you kind of lied to me," she said, and he saw a flicker of hurt cross over her eyes.

Mard let go of her as if she was on fire, shaking his hands in the process. He drew in a deep breath, "I have never lied to you. What happened in the Celestial Realm?"

"I know what an Angel of the Stars is. I know I'm the reincarnation of the Celestial Spirit King's sister. All things you knew." Rosebud whispered curtly as she looked down at the ground.

He blinked, "I was going to explain it to you, but we had other things to handle first. Sitting down and discussing the fact you have an angelic soul, deserved to be handled with care and attention." The rest of her words caught up to his current thinking, "what do you mean Pompous Ass's sister?"

Corvus chirped in, "yeah, it's why he's attached to her. Her name was Aurora, she died in the Kingdom uprising." Mard knew the story of the civil war in Kingdom, it was a literal bloody disaster that fractured the angelic Plane and almost fully destroyed several species of Angels. If those stories were true, then his sister had most likely not died well and for that he felt a moment of pain for his old rival.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Rosebud asked as she kicked at a pebble.

Mard pinched his forehead, "I knew about the Star Angel soul, Belial was the one who discovered it when she first met you. I had no idea that the soul belonged to his sister." Inside himself Mard was not thrilled with that bit of news, of all the ways for nature to have a lark at his expense. He also knew it was pointless to be mad at Rosebud for it, it was not like she had a choice in the soul that joined with her body.

"You still could have said something, instead you ran off and got wasted that night," she shot back.

Mard noticed how Corvus backed away from the two of them, for a bird brain he had some sense. He could all but taste her rage in the air and felt his own agitation begin to build. There would only be one way to handle this and he swallowed hard trying to sort out the right words.

"I am sorry, Rosebud. You are most correct. I should have explained the situation about your soul with you at an earlier time. The only excuse I have to the matter is…" she smiled up at him and quicker than he'd seen her move, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. Mard made a mental note that apologies were not bad things, especially not when the kiss deepened, and her tongue curled around his.

His hands ran down her sides to settle on her waist, as he enjoyed the passionate embrace. She pulled back and smiled up at him, "you're forgiven. I know it's been crazy for us lately. Just next time someone tells you something important about me…"

He got the hint from her trailed off words and pressed his forehead against hers, "I will tell you immediately."

"Least you're a fast learner," she teased and Mard was enjoying seeing her perk back into her usual self. He really did not like an upset Rosebud.

"It is a gift."

"Corvus, do you mind taking us to where Natsu and Meredy are?" she asked.

"Nope, it's what I'm here for," he said with a smile on his face.

"Are you always this helpful for a spirit?" Mard asked.

Crovus shrugged, "I'm just happy to have my freedom again and so far, everyone has been pretty cool."

"When the novelty wears off?"

"Don't know, ask me in a century," he let out a harsh breath. "Do you know what it's like being locked up for hundreds of years, and denied the full range of your own powers? That whole time, I worried if my next key holder was gonna be worse than my last one." Corvus said as he ran a pale hand through his midnight unruly locks. His eyes looking at nothing in particular and his stance a little rigid.

"I do not know what that was like, but Rosebud may be a little thorny on occasion," she pinched his side in protest, "but she is not a prick."

"After we meet up with Natsu and Meredy, Corvus if you'd like to go rest or go somewhere to play. Feel free to." Rosebud added.

"Heh, thanks Queenie. I'm okay, honestly. Besides you might need me, I might be a bit of a bird brain but I'm not a total idiot. There might be languages or spells I might know, that Mard doesn't."

Rosebud chuckled, "we like your bird brain. Alright Corvus and thank you."

"Plane Hop Express is now leaving," he chirped and Mard rolled his eyes. The Raven was certainly a character and his quirky personality fit in with Rosebud. He figured later; it was probably going to annoy him. Just not now.

Mard paused before taking a step towards Corvus's out stretched hand. "I only spoke with them about an hour ago. Meredy has a personal communication device. It stands to reason that if they need us, they would communicate."

Rosebud nibbled her bottom lip before she smiled and winked at him. "You mean, let's give them some personal space because they are mates?"

"I had not thought of that but let us go with that reasoning." Mard had been thinking of something else, a human custom that was appropriate for this situation. They had an argument and by what he knew it would only be the next step that he express his sorrow at having wronged her by bringing his mate pleasure.

"Then," she looked over at Corvus and suddenly her black and white feathered wings appeared, "how about that flying lesson?"

Mard face palmed, "not quite what I was thinking for something to do while waiting," he whispered.

Sadly, Rosebud ignored him as she started speaking with Corvus about flying. He could tell by her excitement that she wanted to do this and as someone who could fly, he understood how freeing it was. Though no one ever said he was an ultraistic kind of demon and his patience was running thin. This day had been eventful, and he wanted more coffee and some alone time with Rosebud. Mard knew that with all the players, in this grand scheme, on the field that time alone with Rosebud was going to be in short order.

The pair kicked off the ground and Mard watched Rosebud in the air, it was the very antithesis of graceful. That was when he had a very good and a very bad idea.


"Push down with your wings, then catch a current, and glide." Corvus said as he held her hands. Lucy had no idea you could even fly backwards, but he was. To her this defied basic aerodynamics. She also had to remember that some of this was just pure magic and not beholden to the laws of science.

Lucy concentrated, feeling the awkward tug of her muscles along her mid to upper back. Her wings popped in on the inside of her shoulder blades and down a little, almost to the middle of her back. Which made sense since bird wings do sit effectively along their middles but more along the sides.

The day was gorgeous for this, even up high the air was still warm and at least she was no longer smelling burnt flesh. Lucy may not go near a steak for a few weeks after all that damage at the farm. Right now, she wanted to clear her head and try to capitalize on her new abilities.

Mostly, clear her head.

She wasn't fully angry at Mard, more like mildly peeved. He was right that it was a heavy discussion, but he shouldn't have waited. Just because she forgave him, didn't mean she wasn't still processing her emotions from it. Though she did believe him when he said he had no idea about whose soul it was, only that she was an Angel of Stars.

Lucy believed in reincarnation, but to think that her soul was once an angel had rattled her to her core. What would that mean for her, when she died? Would she see her mother in Heaven or would she have to go elsewhere? Would her own mother recognize her?

"Woah," she said as a sudden blast of air caught under her wing and she almost rolled over.

"Ya gotta focus Queenie," he said, "wind plays rougher than you realize, and you have to think about that. Gotta build those muscles."

She nodded still feeling oddly wobbly in the air, "this is so cool."

"It really… holy fuck!" Corvus screamed before he let out a piercing caw. She whipped her head around and saw a large dark blur head towards them. The light glinting off massive bat wings and causing it's black scaled skin to shimmer. She noticed the massive purple pony tail, almost on a solid straight line due to the speed of his flight.

"Wait, Corvus…" she tried to say as several green vines speared past her and wrapped up her friend. Corvus was cocooned in the vines and began to plummet as Lucy struggled to flap her wings harder to stay afloat.

The spirit fell wrapped up tight in the green tendrils, his eyes wide before a portal opened beneath him and he fell through it. A body plowed into her and in her panic her wings vanished as she was held. Lucy thrashed and screamed when a dark chuckle popped into her head.

Thought you could escape me?

"Mard!" she shouted as he started descending.

They landed with barely a sound, for his size Mard was surprisingly graceful in this demonic form. He set her down and changed back, the power glimmering around him before he was back to his human form. Mard pulled on the belt around his narrow waist, the look in his midnight eyes and small mischievous smile had Lucy taking a step back. She felt her back hit up against the slightly rough bark of one of the orange trees. She put her hands up defensively, "Mard…"

"That is my name, Rosebud," he said as he stopped moving within a few inches of her. She could feel his body heat and smell his scent of roses and coffee as she looked up at him. Mard leaned forward and took her dainty wrists in his hands before placing them behind her, she felt him work the leather belt around her wrists.

"Wait, hang on," she pleaded.

"No, I do not think I will. I wanted to go back to your place. To have what is it you call it," he pursed his lips and tilted his head.

"Make-up sex?" she asked.

"Yes, that," he said before he leaned down and ghosted his lips over her cheek.

"This isn't," she tried to speak as his hands began to slide under her shirt before cupping her breasts through the simple cotton bra she wore.

"Is not what? The time? Place? Oh," he nipped her neck, making Lucy shudder against the tree and she pulled at the belt tied around her wrists. "Someone should have thought of that before deciding it would be fun to go flying."

"I'm still upset," she whispered as Mard lifted her shirt over her breasts.

"Tell me that after the first orgasm," he said as he ripped her bra, exposing her chest.

"M-Mard," she tried to protest but found her words dying slowly as he took one of her nipples into his mouth while his fingers played with the other one. Lucy swallowed and closed her eyes, "this isn't how this works. We can't."

He stopped his ministrations and looked at her, taking her chin in his hand and forcing her to look at him. "We can, tell me honestly you do not want me."

"I-I'm fertile and still upset. How do you think this means I want to fuck you?" she said, finding her own rage and letting it override the temptation of Mard.

"That is the crux of it. Nothing to do with your emotions, you are afraid of carrying my progeny. You forgave me, so that previous matter is settled." Mard let out a breath, he looked disappointed as he reached behind her. Lucy could feel the softness of his shirt against her stiff peaks and let out a soft hiss at the contact. "I do enjoy having you tied up, Rosebud. The things I could do to you."

Lucy knew that was a threat and promise and she was so very tempted. More so as his rather large erection pressed into her belly as he slowly played with the leather makeshift handcuffs behind her. The demon cheated and rolled his hips a little, reminding her of what kind of beautiful devastation he could do to her with his cock. Her head swam a little as she turned her head and her lips brushed against his neck. Mard stopped and Lucy was certain she might regret this.

Regret this if she had sex.

Regret this if she didn't.

"You cheat," she whispered before she bit him.

Mard let out a low growl, "so do you. We are even, Rosebud."

"Swear to goddess above, if you knock me up, I'm going to personally give you a vasectomy," she said.

"When I do knock you up, you will be pregnant, pampered, spoiled rotten to the core, and have to work for naught. You will look glorious with a round belly," his hands ripped apart her skirt before he lifted her up. Lucy's legs wrapped around his waist without thinking, the damn traitorous limbs doing his bidding, "it makes me desire you even more to think of that."

"Do you have a pregnancy kink?" she asked, a little concerned about this.

"No, that would imply I would want just anyone who was with child," He wedged one hand between their bodies as the other one took a fistful of her hair, "I only want to see you that way."

Mard pushed her panties to the side as his fingers played at her core, teasing her clit as he kissed her. The tree bark biting into her skin as she struggled slightly in his dominating hold. His tongue pushed past her lips to push against hers, sending waves of need coursing through her body. Only Mard could make her lose any sense of reality in the ecstasy of his movements.

She felt something slither up her legs, pulling them apart from his waist and wrapping around her upper thighs. A small poke against her skin had her eyes open and she tried to break their kiss with a small turn of her head. Mard let go of the kiss and she looked down, seeing his thorns wrap around her, pinning her to the tree.

Above and below her breasts, they squeezed her chest, to the point of a sudden thrill of pressure but minimal pain. Her legs opened wide she could feel her muscles protest form being held apart, but again stopped short of causing her pain. Mard dropped to his knees and before Lucy could say anything, his mouth was upon her.

She moaned and felt something move into her mouth, it was smooth and large with a taste of earthiness to it and hot like Mard's body temperature. It moved in and out of her mouth, fucking it as if she was sucking the demon's cock. His tongue kept at her, teasing her clit as his fingers began a rhythm in her that matched the vine in her mouth.

In all her life, she'd never thought she would enjoy something so damn devious and kinky. Out in a grove, tied up to a tree her pussy being played with by an expert and her mouth being taken by his own magic. Her eyes wrenched shut as she felt her stomach tighten and her hips began to move of their own will. Well move as far as they could considering she was tied up.

Lucy moaned, the vine leaving her mouth to let the sound out as she came all over his elegant face. Mard didn't slow down, he took her orgasm for himself and kept at her, making Lucy thrash against the tree in her sensitive state of bliss.

Her body was feeling hot, her heart hammering in her chest as she formed bare fractions of words and made incoherent sounds. When she thought she couldn't take anymore, Mard stood up. He thrust himself into her still quivering body harshly, making her scream at the sensation.

"Rosebud…" he whispered as he held tight against her, his hands playing with her nipples as he kissed her again. "So perfect," he kissed the corner of her mouth, "so wanting," he kissed her cheek, "so mine." His hips pulled back and he slammed into her, Lucy felt the sensation rattle through her body.

Mard had been intense before but this was completely… demonic. His nails trailed down the sides of her body as he pistoned into her. The bit of pain she was feeling from her hands being abused with every thrust was making her high. It combined with the burning of her muscles stretching and trying to handle the size of Mard as he fucked her. All of it, the place, the kink, his very being, swirled in her head to create the perfect cacophony of pleasure.

A storm she had not experienced.

A storm she wanted more of.

"M-Mard… fuck… yes, harder!" she called out, having no idea where that was coming from. Only that she wanted – needed – more of this. More of his idea of make-up sex. More of his sexual devilry taking her so thoroughly she didn't care about anything else in the world. Just him.

Mard gripped her ass, his nails digging into the tender skin as he continued to devastate her with his dick. His movements were fast and hard, making tears gather at the edges of her eyes with every movement. That snap of his hips at the end of each movement only left her dazed and needing more.

Another orgasm built and Mard kissed her hard as he continued taking her. Lucy wished she could hold him, pull his hair and scratch her nails down his beautiful back. The tears rolled out of the corners of her eyes, as she saw bursts of white and another orgasm hit her so hard, she screamed into his mouth. His thorns tightened against her, spiking her pain a little to mix with the most powerful release of her life.

"Rose… Ro… Rosenknacht," he growled before he slammed into her. She could feel him orgasm inside of her. Lucy's channel was sensitive to every twitch of his member as he released. Small pulses of his body as he shook and went through the motions of his own pleasure.

She could hear birds chirp in the distance and their ragged breathing as Mard held her, his vines slowly letting go of her. Lucy felt a bit of relief as Mard massaged her sore thighs before letting her stand on her own. He untied her hands and placed kisses to her wrists, wrists she was certain were going to bruise.

"Mard," Lucy caught her breath, "that was…" all she could do was smile. Words had failed her. Failed to describe how that felt. Failed to barely say anything above two syllables.

"Tell me later, when I remember what words are," he said as he gently cupped her cheek. His eyes were soft and his smile serene, he looked more angelic than demonic. Mard looked like a demon well loved and at peace with his life.

It also let Lucy know that despite anything he had said before, sex was more important to the demon than he would admit. Well, she was certain it was just a mating thing. He held her in his lap, placing soft kisses to the top of her head and holding her tight. Her clothes were destroyed, and she figured she'd have to go back home in his shirt. Luckily, they could fly and that would be so much easier.

The sound of a branch breaking had both content lovers looking over where Corvus appeared and leaned against the tree. His eyes twinkling in the light as a playful smile tugged at his lips. "Next time just tell a guy you want some make-up sex time. Need clothes, Queenie?"

Lucy chuckled, "thanks for understanding Corvus."

He shrugged, "damn, gotta say little jealous. I want a man to love me like he does. Alright be back in a few minutes." Corvus vanished and Lucy sighed before she giggled.

"I really do like him."

Mard chuckled, "oddly enough, I do as well."

"Still want to wait for Natsu to call or just get over there?"

"Cuddle time Rosebud, not go visit Natsu time. I need to teach you these priorities." Mard said before he squeezed her and gently kissed her forehead. Lucy sighed and nestled against him, cuddling sounded like an excellent idea.


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