Laxus wiped his hands on his coat after Virgo had taken the severed wyvern head into the celestial world with her, and outstretched his hand towards Lucy. "So, wanna tell me why you need the head?"
Lucy grunted as he helped pull her up. She hadn't expected him to keep his hold on her, so she pulled away from him, until she wobbled.
He grabbed her wrist and put her arm around his shoulders as he grabbed onto her waist. "Stop being stubborn."
She huffed in defeat and gripped onto his shoulder then craned her neck to look at her daughter, who was just watching them, no clear expression on her face. "You ready?"
Lily nodded at her mother and fell into a slow step behind them. Her arms were crossed as she just kept staring at their backs. Feeling a paw on her leg, she looked down to see Silus smiling up at her. She gave him the tiniest of smiles before she set her gaze back on her parents. She was grateful for his support because she just didn't know how to feel. She was excited... ecstatic really, but she just had so much anger inside of her. Yet, she couldn't pinpoint who she was mad at exactly; maybe it was no one, maybe it was everyone. She didn't know, but she decided that she was going to be careful with her dad. She didn't want to get too close for him to just disappear again.
"So, are you gonna answer my question, blondie?" Laxus partially growled at the woman at his side.
Lucy couldn't help but smirk, memories of making him mad fondly flowing through her mind. "It's just what the client wants."
The man glared at her from the side. "You mean you actively went looking for that thing?" His eyes squinted further when the woman giggled and nodded. "With our daughter?!"
Lucy rolled her eyes. "Don't give me that shit." Laxus blinked at her. "She's a grown and completely capable wizard. In fact, she's taken down monsters bigger than this before." Lily blushed and looked down when she overheard her mother's praise. She hated to admit that she still felt like things were slightly awkward with her mom, but hearing her words made her heartbeat pick up. It was nice to hear.
"Really?" Laxus turned so he could look back at his daughter with impressed eyes. "You've really gotten strong, squirt."
Her red cheeks puffed out and she turned her head to the side with a glare. "Whatever." Laxus chuckled and looked forward again. She was just like him.
"So, are you gonna tell us the full story?"
He looked into Lucy's curious eyes for a moment before he sighed and stared ahead. "Yeah, of course."
Laxus rolled his head to look at how his daughter and her cat were huddled up together, asleep on the seat across from his. They had delivered the head to the client, who he found out was just a rare beast collector. He had paid them all handsomely, even though Laxus had insisted that he had nothing to do with the job. The man just wouldn't take no for an answer. Now, they were on the god forsaken train back to Magnolia. He was trying his best not to just puke everywhere, but he had always trained himself to keep his composure through his motion sickness, so it only looked like he was relaxing.
His gaze then shifted to the woman beside him who was engrossed in a book. His gaze focused on the beautiful tattoo that covered her entire left forearm. He could only assume that she had decided to cover up her scars, and he couldn't deny that she made a good choice. Her tattoo was of the stars, constellations shining in the night sky. He had never had a reason to memorize the constellations, so he didn't recognize any of them, but he could get lost in her mesmerizing tattoo. When she licked the tip of her finger to flip the page of her book, it broke him out of his trance, only for his eyes to land on her chest. Generous. So very generous. It jiggled with the vibrations of the train. She wasn't wearing anything too revealing, and yet his mouth still watered when he looked at her. Her blue, sleeveless, button-up blazer left no cleavage in sight and yet the sheer size of her mounds was attention catching. Her brown skirt stopped right above her thighs, her hips looking like they could rip the material at any moment, and her thigh-high boots made her legs look so long, like he could wrap them completely around him.
He groaned slightly as his mind imagined her bent at odd angles with himself approaching her, ripping off her clothes to see what really lied beneath. He shifted so his slight bulge wouldn't be visible to anyone. He looked at her to see she hadn't noticed his agony in the slightest. She was still immersed in whatever world her book had taken her to. Her hair was tied in a long ponytail and he took a moment to just appreciate her beauty. Her face was slender and she kept her posture straight. She was so much more refined than he remembered. He could only assume that raising Lily on her own hadn't been the easiest, possibly maturing her quickly. He couldn't help but wonder what all really happened while he was gone. He wanted to know the minuscule things, like if and when Lily had tantrums, if she ever exploded, if Lucy ever exploded, he wanted to know about everything. Sadly though, he doubted either one of them would tell him some stories like that. "I'm so sorry."
Lucy looked at the man beside her in surprise at his whispered words. "What?" She could see a deep sadness in his eyes and she frowned, marking her place in her book and closing it.
He sighed through his nose as he looked into her big eyes. "I'm sorry that you raised her alone."
Lucy's eyes softened as she looked at her sleeping daughter across from them. "Don't be." She smiled and looked back at him. "She never needed much guidance. She's very smart and can solve problems in her head. We've had our ups and downs, but I think we're both better for it."
Laxus grunted and crossed his arms, he had a feeling she was going to say something like that. "Despite that... what I'm trying to say is... I wish I could've been there. I wish I could have seen it all."
"I'm sorry." Lucy frowned and placed her hand on his arm. "There's nothing that can be done. Just keep your hopes alive for the next one."
Laxus looked at her in shock. "Next one?"
Lucy's face suddenly burned bright red and she waved her hands in front of her face. "I-I didn't mean with me!" She nervously chuckled. "I just meant if you decide to have another child in the future!"
He smirked as he watched her suddenly get back into her book, nose first. She glanced at him quickly from the corner of her eye before she looked back down. His heart leapt with joy at her reaction and he just couldn't help himself as he leaned over to whisper in her ear. "If I ever have another, it will be with you, and it won't be from a lab."
Internally, she was freaking out, but externally, she was just blushing as she turned her head just as he was backing away from her ear. Their noses brushed and she looked into his eyes. After a pregnant minute, her eyebrows creased. "Is that really something you'd want?" With me?... she finished in her head.
He leaned back and shrugged, smirk still in place. "I might, who knows what the future holds."
Lucy sighed and slammed her book shut. It was such a generic answer and a cop out in her opinion. It wasn't the worst answer ever, so she couldn't be too mad, but it just wasn't what she wanted to hear. If he really wanted her... then why couldn't he just fucking outright say it? Now she remember why she had been so frustrated with him seven years ago. He just never gave her a straight answer. With slight annoyance, she stood up, setting her book down and swiping her hands over her skirt. "I gotta pee."
Laxus closed his eyes and leaned against the window. "Don't fall in." She couldn't help but chuckle at him, albeit with an eye roll, as she limped her way down the train.
"Finally!" Lily whined when the guild came into view.
"It's not like you've been walking." Silus grumbled at the girl.
"It's still been forever." She crossed her arms as she rode atop her tiger.
"I'm gonna give you a pot."
Lily looked up at her dad with a raised eyebrow. "Huh?"
"So you can grow some goddamn patience." He gave her a side grin so she would know he was just kidding.
She dramatically rolled her eyes. "You're so lame."
Laxus froze and gawked at her as she strode off on the back of her tiger, head held high. Lucy chuckled and shook her head at them. They all stopped when the side of the guild suddenly exploded.
"I won't let you beat me!" Natsu shouted as he got up from the hit he just took.
Max stepped over the rubble and outside the guild, a grin on his scruffy face. "I've got seven years on you man!"
"That doesn't mean shit!" He shouted back as he lit his fists on fire.
"And there goes the idiot brigade." Laxus rumbled as he shifted the bag on his shoulder.
"I can't believe it." Lily whispered as she watched the spectacle with wide eyes. She placed a hand on her tiger's head in a daze. "Come on, Silus. We have to go find Romeo."
Bickslow was grinning, carrying two pints of beer towards towards the front of the guild where his friends awaited, when suddenly a giant beast leapt through the hole in the front door, its sharp fangs and claws out and ready and headed straight towards him. A girlish scream escaped him as he fell backwards, his drinks flying in a plethora of directions. The entire guild whipped their heads to see the tiger land a few feet in front of Bickslow. The tenrou group got in fighting stances, ready to defend the guild they just got back to.
Lily's eyes widened when she saw the man on the floor. Her eyes then moved to everyone she could barely remember from her childhood. When Lucy and Laxus stepped through the hole in the door, him assisting her over the rubble, the members finally recognized the girl on the tiger. "Lily?! Lucy?!" Both girls' eyes widened as all the newcomers suddenly bombarded them.
"What the hell is that thing?!" Bickslow shouted as he pointed at the beast.
Lily slid off Silus just before he transformed back into his regular form. The entire guild's eyes bugged out of their heads as they looked at the yellow cat. "What?!"
Silus flapped his wings and floated in the air with his arms crossed, then waved a paw through the air. "Hello everyone. I'm Silus."
"Whoah!" Happy was suddenly floating beside the yellow cat. "Its an exceed!"
"We had no idea." Charla sarcastically said as she and Pantherlily joined them.
Silus' eyes were wide as he looked at them. He had seen pictures of them, but meeting his own species was a whole other thing entirely.
"You're so big!" Bickslow cried as he crushed the preteen in a hug. His totems circled her head as she cringed and pried herself away from the man.
"You are too." She huffed in annoyance, zapping one of his babies after it bumped into her arm.
"Monster!" Bickslow sobbed, dropping to his knees and plopping his forehead on the floor.
"Miss Lily, you've grown so... rapidly." Freed said with a bewildered expression.
"So beautifully, you mean." Evergreen smiled as she leaned down slightly. "I knew you would be."
Lily blushed at the woman's words. Before anyone else could say anything, she quickly waved and slipped between them. "Be right back." She spotted Romeo through the giant hole in the side of the guild, so she hurried that way, wanting to see Natsu fight as well.
"Why is your daughter so mean!" Bickslow wailed as he pulled Lucy in for a hug.
She giggled and patted his back, tears prickling the corners of her eyes as she took in the faces of all her long lost friends. "It can't be helped, she is Laxus' daughter after all."
Bickslow grinned as he pulled back and they both looked over to see the man glaring at them from where he was surrounded a few feet away. "It's amazing how you've grown, cosplayer." He grinned with his tongue rolling out as he looked her up and down.
"Don't be a pig!" Evergreen shouted as she smacked the man on the back of the head. He yelped and rubbed the spot as she squeezed the blonde woman. "Ignore him."
Lucy giggled and shook her head. "Its great to see you guys."
"Likewise, miss Lucy." Freed smiled.
"Oh, Lucy! Lily is so gorgeous!" Levy shouted as ran up and grabbed her hands. Lucy's tears spilled over as she looked into her best friend's eyes. "And so are you!"
"You haven't changed at all!" They both laughed and hugged.
It took the entire rest of the day to catch up with everyone. Lucy couldn't remember the last time she'd felt so happy. It was like her heart was whole again. As she was sitting at a table, looking over at the hulking blonde man a few tables over, she just couldn't keep the smile off her face. It didn't even disappear when he caught her eyes and a blush bloomed on her cheeks. Maybe it was the excessive amount of alcohol that she'd consumed, but she didn't care that he knew she was staring. He had plagued her mind for seven whole years and now here he was, right back to where they left off. Nothing had changed... well except her.
Her heartbeat picked up when he smiled back at her and she held his gaze. She wondered what was going through his head as his eyes pierced through her own. After an elongated second, she broke their connection with a silent giggle and turned her attention back to the girls beside her, a few butterflies in her stomach. She laughed as Cana slung an arm around her shoulders and squeezed one of her melons. Despite how weird they were, having them back was the miracle that she had given up on. She felt like she could finally breathe again.
Hey guys! Thanks for all your love and support! I'm sorry that it's been a minute. I tend to fall into small depressions now and again and I just stop doing everything I usually enjoy. I'm sure y'all have noticed that I tend to update a lot and then not at all for a while, so sorry for the inconsistency. I'm not sure if I'm out of it just yet, sometimes I can't really tell. But, despite all that, I'm so ready to bring the steaminess to the story. It's been a long time coming and It's gonna be quite detailed, so here's the warning for that I guess. And poor Lily just needs some bonding time with her parents. Again, thanks for the support guys, y'all are amazing!