Wow, so... it's been a while. Even though I've stepped away from writing, it's never completely left my thoughts. I still miss these characters and I miss the community.
This story in particular has always nagged at me. Even when I was in the thick of writing it, I was never satisfied with the direction it took at this point. That is why I decided to re-write it.
I am leaving the story as it was for anyone that liked it that way. But this is the re-do of Chapter 9 (posted as Chapter 11) and I will also be re-doing Chapter 10. The beginning of this chapter is the same as it was before, but it changes about half way through.
I hope you like the changes.
Thank you all for your support, even after SO MANY years!
Chapter 9 Re-do (Please read above notes before reading)
The world around me spun, my senses in a whirlwind of confusion. This didn't make sense. How could he, one minute, be pulling away from me, and the next, be kissing me? Just moments before, he'd said I didn't understand and surely, he was right. I definitely did not understand. None of this made sense; the kissing, the touching, him stopping things only to kiss me again. How was I even supposed to react to this all?
An aggravated groan rumbled in Laxus' chest and he roughly slipped his hands into my hair, grasping the back of my head to tilt my face up so that he could deepen the kiss. The sound of his groan mixed with the hint of aggressiveness in his touch made something inside me quicken and my earlier frustration started to melt away, replaced by something hot and wickedly powerful.
His tongue delved between my lips, insatiable in its quest to possess me. Surrender lurked close to the surface of my thoughts, whispering in my ear, "Just give in,"and oh did I want to. The things he did to me, the way he made me feel, it was beyond anything I could ever imagine. But my doubts still lingered.
Would he pull away again? Would he realize how truly untried and inexperienced I was?
One of his hands dropped to the center of my back and his splayed fingers pressed me tighter against him. My arms were dangling beside me and I fidgeted nervously with my fingers, unsure what I was supposed to do with my hands. The desire to touch him was there, always there. But now I was unsure. The way I'd felt just a few moments earlier was still lingering in my thoughts and I was afraid of feeling it again, afraid that he would see the pain I'd felt at his rejection. But the way he was kissing me was making it impossible for me to not react. His lips were insistent, crushing mine as he sought to deepen the contact. I couldn't resist him. Every physical urge within me screamed to let go.
And I did…
With only a brief hesitation, I lifted myself on tiptoe and wrapped my arms around his neck. Our bodies melded together, my soft curves yielding to his hard, large form. His grip tightened on me and I felt his hands move over my body, sliding down my back and then up my sides. His thumbs roved dangerously close to my breasts and I tensed at the near contact, a thrill of lust zipping through my body. The way he touched me made me feel as if he couldn't get enough. His fingers dug into my flesh wherever they went, possessively grabbing my hips and circling my waist. All I could do was react on that need and match it with my own as I gripped his shoulders and traced over the muscles that bulged beneath my hands.
Ohh he felt so good. His skin was so smooth and warm. I wanted to touch more but the way he was holding me made it impossible to quest any further.
Laxus ripped his mouth from mine and rasped, "Now do you understand?" His breathing was labored as if he'd just run a marathon. Not a second passed before he was hungrily devouring me again, his hands even more desperate as they sought out my hips and then suddenly lifted me effortlessly, directing my legs around his waist.
Understand? How was I supposed to understand anything when he was kissing me like this? I couldn't figure out what my own brain was thinking much less his.
The cool wall hit my back and I flexed my thighs, cradling him closer. I hadn't even realized he'd been carrying me across the room but I felt it now, the hard wall behind me and his equally hard body imprisoning me against it. I was finally able to move my arms and I eagerly ran my hands over his shoulders and then down his chest, glorying in his naked flesh as he held me up. I couldn't get enough of him, of touching him, of kissing him. And I was starting to think that I never would.
A startled gasp erupted from my mouth when his fingers slipped beneath the bottom of my shirt, teasing the skin along my sides just above my hip. His eyes blazed above me, fierce blue orbs that seemed to see something inside of me that even I didn't know about. My breath halted in my throat looking at him. I was mesmerized. I couldn't look away; not when he tightened his grip around my body, not when he started slowly inching his other hand further and further inside my shirt. Everything was in that gaze and I felt it in the deepest part of me. It was frightening yet at the same time, thrilling. I wanted to discover the hidden secrets I could see within; even the dark ones which lurked deeply in the shadows.
Could he see the same mirrored within me? The thought stripped me and my chest constricted with a strange emotion. I didn't want to think about it. At the moment, I just wanted to feel…
His fingers crept over my lower ribs and a whimper left my mouth a moment before he sealed his mouth over mine once again, swallowing any further cries that bubbled up my throat. He had me completely pinned with his hips, pressing insistently between my legs and then his mouth relinquished its claim on mine and began blazing a trail along my throat.
I arched back, hissing through clenched teeth at the feeling of his tongue in so sensitive an area. Small shivers raced up and down my spine and I couldn't hold back the tiny mewls and murmurs that kept slipping out of my mouth. I felt like I was being consumed, his mouth licking and sucking every area he could find. It was like a brand on my skin, his tongue searing everything in its path and I cried out when he lightly bit the curve between my neck and shoulder.
A violent shudder raced down my spine and his hand reached farther under my shirt, seeking out my flesh till the tips of his fingers just barely brushed against the underside of my breast, skimming over the lace of my bra. He growled in his throat and we started to move across the room.
The next thing I knew I was lying on my back above my pink comforter and Laxus was hovering over me, his lips pressed against the hollow of my throat. My breathing quick and harsh and my hands grabbed at whatever I could reach of his incredible body, digging into hard muscle while his own hand continued to creep over my breast.
"Laxus…" I breathed, his name coming out raw and breathless as I writhed under his curious touch.
His hot mouth was at my cleavage, his tongue slipping between my breasts. "Please don't tell me to stop. I can't… let me touch you," he almost begged and I couldn't believe this man wanted me like this. I could hear it in the timbre of his voice, feel it in every caress against my skin. He wanted me and flames erupted throughout my body at the realization.
"You fit me so perfectly," he said, his hand now completely cupping my breast, restlessly massaging it.
In the next instant, he gripped the bottom of my shirt and tugged it up till it bunched above my chest, exposing my belly and bra to the open air and his hungry gaze. He licked his lips and then his face dipped down and he captured the tip of my breast between his wet lips.
My back bowed off the bed, acute sensations zipping throughout my body, starting at my breast.
"Oh Lucy. I knew you would be like this," he rasped and then opened his mouth over me, dampening the fabric of my bra with his tongue.
I reached for his hair, his shoulders, anything I could get my hands on. I was panting and restless beneath him, desperate for more of what his mouth was doing to me. I could feel his tongue sweeping over my tight nipple and then the delicious suction of his mouth as he drew my tit between his lips.
"Don't hold back from me. Never hold back," he urged.
I moaned wantonly. As turned on by his words and voice as I was by what his mouth was doing to my breast.
"That's it. I love hearing you moan."
His fingers grabbed the edges of my bra and he tugged it down, freeing my nipple which was hard and erect, already damp with his saliva. I watched him lower his head and then he groaned as he sucked the tip between his warm lips.
I cried out, arching off the bed and gripped the strands of his hair tightly. The pleasure was immense, sending wave after wave of desire pumping through my veins. His mouth was scorching hot against me and his tongue began to swirl over the beaded tip. I could feel the roughness of his tongue, hear the shallow sucking sounds he was making in the back of his throat whenever his lips surrounded the taut point.
"Laxus… oh God. Please…" I begged even though I had no idea what I was begging for.
Another moan rumbled in his chest and he swiftly moved to my other breast, teasing the tip through the fabric of my bra before he released that one as well from the confines and took possession of the hard point. He licked wetly over it, gliding his tongue in long slow caresses before drawing it into his mouth and humming his pleasure. When his teeth grazed over it, I cried out, my hips lifting off the bed and rubbing against his body.
"Christ, what are you doing to me?" he asked harshly and sunk down on top of me, pressing his hips between my thighs and rubbing something large, thick and hard against my core.
"I- I'm not doing anything," I answered on a breathless whisper just before I gasped and clutched his shoulders. My body moved against him, silently urging his mouth to latch back on to my breast. He nipped at the quivering mound and then slid up my body and reclaimed my mouth.
I didn't hold back at all, kissing him with all the hunger that had been building inside of me. My hands ran over his back and then along his sides, reaching as far down as I could before I circled back around and dug my fingers into his shoulder blades.
Our tongues battled fiercely while our bodies grinded. His muscles strained, his hips flexed. Our bellies rubbed together and I longed to feel more of him, all of him pressed naked against me.
Without realizing it, I'd hooked my legs around his, allowing him to sink in even deeper. I had a vague idea of what was rubbing so wickedly between my legs and even though I knew it should embarrass me, it didn't. I wanted it. I liked it. Every stroke of his large body only heightened the feelings pounding through me.
Did I understand? Oh yes, I understood now. It was impossible not to.
Laxus wanted more than kissing, more than playful touching. And I was rapidly finding that I did as well. Whatever was happening between us, it was pulling me in and I was helpless against it.
"Do you feel that Lucy?" Laxus asked, his deep voice filtering through my lust filled thoughts. He was rocking against me, rubbing the impressive bulge in his pants against the spot in me that was desperately needing something more.
I nodded my head and stared up into his impossibly gorgeous face.
"This," he said, rolling into me in a deep caress, "is how much I want you. This," he mimicked the action, "is how I feel whenever I'm near you. Don't ever forget that."
I nodded again, at a complete loss for words. How could I ever forget something like that? I was likely to remember it to my grave.
He kissed me again, moaning into my mouth as he stole the oxygen from my lungs, and then yanked himself away, rolling over in the bed and leaving me stunned and half naked.
Not again. No please, not again.
I stared up at my ceiling, sucking in heavy breaths. Beside me I could hear his own harsh breathing, louder than my own and I turned my head to look at him.
"What… happened?" I asked, confused and frustrated.
He exhaled loudly and groaned. "I wasn't lying when I said you were too innocent. But you took it the wrong way."
"What way should I have taken it?"
He rolled back over to me and gently ran the tips of his fingers along the center of my stomach, making something flutter low in my belly. "The way where you realize just how damn sexy you are and how much I want to rip your shorts off and have my way with you." With his last word he leaned down and wrapped his lips around my nipple, making me suck in a quick breath at the spark that lit inside of me.
Oh, that way.
How was I supposed to react to things like that? Was I even expected to react? I sure hope not because when his mouth was doing what it was doing to me right now, the thought of actually trying to speak coherently seemed like an utter impossibility. That's why I groaned in aggravation when he whispered, "Tell me you understand Lucy." His breath fanned over my damp nipple and I shivered at the feeling.
"I…" I moaned and grabbed the sheets in my hands. "I understand."
"Good."
His hand traveled back up my belly and playfully began circling my other nipple, flicking it in time with his tongue on my other breast. It felt so good and I continued to tug on the sheets. I couldn't help but look down at him as he played with me and the sight was so erotic that it was nearly my undoing.
"I better leave before I can't stop myself anymore."
Leave? What? He's leaving?
Laxus gave each of my tits one last warm, wet kiss then stood up from my bed. I followed him, jerking my shirt and bra back in place as I stood and then watched him grab his shirt from where it had fallen earlier. "Are we on for tomorrow?" he asked, pulling the shirt over his head. I wanted to cry as his bare torso disappeared beneath the fabric. I was going to miss it.
"Tomorrow?"
He stepped up to me and gently gripped my chin in his hand, turning my face up to his. "Don't tell me you've given up on weight lifting already."
Oh! The gym. "Of course not. Yes, I'll be there."
A sexy as hell grin spread over his face and he leaned down and kissed me in that way of his that made my toes curl. My hands were clutching the fabric on the front of his shirt when he pulled away and I just stood there with my eyes closed, wishing that there was more, wishing that he wouldn't go away.
"Good. Then, I'll see you tomorrow," he said and started backing away. My hands were still gripping his shirt and he chuckled when I didn't let go. "Lucy, don't make me do something we'll both regret."
I turned questioning eyes up at him and asked, "Like?"
Another laugh slipped from his mouth, the sound almost painful. "Like finish where we left off. I'm about this close," he said, holding his hand up and measuring out an inch with his finger and thumb, "from fucking you the rest of the night until we leave in the morning for our work out."
My body reacted to his words, a flame erupting low in my belly. Would I really regret that like he said? I sure as heck felt like I wanted him. But maybe he was right. I mean heck, what did I know? Nothing like this had ever happened to me before.
I slowly released his shirt and let my hands fall to my sides.
"Good night Lucy," he said quietly and kissed me softly.
"Good night Laxus."
He cupped my chin and ran the pad of his thumb over my lips for a brief moment, staring down at me with those eyes that held so much heat within them. Then he turned and left, closing the door behind him and vanishing from my sight.
My heart was still racing several minutes after Laxus left. So much had happened; almost too much to process. How had things gotten to this point? What did all this even mean?
I walked mindlessly through my apartment, cleaning the few dishes in the sink and straightening some of the cushions on my couch. I should be going to bed. It was late, very late. But I couldn't seem to get myself to sit still.
I started dusting my bookshelf and tables then reorganized my books. I changed into my night clothes then washed my face and brushed my teeth. I needed to calm down. I had to get up early tomorrow to meet Laxus.
Laxus… the man that was causing me to be the way I was at the moment. I wonder what he was doing. Was he having as much trouble falling asleep as me? Was he thinking about me and what happened tonight?
No, it was probably just me. I just couldn't help myself. The night hadn't sunk in yet. It was like a very vivid dream and I was waiting to wake up from it at any moment. But his touch still lingered on my skin, his words still echoed in my ears. It hadn't been a dream. It had been very, very real.
I couldn't help the frisson of excitement that still lingered in my body. I'd never even imagined that someone like Laxus would be interested in me. And surely he was interested… right? I mean, he said he wanted to have sex with me. But I guess that could just mean that he was only interested in me sexually. I didn't think so though. If that was all he wanted, he could have had that tonight. There'd been no resistance within me. He'd been the one to put a halt to it and as I looked back now, he probably had been right to do that. Everything had been moving so fast and I'd been so caught up in the new feelings and emotions that I hadn't been thinking clearly.
There was no doubt that I wanted him. And there was no doubt that he wanted me. But was there more? Did I need more? I'd only just begun to get to know him over the past few days. How well should I know him before things proceed to that point?
Gosh, I wish my girls were here.
I made a mental note to get a few of them together tomorrow. That would help me for sure. Even if they can't answer my questions for me, they can at least point me in the right direction.
With that thought in mind, I slid between the covers on my bed and tried to fall asleep.
"I'll do it. I'll kiss you right here, right now and I won't care who walks in and sees us," Laxus said as he leaned towards me to try to steal the towel out of my hands which was hidden behind my back.
"You wouldn't…" I said, giggling and having way too much fun taunting him.
"Are you testing me?"
I bit the side of my lip and grinned, "Maybe."
His hand reached out to grab me but I shuffled to the side an instant before he was able to catch me. "Oh, now you're really asking for it."
Another giggle erupted from my mouth and I sprinted away, zigzagging through the weight machines but not making it far before he caught me around the waist and pulled me almost roughly against his hard body, practically lifting me off the ground.
"Gotcha," he whispered beside my ear and then lightly nibbled on it.
I gasped and instantly tensed. His hands were slowly snaking around my body, one sliding south over my belly while the other moved dangerously close to the underside of my breasts.
"See what you just did? Now anyone can walk in here and see us like this," he said, his voice turning slightly husky. The sound sent shivers racing through my body and I started to quake in his arms. "What would they think if they saw me touching you like this?" His hands smoothed over my body and then his fingers began to journey beneath the hem of my shirt. "What would they think if they caught me kissing the side of your neck?"
I moaned and mindlessly arched into his touch.
"No answer?"
"I don't…," oh hell, who cares? I couldn't think past the fog of lust clouding my senses.
"You don't… what? You don't… care? You don't… want people to see?"
A whimper slipped from my mouth, helpless as I stood there with my heart racing. "I don't… care." I turned in his grasp and kissed him full on the mouth, wrapping my arms around his neck and pulling myself up. The towel he'd been seeking slipped from my fingers and fell forgotten to the floor as our mouths slanted and tongues battled.
I'd wanted him from the moment I'd seen him standing in front of the gym, waiting for me this morning wearing a pair of black workout shorts and a matching fitted black sleeveless shirt. He'd grinned at me in that way of his that sent heat pooling low in my belly and I'd practically tripped walking to him after my knees had gone weak.
It wasn't much different now. The way he kissed me was all consuming, making me forget everything around me. Even to the point where just seconds after he let me go, someone came walking inside.
"Ah, good morning Gajeel," I said, fidgeting nervously with the hem of my shirt.
Gajeel grunted a hello back and basically ignored us as he made his way to a machine.
I looked up at Laxus who was still smiling mischievously at me. "I'll meet you out front," he said and then yelled across the room, "No more nibbling on the equipment Gajeel."
A few minutes later, I met back up with Laxus and we walked through the main guild room and exited the building. Unlike the day before, it was beautiful out, the sun bright and barely any clouds in the sky.
"Are you busy this evening?" Laxus asked as we turned down the street towards my apartment.
I thought for a moment and then shrugged. "I'm not sure. I'm going to see if the girls are free. I wanted to spend some time with them today." His eyebrows rose and I wondered if he was thinking that I was going to talk to them about him… because I was.
"Well, when you're done with that, if you want to hang out, just stop by my place on your way back. I'll take you out to dinner or something."
A smile lit my face. Eeks! That almost sounded like a date!
Calmly I replied, "Alright. That sounds good."
As we rounded the last corner to my place, I spotted Levy in the distance, standing in front of the door to my place. I waved an arm at her and hollered, "Hey Levy!" before she walked off.
She seemed a bit shocked as we approached her, her hazel eyes widely assessing us. "Hey Lucy… uh, hi Laxus."
Laxus nodded hello and I turned and thanked him for walking me home before he said good bye and left us but not before he leaned down and kissed my cheek, lingering a bit longer than a casual farewell would be.
When I turned back to Levy, her eyes were wide again and I quickly grabbed her arm and started tugging her inside my place.
"Did you… Are you… oh my God, are you guys dating?!" she asked as soon as I had the door to my place closed behind us.
"Actually, I was really hoping to talk to you today. I was going to come to the dorms later to see you, Erza and Cana," I said and took a seat.
She sat down as well and pressed, "And…"
I laughed and shook my head. "I have no idea. We just. I guess we're talking." Ok, so maybe we were doing a bit more than talking but she'd find out all about that later. "Let me take a shower and then let's go to the dorms. I'll explain everything there."
She nodded her head and I quickly showered and changed. As we were walking across the town, I noticed some dark clouds way off in the distance and hoped that it would only be a passing shower. I didn't want anything to ruin the evening... whatever it was that they were going to do.
We made our way to the Fairy Tail Women's Dorms and we found Cana sitting on her sofa with a large mug of coffee in her hands but no Erza.
"What are you guys doing here so early?" she grumbled, looking half asleep still.
"It's nearly noon," I answered while smiling and shaking my head at her.
Levy and I plopped down on the chairs next to her and immediately Levy said, "So, tell us Lucy. I want to hear everything."
Cana's glanced at me over the rim of her mug as if saying, "What does she know?"
I took a deep breath and started. "Well, Cana already knows some of this…" I explained and then told Levy everything that I'd told Cana up to this point.
"Holy cow! You and Laxus! I'd have never guessed," Levy exclaimed, her voice slightly dreamy.
"There's more and this is kind of what I was hoping to talk to you guys about." I turned to both ladies, slightly nervous about what I was going to ask. They were my best friends and I knew they wouldn't look down on me no matter what I said or asked but still, I was worried that they would be slightly shocked. "Last night, we uhh, well… things got a little, intense."
"Intense?" Cana questioned, sipping slowly from her mug.
"Yea. He came over and we… did, stuff."
"Stuff?" she asked, raising her eyebrows knowingly and I looked over at Levy who's mouth had fallen open.
I shrugged. "You know… touching and kissing."
"Ah, so you had a severe make-out session."
I started nibbling on my bottom lip and nodded my head. I felt a blush coming on which I knew had nothing to do with me telling them but rather from the images that were popping up in my head of Laxus touching me and licking me. I could almost feel his lips gliding over my belly again and see his eyes staring up at me.
"Wow! Was it good?" Levy asked. I was slightly startled by her pointed question. I'd expected her to be a bit more reserved.
"Yea. It was definitely good… more than good."
She giggled and then Cana said, "That's kind of expected."
"What do you mean?" I asked.
She laughed and put her empty cup on a side table. "You can tell just by looking at him that he'd be great in the sack."
I thought about what she said and tried to remember how I'd felt about him before all this had started. I'd found him attractive of course, who wouldn't? But had I thought anything more than that? I didn't think so. Maybe that's because I'd never been "in the sack" with anyone before so it wasn't something I had any experience with.
"So has he asked you out or anything?" Levy asked, stopping my line of thoughts.
"Well, kind of. Just before I ran into you he asked me to come over to his place this evening and he said he'd take me out to dinner."
Levy perked up in her chair and clapped her hands excitedly.
"Wait, he wants you to go over to his place first?... and then you'll go out to dinner?" Cana asked.
I nodded my head and looked at her slightly confused. I could tell there was more to her question.
Cana laughed and shook her head. "Yea right. You guys aren't going to take one step out of his house. I can guarantee it."
"Wha- what do you mean?" Levy asked Cana just before I was going to ask the same question.
"I'm seeing another grope-fest in your future."
Levy shot a hand up to her mouth and covered it while she laughed.
A grope-fest? Really? I tried not to show the excitement inside me as I said, "That's actually why I wanted to talk to you guys. Do you uh, think that maybe things are going a bit too fast?"
"What do you think?" Cana asked seriously.
I sighed heavily and thought about my answer for a few moments. In my mind I felt like maybe things were going quickly. I mean, just a week or so ago I hadn't even thought about stuff like this with him. And now, here I was contemplating pushing things really far… maybe even having sex with him. But the rest of me didn't seem to agree. Physically, I wanted him. There was absolutely no doubt about that. And to be honest, I think I was more worried about what other people would think about me sleeping with him this quickly than I was about what I thought about it.
"Well," I thought about saying I wasn't sure but then decided to tell them exactly what had just been running through my mind, going into detail about my fears and thoughts.
"Lucy, sex is highly personal. The only people that need to be comfortable with what is happening are you and the person you are being intimate with. What anyone else thinks or feels doesn't matter."
"Yea Lucy. How do you feel about it?" Levy asked.
I pondered what both of them had said and then opened my mouth. "I… I'm not sure. When we're… together, I can't even think straight. And actually, when we're not together, he's pretty much all I can think about. That's why I wanted to talk to you guys. I can't even keep my own thoughts in line. How am I supposed to know if I'm ready?" My voice faded away and I pulled my legs up beneath me.
"Maybe I don't know what I'm saying since I'm even less experienced than you now but, Lucy… you're a mature woman and you've been taking care of yourself for a while now. You're not going to steer yourself in the wrong direction. Just remember to be smart no matter what your decision and it will be fine."
Cana nodded and added, "Yea, she's right. Are you on birth control?"
"Yea."
"Good. And everything else, just do what feels right."
Do what feels right… did I trust myself to know what would feel right? Cana and Levy seemed to. But, should I? Everything was so overwhelming with him. It was hard to figure out anything when I was with him. My brain simply didn't work when he was near. It was like all my physical senses became so heightened that there was nothing left for my head.
Their comments did make me feel better though. Maybe I am being too hard on myself with this decision. Maybe I should just do what comes naturally to me. If I was uncomfortable, I'd stop things. I wouldn't let anything happen that I didn't want to happen. Wouldn't I? And Laxus wasn't the type to push things if I wasn't sure about them. Heck, he'd stopped things when I'd wanted to continue... still not sure I was happy about that.
I breathed deeply and smiled at Cana and then Levy. "Thanks guys. I think I really needed that. It's given me a chance to think about things differently."
"No problem," Cana answered and sat up. "I need a beer. You guys want one?"
I laughed at her and shook my head. "No thanks." I couldn't believe she was going to have a beer after just finishing her coffee. Gross.
"Yea, none for me either," Levy said and then Cana disappeared into the kitchen.
"Hey, do you know where Erza is? I looked for her when we first got here but she wasn't in her room."
"Oh yea," Levy said and then continued, "She wanted me to tell you. She thinks she has a job you would be interested in and she wants you to meet her at the guild tomorrow morning. I guess she had to go somewhere today so she asked me to tell you before she left."
"Oh, ok." I wonder what it was. It was a good thing tomorrow Laxus and I were taking the day off from lifting.
When Cana came back, the conversation turned to other things and the afternoon quickly sped away. It wasn't until early evening that I realized it had started raining and I cringed at the thought of what I would look like upon reaching Laxus' place. A drowned rat was not the look I was going for.
"Hey guys, do either of you have an umbrella I could borrow?" I asked, pushing aside the curtain and peering through the window. It was even worse than I'd thought. The rain was coming down hard and the dirt road was already muddy and dotted with puddles.
"Oh man, look at it out there," Levy said, coming up next to me at the window. "I'm not sure an umbrella would do you any good."
I groaned, hating that she was right. The rain was practically coming down sideways and the wind was getting worse and worse.
Cana squeezed between Levy and I and looked out the window as well. "As long as it's only rain, this is a great opportunity! Just throw on a thin white shirt and show up at his house."
I hit her with my shoulder and shook my head disappointingly at her. "Not funny, Cana."
At that very moment, a brilliant flash lit up the sky. "Great! Now look what you did?" I said, crossing my arms over my chest and glaring at her.
She shrugged and took a long gulp from her mug. "Maybe it'll pass quickly. You can be fashionably late."
"I don't know," Levy spoke up, turning from the window. "It looks really... *CRACK!*" Thunder roared through the room, making all three of the ladies jump.
"Oh man, now what," I asked, sighing heavily and taking a seat on the edge of Cana's bed. There was no way she was going to be able to leave. And looking at the sky, it didn't seem like it was going to pass any time soon.
"Well, might as well start drinking then!" Cana said, holding a brand new bottle of liquor in the air. She sidled next to me and wrapped an arm around my shoulders, "Cheer up, Lucy. You'll get in his pants sooner or later."
I turned an icy glare her direction and she jumped away with a chuckle.
"Here," she said, grabbing 3 shot glasses, placing them on the small table in the corner of her room and filling them to the brim. "To hot, sexy men!" she exclaimed, holding her glass in the air.
I looked at Levy and she shrugged, grabbing her own glass and raising it up. This absolutely sucked! What was I going to do? I wasn't the type of person to just not show up... especially not without at least calling first. But I had no idea what his phone number was and the thought of calling him was for some reason, really strange. Not that any of the things that had been happening lately hadn't been strange. I still couldn't fathom the events of the past few days. Laxus of all people.
It wasn't like I hadn't found him attractive since the moment I'd first laid eyes on him... but it had been in a way similar to how you look at celebrities on a magazine cover. They were beautiful, but at a distance. Like, there was no thought of anything ever possibly happening... it just wasn't even considered because it was absurd. Even after all that had happened between us I still couldn't quite get rid of that mind set.
Apparently though, that thought had no effect on how my body reacted to him. Even right now I could feel my stomach churning warmly with little butterflies and tiny sparks were shooting up and down my limbs. And worse was the subtle throbbing between my legs. I was acutely aware of every inch of my body and it was unnerving but at the same time, exciting.
Finally I reluctantly raised my own glass, resigning myself to the fact that I was stuck there. As if on queue, a terrifying streak of lightning split the sky and the resounding roar that accompanied it made her nearly drop the small glass.
"You know what," Cana said after we all placed our glasses back on the table, "we should get some of the others together and have a little party. I'm sure we're not the only ones stuck in here."
Before long, Cana's apartment... and part of the surrounding hallway, was filled with Fairy Tail mages. It was so crowded that it almost felt like they were at the guild hall before a mandatory meeting. Elfman and Evergreen were there, pretending not to be drinking together but failing miserably. Lisanna was sitting on the bed, deeply involved in listening to whatever story Jet and Droy were sharing. Out in the hall I could hear Gray speaking to someone and inevitably Juvia's voice filtered through the chatter from the same direction.
Levy was beside me but she was distracted by some crazy antic Max was trying to pull off. I couldn't quite get myself interested in any of the activities going on around me so I motioned to Levy that I was going to go for a walk to the kitchens to get a soda and headed down the hallway. I waved to Gray on the way who was not even remotely succeeding in his attempts to pry Juvia off of him. Then I turned down another and saw Freed standing there, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest. He seemed to be contemplating something deeply and barely even noticed me as I walked by. It was obvious that he'd had a few drinks from the pretty flush that was staining his cheeks. I had to admit, he was pretty cute when he looked like that. His face had amazing bone structure with that hard jawline and thin, straight nose. But he was a bit too pretty for my taste.
The kitchen was empty when I got there. Remnants of a beer pong game remained on the only table in the room and I walked around it to get to the refrigerator which had an assortment of different sugary drinks inside. I poured myself a cup of cola and as I was returning the bottle to the fridge, a thought occurred to me. Freed would know Laxus' number!
Still, the thought of calling the man was oddly unsettling. It made absolutely no sense but I couldn't help it.
But I guess if I thought about it, it did make a little sense. I mean, it's not like even when I was face to face with the man that I could speak like a normal human being. I was always left bumbling for words and left to feel like an utter fool. The phone would probably be even worse. Although... his body wouldn't be there distracting me so maybe it wouldn't be so bad. But there was always my imagination to deal with. The moment I even thought of the man my brain turned to moosh and all I could concentrate on was the feelings coursing through me. Even now, just contemplating the thought of hearing his voice had my innards cramping and my skin tingling.
I turned and headed back down the hallway with my soda in hand. Freed was still standing there, several strands of beautiful green hair falling on either side of his face. He was still lost in thought and I hesitated to bother him. Or maybe it was just an excuse to avoid making that phone call.
"Freed?" I said quietly and watched his face turn sharply up at my words.
"Hi Lucy," he answered, straightening and adjusting his coat.
"I was wondering," I began and felt my cheeks starting to heat up. How the heck was she supposed to ask him for Laxus' number without it seeming weird? She should have come up with an excuse before talking to him but as usual, her brain just didn't seem to work any more. "Do you ummm, can I have Laxus' number? I was supposed to stop by and..."
"Laxus?" he questioned before I could continue with my excuse. "Why do you want his number? He should be here any minute."
My eyes went wide and my pulse quickened. "He... he's coming here?"
"Yea. When I told him about the party here he said he would head over. Why?"
"Nevermind then," I said, feeling a bit whoozy. "I'll just wait until he gets here then."
Freed shrugged and turned away. I continued down the hallway and found Gray trying to pry Juvia's fingers off of his arm. He looked exasperated as he stood there and I took pity on him and called out, "Hey Gray, can you help me with something?"
He turned immediately and Juvia let out an aggravated hmpph before releasing him. "Yea, sure," he said. "What's up?"
He followed me into Cana's room and we walked to the far wall. I could see through the window from that angle and unconsciously I searched for a certain lightning slayer.
"What do you need?" Gray asked, following my gaze. There was nothing to see so he turned back.
"Oh nothing," I answered. "I just thought you might need a bit of saving."
Gray rolled his eyes and leaned a shoulder against the side of the window. "Thanks. I did."
The party was getting louder now, more and more people showing up. We had to stand closer just to hear each other.
"Hey, did you see Erza?" Gray asked over the noise.
"Today? I thought she wasn't here?"
"She just got back. She said she wanted to do some job tomorrow and I told her you'd been asking to do something too."
Crap, I'd forgotten about that. Not that I didn't want to go but... wait, why didn't I want to go? I always enjoyed going on missions with my team and it had been a while since they'd all gone together. So what was the problem?
One glaring thing came to mind... But that was ridiculous and she wasn't even going to give it credence.
"When does she want to go?" I asked.
"Not sure. We should..." his words trailed away as my attention was suddenly pulled to the doorway. Laxus was walking through, his hands shoved inside his pants pockets with an eagerly attentive Freed at his side.
My heart skipped a beat at his appearance and my mouth suddenly went dry. He looked wickedly disheveled. Several strands of his thick blonde hair dangled over his forehead and small drops of water were falling from them to his cheeks. He had on a purple t-shirt, the damp fabric clinging to every inch of his torso and his pants were equally wet, outlining the ridges of muscle along his thighs. I remembered my mouth on that body and how incredible he'd tasted. He looked even more delicious now and I felt myself biting my lip as I stood there.
"Do you want to go look for her?" Gray's voice cut into my thoughts and it took me a second to compose myself and remember what we'd been talking about.
"Umm, can you give me a few minutes? I'll come find you," I answered and watched Gray nod his head with a confused look on his face. He didn't delve deeper thankfully and left to search for our red-headed friend.
Taking a deep breath I stepped forward, towards the sinfully hot man who had an evil grin on his face... something that was becoming quite familiar to her. "Hey Laxus,"a voice cut through the fog of my brain and I saw Cana marching up to the man. "I'm trying to get people together to play a game. Any ideas?"
I cursed under my breath. Dammit, Cana! I was seriously starting to regret telling her anything. Of course he would know exactly what she was referring to. He already suspected that I had come to the dorms to talk to my girlfriends about him and if that wasn't enough, the way she twisted her mouth in that obvious smile made it unmistakable that she was talking about his and mines little game of 'You touch, I touch'.
Just as I finished mumbling every curse that I knew, Laxus turned his attention back to me and I could see the amusement in his eyes. "I can think of one...," he answered and my mind was suddenly flooded with images of the previous night. 'Oh Mavis! When was this going to end?!' Was I ever going to be able to look at that man without fantasizing about him?
Cana winked at me and then walked over to Freed. She threw an arm around his shoulders and spun him away towards the door, loudly saying something about beer and cleaning it off of wool coats.
I rolled my eyes and slapped a palm to my forehead... subtle.
"You know," Laxus said, closing the distance between us. "If you wanted to play again, you could have just asked."
I glared at the man and didn't allow myself to even acknowledge what he'd just said. I knew it would just take my imagination to places it really didn't need to be right now. Instead I asked, "How did you get here?"
"Do you not want me here?" He pretended to be hurt but it was an obvious act.
"I didn't say that. I...," I began but was interrupted by him.
"Then, you do want me... here?" his pause put a completely different spin to the question. 'Do I want him?' Wasn't it obvious? Of course I wanted him. I always wanted him. At least, lately I have.
I tried my hand at nonchalance, "I mean sure. The more the merrier, right?" I smiled back up at him and a strange glint came over his eyes. It seemed he liked a bit a teasing himself.
"But seriously," I asked. "How did you get here? That storm is really nasty."
He shrugged and a few drops of water fell from his bangs. "It wasn't a big deal. I just teleported most of the way."
Oh right! I forgot he could do that.
As if the storm knew we were talking about it, a loud bang erupted from the sky and the lights flickered. Several people gasped, including myself but Laxus was unfazed. But of course he was... he was a lightning slayer. He literally controlled lightning with his body.
He ran a hand through his wet hair, standing most of it up in thin spikes and then motioned with a tilt of his head to move to the side of the room. We walked slowly towards the wall to an unoccupied area and the butterflies that had taken nest in my stomach of late started to flit around again. It was probably all in my head but it felt like many of the eyes in the room were watching us. I couldn't blame them if they were, I was just as confounded as they were.
"Stood me up on our first date. That stings a bit," his deep voice said. He didn't seem angry or upset. If anything, it seemed he was teasing me... as per usual. The man loved to get me flustered.
"To be fair," I said, my voice coming out oddly husky, "I don't think it was ever officially a date. We were just going to "hang out", I believe you said."
"True," he replied, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips as he moved closer. "But I did say I was going to take you for dinner and you never showed up."
He was directly in front of me now, no more than a foot separating us. Maybe it was part of his magic abilities but I could swear there were sparks exploding between our bodies. "Well I know lightning isn't an issue for you but for me, it's kind of dangerous."
I realized what I said a split second after I'd said it and my cheeks immediately flooded with heat.
"Dangerous, huh? You haven't seen anything yet."
I gulped, my mouth suddenly dry. 'Say something!' I screamed. I'd always prided myself on my ability to think clearly in tough situations but words were failing me at the moment. "Yet?" I muttered and then cleared my throat. I took a tiny step closer to him and looked up through my lashes, "When should I expect this, danger?"
Something flashed behind his eyes and for a second I thought he was going to kiss me right there. Even with all of the people around us, I wouldn't have stopped him.
"Let's get something to drink," he suddenly said, loud enough for the people around us to hear and then grabbed my wrist, almost yanking me across the room. I had no choice but to follow, my feet barely able to keep up with his long strides.
We exited Cana's room and then turned down the hall towards the kitchen. Several eyes followed us as we walked but I hardly noticed them. My heart was pounding as we wound our way through the halls. We found the kitchen but Laxus didn't stop, instead he continued on until we had reached the complete opposite side of the dorms and then slammed open the door to the stairwell. The moment we were inside he was on me, his body crushing me against the wall and his lips capturing mine in a searing kiss. I kissed him back just as feverishly and threw my arms around his neck. He was still slightly wet from his trip over here but I didn't care. I pressed myself against him and savored the feel of his hard body. It felt like it had been weeks since I'd felt him like this but in reality, it had only been the night before.
"Laxus," I breathed when his lips left mine. I felt them on the side of my neck and then his arms snaked around my hips and he lifted me up, guiding my legs around his waist.
"Lucy," he rasped and I thought my name had never sounded sexier. His hands were on my waist and then slid up to my chest, cupping the sensitive mounds that ached for more attention. "You have no idea what I'm going to do to you."
I moaned at his words, part in excitement and part in agreement. I truly didn't know what he was going to do with me... and I didn't care. I wanted more, and that was all that mattered.
To be continued...
Oh man, it really has been a while since I've written. I struggled SO MUCH with point of view LOL. I had to go back over and over again and fix it. I'm sure I still messed up in places. Oh well! At least I tried. (Please don't point out the mistakes. I'm not going to go back and fix them either way.)
Thanks again for actually reading this... if you made it this far. Let me know what you think :)