I can't thank you all enough for your encouraging and positive words on this story! They keep me in good spirits and my fingers typing the next chapter as soon as possible for all of you!
Now this chapter... I don't even know. I had an idea for it but it kind of just ran away and became its own thing. It's also a lot longer than I had originally thought it would be, but my hands just kept writing more and more. I bet you will all see that as a good thing!
Disclaimer: I own as much as you do.
IMPORTANT NOTE: The first two chapters can easily pass for a two-shot. If that's the type of thing you enjoy and you liked the sweetness the chapters consisted of then... okay, I guess. But this story is going to keep going! So if you love this blonde couple and like this story enough to want to keep reading then I'm happy to say that I want to make this story long! :)
Now on to the story!
The forest was dark other than the few rays of moonlight that broke past the canopy of leaves above. All seemed quiet, the animals were asleep after enduring the storm, the crickets had already stopped their quiet chirping, and even the town was too far away to break the stillness of the night. It was quiet. Beautiful. Serene. That is, until the snapping of a twig was heard, followed by another, then another, till a silhouette was seen walking between trees. A few animals perked their heads up towards the sound, then hastily scurried away to stay far from the imposing figure.
Laxus gazed down at the sleeping girl in his arms, barely noticing his surroundings as he walked. His dragon senses allowed him heightened eye sight in the night and he could make out the soft flush that covered Lucy's face as she slept. Her lips were parted ever so slightly and all Laxus wanted to do was brush his mouth against hers, but was too afraid that it would wake her. He knew in the back of his mind that she most likely wouldn't mind being woken up, but he also knew the lightning from earlier had drained her energy considerably. Even though he was the one feeding his magic to transform them, she was not used to the strain it had on the body.
Lucy mumbled incoherently in her sleep before turning her face towards Laxus' chest and nuzzled into the warmth. A contented sigh escaping her soft lips had a blush rising onto the lightning mages cheeks. How could he resist such an innocent and adorable action?
Laxus had accidentally fallen asleep after Lucy at his clearing, only to wake up in the middle of night when a loud crack from the fire pit jolted him to consciousness. The thick storm clouds had moved away by then, leaving a beautiful clear sky in its wake. Oh how he had wanted to wake Lucy at that point in time. The stars seemed to be shining brighter than most nights and it was reflected perfectly on the lake to create the illusion of the brilliance of the starry sky being above and below the two mages. He knew Lucy loved star gazing from her friends always talking about it at the guild, and it had made sense to him since she was a celestial mage.
Though even with the knowledge that she would have immensely enjoyed such a thing, he couldn't bring himself to rouse the beautiful girl. She had looked too entirely peaceful curled into his chest that he had continued to rest and admire Lucy. He had smiled when her nose would scrunch up in her sleep with her eyebrows furrowing, only to instantly form a smile the next second. He should have guessed that even in her sleep she was an open book, he only wished he knew what she was dreaming of to create such a wide range of expressions.
He knew that he could easily bring her to his clearing another night to share how his secret getaway made the night look more beautiful than it usually was. Maybe a midnight picnic was something the future held for the two mages.
Laxus would have stayed the night under the pergola, but they were both still wearing slightly dmap clothes. The warm summer air gave the impression that they were okay but he knew they could still get sick. That was one thing Laxus did not want happening to Lucy. He couldn't allow his thoughtlessness to allow them to stay in the open air with wet clothes on and the idea of illness hanging above their heads.
So now here he was walking through the forest and back to his cabin he had in these woods. Laxus loved Magnolia and the guild, really, but he needed his own private space with no one bustling around his house or all of his guild members finding out where he lived. Thus, his forest cabin was created with the help of his team. It was a sanctuary to him, one of the few places he truly found himself at peace, other than his secret clearing.
Finally making it to the place he called home, he went straight to inside and kicked the door lightly shut behind him with his foot. He made his way through the living room and hallway to his room at the last door. Walking in, his steps brought him right to his bed sporting black sheets and carefully maneuvered Lucy to one arm while using the other to pull back the comforter. Once done, he lowered Lucy as softly as he possibly could to the bed, and then tucked her in after carefully undoing her belt so that her keys and whip wouldn't bother her during the night. He knew she was still wet from the rain, but that was a problem he couldn't do much about. Laxus would have changed her into some of his clothes, but he didn't want to know what her reaction would be if she woke up in a random house with baggy clothes on her body. He had heard of her famous 'Lucy Kicks,' even seen some of them demonstrated on her pink-haired teammate, and he most definitely did not want to experience that kind of power kick himself.
Looking over to the clock lacrima on his bedside table that he put the belt on, he noted that it was just after midnight.
Making his way over to his dresser, Laxus threw on a new pair of boxers along with some sweat pants. Lucy was asleep and he was too drowsy to walk all the way to the bathroom only to change when there were no people awake to witness. His wet clothes he threw over to a corner in his room where he knew his hamper sat, then slowly his feet trudged him back to the bed.
He was tired and the last of the adrenaline he felt from connecting to the storm and Lucy were finally draining from his muscles, leaving him almost lax as he fell onto the bed and next to the girl. In the back of his mind he knew that he should probably move to guest bedroom that was located right next to his, or even the couch out in the living room, but he couldn't seem to get his body vertical up again.
Finally giving in to his bodies needs and deciding to deal with whatever his morning brought to him at a later time, he moved the comforter so he could slip inside and turned on the side that wasn't facing Lucy. One look at her and he knew that his mind would start racing again and his heart would pick up its beat. Though the thoughts would not be unwelcomed, he knew that he needed his rest. It would not due to have Lucy wake up to a grumpy, sleep-deprived dragon slayer right after they spent such a monumental day together.
It only took him a few minutes to break.
Try as he might, he just couldn't stay facing away. Laxus wanted Lucy close. He enjoyed how he discovered that her body fit against his just how he liked it and how she seemed drawn to the slightly warmer body temperature he produced because of his magic. Flipping to his other side, he watched the girl breathe deeply for a few seconds before carefully wrapping his arms around her and pulling her to him. He buried his nose into the crook of her neck to breathe in her refreshing scent and sighed happily, "Good night, Lucy." His eye sight was starting to get blurry and he knew that he was truly tired when such a thing happened.
With the brush of lips passing over his collar bone from one last murmur of his blonde guest, Laxus fell into a deep sleep.
Lucy let out a soft groan when she felt the forces of reality pull her from her dreams. She was having a pleasant ride zipping between and around lightning bolts in the sky. Thunder was crashing everywhere in an almost continuous roar that had her breaths tumbling faster from her lungs. Within her dream was another flash of lightning that was following close behind her. She couldn't see it too well, but with her senses heightened she could feel its presence following her through the clouds. Multiple times she had tried to focus enough to find out just what it was and how it could follow her. All the other lightning fell in their jagged paths to the ground below, but this one copied almost every one of her movements as if it had a mind of its own.
But of course, all good dreams must come to an end. Another groan spilled from between her pouting lips as she noticed her hair was still damp from being in the rain yesterday. Why she didn't take a shower or bath was beyond her. Then she noticed her bed was even softer than it usually was. And then there was the warmth that encased her entire body that didn't feel like Natsu's overbearing type of heat.
Mind sharpening in the span of a second, Lucy took in everything she could without opening her eyes. She let her sense of touch come to the forefront of her mind and realized there was an arm wrapped around her waist and a deeply breathing chest rising and falling next to her. Next she realized that one of her arms was slung over the naked abdomen of whoever she was with and tensed every muscle in her body. On a side note, she felt just how muscular this person was and could appreciate it even though she knew she could be in danger. Ever so slowly she withdrew her arm and felt her clothes, happy to realize that they were still hers and that the person she was with didn't change her, even though they still felt damp.
Next she tuned into her hearing but couldn't pick up much other than the breaths entering and leaving the body next to her. Such news didn't tell her much so she moved on to focusing on her mouth to try and taste if she had somehow been intoxicated at the guild and brought home with someone instead of going to her apartment. Maybe she was going overboard but it was possible. But then again, she never went to the guild last night and rarely ever let herself drink. So that idea was shot down.
The last sense she could use before resorting to her eyes was her sense of smell. In no way was it as powerful as a dragon slayers, but being so close to the man that had obviously brought her to this bed could allow her pick up a sparse scent. One delicate sniff later told her all that she needed to know. Pine trees and the fresh air after a storm.
Lucy's eyes shot open when she realized just who she was with and all the memories of the night before came crashing through her mind in waves. Laxus.
Watching the storm when Laxus had appeared. Experiencing the joy and freedom of joining the raging elements in the sky. Being taken to a beautiful clearing and seeing a softer side to Laxus she had not known. And finally falling asleep with the warmth of a fire on her back and the security of being in the arms of Laxus.
A silent gasp was sucked into the celestial mage as her eyes saw the skin of his chest before her and she slowly moved her head so she could look at his face.
He seemed so peaceful to her in that moment. He was lying on his back with his head tilted towards her, his surprisingly soft lips pulled into a fond smile that left Lucy curious as to what his dream was about. His arm was currently curled under her head with his forearm crossing her back and hand resting on her hip. In the corner of her eye she saw his other hand lightly folded on his stomach. From this angle she couldn't see his tattoo and guild mark, but knew from memory that it probably looked as bad ass as usual.
Sheets were covering the rest of his body from her eyes, so her head turned back up to look at his face. What she could see was his scar and Lucy couldn't help the short burst of pain in her chest she felt for Laxus. Knowing that the lacrima still hurt him caused her grief, and she didn't know if there was anything she could do about it.
Her hand that was resting over his body went up to his cheek and her fingers fluttered over the darkened skin. She didn't want to wake the man, but she couldn't help herself from tracing it. The rough edges almost represented the struggles he had to get through in life to the point where he was now. The fact that he didn't come out unscathed left Lucy pondering just what all she could do to bring this man the happiness he deserved.
Lucy had to stifle a giggle when Laxus sighed and brushed his nose against her wrist. The vulnerability Laxus was showing her made Lucy feel like she could really be all that Laxus needed her to be without knowing the specifics just yet. If it was within her power to make him happy, then that was what she was going to dedicate herself to doing, no matter what it took to accomplish.
Laxus had been awake since the first groan Lucy produced reaching his ears. Years of always waking to be alert trained him to be able to hold in his reactions as he assessed the situation. Deciding to play the role of being asleep, Laxus kept his eyes closed but his body trained towards every movement Lucy created to know what she was doing.
He wanted to smile when he felt all of Lucy's body tense. He was actually surprised when she didn't wake up flailing around. Laxus had heard that Natsu snuck into her bed during the night to sleep only to wake up with a kick to his face or being thrown in the canal that was in front of Lucy's apartment. In all honesty, he believed that she was going to wake up and kick him off the bed without thinking through her actions. But of course this was Lucy, the ever present enigma to him, and instead of freaking out like he expected, she slowly relaxed her body and started taking in her surroundings.
Laxus would admit the moment she withdrew her arm he felt a little sad. He found it quite comfortable to be lying in the half embrace she had maneuvered herself into during the night. But apparently all good things must come to an end.
She must have kept her eyes closed, he thought. If only she would open them she would realize that she was still safe and in his arms. Maybe being in a dark room would spook her, but she should be aware enough by now that Laxus wasn't planning on doing anything she wouldn't approve of. He actually wanted to get to know Lucy and spend time with her now that he knew she didn't want to be around him for his strength and power, or was too afraid go against him because she feared him.
No, all he saw with Lucy was her unending admiration and acceptance. Not even her body language betrayed her. The eyes and body language could always let a person know if who they were talking to was lying, but apparently Lucy was being completely truthful to him though and through.
A chuckle wanted to spill from his lips when he heard the tiny sniff Lucy did to try and determine where she was. It was just too funny and cute since he was a dragon slayer and had relied on his sense of smell to figure things out many times, those times ranging from missions to finding objects in his house. This girl was truly thinking her way through this situation. The gasp that followed told him that she finally found out who she was with and a smile wanted to break out when he felt her shift in his hold.
His body practically buzzed when he felt her gaze start to study him. He knew she must have opened her eyes by now, and they were completely soaking him in. It was harder to stay still than he thought. His breathing wanted to increase, but he knew that he had to keep up the appearance of being asleep with long, slow breaths. He wanted to turn and hug her closer to him and hear the small squeak he knew he would evoke from such an action, but that would definitely give him away. Patience was key right now, and he was determined to see what she was going to do now that she had found herself in his bed with him half naked.
His thoughts came to a grinding halt when he felt a light sensation over his scar. Her fingers traced over it so lightly that it felt like a feather. Now he wanted to kiss her lips till she was nothing more than a pile of goo on his bed, too worked up with all his feelings of passion that she couldn't move. The approval he felt yesterday came back to him and filled his whole body. Laxus had to concentrate more than ever to keep his breathing steady when all he wanted to do was sigh and submit himself to the care he felt through her touch.
How could she bring forth such emotions from him already? He didn't know what to do with himself because he has only experienced this type of conviction when he fought the guild, or when he had protected it. Never had he felt like this toward a girl and he was left floundering on how to act.
Before he knew what he was doing, his head turned to lightly brush his nose against her wrist and for a sleepy sigh to pass his lips.
He never truly felt welcomed at the guild. Sure, he was getting there with every passing day, but his guild mates continued wariness towards him kept him from being completely at ease. But here with Lucy, he knew he had all the welcoming he needed. No shadow passed over her eyes when she gazed at him, and passing by him did not cause any flinch within her muscles. What he appreciated greatly was that even though she held sadness for his earlier trials, he witnessed no pity from her.
Laxus did not know any other person or mage that was like Lucy. Even his team still felt slight pity for him for being kicked out of the guild. His grandfather couldn't hide it either, try as he might, but Laxus still caught the looks his gramps threw his way when he believed his grandson wasn't looking. And then there were all the other mages in the guild. Sometimes it was too much for him to be in the guild just from the looks he received alone. Many days he would leave for his home or clearing just to find some quiet and solace.
But Lucy was different. Now that he thought about it. The only time he saw these types of looks from her was right when he came back from being excommunicated. Then in only a couple of short weeks they had disappeared completely, and instead, her eyes were happy to see him and she had even started a routine of telling him good morning at the guild.
How had he just now realized this?
For so long he had been wished silently for one person to understand what he was feeling inside without having to outwardly show his weaknesses. He couldn't outright tell the guild that he wished for them to stop looking at him like he was about to break or that he would go on a rampage if anything set him off. That wasn't the Laxus everyone knew. So he kept up his arrogant façade, not allowing anyone to get too close to him with their pity-filled eyes and worried glances.
Maybe that was why he didn't see how Lucy acted towards him until now. He pushed away and directed his thoughts to believe that nobody would understand, that nobody would know how he felt on the inside. But thankfully he didn't have to worry about that anymore. He found her now and the storm was the perfect time to let down some walls to allow her to see inside him. She took the reins then and proceeded to smash and crumble his remaining walls to the ground to bare him to the world, but only for her eyes to see. He had had enough and exposed his vulnerability to her knowing expression and let relief course through him when she accepted him just as much as she did before.
He would most likely never admit this out loud, but in a way Lucy saved him from himself. He was drowning in his desperation to have one person see past his cocky remarks and intimidating presence, but never realized it because he held everyone an arm's length away.
But in his mind, it rang loud and clear. Lucy was his savior.
His thoughts broke and control snapped when Lucy shifted once again in his embrace and kissed his chest right above where his heart would be. That was his undoing, all of the concentration he held to appear to be asleep disappeared like it had never been there to begin with. Quickly rolling over so that Lucy Lay under him, his eyes snapped open to take in the surprised face of the blonde that let out the squeak he predicted she would with the sudden movement.
A smirk lifted one side of his lips, "I wouldn't mind waking up to this sight every morning." He watched as a tremble ran through Lucy's body, a blush rising to her cheeks, and decided that he held back long enough. His lips descended to hers and proceeded to devour her in a hungry morning kiss.
All Lucy could do was wrap her arms around his neck and return it with equal passion. She hadn't expected the kiss she placed on his chest to wake him up, or for him to have such a profound reaction to it, but she couldn't find it in herself to push him away. He was way too damn good as a kisser. That thought skyrocketed when she felt his tongue slip into her mouth and stroke hers. Way, way too damn good.
His arms snaked around her waist, but his elbows kept him elevated enough so he wouldn't crush the air from her lungs, and he deepened the kiss and brought her tongue to entangle with his. Laxus could tell that Lucy had kissed before, hell he would be surprised if she hadn't, but she wasn't nearly as experienced as he was. One hand unwrapped itself and instead tangled in her hair to tilt her head. Slanting his mouth, he started to slow the kiss down, allowing languid caresses of his tongue to sweep her mouth, knowing that if it went any further he might not have enough of a clear mind to stop himself.
Though this was one damn good wakeup and he wouldn't mind doing it again soon.
Finally breaking from the kiss, Laxus sat up with his legs straddling Lucy's thighs and looked down at her flushed face. Her hair was fanned around her head in a golden halo, and her eyes were half-lidded and looking right back at his with a smoldering heat that came off innocent on her face. Groaning loudly, he swept back in for one chaste kiss before moving to sit at the edge of the bed. His control was seriously begging to become nonexistent.
Sighing, Laxus dragged a hand down his face and tensed slightly when he felt arms weave around his waist from behind. "Good morning, Laxus," was whispered in his ear and he relaxed again. He let a chuckle escape, "good morning, Lucy." He was rewarded from saying her name with a kiss on the neck. It was so innocent but it made his blood boil. Though he knew he couldn't do anything about it. Slowly pulling her arms away from his body, he stood up and walked to his dressed, intent on finding some things to for Lucy to wear so she could take a shower. He was sure that the still damp clothes clinging to her were uncomfortable.
Lucy watched as Laxus walked away and had to fight for her breath to not leave her in a whoosh. This man's body was too perfect. She couldn't help but be drawn to the bunching of his back muscles in the dim light of the sun peaking though the curtains of a window to her side. The slight swing to his hips with each step had her licking her lips, and when he started pulling clothes out of a dresser she admired the power his arms seemed to possess.
His kiss had done crazy things to her and she had found herself wanting to whimper in protest when he finally decided to end it. She wanted to say 'just a little longer,' but kept her mouth closed, if she kept going she might have done something stupid. Instead she allowed herself the joy of taking in how Laxus was in the morning. His eyes where still half-lidded from sleep, or from the kiss. She wasn't too sure. His voice was deeper than usual, laden with the sound of just being sound asleep, and goodness gracious did he sound positively sinful when he spoke.
Her eyes focused again and found that she was presented with the picture of Laxus' chest. Each bulging pectoral look especially delicious this morning, and she found her eyes drawn to the swirling mass of his tattoo. Her hands twitched with the want to trace each black line, but instead clenched into the bed below her to keep them from doing just that. Her eyes travelled down from his chest to each defined and rippling muscle in his abdomen, then further down to where his pronounced 'v' disappearing under the grey sweatpants he was wearing.
Lucy quickly snapped out of her thoughts when she realized Laxus was walking back to her with an amused expression on his face. A brilliant blush rose to her cheeks when she figured that she was caught staring yet again. With a loud groan she closed her eyes and fell backwards on the bed, most likely bringing more amusement to the man she was with. How could she have let herself do that again and get caught? She must still be too tired to think clearly, she had been blatantly drooling over his body without a shred of concealment.
Laxus wanted to follow her onto the bed and kiss her senseless again. She had only raked his body with her gaze, but to him it almost felt tangible. Her eyes held such intensity when they took in his form that a small shudder had actually passed through him. He settled on the thought that one day he would allow her to look all she wanted and would be rewarded with him showering her in the same passion and intensity with but with actions.
Laughing lightly, Laxus threw the bundle of clothes he picked out onto Lucy's face, "Those are going to be huge on you, but I'm sure they will feel better than what you're wearing now." Lucy had moved his clothes and was now looking at him with a slightly confused expression. "You want to take a shower, right? You can put those on after you get out." A smile formed on his lips when the clarification dawned on her face. A large smile broke out on her then and she bounced up and off the bed, clothes in her arms, and embarrassment forgotten.
"Well then come on! Where is the shower I can use?" Lucy's body was almost vibrating with joy now that she could finally wash herself off and feel clean again.
Laxus shook his head slightly, but the smile never leaving his face, and reached down for her hand, dragging her behind him when he walked to a door in his room. Opening it he pulled her in, "You can shower in here, when you're done come find me in the kitchen, I'll make us some food." He moved to turn away when a hand on his face stopped him. He looked down and was instantly pulled into a chaste kiss that didn't last more than a second.
"Thanks, Laxus." Lucy then broke away and shoved him out the door, laughing at his bewildered expression and when he stumbled slightly. Not giving him a chance to respond, she shut the door and turned back to the bathroom only to gasp.
He had one of those showers that rained water from the ceiling. She had always wanted to try out one of these showers. Quickly stripping her clothes she turned it on and let out a happy squeal.
Once under the water she allowed herself a short amount of time to just enjoy the illusion of being out in a storm again, but with warm rain falling on her head. Deciding not to keep Laxus waiting, she spotted his shampoo and used a decent amount to lather in her hair. It smelled like pine trees and a hint of lavender. Not something she would expect him to use, but it was a really nice smell. She was surprised to find that there was a complimentary conditioner to go with the shampoo and used it too before moving on to the scentless body wash he had.
After completely washing herself she turned off the shower and poked her head out, pulling a towel back in. Once dry she stepped out and critically eyed the clothes that Laxus gave her. If there were anything like the clothes he normally wore then she was going to be completely drowned in them.
But they were the only things she had since she refused to put her wet clothes back on. Accepting her fate, Lucy picked up the first piece to find it be large sweatpants like Laxus was wearing, but these ones had drawstrings. Tugging them up her legs, she tightened them as much as possible and rolled the bottoms up to her ankles. Next she found shirt and a sweater. Looking down she shot her head back up quickly. She could deal with a wet bra for a little, right? Definitely. No way was she walking out in front of Laxus with no bra on. As sweet as he was being towards her, she knew he still inherited the massive amount of perverseness his grandfather had, and when he wanted it was just as obvious too. Quickly donning her bra and the rest of the clothes, and fixing her hair to look presentable, she stepped out of the humid bathroom and smelled eggs and bacon in the air. Looking around Lucy spotted her belt on the table beside the bed and went to pull it around her waist, thankfully helping the sweats to stay up in the process.
Walking out of the bedroom and following the hallway, she saw other doors and had to fight the urge to see what they were hiding, but a rumble from her stomach kept her walking towards the kitchen. She stepped into what appeared to be a living room and took a short look to see a few chairs and couch surrounding a glass table, a wall that had a stone fireplace and one wall completely consisting of glass with a spiral staircase in front of it. The forest outside was left on display to her and made the room look like it was part of the forest itself.
Her stomach grumbled again and she decided that she would more thoroughly explore the house at another time. Her legs finally brought her to the kitchen to find a fresh looking and showered Laxus standing behind an island over a stove with his maroon pants and black muscle shirt on. Her eyes went to his hands and watched him flip a few pieces of bacon with a spatula, looking at the food had Lucy feeling her mouth start to water.
"Just sit down at the table, Blondie, food will be ready in a sec." Laxus chuckled when his response was a growl from the girl's stomach and he didn't have to look to know that there was a blush on her face. The scraping of a chair on the tiles of his kitchen was heard and he finished breakfast as soon as possible. Depositing the food on two plates, he turned and set one down in front of Lucy and claimed a chair for himself. "Enjoy it while you can, I don't cook for just anyone."
Lucy snorted softly, "whatever, Sparky." She didn't look up from her food when she knew Laxus tensed at her nickname for him. Before he could retaliate, she took a bite and moaned at the taste. He used a multitude of spices in the eggs and it was a lot better than she expected. Allowing herself a glance up at the still disgruntled mage she let a smile light up her face and spoke in a softer voice, "thanks for breakfast. This is wonderful." That seemed to placate Laxus just a bit to let her go for now as he started eating his own portions.
Lucy took this time to study him. It seemed that some of the happiness he showed yesterday leaked into him today. The weight that was lifted from his eyes showed in how he held himself. He always had an arrogant air about him when he held himself proudly, but now it seemed more at ease, like he wasn't tensed to take immediate action at any second. It warmed her heart and she hoped that she was part of the reason for that.
As happy as Lucy was that she saw this, she couldn't help but wonder about what they were now. She didn't want to make assumptions about Laxus, but she believed she now had a connection to him that she didn't want to share with anyone else. Her feelings for him had grown exponentially in the past day and she hoped beyond hope that he felt the same way. It seemed like he had, since he had kissed her many times now! He had even shown her the part of him that no one else saw, the vulnerable side that he was working to get past.
Lucy didn't drop her eyes when Laxus looked up to her and stopped mid-bite at the way she was staring at him. An eyebrow was raised at her, silently asking what she was thinking. Deciding that she didn't want to beat around the bush Lucy came right out and asked, "what are we?"
Understanding shone in his eyes and Laxus set down his fork and swallowed the food in his mouth. He put up his arrogant smirk and leaned back in his chair with crossed arms, "isn't obvious? You're my girlfriend now. Don't think I'm going to let some other guy steal you away. You're my Blondie and only mine."
Lucy let out a breath of air she hadn't realized she was holding and laughed out loud at the possessiveness in his words. It was almost endearing in a way and of course she didn't mind only being his. "Then that makes you my Sparky and only my Sparky." Her laughs grew louder when the smirk disappeared from his lips and Laxus sputtered.
"You are not calling me Sparky!" He yelled, but couldn't help the small smile slip past his angry façade. He should have known Lucy's feistier side would show up sooner or later. She had shown it in the guild enough for him to know that she wasn't one to back down. Her status as light of the guild proved time and time again that she stayed strong and wasn't one to turn meek when faced with a tough situation. Hell, she yelled at Gajeel when he was beating her to a pulp during the Phantom Lord attack and never backed away from the threat presented to her life.
"Deal with it Sparky! You call me Blondie even though your blonde too so now you get the honor of having a nickname too!" A squeal left her mouth when Laxus made to lunge across the table and she bolted up and ran through the kitchen to the living room. Loud stomps followed her as she hid behind a couch.
Silence permeated the air and Lucy held her breath. Maybe he didn't see her when she dove behind the furniture?
"Did you forget I'm a dragon slayer, Blondie? Because I can smell where ever you hide."
Lucy yelped when Laxus' voice came from right behind her and slowly turned around to find him crouching only a few feet away with a smug grin etching itself across his face. She harrumphed and crossed her arms. "No fair, Laxus." She was about to rant about how he had the advantage when a gold burst of glitter brought her attention to their side. Laxus had immediately stood up and took on a defensive position that made Lucy laugh.
"Punishment, Princess?"
"N-no Virgo, but maybe you shouldn't have popped out like that, I think you gave Laxus a scare." Lucy giggled. She stood up next to the mage and placed a hand on his arm. "It's just one of my spirits, Laxus."
Looking down at Lucy, he relaxed his stance, "she did not scare me." Laxus walked around the couch and sat down on it heavily, looking to all the world a pouting kid refusing to admit he wasn't as tough as he looked.
Lucy smiled and turned back to her spirit, "so why did you come, Virgo? I didn't call you out." Lucy was used to some of her spirits forcing their gates open and their sudden appearances never startled her anymore. It was just a part of life for her now, but she could understand when everyone around her jumped a little at the unexpected arrival.
"I brought clothes for you, Princess. I'll take your wet ones and clean them." Vigo's stoic face didn't show any emotion, "Do you need to punish me, Princess?" Until her eyes flashed at the mention of punishment.
In the back of her mind Lucy wondered exactly how Virgo always knew when she needed something and looked down to the clothes her spirit held in her arms. She must have stopped to pick up some clothes from my apartment. Lucy smiled and took the offered clothes, a white miniskirt with a green halter top and her brown leather jacket to throw over it that ended right below her ribs. All were settled over her favorite pair of brown boots.
Ignoring Laxus' questioning glance and Virgo's punishment question, she moved back to his room with her spirit in tow, and gave her all the damp clothes.
"Does Princess want to give me her wet undergarments she is wearing too?" A loud guffaw was heard from the living room that went unnoted by the girls and Lucy happily gave her the rest of the clothes. "If that is all, I shall take my leave." With a bow and a show of sparkles, Virgo was gone.
Lucy was really happy that Laxus didn't make a big deal out of Virgo appearing randomly. Many people, especially clients on jobs, were rude in telling her that she should learn to control them better. Nobody seemed to understand that they were living beings too, not just a manifestation of magic from her reserves. Never was Lucy going to use her power as master to make her spirits go against what they wish to do. If they wanted to come out to talk to her or provide for her on their own free will, then that was something she would encourage. They were her friends and family as much as any human being was. It saddened her that many people were blind to these things and treated spirits as mere tools to cast away when they weren't of any use anymore.
Laxus' reaction to Virgo had her brightening considerably and she had wanted to give him a large kiss just for seeming to be understanding of her and her relationship to her spirits.
Lucy quickly put on the new clothes and folded all of Laxus' clothes neatly on his dresser. Walking out of his room she came back to find Laxus standing at the front door of his house and watched as his gaze sized her up. A blush rose on her cheeks and she melted into his embrace when he reached out for her and pulled her into his chest.
A chaste kiss later and he was dragging her out of his house. "C'mon Blondie, time to head to the guild." He gave a dramatic pause before continuing, "lightning style."
"Really?!" Lucy snapped her gaze up to see Laxus smiling widely at her. She squealed and jumped into his outstretched arms. "Let's go, Sparky! Up, up, and away!" Silence met her excited rambling and she looked up sheepishly to see that one damn eyebrow raised at her. "Please?" Laxus shook his head at her with an amused smile, but allowed his magic to flow around them anyways.
The next thing Lucy knew what that her sight was gone and the exhilarating feel of being lightning engulfed her entire being. It was exactly the same as she remembered it from yesterday. The bolts of lightning sparked against her skin and her body hummed with an alertness that made her more awake and feeling alive. A sharp laugh spilled from her, but before she knew it they were in front of the guild doors.
Laxus set down Lucy and waited till she stopped swaying from the disorientation before pushing her up to the doors. "Ready for this, Blondie?"
"Huh?"
Laxus let out a chuckle and gestured to the doors of the guild. "You ready to face your team?" Laxus watched the color drain from Lucy's face and her eyes widen.
"Oh crap. My team is probably freaking out by now." Lucy knew that Natsu had most likely came to her house last night and would have found her missing. He probably passed out on her bed waiting for her to come home only to wake up again to her still gone. Then he probably rushed to the guild hall yelling that she was kidnapped for all the world to hear and started complete mayhem. This spelled out an entirely too messy situation she did not want to be caught up in. The guild doors now looked suspiciously like they were holding back a raging fire breather, a sword –loving red head, a blizzard in the making, and one annoying blue fur ball. "On second thought, let's head back and stay at your house for the day. I'm still pretty tired, you know." Lucy turned to march in a random direction since she only knew that Laxus lived in the forest, but was stopped when an arm caught her around the waist and pulled her to face the doors again.
"Oh no you don't, it can't be that bad." Laxus smirked down at Lucy, only for it to fall off just as fast as it appeared when he took in her grave expression. "It can't, can it?"
"Take whatever you think it will be and multiple that by Team Natsu's destruction." Lucy deadpanned.
Laxus gulped and looked back to the doors. Now that he thought about it, were those crashes he was hearing in the guild? It could only be one of the many brawls the idiots of the guild got into each day, right?
He knew that Lucy's team was protective of her, hell, the entire guild loved her and protected her fiercely. What would they do when they found out that she was with him the entire time? Would they try to fight him? Or take Lucy away from him? That thought had him pulling Lucy closer to his side. No, they wouldn't take her away right when he found her. She was his now.
"Well, Lucy, we'll have to go into the guild at some point, better to get it over with now than to let that destruction force called your team fester in their panic." He heard a sigh of resignation leave Lucy and moved his hand that wasn't holding her to the door. "Here goes nothing." He mumbled, and then pushed the door open a little too hard.
The resounding crash from it hitting the wall silenced the guild and had every head turning in their direction only to find the image of a scowling Laxus with his arm curled around their beloved celestial mage who was standing there with wide eyes. Nobody knew what to say.
But the stunned stupor didn't last for long. Then it was terrible. Horrible. Chaos.
"Luce!"
"You bastard, get your hands off of her!"
"Where have you been, Lucy?"
"Laxus get away from her!"
I feel like this chapter was a little different from the first two. They consisted more of deeper thoughts than this one I feel, but hey, I have to lead up to other situations where more inner problems can possibly be revealed and healed in this one-shot turned story. But I hope this chapter met everyone's expectations! I really want to write a story everyone continues to enjoy and not have it loose momentum throughout the story by not producing quality chapters.
And we have already made it to the guild! ;) The situation was just too perfect to not leave it as a cliff hanger and I hope you don't hate me too much because of it. Obviously I'll try to get the next chapter out soon again so I won't leave you all hanging for too long!
So if you have any concerns with the story, or are still liking it, review or PM me! If you have flames then let them out, I can take them, although I would prefer you to make it constructive criticism so I can write along the lines of everyone's wishes!
Until next time!