"You are the Finest, loveliest, tenderest, and most beautiful person I have ever known - and even that is an understatement"

Everyone wakes up on the wrong side of the bed. Everyone. Regardless of how perfect they are or how perfect they might pretend to be. It happens, even to me, which is shocking because I actually am perfect.

Just kidding, of course.

But the fact remains that everyone wakes up mad sometimes. Absorbed in an incurable, incorrigible anger. The world swims, and the only thing they seem capable of grasping is their unwavering fury. What exactly a person is angry at almost always manages to get lost somewhere along the way, but the fact remains that it boils inside, eating them up until they're nothing but a blazing ball of rage. They feel only animosity towards any and all who approach them, and they face every task in front of them with irritation. There is no cure for their bitterness; the only peace they can find is the intoxicating lull of sleep at the end of the day. And by then, the day is already so thoroughly ruined that there doesn't seem to be much hope in sleeping in the first place.

That being said.

Everyone wakes up on the right side of the bed sometimes too, which is really rare, but it does happen. They wake up happy. Unbelievably, indescribably happy. Ecstatic. They start their day off with a pure shot of pleasure, and they continually drink a draught of joy as the day winds on. The days that start off happy are some of the best. And on July 5, 791, the eve of the final tournament of the Grand Magic Games, I experienced such a feeling.

I awoke relatively early, and when I say awoke I mean awoke. There was no slow peeling open of my eyes—no fluttering of lashes—no sweet call of birds or gentle dawn of the sun. I didn't lie in my bed with the sticky sweet memory of sleep hanging over me. I was ripped into reality, my mind turning on the same time my eyes did. Joy sang from my side, and jubilance washed over me in waves. I could feel every part of me swell with unprecedented cheer. Sunlight poured around me, bathing me in golden rays of light, and I sat up. A window hung above my bed, and I carefully peered out of it, noticing the crowds of people milling about a story below me. Even their movements seemed almost rapturous—like the gaiety that filled me had leaked out to my surroundings, and that maybe, just maybe, all was right in the world for once.

I lingered a few moments, soaking in the people and the places and the things for a precious minute before I moved from my position. My brain lacked the almost routine lethargy it typically possessed in the mornings, and I observed the room before me with a keen eye. The room was almost empty, but almost empty in a way that made it seem all the more comfortable. Just me and the cots and the sun and the light and the only other person left behind. He occupied the bed furthest away from me, and great claps of thunder erupted from Laxus every time he inhaled. His snores trampolined across the wooden walls around us, magnifying and bellowing and bouncing back towards me. It was a miracle he didn't wake himself, and it was a miracle he hadn't managed to wake me earlier.

My eyes wandered over his sleeping figure, and, ironically enough, his features were soft, almost gentle. A proud nose dipped down into a pair of supple strawberry lips. Bushy, arched brows framed a pair of closed eyes. Thick lashes swept down, trying to their hardest to reach the slope of his cheek. His face was sculpted, with high cheekbones and exquisitely molded cheeks that ended their descent with an elegant jaw. His tousled, flaxen hair fell like a cloud over rough, scarred skin, and I could see the distinct hedging of stubble that covered his jaw. Laxus looked peaceful while he slept, and everything about him seemed softer. For the first time I could actually see him as a little boy, with his soft blond hair falling into his eyes and his mouth pulled up into a gentle smile.

Unable to help myself, I released a soft laugh and padded across the floor to his bed, sinking into the moth-eaten mattress on the vacated space by his legs. Again my gaze wandered, and I found it lingering on his sunflower lashes. My eyes slipped down, observing a faded constellation of freckles across his nose that I'd failed to see before. Not as obvious as my own, but still there. A soft smile lifted my lips.

However, the moment of peace was interrupted by another horrendous snore, one that sent me flying off the bed in surprise. In the mess, my foot had snagged on the blankets, and they came cascading down on me, followed by a deeply ensnared Laxus. His eyes flew open when he started crashing, and he released a shout of surprise as he landed with a thud, almost colliding with me in the process.

I laughed, and laughed, and laughed, and laughed a bit more for good measure. The delirious expression Laxus wore suggested that he did not find the situation at all funny, but I didn't mind. I was enjoying myself too much to allow his grumpy attitude to spoil my fun.

"What the hell, Alex?"

"I fell," I replied with a shrug and a smile.

"Were you watching me?" He almost seemed amused by the thought, but I brushed it off quickly, my features hardening.

"What? Of course not. I was just about to wake you, actually. Your snoring was getting to be annoying."

He folded his arms. "You do realize you snore too, right?"

"No I don't," I retorted, and, on second thought, added, "Why, have you been watching me while I sleep? I always knew you were a pervert but this…"

"Oh stuff it," He said, and I laughed, a blushing kind of happiness stealing across my features as I faced him. I noticed a freckle on his eyelid. A secret sort of smile on his lips. I wanted to run my fingers through the soft hair that fell in front of his face, not yet spiked back with mousse or gel or electricity.

I spoke, leaning forward as I did so, "Besides, if I didn't wake you up then you'd probably waste the whole day lying in this inn, which would be a really stupid decision, in case you didn't already know."

"Oh really?" His lips curled in a smirk, and my eyes flashed.

"Really," I said. "You've got the whole day to do whatever you want to; wouldn't want to waste it by sleeping yourself into a stupor on a gorgeous day like this."

"No I s'pose I wouldn't," said Laxus, grinning, and I leaned back from him.

"Good choice." I made to stand, but he caught my arm before I could move, the same smile still lifting his lips.

"What's with that dopey look?"

"What dopey look?"

"The one you're wearing on your face right now, along with the uncharacteristic amount of optimism."

"Uncharacteristic?" I folded my arms. "What, do I normally act like a bitter old hag?"

"That's one way to put it."

I lunged forward, but he was too quick for me to land a blow. Within seconds he was off of the ground and leaping out of arms' reach with what could only be called lightning quick reflexes. He stood mere feet away—wearing little more than a pair of boxers. A grin plastered itself across my face.

"Put on some clothes you pervert," I announced, and he released a bellowing laugh.

"Why?" His hands landed on his hips. "Do you find this…" He rocked his hips forward in a manner that might have appeared seductive, if it weren't for the fact that he looked like a complete idiot "Distracting?"

"I find it rather terrifying, to be honest," I said, and was promptly buffeted in the face by a pillow. Laxus was grinning at me, his eyes shining with challenge, just begging me to fight back. Obviously, I did.

I bolted after him, grabbing the nearest ammunition I could find and taking it along with me. He wasn't too quick then, and before he knew what was happening, Laxus was smacked hard across the face with a goose feather pillow.

"Why you little-"

He was promptly cut off as I dealt another deafening blow to his pompous head, and I burst into uncontrollable laughter.

"What was that you were saying, Sparky?"

I loaded my weapon, pumping my pillow once to give it a great fluff, but before I could continue my offense, Laxus launched his counterattack. A solid pillow, one of the firm ones made for the freaks that slept on their back, smashed into me, and I was sent staggering into the side of a nearby bed. He chuckled, loud raucous bursts of sound, and continued the assault.

I whacked him in retaliation. And then again and again and again until I was starting to think he was going easy on me.

I hesitated, pulling my pillow back to peer at him, "What are you-"

He was barreling at me, full speed ahead, and for a moment I thought he might want to tackle me until I saw him going for my waist. My feet were flying out from underneath me, and before I knew what was happening I was hoisted unceremoniously onto a great boulder of a shoulder. A childlike squeal slipped past my lips, and I giggled as I pounded my fists against his back. A great rumble of laughter tore through him, and he wrapped his hands around my waist. The muscles in his back and arms coiled like a snake, and I was launched off like a rocket taking flight. I landed with a thud on the vinyl cot his sheets had slipped off of, and he landed beside me with a crash.

We were both laughing and breathing so hard by then that neither of us could get more than a few intelligible gasps out, so we both lay floundering next to each other like a ridiculous couple of fish. I don't know how long we stayed like that, but it felt like an eternity. And, staring at him beside me, my chest heaving up and down as I tried to find my breath, I had this thought. Not about the Games or the winning or the happiness or the world, but a thought about how maybe Laxus wasn't entirely a person after all. He was more like the crackle and hiss of a bonfire—the charged, almost electric atmosphere left behind after it rains. That he was the seven seas all rolled into one, with skin and bones and teeth, and I thought that maybe, just maybe, I finally understood why hurricanes were named after people. Because even though I'd never seen a hurricane before, I'd never seen anything like Laxus either. But there he was, and there I was and there we were both drowning and I didn't know what had happened to make us this way.

I rolled on my side, and his head turned, watching me as he lay flush against the bed. His eyes flicked across my face, and I grinned. Laxus bit his lip, and I saw his gaze slip down to mine, but something clouded his features and he cleared his throat. He rose and took a calculated step away, his eyes darting to the other side of the room.

"I should probably get dressed."

"Yeah, you probably should," I replied, and he strode off. I sank back against his bed. It smelled like mold, mildew, and Laxus. Not a very pleasant combination. "Don't skip on the deodorant, Sunshine!" I called, and my comment was greeted by a string of muffled swears. I grinned and rose from the musty mattress, dancing around the room and raising the other curtains to reveal blushing beams of sunlight. Laxus tripped over something in the bathroom. I could hear the surprised grunt and the consecutive tirade of even more furious curses. I smiled. What an idiot.

I returned to my bedside a extracted my trunk from its home underneath my creaking mattress. With nimble fingers I untied the straps and flipped it open. I was changed before Laxus had even finished his stint in the bathroom, and I was halfway through brushing my hair when he finally stepped out.

"Took you long enough." I remarked, and he shot me a withering look.

"It's not easy to look this beautiful," Laxus said, and I rolled my eyes before I ducked into the bathroom. I finished getting ready and exited (and at a speed much faster than Laxus, for the record), and I was in the middle of pulling my hair back when I noticed Laxus staring at me. I tied off the elastic and grinned at him.

"What is it? Jealous of my beauty or something?" I inquired.

"You got any plans today?"

A smirk crossed my face. "I do, actually."

"Like what?" He asked.

"Can't say, but I can assure you they won't be boring."

"That doesn't exactly sound good-"

"Oh give me a break Laxus, when have I ever planned something that didn't turn out good?" I teased, and his features blanched. He opened his mouth to protest, but I was already halfway out the door and too far out of his reach. "See you later, Sparky," I called, snapping the entrance to the room shut with a flick of my wrist.

My ponytail swung behind me as I danced down the hall, my ears waiting for the sound of heavy footsteps behind me. Certainly, it'd been fun messing around with him, but I had people to see and places to go. And, as much fun as he might've been to be around, he could also be a major pain in the ass. Laxus had this terrible habit of trying to 'protect' me, and it did more harm than good, in my opinion.

I tore out of the inn and into the crowded streets of Magnolia. My feet hit the cobbled path, and I glanced around. The plan was simple. Find Ultear. That was all I had to do. Find Ultear. I'd find her and I'd straighten things out.

I knew that she was somewhere in Crocus, so that was a start. The problem, though, seemed to be Crocus itself. To say the city was 'big' would be a gross understatement. I'd gotten lost more times than I could count—I still did, even after living there for three months. I had no leads aside from 'in Crocus' which wasn't much of a lead at all, and I wasn't going to acquire any more leads anytime soon. Jellal had fled from Fairy Tail's midst. My inside man was shot.

But, I was sure that I could find her. It couldn't be that hard.

"Xandria."

I turned around to see Laxus staring at me, and I pursed my lips.

~Laxus' POV~

When I think about Alexandria the first thing that comes to my mind is her head. Her skull and what it contains. The slope of her neck—the contents of her brain. Which is kind of odd. I've never really met someone with what I'd consider a nice head. Maybe I just never paid attention before I met her. But the fact was, Alexandria had a particularly magnificent head, complete with a brilliantly intricate mind—and that was something I wasn't used to seeing in a woman, or a man, or anyone for that matter.

Sometimes I look at her head, and I can't help but wonder, What are you thinking? What's it like up there? Considering her chaotic nature and spontaneity, I often wondered what the hell she thought she was doing. If you knew her, you'd probably be asking the same things too.

And then, as I stood in front of her, taking in the frustrated expression on her face, I couldn't help but ask myself that question once again.

What are you thinking, Alexandria?

~Xandria's POV~

"What do you want? This is our day off, so go do something fun and entertaining instead of bothering me."

"Exactly," Laxus replied. "I've got a whole beautiful day to myself, so maybe I want to spend it with a beautiful girl like you."

My cheeks burned, and I scoffed several times before I was capable of forming a response. "Okay, that's got to be one of the lamest things that has ever come out of your mouth—"

"Look, I'm bored and everyone's gone," He deadpanned. "I've already seen most of Crocus, and there's nothing that I really want to do. Believe me, I can't stand you as much as you can't stand me, but I figure spending the day with you is better than fighting boredom."

I folded my arms and frowned. "You sure you wanna tag along?"

"Yeah."

"And you promise you won't interfere?"

"Sure."

"And you won't tell anyone about it?"

"Wait, what are we doing again?"

"Top secret," I replied, "but like I said; it definitely will not be boring."

Laxus considered this for a moment, and I was tempted to leave him behind, when he gave a nod. His lips quirked up. "Alright then."

"And you swear you won't tell anyone about it?"

"Yeah, yeah, sure."

"And you'll help me with whatever I need?"

"Yes, Alex," he blurted. "Gods will you just relax a little?" His tone was all exasperation.

I grinned. "Pinky promise it then."

"What?"

"A pinky promise. It's only the single most important pact that two people can make—stronger than a wedding vow, even."

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I know what a pinky promise is, I just—"

"Then do it already." I stuck out my hand, waving a slightly crooked pinky at him. He eyed it with distaste, but finally hooked his own finger in my own. And like that our promise was sealed. I took off down the cobbled streets of Crocus, and Laxus followed in my wake, increasing his pace to catch up with me.

"Why are you like this?" He inquired.

"Like what?" I asked.

"So… I don't know…" his hands raked through his hair, "Volatile?"

I stopped in the street and turned on him. His features were still a mixture of confusion, and I answered his question with an order, "I need you to find Jellal." Laxus' squirrel-brows knit together, and he wore that stupid 'are you crazy?' expression that he almost always wore when he looked at me.

"Why do you need me to find Jellal?" Suspicion rolled off of him in poignant waves. It was great to know how much he trusted me.

I blew out a breath of hot air. "Because I just do, okay? You said you'd help me with whatever I needed." As I said this, great bursts of thought danced across his features. He was debating, wrestling with his emotions. Laxus was an easy book to read when it came down to it. Maybe I was just used to him, or maybe three months was a really long time to spend with an asshole like him (which it most certainly was), but as far as I was concerned Laxus wore his emotions on his sleeve.

Finally he spoke, "Fine."

"Good," I said, and he grumbled in reply. "So where do I start looking?"

"You don't start anywhere," He retorted. "Jellal told me where he'd be in case we needed to contact him for some reason. I can take you there, but I'm not letting you go alone."

I laughed. "What, do you not trust me or something?"

"I'm just trying to look out for you. What if one of Jellal's companions snaps when they see you?" He must've seen the look of surprise flash across my features, because he released a heavy sigh. "I know about Ultear, Alexandria, and I know enough about your past to realize that maybe it's not such a good idea to have you two particularly close to one another."

"You don't know anything about me, so stop pretending like you do," I grumbled. Laxus rolled his eyes.

"Stop being so dramatic, for once. You've spoken with me, quite a bit in fact, about your past, so don't pretend that I don't know what I'm talking about. I just want to be there in case things go south."

"Believe it or not, I'm not a child, Laxus."

"Oh trust me; I believe it," He said. "Gods know how many times you've reminded me of your independence. 'I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself, Laxus. I don't need your help, Laxus. Go away, Laxus. You're such an overbearing pain in the ass, Laxus.'" My face soured as he mocked me, but he only chuckled.

"Yeah well… whatever," I huffed, and stalked past him. He wasn't worth my time anymore.

"Wait… did you just fail to make a witty retort?" He blurted, feigning shock as he followed behind me. I scowled.

"Could you be any more annoying, Laxus?" I gritted out, and he let out a low laugh.

"You really want me to answer that, sweetheart?"

I flushed with frustration, "Don't call me sweetheart."

"Alright then, princess."

"Will you just take me to Jellal already?" I pressed in exasperation, and he flashed me a toothy grin.

"Sure thing, Sunshine."

"Why do you have to be such a… such a…"

"Such a what?"

"Such a walnut," I blurted.

"A walnut?" He echoed.

"Shut up."

We both burst into a chorus of laughter. I reigned myself in, but not before fixing him with a ridiculous smile.

A grin was plastered across his features when he spoke, "You're so weird."

"So are you."

He stared at me a moment longer before he turned away, practically forcing himself to turn his attention elsewhere.

"We should probably get going then," He announced, and I nodded.

"Agreed, Walnut."