I didn't post this chapter on time, because funerals suck. They really suck.
I'm not sure if anyone noticed in the last chapter that the only one who didn't get an exception written into the barrier for them was Natsu. The others can come and go as they please, when their respective teammate gets a chance to alter Levy's rune barrier. The thought of this amuses me greatly, and another reason why I laughed my ass off writing this whole story.
Response to reviews! Thank you everyone who has written a review, including desilang, mynameishelby, takeagamble27, and I'm glad you're enjoying my story.
Tarapasty: Oh, they're going to be sneaky, and they're absolutely going to use all the tools available to them in their arsenal, including seduction and manipulating situations to their advantage.
jessifer89: I honestly didn't even think about them using the runes to sabotage the others, but that would have been a great idea. I have multiple endings planned out, one for each dragon slayer, and also a chapter of random, crack-filled endings that my brain managed to conjure up, so you have that to look forward to.
AGreen2222: My theory with the mating bond is that once it's been consummated, the dragon slayer will fall in love with her because of the biological demand, which on several levels is really problematic. I do explore that in a later chapter. Each ending, and therefore each dragon slayer will have their Happily Ever After with Lucy. Sting partially is motivated by his one-sided rivalry with Natsu, yes, but Natsu is also really competitive, and will (predictably) lose his shit if she ends up with any of the others. I have to say, I enjoyed writing that part into each of the different endings.
A loud, formal knock at the door had Lucy stumbling out of bed the next morning. Briefly deciding her t-shirt and sleep shorts were more than enough cover, she blearily yanked the door open to see who had woken her up. Freed blinked at her as the door opened, and a light blush settled across his cheeks as he realised she was still in her pyjamas.
"Uh…" He started intelligently, and Lucy blinked at him and leaned against the door frame.
"Why are you here, Freed?" She asked gently, and her question gave him the time to pull himself together and centred his focus on her face.
"Laxus would like to take you out to breakfast." He announced, and Lucy let out a soft Ah. "He has a restaurant in mind already, however if there's one you prefer, he will happily accompany you there instead." Having delivered his message, the green-haired mage looked at her expectantly. Lucy nodded slowly, thinking it over.
"Okay, that sounds good. Where am I meeting him? Also, why didn't he come himself?" She asked curiously.
"He didn't want to impose, so he asked me to deliver his message." He sniffed, as if the answer should be obvious. "He will pick you up and walk with you to breakfast. How long do you require to get ready?" Lucy mulled over the question for a moment.
"Give me 30 minutes?" She asked, and Freed nodded in return.
"Then Laxus shall be here in exactly 30 minutes." He declared, and turned to leave. Lucy watched him go, and shook her head at his odd behaviour. Freed is definitely on the weird side, she thought in amusement, and closed the door. Bath time! She internally cheered, and went to get ready.
30 minutes passed too soon, and there was a knock at the door just as Lucy finished pulling her hair up into its customary ponytail. Strapping her keys to her belt, she walked over to the door, and opened it to find Laxus filling the frame. He took a deep breath in, and storm grey eyes widened at the scent.
"I'm glad Gramps gave me a sample of your scent before I saw you in person, Blondie." He breathed, and took a step back. Lucy clutched at the door, and made to close it again, but his voice stopped her.
"Wait. I'm sorry, it just slipped out. Would – would you like to go to breakfast with me?" The question felt odd coming out of his mouth, as if he were more used to telling rather than asking. She scanned his face, looking for any sign he was going to lose control like Natsu did the night before, but found him calm, relaxed.
"Okay," She managed to say, and stepped out from the protectiveness of the barrier, completely unaware that Freed had modified the runes mere seconds before knocking on her door earlier that morning.
Closing and locking the door behind her, the two walked together, stilted pleasantries giving way to actual conversation.
Lucy snorted with laughter over the remains of her breakfast as Laxus recounted one of his team's more lucrative jobs, tears streaming down her face as she held out a hand.
"Stop!" She cried, and clutched at the table trying to get her breath back. Sucking in air, she managed to bring herself under control, and wiped away the tears. "Please tell me he actually did it. Please." She begged, and began giggling again when he nodded.
"It was part of the job request, so yeah. Now that I think about it, Freed swore us all to secrecy, so, uh, maybe don't go telling people that one." Laxus chuckled, mentally apologising to his friend for throwing him under the wagon.
He watched her laugh, and really liked what he saw. Her eyes sparkled with mirth, and her face was split with a wide smile. She was clearly intelligent by the conversations they'd gone through that morning, and she had a wicked sense of humour. Even if her scent wasn't quietly driving him insane, had he known her just a bit better earlier, he would have tried his luck with her. He watched as she casually passed a hand over her keys, and jolted upright.
"How is it nearly midday already?" She asked, wide eyes looking around, and he shrugged.
"Good food, and good company makes time slip past pretty quickly." He replied, leaning towards her. She smiled at him, and leaned inwards as well.
"I didn't know the company would be this good, though." She murmured, and her eyes were drawn into his. "You've been a perfect gentleman. I guess I should apologise to you, I thought you would be a little more like Natsu." She sighed, and Laxus couldn't help but feel a little insulted.
"Yeah, well, I was raised with some actual manners." He muttered, and blinked as she laughed again. Her eyes held a little more admiration and respect in them, and he felt like he was falling into the chocolatey depths. They were interrupted by a waiter, asking if they were after anything else, and he was both relieved and disappointed when Lucy shook her head, and asked for the bill.
He insisted on paying despite her protests, and told her that when she asked him out, then she could pay. She'd pouted at him, then profusely thanked him for the meal. They meandered through the streets, and ended up in a park under a tree, not far from the guild. Lucy sighed, and looked over to where the building sat.
"I guess we should head over." She said reluctantly, then whipped her head around to stare at him in surprise as he took her hand.
"Not necessarily." He murmured, eyes half lidded. "Lucy, can I kiss you?" His voice was low and smooth, like water over riverstones, and she was instantly enthralled. She flushed, nodding, and her eyes fell to his mouth. He gave her a small smile, and bent down, spare hand catching her gently under her chin as their lips met. Lucy's eyes slid shut, and she gasped at the feel of him against her.
Taking advantage, Laxus licked her lips, and flicked his tongue against hers. Her free hand winded into his hair, and she brought him closer to her, heat flicking through her as they kissed. Abruptly, he pulled away, gasping for air as he stumbled back, and Lucy moaned at the loss of his body heat, chest heaving as she took uneven breaths. He made a strangled sound in the back of his throat, and gave her a desperate, dangerous look.
"Blondie, make that noise again, and I'll be mating you here and now, damn everyone else." He growled, keeping his voice low. Lucy swallowed nervously, and stepped away from him.
"I thought I'd be able to keep it under control, but your scent is just too damn powerful." He groaned, and scrubbed at his face with a hand. "Get to the guild, they'll be able to protect you there." He told her, and storm grey eyes watched her turn and run. Every instinct in him was screaming at him to chase after her, catch her, and bury himself in her. He tensed, ready to move.
A slight noise above him had Laxus glancing up into the tree above, and his eyes widened as they met furious violet a split second before a fist slammed into the bridge of his nose. He cried out in surprise, and Lucy turned back just in time to see Erik bury a clenched fist into the blond's gut.
"Stop!" She screamed at them, but the men ignored her as they began to brawl. Frustration bubbling, she turned and ran to the guild hall, hoping there would be someone there who could stop the two dragon slayers from killing each other.
When Lucy had run into the guild hall, eyes bright and chest heaving from exertion, Rogue abandoned all pretence of conversation with the green-haired rune mage in front of him, vastly more interested in the way the blonde celestial mage was moving.
"Cobra's attacking Laxus!" She shouted, and the entire guild turned to look at her.
"What? Where?!" Freed demanded, bench screeching against the floor as he stood.
"Park, two streets over. If they start using magic, they're going to destroy half the town!" And with that, half the guild was moving through the doors, Fairy Tail's master along with them. Natsu was first out the door, declaring he was ready for a good fight, and the Shadow dragon slayer had to bite back a laugh. Natsu is always ready for a fight, he thought in amusement. With that, however, all their potential rivals were neatly out of the way, and from across the hall, Sting met his eyes. Rogue gave him a nearly imperceptible smile, and both sets of eyes fell on Lucy.
The blonde had watched as half the guild ran out the door, and shook her head. She knew most of them had gone to watch the spectacle, but she was well aware of how brutal both Laxus and Erik could be in a fight. She'd experienced both of their fury firsthand. Taking the time to bring her breathing under control, she made her way to the bar.
"Don't you want to go watch the fight, Lucy?" Mira asked her as she dropped onto a stool at the empty bar. Lucy shook her head.
"Nah. Knowing why they're fighting, being there will probably make it worse. I don't want them to – to be extra brutal to each other just because I'm watching, and I really don't want to try getting between them. That seems like a recipe for getting poisoned, or a lighting bolt up the ass by mistake." She sighed, and dropped her head onto the bar. Mira giggled, but patted her head sympathetically.
"Master told me what's going on." The white-haired mage informed her, and her blue eyes sparkled. "Think of all the possible combinations of babies." She whispered distantly, and Lucy raised her head to see Mira's face flush.
"Oh, my." The takeover mage murmured, and brought her hands to her cheeks. Lucy opened her mouth to try and bring Mira out of her daze, but was interrupted by two people dropping onto the bar stools on either side of her. Looking left, then right, Lucy squeaked as the twin dragons of Sabertooth smirked down at her. Turning hopeful eyes towards Mira, her face fell as she realised the demon barmaid had disappeared, door to the kitchens swinging behind her.
"So much for backup." Lucy huffed, and Sting chuckled.
"Do you honestly think we're going to do anything to you in your guild hall?" He asked, leaning his head on the back of his hand and curling around to face her more fully. Lucy blushed, and her eyes travelled to a few places she knew several couples had defiled.
"Well…" She hummed, and the White dragon slayer laughed.
"We just want to get to know you." Rogue said gently, and smiled as she turned to look at him. He was beginning to love how expressive her eyes were, even if she was clearly apprehensive. "Would you join us for dinner tonight?" He asked, hope creeping into his tone. She considered him for a moment, turned to look at Sting, then turned back to Rogue.
"Sure. Do you have an idea where you want to go?" She asked, and smiled at him. He shook his head.
"I was hoping you had some suggestions. We don't know Magnolia that well, I'm afraid." His tone held a hint of apology in it, and she absently patted his hand. Behind her, Sting's eyes flashed dangerously, and Rogue raised an eyebrow minutely in return. Getting the message, the blond settled.
"There's a few places I can think of." She mused, and her eyes were distant as she worked her way through the choices. That place needs a reservation, no, that place is too casual, not even sure that place is open for dinner. I wonder what price point they're thinking of?
"How fancy do you want to go?" She asked, tapping her chin with a finger.
"Wherever you choose, we'll follow you." Sting's voice was low, sensual, and his words had their intended effect. Lucy turned bright red at the double entendre, clutched at the bar for support, and peeked up at the blond through the corner of her eye. The corner of his mouth was tilted into a smile and his eyes were heavy on her face. Combined with his languid posture and delectable scent that she was just starting to notice, he looked utterly edible. Her heart began to race, and his smile widened marginally.
"Mid-range, then." She managed to get out.
"Lucy. We're taking you out. Choose somewhere nice, please." Rogue's voice was velvety smooth, and almost without her permission, her head turned so she could regard him. He'd mirrored his partner's positioning, smile included, and both his ruby eyes were visible as his hair fell to the side of his face. A thrill rushed through her, and she briefly considered what it would be like to be sandwiched between them, nearly spontaneously combusting on the spot at the thought. Words having failed her and heart rate climbing, she nodded dumbly.
"We'll pick you up at 6, then?" Sting whispered in her ear, and she shivered at the sound.
The commotion at the door interrupted them, and Lucy was glad for the distraction. Laxus was pulled through the doors by his team first. He was still walking under his own power, but leaning heavily on Bickslow as the seith mage looked towards the stairs and the infirmary.
Scanning the hall, the Lightning dragon slayer quickly found the blonde he'd been fighting for at the bar, the Sabertooth dragons flanking her, both of them watching him with interest. He narrowed his eyes at the pair before honing storm grey eyes on the bombshell between them. She looked worried for him, he was pleased to see, with a hand covering her mouth.
Then an unconscious Cobra was carried through the doors, clothing charred, and looking extra crispy. Lucy's eyes widened at the sight, and her eyes flicked to Laxus, who smirked at her. They really did try to kill each other, she thought in horror. Wendy pattered along with the group, and glared at the twin dragon slayers as they passed, but didn't deviate from her path. She'd be busy soon enough in the infirmary.
Seeing Levy and Gajeel walk through the doors, Lucy took her opportunity to flee to safety, and quickly slipped from the stool and speed-walked over to them. Seeing the desperate look on her face, Levy grabbed Lucy's hand and dragged them off to her usual table near the request board. Chancing a glance over her shoulder, Lucy glanced back at the bar and her heart exploded into a gallop again as she found both Rogue and Sting watching her go. Gajeel glanced back at her, startled.
"You okay, Bunny?" He rumbled, and Lucy jumped at his voice. Levy pulled her down onto the bench, and Lucy buried her face in her hands.
"Yes. No. I don't know." She groaned, and looked up. "I think I'm in trouble." She stated, and her eyebrows drew together in a frown. Levy patted her arm.
"Tell me what's up, Lu. I'm sure we can help you." She said soothingly, and glanced up at Gajeel, who nodded. Lucy quietly recounted the events of the day, and couldn't help but feel self-conscious as Levy's eyebrows climbed towards her hairline at the tale. The blonde hesitated as she got to the part about being ambushed at the bar, and she quickly glanced over her shoulder. Rogue was in deep conversation with Erza at the bar, and the Master had Sting's rapt attention as the older man gestured as he talked. Deciding it was safe, she lowered her voice and whispered. Levy nodded slowly at her, and a strange expression crossed her face.
"Lu," She began slowly, "You're in trouble. But you're right, you do need to speak with them all before you make your decision. Now, you don't have to go dinner with them alone. Gaj and I can come with you and sit at a different table." The bluenette smiled, but it was tinged with pity. Lucy shook her head.
"It's okay, you don't have to. They've all been gentlemanly so far. Even Cobra yesterday-" She was cut off by a flash of gold light, and Loke sat at the table with them.
"Sorry, I interrupted. Please, continue." He gave them all a winning smile, politely gesturing for Lucy to keep talking. The celestial mage blinked at him, then shook her head.
"Don't make me force close your gate," She hissed at him, and he held up his hands in surrender. Flicking her eyes back to Levy, she sighed.
"Cobra and I talked yesterday, and he told me what he thinks it'll be like with him. He said he'd do everything in his power to make me happy." Lucy blushed, and brought a hand to her cheek. "I nearly kissed him, but he heard Natsu coming. He wanted to fight him, but I told him not to, and he left."
"And we later figured out 'everything in his power' probably also involved murder." Loke mused, and Gajeel let out a bark of laughter. Lucy gave the lion an exasperated look.
"And Natsu?" Levy prompted, brown eyes impatiently curious.
"Natsu I actually kissed. I needed to see I could move beyond being best friends, and yeah. It could be a possibility. He thinks it will be like the next natural stage." The blonde kept her voice low, not wanting anyone to overhear.
"And afterwards, I had to throw him in the canal. He was getting a bit handsy." Loke interjected, ignoring the glare Lucy shot him. Levy clapped a hand over her mouth and let out a snort of laughter, and Gajeel cackled.
"Sounds like you're jealous, Loke." Lucy quipped, raising an eyebrow at him. The lion shrugged.
"You know you're the only one for me, gorgeous." He replied warmly, and winked at her. The blonde rolled her eyes, making a dismissive gesture and muttering 'pervert' under her breath at him.
"I'm sorry, Lucy, I have to ask. Laxus?" The bluenette pressed, and Lucy blushed yet again.
"He's a lot nicer than I thought he'd be." She admitted. "And yeah, I kissed him. I didn't really want to stop, but he threatened to throw me down right there and then." Lucy whispered, Levy having to duck closer to hear what the blonde said. Loke's eyes flashed behind his glasses.
"I wouldn't have let him." He said mildly. "You're too beautiful to be taken in public like that. I'd have gone with candles on every surface and the softest bed I could find." He winked at his key-holder again, and she raised an eyebrow.
"Okay, simmer down, lover-boy." Lucy told him, unamused.
"Anything for you, beautiful." He purred, and she resisted the urge to go for his key.
"Have you decided where to go for dinner?" Levy broke in, deciding to ignore the flirtatious spirit for now.
"Not yet. Rogue requested somewhere nice." Lucy replied, relieved for the change in topic. Levy sat back, eyes thoughtful.
"There's this place over near the bakery that has a great mix of local and international food. It's fancy enough to dress up a little, but the prices aren't unreasonable." She suggested, and Lucy's face brightened.
"Sounds good. Where is it, exactly?" She asked, and the two women hashed out the details. By the time they finished, both were smiling.
"We'll see you there at 6:30. I don't trust them not to do something stupid." Gajeel growled, ruby eyes flicking back and forth between the other two dragon slayers. Rogue lifted his eyes to meet his briefly before going back to his conversation. Lucy sighed.
"Thanks, Gajeel." She said in resignation, and he flashed a smirk at her.
"Shrimp, you got something nice to wear?" He asked, eyeing the bluenette. Levy rolled her eyes.
"Of course I have something nice to wear." She told him, and he smiled wolfishly at her.
"You sure? Maybe I should check." His voice was low, and Lucy's eyebrows shot upwards.
"I think that's my cue to leave. C'mon, Loke." She stood, and dragged her spirit away from the table.
"Do you need help deciding what to wear too?" He teased, and Lucy dropped his hand like it was burning her.
"Don't be creepy." She told him seriously, and dropped down onto a bench. The table she chose was thankfully empty, and closer to the front doors than what they had been. The pair watched as Levy and Gajeel made their way out of the guild, and Lucy's lips curled into a small smile.
"Yeah, Levy, get some!" She quietly cheered, and Gajeel shot her an amused look over his shoulder. "Crap, he heard me." She ducked her head down in embarrassment. Loke grinned down at her.
"The dragon slayers do have some incredible hearing." He reminded her, and sat down.
"Don't I know it." She sighed, and rested her head on the table. They sat in companionable silence for a few minutes, both contemplating the situation. Loke glanced over at his keyholder and adjusted his glasses.
"I'm getting a drink. Do you want anything?" He asked, standing. Lucy shook her head, and he left the table.
Less than a minute passed before someone took a seat opposite the blonde. Resisting the urge to make a snarky comment, she lifted her head and froze in surprise as Rufus Lore smirked back at her.
"Oh… Hi Rufus." Lucy said hesitantly, sitting up.
"It has been a while, hasn't it? How have you been?" He asked courteously, and she blinked at him. Small talk. She could do small talk, and in the meantime, figure out exactly what he was after.
"It has been a few years. I've been well, and yourself?" She returned his greeting, and his smirk softened into a smile.
"Well, thank you." The two exchanged pleasantries, keeping the conversation light and superficial. Eventually, the memory-make mage pulled out a book, and laid it on the table, and Lucy's eyebrows rose. Well, that looks familiar.
"You read my book?" She asked in surprise, and glanced back up at the blond.
"Most of Sabertooth has. Yukino brought a copy to the guild one day, and it made the rounds. It's very well written." He praised her, and Lucy blushed with embarrassment. "Would you sign it for me?" He asked, producing a pen. Her eyes widened, and she nodded.
"Sure. I've never signed a book for anyone I actually knew before." She told him, and took the pen.
"Your book told me a lot about you, and your thought process. I've of course memorised it." He said casually, and watched the pen pause on the page. With a sigh, Lucy finished signing the first page, and slid both the book and the pen back over.
"Rufus, what do you want?" She asked plainly. "We both know you're not here to build inter-guild relations, and normally you wouldn't be speaking with me. What's really going on?" She leaned back and crossed her arms. The memory-make mage tilted his head in surprise and really looked at her before letting out a laugh.
"You're more intelligent than you look." He murmured, and Lucy couldn't help but feel insulted. "We are here to build inter-guild relations, in conjunction with gaining more information on you. Your scent has such an interesting effect on the dragon slayers, and if you're to become the next Queen of the Tigers, I would like to understand you better." He eyed her curiously again, studying her hair, her expressive eyes, the tilt of her head, and the frown on her face.
"I thought Minerva was Queen of the Tigers." Lucy said neutrally, inwardly screaming. Queen of the Tigers? QUEEN OF THE TIGERS? Is he serious?! What the hell!
"Mmm, she is currently. However, with Master Sting and Rogue backing you, she would be forced to concede the title." Rufus said lightly, watching as Lucy raised an eyebrow at him.
"I don't need a title. I had one, once, and I didn't care for it. If that's all, I'm leaving." With that, the blonde stood, pausing as the memory-make mage rose with her. She narrowed her eyes at him as he touched his hat in farewell, and she left the guild quickly, headed for home.
I... kinda feel the need to write a Rufus/Lucy oneshot now, just because. Well, adding it to the list of things to think about writing, because time is limited.
Excitingly, we've seen the first interactions with Laxus, and the Sabertooth duo. Cobra's pissed someone else is swooping in on what he sees as his, Laxus is showing off how powerful he can be whilst taking out the competition, while and Sting and Rogue are going down the seduction route. Shall we see how their date goes?