WARNING: Rated M for Explicit Graphic Depictions of Violence, Graphic Depiction of Rape/Non-Consensual Sex, Graphic Sex, Graphic Physical and Mental Abuse, and Mental Instability. Please read at your own discretion.

I do not own Fairy Tail; All major characters depicted in this fan-created fiction story belong to Hiro Mashima.

This chapter is Beta-read by the awesome YungVodkaDikost, if you haven't read any of her stories, you should go check them out!

Chapter 15

Lucy tugged the brush through her long golden hair, cringing every time a knot was forcefully ripped out. Usually, the celestial maiden would just call Cancer out to help her with her hair when it was a complete mess, but she was still fearful of the opposite gender- even if they were her trusted spirits. Though she was slowly getting better at handling males, it was still evident she still had a long way to go.

Lucy frowned while she put the hairbrush back down on the small bathroom counter. It was no use, no matter how much time and effort she put into fixing her hair, it would not come out the way she wanted. The blonde pushed her arms over her head as she tried to stretch the strained tired muscles.

Though Rufus had reset the bone and placed her shoulder back in the socket and Wendy had healed the remaining damage, the blonde still felt a force pulling sensation when she would strain her arm for too long. The celestial wizard had at first thought that maybe Wendy hadn't completely healed her shoulder, but she soon realized it was just a lingering effect of having the muscles repeatedly torn while she was being thrashed about.

After all, there was only so much the little slayer could do, and since healing had already started before the sky dragon slayer arrived, the damage was permanent just like the scars that still littered her body along with the phantom of memories that were attached to them.

Lucy placed her arms back down to her side while letting out a small huff. The tiny counter had been taken over by the various jars and tubes of makeup that sat before her. Though Lucy had plenty of it, she never really wore much makeup, but she had asked Virgo earlier that morning if she could bring a few specific cosmetics from her apartment.

She had already applied a small amount of make up to her face and was going to try and cover some of the visible scars that were left exposed by her outfit. The pale blue skirt that slipped down to graze the middle of her thighs along with the thin strapped white tank top was doing nothing to hide the tiny whitish pink lines that decorated her skin.

The longer Lucy stared at herself in the mirror the more she realized that her efforts would be completely useless in the long run. She knew no matter how much makeup she used to cover her physical features, the scars would still be there to haunt her, regardless of how well they may be covered.

Lucy's eyes drifted from her face down to her arms. Though she had asked her pink haired spirit to bring her emergency heavy duty concealer, the blonde knew she wouldn't be able to cover the black markings that now swirled around her lower arms. The ebony markings had all but engulfed her lower arms in swirls of foreign magic, one that has become more familiar to her with every passing day.

Lucy gave a defeated sigh before she turned away from the mirror. Even if by some miracle she was able to succeed in covering all the markings, it would do nothing to hide the fact that the dragon slayers of Fairy Tail would still be able to sense a difference in her; Lucy shuddered at the thought of all the dragon slayers being able to smell her. She wasn't sure exactly what their keen sense of smell could pick up, but she knew she was not in a hurry to find out.

Lucy gave the various makeup products one last look before tossing them and her hairbrush back into her suitcase, finally deciding there was no point in trying to hide something that couldn't be hidden.

Lucy took out her keys, feeling a soothing calm come over her when she felt the smooth precious metals rest in between her fingers. Once she found the key she was looking for, she quickly swiped it through the air while quietly summoning the pink haired maid.

Lucy watched as the familiar burst of golden light appeared before the spirit stepped through her gate.

"Punishment, Princess?" Lucy shook her head fondly at the stoic maid. Why Virgo always asked for punishment would anyways be an enigma to Lucy, surely the spirit should know by now that the blonde would refuse.

"No Virgo, I have a favor to ask again. Could you please take these suitcases back to my apartment? One is Rogue's and the other is mine. Oh, and by the way, how's everyone doing in the spirit world?" Lucy watched the maid nod before picking up the suitcases before turning toward her.

"Everyone is fine, Princess. We are just patiently waiting for you to call us whenever you need. Cancer asked me to tell you he would love to fix your hair for you when you are ready to let him. I will take these to your apartment and return to the spirit world after I am done. Be safe on your travel, Princess." Lucy watched as the spirit opened her gate before disappearing into the golden light once more.

The blonde looked down at her keys while a sad sigh slipped past her lips. The past month she had been neglecting to call out her spirits, even Plue. Of course, she wanted to feel comfortable enough to call her spirits out once again, but it was still difficult for her. It had become an instinctive reaction for her to flinch when someone steps a little too close to her now, and most of the time, she didn't even realize she was doing it. It had just become a part of who she was now.

Lucy silently put her keys away before shaking her head a little, trying to rid herself of the tears that were threatening to fall. For the first time in a while, Lucy had decided to put on just a small amount of makeup and she didn't want her efforts to be ruined so quickly.

A part of her was wondering if she was truly ready to go back to Fairy Tail and face all her guildmates. She knew that she was still aching to see them, but was it really the right choice for her?

Lucy bit her lip while she pushed her arms out in front of her to stare at the black markings once again. Maybe she should wear a long sleeve shirt instead? Lucy was brought out of her thoughts as a soft knock sounded throughout the room before the click of the door handle being turned was heard. Lucy watched as familiar silver hair came into view while the door opened wider to reveal a smiling Yukino.

"Are you all set to go, Lucy?" Lucy bit her lip once again, she knew she wasn't going to be staying at Fairy Tail for too long, well unless Rogue somehow figured out the cure to her nightmares and could remove the magic from her without hurting or killing her that was.

The blonde felt a prick in her heart at the thought of being away from the other celestial mage. Lucy had made a faithful friend in the other woman and she was going to miss her while she was visiting Fairy Tail. Yukino had become her anchor and her support when Lucy needed someone, essentially Yukino was the person that had kept Lucy grounded when she felt she was starting to float away from reality.

"I'm not so sure anymore. Do you think I should wear a long sleeve shirt instead?" Lucy admitted to the Saber. Lucy watched as Yukino gave her a small sympathetic smile before putting her hands on the blonde's shoulders.

"Breath Lucy, everything will be fine. You should go to your apartment and relax before going to the guild anyway. Are you sure I don't need to come with you?" Lucy watched as the silver-haired woman adopted a concerned expression. A huge part of her wanted to scream yes, that she needed her to come with both Rogue and her.

The thought of being alone with the ebony haired slayer had Lucy a little anxious as well. Of course, she had grown accustomed to being around the slayer, but that didn't make it any less embarrassing that she was going to be sharing her apartment with him. Of course, they wouldn't really be alone since Frosch was coming as well, but it was still nerve-racking.

Lucy looked into Yukino's soft brown eyes. No matter how much she wanted Yukino to come with them, she couldn't keep the silverette from her life, this was something that Lucy needed to do without Yukino's assistance.

Besides, the blonde going to Fairy Tail would also give Yukino a chance to relax as well; the Saber celestial mage had always made it a point to be by Lucy's side, so there was no doubt in the blonde's mind that Yukino needed a break away from her. Plus, Lucy was almost certain that a certain blonde haired guild master was missing having Yukino's company as well.

"I guess you are right. No, I want you to stay here and rest and enjoy some time with Master Sting while we are gone, plus I'll have Levy and I'm sure I can count on Rogue too!" Lucy smirked when a pink blush rose to Yukino's cheeks before she shook her head back and forth while waving her hands out in front of her. Lucy held in her laugh while the silver-haired mage attempted to stammer out incoherent words that fell on deaf ears.

"I-It's not like that Lucy!" Lucy giggled as the other celestial mage backed away only to collide with a muscular chest. Lucy was sure she was going to fall over from laughing when Yukino turned to face none other than the dragon slayer in question. Lucy observed as the slayer's smirk grew when he caught sight of the silver-haired celestial mage's blush.

"St-Sting! W-what are you doing here!?" Yukino's blush spread from her cheeks to her neck and ears as she tried to conceal her embarrassment. Lucy watched as Sting sent a quick wink to her before leading the dazed silverette out of the room.

Lucy giggled as her eyes followed the two only to have her vision blocked by yet another Saber who made their way into her room. Lucy let her eyes fall on the confused face of Rogue while he glanced back down the hallway to watch the other two disappear around the corner.

"Yukino seems to be embarrassed about something and Sting looks even more annoying and cheerful than usual. What did I miss?" Lucy stepped back from the doorway a bit to let the shadow dragon slayer enter the room while giving him a small smile.

It was only after the slayer had started to lean on the wall that Lucy noticed an excited Frosch sitting on the shadow dragon slayer's shoulder. The blonde automatically grabbed the small feline from his place and hugged him to her chest, leaving a worried Rogue to watch while his exceed was helplessly crushed into her well-developed breasts.

Lucy didn't even notice the way the ebony haired slayer gulped when he looked away quickly all the while trying to hide the obvious blush that had started to take over his face.

"Oh, nothing really, I just may have suggested that Yukino enjoy some alone time with her Master Sting while we are away." Lucy watched as Rogue just shook his head with a ghost of a smirk playing across his lips. Over the past few weeks, Lucy had come to realize just how much the slayer liked to tease Yukino about her obvious crush on the blonde Sabertooth master.

Lucy's heart thumped at a sporadic rhythm while she watched the tilt of his lips curve into a more noticeable smile.

"Are you ready to go?" Lucy jolted as she averted her gaze while she tried to discreetly cover the blush that had inevitably risen to her face while watching him smile. If Rogue had caught her staring at him, he didn't show any indication as his crimson eyes watched her closely before she nodded her head in a silent confirmation.

Because the blonde woman could slightly sense Rogue's emotions, she sometimes ended up bewildered at just how well the slayer could mask his expressions from people. Lucy often found herself wondering how the slayer learned to close himself off from the world like that while trying to keep his emotions bottled up for only himself. The more time Lucy spent with him, the more she came to realize just how much of complete opposites they were from one another.

"Fro can't wait to go on an adventure with Rogue and Miss Fairy!" Lucy hugged the little cat closer to her chest as she giggled before stepping over to take a look around the room, making sure she wasn't forgetting anything important. Once she was sure that everything was accounted for, Lucy turned back to Rogue who had decided it was better for him to wait in the hallway.

"Okay, all set to go!" Lucy stepped into the hall and closed the door behind her, saying a temporary goodbye to the room that had been her second home for close to a month.

Lucy bunched the front of her skirt into her hands while she watched the familiar path to Magnolia come into view. Rogue had put her down not long ago to walk the rest of the way while he tried to regain some of his lost energy from enveloping all of them into the shadows for a good portion of the travel. Lucy honestly hadn't realized just how much ground they had covered while using Rogue's magic, but she was a little disappointed that they were already close to Magnolia.

Lucy could feel her anxiety grip her with every passing step they took as the buildings within Magnolia grew bigger and clearer the closer they got within the city limits. She couldn't help but fidget with her clothes and hair while biting her full pink lips in worry. Rogue must have noticed her nervousness because he tossed her a knowing glance while whispering to Frosch who was curled up on top of the small pack that the slayer carried on his back.

Lucy was almost knocked off her feet when the green exceed collided with her head before crawling around on her shoulder to nuzzle the side of her neck. Lucy smiled as she plucked the small cat from her shoulder to hug him to her chest.

"Rogue said that Miss Fairy is feeling sad and that Fro might be able to help make you happy again! Did I do a good job?" Lucy practically gushed as the little cat hugged her back with the best his little paws were able to.

"Yes Fro, you did a fantastic job, thank you!" Lucy caught a glimpse of the slayer walking next to her as he smirked before turning his head to the side to avoid her curious gaze. The blonde looked back to the path in front of her feeling the tight vice of anxiety loosen while she held the exceed close to her.

Even though it had been a few weeks now, Lucy still found herself amazed at how the ebony haired slayer knew her so well. She knew that he could sense her emotions in the same way she could, but she was nowhere near as in tuned as he was.

Lucy felt an uneasiness form in the back of her mind at that thought, it just didn't seem fair to her that Rogue was able to help her and gauge her emotions so well, while she still wasn't able to do the same. As if she said something, Rogue turned back to look at her, giving her a slight lift of his brow in question.

Of course, he would be able to tell she was frustrated. When it came to her emotions, he seemingly was an expert.

"Stop that, I'm fine. It's nothing." Lucy watched as Rogue gave a slight shrug of his shoulders before turning once again. Lucy felt her frustration fade as she watched the road slowly turn from dirt to the familiar cobblestone that paved the roads of Magnolia. People were buzzing lively in the streets when they finally crossed the threshold into the city.

The blonde quickened her pace as she made her way through the winding streets, trying her best to stay hidden in case any members of Fairy Tail were lurking within the city.

Once her eyes finally found the sign that signified they had finally arrived on Strawberry Street, Lucy couldn't contain her excitement as she skipped along the canal down the familiar street only stopping to toss a glance over her shoulder to make sure the slayer was still following behind her.

The blonde observed as Rogue rolled his eyes at her before she gave him a smile while turning back to the street in front of her. How he hasn't grown tired of her childlike displays of happiness was beyond her.

"We're here!" Lucy stopped when she came to stand in front of the tall faded red two-story building. Though she had only been away from her home for close to a month, she felt like it had been years since she last stood in front of the tall establishment. Lucy let out a content sigh as she reached for the door handle, she had been so worried over seeing all her guildmates again that she had let that fear overshadow her desires to come back to her own home.

Lucy flung the door open and tried to the best of her capability to take two steps at a time as she went up the staircase leading to the second floor. Rogue followed the excited blonde at a much slower pace, making sure to leave enough space that he wasn't hovering over her, but still close enough that if she slipped and fell in her haste to make it to her apartment, that he would be able to stop her from tumbling all the way down the steps.

Once Lucy made it to the door to her apartment she stopped and hesitated before opening the door. Her hand reached for the knob but the closer her hand got to the cool metal, the more she wanted to draw her hand back.

She tossed a nervous glance back to the slayer standing a few steps away from her. It's not that she didn't want to go inside, but she found herself remembering just how messy she had left the apartment before going on her missions.

Lucy felt embarrassment rise to her face as she thought of Rogue walking in and getting the wrong impression at what type of person she was. Surely, he wouldn't judge her by how she left her apartment. After all, she had been in a much darker place at that moment in time.

Lucy let her fingers brush over the cool metal of the handle, taking a deep breath in before she finally turned it until she heard a click. She couldn't just stand in front of the door all day, the more she hesitated, the more amused Rogue became as he inched ever so closer to her. Lucy hadn't a doubt in her mind he could feel just how embarrassed she was, so she tried to calm herself before she swung the door wide open.

She was a little caught off guard at the fact that the door had been unlocked, she could have sworn she remembered locking it all those weeks ago.

The blonde waited for the smell of old rotting food from weeks of sitting on the counter to assault her nose, but the horrid smell never came; instead, a light floral fragrance greeted her when she walked into the entryway of her apartment. Curiosity got the best of her as she walked into her spacious home. She had been expecting to see a disgusting mess but instead, she was met with a spotless room; now she knew why the door had been unlocked.

Lucy let her eyes roam around the open room, taking in every piece of polished furniture, to the empty sink of the kitchen. She felt a sea of gratitude wash over her while she walked further in the apartment to see various vases of fresh flowers, some adoring small signs saying welcome home while others were arranged with the most vibrant of flowers she had ever seen. Her eyes flashed from the counters and her desk to her bed where a pile of neatly stacked envelopes sat on the made-up bedspread.

Lucy felt hot tears well up in her eyes as she walked to sit on the before picking up the stack. She plucked the small sticky note off the top and tried to read it the best of her ability while the tears blurred her vision.

"Welcome home, Lucy. We will all be waiting for you at the guild hall, where we will celebrate with a proper Fairy Tail party."

The note was written in the delicate script that could only belong to Levy. Lucy quickly sifted through the pile of envelopes noting they were each from various guild members to welcome her back. Lucy put Frosch, who had fallen asleep, on her bed before she wiped at her eyes. It was only then that she realized the shadow dragon slayer was nowhere to be found.

The blonde stood from the bed and looked around her apartment, she was about to give up until she noticed the front door was still wide open.

"Can I come in now? I figured you might want some privacy." Lucy shrieked when she noticed the ebony haired slayer leaning against the adjacent wall away from the door. Lucy put her hand to her chest as she tried to stop the rapid thumping of her heart.

"Sweet, Mavis! Rogue, why did you have to scare me like that? Yes! Of course, you can come in, or do you plan on sleeping on the stairs." Lucy didn't even try to hide the blush that crept its way over her cheeks as she bluntly reminded herself that she and Rogue will be staying together in her apartment.

Sure, she had had Natsu over almost all the time, and even Gray occasionally, but she always kicked them out when she was ready to go to bed. This would be her first time having a male stay over. The thought had Lucy's head spinning while the dragon slayer walked past her after shutting the door. She tried to ignore him as he kicked off his boots and made his way further into the apartment but seeing the ebony haired male sit down in her desk chair, she almost lost it.

"No, no, no! Stay away from the desk! Go sit on the couch, or the kitchen table, but do not go near the desk!" Lucy found herself walking over and swatting at him as he looked at her like she was insane, but he stood up and moved over to the small loveseat that could clearly only fit two people comfortably.

"Okay. So, the desk is off-limits. Is there anything else I should know about? I don't want to get one of those horrid kicks from you, so please enlighten me now." The blonde blushed even harder when he mentioned her famous Lucy-kicks. Obviously, he was closer to her than she originally thought if he received those every so often.

Lucy didn't even want to remember the time he had barged into her shower when he claimed that he had thought he felt a rise in his magic from her. Lucy turned her head away as the embarrassment washed over her.

"Just the desk, my closet, and drawers. Stay out of all of that, and we should be okay." Lucy chanced a glance at the slayer watching as he gave a stiff nod. Lucy almost found it comical watching him survey his surroundings, he did look entirely out of place on the pale pink couch surrounded by beautifully arranged flowers.

"Okay, so what do you usually do during the day to keep busy then?" Lucy watched as Rogue's eyes still searched around the apartment, all his scrutiny made her say a silent prayer in thanks for Levy, she knew that she had been the mastermind behind cleaning her apartment, and she couldn't thank the girl enough for saving her from dying of embarrassment.

"I would either go to the guild, but I'm not really ready for that, or I would go shopping. Which that kind of reminds me." Lucy stepped away from the desk she had been protectively hovering over to walk into the kitchenette. She opened the cabinets and pantry and last the fridge.

Just as she thought, there wasn't a trace of food left in her apartment. Levy must have thrown out everything that had expired over the past month, leaving her kitchen empty. Either that or Natsu and Happy had snuck in and ate it all.

"We are completely dry on food." Lucy turned back to look at the slayer. She could tell he was still tired from using up a lot of his magic to get all of them to Magnolia in record time, so she didn't believe he was ready to go on a shopping spree around Magnolia's market with her. But she needed to get food since not only she was back, but she had a dragon slayer as one of her guests.

Lucy had personally witnessed Rogue eating while down in Sabertooth's Guildhall, and while he had been much more well-mannered than Sting, the shadow dragon slayer could still rival any other dragon slayer when it came to eating. Lucy sighed when she thought of the amount of jewel she would have to spend to feed the both of them plus buying fish for Frosch as well.

"I would say go on without me, but I don't feel right letting you leave alone." Lucy felt her heart swell when she watched Rogue stand from the couch, it was a small gesture that possibly didn't have any meaning behind it except for the fact that Rogue knew the blonde had anxiety about going into crowded places alone.

But even though that was a fact that everyone at Sabertooth had come to acknowledge, Lucy still felt grateful that Rogue never seemed to think of her as a complete burden to him.

Never once had she felt any anger, frustration, or animosity directed to her from the bond that they had shared, and something about that made Lucy realized just how much Rogue had come to accept her as a part of his everyday life.

"No Rogue, I am sure you are tired, and if you'd just let me use your communication Lacrima, I could contact Levy and she could meet me, or I could just call out Loke—" Lucy was cut off as Rogue sent her a glare that was obviously meant to silence her.

"You honestly think I am going to let you run off into a town that I am not familiar with, so I could sit here and worry about something happening to you? Have you lost your mind? Do you have a fever?" Lucy took a step back when Rogue extended his hand to press the palm against her forehead.

Lucy squeaked as she shied away from his touch only to have him move closer. The celestial mage turned, not noticing the way Rogue stiffened as she tried to keep a renewed blush from appearing on her face.

Lucy had been trying her hardest to keep a safe distance from the slayer for a week now, and it was proving to be a futile effort. Every time she would move away from him, he would subconsciously move closer. The worst part was when Rogue would touch her, even though Lucy knew he meant well and they were all nothing more than innocent brushes here and there, along with the occasional times he would have to carry her, Lucy would have to try and restrain the agonizing pull on the shadow magic within her.

Rogue was the magnet that attracted the shadows to surface causing it to sizzle under her skin wherever he touched; the contact would cause a slow-burning chaos to stir within her the closer he came to her.

"I'm fine! You know what? Maybe it would be best to wait until later then." Lucy moved to go into her small bathroom before closing the door behind her. Lucy leaned her body against the now closed door while trying to stop the speeding thumps against her ribcage. She could feel the tingling of magic beneath her skin, and she knew even though she had put a barrier between the two of them, there was no way Lucy could hide the steady beating of her heart and the overflow of magic spilling from within her from the confused slayer just outside the bathroom door.

"Calm down… calm down." Lucy turned on the water to drown out her whispers while she looked at the reflection before her. She should have jumped away from the crimson eyes that stared at her from the mirror, but she had become all too familiar with the blood-colored gaze.

The blonde steadied herself against the counter while she leaned in to stare at the scarlet irises. Though it was still surprising to her, this was not the first time she had seen the changing of her eye color. The more the magic pressure built up inside of her, the more frequently they changed.

Lucy pushed a palm to her forehead as she closed her eyes while taking a deep breath; she had learned to control the shadow magic just a little, but only during the day when she was able to keep a check on it. She had no control over it at night when she was caught in the midst of a nightmare.

Lucy sighed when she felt the magic recede once more, back into the dark depths of her body. It was positively remarkable the effects Rogue had over her, he could send the magic into overdrive almost to the point of complete agony as she tried to keep it within, or he could have the completely opposite effect, calming it while she was trapped deep within her subconscious.

Lucy had come to rely on the ebony haired slayer more than she ever thought possible, and that had brought her even closer to him. She knew that she didn't want to shy away from him anymore, in fact, she sometimes found herself wanting to give in to the pull when he would brush up against her.

Whether it was the bond or just a moment of weakness to rid herself of the pent-up shadows, she couldn't say.

"Please, just goaway." Lucy whispered to her reflection before she fell back against the bathroom wall, she let her body slide down till her bottom was flush against the cold tile before she leaned her head on her knees in an attempt to calm herself completely.

As soon as Lucy had opened the door to her apartment, Rogue's senses were so overwhelmed by fragrances that he was forced to lean against the wall while Lucy continued into her home. The smell of flowers, cleaning products and the undeniable scent that was Lucy filled his nostrils while he remembered the intoxicating scent.

The aroma of her sweet scent was exactly how he remembered it from the Grand Magic Games. Rogue frowned when he realized her natural aroma had been muted by others, mainly including his own while she had stayed at Sabertooth. Now Lucy didn't have the same scent as her home, instead, she was a mix of both her own, and his.

It was an odd realization at first but was something that only seemed natural considering what Rufus had told him.

After Lucy had noticed he was gone, she had found him against the wall, he would have liked to use the excuse that he was waiting for her permission, instead of trying to overcome his flustered body that had not been ready for the assault on his heightened senses.

Now Rogue couldn't help a small smirk from forming while his eyes followed the flustered blonde as her figure disappeared behind the bathroom door. Rogue rubbed the back of his neck as he felt a disturbance of magic from behind the closed door. He sighed as he walked throughout the apartment, taking in small details here and there.

Of course, Rogue wasn't an idiot, but sometimes he just forgot that Lucy was not as good as him when it came to controlling his emotions or magic. It had become easy, almost natural, for him to control his magic when around her now, but he could still feel that she was having difficulty when it came to the multitude of magic within her.

She would often get flustered when he would touch her, something that used to cause her anxiety, but now was just causing her frustrations. He found himself wondering if he was just imagining sexual tension from the blonde, or if he was mistaking it for a different emotion completely.

Rogue wouldn't lie, sometimes he found reasons to touch Lucy casually just because he liked the way her soft skin felt beneath his fingers, and the way her face would blush at even the slightest touch. His shadows would hum in delight while the soft caresses made his magic seek out the blonde's, something that Rogue was still trying to get used to himself, but he couldn't deny that he liked the way it felt when the magic deep within her reacted to him as well.

Rogue flipped over a few of the envelopes that had been lying on the pink bedspread. He let his eyes roam over the written letters as he thought to himself. He still hadn't figured out a way to successfully remove the magic, but he often found himself wondering what it would be like if Lucy learned to embrace it and control it.

It was true that he himself could not control the darker shadows that his future counterpart had placed within her, but that didn't mean that Lucy couldn't grow to be able to.

Rogue sighed as he scanned the room once more, taking in the number of flowers that had been arranged as a welcome home gift. He found himself vaguely wondering whose idea it had been, possibly Levy or even Wendy who had been the mastermind behind the gifts.

He found his eyes darting over to the desk that Lucy had forbidden him from, mild curiosity tempted him to move a little closer to the wooden piece of furniture. What was so important about it that she had to smack him? He could understand her limits with her closet, and dresser, but a desk?

Rogue inched closer while trying to lean to the best of his ability with his feet still planted on the floor to look at the contents piled on the desk's surface. From the angle Rogue was looking everything looked to be normal, the usual office supplies were where it should be along with piles of paper stacked neatly in the center. After a few moments of trying to make out a few words on the top piece of paper, Rogue finally decided to give up as he heard the click of the bathroom door being open.

"Sorry about that. So, we can either go shopping or go out to eat. Which would you prefer?" Rogue watched Lucy step out of the bathroom while he tried to act like he hadn't been inspecting her desk. If they went shopping, there was a good chance she could run into someone from her guild, which wouldn't be a horrible thing, unless it was one of the Fairy's dragon slayers.

But on the other hand, even if they went out to eat, they would still be taking a pretty big risk. Rogue sighed while he pinched the bridge of his nose, both options are proving to be a pain.

"Are you sure you are ready to face the consequences of meeting in public with someone you aren't ready to see?" Rogue didn't mean for it to come out so blunt, but he had never been good with sugar coating things, and it was something Lucy needed to consider before stepping foot outside the apartment.

"Well I… I planned on us going to the guild tomorrow and I hadn't put into consideration the state my apartment was going to be in, so I was going to spend the afternoon cleaning, but it seems that someone did that already. I just didn't think about the whole food situation." Lucy rubbed the back of her head as Rogue gaped at her. He shook his head while heaving a sigh.

"Okay, I guess we are going shopping then. Let me wake up Frosch and we can go." Rogue watched as Lucy smiled and pulled out her keys before she opened the gate of her little spirit name Plue.

"We shouldn't wake him, he's had a long day too. Plue, will you stay here with Frosch and play with him if he wakes up?" Rogue observed as the little shaking spirit nodded while talking in his own little language. Rogue looked back to the bed where his cat was sleeping peacefully. Traveling was always tiring for Frosch, so maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to let him sleep some more.

They wouldn't be gone that long anyway. Nodding his head, the slayer followed the blonde out of her apartment.

As promised, the shopping trip didn't take long, and luckily Lucy didn't run into anyone, except for a drunken Cana who Lucy swore would probably forget even seeing her once the brunette's hangover set in upon waking up in the morning.

Rogue could only agree considering how heavily the brunette smelled of alcohol. Besides the one drunken interruption in their shopping, Rogue and Lucy were able to get everything they needed in record time.

Rogue watched as Lucy walked in front of him on the way back to her apartment, practically skipping while she swung the two grocery bags that were hanging from her wrist. Rogue sighed as he carried the other seven grocery bags filled with various items. The street was now vacant except for the two of them as the sun started to slowly work its way back down from the sky.

Tomorrow they would be going to the Fairy Tail guild, and while Rogue could see that Lucy was happy to be home, he could also feel that she was trying to hide the anxiety that was bubbling up ever so slowly the more time passed.

When they finally arrive at the faded red building, Lucy made sure to hold the door open for him as he walked through and up the stairs only to stop once he was at the door, he let Lucy pass, so she could unlock the door and let him inside. Rogue almost toppled over when a flying pink blur slammed into his chest causing him to drop a few of the bags he had been holding.

"Rogue! Did you bring Fro yummy fish?" Rogue carefully put the remaining bags he was holding on the small kitchen table before carrying the little exceed over to the couch to set him down. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a flash of golden light as the small spirit disappeared while Lucy was petting its head.

"We did, Frosch, why don't you ask Lucy if she can give you some, so I can pick up these bags." As if on cue, Lucy turned around with a huge fish to hand to the little cat. Lucy giggled while she moved Frosch from the couch to sit on the kitchen table. She skillfully wrapped a small bib around the feline who gave her a confused look.

"It's a bib so you don't get your cute frog suit dirty! Look it even has a duck on it!" Lucy pointed at the small yellow duck that sat in the center of the white bib. Immediately Frosch's eyes grew wide as he stared down at the bib in awe.

"Rogue! Look at Fro's bib, it has a ducky!" Rogue finished picking up the last of the fallen groceries and turned to look at the two other occupants of the room. Frosch was a messy eater, so a bib was a great call by Lucy. Why hadn't he ever thought of that?

"It looks great on you, Frosch. Make sure to thank Lucy." Rogue listened as Frosch thanked the blonde who told him he was welcome. Rogue felt a faint smile tug at his lips as he watched the celestial mage pet his small companion before commanding him to eat.

He quickly dropped the smile when Lucy turned to face him with a confused look.

"Do you want a sandwich? It's late or else I'd make something a little better, but I'm actually kind of tired." Rogue nodded as he sat down on the couch, it really was a comfortable apartment, and though it was small it was the perfect size for one person or even a couple. Rogue frowned while he shook that last thought out of his head before looking over his shoulder just as Lucy bent down to pick something up off the floor, giving him a full view of her barely covered rear.

The dragon slayer followed the expanse of her bare thighs up to the skirt that was just long enough to cover her raised backside. He gulped when he felt heat rush to his cheeks while he quickly looked away when Lucy turned her head back to look over her shoulder.

In a moment like this, Rogue was absolutely ecstatic that the woman couldn't pick out his emotions like he was able to do with her. If she had been, she would have surely kicked him out of her apartment or at least knocked him out if she knew the lustful emotions that were coursing through him.

Lust was not an emotion that Rogue felt regularly before Lucy came into his life, in fact, it was something that never even interested him in the least. But as the weeks drug on and the more he was forced to be close to her, the more his body reacted on its own.

Rogue held his head in his hand as he tried to clean his mind a little. Who would have thought that one blonde fairy would be able to not only make him lose control of his own shadow magic, but also lose control of his own body?

Lucy was different, that much was true, and he couldn't deny the fact that she was attractive. Rogue often found himself growling at the other male members of Sabertooth whenever he would catch them checking her body over with their eyes, so maybe Rufus hadn't been wrong when he said that he would become protective over her.

Rogue was still trying to calm his young slayer hormones when the blonde finally walked over to the couch leaning over the back before she poked his shoulder. Rogue felt his magic hum with delight as it tried to call out to her's when she brushed her fingertips on his skin.

"Here, eat. If this isn't enough feel free to raid the kitchen. I'm going to go take a bath. After I'm done, I suggest you do the same." Rogue took the sandwich from the blonde, not even daring to glance back at her until he heard the bathroom door shut and a click sound as it was locked into place.

Rogue let out a sigh of relief once she was out of his sight. Staying in this small apartment with little to no privacy was going to be difficult for both of them.

CoSmO333- It's getting there! XD

Spar3chang3- I'm not home that often, so I usually update when I have free time at home. (Which seems to be seldom lately.) XD

NinjaKitten93- Yeah, being away from home can be pretty sucky for everyone. Lol, yelling at your phone. XD Yeah, I guess Rogue can be a little dense at times as well, it would seem.

Unoyoko94- The 17th chapter it goes down. XD I know everyone can't wait for Natsu and Lucy to see each other again. XD I don't think it will disappoint.

Q'Nisa- Thank you! I hope you continue reading! :)

XxStellarsLostxX- Thank you!