graystripemkc: Thank you so much for the lovely review! Again! I'm super happy if my story truly gives you ideas for your own ones. It's an honor.

Hope you will like this chapter! It was surprisingly annoying to write and I'm not sure am I completely satisfied with it, but I decided that if I would try to refine it more, I might end up making it worse.

Hiro Mashima owns Fairy Tail and I'm just playing with the characters.

Laxus sipped his beer slowly, thinking how things had ended up like this. Evergreen slept in a fetus position on the bean bag. Freed had fallen asleep his elbow on the armrest, cheek resting on his palm. Bickslow and Lucy were leaning against each other, gently snoring. And he himself was the lone soul awake. He glanced at the clock on the wall. It was barely nine. To have this kind of finish for the day was, how to say it, a let down in away. He had prepared himself for much worse day, expecting that the princess would find away to annoy him over the line. But in the end his irritation meter visited the red only couple of times, and even then returned to the green almost immediately.

Actually after his team mates started to tell the girl all kind of stories of their past mission, it was like she had completely forgotten his existence. Which probably could have taken as a good sign - if she was able to get that comfortable around him, it must have meant that they were moving to the right direction - but at the same time it also irritated him. It's not that he wanted the girl's attention, but to be ignored so completely... There wasn't many fools in the world who dared to do so to Laxus Dreyar. However, when Bickslow pulled out his favorite word explanation game, the girl was revealed as anything but a fool in matters of IQ.

For more than one reason Laxus hated the game and even without Lucy around he would have refused to play it. Sill, he could have never guessed that he could actually enjoying watching the game from the sidelines. It was a one sided slaughter. Finally someone was able to humiliate Evergreen and Bickslow in this game. They were usually the ones that dominated it thanks to the deep understanding between them, which they have formed over the years. Unfortunately their mental connection didn't even stand a chance this time, when it was against two walking and talking dictionaries. It was scary to watch how accurate Freed and Lucy were. They only used synonyms or three words long explanations, they didn't make a single mistake and the right answer always came out on the first or the second guess. It was pretty formidable and the girl's respect points went up by a couple in Laxus' eyes. Even if he didn't want to admit it.

When the slaughter was over - and his two team mates' prides were crushed - the losers were made to fix something to eat for the whole group. However, as Bickslow lived on by beer and trash food only, or by crashing on others' mealtimes, all that they found, which was still edible, from his kitchen was a bag of chips, a box of crackers and some more beer. It wasn't really a three star meal, but no one complained. Not even the princess, who actually seemed to enjoy the food the most as she gulped down crackers with two hands. It was like she hadn't eaten anything in a week.

Bickslow was nice enough to provide them some dinner entertainment and decided to give them a speech of how overestimated balanced diet was. 'Just look at me. I haven't eaten greens since I learned to walk and I'm in perfect health.' was his best argument. At least the girl was entertained - or she was being extremely polite - because she ended up laughing without restrain at the nonsense Bickslow was sprouting out. Her vivid laugh in turn gave some salvation from the man's bullshit for the others. A small smile even visited Laxus' lips as he listened her laugh and watched his team have fun thanks to her. He, however, successfully hide it behind his beer can, not wanting to show it.

Bickslow continued babble what ever came to his mind and the girl kept giggling at all the things he said, but then suddenly both of them went quiet. When the rest of them focused their eyes to the pair sitting on the sofa, they saw Bickslow looking at Lucy, who had her head resting against his shoulder. "Someone must have been tired." Bickslow snickered and then like there wasn't a girl sleeping against his shoulder continued whatever story he had been telling.

Laxus had to hand it to his team mates for being able to carry on their conversations normally, maybe a bit more quietly than usually but as if the sleeping princess hadn't even been there. Bickslow especially, who she was leaning against. He himself found the sleeping form of her and the feather light snoring very disturbing. His focus kept drifting to her unintentionally. What kind of a person was able to fall asleep so suddenly and so early? The clock was only little over six.

Deep in his thoughts, Laxus didn't even realize that Evergreen had also started to get drowsy, until around seven he heard a second gentle snore. Lucy's sleepiness must have been very contagious, because shortly after Evergreen Freed joined the sleeping squad too. Neither of them enjoyed sleeping in the presence of other people, so it was rare to see them fall asleep like this.

The clock was slightly over seven when it was only him and Bickslow awake. The two of them planned to take the rest of the evening easy. Drink some beer, chat a bit, just chill. However, the 'evening' ended up being much shorter than what Laxus had anticipated. Around eight Bickslow's mouth started to slow down and less and less words kept coming out. And around half the guy was already in so deep asleep that he didn't even feel Laxus zapping him.

Not having anything else to do, Laxus ended up sitting and watching over the sleepers, sipping his last beer empty. Most of the time his eyes were on Lucy, studying her resting form. He couldn't help but wonder what kind of witchcraft she had used on his friends. They normally never got this tired this fast, let alone fall asleep. The girl must have done something. But whatever it was, it was too weak to have effect on him apparently.

Sighing Laxus got up from his chair. He walked to Evergreen and gently took of her glasses, setting them on the coffee table. Then he noticed how uncomfortable looking Bickslow's visor pressed against Lucy's head. He furrowed. The longer he stared the sight, the more it bothered him. Groaning he reached over the table and carefully removed the visor from Bickslow's head. It was also put on the table, next to the glasses. Just when had he turned into a kindergarten teacher? Laxus growled gently and then walked to the kitchen.

He took a plastic bag out of the closet under the sink and headed back to the living room. With silent movements he started to gather all the beer can's off the table in to the bag. When he picked up the last can, the weight of it made his eyebrows shot up momentarily. He lifted his gaze to the person sitting behind it. It was Lucy. Seemed like the girl either forgot or "forgot" to drink it. She really must have disliked the taste of it. Laxus stared the can a minute, considering what to do with it. He hated to waste food and particularly drinks. Should he just drink it? A small smirk curved a corner of his lips up. How would she react if she saw him doing it?

Weirdly tempted by the idea, Laxus brought the can to his lips. Just before the metal touched them, he locked his gaze toward the sleeping girl. Eyes narrowed he swung the rest of the beer down his throat in one go. He ended up shaking his head to the horrible taste. If the girl had thought that what she drunk had tasted terrible, she should have tasted this shit. Gods! Open, on the table stood, warm beer is what tastes hideous.

Now regretting his choice to drink it, Laxus dropped the can in the bag. He sealed it with a knot, then dropped the bag near the front door. He turned to glance toward the sleeping crew one last time before putting the lights off. He started to make his way trough the lightless room, but then suddenly stopped near the table. He could smell the girl's scent more vividly now that his eyesight was disturbed by the darkness. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath through his nose. Laxus had to admit, her scent was nice, pleasant. It was sweet, but not too much, and fresh. Somehow the image of a grassy field on a summer day came to his mind.

A moment later Laxus opened his eyes slowly. What was he doing? Shaking his head a little, he tried to clear his thoughts. He was on a mission, she was the client and that's it. It had to be all those beers mixing his brains. There was no way he would lust after a kid like her. He just had spend too much time in the woods. He was in a need of a woman. That's all. One more perk for living in a town. There would always be women ready to wrap their legs around you.

Concluding that it was his primitive needs and the booze messing with his head, Laxus continued walking. If Bickslow wanted to snuggle with the princess on the sofa rather than sleep in the bed, he was going to take it. Already unbuttoning his shirt, he entered the bedroom. He threw the shirt on the single chair in the room and then unfastened his belt and pants, kicking them under the chair.

Now only wearing his boxers Laxus fell on the bed. He lifted his hands behind his head and swung a leg slightly over the other. When he closed his eyes, he could hear his heartbeat gradually slowing down to a relaxed pace. And not much later he was asleep. Maybe the princess's witchcraft did have some effect on him too...