Seeing sunlight peeking through the curtains was a relief for Bickslow. After waking up more than what had to be a dozen times during the night, he was glad he finally had a reason to wake up the woman in his bed. Under other circumstances, he would've been glad to share his bed with Lucy, but not as things were right now. Several times during the night, he'd awoken to pain in his fingers from how tightly she clutched them while experiencing what he assumed was one of his darker memories. Even now as he laid awake, he wouldn't have been sure he still had fingers if he couldn't see them. He didn't know where the petite woman found the strength to nearly snap off his fingers while she slept.
The only benefit to sleeping side by side with their hands linked was that Lucy seemed to have slept somewhat peacefully – well, relatively speaking. Trial and error led to the discovery that she woke up thrashing from the intensity of his memories if they weren't physically connected. The skin-on-skin contact didn't have to be much, simply holding hands was enough to prevent her from becoming overwhelmed. Even with the improvement, Bickslow was fairly certain she had also woken several times throughout the night. He hadn't seen her awake but there were a few times when he felt as if she were staring at him.
Between the weird staring, the crushing grip on his hand, and the novelty of sleeping next to a woman he hadn't just had sex with, Bickslow didn't get much sleep. The only other woman he'd ever slept next to without sex was Evergreen, but she hardly counted as a woman in his mind.
Knowing he was awake for good, his babies started tapping on the bedroom door while quietly chanting, "Daddy, daddy, daddy!"
Lucy's tired sounding voice had Bickslow looking at her again as she said, "You can let them in. They've been trying to discreetly wake you up for at least ten minutes." If she hadn't spoken, Bickslow wouldn't have known she was awake with the way she stayed completely unmoving except her mouth.
"You asked for it." He said in warning as he directed Papa to push down the door handle and then Popo to push the door open. All five totems were hovering over the bed as they chattered excitedly about Lucy being there. Bickslow had known they would be all over Lucy but he hadn't been expecting her to roll onto her back and smile warmly at them before returning their greetings. He didn't know why he still expected the worst with her since she was always kind to his trapped souls.
Light laughter came from Lucy as Papa knocked Pepe away from her just before Pepe could land on her left breast. "No, Pepe! Cosplayer is Daddy's girlfriend."
"Can't she be my girlfriend, too?" Pepe whined just before Pupu joined in, "Me too!"
Lucy laughed harder as Papa began verbally chastising the two totems, which had Bickslow pulling a pillow over his face in embarrassment. He quickly whipped the pillow away when he heard Lucy say, "Actually, I'm not Bickslow's girlfriend so you still have a chance."
"Don't get his hopes up, Cosplayer," Bickslow said as he swung the pillow at her face, simultaneously knocking Pepe and Pupu away at the same time. The liveliness in the totems diminished as Bickslow exerted more control over them and directed them to stack atop one another against the wall. Lucy's laughter was no longer muffled as she sent the pillow sailing back towards Bickslow. He caught it before it could make contact with his face and then stuffed it behind his head before rolling over to face Lucy. "You must be feeling better."
The relaxed smile she gave him paired with her sleepy-looking eyes and bed head was one of the best looks he'd seen on her. He only wished she looked that way after spending the night with him for an entirely different reason – one he was trying hard not to think about since it definitely would be going against his plan to take her seriously. He needed to figure out how to get her into the not-a-real-woman category with Evergreen or he would soon be aborting his plan and attempting to seduce her.
"I am feeling better. I still don't feel right, if that makes sense, but this is a huge improvement. Maybe having you – or your soul, I guess – so close to the pieces of your soul inside mine helps the process along."
"Could be. I had the entirety of your soul in me when I gained your memories, so you might be onto something." He couldn't help wondering which memories she'd witnessed but he mostly didn't want to know. Instead of asking about that, he asked instead, "Is the sick feeling gone?"
Taking a moment to consider herself, Lucy said, "Mostly. Now I feel more similar to the way it feels to be coming off the flu. You know, mostly normal but still tired."
As Bickslow nodded his understanding, Lucy reached over to gently tug on a tuft of his hair that was sticking out at a particularly odd angle. She grazed her fingers through the wild mane, completely unaware of what she was doing to him. Her voice was light with amusement as she said, "Your hair looks so crazy."
"It's always like this in the morning." Bickslow was relieved his voice sounded normal instead of betraying how his head was full of all the ways he wanted to touch her in return.
Lucy's hand stroked through his hair again until it stopped to rest against the side of his neck. Her eyes met his as she said, "It still feels so strange when I touch you. I'm not sure I'll ever get used to it."
Bickslow didn't respond to that, knowing the wrong thing would come out if he opened his mouth. He knew she meant because of the way their souls stirred at the physical touch, but something else was stirring in him that Lucy had made clear she wasn't interested in. Though, if he were to read into the way she was looking at him now, he might think differently.
The loss of Lucy's touch as she pulled her hand away left a deep ache in Bickslow that wasn't only due to the growing ache in his balls. He was quickly becoming hooked on the way she felt so right, which was completely wrong. He had to figure out how to separate their souls before this became irreversible – not only for their souls but for his emotions.
"Don't you owe me some grapes?" Lucy asked as she patted her stomach. "I might starve if I don't eat soon."
A snort came from Bickslow before he said, "You'll have to take an IOU on the grapes because I don't have any right now but I can feed you something else."
"That works for me." Lucy pushed back the blanket as she swung her legs over the bed to stand, and then immediately fell back into it with a screech when Virgo appeared directly in front of her. "Virgo!" She shouted as she glared at the Celestial Spirit from where she still lay sprawled atop the bed. "Stop doing that!"
Turning her back to Lucy, Virgo bent at the waist, exposing her white panties as she asked, "Have I earned a punishment?"
"No!" Lucy shouted as she used a foot to shove Virgo's nearly exposed backside away from her personal space. Instead of simply standing upright a little further away, Virgo stumbled dramatically to the floor as if Lucy had forcefully kicked her. The spirit moaned lightly with an expression of utter bliss on her face before disappearing in a shower of sparkles.
Only now realizing what she'd done, Lucy's face turned bright red as she turned to look at Bickslow, who was laughing so hard he was clutching his stomach with one arm and slapping the bed with the other. "Stop laughing!" When he only laughed harder, Lucy stood up from the bed and stomped into his bathroom before slamming the door shut as she announced, "I'm using your shower."
It was only after the door closed that she realized Virgo had been clutching her overnight bag to her chest when she disappeared, which meant the bag was now back in the Celestial Realm. Lucy did not want to talk to Virgo again so soon after giving the woman what looked to be an intense, punishment induced orgasm. Luckily, Loke appeared a moment later with her overnight bag in hand. Smiling knowingly, he extended the bag to Lucy while saying, "Thought you might need this. I don't think Virgo will be in her right mind for a little while."
Lucy groaned as she snatched the bag away from him while doing her best to ignore the lingering sounds of Bickslow's fading laughter in the other room. "I was not trying to punish her. I just wanted her butt out of my face."
Loke laughed as he reached into the bag to grab Lucy's brush to begin working through the tangles in her hair. "Don't feel bad. I'm sure Virgo will be happy about that for weeks, though she might try doing it again at some point since she finally got you to punish her."
Watching Loke's movements in the reflection of the mirror, Lucy said, "My hair must look horrible if you feel the need to brush it out. Maybe I should call Cancer."
"No, I'll do it." Loke ignored Lucy's raised brow as he continued to smooth her long, blonde hair. Doing something to help her, even something as small as this, made him feel better after feeling so helpless since learning what was wrong with her. He and the others had been so worried since the moment they felt her connection cease entirely before returning minutes later, and then the many times it had ebbed in the following days. Lucy had no idea about the uproar in the Celestial Realm caused by her near-death experience. The blonde seemed completely clueless about how important she was to their world. He knew she would feel guilty for causing a commotion and didn't want her worried about anything else.
When he was finished detangling her hair, Loke set the brush down and then smoothed his hands over her hair before resting his hands on her shoulders. Meeting her gaze in the reflection of the mirror, he said, "Don't hesitate to call me if you need anything at all."
"Thanks, Loke," she said as she reached up to pat one of his hands. They watched each other in silence, sharing a moment of understanding as not only contracted summoner and spirit but as close friends. Loke pressed a chaste kiss against the side of her head before disappearing without saying another word. Belatedly, Lucy realized he hadn't hit on her at all during their interaction now or days earlier, making her realize exactly how much her current predicament was affecting him.
She stayed in the bathroom longer than necessary as she brushed her teeth and then showered. She needed a few minutes alone to mentally process some of the things she'd learned overnight. Many more of his memories had been shown to her during those hours of rest. It was a relief to wake up feeling whole instead of like her mind was torn between reality and a memory that wasn't her own, which is how she'd felt after waking up without Bickslow. His nearness seemed to alleviate more than just the physical drain of having her soul split. It also eased the transition of his memories into her. Their linked hands may have made absorbing the memories less traumatic on her body but no amount of physical contact would make some of the memories easier on her conscience.
Bickslow had been right to assume she would be shocked by some of the things she learned about him and she felt like she needed a few minutes to process it all. A few of the memories she had witnessed overnight were horrific, and some of those things Bickslow had done by choice. The terrible treatment he'd endured as a child hadn't ended as he'd gotten older; he'd just started fighting back, and viciously at times. The worst of the memories had been of the day he'd finally found the boys who fled the day his sister died. Lucy could still feel an echo of the glee Bickslow experienced as he'd pulled their souls from their bodies after tormenting them ruthlessly by using his magic to control their actions. That single piece of knowledge was a hard pill to swallow now that she was alone with her thoughts, and there was so much more to take in.
He hadn't been exaggerating when he warned her about the things she would see in his memories, but she also hadn't been lying when she told him her opinion of him wouldn't change because she learned more about his past. If anything, knowing what kind of person he was today after who he had been in the past made her admire him more for overcoming so much hardship.
Determined not to let the thoughts ruin her day, Lucy finally turned off the spray of water and stepped out of the shower, only to discover Virgo had switched out all the decent clothing she'd packed for things Lucy had no intention of wearing in front of Bickslow. At least, not as things were now. After a few more seconds of digging, Lucy growled under her breath when she realized there wasn't a single piece of clothing in the bag aside from lingerie. With no other choice, Lucy dressed in the enticing undergarments and then peeked her head out of the bathroom door. She was relieved to discover the room empty except for the single totem resting on Bickslow's neatly made bed.
A small smile tugged at Lucy's lips as she walked quickly over to Bickslow's dresser while saying, "Are you waiting for me, Pipi?"
"Yes!" The totem flew from the bed to hover in front of Lucy while saying, "Daddy said I can wait for you if I stay quiet. Was I quiet?"
"Very quiet," Lucy reassured the child-like soul, who she now knew truly had been a child when her soul left her body. With a ridiculously long t-shirt covering as much skin as was usually covered by her miniskirts, Lucy extended a hand palm up as she said, "Come on. I smell something delicious cooking."
When Lucy entered the kitchen with Pipi resting in her palm, Bickslow nearly dropped the spatula in shock. Not only was she casually and knowingly interacting with the soul of his younger sister, but she was also wearing one of his shirts and looked like she'd just stepped out of the shower. In hopes of reclaiming some small bit of control over his mind, he started chanting a silent mantra she's a non-woman, she's a non-woman.
Noticing Bickslow's frozen posture, Lucy's lips quirked into a grin as she asked, "You alright, Bixy?"
"Uh, yeah," Bickslow stammered out at the same time Pipi lifted from Lucy's hand while saying, "Daddy thinks Cosplayer is very nice."
Bickslow's eyes widened and Lucy laughed, their reactions making Pipi twirl excitedly. Hoping to avoid anything more embarrassing being revealed, Bickslow muted the magic flowing to Pipi as he said, "No more telling my secrets. You're going with the others."
As Pipi flew above the countertop to join the other totems in creating a pyramid, Lucy walked the last few steps to reach Bickslow, immediately leaning into his side with her arm around his waist. It wasn't until after her arm had reached around him that she realized what she was doing and then pulled away while muttering, "Sorry."
Feeling back on solid ground mentally, Bickslow let his tongue fall from his mouth as he said, "No worries, Cosplayer. I know I'm hard to resist."
Lucy only rolled her eyes. She knew he must understand the unnatural urge she felt to touch him because his soul likely drove him to do the same thing to her as it sought to reunite with its missing pieces. Gesturing down at the shirt she was wearing, Lucy said, "I hope you don't mind. Virgo thinks she's funny doing things like switching out my reasonable outfits with things not at all suitable to be worn in front of anyone."
The mysterious, inappropriate things he was imagining her wearing beneath his shirt had his mind completely and totally lost to any chance of ever viewing her as a non-woman. She was most definitely a woman and he would never get it out of his head.
Since he was obviously not paying attention to the skillet he was absently staring at, Lucy thought she should let him know, "Bixy, the bacon is burning."
"Shit!" Bickslow pulled it away from the heat as he turned off the burner. Pointing with a jut of his chin, he asked, "Hand me that plate with the paper towel on it?"
Lucy did as he asked while fighting off her amusement. As much as she was feigning ignorance of his reaction to her wearing his shirt, she knew exactly why he was so distracted. For once, she didn't mind so much that Virgo had messed with the clothes in her bag. She wasn't completely unaffected by their time together, so she wasn't surprised he was also struggling. His constant nearness and the steadily improving state of her soul left her more confused than before. Well, maybe confused was no longer the proper word. Less than a day had passed and she had already gained quite a bit of clarity about how she felt about the man next to her.
Opening the refrigerator in search of more bacon, Lucy leaned inside to grab the package. When she stood upright and closed the door, she turned to find Bickslow watching her with narrowed eyes. He pointed the spatula at her menacingly as he said, "I always knew you were a tease, Cosplayer, but I've never seen you play so dirty."
A wide smile split Lucy's face as she said, "Oh, I can get very dirty."
"I know," Bicklow's tongue fell from his mouth as he also grinned. "Imagine how surprised I was to find out my favorite cosplayer is kinky enough to make any sex fiend blush."
They were both saved from themselves when the front door to Bickslow's home burst open as Natsu invited himself inside and then slammed the door behind him. Seeing his partner upright and no longer looking like a zombie, he exclaimed happily, "Luce! You're alright!"
"Natsu, this isn't my apartment. You can't just bust inside without an invitation." She walked toward him as she berated him, though she couldn't deny that she was glad to see him too.
"You're my partner. If you're welcome here, then so am I." He wrapped her up in a tight hug and buried his nose in her hair, breathing in deeply to take in her scent. Natsu ignored her muttering about how he needed some lessons on etiquette and asked, "Why are you wearing his clothes? You smell all wrong. Kinda stinky."
Breaking away from the embrace, Lucy slapped the back of her hand against his stomach as she said, "I do not stink. I just took a shower."
The rough blow to his gut reassured Natsu of Lucy's improved health nearly as much as the color returning to her face. Slinging an arm over her shoulders, he started walking with her back toward where Bickslow stood in front of his stove. "Smells good in here. Whatcha got to eat?"
Holding out the plate of burnt bacon towards the dragon slayer, Bickslow said, "If you like crispy bacon, you can have this."
"Yes!" Natsu cheered as he pumped one fist in the air. Releasing his hold on Lucy, he turned to the blonde as he gestured with the plate. "See? I'm totally welcome here. He even made me a full plate of bacon just the way I like it."
"Right," Lucy said as she rolled her eyes. When she looked at Bickslow, he shrugged and made a face as if he were thinking 'well, I wasn't going to eat it'.
While Lucy cooked more bacon, which she insisted on doing since Bickslow burned the first batch, Bickslow scrambled a dozen eggs as Natsu told them about his fight with Gray the night before. Though he hadn't said as much, Lucy knew the two of them had needed to burn off the pent-up energy they built up from worrying about her. She appreciated the way Bickslow just went with the flow of things, seeming unbothered by Natsu's sudden appearance.
When the dragon slayer finished his story, he announced he needed to pee and then walked away to do as much. Knowing Natsu wouldn't be gone long and was probably doing his best to listen to anything they said with him out of the room, Lucy whispered to Bickslow, "Thanks for not making a big deal about him being here."
"It's fine." He answered in the same hushed tone. "I think you're forgetting that I've known Natsu almost as long as I've known Laxus. We've just never been close. He joined the guild right after I did."
"I hadn't ever thought about that," Lucy admitted, and then realized it explained why Bickslow seemed mostly unsurprised by her partner's antics. "Even knowing that, it means a lot to me."
The way she smiled at him in that moment stole away whatever response had been forming in his mind. It didn't matter, though, because Natsu walked back into the kitchen while asking, "What means a lot to you?"
"That you wash your hands," Lucy quipped without any hesitation. The transition impressed Bickslow, who was still feeling unbalanced by the steady shift in the way Lucy was interacting with him. She had made her boundary so clear but now he was getting different vibes from her. She was as confusing as she was attractive. He listened to the quickly escalating bickering match between the two friends as Natsu insisted he always washed his hands and Lucy insisted he did not. Their distraction gave him enough time to pull himself together and force down the ever-growing feelings developing in him.
They ate in relative peace, with most of the conversation being filled by Natsu telling them both about his plans for the day. He had been hoping Lucy would be well enough to go out on a short job request with him, but he was willing to go with only Happy after learning she still didn't feel completely well. The dragon slayer's friendly, amicable mood had Bickslow more suspicious than if the guy had been ready to throw a punch. He wasn't sure, but he thought Natsu was likely trying to stay in Lucy's good graces so he could feel free to barge in whenever the mood struck.
Bickslow was positive he was right when Natsu stood up to leave and tossed an arm around Lucy in a side hug while saying, "I'm gonna go find Happy, but I'll be back later to check on you, Luce." It didn't go unnoticed by Bickslow that Natsu was staring directly at him as he spoke, and the expression on his face didn't match the light tone in his voice. Not surprised, though mildly annoyed, Bickslow let the unspoken threat pass by without bringing attention to it.
"Alright." She answered and patted the arm Natsu still had over her shoulders. A few seconds after the door shut behind him, Lucy said, "He was giving you the evil eye, wasn't he?"
"Just a little."
Her frustration was clear when she said, "Sorry. At least he didn't burn anything."
"No worries." Bickslow moved the dishes to the sink and Lucy joined in him in completing the task. The shared chore brought Lucy the same sense of warmth it had the night before. It was clear to her that Bickslow was accustomed to doing things on his own, so she assumed he had lived by himself for a while, though she hadn't yet gotten that far through his memories to know for certain. His home was larger than hers and clean, though not at the same obsessive level she tended to maintain. All of it just gave her more reasons to like him. If she wasn't careful, she was going to get attached.
When they finished drying and putting away the dishes, Bickslow said, "My turn to shower. You can hang out in here and watch a movie if you want." Catching her eye, he winked with his tongue out and added, "Or you could join me."
He did not expect her to lightly trail a finger down his chest as she said, "Don't tempt me, Bixy."
With one hand on her waist, he pulled her closer until their bodies were nearly touching. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think you're starting to change your mind."
Instead of pulling away as he expected, Lucy leaned fully into him and stared up into his eyes as she said, "Spending so much time with you has me thinking about all sorts of things."
Both of his hands moved to rest on her hips and he wanted nothing more than to lift the shirt she wore out of the way to feel along the smooth skin beneath it. "You're making it hard for me to do the whole taking you seriously thing."
Her full lips stretched into a bright smile that only made it harder for him not to lean down to kiss her. "So, you're trying to take me seriously?"
Only now realizing what he'd said out loud, Bickslow closed his mouth before anything else could slip out. Her smile brightened noticeably at his obvious embarrassment and the sight of it warmed something in him at the knowledge he was the one who put it there. Lucy pressed a kiss to his chest before stepping away from him as she said, "Go take your shower. I'll wait in here."
Lucy walked towards the sofa while Bickslow walked towards his bedroom. Sitting on the soft cushions was a relief since her body had started aching with fatigue shortly after they'd finished eating. It was like whatever healing her soul had experienced the day before during their magic exchange had started to wear off and she needed it again.
As she pulled a soft throw blanket from where it lay tossed across the back of the sofa, Lucy thought about how the dynamic between she and Bickslow was changing too quickly. She had always liked spending time with him but had never done it outside the guildhall, which left her wondering if they would've ever grown closer without the soul sharing situation they were stuck in now. It was a thought that left her somewhat uncomfortable because, as much as she was beginning to accept that her feelings for him were evolving, she didn't know if it was entirely by choice. Not that emotions were truly ever by choice, but this felt like it was happening at an unnatural pace. It was slightly terrifying because she wanted commitment but she had no idea if he was capable of it.
Her inner musings were cut off by the sound of the front door opening. She looked in that direction expecting to see Natsu's frame filling the door but she found Laxus there instead. He looked equally surprised to see her by the way his steps faltered slightly when his gaze landed on her. Recovering quickly, he said, "Hey, Blondie."
"Hi, Laxus." Lucy tugged the blanket a little tighter around her hips, knowing the shirt she was wearing likely wouldn't cover the lace panties she was wearing with the way her legs were pulled beneath her. "Bickslow is in the shower if you're looking for him."
"I am but I'll wait in here for him. I don't want to see his naked ass, especially since I'm just here to check on him." He sat on the other end of the sofa and then glanced at Lucy before adding, "and you, I guess."
His admission made her smile since she hadn't been expecting him to check on her at all, even as an afterthought. "I'm a lot better today. Hopefully, after we exchange magic again, I'll be able to make it through more than just a few hours without feeling exhausted."
Nodding as if he already knew what she was referring to, Laxus said, "Freed told me about what you and Bix did yesterday." With another glance at her and the shirt he recognized as belonging to Bickslow, he asked, "So, you two are - ?"
Looking down at the shirt and then back at Laxus, Lucy said, "Oh no, we're not – we didn't – um, no." She knew her cheeks were pink as she pulled the blanket up a little higher, suddenly feeling self-conscious. "I just didn't have anything else to wear."
Laxus grunted and then fell silent, leaving an awkwardness in the air that Lucy desperately wanted to dispel. Trying to spark more conversation, she said, "I had no idea you and Bixy have known each other so long."
"He told you about how we met?" Laxus asked with a brow raised.
His obvious suspicion made Lucy feel like her attempt at small talk was destined for epic failure. "Well, no, but I saw it."
When his raised brow dropped to form a disbelieving scowl, Lucy tried to explain, "I thought you knew."
"Knew what?" Laxus' impatience with the conversation was becoming clear, reminding Lucy why she rarely spoke with him beyond what was necessary.
"Our souls merging gave us all of the others' memories. So, no, he didn't tell me how the two of you met but I know all the details." When he nodded slowly, Lucy began to wish they'd just sat in silence to wait for Bickslow.
Laxus surprised her by saying, "That's probably a good thing. Bickslow needs to let some shit go and let people get closer to him. He's not the freak everyone assumes he is. You're a good person for him to have in his life."
By the time he finished speaking, Lucy's mouth was hanging open in shock. Not only was Laxus speaking freely with her, but he was also complimenting her. When he looked over at her, she snapped it shut before saying, "Thanks. I had no idea you thought so highly of me or had any thoughts about me at all."
Rolling his eyes, Laxus said, "I'm not blind or stupid. I've seen how you interact with people and it's clear why you're called the Light of Fairy Tail. Bickslow needs some light in his life, no matter how he tries to act unaffected by his past."
A genuine smile curved her lips at that. The silence that fell over them was less awkward as they waited for Bickslow. Laxus made himself comfortable, kicking off his boots to prop his feet up on the ottoman, making it clear he spent enough time in Bickslow's home to feel at ease. Lucy simply remained curled beneath the blanket as she leaned further into the cushions and closed her eyes to rest.
"Hey, Boss. Didn't know you were here." The sound of Bickslow's voice made Lucy jerk upright and look around, only now realizing she had been drifting into another of his memories. At least it hadn't been a tragic one. The memory hadn't played out enough to be certain but she thought it may have been the day he met Evergreen.
She hardly noticed Laxus responding to Bickslow's greeting as he joined them on the sofa, squeezing onto the middle cushion between them. Lucy was still too sleepy to pay attention to anything except the inviting stretch of bare skin on Bickslow's arm. As much as she normally would've enjoyed admiring the way the sleeveless shirt fit his toned body, at that moment she really just wanted to lay against his skin to get some relief from the drain on her energy.
The way Lucy leaned heavily into his side with an audible sigh of relief had Bickslow's attention turning away from Laxus. He asked her, "You feeling bad again?"
Lucy made an affirmative hum before saying, "It started again right after Natsu left and it's been getting steadily worse."
"Sorry, Cosplayer. I had no idea or I wouldn't have taken so long." Bickslow wrapped his arm around her and pulled her across his lap. The deep neckline of his shirt meant she could lean her cheek against the bare skin of his upper chest, which she did without thought as another heavy sigh of relief escaped her. She adjusted the blanket until his arms were tucked beneath it with her, giving her that much more of his skin to touch. Feeling secure and comfortable, Lucy started to doze immediately.
Laxus stared at them for a moment before saying, "That's weird as hell."
"Yeah, I know." Bickslow's eyes were glowing as he looked down at Lucy, mentally kicking himself for not checking her soul sooner. If he had, he would've noticed it had begun fading again. It didn't look as though the improvements from the day before had been undone but her soul clearly needed more of something – though he didn't know what beyond more of his magic.
"You should keep her." Laxus stared at the way Lucy was comfortably curled against Bickslow as if she didn't have a care in the world, though she knew enough of his dark past to make most people want to avoid him.
"She's not a puppy, man. I can't just feed her and pet her and then she'll want to stay with me forever." Bickslow wished it would be that easy to win her over but he now knew her well enough to know she truly would hold out on him if she didn't think he was offering what she wanted.
With a shrug, Laxus said, "She's already interested. Can't be that hard."
Bickslow snorted before saying sarcastically, "And you're such an expert that you would know all about it."
Another dismissive shrug was Laxus' answer. He really didn't know anything about romantic relationships but he didn't think it would be hard for Bickslow to win over a woman who was already attracted to him and literally bound to his soul. Standing to his feet, Laxus said, "I'm leaving. I just wanted to stop by, especially after I smelled Natsu's scent nearby. Figured the idiot had been here messing with you again."
"He was here but it was no biggie. He just talked and glared and then left."
Laxus grunted and then stood upright from pulling on his boots. As he walked to the door, he said, "Call me if you need me. We won't be taking a job until you get this figured out – unless Blondie decides she wants some new teammates. The rest of them aren't welcome."
Bickslow chuckled as the door closed. He leaned his head back against the cushion with his eyes shut and his fingertips tracing shapeless patterns against Lucy's thigh. It was such an intimate position to be in, even without the sexual tension he would usually be experiencing with a woman in his lap. Instead, it felt pleasant, maybe even safe – if he could figure out how that made sense. He did wish he could keep Lucy because he somehow knew that being with her would always feel this way.
He let out a sigh as he tried to stop the direction of his thoughts. No use in teasing himself with something he was unlikely to ever have. He distracted himself by shifting both their weight until they were both lying on their sides with her head against the cushions and his propped up on one hand. She hardly stirred at the movement, which both surprised and worried him since she shouldn't be so tired after a full night's sleep.
With his free arm resting against her arm, the skin-on-skin contact necessary for her to remain peacefully asleep meant he could stare at her soul as he tried to figure out what to do next. Its tattered edges weren't as bad as they had been at first but there was still a long way to go before her soul looked whole. The vibrant green of his soul mixed with the bright gold of hers called to him. Focused as he was, he could feel the missing pieces of his soul distinctly. That gave him an idea.
Activating his magic, he pressed his body more fully against hers, moving her arm to drape across his waist as he tucked his around her back to keep her pressed against him. With the slightly closer contact, their souls seemed to merge as they had when the two of them had been standing in front of the mirror in Lucy's apartment. Instead of just watching the phenomenon as he had before, this time he willed his soul to fully surround hers, coaxing the bits of his soul within hers to create a protective barrier around the ragged edges of her golden light.
Seeing it working right before his eyes made him want to shout in triumph but he stayed quiet as he continued encouraging his soul to mend hers. He had no idea what he was doing. All of his actions in that moment were guided purely by intuition as he let his magic do what it wanted to.
"What are you doing?" Lucy's sleepy voice was the only sign she was awake.
"Trying to fix you."
"Feels nice. Like home." Her words were slow and heavy as her arm tightened around his back to close the last breath of distance between them. Bickslow glanced away from their merged souls to look at her face as she burrowed it against his shoulder. He wasn't sure how to respond to that. She was right, this did feel like a sense of home, but what was he supposed to say?
It didn't matter since her light breathing signaled she was already fully asleep. He looked at their souls again and noticed the green bits of his soul had shifted toward the edges of hers, creating what he thought might be a sort of dam against the fading that happened when they weren't in contact. They would have to test it out later and maybe try having her hold some of his magic to help finish sealing the damage to her soul.
For now, he wanted to just take a nap cuddled up with Lucy. She was so warm tucked against him and the soothing rhythm of her breathing was starting to make him feel a bit drowsy. He sank into that feeling and the comfort of having her soul tangled up with his as he relaxed into sleep.