Velvet Thorn, Chan19, MirandaLoveBug, melissaanne29. I know right? Though I am doubting myself a little with the speed of Bickslow's... opening up.
twizt312. Thank you. Laxus needs epic. It's kinda his thing. All or nothing ya know?
westerngoddess. The sweet little trouble makers. I thought about keeping them awake longer but Bix was under a lot if emotional strain, and if you remember he thinks his babies creep his team out.
angelMwings. Me too! I thought about having her ask Virgo for a measuring stick, but with those two... they might have taken her literally.
Raelin Thaon. I love it when Lucy gets feisty. It's so... sexy. At least I imagine it would be.
Anui Wolf. Thanks. While I tend to toss in extra humor (because real life sucks and if I said some of this stuff to real people I would end up arrested for street brawling) I feel like every story needs balance. We should laugh, smile, cry both happy and sad tears, gasp in delight and horror, get angry, and feel pain and fear. Erza is the entirety of my fear element right now. Lol.
RosesMcKellar. By the time I had finished the chapter I had forgotten. Thank goodness I reread the last chapter before I start writing the next one and hadn't timed out yet. Lol.
SailorTardis498. I think Laxus would embrace the nickname without needing backstory. I have another character in mind to demand the telling of that story, but it will be heard by the guild. Loke has a new nickname too remember? I figure he would rather preserve his dignity than join in trashing Bickslow's.
Unoyoko94. Thank you. I love embracing Lucy's inner artist as Sarcastic Lucy, and watching Scary Lucy kick butt.
MistressKatana, Darkfarie3590, Madielyabeth. Bring on the squeals and giggles guys. I consider them the highest compliment.
Fairy Tail is Hiro Mashima's baby. Not mine. I'm just babysitting.
XxXxXxXxX
Lucy knew she was crying. She couldn't bring herself to care. The way Bickslow described what she had seen as just being a decent person was so... beautiful. She would have tried to laugh it off, but... The look in his eyes. He ment it. Every word. He really believed her heart's kissed had healed his bleeding soul. That was so...
"Yep. I'm out. Either this conversation goes somewhere else or I do. We keep going like this either I vomit, or poison someone, or vomit poison." Lucy didn't look away from Bickslow's red eyes even when they started glowing. She was starting to think the glow was an emotional thing.
"Freed's room is soundproofed." Laxus sounded a little... off. "Its the one that smells like demon possessed books. Before you go do me a favor and tell me nobody actually did any soul pulling or swapping or whatever."
"Seriously! We are talking about Lucy here. There is no one more forgiving or less worthy of suspicion on the planet. You can't really think she did something to him."
"Well obviously she did! Maybe not actual soul manipulation but..."
"Just accept it, Lightningbug. Hey, Tits! Can you two take a break from your goo goo eyes for long enough to get our bags?" She glared at him, but ran her hand over her keys anyway. Virgo appeared surrounded by their bags.
"Your bags Princesses, Poison Slayer." Cobra snatched up his bag as he headed for the dark hallway. "A good night to you Slayer."
"Night Psycho." Lucy's glare followed him. A whistle came from the kitchen and Virgo went to tend to it.
"I hope the bed bugs find you, Slither Bat."
"Shut up, Tits." Bickslow picked his head up off her lap to yell after him.
"Sweet dreams, Cyclops!"
"Fuck you, Echo! You just wa..." His voice cut off. Bickslow dropped his head back to her lap. She smiled. She liked him there. Despite what Laxus insinuated, it wasn't sexual. It was just... nice.
"I think he was threatening me before the rune barrier cut him off. Does it count as a threat if I can't hear him?"
"Depends on how you look at it, Bixy. He can't be threatening you if you can't hear him, but he can make a threat against you. Threat or no threat I'd have Kinana taste your food while he is here. He won't risk her life to poison you."
"You all are nine sorts of messed up, Blondie." Before Lucy could respond he turned to Meredy. "So, Bubblegum Princess. Since both my guildmates appear to be out of their fucking minds, you wanna tell me why you and Toxic Chicken are in my livingroom?"
"We came to visit. Cobra would never say so, but he doesn't want Kinana to have to hide. Lucy and Bickslow were so accepting of him trying to turn over a new leaf that he wants to test out the rest of the guild. Underneath all the... poison he really is a sweetheart." Meredy gave the empty, dark hallway a look like it would suck her into oblivion. "Please don't tell him I said that." Virgo reappeared from the kitchen with a tray of hot chocolate and warm cookies she must have brought from the spirit world.
"Is there anything else I can get for you Princesses?"
"Not a princess, Pinkie." Laxus growled.
"I wasn't talking to you. The Bubblegum Princess and Disco Princess are part of my Princess's party and are therefore under my care." Laxus looked at her like she had three heads.
"No thanks, Virgo." Lucy wasn't sure what it was about Laxus that seemed to rub her spirit the wrong way. "You have done more than enough."
"Thank you for calling me, Princess." Virgo left in a shower of golden sparkles.
"Cosplayer, is it just me or is she over embracing this Princess thing?"
"Maybe she thinks it's funny." Meredy suggested. "It's hard to tell with her..."
"Can you people not focus for 60 seconds?"
"It's after midnight, Sparkles, of course we can't."
"Watch it, Blondie. In fact you keep your trap shut and let Bubblegum talk. She makes sense." Lucy rolled her eyes. Meredy didn't make any more sense than anyone else in her opinion. It was becoming obvious to her, however, that Laxus had taken at least a passing fancy to the sensory mage. Lucy had to wonder how the whole Mira circling/being circled thing fit with that. Had she been wrong about the She-Devil and the Thunder God? "Toxic Chicken is here for the cursed barmaid, what about you? Why are you in town?"
"I'm here to see Juvia mostly."
"You are Juvia." Meredy giggled at him and... fluttered her eyelashes? Apparently the fancying went both ways. These two were starting to look like the perfect way to distract Mira, unless Mira took offence and offed Meredy as a dragon poacher.
"The council still wants us locked up. Lucy's spirit Cancer disguised us so we could take the train, and Virgo brought us cloths suited to our temporary identities."
"Cancer and a virgin. Virgo. The Maiden. Really Bix? That's the best you could do when I asked for an explaination?"
"It was funny, Boss. Can you really blame me?" Laxus rolled his eyes.
"That still doesn't explain why you are here. Magnolia, yes. The Thunder House, no." Lucy was glad she had just swallowed or she would have shot chocolate out of her nose all over Bickslow.
"The Thunder House? Really guys? You named your house... The Thunder House?"
"Be nice, Cosplayer. Can you blame us? With our name? If it was your team what would you have called it?"
"A pile of rubble." She answered in her most serious voice. Laxus let out a short laugh.
"Damn right, Blondie. Why do you think I haven't been sleeping here? I fall asleep at the guild dealing with paperwork Your team caused by destroying shit." Lucy felt terrible.
"I'm so sor..."
"Don't you dare let him guilt trip you, Cosplayer. He built a cabin for himself after Tenrou. That's home to him now. He can use his lightning to go strait there from the guild. He does fall asleep at the guild sometimes but he always goes home before the sun comes up." Lucy glared at Laxus. He had the gall to smirk at her. She grinned.
"Hey, Bixy? About Erza. When she realizes we didn't go to Sabertooth, like we told that sweet old mayor, and finally shows up at the guild pissed as all hell, I know exactly what we should tell her." If Laxus had half a brain he would be apologising so hard right now. The smirk stayed. Huh. Even Natsu was smarter than that. "I came strait home, as fast as I could after I finished that mission, and spent the night in Laxus's house."
Bickslow started laughing so hard he fell right off the couch with a thud, only to keep laughing as Laxus blanched. The blond slayer was obviously envisioning his violent passing into the hereafter. Lucy and Meredy were wearing near identical evil grins. It was perfect really. Lucy wouldn't even have to lie this time.
"You wouldn't..."
"I absolutely would. In fact I plan to unless something better presents itself. I'm sure you will survive. You are the Thunder God after all. You wouldn't be bested by a sweet little cake loving fairy." Bickslow's coloring was beginning to worry her.
"Of course I will survive, but all my limbs might not! The hell, Blondie! Sweet little fairy my ass!"
"Don't tell me you are scared of Erza, Sparkles?"
"Stop calling me that!" There were tears coming from the seith mage's eyes.
"Ok. Don't tell me you are scared of Erza, Blondie?" Bickslow managed to suck in a couple deep breaths, before he choked on his next laugh.
"You know what? Just forget it. I don't even care why you are here anymore. I'm going back to bed." Meredy let out a huge, and also fake if you asked Lucy, yawn as Laxus stood. Judging by the twinkle in her eye when he grabbed her hand and pulled her up from the couch, she got what she was after. Lucy would have to watch those two very carefully. Either Mira would try to kill one of them, or force them to have pink-haired lightning babies. "Come on, Bubblegum. I'll show you to Ever's room. Bickslow can deal with his psychotic, soul sucking, blond, whatever she is."
"Cosplayer! She's my cosplayer." He was gasping, but at least he could talk now. Lucy smiled. That name used to upset her. Now she saw it as a compliment. And he had called her his. She could be Cosplayer. As long as she was His Cosplayer.
"You have both lost it..." Laxus muttered as he dragged Meredy down the hall. Somehow her bag ended up over his shoulder. Lucy found that very interresting. She looked back down at the man lying at her feet as they disappeared.
"You ok, Bixy?" His breathing was starting to even out. That was good.
"I'm good. Damn, Cosplayer. Have I told you yet how fucking amazing you are?" She knew she blushed a little. Compliments from him seemed to really get to her.
"Fucking amazing or amazing at fucking?" His eyes got wide and he drew in a deep breath. She gave him her best innocent smile.
"Mavis, Cosplayer. Remember the whole thinking and breathing thing? I really need you to do that. Please." For a moment her heart hurt. Did he not want her? Was he trying to let her down easy? Then she saw it. His eyes always told the truth. He was doing the serious eyes thing. Almost like he was begging. This was important to him.
"Ok, Bixy. I'll try." He smiled. A soft warm smile she felt all the way to her toes.
"You gonna get up now?"
"We should sleep."
"On the floor? You promised me a bed."
"Umm. Well..." He looked uncomfortable. "Ever's bed is big. I can..."
"No. I..." Well that wasn't right. She was the last person he should ever be afraid of. "Stop. Don't look at me like that. That's not what I ment. Don't not look at me just..." She reached down and laid a hand on his cheek to look in his eyes. "What I was saying was... I want to fall asleep with strong arms keeping me safe and the smell of molasses and cedar all around me. I heard something about cuddles with my Bixy earlier. You going to deny me that?"
"I..." If his eyes got any wider she was sure she would fall in. "R-really?" Wow. The tone in his voice. It was like he was praying. She nodded. "I-I didn't think you would... I mean... Please." She smiled. Who would have thought. Bickslow, the eternal prankster and perv extraordinaire, playboy of netorious repute, stammered and blushed when faced with cuddles from a girl. Not just any girl. She, Lucy Heartfilia, had rendered Bickslow breathless.
"You gonna get up now, Bixy? I'll be a good girl. I promise. I'll do a whole bunch of thinking and breathing. Tomorrow. Hold me tonight?"
XxXxXxXxX
Who could say no to that? Good girl, bad girl, or any variation on or combination of. Anything she asked him for tonight she was getting. She wanted held? Fuck yeah. He would wrap his arms around her and never let go. He hopped up and hoisted the last of the luggage Virgo had brought over his shoulder. Lucy was right behind him as he walked to his room.
"Bixy? Where are the babies?" He loved the way she called him that. It made him feel...special... precious to her.
"Uh. Sleeping. Well, not sleeping, because they don't sleep, but resting, sort of. I can rest better if they aren't in my head. I love them, and they don't bother me, really, but sometimes I like to be the only one in my head, and they have been awake since, well, more than a week. I'll wake them up in the morning. I can wake them now if you want, I know you like their company and..." Her hand was over his mouth. He swallowed.
"It's fine, Doc. You need me time. Especially to sleep. I love my spirits too, but I can't keep them around all the time. That would be exhausting." She seemed to consider something for a moment. "Actually it would literally kill me to do that. It requires to much magic. Let them rest. Let yourself rest." Her hand slid to cup his cheek. If he had been the right species he would have purred. As it was an involuntary hum escaped him. She giggled. "Can I rinse the travel dust off before I sleep?" He reluctantly pulled away from her touch to show her the adjacent bathroom and set her bag inside.
"Take as long as you need, Cosplayer. I'll go down the hall to do the same." Her smile was hidden from him when the door closed. The door was still closed when he got back. Normally he would sleep bare chested, but he had thrown a t-shirt on tonight, knowing he just couldn't handle the feel of her on his skin and behave.
He nearly lost control of his baser impulses when she emerged from the bathroom clean and fresh, and took a flying leap across the room, landing on her knees in the middle of his bed, all the right pieces of her, though hidden under a baggy shirt and flannel sleep pants, sent bouncing with the action. In fact his body was halfway to her by the time he managed to divert it to the head of the bed to pull the dark blue comforter down enough to slip under. He took deep breaths as she followed him and curled her perfect body against his, head on his shoulder and hand over his heart. He slowly let his arms wrap around her and buried his nose in her golden, strawberry scented hair.
Logically he knew he would have to let go at some point. He kept reminding himself that once she did that thinking and breathing thing he had so stupidly demanded of her, for her own sake, she would vanish like fog in the wind. He really hoped he was wrong. Hoped she would stay without him binding her to him. Hoped so much it gave him the will to fight for her. If she let him. Tonight he would hold her, and hope that tomorrow, when he let go, she would choose to stay.
XxXxXxXxX
To be continued