SailorTardis498, Anui Wolf. Laxus is going to rub this in so hard...
Unoyoko94. I figure Evergreen has been dealing with Bix and Laxus long enough to know to just overlook drama moments. Cobra has a special gift for either diffusing awkwardness or making it so much worse.
RosesMcKellar. I'm so looking forward to tackling the Mira thing. I dont plan to let Bix and Lucy aren't going to swim in denial to long. It's the height of rainy season. Either they drown or they Get Out.
Fairy Tail is Hiro Mashima's epic creation.
XxXxXxXxX
Breakfast got off to an awkward start. Lucy's spirits escaped as soon as Virgo finished serving. It continued to get more uncomfortable, as they all pretended they weren't thinking about Cobra's little speach, until Lucy remembered the box Bickslow had been carying for the past 3 days. Her new spirits! They had been pushing themselves hard to get home, and she didn't want to slow them down by stopping to make contracts.
"Oh my gosh! My new keys!" She latched onto Bickslow's arm and started shaking him. "Can we meet them now! Before we go to the guild! Please!"
"Why are you asking me?" He laughed.
"Because I'm not weird enough to go digging through your discarded clothing!"
"Eww! Lucy!" Evergreen's nose wrinkled as she whined. "What does Bickslow's dirty laundry have to do with your keys?"
"The pockets!"
"I didn't leave them in my pockets, Cosplayer. That would be irresponsible and disrespectful." He was scowling at her in mock irritation. A giggle escaped her. "I'll go get them. You finish eating." He briefly touched his forehead to hers before he stood. Meredy squeaked quietly and Cobra rolled his eye.
"I still don't understand..." Right. Duh, Lucy. Evergreen wasn't there.
"I got two new silver keys as part of the reward on the is mission. Keys can't be stored in the spirit world, and I knew if I so much as opened the box I would stop everything to make contracts, and I really didn't want Erza to catch us because of my lack of self control, so Bickslow has been keeping them safe for me." She all but crammed the rest of her breakfast down her throat.
"Tits, if you choke on that you will never meet your new spirits." She glared at him around her last mouthful and took her dishes to the sink. She had just finished her coffee when she heard cheery voices from the next room.
"Good morning Cosplayer friend!" She grinned and held her aems out to embrace the little totems.
"Pipi! Goodmorning! Hey, Pupu. Popo, just because my hair is a mess doesn't make it a trampoline. Morning, Papa." She paused to watch the last spirit for a moment. "Cobra you can't beat Pepe in a staring contest. His eyes are painted open."
"He started it."
"Umm..." It really must be an across the board slayer thing. The moments of supreme... densness.
"Shut up, Tits." He broke off his staring contest to glare at her.
"New friends, Cosplayer." She grinned down at the littlest totem in her arms.
"Yep. Do you want to meet them with me? They are my new friends too since I've never met them." *New friends, new friends. All five totems took off through the house like a tiny tornado. Lucy turned her smile back to the table to find Evergreen staring at her in something akin to awe. "What?"
"They talk to you?"
"Of course. Do they not talk to you guys?"
"Not really. I've only ever seen them talk like that to Bix."
"Ever, dont take this the wrong way, but... Do you ever try talking to them?" The fairy mage didn't respond, but she did look thoughtful. Cobra gave her a small nod when she met his eye. It made her feel better knowing something she said got through to Bickslow's teammate.
When the Bickslow returned to the kitchen she all most melted into a literal puddle on the floor. He had tamed his sleep mussed blue hair into its no-shits-given trihawk and his red eyes sparkled with mischeif. No annoying visor to hide behind. No silly striped hoodie hiding lean muscles toned by years of acrobatics. Just a tight black t-shirt stretched over biteable pectorals. There was no ridiculous flag skirt camoflaging his long denim wrapped legs either.
"Cosplayer?" His grin was the panty-dropping kind. His eyes started glowing. "You gunna stand there and drool all day or are you gunna go get dressed so your spirits don't meet their new princess in her pajamas?" *pajama princess, sexy, come get some. He waved the box she knew contained her new keys in the air as he walked around the table towards her. "I'm good with the drooling thing, it's just you seemed so excited when I left." *So excited, new friends. She tried to respond, but all that came out was a whimper.
"Mavis, Bickslow. What did you do to Lucy?" He was standing right in front of her now.
"Pretty sure the problem is that the answer to that question is 'nothing', Flitterbug." So close. If he leaned down just a little she could get one of those sweet kisses he had told her there would be more of.
"I have a name you overgrown newt!" He started to lean down and she let out another whimper.
"Glad you are aware of that." Molasses and cedar surrounded her as he pressed his forehead to hers, and she sighed. So perfect, but so not a kiss. "Flitterbug." Evergreen's loud screech of rage jolted them out of their bubble. Lucy and Bickslow watched as the fairy mage lunged at Cobra, flailing with her fan as he cackled. Meredy glared at them, presumably for ruining the moment with their bickering. Bickslow chuckled.
"Go get dressed, Lucy." She nodded and ducked under around him to hurry out of the room. Glancing back, she managed to catch a glimpse of the fabulous way his cloths clung to his backside as he stood with his hands resting on the counter where she had been.
Their souls were singing together Cobra had said. She had to wonder if that was the cause or a side effect of her current condition. Because wanting to go soul diving with, and being all set to jump the bones of (while in a crouded room) a man she had had her first serious conversation with only a week before could definitely be classified as a condition.
XxXxXxXxX
Bickslow clung to the edge of the kitchen counter as if his life depended on it. He knew for a fact that if he let go he would be following Lucy right back to his bedroom where at this very moment she was getting naked. Well, she was getting dressed, but she had to do one to do the other. Shit! How was he supposed to control himself when she looked at him like that. Like she hadn't eaten in a week and he was a strawberry milkshake.
'You are so fucked, daddy' 'Gee thanks, Pepe. Wanna tell me something I don't know?' Papa sent him a snort. 'By definition we don't know anything you don't. We don't have brains remember? You hold all our memories.' 'You guys aren't helping!' Bickslow groaned and dropped his head to the counter. ' Daddy hurting?' 'I... no... sorta. It's complicated, Pipi.' 'Cosplayer fix. Pipi get Cosplayer!'
"No!" Bickslow dove across the room and managed to snag Pipi out of the air before she could follow through. He ended up on his back, in the middle of the kitchen floor, clutching his smallest totem to his chest, with the other three wizards peering at him from around the table. "Oh, hey guys. What's shakin?"
"Bix, are you... ok?" Right. He looked like he was crazy. They couldn't hear the conversation that just took place through the link, so to them he was just slamming his head against the counter and screaming for no reason. Good thing most people already thought he was a whole can of nuts.
"Sure, Ever. Why wouldn't I be?" He stuck his tongue out and laughed, realized he was not wearing his visor, and turned his head away to watch his babies hover over him. "We're good. Right babies?" He pushed a little magic at them. *right, right, so good.
"Babies, is he really ok?" He jerked his head around to stare incredulously at his long time teammate. She was asking his babies... with him right there? *So fucked, totally losing it, complicated shit, Cosplayer help. The first time they actually talk to Evergreen they throw him under the train. The little traitors! "You guys leave Cosplayer out of this conversation."
"Tits pretty much is the whole reason for the conversation so that would be kinda hard to do don't you think?"
"Shut up, Cyclops. I'm dealing. I'm fine. It's weird and good and I'm way better than ok, even if my brain feels like it went through a blender. I've got this. Sorta." *So fucked, blender brain.
"Oh, Bix!" A sympathetic Evergreen made him nervous. "You are totally in love with her aren't you?" Well, fuck. Was he? The train his babies threw him under just ran him over. It blew it's whistle-horn thing and everything. "I have to agree with Cobra on this one. Talk to her. I can talk to her if you want. Feel things out. I could..."
"No-one is telling Lucy about this!"
"No-one is telling me about what?" *busted, oops, so fucked. 'Pupu! Find a new catchphrase.' He twisted around to see her standing in the doorway with Cancer peeking over her shoulder.
"Hey there, Cosplayer. Cancer! Buddy. Come to help the Witches right themselves?" Please be distracted. Please be distracted. Please be...
"Bixy?" Or not. "Are you hiding from me? Truth. Remember we talked about that." No hiding. No lying. If he didn't want to talk about it just say so.
"No. Not really. Can we just... later? Please babe?" She was giving him that weird look again. Like when they woke up this morning.
"I... ok... sure thing, Doc." He shuddered. He had no idea what he had done, but he loved it when she called him that. It ment he did something very right, and reminded him that she understood him. She gave him a big smile, then turned to Cobra and Meredy. "Right! You guys ready to be yourselves again?"
"Hell yes."
"Absolutely!"
"Cancer, if you would..."
"Sure thing, baby!" The spirit's scissors flew and in a matter of seconds Cobra and Meredy were 'themselves' again.
"Thanks, Cancer!"
"Later, baby!" A shower of light and he was gone.
"Oh wow! Meredy your hair is so lovely!"
"Thanks, Evergreen!"
"Would you two stop your screeching!"
"Hmph. Here I was hoping you would be in a better mood once you didn't look like the mopey stripper anymore. Guess I was wrong."
"I happen to be in a fantastic mood, Flitterbug."
"Oh for the sake of a bumblebee's hairbrush. Can you not get along with anyone, Slither Bat?"
"Well my girlfriend seems to like me just fine." Cobra smirked.
"Well we all know she is an angel to put up with your toxic bullshit."
"Yes she is." Well... that was creepy.
"Do us all a favor, Cyclops. Don't ever agree with anyone ever again. I'm pretty sure if you do the Chaos Dragon's arrival will be imminent."
"Fuck you, Echo! See this is why I'm never nice to anyone."
"I don't echo anymore so you should really find a new name to try to insult me with."
"What! Since when? I thought the babies made Bixy sound echoey." Lucy was bouncing in excitment. It was really distracting. And amazing.
"I can block him now. I'd teach you but it's a seith thing."
"Oh. Well that's really cool! How many people can keep a secret from Cobra? Not many. Your magic is amazing." His magic was amazing? If it made Lucy smile, then ok. He would have to agree. His magic was amazing.
"Who wants to stick around and watch me make these contracts?"
"Are you sure Lucy? Isn't it a private thing?"
"Only a little. You can stay if you want, Ever. I have to warn you though. Natsu told me it's really really boring."
"Cosplayer, none of us are Natsu. Natsu thinks everything but eating and fighting is boring."
"And Lisanna." Her evil grin was so sexy.
"Right. And Lisanna."
In the end they all chose to stay. They moved the coffee table to give her space to work and sat in the living room. Lucy was vibrating with excitement when Bickslow handed her the first key out of the box. She stood with her feet planted and raised the silver key above her head.
"I am connected to the path to the celestial spirit world! Heed my call! Pass through the gate!..."
XxXxXxXxX
To be continued