rmadhumita378. Bring on the craziness! Can't have Fairy Tail without it.
SailorTardis498. I'm super pumped for Erza to show up. Just not yet.
NinjaKitten93. I loved the circle too! BixLu kinda got thrown into the pool before it warmed up didn't they? Bickslow will tell us about his baby sister eventually. He isn't ready yet.
westerngoddess. Baby love! They are so much fun right?
RosesMcKellar. First we eat lunch. Then I believe Lucy promised Bickslow a nap. Tomorrow (their tomorrow) will be Evergreen's day while the sun shines. It will be... girly.
ytygr. I know right? She seened to love the celestial party (pre GMG) so much, but we never get to see her at the guild.
Unoyoko94. Bix will tell us.
Fairy Tail is awesome! Fairy Tail is Hiro Mashima's baby.
XxXxXxXxX
Mavis bless Virgo for her timing. It was obvious to Bickslow that, even though Cobra and Natsu started this fight, every male guild member, aside from his team, was after his precious self. Even Loke and Gajeel had tried to put in their two cents, er, hits, and he would have sworn they were on his side before punches started flying. He might have lost pieces if the spirit's buffet hadn't called off the wolves.
He almost had when Lucy sent her little message through Pipi. 'Cosplayer say send to daddy!' 'Oh? Send what?' He felt the softest impression of a kiss pressed to his forehead and heard his Lucy's voice. 'I want the rest of that kiss later. Even though it shot that thinking, breathing thing to pieces. Thanks Doc.' The smile she gave him when he looked up at where she had gathered with the guild's women had lit up his whole being. Her warning had saved him from decapitation and he had returned his attention to the idiots trying to kill him.
He couldn't blame them. Anyone who knew Cosplayer either claimed her as family, or wanted to play all up in her miniskirt. The ones who saw her as family wanted his head because they would never believe he was Serious about her. The ones who wanted to sleep with her wanted his head because they were afraid he Was serious and would take her off the market. Serious or not, no one thought he was good enough for her. Not even him.
Natsu was the only one who hadn't come after him, and he couldn't figure out why. It was making him nervous, because there was no way the fire dragon slayer was really ok with him calling Lucy his. He had made that very clear and a handful of words would never be enough to sway that crazy boys view in Bickslow's favor. His confusion vanished when he felt himself yanked out a side door and slammed up against the guild wall by a very hot fist attached to the front of his shirt.
"What did you do to her?" Natsu's growl was vicious. A week ago Bickslow's response to that question would have been smart assed, highly sexual, and probably gotten him roasted on the spot. However, Lucy had done a pretty good job over the past few days of showing him that honesty and being himself might just be a better option.
"Natsu, I swear I didn't do anything. Nothing physical, and nothing with my magic. I promise. Everything she is doing is her own choice." The slayer's dark eyes stared strait into Bickslow's for a long moment, which honestly made him uncomfortable. He wasn't used to people looking at his eyes at all.
"You aren't lying." Bickslow rolled his eyes. He couldn't help it.
"I have a dragon slayer on my team too, Natsu. I'm not stupid enough to try lying to you."
"Why?" Why what? Why is Lucy doing what she is doing?
"The fuck if I know! Lucy doesn't do things that make sense. I don't know what she sees in me really. Every time I try to tell her she shouldn't be with me she finds some way to dig herself deeper inside me. It's insane and amazing, and I really don't care what anyone else thinks anymore, because she is just a walking miracle, and I'm done fighting her, because winning an argument with Cosplayer is impossible, and even if I could win I wouldn't because I want her, damn it, and I want to be hers and..." Natsu started laughing. "What?"
"That wasn't what I meant." He let go of Bickslow's shirt and punched his shoulder in a way that Bickslow didnt think was supposed to hurt, even though it did. "Nobody knows what is going on in Luce's head. She's weird. I was asking why you wanted her, but you answered that too."
"She is amazing, Natsu. Cosplayer wears her heart in her eyes, ya know? She... cares. And she sees me. My magic let's me literally see souls, and I don't think I will ever be able to see people as well as she can."
"I know." The pinkette grinned. "As long as you see how special she is I'm ok with sharing her with you."
"You know that sounds really bad right?"
"Gross! Not like that! Why has she not kicked your brain out yet?"
"It helps that she apparently finds me rather sexy. Trust me she has been worse than me the past few days."
"Luce?"
"Natsu, you know people say Cosplayer and Baby Straus are really alike right? I know everyone thinks your girl is an innocent angel, but I know better. Wanna tell me who made the first move between you two?" Natsu blushed.
"Luce didn't..."
"The sweet ones really are crazy inside, but no. Today's kiss and some powerfully soul soothing cuddles are all the further we've gotten. She's sexy as hell, and it may be the death of me, but I'm trying to keep us moving slow. Failing, but trying."
"Ha! Yeah. Good luck with that. The day Lisanna decided she was done being just friends she showed up naked in my bed and I was on my back in seconds. You can't say no to that." Bickslow swallowed hard. Mavis, the thought of Cosplayer doing something like that... He took a deep breath and grit his teeth.
"You aren't helping."
"Just... be careful with my best friend 'k? Luce is strong and has a big heart, but... She's been through a lot of shit."
"The nightmares..."
"You know about those?" Natsu looked surprised.
"She told me. I don't know much. Does anything help?"
"Her nightmares are the reason I still sneak into her bed. She hates being alone. She acts mad, but holding her seems to keep them away most of the time." Bickslow nodded. "We should go back in before she notices we are gone."
"Before she realises you were planning to fry me like a chicken you mean."
"Yeah!" Natsu grinned. This grin had an evil light to it. "I know Luce can kick your ass, but if she ever has to there won't be a body left to find once I'm done with you." Bickslow shuddered as he followed the fire wizard back into the guild. He had no doubt the man meant it.
XxXxXxXxX
Lucy watched Natsu and Bickslow come back into the building and finally relaxed. Pupu had told her that her daddy was fine, but she had been worried her best friend would do something to her... Bickslow. They really needed to find a word for whatever they were. A word other than mine. They couldn't keep calling each other 'my Bickslow' and 'my Cosplayer' could they? Even if they were eachother's according to the dragon slayers.
The girls had all returned upstairs after they got their food, and the Neanderthals had a very rare moment of unified wisdom and stayed downstairs. Cana plunked a glass of wine down in front of Evergreen when she had caught her drinking water, which Meredy had descreetly swapped for juice while Lucy drew eyes away from them with a retelling of how she and Bickslow found and 'exorcised' the 'haunted' castle.
"We all thought it would be more fun to risk their wrath instead of asking for permission, so we ran. It was fun. Cancer fixed Cobra and Meredy so anyone who didnt actually know us would think they were Gray and Juvia and we got in on the train late last night. Or early this morning. I'm not really sure which."
"My, not that I doubt your judgment or anything, but..." Levy hesitated. "Isn't Cobra a bad guy? I thought the Oracion Seis hated you?"
"Didn't Gajeel win you a giant stuffed bear at the fair last month?" Levy blushed. "Besides, once you get past the poison, and the sarcasm, and the violence, and the jackassedness, and the death threats Cobra's a decent guy and lots of fun to hang out with."
"Lucy's right." Evergreen swirled her goblet of fruit punch as she spoke. "The overgrown newt really isn't all that bad if you can keep from killing him for the first five minutes of the conversation, and the next ten, and the middle fifteen, and the last five."
"Preach, Flitterbug. I'm a fucking angel. Flowers sprout at my feet and when I sneeze rainbows shoot out of my ass." Meredy choked on the wine she had stolen Evergreen she had stolen Evergreen. Most of the girls stared in shock as he stood behind Kinana, placing his hands on either side of the table and resting his chin on her head. The girl was practically glowing with joy as she realized he what he had done. Lucy thought it was the most adorable thing she had ever seen. Aside from Bickslow when he blushed. "Oi! Keep those thoughts to yourself, Tits. I didn't want to hear that."
"Oh, shove it up your rainbow colored ass, Slither Bat. What are you doing up here in the estrogen cloud?"
"Breathing. I like poison." Kinana giggled and the corner of his mouth twitched. "Also somebody needs to do something about the Stripper. His soul is screaming for the blood of the Disco Princess to be sacrificed to the gods of Jazz and Blues."
"Say what?" Drunk Cana didn't do word play. Lucy sighed.
"Gray still wants to kill Bickslow. What about Natsu?"
"That volcano is inactive at the moment. You were right to let that talk happen. It was full of feelings and shit, and I almost vomited, but they are good now." He pointed at Lisanna and grinned. "You... are one feisty little Kitten." He burrowed his five in his girlfriend's hair. "I like her, Kina."
"Well, good. Because she is a dear friend of mine."
"Question!" Cana waved goth arms in the air and almost fell backwards off her bench. Once she had everyone's attention the pointed at the couple. "What the hell?"
"Care to do the honors, Tits?"
"It would be my pleasure. Everyone say hi to Kinana's longtime secret boyfriend Cobra of Crime Sorciere." Several of the girls waved mechanically. "Slither Bat, say hi to your girlfriend's sisters." He flipped them off. "I would also like to introduce the lovely and poison immune angel Kinana, aka Cubelios." There were gasps. Mira squealed, but managed to stay conscious. "Yes they are adorable, and no I have no idea how Kinana puts up with him."
"Wow." Cana's grin was quite lecherous. "You go girl. I'd jump that too if I thought I would survive." She was agreed with most heartily and Kinana blushed. A loud stash drew their attention to the original reason Cobra had ventured upstairs. Gray stood on the opposite side of the table from where Bickslow sat. The dishes that had been on the table were scattered on the floor.
"I was all set to poison his ass, but Echo and the Slippery Kitty said Tits would kick My ass into the stratosphere so..."
"I've got this." Meredy stood and vaulted over the rail to land in the most dramatic was possible on the empty table. Gray jerked back, but he wasn't fast enough to avoid the hand that slapped a glowing pink bracelet of magic to his wrist. Bickslow didn't even try to avoid her when Meredy reached for him. Gray stared at his arm in horror and began to breath faster. Lucy grinned as she walked down the stairs.
"You are familiar with Meredy's magic right, Gray? You know everything Bickslow feels you will. Means you can't hur's magic right, Gray? You know everything Bickslow feels you will. Means you can't hur's magic right, Gray? You know everything Bickslow feels you will. Means you can't hurt him. He gets emotional stuff too, right, Meredy?" The sensory mage smiled.
"Yep. In fact I made this one a primarily emotional link since a lesson was needed. Emotions are stronger than physical sensations. I bet if we add you into the link it would melt his brain." Gray wobbled a little and looked confused.
"I don't think Bixy and I are quite ready for that."
"I think it would be beautiful! In fact why don't I just drop him out and add you in?" Gray looked to have trouble breathing.
"Please don't." Lucy felt real fear at the idea.
"Cosplayer is right. Even if we were ready for that the guild isn't." Bickslow grinned. "There are children present." There was panic in Gray's eyes. Lucy smiled. Bickslow had been handling the emotional storm Gray was being flooded with for days. It was impressive really, that he was managing to hide so much right now. Lucy looked away from her team mate to see that Bickslow's eyes had a faint glow to them. Her heart fluttered.
"Close your eyes, Bixy." He glanced at her and smiled before he did. He was still sitting. Lucy was very glad of this, because she could reach him this way. She ran her fingers through his hair and he sighed. Gray grabbed the edge of the table and shook his head.
"What the fuck was that?" She glared at him. Really? She knew her friend was emotionally constipated, but this is ridiculous. She looked up at the row of women leaning over the balcony rail.
"I'm sorry to tell you this, Juvia, but I think Gray is broken. You and Meredy may have to strait up get him a shrink to make Gruvia happen."
"Juvia will fix my beloved Gray! Juvia will never give up, Love Rival."
"Not your Love Rival, Juvia." She leaned down and kissed Bickslow's temple. His eyes popped open and he drew in a sharp breath. Gray passed out. Meredy released the link. "Babies? We have had a long day and need a nap. Can you fly us home?" *nap, nap, babies help, blender brain.
"But you just got here!" Mira wailed. Bickslow scooped Lucy up like a princess and hopped on the babies.
"Sorry, Mira! Let's have a girls day out after lunch tomorrow!" Cheers were heard from the balcony as the babies shot them out of the guildhall.
XxXxXxXxX
To be continued