For once, it was Bickslow who got up first. Although, he did have to admit that he didn't hate mornings as much as he used to, but that was really only because he got to wake up to a certain blonde almost every morning. You know, assuming he wasn't out on a job and neither was Lucy, and with the Grand Magic Games coming up in just a few months, everyone was taking more jobs or going off to train in the hopes they'd improve enough to be selected for one of the two teams that Fairy Tail would be entering.
But that day, he didn't care about training, and he never really cared all that much anyway. Bickslow wasn't interesting in being on one of the teams, but unfortunately, he was getting dragged along to every menial job and training session that Freed could come up with, just to support Laxus. Because let's face it, Laxus was going to be on one of the teams again.
Rolling over slightly to face the still sleeping blonde in the dim room, he draped his arm over her stomach and pulled her towards him. "Morning, baby," he murmured, pressing a soft kiss to her cheek and nuzzling his face in the crook of her neck.
A lazy smile floated across her face as her eyes opened slowly, gradually getting pulled from her slumber. "You're up early."
"I know, but I just really wanted my present and I couldn't wait any longer," he said, the corners of his mouth lifting up into a small smile as he shifted, hovering over her as his lips trailed down the side of her neck.
"Bicks…" she whispered, rolling onto her back as Bickslow moved to kneel over her hips. She frowned as she looked up at him, and she could already feel the guilt begin to bubble up inside of her. "You told me not to get you anything for your birthday…"
Because for the last two weeks, Bickslow had made it quite clear that Lucy wasn't to do anything or get him anything for his birthday. Hell, every day he'd been making her verbally agree to not plan anything or get anything. He'd been having to remind her of it every day, because he'd known that his girlfriend really wanted to do something for his birthday. The only problem was that Bickslow just never really celebrated it. Ever.
But now, what was Lucy supposed to think? She felt bad enough already that she couldn't do anything and now here he was, saying that he wanted his present. What the hell was Lucy even supposed to do?
Leaning down, Bickslow grinned. His hands trailed down to her hips, toying with the fabric of her singlet and lifting it up slightly to feel the silky flesh beneath the fabric as the tip of his tongue ran up the side of her neck, before reaching her ear and pulling her lobe into his mouth, gently nibbling on it as a quiet sigh escaped her lips.
"I know I did," he murmured, only ducking his head to brush his lips down over her neck and to her shoulder. "And you know why I said that?"
"No…"
"Because no matter what you would have gotten me," Bickslow began quietly as he suddenly sat up slightly, his hands cupping her face as he stared down at the brown orbs that had completely captivated him. "It wouldn't compare to you." Then, as his lips curled up into a smile once again, just from the sight of Lucy's frown disappearing slowly, he murmured, "Because you, my darling Cosplayer, are all that I could ever want or need. You're my present for every day of the goddamn year."
Lucy smiled slightly, a quiet laugh escaping her as she wrapped her arms around Bickslow's neck and pulled him down into a slow, deep kiss. She honestly loved the guy, probably way too much, but sometimes Lucy couldn't help but wonder about some of the things he said, especially when they left her feeling like she was going to melt into a puddle of her own feelings, because really, Bickslow seemed to know just what to say or do to have her heart pounding in her chest and her breath catching. Lucy didn't know if he thought about those kind of lines and just waited for the perfect moment to say them, or if he just came up with them on the spot, because seriously, they seemed to just roll off his tongue so effortlessly – and really, that seemed fitting for Bickslow, of all people.
Pulling away as his hands went back to her sides, slowly pushing the thin fabric of her shirt up higher and with a devilish smirk, he said, "So, what were your plans for today?"
"Didn't make any," she said, raising her arms above her head as Bickslow lifted her shirt up and tossed it across the room. She arched her back slightly with a quiet moan as his tongue grazed over a pebbled peak, his fingers gently pinching her other. "Besides, you're the birthday boy," Lucy gasped as he pulled a nipple into his mouth, gently biting down as his tongue flicked over the tip. Damn it, he's making it hard to focus on anything. "What did you want to do today?" Though, Lucy was pretty sure she knew how he wanted to start the day.
"Not too sure," he mumbled with his lips against her stomach, slowly inching down with light kisses as his fingers hooked into the waistband of her shorts. Then, raising his eyes to meet hers while letting his tongue glide over the skin just above her waistband, he said, "I'm thinking breakfast in bed might be nice, though."
"Well… If you want breakfast… Then you should probably stop undressing me." Oh, too late… There go the rest of my clothes, she thought as Bickslow tossed the remainder of her clothing to the other side of the room, leaving her bare beneath him.
Bickslow's hands smoothed down her legs as he settled himself between them, his wide frame pushing them apart as he hooked his arms around her thighs. "That's not what I meant," he mumbled, his mouth flush against the inside of her thigh, slowly – almost painstakingly – inching his way towards the apex.
"O-Oh…"
And when he looked up again in time to see the faintest dusting of pink across her cheeks in the dim room, he chuckled quietly. It was nice to know that there were still some things that made her blush, even after nearly seven months of dating; it was nice to know he hadn't completely corrupted her. Because after everything, there was still that small semblance of innocence within her, and even though she was almost as confident as he was when it came to the bedroom, Bickslow still enjoyed that shy blonde, just as much as he enjoyed the near insatiable one, even if it still surprised him that she was such a vixen – an incredibly sexy vixen, at that.
And hell, he loved the fact that she was completely his; he was the only one to see those sides of her and he was damn happy that he was going to be the only one to ever see those sides.
She was completely his and he was completely hers.
"Come on, do it already," Bickslow complained, his hands going up and gesturing towards himself.
Lucy frowned. "What if I hurt you? I don't want to hurt you. What if I hit your scar? And oh god—"
"Baby, it's been five months," he interjected, lifting up his shirt and pointing to the scar across his side. "It's just a scar. I'm fine, and you're not going to hurt me." Well, she wasn't going to hurt him too much. Hopefully.
"Can't I practice on someone else?" Lucy asked as she wrapped her hands around her elbows and looked around the room. The rest of his team was sitting on a stack of mats not too far away, all with amused expressions as they watched them.
"No, because I'm the only one stupid enough to volunteer."
"See? Even you know it's a stupid idea—"
"Blondie, just fucking kick the guy already, before I do," Laxus said, his lids lowered in boredom as he wrapped a towel around the back of his neck. He'd heard stories about Lucy's famous kicks. Hell, Freed had mentioned Bickslow complaining about it for hours after they'd lost to Lucy and Cana on Tenrou, and there was a part of him that wouldn't wish the wrath of the petite Celestial Spirit mage upon anyone (well, she could go all out on Natsu and Bickslow. He didn't care much about those two, most of the time), but he really did have to admit he was excited about seeing Bickslow getting his ass handed to him again.
Bickslow had been helping Lucy with becoming more agile since he wasn't interested in training himself, so with the rest of Lucy's team off doing their own thing as part of their own training for the Grand Magic Games, Lucy joined the Raijinshuu in Hargeon between jobs.
But it had gotten to a point where Lucy really needed to test out her new tricks on someone, and no one was willing to be on the receiving end so who better to test them out on than her loving boyfriend and coach?
With a sigh, Lucy walked over to the spot that had been marked on the mat and looked up to Bickslow, and she wasn't entirely surprised to see that he was grinning with his tongue hanging out. As usual.
"Come on, Cosplayer," Bickslow jeered. "I know you want to kick my ass again."
So with another sigh and a slight scowl on her face, she got into her starting position. I can do this. I've spent weeks practicing this. I can do this… All I have to do is come out of it and kick Bickslow… Yeah, I can do that…
She loved the guy, but he really did get on her nerves sometimes and she did have to admit it had been somewhat satisfying to kick him square in the chest back on Tenrou.
With a steady breath, she started on her short run-up and propelled herself into a simple cartwheel, her palms spread on the ground just in front of her as she turned in the air. As soon as her feet had touched the thin mat again, her back towards Bickslow, she launched herself backwards and rotated until her hands had touched the ground, and with her legs slightly split in the air, she caught a glimpse of Bickslow from her upside down state. Closing her eyes quickly, she used the momentum she had and pushed off from the ground with her hands and twisted herself in the air so she was facing him once again (or so she hoped), and like she always did when she went for her famous kicks, she had one leg out before her and all she could do was wait until it collided with Bickslow. As soon as she did and she heard a quiet grunt from him before a loud thud, she opened her eyes from where she crouched, a little hesitantly, of course.
When she did that, it felt longer. It felt longer than the incredibly short seconds that it actually took. She felt like time actually slowed down and she was able to think about every move she made; every slight twist in the air and every rotation.
But in reality, it was just a couple of seconds.
Evergreen started cheering as Laxus and Freed clapped while Bickslow chuckled. "Nice job, Blondie," Laxus said, jumping down from the stack of mats and walking back over to his corner of their gym.
"Yeah, well done, Lucy," Evergreen agreed, jumping down with Freed as they headed towards the sparring arena in the middle once again. Turning her head over her shoulder and looking towards Lucy with a smile, she added, "Not many people can send Bicks to the floor like that."
Lucy frowned as she went to kneel beside Bickslow as he slowly sat up, rubbing just below his chest with one hand and leaning back on the other. Sure, it really had been a little satisfying to send him flying backwards (into the crash mats that had been placed behind him for that very reason), but Lucy still didn't like the fact she'd hurt him, even though he'd deny it.
"You were supposed to try and dodge it, Bicks," Lucy said, scowling at Bickslow as she lifted up the side of his shirt just to peek at the scars on his side and his back. God forbid she have kicked him near there. She was still worried that his injuries were a problem just because it was the kind of injury that would take some time to truly heal. Even though it had really been five months, she was still worried.
"No I wasn't," Bickslow chuckled, grinning up at Lucy.
"Yes, you were. Even if I do find a reason to ever do that, no one is going to be stupid enough to just stand there. They'll dodge it, which was what you were supposed to do."
He shook his head as he stood up slowly, taking Lucy's hand when she offered it. "Nope. I did exactly what I was supposed to do, and that was stand there." When she opened her mouth to argue it, he leant down quickly and silenced her with a brief kiss. "Because if and when you do end up using that, then the guy is gonna be too busy trying to look up your skirt to move a muscle."
A light blush spread across her cheeks and her mouth curled up into a small smile as she gently pushed back on his chest. "I'm not even wearing a skirt, you perv."
With a wicked grin, he bent down to lift her up, his hands cupping her ass as her legs wrapped around his waist and her arms his neck. "You usually do though," he said, pushing his head forward to kiss her lips briefly again. "Besides, I was too busy trying to look at your ass to even think about moving."
"If you were anyone else, I'd have kicked you across the room by now just for even thinking about looking at my ass." Lucy giggled.
"I know," he chuckled as he lowered her back to the ground and pulled away to go back and stand on his own spot, his arms folded across his chest as Lucy slowly made her way back over to hers. "Now, let's try that again, and keep your eyes open this time."
"You saw that?"
"Yup. If you close them, you're not going to be able to correct your position in the air should someone actually move away or towards you. Remember?"
She nodded. "Yeah, I remember."
"Good. Now, come on, Cosplayer. Give me all you've got," Bickslow said with a wide grin, his tongue lolling out of his mouth once again.
And by the end of the day, Bickslow was all but on the verge of collapsing, much to Laxus and Evergreen's entertainment and Lucy's despair. Plenty of bruises were already appearing, but he never once lost his grin, even when he managed to get hit in the face by Lucy at some point. All day they'd worked on her new tricks, much like they did a lot of the time – when they could, anyway – and honestly, Bickslow was incredibly proud. Considering just a couple of months earlier, Lucy had barely been able to do a handstand, it was incredibly pleasing to watch her slide, roll, and occasionally flip herself into the air like she'd been doing it her entire life. Sure, the chances were that she was never going to get a chance to use any of the fancier ones she'd been working on with Bickslow, but should she ever need to do something like that, she'd know how to.
The best part was that Bickslow had found a way for her to get her spirits involved, whether they just occupied themselves elsewhere in the room so Lucy could get used to the tug on her magic power while physically using her energy, or Lucy used them to further improve her newfound abilities, whether that was by pushing off from them to propel herself into the air or they caught her when coming back down or something else entirely.
Loke, of course, was also enjoying watching Lucy send Bickslow flying into a pile of crash mats time after time. He was probably enjoying it a little bit too much, but hey, there was nothing either could do about. By that point in Bickslow and Lucy's relationship, Loke and Bickslow had come to a sort of truce; Loke understood that Bickslow was going to be in his master's life for the foreseeable future and he knew that the Seith mage was one of the main reasons for her happiness, and Bickslow understood that Loke was always going to be just a little bit wary of him, but it wasn't because Loke didn't trust Bickslow. No, it was just because he wanted to protect his faithful master. Loke would stop trying to get Lucy to marry him and offend Bickslow in the process by trying to convince her to leave him (for the most part), and Bickslow would stop making threats about adding a lion skin rug to his living room and freaking out whenever the annoying spirit showed up in his bedroom in the morning to wake up Lucy… for the most part.
It was because of their mutual desire to protect Lucy and because they loved her that they were able to come to a truce. They were going to be in each other's lives so they pretty much had to at least try and get along. Sort of.
And of course, Lucy had played a part in the terms of their truce – a very big part. If she'd left them on their own, well… she didn't want to think about what would have happened.
Virgo and Taurus though, when they'd been called out to help Lucy with her practice, had been more than happy to just get on with what they'd been summoned for, and that was provide Lucy with assistance rather than laugh at Bickslow.
But by the end of the day, everyone was exhausted from another extensive training session – Laxus and Lucy more than anyone – and when the rest of the Raijinshuu and their fearless leader headed back to Magnolia on the last train out of Hargeon, Lucy sluggishly made her way over to the net below the trapeze that Bickslow was lying in the middle of and had been since everyone started winding down for the day.
Lucy groaned as she pulled herself up to the net. Every muscle in her body was screaming at her to stop moving, but she didn't regret anything she'd done that day, just like she never did every other time she'd ended the day with just wanting to collapse and sleep for the next twelve (or twenty-four) hours. She didn't regret asking Bickslow for help all those weeks earlier and she didn't regret using him as target practice (for the most part).
Bickslow had been more than willing to help her become more agile, to give her options to escape or get a better position should she need to, and Lucy really was glad for it. Most of the things he'd been teaching her, she knew she would probably never get a chance to use, but if she needed to, she'd have them in her toolkit.
Besides, Capricorn was happy with the fact she was getting a lot more exercise done and getting closer to that 'optimal weight,' something which Bickslow argued with considerably, because to him, his girlfriend was damn perfect the way she was. And Lucy got to see more of Bickslow when he decided to show off with his own fancy tricks – the same ones that had made Lucy go to Bickslow of all people for help with training, just because he made everything look so graceful and effortless. She wasn't particularly interested in the physical combat-heavy manoeuvres, and if she'd gone with her own team or anyone else, that's what she'd be learning. That just wasn't her style. But herself and Bickslow were actually quite similar in terms of how they fought. They tended to stick to the back lines, just because that's how their magic worked best. Bickslow wasn't combat-strong since he didn't have to be. His babies were what he used for everything, whether he be on the offensive or defensive. He didn't need to be right in the centre of everything, but when he was, he needed a way to get out of it, and that's what Lucy needed. She, too, tended to stick to the back lines when she could, with her spirits doing a fair majority of her damage. But there were always times where she got caught out and she was no match for her opponent, and when none of her spirits or teammates were there to get her out, she needed to find her own way out or at least hold her own, at least until she could escape safely.
That's just what ended up being easiest, and Bickslow was doing his damned best to teach her those. Hell, he was more than happy to only teach her moves that would get her out of harm's way, but Lucy was adamant that she learn some things that could put her on the offensive for once. She needed that, just in case there were times where fighting was the only option.
With a sigh, she rolled down next to Bickslow on the net, the movement making it bounce slightly. "Are you dead?" she asked, curling up next to him with her head on his outstretched arm.
"Not yet," he mumbled, the corner of his lips pulling up into a smirk as his eyes remained close. "Slightly bruised, but not dead."
"I'm sorry, Bicks. I never wanted you to get hurt." When his arm wrapped around her shoulder gently, pulling her in closer, she moved to rest her head near his shoulder as her hand came to rest on his chest gently, feeling it rise and fall with each quiet breath. "But at the same time, I'm not really that sorry, because it's kind of your own fault you're hurt right now," she added with a small smile.
"Don't be sorry at all. After all, I volunteered, remember?" Bickslow said quietly as he turned his head to press a soft kiss to the top of her forehead. "Besides, I'm pretty damn proud of you right now. You must have one hell of a coach to get you to be able to do all of that, considering you could barely even do a handstand not that long ago."
"Mmm, I have an amazing coach. He's handsome, too."
"Should I be worried?" Bickslow asked, closing his eyes once again as a smirk tugged at his mouth.
Lucy giggled, only wincing slightly when her stomach muscles screamed at her again. "Maybe. I mean, he was looking at my ass a lot… Did I mention he's really handsome? And I got a peek at this scar he has today and oh god, was that sexy. I don't know, Bicks… I think I might have a thing for my coach."
Bickslow snorted with his own laughter, something that made Lucy laugh just a little bit more in return, ignoring the pain from doing so. "Well, your coach can look at your ass all he wants," he said, turning his head to the side again to look at the grinning face of the blonde beside him. Hell, Bickslow didn't care if anyone looked at Lucy's ass, and he wouldn't blame them if they did (and he knew that there were plenty of people who did a double-take when it came to his lovely girlfriend). As long as they didn't touch her ass, he'd be okay. Looking was fine because when it came down to it, Lucy was his – her ass included. The other perverts of the guild and town would just have to keep their hands to themselves, unlike Bickslow. "So I'm not worried about that, because really, it's hard not to look at your ass."
"You're not supposed to say that, you idiot."
"What can I say? I know my girlfriend is hot as hell." When she slapped his shoulder for apparently not being a very good boyfriend and not stopping people from checking her out, he laughed again. "But… I am a little worried about you maybe having a thing for your coach. I mean, surely he's nowhere near as handsome as me… Hell, you're even making my sexy scars feel ugly now."
With her own brand of a mischievous smirk, she wrapped a leg around his waist, pulling herself up to straddle his hips slowly (well, as quickly as her aching muscles would allow her to move, anyway), with her hands pressed into the net on either side of him. "Hmm, he's close," she mused, leaning down slightly when his arms wrapped around her waist. "But you're definitely more handsome."
"Damn right I am."
She giggled again before she leant down, pressing her lips to his softly before she pulled back and rolled off to the side again and crawled towards the edge of the net as it swayed and bounced with each movement.
"Aw, aren't you gonna stay? The net makes a good bed, surprisingly," Bickslow whined, rolling onto his stomach. His lips curled up into another grin as he watched the sway of her hips as she crawled. Mmm, never gonna get sick of seeing that.
"It's tempting, really," she said, gasping quietly when she jumped down from the net and onto the small stack of mats near the edge of it. "But there's a hot shower upstairs that has my name on it." And really, she needed that hot shower just to relieve the ache in her muscles from another day of extensive training. She'd never understand how her team could train day after day, hours upon hours. Hell, she could barely do it a few times a week without wanting to collapse and die.
As Lucy slowly crossed the gym floor, navigating her way through the obstacle course of bright mats and blocks and scattered gym equipment, Bickslow ducked his head and groaned into the net quietly. If there was a shower with her name on it, then there was one with his name on it, and it would just happen to be the same shower. He just had to find the energy to pull himself off the damn net in the first place and make it across the room and up the stairs to the loft, and then to the bathroom.
But… It would be totally worth it, so with a grin to himself, he scrambled forward and jumped off from the net and onto the nets, already on his way to catching up to the lovely blonde vixen who was looking over her shoulder with her own smirk.
The weeks rolled by once again and they were filled with more training and more jobs. By Lucy's birthday, the teams that the guild were entering into the games had been selected, and it was no surprise to anyone that the two teams they were allowed to enter were basically the exact same as they had been the year before – Erza, Natsu, Gray, Lucy, and Wendy on one team, and Laxus, Gajeel, Juvia, Mira, and Cana on the other.
Everyone was getting ready to head off to Crocus at the end of June, their jobs winding down as most chose to stay in the guild just so they could go off to Crocus with everyone else, but for Laxus and the Raijinshuu, that wasn't the case. Much to Bickslow's dismay, they were out on one last job and would be making their way to Crocus on their own and would actually be arriving there a couple of days before the rest of the guild since their job was a lot closer to the city than it was to Magnolia.
But it was Lucy's birthday, and both herself and Bickslow were a little disappointed that they couldn't actually spend it together like they had with Bickslow's. So while Bickslow was busy doing whatever it was that had him out on a job in the first place, Lucy went about her day like she usually did, shaking her head at her team's antics while she sat in the guild, talking to either Levy and Gajeel or Mira and Cana at the bar.
She'd never particularly liked celebrating her birthday (not in an extravagant way, anyway), and that was because growing up, it often went forgotten by the person who meant the most: her father. The only people who came to remember her birthday were the servants and maids and the various people who looked after her, and eventually, that's the kind of birthday she came to love and look forward to. She didn't want the extravagant parties where people were all but forced to smile and pretend they wanted to be there, to wish her well and shower her with gifts and attention.
She never wanted any of that. She didn't want the gifts and the forced attention because she just wanted to be around her friends. And growing up, the servants and maids and various people who looked after her were her friends.
But now, she had the guild and she had Bickslow. They were her friends and her family and she was more than fine to spend the day like she did any other day. Well, she aimed to spend it as normally as possible, since after all, once Mira found out it was someone's birthday she always made a point of celebrating it within the guild. But with Lucy, she toned it down, just because she knew Lucy didn't want anything too big or too grand.
So sure, she wouldn't get to spend her birthday with Bickslow, but that was okay, even though it was a little disappointing. She had her guild and her friends by her side all day and she was getting the low-key birthday she wanted.
Well, as low-key as it was going to get for Fairy Tail.
Bickslow picked up the communications lacrima from where it sat on the small coffee table in their hotel room and placed it on a pillow at the foot of his bed before he laid down on it, his chin resting on his folded arms on the bed. Evergreen was on the bed just next to his, busy giving herself a manicure, and Freed and Laxus were on the opposite side of the room, Laxus with his music blasting through the headphones for everyone else to hear and Freed with his nose in yet another book on runes. He'd been studying for the Level 3 Shorthand Examination for months.
Channelling his magic into the lacrima, Bickslow focused on the communications lacrima that was sitting on his dresser back in his apartment. He could have tried the one in Lucy's apartment first, but Bickslow had a feeling she would be in his apartment, rather than hers. Hell, she'd basically moved in by that point, spending almost every night there. But of course, she couldn't actually move in, because her team still had some boundary issues and more than once, Bickslow had woken up to Lucy kicking a certain pink-haired Dragon Slayer out of the bed once Lucy had woken up. Bickslow couldn't even begin to describe how happy and relieved it made him that every time it had happened, they'd actually been wearing clothes, since more often that not, their clothes were on the floor somewhere.
Hell, if waking up with three rather than two people in the bed wasn't bad enough, Bickslow was quite often walking into his apartment and seeing not only Natsu on the lounge, but Gray and Erza too. But Bickslow had more or less given up by that point. He'd stopped questioning her team breaking into his apartment even though it pissed him off. But hey, he was dating Lucy Heartfilia. That just meant he was also dating her team… sort of. Bickslow knew what he was getting into when it came to dating Lucy (well, he came to realise it later on) and he'd resigned to putting up with her team's quirks and bad habits.
To Bickslow, it was actually quite entertaining in a way because in all the years he'd had his apartment, he'd never once locked his door. That was, until Lucy's team decided to start breaking in at odd times. Hell, he'd even had to get the lock replaced on his door because he'd lost the key he did have, so of course, he got two keys cut that time, with one belonging to Lucy. But… a locked door didn't actually stop them from breaking in as it turned out. Sure, it slowed them down, but they still found a way to get in.
They were like pests; pests that Bickslow had to put up with. Forever.
So that was basically the only reason Lucy hadn't officially moved in with him, because she still needed her apartment just because she was in a team with people who lacked a moral compass and thought it was appropriate to break into people's apartments.
When the picture on the lacrima finally became clear, Bickslow grinned, his tongue lolling from his mouth. "Happy birthday, Cosplayer."
"Thank you, Bickslow." Lucy smiled as she slowly carried the lacrima back over to the bed, setting it on one of the pillows just in front of her as she sat cross-legged, pulling the blanket back up over her legs.
Evergreen and Freed both looked up from what they were doing and Laxus peeked an eye open, staring at the back of the lacrima with slight interest. "Oh, happy birthday, Lucy!" Evergreen called from her bed.
"Yes, happy birthday, Lucy," Freed added, already looking back down to his book and turning a page slowly. "I trust you've had a good day?" He asked, only briefly glancing up to the lacrima on Bickslow's bed.
"I did, Freed," Lucy's cheeks became dusted with a light pink once she realised that the rest of Bickslow's team was also in the room, just not within sight. "And thanks, guys."
Laxus opened his other eye when he realised that everyone in the room was staring at him expectantly. "What do you want?"
"Are you going to wish Lucy a happy birthday?" Evergreen asked, dropping her nail file into her bag beside her bed again.
"Do I have to?"
"Yes," they all said, drowning out Lucy's protests of saying that Laxus really didn't have to say anything.
But all they were going to get from Laxus was a grunt as he slid down the bed more, turning the volume up on his SoundPod. Shaking their heads, everyone else went back to what they were previously doing.
"I think that's as good as you're going to get," Bickslow chuckled, looking back to the lacrima in front of him and returning his chin to rest on his folded arms.
Lucy giggled, picking up the lacrima and shifting forward so she was lying on her stomach and she placed the lacrima against the footboard, steadying it with her hands for just a moment to make sure it wasn't going to roll away. "It's okay. Thanks, Laxus," she said with another quiet giggle. She suspected the blond man would still be able to hear her, and when Bickslow chuckled, having glanced up in time to see the slightest of smirks from Laxus, Lucy smiled.
"Anyway," Bickslow said, lifting his head from his arms. "Since you're in my apartment, you can go and find your presents."
"I'll have you know that I hadn't actually planned on staying here," she said, her mouth twisted into a slight scowl. "My apartment is getting a slight renovation."
Bickslow raised an eyebrow. "Why do I feel like that has something to do with your team?"
"Because Natsu somehow set fire to my bathroom when he fell asleep in my bath, so by the time I got home, half of my apartment was in flames."
"And you wonder why I lock the door now…" Not that it helps.
"I know, I know," she sighed. "But I'm working on that. Erza and Gray have calmed down for the most part. It's just Natsu and Happy… But I think they're just always going to be a problem."
Sighing, Bickslow dropped his head again. "I figured." And that he had. He just had to fall in love with the girl with the crazy team. He just had to. "Anyway, presents time."
"Bicks, I told you not to get me anything." Hell, she didn't even need anything, and besides, Bickslow hadn't allowed her to get him anything for his birthday, so how was it fair that he got to get her something?
Ignoring her statement and frown, Bickslow continued, "Okay, so one is in the second drawer of my desk, and the other is on the top shelf of the wardrobe at the back. One is wrapped, so you'll know it when you see it, and the other is in a purple box from memory." Putting a finger to his chin, he tilted his head slightly as his brow furrowed. "Although, I can't remember if there's a ribbon on it or not."
"The top of the wardrobe? Really?" she complained, slowly getting up from the bed and disappearing out of the lacrima range and leaving Bickslow with a view of the messy sheets on his bed.
Lucy came back a few minutes later after rooting around in both his desk and top of the wardrobe for the presents in question. She'd had to get a chair from the dining table just to be able to reach the top of the wardrobe, but she realised that that was the entire point of it being up there, just so she wouldn't be able reach. His desk, though… She wasn't too sure about that one since she would actually sit there occasionally. It wasn't like Lucy made a habit of going through things that she knew had only Bickslow's stuff in, but then again, when it came to his desk, she'd had no reason to look in any of the drawers, so maybe that was why he'd used it as a hiding spot? Hell, she didn't really care as to why to be honest.
At that moment, she was just too curious as to what it was he'd gotten her.
"Okay, so, which one first?" Lucy asked, placing the two gifts down on the bed just in front of the lacrima as she folded her legs under her and leant forward, resting on her knees and her elbows.
"Whatever one you want to open first."
"Alright then." She said, and after looking between the two for a moment, she decided on the wrapped one. It was roughly the size of a thin book, and in her hands, it felt flimsy, but not too flimsy so it felt like jelly in her hands. Carefully, she began to tear off the silver wrapping paper before tossing it to the floor beside the bed and a wide grin spread across her face slowly as she turned the object over in her hands. "Four hundred and eighty two writing prompts and character development questions," she mumbled, reading the title of the book slowly before she began to flick through the pages. Looking back up to the lacrima to see Bickslow's still grinning face, she said, "I love it."
Bickslow chuckled as he shifted to get to a more comfortable position, letting his chin rest in his palms instead. "Glad you like it. Now open the other one."
Placing the book down just beside her, she reached for the purple box that did in fact have a silver ribbon on it. She undid the ribbon, letting it fall to the bed as she placed the box in the palm of her hand and gently pried the lid from it. "Aw, Bicks," she whispered, choking back a sob of happiness as she reached out to run a finger over the charm bracelet inside the box. "It's beautiful. Thank you."
"Just like you," he said, groaning slightly when Evergreen suddenly flung a pillow at his face. "Fuck off, Ever." She made a squeak when Bickslow tossed the pillow back and started laughing raucously when it caused her to lose her balance on the bed and fall backwards to the floor.
"Damn it, Bickslow!" Evergreen shrieked, already pulling herself up and reaching for the pillow.
Giggling quietly from the sudden pillow war that Bickslow and Evergreen had suddenly found themselves in, Lucy lifted the charm bracelet from the box and slowly turned the silver chain around in her hands. There were already three charms on there. One, a golden key with small white gems inlaid on the handle; two, a small heart-shaped charm, simple enough with a diamond encrusted front with a single red gemstone in the centre of it; and three, a simple model of one of Bickslow's babies, the small wings being in white gold and the body in silver. Lucy could feel the tears sting at her eyes as she looked down at the gift. It was such a thoughtful gift. She didn't even want to think about how much Bickslow had spent on it.
It was at times like those when Lucy truly wondered how she deserved to have someone like Bickslow. It was never about him not deserving her, because to Lucy, she didn't know who else could possibly deserve her. Bickslow was the only one who ever could and ever would deserve her – her heart and her love – and she was more than happy and finally ready to spend the rest of her life with the love of her life. But still, she had to wonder how she deserved him, because he was far too kind to her; he spoiled her beyond all belief, he made her laugh when she needed to smile, and he kept her safe and made her feel wanted and needed. Always.
Lucy just truly didn't know how she ended up with someone so perfect. Every habit, every quirk, every annoying little thing he did that drove her up the wall was what made Bickslow perfect in her eyes. He was everything she needed and she loved him more than she could put into words.
"Come on, you're not supposed to cry," Bickslow said as he came back to lie on his bed, his smile faltering as he watched her struggle with the clasp, holding it between her teeth and one hand as she tried to get it on her wrist.
"I-I'm sorry," she said with a watery laugh, looking back up once she'd gotten the damned thing on her wrist and wiped the tears from her cheeks. She really hadn't meant to start crying, but she couldn't help it. "It's t-too beautiful and I-I couldn't h-help but think a-about how amazing y-you are."
"Well that's a first," Evergreen remarked as she came to sit next to Bickslow on the bed, shoving him slightly so she could get comfortable and see the lacrima from the front. "Never known anyone to cry over this moron being too amazing."
"Ah, but I have made people cry before," Bickslow said with another tongue-lolling grin to Evergreen. Then, looking back to down to the communications lacrima when Lucy laughed again quietly, fiddling with the bracelet as she turned it on her wrist, he said gently, "Open the last drawer of the nightstand on my side."
Lucy looked up, a soft smile on her lips even though her eyes were just showing slight annoyance. "Bicks, I swear to god if this is another prank—"
"It's not a prank, I promise."
"So if I open it, nothing is going to jump out at me this time?" she asked sceptically, already crawling over to that side of the bed slowly.
"Nope."
With a sigh, Lucy reached down to the third drawer of the nightstand on Bickslow's side of the bed, and she did so cautiously just in case something really was going to come out suddenly. Last time she'd opened that drawer after he'd asked her to get something from it, she'd just about had a heart attack as a bunch of paper birds had come flying out, cheering like only the babies could do. It was on that day Lucy realised she shouldn't trust Bickslow with anything he said on that particular day of the year. After all, it had been April Fools' day, otherwise known as one of his favourite days of the year.
But it wasn't April Fools' day so Lucy really had no reason to be scared of what was in the drawer, but when she opened it and saw just what was sitting at the very top of it, she screamed regardless.
At the sound of her scream, both Freed and Laxus had made their way over to Bickslow's bed, both interested in just what had made the blonde make such a sound. "What the hell did you do?" Laxus mumbled, an eyebrow raised as he looked at the image of the bed on the lacrima, waiting for Lucy to appear again.
Lucy scrambled for the box with the clear plastic lid, lifting it out of the drawer and bringing it up to the bed as she frantically tried to pry the lid off. "A key?!" she shouted, staring down at the silver key that was now in her hands. "You got me a key?! Bickslow!" she shrieked as she felt the tears start rolling down her cheeks again. She was grinning, and crying, so she really didn't know whether she was really goddamn happy, or really annoyed at Bickslow for buying her a goddamn key.
It was probably both, but mostly, she was incredibly overjoyed and excited, and just a little annoyed.
"I thought you might like it," Bickslow chuckled, still staring at the messy sheets.
"Like it? I love it!" She finally came back into the lacrima's vision and kneeled in front of it, her hands wrapped around the silver key. The bow had small wings sprouting from each side of it, and in the middle of it was the inlaid stone with a silhouette of an eagle, then the head was pointed, much like a beak with a single indentation in the middle of it as it tapered off towards the stem with another feathered motif. "Oh my god, Is this Aquila's key? Oh my god," she shrieked again, pulling the key in to her chest to hug it as she leant down to bring her face into the vision of the lacrima. "Why are you so goddamn far away right now?" Because if he wasn't so far away, she'd have her arms wrapped around the man and be showering him with as many kisses as she could muster.
Bickslow's grin only grew wider as he saw the purely ecstatic expression on her face. He'd had that damn key sitting in that drawer for weeks and he'd wanted to give it to her every day he'd seen her, but he'd decided to wait to give it to her for her birthday, and boy, was it worth waiting just to see her reaction. When Bickslow had seen the key sitting in the glass display cabinet in one of the magic stores he'd visited while out on a job, he really hadn't been able to help but buy it. Lucy had mentioned how keys were rare to come across those days, so when he'd seen it, he'd known he had to get it for her. The price didn't matter one little bit, because he'd known that it would make Lucy happy. Lucy's happiness was priceless.
"Yes, it's Aquila's," he said finally, still chuckling slightly from the small shrieks of joy she was still letting off as she looked to the key. He really did love seeing her like that. "Well, that's just what I got told, anyway."
"Bickslow, have I ever told you how much I love you? Because I really fucking love you, because you are seriously like the most perfect boyfriend ever." And she had to stop herself there, just because she was on the verge of asking him to marry her just because she was that happy. Her annoyance had fizzled, leaving just joy and absolutely love for the idiot and amazing person she called her boyfriend. Besides, his team was still sitting around him and she'd seen the look of disgust that crossed Laxus's face when she gushed about just how much she loved him, and Lucy had to admit that it was a little entertaining.
"I believe you have told me, but you know, I'm always up to hearing it again."
Squealing as she hugged the key close to her chest again, she said with a slight blush, "I swear to god, as soon as I see you in Crocus, I'm probably going to try and tackle you to the ground."
"Feel free to," Bickslow chuckled. Hell, she can do more than tackle me to the ground when she sees me. "But can you at least wait until you see me to make that contract with Aquila? I want see how you do it."
"Yes, yes, of course!" She beamed. "Gah, I love you so much, Bicks."
"I love you too, baby. Now—" But before Bickslow could finish the sentence, Laxus had picked up the Lacrima and Lucy was looking at the scowling blond rather than the grinning blue-and-black haired Seith mage. "Laxus, what the fuck are you doing?! Give me that back!"
"Shut up, Bicks," Laxus grumbled, one hand pushing Bickslow back when he tried to the reach for the lacrima in his hand. "Now, I have to put up with this lovey-dovey crap from Mira, and there's only so much of it I can put up with from Bickslow."
Lucy giggled, wiping her cheek with her hand. "Sorry, Sparky." She could hear Bickslow cackling just off to the side and it probably had something to do with the less-than-impressed look that crossed Laxus's face.
"You two are fuckin' perfect for each other, I swear," he mumbled, only before he let his magic crackle up around him before sending it towards Bickslow, and at the yelp that came from it, Laxus couldn't help but smirk. "But with that being said, we have a train to catch first thing in the morning so I would suggest you both say your goodbyes and call it a night."
And as Laxus handed the lacrima back to Bickslow, an audible sigh could be heard as he went back to his own bed, much like Evergreen and Freed had done by that point.
"Ah, I've taught you well, Cosplayer," Bickslow said, carrying the lacrima back to the stand on the coffee table as he knelt down before it. At the sound of her bubbly laughter again, he grinned with his tongue hanging out. "Anyway, I probably should go before I get shock treatment again."
"I need to head to bed myself anyway," Lucy said with a quiet sigh. As much as she hoped their conversation could have been longer, it was in fact late and they both really did need to be up early the next morning to finish the preparations for their trip to Crocus for the games.
"Well, I'll make this quick. Anyway, Laxus is still staring at me and honestly, it's a little terrifying," he said, glancing up to see the hulking man sending daggers at him from where he sat in his bed, the electricity beginning to crackle around him again. "I love you, and you have to tell me about what else you got from the guild for your birthday when you get to Crocus, alright?"
She nodded, a small smile gracing her lips as she picked up the lacrima from the bed and slowly walked over to the dresser, holding the lacrima out before her. "I will."
"Good," he said, grinning again. "Now, go to bed. I'll see you in a couple of days."
"I love you, Bicks."
"I know you do and I love you too." Then, when he could quite literally feel his hair rising from the static electricity when he glanced back up to Laxus, he sighed quietly before looking back down to the lacrima. "Happy birthday, Lucy. Get some rest."
And as Lucy placed the lacrima back on the stand, the image faded slowly, leaving just the slightly clouded glass it was made of. She turned and picked up her new key once again, instantly bringing it in close to her chest as she climbed up onto the bed, pulling the heavy blankets up over her as she slid down into the warmth with a small smile on her face.
Both of Fairy Tail's teams ended up getting through the elimination round, and much to everyone else's dismay, they ended up coming in in second and fourth place, which, was a lot better than eighth like Natsu's team had the year before. So once again, Fairy Tail had an advantage. According to every other guild, anyway.
With the X792 games, there was one important thing that had been added to the arena, and that was a rune barrier that separated the spectators in the stadium seating and the contestants in the actual area. Not only did it stop people from unexpectedly entering the arena, like many had for the impromptu fashion show the year earlier, but it also stopped any outside influences, namely magic, from entering and interfering.
On the second day of the games, Bickslow had been glued to his spot, leaning forward with his arms resting on the thick limestone barricade that made up their guild's viewing box. He'd been stuck like that since that day's one-on-one fight contestants had been announced, and that was because Lucy had been matched up with a girl from Mermaid Heel. Honestly, Bickslow couldn't remember their names, not that he really cared anyway.
With Lucy getting picked again, Bickslow didn't know how to feel. He was worried and excited all at once. Everyone remembered the previous year's battle and everyone knew that foul play had been involved. If it wasn't for Raven Tail's interference, Lucy would have won.
But regardless, it had been a year and everyone was better and they'd improved. They were stronger.
Lucy was stronger.
But Bickslow was still worried. Hell, he'd be worried even if her win was practically guaranteed, but as he watched the fight go on, he really was beginning to see that that outcome was not exactly guaranteed.
It was past the twenty-minute mark and both girls were exhausted, both their magic power and physically. It was a surprisingly fair fight, and almost everyone in the stadium was on the edge of their seats, waiting to see who would be crowned the winner of that fight.
No matter how exhausted they were, neither gave up, and even though Bickslow was worried, he'd never once lost his smile, even when Lucy got hurt from the fight and she cried out in pain, because he knew she'd get up. She'd get up, press on, and never stop trying. It was one of the things he loved about her, her determination. Hell, he was almost envious of it.
When she had a blast fired towards her feet to knock her up and have her disorientated and injured, she had to think quick, just so she could avoid getting hurt. So, she did the first thing that came to mind, and that was jump back suddenly, pushing off from the ground that was crumbling below her from the blast and flipped herself in the air until her hands were flat on the ground not too far away and she was able to land in a crouched position as she stopped herself from sliding.
Bickslow was almost ecstatic, finally having a reason to actually move as his arms went up into the air with a wide grin. "Fuck yeah, baby!" he shouted, his tongue lolling from his mouth as he watched her summon Taurus and Scorpio simultaneously as she slid to a halt, the dust kicking up around her feet and hands.
She'd found a reason to use something that he'd taught her and he was over the goddamn moon.
But the fight went on, and the longer it did, the more exhausted they got and both were on the verge of collapsing. But when everyone was literally biting their nails from their nervousness, even the babies had stopped hovering around Bickslow just to rest on top of the barrier because they were worried somehow, everyone fell silent. Not just the guild, but the entire arena.
They'd seen it before. They'd seen it the previous year, and the previous year, it hadn't ended very well. Everyone stood in complete silence and watched as Lucy clasped hands with Gemini-Lucy, pressing their bodies together as their eyes closed and they began to recite the incantation for the same spell that had made everyone sit back in shock a year earlier.
The arena was filled with the constellations in their spherical forms, and everyone could feel the raw energy from every single one of them – the energy from Lucy.
As Bickslow watched Lucy pull all of them towards herself and Gemini, a slow smile spread across his lips. He hadn't seen her use it before (not completely, anyway), but he knew about it and of it, and he knew she was going to pull it off. She was exhausted but she'd be able to do it. Bickslow knew that. He believed in her wholeheartedly.
"Urano Metria!"
All there was was a blinding light as all of that gathered energy came down on the target and everyone had to shield their eyes. They couldn't see anything, each sphere getting sent towards that one single location with all of that raw power.
Then it slowly faded, and all they could see was Lucy panting, her hands on her knees as she tried to remain standing. Both Gemini and Taurus returned to the Spirit World, and when Bickslow realised she'd done all of that while keeping two gates open, his jaw dropped. Literally. He was in complete shock, and hell, was he amazed.
But then, after what felt like an eternity and the silence was becoming deafening, her opponent fell to the ground with a slight thud, the dust gathering up around them slightly before it settled, and then, the crowd burst into a chorus of cheering and yelling.
Bickslow looked to the timer at the very top of the arena as Lucy was announced the winner, and his face split into a wide grin. Thirty goddamn seconds. Thirty goddamn seconds left on the timer but Lucy won. It wasn't a draw. She'd won. Fair and square.
He turned to pick up the nearest person, who just happened to be Evergreen, and wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug. "She fucking won!" he shouted, not that it could be heard over the rest of the guild's cheering. Bickslow couldn't even begin to describe how proud he was, but hell, he'd known she was going to win. She was strong, and she'd deserved to win.
But then when he looked back down to arena after putting down Evergreen, he lost his grin watching Lucy fall to her knees and then to her side. Turning and pushing past the rest of the guild behind him, he started running towards the small infirmary they were given for the course of the games. The rest of her team would no doubt be out there and taking her there already, but Bickslow was going to be there too.
Even though he was worried about her health, having obviously used up too much energy and power, he was so happy and so proud of Lucy that he really could not put it into words.
He'd believed in her and knew she could do it, and without any interference, she'd been able to. Yet again, she'd amazed him with just how strong she was and Bickslow couldn't be happier that he got to call such an amazing woman his girlfriend and love of his life.