Bickslow could hear the music, speed was something he could usually push out of his body pretty well but his damn thigh still had some things to say about that from where it had been impaled with a hunk of wood when he really pushed himself.
Still, speed was of the essence, and as he leapt over the far corner of a pew, narrowly avoiding braining the guests seated there, managing a muttered "scuse me..sorry" as he flew over them he shot to the front of the massive chamber and skid to a halt nearly colliding with Freed as he took his place.
The priests glare of disapproval he missed because he was pressing a velvet box into Freeds hand and carefully avoiding the murderous look coming from Laxus grateful there were about 500 witnesses that would see it if Laxus killed him right then.
It wasn't his fault, technically, it was totally Freeds fault that box wasn't in his damn jacket because Freed had been obsessing about Bickslows being wrinkle free so Bickslow had felt himself duty bound to crumple Freeds and tie the sleeves in knots…a seriously good joke in his opinion.
Somehow the box had fallen on the floor while Bickslow was assaulting the jacket when Freeds back was turned running the steam gun over his. The box with the wedding bands in it.
So when the wedding procession had started and Wendy was scattering flower petals down the isle, Bickslow had shot from his place at the alter when Freed had started panicking, and had recovered the box. He was a fucking hero. In his opinion anyway.
He'd made it back in time to watch Erza come down the isle in the curve hugging rose colored bridesmaid gown, so, to Bix, it was a win win. Her soul had been a little odd all day, flickering, while she kept her damn face in a mask of happy, Bickslow could see something was bothering her.
He'd gotten her giggling when last he'd seen her a little over an hour ago. Hunting her down because when her happiness was off, he couldn't settle down until he'd gotten it back. So he'd pulled her into, of all things, a prayer room and the things he'd said in grinning wicked whispers might have very well damned him considering the environment, but he didn't care, getting that blush out, hearing her laugh, seeing the rose colored soul brighten back up, that was all that mattered to him.
It was possible she was just over thinking everything, doing her OCD control freak thing she was so fond of in the midst of a Fairy Tail wedding as if anything associated with their guild could even hope to go off without hitches no matter how much she glared and waved swords around.
He'd had a fun moment slipping back into where Laxus was getting ready and Freed had seen Erzas lipstick on his mouth and face. The Rune mage had assaulted him with a wet wipe, a fucking wet wipe! So yeah, tying his sleeves in knots? Tame stuff compared to his usual retribution, he was being a fucking saint.
Laxus had appreciated the Gold Label Bix had snuk in too. Hadn't been easy, the priests in the Cathedral were like fucking ninjas with pass through vision, they'd taken the bottle wrapped in his cloak, they just hadn't seen the smaller on in his helmet.
Laxus blew out the breath he was holding seeing Freed holding the box, fidgeting again tugging at his sleeves because Bickslows prank, which Laxus had to admit had been fucking funny, had left his tuxedo sleeves wrinkled.
The Seith mage had kept the atmosphere from stifling Laxus all day, so while he was annoyed the prank had caused the rings to get left behind, Bickslow had fixed the problem with his usual flair. The guests at the back corner still looked a little wide eyed and shaken.
Laxus had needed the levity. While he was happy, wanted this, was beyond ready for it, and knew he and Lucy were already mated, already bonded far deeper than this ceremony would make them, he'd grown up with a hearty respect for this, for Marriage, what it meant, and he'd spent the last few years thinking a little about it every damn time he laid eyes on Lucy.
He had hoped for it, fucking prayed for it, dealt with an awful sort of despair at being unable to take steps toward it. But here he was, and he heard nothing, saw nothing, but her when she came down the isle on his grandfathers arm.
She'd spent days in Crocus picking out the dress, gone to every designer and boutique, even talked about taking the 2 week journey up to Rose Garden, but had found this one, with its tiny silver and gold stars holding crystals and pearls, the dress maker had outdone themselves fitting it to her too, it was flawless.
The ceremony wasn't a long one, and it was lucky Laxus had practiced it all with Freed, been forced to by Freed, because he heard so little of what the priest said. Just felt her, her hands in his, her overwhelming joy in the moment that he really couldn't entirely tell apart from his own in spite of how well their bond worked now.
The rings were put on, and he was finally kissing her while the guild went out of their minds.
Pelted by birdseed they ran for the carriage that would take them on a slow journey to the Guild Hall where the reception would be and Lucy was laughing shaking birdseed from her hair and dress, falling over laughing more as the carriage moved and she fell on her grinning husband.
"Mrs. Dreyar." He said softly, stormy eyes fixed on hers.
"I do love the sound of that." She grinned, climbing into his lap and almost loosing him in the volumes of silk and taffeta that made up her skirts.
Enough fabric to hide a man his size was something.
They stole all of the kisses and groping they could manage before the carriage stopped behind the guild and they had to head inside.
Fairy Tail was born to party.
Laxus and Lucy took their places and Freed turned ashen when he caught the garter a short time later.
The bouquet toss was almost frightening, the single women of the guild each had their reasons, but in the end, Laki emerged victorious, waving the flowers over her head and bouncing excitedly.
The cakes were pulled out and Lucy and Laxus cut the one with the Rose and gold decorations first, then Lucy dragged a stricken looking Erza up to help her cut into the massive Strawberry Divinity cake and Bickslow was there, arms around her waist, providing some light hearted whispers and a chest to bury her face in.
The cake had become a legend and everyone wanted to try it, most declaring Erza had been right, it was worth it.
The evening had kicked into high gear, music making the windows vibrate and Erza watched Bickslow whirl Asuna around the dance floor for a while only to have Cobra cut in, steal the laughing delighted child away and leave the Seith grinning.
When he turned back to look for Erza his grin falterd but only for a moment.
There it was again, the flickering, the dimming and he couldn't let it go. She smiled radiantly at him when he came to her but he saw right through it. Sliding onto the bench beside her and making her gasp in surprise when he hauled her into his lap.
They were out of the lights of the dance floor, had the table to themselves. "Talk to me Amazon, what's got you down?" He said against her ear and Erza shuddered feeling his lips moving over her sensitive skin.
"I…nothing…it's nothing, I'm just a little tired." She leaned into him and he tickled her, sending her writhing and she turned in his lap to face him looking murderous when she did but he grabbed her face and kissed her, figuring if she pulled any swords out, she'd risk her own skin too being pressed against him like she was.
"I can see your soul Erza, tell me what's bothering you or I'll fucking possess you and dig it out of you the hard way." It was a mostly empty threat. Not because he couldn't do it, he absolutely could, was really good at that sort of thing too, but with her, because of that eye of hers, he doubted he could get the level of control he'd need.
She glared at him, then she faltered, pushing the bladed sunglasses he was wearing back so she could see his eyes. "Next month the divorce will be final." She said, tears in her eyes.
They'd not missed a counsellor session, Erza got a lot out of them.
"Thought you wanted that." Bix said, smiling up at her. She frowned at him, looking miserable. "I thought you did…it's my fault, I…I forced you into this mess." A tear escaped and he wiped it away with his thumb.
"Beautiful mess, and the cake is fucking awesome seriously, totally worth it." He said brightly.
"I was thinking about starting to move my stuff out…" She whispered and he kissed her again cutting her off.
"Erza…baby, if this is what you want why are you crying?" He asked her.
She looked at him, "Because…I…I love you Bickslow and I don't want it anymore." She wailed and Bickslows brain needed a few minutes to process what she'd said before the real tears started falling.
When it all dawned on him, and he realized what it all meant he forced her face up from where she'd buried it in his chest, grinning up at her.
"You're really crazy you know that? Craziest most OCD control freaked out woman I've ever met and fucking badass as you are you're crying because you're in love with a man whose fucking crazy about you and you don't want to divorce me and I don't want to divorce you, so woman, if we both want the same fucking thing and you love me and I sure as fuck love you, why are you crying?" He was chuckling, kissing her again and she was scrambling to think.
Blinking she looked at him through wide watery eyes "You…love me?" She asked. The Seith was grinning, nodding his head "Yep."
"You…want to…stay married?" She breathed almost terrified of his answer but he kept nodding.
"Yep"
"To me?" She was in such a state of disbelief at the moment and Bickslow laughed "Naw, to Cobra, fucker bit me on the neck right? So we're like mates or some shit maybe, not sure how that works, I was unconscious, you were there…he wasn't fucking me was he? Can't trust that bastard." He said gravely.
"I fucking heard that and that shits still not fucking funny asshole!" Cobra snarled from the dancefloor.
"Yes, shit Erza, to you, Gods woman!" She lunged to kiss him and sent them both sprawling to the floor, Bickslow landed with a groan but she cut off his laughing with a rough kiss and he kissed her back.
Gods she loved him, he could hardly believe it. He'd been going day by day fully expecting the whole thing to end, for Erza to pack her shit, take the divorce and be done with him after getting some nice times, fun, incredible sex and free rent out of him.
She'd go back to Fairy Hills and maybe take up with some burly knight or some shit, he didn't know. He only knew that even expecting it, knowing it would happen, it had been eating at him because he'd been in love with her for a while, his typical jump in with both feet and a blindfold approach.
He'd known it was going to hurt, that he'd miss her, have to endure the "I warned you" shit from Laxus, Freed and Evergreen. But no matter how he thought about it, every night he'd drown in her, delight in her sexy little kinks and ever growing boldness in the bedroom.
Cuddle with her watching movies, sweep her up and dance her around the house whenever he caught her getting down. He loved every second of it all too, even enjoyed dodging her sometimes violent reactions to things and coaxing her out of nightmares, because every time he did, they usually ended up naked and Erza using sex to forget something usually rocked his damn world.
Her passion for things rivaled his own at times too, so did her reckless enthusiasm, and it all added up to him being in love with her and not wanting her to ever move out or for any of it to end.
So he finally got her to her feet, pulled her out onto the dance floor because she could fucking move now and suddenly was not shy about grinding against him in front of everyone. Spinning her out he pulled her back in and she kissed him "We're staying married." She breathed and he nodded "Hell yes, you're mine!" He declared, pulling her hard against him and making her laugh.
"I'm staying married to you because I love you, and…because I don't want Cobra claiming any sort of mate rights or fucked up shit…." He grinned.
"That's it, I'll poison you with shit there's no cure for!" Cobra called and Bickslow got to watch his gorgeous wife step in and save him from a pissed off dragon slayer because damn it, she was incredible, she loved him, and he was not too proud to let her.
THE END
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A/N. Thank yous to: M. buehler, Bixlu, Grimnack, Tiernank, Saskla, CoS, Yoru, MoonbeamMadness (Whos story The Walled Garden has been keeping me sane) Seafoam, Neverland, Lilkat, J.D. Rya, Western, Flamey, Kara, Sassy, Mill and the many many guests and silent readers who made this story jump from it's intended 4 chapters to 17 and so encouraged the BiXZA that I ran with it. KC belongs to you. Cobra is my next target for a (planned at least) short story and with FD drawing closed in a few chapters I'm looking toward my next big epic work as well. I am far from done...DESNA