ummm... not really much to say except this is hands down my favorite set of chapters so far. I had so much fun writing 41, 42, and 43, I got all three chapters done in three days! if you ask why it took so long for the other two, idk lol. just know, I told you it'd get juicy. be prepared.
also, the next set of chapters after these will be the last. idk if it will end on 50, but I'll try to make it even for my own sanity lol.
(AJUANNA RENEE) thank you so much for stopping by! I hope you enjoy the rest of the story! I might even go as far as saying this is my masterpiece!
(DRAGONFLY2311)I'm just gonna be honest with you... when I had finally gotten to chapter 41, I had an idea of what I wanted to happen, but it was still fuzzy. time needed to pass and I needed to add some stuff. with this scene I added (that accidentally took THREE WHOLE CHAPTERS), it unintentionally changed the entire ending of this story! well, I won't say it changed the entire thing, but a huge thing was changed, and that change made those letters obsolete. I'm saying this because it won't spoil anything upcoming, but I also wanted to let you know in advance so as to not get your hopes up about the letters. BUT! I hope these 5 chapters here will overshadow those letters anyway! and sorry for the filler! hope these make up for it!
ENJOY!
A Storm Brewing
"Close up shop, you're coming to get a drink with me this evening!"
Laxus stormed into the Library on a cold Friday night, wanting to get out of the house. He'd been laying low since the incident, recovering from a few broken ribs. He tried to go to Wendy since he knew she was usually impartial, but this time she was clearly on the king's side and rudely turned him away with no second thought.
It was to be expected, he guessed, with how he acted during the meeting, but still! Shit sucked! Regular medicine was absolute crap compared to Wendy's work! So, he ended up hiring one of Magnolia's best doctors to look after him while he healed up. Though he may not have been a dragon, he still inherited the abilities of one, so he recovered faster than any average human or mage.
"As much as I would like to," Freed was shuffling around, returning books to their designated spot like he always did toward the end of the day. "You've made me close early nearly every day this week! It's not good for business!"
"What're you complaining for? I own the place!" Laxus owned all of the major buildings in Magnolia, using the revenue to give back to his town by fixing up streets and restoring decaying buildings. Which was why it was absolutely absurd that everyone thought he was the bad guy! Didn't they see the good he was doing? The fuck?!
"It's not professional, Laxus," Freed cared about his job! Even though technically Laxus was his employer, he still had a good work ethic! "Besides, don't you have liquor at your place?"
"I'm tired of that shit! I want something new." He got his liquor imported from another town, but they must have changed the ingredients or something, because it wasn't hitting the spot like it used to!
At that moment, the tiny bell above the door jingled, and in walked Bix in full uniform. "Laxus, Freed! What's up?"
"Bix! Buddy!" Laxus walked over to him and dropped a heavy hand on his shoulder. He hadn't seen or heard from him since his injury almost two months ago, and he was happy to see that he was recovering well. "How the hell are ya?"
"Much better," Bickslow had some broken bones that he went to go get fixed up in Clover since he had some connections there. He knew that town was the best for that stuff and he knew someone who was almost as good with medicine as the Duchess. He'd never tell, though! "What about you, man? You look like shit!"
"Eh, I'm just pissed Freed won't go get a drink with me," Laxus snorted, giving Freed the finger. He didn't want to tell him he'd gotten hurt by the fucking king. He'd never hear the end of it! Same went for that scrawny, green-haired bastard. As a matter of fact, he couldn't tell any of them!
"Sorry, I have standards," Freed shrugged, moving around his desk and organizing papers. "Get Bix to go with you."
"Hell yeah, I'm down!" Bickslow was always ready to drink! "We going to your place?"
"No, I'm tired of that stuff. I wanna see what the people of Magnolia are drinking."
"Lucky for you, I know just the right place!" Bickslow raved with his tongue out. He hadn't been by in a while, but there was always new stuff on the menu that never disappointed! "Hottest spot in town!"
"Alright, fuck it. Let's go."
Laxus gave a casual wave goodbye to Freed as he followed Bix through the doors. As he sat silently in the library, it took a few seconds to register that they could very well be going to… 'No, that'd be too convenient.' Maybe Bickslow was talking about another bar.
"The place we're going isn't too far from here," Bix said, taking the back paths. "I'm gonna tell you now, this shit's sweet! There's permanent menu stuff, but there's also seasonal drinks that rotate year-round. It's good!"
"At this point, I'll drink anything," Laxus was intrigued, especially if Bix was going on about it. He was the main drinker of the group, so his word was trustworthy.
"Good. I know what'cha like, so I'll tell you what to order." They walked for a few minutes until they got to a small neighborhood.
"It's attached to one of these houses, here?" Laxus didn't think he'd been down this particular street before, which was surprising because he walked around quite a bit. It looked like a village with small businesses connected to a handful of houses. It wasn't bad.
"Yup, we're getting close," Bickslow turned down a narrow walkway that led to a few different homes until he got to the one at the end. He could hear the noise from outside! "Damn, busy Friday!"
Laxus followed him inside, it was a tiny bar, and the people were crammed together, but that didn't seem to bother any of them. There was a brunette girl in a bikini top and apron behind the counter and some tall guy with dark hair that was tied up taking orders out on the floor. He had on this weird armor that only covered his arms and the top of his back, but he couldn't make out much else since his back was to him.
He sat down across from Bix at the only empty table, still observing his surroundings. How could they operate like this? With everyone so close together, their shoulders nearly touching, it was damn near claustrophobic! "This shit better be good."
"I promise," Bix said, going over the menu. "Just trust me."
"So, what? Is this like a restaurant for fancy drinks?" Laxus scanned the menu as well, seeing nothing but drinks concocted with out-of-the-ordinary ingredients. Huh. Most of this stuff didn't sound half bad!
"See something you like?" Bix asked as the guy finally made his way toward their table. It was then that his blood ran cold. No fucking way. No fucking way!
Bacchus walked up to the new patrons that walked in and took their order as usual, but… he couldn't shake the feeling of something being wrong. Not to mention the guy with the helmet on had some wildly… familiar energy. And who was this huge blonde guy? Why did he feel like they were out of place? He'd mention something to Doll about it when they closed up shop.
"What's up?" Laxus asked when their—bartender?—walked away. "You're being weird all of a sudden."
Bix just shrugged, planning on getting his drink and getting the fuck out of there! "It's nothing."
"Whatever," Laxus leaned back, not really caring. If he wanted to talk about it, he'd talk about it. "Hope this is good. Shit's expensive for regular people."
"Yeah, real good."
They kind of sat in an awkward silence until the guy came back with their drinks, and Bickslow wasted zero time downing his undeniably good drink and slamming his cup on the table. Fuck! He wanted another one! "'Kay, let's go."
"The fuck are you talking about, 'let's go'? I barely even touched my drink!" And it was a damn good one! This place was a hidden gem!
"Hurry up and drink it, then!" Bix lowered his voice, he didn't want them to realize who he was! Thank Gods he had his uniform on! "We really need to go."
"Alright, alright," Laxus mimicked him and guzzled his drink. He might have to come back for more! He dug some Jewel out of his pocket and left it on the table before standing and leaving the establishment. He knew whenever Bix was urgent about something, it was probably legit. At least now he could breathe! It was dark and stuffy in there! They should think about expanding.
Bix power walked to the end of the street, Laxus hot on his tail. He stopped in a somewhat desolate area, turning to face him. "Get us outta here."
"Whoa, whoa, you gonna tell me what the fuck's going on, first?" Laxus was getting annoyed! This was seriously putting a damper on his night!
"We can't talk here," Bickslow said plainly. "Come on!"
"Fuck! Fine." Laxus put a hand on his shoulder and they vanished with a bright bolt of lightning. He hoped no one complained about that.
He landed in his backyard, shoving Bix in the shoulder. "Explain."
"Fuck, man!" Bickslow rubbed his shoulder, forgetting that this guy was strong as hell! He started heading for the door, he guessed they were drinking there tonight. "That guy, the one who took our order?"
"The foreigner?" Laxus stood in place, crossing his arms. "What about him?"
"That's the same fucker that sent me down the mountain!"
"Wait, wait, wait," Laxus caught up to him, walking in behind him. "What the fuck? You serious?"
"Why the hell would I lie about that?!" Bix threw his hands up in exasperation. "Thank fuck I had my helmet on, or we would have been screwed!"
Laxus' first reaction was to get angry, but then he realized… this may work in his favor. "You. When was the last time you were there?"
"I dunno," he took his helmet off and put it on the small table next to him. "Couple years, I guess?"
Good. That was a good thing. That meant they didn't remember him as a patron. All sorts of thoughts filtered into his head, ranging from bad to downright awful. It was fucking crazy that the guy who had the nerve to attack his guy just appeared before them! And if he was at the party as a guest, then he had to be that girl's friend. Or… was the girl behind the bar her friend? That was more likely.
But either way…
He wanted to scope the place out, but for what? He wanted to check those two out, just to see what their abilities were and how strong they were, but still. For what? He definitely had revenge on the brain, and if he couldn't do anything to the king right now, he could at least fuck with the girl's friends. I mean, what did they expect? Did they think they were just going to do something like that and get away with it?
It was the end of the night, and Bacchus and Cana were cleaning up shop. It was a particularly busy Friday night, but neither of them were complaining! Their house was in need of a few repairs and with how busy it was tonight, they'd be able to get them done!
"Hey babe," Cana said, wiping down the counter. She remembered Bacchus wanted to talk to her about something, but there was never a good time. "What were ya goin' on about? Some weird dudes?"
Bacchus was bussing the last few tables, tired as ever! He thought maybe tomorrow was a good day to close the bar, but he'd run it by Doll first. "This big blond guy and some guy with armor. They showed up, and my soul was irked. I don't know why. They left pretty fast."
"But they paid, right?" Cana had a few customers try to stiff them, and she always got her money.
"Generously. That's why it's wild." Bacchus didn't know why he felt so off about the whole thing, but he didn't think it could be bad since they paid, right? He picked up the remaining glasses, placing them in the bucket he was carrying.
Cana read Bacchus' expressions and energy, he was super conflicted! He was probably going to meditate before bed to clear his head. "Want me to do a reading?"
"You know me so well, Doll," he walked over to the counter and set the bucket down with a clank. She'd be able to give him some insight into this foreboding feeling he had. "Do you mind?"
"Not at all, Babe," she took her apron off and hung it up on its designated hook before loading up the big sink. She still had to count up all the money, but she was so tired, she contemplated closing down the bar for the entire weekend! She sighed. "Lemme just finish up here."
"Babe," Bacchus walked around to the other side of the bar, draping his arms around her. "Let's rest tomorrow."
Honestly, that was all the convincing she needed! "'Kay! I'm just gonna count this up and finish cleaning in the morning."
"Sounds good, Doll," he snagged a bottle off the shelf and turn to head to their home. After the reading, he was going to shower and meditate for a bit before bed. He didn't want to taint his rest with such emotions. "I'll lay out your cards while you lock up."
She did her nightly lockup routine, happy that she'd trained him well enough to shuffle her cards. She turned off the lights to the bar and followed him to the back, stretching her arms. She was beat! She walked into the living room and he was already on his way to getting plastered, as if he wasn't already drunk enough! "I hope you're saving some for me!"
"Get your own!" Bacchus worked hard for his drink!
"Eh, too lazy," she sat on the floor at the short table, looking over the three decks of cards that had been organized to her liking. His skills were getting better! "You're learning! Ya ready?"
"Always ready, Babe," he lounged on the floor across from her, stretched out with one knee up and his upper body propped up with one arm. He chugged the bottle he had in his free hand, exhaling heavily. This was his favorite fall liquor.
"What am I looking for?" Her hunches were telling her to pick up the stack in the middle, but she wanted to be certain.
"I've got this wild feeling that something bad will happen soon. I can't put my finger on it."
"Gotcha." Her hunches were always correct! She reached for the center stack, splitting it into two smaller stacks and skillfully shuffling them in a manner no one else could. She spread them out face down, two cards slightly askew. One jutting in her direction and the other in his. She picked up her card, "…storm clouds?"
Bacchus put the bottle down and reached for his card, giving it a glance. He was just as confused. "Lightning."
"So, what? A thunderstorm?" Sometimes her readings were vague, and she couldn't control that. She hated it, though! It made her feel useless!
"Could be," Bacchus gave her the card and took another swig, what could a thunderstorm have to do with what he was feeling?
"No, it's gotta be deeper than that," Cana muttered. Her card already told the story of a storm. Obviously with a storm came thunder and lightning, so why was it exaggerated on his card? "A lightning storm?"
"An electrical storm sounds wild," Bacchus nodded, stretching out fully on his back. "But all it does is raise more questions."
"You're right about that." Cana didn't understand why his reading came back like that, but it was after those guys showed up that he started feeling this way. Who were they?
"Any idea on how soon said storm will occur?" Bacchus didn't think it was a storm of that nature, but he had to keep all possibilities open.
"No, not this time." Her readings didn't always give an approximate time, either. They were just sitting ducks at this point!
"Well, we got what we wanted," he sprang up to his feet, extending a hand. There was nothing more to do except shower and head to bed. "Now I want to see you, naked and wet."
A few days ago, Lucy stopped by with her notes and recordings of the poll she took around Crocus. Levy wondered why she took so long to get back to her, but she told her it was because she'd turned it into a weeklong project and got the opinions of over a hundred people!
She admired that about Lucy, the fact that she was so personable and able to just walk up to anyone and start asking them questions. Levy couldn't do anything like that! But it was understandable how compiling all of those thoughts would take so long. It'd been a little over a month since she told her about it!
Surprisingly enough, Gajeel wanted to sit in on it and listen to what his people had to say about his queen, and Lucy had finally gotten around to being comfortable around him. She welcomed his company, and the whole day turned out to be rather nice.
The first question Lucy asked was "how do you feel about the announcement of the new Queen?"
The responses were mixed, some for and some against it. Some people were happy to have a more involved leader and looking forward to the changes that were being implemented. Of course, that made Gajeel feel some type of way because he felt he was involved plenty! Some people said they felt like the dragon leaders didn't truly understand them, and that they were happy that Fiore was getting a queen that was human. They felt she sympathized with them more.
Others thought things were fine the way they were, and didn't want to make such huge changes that would disturb their lives. Levy understood completely that this was sudden, and that it would take some time to adjust. But she would prove that this would all be for the best in the long run. And even some people didn't think she was capable of handling the job. Some made comments saying she hadn't been around long enough to just assume the position of Queen, and that she was sticking her nose where she didn't belong. Others made comments saying they preferred having dragons as leadership, believing Fiore should only be run by the strongest beings known to man. A human stepping into things would just weaken them as a whole.
Levy was bummed, but Gajeel reminded her that this was completely normal and that she couldn't please everyone. She just had to do what was best for their people, no matter what. She could do it. She was tough. Then, Lucy reminded her that the majority of the responses were good! The bad ones always stick out because they're usually unique.
"People see the good in you!" Lucy had said to her.
It was an affirmation that made her feel really good until she remembered Lucy's second question, "what are your thoughts on the new law?"
Gods, anything could've come from that! It was her biggest, most invasive plan. How could people not have anything negative to say about it?! She had Lucy pause for a few minutes so she could mentally prepare herself for what was to come. And she was no help, with that poker face of hers!
Levy spent those few minutes on Gajeel's lap and in his face, just happy to breathe his air. Geez. She'd been feeling so clingy lately, and he'd just encouraged her! Such a bad influence! She pecked his lips a few times, she didn't want to make Lucy too uncomfortable! Although… she remembered wanting to eat him up in that moment!
Once he'd coaxed her into listening to what they had to say, she had Lucy press play on her recorder. She was an angel, playing the good stuff first to ease her into it! Some said that the ability registration law was a good idea and that it would keep people safe, but others, a lot of people… they were against it. They made comments saying it was an invasion of privacy, and that they had no right to delve that deeply into their personal lives. Again, some felt things were fine as they were, and that it was a hassle to interrupt their life to go and show the Council their abilities.
It made her sad to know that her plan had so much backlash, but he was right. She couldn't make everyone happy. But it did make her want to give that statement she was thinking about a while ago. She wanted to wait until the complaints died down, but it didn't appear that was going to happen. Not with the way these people talked about it!
With all that being said, it was Saturday morning, and she was getting dressed for her first public announcement. She had Lucy invite the same reporter that covered their engagement party to help with the broadcast. They brought equipment for recording and Lucy even had a fancy light she was able to get her hands on! Levy was nervous, but thankfully, this wasn't going to be live, so they could do as many takes as they needed.
Gajeel leaned against the doorway of the bathroom and watched her while she stepped into a dark-orange dress. Most of her dresses were form-fitting, and he loved it when she wore them. This one had long sleeves and a collar that went up her neck. It was too thin to call it a turtleneck, but it pretty much was. It was also long, like most of her fancier dresses, splaying out at the bottom and covering her feet.
It was about time to get her fitted for her regal attire.
He was pretty casual, not bothering to wear his crown or big fancy robes, so naturally, that made the people around him casual too. Lily liked to wear his knightly clothing, but that cat said he was comfortable in them, so whatever, he guessed. But for their wedding slash crowning ceremony, they both needed to be formal. He could see her now, donned in a matching robe and a crown bejeweled with rubies. He grinned. He wouldn't bother her with it now, he'd wait until after her recording so he wouldn't distract her from her organized thoughts.
Lately, she'd been a little needier than usual, not that he was complaining at all! In fact, he encouraged it! He loved that she was so in love with him! And of course, her being like that didn't help his greed in the least, having let himself indulge in his possessiveness while she was in this mood. And even more strangely, his dragon had been a little antsy, too. He wasn't sure why, but he just felt the urge to… organize his life? Was that it? He figured it was because they were over halfway through mating season and his hormones were starting to go back to normal.
He wasn't certain how normal they were though since he'd disregarded Wendy's suggestion to come up with a schedule for giving her his energy and was still just biting her whenever they were intimate. Which was a lot… minimum of once a day! How she was capable of it was beyond him, but she asked for it! Who was he to deny his beautiful queen?
On another, more serious note, things had been a little quiet lately, and that left him feeling unsettled. Why hadn't Laxus tried to do anything lately? Usually, he was able to plan his moves around that blonde fuck's, but he didn't know what his next move would be! He couldn't predict it! It was obvious he was laying low, but until when? What was he plotting? How could he keep his mate safe properly if he didn't know what to expect? He felt wrong keeping her cooped up like this!
Though, as a small relief to him, she didn't mind it as much as he thought she would, and spent most of her time right next to or around him. She even watched him make weapons from time to time! She couldn't have been comfortable in his stuffy workshop, but she insisted. He should have built better ventilation.
"Are you just going to keep staring at me?" Levy asked with a small smile as she finished putting herself together. She walked over to him and turned around. "Zip me?"
He gently pulled the delicate zipper up and smoothed his hands down her back and around her waist until he had her in an embrace. She smelled absolutely amazing. Did she put perfume on? "Yer just so damn gorgeous. Can't help it."
"Oh, Gaj," she held onto him and nuzzled his arm. She knew she'd been extra needy for a while now and he'd been super supportive and welcoming. She didn't know what it was, but she just couldn't help but give in to it! "You being here like this is helping me with my nerves."
"Why ya nervous? Yer not doin' this live."
"Because!" She turned in his arms, holding his face. He was so handsome! "I know I can't please everyone, but I can at least try to appease them. What if I mess up or say something they don't like?"
"Then so be it," he kissed her forehead. "I know whatever ya hafta say will be important an' correct. If they take offense, that's their problem."
She sighed. "You're right."
She went over to her vanity, sitting down and rooting through the drawer for a pin to tie up her hair. She was just going to put it in a bun and wear natural makeup. There was no need to get too dolled up, but she did have to make sure she was presentable. She pulled out her favorite iron necklace and had him secure it for her.
"Ya look beautiful, Lev." He stood behind her and rubbed her shoulders while she applied light makeup. He didn't want to tell her, but he loved her natural look. Why hide already gorgeous features? But he knew she felt more comfortable being put together while presenting herself to the public. He admired her desire to have a good image.
Once she finished getting ready, he walked her to their event room where everything was set up. He gave her a little pep talk before sending her in there, surprised that she wanted him there while she spoke. He figured his presence would make her nervous, but it seemed she was at her calmest as long as he was around. She spoke flawlessly.
"People of Fiore, I'd like to address your questions and concerns about the new ability registration law. I understand that this may seem invasive and that it may seem like you are losing your freedom. But please, it's quite the opposite. This law was created with your best interests in mind.
"Think of the more efficient ways to deal with problematic issues that will come from this law. The streets will be safer, as the Council will know exactly how to act when said issues arise, instead of having the possibility of making a mistake. It is for your safety and protection that this rule is now in place.
"I understand one of the concerns to be the fear of everyone's abilities becoming public knowledge. As it stands, the leaders, Council heads, and a select few Council members will be the only ones to know of your abilities, so I hope that information provides a little bit of security and privacy."
Gajeel was so proud of her as she continued addressing the concerns of their people. She didn't skip a beat the entire time. She looked radiant while she spoke so passionately, she was glowing! And fuck, her scent wafted over to his nose and once he caught a whiff, he just wanted to wrap himself around her.
Once she finished, she let out a long breath and walked into his arms. "How'd I do?"
"Ya were amazin', Shorty," he lifted her chin and kissed her deeply, not minding the eyes of Lily and the two reporters that were watching them.
Lily cleared his throat. Those two had been stuck together like glue on paper lately! "I must agree, Levy. You presented yourself very well and addressed the most important topics properly."
"Ah! I'm so nervous! But I'm also excited!" Levy buried her face in Gajeel's chest. He smelled good.
"Levy!" Lucy gushed, still not used to seeing them all lovey-dovey. It was cute! They were perfect for each other. "You were amazing! I can't wait 'til this airs!"
"When's that, again?" Gajeel asked, mentally preparing himself for the plethora of letters that will likely get past the Council.
"Monday!" Lucy chirped. "You have literally made us the number one magazine in Crocus! You guys rock!"
"Always happy to help, Luce," Levy said, her stomach growling. She looked up at Gajeel with a big smile. "Hey, you know what I could go for right now?"
"What's that?" He leaned in, hugging her closer. Whatever she wanted, he'd get it for her. Or he'd send Lily for it!
"Mangoes!"
So, that lovely evening, they enjoyed mangoes on a blanket at the window in one of the rooms upstairs, just talking about any and everything under the sun. Levy was really happy that he'd finally gotten out of his funk and was talking to her again. He wasn't a hundred percent his usual self, but he was a million times better than he was! It was cute, he shared with her that his favorite fruit was mango, and she shared with him that she'd been craving mangoes or mango-flavored things for the past few weeks! She loved being so connected to him. It was a feeling she never knew she'd find and she'd cherish it as much as she could.
And as an unusual storm brewed over half of Fiore that night, Gajeel's dragon came to him while they slept soundly.
"When will you be taking care of that threat?"
"Fuck, I dunno," Gajeel said to the beast, surprised he was presenting himself. There was nothing going on! "What d'ya want?"
"I'm just here to make sure you're ready to take the proper precautions to protect our mate."
"Yeah, well…" Gajeel slumped down in the darkness, running hands through his hair. "She's adamant 'bout keepin' him alive, so…"
"I know she is. And I also know she's worried about us. Take care of it."
"Thanks fer the useless help, damn beast," Gajeel sighed. "How the hell am I supposed ta fix this without offin' 'em?"
"I'm not here to give you answers."
"Then why're ya botherin' me? Can't ya see I'm tryin' ta sleep in peace, here?"
"Why else? To tell you to take care of the insufferable human threatening the safety of our mate before her pregnancy becomes noticeable."
"Wait… what?" Did Gajeel hear him correctly? "What did ya just say?!"
But the beast had gone back into the depths of his mind, leaving him to sit and process the news he just got. The absolutely amazing, wonderful, life-changing news. How fucking awesome. But did she know? She wasn't acting like she was hiding anything from him, nor was she really behaving any differently aside from being extra needy. Though, this did explain his antsy feeling and her need to cling to him.
But all this did was make him nervous. If she didn't know, how would she react once she found out? She wanted to be "safe" and wait a while before kids came into the picture, but she was also the main one begging for it at any given moment! They hadn't tried to be "safe" a single time! And if she truly didn't know, how would he tell her? He guessed he could casually stop by Wendy's and drag her with him. There was no way the kid wouldn't notice it immediately. He just hoped this wasn't a dream when he woke up.