Lucy POV

Laxus dragged me to the sign-up stand and signed us up so we'd be competing against each other despite my protest.

"Lucy, just let me have some fun here, okay, babe?" He added a highly fake wink and walked to the stage with me following behind. A man stood on the stage holding a microphone lacrima in his hand.

"Hello and welcome, contestants and spectators! I am your host, Nick Fury! The way this works is that you will sing for our judges, Mr. Bob, Master of Blue Pegasus and Mr. Sting Eucliffe, S-Class Mage from Sabertooth. As for our more feminine judges, are MiraJane Strauss and Cana Alberona, Mages of Fairy Tail!" The crowd whooped! I stiffened next to Laxus, who had is arm draped around my shoulders. "And of course the prized you all are singing your hearts out for is a free week here at Akane and 50,000 J!"

Laxus' ears quirked up at the sound of the rewards. I stifled a laugh at him. I wrapped my arms around his waist in a hugging manner. "Do you really think you're going to when with me competing against you?"

He tightened his arm around my shoulders. "I want you to win. But if I win, it's just more money in my pocket and a free week with you." He smirked.

"My, my. So cocky, aren't you?"

"What about you? You seem pretty confident in your talents, too." He paused. "Tell you what. How about we make a bet, if I win, you have to do whatever I ask for a week."

"And if I win?" I asked with a smirk plastered on my lips.

His smirk only grew darker. "I'll do whatever you ask for a week."

"Deal!" I squealed at having Laxus doing my bidding for a week. My smirk only grew at the thought of him cooking for me.

"And now, for our first contestant, Gajeel Redfox!" Nick shouted while stepping to the side, making way for Gajeel. He barely lasted a minute before the crowd pelted him with rocks, tomatoes and flaming trash.

"Okay now let's see those scores!"

Cana held up a 2/10, Sting was a 0/10, Master Bob held a 1/10, and lastly Mira held a 10/10. Gajeel walked off stage with a heavy heart and a score of 13/40.

"Next up, we have Miss Lucy Heartfilia!" I untangled myself from Laxus and jogged up onto the stage smiling at Mira and Cana's shocked faces. "I take it you have a special someone out there in the crowd then, huh, Miss Lucy?" He winked playfully.

I nodded and looked at Laxus. "This is for you La-Chan!" I winked at him causing a blush to creep onto his cheeks.

I felt the words just flow of my lips so easily, like I truly was singing just for him like I did yesterday.

Hello, can I say that there's something wrong with this place?
I got time just to waste if you would be my new escape
So then I say "can't find a lover"
Well there's no other way of pulling me under
Cause it's gotta be fate if we're under the covers
It's all gonna be a-OK, a-OK

I don't want to do it alone
I'm beggin' you
I don't want to do it, do it, do this all alone

We can dance in your bedroom with no romance
I got time just to waste if you would be my new escape
So then you say "there won't be another"
But you give it away cause you want to discover
That it's gotta be fate if we're under the covers
It's all gonna be a-OK, a-OK

I don't want to do it alone
I'm beggin' you
I don't want to do it alone
Tell you what
I don't want to do it alone
I'm beggin' you
I don't want to do it, do it, do this all

1, 2, 3, 4
4, 3, 2, 1

I don't want to do it alone
I'm beggin' you
I don't want to do it alone
I'm beggin' you
I'm beggin' you
I'm beggin' you
I'm beggin' you

I don't want to do it alone
I'm beggin you
I don't want to do it alone
Tell you what
I don't want to do it alone
I'm beggin you
I don't want to do it, do it, do this all alone

Can I say that there's something wrong with this place?
I got time just to waste if you would be my new escape
So then I say "can't find a lover"
Well there's another way of pulling me under
Cause it's gotta be fate if we're under the covers
It's all gonna be a-OK
It's all gonna be a-OK, a-OK

I don't want to do it alone

My eyes were locked with his the entire time. For some reason, I felt like I needed to say those words to him I didn't want to be alone anymore. Not after what happened at the guild and he was so willing to take me to Clover Town to start anew with him. I felt like I owed him a lot just for what he's sacrificing to be here with me.

He walked up to the edge of the crowd and stood with his arms folded on the stage and smiled at me. "That was great, baby-chan."

"WOW! What chemistry going on here! Now, judges, your scores?" Nick smiled.

Mira shot up with a 10/10 surrounded by hearts with hearts in her eyes as well. Cana held up another 10/10 pointing her index finger upwards, reminding me that Fairy Tail is missing us gravely already. Sting held up a 9/10 with a 'I wish you weren't with him' scowl and Master Bob smiled holding a 10/10 in his hand. I walked off stage with a 39/40.

I smirked and leaned closed to Laxus' ear. "Try and beat that, La-Chan."

"I will indeed." HE winked at me.

"After that performance, the competition is getting fierce, right, judges?" Cana and Mira nodded enthusiastically while Sting growled and Master Bob had that creepy smile on his face. "Our next competitor is none other than the apple of our last contestant's eye, Laxus Dreyar!"

I watched as Laxus lifted himself onto the stage with ease, without even glancing at the conveniently placed set of stairs next to him. He just smirked and took a deep breath. "You know I don't do this for just anyone, right, Luce?" I blushed at the attention I was getting and just nodded. He took another deep breath and smiled. The words flowing off him and soothing my ears.

When the days are cold
And the cards all fold
And the saints we see
Are all made of gold

When your dreams all fail
And the ones we hail
Are the worst of all
And the blood's run stale

I wanna hide the truth
I wanna shelter you
But with the beast inside
There's nowhere we can hide

No matter what we breed
We still are made of greed
This is my kingdom come
This is my kingdom come

When you feel my heat
Look into my eyes
It's where my demons hide
It's where my demons hide
Don't get too close
It's dark inside
It's where my demons hide
It's where my demons hide

Curtain's call
Is the last of all
When the lights fade out
All the sinners crawl

So they dug your grave
And the masquerade
Will come calling out
At the mess you've made

Don't wanna let you down
But I am hell bound
Though this is all for you
Don't wanna hide the truth

No matter what we breed
We still are made of greed
This is my kingdom come
This is my kingdom come

When you feel my heat
Look into my eyes
It's where my demons hide
It's where my demons hide
Don't get too close
It's dark inside
It's where my demons hide
It's where my demons hide

They say it's what you make
I say it's up to fate
It's woven in my soul
I need to let you go

Your eyes, they shine so bright
I wanna save that light
I can't escape this now
Unless you show me how

When you feel my heat
Look into my eyes
It's where my demons hide
It's where my demons hide
Don't get too close
It's dark inside
It's where my demons hide
It's where my demons hide

His eyes were glued to mine the whole time that he sang and I found myself lost in his voice. I knew the message he was trying to get across. It was something he desperately wanted from all of Fairy Tail. He wanted their forgiveness above all. I told him before he was forgiven by me long before he was banished, the one time I managed a conversation with him before Lisanna came back. Team Natsu was on a job and we were camping out by a forest and I knew the stream there was hidden so I could take a bath but when I reached the stream, there he was, washing his clothes in the stream. He told me he regretted everything he's done to Fairy Tail and that his was sorry and understood if we didn't forgive him. Though I couldn't speak for the others, I forgave him. I forgave him for everything, regardless of whether or not the guild agreed with me or not. The song was directed to Fairy Tail, there was no doubt about it, but it also felt like he was putting more meaning behind it.

He hopped from the stage without even glancing at the judges, two of which were crying. His score was a 40/40. Meaning he won our bet. My heart was still shimmering with happiness when his voice so close to my ear shattered my thoughts. "I guess, I win, Blondie. Remember, you aren't alone anymore. I'm right here. I'll only leave you to go do the necessary things like the bathroom and stuff." He chuckled.

"Stupid, Laxus." I popped him on the head and leaned into his arms. "Let's just watch who wins the competition, okay?"

"Okay." He said quietly.

Hibiki, Ren, Eve, and Ichiya sang in a barbershop quartet, earning a 35/40. Sherry of Lamia Scale sang a song of love to Lyon, earning herself a 4/40 which made Gajeel happy. Lastly, Frosch singing and Rouge standing next to the exceed awkwardly, earning a 30/40, and a pissing-his-pants-laughing Sting.

"OKAY! That was the last of our contestants, and the results are: In third place and winning a prize of 10,000 J is… The Mages of Blue Pegasus, Hibiki, Ren, Ichiya, and Eve! In second is… Miss Lucy Heartfilia with 25,000 J! And lastly, in first place, with a grand prize of a week here in Akane and 50,000 J is… Mr. Laxus Dreyar! Come on up!" Nick said with too much enthusiasm for my liking.

We walked up to the stage and Nick shook each of our hands and handed us our prizes and gave us his congratulations. Mira and Cana ran up to us, throwing their arms around me.

"That was amazing, Lucy!" Mira praised

"Why didn't you ever sing with that much passion at the guild?" Cana asked with a beer already in her hand.

I blinked at them and glanced at Laxus who seemed agitated at moment.

"Laxus, you okay?" I ignored the shocked and disappointed looks on Cana's and Mira's faces. I managed to walk away from them and over to him. "Laxus…"

He just took my hand and started walking, half dragging me back to the hotel.

"Laxus, talk to me! What's wrong with you?!"

"I'm not ready for you to talk to them yet. Not in person. They still betrayed you, it's not fair to the people around you to forgive them so easily. I let Levy slide because you two are close but not the rest. I won't let the rest of them be forgiven so easily, they'll just hurt you again. Except for the little blue haired girl I saw yesterday. She can be forgiven, too, but not the rest." He answered roughly. "I don't care if you hate me for it, but hopefully you'll understand this one day."

"Idiot." I popped him in the head again. "I could never hate you, Laxus. You've done so much for me. I'm grateful to have you in my life, so I'll listen to your advice. Maybe you're right, what if I do forgive them and then they just repeat this incident? You're an important person in my life now, Laxus. I'll take your words to heart." I smiled. I loved having him around. It was ever since I told him I forgave him that I've wanted to become his friend, and I guess it was then when my feelings started to sway in his favor.

"I'm glad you think of me as important, Lucy." He squeezed my hand tightly, as though he was afraid I'd disappear if he didn't. "And Lucy?"

"Yeah?"

"I wanna hide the truth, I wanna shelter you." He sang quietly. "About last night, Lucy. I want to protect you from my father. I don't know what he wants but he knows you're important to me now. He'll do anything to tear me and you down. He knows how to make a person feel like shit, so I want you to bear a single thought in mind in case something happens, I'll always be with you. Always." He kissed my forehead and unlocked our hotel room.

The songs used were

Demons- Imagine Dragons

Do it Alone- Sugarcult

I hope you enjoyed this super long chapter! I had lots of fun writing it! I hope you like the fluff here too! I love all the support I've been getting in the reviews and please do keep it up! I love you guys and/or girls! ;) -SFL