All Rights to Hiro Mashima

I was double doggy dared to write a trope (which I really try to stay away from, honestly, but LOVE reading so much) so…here we go. :D

Copperhead

Day 4: Pyramid

"How pissed do you think Erza's gunna be?"

"What kind of question is that? This is a massive fucking problem, Natsu. She's gunna be livid! She'll take one look at fucking Cobra here and blame this pile of shit on the both of us. Then turn us into living pincushions with all her stupid swords and katanas and spears and shit."

"—yeah. Probably. I did not see this one coming though."

"Do you ever?"

"Fair point. Also, shut the fuck up Fullbuster."

"You love me."

"Mmmm. Yeah, I do, but let's come back to that later. Uhmmm…how pissed do you think Luce is gunna be about this little…ah…problem here?"

"Dude. She'll kick your balls clean off, then sic Cancer on us and then we'll be that sad gay bald couple with no hamstrings."

"Thought so. Seems like something she'd do."

"Remember last time? With the guy—"

"The guy in the market that hit on her and two months later there's still scorch marks on the pavement from her overenthusiastic use of Loke's Stardress? Yah I remember. Blamed that one on hormones. Then the next—"

"Cause she was hungry…yeah, I know. We're not going to survive this are we?"

"No. Nope. Uh uh. Not even a little bit."

"Jesus fucking Christ. Of all the goddamn things. Fucking pixies man. Why are those little shits real and no one can find any fairies in all of Earthland? Now we have to lug his fat unconscious ass—"

"Quit your bitchin' babe. I don't see you doing any of the carrying."

"It's cause I know you love showing off your ridiculous strength, and you know I can't fucking resist you when you lift shit."

"Okay. Here's the plan. We get on the train, go to the bathroom and I fuck your dirty mouth real quick, then I give you a handy, I write my will leaving all the fish in the house to Happy, go back to Magnolia, deliver Cobra into the hands of the angel of death with hair that's died with the blood of her enemies, then run like hell. We might be able to fuck one last time if we're super-fast."

"Best thing I've heard all day."

"That's cause I'm fucking brilliant, Gray."

-ooo-

Lucy paced around the guild hall, one hand on her back wincing at every turn she made as her bladder was kicked into submission. She rubbed her stomach wearily with a fond smile. Just like their momma, they had the most badass kung-fu abilities.

It only just made up for the fact that she was peeing upwards of twenty times a day. The little viper in her definitely liked to make their momma squirm.

She shot Levy a look which was returned by a small shrug of her shoulders. "Don't look at me Lulu, I don't like this radio silence any more than you do. Usually means that they're either fucking and forgot about the time again and missed the train, or something's wrong. You know that. They're your best friends."

"I know Lev, but seriously? It was supposed to be for two days. You know that and I know that. When those three boneheads come back they'll know that because Erza will put the fear of God into them, again."

"I wished that fear would stick sometimes, you know? Would make balancing these books for the guild easier. Less property damage and all."

"Yeah. True." The blonde winced as her little parasite rolled over and squished her almost non-existent bladder into her spine. "You know what I would wish for? Not having to go to the washroom a million fucking times per day. That would be fantastic."

"I hear yah babe. Go, I'll trap them in a rune wall if they come in while you're gone." Levy ticked another expense in her ledger with a small snort before waving her best friend off with a smile.

"Thanks. I'll be right back." Lucy turned and headed for the bar first, craving something calming from the one person who knew her plight better than anyone. "Mira, can I grab a smoothie from you?"

At seven months along, Mira was still a sight to behold, gorgeous and glowing with twin lightning babies who were quiet and peaceful and let her sleep all night long. Laxus had wanted her to stop working behind the bar at five months. Mira had promptly withheld sex and the Lightning Dragon Slayer had caved pathetically after two days.

Lucy still held that over his head when he was in a particularly good mood. She loved her brother, but they still squabbled like actually siblings, something that amused everyone and confused visitors once they realized that they weren't related by blood at all.

"Want me to put anything special in it?"

"A little aconite would be wonderful, thanks, Mira."

-ooo-

"What the fuck? Salamander? What—? Where?"

"So, this is probably worse than we thought, right?"

"Uh. Yeah."

"Oi! Don't you fucking ignore me. Where's the rest of my guild? Where the fuck am I?"

"Woah! Don't you dare—Cobra, stop trying to poison us! Fuck. Just—"

"Do you really think you're any match for us? For the Oracion Seis?"

"Shit."

"When Brain—"

"Did you really just knock out Cobra with your elbow?"

"Is that really important right now Gray? Can we focus on the bigger issue here? On the fact that Cobra said Oracion Seis, and not Neo Oracion Seis or even Crime Sorciere?"

"Yeah, that does seem like a bad thing doesn't it."

"You think!?"

"Also…do you think Luce will notice the fact that he suddenly has both his eyes back?"

"Yes."

"Fucking pixies man. Jesus."

-ooo-

Laxus pinched the bridge of his nose between his fingers and silently cursed the obviously cackling spirit of his Gramps who was looking up at him from down in his cushy room in hell. Why did this shit always happen to Fairy Tail? Goldmine never ever had these problems in Quatro Cerberus.

Never.

He shot a withering glance at Lucy as she slurped the last of her smoothie noisily from the glass, just to get on his nerves, he was sure. She shrugged and slurped harder, lips pulled up into a tiny impish grin.

Erza sat serenely with a slice of cake that was more whip cream than anything and would be no help at all. At least she wasn't rampaging around about the slight to Lucy's honour or something this time.

It was probably for the best.

Back to the problem at hand, which was just more—inconvenient than anything.

"So, what you're saying is…Cobra here…"

Natsu laid face down on the surface of one of the wooden tables his rune prison was centered on, nose smashed down into the grains and pouting heavily. Gray rolled his eyes and flicked the tip of his boyfriend's ear petulantly, hip leaning against that same table. "We finished the mission, and were walking back through the West Forest when we stumbled on a nest."

"A nest?"

"A nest."

Levy buried her grin behind a large book as Laxus looked like he was either asking for strength from above or whether or not it was okay for him as a guild master to smite someone with his own lightning.

Lucy finally relinquished her straw long enough to grunt loudly. "Get to the fucking point Fullbuster. I have to pee, again, and I want to know why my husband is both unconscious and projecting an aura of hatred and mistrust after we fucking worked so long to get rid of his murderous tendencies. When he left here three days ago, Erik was about to turn thirty-five. Now he has both of his eyeballs in his skull and wants to know where his little band of psychos are before they were all reformed and honorable and shit."

"Okay. Jesus, Luce. I'm getting to it."

"Well, get to it faster, I'll push out this baby before you're done and I'm only five months along."

Laxus smirked. He sometimes loved pregnant Lucy. Other times…not so much. Her realizing that she could create small amounts of poison was just disastrous. All it did was give everybody the runs for a few days and now only the Slayers ate anything at the guild without letting Levy check it first.

She was a mischievous little shit, and he couldn't even blame this one on Lucy's dumb husband. Not even on her half Demon best friend and tiny flying blue imp that followed them around.

Nope. That was all his fault. He should have known better than to leave Bix and Lucy alone in a room for any length of time. Two fucking pranksters in a messed-up pod they were.

Laxus glared heavily at his own best friend who hovered next to Lucy's left elbow. Next to Cobra, he was the most protective of her when she became pregnant. It was nice to see that side of him.

But also weird.

The blonde started to chew on her discarded straw anxiously as she shot looks at Cobra as he laid prone in his own separate rune prison on the opposite side of the guild hall away from all the commotion. Wendy stood over him, examining his body for any noticeable ill effects. Gajeel hovered close by in case he woke up and tried to sacrifice someone to a giant clock again.

Or whatever crazy wacko scheme his brain was cooking up while he laid unconscious. Lucy wasn't really worried about that, she could take him, hell, anyone in this guild could take him. It was the fact that he had two fucking eyes again—Jesus, two eyes!—that was making her flip out.

Natsu turned his head and stared balefully up at the bar where Mira stood, mourning his lack of fire chicken and spiced whiskey. "We stumbled over a pixie's nest, Luce. We didn't even know they were real. They started firing off these weird spells that really only did harmless things. Tied Gray's shoelaces together, dyed one of my eyebrows green, transformed all our loose change into chocolate gold. Weird stuff, but nothing terrible. But then…"

"Oh my god, Natsu. What the fuck did you do?"

"It was an accident! I didn't mean to singe their Queen's hair off! They blew pepper in my face, you know what happens when I sneeze!"

Gray patted the back of his boyfriend's head who was slumped down brooding into the wood again. "Her spells…not so harmless. I think the Pixies were just curious, and it was just pranking, something Bickslow might do. But, I think the Queen felt threatened. The next thing we knew, there was this crackling sound and Cobra got hit full in the face with this purple light and then he was unconscious."

Natsu groaned beside him.

Laxus sighed heavily.

Gray cocked his head and examined his nails in a bored manner. "It wasn't too bad, he was breathing fine, and he didn't look all clammy and gross, so we just thought the pixies had shot off something to make him fall asleep so that they could escape, that sort of thing. But then—"

Lucy glared at her best friends and to this day Natsu swears that some of his hair on the back of his head would never grow in correctly again from the force of her laser stare. "Get to the point." She gritted out between clenched teeth.

"He woke up when we made it Magnolia, asked where the Oracion Seis were and then tried to poison both of us. So Natsu knocked him out again and here we are. Oh, also, he's got two eyes, who knew that could happen?"

Laxus sighed again. Lucy held up one finger then strode off to the washroom. She needed time to think, and she had to pee again anyways. Two birds, one stone.

"Fucking pixies," Natsu mumbled while Gray rolled his eyes.

-ooo-

"Lulu. Freed and I checked the library to make sure, but we are almost one hundred and ninety-five percent positive that whatever the Queen blasted Cobra won't affect him forever, it's not permanent. Now, the spell that she used…that's a bit tricky and the counter curse isn't a spell that can be done by anyone. It's a potion? I think? I'm a little hazy on the details because it looks like someone spilled something on this book and it bled the ink a bit, but that's why I wasn't two hundred percent positive."

"What the hell happened to him anyway?"

"De-aged. The disorientation and fainting from his body literally getting younger spontaneously would allow the pixies to escape without being hurt and or killed."

"Jesus. De-aged? How many years did they take?"

"It's hard to say without asking his age directly, but the fact that he has both eyes again and is looking for the Oracion Seis and not the Neo Oracion Seis, probably means that they got at least thirteen years, maybe a bit more."

"That is…not good."

"No. It's definitely not. We can either make the elixir or we can wait for the effects to wear off on their own."

"How long?"

"Give or take five months. I think."

"Nope. I need Erik there when I try to push this baby outta me. He has to be right there, with only one eye and not thinking that he still needs to rule the world through Nirvana or decides to throw time into chaos through a clock again."

"I can see where that would be problematic. However, Wendy can whip up that potion in no time, but it's going to take at least four days, there's an ingredient, a plant that we must use. There isn't a substitute for it and it grows under the snow at the summit of Mount Hakobe."

"One and a half days out, a day to find and pick the little buggers, one and a half days to travel back. Gotcha."

"Precisely."

"So. I'll be going on the next train then. But I need to pee first. God I hate that mountain."

"Uhm. No. You will not be going. You will sit your pregnant butt in that chair and you will deal with your husband when he comes to. You smell like him, and that will make it easier for Cobra to listen to you about how you're his wife, and mate, that you're growing his baby and that we are not in fact, enemies. If he back talks you, just grab Kinana and it'll sort him out."

"But—"

"Do not argue with me Lucy Ashley Heartfilia. Do. Not."

"Lev!"

"Nuh uh. That is my Goddaughter in there and she needs their momma to be healthy and not dead in the everlasting ice that is Mount Hakobe. Nope."

"Fine. You're stupid and annoying when you're right."

"I know. Don't worry too much about it though. Just make Gray and Natsu go, it's their fault anyway."

"Oh. Good point. But I'm a little worried they'll forget about it and just make out a bunch. It's happened before."

"True. Very true. Also, gross. But true. Send Erza with them."

"I love your little evil genius brain."

"I gotchu babe."

-ooo-

"What the hell did you fairies do to me?"

"Okay, first of all, I don't really care for your hostile attitude. And second, why is it that you wake up in Fairy Tail and assume that something was done to you? Couldn't we have saved you from something? Aren't we the good guys in all this? We don't kidnap, and we don't kill, maim or torture. And we do not sacrifice. People. To clocks. That one was all you darling."

Cobra, was—confused. More or less. One minute he was in prison, the next he was being dragged through a train station by that overactive Flamethrower and the Stripsicle. He also didn't know why he wanted to give them those nicknames, just like he wanted to call the blonde woman who was tapping her foot on the ground outside his rune prison something to do with—sparkles? Sunshine? Something bright.

It was weirding him the fuck out.

"Why are you fucking worried about my attitude? You should be more worried about what the hell my guild is going to do to you once they get out and come find me. The Oracion Seis was undefeated until you people came along." He squinted at her, she was kinda familiar in a strange sort of way.

"I think I remember you from Nirvana. But you were less," he waved his hands around trying to find the words he wanted. "Round last time."

"I'm fucking pregnant dipshit." The woman pinched the bridge of her nose. "And you would remember me, but only a little bit. I was the Celestial Mage that took down Angel back in the day."

The way she talked, it was as if those things had happened a long time ago, and not just last week. Which is what it felt like.

"Yo, Luce. I wanna test something out real quick."

"Make it fast Natsu. I gotta pee again."

The pink haired mage sidled up towards the blonde, when he suddenly dove down and rubbed his nose along the fair skin of her neck.

A snarl bubbled out of his chest and startled him so badly that it petered off into a strangled squeak. Which no one would ever speak about. "What the fuck was that?"

"Uh huh. I thought so. He still has his protective instincts intact and they're in overdrive cause his mate is pregnant with his hatchling."

Lucy swatted at the pink-haired mage. "Don't you have a plant to dig for somewhere cold? And for the last time, Natsu, they're called babies. They are not dragons. Gods, why do I put up with you?" She walked away and left a reeling Cobra sitting on the floor, brain stalled over the fact that the Salamander had called that woman his mate. And she was pregnant.

"I need to smell her." It was the first thing his brain could truly process, and he wasn't really all that surprised when what came out was a little creepy.

"Sure. When she gets back. Luce pees like a thousand times a day now. Thanks for that, by the way. Makes taking her on train trips super delightful and not at all bitchy."

"You know, I'm not gunna apologize for something I can't even remember doing. How do I know that this is even real and not some stupid elaborate trick that you idiots cooked up to like…gain my trust or something?"

"Because you have been a member of Fairy Tail for almost four years, Erik. We wouldn't do something like this to one of our own."

He growled and lunged at the blonde who had come back, only to be stopped by the flashing run prison. "How do you know that name?! Who told you?"

"You did. When I ran into you on a job in Seven. Four and a half years ago I saved your life from a Shadow Wyvern and we traveled together searching for a key for six months."

"What the fucking shit is going on? Why can't I remember anything? I still don't have proof of any of this other than your word."

She scoffed, but looked saddened by his words. "You mean my words as a Celestial Mage isn't enough? Fine, look at your left forearm."

An acid green guild mark for the Fairy Tail guild peeked out from between his layers of shirts and the still fading shackle scars around his wrists.

"This—this is…a trick…or something—would I know? My own mind. I would know if something was wrong!"

"Erik, why haven't you asked where Cubellios is?"

That question silenced him. "I don't—"

"It's because subconsciously your brain knows that she hasn't taken snake form in over a decade Erik. Cubellios is fine, she's here actually. The barmaid with the purple hair? That's her, she's called Kinana now. Hold on—Kina! Can you wave or…like I don't know, smile or something?"

"What the fuck? That's Cu?"

"Oh, yeah. Long story, its super riveting. Has a seven-year nap, a disappearing island, and a woman who was cursed to be a snake. I'll tell you later if you want. But, for now, just…listen to my soul Erik. Listen to hers. You'll hear the truth, I promise."

So, he did, and what he found really threw him for a fucking loop.

Do you think it's really her Cobra?

Yeah. I do. What other gold keys just suddenly show up in Crocus? The fucking Princess is asking for you Starshine, we both know what that means.

Thank you. For…I don't know. Everything? For being here at least.

You saved my life, I owed you. Don't get all sappy on me. And don't you fucking cry. You know I can't stand that shit.

Yeah, yeah. I know. But still, thanks.

…call me Erik. Okay?

Sure.

There was only darkness here, but he knew he was safe. He was happy for the first time in forever. He could feel warmth by his side and when he opened his eyes he saw gold.

Lucy. Her hair. Everything was gold. Her naked skin in the moonlight, the sheets that bunched up and twisted around her legs where they were entwined with his.

Everything, but his mark, his bite on her hip that was a deep bruising purple.

He let everything go black again.

"Cu. What the fuck do I do? How do you just…ask someone?"

"Don't be stupid. You say the words and you ask. She's been your mate for what? A thousand years already? You think she'll say no?"

"No? Yes!? I don't know. This is why I'm asking my best friend!"

"Aw! I'm your bestie?"

"Oi! I'm in a crisis. Fucking help me."

"You are so dramatic."

"I'm…pregnant?"

"Yeah, Starshine. I can hear the little soul in there. I asked Bix too cause I needed to be sure."

"Oh. My God. I'm—? You're sure Erik?"

"Fuck yeah."

"Jesus. This kid is gunna have your eyes and my brain, it'll be so fucking cute. You're happy? Right?"

"I might even cry a little."

"And I think I might have to throw up. I love, you babe."

"I love you too. You want this right?"

"So much it scares me."

"Marry me."

"Jesus, you are so dumb. Yes, dammit. Come here and fucking kiss me, you giant dramatic dork."

"Shut the fuck up."

It was only snatches, small ones. Colours, sounds, some words. But they painted a life he wished he had had when he was young, and a life he knew was too good for him now.

He hadn't even noticed the little blue-haired mage remove the rune cage around him. He was still kneeling on the floor, but everything around him took on a new hue. He knew this place but also didn't. It made him want to curl up around the blonde and now that he could finally fucking smell her, he wanted to bury some of his parts in hers and make her smell even more like him. But did he really deserve all this?

Cobra winced as the blonde, who he now knew as Lucy (Starshine?), flicked him firmly in the middle of his forehead. "Nope. None of that. I have worked too hard and loved you for too long for you to question shit again. I almost lost you once three years ago, I won't go through it again."

"What? How would you know what I was even thinking? You a mind reader?"

Her face softened, eyes filling with warmth. "No, I just now you better than you know yourself. I could see it in your face. Even if you are almost fifteen years younger than you were three days ago."

"I lived passed thirty?"

A quick breath from the blonde and the blank face she gave him was all he needed to see to know those words were the wrong ones to say. "You almost didn't, but you did. Your thirty-fifth birthday is in a week."

That more than anything, the confirmation that he had gotten out of his shitty life and into one that he could only fantasize about at the age he apparently was, again, had him believing. Cobra leaned over and placed his forehead on Lucy's rounded stomach. It was weird how unweird it felt doing that.

"Erik?"

"Shh. Just…let me. I need to listen, please."

A hand came down and sifted through his hair and he felt like purring it was so good. "Take your time. But not too much time. This kid likes to kick my spleen a lot."

So, he smirked and brought a hand up and laid it carefully next to his head. Then he listened harder than he had in his life.

The heartbeat of the little life in Lucy was suddenly so loud that he couldn't believe that it hadn't drowned out everything else. Then he let go of everything and trusted that he would be fine, vulnerable on the wooden floor of that guild that he knew he should hate but didn't. The tiny soul he could hear was sweet and pure, and undeniably sassy.

His child was going to be a handful. But also, super kick-ass, so that was okay.

He breathed deep, suddenly the hands clenched around his lungs were gone.

"The name?"

"We don't have one for her yet."

"Her?" He was having a baby girl. Would you look at that? Better than anything he could have dreamt of.

"Her." The hand stilled in his hair and he pouted at the loss. "Come on Erik. Off the gross floor that hasn't been mopped in ten years, we can go home and talk more there while I sit on a stupidly comfortable couch and eat something that I'll pretend is chocolate but isn't."

Cobra had a feeling as he unstuck himself from the sticky floor, that he would probably follow this woman anywhere.

-ooo-

"So, I bet you have a bunch of questions."

"Uh. Yes. Like, at least a hundred of them." He poked the pyramid of cards that Lucy had made on the coffee table when she got bored of waiting for her husband to come home from his mission. It fell over and he flinched back apologetically, to which he waved away. They had more important things to think about now.

"I bet. Okay, lay it on me. I don't care what you ask, it can be about anything. You already know everything about me and I know you're probably finding this hard to believe but I know everything about you. And yes, I mean, everything. The tower included."

"I told you about that?"

"Oh. Yeah. That delightful conversation gave me nightmares for months. Brain was a fucking sadist."

"Was?"

"Jesus, this might be hard to explain. He's dead now, don't worry. But, maybe I should just like…start from the beginning? Oh, this will be fun. I can't wait to see your expressions about some of the shit that happened to us over the years."

"That might be a good idea. Last thing I remember I was in jail at ERA being poked by a giant frog person."

"Okay, so that was just after Nirvana then. After we gave you and Jellal to the Rune Knights, you were sent to prison, and my team went back to Fairy Tail. Nothing much happened to you in there for like eight years, until the Oracion Seis escaped, renamed themselves the Neo Oracion Seis and started to terrorize the countryside, sacrificing and killing off all the Celestial Mages in Earthland."

"This was Midnight's idea, wasn't it?"

"Got it in one babe. It was dumb then and it's still dumb now."

"Sounds dumb."

"Mhmmm. We had to fight you and everyone else all over again, along with this legion from Zentopia. There was this big octopus thing and a clock. Oh my God, this dumb clock. Let me tell you this thing was massive and also so stupid, and you sacrificed me to create chaos! I know! Look at your face, I knew this would be the best thing ever. Even better now that you have your other eye back again."

"What the fuck happened to my eye?"

"Shut up, I'll get to it…"

"So, to summarize your summary. I sacrificed my eye because of something stupid, or for more power or something equally as dumb, tried to put you in a clock that became a fish, was sent to jail, again, thanks to your team. Was released to try and put down a horde of dragons from coming through time to destroy the world, died but didn't really, then was sent back to jail. For the third time. Broke out with the rest of the Seis, again. Found Brain and ripped out his heart, then was beaten by Jellal and was then forced to join his pansy ass guild of guilt and wear a damn cloak for a while—"

"I liked the cloak, made you look super mysterious, and like sexy. You could have always been naked under there and no one would have known."

"—then we were pardoned after the war with Zeref where we killed Acnologia and then…what?"

Cobra had migrated from his seat across the room from Lucy to where he had his head in her lap and turned so he could rub his nose over her baby bump every once in a while. Again, it was weird how right this felt.

So, he went with it, mentally shrugging of the complicated what the fuck? feelings because it was nice and her thighs were comfy.

"Well, when you were pardoned by the King and Hisui, Crime Sorciere disbanded. Apparently, you went your separate ways for a while. You and Midnight traveled back to Caelum to make sure that we weren't lying when we said that we had destroyed the Tower. He's still there in a small town with a couple relatives you found of his, he comes to visit sometimes. You wandered around with no destination I guess, and you stumbled on a nest of Shadow Wyverns—"

"What is with the guild and nests of dangerous creatures? Seriously."

"I know, right? But you almost got your ass handed to you, but I saved you by whipping out some badass light shit that Loke taught me. You didn't want to owe me any favours so you asked how to repay me, I told you to help me find Aquarius' key and we traveled and sparred and bitched at each other for a while. It was nice, having company. Then, we finally make it to a town with a television and there's Hisui calling on the Starbringer to come back to Crocus because and I quote "This mermaid is so fucking bitchy, I can't even," so we snapped up the key and our contract of sorts was over."

Cobra shifted around a bit so he could see her face, Lucy's hand playing unconsciously with the tips of one of his ears. It was soothing and nice, but also a little arousing. "Starbringer?"

"Oh. That's what Jason, a reporter nicknamed me. Just like Laxus is called The Thunder God, and Natsu is The Salamander. It was after the war with Zeref and the damn thing stuck. People in Magnolia still call me the Light of Fairy Tail, but I can't go anywhere else without that name. At least they've forgotten that I was once a Heartfilia. It's nice, I guess. I could live without the autographs though."

"Huh. Alright. Then what?"

"Where was I? Oh. Well, I asked you what you were going to do next, and you said you didn't really have any plans. So, I suggested you come to Fairy Tail and join, and you did. Met Kinana again and that was super sweet and I was so not jealous of the two of you. Then you came with my team and me on a bunch of missions and it was nice. Until about six months of you being in the guild. You stopped talking to me, avoided everyone, even Kina. So, we were all weirded out a bit. I found you packing up all your shit in your apartment and panicked a little. We had this epic screaming match that made no sense sometimes, but then you professed your undying love and shit, and about the mates thing. I punched you in the face, then I jumped your bones right there on your bedroom floor. You were stupid and dumb and I loved you. Still do, even if you can't remember that you love me back."

"Sounds like something I'd do. Leave, run away from something that I thought I didn't deserve."

"You don't do that anymore. Don't worry."

"How long will I stay like this? All young and shit?"

"Oh! Four days at the most. Levy and Wendy will cook up an elixir for you to drink and then bam! I get my husband back and you get almost half of your life."

Cobra stuffed his face back into her stomach and breathed deeply. His mind was warring with itself. Stay with Lucy because she smelled right and felt right. Or run, again. Always running.

"You can take the guest room if you're getting sleepy babe."

He shook his head and sighed. He didn't want to sleep yet, he wanted to hear more. More of Lucy's soul and more of his little baby's. "No, I'm fine. Keep going."

"Wanna hear about the time I poisoned everyone's food a little bit and they all shit themselves because I'm awesome?"

He snorted with laughter. "Sounds good."

-ooo-

"Did you get it?"

"Yes!"

"Good, now run!"

"Why the fuck weren't we told that there are Yeti up on Hakobe? Why wasn't I told about this!?"

"Shut the fuck up Erza and move your ass down the mountain!"

"Don't tell me to shut up Fullbuster. It's because of your idiocy we're up here in the first place!"

"Nope. NO. More running, less arguing. We can debate whose fault it is when we get on the train. Which we need to get to so that we can bring that plant back to Wendy, so Lucy doesn't rip off our balls and feed them to us because we had a hand in de-aging her husband."

"Good point babe. You know I love it when you're all decisive and fiery."

"Ugh. You two are super gross."

-ooo-

For two days, everything was fine, easy. The only slightly strange thing that happened was when Cobra would pop another question about his life he had forgotten.

They ranged from the easily answered ones, like when he asked about the rest of the Oracion Seis. (Fairy Tail, Mermaid Heel, traveling, and in Caelum) To the strange ones that had her laughing, like when she was having a shower and Cobra had banged loudly through the door only to demand to know whether or not his favourite colour was still orange (yes!). Then there was the question of the wedding, which she happily answered, to a memorable half hour when she described their mating night in excruciating detail just to watch him squirm.

That was a fun afternoon. Lucy hadn't seen Cobra blush that violently ever before. She also loved that he was still almost obsessed with her bump and the little soul he could hear inside. If he wasn't hounding her for answers, he was talking quietly to their baby. Which was nice cause their little viper was a restless thing and actually calmed down when he spoke. She was such a daddy's girl and she hadn't even been born yet.

They hit a snag on the third day, in the evening, when Cobra had stretched tiredly off their couch and shifted to try and crack his back. His shirt had bunched and lifted to show a strip of caramel skin off that she really really wanted to put her mouth on. And her tongue.

And her teeth.

Dammit, she hadn't been really touched by her husband in almost a week and her hormones were all wacky at the best of times.

And now she was fucking turned on so high she was surprised that she wasn't in the stars already.

The next thing she knew, she had moaning Slayer stuck to her back as hands roamed sides to grip at her hips possessively. "Why the fuck do you smell so good? What kind of magic are you pulling right now?"

"None," Lucy gasped. Only to shift backward to rub her ass over Cobra's hardened cock. "No magic. Just, fuck. I need you."

Cobra trailed his nose up her neck, grazing her ear and biting down gently. "Fuck yah."

But, sense finally started to filter through her sex pickled brain. "Wait…wait hold on. Down boy. Is this a good idea? Is this cheating? Would I be cheating on you, with you?"

"I'm the same person, just younger."

"But you're not my husband or my mate, not yet at least."

"You do have a point. But fuck, your hot and you smell so good, so either say no now or let me do something to you that you'll never forget."

Lucy didn't really need to think about it. "Not until you're older Cobra. I promise you'll have your way with me then."

He grunted and untangled himself slowly, grunting when he got free. "I'm gunna go jack off. I can't even walk around properly when I'm hard enough to cut diamond."

She laughed heartily, happy that this man was just as kind deep down as he was when he got older. "You got it, Erik. Think of me!"

"Fuck off."

-ooo-

"What's your deal Lu? You look more anxious and unsettled then I've ever seen you. And you're fidgeting. You never fidget."

"Lev. I'm gunna be straight with you right now. I am so incredibly horny right now that my skin is vibrating off. I'm pretty sure I'm one stiff breeze away from ecstasy right now."

"Oh. Yeah. That'll do it."

"Is this a mate thing? Or just a pregnant thing? I wanna bone my husband. I'm going to ride that jerk so hard he'll be unable to walk properly for a week."

"Steady on, you're not gunna break his dick off, are you? Cause that would not be good."

"No, I'm just gunna tie him down and make him stay there until I'm finished."

"Jesus. Alright. I'll see how Wendy is coming with that elixir."

"Good call. Oh, tell Laxus that he shouldn't expect us back anytime within the next three days. And keep Natsu away from the house, alright?"

"Damn girl, you're going to ride his ass into the ground."

"Don't look at me like that Lev. I deserve this. All the shit I've gone through. I deserve a good plowing every once in a while."

"I gotchu babe."

-ooo-

Natsu eyed the rapidly aging man who laid on the cot in front of them, then eyed both his own mate and his best friend who looked like she was about to explode with both excitement and anticipation at the same time. "Luce? What's going on?"

Without pulling her eyes away from the growing scar cutting across Cobra's cheek Lucy waved a hand at both of them. "Don't come by the house for at least four days Natsu. You too Gray. Tell Erza."

Natsu gave a hearty sniff and then nodded while wrinkling his nose. "Jesus, Luce. Don't break him."

She flashed a smile at him, her eyes dark and wild. "No promises."

Gray, ever oblivious just blinked then smirked down at Cobra's open eye. "Welcome back to the land of the living."

"Glad to be back you fuckers."

His eye strayed past them to where Lucy was trying mostly unsuccessfully to pull herself up onto the bed without injuring Cobra and the baby at the same time. He reached out a hand and tugged her to his chest. "Hey, Starshine."

"Erik." Her eyes gleamed and her smile was so fucking predatory that Natsu almost flinched away.

"Why do you look like you're gunna eat me."

"You don't know the half of it." He watched as his best friend got started by devouring her husband's mouths and let out one of the filthiest moans he's ever heard. He wheeled towards the door or the infirmary, tugging Gray along behind him. "We need to leave. Right now."

They met Wendy on the way down the corridor and just spun her around and made her walk down towards the beer hall with them. Because Cobra's fine Wendy, he's just a little busy getting his brain sucked out through his dick right now.

-ooo-

Cobra played with a strand of his wife's hair. It was nice to feel whole again, content beside his mate and sated.

So incredibly sated. Lucy was a feisty bastard and loved to keep him pinned while she took what she needed from his body and his cock. He was fine if she used his body for her own needs because he knew she loved him and he would give her absolutely anything.

"I've been thinking Starshine."

She snuffled from where her nose was stuffed in the crook of his neck, dozing on and off after their afternoon of marathon sex. "About what babe?"

"Names, among other things. Like about the stories I haven't told you. From before the tower. You told me so many things when I asked after I lost those years of my life. You wanted me to remember, and I want you to know everything just in case this ever happens again."

Lucy perked up at that. She had never said anything but he knew that she was curious about who he was before everything in his life went to shit. "You know you never have to tell me these things, Erik. I know it's hard."

"That's why I should tell you. Because it's my choice."

"I'll always listen. You know that."

"I know. I wanted to tell you about my mother. Or what I remember about her. It's not much, but…"

"I get it. Mothers are special." She smiled sadly, no doubt thinking of her own.

"I also think I have a name for the baby."

"It was your mother's, wasn't it?"

"Mhmm."

"I'm sure it'll be perfect."

And it was. Four months six days later, Lucy popped out a healthy six-and-a-half-pound baby girl with only a bit of collateral damage and three broken bones on Cobra's part. She had quite the set of lungs on her and Lucy couldn't stop crying.

When asked by Porlyusica (she was the only one Cobra even remotely trusted around Lucy for the birth) he replied that she would be named Bella.