Chapter Two
Laxus was surrounded by the scent of strawberries and honey. It was a scent that turned his head and gained his attention whenever he came across it. The scent never failed to relaxed his body, soothe his heartache and put his mind at ease.
"Laxus."
A slender fingertip traced the curves of his tattoo. The gentle, teasing touch sent a jolt through his nerves and shivers down his spine. He grabbed her hand and brought her fingers to his lips.
"Morning," he said as he kissed her fingers.
She giggled, her blonde hair split over her bare shoulders. She scooted closer and her breasts pressed into his chest. He could feel her hardened nipples rub against him and he caught his breath.
She leaned forward, closer still, her lips just a breath away from his.
He reached for her face, but his hand past through and the vision of her faded.
Darkness rose around him, closing in. His chest tightened and his heart felt like it was in a vise. A cold sweat formed along his brow as he fought to breathe.
Sadness pooled into the pit of his stomach. Agony. Despair.
…
It was the scent of strawberries and honey that woke him from his nightmare.
His eyes fluttered open to a ceiling riddled with tiny glowing stars. He groaned, his head throbbing. His eyes scanned pale pink walls, floral bedding and lace curtains. The sheer curtains did little to keep the afternoon sun out and Laxus squinted.
He sat upright. The floral comforter fell into his lap, baring his chest. His mind was fuzzy and the previous night was a blur of lights and colors. He remembered drinking with Bickslow at a tavern downtown. He lifted the floral comforter and saw that he wore only his boxers.
He had no memory of spending the night with a woman.
He massaged his aching temple with his fingertips. He inhaled, his nostrils flaring as he took in the surrounding scents. His eyes widened and his stomach flipped as he recognized one scent that overpowered everything else.
The scent of strawberries and honey.
Shit, this is Heartfilia's bed, he thought. His heart raced and dread filled his stomach as he could only think of one reason he would be near naked in a woman's bed. He cursed.
Why'd it have to be her of all women?
He balled up the bedding in his fists and brought it to his nose. He inhaled. Along with her scent, her sheets smelt of fresh laundry. There were no smells of sex. Relief set over him as his breath escaped him.
Soft footsteps approached the door and he quickly schooled his features, his expression blank. The door knob quietly turned and a small blonde tiptoed into the room. She closed the door behind her before she turned to face him.
She startled upon seeing him, her eyes widening. She clutched at her chest and sighed. She approached him.
"Hi," she said. She tucked a loose piece of hair behind her ear.
"Hey," Laxus replied.
He could hear her heartbeat now that she was closer. Her eyes looked him up and down and her heartbeat quickened. Her cheeks flushed and her eyes darted away from his bare chest.
She wore a red and white bubble dress with light gray wool stockings. The hem of the dress barely covered her ass and Laxus remembered the naked blonde from his dream. Blood surged down to his groin and he discretely placed his hands over his lap.
"How do you feel?" she asked, her voice soft. "Are you hungry?"
His stomach growled in response.
She giggled, covering her mouth with her hand. "I'll take that as a yes."
She turned around and he watched her hips sway as she walked to the back counter. A lump formed in the back of his throat and he coughed to clear it.
This is fucking dangerous, he thought. Why am I here and where the fuck is Bix?
Laxus and Bickslow had a pact that they would stop each other from doing anything stupid and reckless while drinking. Things like bungee jumping off Kardia Cathedral and skinny dipping in the fountain at the Magic Council's Headquarters were on Bickslow's list of stupid. Things like going home with Fairy Tail's Celestial Princess was at the very top of Laxus' list.
He coughed again. "Bathroom?" He asked.
"Oh, sorry!" Lucy said. She pointed a finger to her right. "Through that door."
…
When he exited the bathroom, the room smelt of freshly cooked hotcakes. Lucy sat down a plate of towering hotcakes on her small dining table. She must have heard him because she looked up at that moment and their eyes met. Lucy's eyes widened and her face turned bright red.
"You- you- your clothes?" she stuttered. Laxus raised an eyebrow before looking down at himself. He wore only his boxers.
"What?" he shrugged. He took a seat at the dining table. The corner of his mouth tugged up into a smirk. "You're the one who took them off," he said. He put a whole hotcake into his mouth.
By the look of Lucy's open mouth and how her face turned a deeper shade of red, Laxus had guessed correctly. Her mouth gaped like a fish and Laxus' smirk widened.
"I had to," Lucy finally managed.
"Oh?" Laxus said. He cocked his brow. "Couldn't wait to get me naked huh?"
Her eyes widened. "It's not what you think," she said quickly. "We didn't," she paused. "Oh god." She covered her face with her hands.
He chuckled, the sound foreign to his ears. "Relax, Blondie," he said taking another mouthful of hotcakes. "I know you're too pure for a casual hookup."
She bit her lower lip and her eyes looked away.
"Let me guess," Laxus said. He swallowed the food in his mouth and pointed his fork at Lucy. "You found me passed out by the canal in front of your apartment?"
She shook her head. Her eyes softened and he held his breath.
"I found you behind Master's grave," she said quietly.
Laxus' fork slipped through his fingers and fell to the floor in a clatter.
"I couldn't leave you there," she continued. Her eyes began to water. "So I brought you home."
He frowned. His stomach lurched and his head throbbed. His chest felt heavy, his shoulders sinking. His mind grew foggy as the darkness closed in.
A tear slid down Lucy's cheek. "I'm sorry," she said.
"Why does everyone keep fucking saying that?" He pushed himself away from the table, standing so suddenly that his chair toppled over. Lucy flinched.
He wanted to leave. He wanted to leave this conversation, forget it happened, forget everything. He wanted a drink.
"Laxus," Lucy said. She reached her hand out towards him but her fingers fell short of his arm.
He found his clothes on the bedside table, laundered and neatly folded.
"So the old man is dead," he said. He pulled his jeans up and hastily fastened his belt.
"Laxus, wait," Lucy tried again. She touched his upper arm and he recoiled, backing away from her. He fumbled with the buttons to his shirt.
"Thanks for the meal," he said, his voice gruff. He lifted his coat over his shoulders.
"Will I see you at the Guild tonight?" Lucy asked. She held her hand to her chest.
He paused before her front door. "Tonight?" he asked raising his brow in question.
"The Guild Christmas Party," she replied, reminding him.
The moment they shared last Christmas flashed before his eyes. He remembered the softness of her hands on his face. He remembered the warmth of her lips as he kissed her. He remembered how sweet she tasted. He licked his lips subconsciously.
Her eyes met his and he turned away.
"Yeah, yeah," he said. He turned her door knob. "Wouldn't miss it." His voice was thick with sarcasm.
He ducked his head, stepped out of Lucy's apartment and disappeared in a bolt of lightning.
…
"You're alive," Bickslow said as he embraced Laxus, tears streaming down his face. "Fuck man, I'm so sorry I lost ya last night."
Laxus frowned as he pushed Bickslow off him.
"Where were ya?" Bickslow asked. He wiped his eyes with the back of his fist. His left eye was swollen and bruised. "We searched everywhere."
"Everywhere. Everywhere," Bickslow's totems chanted.
"What the fuck happened to your face?" Laxus asked as he walked into his kitchen, ignoring Bickslow's question.
The Seith Mage grinned. "Ya don't remember?"
He couldn't remember anything from last night. Laxus opened up his fridge and stuck his head inside.
"So spill, where were ya?" Bickslow asked. He leaned against the kitchen counter, his arms crossed over his chest. He waggled his eyebrows. "Did ya spend the night at a woman's house?"
Laxus emerged from the fridge with a bottle of beer in hand. He bit off the bottle cap with his teeth.
"Yeah, at Heartfilia's," he said before taking a drink from his beer.
Bickslow's eyes widened. "The fuck?" he said. "Are you fucking kidding me? Cosplayer?"
Laxus took another drink of his beer.
Bickslow grabbed Laxus arm, stopping him from drinking. "What the fuck, Laxus? I thought you said Lucy was off limits?"
He shrugged off Bickslow. "I did," Laxus said. His eyes narrowed. "She said she found me passed out."
Bickslow's eyebrows bowed as he frowned. "Where?" he asked.
"Apparently, the cemetery," Laxus mumbled.
"Fuck," Bickslow exclaimed. His shoulders dropped as he exhaled.
Laxus nodded in agreement as he raised the beer bottle to his lips.
Bickslow grabbed the bottle out of Laxus' hand. "The fuck ya doing, man? You have to sober up!"
Laxus snatched back the beer bottle. "I am sober," he said. He touched his lips to the bottle's head. "That's why I have this fucking headache."
"Dude, stop drinking. This is your chance!"
Laxus raised an eyebrow.
"With Cosplayer," Bickslow clarified. He punched Laxus' arm. "She likes ya."
"I doubt that," Laxus said quickly.
"She could've brought ya to the Guild or pawned ya off on someone else," Bickslow reasoned.
The Seith Mage had a point but Laxus shook his head.
"Besides, I'm not blind like y'all," Bickslow said. "I see the way she looks at ya."
"No," Laxus said. He tilted his head back, finishing the last of the beer.
Bickslow frowned. "Don't fuck this up," he said.
Laxus shook his head again. "No," he said as he headed upstairs to his room. "You don't know what you're talking about."
"Come to the party sober!" Bickslow yelled after him. "Y'all see!"
Laxus scoffed as he shut the door to his room, silencing his best friend below.
"We'll see," Laxus mumbled. His chest tightened, squeezing his heart. "We'll see."
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