Surprise!
I'm actually updating. I know, you never saw this coming. I've been working on a couple of other stories I haven't published yet and got completely side-railed from this one. In truth, I'd never really planned to develop this story as much as I have, but I'm glad I did.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy, and as always I look forward to your reviews!

Lucy had to admit that she really like waking up snuggled against the lightning dragon slayer. Who would have thought the big, bulky blonde would be such a cuddler?

She smiled to herself as she remembered his confession from the night before.

He loves me.

What does that even mean? Could he actually love her after just a few days? Lucy was sure he was just confusing desire with something more intimate, but that didn't change the fact that the confession made her feel all gooey inside. Love was something that happened in the stories she wrote, not something for real life. Maybe with Laxus, though, it could be…

She stopped her line of thinking, afraid to give in completely. She was sure he'd noticed that she didn't return his confession, but she didn't want to lie to him. Sure, she loved the way his arms held her against his hard chest and she loved the way his stormy eyes looked at her, but was that really love or just momentary captivation? Was this interest a fleeting one, or would it last?

Leave it to me to over-think everything, she sighed to herself. Why couldn't she just be happy? Take what she had and not worry about the rest.

She pushed herself up and shook her head to clear her thoughts, looking down on the slayer below her. He was still fast asleep, his face peaceful despite the jagged scar running down it. His tattooed chest rose up and down with slow, even breaths.

Laxus Dreyar…who'd have thought.

She giggled silently as a mischievous plot came to mind.

She lowered herself carefully, sucking gently on his neck and trailing her tongue lightly against his musky skin. He tasted so masculine, all strength and power, but his skin was surprisingly soft above his hard muscles. It seemed fitting. After all, if there was anything she'd learned in the past few days it was that the lightning mage was much more than he seemed.

She continued trailing her mouth down across his collarbone and wide chest, pausing momentarily to suck teasingly on a nipple before lowering down to his defined abs. She turned her devious eyes up to check that he was still asleep as she kissed her way further and further south until she reached the hem of his underwear.

Now that won't do, she smirked to herself as she carefully rid the man of his only clothing, exposing him completely to her. The last time she'd been down here like this had been in a kind of power play, but this time she was in charge and she intended to take her sweet time.

She kissed his hips, smiling against his tan skin as he shifted ever so slightly above her. Even flaccid, his member was intimidating. Privately she thought it would be such a bother to have something like that hanging around there all the time, but he seemed to handle it just fine.

She moved her mouth to his base, licking timidly as her eyes searched his face for any sign of awakening, but he might as well have been dead. She'd been too shocked by everything last time, but now she noted that he didn't taste bad to her at all. In fact, he actually tasted rather good, musky and slightly bitter, but still somehow enjoyable.

She dragged her tongue teasingly along his member, watching in amusement as it gradually hardened. She moved her hand to hold the base as she ran her tongue around the inside of his foreskin, finally getting a moan out of the now half-sleeping slayer. Licking back down, she made her way to his heavy balls and popped one in her mouth to suck ever so lightly.

Another moan, this time followed by slight shifting. She moved to suck on the other testicle, her nose pressed into his dark blonde curls and breathing in his delectable scent. How did he smell so good?

She licked back up to the tip again, running her tongue flat against the sensitive head. At this, Laxus finally began to stir. She smiled sinisterly as she took him into her mouth and sucked…hard.

Laxus' eyes flew open and he looked down. The sight of the celestial mage sucking on his cock first thing in the morning was almost too much for him, and he had to actively repress the urge to simply come into her mouth instantly. Her doe brown eyes gazed up at him innocently as he propped himself up on his elbows to get a better view. She took him deeper and deeper seemingly unperturbed by the massive member shoved down her throat.

Lucy turned her eyes back down to his arousal, giving it her full attention as she bobbed her head and sucked. Her tongue ran along it inside of her mouth, pressing it against the bumpy ridges on the roof of her wet cavern. It didn't take too much longer before Laxus' balls tensed up and he burst into her mouth. He threw his head back, savoring the pure pleasure that rushed over him as the blonde drank him down.

She pulled back and licked the last drops of his sperm off of his shrinking length before crawling up his body, planting scant kisses along the way and finally sticking her hard-working tongue into his mouth. Lucy broke the kiss and pressed her forehead against his, smiling madly.

"Good morning," she said, mischievously.

"Good morning indeed," he said, rising up slightly to kiss her again. He didn't even mind how she tasted like him as his lips moved against hers. "Did you sleep well?"

"Mmhmm," Lucy hummed with a cheerful nod of her head. "But we should probably be heading out soon."

"Good idea," Laxus agreed, pulling her closer to him and snuggling back into the warm sheets.

"Laxus! I said we should go, not sleep more," Lucy grumbled as she tried in vain to free herself from his grasp. He laughed, his chest rumbling against her.

He twisted them so that he was half above her, trapping her against the bed, and kissed her again. How nice it was that he could kiss her whenever he wanted to now.

"Fine," he said, and with a last kiss he sat up. He dug around the covers for a few moments, searching for his underwear before he saw Lucy teasingly holding it up.

"Looking for something?" she smirked.

He grabbed the clothing out of her hands and pulled it on, rolling his eyes at her while she sauntered off to the bathroom to get ready, her hips swaying tantalizingly as she went.

He chuckled to himself and for the first time in his life, he felt like he was a lucky man.

The trip home was...comfortable. The blonde couple felt so at ease with each other, much more than either of them would have expected before. They weren't overtly lovey-dovey, touchy-feely, or any of those other slightly disgusting young-and-in-love stereotypes. Rather, they both felt a kind of peace in each other's presence. They couldn't pinpoint why, but this felt almost natural.

On the way to the train station they talked a bit about their pasts. Laxus revealed a bit about his childhood, his relationship with his father, and the time he'd spent banished from Fairy Tail. He seemed especially ashamed by the incident a few years before, when he'd forced the members of Fairy Tail to fight each other and called them weak. Hearing all the pain in his voice nearly broke Lucy's heart, but he didn't seem to mind too much. To him, these things were what made him the man today, the man that got to walk next to Lucy even if just for now, and he wouldn't change that for anything.

Lucy talked about her family, how her mother died when she was young and her strained relationship with her father; they had that in common. It seemed astounding to Laxus that Lucy would leave a life of luxury to be a mage, though her fighting spirit didn't quite scream "trophy wife" even if her looks did. He admired the way she talked about her spirits and how her mother had taught her about all the stars. At that point she choked up a bit, but he just took her hand and soon she felt better.

Unfortunately their conversations ceased on the train as Laxus simply stared blankly out the window, trying desperately to pretend that he wasn't affected by motion sickness. Lucy just smiled and traced her fingers along one of his large hands to distract him. The trip wasn't too long, and Laxus was grateful when he finally got to stagger off the metal death box.

Lucy was quiet as they walked through the station. She was afraid that everything that had happened while they were gone was just part of a dream that was quickly fading away as their normal lives sunk back into place. Her eyes darted all around, looking for something to distract her from the doubts that ate at her mind.

When they reached the entrance of the station, both of them stopped. Laxus would have loved assuage her worries instantly, but even he was concerned with how their new relationship would proceed. That ease and complacency that had defined the first part of their journey seemed a distant memory now as they both awkwardly avoided each other's eyes in silence.

"So, uh…" Laxus began, trailing off as the words caught in his throat.

"Yeah, I…" Lucy tried to pick up, but she too was struck by muteness.

"I'm sure you have a bunch of things to do," Laxus said stiffly.

"Oh, yeah, tons…probably…"

They glanced up at each other and blushed like school girls. Somehow, seeing the hesitation in one another broke the tension, like they felt reassured that the other was just as scared to mess up whatever this was as they were. They both laughed lightly, Laxus scratching his head as he gazed at the celestial mage.

She's so beautiful when she smiles.

"How about we go out to dinner? I'll pick you up around seven," he offered, his cheeks still slightly flushed as he repressed a goofy grin that had no business being on his scarred face.

"You're not worried about people seeing us?" Lucy asked.

"I'm not if you're not," Laxus replied, and Lucy smiled widely.

"I'm not," she said so quietly he wouldn't have heard it if not for his heightened senses.

Laxus stepped forward, his face back in its scary slayer mask of emotionlessness but his eyes gleaming as he tilted her chin up and kissed her. It was such an innocent kiss, the kind of kiss that knew there were more kisses to come. They were in no rush, not frantically flung forward by desires they couldn't control. Right now they were just two mages who really, really liked each other.

Lucy's heart felt it might burst.

They pulled back and stared into each other's eyes, as if they'd never felt more right than they did now.

"I'll see you later, then," Lucy said, squeezing his hand lightly before she turned and practically skipped out of the station.

Now that she was no longer facing the dragon slayer, Lucy's face was practically on fire and she smiled so widely she feared her face might split. She dashed through town, madly, but didn't head for her apartment. She had something more important to do.

About a half hour later she was approaching the shabby little cottage that housed the fire dragon slayer. If this thing with Laxus was going to work, she needed to have her best friend on board. Natsu had been pretty disapproving of her relationship with the lightning mage so far, and it was important to her that that changed immediately.

Lucy knocked on the door but there was no answer. She frowned. Maybe he was at the guild? She probably should have checked there first, anyway. The pinkette really didn't spend too much time at his house. In fact, it was more likely that he was already in her apartment.

As she turned to leave, though, she heard a clatter, like he was fighting someone.

She pushed on the door and, finding it unlocked, walked in to the small, admittedly filthy home. The abstract concept of cleanliness was one that Natsu still struggled with, along with manners and why property destruction was bad. She stepped over discarded clothes, food containers, and Mavis knows what else to enter the small living room, her eyes scanning for any sign of the dragon slayer, but he was nowhere.

Was he hiding from her?

That seemed abnormally childish of him, but it wasn't out of the realm of possibility.

She heard another bang from his bedroom and headed down the short hall. What on Earthland was he doing?

Oh.

OOOH.

"Oh god, Gray…Yes…Right there!" the slayer moaned, and Lucy had to stick her hand over her mouth to stop the audible gasp that threatened to escape.

Her eyeballs threatened to fall out of her head as she was presented with a scene she had never in her wildest dreams thought she'd ever witness. Natsu was lying face up on his bed (when did he get a bed?), his legs hooked over the ice-make mage's shoulders as Gray pounded into him. Both were stark naked and gleaming slightly with sweat, panting and grunting heavily.

"Aah, Natsu," Gray groaned as he bent down to kiss the dragon slayer deeply.

Lucy wondered for a moment if she was back in Edolas or something, but another set of deep moans shook her out of her reverie. Absolutely mortified, Lucy slowly backed away, hoping to get out without the unexpecting (and unexpected) couple being any the wiser, but of course she could never be so lucky.

She hadn't moved three steps before she tripped over some god-forsaken trash, tumbling onto the ground with a loud yelp that sent her two partners almost jumping through their skins. She scrambled to get up and out of the house as fast as she could while Natsu threw on the closest pair of pants he could find (which, incidentally, were Gray's) and ran out to catch their voyeur in the act.

"Lucy?!" he exclaimed, his face as pink as his hair, though it was no rival for the girl's own cheeks which put Erza's hair to shame. On his neck was a large, dark, circular mark that would have tattled on him even if she hadn't just seen the two of them at work.

"I-I didn't know that…Oh Mavis…I'm so sorry, I was just…I…," she stuttered, backing away to the door before running out of it into the small wooded area.

Natsu, however, ran after her and she didn't make it far before he was grabbing onto her arm, begging to explain.

"Y-you really don't have to explain anything, Natsu, really. I think I got the picture," she said, her cheeks still flaming.

"Oh my god…" Natsu muttered to himself, staring at his bare feet. Now that he was closer, Lucy could see a number of love marks all over his neck, chest, and shoulders. "We were going to tell everyone soon, we just…didn't know how…"

Lucy looked up, startled by this information.

"How long have you been…well…?"

Natsu's guilty green eyes met hers. "Uhh, we started kind of, y'know, hanging out about a year ago, but we've been pretty serious for about six months now," he said, his voice laced with shame.

Lucy, who was finally getting over the shock of seeing the two mages she'd always seen fighting making love, took a deep breath and smiled.

"That's great, Natsu! Really! I'm so happy for you," she said, hugging him. He stood completely still for a moment, still processing everything.

"R-really? You're not mad?" he asked and Lucy pulled back.

"Why would I be mad? I mean, I'm a little upset you didn't trust me enough to tell me before. I thought we were best friends…"

"We are, Luce! I just…I just…" Natsu looked off to the side guiltily. "I didn't want people to make fun of us, y'know?"

Lucy smiled, thinking about the lightning dragon slayer.

"Yeah, I understand," she said softly.

"So, uh, why are you here?" he asked scratching his head, hoping that didn't sound too rude.

"We can talk later," Lucy said, completely embarrassed by her timing. She turned to leave, but Natsu grabbed her hand.

"No, we can talk. If you came all the way out here, it must be important," Natsu said, his demeanor much more serious than she was used to seeing the fire mage. "Is this about Laxus?"

Lucy blushed bright red again. "I…uh…well…." She glanced up at him and grimaced. "How'd you know?"

"His scent is all over you, Luce," Natsu said, his voice slightly disapproving.

"Yeah, well…Laxus and I are together," she said, mustering up whatever courage she could. If she was going to be with the lightning mage, she was going to have to be prepared to defend that decision to anyone and everyone.

"I knew that two days ago, Lucy," Natsu said, but Lucy just shook her head.

"No, then we were, well, seeing each other, but now we're actually together. I just thought that you should hear it from me," Lucy said.

"Why?" Natsu sounded slightly disgruntled and shifted in place restlessly.

"Well, you didn't exactly seem to approve of him the other day and you're my best friend and I want your approval! Is it really so strange that I want my best friend to like my boyfriend?" Lucy said, her face reddening slightly but with anger instead of embarrassment this time.

"Sorry, Luce, I just…I don't trust him. Not after what happened a few years ago. I'm fine with him being a part of the guild, but, Mavis, he hurt his nakama! And he's such a playboy, always smelling like different women, never the same one twice. I don't want him to hurt you-," Natsu said. His voice was sincere but that didn't stop Lucy from exploding on him.

"At least I had the decency to tell you instead of hiding away like a coward!" she yelled.

That seemed to do the trick as Natsu physically flinched, staring at the ground and slumping over slightly. At this Gray, who'd been watching from the window, came out. He wasn't sure what the two were talking about, but it didn't look like it was going well.

"Hey Lucy," he said warily, afraid that perhaps she was upset about his and Natsu's relationship. Those fears were lifted, however, when Lucy turned her scathing glare to him for a moment.

"This has nothing to do with you, Gray," she said, her voice tight and the ice mage raised an eyebrow.

"Really?" he asked, a bit confused, though relieved. What was she so angry about, then?

"Well, kind of. I'm mad at you too for not trusting me earlier, but that's another issue. This is about Natsu not approving of me and Laxus. Well, you know what, Natsu? I told you as a courtesy because you're my friend, but, in truth, you don't have to like my boyfriend. Would I like your approval? Of course, but I don't need it. Laxus and I are going to keep seeing each other, and if you want to be a sourpuss about that, then fine!" Lucy screeched.

"Geez, Natsu, you're such an idiot," Gray said, shaking his head and rubbing at his temple.

"That's exactly what I—WHAT?!" Natsu yelled at his partner, but Gray just met him with an icy stare.

Lucy looked up at the ice mage and smiled slightly. "Really?" she asked, her voice soft and appreciative that he took her side.

"This is Lucy, we're talking about. She's not just some dumb girl willing to settle for any guy that will look at her. If she trusts Laxus, then I don't see why we shouldn't too."

"Did your brain freeze? What about that stunt he pulled a couple of years ago, making his nakama fight each other and threatening the city!"

"Of course I remember that, Natsu," Gray snapped. "But I also remember how he was there at Tenrou, fighting right alongside all of us. Everyone makes mistakes and does things they're not proud of. If Lucy believes that Laxus is a good person, then I'm going to trust her judgment."

"Oh, don't try to make this about trusting Lucy. Of course I trust Lucy, with my life! But Laxus is danger," Natsu growled.

"What would you know? It's not like you ever talk to him!" Lucy snarled. "I like Laxus and I trust him. I trust him not to hurt me, and I don't want to talk to you again until you can do the same!"

Her words were more confident than her true feelings, but she wasn't about to let Natsu know how much she doubted her own relationship with the dragon slayer.

Natsu looked back at her fiercely, but held his tongue, afraid to make this any worse. They'd never had a fight before, at least not like this. Gray looked warily between his lover and his friend. It seemed he and the fire mage would be doing a lot of talking tonight.

Lucy turned sharply and stormed off along the dirt path, her overnight bag still slung over her shoulder as tears stung her eyes. She'd been so happy about this, but Natsu had dusted off all of the doubts she'd been desperately trying to repress. Did Laxus really always smell like other women? He'd never mentioned anyone before, so it was nothing serious, right? She was different though, right? They'd already been together for five days which, according to Natsu, was four days longer than anyone else.

Only five days, the voice in the back of her head nagged.

There was no way she could completely know him yet. Maybe she was just so tired of being alone that she was willing to take anybody. She and Laxus were so different, she'd known that from day one!

But when she was with him...

Everything just felt right. Like for the first time she was doing something she was supposed to have done all along. Was that feeling a lie? A cheap, lust-driven façade?

She sure hoped not.

"Lucy," a voice behind her called but she kept walking.

"Not now, Natsu," she said, more tired than angry at this point.

"It's me," Gray said, jogging in front of her. He was still shirtless, wearing nothing but Natsu's pants since the fire dragon slayer had stolen his. Lucy couldn't help the short laugh at how strange he looked.

"I'll talk to Natsu," he said. "He means well, I promise. He's just worried about you."

Lucy opened her mouth to retort, but Gray cut her off.

"I'm not saying you have to forgive him. He's being a dick, and hopefully I can help him see that. I just want you to understand that he's coming from a place of love for you, even if he needs to be smacked up the head for it."

Lucy sighed lightly and gave a weak smile.

"Thanks, Gray," she said and moved to walk home, but he stood in front of her again, clearly not done.

"And…I'm sorry. For not telling you about us. We were just scared that everyone would push us away if they knew."

"And that's what makes me so angry about Natsu!" Lucy said wobbly, tears starting to gather in her eyes. "I took that risk and trusted him about Laxus, and all I get from him is this chastisement and disapproval. He's such a hypocrite!"

"Yes, he is," Gray agreed, wiping Lucy's tears off her cheeks with his thumbs. "And once he calms down and actually tries using that flame-blackened brain of his he'll realize it and come begging for forgiveness."

Lucy just smiled at her friend and hugged him. "Thanks."

She began walking back through the trees, tears still clinging to her cheeks.

"And Lucy," Gray said. She twisted to see the black-haired mage grinning deviously at her. "You've got hickies all over your neck."

Lucy blushed furiously, grabbing self-consciously at her exposed throat as she gaped in outrage. "Like you're one to talk!" she yelled at him, and he laughed deeply as Lucy ran out of the forest and back to her apartment before anyone else could see her and her scandalous neck.