There have been very few times in Cobra's life where he was caught by surprise. This was one of those moments.

The two men practically jumped away from each other as if they were electrocuted.

"Jesus Christ, what just fuckin' happened?" Cobra's confusion was unmasked.

Bickslow looked equally confused as he glanced from Leo to Virgo and back to Cobra "Is Lucy alright? What happened?"

All the seith mage knew was that he was panicking and then he felt a strange jolt of energy that broke him away from Cobra. He was totally unaware of the arrival of the two celestial spirits and from what he could tell Cobra was too.

Leo looked at the two confused images, "We were hoping you would know, we were summoned" before Leo could finish, Cobra interrupted, "By who?"

Leo looked over to Cobra, "We thought it was Lucy needing help, but apparently it was one of you."

Virgo confirmed in her usual stoic tone, "Yes both Big Brother and I felt Lucy's summons but she is not present."

Cobra huffed, "Thanks Captain Obvious". Cobra briefly looked out the window to see Lucy still out in the training area with Capricorn. Turning his attention to Leo, Cobra stated with conviction, "It was Bickslow."

Bickslow took a step back and raised his hands in defense, "No way it was me, That makes no damn sense."

Leo looked at the two men, "Well then who else could it have been?"

The tension was growing thick in the air. Cobra was growing more agitated, sensing that Leo was holding something back, he tried probing him but his soul was locked up tighter than a nun in a strip club. The celestial spirits were entirely too calm for claiming they have no clue what was happening.

Bickslow raised his voice an octave, indicating his exasperation, "Let me get this straight, Cobra and I get a little pissy with each other and it somehow summoned you?" Bickslow asked. Loke nodded his head as he continued, "That shouldn't be happening, why is this happening?"

Without missing a beat Cobra chimed in, "Can someone tell me what the FUCK is happening?"

Bickslow now more frustrated than ever turned to the slayer, "Your the one who can read our fuckin' souls, why don't you tell us what the fuck is going on."

Cobra snarled his response, "Everyone has their shit locked down right now I can't hear shit."

Leo saw where the two men were headed in their anger, or at least he thought he did. So he figured now would be a good time to talk to them about what was going on without the presence of his master. He did not want to add to her stress levels during her recovery. For whatever reason, his mental composure faltered and Cobra heard it right away.

"Don't fuckin' lie to her." Cobra's full attention turned toward the Lion Spirit.

Loke shifted his weight away from the slayer, "Look, I haven't lied to her about anything, I have just made some observations and decided to research them further before sharing what I have observed."

"What kind of observations exactly?" Bickslow asked in a suspicious tone.

Leo sighed as Virgo returned to the spirit realm with a bow, realizing that it didn't matter to her what Leo found since she would devoutly serve her princess and companions. Leo spoke carefully, "It started when Bickslow took control of her soul to help heal her. We felt a connection right away and have felt it ever since."

"Ha, I fuckin' knew it!" Cobra burst out, although his scowl was contradictory to the outburst.

Bickslow looked to the slayer, "What do you mean by that?"

Cobra shrugged, "It was nothing concrete but I noticed that her spirits came out a lot more when they were mentioned casually by you or if you needed something."

Bickslow thought a moment at some of the times, "Huh, I guess you're right, I never put much thought into it since they are always around for Lucy."

Leo cleared his throat to continue, "Anyway, I have been researching the connection with Grapa Crux since this started because we feel the call as if it were Lucy calling us. That is not normal and shouldn't happen to the best of our knowledge."

"And you found practically jack shit.," Cobra stated before Leo could. His voice was laced with frustration since there were no concrete answers in the celestial texts.

Leo shook his head to confirm it, "The closest we have come to finding any information is that when individuals with similar base magic develop a strong bond they also develop other connections as well."

Bickslow asked, "What is that supposed to mean?"

Leo shrugged his shoulders, "My best guess is that it is some kind of soul bonded connection. Well at least in your case it is. Since you all deal with spirits and souls. The connection was building and when you helped Lucy it just cemented the bond in some way which allows us to hear you and why your souls are responsive to her."

Cobra rolled his eyes at Leo, "What the hell does this even have to do with me anyway? They were meant for each other, I didn't need you or grandpa snores-a-lot to tell me that their souls are perfectly in tune with one another, soul mates or whatever other cosmic bullshit you want to call it." Cobra turned away to leave in his anger, unwilling to spare Bickslow a glance since it would shake his current resolve, "I'm fuckin' out of here."

As Cobra hurried out the door Bickslow felt panic rise and he went to move after the slayer but Leo stopped him. "He is really tense right now, let him cool off a bit."

Bickslow glared at Leo and shrugged off the hand that was used to stop him, "Not gonna happen."

Cobra could hear Bickslow hot on his heels, he just wanted to make it to his room and shut the world out for the time being. He was sick of the tip-toeing, sick of the tension, sick of the what-ifs swirling unspoken around the three of them. Lucy was the most unaware, Bickslow was conflicted and Cobra felt in that moment that if he stayed there any longer he would ruin it for everyone. As much as every ounce of him screamed to stay put, he convinced himself that leaving them and returning to his drifter lifestyle was what they all needed to be happy.

Well, what Bickslow and Lucy needed. Cobra knew he would be a miserable fuck. Once he got to his room he slammed the door behind him and stood for a brief second looking around the room before going to the closet. He rummaged for his bag and tossed it onto the bed ready to go at a moment's notice.

Cobra knew Bickslow was coming and wasn't surprised to see the Seith Mage open the door. Cobra tensed as Bickslow saw the bag on the bed and was listening to the rapid-fire process of thoughts which matched the manic sound of his soul.

"You're leaving." Bickslow's voice held an edge to it that told Cobra he was about to break.

Cobra carded his hands through his hair and sighed, "I don't fuckin' know." He looked up at the maroon eyes, Cobra didn't need to listen to Bickslow's soul to know that he was panicking and pleading all without saying a word.

Cobra focused on the deep mournful beat of Bickslow's soul at the moment, he wondered if Lucy's soul would match Bickslow, sharing a melancholy blend of harmonies.

Almost as if Bickslow knew, he broke Cobra out of his moment of wondering, "Have you ever thought to listen to your own soul?"

Cobra just stood silent as he stared at the man in front of him. The silence being the answer that Bickslow needed to continue.

Bickslow took a step closer to Cobra, "Before you run away, why don't you try and listen in on yourself."

Cobra sent a chilled look toward Bickslow, "I'm not running away."

Bickslow pointed to the bag tossed carelessly on the bag, "That's not what it looks like to me."

"Shut up," Cobra said in a raised voice, "For once I am not trying to be a selfish prick. I won't get in the way of whatever connection you and Tits McGee have."

Bickslow tilted his head slightly in question, "What makes you think you're in the way of anything? There is nothing to be in the way of."

"Did that fucking helmet stunt the growth of your brain? The fact that you can't really see that you and the princess out there basically belong together is mind-blowing." Cobra replied, the frustration growing in his voice.

"Look there is no me and Cosplayer, I looked at your souls and I am by no means a part of that happy color fuck, it's all you and her." Bickslow finally let his cat out of the bag. He didn't want to because he didn't want to push anyone into anything they weren't ready before, least of all Lucy.

"What do you mean color fuck? Let me ask you, puppet master - have you ever looked at your own soul?"

Bickslow stood shaking his head no while looking defiant, "Her soul was damn near broken, what was always the brightest soul I could see was near lifeless and gray. Everywhere your soul reached for hers, it began repairing itself."

Cobra shook his head, "What the fuck do either of us really know then? You say I am fixing her soul all the while I can only hear the most epic fucking wonderful World of Disney Fantasia piece you two play together."

The two men stood silent, trying to process what the other was telling them. Both of them being ignorant of the fact that they themselves may have a connection. They were all so focused on Lucy and helping her that they were starting to unravel between themselves. They were all fighting their intuitions and instincts and Cobra knew it. For some reason he felt as though he needed to be the one to fix the situation and clearly, leaving would not be that solution.

Cobra recognized that Bickslow needed help as well as Lucy. The man was privy to the raw emotion of her soul and the last year of pure agony. The seith mage was a strong man but everyone has a limit, even Cobra himself. The poison slayer had an outlet, his was violence and destruction. Bickslow being a Boscan in Fiori was denied his outlet. Fiore's pious and conservative society had always looked down on the free and loving nature of Boscan society. Bickslow outlet was sex and he has curbed his outlet so much that he began internalizing his struggles, allowing it to leak out in his magic on rare occasion.

Cobra was not lost on the fact that today was one of those occasions and he simply couldn't find it in himself to be upset by that. Actually, he was afraid to admit but being wrapped up in Bickslow's eyes felt wonderful.

Cobra was brought out of his reverie when he heard Bickslow's soul warbling even further. As he tuned into Bickslow he realized the man was turning in on himself more and more. The downward spiral of frustration, confusion, and remorse over his inability to keep a tight lid on his magic had him doubting everything. He was berating himself for what he did to Cobra, feeling as though he violated the man in a way that was beyond apology.

Something snapped in Cobra at that moment and he closed the distance between them. He pulled the taller man into a hug, Cobra attempting to alleviate the insecurity through his actions.

Bickslow froze not knowing how he should be reacting. He knew how he wanted to react so he decided just to go with that. He sank into the embrace feeling the firm arms around him. Being a little taller, he nuzzled into Cobra's crazy maroon locks, their softness soothing him further.

Cobra tightened his embrace as Bickslow relaxed into him. His nose following the long column of his neck while the smell of patchouli and vanilla overwhelmed the slayer. His nose traced the pronounced jawline of the Seith mage as Cobra opened his mouth to let his semi-dry lips feel the skin along his neck.

Cobra could almost taste the vanilla on Bickslow's skin and knowing there would be no objection his tongue darted out and swiped along the taller man's jawline.

Bickslow inhaled deeply when he felt Cobra's warm firm wet tongue trace his jaw. Slowly switching sides, Cobra tasted the other side of Bickslow's jaw. The slayer's nose reached the seith mages ear and traced the shell of it while Cobra whispered into his ear, "You smell amazing" he went ahead and gently bit the earlobe of the man earning him a small groan of pleasure from Bickslow. He continued, "and you taste even better."

Bickslow grabbed Cobra's head firmly, palming each said of his face. He wanted to see the man's face, to look into the violet eye, and see if the sincerity of his words were there. All Bickslow saw was a deep plum iris that held a gaze that sent a shiver down his spine. Bickslow couldn't hold back anymore at that moment, he dove in to devour Cobra's partially chapped lips.