Laxza is one of the few crack pairings that I like in Fairy Tail, unfortunately, there aren't many stories about them here, so I decided to write one about them. I would just like you guys to know that this isn't an original story. This is inspired by a novel, "A Bend in the Road" by Nicholas Spark. Do check it out!

It was in the early hours of the morning. The dusky grey colours of the skies were slowly transiting to an orange hue. In time, the birds would begin their morning songs.

Laxus Dreyar stood on the back porch of his house, taking a puff of his cigar. He propped his hands by the wooden rail, observing the sight before him. Tall gloomy pine trees lay in a row along the river bank, a few acres away from his house. A breeze blew his way, and Laxus took advantage of the opportunity to take a whiff of that salty, briny scent.

It has been a little over 2 years since his wife died. The initial stages of her passing were lengthy and an agonising process. Countless sleepless nights passed, and he felt so overwhelmed by his circumstance.

Time eventually passed, and he gradually became accustomed to those sentiments of grief. It still came about occasionally, but Laxus wouldn't let it gnaw at him. Rather, he didn't have the luxury of processing such things forever, he had a son to look after too. And God knows how hard it was for the little guy.

Throughout the 1st year of Mirajane's death, the concept of loving and building a life with someone else never crossed his mind. He could not phantom the idea of doing that with anyone besides Mira. She had been with him for the longest time, since their teenage years. She saw the best and worst sides of him. She weathered every single storm of whatever life threw at them, and not once did she leave his side to deal with something on his own.

She was his world.

Yet, things were starting to take a shift.

He couldn't deny the fact that he was lonely. He was tired of waking up alone in bed, of coming home and not having someone inquire about his day, and of not having that physical intimacy. He yearned for that emotional connection with someone.

Nonetheless, Laxus shoved such desires to the back of his mind. He knew exactly what his good friend/superior, Gildarts, down by the county would have said. He would have warned him that dismissing his desires was not a good decision.

Still, it wasn't something that he wanted to deal with now.

After all, he still had bills to pay, his son to feed, the yard to mow, and so on & so forth. Many were the responsibilities and things that were occupying his time. And right now, his main priority was to give Eve a good life, he was all that mattered to him.

"All right, let's get to it," Laxus spoke, his voice still coarse from having not yet downed his morning cup of coffee.

He always started his day with a cup of coffee, a sip of that bitter nutty flavour, and he was ready to face his daily routine— dropping Eve off to school, driving to the county, and making his rounds throughout the small town. The rest of the day was simply reserved for whatever inevitably crops up.

The burly blonde stubbed out his cigar on the railing and chucked it out into the open before heading inside. He poured himself the coffee he needed and began walking down the hall. Eve was still deep asleep when he looked in, holding Happy, his mom's hand-knitted stuffed cat plushie.

There was still time to prepare, which was great.

Laxus heard Eve rustling in his bedroom from the kitchen shortly after having his shower and putting on his uniform. The 7-year-old appeared from the corner of the kitchen entrance less than a minute later. He was a spitting image of his father, with unkempt blond hair and a light-tanned complexion. He did, however, inherited his mother's softer-looking eyes.

"Hey, kid."

"Morning Dad." Eve yawned, scratching at his dishevelled hair. The child took his seat next to Laxus at the little dining table. Laxus had already prepared waffles and a glass of milk for breakfast.

"Let's try to make this a fast one all right? We are running a little behind schedule."

"You say that every morning Dad," Eve replied, fork already in hand and hacking away at the waffles.

"You wake up late every morning."

"Then wake me up sooner."

"Well kid, I have a better idea. How about you go to sleep when I tell you to?"

"I'm not tired then. I'm only tired in the mornings."

"You and me both."

"Huh?"

"Never mind," Laxus answered. "Just eat your breakfast."

There was a companionable silence that followed shortly after. That was how most mornings went for them, just enjoying each other's company. Though this particular morning was a little different. Laxus needed to talk to him about something.

"So, how is school?" He started as he took a sip of his coffee.

"School is fine I guess," Eve answered between bites.

Normally, Laxus would let it be whenever he answered that. But earlier that morning, while he was getting Eve's bag for school, he found a letter asking if he could drop by after class today for a parent-teacher meeting.

"You doing fine in class?" Laxus prod on.

He shrugged in reply.

"Do you like your teacher?"

Eve merely nodded his head as he gulped down the last of his waffles. Laxus waited for a little while more to see if he would add anything besides that. When he didn't, he leaned in a little closer.

"Then why didn't you tell me about the letter your teacher sent home?"

At that point, the little boy only glanced at his father, appearing more coherent as his eyes widened somewhat. For a time, there was silence.

"Do you know why she wants to see me?" Laxus continued.

"N-No." The boy hesitated, and Laxus knew right then that he wasn't telling the truth. It was during these times that he wished Mira was still around, she was much better at handling this kind of stuff.

"Son." Laxus started. "Are you in trouble at school?"

Eve looked up at his father in protest. Laxus didn't call him 'son'. No, not unless he did something wrong.

"No Dad, I swear I don't ever act up in class."

"So, what is it?" Laxus fixed a hard look on him, and Eve knew then he had no way of avoiding this. Any more and his father would reach his limit.

"I-It's just, I'm having a little trouble with some of my school work."

"I thought you said school was going fine?"

"School is fine Dad, Miss Scarlet is really nice to me, and I like it there a lot." Eve paused for a moment. "It's just, sometimes I don't understand everything that's going on in class."

Laxus's gaze soften at the sight of his son's demeanour, the boy looked so embarrassed and scared, it was more the formal. He reached down and rested both hands on his shoulders.

"Why didn't you tell me you were having trouble with your work?" he asked, this time in a gentler tone.

It took Eve a while to answer his question.

"Because," He finally spoke. "I didn't want you to be upset with me."

That morning passed by quickly, and Laxus soon found himself waiting by the gate of the elementary school that Eve attended.

A few school buses were stationed around the entrance, waiting for the students to be released. A swarm of kids rushed out of the school entrance as soon as the bell rang.

Laxus saw Eve at the same time his son did with him.

"Dad!" Eve waved cheerfully, rushing toward him and hugging him.

Laxus smiled, he knew that Eve would not be doing these things anymore once adolescence kicked in. And until then, he wanted to cherish every moment like this he had with him.

"Hey, kid." Laxus pulled back. "How was class?"

"It was great! How's work? Did you arrest anyone today?"

"Not today. Perhaps tomorrow." Laxus rose to his feet. "Let's wait for the crowd to clear off before I meet your teacher, all right?"

Laxus could feel Eve tensing up in his arms. The notion of meeting his teacher seems to have brought back the unease from earlier that morning.

"Hey." Laxus broke the hug and met Eve's eyes. "Everything will be fine. I'll talk to Miss Scarlet and we will figure it out."

Eve nodded in reply.

"Say, do you want to get some ice cream once I'm done talking with Miss Scarlet?"

That seemed to calm the boy significantly as Eve began to relax and nod enthusiastically.

"All right then, do you want to wait inside the classroom?"

"Is it all right if I play with Sting and Rogue at the playground? Their parents are at the doctor's office, and they have to wait for them."

"Okay," Laxus replied as he let Eve down.

"Well, you boys don't wander off anywhere all right? Be careful."

"We won't."

Eve handed his school bag to his father, breaking into a spring to greet his friends who were already by the playground. Laxus watched Eve's figure slowly shrinking away. He waited till he was with his friends, and shot one last glance over to his son before making his way into the school.

Laxus was greeted with a rush of scorching air as soon as he stepped inside. The school's cooling system appeared to be broken. Coupled with the fact that it was summertime, it felt like the sun was directly bearing down on them.

"How the hell do these kids put up with this heat?"

He muttered to himself as he yanked on his tie, loosening the nod. He could feel the humidity rising, and it was starting to get uncomfortable. By the time he reached the classroom, his shirt was soaked in sweat.

For a moment, he thought he entered the wrong class, it was empty. He doubled checked the students' names on the front door. Eve's name was right there. He looked at his watch and realised he was 10 mins early.

Laxus wandered around the classroom while waiting for Eve's teacher. The artworks of students were aligned neatly on the classroom's shelf. He searched for Eve's one, and just as he did, he heard a voice from behind him.

"Sorry I'm late, I was dropping off a few things at the office."

It was at that instant that Laxus saw Erza Scarlet. At that moment Gildarts's comment came back to him.

"Ah, Erza Scarlet." Gildarts began that same morning after Laxus informed him about the situation with Eve. "A fine young lady, Cornelia and I had her over for dinner the other time. You know, just to show her around town. She's quite the looker, and she's single too you know?"

Normally, Laxus would brush his old friend's comment aside, but Gildarts was right.

She was attractive. Not in a high-maintenance way, but definitely a woman whose passing would cause men to turn back for a second peek. Her last name seems to suit her as well, given that her hair was of the same colour as the name implies. One eye was curtained away by her fringe. She was dressed in a navy-blue long skirt and a white sleeveless shirt. Her face was flushed from the heat, but she seems to exude freshness.

"That's fine." Laxus finally spoke, as he held out his hand to her. "I'm Laxus Dreyar."

Erza smiled warmly at him before taking his hand. "I'm Erza Scarlet. Thank you for coming on such short notice. I've realised that I didn't offer you a chance to reschedule if you weren't able to make it today."

"Don't worry about it. I was able to work it out with my boss."

"Gildarts Clive, right? I met his wife, Cornelia. She's been helping me get the hang of things around here."

"She's a lovely person."

"She certainly is. They are such a lovely pair."

Erza took a quick look at Laxus, seeing that he was drenched in perspiration.

"Hey, I know it's a little hot and humid here. I've been meaning to bring in a fan, but I haven't gotten the time yet. Would you like to chat outside where it's a bit cooler? there is a picnic table in the shades."

"That will be great," Laxus responded, tugging at his collar in an effort to cool himself down. "That way I'll be able to keep an eye on Eve. He's by the playground."

She gave a nod. "All right then, just let me make sure I have everything."

"So, how should I address you as? Miss Scarlet?" Laxus spoke as the pair found their seats by the picnic table, which was shaded from the sun by the trees that grew around it. The playground was just adjacent to where both the adults were seating at.

"Just Erza is fine." She smiled as she tucked her hair behind her ear.

It was then, that Laxus took another good look at her face once more. Her skin was smooth and creamy. Her crimson hair seemed to glow red from the streaks of sunlight that filter through their shelter. Laxus felt a momentary wave of the heebie-jeebies hitting him at that moment. Staring at her wasn't quite a bad thing he thought to himself, but right now, he had to focus.

"All right then, Erza." He stopped just as he thought of Eve's situation.

Erza seemed to read his mind at that moment.

"You must be wondering why I needed to talk to you right?"

"I did wonder," Laxus confessed. "Is my son doing all right in class?"

"Well, let me just begin by saying how much I like having Eve in class. He's a sweet & wonderful boy. He is always the first to offer if I ever need something, and he also has a good relationship with the other students. He is also polite and well-spoken for his age."

"Why do I get the impression that you're leading up to something bad?"

Erza let out a sheepish laugh.

"Am I really that obvious? I'm sorry, but I just wanted to let you know that it's not entirely bad. Though," she trailed off for a moment.

"Though?" He raised a brow.

"Has Eve mentioned anything to you regarding what's going on?"

"No, not until this morning when we were having breakfast. He mentioned that you wanted to see me and that he's having trouble with some of his work."

"I see."

She didn't say anything for a time, as if she was collecting her thoughts. Laxus felt the knots in his stomach tighten, the suspense was killing him.

"You're making me a little nervous here." He confessed when she didn't continue.

"Well." She hesitated. "I hate to tell you this, but Eve isn't having trouble with some of the work. He's having trouble with all the work."

The man frowned. "All of it?"

She nodded in reply, opening the folder she had with her before handing him a stack of papers.

Laxus sped through the papers; a couple of math tests without a single correct answer, a handful of English assignments that were barely readable, and a short reading test that Eve failed.

Erza slid the folder across the table after Laxus had his moment to examine the papers.

"You can keep them all, I'm done with it."

"I'm not too sure if I want it." He replied, still in shock.

Erza leaned closer a little. "Have any of his previous teachers mentioned the issues he had in class?"

"No, they didn't."

"None at all?"

Laxus's gaze moved to his kid. He could see Eve sliding down the slide as the 2 brothers took to chasing him. Laxus sighed as he placed his palm on his temples.

"Eve's mother died right before kindergarten. It was difficult for him, I knew he used to place his head down on his desk and cry. Everyone was concerned for him you know? His teachers didn't mention a thing about his work though. His previous report cards said that he was doing fine."

"Did you go over his schoolwork?"

Laxus frowned at that moment. Of course, that seems weird to him, Eve did not once bring back any work from school. Why hadn't he realised this earlier?

"He never had any. The only thing he brought back were projects he made."

The blonde burly man sighed again. He was angry at himself and at the school. Erza appeared to read his mind once more.

"I understand if you're wondering how could this have happened, and your feelings are validated. Eve's previous teachers were responsible for teaching him, and they didn't. But I'm sure that it wasn't done out of malice. They probably did not know what to do to comfort him, and so they did not want to push him too hard."

Laxus brought his hand to his temples, massaging the bridge of his nose.

"Hey." Erza began again. "If I was just meeting you to deliver bad news, that would have defeated the purpose of me being a teacher. Eve is really intelligent. Once he learns something, he remembers it. The only problem is that he needs a little more work than I can give during class."

"So what does that mean?"

"He needs help after school."

"You mean, like a tutor?"

"Well, that's one thought. However, tutoring can be costly, especially when you consider that Eve requires help learning the fundamentals. As far as reading and writing go, he simply has to spend some time practising them. And our present curriculum comprises of single-digit additions, like 2 plus 3. So unless you're got the money to burn, it would probably be better if you do it with him instead."

"Me?"

"It's not all that hard. You read with him and have him read to you, help him with his assignments, and things like that. I don't think you'll have any problem with anything I've assigned to him."

"You didn't see my report card as a kid."

Erza chuckled lightly at that before going on. "You might also want to consider setting a schedule for him too. I learned that kids remember things best when there's a routine involved, it helps keep them consistent, and right now that is what Eve needs."

Laxus adjusted himself. "That may be a problem, my schedule varies. Sometimes I'm home at 4, other times I don't get home till Eve's in bed."

"When are you off in the afternoons?"

"Usually on Tuesdays and Thursdays."

Erza nodded. "And who watches him after school when you're at work?"

"Mrs Porlyusica. Our next-door neighbour. She's wonderful, but I doubt she be up for doing school work with him every day."

"What about a grandparent or someone like that?"

Laxus shook his head.

"Mira's parents have both passed. My mother died during my time in high school, and my father took off immediately after. Eve and I have pretty much been on our own for the last couple of years."

At that moment, Laxus heard Eve yelling for Sting to chase him. Despite the heat, the 3 boys raced through the playground, whirling around several poles before taking off in different directions.

"They certainly have a lot of energy." Erza smiled as she sat at the picnic table, staring at them. "They did the same thing today during lunch."

"I can't remember the last time I felt that way."

"Oh, come on, you're not that old. You're what? 40?"

Erza winked as Laxus looked horrified.

"I'm kidding." She added.

Laxus wiped his forehead in mock relief, surprised to find himself enjoying the lighthearted banter. For some reason, it felt like she was flirting with him, and he enjoyed that, more than he thought he should.

Neither of them spoke for a moment, they just observed the boys from afar.

"All right." Laxus turned to Erza as she finally spoke, her gaze still fixed on the boys. "I don't normally do this, but how about I make a deal with you?"

Laxus cocked his brow. "What kind of deal?"

"I'll work with Eve the 3 days after school if you promise to do the same with him on the 2 days that you're off."

Laxus couldn't hide the surprise from his face. Not disregarding any of them, but of all of Eve's teachers he met, he had not encountered any as radiant and dedicated as Erza was. Not to mention, her smile was really beautiful. She was a breath of fresh air.

"Hey, I'm only going to offer this just once. So take it or leave it." She spoke again, and Laxus realised that he hadn't replied her, which he noticed made her a little self-conscious.

"You would do that?" He said finally finding his voice.

The redhead merely nodded before continuing.

"As I said, Eve is a sweet boy, and he has had it rough for the past couple of years, I be glad to help him. Besides, I'm here till 4 every day. It wouldn't be much of a hassle."

"I…I don't know what to say. You have no idea how appreciative I am of this."

"Don't worry about it, It's my pleasure. Just be sure to hold your end of the bargain all right?" She winked at him once more, flashing him another smile.

If it was something that Laxus realised that particular afternoon, was that he really, really loved her smile.