Laxus was sitting at his long table, eating a toast, looking smugly at the blonde in front of him. She was still red, much to his satisfaction. She was pouting, and for the last twenty minutes, during which he cooked breakfast, he couldn't stop teasing her. In between, she was telling him about the notebook.
"You should eat before your team comes barging in," said the dragon slayer, his plate full of sausages, eggs, beans, rice, and toasts. He was just like the other slayers: a bottomless pit.
"I'll take a smoothie at the guild. I'm craving strawberries."
Laxus lifted his eyes from his plate and eyed the girl, stiff. "So, my desire to run and buy you tons of strawberries and shove them down your throat is actually my inner dragon making sure you're okay?"
The blonde girl looked right in his eyes, uneasy. She started fidgeting with the hem of her shirt. "I truly don't know. Would you have been concerned about me eating well before?"
It was like running an experiment, but they had no idea what they were doing. Laxus sighed and tossed his head back, looking at the ceiling. He was thinking about their first meeting to now. Had he been concerned for the blonde before getting to know her? He didn't think so, but at times he had been annoyed with her team by their lack of care for the pretty newbie.
He was around a few times when she complained about money and her rent. He had been surprised by that fact. She was always going on missions with Natsu; how could she not have money? The fact that maybe she was a spender didn't even cross his mind. She was too intelligent for that. He had mentioned it one time to Evergreen, giving her a nonchalant look to answer her surprise.
"When I learned you had trouble paying your rent because your team is brainless, I got annoyed. But otherwise, before we started talking, I didn't think much about it." Lucy looked contemplative, not at all upset by his confession. She didn't think about him much until his sacrifice during the war. He was just a strong and trustworthy guildmate. She tapped lightly on her chin with her fingers. When she came back from her reverie, she tapped her hands on the table and got out of her chair, looking resolute.
"We need to start our own notebook." She said, obviously set on the idea. Laxus just shrugged, not caring much about it, but not against it. She was a smart bookworm; she could handle it on her own.
"Right, but first: breakfast." He tugged on her hand, making her sit in her chair once again. "Your team is going to be here any minute. I'm going to have them nagging at me, and most likely Erza trying to kill me because you're wearing my pajamas. So, the least you can do is eat a bite." Lucy rolled her eyes at him but settled down and stole a toast from his plate.
He grunted, satisfied with her and not caring a bit about her taking from his plate. She was eating, and that was the most important thing. He wouldn't die without a piece of toast. "I wanted to see if you would get defensive about your food." She said, blushing again, making a corner of his mouth twitch. "I don't care if it's for you. You seem to be my top priority now." She snorted, but he could see her hand twitch and her eyes lighting up at the newfound knowledge.
"I have an empty notebook in my office; help yourself." He said, going back to his food. It was more or less an authorization to go snooping in his house. Lucy smiled brightly and swallowed the last bit of her toast before jumping from the chair she was sitting on.
He was sincerely amused. Even if he really liked embarrassed Lucy or sexy Lucy, laid-back Lucy was chill to be around. He quickly finished his plate, almost licking it clean before getting up and looking for the said girl. He could follow her by the smell better than before, he thought, sniffing the air. He hadn't noticed how her smell had already permeated the walls and every piece of furniture she touched.
The first room she had come into was his bedroom. She must have been snooping around because he could see one of his shirts stuck between the doors of his closet. His room was quite large, with a custom-made bed against a corner of the room. He was extremely tall and quite heavy; he couldn't fit on a regular bed. His sheets were not neatly done as usual but were still clean, just like the rest of his room. No mess around. His decoration was sparse, except for his closet and a chair next to it. There wasn't much. He just had a small bedside table with a lamp. He didn't like clutter. His room was a light blue, and his bedsheets were a light sea green.
The second room she came into was the bathroom, and from the water splashed on the floor tiles, she had taken a shower. A damp towel was neatly folded on the sink. The bathroom was just like the bedroom: large but without being extravagant. It was modern, with an Italian shower on the far end, a double sink with a great mirror on the wall, and next to it was a heated towel rack. And on the other side, a bathtub big enough to fit him. He didn't like taking baths specifically, but it came in handy after long missions. When he was hurt, taking a bath was great to relax his muscles.
The next door was the restroom, with a toilet, a pack of toilet paper, a small bin, and a few feminine products. Evergreen didn't live with him, but she was family, and he wanted her to be comfortable here. And even if he hadn't provided them, she would have left her products all around the house. Not that he minded.
The door in front of the restroom was his cellar. Thunder Legion and he had big appetites and a liking for good products. That's why, above the washing machine and the dryer, were a lot of shelves on which were jars, bowls, and tin cans, all full of food. He had vegetables, pickles, fruits, syrup, sauces, and meat. And suspended from the ceiling were multiple sausages drying. On the other side of the wall, the shelves were stacked with other types of drying meat, like duck breast coated in butter. There were a few jars of liver pate, liverwurst, and even some foie gras. Under the shelves was a nice collection of wine bottles and some soft drinks.
Laxus climbed the steps to the second floor. The first door on the left was open, and he could hear her rummaging through his desk. He leaned on the door frame, arms crossed over his chest. When he finally paid attention to the girl, instead of staring at her ass, a brow on his face raised, surprised and curious. "Are you wearing my purple shirt with a belt as a dress?" He asked, astonished. He didn't expect that at all. Lucy was becoming more and more comfortable with him.
Lucy twisted around with a screech; she hadn't heard him coming. Her rosy cheeks answered him. He couldn't help but feel content with the sight she offered him. Lucy was gorgeous, and purple suited her well. Her still-wet hair was free from her usual hair tie, framing her face and laying on her back. She was a pretty sight. He left the door frame to get around his wooden desk laying in the center of his office. He opened a drawer and took the leather notebook out of it. "Here you go." She reached for the notebook and quietly thanked him. He was looming over her shoulder, silently snickering. He could see the tip of her ears reddening considerably.
"I thought it would be smart to change, so Erza can't get the wrong idea." She said bravely, turning around and looking straight into his eyes. His lips twitched; he was trying really hard not to laugh. She must have understood because she smacked his arm.
"Right. Like she won't get the wrong idea with you wearing nothing but my shirt and clearly just getting out of the shower." He said, smug. His hand was lost in her hair, playing with a wet strand. He froze when he heard her contented sigh.
Hadn't it been for the loud banging on his door, Laxus would have done something incredibly stupid. For once, he was grateful for the distraction her team was giving him. He was stopped in his tracks when her small hand grasped his large one. "They are upset, might be angry, and I'm worried it's a bad combo with your inner dragon, so keep holding my hand, alright?"
Laxus nodded, tightening his hand around hers. "As long as they don't try something stupid…" He said, his eyes darkening dangerously. He could feel his inner dragon's uneasiness.
"What kind of stupid?" She asked worriedly; her team was famous for taking stupid decisions.
"Taking you away from me." His voice was deep and dark, surprising even himself. He didn't like the idea of someone taking her away; she had been kidnapped too many times.
They went down the stairs and to the door quite quickly, the banging and the screaming worsening. When he finally opened the door, a quick rush of pink hair passed by him. He instinctively pushed the blonde mage behind him, her hand still encased in his.
"What is she doing here?!" asked the furious pink slayer. "Leave her alone!" He added, trying to get past him to get a hold of the girl.
"Natsu!" She yelled, trying to get his attention, but his fist was getting covered in flames. Worried about a possible fight that was going to break out, she looked at a frozen Erza. Only she could stop Natsu. A deep rumble shook Laxus' chest; he was not happy at all, his eyes narrowing and his chest puffing. Lucy was sure she could see scales behind his ears. He was ready to fight; the other slayer identified as a menace for his mate.
Finally, Gray broke the heavy silence. He was clearly not on Laxus' side, though.
"Hey. Let her be; she has no business with you." His voice was cold, and his posture was menacing. Just like Natsu, he was trying to intimidate the blond man but was only fueling his anger.
"Alright, let's all calm down," said Erza, raising her hands in a peaceful manner. She was coming back to her senses. "There is no reason to get angry." She was trying to be diplomatic, but she couldn't help but frown at the sight of Lucy's bare legs and big purple shirt. No wonder where she had gotten it. Natsu screamed, revolted. How could she overlook the fact that their best friend was half-naked out of the shower in a man's home?
Erza slammed the palm of her hand on Natsu's head to calm him down. Erza was a good master to the guild, and Master Makarov had well taught her to never stop at an impression and look deeper.
"You left during the storm last night; are you alright?" she asked, genuinely worried.
"Yeah, Laxus let me stay here for the night and lent me some clothes. Mine are drenched." Lucy nodded her head and squeezed Laxus' hand.
Gray snorted, clearly not believing a word she said. "You know I'm usually cool around you, man. But these last few months, you behaved like a real menace. I don't feel comfortable letting Lucy be alone around you." The ice mage said, supported by the nodding fire mage. Lucy gasped, appalled by her friend's words. She was so scandalized, she pushed Laxus to the side and got her face in the ice mage's.
"Who do you think you are?!" She screeched, her voice high. The lady was angry; even Laxus had the presence of mind to step aside while still holding her hand. She was staring right into Gray's eyes. He was starting to feel uncomfortable, her gaze not wavering a bit. Laxus didn't have time to react; the girl was extremely fast. Much to his amusement, she gratified the dark-haired brat with her special Lucy kick in his face. Even his broken coffee table couldn't ruin his mood.
"You have no idea what happened yesterday!" she yelled, her index right in Gray's face.
"Calm down, Lucy," said Erza, who grasped her by her shoulders, trying to put some distance between the two of them. The blonde girl was fuming. Laxus, behind everyone, was as pale as a ghost. Gray's accusation hit home. He stared at the girl, touched by her defensive stance, but in the end, the guy was right. He had behaved like a jerk and had had dangerous thoughts. A glimpse of her eyes comforted him a bit; Lucy didn't seem to mind. But he knew, had it been Evergreen in her position, he wouldn't have let the guy live.
Erza cleared her throat, and Lucy's gaze snapped to her. She still wasn't happy with her; actually, she wasn't happy with any of them.
"You all hid that from me!" She sounded disappointed and heartbroken. Laxus could already smell the tears. "You are my best friends; how could you hide something like that from me?"
Laxus couldn't help himself. He couldn't bear to see her cry. He let go of her hand, only to stroke her back. Erza's bottom lip trembled, and her eyes got significantly wetter. They were shining with tears.
"I'm really sorry, Levy and Gajeel told me, but we had no idea how to approach you." Natsu and Gray exchanged a confused look; they had no idea what she was talking about.
"What?" asked Natsu, puzzled.
"Lucy's his mate," Erza said in a soft breath.
"Ooh," was the only thing Natsu said. His posture and the look in his eyes completely changed.
"Well, it makes sense." He only said with a shrug.
"What the fuck?" said Gray, totally lost.
"It's a dragon thingy, just like Lisanna and me." said Natsu, trying to be helpful. But all of his friends raised their brows at his declaration.
"What about Lisanna?" asked Lucy, her brows knotted together.
"She's my mate," he said, confused as to why everyone was giving him a weird look.
"Like a soulmate thing?" asked a pale Gray, still on the floor.
"Of course, she is perfect for me!" The pink dumbass answered.
"They do smell like each other," said Laxus, not so surprised, his fingers lost in the blonde hair resting on her lower back. He liked her hair; they were silky smooth, even when wet.
"You're dating?" asked Erza mischievously. Laxus wasn't going to let it slip, but he was scared for a second. He could almost see pink hearts in her eyes.
"Of course, we are; she's living with me!"
Laxus took a seat at his usual table. Bickslow and Freed exchanged a knowing look. Evergreen was nowhere to be found. He didn't even have to order a beer; Mirajane was already bringing him one. She had a devilish smile on her face, much to his annoyance.
Their entrance at the guild got too much attention, and of course, the fact that he wasn't wearing his purple shirt got everyone intrigued. The shock quickly passed when Lucy entered right behind him wearing it. He heard a few snickers, but his murderous look quickly calmed his guildmates. No one wanted to get electrocuted.
"Sooo…" she started, her grin going ear to ear. "Are you finally going to give Master a few grandkids?" He cleared his throat and took a swing of his beer.
"Do you know your little sister is living with Natsu?" he asked, her smile quickly disappearing from her face but growing on his. She didn't know about it, which made him laugh a bit behind his glass.
"You're joking," she said, her eyebrows clenching, her eyes having a small nervous tic.
"Not at all. Natsu came by this morning and said Lisanna was his soulmate and they were living together." Freed looked up from his book, right into the barmaid's eyes.
"Be careful what you wish for." He said, his lips twitching.
Mirajane had always tried to get Natsu interested in girls. She loved being a matchmaker. But she hadn't seen that coming.