Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or any of its characters.

Chapter 10 - Guided by the Stars

The Fairy Tail guild hall was alive with its usual blend of brawls, laughter, and loud banter. Mirajane Strauss, the resident barmaid and "She-Demon" of Fairy Tail, navigated through the bustling room with ease, balancing a tray loaded with drinks as she headed up to the second floor - the frequent hideaway for Laxus Dreyar and the Raijinshuu.

"You're looking much better today, Laxus." Mira noted cheerfully as she set down her tray, carefully handing out each drink to the group.

True to form, Laxus responded with his usual nonchalant grunt.

"Does it have anything to do with a certain beautiful blonde - "

"Mira," Laxus finally spoke, his voice low with a hint of warning.

Clearly unafraid, Mira merely gave him a disarmingly sweet smile, the kind that only meant trouble. "You really can't chew me out, Laxus. Besides…" Her smile widened. "I've got something that you don't. And I'm pretty sure she wouldn't be too thrilled to have it all on display."

Laxus' eyes narrowed. He knew what it was. Personally, he gave zero shits about the photos that Mira took earlier. Now that he was sure about what he felt towards the Celestial mage, that stupid lizard in his brain is itching to stake its claim on her and ward off potential suitors.

But he would wait.

"Let me know if you guys need anything!" And with that, Mira stalked off.

The Seith Mage, who stayed silent through Laxus and Mira's whole exchange, finally piped up once Mira was out of earshot. "She's the reason why I don't do guildmates, if you know what I mean."

Evergreen rolled her eyes and slid into the seat beside Bickslow. "Please, don't act like you haven't dipped into guild waters - Cana… ring any bells?"

Bickslow shrugged. "And she still doesn't know to this day because at least Cana knows to not yap."

Laxus raised an eyebrow and flickered his gaze to their green-haired teammate. 'So he never said anything…' A small smile tugged at his lips. At least his team knows how to keep a secret.

"You really don't wanna have that conversation right now." Freed added, his eyes flitting over the strongest mage in Fairy Tail, Gildarts Clive, who was now making his way to the second floor.

Evergreen stood up and took her drink. "I'm heading downstairs," she said before leaving the group and greeting Gildarts along the way.

"Yo," Gildarts greeted the group and took the seat beside Laxus.

"It's nice to see you hanging around the guild a bit more, Gildarts." Freed said from his seat.

"Well…" His dark brown eyes landed briefly towards Cana before gazing ahead. "As much as I enjoy traveling, I like to change it from time to time and stick around for a while and keep an eye on family. Make sure they don't get in too much trouble, y'know?"

Laxus smirked. "Scared that Cana will get a boyfriend?"

The Crash mage just laughed. "Cana's a grown woman. Although, I wish she'd have a refined taste in men so I don't worry over her too much."

Freed coughed.

Bickslow glared.

Gildarts glanced at Freed before turning back to Laxus. "Right now, I'm pretty worried about our Princess Lucy."

That caught Laxus' attention.

"Why?" He tried to sound casual.

Gildarts' face stretched into a mischievous grin. "Heard from a little birdie of mine that she's seeing this brute of a guy. Can you believe that?"

'Fucking Mira…'

Lucy was rummaging through her drawers when she heard a knock at her door. She blinked and stared at her front door. She hated to admit it but she rarely ever hears the sound of knocking since everyone in Fairy Tail had ultimately decided that the best way to get into her home is through her window.

"Lucy? Are you home?"

It was Erza.

Lucy immediately crossed the room and opened the door. "Erza!" She stepped back to let her in. "Did you need something?"

Erza took in the messy state of Lucy's bedroom. "Why are your clothes…"

Lucy rubbed the back of her neck with a sheepish smile. "I was just cleaning up my dresser."

"I'm heading out on an S-class mission," Erza said, getting straight to the point. "There's been a lot of S-class fliers coming in and master needs us to take on some of those. I think Laxus will be staying behind since not all S-class mages can be all out at the same time."

Ever since their guild won the tournament, the influx of job requests kept Fairy Tail mages out of the guild most of the time. And that includes the S-class mages as well.

Lucy grinned, catching on to what Erza real quick. "I'll keep Natsu and Gray in check, promise."

"Good. I expect the guild to be in perfect condition when I return," Erza warned, her eyes flashing with a subtle, unspoken threat.

Lucy mock-saluted. "Hai, Erza-sama!"

Erza gave a satisfied nod. "I'll see you in a week. Stay out of trouble and don't get pregnant while I'm away."

Erza took off.

Lucy blinked.

"WHAT THE HELL, ERZA?!"

Her mom once told her, "The way to a man's heart is through his stomach."

They were seated in Laxus' backyard. His garden had a quiet, intimate atmosphere with a gentle rustle of leaves and a faint scent of his cologne in the air.

She wasn't a man, but Laxus had definitely won her over tonight. He placed a beautifully arranged plate in front of her: seared chicken with herbs, roasted vegetables, and some kind of pasta that smelled heavenly. Lucy stared at the dish, speechless.

"Go on, dig in," he said, settling into the seat across from her. "I promise you, it's not poisoned."

Lucy glared. "I wasn't thinking that!" She took a bite, and her eyes widened as the flavors melted perfectly together. Suddenly, she felt a warmth that went beyond the food. Her chest tightened unexpectedly, and she had to blink quickly to keep her eyes from misting over.

"What?" Laxus asked, noticing her reaction. "Is it bad?"

She shook her head in response and took another bite, savoring the food and the moment. She thought about that old saying that her mom told her - maybe it really was true… a little too true.

Laxus shifted in his seat, feeling a bit unnerved on how quiet his date was. She was usually full of chatter and laughter. He could practically see the gears turning in her head. Does she not like it?

"Laxus…"

He looked into her deep, chocolate-brown eyes and there was something there - something he couldn't quite pull into words. It made him feel warm. All he knew was that he wanted her to look at him like that, with that same softness and intensity… and only at him.

"Thank you…" she said quietly. "This really means so much."

The sincerity in her tone made his heart skip a beat. "Glad that you like it," he responded before taking a bite of his own meal.

As they continued eating, the conversation flowed easily between bites. They shared stories about the guild - Natsu and Bickslow's endless pranks, Gray's accidental strip shows, Erza and Freed's legendary lectures that either sent everyone scrambling or bored out of their minds. Lucy felt so at ease, getting a glimpse into Laxus' world and hearing more about his team.

Then, a loud crash came from nearby. Lucy jumped from her seat, startled, letting out a small yelp, but Laxus was quick to pull her into his arms. His gaze shifted towards the noise. 'That magic power feels so familiar…'

The sound had come from the front part of his house. With Lucy still clinging to him, Laxus glanced over, taking in the sight of cube-shaped pieces of his wall rolling to a stop on the ground and sighed. "That old fool's still got no sense of direction…" he muttered.

As she processed the scene, Lucy's eyes went wide in realization. "Wait… is that… Gildarts?"

Laxus let out a groan. "He's fucking hammered… I can smell it." Reluctantly, he let go of Lucy and headed inside to assess the damage - and maybe kick and leave the Crash mage to the curb. Lucy almost pouted at the sudden loss of his warmth.

Lucy trailed behind Laxus, curious to see just how much damage the Crash mage had unintentionally caused. When she stepped into the living room, she blinked in disbelief - half the room was gone with chunks of what used to be his couch, Lacrima Vision, and his front door scattered around in neat, cube-shaped pieces. And in the middle of all the mess, sprawled out and snoring, was Gildarts, blissfully unaware that he'd just turned Laxus' home into his latest crash site.

Seeing the lack of response from Laxus, it was safe to say that this was not the first time that this has happened. "Was he trying to head home?" Lucy asked.

Laxus gave a nod in response, hefting Gildarts onto his shoulder effortlessly. "I'll get him upstairs," he muttered.

Lucy scanned the chaotic remains of his living room. "I'll see what I can save down here," she offered with a small smile. 'Well… so much for a peaceful date…'

She started digging through the cubed rubble in front of her, checking for anything that looked important. She found a couple of magic-related books that looked pretty old and was praying that it was something that can easily be found in bookstores, a diced-up vase, and more diced glass that definitely used to be his windows.

As she tried to dig through the rubble, one of her hands brushed on something soft. Curious, she threw more cubed rocks to her side revealing a blue plastic rose with what looked like a purple scrap of fabric tied right below the rose. Her eyes widened in recognition.

It was her hair tie from the Grand Magic Games tournament.

She was just about to pick it up when she heard Laxus' footsteps descending the stairs. Quickly, she stood up and brushed off her hands. "Laxus?" she called, glancing up to meet him.

He came down looking extremely vexed… and smelled of stomach bile. She instinctively covered her nose with her hands and her gaze traveled down to his now soiled pants.

She couldn't decide whether to breathe or laugh.

She saw him pull out a LacriComm from one of the kitchen drawers and pulsed his magic into it. A few moments later, Bickslow's voice floated through the device. "Boss, what's up?"

"I need you and Freed over here. The old fart trashed my house again and had the fucking audacity to puke all over my carpet."

"...fucking seriously?"

"Hurry up, I'm on a date right now."

Lucy blushed. She wasn't really expecting Laxus to spill the beans about them this early considering they were still trying to get to know each other. But she wasn't complaining.

Without waiting for Bickslow's response, he turned off his comm and sighed loudly, running a hand through his blonde hair. He felt a small hand slither through his large one; he felt calmer. He looked down and saw Lucy looking up at him with a slight crinkle to her nose - she looked cute like that. "You should go shower," she said.

Laxus smirked and leaned in closer to the blonde, squeezing her hand lightly. "What? Don't like my new perfume?"

Lucy giggled. "Unfortunately. It doesn't bring you to any bases tonight, Mr. Dreyar. I still like you a lot though."

"Damn, not even first base for the amazing dinner?"

"I'll think about it."

He knew that she was right about the shower. He had intended to take a shower right away after literally throwing the old man to his bed, but the fucking geezer suddenly giggled like a damn maniac in his sleep and threw up all over his white carpet and jeans. Not only had he wrecked his house… again, the old bastard had also interrupted his date with Lucy. Laxus was ready to break Gildarts' jaw. He had to step out to cool off for a bit even though his nostrils were plagued by the horrid stench of puke.

He took his coat that was hanging on one of the chairs behind him and gently draped it over Lucy. "Freed and Bickslow should be on their way. They know what to do once they get here."

Lucy nodded in response. "I'll keep an eye on them."

As soon as she heard Laxus' door close, she sat on the pile of rubble and stared at the night skies. She had wanted to pick up the plastic rose earlier but decided not to because Loke's voice floated through her thoughts and said, 'Leave it so if he decides to bring in women, they'll see it and slap his ugly face!'

Lucy rolled her eyes at that. A woman's hair tie does not scare other women. She knew that. But still, her heart warmed a little knowing that a piece of hers is sitting prettily in his home.

She decided to call out Plue for a little company while she waited on Bickslow and Freed. With a soft glow, Plue appeared, giving a little shy wave. "Pu-puuun~!"

Her heart melted instantly.

"Aww, Plue, you're just too adorable~!" she cooed, pulling the dog spirit into a tight hug. They spent the next ten minutes together under the night sky, searching for constellations and chatting about her other spirits in the Celestial Spirit World.

"Cosplayer?"

She looked up from conversing with Plue and found Freed and Bickslow standing nearby, looking at her with an unreadable expression. Shrugging it off, she stood up and offered a small wave. "Hi guys," she greeted softly.

Bickslow gave a low whistle, stepping closer to take in the wreckage of Laxus' living room. "Wow… that old man really did a number here."

"Gildarts should really consider moving closer to town." Freed pulled out his sword. "We'll make this quick," he glanced at Lucy. "Do you want it sound-proofed?"

Lucy blinked. "...what?"

Bickslow snickered behind Lucy. "Do it, Freed."

Lucy narrowed her eyes at Bickslow. "Am I missing something here?"

"Don't bother asking, Blondie."

Lucy turned to see Laxus, freshly showered, and still looking thoroughly pissed. "Awww, not even a thank you, Boss?"

Pointedly ignoring the Seith Mage, Laxus looked at Lucy. "Let's go for a walk."

"But what about -"

"They'll be fine." He took her hand in his, his warm grip sending a pleasant shiver down her spine. "Come on."

"Be careful of the big bad wolf, Cosplayer!"

Lucy giggled, glancing at Laxus' stoic profile as they stepped out. The pair took off to stroll through the quiet streets of Magnolia hand in hand, the soft glow of street lamps casting a warm light. Despite Laxus' towering presence, he matched her pace. As they continued through the streets, Lucy's eyes brightened as she spotted a cozy little chocolate stall along the side of the road.

"Oh, look!" She tugged slightly on Laxus' arm. "Can we get some dessert?"

Laxus raised an eyebrow, amused. "Even though we just had dinner?"

"We never got to finish it because Gildarts made a surprise visit," she countered, already pulling Laxus to the chocolate stall. "It'll make a good gift for Plue too."

Lucy eagerly picked out a few pieces, her face lighting up as she savored the first bite. Laxus took a piece, holding it casually, when an idea struck him. With a mischievous smirk, he melted a bit of the chocolate with his index finger and smeared it on her cheek.

Lucy gasped and glared at her date. "Laxus!"

"Relax, Blondie," he teased. "Let me get that for you." And before she could stop him, he leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss to her cheek, brushing his lips against the chocolate-covered spot.

The warmth of his kiss lingered, and Lucy's cheeks flushed pink. As he pulled back, his grin revealed a hint of his sharp teeth, glinting under the moonlight.

'Big bad wolf, huh…' Lucy thought as she huffed to hide her flustered expression.

Before Lucy could respond, an unfamiliar voice interrupted them. "Laxus! There you are!" A woman had walked up out of nowhere, and without any warning, she looped her arm through his, grinning as if she'd found a long-lost lover. "You had me looking all over, Laxus."

Lucy blinked, her heart sinking as she took in the sight of this buxom brunette holding onto Laxus with an all-too-familiar smile.

Laxus glanced down at the woman with a look of pure irritation. "Who the fuck are you?"

The brunette laughed, ignoring his chilly tone. "Don't be like that! You and I had such a good time last time!" The woman shot Lucy a once-over, then smirked dismissively. "I'm pretty sure plain girls aren't your style, so you should come with me instead."

Lucy looked away, her hand dropping from Laxus' grip as her heart sank.

Seeing Lucy's reaction made his blood boil. "Let go," his voice low, peeling the woman's hands from his arm with little effort. His eyes narrowed as he fixed the brunette with an icy glare. "And don't ever think about insulting my woman again. You're not even half the woman that she is. Now, get lost."

The brunette shot him a glare but quickly turned on her heel, disappearing into the crowd and leaving Lucy standing there, unsure and still feeling hurt.

Laxus turned back to Lucy and noticed she had turned her face away, her fingers gripping the fur lining of his coat a bit too tightly. He gritted his teeth, irritation bubbling under the surface - this date was definitely not going as planned.

He took her hand and brought her aside to a quiet spot under the streetlights. "Lucy, look at me…" his fingers gently lifted her chin so she would look at him. Her eyes were clouded, distant. He frowned at the sight of it. "Lucy, I'm -"

"It's making me wonder if this is even real or if maybe I'm just… another passing thing for you."

Her words stung.

Misunderstandings and the usual drama in relationships had always seemed like a hassle to him, something he had avoided for years. It was simpler to keep things casual. Evergreen had constantly berated him for being too loose with women and that one day, if he ever decided to settle down, his past would come back to bite him - she was right.

For some unknown reason, with Lucy, it was different. He just knew that he wanted all of it with her - the highs, the lows, every messy moment. It was like a sudden switch in his brain and now he just wants to do all of it with her.

"I get it," he said. Voicing feelings, for him, was like stumbling over rocks in the dark. But for Lucy, he was willing to try. "The things I did before don't paint the best picture." He reached over, gently taking her hand in his, his fingers intertwining with hers. "But I'm not that guy anymore. I'm here… because I want to be."

Lucy's heart fluttered at his words and a small smile started forming as she gazed into his gray eyes, only finding softness and sincerity. "You mean that?"

He nodded, gripping her hand just a little tighter this time. "I've got everything I want, right here."

A warmth spread through her, melting away the doubts that lingered. "Thank you, Laxus," she whispered.

And before he could stop himself, his hand found its way to the small of her back as his other hand cupped her cheek - he leaned down and kissed her.

Lucy's hands found their way to his shoulders, fingers curling into his shirt as she kissed him back. Every touch, every gentle press of his lips sent a spark through her. Though she was inexperienced, she followed his lead, mirroring his slow movements. Her body seemed to have a mind of its own; her body instinctively pressing closer to his, craving the warmth and reassurance he offered.

After a long moment, they pulled apart but still close enough to feel each other's warmth in the cool night air. "Definitely better than chocolate," he muttered, a smirk on his lips.

Feeling a little brave, she wound her arms around his neck, pulling him closer. "Again," she whispered against his lips.

In that moment, the world around them vanished.

The next morning, Laxus strolled through the guild hall with his signature coat billowing behind him as he made his way to the second floor. As he reached the second floor, he found Bickslow handing over jewels to a smug-looking Freed. His eyes narrowed, suspicions rising.

They better not be making bets over his love life.

"Dammit Laxus," Bickslow whined, his arms swinging over the backrest. "You finally scored a date with Miss Fiore and you didn't bring your A-game?"

"Lucy's not like that." Freed and Laxus chimed in unison. The latter narrowed his eyes at the green-haired man.

"Freed," Bickslow said, an underlying teasing tone in his voice. "You better not be eyeing Cosplayer. That's breaking the bro code."

"Not the bro code! Not the bro code!" His totems echoed above him.

Freed flushed in embarrassment. "Bickslow, cut it out! I swear, it's not like that!" he insisted. Such a hideous thing to say in front of their leader!

Laxus simply rolled his eyes and took the empty spot beside the cackling Seith Mage. Really, Freed was so easy to tease. He knew where Freed's affections lay so he wasn't even remotely worried.

"So," Bickslow started, his gaze shifting towards his guildmates on the first floor. "Where did you and Cosplayer go?"

Laxus' eyes flicked to the guild doors. "Just around town."

Before Bickslow could pry any further, a loud screech made them all turn. "LAXUS!" Evergreen stomped up to the trio, her glare fixated on Laxus.

As she got close, Evergreen smacked him on the arm with her fan, which earned her an annoyed glare in return. "What the hell is wrong with you, Ever?" Laxus grumbled in annoyance.

"No, Laxus," Ever responded, an icy tone to her voice. "What the hell is wrong with you?! Elfman saw you last night with some floozy hanging on your arm! I thought you were into Lucy!"

"Ever," Freed quickly intervened. He could see that Evergreen was clearly annoyed at their leader. He needed to placate the woman or else it could go into a full-blown fight. "Laxus was with Lucy last night. Bicks and I saw them."

Evergreen turned her glare on the Rune Mage. "Lucy has blonde hair. The woman that Elfman saw was not."

Laxus rubbed his face and groaned. This morning was not going great. And where was she anyway? And another thing… why does Elfman keep popping up?

"Laxus?" Freed prodded.

He honestly hated having to explain himself.

He sighed. "Look, we were grabbing some food when some random woman grabbed my arm, acting like she knew me. I told her to fuck off."

"You seriously have the shittiest luck," Bickslow commented, his voice serious. "And what happened to Lucy?"

Evergreen's mouth widened in shock. "So Lucy really was with you last night?" she asked, incredulity in her tone.

"We've told you like, three times now, Ever. They were on a date." Bickslow deadpanned, shooting her a look.

"That woman obviously further ruined our date, but we've talked it out and we're okay… I think."

Evergreen raised an elegant eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. "You think?" She rolled her eyes. "See, this is what I've been telling you. The moment you start to get serious, karma comes back to bite you in the ass."

Then, he finally caught a whiff of her scent - lavender and honey.

And it was mingled with that walking matchstick's scent.

Why were they together?

"Natsuuuu, I'm too tired to do a job," he heard her whine. "And stop sneaking in and turning my apartment into one of the seven circles of hell!"

Laxus cracked his knuckles and stood up.

"Laxus, are you listening?"

He waved Evergreen off and proceeded to head towards the guild doors. Sure enough, there she was. Natsu was quite literally dragging an exhausted-looking Lucy. He was aware that Team Natsu hung out often in Lucy's apartment. But the thought of Natsu sneaking in the middle of the night and sleeping beside Lucy?

Nope.

That's not gonna fly by him anymore.

On the other hand, Lucy was letting herself get dragged by her partner. She will not be going on a job today. It didn't bother her anymore that Natsu would sneak into her apartment in the middle of the night on random days. She welcomed it sometimes, especially on colder seasons. But last night, he just felt like a burning furnace and he warmed her apartment to such uncomfortable levels that she tossed and turned a lot in her sleep.

Now, here she was, in the middle of the guild hall feeling extremely sluggish.

"Natsu."

Through her slightly blurry vision, she can see Laxus standing in front of her partner. "Laxus? Good mor -"

BOOM!

Lucy's eyes bulged out. Across the guild hall was a Natsu cut-out.

"I heard that he snuck into your apartment."

Lucy sighed. "Yeah, he did. He's always been like that though."

"You smell like him. I don't like it."

"I'll talk to him. And please stop punching him through walls."

"LAXUS! I knew you wanted to fight me!" Natsu screamed from outside and jumped back into the guild hall, ready to fight, when the scene in front of him made him stop and stare.

In one swift motion, Laxus lifted Lucy effortlessly and set her gently onto one of the nearby tables, his hand steadying her back as he leaned in, pressing his lips to hers in a kiss that was anything but subtle. There was fire to it and Lucy couldn't help but respond in equal passion, her hands finding their way to his shoulders and hair, pulling him closer as her heart raced.

She wasn't sure if the guild hall got quiet or it was just her senses going haywire but Laxus' kiss was searing, demanding, and she melted into it. All she could feel was him. Nothing else.

As he pulled back just enough to meet her gaze, Laxus' eyes were stormy, softened only by a warmth that she only seemed to notice when he's with her.

The guild erupted in cheers, laughter, and a few exaggerated wolf whistles. Happy flitted above them. "Laxus and Lucy, sittin' in a tree~!"

Lucy's cheeks burned and elbowed Laxus. "Look at what you did!"

Natsu pouted, finally getting the message. "So, when is Luce laying an egg?"

Laxus simply chuckled and slipped his hand into a shell-shocked Lucy.

"Worth it."

Author's Note:

So sorry for the late update! I was sick for a few days & it took a little while before I finally had the energy to start working on this. *sob sob*

Hope you guys enjoyed this story!

I'll be uploading my Gildarts x Lucy fic in a few days so, I hope you guys will enjoy that too.

Thanks again to everyone who enjoyed this story!

Toodles!
- nana