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

Chapter 6 - Lightning Palace

This was not what he was expecting.

There on the ground was Lucy, trembling and wounded, her body was illuminated by some raw magic within her. Golden streams of magic poured out from the cuts on her skin. Her Celestial Spirits, who had gathered around her, were looking frantic.

A scream ripped out from Lucy.

His chest tightened. He didn't like the sound of that coming from her.

Not wasting another second, he bolted towards her, but the moment he got close, he had to stop in his tracks. The pressure surrounding her was overwhelming, like an invisible force pushing him down. It felt as though the very gravity around her had intensified, threatening to bury him six feet under.

"LUCY!" he called out, trying to get her attention. He can see the pained expression on her face.

He forced himself forward, each step heavier than the last. His legs were feeling like they weighed a million tons. When he finally reached her, he dropped to his knees and gripped her closest arm. "Lucy! Can you hear me?!" he shouted, his voice filled with urgency as he leaned closer, willing her to respond.

He hissed as his hand felt a burning sensation from touching Lucy and pulled it back. "Her skin's too hot!"

"Laxus-sama!"

He turned and found himself staring at a goat in a black suit and sunglasses. "Lady Lucy is absorbing far more magic energy than her body can handle," the spirit gritted his teeth in frustration. "We're doing everything we can to siphon it off, but it's not enough. Her body just cannot keep up."

Laxus felt stumped, and he hated it. Her spirits were obviously able to siphon magic from her - after all, they were fueled by her power. But his element? It was raw, destructive, chaotic. How could he possibly help without making things worse?

"Oi, Lightning Boy! Hurry up and do something!"

"Tell me what to do!" he responded in frustration.

"Think of yourself a conduit and -"

Whatever that goat had to say was cut off by Lucy's screaming. His heart just clenched even more at the sight of her in pain.

Conduit. Right. I got that.

Without hesitation, Laxus sat cross-legged and pulled Lucy's trembling form into his arms and cradling her with care. She was barely conscious, her breathing ragged. "Hang on, Lucy!"

Her skin was scorching under his touch, but he ignored the searing heat. His clothes were singeing, the edges burning away, yet all of that was secondary – his focus was entirely on Lucy.

Laxus effortlessly channeled his magic, the familiar crackle of lightning dancing around them. He envisioned his lightning as thick, pulsing ropes, snaking through the air and intertwining with the golden strands of magic seeping from Lucy. His lightning wove through, capturing her magic and slowly, steadily, pulling it away from her, into him, and then out onto Earthland.

His grip on her tightened as he concentrated, determined to draw out every ounce of her excess energy before it destroys her completely.

Time was blurry but Laxus can feel Lucy's body begin to relax in his arms, the golden energy that was once leaking from her cuts are drawing back. Her breathing became less ragged, and the pained expression on her face softened. He could still feel more magic getting into her system, but he was able to bear it - he would take whatever he could from her.

He felt her fingers weakly clutch his now-singed shirt. Gently, he enveloped her hand with his, drawing small circles on the back of it.

"Laxus…" her whisper was faint, barely a breath, but he heard it.

He pulled her closer, letting her warmth seep into him, his hold tightening as if anchoring her to reality. He knew they had an audience, but he didn't care, and he doubted her spirits did either. The storm within her had passed, leaving only the task of waiting out the meteor shower while keeping his magic threaded with hers.

"Don't talk," he whispered, burying his face in her golden tresses. "Sleep." He felt her body relax, and within moments, she drifted off, resting peacefully in his arms.

He glanced up at the sky, noticing the meteors now falling at a slower pace. His eyes then shifted to the grassy field around them, where patches of scorched earth marked the places his lightning had struck. The damage was clear - bald, charred spots littered the area. He grimaced inwardly, knowing that his lightning was still coming down, a consequence of continuing to draw Lucy's excess magic and releasing it through his own element.

"I think we all owe you a big thanks, Laxus."

He continued to stare at the scorched patches. "You guys - or Lucy - don't owe me anything," he said, his tone firm but quiet. He didn't need to turn around to know that it was Loke speaking to him. "Just here to help."

"Sure." Loke responded.

Laxus didn't look back. He knew Loke wasn't convinced. Heck, he wasn't even convincing himself. Deep down, he knew he wasn't just there to help.

"Just a few more minutes," he heard the goat chime in. "We'll be going back and if it isn't too much of a bother for you, Laxus-sama, please take her home."

Seriously.

What is up with her spirits ordering him around?

He didn't need to be told.

Laxus trudged quietly through his house, cradling Lucy carefully in his arms. His steps were slow but steady, trying not to jostle her as her soft breathing echoed in his ears. He approached his room, pushing the door open with his foot, and made his way to the bed. Gently, he lowered her onto the plush bedding.

He grabbed a first aid kit from his kitchen and went back to his room to kneel beside Lucy and started cleaning and bandaging her wounds.

As he bandaged her arm, an image flashed in his mind. It was brief, barely a second, but enough to stir something inside him. He saw himself and Lucy, nestled together on his bed, her head resting on his chest as they were wrapped in each other's arms. His heart gave a strange tug at the thought, one he didn't entirely hate.

Before he could dwell more, a knock sounded at his door. He frowned, his jaw tightening as he stood up. "What could these idiots want…" he mumbled. The only people who knew where he lived were his grandfather and his team. And his most frequent visitors were definitely none other than the Raijinshuu.

Opening his front door, he was greeted by the ever-grinning face of Bickslow.

"Yo, Boss Ma - what the fuck? What the hell happened to you?"

The Seith Mage wasn't prepared for the sight that greeted him. Laxus' clothes were a mess, riddled with burn holes as if someone had splashed acid across the fabric. His once solid shirt now looked like it had been through hell, with charred patches and scorched edges. His skin was no better - angry red patches dotted his arms and neck.

"What do you want?" Laxus growled, his tone edged with irritation. The last thing he needed right now was someone seeing him like this.

"I came to check in on you and -"

"I'm fine," Laxus snapped, cutting Bickslow off before he could say more. "Now, go." Without waiting for a response, he shut the door in his face.

Bickslow sighed. "He's obviously fine then…" he muttered under his breath and looked up to where his bedroom is.

Through the walls of Laxus' bedroom, he could see a soul radiating in gold, unmistakably belonging to one Lucy Heartfilia.

A wave of soreness washed over her body as Lucy slowly stirred awake. She could feel every muscle ache. She blinked against the soft light filtering through the curtains, confusion swirling in her mind. She doesn't remember her bed feeling this plush.

Her eyes scanned the unfamiliar surroundings. To her left stood a sturdy wooden dresser, its surface polished and organized - totally not hers. As she turned her head slowly, she noticed a nightstand nearby, adorned with a few personal items that were totally not hers either.

She tried to shift her body but froze at the feel of something heavy on top of her abdomen. A heavy arm was draped over her waist, anchoring her to the bed. Her eyes widened in panic

Whose arm is this?!

She followed the appendage to see whose face it was attached to… and found golden hair peeking from under the sheets. Yep. There was no mistaking it.

She slept in the house and in the arms of none other than Laxus Dreyar.

How did she get in here anyway?

She tried to remember everything that happened last night but it was all just a blur. 'I remember summoning my stronger spirits first but after that… nothing.'

Lost in her own thoughts, she didn't notice Laxus had already awakened and was watching her with amusement.

"Isn't it too early in the morning to be thinking too much?"

Lucy's eyes widened.

"AAHHHHHH!" Her heart raced wildly in her chest, pounding against her ribs.

For a moment, she contemplated smothering the annoying Lightning Dragon Slayer with his own sheets. But as she attempted to move her arms, her muscles protested. "Ow! Ow, ow…" she muttered, wincing in pain.

"Is that the kind of thanks I get for taking care of you?" Laxus smirked, pulling the blonde closer to him. She was so easy to tease, and the way her cheeks flush - it suits her perfectly.

Her senses were instantly flooded by his scent - a blend of sandalwood and ozone, crisp like the air after a storm. It was almost intoxicating. She pressed a firm hand against his bare chest, which was much too close to her face for comfort, and gently pushed back despite her muscles protesting. "I don't even know how I got here anyway!" she snapped. "And seriously, move!"

"Why?"

"Because you're heavy and huge, and I really need to pee!"

"Ah, that's what the women say about me."

"Pfft - let me know when she's sober, I'll believe then."

"You know, if you really wanted to see my -"

"I ABSOLUTELY DO NOT -"

"LAXUS! Are you okay?!"

Both blondes peered over the edge of the sheet. Laxus' glare was murderous, while Lucy's face flushed bright red with embarrassment. 'Oh Mavis, this cannot be happening!'

"Do you guys seriously not know how to knock?!" The lightning dragon slayer growled, his voice sharp with irritation.

Standing stupefied by the door were Evergreen, Freed, and Bickslow.

"LUCY?!" Evergreen and Freed shouted in unison, their eyes in complete shock at the sight of the Celestial Mage in bed with Laxus.

Meanwhile, Bickslow just stood there with that shit-eating grin of his, clearly already in the know from the night before.

"It's not what you guys think!" Lucy blurted out.

Laxus groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose, suddenly feeling a headache coming. "You three, wait downstairs. I'll fill you in."

"We'll wait." Evergreen responded before the group awkwardly shuffled out of Laxus' bedroom, closing the door behind them. Silence quickly settled over the room.

"Can you move at all?" Laxus asked, his gaze falling on Lucy.

Lucy blinked, trying to shift her body. She attempted to move her left arm, but a sharp, searing pain shot from her shoulder down to her side. Wincing, she tried her leg next, but even the slightest movement sent painful muscle spasms through her body. 'What's going on with my body?'

"I figured you wouldn't be able to." Laxus said, standing up from his bed and heading to his dresser to grab a shirt.

Meanwhile, Lucy's brain went into overdrive as her gaze fixed on Laxus' muscled back. Every ripple of his defined muscles was a testament to his rigorous training and discipline. Even fully clothed, she could tell just how much effort he put into maintaining his strength. Watching him, Lucy had to fight the heat rising to her cheeks.

"I'll run a hot bath for you," he said as he made his way to the bathroom. "Call your maid spirit and have her check your wounds. She can fill you in about yesterday."

"Wounds?"

A cloud of smoke appeared near Lucy's side of the bed. "Princess."

Lucy smiled softly at her spirit, noting the first-aid kit in Virgo's hands. "Thank you, Virgo. I'm sorry for the trouble."

Virgo gave a small nod. "I'll remove the sheet now, Princess." she uttered. "We'll take off the bandages from last night and redress them after your bath."

As soon as the sheet was lifted, Lucy's eyes widened in shock. Her body was a canvas of wounds - different sized cuts, bruises, and angry red lines marred her skin. Bandages covered her arms, abdomen, and legs. Some of them are stained with blood. 'Must've been deep…'

She barely recognized herself and had no recollection of what happened the previous day.

"I'll be downstairs making breakfast," Laxus said while wiping his hands with a towel, his gaze lingering on Lucy's wounds for a moment before looking back at her honey-colored eyes. "You should be good to move around after a hot soak."

Lucy intended to say her thanks to Laxus, but he left his room pretty quickly.

"You can thank him later, Princess. Or perhaps a kiss would be more fitting?"

"JUST HURRY UP AND TAKE ME TO THE TUB!"

A sly smirk crept on the dragon slayer's lips. "I like how that maid thinks…" he mused, catching the faint sounds of hushed conversations drifting in from the kitchen as he made his way down.

"Freed! I told you we should've stopped him yesterday!"

"Woman! Will you stop hitting me with your fan?!"

"Now that girl's officially traumatized!"

Laxus rolled his eyes, exasperation bubbling beneath the surface. He loved his team, but sometimes they can be too much. "Can you guys pipe it down? Mavis…" he grumbled, shaking his head.

His teammates lounged in the kitchen, their morning chatter filling the space like an unruly chorus. He strode over to the fridge, checking its contents for something he could whip up for him and Lucy.

"Well?" Evergreen's voice drifted over, laced with impatience. "We're waiting, Laxus."

He scratched the back of his head, contemplating. He had no clue what Lucy usually ate, but surely pancakes and bacon wouldn't be a miss, right?

Laxus went through the motions of cooking, his hands expertly flipping pancakes while he explained the events of the previous night. "The meteor shower caused her magic to spike, and her body couldn't handle the excess that she was receiving."

Evergreen, arms crossed, raised a brow. "There was a meteor shower last night?" She glanced around, confused.

Bickslow nodded, grinning. "Yeah, I knew about it. Loke mentioned it."

Evergreen turned her gaze to Freed. "You knew too?"

The Rune Mage shrugged. "I was with them when the conversation happened."

"Where the heck was I?!"

The Seith Mage snickered, his signature smirk in place. "I think you were busy sucking Elfman's face."

"Sucking face! Sucking face!" Bickslow's totems chimed in, mimicking his teasing tone.

Evergreen glared at the Seith Mage. "You're in trouble later, mister." she threatened.

"So, this meteor shower," Freed cut in, curiosity flickering in his eyes. "How does that tie in with Lucy?"

Laxus placed a few slices of bacon in the pan, the sizzling sound filling the kitchen. "I think it's not just Lucy - it could affect all full-fledged Celestial Mages. The Ethernano they use comes from celestial bodies, like the stars."

A flicker of understanding crossed Freed's eyes. "Her own magic surged because her connection yesterday was way stronger than usual…"

"And I think we all know what happens when we take on too much." Laxus added, as he set down plates of pancakes and bacon.

Evergreen sighed, feeling a little sorry for Lucy. The poor girl was caught up in something dangerous and painful. She glanced at Laxus, inwardly relieved that he hadn't done anything reckless with Lucy. The girl was so sweet and she wouldn't admit it out loud, but she had a soft spot for the blonde. Though Ever respected Laxus a whole lot, she would not recommend getting tangled with the Lightning Dragon Slayer because he was not cut out for commitments, not right now anyway.

Still, curiosity gnawed at her. How exactly did those two end up together last night? "So… you actually went to the mountains to stalk her?" she asked.

She heard Laxus snort at her insinuation. "Seriously Ever, stalk?"

"Still doesn't explain how you guys got together in one bed."

Laxus pulled out a chair and started eating. "My balcony has a view of the northern mountains. I felt the air shift and that's when I saw a magic circle hovering. Went to investigate and she was there, bloodied and bruised. So, I took her here since it was much closer."

A recent memory suddenly surfaced in Freed's mind -

"Master, why doesn't she just use the training grounds here at the guild?" Freed asked, genuinely curious.

"This is a request from the Celestial Spirit King himself." Makarov responded.

Freed's jaw nearly hit the floor. "Wait - you've met the King?"

Makarov chuckled softly, amused at Freed's shock. "No. Not me. Lucy. She's his most cherished friend."

Freed's disbelief only deepened at the revelation. "How - what - how did that happen?"

"You can ask for the details later but for now, we need to focus on making sure Lucy's safe."

Freed's mind was racing with this new information. Lucy Heartfilia held the answers to one of the greatest mysteries in Earthland. Honestly, he should've known! The woman is a Celestial Spirit Mage for crying out loud! "Hai, Master." he finally managed to say.

"You know the way to the northern mountains?"

"Is that the same mountains that some bandits were trying to claim as theirs? I heard a lot about them from Erza."

Makarov nodded. "Place your runes at the peak. Shouldn't be too hard to find but the trek can be a bit tedious."

The Rune Mage tilted his head slightly in question. "If she runs into trouble… getting help to her might be impossible."

Makarov simply smiled, looking like he had it all figured out.

"You don't have to worry about that."

A shock to his system brought him out of thoughts… and glared at the perpetrator. "Laxus!"

"You weren't even listening to what I was saying, you ass!" Laxus snapped in irritation.

"No!" Freed responded in slight annoyance at getting shocked. "It's not that!" he hissed through clenched teeth, his thoughts finally piecing itself together. "I've figured it out!"

"Figured what out?" Laxus inquired.

"Laxus. Master was counting on you to save Lucy."

Virgo gently continued tending to Lucy's hair, even though her master had fallen asleep in the bathtub. She had added celestial herbs to the bathwater - herbs that would speed up the healing of Lucy's strained muscles from yesterday's ordeal.

Though Virgo's expression remained as stoic as ever, her loyalty ran deep. Serving Lucy Heartfilia was an honor, and she silently took pride in being able to care for her. Lucy had done so much for all of her celestial spirits, even earning the respect of the Celestial Spirit King. They would move both heaven and Earthland just to bend everything to Lucy's will - an unwavering devotion born of love and gratitude, just as strong as the love Lucy showed them.

Virgo knew that the bathwater needed more time to work its magic on Lucy's weary body. Carefully, she repositioned Lucy in the tub to ensure she wouldn't slip. Once she was satisfied that Lucy was safe in the tub, she quietly stepped out of the bathroom to tend to another task - cleaning up Laxus' bedroom.

Today's arrangement may be temporary but she will not allow her master to step into a filthy bedroom. Not on her watch.

But before all that, she needed to let Laxus know that he may have to use his guest bathroom since her master is still peacefully slumbering in his tub. 'Unless the Lightning Dragon Slayer wants to use his overhead shower and I can just cover up the Princess. It sounds fitting.'

As Virgo gently closed the bedroom door, she heard the soft click of the front door shutting and the familiar sound of footsteps coming up the stairs. She paused, waiting by the door til Laxus' tall form emerged from the stairwell.

"Laxus-sama," she greeted, her voice calm and emotionless as ever.

His blue eyes locked with her unblinking gaze.

"I added celestial herbs to the bathwater to help speed up the healing process for her muscles," Virgo explained. "She's asleep in the tub. If you'd like, I can prepare the guest bathroom for you?"

Laxus blinked. Well, he was not expecting that. "Uhh, no, I can -"

"The Princess wouldn't like it if your plans were held back because of her. Unless, of course, you wish to use your bathroom and join the Princess?"

Laxus clenched his jaw, forcing away the sudden rush of vivid images invading his thoughts. "I don't think she'd -"

Virgo tilted her head, completely unfazed. "Guest bathroom, then?"

Laxus sighed. "Virgo, was it?"

"Hai."

"I don't have any plans today. I'll –" take care of her,

"– keep watch over her today. It's not a problem."

Virgo was silent for a brief moment before tilting her head slightly towards his bedroom. "She's waking up," she murmured. Her gaze went back to the dragon slayer. "Would you like to use the bathwater as well, Laxus-sama?"

He shook his head. "I'm good. Maybe get her dressed so she can have some breakfast?"

Virgo slipped back quietly in his room while he decided to stand by the window in his own hallway, watching the soft morning light filter through the enchanted glass.

With his arms crossed, he was lost in thought - his mind was in a tug of war between the events of the night before and today. So much has happened in less than a day that he felt like he was in constant overdrive. He has no idea whether merging his magic with hers had any side effects but from the looks of it, it didn't seem to have any.

"Believe it or not, Laxus, your magic is way more compatible with hers than you think."

How?

It couldn't be as simple as his lightning shooting from the sky… right?

Laxus shook his head. He'd have Freed look into this before he makes his own conclusions. He had no idea how long he was standing there but a soft creak from behind him caught his attention, and he turned just in time to see his bedroom door open.

Laxus felt like he got suckerpunched straight in the gut.

There was Lucy, her body clad in one of his oversized button-up shirts. The deep purple silk fabric hung loosely over her petite frame, grazing her creamy mid-thighs - wait, were her legs always that long? - and emphasizing how much larger it was on her. Her hair was still damp from the bath and her skin had a glow, probably from the herbs that Virgo used in her bathwater. Her wounds were freshly bandaged and angry red marks were still visible on her pale skin. Laxus barely registered all those, though. His focus was entirely on her - on how undeniably captivating she looked wearing his shirt.

For the first time, his dragon roared inside him, waking up from its dormancy and its primal instincts igniting. Every fiber of his being wanted her - right there, right now. His grip suddenly tightened on the window sill as he fought to suppress the urge to just take this beautiful woman back to his bed and make her scream his name like a prayer, be the greedy and insatiable dragon and claim everything that she could give him.

And by Gods she was making this so hard - physically AND mentally - as a new scent wafted through his nostrils; an enticing mix of lavender, rain, and a hint of strawberries. His mouth was watering at the thought of tasting her skin and marking her with his own scent.

He could feel his magic thrumming just beneath his skin. It wasn't just desire; it was a part of him that saw her as a treasure, something to claim. But he knew better. He had to fight it.

He cleared his throat, forcing himself to speak. "Your breakfast is downstairs," he said, his voice rougher than usual. "Are you good with bacon and pancakes?"

Lucy blinked at him, her half-lidded eyes still glazed over from her quick nap in his tub - holy fuck his brain was blanking out - and seemingly unaware of the effect she had on him. She offered a soft smile. "I'm good with that. Thank you, Laxus."

Without wasting another second, he turned on his heel and headed straight back to his room, shutting the door behind him a little too firmly by accident. He stripped off his clothes, jumped into the shower and hoped that the cold water could douse his raging dragon and hard-on.

Author's Note:

A long break from work definitely gets my imagination going. I was not expecting to upload another chapter but here we are.

To those who left a review, y'all are so appreciated. 3

Also, should I do another Laxus X Lucy story? Or do I go with Gildarts X Lucy or Cobra X Lucy? I'm kind of leaning towards Gildarts X Lucy but we'll see. Let me know your thoughts!

- nana