A/Ns: I'm just going to be over here in the corner, pretending that I didn't write this...
Bickslow looked up to the window with the drawn curtains just behind the lounge when he heard a knock on the door. It was two o'clock in the morning, who the fuck was knocking on his door at that time? It was far too late for any trick-or-treaters – no, he'd dealt with them earlier in the night, in between being bitter and sleep deprived because he had a two-week old daughter who was apparently deciding to making it her life goal to cry as much as possible, and because he hadn't seen Lucy since she'd left the night before.
She hadn't come over that day, and Bickslow kind of knew why. Tickle war turned… Something else. Yeah, it had been a less than splendid way to end the night, because all Bickslow had done after that was press his face into the lounge and call himself stupid a million times over. And, he also wondered just what in the actual fuck was happening.
He'd come to the conclusion that maybe, just maybe, he liked her. Just a little bit. Maybe. That was just the only thing that made sense, or at least, Bickslow wanted it to make sense because it just didn't feel like it was just that. There was just that something else there that made it all so much more confusing, and it was almost as confusing as the fact that his day had honestly fucking sucked because Lucy hadn't been there, and it was only why he'd been lying on his lounge in the middle of the night while his daughter slept and drinking all alone.
Because he really, really needed to do that. It didn't help that he was just a little disappointed that he hadn't been able to go to the guild for the Halloween party, but Bickslow had come to accept that he'd be missing a lot of things like that in the future, now that he had someone completely relying on him.
Sitting up with a groan as he put the glass down on a coaster on the coffee table next to the bottle of whisky, Bickslow trudged around it and to the door. Two a.m. was way too late for visitors, even in his world, so when he pulled the door open, he really didn't know who or what to expect, considering the last time he'd opened the door when there'd been a knock at it, he'd found a baby.
But once he opened the door, he only blinked, and stared, because holy hell how was he not supposed to stare? "Cosplayer?"
She threw up her arms as her mouth split into a wide grin. "Bixy!" she giggled excitedly. "Trick or treat!"
"Treat, I hope," he mumbled, and he stepped back so the blonde could stumble her way through the door. He couldn't keep his eyes off of her as as she made her way past him and into his home, not when she was dressed as a fucking schoolgirl. From the killer heels that made her ass look better than it usually did beneath the pleated and way too short (not that Bickslow was complaining) black and red skirt, to the white short-sleeved blouse she had tied just below her breasts and over the black lacy bra that was really impossible not to stare at.
But she wasn't there so Bickslow could stare at her and wonder just what she really looked like beneath all of her clothes (unless she was, in which case that would make him very happy). But… Why was she there? It was two o'clock in the goddamn morning, she was obviously at least a little drunk, and she was at his house. Closing the door behind him and locking it again, he turned back to Lucy while trying not to stare too hard when she walked through the kitchen and bent over to pull her heels off rather clumsily and drop them down to the floor. Bickslow was sure he made some sort of strangled noise when he saw the bright orange thong she had on, and he felt himself harden at just the sight of her.
God, she was killing him. Again. Or still, really, and if Bickslow wasn't totally convinced he was going to hell, he was then at what was going through his mind.
Clearing his throat quietly as he watched her go over to his fridge and open it up, he asked, "What are you doing here?" Oh, yes. Good job. Nice voice, asshole. Now she totally knows how much she's turning you on. Motherfucker.
Lucy shrugged as she turned back around, a bottle of water in her hands. "I wanted to see how my new favourite daddy was doing." Pausing just as the words left her mouth and Bickslow only stared at her in shock, Lucy slowly began to giggle and said, "That didn't sound as weird in my head."
"You think…?"
But in truth, she really was there to see how Bickslow was doing. Well, sort of. Lucy hadn't quite known where she'd been going once she left the guild just a little while earlier, not until she found herself passing her house and heading towards the area Bickslow lived in. Lucy could remember that Halloween was his favourite holiday, and she had honestly felt just a little bad that he hadn't been able to go to the party – partly because he had a newborn daughter, and partly because everyone assumed he was out of town with Laxus and the rest of the Raijinshuu.
It didn't help that all night (and day), Lucy hadn't been able to get her mind off of the stupid Seith mage though. She had almost gone over to Bickslow's house that afternoon before she'd had to get herself ready for the guild's Halloween party, because already, it had become part of her routine to get up and go to Bickslow's in the morning, and leave way too late at night. And honestly, she had almost missed Bickslow during the day, and then even more at the guild because Halloween just wasn't the same without him, strangely. It was the one time of the year where he just gave no fucks whatsoever about what he did. He went over the top, always, and he always seemed to make the night just that little bit more entertaining. But that night, it had been as if Lucy was the only one who had noticed how different it was with Bickslow not being able to be there. It just hadn't been the same to Lucy, but it wasn't as if Bickslow constantly being on her thoughts that day had stopped her from having a good time.
She wasn't drunk though. Not even close. She was a lightweight, she knew that very well, and she hadn't had anywhere near as much to drink as everyone else had. At best, she was tipsy, but she knew full well what she was doing, and her brain was functioning to an extent. Sort of.
When she glanced over to the coffee table on the other side side of the room, she saw the short glass and the bottle with the label she couldn't quite make out in the dim room. "Oh? Drinking alone?" she almost teased, looking back up to Bickslow as she placed the unopened bottle of water on the counter, and slowly walked towards him.
"Uh, yeah, I guess," he mumbled.
She hummed in thought as she looked back to it. "What are you drinking then?" she asked, but then when Bickslow's mouth opened and he was most likely about to give her the simple answer, Lucy only got a better idea and her lips twisted into a smirk as she quickly cut Bickslow off before he could even get a word out, "Oh! No, let me guess!" Before he could even question just what that meant, Lucy was standing on her toes and pulling Bickslow down so their lips were together.
It surprised Bickslow, truly, but was he going to pull away (or even push Lucy back)? Hell fucking no. He just pulled her closer, his fingers almost digging into her hips as he let her taste all that she fucking wanted to. He wasn't going to stop her, because he was certain that she didn't want him to. Oh no. She wanted something else, and Bickslow was perfectly fine with that and how she arched into his chest as his hands slid down to squeeze her ass over her skirt.
"You drink the same thing as Laxus," Lucy murmured, and Bickslow only hummed against her neck before he quickly gripped her thighs and lifted her up, and sat her down on the edge of the counter and pushed her legs apart to stand between them. "But it tastes so much better on you," she added just as quietly. She'd recognised the taste of it immediately, because it was the only thing Laxus ever drank it seemed, and she had always been able to taste that same sixteen-year-old whisky he loved so much on his lips, and she had hated it. She wasn't a whisky fan in the slightest, and she really hadn't enjoyed the smoky taste that always lingered.
On Bickslow though… Well, on Bickslow, she just really happened to love that smoky taste and how she could taste that sweetness behind it.
"Is that so?"
"Uh-huh."
"You probably shouldn't tell Sparky that though," Bickslow murmured, his voice low as he looked back up to her flushed face and dark eyes. "He'd probably kill me. Definitely not you, because it would be a shame to rid the world of someone as gorgeous as you. Pretty sure guys everywhere would cry if they didn't have you to jerk off over."
Another giggle escaped, and her head tipped back to only collide with the cabinet behind her. "That was almost sweet."
"It's true," Bickslow chuckled. Hell, he was including himself in that too. He dropped his head once again to graze his lips down the side of her neck, kissing his way down to her shoulder as his hands slowly slid up her thighs and under her skirt until he was brushing over the lace material. Something was holding him back than doing anything other than what he was doing, and he vaguely knew what it was.
It was that Lucy was his friend, and he honestly valued her too much as a friend to fuck it up, no matter how much he wanted her right then, or maybe even how much she wanted him, and Bickslow was sure that if she didn't want his hands all over her, then she would have put a stop to it before anything had fucking started. If anything, Bickslow just wanted to make sure she knew what she was doing and wouldn't regret anything. Was it a bit sentimental? Probably, but he really just cared about her too much as a friend to fuck anything up between them as it was, despite how confused he still was about everything.
"Why are you here, Cosplayer?"
Wasn't it simple? Because she couldn't get him off her damn mind and she really needed more than just a really fucking great kiss or two. Lucy would have thought Bickslow would be able to see that. "Because," she answered, trying to pull the Seith mage closer with her hands reaching for his hips, right as he pulled her to the very edge of the counter with his hands still behind her. "I thought you might want to see what I was going as for Halloween this year since you couldn't see it tonight."
Fuck it. That's good enough. "You know I did, but I'm much more interested in seeing it off you right now." Or even just some of it off her and on the floor somewhere. He wasn't that picky, really.
"Then take it all off for all I care."
Bickslow grinned as he brought his head back up, and a hand dipped between them and beneath her skirt again. That's more like it. He was going to have some fun with this. How could he not? He had Lucy dressed as a fucking schoolgirl sitting on his kitchen counter, and somewhere deep down, Bickslow was pretty sure Laxus would kill him if he ever found out about them. But what Laxus doesn't know won't kill him. "Is that what you want me to do?"
Hell fucking yes. Please. She just wanted Bickslow to do something, rather than just fucking have his hands on her or even kiss her. She needed so much more than that all of a sudden, and she really didn't quite understand any of it still, because for the life of her, she still didn't know what he was doing to her. "Is it what you want to do?" she asked instead, bringing his face closer to hers so she could feel the hot breath across her cheek.
"Stupid question." Of course that was what he wanted, to strip her out of her clothes and have her screaming his name. He'd wanted that for too long, really, but he could get to that later. Now, all he wanted to do was tease her and make her want him more than she already did. He pressed his fingers against the damp fabric that covered her core, and he felt the shudder than ran through her as she tried to press herself to him even more. "Well aren't you a bit naughty then." It was almost as if his words were doing just as much to Lucy as his movements were, and he heard a moan slip past her lips as he pulled her earlobe between his teeth and rubbed her through her soaked panties. "Never really been a fan of schoolgirls either, but you… You're the exception."
"Maybe I'm just your naughty schoolgirl, Mr. Redfarrow."
He straightened up abruptly and stared at the blonde for a moment, and only cocked his head to the side slightly. It wasn't so much the part about her being his naughty schoolgirl, because hell, had that just gone straight to his groin. It was the fact that she had called him by his last name. "Did you just call me Mr. Redfarrow?"
"I might have," she giggled, and Bickslow only shook his head as he quickly slid the thin material to the side and pushed two fingers into her. He watched her head tip back til it hit the cabinet again, and he couldn't stop his own deep chuckle slipping out when she suddenly moaned out loud, "Don't… Don't stop."
"Didn't plan on it," he chuckled again, and if Lucy wasn't already sure she was dripping wet as his fingers slowly teased her, she was sure she would have been just from his goddamn voice and his laugh. Nothing like that should be that sexy, but she knew that the son of a bitch knew exactly what he was doing to her. He had to.
She barely paid any attention when he only pulled his fingers from her just long enough to quickly slide the drenched material that barely passed as underwear down her legs, or how they only seemed to land on the faucet behind him. She was almost in her own little bubble of ecstasy and wondering just why in the world she hadn't even come close to sleeping with him before, because she couldn't remember ever feeling half as good as what Bickslow was making her feel right then.
She'd been right on the precipice of bliss for what had felt like so long, even though Bickslow had quickly worked her up to it, and part of her had been just a little glad that he lived alone with how much louder her moans became. But when Lucy was sure he felt his fingers curl inside her at the same moment he seemed to bite down on her shoulder, her eyes shot open and she shuddered violently in the one arm he had around her waist that kept her somewhat upright, and a long and low moan barrelled up and out of her throat as she practically dove headfirst off the cliff she'd been on.
"Wha… What the fuck," Lucy panted, watching with just one eyebrow raised as Bickslow withdrew his fingers from her and brought them up to his mouth with a sly smirk. It wasn't really that part that made her stare in shock, because it really just made her almost whimper. It was really about Lucy wanting to figure out what had just happened. She'd been sure that that spot inside of her was just a myth, the one that could make her toes curl and cry out. No one she'd been with had managed to find it, whether they'd tried to or not, and even Lucy had been sure it just didn't exist. She was just one of those girls who needed a whole lot more to get off, apparently.
Or not. Because her toes had fucking curled and her favourite word was probably his name, but she hadn't exactly been able to hear herself to know if she'd been saying it. Not that she cared that much, though. She was just… Well, she was shocked, and the smug look on his face told her that he knew.
He knew everything, somehow, and it only made him drive her all the more insane.
When Lucy hopped down from the counter, she hadn't expected how weak her legs would feel. She'd been more than happy for Bickslow to steady her though, and she looked up with a slightly shaky laugh and a grin as her hands found their way into his hair again. "We should've done this a long time ago," she murmured before her lips found his, and pushed him towards the hall.
"Definitely," Bickslow agreed. That was one thing he was certain of, but he was just a little disappointed that it really would probably not be happening again. But that only gave him a reason to enjoy her all the more. "But god, you're beautiful." And she was. But that suddenly wasn't enough in his head, and in the brief moments he had where he could pull his mouth away from hers as he walked backwards down the hall and to his bedroom, he added, "And gorgeous. And so goddamn sexy. And I'm really wondering just why the fuck Laxus would even want to let go of—"
"Shut up already."
He nodded as he fell down onto the edge of the bed. Yeah, talk about her ex when you want to fuck her. Good fucking job. So he remained silent and just let Lucy do whatever the fuck she wanted to do to him, and apparently, that was get his shirt off. Her movements were slow, only dragging her short nails down from his shoulders and down to his stomach, making each muscle she passed over twitch and almost making him flinch. If he'd known exactly just what he could do to her, Lucy was the same. She knew his weakness, or at least one of them, and all he was able to do was keep his hands at his sides and wrapped around the edge of the mattress so he didn't just pull her up and put her on her back. Bickslow would much rather be the one to be undressing her, but he'd cope with this for now, because seeing her slowly slide down to kneel on the floor in front of him was far too enticing and made his cock twitch excitedly.
"I'm just remembering something," Lucy said, the corner of the painted-red lips he hadn't had enough of for that night lifting up and matching the devious look in her eyes.
"Yeah?"
"I get to see the rest of your tattoos now."
He laughed as she sat up slightly just to dip her fingers into the waistband, and only watched as she slowly inched his shorts down with his boxer briefs until the entirety of the tattoo he'd been refusing to tell her about was visible. He shrugged when her eyes flicked back up, questioning but filled with amusement, and he said, "Blame Laxus for that one."
Her own laugh slipped past her lips as he raised his hips so she could pull the last of his clothes away completely, his length springing free, and she shook her head as she stood up and only moved so she was climbing up onto the edge of the bed instead. "Why does it not surprise me you have a tattoo that says 'blow me'?"
"Because you know I'm a womanising asshole and I just really love getting head and it saves me asking?"
"Hmm, no. I don't think so," Lucy said as she refrained from rolling her hips over him as she pushed him back. She could feel the hard length of him sliding against her as his hands gripped at her ass and pulled her down. She wasn't quite done with the smirking Seith mage just yet, and she quickly sat up again just to kneel on the bed beside him instead. "But come on. I wanna see the other one."
He groaned. "What? Why? You already know what it is."
"Still want to see it."
"You're fucking weird," Bickslow muttered, and he rolled slightly once he'd reached the middle of the bed and had his head on the pillows – the same place she'd pointed to, and he was sure as hell going to do whatever she wanted – so she could see the red lips tattooed on one cheek. "Happy now?"
"Very."
"I'm so glad," Bickslow rolled his eyes, and when she climbed over him again, he pulled her down until he was nestled between her thighs and her lips were on his, and he didn't stop himself from pushing his hips up into her to get the moan against his tongue he wanted to hear. "Now can I fuck you yet?" Was he getting just a little impatient? Yeah, he really fucking was, but his entire body was aching with need, mostly just to be inside her already, that he would honestly take anything she offered him too.
She shook her head as that devious smirk came back. "Not yet." No, she still had more to do, and even though her core was clenching with the need to have Bickslow inside her and making her see stars – seriously, if that had just been what his fingers could do, she really had high expectations for what the rest of him could do – she wasn't going to let that happen just yet.
Slowly, she moved down his body as he propped himself up on his elbows, and the only thought going through his head when her hand wrapped around his shaft was that he really wished there was a mirror on the wall at the end of his bed, and not just a chest of drawers and a place for the lacrima-vision on the wall above it. That would have been a sight, with her ass up in the air and kneeling between his legs… And she was still wearing all of her clothes.
Well, almost all of them.
The length of him felt heavy in her hand as she slowly stroked up and down the rigid shaft, and she relished the low groan that barrelled up and out of him as he fell back to the pillows behind him. He'd made her come undone, and that's all Lucy wanted to do to him. Leaning down then as she looked up and saw his eyes closed, her tongue snaked out from between her lips and circled the flared head before she sank her mouth down over him.
"O-Oh, Jesus…" He opened his eyes then and sat back up on his elbows when he felt the warm heat around him, and was only greeted by the sight of her full red lips sliding up and down over his cock. He'd honestly been quite happy with just her hand, for however brief it had been, but her mouth was just so much better, and she looked a whole lot better down there than he thought anyone could.
So maybe if he was well on his way to hell, they were taking a detour through heaven or something. That was more than fine with Bickslow, because what Lucy was doing was far too good, and he would have been glad to just lie there all day and let her tongue glide up and down his shaft. He never would have guessed that Lucy Heartfilia was good at giving head. Never in a million years.
Well… Maybe not all day, but he'd gladly take as long as he could even manage. Or as long as she wanted to, really.
When he felt himself slip into the back of her throat, he only looked up again and met her eyes with a dark grin. "Fuck, now that's sexy," he rasped, biting on his bottom lip to keep the moan from slipping past when she pulled her lips completely off and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. She'd never taken anyone in that far before, mostly because she hadn't wanted to, but with Bickslow, she'd wanted all of him. "Where's a camera when I need one?"
Her eyes narrowed. "You wouldn't fucking dare."
"Oh, I would. I so would." Not that he would need it of course, because he was pretty sure that image was ingrained in his head for good and it would most likely be the image at the forefront of his mind at some point or other in the near future. "Don't worry, Cosplayer. I wouldn't take a picture of you with my dick in your mouth. Not unless you wanted me to, anyway."
"Which I don't, you perv." Well, she didn't think she did, because that would be weird, and she really didn't think she'd want that kind of photo getting into the wrong hands. That would only leave her completely mortified.
But… That didn't exactly stop her going back to what she'd been doing before, because she'd been enjoying it more than she ever had, really, and hearing someone like Bickslow moan because of her was only making her want him all the more. His hand went to the back of her head then, and she didn't need to glance back up to know he still had that god-awful sinful smirk on his lips. "Mmm, just like that," he hummed, watching as she dragged her mouth up the length of him once again, and circled the flared head her tongue before diving back down.
Their detour through heaven was far better he expected, and he fell back to the pillows and dropped his hand again when he felt the vibrations of her quiet moans run right through him. The woman knew exactly what she was doing, and holy hell was Bickslow glad for that. Almost too glad, really, because her mouth was wreaking far too much havoc on him and he could feel that same tingle in the base of his spine. "Fuck, Lucy…" He looked up again and only reached out to try and gently pull her off of him. "You gotta stop."
He was sure he heard what sounded like a 'nuh-uh' and it only made him make a sound that resembled a whimper. But somewhere deep down, he really did not fucking care one tiny bit. All he could do was stare down at her as she continued pushing him towards the edge that was way too close as it was with her hand and her perfect mouth.
"S-Shit, you… Oh g-god, Lucy."
There was something about hearing Bickslow use her actual name in between his panting breaths and moans that had almost her entire body trembling. Each sound he made because of her was something she had never thought she would absolutely love hearing, and when she felt the throbbing length she had her lips wrapped around grow more rigid in her hand, she could help but moan around him again.
Just that last little moan seemed to be what sent Bickslow over the edge though, and as the first of his release travelled up his hard length, he found his hands fisting in the sheets. "F-Fuck, Lucy!" he moaned, and he couldn't tear his eyes away from the blonde between his legs at the end of the bed as he erupted within the warm cavern that was her mouth, coating her tongue and the back of her throat. He shuddered as he fell back again with another moan, and again when she felt her finally swallow around him before pulling off with a pop and letting her tongue glide up from the base to the tip once more.
Was there anything better than heaven? Because wherever Bickslow was then, it certainly wasn't heaven. It was far too good for that.
"Just how much sugar have you had today?" Lucy asked as she slowly climbed back up his body, and looked down to Bickslow with a wicked grin. She already knew Bickslow had an insane sweet tooth – honestly, he had an entire cabinet filled with all sorts of sweets and anything overloaded with sugar, and being that it was Halloween, it wouldn't have surprised her if he'd been eating it all day – but he had tasted far too sweet. But not in a bad way, either. She was honestly just curious, because as someone who ordinarily didn't particularly enjoy someone finishing in her mouth, she would gladly let Bickslow do that again.
It was a little odd to her, truly, but it didn't help that she also really happened to love his tattoo… Even if she didn't quite know how Laxus had been involved in him getting it.
"Not much," he answered, still a little breathless as he opened his eyes to see the blonde above him with her hair cascading around his face. Pulling her down to him with one hand on the back of her neck and the other on her hip, he chuckled against her lips when he tasted himself on her tongue. "Pineapple juice."
"Pineapple juice?"
It was hands down his favourite fruit, and he was well aware of just one of the particular benefits of drinking it were. Was it on purpose though? Not at all. "You can thank me for my unnatural love for pineapple later," he rasped. Quickly, he pushed Lucy up, and rolled her until she was on her back just next to where he'd been lying, and was hovering over her and grinning wickedly. "We're not done yet."
For the second time in the space of a few hours, they were both woken up by Scarlett crying for whatever reason. The first time, it had been close to four a.m., and if Lucy had been able to get out of bed and find her clothes to go home then, she probably would have. But no, she really hadn't been able to walk very well, something that had never happened to her, and Bickslow's argument had been that until the sun came up, she wasn't going anywhere, nor was she going to put on any of her clothes that were scattered around his bedroom floor.
Did Lucy complain about that though? Oh no. Not at all. Those were terms she had happily agreed to.
The second time Scarlett woke up though, it was at a much more reasonable time, and as Lucy opened her eyes, she had to close them again just because of the light streaming in through the windows on the back wall. She didn't know what time it was, but Lucy was sure it was far too early for her to be awake after the night she'd had.
But… She also knew that she really did have to get out of bed, because it was Bickslow's bed, and as comfortable as it was, she really needed to go home. And shower. And probably just try and pretend that sleeping with Bickslow wasn't a big deal and that she wasn't more confused about how she was feeling more than ever, and that she had most definitely not had the best sex of her life with him.
Not at all.
But Lucy was sure she wouldn't be forgetting any of her night for some time, not when he'd managed to do things that Lucy hadn't even been sure were possible, and quite literally made her toes curl and stars appear behind her eyelids more than once. Three times, he'd made her do that, along with scream and make her strangely amazed – and so thankful – at just what a newborn could sleep through. Or technically, four times, if she counted that time after four in the morning after Scarlett had been put back down. To say it was a new record for Lucy was an understatement (because at the best of times, she'd only ever been able climax once, and it was really only ever from oral, strangely. Twice if she was lucky though, which was a rare occurrence), and she'd never once actually had to have someone stop her from falling on her ass because she couldn't even stand on her own two feet. But Bickslow had enjoyed that, even if Lucy had been pretty sure she had been on the verge of blacking out and that there was really a limit to how much she could handle – not that she ever thought she would reach that limit.
Just like he'd somehow seemed to enjoy far too much that he'd been the one and only to get her to experience things that she hadn't even thought possible. It had been far too entertaining, and incredibly satisfying too, but part of that satisfaction was really just because it meant that not even Laxus had been able to get her even close to screaming Laxus' name like she had with him. That little bit of information had really just gone straight to his ego.
Like Lucy knew though, Bickslow knew it was time to get out of bed and start the new day, again, even though he really didn't want to, because just a week of being a parent and foregoing sleep had sucked. But he had to get up, because his daughter was crying and he had to take care of her.
With a groan, Bickslow finally began pulling himself out of his far too comfortable and warm bed. He tossed the sheets and blanket back behind him as he slowly sat up, and the muffled laugh that came from behind him when they only landed on Lucy and covered her had Bickslow chuckling quietly to himself before she found a pillow flung at the back of his head.
"That was unnecessary," Lucy mumbled, rolling onto her back as Bickslow picked up the shorts he'd had on the night before and pulled them on before quickly rushing around the bed and over to where Scarlett was in her bassinet in front of the partly closed curtains.
"So was throwing a pillow at me," Bickslow replied. Turning his attention to the near screaming tiny human just in front of him, he winced – maybe he'd drunk more than he thought after all – as he picked her up. "Come on, little tiny human that I helped create," Bickslow gently said as he walked back around the bed and towards the bathroom. "Time to get you to stop crying."
Lucy sighed as she stared up at the ceiling. Scarlett's crying seemed to drown out Bickslow's complaining about her moving too much, but it somehow seemed to bring a smile to her face. He didn't even need her there anymore. He hadn't needed her past the first day, because somehow, he'd seemed to figure out or learn to do on his own. Sure, Lucy had helped him a little bit, like with shopping and just knowing even the simple things like how to hold Scarlett correctly or even comfort her when that was all she wanted and needed.
But most of that week, Lucy hadn't needed to be there. She'd stayed though, and if anything, she'd only been there to keep Bickslow company. The problem with all of that though, was that Lucy was finding herself not wanting to leave. She'd enjoyed being there far too much, and she knew that once his team got back and she wasn't really needed or maybe even wanted there anymore, she'd be sad.
It didn't help that she'd gotten far too attached to Scarlett in just the space of a week too. It had nothing to do with how she feels about Bickslow, which, was really just a mess because she really didn't know how she felt about Bickslow. Lucy knew she'd have to eventually figure that out though. It just wasn't going to be right then, when she was lying in Bickslow's bed without a single shred of clothing.
Thinking that, Lucy took that as her cue to actually get up and find her clothes – if you could even call them that. Sluggishly, Lucy sat up and pulled the sheet with her, and pulled it completely from the bed as she stood so she could wrap herself up in it. She saw her pleated skirt caught on the edge of the chest at the ottoman of his bed, and her shirt on the floor just in front of her. But her bra she couldn't see anywhere, nor her underwear, but she could vaguely remember them being lost in the kitchen.
When she noticed the heavy rain just outside, Lucy sighed quietly before she finally picked up the clothes she could actually find. Of course it's raining. The one time she wasn't able to call on any of her trusty spirits to bring her some more appropriate clothes because she'd left her keys at home since she'd been sure she wouldn't need them at the guild that night, and apparently, it just seemed to be the one time Loke seemed content with not making any surprise visits. If anything, it was the one time Lucy wanted him to, just because it would mean she'd be able to get him to bring her some much more suitable clothes, and would make her walk of shame just a little less shameful.
"Oh, look who can actually walk now."
Lucy looked up when Bickslow walked into the room, and rolled her eyes when she realised she didn't have anything to throw at him. "Oh, shut up," she muttered. He walked past her to put Scarlett back in her bassinet so he could go back and find some of his own clothes to put on, and as she continued to look around the room, Lucy asked, "Hey, do you by any chance know where my bra is?"
It was then that Bickslow picked up on the faint laughter of the babies in his head, but he had no clue as to what they were laughing about. Probably just enjoying this entire situation as much as I am. Because really, Lucy Heartfilia was naked in his bedroom, and there was a part of him that was convinced he was dreaming. He shrugged. "No idea."
"Well, you're the one who took it off me, so you should know where it is."
"I was more interested in getting it off you than caring about where it went."
She huffed as Bickslow came back out of the wardrobe, the loose shorts he had on replaced by grey track pants and a sweatshirt with the sleeves pushed up to his elbows. "You're not going to help me find it, are you?"
Bickslow shook his head as he picked up Scarlett once again, and gave Lucy a dark grin as he passed her again as he lightly tugged on the sheet she held up around her breasts. "Not a chance," he answered, finally passing her and heading out into the hall with his back towards Lucy. "I've got a kid to look after, remember?" It didn't help that he really found it too amusing, even though he probably shouldn't.
So Bickslow left Lucy in his room to get dressed – sort of – while he got himself some breakfast after setting Scarlett down in her little bouncer in the living area just next to the kitchen. But of course, that was only after he remembered and realised that he needed to clean the counters – or at least just one part of it.
It was pretty hard to focus on anything though, like just when he was going to head to the hospital or some doctor to get Scarlett checked up since apparently – according to something he'd read, anyway – newborns needed to have check ups around the time they were two weeks old, and based on the date on the hospital birth records he had, she was exactly two weeks old right then. He had considered not going, but Bickslow really just wanted to make sure he wasn't epically screwing her up or making her sick or anything. She was little and she couldn't talk; her only form of communication was crying and screaming, and even then, Bickslow barely knew what cry meant what. He really just guessed, but he knew that was to be expected since he'd only had her for a week. But with the babies zooming around the living room, twirling and squealing like the little devils they were, Bickslow wasn't exactly thinking about just how he was going to manage going out in public with a newborn that no one knew about. Instead, he was worrying about just what his immortal children were up to.
He always knew when they were up to no good, because it was almost always. But right then, Bickslow was definitely sure there was something going on. "Why are you lot in such a good mood this morning?" he silently asked as he placed the cleaning supplies back in the cupboard under the sink, only to stand back up and stare at the small piece of orange material that was still hanging from the faucet. Lucy would no doubt be coming out to look for those shortly. "Did you already go and terrorise someone?" he continued, curiously and cautiously watching the five of them circle his daughter who only seemed to ignore the flying tikis before Pappa stopped and settled himself in next to her to gently nuzzle her cheek.
"Nope!" they replied.
"Then do you maybe want to share just why you're so happy?"
To that, they ignored him and only giggled quietly and continued to fly around and get dangerously close to hitting the side of Bickslow's head as they usually did in the mornings while he went around and began to finally sort out his breakfast. He did consider that their enthusiasm was probably just because he managed to get himself laid after a strangely lonely couple of months, and by Lucy no less, but he knew it wasn't that.
Lucy came back out after a few minutes, her arms folded protectively around herself. The white blouse she had on was wrinkled from how it had been tied up the night before. Even then though, Lucy was realising just how cold it actually was that morning, and with her bra missing – something that Lucy had no idea just how or why – she was all the more aware of that. Her shirt really wasn't that thick, and Lucy was actually beginning to regret her choice of Halloween costumes.
She was not, however, regretting her choice to splurge on that two-thousand Jewel setting spray that really worked wonders on her makeup. Not a single smudge from her eyeliner or lipstick. She was thankful for the little things.
She grimaced when she saw Bickslow leaning against the end of the island counter and watching Scarlett while spinning the lace material that somehow classed as underwear around on one finger. "Oh my god," Lucy hissed as she snatched them from his hand, her face quickly heating up and spreading towards her ears. "Don't do that."
Bickslow couldn't help but watch in amusement as Lucy hid herself behind one of the barstools and the counter and slipped them up her legs, all while looking completely mortified and embarrassed. "Really?" Bickslow said, placing his cup of coffee down on the counter behind him as he watched Lucy walk back around to the middle of the kitchen to grab her heels. "Hiding behind a counter even though I saw you oh so wonderfully naked just a few hours ago?"
"Yes, I am," Lucy answered. Of the things that Lucy was comfortable doing, getting dressed in someone else's kitchen was not one of them. She had just a few standards, and she very much enjoyed having her dignity intact. "So that just leaves my bra," she muttered to herself as she stood back up. When the babies flying above them started giggling, both Lucy and Bickslow looked up, and Lucy narrowed her eyes at them suspiciously, as did Bickslow. "What's up with them?"
"I'm not too sure…"
"Uh-huh…" Lucy didn't know much about the souls that were housed in the totems, but she did know that they were quite often up to no good. Because of that, she decided not to worry about it. She figured it was just the babies being the flying mischievous brats they were. "Well, I should be off," she announced suddenly.
"Oh. Okay," Bickslow replied indifferently. Yeah, staying for breakfast might be just a little weird considering you just fucked her… Twice. Better not screw anything else up with her. She'd been about to pull the door open when Bickslow suddenly said, "Wait a minute."
Lucy turned back to look to Bickslow curiously before he quickly pushed himself off from the edge of the counter and was crossing to the hall. He ducked into his walk-in wardrobe then and opened one of the drawers in the unit to pull out the first thing he could find that wouldn't end up being the size of a tent or something on her. He ended up pulling out a dark grey hoodie that he'd practically lived in for a year when he'd been nineteen. It didn't even fit him anymore and it had been sitting in a drawer for the better part of three-odd years, but he still couldn't just throw it away.
But after staring at it for just a moment, he sighed in defeat and quickly headed back down the hall once again. He'd feel bad if Lucy got a cold or anything from walking home in the rain and dressed like she was, and it was one of the only things he owned that really wouldn't be a million sizes too big on the blonde.
He held the jumper out to her, and before she could question it, Bickslow explained, "It's raining, and aside from the fact you're wearing a white shirt, I'd feel bad if you got sick on your way home." Reaching down into the tall basket that was next to the door and up against the edge of the corner lounge in that room, he picked up one of the three umbrellas – Bickslow was pretty sure it was actually Freed's, but that didn't matter – and offered it to Lucy. "Take this too."
"Are you always this nice to the people you sleep with come morning?" Lucy asked with the corner of her mouth pulling up into a small smirk as she pulled the hoodie on over her head and picked up the umbrella again.
Bickslow snickered as he picked up his coffee cup again. "Fuck no," he chuckled. Then added, "I want that hoodie back by the way. The shirt I don't really care about—"
"You'll get the shirt back when I get mine back."
"I honestly have no idea where it went."
"So you lost my shirt?"
Bickslow nodded. "Apparently." Though, he hadn't meant to lose it. He'd gone to wash it so he could give it back to her just a couple of days earlier – or really, it had been about three a.m. and he'd still been awake because Scarlett was refusing to sleep – when he'd realised it was gone. How it had gone missing, he had no idea.
Lucy arched a still perfectly defined eyebrow at the man. "Is this just a thing then?" she asked, the amusement in her voice. "First my shirt, now my bra? Am I just going to keep losing clothes if I take them off here?"
"You're welcome to test that theory."
"You wish," Lucy laughed.
"I do." Oh, he so wished… "But seriously," he continued. "Keep the shirt for all I care, and the umbrella too if you want because I'm pretty sure it's Freed's anyway. But the hoodie I want back."
Lucy rolled her eyes and unfolded her arms to reach for the door handle again. "Yeah, yeah. You'll get it back… Eventually." Pulling the door open and wincing at the cold air that seemed to have goosebumps raising on her legs, she took just one step forward before she stopped and looked over her shoulder with a wicked grin. "Oh, and… One more thing," she said quietly, and Bickslow only blinked at her over the top of his mug as he took a slow sip. "I think I get what you were saying about your tongue piercing now."
She managed to catch Bickslow choking on his coffee and almost spilling it all over himself and the floor before she closed the door behind her, leaving him alone in his kitchen to regain his composure again. Of all the thing he had expected her to say, it had not been that. But he certainly wasn't going to complain, because if it was one thing he had learned over the last several hours, it was that Lucy had a mouth – a wonderfully perfect and wicked mouth, if Bickslow had to actually describe it – and she wasn't even close to being the perfect angel that she let most people believe she was.
But with Lucy heading home, hopefully keeping somewhat warm and dry now, Bickslow turned his attention back to the floating devils. They'd been unusually quiet, not chiming in in his head with any stray comments about Lucy like he'd expected them to, so if he hadn't been entirely sure of their trickery before, he was now.
It was just that Bickslow was sure he knew what it was about too.
Sighing, he only rolled his eyes as he gently placed the mug down on the counter behind him again, and asked, "Okay, where the fuck did you hide it?" Bickslow might have had no idea where her shirt had gone, and he was sure he wouldn't be finding it any time soon because he didn't even know where to begin to look for it, but her bra, on the other hand… Bickslow had a feeling that the babies had had something to do with that disappearing.
And just like he'd thought, he watched Pippi and Poppo – the two who had originally apparently been twins when they'd actually been alive and were often the ones causing the most trouble with the other three just going along with it – stop twirling around by the light fixtures in the kitchen above the island, and zoom straight up the stairs. Just a moment later they were coming back down, holding the black lacy bra between them.
He caught it just as they separated and dropped it, joining their immortal siblings once again and laughing at their little prank as Bickslow only shook his head. "God, you lot are a nightmare sometimes," he muttered. "Just what the hell am I going to do with this now?"
"Keep it," Puppu suggested.
"Yeah, like that's going to happen," Bickslow scoffed. God forbid anyone decided to ever go through his wardrobe one day, he didn't want to have to explain why he had a bra. 'Oh, yeah, the babies kind of stole it and it's actually not mine' was sure to go down well.
"Give it back to her?" Pappa said.
"Which would mean I'd have to suggest that you lot," his gaze flicked up to the two troublemakers then, "Are actually insane and have a thing for stealing clothes," he added. "You didn't steal her shirt too, did you?"
"The shirt is your fault."
Bickslow sighed. "Yeah, figured as much." He only held up the bra again to try and figure out just what he was supposed to do before he sighed again. Having one of the babies come down, he hung it over the wooden doll and gave it a silent order to take it to the laundry – maybe it would disappear into some black hole that apparently existed in there. He could maybe deal with it later, or try and figure out just how he was supposed to explain that little situation to her the next time she came over.
For now, though, he was going to be a somewhat good parent (or so he thought) and spend time with his daughter. Pushing away from the counter again, he bent down to pick up Scarlett with a wide grin and then headed towards the lounge room. "Whaddya say, Scarlett? Tummy time now?"
A bath.
That was what Lucy wanted at that exact moment, now that she was home. A nice long, warm, relaxing bath. Partly because she was cold as hell, since an incredibly short skirt and an incredibly warm hoodie were not the things she should have been wearing when it was raining and borderline storming, and partly because she ached in places that she didn't quite want to be.
Not that she was complaining though, either, because she wasn't. Not even close.
With her bath rising slowly next to her, filling with room with steam and the scent of her lemon and lime bubble bath, Lucy turned to the mirror and ran a brush through her hair to take out the knots that had formed overnight and from her makeshift finger comb to get it up in a messy bun when she'd still been at Bickslow's. It had, originally, been tied up –
pigtails like she'd originally had a couple years earlier, to be specific – but at some point, the black ribbons she'd had in had been lost, courtesy of Bickslow, actually.
She'd been about to step into her bath when she noticed something in the mirror, and she stopped and quickly returned to be in front of it. She blinked at her reflection after wiping her hand across the surface. "Son of a bitch," she breathed. Her fingers glided over the small discoloured patch of skin on her shoulder, and she groaned in frustration as she stepped back from her bathroom mirror and finally turned her attention back to the bath she'd drawn.
The moron had given her a goddamn hickey. When, Lucy couldn't really place, since her shoulders and neck had received a lot of special attention. But she reasoned it didn't matter all that much, anyway. Sure, she really would have preferred Bickslow hadn't left a stupid mark, but it wasn't the end of the world. Winter was really only a month away, and with the weather being the way it was, Magnolia seemed to be in for a colder one than usual that time. But it was already getting incredibly cold, so Lucy didn't need to worry about anyone else seeing it and god forbid questioning it. Though, if anyone did, that still didn't matter all that much, because she'd just be able to say that it was no one's business.
What she did in her own time was her own business, and apparently, that was thinking about Bickslow.
A lot.
She opened her eyes again with an annoyed sigh as she slid down further into the bath, letting the water come up to her chin. Damn it, Lucy. Don't think about Bickslow. The last thing Lucy wanted to be doing was thinking about him more than she already had been, especially when right then, it only meant thinking of the previous night. Or, morning, technically.
But oh, could Lucy not stop herself from doing just that, even though she really did not want to. And sighing contentedly from already beginning to feel herself relax in the hot water, Lucy closed her eyes again after turning the taps to stop her bath from overflowing.
"Tell me who's better."
Lucy shook her head, and she only whimpered when he rolled his hips into her. It wasn't what she wanted, not in the slightest, but it was enough to have her almost wanting to give him the answer he wanted just so he would go back to fucking her into oblivion.
"Tell me," he growled again. She could feel his hot breath against her cheek, but she stayed quiet. "Me." He pulled back just to slam into her again, her hand on the wall and his arm around her keeping her from falling forward, and revelled in the loud moan that escaped her lips as her head tipped back to rest on his shoulder. "Or Laxus."
"P-Please," Lucy whimpered. "Just…"
Bickslow chuckled and was smirking wickedly against her as his hands gently smoothed down her sides, keeping her back pressed against his chest. "Tell me then," he whispered in her ear, his teeth grazing against the tender lobe. "Me. Or Laxus. Tell me who's better, and I'll give you exactly what you want."
"Bi-Bickslow, please…"
"Tell me. Tell me who's better at making you cum."
"God, y-you are," she breathed, and she was sure she could sense his ego growing. It was stupid, irrelevant, but she needed him to make her do what only he had been ever able to do, and he wasn't going to do that without getting the answer he wanted and already knew to be true. "You are," she whispered again. "Please, just fuck me again already."
And before she had even begged him to, he was tightening his grip on her hips and slamming his hips back into her and making her forget how to even think. "Gladly."
Lucy's eyes shot open, and she glanced down at herself through the bubbles that had dispersed on the surface. With a yelp, she frantically pulled her hand up from where it had been between her legs, and her fingers closed around the rim of the tub as she tried to calm her apparent laboured breathing. No. Dear god no, that did not just happen. Lucy didn't even want to know why she'd been doing that subconsciously. All she could be glad for was that Natsu hadn't decided to visit her that morning, because more than once, he'd walked in on Lucy doing things that neither of them had wanted to see or be caught doing. He might be her best friend, but some things were just not meant to seen.
Just like some things were not meant to be remembered or even acknowledged.
Lucy had been planning on acting like the mature adult, just because she had no reason not to. So what if she'd had sex with Bickslow? It didn't matter. It didn't matter just how mind blowing it had been either. She hadn't exactly thought much about why he had wanted to compare himself to her ex and his best friend, but now she was finding it more than a little odd, even though she really wouldn't have changed the answer she'd eventually given him if he'd asked her again. He was better than Laxus. Laxus hadn't been horrible, but… Bickslow was better with everything, and it really wasn't just because he happened to be particularly skilled with a certain pierced muscle.
Still though, life would just go on as normal. They were just two people who had decided to have some fun and there was nothing weird about that. They were great friends, but there was nothing between them at all.
It was no big deal that they'd slept together.
"Oh, who am I kidding," Lucy groaned, and she tried to sink further into the bath as she dragged her wet hands down her face. "It's weird."
It was a big deal, and even though she hadn't thought it weird before, it was now. And it was all because there was something between them. Or at least, Lucy thought there was, even though it was driving her insane that she didn't understand it. So she might like him just a tiny bit, not that she really knew just where those stupid feelings had come from in just a week, but all of it was what made it complicated. He was one of her closest friends, and it wasn't exactly like she'd planned on fucking him or even thinking about fucking up their friendship. But it wasn't exactly like she'd regretted the night, either. Oh no. It had just been somewhat unexpected, regardless of how she'd been feeling all week.
But the point remained was that it was kind of weird now, just because Bickslow was her friend. And then there was that entire issue where she had dated his best friend. Granted, it had been a short and doomed relationship, but still. She was, as Bickslow had put it many times, off limits. Ordinarily, she had hated that, just because it was her life and she should have been able to sleep with anyone she wanted, regardless of her past relationships, but now…
Now, she was realising that there really were people she should not ever sleep with, and she should most definitely not have feelings for.
It wasn't exactly like she was going to walk into the guild later that day and just announce that she'd slept with the guy. She wasn't going to do that any day. Not ever. Aside from it being no one's business just who she slept with, Lucy just really did not want people to find out, even if it was just one particular person she didn't want finding out about it.
She had no feelings whatsoever for Laxus, but that was one thing that Lucy really hoped he never found out about. She was just a little worried about what would happen to Bickslow if he did, because the way Bickslow had been talking about the 'bro code' that week… Well, she didn't want the guy getting hurt.
Zapped, maybe. And she would gladly watch Laxus do it. But she kinda liked the guy, unfortunately, and she also really liked his daughter. If something happened to Bickslow, then who would be there for sweet, little, precious Scarlett? No one.
It was really just all about Scarlett. Not Bickslow. Or Laxus. Well, sort of.
But still. Lucy knew absolutely nothing about the so called 'bro code', and she even doubted its existence ninety-nine percent of the time, but it seemed like the kind of thing that could ruin a friendship, and that was the last thing she wanted to do. It was really just best that Laxus didn't find out they'd slept together.
Ever.
When Lucy sat herself down on the opposite side of the table, Gajeel only raised a pierced eyebrow at her. Levy, beside him, only smiled brightly as she lifted her head from her pile of books.
"Morning, Lu," Levy slurred.
Lucy giggled quietly at the blue-haired mage opposite her and took a small sip of her strawberry and banana smoothie. "Feeling a little hungover, Levy?" Lucy asked. Levy nodded with her chin resting on her arms. "Why didn't you stay in bed then?"
Levy groaned and dropped her head to rest on the books again. The leather bindings were strangely soft and somewhat comfortable. "Erza passed out in my bed at like three a.m. and she kept trying to snuggle," Levy answered. She adored Erza, but snuggling just really wasn't her thing, especially when the Requip mage was drunk.
But drunk and snuggly Erza was something that Lucy all knew too well, and she understood why Levy would prefer to be in the guild rather than her own bed, even though when Lucy had left the night before, she'd still been at the guild and drinking with Cana and Juvia. Smiling and shrugging, Lucy giggled quietly again and only said, "Sorry." She wasn't sorry of course. Not really, anyway. Lucy was really just glad that she wasn't terribly hungover herself. She had a small headache, but that's nothing a bit of water and ibuprofen can't take care of.
She looked to Gajeel when she felt his dark eyes on her though, and she only blinked a few times while her eyes slimmed slightly. Releasing the straw from her lips, Lucy slowly said, "You're looking at me weirdly."
Was he? Oh yes. He was. Gajeel wasn't going to shy away from that fact. "You smell weird," he stated, and Lucy only sat up quickly to stare at him in shock.
"Excuse me?" She'd had a bath, thank you very much! She smelled quite nice, just like she usually did, assuming she hadn't been on a job for the last three days and hadn't been anywhere near a river or a lake to get herself somewhat clean.
"Different," Gajeel added in afterthought. But it wasn't so much different as it was familiar. Different on Lucy, of course, but it only made Gajeel think of someone else. He wasn't quite sure who though. "Who'd you fuck last night?"
Lucy flushed and she avoided his gaze. "T-That's none of your business." Gajeel knew far too much as it was, but Lucy certainly wasn't going to tell him that she'd fucked Bickslow. Oh no. It wasn't necessarily going to go horribly if Gajeel or even Levy found out, but Lucy would much prefer to keep it her little secret, especially since no one even knew Bickslow was still in town. If anyone were to find out that he wasn't with Laxus or the Raijinshuu, things were bound to get problematic, and Lucy really didn't want that for him.
"Well, are you gonna fuck him again?"
"What the hell? Why are you even asking me that?" The answer was no, of course, because Bickslow was her friend, but just why was Gajeel being so goddamn weird that morning? It was honestly beginning to worry Lucy.
"Because you smell really fuckin' good and you really need to ask the guy what he wears," Gajeel answered, and Lucy wasn't the only one giving the Dragon Slayer a look as if to say, 'are you still drunk right now?' He wasn't though. He was barely hungover. It was just that Lucy really did smell really fucking amazing that morning, and Gajeel had only been trying to get Bickslow to tell him the name of whatever he wore, just so he could go and buy some for himself.
Oh! That's it!
It was like a light bulb went off in Gajeel's head. That was why it was so familiar to Gajeel – it reminded him of Bickslow, and Gajeel spent most of his time around the man when he was in the guild. He unfortunately knew just what the Seith mage smelled like, the joys of heightened senses, and right then, Gajeel could recognise that same smell lingering on Lucy – the faint citrus, woods, and musk blending in with her own natural scent of vanilla, and strangely, lime in that exact moment.
He knew it wasn't actually because of Bickslow though, even if Gajeel was almost wanting to question just why she happened to smell so distinctly of him, and not just the actual cologne or whatever it was he wore. The guy was out with his team, so even if he had been stupid enough to sleep with her (and Lucy with him), it just couldn't have been Bickslow.
Whoever Lucy had slept with after leaving the guild that night just happened to wear the same brand as Bickslow did, and Gajeel really wanted to know what it was. "Bix, the mother fucker, keeps refusing to tell me what it is he wears," he sighed wistfully. Not quite realising that Lucy choking on her smoothie right then was because of the mention of Bickslow specifically, Gajeel added, "Whoever you fucked last night wears the same stuff as Bix, so if you're gonna see the guy again, ask him what he wears, will ya?"
"U-Um… Okay," Lucy mumbled. She hadn't really known what to say until then, and then then, she wasn't sure if it had been the right thing to actually say. Lucy wasn't even sure if she would have been able to get her brain into gear to say anything that was actually somewhat intelligent. She doubted it, though. Stupid Dragon Slayers and their stupid noses.
Even if she was internally freaking out about the fact that she still somehow managed to smell like Bickslow (which was really honestly just a little disturbing and it was borderline making her skin crawl), she was just a little glad that it had been Gajeel, rather than Laxus or even Natsu. Laxus probably would've just kept his mouth shut but known something was slightly off, but he knew Bickslow better than most people so Lucy wouldn't be that shocked if he would've been able to guess that it was Bickslow and not just someone who happened to wear the same cologne or deodorant or whatever the fuck else as him. Natsu, on the other hand, probably would have just straight out asked her why she smelled a little like the Seith mage. If either of those things had happened, Lucy would probably have been wanting to find the nearest cliff to throw herself off of.
Was she being a little dramatic and blowing the entire thing out of proportion? Yes. She was vaguely aware of that. But really, the last thing she wanted or needed right then was anyone knowing about Bickslow. It wasn't even just because she didn't want it to be known they slept together (she wasn't embarrassed though. It was just… A complicated situation that didn't need to be made any more complicated). Bickslow needed his privacy because of Scarlett, and that would be gone if even one person found out about them before he was ready to start actually telling people that his life had dramatically changed overnight.
Not even Gajeel could know about anything yet, even if he was one of Bickslow's best friends and it was bad enough that he had picked up on something that Lucy hadn't even thought possible until then.
The problem right then though, was that Lucy was sure she would say something she shouldn't if she stayed there. Gajeel had put her in a state of panic that was making her far too uncomfortable. She needed to go and… Talk to Bickslow, actually. Aside from asking him just what in the actual fuck had been going through his head when he'd decided to ask her just who was a better fuck between himself and Laxus, she just needed to get all of her worry and frustration about the newfound problem she faced with Gajeel out.
She could really do most of that in the comfort of her own home where she would be free to pace and worry to her heart's content, but she almost wanted to be around Bickslow. Damn it, whatever the hell he'd done to her was driving her insane. On one hand, all she wanted to do was ignore the guy and try and pretend that everything was normal and nothing was weird, but on the other hand, she only wanted to spend all of her time with him – clothes or no clothes. She didn't even care about that detail. She just wanted to be near him, because something was telling her that even when he was partly the cause of half of her frustration and worry right then, he was what would calm her down, too.
She didn't understand any of it in the slightest though, and that worried her.
Putting her strawberry and banana smoothie aside, Lucy cleared her throat awkwardly and stood up from the bench. She still didn't meet Gajeel's gaze, because even then, he still seemed to be looking at her the same way he had before – like he was trying to figure out something, and Lucy needed to stop him from doing that. "I'm uh… I think I'm just going to go home. Maybe lie down for a little while or something," Lucy mumbled.
"I wish I could do that," Levy groaned into her books.
The blonde smiled at her friend, and her eyes quickly flicked back to Gajeel who was still watching her intently. She liked Gajeel. He was best friends with her best friend, and by extension, that made him one of her best friends too. But as much as she liked him, she hated that he knew too much about everything. "I'll see you later, I guess."
As Lucy left, Gajeel kept watching her. Something wasn't right, and the blonde was a terrible liar. Gajeel knew she wasn't going home to lie down though. Oh no. She was going somewhere else, and Gajeel would be damned if he wasn't going to find out where, because somehow, he seemed to know that it had something to do with a certain Seith mage.
What could he say though? He liked a good mystery novel and he was prone to gut feelings, and picking Levy up by her arm, Gajeel pulled her out of the guild and let his inner detective out.
A/Ns: This chapter was originally supposed to be a little longer (and the first scene was supposed to be like twice the length, but there was no way I was writing all of that out), but I decided to end it here, just because of everything that will be in the next chapter. Hehehe. But, yeah... I'm not sure what I'm writing anymore. I've been working on this chapter for a while and it was giving me all sorts of trouble so that's why it has taken this long. Plus... Yeah. Smut. Can't do it. Permanent cringe-state when I write and read it in my own stories.
But still, I hope you liked this chapter!
Until next time!
- April