And now I tell you openly

You have my heart so don't hurt me

You're what I couldn't find

A totally amazing mind

I awoke suddenly with a start, gasping for breath and cheeks wet from crying in my sleep. My dreams didn't often plague me in the waking world like this one had, and I hated the feeling. I wearily wiped the tears from my face before grabbing the blankets from where they'd been kicked down around my legs and throwing them back over me. Despite getting a full night of sleep I felt drained, and I truly had no reason to get up anyway. I laid in bed for far too long, cuddling with my stuffed blue monkey. Eventually, I got tired of laying there and decided to get up. My stomach was painfully empty, so I padded towards the kitchen to see about getting some food. After searching my mostly empty fridge and pantry for something to eat, I didn't see anything I wanted.

"Well, guess I should probably go grab some groceries." I sigh, closing the cupboard and heading to my closet to get dressed.

I wasn't sure whether I wanted to visit the guild today, but I definitely needed to get out of the house a little. There were plenty of errands I could get done, and then I needed to unpack my gear. After getting ready I quickly grab a handful of jewels to spend before heading out. I strolled leisurely down to my favorite café for some caffeine and breakfast before my errands. I was starting to get a bit sluggish from lack of food and desperately needed something to eat. It was the first time I'd stopped by in months, but most of the employees knew me from previous visits. Even the newer ones were aware of who I was due to the most recent Grand Magic Games. I chatted casually with some of them about the games while I waited for my food, happy to discuss the events. Being back home in Magnolia was truly the best feeling ever after a tough job. After I finished eating, I walked with the rest of my drink in hand to the store to get some groceries. I wasn't sure how long it would be before the others would want to go on a job again, so I only wanted to get enough food to last a few days. As I'm browsing the aisles, I hear someone call my name. To my surprise, I turn to see Cana carrying a basket full of liquor and just a few food items.

"Hey Cana." I smile gently, greeting her with a casual hug and chuckling at the contents of her basket. "I see you've got all the essentials there."

"You know it!" She says, sipping from her flask as we talk, "How was your first job as an official part of the Thunder Legion?"

I sigh loudly at her question. I was doing a good job not thinking about it, but now the memories were flooding back, "It went okay, I guess."

Cana cocks her brow in question "You guess?"

"Well, we completed the job and got our reward… And then some."

"Okaaay, you gonna tell me, or would you rather just be all weird and cryptic like Laki?"

"Sorry…" I can't help but chuckle at her comment. Cana had a great way of keeping my spirits up, and for the first time I felt like I wanted to talk to someone about what happened. "Wanna come by my place and hang out, and we can chat more? I can make you food, and there's plenty to drink. I'll even smoke you out if you want."

She grins at that "Fuck yeah."

We finish up our shopping, talking casually as we do. Cana brings her own groceries over to my house and we store them in my kitchen while we hang out. The card mage helps herself to my alcohol, making both of us some particularly strong mixed drinks while I decide to make a batch of cookies. I preheat my oven before carefully measuring out the ingredients in a bowl. Cana finishes making our drinks and sits at the kitchen island to watch while I work.

"Dang, all that magic power, a banging bod, and she can bake too?" Cana grins "Bickslow probably worships the ground you walk on, doesn't he?

Her comment makes me giggle, a happy blush settling on my cheeks, and I jokingly respond, "He certainly acts like it sometimes."

"I fucking bet! So, how have things been with you two and Laxus?" She asks playfully, and I'm glad she's not just outright asking me about the job. It was nice to catch up a bit first.

"It can get a little complicated, to be honest, but I'm really happy. I love Bickslow, and Laxus is…" I smile softly as I finish stirring the ingredients together, my heart filling with warmth when I think about the man, "He's hard to read sometimes, but I'm enjoying my time with him a lot."

"Good to hear." Cana says, snagging a piece of cookie dough from the bowl while I'm turned away grabbing a baking sheet.

She's barely pulling her hand away when I turn back. I quickly pull the bowl away from the card mage and begin measuring out dough onto the pan as I continue, "Bickslow actually offered to give me and Laxus some alone time so we can get to know each other better."

"Ooooh, get to know each other better, eh?" She grins lecherously, "Man, I bet Laxus is a good lay. All that dragon slayer endurance and shit."

I can't help but roll my eyes at her comment. To be honest it would be a little annoying hearing that from anyone else, but that was just Cana's personality, and I knew she didn't mean anything by it. Clearly, she'd never hooked up with Laxus and I'm sure they would have done it long ago if there was a mutual desire. I wasn't the jealous type by any means, but when it came to Laxus I knew there were always going to be many people fighting for the man's attention. But at the end of the day, none of them would ever know the man in the way that Bickslow and I had gotten to, so I wasn't worried. I grin at that thought, remembering Laxus's husky moans as he thrust into the seith mage while I watched. Yeah, definitely not worried.

"Heh, you have no idea." I tease the card mage as I place the loaded baking sheet into the oven and set a timer. I grab my drink and smirk playfully, "Shall we get baked while the cookies bake?"

"Hell yes!" Cana hoots as she jumps up from her chair, and I grab a joint from my stash for us to smoke. The two of us head out onto my porch, drinks in hand, and settle close to each other on the small bench. I quickly light up before taking a few large drags.

"Man, this shit hits the spot." I sigh, handing the joint over to Cana "Thanks for coming over, I really needed this."

"Psh, don't thank me, you're the one smoking me out!" She says, "So how come you aren't hanging out with your men today?"

That question led to a slightly more uncomfortable direction, and I shrug, "I just needed some time alone after our job…"

"Did something bad happen?" She asks as she finishes her turn and passes it back, and I chuckle dryly.

"Yeah, you could say that…" I take a big drag of the joint before I start telling her, "The guy we were after was wanted dead or alive, and they were even offering extra if we did the job for them…"

"Ah, fuck…" Cana comments softly before I continue,

"That's the first time I've ever come across that kind of situation. At first, I wasn't that worried, but I ended up being the one that had to do it…"

The card mage is quiet for a moment before she slowly asks, "Do you want to tell me about it?"

I frown, sighing heavily before responding, "Yeah, I think I need to..." I take another large hit from the joint and hand it over to Cana before I start, "The guy somehow switched our magic powers around, and I ended up with Bickslow's."

"Okay, that's kinda cool."

"I mean it was at first…" I said, "But when push came to shove, I ended up having to use his Figure Eyes to stop our target from harming Ever. I could feel the guy's fear and everything while he was under my control. Killing someone would have been hard enough, but that just made it so much worse…"

"No kidding." Cana reaches over and places her hand on my back soothingly, "I can't even imagine what that would be like."

I briefly wonder if she's ever ended someone's life and can't contain my curiosity. I glance over at her as I ask, "Have you ever killed someone?"

She's quiet for a moment before she responds "Yeah."

I watch the card mage as she stares off towards the woods behind the small canal that backs my porch. She takes a hit of the joint that's nearly gone now, and I carefully take it when she hands it over without looking at me. "Was it bad?"

Cana shrugs "It was… unpleasant. But with the kinds of enemies we get here at Fairy Tail, sometimes you have no choice."

Her comment makes me laugh ironically. It was very close to what I had told myself when I decided to follow through with killing the enchanter. "No fucking kidding."

I finish off the last of the joint, and it's quiet for a moment until the timer in my kitchen goes off. Our serious conversation is left behind as we head inside to enjoy some cookies and hang out a bit longer. I feel better after a solid smoke session and of course, talking things over with Cana. She had some idea of what I had experienced, and I knew she wasn't the only one. Many other Fairy Tail members have had to take someone's life for one reason or another, so I certainly wasn't alone in that aspect. It was just the circumstance I'd been in being able to feel his fear that made this so difficult for me to process. At the end of the day though, I was the one who chose to follow through with it despite knowing I could feel the enchanter's emotions.

Imagine how Bickslow felt when he had to do that for the first time… He was probably way younger too...

That thought made my stomach drop. I'd been so cold to him after it happened, but he was pretty much the only one who knew exactly what I was going through. Ugh, I'm such an idiot. I internally groan, realizing I had some apologizing to do to one of my boyfriends.

Cana leaves after a couple more hours and quite a few more drinks, snagging a couple of cookies to take home. Before she leaves, she hands me a "Call Cana" card and tells me to use it if I ever need someone to talk to. I hug her tearfully, happy to have such great friends. She quickly leaves and I'm once again left alone. It was nearly evening by now. I take my time cleaning up the kitchen and doing the dishes before moving to my bedroom to start unpacking my gear. The large pack is still lying in its spot where I dropped it last night, and I pick it up to lay it on my bed. I start taking everything out, and as I'm pulling out my dirty clothes the small communication lacrima Freed had given me falls out onto the floor.

"Oh, I forgot I had that." I mutter, bending over to pick it up. I'd honestly never bothered to buy one of these for myself, but they were kinda nice to have. I carried one briefly while dating Eve so we could talk, but he had been the one to give it to me. When we broke up I stopped using it and eventually, it got lost. After that, I saw no reason to bother with another one. Nobody needed to get a hold of me most of the time since I usually did solo jobs. As I stare at the item, I realize my teammates all had one of these in their possession too. "Well, I guess maybe I should give them a call, huh…"

I honestly wasn't sure what I'd say to the group, but at the very least I wanted to let them all know that I was okay. I place the lacrima gently down on my bedside table, deciding to finish what I was doing before calling them. I continue unpacking my stuff, putting my dirty clothes in the laundry bin and pulling everything else out of my bag. It was full of sand, so I took the pack outside and shook it out before repacking the items I always kept in there for trips. As I'm finishing up, I find myself almost dreading the upcoming conversation I was going to be having. I stare at the communication lacrima for a long time, trying to work up the nerve, until suddenly it starts glowing brightly and vibrating. "What the fuck...?"

I slowly reach over to pick it up, and a screen emerges to show the faces of Evergreen and Bickslow. "Uh, hey guys…"

I can tell they're at Laxus's house, but I don't see either him or Freed in the background. The seith mage is wearing his full gear, and I'm a bit disappointed I don't get to see his face. He'd worn the visor and armor basically the whole time we were on our job and I missed seeing it bare.

"Hey Sis!" Evergreen smiles meekly "Hope you don't mind the intrusion, we really just wanted to check on you."

Bickslow doesn't say anything, and his expression makes my heart constrict painfully. He was always so happy to see me, but right now I could tell he looked tense even though only half his face was showing. I hated seeing it and knowing I played a big part in that. Even his totems seemed to be acting differently as they floated around him. I sigh, "Actually, I was just about to call you guys."

"Oh, really now?" Ever says, elbowing Bickslow. "See, I told you. I know my sister!"

I can't help but giggle and Bickslow grins, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly, "I wasn't even sure if you'd pick up…"

"Laxus and Freed thought it was a bad idea to call you. And they were wrong!" Evergreen says, calling over her shoulder loudly at the last part. I realize the two must at least be nearby based on that and I roll my eyes playfully.

"I would never ignore a call from you guys." I said as Freed and Laxus appeared next to the two.

"You okay?" Laxus asks, and I feel tears forming despite myself.

"Yeah," I nod, letting them fall freely. It felt good to cry, "I'm sorry I made you guys worry about me so much."

"Oh Stormy, don't cry when I can't be there to dry your tears!" Bickslow says dramatically and I giggle tearfully.

"We will always worry about you (Y/n)." Freed says, "At least a little. You know us Fairy Tail wizards are very protective of our nakama."

My heart fills with warmth at his declaration and I smile brightly at the four mages despite crying. "Thank you, all of you. I don't know where I'd be without you guys."

They all smile back at me before Bickslow speaks "You should come hang out Stormy. We miss you."

His babies repeat the last sentence and I chuckle as I dry my tears. I briefly glance out the window to see the sun setting, "I dunno Bicks, it's pretty late already."

"Spend the night." Laxus says. His offer sounds more like a demand, and it makes me grin.

"I swear if I hear you guys having sex…" Evergreen sighs.

Bickslow and I lock eyes briefly, immediately having the same idea to tease the fairy mage. He speaks first, "Jeez Ever, you think we'd try something like that after what (Y/n) went through?"

"Honestly sis, do you think we're that shallow that our relationship just revolves around sex?" I try my hardest to look hurt and it works.

"I'm sorry (Y/n), I was just joking!" She flinches in embarrassment at my reaction, "You know I don't think that!"

"Sometimes I wonder…" I sigh loudly, looking off into the distance. Inside, I was giggling madly and trying not to break. After a moment Bickslow snickers and my façade is broken as I join him. Freed and Laxus chuckle along as Evergreen flushes.

"You are such a brat!" She crosses her arms and huffs, before breaking out into a wide grin and giggling.

"Lemme just get my stuff together, and I'll teleport right over!" I finally responded after a moment, and they all said their goodbyes before we disconnected the call.

I take a moment to think over the conversation as I stare at the lacrima. Why had I been dreading that? Honestly, everything was always so easy with them, and I don't know why I'd been nervous to call. I shake my head and smile before stowing the item in my bedside drawer. My mood improved greatly after our talk, and I hummed a song as I got ready to go spend the night at Laxus's house. I decided to wear my pajamas there and packed a small backpack with a change of clothes for the morning, along with some toiletries and my beloved stash. On my way out, I gathered up the last of the cookies I'd made earlier to share with everyone. I quickly locked up before stepping out a safe distance from my front door to teleport over. This was only my second time going to the dragon slayer's house, but I remembered the location well enough to get there. A loud crack of thunder signals the group of my arrival, and Bickslow immediately comes darting out of the house with his totems close behind him. I barely have a moment to brace myself as he barrels towards me and scoops me up into a hug. My arms wrap tightly around his neck, and I bury my face in his neck.

"I'm sorry Bicks…" I whisper, choking back tears.

He shakes his head, "No, don't be. I understand."

Those words drive straight into my heart, and I grip him tighter as the tears flow again. Soon I feel Laxus wrap his arms around us, followed by the other two Thunder Legion members, and we all hug silently for a moment before parting to make our way inside. As we head towards the front door, Laxus neatly snatches the bag of cookies from my hand. "Hey!"

"Did you make these?" He asks, immediately opening it up and taking a deep sniff before grabbing one.

I shake my head in exasperation at the voracious man, "Yes, and they're for everyone to share."

"You never told us you liked to bake too." Bickslow snags the bag from Laxus as he takes a large bite from his cookie.

"Fuck, these are so good." Laxus groans around the mouthful as Bickslow hands the bag off to Evergreen, who offers Freed a cookie too before grabbing herself one.

"Yeah, it's fun." I grin, happy to see them enjoying the treats, "It's harder than cooking, and I love a challenge!"

The group chuckles at me as we make our way to the kitchen. I take off my backpack and toss it onto the couch as I follow the group. Laxus grabs some (f/type) milk and five glasses for the cookies, and we settle around the island in his spacious kitchen to talk while we snack.

"So, what have you guys been up to today?" I ask casually, taking a cookie for myself. "Did you go to the guild at all?"

"Yeah, we wanted to check in and let everyone know we made it safely." Evergreen responded. "We had just gotten back to Laxus's when we called you."

"Yeah, Ever needed to spend some time with Elfman after being away on a long job." Bickslow said as he draped his arm over my shoulder.

I giggle as the fairy mage rolls her eyes but doesn't argue, "How's everyone doing?"

"Everyone seems to be in high spirits." Freed says, "The job boards are loaded with requests, which I'm sure is a relief for everyone."

"So many requests babe, you should see it!" Bickslow says as he munches on a second cookie. "Mira even said that Gray and Natsu specifically got one from some big important guy yesterday." His babies repeated "Important guy, important guy!"

Freed sighs "He's one of the Four Gods of Ishgar, Bickslow. You could show at least a little respect."

"Oh, I see..." I nod slowly, "So he's, like, super fucking important then."

Bickslow cackles at my joke while Freed deadpans. I knew enough about what the title of "Four Gods of Ishgar" meant from one of Freed's books that I'd read when they were missing. It was just fun messing with the rune mage.

"They better not fuck it up." Laxus grunts.

"Erza is with them!" Evergreen says, waving him off "They'll do fine."

"Well, I'm glad everyone is keeping busy." I smile, happy to have things back to normal at the guild "I guess we gotta keep up, can't let them outdo us, eh?"

They all grin at that, and we decide to hit the guild for another job in the morning. I was a little nervous going out again so soon after what I'd gone through, but that could never stop me from doing what I Ioved for long. It was important to keep going no matter what, especially as a mage. There were so many people out there who needed our help. Besides, I knew as long as I had my friends with me everything would work out in the end.

"Did you do anything today, (Y/n)?" Laxus asks casually.

"Just ran some errands, made those cookies." I shrug, "Actually, I ran into Cana while at the market, so she came over and hung out a bit."

"Yeah, I could smell her and the alcohol on you." He grins teasingly and I roll my eyes.

"I only drank a little." I say before sticking my tongue out at him.

"Well, I'm glad you weren't sitting home alone all sad." Bickslow chuckles, hugging me against him.

"Yeah, it was nice." I smile softly, "We talked a little about what happened, and I felt better afterward."

Bickslow frowns, pulling away "What? You didn't wanna talk to me about it, but you'll talk to Cana?"

I can't see his eyes beneath his visor but the look on his face is surprisingly tense, and I can tell he's mad. More than I expected, to be honest. I glance warily at the others, not wanting to get into an argument with the seith mage in front of them, but I can't avoid the conversation. "I'm sorry Bicks. I didn't do it on purpose, it just happened..."

He snorts, "Right, it just happened. You know, that used to be one my favorite excuses to use when I'd get caught sleeping around."

My mouth drops in shock and outrage at his comment, and I briefly notice similar reactions from everyone else. His totems are dead silent, and I'm not sure if that's his doing or if they understood what was happening. I didn't know if Bickslow had made that comment to insinuate something, or if he just wanted to upset me. Was he that much of a flirt that he'd gone so far as to cheat in the past? I never would have expected him to do something like that, but now I wasn't sure. Besides that, how cheating even compared to me talking with Cana about personal problems was beyond me. There are way too many things going through my mind to respond to what he said, and I'm definitely too upset.

"Dude…" Laxus mutters quietly from his spot next to me, breaking the silence.

Evergreen and Freed share a look and quickly leave the kitchen to head up the stairs, leaving the three of us alone. I'm a little surprised Evergreen hadn't struck the seith mage or started admonishing him, but I'm glad she has the sense to let us talk it out alone. Laxus pulls me into his chest as tears start to well up and I lean into him, feeling hurt and craving the warmth.

"That was a fucked up thing to say Bickslow." Laxus says sternly.

"Laxus, can you just give us some privacy?" The seith mage says, scowling at the older man.

Laxus looks down at me briefly, and I reluctantly pull away from him. If Bickslow didn't want Laxus to be a part of this conversation, then that was something we had to respect as poly partners. He kisses my forehead before heading to the master bedroom, which was on this level.

"You know he's just gonna hear everything, right?" I mutter, avoiding Bickslow's gaze. His totems float to the inside pockets of his cape before he cuts off their magic supply, leaving us completely alone.

"Whatever, I don't care." He grumbles, "I just don't need his fucking input."

I don't respond, and neither of us says anything for a while until Bickslow speaks.

"Look, I'm sorry (Y/n). It's just…" He growls in frustration before continuing, "I'm basically the only person in the entire world who knows what you experienced, and I'm your boyfriend. I should have been the first person you came to."

"I know…" I sigh when I feel tears welling up again, "Trust me, I realized that like right after I talked to Cana."

"Did you plan on talking to me at all?" He asks softly.

I'm quiet for a moment before I respond, "I didn't plan on talking to anyone at first, to be honest…"

"So then what makes Cana so special that it got you to open up to her instead of me?" He tries for a playful tone, but it sounds way off. Suddenly, it hit me what this was about.

"Are you jealous or something?"

"Tch, no." Bickslow frowns and crosses his arms, looking away.

I can't help but snicker, feeling a bit of tension leaving me at the realization. "Bicks, you really shouldn't be."

"I know." He huffs, "I just… I know you're bisexual, and Cana is too. You guys seemed to really click when we came back from Tenrou and I see how she flirts with you. Then, after what happened, hearing that you went to her first... I dunno, I guess I was worried you liked her, and I just reacted without thinking."

"No kidding. That really hurt to hear you say something like that." I said firmly, and he drops his head in shame, "And you of all people should know that just because I'm bisexual doesn't mean I'm attracted to everyone I like to spend time with. Besides, Cana flirts with a lot of people Bicks, even you."

"I know, I know." He sighs, rubbing the back of his head "I'm really sorry baby."

I scowl at him, not quite ready to forgive, "Seriously though, what the fuck was up with that comment you made about sleeping around?"

He cringes at my angry expression, "I'm sorry! I don't even know why I said that, really. I'm definitely a fucking asshole and a perv, but I would never cheat. Ever. I promise."

I eye him for a long moment before deciding to accept his apology and move on. I trusted my boyfriends with my life after everything we'd been through already, and I knew Bickslow would never hurt me like that. Besides, he'd be facing the wrath of the entire guild if he did, Laxus in particular. The threat of the lightning dragon slayer alone was surely enough to keep Bickslow from ever doing anything like that. It's quiet for a minute as I think, and his expression grows nervous.

"Are we okay?"

I sigh before nodding, "Yeah, Bicks. We're okay."

Relief is evident on his face as he slowly pulls me toward him, and I rest my head against his chest. We stay like that for a while, enjoying the embrace after our argument. I truly missed both of my boyfriend's touch, especially after what happened and how I had avoided them following that. I find myself thinking about the incident again, and my grip tightens.

"Are you okay?" Bickslow asks as he holds me. He'd probably felt me stiffen.

"I will be. That was probably the hardest thing I've ever been through..." I mutter softly before looking up at him, "Besides losing all of you for seven years."

My eyes start to water again, and he frowns, brushing some hair away from my face, "I'm sorry you had to experience that baby. I wish you'd never gotten my magic."

"I'm sorry you have to experience that every time." I respond, trying my hardest to see his eyes beneath his visor. We're close enough that I can just barely see them, "I never knew it would be so…"

My sentence trails off as I struggle to find the right word and he smiles sadly, "I know. It honestly gets easier, but yeah, I don't use my Figure Eyes to do that very often."

"I don't see how that could ever get easier."

"It doesn't take as much effort after a while, and you get better at closing off the emotional connection." Bickslow shrugs, "I've found that if I just stay positive, I don't get affected by it as much."

His explanation honestly makes a lot of sense after what I'd felt when using his magic. It also gave me a bit more insight into why the seith mage always seemed so carefree and loved joking around. I felt a bit sad for him, knowing how hard things had been for him throughout his childhood, and the Figure Eyes magic only added to the turmoil. The sadness grows into admiration and affection as I realize how strong Bickslow was to have such a cheerful disposition despite what he'd been through. "You're really something else Bixy. It's no wonder your soul was so bright when I saw it."

To my surprise, he blushes at that, "Yeah well, I'm sure it's nothing compared to yours."

His response reminds me of how I had been unable to see my soul, and I can't contain my curiosity, "What does it look like?"

Bickslow smiles wistfully, hugging me tighter against him, "It's the most beautiful shade of (f/c), and it shines like the rays of the sun through the clouds."

His description is incredibly romantic, and it makes my heart skip a beat. I feel my own blush rise to my cheeks and smile blissfully. We share a sweet kiss before finally parting.

"I'm really glad we had this talk." I smile up at him and find myself desperately wanting to see his full face, "Now, go get changed so we can get comfy. You're wearing far too many clothes for my tastes."

He chuckles and steals another quick kiss before heading upstairs. I take a moment to think over our conversation as I clean up the empty milk glasses and cookie crumbs from Laxus's kitchen counter. It was the first argument I'd really ever had with the seith mage. It was bound to happen eventually, I knew that, and it surely could have been worse. Bickslow was a bit delicate when it came to relationships, unfortunately. That I knew from back when I was still a kid. He hadn't told me many of the gritty details, and when he said anything it was always said offhandedly as if he wasn't bothered by any of it, but I knew better. I also knew how hot-headed he could be, and he had a bad habit of saying whatever came to his mind without thinking it through sometimes. Despite the seith mage's faults, I still loved him. He had a strong heart and was fiercely loyal, and he more than made up for the negatives.

As I'm finishing up in the kitchen, Laxus comes out of his room and slowly makes his way over to me. He's clearly showered and is wearing a tank top with loose mesh shorts, and I'm glad he was thoughtful enough to run the water to hide some of the noise from my talk with our boyfriend.

"Everything okay?" He asks, "Do I need to kick Bickslow's ass? Cuz I fucking will, boyfriend or not."

I can't help but chuckle at his threat, "Nah, we're good. Although, if he steps out of line again you have my full permission."

"Good." Laxus grins widely at that and pulls me in for a tight hug, "I missed you."

His words surprise me, and I giggle, "We've barely been apart for a day."

"Not what I meant." He mutters quietly as he nuzzles into my neck, "You weren't yourself after what happened. I missed the sweet, playful you that I've fallen so hard for."

"Laxus…" I pulled back to look into his fierce blue eyes, unsure of how to respond to that. It felt like we were getting closer and closer to saying "I love you" and it was exhilarating.

I hear footsteps coming down the stairs then and unfortunately, I don't have the chance to say anything. Laxus kisses my forehead before we part, and he puts one arm around my shoulder as he stands next to me. Bickslow comes down in his usual flannel pajama pants hung low on his hips, and his totems have been put away for the night. His face is bare, and he has a nervous expression as he makes his way up to us and looks at Laxus. I briefly glance up at the lightning mage and see that he has a very intense look on his face as he stares down the seith mage.

"Just so you know, I will knock your ass out if you do anything out of line." Laxus growls, "I've got permission."

I roll my eyes at his threat but don't say anything. Bickslow sighs, "Yeah, well, get in line. Evergreen just beat the shit out of me upstairs."

The fairy mage walks out onto the top step then, wearing a pair of pink pajamas and scowling at him with her hands on her hips, "You fucking deserved it Bickslow!"

She starts to walk down the stairs and Freed follows shortly behind her in his pj's, which look weirdly similar to his normal clothes, "That's an understatement."

Bickslow crosses his arms and sulks. I can't help but grin, secretly delighted to have so many people admonishing the seith mage for his outburst. However, he had clearly received enough punishment, so I decided to take pity on him, "I'm glad you guys have my back, but I'm sure Bicks feels bad enough. Let's cut him some slack, okay? I just wanna hang out and have fun with you all."

Bickslow smiles appreciatively at me, and the other three share a look before reluctantly agreeing. By now it was fully dark, but not quite late enough for us to justify going to bed, so we decided to gather in Laxus's large living room and watch a movie. His house seemed to be built to accommodate him and his entire team comfortably, which was amusing. He truly did have a soft spot for the group, and I felt so lucky to be counted among the people that Laxus held most dear. I was excited to spend some time relaxing with the group. With all of us in our pajamas, it was almost like a little slumber party.

"So, what kinda movie are you guys feeling tonight?" Bickslow asks as we all move to the living room, "Between me and Laxus, we have plenty to choose from."

I smile at that, grabbing one of the couch pillows to cuddle as I plopped down cross-legged on Laxus's couch. It was funny how much the two loved their movies.

"No horror movies, please." Evergreen says vehemently as she sits next to me. Laxus sits to my right and Freed follows behind him, sitting on his other side. The couch was a large sectional, and there was still plenty of room next to the rune mage.

"Okay, that's fine," Bickslow responds as he grabs a box full of movies from one of the cupboards of Laxus's entertainment center. "Then I'm saying no to musicals."

"Like you have any musicals anyway." The fairy mage rolls her eyes, settling against the armrest next to her.

"Actually, I do." Bickslow retorts before sticking his tongue out at her.

"I'm a little surprised you like musicals Bicks." I said.

Bickslow shrugs at me as he pokes through some of the DVDs, "I'm not picky when it comes to movies, and music is always nice. Honestly, I wish people randomly broke out into song more often, can you imagine how entertaining life would be?"

I can't help but giggle at the thought, "You're not wrong."

"Well, I'm voting action or comedy." Laxus grunts "Or both, that's cool too."

"I agree with Laxus-sama!" Freed says.

"No surprise there." Evergreen sighs.

"Alright (Y/n), what about you?" Bickslow asks. "Any preferences?"

I take a moment to think over the question before responding "Honestly I think I agree with Laxus. Maybe even some fantasy or sci-fi?"

"Hmm… You know what? I know exactly what movie we should watch, you'll love it." Bickslow grins, searching through the large box to find whichever movie it was that he had in mind, "Laxus and I have watched it together so I know he'll like it. It's even got some romance thrown in there for you Ever. And Freed, cuz I know you're into that shit and just pretending to like what Laxus picks."

The rune mage scowls at Bickslow, a light blush on his face, but he doesn't argue. Eventually, Bickslow finds the movie he was looking for and quickly sets it up on the lacrima vision. As he turns to join us on the couch he stops and deadpans, "Okay, someone needs to move so I can sit next to my girlfriend."

Laxus crosses his arms over his chest and settles deeper into his spot, "She's mine too, so..."

They both look at Evergreen who whines before grabbing me and pulling me to her side "I never get to spend any time with my sister anymore since you guys started dating!"

"Awh, Sis..." I frown, realizing she was kind of right. We definitely hadn't been as close to each other lately as we were during our training. Back then we'd hung out every morning and night since we shared our cabin, in addition to the time we spent training together. But between the games, rebuilding Crocus, and the jobs we'd taken, I'd barely gotten to hang out alone with Evergreen since then. I hug her back and pout at Bickslow, who stares at us for a moment before he sighs loudly.

"Fine, I guess. Just this time, you can sit next to (Y/n)."

We both squeal and hug each other excitedly, and Bickslow chuckles at us. He walks over and kisses my forehead, playfully ruffling Evergreen's hair as he does. She smacks his hand away and I giggle at their antics. They acted so much like siblings, and I knew they loved each other like brother and sister even if they'd never admit it. Bickslow grabs a pillow and tosses it onto the floor in front of me before sitting on it, despite all the extra room on the couch. He leans his back against the couch and starts the movie. Evergreen and I stay cuddled up, enjoying the chance to be close, and Laxus rests his hand on my leg. It didn't take long before I figured out which movie the seith mage ended up picking for us to watch, and when I do I grin excitedly. It was another one I thoroughly enjoyed from his collection and involved space, action, comedy, and romance with an all-star cast of actors. The movie was just over two hours long, and by the time it finishes it's late in the evening and I'm surprisingly tired.

"Okay, I have to admit," Evergreen says with a yawn as the ending credits roll onto the screen, "That was a good pick Bickslow."

"See, I have good taste." Bickslow says, standing up and stretching before walking over to turn off the lacrima vision. "Well, in movies at least."

"Yeah, you do." I smile happily, and he grins brightly back at me. I look over to see if Freed also enjoyed it, but the rune mage is asleep with his mouth wide open which makes me giggle. "I guess Freed was not very invested."

"He almost always falls asleep during movies." Laxus chuckles. His eyes are heavily lidded as if he too wanted to fall asleep, but he is grinning and looks very content.

"Yeah, books are definitely more his thing." Evergreen says, standing and walking over to wake him gently.

I slowly stand up myself, taking a moment to stretch out my limbs after sitting for so long. Laxus discreetly pinches me on the butt as I bend forward to stretch my lower back, and I shoot him a playful glare. He simply chuckles and winks before standing as well. Evergreen manages to finally wake the rune mage, who yawns loudly before getting up from the couch.

"Well, I can't say I'm disappointed I missed the last part of that movie." Freed sighs, "The ending is always so obvious, what's the point..."

"Sometimes the point is simply to be entertained, Freed." Bickslow says, patting the shorter man on the head as he makes his way back to us.

"I suppose I can understand that," Freed says, ducking away from Bickslow, "Although I don't share the sentiment."

I can't help but giggle at the rune mage's quirks "You have quite an interesting mind, Freed."

Evergreen snorts in amusement, "By interesting she means weird."

Freed scowls at her and I shake my head, elbowing the fairy mage, "No I don't you brat!"

She giggles and Freed rolls his eyes playfully, "Well, I'm beyond ready for bed so I'm going to head upstairs and go to sleep."

"Yeah me too." Evergreen sighs, "I want to take a long hot bath and get some good sleep if we're going on a job tomorrow."

We all say goodnight to each other before the two head upstairs, leaving me alone with my boyfriends.

"So Laxus, since (Y/n) is staying the night does that mean I get to sleep in your bed too?" Bickslow asks the older man excitedly as he begins locking up and turning the lights off.

"Awh, you don't like sharing a bed with Bixy when I'm not around?" I tease. Laxus simply rolls his eyes and Bickslow sighs dramatically.

"Yeah, and his bed is fucking huge so it's not like I'd be in the way!"

"You know, I technically haven't refused since we started dating Bicks." Laxus says casually as he makes his way back over to us, "You just haven't asked."

Bickslow grins widely at him and I can't help but feel giddy at the thought of the two giant men cuddling innocently together as they slept. "God, you guys are fucking cute."

They chuckle at my comment, and I grab both of their hands. Laxus kisses the back of my hand before pulling us along towards his bedroom. He opens the door and Bickslow immediately runs in and throws himself onto the bed. I take a moment to look around as Laxus shuts the door behind us. When we moved the Thunder Legion's belongings several months ago, I had no reason to go into this space, so this was my first time seeing it. It was a large open room with a four-poster bed along the back wall that was easily the size of an Alaskan king. Bickslow wasn't kidding when he said it was fucking huge. The mattress was covered with deep purple sheets and a plush black comforter. He had two nightstands on either side with industrial metal lamps, and black curtains covering the windows behind them. There were two doors on the left side which I assumed led to a closet and a bathroom. On the right-hand wall was a large mirror with a purple chaise lounge in front of it, and a large glass door leading out back. The furniture was mostly black, and his walls were a deep gray.

"Wow, surprisingly well decorated." I said as I finish looking around and turn to Laxus, "I'm guessing your favorite color is purple?"

Laxus chuckles, "Yeah."

"I'm not even surprised about that." I said casually. It really wasn't that surprising honestly; the man wore purple a lot.

"It's actually my favorite too!" Bickslow calls, and I suddenly realize the ponytail on his helmet was the same color that Laxus tended to wear too.

"Awh, I love that you guys have the same favorite color." I giggle.

"Isn't that great?" Bickslow turns over onto his stomach and rests his head in his hands playfully, "I tried telling Laxus long ago that we'd make a cute ass couple, but he didn't wanna listen!"

Laxus rolls his eyes, and the corner of his mouth turns up slightly in a grin, "Yeah well, it didn't feel right until (Y/n) came along and made it whole."

I felt warmth in my chest at his words and smiled at him before moving forward to kiss him passionately. He wraps his arms around me and pulls me in tightly as he kisses me back.

"Man, the way your guys' souls mesh together when you kiss like that is so incredible..." Bickslow sighs dreamily and I pull away from Laxus with a happy giggle.

"You guys about ready for bed?" Laxus asks as he moves towards the two closed doors on the left side of the room. He opens one of them and I can see that it leads into a moderate walk-in closet. Laxus starts pulling his tank top and shorts off before tossing them into his laundry basket, leaving him in just underwear. "Cuz I sure am."

Although I will always take the time to admire my boyfriends' half-naked bodies, I was too tired to get worked up over seeing Laxus undress this time, "Yeah, it's been a long day."

"Some cuddles and sleep sounds perfect to me!" Bickslow says, working his way under the covers.

Laxus moves to the bed, tossing the blanket aside and motioning for me to come over, "You know the drill (Y/n)."

I giggle before making my way to the large bed and crawling directly in the middle. Bickslow quickly pulls me under the covers with him, cuddling me from behind as Laxus turns off the lights before joining us. He moves in close, laying his long arm across me and Bickslow and I settle happily between the two, enjoying the comfy mattress and soft comforter. Laxus's bed was probably more comfortable than my own, to be honest, and I hoped we got the chance to sleep over here together more often. The three of us softly wish each other goodnight, and I sneak a quick kiss from Laxus before closing my eyes and eventually falling asleep.

A/n: I don't know how this chapter is so long even though nothing really happened? And yet, so much plot development.

I even had a tasty lemon written out too, but that would have made this a ridiculously long chapter, so tune in for that sometime later ;P

Hope you're enjoying, drop a review to lemme know if you love this story as much as I do xD bahaha