Chapter 10

Year X778

Laxus was bored.

The guild hall was fucking noisy, so noisy that it may as well erupt into a full-blown riot, and Laxus would not complain. In fact, he would actually prefer if the whole lot would punch the living daylights out of each other.

Anything.

Anything would do just to silence the whining of these bitch-ass motherfuckers.

It had been several months since his Gramps Makarov banished Ivan from Fairy Tail due to Ivan's own negligence as a member and dealings with illicit activities that would further compromise their guild's reputation as one of the Legal Guilds here in Magnolia.

Laxus tried to reason with his Gramps, afterall Ivan is Laxus' father, and the only son of the Guild Master Makarov and Medical Advisor Porlyusica. Although Ivan was basically a bastard of a son, a douchebag of a husband, and a dickhead of a father, he is still family…he is still flesh and blood.

'Shouldn't Gramps just forgive Dad?' Laxus reasoned internally. 'Family is family, no matter what…isn't that what Fairy tail preaches and espouses all the damn time?'

Laxus' blood boiled at the sheer hypocrisy.

"Grrr," a pitchy growl came from somewhere, and Laxus resisted the urge to guffaw. There was no one who would be pathetic enough to imitate a Dragon's Roar in such a high pitch that it borders into a shriek than Natsu. The pink-haired brat was squabbling with the dark-haired pervert, while the red-haired stern wannabe was lecturing them.

'There they go again,' Laxus mused, finding his own tiredness increasing at the sheer stupidity of those three idiots. Erza, the youngest, thought-to-be prospective S-Class began leading the two glaring and stomping assholes outside.

'They're probably up to no good again,' Laxus sighed once more, remembering how with the arrival of those three idiots, the complaints and negative comments about the guild have multiplied by a factor of two.

Laxus glared at the three. Once he becomes the Master of this guild, he would make sure that no one can dare disrespect the name of Fairy Tail. 'Just you wait, Gramps. I will transform this guild into the best in all of Fiore and the world.'

"Agh," Laxus winced slightly. The high frequency and the sheer volume of all the sounds from the surrounding overwhelmed his auditory sense. Damn, he really needs to master this Lightning Dragon Slayer Magic immediately, so that he will not suffer its side effects anymore.

The old man does not know yet that Dad had embedded the Lacrima inside Laxus. Laxus also does not feel the need to tell his Gramps about it. It is not in his Gramps business to be updated with all of the things in his grandson's life.

"So, today it's both of you at the same time?" Laxus overheard Erza's voice. He narrowed his eyes against the light from outside the main guild doors. He saw Erza with her hands on her hips, turned towards the two pipsqueaks. Said pipsqueaks were in a headlock.

"Just me is enough!" Natsu threw a fit, shouting even in the early morning. Laxus winced again. Natsu's voice really grated on his nerves.

"You took the words right out of my mouth!" Gray proclaimed.

"Today for sure…" Natsu ran towards Erza and prepared a punch.

"I will defeat Erza!" Gray followed from the other side, lunging.

Laxus saw little Erza visibly shaking her head gently as she let out a confident chuckle before she pounded the boys to the ground. In just a matter of seconds, both idiots were down for the count. "Tch," Laxus tutted. 'Weaklings. It's two against one, and they can't even defeat her,' Laxus' opinion regarding the brat and the pervert sank even more.

"What's the matter? Done already?" The redhead bragged, crossing her arms against her chest, turning away from the seemingly unconscious figures splayed embarrassingly on the ground.

Begrudgingly, Laxus felt a sense of pride for little Erza. As young as she was, she had maintained the dignity and pride of a Fairy Tail Mage. She deserved to become an S-Class Mage one day.

A few seconds later, Laxus saw little Erza facing the two boys again, kicking them before shouting, "Get up! Stand up!" and then she chased them. "Who ate my cake?!"

Laxus felt his jaw drop to the ground. 'The fuck? All that dignified talk for a piece of cake?' Laxus facepalmed. So much for that. He had practically wasted his time on some senseless childish banter.

Laxus walked away from where he stood. People have begun to gather in the hall, and along with that, their unnecessary need to converse in such an obnoxious manner. These people talked as if they were in a shouting contest.

Tiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiingggggggggg. The sound frequency once again rang inside his ears. Laxus felt the world tilting. He immediately took out his Sound Pod and listened to the first song. He upped the volume to drown out all the other sounds. He leaned against a pillar, using his palms as a makeshift pillow to rest his head. He closed his eyes and listened to the tune of some of the best Classic Rock and Roll songs.

'Strangers waitin' / Up and down the boulevard / Their shadows searchin' in the night / Street Lights, peopl-' Not long after he was basking in the pre-chorus segment of the song did he realize that someone was staring at him. His eyes darted open, surveying the surroundings. The presence disappeared.

Laxus gazed upwards before muttering, "This is boring. Isn't there something fun to do?" His eyes caught something white on the floor. It made him think of someone. Trash . "I guess I'll go make fun of Natsu or something." Then he walked, passing by the crumpled piece of paper resting on the floor.

Unable to find Natsu, Laxus decided to rest on the second floor of the building. Afterall, only S-Class Mages are allowed to climb up. He would be able to relax there without all these interruptions. On his way, he passed by a jumping Jet, a bored Droy, a sleepy Levy, Mirajane's siblings with weird-ass haircuts, and that Alberona kid. As he took the first step on the staircase, he noticed something in his peripheral vision. His sensitive ears also heard something.

"Oh, it's a bunny girl." He looked towards the guild doors and saw his Gramps eyeing a woman around Laxus' age. Everything seemed to have become silent, as if the going-ons inside the guild hall was nothing but a mute background.

She was wearing a red bunny suit that accentuates all the right places. Nevermind that. Laxus is not a bonafide pervert to describe a woman just because of her body, no matter how much perfection it was. He had had plenty of influence from Gramps and Dad, to know what not to do regarding a woman.

Bunny Girl had straight blonde hair, immaculate complexion and big round eyes that looked troubled and panicked. "Beautiful…" Before he could catch himself, the words had already escaped from his lips. He began walking towards her, tousling his hair in place. Perhaps she needed some help or that she would like to register as a guild member.

"Who's beautiful?" A voice came from below. It was Natsu. "Is it that Bunny Girl-onee-san?" The boy was looking at him with big curious eyes.

'What now?' Laxus groaned, exasperated. Now that he was not looking for this runt, suddenly he sprouts like a wild mushroom. Not only that, Natsu is blocking his way. Natsu continued to stare at him intently. He was soon joined by Gray and Erza, both of which were intently gazing at the blonde-haired girl.

"She's so beautiful," Erza wowed, her eyes dazed and mesmerized.

"I…I like her…" Gray said hesitantly before proclaiming, "I will marry her someday."

Laxus did not comment, and made his way towards the commotion that has now begun to ensue from where the Bunny Girl stood.

"Laxus!" Natsu hollered. "Fight me!"

"Not now, kid," Laxus strode, until he felt the tug on his shirt. He groaned once again. How the hell can he escape this little shit? "Fine," he sighed. "But you must be at least as tall as I am now. Until then, ain't no way in hell I'm fighting a runt like you," he tugged back at his shirt to release it from Natsu's hold.

However, a large crowd has already clamored and drowned the Bunny Girl. Gramps then took her by her wrist and dashed towards the bar, the lechers were now whistling and shouting praises. Laxus gritted his teeth.

He walked out of the guild doors, stomping so that the other members would stay the fuck out of his way. "Stupid Gramps," he muttered under his breath.

As Laxus stormed through the winding streets of Magnolia, he cannot help but seethe in frustration. "Those fucking idiots!" he grumbled, putting his hands in his pockets. "How can they be so stupid as to show such indecency to a prospective member? Their tarnishing Fairy Tail's reputation!"

Belatedly, Laxus realized that he had taken a different turn, and he emerged into the marketplace. His senses were greeted by the thick scent of spices and fresh produce, mingling with the laughter and chatter of the bustling crowd. Merchants brandished their wares, voices rising above the din as they vied for the attention of any passersby.

Laxus found his foul mood alleviating for a moment, as he was momentarily distracted by the scene before him. Stalls adorned with bright fabrics and shimmering trinkets lined the cobblestone streets, their owners haggling and bartering with customers eager to snag a bargain. Children darted between the throngs, their laughter echoing in the air.

It was at that moment that Laxus saw something that piqued his interest. It was a large, dark overcoat with light gray fur trimming around the neck and the sleeves' edges. He considered it for a moment before making his way towards the stall to buy it. 'What the hell!' Laxus internally exclaimed, throwing caution into the wind. It was just a coat worth a few jewels. Bunny Girl would probably freeze to death given her less than practical choice of clothing. She might as well wear something over.'

To say he was pissed off was an understatement.

No, he was not pissed or ticked.

He was livid. Here he was, an esteemed S-Class Mage, and a mere merchant was able to haggle a good 80,000 thousand jewels from him. That was two months rent! That was two months of his rent! "This coat better save this continent of Ishgar!" he exclaimed indignantly.

That merchant…that merchant…Laxus better not see his mug or he will surely fry him with ten thousand volts of lightning. And he would enjoy the sight of that merchant's pathetic ass deep fry itself.

Laxus sighed in exasperation as he held the shopping bag containing the neatly folded fur-lined coat, and continued his trek back to their guild building. He took the scenic route this time, the route with less people. The sky has begun coloring into vibrant shades of warmth: reds, oranges and yellows, and such sight was reflected upon the nearby river.

The wind picked up, and Laxus smelled the scent of freshly mowed grass, and that somehow eased some of the headache that began forming in his head.

"..." Laxus heard the unmistakable voice of Natsu.

"Welp," Laxus shrugged. "Time to make myself scarce," he said as he snapped his fingers and activated his Lightning Body Spell.

A few seconds later, Laxus arrived near the guild doors. He entered to see that the commotion from the Bunny Girl earlier has evolved into a full-blown house party. The blonde stood in the middle of the merriment while the lecherous bunch ogled at her.

Laxus heard…really heard how his patience started snapping.

Those bastards were practically and openly de-clothing her! They were also purposefully nudging closer.

"Eh…" Bunny Girl winced everytime an arm or an elbow 'accidentally' got closer to her skin. However, the blonde continued to party, jumping up and down to the beat of some music.

Bunny Girl jumped once again, her chest bouncing, and Laxus' eyes followed the motion before his mind went blank. Laxus blinked once…then twice… 'W-what just happened?' his mind supplied, confused.

He shook his head to focus, striding ahead while gripping the handle of the shopping bag. He just knew: one, he had to protect that Blondie from those shitheads; two, save those buffoons from piles upon piles of possible sexual harassment complaints; and three, preserve the remaining dignity of this guild.

And as if Bunny Girl was such an expert and experienced rodeo rider, she gracefully maneuvered around the dancing people to escape. She slowed down as she inched closer to the doors.

"Good Evening," Bunny Girl smiled at him before bowing and walking past.

'Huh,' Laxus thought as he stood rooted on the spot for a few minutes. He did not even have the chance to talk to her or even ask for her name. He turned around. 'Not this time, Blondie!' his mind screamed. No way in hell will she get away again.

Bunny Girl was meters away already; however, she does not seem to be in any hurry seeing as she was just frolicking about. She kept on looking at various buildings with a wistful expression, sighing once in a while in what Laxus can guess as contentment.

"Hey, Blondie!" he called out, and that was when he finally realized just how much he sounded so desperate. As if that was not enough, the sound of cheers from behind him…from the guild members who should have been partying, silenced.

"H-How m-manly," Elfman's voice was full of awe. That kid must be gawking at him in amazement.

'Shiiittt!' Heat began to creep up to his face. His face must be fucking red right now!

"Go, Laxus!" It was Gramps, Laxus was sure of it. "Run with all the burning passion of youth!"

And so, Laxus ran, not because of his Gramps sudden interest in his youth , but because he cannot take this unnerving silence and the sets of eyes that seemed to poke holes at the back of his head.

"Blondie!" he called again. far away, seemingly thinking, but he willed his legs to carry him further.

She stopped in place and turned around. Laxus' mind went blank once again. Her hair billowed in the wind. Her expression was a mixture of elation and confusion, her lips parted and her cheeks flushed. He grew numb at the sight that he cannot even command his body to move.

He was frozen in place as more heat rushed to his face. He turned her head away in embarrassment. 'Gods, why of all times is he making a fool out of himself!'

'Smooth, Laxus. Smooth...and stupid,' would probably be what Gramps would tell him had he seen this pathetic display of manliness.

"Laxus?" She spoke in a voice that held both innocence and conviction.

Laxus found that he liked such a tone. It brought such comfort to his ears, unlike those of squeaky and trying-hard wannabes. He scratched at the back of his head, feeling awkward.

He cleared his throat, finding the courage to meet her gaze. She stood there waiting for him with her damn big brown eyes.

"Wait for a moment," he said, unwrapping the shopping bag, and draping the fur-lined coat over her shoulders. He heard her squeak and tense for a moment before she visibly relaxed. "It's getting cold," he said.

"Oh…" Bunny Girl said, her face angled away from him but Laxus still saw the pinkish glow on her cheeks. "Thanks."

"What's your name?" Laxus asked, suddenly impressed with how he was able to keep his voice from breaking.

Bunny Girl just smiled at him, and removed the coat. She walked around him and draped it over his shoulders.

Laxus prayed that she could not hear his heart pounding against his chest.

"There," Bunny Girl said. "I think this coat suits you better. You look even more badass," she said in a voice that sent his mind into a meltdown. Then she stood on her tiptoes and planted a kiss on the cheek where his scar was.

Laxus was about to say something when an urgent voice rang from another side of the street.

"Someone! Please help! The horses are out of control!" A man was chasing after a carriage, the horses running rampant. It almost hit them but Laxus was fast, and in half a second, he was able to grab Blondie's waist and bring them to safety.

"There's a customer inside the coach!" The running man pleaded.

"Eh!" The blonde ran towards the carriage, taking her heels and throwing them away. Laxus was left standing and gaping in awe as the girl, with no apparent Magic, hurried towards danger.

She stopped for a moment and looked at him. "My name…well, you'll know it someday," she flashed him a knowing grin and a salute. "Goodbye, Laxus. We'll meet again. Promise," and with that, she dashed and chased after the carriage, leaving him with a strange feeling swelling in his chest.

He stared at his empty arms, feeling something lacking. She was warm and her sweet scent was enough to send his senses into a pleasant overdrive. He smiled as he put his fingers over the area where her lips touched his skin.

Bunny Girl was innocent, yes. But she was not afraid of the grotesque scar that marred half of his face, nor the dangers posed by those rampaging horses.

Whoever she is, he would find her, Laxus vowed.

"Manly! Manly! Manly!" came the cheers from the people inside the guild.

Laxus cast a final glance to where Bunny Girl disappeared before jogging towards the guild doors as his overcoat flapped in the wind. They will meet again, he was sure of it. In the meantime, well, he had to drill some semblance of discipline and straighten the ever-loving shit out of the lechers within the guild.

So that, when Bunny Girl eventually returns, Fairy Tail is already the best guild there is.