Work Text:
I had heard the Sakura viewing in Magnolia was special - unlike anywhere else. And maybe that was due to their unique rainbow cherry blossoms that bloom only in this region, but it was most certainly in part because of the ceaselessly raucous wizard guild I'd had the pleasure of joining a couple of years ago: Fairy Tail.
The master welcomed me easily. Especially given my ability to blend with and manipulate shadows proved fairly useful for reconnaissance and he apparently liked to keep tabs on a lot of people.
It was my first time seeing the beautiful petals falling like pink snow to shower the residents and tourists of Fiore. And now, admiring the sakura trees next to my best friend and resident alcoholic, Cana, I sat back and appreciated my lucky draw in life.
Though the moment was short lived; because there was Natsu, sneaking up behind Lucy with a full bucket of water in his hands while Happy floated in front of her, presumably keeping her distracted so his partner in crime could douse her crisp white shirt in ice cold water.
Just as he was about to upend the bucket over her head, Grey moved to tackle him to the ground, but the commotion had Lucy turning around at the precise moment the bucket left Natsu's hands. The boys fell to the ground in a flurry of fists as Lucy screamed, now dripping and exposed through her white cropped top.
The guys ceased their pummeling at the sound, and Natsu fell back with laughter as Grey stood up, flushing and exasperated. Across the lawn, Macao, Wakaba and the master fell over themselves as blood shot from their noses.
"IM SORRY IM SO SORRY I WAS TRYING TO HELP LET ME FIX IT" Grey shouted as he instinctively reached out and froze her breasts in perfectly rounded bulbs.
She screamed again, and the three bleeding buffoons shot into the air and fell backwards, pink faced and contented looks across all their features. Natsu was crumpled on the ground kicking his legs and shaking with laughter alongside his accomplice when Juvia appeared out of nowhere to loom over Grey in a menacing cloud of rage. Yep, this was my guild.
"Is this how it's always been with them?" I asked Cana as I refilled my mug from her fresh barrel.
"As long as I've known them, which is a long time," she responded, flushed from her own intoxication.
I chuckled to myself, enjoying the view and the company of my best friend when I felt eyes on me. I knew where they were coming from, where they were always coming from. And I knew as soon as I glanced in his direction, his attention would be promptly averted from me again.
Apparently Cana had noticed it, too.
She chugged from her barrel, wiped her arm across her mouth and said, "So when are you and hungry eyes over there going to finally get over yourselves and bang it out already?"
I gaped and turned my head to see, but Laxus had in fact directed his attention anywhere but on me. I collapsed in a puddle on the grass, rubbing my eyes in frustration.
"Seriously, Bird?" She slurred my nickname, raising her voice a notch as she continued, "You're going to melt - alone - over here instead of climbing that golden mountain and planting that sweet, freckled ass on his electric di-"
I launched myself from the ground and nearly clobbered her as I threw my hand over her mouth, muffling whatever vulgarity she was about to finish that statement with. My own intoxication had me laughing, though, and her responding giggles erupted under my palm as we both laid there; head to head, shoulder to shoulder, belly laughs morphing into full blown wheezing until we were both spent.
I couldn't have asked for a better friend than Cana. She may be drunk 98 percent of the time, but she was brutally honest and cared from the bottom of her heart about the people she let in. Plus, her dad was smoking ho-
"Stop thinking about my dad, you horny bitch" she slapped my shoulder playfully and sat up, replacing her empty barrel with a new one.
"How….did you.." I started, then she raised an accusatory eyebrow. "Touche. But a smoke show is as a smoke show breeds."
She gave a mock bow, accepting the compliment. The first time I met Gildarts after Cana and I became friends I asked her if I could call him daddy too. I'm pretty sure that's what solidified our friendship.
The sun was finally beginning to set, and the first flickers of rainbow coloring began to show on the massive sakura tree. I had never seen anything so beautiful; but instead of properly appreciating the view before me, I found myself seeking an entirely different sight to ogle.
I dared a glance at him once more, but when I caught him looking back at me this time, he didn't look away. So there we sat, the most beautiful blip in nature before us, and a veritable sea of people and grass and blankets between us, but our eyes never left each other's. Not for what felt like eternity and too short seconds all at once.
I couldn't breathe. Didn't want to if it would cost me one of those precious seconds where I finally held his gaze. And all too quickly, people began packing up and filtering out.
Cana cast a spell storing our remaining barrels in her cards while I gathered our blanket in my arms. I looked to where Laxus was sitting only moments before, but he, too, was swept away with the crowd of people leaving for the night.
Arms linked, my best friend and I stumbled and giggled our way back to the guild hall where we knew a wild after party would be taking place. Fairy Tail wasn't known for celebrating anything half assed. And sure enough, boisterous music, shouts and the telltale crashing of furniture being broken greeted us as we approached the massive front doors.
Dodging thrown chairs, fire balls (courtesy of our resident fire dragon slayer) and stepping over the felled bodies of guild members who made the grave mistake of intervening in a brawl between our power players, we made our way to a table at the center of the hall. Gajeel was in the middle of his usual shoo bee doo ba set with Levy leaning her elbows on the stage, gazing up at him like he was the only star lighting her night. I envied what they had more often than I cared to admit.
Cana and I sat back to back atop the table, starting up a round of our favorite drinking game - Naked Grey. Every time we saw the hunky ice boy sans an extra item of clothing, we took a drink. And when he finally stripped down bare, we chugged. Whoever made it to the bottom of their barrel first was the winner; loser bought the next round.
I always lost, naturally, because Cana was a monster. So I fumbled my way to the bar and purchased another few barrels when I was struck with a brilliant idea.
"Hey, Mira?"
"Yeah, Byrdie?"
"Can you do me a favor?"
"Sure, sweetie, what do you have in mind?"
~~~~~
When I got back to the table, barrels in tow, Cana appraised me suspiciously.
"What took you so long?" She asked with a raised brow.
I gave her a mischievous grin. "You'll see."
When Gajeel was finally booed off stage, Mirajane strode up to the microphone, her face beaming and hands clasped in front of her.
"Hello everyone!"
Two words from her mouth and the entire guild hall erupted in whistling and cheers. Roars of "I LOVE YOU MIRA" could be heard coming from our ever pining bachelors, Macao and Wakaba. Master Makarov was swooning from his position laying down on the bar; hands under his chin and feet kicking the air like an amused child. Mira just smiled and waited for the cacophony to die down before she started speaking again.
"Tonight we have a performance by two special ladies-"
Cana swiveled her head to me, eyes as wide with shock and excitement. "You did not!"
"-so if you'd all raise your glasses as we welcome Byrdie and Cana to the stage!"
I cackled as I grabbed her hand and made a beeline for the stage. Reedus handed me an extra microphone as Cana retrieved the other from its stand, and we both gazed out at the crowd before us. I tried my best not to seek him out amongst the rabble of wizards spread out across the grand hall, but I failed miserably and spied him sitting at a booth to the left of us with his usual group.
He was mid conversation with Freed, and the very drunk part of me wanted to pout about the fact that he wasn't watching. But I didn't get the chance to linger on the thought when the music picked up and my best friend started off the first verse of our favorite song with an open smile aimed directly at me.
"Well me father often told me
When I was just a lad
A sailor's life is very hard
The food is always bad
But now I've joined the navy
I'm aboard a man-o-war
And now I've found a sailor ain't a sailor anymore!"
I joined in on the chorus and we belted the song to our drunken heart's content. The guild hall filled with cheers and raised mugs of encouragement, some even shouting the lyrics along with us. Carried away with the merriment of the song, we lept from the stage onto tables and bench seats, taking turns with the verses and joining again each time the chorus struck.
During the instrumental break, Cana and I reconvened at our table in the center of the hall and danced atop the it like there was nothing else in the world except us, the music and the booze coursing through our blood. The entire room was abuzz with excitement; everyone dancing or singing or tipping back their own drinks. The energy of our friends' shared joy around us fed our performance as much as the alcohol.
As the final verse crept up, Cana looked at me and flicked her eyes at my chest with a devilish intent. Our fast friendship and platonic intimacy had given us the closest thing two people could get to telepathy, and I instantly knew what she was insinuating. So we sang it together.
"Two cans of beer a day
And that's your bleeding lot
And now we've got an extra one
Because they stopped The Tot
So we'll put on our civvy-clothes
Find a pub ashore
A sailor's just a sailor just like he was before!"
We belted the chorus twice more, and on the final "A sailor ain't a sailor, ain't a sailor anymore!" we both faced each other, grabbed the clasps of our tops, and ripped them off. The moment the fabric left my breasts, I didn't get the chance to bask in the raucous cheers the entirety of the guild hall had loosed because I was instantly blanketed by the darkness of a large coat being thrown over me.
There was the distinct feeling of the earth falling out from beneath me before I was unceremoniously tossed over a massive shoulder. Jeers of discontentment rang out from the other side of the warm, fur lined barrier wrapped around me.
The master's inebriated voice could be heard above the cacophony as he shouted, "Laxus! You no fun, party pooping kill joy! Have you no respect for an old man's entertai- ack! " a loud smack, likely from Miss Mira, "for a womans right to have her fun!" He corrected, still earning another smack.
Laxus's voice boomed from just above me, "Get your wrinkly old jollies off somewhere else, old man."
He turned on his heel and started walking, my upper half swaying from side to side across his back with each step he took. I could hear Cana's cries of protest coming from across the hall, and when I peeked under the hem of the coat I could just see her slumped over Bickslow's arm, his muscled forearm obscuring her chest from view as he hauled her off as well.
I knew fighting Laxus was futile, especially when I was plastered. But I was fairly certain Cana was well versed in fighting whilst intoxicated so I said a silent prayer for Bickslow and his imminent struggle ahead.
The chaos of the guild hall faded and was replaced by the sounds and smells of the open streets of Magnolia the further Laxus carried me. I didn't know where we were going, and I expected him to put me down at any moment, but he just kept walking.
"Where are we going?" I asked, poking his spine with my index finger.
"Home," was all he said.
"Yours? Well, you could've just asked politely, you know." The start of each word was accentuated by every swing of my body, and I became acutely aware of my very bare chest as it brushed his back with every pass.
"Yours, you insufferable woman. You've had enough excitement for one night." But the strong arm that was braced across my skirted thighs tightened slightly.
Well, then.
We continued in silence, the sounds of the city preparing for sleep around us. The only view I had beyond the sliver of ground beneath his coat was Laxus's magnificent ass rocking with each step he took. But after a while, even the thrilling effect of that lost out to my ever growing boredom. So I started singing.
"What do we do with a drunken wizard
What do we do with a drunken wizard
What do we do with a drunken wizard
Early in the morning!"
Laxus sighed audibly and continued his brooding march towards the guild dorms. Even my artfully mangled lyrics didn't get a rise out of him. So I sang louder.
"Throw her o'er your shoulder til she's sober
Throw her o'er your shoulder til she's sober
Throw her o'er your shoulder til she's sober
Early in the morning!
WAY HAY AND UP SHE RIS-"
I yelped, my song cut short when a sharp, resounding SMACK was planted square across my ass.
"You'll wake the entire city with your howls."
He stopped dead in his tracks, then.
His voice dropped to a low rumble.
"Can you contain yourself a little longer or do I need to get creative?"
Creative sounded interesting, though I'm sure he meant it as a threat. And seeing how I'm no exhibitionist, I chose silence as my response.
"Good girl." And so our silent, and now very sexually charged, walk continued.
Still bored and now threatened into silence, I started tracing shapes along the small of his back. I felt him stiffen under my touch, and a swell of pride bloomed in my belly. But that pride abruptly turned to heat that sank straight to my core, and I prayed to all of the gods that Laxus didn't raise his arm any higher on my thighs. The evidence would surely be damning.
My prayers must have been heard, because within minutes I was lurched backwards and landed firmly on my feet right at my front door. My balance was nowhere to be found given my lingering inebriation and having been upside down for what felt like an eternity. Before I could stumble or fall, Laxus braced his hands on either of my shoulders and held me still
until I could gather my bearings.
We haven't been in this close proximity since the day he carried me back to the guild after a failed mission and I'd gotten pretty badly hurt. It seemed the only time I got to be around him was when I was weak or too drunk to stand.
I must have accidentally said that last part out loud, because he finally spoke again, and it was anything but what I expected.
"That's not true. I'm always near. I'm just much better at hiding in the shadows than you."
My mouth fell open.
So I sometimes stalked him from the shadows. Apparently not so stealthily. His eyes always managed to find me, but he never let on that he actually knew I was there, and I'd convinced myself I was just seeing things.
"I knew it! You could see me! Gods, I'm so stupid!"
I dug the heels of my hands into my eyes in a feeble attempt to hide my growing embarrassment. But he wasn't the only one around when I did my not so sneaky sleuthing.
"Did the others know I was lurking too?"
Lurking was NOT the word I wanted to use.
He chuckled. "No, they didn't. I can sense electrical currents, and bodies carry trace amounts of electricity so…" he trailed off.
I wasn't sure I could possibly get any pinker. And as if the universe was intent on proving me wrong, Laxus's gaze dropped, and I followed his line of sight to behold the consequences of my own actions.
I was still very much topless, his coat hanging over my shoulders, but gaping enough to reveal the goose pimpled swells of my breasts. The night was chill, and my nipples peaked through the fabric.
We both cleared our throats, and we looked anywhere but at each other. I wrapped myself tighter in the coat, hiding my exposed upper half and grateful for the warm protection from the brisk evening air.
"So, ummmm…." I fished for words. "Do you… want this back now?"
"No, it's fine. I'll get it from you tomorrow." His words were tight.
Unsure of where to go from here, I fished my keys from the pouch at my hip and turned to unlock my door. But on a sudden impulse, capitalizing on the booze still coursing through me, I turned and made a solid platform of shadow to step up on and leaned forward to place a gentle peck on his cheek.
"Thank you," I said softly, hopped down and clambered through my door before I could embarrass myself further.
Finally in the safety of my dorm room, I took a deep breath and allowed my beating heart to calm its racing tempo. I hugged his coat closer to me, burying my face in the fur trimming, inhaling his scent. It smelled like burning wood and fresh mountain air.
"Exciting night, indeed." I mumbled to myself, making my way to my bedroom. I had just crossed the threshold when I stopped, suddenly struck by something he said but didn't put much stock in when he'd said it.
I'm always near. I'm just much better at hiding in the shadows than you.
Has he been…following me? Watching me? The thought made me happier than it probably should have.
I collapsed onto my bed still encased in his coat, and I fell asleep with those questions tumbling on a loop inside my head.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I woke earlier than I wanted to. Sleeping was an effort after everything that had transpired last night, so I crawled into the shower hoping the scalding water would sate my still singing nerves. When the bathroom was thick with steam and my flesh pink from heat, I reluctantly stepped out and began the daunting task of sifting through my many piles of clothes for something to wear.
Because fuck laundry.
At least the search for something relatively clean and not wrinkled to hell gave me time to air dry. I settled on an emerald satin slip dress with spaghetti straps and a deep sweet heart neckline. The hem was slit high up on my hips on both sides, coming to a point at my knees in the front and back. And it was the only thing still hanging in my closet after I'd given up rifling through piles.
I slid on a pair of sandals and grabbed Laxus's coat before I headed to the door. My stomach grumbled, but I knew better than to open my fridge. I was no cook so I never bothered to keep it stocked. I'd just grab something at the guild like always.
The walk to the guild was a cold one, with the sun barely crested over the horizon. I was glad to still have his coat on me. When I got there the place was still trashed and a few unconscious bodies lay strewn about the hall. But there was Mira, already working, getting food prepped and counters cleaned for the day.
"Hey, Byrdie! What are you doing here so early?" She called from behind the bar.
"Morning, Mira. By any chance, have you seen Laxus?"
I knew it was early, but I didn't want to risk missing him in case he was headed out for a job today.
"Nope, he hasn't stopped by. Why? Is everything ok? You guys left in a hurry last night."
Her inquisition came with an amused undertone that set my spine straight and my toes curling.
"It's good. I'm good. Everything's good."
Smooth.
"Do you know where I can find him? I just….wanted to…return his coat."
Real fucking smooth, Bird.
Her eyes were slits and the corners of her mouth ticked up almost imperceptibly as she toyed with the rag in her hands.
"Mmhmmmm."
I couldn't help but to squirm under the scrutiny in her gaze.
And as if a veil had dropped, her usual smile returned, and the high pitched quip of her voice replaced any suspicion that was present only seconds ago.
"Of course! He has a house on the outskirts of town, just east of here. It shouldn't take you long if you follow the river. It's a stone house with a blue roof, all by itself. You can't miss it."
I had heard she was a monster when she fought, but it was moments like this that reminded me why she retained her S-class status. Being at the receiving end of her undiluted skepticism was like standing untethered at the edge of a cliff.
Pretty to look at, but shit scary.
"Thanks. I'll just…head that way then, I guess."
I backed away a few steps before turning around, her genuine smile never faltering for a second. I finally heaved a full breath when I made it back out onto the cobblestone streets of the city, and vowed to never raise her suspicions again.
I didn't know Laxus had a house. I mean, he is S-class so he can certainly afford one. I followed the river as Mira instructed, and sure enough, a half hour later the cobblestones turned to dirt and just before the massive expanse of forest that marked the border of the city lay a stone house with a blue clay tiled roof.
I steeled myself before making my way down the path to the front door. The home wasn't particularly large, but gauging from the outside it had to have at least 2 rooms. Did he have a roommate? Or did he live all alone out here?
I was just about to knock when the door swung open, and Laxus looked down on me with sleep still softening his features. He was shirtless, wearing only a pair of loose grey sweatpants. Against my volition, my eyes traced the thick lines of his wavy tattoo across the span of his left shoulder, down his pec and to the Fairy Tail emblem stamped on his torso.
My mouth watered and my brain lost all ability to form words.
I forced my eyes back up and called upon every line I had rehearsed on the walk over here. He was silent, one hand holding the door and the other rubbing at the back of his neck. I swallowed and prayed my voice didn't come out as shaky as I felt.
"I, um, you weren't at the guild hall, so Mira told me where you lived. I have your coat."
I pulled the musky, fur lined warmth from my shoulders and handed it over, and instantly regretted my choice of outfit given the walk back was going to be much colder now. Goosebumps coated my skin, and a small shiver danced across my shoulders. As if my body was out to get me, my stomach made an appearance with an audible protest at my lack of breakfast this morning as well.
My eyes went wide, and I scrunched my face and dropped my head in a feeble attempt to hide my growing embarrassment. He hadn't moved, my arm still outstretched, gripping his coat. Then his hand was around my wrist and I was being pulled through his front door.
In a flurry of movement, he scooped me up under my arms and lifted me onto the counter, taking the coat from my hands and placing it back over me. He turned and walked toward his fridge opposite me while I just sat there, shocked into silence.
"Do you like omelets?" He asked over his shoulder.
Breathe, Bird!
I choked out a breath and responded. "Yeah! Yes, I do. Thank you."
I watched in awe as he pulled ingredients from the fridge and placed them on the counter. I wasn't surprised that he could cook. Just that he was about to cook for me.
What he said last night was still gnawing at me, and I was desperate to know what he meant by it. I just didn't know how to broach the subject without being awkward. Everything about him set my nerves on fire, in more ways than one.
So I figured my usual approach was the best. Full speed ahead.
He set a pan on the burner and started mixing ingredients in a bowl, the muscles in his back rolling over and stretching taught with every movement. It made breathing a manual task, but it was easier talking to his back than his face.
"So what you said last night….about always being near. And the thing about the shadows. Was that..literal?"
He paused his mixing for a second before he continued, like my question broke his concentration momentarily.
When he didn't respond, I got nervous. So I barreled ahead.
"Because if it was, I'm not bothered by it. I mean, confused maybe because you didn't seem to want anything to do with me after that day-"
"After that day I was afraid you would never wake up again."
His voice was hoarse, gruff with sleep or lack thereof, but I couldn't tell because I was still staring at his back as he spoke.
"And then you did, but you were still so weak…" he trailed off, but I knew what he saw.
"I saw you broken." He turned to face me then, his face hard.
"You lost so much weight. You were so thin I was afraid a strong wind would be enough to break you all over again."
He went back to his mixing.
I was thin. I was out for a while, but I've more than gained it back. And I've never minded the extra fluff.
I let loose a small breath, and he kept talking.
So I listened.
"Then the old man cleared you to work again, but I just…" he took a deep breath. "So I followed you. To keep you safe, and to make sure you didn't take on more than you could handle."
His shoulders were tense, but not from the mixing.
I didn't know. I didn't know that he was carrying that day with him this whole time. Part of me felt bad that I was the cause of so much stress, but another small part couldn't help but flutter with happiness that he cared so much.
He poured part of the contents of the bowl into the pan, and the hiss of the cooking food filled the silence that now stretched between us.
"I'm sorry," I said, barely audible over the sizzle.
His head lifted and he looked at me over his shoulder, brows bunched together.
"What did you say?" His tone was incredulous.
I opened my mouth to respond, but then he was right in front of me. His face inches from mine, hands gripping the counter on either side of me. Caging me in.
His voice was now a tidal wave.
A boulder careening down a cliff.
An avalanche consuming everything in its wake.
And his eyes were locked on mine as he said, "You have nothing to be sorry for. You do not apologize for being a victim. And you do not apologize for letting the people who care about you carry your burdens when your shoulders are too weak to hold them up anymore."
For the umpteenth time since last night, I had no words. He held my gaze in a chokehold, and when I didn't say anything, he loosened his grip on the counter and stood straight, now staring down at me.
Electricity still blazed behind his eyes as he asked, "Do you understand?"
I nodded my response, and his shoulders relaxed a centimeter.
The kitchen started to smell distinctly like burning eggs, and he cursed and turned back to the pan. After an onslaught of emotions, the hilarity of burning eggs being the biggest threat at the moment took me by surprise and my first reaction was to laugh.
A cackle slipped past my lips before I could stop it, and I slapped a hand over my mouth. Laxus had just plated the first omelet and he turned at the sudden burst of sound, that glorious scowl returning to grace his features. But then a smile tugged at his lips, and the lightning that had previously seared his gaze was replaced with devious amusement.
"Are you laughing at me?" He poured the second omelet into the pan.
I gave a mock gasp, playing up the dramatics with a hand on my chest.
"Of course not! I think you're doing a fantastic job as chef!"
"Really? Because I could have sworn I heard the distinct sound of laughter coming from‐" he gestured with his hand at me "‐this general direction."
"Well you must be hearing things."
"Oh, I'm hearing things?" His sarcasm was delicious.
I wanted more.
"Though now that you mention it, I do find it kind of funny that a wizard who specializes in charring things would carry that specialty over to his cooking."
"So you did laugh!" He pointed the spatula at me with accusatory intent.
"I did not laugh!"
"I'll have you know I am an excellent chef."
"I never said you weren't. I just said that you clearly have a specialty. I happen to like my eggs burnt."
"Oh do you, now?" He reached for a new bowl I hadn't seen him put together.
"I do. As a matter of fact, we should call Natsu. Maybe he could give you some pointers."
"You would insult a man's cooking in his own kitchen?" He said as he prowled towards me, bowl in hand.
"It was less an insult and more of a…friendly suggestion."
I was playing with lightning, and I had never felt more alive. He was all predatory intent as he towered over me. My toes curled in my sandals and heat sank to my core. I had gotten his attention, but I wasn't prepared for this.
The air was electrified around us. My heart raced and I could feel the hair on my body raise in response to him. Fear mixed with excitement, but it only served to stoke the heat, turning it into a blazing inferno.
Is this what his enemies felt when he faced them down in battle? Maybe not the pleasure, because that was definitely smug satisfaction I felt beneath the surge of excitement. I was drowning in it, and I had to gulp down air to remind myself I could breathe.
He wasn't about to let that last comment slide. I could read it on his face, in the way his body seemed postured to pounce. A predator having cornered its prey.
He dipped his fingers into the bowl, and when he spoke, every word raked my nerves like a live wire.
"You see, I was going to be nice and make you some sweet french toast to go with your omelet. But naughty girls don't get sweet french toast."
Live. Fucking. Wire.
"They get powdered sugar to the face."
He removed his hand from the bowl and flicked a cloud of powdered sugar directly into my face.
I sat there, open mouthed, too stunned to speak. His face was split in a wide grin, clearly pleased with himself.
Then the other omelet started to burn.
"Fuck!" He turned and went back to the burner, clicked it off and plated the second burnt dish.
I silently slipped off of the counter behind him, going for the carton of eggs to his right. I palmed one, but gauging the distance from my fully raised arm to the top of his head, I was just out of reach.
Welp. Time to improvise.
He was just about to say something when I slid under his arm and to his front so I was facing him, and slammed the egg into his face. He froze, raised his hand and swiped it down, wiping off shell and goo as he did.
Then his eyes locked on mine, and my pulse spiked.
"You better run, little Bird."
A startled yelp escaped my throat, then I turned on my heel and sprinted into his house. I rounded the corner into his living room, and it took half a thought for me to blend into the nearest shadow. When Laxus crossed the threshold, it didn't even take him a second for his eyes to find me.
I darted beneath the coffee table, which he flipped; then under his large sectional couch, which he also flipped; then finally to the unlit fireplace. There was no escape. Every shadow I sank into, he managed to find me.
Shit. I forgot. Something about sensing electrical currents?
He reached into the fireplace, and before I could slip away, I felt my body vibrate with electricity. It didn't hurt, but it was enough to make me corporeal. And now that I was tangible, he wrapped a massive arm around my waist and hauled me up.
He kept the current flowing through me as he carried me back into the kitchen like a sack of potatoes. If anything, it tickled like hell. I flailed and laughed under his arm, but his grasp never faltered.
He plopped me back down on the counter, but kept his hand firmly planted on my thigh so I had no way to escape. I continued to belly laugh, the most atrocious, unattractive sounds bellowing from me. But now he was laughing too, and like a dam had been broken, his joy shone unfiltered across his face.
He grabbed a bowl of what looked like cinnamon and egg mixture, likely for the french toast I would be wearing now instead of eating, and proceeded to slowly pour its contents over my head. I loosed an incredulous gasp and spotted a carafe of syrup just within my reach. With his hands occupied, I snatched the syrup, popped open the lid and dumped it over his head.
He choked out a laugh and dropped his bowl on the counter, releasing my leg as he stepped out from under the waterfall of syrup. I set down the carafe and leaned back, laughing so hard my stomach hurt.
When I calmed down, a few errant giggles still escaping me, I caught him just standing there in front of me; staring, a contented smile splayed across his lips. Syrup was dripping from his hair, over his brow and down his strong jaw. His dark yellow eyes were playful, but as they dropped below my face, they became hungry.
His jaw clenched, and a barely restrained growl rumbled from his throat. I clenched my thighs together to stave off the wetness that started pooling there, and the butterflies in my stomach were soaring. He approached me slowly, his gaze following the egg I could feel dripping down the contours of my breasts, and it was the best I could do not to shrink back under the electric heat of his attention.
He was almost on top of me as he placed both of his hands on either side of me, caging me once again. But at the last second he wrenched his eyes back to mine and reached behind me. And then he set a plate in my hands.
"Eat." He instructed as he grabbed his own half burnt omelet.
That's right, I was hungry. It was easy to forget my empty stomach after being doused in food and chased around his house. Laxus didn't step away as he stood between my knees, devouring his plate. I cut off a piece of mine and the bottom was definitely burned.
But everything tastes better with syrup. So without thinking, I reached up with my fork and swiped my bite of omelet across his cheek, mopping up the still dripping sweetness. He froze mid chew, brows raised in shock, and watched me bring the fork to my mouth.
Despite the slightly charred taste, between the syrup and the tart flavor of the vegetables it was actually really good. I closed my eyes and smiled, and felt my shoulders sway while I savored it.
When I opened my eyes, Laxus was still staring at me, a pleased smile playing at his lips.
"What?" I asked around another bite of food.
He shook his head and cut off another piece of his omelet.
"I always loved watching you eat."
I could feel the flush creeping up my neck to spread across my cheeks.
"Why? Do I chew funny"? I covered my mouth with my free hand.
"No," he huffed out a laugh. "You just look so happy when you eat. You were so thin after you first woke up….I'm just glad to see you healthy."
"Probably a little too healthy now," I responded jokingly, cutting off another piece.
His fork clanged on his plate and I felt his hand grip my jaw, forcing me to look up at him. All playfulness was gone from his expression, replaced by fierce sincerity.
"You're perfect."
I was fairly certain my heart stopped beating.
"Do you understand?"
I nodded in his hand.
"I want to hear you say it," that voice like rumbling thunder commanded.
"I'm…perfect." It came out on a strained whisper.
"Louder."
I put every ounce of confidence I had into the words. "I'm perfect."
"Good girl."
He held my chin for a few heartbeats; prolonging the intense moment, watching my eyes like he could confirm the honesty behind my words. When he was satisfied with what he saw, his grip loosened and his hand slid from my jaw.
We finished our breakfast in silence, and after placing our dishes in the sink, we finally looked around and took stock of the damage from our food war. The kitchen mostly survived, the mess primarily contained to ourselves. I was just complaining in my head about having to walk home covered in filth when Laxus spoke again.
"I have some clothes you can borrow after we shower. I'll toss these in the wash before the eggs can do any more damage to your dress."
"Ok, thank you."
He lifted me off the counter and set me on my feet. When he took my hand and started to guide me to the bathroom, his words sank in.
"Wait. We ?"
He looked down at me and arched a brow.
"Yeah, well, someone got all that egg in your hair and I can't imagine it'll be easy to get out on your own."
His mouth quirked up in a devilish grin.
He was trying to get a rise out of me.
Well, then. Game on, sparky.
" Someone ? Weird, I distinctly remember a grumpy faced brute dumping a bowl of french toast mix over my head."
He feigned outrage. "Who was he? I'll kick his ass."
The ludicrosity of his words sent me into a fit of laughter that echoed through the house as we made our way to the bathroom. I never would have expected how easy it was to be around him. As quickly as he could make the butterflies in my stomach take flight and my blood reach dangerously boiling temperatures, he could diffuse the tension as if all it took was flipping a switch.
When we made it to the bathroom, I had completely forgotten about my growing nervousness because I was taken aback by how beautiful it was. The house seemed fairly basic from the kitchen to the living room, but the bathroom. He must have renovated this.
A massive stone tub was dug out from a raised platform straight ahead with a giant window that stretched from lip to ceiling, lined with candles and overlooking the forest beyond. There was a waterfall shower head above and various soaps and bath bombs neatly arranged in jars or on wooden racks mounted on the wall beside it. The wall to the left was occupied by a large, ornate double sink and to the right was his washing machine.
I walked to the bathtub and admired his collection of products, and when I turned back to him with a question on my face, he raised his hands in defense.
“I like baths. Sue me.”
I shrugged my shoulders and nodded. I liked baths, too, and if I had this set up I'm not sure I'd ever get out. It was kind of endearing, really. Big, tough lightning dragon slayer with a hard exterior preferred his baths candlelit and bubbly. As I was debating telling him just that, I felt his hands fall on my shoulders behind me.
I turned in his grasp and looked up at him, and my breath caught in my throat at the soft openness of his expression. My stomach sank at the gentleness with which he handled me.
And again, where there should have been nerves, I was surprised to find nothing but comfort when he spoke.
“We don’t have to do anything you don’t want to.”
I could almost hear Cana screaming in the back of my head not to be a fucking idiot , and who am I to let my best friend down?
“Well, someone has to wash all this egg out of my hair, and it sure as hell isn’t going to be me.”
He rolled his eyes and chuckled as he walked to the tub and turned on the waterfall shower. When the heat was to his liking, he turned back to me and reached out his hands.
“Arms up.” He instructed.
I did as he said and raised my arms, then he grasped the hem of my dress and lifted it up over my head. It’s not like they had much of a barrier before, but the moment my breasts were exposed to the chill air my nipples bunched into taught nubs. Laxus didn’t even flinch as he took my hands and placed them on his broad shoulders, bent over to hook his fingers into the seam of my panties and pulled them down.
Braced against his sturdy form, I stepped out of them and was immediately scooped up into his arms and placed gently in the tub under the steaming heat of the water. I watched, suddenly grateful for the hot shower to hide my blush, as he hooked his thumbs in his own pants and they fell to the floor.
Holy gods.
He was huge.
And solid as a fucking rock.
It took every fiber of my being to look anywhere else but between his legs, and I promptly slid under the falling water hoping to drown my senses into submission. He stepped in and reached for a bottle of soap, pouring some into his hands. When he shifted behind me to put them in my hair, he pressed into my back and I shivered despite the warmth of the water. He massaged the suds into my scalp, and I thought I would die right then and there.
I might have already been dead and this was some blessed slice of heaven made just for me.
"Oh no." I heard him say from above me.
"Oh no, what?" I reached my hands up to my hair, but he batted them away.
"The hot water may or may not be cooking the eggs in your hair. Did you always have stringy white goop on your scalp?"
I inhaled a shocked gasp, but he just laughed.
"Asshole."
He laughed harder. I smiled and let the sound wrap around me. It warmed me more than the shower did.
With the soap that ran from my head, I washed as much of the gooey muck from my body as I could. When he finished scrubbing my hair clean, his hands moved to my shoulders and gently massaged any lingering tension from them.
The gesture was unexpected, and I let out a soft moan before I could stop it. I felt him twitch against the small of my back, but he continued like nothing happened. Though his fingers dug in a bit more firmly after. When he finished, I turned to face him.
"Sit." I pointed at the floor of the tub.
He looked like he was about to challenge me, but I raised my brows and set my face in determination, and he obeyed.
"Never thought I'd see the day where I took orders from a drenched pip squeak." He said as he took a seat in front of me.
"Big words coming from the guy with 9 different types of bath bombs." I poked back.
"You leave my bath bombs out of this."
His defense was almost as adorable as the half empty container of pine and tobacco scented sugar scrub on the shelf.
"How else do you think I get my skin this lusciously smooth?" I could hear the grin in his words.
"Touche," I said with a laugh.
I took a seat on the platform by the edge of the tub, and Laxus scooted back until he was nestled firmly between my knees. I got to work immediately, and tried my damndest not to think about his head being so close to my center.
I failed miserably, but at least I was already soaked from the shower. I worked his scalp until I was confident that it was syrup free, and then I slid my hand around his neck and under his jaw to tilt his head back in my lap.
He looked up and watched as I reached for the washcloth, soaked it under the waterfall and brought it back to gently wash his face. He closed his eyes, then, but lifted my legs over his shoulders so my calves rested against his chest.
His hands were clasped just above my knees, and he looked so serene I thought I could stay this way for hours. I carefully made my way across every inch of his beautiful, rugged features with the wet cloth.
Afterwards, I took extra time to work the tips of my fingers in slow, deliberate circles around his temples, over his brow line, the bridge of his nose, over his chin and across his jaw. I lightly traced the line of his scar, and a surge of courage led me to draw the pad of my thumb across his full bottom lip.
His eyes popped open, then, and before I could withdraw my hand, he grabbed it with his own and brought my palm to his lips. His eyes never left mine as he placed a delicate, deliberate kiss at the center of my hand, then my wrist.
When he let go, he turned his head to the inside of my leg and placed another kiss there, and I knew this shower was over. The breath hitched in my throat at the press of his lips to my thigh, and a guttural moan escaped his mouth against my skin.
I was on fire, every nerve blinking awake. My ragged breathing was enough for him to leave the embrace of my legs and turn the shower off. He stepped out of the tub, and I twisted to meet him when Laxus scooped his hands under my ass and hefted me up.
I wrapped my legs around his waist as he carried me out of the bathroom. My arms were draped around his neck, my fingers laced through his hair as we looked at each other; the hunger on his face a sure reflection of my own.
When I finally pressed my lips to his, it was like we were both feral beasts loosed from their chains. I opened my mouth to him, and his tongue swept in, searching and claiming. I met him with my own, and he tasted like heaven and burnt omelet.
We made it to the living room where he laid me on my back across the chaise lounge by the far window. My fingers were still gripped in his hair as his mouth trailed down my neck, over my chest. He left a trail of kisses the whole way. Then he captured my peaked nipple with his mouth and gripped my other breast with his free hand like it was his lifeline.
My head fell back, mouth open, as he rolled the tip of it between his teeth, and a breathy moan rushed past my lips. He growled as he switched, giving the other equal attention. I could feel my core throb in time with every frantic beat of my heart.
I ran my hands across the expanse of his shoulders, marveling at every dip and groove of his muscles. When I looked back at him, he was watching me, mouth wrapped around my nipple.
It was so erotic I thought I couldn't possibly get any hotter; but as if he heard the challenge, he popped off and flicked the sensitive nub with his tongue, and I felt a sharp zing of electricity that set my nerves ablaze and my back arching.
We were playing with fire, and I was ready to burn.
This was going to get interesting.
Laxus’s hands traveled down my sides as his mouth explored the length of my torso; kissing and nibbling at my belly and hips. He worshiped every inch of me as he slid to his knees before spreading my legs. As if he was content to drag this out as long as possible, he lifted one leg and kissed and sucked his way down, getting ever closer to where I desperately wanted him before he withdrew, placed it over his shoulder and moved to the next.
After he had wrenched every needy gasp from my throat, tortured me with desperate anticipation, I finally felt the heat of his breath at my core. His eyes flicked up to meet mine as he watched me writhe under his attention, my hands gripped at the wooden sides of the chaise.
His voice was dripping with fierce authority as he said, “Eyes on me. You look away, and I stop.”
I barely had time to nod my understanding before his mouth enraptured me, and he feasted.
His tongue slipped inside of me, and Laxus growled his approval at the slick wetness he found there before he made his way to the bundle of nerves at the apex of my thighs. When his lips closed around the sensitive bud, he sucked hard as two large fingers thrust inside and curled up to tap at the rough spot deep in my core.
I was going to float away, or sink to the earth’s crust, because I had never felt such pleasure in my life. Our gazes remained locked on each other as I watched him drench himself in my essence, and he watched me struggle to pull air in my lungs. When I could feel release begin to bloom at the edge of my senses, my head started to fall back again.
The fingers that worked my sheath began to thrust furiously, and his other hand planted a sharp smack to my thigh as he removed his mouth from me with a pop.
“What did I say about taking your eyes off of me?” He asked, stilling the fingers inside of me.
I mewled my disappointment at the loss of friction and forced my eyes to meet his.
“Good girl. Don’t look away, I want to watch you shatter.”
His words alone made me tremble, and when he returned his attention back to my swollen clit, I knew I was only seconds from collapsing in on myself. He must have been aware of it too, because the fingers buried inside of me thrust deep in short, controlled bursts, and tapped intentionally at the rough spot hidden there. Just as I felt the wave of my orgasm about to crash over me, his hooded eyes glowed yellow and the familiar zing of electricity shot from the tip of his tongue as I careened headlong over the edge.
My hands clutched at his hair in a death grip as I screamed my pleasure into the ether. I undulated my hips, rocking against him as wave after wave of my climax overtook me. I saw stars, but he didn’t let up once as he braced an arm over my hips to pin me down, licking and sucking and thrusting through every pulse of my clit, every contraction of my inner muscles.
When I was shaking and panting beneath him, he came up for a singular second to kiss my thigh.
“One more,” he said as he, too, struggled for breath.
I tried to voice that I didn’t think I had another one in me, but the words were chased back with a gasp as he returned to his feasting with the ferocity of a starved beast. One orgasm rolled into the next to the point where I couldn’t tell where one ended and another began. I was drowning and I didn't want to come up for air.
When I was a sated puddle of shivering moans, he at last moved to hover above me. He gazed down at my flushed, smiling face like I was the lost piece to his unfinished puzzle. Like knowing he was the cause of my unfettered happiness was the tether holding him to this plane. The sheer vulnerability he was offering me was enough to break and mend my heart all at once.
Laxus brushed an errant curl from my sweat soaked face with the palm of his hand, and I felt the tip of his member nestle into my opening. He leaned down and pressed a ginger kiss to my mouth, then he slid home.
I moaned into his mouth and he opened for me, like he could swallow the sound. He sheathed himself to the hilt in one achingly slow thrust, and with it filled every empty part of my soul. He stilled and let me adjust around him, because gods he was big.
When he began to move, every push hit the deepest part of me. I wrapped my legs around his back and tangled my hands in his hair as I savored every inch of skin that touched between us. I wanted to crawl inside of him, because apparently no amount of closeness was close enough with him.
His thrusts were gentle, like he was afraid his size would overwhelm me. Break me. I tugged on the hair at the nape of his neck until he stopped and met my gaze.
"You won't hurt me, Laxus. You can let go. I can take it."
And it was like I had ripped that tether from the ground. He gripped the edge of the chaise on either side of my head, and his next thrust bordered on painful. But I was no stranger to pain, and mixed with the pleasure of his thick shaft rubbing and stretching me around him, I lost myself to the rhythm and ecstasy.
I lost myself in him.
Laxus's hips moved harder and faster, each thrust bringing me closer to that cliff's edge I had soared over countless times already. His mouth was open, eyes clouded as he watched me with rapture, and little grunts escaped his mouth with every shove into me. I could tell he was close, too, so I locked my ankles behind his back and thrust my hips up to meet him.
He came with a roar, and I went with him as I bit down on his shoulder to ride out the orgasm. I heard a crack from behind me, and before either of us could react, the wood beneath Laxus's hands shattered and the chaise broke under me.
We rolled to the floor before we could sink into the broken cushion, and I landed atop him. Straddled over his hips, hands pressed to his solid chest, we laughed for a brief second at the hilarity of the situation before he repositioned me over his still hard shaft.
He gripped my hips hard as he thrust up, and I braced my hands on his knees. I rocked in tandem with him this time, and the new position allowed him to get deeper than before. His hands moved to grasp at my breasts, and he sat up to take one in his mouth.
When his teeth clamped around my nipple, I dug my nails into his shoulders and moaned loudly to the ceiling. Against all odds, I felt the whisper of another climax start to build.
I pushed Laxus back down to the floor and bounced my hips on top of him with every ounce of strength I had, and he unleashed himself. He grabbed my ass with both hands and slammed himself into me from beneath, eyes locked on his shaft sliding in and out of me until we both came.
His seed was spilling from me now, and I could feel him twitch inside of me as it continued to flow. He was drenched in my release, and we were both gulping down breaths like fish out of water.
He sat up again, wrapped his hands under my thighs and stood up. He remained sheathed inside of me, though his member had softened a bit. My arms clamped around his neck as he began to walk to his bedroom, and he pressed his lips to my ear.
"One more," he whispered.
I pulled my head back to look at his face, pure shock painting my features. He was grinning, but I knew he was serious.
"Laxus, I really don't think I ha-"
His shaft buzzed with that telltale electricity, and he was suddenly hard again. The sensation traveled to my overly sensitive clit, and I realized this motherfucker was saving the best for last.
"One more," I breathed, and slammed my mouth onto his.
He stopped before his bed and untangled my arms from his neck, and when I fell back I was met with the plush softness of his bed. He snatched my legs from around his waist to lay them flat against his torso, dragging me to the edge of the mattress.
Laxus caged his arms over my thighs, thrust deep and stilled.
"Eyes. On. Me."
My hands gripped the thick comforter at my sides. I took a deep breath and responded on an exhale.
"Yes."
The sounds of heavy pants and moans and the rapid slapping of his pelvis on my ass filled the otherwise quiet room around us. Our eyes remained locked on each other the whole time, and I burned the image of his lust filled determination into my brain.
He turned his head to place a kiss on the inside of my ankle. His eyes never left my face as he followed the peck with a bite, and the sharp sting of pain caused my back to arch. The angle hooked him deeper inside of me and his thrusts became wild as he chased both of our pleasures.
His shaft started to vibrate with electricity, and he braced my legs with one arm as the other slid down so he could place his thumb firmly on my clit. He rubbed in time with each thrust and the electric zing lit my nerves on fire.
"Come for me," he panted out.
I shook so violently I thought my soul would go flying right out of my body. My mouth was open, but no sound came out as I gripped the comforter like it was the only thing keeping me from falling off the earth.
Laxus slammed into me one last time as his orgasm took him as well, and he gripped my thighs so tight I knew there would be bruises later. But I couldn't find it in myself to care. That was the hardest I'd ever come in my life, and I swore I'd never deny any of his "one more time" offers if this was the payout.
We stayed like that for a few moments until we could both properly catch our breaths. When we finally did, he let my legs fall from his embrace and climbed into the bed next to me. He looped an arm over my chest and under my back, and pulled me across the mattress until I was lying beside him.
Laxus curled his body around me, and wrapped me in his arms so I was completely trapped against him. I couldn't remember a time where I felt more safe or content than I was right now.
Thoroughly satisfied and worn out, neither of us spoke a word. And as a few minutes passed, I could hear soft snores coming from behind me.
I smiled, happier than I'd ever been. And as sleep crept into the corners of my own mind, I nestled closer to my big grumpy lightning bug, thankful for once that I couldn't hold my liquor.