Don't expect much of a plot here...

I'm just taking a break from my other story to get this idea out of my head. It's basically a 'mating season' trope featuring Laxus with-who you may ask? Read to find out!

Hiro Mashima owns Fairy Tail. And no, I am not Hiro Mashima.

Lucy walked to the guild in high spirits. She had been sick for the past three days and couldn't leave her house, much less go to the guild. But that morning she had woken up symptom free and feeling perfectly healthy. So she immediately headed for the guild as soon as she got ready for the day. Her rent was due in two weeks and she still needed at least 20,000 jewels to pay for the month. Oh, and she missed her teammates, who had been kind enough to let her recuperate after giving her a 'get well' package a few days ago.

She entered Fairy Tail to find it unusually quiet for the time of day. Natsu and Gray were nowhere in sight, to explain the lack of carnage. Erza was sitting at the bar, enjoying some cake and Lucy could spot Happy with Wendy, Charla, and surprisingly Patherlily on the other side of the guild. Levy and Gajeel were nowhere in sight.

Lastly and discreetly, Lucy peeked up at the second floor to see if a certain Lightning Dragon Slayer was there. He wasn't, to her disappointment. In fact, it looked like the Thunder Legion shared her disappointment, seeing as they were all sulking to being leaderless at the moment.

Where was everyone?

Lucy headed to the bar to speak to Mira, but the take-over mage spotted the blonde first.

"Oh, Lucy! How are you feeling?" she asked.

Lucy smiled. "Much better, thanks. Where is everyone? It's awfully quiet."

"Yeah, a lot of people are on missions," she said, leaning on the bar counter. "But then there's mating season going on, too."

Lucy blinked in confusion. "Mating season?"

Mira turned to her, eyes slightly wide. "You don't know?" Lucy shook her head.

"It's mating season for dragon slayers," Erza suddenly piped up, patting the side of her mouth with a napkin, having finished her strawberry cake. "Basically all of the dragon slayers have gone off to be alone with their mates or are off on their own for the next week."

Lucy turned from Erza to Mira for confirmation. The white-haired woman nodded. Lucy peered around Mira to see Wendy chatting with the exceeds.

"But Wendy is still here," Lucy observed.

"She's still too young," Mira answered with a smile, "but trust me, her time will come eventually."

"But why haven't I heard about mating season before? I've been at Fairy Tail for years now," Lucy said.

"Well, apparently dragons and dragon slayers only have a mating season every four years or so. At least that's what I've been told. And what with the incident on Tenrou Island, they skipped their last mating season and only happened to have it until this year," Mira answered, shrugging her shoulders. "And I imagine you didn't hear about them leaving because you were sick the past few days..."

"That's true," Lucy said. A thought suddenly came to her mind. "Does that mean Levy's with Gajeel?" she asked.

Mira nodded happily. "Yes! Turns out they're mates! Isn't it wonderful?"

About time. Lucy thought. Out loud she said with a smile, "Yeah, I was kind of convinced they were secretly dating."

Mira chuckled. "With the way they stick together, you'd think they were!"

Lucy laughed along with her. She was happy that Gajeel had finally stopped being so stubborn and accepted Levy as more than a friend. Everyone could see those two had it bad for each other.

"So what about Natsu?" Lucy asked.

"He left for the northern mountains. Said he was going to spend his time training out there," she said, reaching for a rag to dry a mug.

Lucy quirked an eyebrow. "He went alone?" recalling that Happy was still here at the guild.

Mira gave her a sad smile. "Yes. Lisanna was a little upset to learn he doesn't have a mate. You know, she actually thought it was you for a while," she said thoughtfully.

Lucy just shook her head in a panic. "I don't know why everyone thinks we should be together. We're just friends, that's all!"

"I don't know Lucy," the she-demon smiled knowingly. "You two are pretty close..."

"What about Laxus? Who's his mate?" Lucy hurriedly asked before Mira could go off on a shipping fantasy.

Mira sighed. "No one, apparently. He's going stag this year, too."

While Lucy felt a little relieved, she thought Mira looked especially melancholy for the man. "What's wrong, Mira?" she asked out loud.

Mira paused for a moment before looking around. Then she leaned over the bar and cupped a hand to her mouth as if she were telling Lucy a secret. Erza leaned over as well to hear. "You can't tell anyone I said this. I swore Freed to secrecy. But apparently Laxus already knows who his mate is," she whispered lowly.

That surprised Lucy. Making sure to keep her voice a low as possible, she asked, "Really?" Mira nodded. "Who?" Lucy continued to ask.

"I don't know myself. Neither does Freed. But he suspects it's someone in the guild."

Lucy raised her eyebrows. "Why do you think he didn't take his mate with him?"

Mira sighed again, leaning back from the bar. With her voice still low, she looked at both girls with a hint of sadness in her eyes. "I suspect he wanted to be alone to get away from her, actually. I think Laxus has been so used to being on his own that starting a committed relationship scares him. You know how he is with women."

Lucy nodded thoughtfully. She couldn't count the number of rumors surrounding Laxus' playboy ways. Was he really that against having a mate?

She couldn't help but wonder how lonely a life that could be.

But Lucy immediately brightened, eager to change the subject and no longer think about the dragon slayer she might have a crush on.

"Well, I wish Natsu had told me he was leaving. I actually need to go on a job," Lucy said. "My rent's due soon and I need to earn some money."

"I'll go with you," Erza offered. "There's not much to do here, anyway."

"You don't mind?" Lucy asked worriedly.

Erza smiled at the blonde mage, "Of course not. It would give us some time alone together. Let's go pick something out."

The two girls searched the job board and decided on a job requesting help in Foreman. Apparently a single rogue mage was out there causing trouble for the townspeople. Lucy took the request to Mira to catalogue.

The next morning, the two girls set out for the train station. It was nearly an all day trip from Magnolia to Foreman, so they knew they would be arriving at the town early in the evening.

The train pulled into Foreman's station just as the sun touched the horizon. Lucy and Erza got off, went to check into a hotel for the night, and immediately made their way over to the mayor's house before night could fall. They learned from the mayor that the mage they were to apprehend wasn't particularly destructive or malicious, but more of a nuisance for the townspeople. The mage broke into and stole from stores and robbed people before escaping authorities and fleeing into the woods, which were vast and treacherous at night. One thing the townspeople did agree on was that the mage could be quite powerful. Erza didn't seem the least bit fazed, even though Lucy was a little apprehensive. Since the mage only seemed to strike during the nighttime hours, the mayor recommended they try cornering him when he was on the prowl in the city. Both girls agreed that to be the best course of action and immediately left to start a patrol of the city.

Erza and Lucy walked around the business district of the city first, seeing as it was the area most utilized by the thieving mage. They were in luck that night.

The two Fairy Tail mages rounded a corner just in time to see a shadowy figure cleaning out the front window display of a store, shattered glass at his feet.

"Let's go," Erza told Lucy in a low voice. The blonde nodded and matched Erza's quick pace.

The thief must have heard their footsteps, because he looked up from his task of stuffing merchandise into a bag and bolted after slinging the bag over his shoulder.

Typical thief, Lucy thought to herself as she and Erza picked up the pace to chase after him. They always run from a fight.

The two girls chased after the thief down the street and the next one over before they turned a corner and nearly tripped over the bandit's discarded sack of stolen goods. They looked up ahead to see the thief gaining traction before running toward a path that led to the forest nearby.

The two girls ran after the bandit into the woods, completely unaware that a certain dragon slayer wasn't too far away.

Laxus wasn't really adverse to 'roughing it,' but he would be damned if he slept in the dirt. He for one liked having a roof over his head. He had found the abandoned cabin he was staying in years ago while coming back from a job in the mountains. Every four years during mating season he would spend his time fixing up the old dwelling and training. It had been perfectly fine the first few seasons. But the current one was the worst. He felt angry and agitated all the time, like he was itching to get out of his own skin.

He knew the reason why. His inner beast was just punishing him for leaving his mate behind at Fairy Tail. But he had his reasons. He had even left two days prior to when mating season was supposed to start to ensure he wouldn't jump her and drag her back to his place to have his way with her like some Neanderthal. Mating season messed with his senses and judgement, so much so that he was a danger to himself and to others. Dragon slayers tended to become more territorial and aggressive during mating season. They were especially territorial over their mates during this time.

He shook his head as he gathered up the firewood he had been chopping up. The last thing he needed was him going berserk because another man was getting too close to the woman his senses told him was his mate.

Laxus looked out toward the setting sun, just barely above the horizon. He would go to sleep soon, then get up early for some training in the morning.

A breeze swept past his face. He froze.

No, He thought. The pupils of his eyes dilated. How...?

He involuntarily sniffed again, catching the scent the breeze had carried toward him. Now he was positive. She was here. Not far away, even.

Laxus felt his heartrate pick up as he dropped the firewood and took a single step forward.

No! He told himself, stopping in his tracks. He would not give into his baser instincts. He would not give into the dragon. He was stronger than that. He was in control. He...

Another breeze carried the scent to his nostrils. He breathed it in and felt his heart nearly stop. He was able to differentiate three scents. Strawberries and honeysuckle, iron and peppermint, both scents familiar. And an unknown male. Laxus grit his teeth in anger as the dragon in him reared up.

MINE!

The single word rang out in his mind. The dragon always said that whenever she was around, usually in a softer tone, though. But this time the dragon's intent was loud and clear: destroy the male and claim his prize.

MINE!

It said it again, as if to spur Laxus on. It was working. Laxus took another step forward as the last of his resolve disappeared. He had to protect her. Had to claim her. He took a few more steps forward, faster this time, until he was outright running into the woods, with one thought in his head.

MINE.

Lucy and Erza followed the bandit into the woods. Lucy suspected Erza was slowing her pace so as not to leave Lucy behind.

Man, I got to start working out, Lucy thought as she heaved oxygen into her lungs while running. The bandit wasn't too far ahead, stumbling over tree roots and rocks, but still out of reach of the two mages. Lucy's legs and lungs were burning, but she pushed herself forward.

Finally the three mages made it to a large clearing, where the moonlight illuminated a relatively flat terrain. The bandit mage ran to the middle of the clearing and finally stopped and turned around to face the two girls. He was breathing heavily but the moonlight perfectly illuminated his wicked smile. It was as if he was enjoying the chase.

"Oh ho! What did I do to have two lovely ladies chase after me, hm?" he asked as his breathing steadied. "I must be one helluva catch to have two of you after me..."

Lucy scoffed as she detached her whip from her belt. As if.

Erza equipped a sword to her hand. She turned to Lucy. "Back me up," she said simply. Lucy nodded, unravelling her whip.

The redhead charged toward the bandit while Lucy ran off to the side.

Erza managed to get within five feet of the bandit before she was thrust backward, sent flying by some invisible force. Her back hit a nearby tree, sinking to the ground in a heap.

"Erza!" Lucy yelled. She looked at the bandit. So this guy was a mage. He probably had telekinesis of some kind.

Resisting the urge to run over to Erza, Lucy decided to give the redhead some time to recover by distracting the thief. Wielding her whip, she swung the weapon through the air until the end of the whip wrapped around the torso of the bandit. Using all of her strength, she prepared to throw him across the clearing. That plan back-fired when she felt her body flying backwards. Her back hit the ground, hard. Lucy cursed under her breath. In her surprise, she had let go of her whip.

She quickly got up to see Erza zigzagging across the field toward the bandit. Once again the requip mage was sent hurdling backwards against a tree, only this time the bandit did something that made magic bonds circle around Erza, effectively binding her to the tree. Erza struggled against the restraints to no avail.

Lucy quickly grabbed a key. "Open, Gate of the-" her words were suddenly cut off along with her air supply when Lucy felt pressure around her throat. She felt herself being lifted off the ground by several inches. She looked up to see the bandit mage standing not far in front of her, his wicked grin still present. He wagged his finger at her.

"None of that, now," he said. "Oh, are those gold?" he asked, reaching for her key ring. Lucy's temper flared. Like hell she was letting this creep get to her keys. Lucy swung a foot that planted firmly in the bandit's face, making him lose his concentration and drop her to the ground. Lucy gasped for air, trying to get up before the other mage did. But he recovered first, anger flashing across his boot-printed face. He lifted a hand and once again closed his magical grip around the celestial mage's throat, lifting her into the air.

"You're going to regret that," he promised with a sneer, steadily increasing the pressure around Lucy's neck. She kicked her legs wildly as she struggled to stay conscious.

Out of the corner of her eye, Lucy saw a shadow jump out of the darkness with a roar and attack the thief. The thief released his magical grip on her neck in surprise just before both figures landed on the ground. Lucy fell to her knees as she gasped for air, clutching at her bruised throat. Lucy's first thought once she could breathe again was that a wild animal had attacked the bandit. But when she looked up, she saw the figure of a large man bending over another form on the ground. The large man picked the prone thief up by the collar and with an amazing display of strength, threw Lucy's attacker twenty feet away like the man was a ragdoll. He hit a tree and slumped to the ground. The bandit struggled to get up.

Lucy looked over at Erza, no longer under the influence of the mage's magic, to see her shock still, staring at the stranger. Lucy looked at the newcomer just in time to see him raise a hand toward the struggling mage, who was on his feet by this time. Before the thief could even use his magic, long tendrils of yellow light shot out from the stranger's hand and shot forth toward the thief, creating a crashing sound when the light hit him. The bandit gave out a high-pitched scream as he fell to the ground, writhing spastically in pain, but clearly unconscious.

Lightning? Lucy thought. What's a lightning mage doing here...?

Lucy looked over at the stranger once more. He turned toward her.

Lucy gasped. Even under the pale and dim light of the moon, Lucy could clearly make out a bolt-shaped scar over one eye and spikey blonde hair. He walked toward her, kneeling down when he reached her. He held out a hand to help her up.

"Laxus..." she murmured. She placed her hand in his without thinking.

He abruptly pulled her up. Lucy stumbled forward into his large frame with a small squeak. Just as she was about to apologize, she felt Laxus wrap an arm around her waist and pull her closer. His head dipped down to touch hers, so that his face was in her hair; she could hear his deep intake of breath and felt his chest expand. Lucy felt his warmth surround her on the chilly night. It felt kind of...good. It felt safe and comforting, like a warm blanket...

"Lucy!" Erza's voice cut through Lucy's clouded mind like a blade, bringing the celestial mage to the startling realization that she was hugging Laxus Dreyar. And that she liked it. Lucy turned her head to see Erza jogging up to the two blondes. Lucy felt more than heard the deep growling in Laxus' chest as he pulled their bodies even closer if that was possible. Lucy could feel her own face heat up at the sudden closeness. But his grip on her only tightened when she tried to step away.

"Laxus, what are you-" the rest of Erza's words were cut off when Lucy suddenly felt electricity spark around her. It strangely didn't hurt though. The next moment she felt weightless and the scene before her vanished as her vision was consumed with yellow light. The entire time she was still clinging to Laxus, and it didn't seem like he was letting her go either.

And just as suddenly as the experience started, Lucy felt her feet touch the ground hard and a wave of nausea hit her. She probably would have collapsed if Laxus hadn't been holding her up.

"Sorry," she heard him say while she was disoriented. "I forget how it must feel for someone who's not used to that."

"W-wha...what was that?" Lucy asked as her dizziness continued. She felt herself being picked up in a princess-style carry.

"Lightning teleportation," he simply said. "Let's get you inside."

Inside? She thought to herself. Aren't we in the middle of the woods?

But sure enough, as Lucy's stomach settled down, she saw what looked like a cabin in the middle of a small clearing up ahead, the scent of pine filling her senses. Laxus walked up to the cabin and nudged the door open. The interior was almost completely black with darkness, save for the moonlight that streamed in through the windows, but Laxus navigated around the cabin like it was broad daylight. He took her into another room and laid her down on what the moonlight revealed to be a bed.

Laxus brushed his lips on her forehead in an awkward gesture of affection that confused Lucy. "Stay here," he said as he left her on the bed and walked out of the room. Her queasiness gone, Lucy sat up in the bed and looked around her, waiting for her eyes to adjust to the darkness shadowing the rest of the room. But they didn't.

Laxus went to the front door to close it and bolt it shut. That seemed to be the moment when he regained full control of his faculties. He leaned his head against the wooden door and let out a heavy breath. What was he supposed to do now? His mate was just in the other room, and he wasn't sure if anything he had done up until now was the smartest course of action.

I basically abducted her, he thought to himself, reviewing recent events in his mind. He swallowed, feeling his throat dry up. When he saw that man strangling her, saw Lucy gasping for air and heard her heartrate pick up speed...he just lost it. The dragon in him vocalized his outrage through Laxus' own war cry as he tackled the mage to the ground, wanting nothing more than to get the creep away from what was rightfully his. He just barely restrained himself from killing the guy, but made sure to leave him in enough pain he would be feeling for weeks. And once he had Lucy in his arms...he knew there was no going back. Indulging himself with her scent, the aroma of strawberries and honeysuckle, he knew that this woman belonged at his side. If only he could convince her of that. Well now that he thought of it, he wasn't off to a very good start now, was he? Stealing her away from her teammate, taking her away from what could correctly be taken as a mission...he was pretty naïve to think she would be okay with any of this.

"Laxus?" her voice floated to him from the other room. He turned around to face the doorway of the room she was in. She didn't sound scared...more like concerned. Oh, who was he kidding, of course she was scared. She must think he had gone completely nuts, taking her away and locking her in a cabin with a horny dragon slayer. Did he mention that he was horny as hell?

Laxus stepped away from the door and made his way to the bed in the other room. He sat on the edge of the bed, facing away from her, while she looked at his back, illuminated by the moonlight streaming through the one window in the room. His head was bowed, as if he were deep in thought about something.

Lucy was about to call out to him again when he spoke.

"I'm...sorry," he said, tripping over his words. He clearly wasn't used to apologizing. His apology confused Lucy.

"For what?" she asked. Well, he had pretty much stolen her away from Erza, but she was sure it wasn't for any malicious intent or purpose.

He didn't speak at first, scratching the back of his head as if contemplating how to answer. Lucy, however, was deep in thought as well. Laxus was on his own, without his team, in the middle of the woods far from Magnolia. Her thoughts inexplicably turned to her conversation with Mira the day before. About the dragon slayer mating season...

"Laxus?" she spoke again, venturing to take a guess. "Are we...am I...your mate?"

He whipped his head around to look at her. Was she a fucking mind reader? His shoulders relaxed when he saw her curious expression. Mavis, she was beautiful with the moonlight reflecting off her hair; it made it look like she had a silver halo above her head. Laxus averted his eyes away from her.

Of course they were mates. He had thought so the moment he met her. Granted, he wasn't completely sure at the time. And she was always around that pyromaniac, making him think there was something between the two of them. But as time went on, especially after his exile, he found himself noticing her more, thinking of her when she wasn't around, even missing her a little when she was gone. He was good at hiding how he felt, making sure to seem indifferent on the outside, while a storm was raging on the inside. As mating season got closer, however, he found it harder to ignore her, to the point where he would want to just fuck it all and show everyone she belonged to him. But he couldn't do that to her.

When he didn't answer, Lucy continued to talk. "I'll take that as a 'yes,' then," she switched her gaze to the floor, even though there was nothing to see there. She gulped. There were so many questions swimming around in her head she didn't know what to ask or if she even should ask anything. She looked back up at his profile, illuminated by the moon while his face was in the shadows.

Were they really mates? Lucy thought back to her conversation with Mira about Laxus. She said she thought Laxus left his mate behind because he wanted to get away from her. Now that Lucy could put herself into the situation, his actions kind of hurt her. Did he not want her? Did he think she wasn't good enough to be his mate? Or was he scared of a committed relationship like Mira thought?

But what about her? Could she really think of someone like Laxus as her soul mate? Her one and only?

She looked at him, the side of his face captured in the moonlight. She would have to be blind to think he wasn't good-looking. His strong, masculine features, his storm blue eyes, even his lightning shaped scar gave him character, made him look more like a badass that Lucy found strangely alluring. But there was more to him than his exterior. He could be brusque, a bit of an ass, and standoffish at times, but Lucy could tell that was all a part of an act. She could tell he deeply cared about his teammates and guild mates, he cared about Fairy Tail as much as she did. He was brave, strong, powerful...and he had changed so much in the time she had known him. He wasn't that selfish power-hungry warmonger anymore. Everyone knew that. Yeah, Lucy could see herself dating someone like him. Or the man himself.

Did he think the same way, though? Could he imagine being with her? Lucy looked at his profile once more. Given his behavior right now, the answer was probably 'no.'

"I think you should go," he suddenly said without facing her.

Lucy drew a small intake of breath. So it was true. He didn't want her. He probably thought she was too immature and weak to be someone worthy of standing at his side. She had probably proven that earlier that night when she was fighting that bandit. She probably would have died if Laxus hadn't come along.

He didn't want her. She felt the pinprick of tears at her eyes and gulped down the sob in her throat. She would not cry in front of him.

Wordlessly, she got up and walked towards the door. Just as she passed him, she felt him reach out and take a hold of her wrist. She turned around to face him as he stood up.

"Why are you crying?" he asked, confusion written on his face. Lucy turned away from him out of shame. She didn't want him to see her like this.

"I..." she started to say, wiping at the tears near her eyes. She took a deep breath but didn't look him in the eye. She didn't trust herself to keep a poker face. "I get it...you don't need to explain. I get why...why you don't want me," she struggled to say. "I-I know I'm not good enough...I'm not what you need...so I'll just-" she was turning toward the door when she felt her body being pulled forward and a hand tangle itself in her hair.

The next thing she knew, she and Laxus were kissing.

Both of Lucy's hands fell on his chest as he pushed their bodies impossibly close together, her soft curves flush against his hard contours. Lucy gasped when she felt something big and hard in his pants poke her thigh. Laxus took that as an invitation for his tongue to dive into her mouth. He swirled his tongue around hers, feeling every crevice of her mouth. Her tongue moved with his as she moaned into his mouth. The sounds she made pleased the dragon inside of Laxus as it demanded he do more to the woman in front of him. He obliged the dragon by grabbing onto the backs of Lucy's thighs and lifting her up. She instinctually wrapped her arms around Laxus' neck as he walked them back over to the bed, where he laid her down, all the time never breaking the kiss. They finally broke the kiss for some much needed air. Laxus hovered just inches above Lucy, drinking in her flushed face and swollen lips.

"Don't ever say that," he suddenly whispered to her. Lucy blinked in surprise.

"What?" she asked. His dark blue eyes stared down into her chocolate brown ones, and Lucy felt like she was searching for his soul as she stared back.

"Don't ever say you're not good enough for anything, because you are," he continued to whisper, his expression serious. He lifted one of her legs up and lowered his pelvis to hers. "And can't you see just how much I want you, Lucy?"

She wasn't sure which to be more shocked by. The fact that he used her real name or that he was grinding his obvious and prominent arousal against her clothed core. She couldn't stop a small moan from escaping her lips.

Laxus hung his head. "Fuck," he muttered before getting off of her and sitting on the edge of the bed, once again facing away from her. Lucy sat back up, confused. They were practically repeating their behavior from earlier.

"You really should go," he said once again, "before I do something I know I'll regret."

Lucy touched her feet to the floor to sit beside him. "But you just said-"

"I know," he interrupted. "But I can't force you...I won't force you..."

Lucy's brow furrowed. "Who says you're forcing me?"

He looked at her as if to ask if she was being serious. "I basically abducted you," he said like he was stating the obvious.

She raised an eyebrow. "You gave me a chance to leave. Twice now." He looked away. "Do you really want me to leave?"

Laxus ran his hand through his hair. He'd be lying if he said yes, but the possibility of hurting her still itched in the back of his mind.

"You don't get it, Blon-Lucy," he said. "I'm not in my right mind. I could end up hurting you. And the only reason you're staying is because I said we're mates. Because something says we're mates."

Lucy crossed her arms. "Hey, I've read a good deal about dragon slayers, okay? Slayers only accept people they are truly compatible with as mates, not just anyone! If you say we're mates, then...it's for a reason. And dragon slayers are fiercely protective of their mates. So I know you'd never hurt me."

He looked at her incredulously. "You really believe something some book told you?"

"Am I wrong?" she asked. He didn't answer, but looked down. She sighed.

She wondered if it would be okay to touch him. She took a leap of faith and laid her hand on his arm. "Laxus?" she called out to him. He finally looked her in the eye. His fists clenched, like he was restraining himself from touching her back.

Deciding she had to be the bold one, Lucy swallowed her shyness and leaned toward him.

"Please," she said in a low voice. Her lips reached his ear. "Make me yours."

That seemed to make something in him snap, because as quick as the lightning he made, Laxus had her on her back, her hands pinned on either side of her head.

"Don't say things you don't mean, Blondie," he growled. His dark eyes turned even darker with lust.

"I don't," she returned breathlessly, feeling her own arousal stir.

Laxus could hear her heartrate pick up and could see the adoration in her eyes. Adoration for him. The stars outside the window above the bed could be seen reflected in her eyes. The very stars which she drew her power from.

He lowered his face to hers and just barely touched his lips to hers. She surprised him by leaning forward into the kiss so that their lips fully touched each other. Laxus pulled back for a moment before diving back in, swiping his tongue across her bottom lip. She allowed him access by opening her mouth and enticing his tongue with hers. He settled in between her legs as they languidly kissed. He released his grip on her hands. He leaned on one of his forearms to stay hovering above her while the other hand unbuttoned his shirt. She buried her fingers in the soft spikes of his hair, moaning when he swirled his tongue around hers. He tasted like whiskey and a certain headiness that she couldn't name.

He pulled back out of the kiss to discard his shirt. His rippling muscles flexed under the moonlight. And Lucy couldn't help but liken him to a statue of a Greek god, his finely chiseled features and perfect form making her wonder how this man was mortal.

Laxus returned to kissing her, his large hands pushing up her tank top, commanding that it come off. Lucy obliged by breaking the kiss and taking it off all the way, leaving her in only her bra. With stuttering hands, Lucy reached behind and managed to unfasten the clasp on her bra, letting it fall away. Lucy forced down the urge to cover herself up, not wanting her shyness to ruin the moment. But her eyes refused to meet Laxus', her blushing face denoting her embarrassment. Laxus could see that, so he tipped her chin up to make eye contact with her.

"You're beautiful," he told her. He leaned down to continue their tender kiss from earlier, lightly easing her back down to the bed. He kissed his way down her neck and chest, taking her bountiful breasts in his hands and kneading them. Her gasp encouraged him further as he noticed how perfectly her mounds fit in his large hands. He kissed the valley between her breasts before taking a nipple in his mouth. He circled the areola with his tongue while his hand occupied her other breast. His teeth and fingers pinched the tips of the rosy buds. He could hear her breathing hard, but he wanted her moaning. He pulled away from her breast and settled both of his hands on her chest. He looked down at her face when he began to channeling his lightning through his hands while he fondled her breasts.

Lucy could feel the electric current running through her body, but strangely enough, it didn't hurt like she thought it would. It felt...good, in a word. It was like the warmth of Laxus' hands was reaching every part of her body, relaxing every muscle and tingling every nerve in her. Her heavy breathing turned into groans of ecstasy as she arched into his touch. She could feel the coil in her stomach tightening as he created more pulses of heat through those wonderful hands of his. He decreased the flow of electricity as his fondling became harsher, squeezing and nipping at her flesh with his teeth. Then he started pinching and sending electrical rivets to Lucy's nipples, making her gasp and groan. Lucy never thought she would be turned on by the pain, but sure enough, his harsh treatment snapped the coil in her, making her come.

Laxus pulled back and took off Lucy's hiking boots and socks, one at a time, before reaching for her shorts. He took off both the shorts and her thoroughly soaked panties in one swift motion, throwing them haphazardly to the side. His hands trailed up and down her legs and over her stomach, avoiding the one area between her legs that was aching to be touched.

"Laxus..." Lucy pleaded. He looked down at her with a smirk.

"Tell me what you want, Blondie," he taunted almost sadistically. Lucy's face burned red.

"T-Touch me," she stammered out. His hands trailed down her inner thighs, so very close to where she wanted him to be.

"I am touching you," he said matter-of-factly, clearly intent on making her beg. His hands trailed back up to her knees, away from her aching core.

"Touch me..." she gulped, "d-down there."

"Where?" He kissed her belly button. "Here?" he asked, his eyes never leaving hers. "Here?" he kissed her bare pubic area, making her give out a small gasp. "Or here?" he licked her clit, coaxing a small groan out of the celestial mage.

"T-There," she said breathlessly. Her head rolled back when he continued to lick her nether lips and moaned at her taste. He sucked her clit into his mouth and slipped a finger into her soaked entrance. Something between a scream and a moan exited Lucy's mouth. Realizing what she must sound like, she covered her mouth with a hand. Laxus frowned and stopped his ministrations. He pushed her hand away.

"Don't do that," he commanded. "I want to hear you."

Lucy bit her lower lip when he returned to her womanhood and ran his tongue through her folds. A groan escaped her anyway as he ate her out, his finger rutting her tight passage.

Laxus added a second finger and spread her entrance. She shuddered against him. He sucked on her clit again, steadily thrusting his fingers into her, only increasing the rate of his thrusts when he felt her momentarily clench around him. She was close, he could tell. He began to curl his fingers as he pushed them into her heat. Her breathing became labored as she fisted the bedsheets. She began to thrust her hips upward, making Laxus hold her down with his unoccupied hand. Moans and groans tumbled out of Lucy. He lifted his head and looked up at her, his fingers still thrusting into her.

"Cum for me, Lucy," he told her.

Lucy screamed out her orgasm, arching her back in an almost impossible manner off of the bed. She stilled for a moment before coming back down from her high, breathing hard and covered in her own sweat, her eyes closed in euphoria.

With one last lick through her soaked folds, Laxus stood up and nearly ripped both his jeans and boxers off until he was as naked as she was. He returned to her awaiting warmth, his aching member flush against her wet heat. He kissed her in a tender, loving way, like they were bound for eternity. He supposed, in a way, they were.

She wrapped her legs around him and started to grind against him a bit, as if to convey her impatience. He smirked at her eagerness. Laxus pulled back but still hovered above her. He grabbed his thick member in one hand and rubbed it through her folds, coating it with her juices. She sighed at the sensation of the head of his arousal rubbing against her sex. His intrusion was slow at first, stretching Lucy's walls in a way they hadn't before, creating a strange but not uncomfortable fullness within her.

But Laxus did reach the barrier proving her innocence, and with a soft apology, broke through. She yelped in pain, tears pricking at her eyes as she clutched at the bedsheets beneath her. Even though he wasn't fully inside her yet, Laxus' lower body stilled while he pressed consolatory kisses to her face and neck. His actions made Lucy feel his tenderness and care, which made something warm blossom in her chest despite the pain she felt in her lower abdomen. She breathed in and then out and forced herself to relax, involuntarily making her inner muscles flutter around Laxus' cock. He grunted in pleasure, trying with all his willpower not to cum at that exact moment. He would never forgive himself if he ruined Lucy's first time by finishing before she did.

Laxus felt the blonde beneath him relax her entire body. He assessed her reactions by pulling out a little and slowly pushing back in, a little deeper this time. She let out a whimper, out of pain or pleasure, he wasn't sure, but he kept going at his slower pace, gradually getting deeper inside her. He stilled again when he was fully sheathed inside of her to enjoy the pure bliss of her fitting so snugly around him. He began to move once more when he felt her hips grind against his, taking that at a signal from Lucy.

"Fuck, you're tight," he groaned. He hovered above her naked form, balancing his weight on his elbows as he stared into her hooded eyes that were filled with unadulterated lust for him. He started out with long, slow strokes, intent on giving her as much pleasure as he could give her. Gasps and moans escaped from her mouth. She liked the slow and loving pace, glad that he was being considerate of her first time, but she wanted it hard and rough; she wanted to see him come undone as well.

"Laxus...harder," she breathed out. He complied by making sure to sheath himself to the hilt every time he entered her, thrusting harder and a little faster than before. It made her sigh and shudder in pleasure.

Laxus naturally began to speed up, wanting to hear more out of her. She met his every thrust, doing what felt instinctual. She was breathing heavily as she moaned and whimpered her ecstasy. Lucy tossed her head from side to side on the pillow, like the pleasure she was feeling was too much and not enough at the same time.

She looked up at Laxus, his face only a few inches away from hers, and gasped in surprise. Thin tendrils of lightning were appearing to surround his body, and consequently, hers as well. She felt no pain, and wondered vaguely if his magic was adding to the pleasure she was feeling. Because it certainly felt like every fiber of her was being electrified at the moment.

Laxus reached down and lifted one of her legs. The change made Lucy scream outright, feeling the head of Laxus' sex drive into a spot inside her that nearly made her black out from the pleasure.

Feeling she was close, he reached between their bodies to thumb her clit in circles.

He leaned down to whisper in her ear, "Come for me, baby. Only me." He straightened to look at her face as she fell from her own edge.

"LAXUS!" she came with a scream, her body convulsing. With a few more thrusts, Laxus felt the coil in him snap. He let out a roar that would rival a dragon's as he came hard inside the celestial mage.

He pulled out of her to collapse beside her on the bed. She was still breathing hard when he pulled the bedsheet out from under them to cover both of their heated forms. Laxus pulled the beautiful female toward him.

"I hope you know that I'm never letting you go now," he said in a low voice as her breathing became regular again.

Lucy smiled with a sigh. "I wasn't planning on leaving anyway," she answered. He chuckled and kissed her forehead affectionately.

She settled for laying her head down on his chest with his arm around her. He lazily traced his fingers up and down her spine.

The two lovers were gently lulled to sleep by the sounds of each other's breathing and heartbeat as the silent moon watched over them from the midnight black sky.

Laxus was startled awake. He looked around the dark bedroom in search of what had woken him up. Three loud knocks pounded on the front door again. He inhaled.

Iron and peppermint. He exhaled, exasperated. He knew exactly what was coming.

He slipped out of the bed, trying not to disturb Lucy too much. She stirred anyway, missing the source of warmth at her side. Lucy blinked several times as she woke up. She lifted her head to see Laxus hurriedly putting his pants on.

"Laxus?" she said sleepily as she sat up. "What's-"

Now it sounded like there was something trying to ram the front door down. Lucy squeaked, wide awake now. She pulled the thin sheet up to her chest. Was someone (or something) trying to get in?

"Stay in here," Laxus instructed his mate. He opened the bedroom door and left, closing the door behind him. Lucy waited a few more moments before she heard voices speaking.

Laxus had opened the door. He saw Fairy Tail's Titania on the porch of the cabin, ready to charge the door once more. A look of surprise crossed her features before it was replaced by a look of rage.

"Where's Lucy?!" Erza demanded. "What have you done with her?" she switched to a battle stance.

"She's fine. You can leave," Laxus said nonchalantly. Outwardly he appeared casual, as if he were answering the door for anyone else. But inwardly he was ready for a fight to ensue, ready to protect his mate.

That answer only enraged Erza even more. She charged the dragon slayer, ready to punch his lights out. He blocked the punch with his arm and pushed her back, but not without being sent back a foot from Erza's momentum. Damn, she was strong. The two S-class mages stared each other down, both ready to battle. Erza equipped a sword to her hand.

"I'm not leaving without her!" she shouted as she charged once more, swinging the sword down on Laxus' head. Laxus caught her by the wrist, using his other arm to stop her from getting inside the cabin. Electricity began to spark around Laxus as if he was getting ready to electrocute her.

"Laxus! Don't you dare!" Lucy's voice suddenly rang out from within the cabin. Both S-class mages turned to see Lucy standing there, in Laxus' purple button up shirt and nothing else. The bottom of the shirt ended at the middle of her thigh and the sleeves went past her fingertips. She smiled.

"Erza, I'm fine," she said calmly. "He hasn't hurt me, so you don't need to worry."

Erza seemed to relax a bit because Laxus let her go, her arms falling to her side. She looked at Laxus suspiciously.

"Why did you kidnap her, then?" she demanded to know.

"She's my mate."

"I'm his mate," the two blondes answered at the same time.

Erza looked at them in surprise. She glanced between the two as if putting the pieces together. Laxus' state of undress coupled with Lucy wearing his shirt...

Erza's face burned with an intensity that would rival Natsu's fire. She looked away and scratched her head awkwardly.

"You get it now?" Laxus asked with a smirk. Erza cleared her throat and stood up straighter as if to hide her flustered state.

"Yes, well..." she began to say, "that's still no excuse to hold her here against her will," she said sternly, her hands on her hips.

"I'm not here against my will, Erza," Lucy explained. "He gave me a chance to leave but I've decided to stay."

Erza searched for any trace of hesitation in Lucy, but found none. She sent a glare in Laxus' direction.

"I don't like this," she said carefully, causing to Laxus to grit his teeth. "But I will allow it."

Lucy sighed in relief while Laxus rolled his eyes when the requip mage's attention turned to Lucy.

"I will be expecting you in town tomorrow morning for when we leave for Magnolia," she told the celestial mage.

"She's not leaving," Laxus interrupted before Lucy could say anything. When Erza looked like she was ready to fight him again, he quickly explained, "Mating season lasts an entire week, so she's staying with me until it ends. That's four days from now."

Erza relaxed some, but looked to Lucy for confirmation. Lucy shrugged and said, "I'm going to stay. But I will meet you in town tomorrow to see you off. I need to get my things from the hotel anyway if I'm staying half a week."

"You will be all right out here? I can stay longer if I need to," Erza offered.

"You don't need to do that, Erza," Lucy shook her head. "We'll be fine."

Erza nodded. "Fine. Let's meet at the hotel tomorrow morning. I imagine Mira and Master will be very happy when I've told them about you two," she said the last part more to herself as she turned away and left the blonde mages behind. Lucy blushed at her last statement.

Laxus shut and bolted the door after the redhead left. He saw Lucy covering her blushing face.

"Ugh. I completely forgot how people at the guild are going to react," she lamented. Laxus chuckled. He pulled her hands away from her face.

"We'll deal with that when we get back home," he told her. "Let's just enjoy our time together until then."

Lucy smiled at her mate, feeling better. She began to turn to go back to the bedroom when she felt Laxus lift her up. She instinctually wrapped her arms and legs around him.

"Laxus?" she asked, wondering what he was doing.

He smirked. "Did you really think I would let you go back to sleep after seeing you in my shirt like that?"

Lucy giggled lightly as he carried her back to the bed for another round.

The next morning, after Laxus actually let Lucy leave the bed, the two mages got dressed and walked through the forest to meet Erza in town. Lucy disliked wearing the same clothes she had worn the previous day, but she had no other choice. They walked through the busy town and made their way to the hotel room Lucy and Erza had booked the previous day. Erza was already packed and ready to leave when Lucy knocked on the door. Erza even returned Lucy's whip, which she had lost in her fight with the bandit the previous evening. Since Lucy never unpacked the day before, the two girls quickly checked out of the hotel.

Laxus pried Lucy's bag away from her once they stepped outside.

"It's not that heavy, I can carry it," Lucy protested.

"Just let me do it," Laxus said roughly before walking away in the direction of the train station. Lucy glanced in Erza's direction, who gave her a knowing smile. Lucy smiled back, realizing that though Laxus was still as brusque as ever, he had his own way of showing he cared about his new mate. Lucy and Erza hurried after the dragon slayer to get to the train station on time.

Once Erza got her ticket, she said her goodbyes to her friends. Laxus grunted his answer while Lucy gave Erza a hug farewell. The redhead boarded the train, waving goodbye once more to the two blondes as she got to her seat. The train pulled away, carrying Erza back to Magnolia.

Laxus turned away to leave. "Let's go."

Lucy started to walk away with him when she noticed he was holding out his hand to her. It took her a moment to realize he wanted to hold hands.

She looked up at the dragon slayer to see he was looking away from her and his face was lightly dusted with a pink blush. She smiled to herself and took his offered hand in hers. They walked through town, side by side, with Lucy glancing up at Laxus every so often, feeling quite happy with their current situation. True, Lucy and Laxus didn't know each other quite well, and they certainly didn't get off on the right foot, but she figured they had an entire lifetime ahead of them to figure things out.

Holy shit, that was the longest one-shot I've ever written.

That was my first lemon, too.

Let me know what you think! If you want to.

If I get enough reviews I might write another chapter!