A/N: So, I did this as an exercise in my Fiction class. Have someone give you three random, unrelated words and create a story from it. For this particular challenge, I've given myself two days to complete it.

This is dedicated to LittlePrincessNana, because today's her birthday! So, of course, I asked her for three unrelated words. And a pairing, just to make it harder. I have no idea where it's going as I start this, just whatever comes to mind.

I'll tell you what the words are in a short note at the end. If it's successful, you won't be able to tell until I reveal it.

Happy birthday, Triplet!

Wish me luck!

The way she dropped into his life had been unexpected, but more worth it than anything else he'd experienced thus far. There across the crowded Blue Pegasus club, where Bickslow worked nearly every night, on the northern shore of the second southern island that still fell under Caelum's domain, was where he'd first caught sight of the woman with porcelain skin that was too perfect to be real. Blue hair and matching blue eyes that screamed of the ocean he loved to surf on during his days off.

She was his mystery woman.

No matter how hard he tried to just get up the nerve to talk to her, he couldn't. All the sex appeal in the world failed him in those final crucial moments, and instead of making what he was sure would be an easy night of money getting bills shoved down his dyed purple leather pants, the blue-and-black-haired dancer always made sure he was otherwise engaged before she could get his attention.

The first night the woman had asked for him, specifically, Bickslow had gotten so damn nervous that he'd vomited on Laxus. Needless to say, he went home early that night. He was just happy that the self-proclaimed 'Thunder God' had just come off the stage. Bickslow was sure he wouldn't have survived another few seconds if that hadn't been the case.

He found out later that she hadn't asked for him. Her friends had, and she was just at the same table.

It was his final night of work before he took his vacation. It wasn't much of one, just a few days so he could go sleep on the beach and ride every single wave of the starting winter season until he was too sunburnt to move. Then he'd take his final day to soak in aloe and let himself recover. And come back after it was all said and done with a deeper tan than before.

"Bix, you're up," Laxus said as he walked behind the stage. He gave his friend a hearty pat on the back and a devilish grin. "And Ursula's here."

"She's not a fat octopus," Bickslow frowned.

"No, she's just your style," Laxus chuckled.

With a roll of his crimson eyes, Bickslow pushed the visor of his outfit down over his eyes. A sexy knight in disappearing armor. That was his schtick, his persona.

Just a pair of purple leather pants, shoes with the toes curled up like a jester, a bare chest thankfully not covered in too much oil (the last place he'd worked had been adamant about oiling him up until he was a fucking slip-n-slide; never again), and the knight-like visored helmet with a deep purple plume of hair (maybe? he wasn't sure) sticking out of the top.

Whatever the owner of the place wanted, he supposed. It wasn't like it mattered all that much to him. Hell, he'd dress up as a dustbunny and swing on that damn pole as long as it got him paid. Because no matter how much he loved living the beach hobo life, Bickslow was a responsible fucking adult and believed in actually paying his bills.

The lights dimmed to announce his arrival on the stage. There was never a normal announcement for him, just like there wasn't one for Laxus, or even Freed. The three of them had chosen music of some sort to do the introductions.

That night, just like every other night, his started with a music box. The tones warbled slightly as the stage remained in darkness, and his eyes closed behind the slats of his metal visor while he got into position with his back against the shining metal pole.

An erotic moan pushed through the speakers and his eyes snapped open while he started with his routine.

The music pulsed through his veins, changing the rhythmic beat of his heart until he could only feel each note. Each vibration. He anticipated the dropping bass, and danced with everything he was worth. One body roll carried him down to his knees at the edge of the stage, but the flashing lights were too bright for him to make out just who was pushing money into pants.

Wild screams from the women in the audience rung out over the music when he grinned, his tongue lolling from his mouth to display the tribal tattoo on it.

He was sure several of them were dropping eggs right then, starting a whole sea of ovulation, and only hoped that they were going to use some protection if they decided to get lucky.

Singling a random woman out from the crowd, as he always did, Bickslow reached down and pulled her slender body up onto the stage with him. His arms wound around her while he ground his soft shaft against her from behind. For her, it probably felt like he was packing a damn anaconda, but that was just the policy there. Stuff your pants and make it seem like, no matter who you're dancing for, you're hard as hell.

"Whoo! Go Juvia!"

The woman squeaked as he shifted and brought her hands to the belt loops on his pants. His tongue glided down the length of her slender throat, taking in the salt water that clung to her skin. And once he'd tasted it, Bickslow was a goner.

He always tried to be a little more tame than he wanted, while performing on the stage. There were plenty of women that requested his lap dances simply because of how raunchy he got. He was a no-holds-barred kind of dancer, but some women just didn't want that much attention.

She whimpered when his groan vibrated right down to the tips of her breasts, and his long fingers trailed over her dangerous curves. The fact that the woman stretched her neck out even further for his lips to lock around it, was the icing on the cake for him.

He broke away from giving her a hickey just before he could make sure it would really last more than an hour. He hated that, but he had to keep his damn job. Instead, Bickslow settled for giving every woman in the crowd something to be jealous of while moving down to kneel before the woman.

This was his favorite part of dancing, anyway. It wasn't about showing off his body, or anything like that. He liked the way his clients smiled after spending time with him. He absolutely loved it when he made a woman feel like a million bucks, even if she needed a paper bag over her head in any other setting to make sure she didn't scare away the locals.

In the Blue Pegasus Club, everyone was beautiful. Sexy. Wanted. That's what his job really was. Some of the men working there just spent time with the women, like Hibiki and Ren, but that was in the front half of the building. Just a Host club.

In the back was where the real fun was at. Less money some nights, but at least he wasn't throwing out corny lines about a woman's beauty.

Nope, Bickslow used his body for that.

"Oh my god, look at how long his tongue is…"

Bickslow's grin widened while his tongue trailed up a (thankfully) smooth leg, from her calf to the bottom hem of her skirt.

The woman gasped as he circled around and pushed her back flush against the pole. He gave the gathered women a wide grin that sent them skyrocketing into estrogen-frenzied madness, then turned and sent his tongue on a wicked path between the woman's breasts.

As soon as her hands lifted to remove his visor, Bickslow drew back and laughed while shaking a finger at her. That was his only rule on stage.

No one saw his whole face. It gave him the smallest bit of anonymity while he was out in public. Well, until he laughed and they saw the tattoo on his tongue. That was pretty much a dead giveaway.

The song finally ended after he'd rubbed himself all over her a few more times, making sure the rest of the women were able to see just what he was capable of doing. Now it was just a matter of getting them to buy a lap dance.

He took the woman's hand and gave her an exaggerated bow, pressing his lips to her fingertips as though he was truly a knight, and not standing in only a pair of pants stuffed with bills and a visor. Instead of letting her get off the stage by herself, Bickslow decided to make his own exit a little more extravagant.

He stood and lifted her into his arms with ease, then made his way down the stairs to the side and paused at the bottom. "Where might this fair maiden be travelling to this evening?" he purred.

The woman gulped and looked over to her gathered group of friends. "O-Over there."

"Your wish is my command," Bickslow chuckled. He took the woman to her table, carefully setting her on her feet.

"Oh my god, he smells like the beach," Cana groaned. Her head tipped back and she reached out to lightly caress Bickslow's bared stomach. "And looks even better up close."

"Th-Thank you for, um… the dance," Juvia said sheepishly.

Bickslow's grin widened and his tongue lolled from his mouth once again. "Tell you what, beautiful," he chuckled. "Come have a freebie."

He still couldn't see the woman he was talking to though. Not clearly enough to realize that she was, in fact, the same woman who got him ten kinds of tongue-tied.

"O-Oh, that's-" Juvia started, ready to deny the offer.

"No way," Cana snorted. "His sexy ass needs to make some money, girl."

Really, Bickslow didn't mind giving away a lap dance here and there. He made enough to get by, to live the life he wanted. And his boss, Bob the drag queen, only got on his ass if he wasn't making money for the club. Bickslow always made sure to do both.

"Oh, definitely," Lucy grinned from her place just next to Juvia's empty seat. "Juvia, you need it."

"I-I'm okay," Juvia sputtered.

"VIP treatment," Cana nodded.

Bickslow's brow raised as the blonde and brunette at the table pulled out the money for a private dance, pooling the bills together. And just like that, Evergreen was standing at the table and completing the transaction. She was a pro at convincing women to order dances, always pushing them to get more than what they originally requested.

And, of course, the woman loved letting the customers know just what they were getting themselves into.

"A private dance from the knight?" she laughed, looking at the deep flush on Juvia's face while Bickslow took a small step closer. "You should know, he's an animal."

"I-I, um…"

Bickslow chuckled and wound an arm around Juvia's shoulders. He could smell the ocean on her, even then. Just what the hell did this woman wear that made her smell so good? Whatever the perfume was, he wanted to get some and have every woman he encountered wear it.

"He's tame on stage," Evergreen continued, grinning deviously along with Juvia's friends.

"Don't I know it," Lucy sighed. "It's wonderful."

Cana gasped and smacked Lucy's shoulder. "You would buy a private dance!"

Lucy shrugged. "I get one from every guy," she said. "Speaking of which… Can we share a private thirty with the Thunder God?"

"Sure," Evergreen laughed. "He likes a challenge."

"I'll go easy on you, baby," Bickslow said, leaning down to whisper in Juvia's ear. "Unless you don't want me to."

"O-Oh my…"

Bickslow just couldn't help but chuckle again as he led the woman toward the back rooms, reserved for private dances. Once they were in the room, he led the woman he was finally realizing had blue hair over to a lush couch and gently sitting her down.

He refused to look at her fully, though. Sometimes it was easier if he didn't know just who it was he was actually dancing for. He'd had to give quite a few of his own friends dances just like this one, with the women never realizing just who it was grinding all over them.

Most people had no idea where Bickslow worked, and he preferred to keep it that way. Hell, the only reason Laxus, his best friend since childhood, knew was because they'd both been broke as hell at the same time and needed to make some cash.

They'd ended up enjoying it so much, neither wanted to quit. Although, they had agreed to quit several clubs before.

"So, what would you like?" Bickslow asked while moving toward the little setup on one wall to choose the music and set the timer for her dance.

"I've never, um… Whatever's fine, I guess."

With a smirk, he chose a song and turned back toward her. With the extra lighting in the room, as opposed to out on the floor, he finally saw just who he had to dance for. Who was going to have his body all over her.

The breath rushed from his lungs when she looked up at him. The deep blush on her cheeks so starkly contrasting her beautifully pale skin. How her cleavage was only just exposed above her top, still giving her plenty of modesty. The blue hair he'd admired from a distance, usually hanging down around her shoulders, was pulled up into a wavy ponytail with small wisps framing her perfect cheekbones.

Bickslow knew that he couldn't just clam up, though. He didn't need his solid reputation going in the shitter just because he had the hots for a customer. And really, this woman was the only one, in the four years he'd been dancing, that had this effect on him.

The only woman to ever make him turn into a bumbling idiot. High school hadn't even been this bad.

Thankfully, the visor he was still wearing made it so she couldn't see that he was suddenly nervous while forcing himself to move across the room. Instead of letting his attraction to the woman have him act like a fool, Bickslow forced it all away and pretended she was just another customer.

Bickslow straddled Juvia's tightly closed legs and hovered over her. "Too close for ya, baby?" he rasped.

"U-Um, no," she choked out. "I guess not."

He chuckled and licked his lips, slowly lowering his body until he was just barely sitting on her. He let the music take over then, just moving however he felt he should. And even though he was normally an animal, just like Evergreen had said, Bickslow was too nervous to do any of the things he'd done on the stage, even.

"Can I…" She took a slow breath while lifting her hands from where they'd rested on the couch.

"You can touch all you want, baby," Bickslow grinned. Maybe he was getting a little too into it, being so close to the woman like this. Once her slender fingers brushed across his stomach, a highly aroused groan spilled past his lips, and his hips curled to run his growing arousal against her stomach, then up between her breasts.

She squeaked and tried to pull her hands away, but Bickslow captured them and forced her palms up to his chest.

"I'm all yours for the next half-hour, beautiful," he panted. Damn, no one had ever gotten him worked up like this while he was working. And everything he wanted to do with the woman came rushing through his head all at once.

Still, Bob had very strict rules about sex in his club. Hosting, entertaining, stripping. That was all fine and dandy. Hell, even dry humping a customer and getting the woman to cum just from the other talents they had, was perfectly fine. But there was no sex, and the customers' clothes were not allowed to come off. Ever.

"Do whatever you want with me."

Right then, Bickslow didn't care all that much about the rules. If she asked him to strip down completely, he would. Hell, if the blunette wanted him to just jerk off in front of her, he'd find a way to cover the camera in the corner of the room and get right down to it.

A wicked smile curled his lips when she leaned forward, so hesitantly, to brush her lips across his chest. He wanted her all over him, just like this.

The song changed, and his movements slowed until he was carefully pulling away from the couch. Her eyes widened as he took a step back and unbuttoned his pants. The leather hung loose on his hips, revealing the rest of the black hairs trailing down to the top of his lime green thong. He wasn't ashamed to admit just how fucking comfortable the thing was, either.

Juvia gulped as the pants dropped while the dancer continued to move in time to the music.

Bickslow lowered himself to his knees once his pants were kicked off into a corner. Then, he did what every woman he danced for absolutely loved. He crawled closer and paused only when he reached her feet. Kissing and licking every of exposed skin as he drifted higher.

He took a little chance and even pushed her skirt up, just to get a taste of her thighs. His tongue stretched to its limit, just centimeters away from touching her core without pushing the skirt any further. When she squeaked and went rigid, his tongue pulled back and he continued on his way to her hips.

It was just an intense bout of foreplay when he did this. The women he danced for would go home to their boyfriends, husbands, lovers, and finish the job there. Because he was a stripper, but he wasn't a damn hooker.

Juvia's blush deepened when his hands slid over her waist and gently cupped her breasts. His head dipped and his lips puckered over her chest again and again. She was honestly just too shocked to stop him. But as the seconds ticked by, as the dancer moved to straddle her once more and continued with the routine he'd been doing before - just in much less clothing - she found that she didn't want him to stop.

She gasped when he reached up and removed her hair tie, letting the long blue waves crash down onto her shoulders.

"Just like the ocean," Bickslow smirked. His fingers sunk into her hair, gently guiding her head back, while his free hand grabbed her wrist and brought it to the top of one ass cheek. The last thing he'd anticipated was for her other hand to rise only a moment later, or for her to grip him so firmly. But the excitement was there in her eyes, her lips parted with desire.

He was so tempted to break one of his own rules right then. Two of them, actually. He wanted to take his visor off so he could really see her. And he really wanted to kiss her.

Technically, neither were against Bob's rules for the club. If a client pulled away from a kiss, then obviously he had to stop, but Bickslow was allowed to kiss the woman right then. And he was allowed to take his visor off.

But he didn't do attachments, and if she saw his whole face, she would see him. Not just some dancer, but Bickslow himself. And if he kissed her full, pouty lips, then he'd be done for. Contrary to popular belief, Bickslow was only about committed relationships. He didn't do hookups, and he didn't kiss someone unless it meant something.

Everything he did for this job was just that, for the job. To make the women that paid him for his attention feel as though they were the queens of his domain.

Juvia grew more bold in her exploration of his lightly oiled, beautifully tanned flesh as the mysterious dancer continued to move. His ass, back, chest. Every clenching muscle she could reach was hers for the taking.

Their breath mingled, growing harsher with each throbbing beat of the music. Just when he was about to crack and press his lips to hers, the little bell in the corner dinged to let Bickslow know that his time was up.

So, he simply gave the breathless woman a sly smile, then dipped to one side and kissed his way across her jaw, over to one flushed ear. "I hope you'll let me dance for you again, baby," he whispered, nipping at the tender lobe and pulling a stuttering moan from her.

"D-Definitely."

"You ask for me, and I'll take real good care of you."

Juvia nodded, looking up at the metal visor as he pulled back. "Who should I ask for?"

Bickslow grinned and let his tongue hang from his mouth for a moment. "The name's Sir Licks-a-lot, baby. I'll keep an eye out for you."

She nodded again, watching in a daze as he stood and walked across the room to grab his pants. She couldn't help herself. She was downright staring at his ass while he pulled the leather back on.

Bickslow returned to the couch and gently took Juvia's hand, then led her to the door. He bit his lip for a moment just before opening it. "Just so you know, I'll um… I'll be out for the next week."

"Oh…"

"The season's starting up," he rambled. "I'm taking off for that, but… I'll be back. And I hope you'll be here."

Juvia bit her lips shyly, then gave him a timid nod. "I think I will," she whispered.

Bickslow chuckled and finally opened the door, then took Juvia back to the table with her friends. Once he'd dropped her off, bowing once again and pressing his lips to her fingers, he made his way backstage and found a shit-eating grin on his best friend's face.

"So…"

"Shut up, Thunder God."

Laxus chuckled and lightly punched him in the shoulder. "Fuck you, man. I'm pretty sure she's hooked now."

Bickslow shook his head at that. Just because he'd told the woman that he wanted her to come back, didn't mean she would. And besides, even if she did, it wasn't like anything would come of it. Women didn't like dating strippers. Male strippers were even fucking worse, simply because it was practically in the job description to nearly molest every customer.

Nope, he was doomed to living a life all by his lonesome. At least he had his five fish though. His babies.

God, that sounded depressing.

Bickslow absolutely loved water misting across his body as he rode wave after wave. He'd been at the beach for three days already, going through the set rotation of enthusiasts and welcoming others that wanted to try their hands at getting through the perfect barrel.

His nights hadn't been about dancing for money. Just sitting around campfires with people he didn't know, laughing his ass off and drinking and having a grand old time. This was the life he loved having.

And sure, he was already halfway through his twenties and there were plenty of people that had decided to grow the hell up and get real jobs, but this was all Bickslow wanted. He had a great job, as far as he was concerned. He had awesome friends - all three of them that actually stuck around after the waves turned to shit - and a place to call home.

And, of course, he had the waves. The bits of salt that stung his eyes and bit at his bare torso when he wiped out. The bright blue of the water, the glistening orange from the setting sun, gentle pink as it rose into the sky once again.

The only thing that would have made it better was if he'd had a woman to share it with. He loved being a bachelor, because there was even less to worry about where his love life was concerned. No stress, no responsibilities.

But it also meant that he went home alone, and woke up alone, and damnit his hand just wasn't cutting it anymore.

Sometimes he envied the people that could just go out and get a piece of ass with no strings. Bickslow, however, was literally incapable of being aroused without some sort of connection to the person.

That blue-haired woman in the club three days before was the only exception, but he chalked it up to him just being fucking obsessed with her. If it had progressed any further, Bickslow already knew that he would have gone limp at just the thought of it not meaning anything aside from sex. He needed that added intimacy, or he just couldn't fucking perform.

"Bix!"

He turned at the sound of his name, a wide grin of his face as he saw Laxus walking toward him with a short, curvy blonde tucked into his side. She looked vaguely familiar, but he couldn't place her. Then again, Laxus had a tendency of dating women that he stripped for, so she was probably just another customer.

"Where's your board, man?" Bickslow laughed, jogging over to meet up with the blond duo.

"Freed's gettin' it," Laxus shrugged. "Bix, this is Lucy. Lucy, Bix."

He rolled his eyes playfully and shook her hand. "The name's Bickslow, but Bix is fine."

"It's great to finally meet you," Lucy grinned. "Laxus has told me you're the 'King of the Surf' down here."

Bickslow shrugged, waving to a group of teenagers as they walked past, their enthusiasm from the camping the night before still not having worn off.

"He's the Big Kahuna," Laxus snorted. "It's why he takes off work every damn time this shit's goin' on."

Lucy's lips pursed curiously. "What kind of job do you have, that you're lucky enough to take off a whole week right now?"

Before Bickslow could answer, a large group of Laxus and what he assumed were Lucy's friends made their way closer, then scattered into smaller groups while scanning the beach. A brunette wearing capris and a bikini top, and carrying an open flask, snuggled up to Laxus' other side and grinned at Lucy.

"Lu, tell me there's more booze here. I'm almost dry."

"Cana," Lucy laughed. "You just poured that in the car!"

Bickslow laughed, drawing both women's attention, and he pointed to where several vendors had already set up shop. "Beers are over there," he said. "But if you're looking for liquor, you'll have to talk to Bahama Tony."

"Who?" Laxus laughed.

Bickslow turned and scanned the beach, then pointed over to a hut that was set back from the beach and connected to a slightly larger shack. "Big guy from the islands down south. He's throwing a huge party tonight after the barneys take off."

"Barneys?" Cana asked, raising her brow. "You guys have big purple dragons here?"

"No," he chuckled. "Surfers that don't know a damn thing. Tourists."

"Laxus," Freed sighed. "Where are we setting up?"

Bickslow moved forward and pulled the board from the green-haired dancer. "I'm over here. I'll wax your board, man."

"I knew you wanted my dick," Laxus crooned as they followed his friend across the pale sand.

Bickslow looked over his shoulder and grinned, his tongue hanging from his mouth. "You know it, baby," he cackled.

"Oh my god, it's you," Lucy gasped. "You're the knight at-"

"Yep," Bickslow answered with a wink. "Just don't go spreading it around, alright?"

"Yeah," Laxus nodded. "Bix prefers to keep it quiet."

"Even though it would be good for business," Freed mused. "With the amount of people you know here, think of how many would come to the club just to see you perform."

"No way," Bickslow answered, rolling his eyes. "I've got my beach life, and then work. No point in mixing the two."

The topic died down after that, and everyone got themselves settled around where Bickslow's belongings were. He prepped Laxus's board, then his own, and the two waited as Freed escorted Lucy and Cana over to the rental stand.

"You banging both of 'em?" Bickslow asked.

"Yep," the blond answered. He glanced over to the blue-and-black-haired man, taking in just how much darker his skin had gotten in the three days since they'd last seen each other. "They were dating already, but they're both swingers. It's weird as hell."

"Sounds like a good weird," Bickslow chuckled. "For you, at least."

"Maybe. But what about-"

"Don't," he sighed, flopping onto the hot sand and welcoming the burn on his back. "No stress and worries on the surf, man. You know that."

"I'm just sayin-"

"Nope. Not talking about her."

Laxus's eyes rolled as Bickslow stood and grabbed his board, then jogged down the beach. "Dumbass…"

Bickslow, for his part, just really didn't want to think about the woman who'd caught his eye at the club. So all he did was wade out through the snapper waves near the shore, hop on his board, and keep going until he'd reached the reefs where only a few others were chancing the waves.

It was harder, that was for sure, but so fucking worth it while he watched the perfect swell. Everything fell by the wayside, including the few comments he heard about the amount of wipe-outs there'd been in the past few minutes.

Just when he felt the shift, Bickslow popped up to his feet and zoomed through the barreled wave. The long tunnel of water surrounding him, creating a perfect eden of crystalline blue. He glanced toward the shore and grinned when he realized that he was racing with the crashing water, that it nearly completely obscured him from view.

He wanted to up the ante, though, so his weight shifted to try and ride higher in the tube. It was risky as hell, and he'd never been able to get it to work before, but Bickslow was adamant about it.

The wind in the tunnel kept shunting him forward, faster and faster as he started to drift back. If he could get it right, then there would be enough momentum for him to catch a little air as he reached the end.

Just when the adrenaline peaked, Bickslow's eyes widened at the crack that sounded in the air around him. A sudden shift in the waves, a second crashing into his own that threw everything off kilter.

"Oh fu-"

In the next instant, he was off the board and struggling under the crushing weight of the wave. His body was thrown into the reef again and again, and he cursed his forgetfulness when he realized that he still hadn't replaced the leash he always fucking used while on the reefs. The one that was supposed to keep his ass attached to the board in case he wiped out.

The fifth time he struck the reef, Bickslow inhaled sharply at the stinging pain along his ribs. Then started choking on the water filling his lungs. He tumbled one way and another, unable to pull away from the torrent he'd been sucked into and figure out which way was up.

As darkness closed in around him, and the pain started to fade, Bickslow could swear he saw an angel coming down to take his ass to heaven. Or he was going to sit in that Limbo waiting room from Beetlejuice. Seemed appropriate, all things considered.

Moments after his eyes finally closed, Bickslow found himself coughing up water with the sun beating down on him. Small hands resting on his chest, then sliding up to roll him onto his side.

"There you go," a gentle voice whispered. "Can you hear me?"

Bickslow nodded, burped, then grimaced as he vomited a belly full of the ocean. His nostrils burned, and his lungs felt as though someone had ripped them out and slammed the things in a car door. Repeatedly.

"Fuck, man. We need to get you patched up."

Bickslow's scratchy eyes barely opened, and landed in the familiar lightning bolt that decorated the side of Laxus' board shorts. "'M f-fine," he rasped.

"Lucy, run over to the tower and grab the kit, okay?"

"Sure, Juvia."

Bickslow frowned and coughed again, rolling onto his back in exhaustion. Gentle fingers brushed his hair from his face, and his eyes opened to find a feminine blur hovering over him.

"Can you tell me your name?" she asked gently.

"B-Bix."

"What day is it?"

"November 5th…" Bickslow coughed again, then smirked. "Remember, remember…"

"Shut the fuck up, man," Laxus chuckled, shaking his head. "You scared the hell out of us."

"Hey! Is he alright?" an unfamiliar voice shouted.

"Shit, the Kahuna went down!"

Laxus rolled his eyes and stood when the blunette scowled at the rowdy teens starting to gather around them. "I'll handle this shit. Freed, you're with me."

Bickslow groaned in discomfort as the woman's fingers carded through his saltwater covered hair, brushing the clumped strands of his mohawk from his forehead.

"That was pretty stupid, you know," she whispered. "There are signs up everywhere to stay away from the reefs."

"Didn't see any," he muttered. Actually, he hadn't been looking for signs. It made sense though. It was way too early in the season for reef surfing. The swells were too big and too unpredictable for a good portion of the pros that were already milling about the island. And Bickslow was no professional. He was an enthusiast. A diehard, but not the best by a longshot.

"Well, make sure you check with the guard stations before you go out there," she sighed. "It's what we're here for."

Lucy came rushing back over with a large red duffel and a lavender beach towel she'd grabbed from Juvia's bag. "What can I do?" she asked quickly.

Bickslow's eyes cracked open again to look at the lifeguard while she talked with Lucy. His gaze instantly honed in on the bright, gleaming blue strands pulled into a high ponytail. Soaking wet from when she'd clearly saved his ass from drowning. And when she turned to look at him, he choked.

Juvia looked back at Bickslow's face right when his eyes went wide and he shot up to a sitting position. "Whoa! Just lie down, okay?"

"Y-You're… Oh, fuck me…"

Her head tilted to one side as Bickslow collapsed back onto the ground and brought a hand up to cover his eyes. The top half of his face. And once he did, and all she could see were his lips and jaw, she froze.

"Juvia?" Lucy frowned. "What's wrong?"

"O-Oh my goodness…"

The blonde took in the bright flush to her friend's cheeks, then looked down at Laxus's friend. Back and forth, until she recalled just what she and Cana had paid for at Blue Pegasus a few nights before. With a sly grin, Lucy silently backed away from the two and moved to stand with Laxus as he kept the crowds at bay.

"This can't be happening," Bickslow muttered to himself. Why did it have to be her?! Of all the people to get his ass out of the water, why was it the woman he couldn't stop thinking about?

Juvia cleared her throat while setting about cleaning up the scrapes along his ribs and too sculpted to be legal stomach. What was she supposed to say, though? That she recognized him from her almost obsessively frequent trips to Blue Pegasus? That the only reason she went in the first place was because she loved seeing the beauty of a man who could take his clothes off and look good while doing it?

Bickslow hissed as an alcohol pad gently swiped over his side, and he looked down to see her pale, slender fingers easily moving over the shitstorm his skin had become from those damn reefs.

His cheeks flared to life when he looked at her face though. Water easily beading on her skin. But how the hell was she so pale? It wasn't like he had an issue with it. He rather preferred the 'exotic' mainland skin, those lighter shades of flesh that burned so easily under the sun's unforgiving rays. Most said he was the exotic one, but down on the island, he was normal.

He knew the look on her face though. She'd recognized him, and that made him wish that a car door really had crushed his lungs. If he was lucky, he could just jump off the craggy rocks a few meters away and kill himself. That was a much better idea than dealing with the buckets of shame he was feeling.

Yet another reason he didn't try to date anyone. Women just didn't understand his lifestyle. They didn't like that he would grope other women for money, then spend all his free time out at the beach, surfing, partying. They made him feel like the life he'd chosen for himself was something he should hide.

Granted, he did hide what he did for a living from his friends, but that wasn't the point. If his friends knew he was a stripper, that would diminish his clientele, because they'd be uncomfortable knowing that he was the one dancing for them.

"You shouldn't get back in the water for a bit," Juvia said. Bickslow was lucky that the reef had only given him a few scrapes. Most people that went down, and were under for as long as he'd been, had to be taken to the hospital for stitches. "And maybe stay out of the sun for a few, until we know you're alright."

"I-I'm, um… I'm fine," he muttered. Her gaze drifted across his body, and he shivered as though he could feel her hands on him again. 'Great… Just great.' The last thing he needed was a hard-on while he was in his damn board shorts. There was no way to hide it like this.

"I saw you out there, y'know," Juvia said. She shifted to sit with her legs off to one side, propping herself up on one hand. "Makes sense why everyone calls you the Big Kahuna."

Bickslow's lips twitched in a small smile. "I'm not that good," he said. "People call me that because I'm always out here. That's all."

"You sure looked like a pro, though," Juvia insisted. She paused in leaning forward in her excitement, nibbling her lip thoughtfully. "Then again, I guess 'Big Kahuna' isn't all that original."

"Especially not here on the island," Bickslow snorted.

"Well, I, um… I should probably get back to watching the beach. You'll be okay?"

He nodded and gave her a small smile. "Maika'i no au," he chuckled.

Juvia blinked in confusion at the native tongue of the island so easily passing over the dancer's lips. "Huh?"

"Oh," he winced. "Sorry. I'm fine." She nodded, a deeper flush crossing her cheeks than before, and Bickslow simply watched as the lifeguard he couldn't stop thinking about stood and got ready to walk away. And without thinking about it, he sat up and grabbed her hand to stop her. "Hey."

Juvia turned back toward him. "Yes?"

He carefully stood and gazed down at her, refusing to let her hand go. "If you wanna stick around, there's um… There's a pretty wicked drum circle at night."

"I've never been to one of those," Juvia said softly.

"How long have you been on the island?" Bickslow smirked.

"A month," she answered. "I… I moved down here to get away from the mainland." And her idiotic ex-fiancé, Gray, who'd cheated on her during his bachelor party. Oddly enough, that was how she'd met Lucy, the stripper they'd hired and the one Gray had slept with. Apparently, the blonde had gotten a little too drunk and crossed one of her own lines, so she felt obligated to tell Juvia it had happened.

Bickslow smiled, even though he saw the flash of sadness across her fine features. "Then you haven't gotten a proper introduction," he chuckled.

"I guess not," she answered.

Suddenly, he didn't feel all that nervous around the woman. His normal level of confidence hadn't returned, but that didn't bother him. Because if there was one thing he liked more than a light-skinned woman, it was one who was shy. "Then you have to stick around," he said, tightening his grip on her slender fingers.

He knew it was probably a mistake, inviting her to stay so he could spend time with her. It just meant that he would get attached, fall even further for the woman when he knew for a fact that nothing would ever come of it. But, if nothing else, he'd get another friend out of the deal. He could be fine with that.

"I-I wouldn't know what to, um… To wear, or…"

Bickslow's smile widened and his tongue lolled from between his lips while he looked down at her pale blue bikini and the little red sash around her hips that noted she was, in fact, an official lifeguard on the beach. "Well, you're gonna be on a beach, so… a bathing suit would work."

"O-Oh," Juvia giggled, lowering her eyes to their joined hands. "That makes sense."

"You should get back to work, I guess," he whispered, taking a small step closer to the blunette. When she nodded, he hooked a finger under her chin and forced her to meet his crimson eyes.

"I should."

"Will you stay?"

Juvia bit her lip in indecision, then cast her gaze off to the side when she heard Lucy and Cana laughing. She couldn't help but watch her two friends as they joked around with the blond dancer from Blue Pegasus. Juvia wasn't like them, though. She couldn't just be with someone she hardly knew. It had taken a long time to realize she was demisexual, that her ability to find someone sexually attractive was tied so closely with her emotional connection with them. And that took serious time to build.

"I-I don't know."

Bickslow's smile faltered just a little bit, but really… He wanted to get to know her. For the first time in years, he'd been able to feel intensely aroused by a woman. More than just seeing they were attractive or anything else. Juvia was beautiful, but there was something else about her. Maybe it was just that she liked water as much as he did. She kind of had to, if she was going to be a lifeguard.

"Well, I know Laxus is sticking around tonight," he said softly. "So, Lucy and the other one might end up staying, too."

"Cana," Juvia supplied. "They're, um… More into this stuff than me." She winced then. "I'm actually pretty boring."

"Well, do you like music?"

"Sure."

"Dancing?"

"I'm not sure."

"How about the ocean?" he grinned. "Because this place is beautiful at night."

Juvia's eyes cut over to the rolling waves, then back to Bickslow when he squeezed her hand. "Um…"

"If it makes you feel any better, I'm not trying to hit on you," he said with a small flush to his cheeks. "Just… You seem like an awesome person, and I kinda feel like I should thank you for saving my ass."

"Oh," she sighed.

Bickslow's eyes widened slightly when she visibly relaxed, but that was to be expected. Maybe she really didn't want a stripper hitting on her. That was fine with him, though. He knew there were plenty of people that just weren't interested in him simply because of his job. Still, he continued smiling down at the blunette. "So, can I count on you to be here later? It'll make my night."

"Juvia!" Cana shouted while running over to her blue-haired friend. "There's a huge island party tonight! You're going with us!"

"W-Wait!" Juvia gasped. "Cana-"

"Nope," the brunette grinned. "You need to have some fun! Laxus says there's even hula lessons for us white bitches!"

Bickslow cackled as Juvia paled even further. "And you'll get to see Laxus's ass doing Kahiko with me," he added.

"What's that?" Juvia asked.

"Traditional island dance. Where do you think we learned to shake our asses like that?"

While Cana snorted and draped an arm around Juvia's shoulders, the lifeguard blinked up at Bickslow. She knew what Lucy and Cana were doing by taking an extended vacation down to the island, aside from helping her get settled and acclimated to her new life. They were trying to help her get back out in the dating world. No matter how many times she tried to explain that it just didn't work that way for her, they were adamant about it.

Still, maybe it was time she tried to let loose just a little bit. She could at least be friends with the man she'd watched dancing for the past month. And it would be nice to have a friend once Cana and Lucy finally got on the plane to head back to the mainland. Stripper or not, Bickslow did seem like a nice guy.

"Okay," Juvia finally said. "I'll be here."

Bickslow's grin was unimaginably wide as he gazed down at her. "Awesome," he whispered. "Ike ia oe ma hope mai, nani." ("See you later, beautiful.")

"What?" Juvia asked, blinking in surprise as the tall dancer jogged off through the sand. She cast a curious glance at the brunette beside her. "What did he say?"

Cana shrugged. "Not a clue, but damn is he sexy. Don't ya think?"

Juvia rolled her eyes and started walking back toward the lifeguard tower after gathering her duffel bag and towel. She wasn't sure just how she would fit in at some beach party, but she hoped it wouldn't be too awkward.

Juvia's eyes followed his every movement while he danced on the stage. Every roll of his hips that she now knew were a result of years taking dance lessons when he was a kid.

His wide smiles as women reached for him, how his tongue hung from his mouth to show the tattoo of a tribal sun sitting above a thin crescent that she'd found out signified harmony.

She loved how the light caught on the light layer of oil on his darkened skin, and just by looking at him, she could nearly smell the scent of coconuts and SPF - because Bickslow actually just put tanning oil on before work.

The pale blue skirt that was wrapped over his purple leather pants was slowly removed, and she smiled when a round of wild cheers sounded through the club. A woman was pulled up onto the stage, and Juvia slowly sipped her glass of water while watching Bickslow's arms wrap around the blushing silver-haired woman.

She giggled quietly as the woman tried to remove his visor, and he pulled back and playfully smacked her hand away. His only rule on the stage. One of the few he'd set for himself at the club.

It was another few minutes before Bickslow's dance was done, and Juvia set her glass down as he helped the woman off the stage. Biting her lip, she lifted her coaster and locked eyes with the brunette woman in a green minidress across the room.

"Want a dance?"

Juvia nodded, shifting her gaze to Bickslow. "Definitely," she laughed softly. "How's he doing tonight?"

"Pretty good so far," Evergreen smiled while looking at Bickslow as he laughed and sat sideways on one woman's lap, letting everyone at the table push a few more dollars into the front of his pants. "Want him first?"

Juvia shook her head, her smile widening slightly. "No, let the real customers have him," she said. "I'll take a private forty-five after he's done with them."

Evergreen's smile was infectious, and she nodded while taking the set amount from Juvia and writing her a small slip. "Lemme go talk them into something nice and expensive," she said with a wink.

Juvia watched as the brunette sauntered over to the table while the next dancer took the stage. She didn't pay any attention to him, instead focusing solely on how one woman at the table pulled out a credit card to order a dance. It wasn't very common that people actually used cards on the island, but Blue Pegasus made sure they were able to serve everyone coming through their doors.

Bickslow bent down and lifted the silver-haired woman into his arms, carrying her through the club and toward the private rooms. He cast Juvia a short glance and grinned while mouthing, "Thirty."

She knew what it meant as he disappeared. In thirty minutes, he was all hers. So, she simply went about watching the next dancer, Freed, as he took the stage. Then Laxus. A newer dancer nicknamed Black Steel who had only been there for three months. He was a lot like Laxus in the whole 'deadly sex appeal' image, she'd heard. The women went wild for his piercings and long, raven hair.

The last place she'd expected one of her old friends from the mainland to show up was at Blue Pegasus. And definitely not as a dancer.

Once Gajeel was done with his performance, he went backstage for a handful of moments before appearing at Juvia's table with a dark grin. "What're ya doin' here, Water Woman?"

"Enjoying the show," Juvia laughed.

His lips pursed while he took a seat next to her. "Heard from Natsu today," he said softly.

"How's he doing?"

"Good," he nodded. "Told me Gray got hitched."

Juvia's smile stayed in place. She knew he was expecting her to start crying again. Because the last time he'd seen her, nearly two years ago when she'd decided to move away after her failed engagement, she'd cried so much that he'd said she would make it start raining. But she was over Gray, and she had been for a long time.

"Good for him," she said. "I hope he's happy."

"Damn," Gajeel smirked, shaking his head. "Bein' out here did somethin' to ya."

"How so?" she laughed. "I'm the same as always, Black Steel."

"Nah, there's something different about ya." He paused, leaning closer to the blunette. "Tell me."

Juvia's smile widened as Bickslow showed up just behind her friend. "Sorry, man," he chuckled. "She's mine for a bit."

Gajeel shrugged and stood, watching for a moment as Bickslow's arm wrapped around Juvia's shoulders while he led her to the private rooms before he got back to work.

Once the door was closed and Bickslow had set the timer and music, he smiled while making his way over to the blue-haired lifeguard. "Any requests this time?"

Juvia bit her lip and nodded as he paused in front of her. "Pants," she said softly.

"Starting fast tonight," he teased. He took his time unbuttoning his pants and pushing them down his thighs, baring the hot pink thong he'd put on for that night. He watched Juvia's eyes light up as she laughed, then slowly straddled the woman to start the lap dance.

"Bix," Juvia whispered, placing her hands on his hips to stop him. He froze at the sound of his name. "Look at me?"

"I am, baby," he smirked.

"No," she said. Her hands glided up the length of his torso, her fingers rippling over his muscles, until she was caressing the metal visor over his eyes. "Let me see you tonight."

"You know the rule," he frowned, drawing back slightly.

"For customers," she nodded. "To be anonymous. But it's me, and I want to see you."

He hesitated, his brows drawing together beneath the visor, then he leaned forward and allowed the woman he'd known for almost two years to take it off. His eyes opened, when he realized they were closed, and he looked down at Juvia's soft smile while her fingers carded through his hair to fix his mohawk.

"Much better," she whispered.

"How?" he winced. A moment later, his eyes were wide in shock as her lips pressed gently to his. "J-Juvia?"

The blunette's smile stayed in place as she pulled him just a little closer, bringing his lips to hers again.

"Juvia, wai-" Bickslow moaned quietly as her tongue danced across his lower lip. Two years after meeting her, and this was the first time he'd gotten to feel her lips on his, her tongue teasing him into a breathless frenzy. Even though it was perfect, he forced her back to look down at her with wide eyes. "Wait."

Juvia nodded while sucking her lower lip into her mouth.

"You know how I work."

"I do," she said. "You're just like me." She'd been more than surprised to find that Bickslow was, in fact, like her in regards to their sexuality. Except, while he'd eventually admitted that Juvia was the only woman to have made him feel more like a normal guy - because he'd been insanely aroused by her even before getting to know her - it hadn't been the same for her.

She saw that he was attractive, but she wasn't attracted to Bickslow. Not until they'd become best friends, then roommates when her apartment building had been ripped to shreds by a hurricane. Bickslow had been there with her from the very beginning, and she'd come to know just about everything about him.

How quirky and odd he was. The fact that he only wore underwear when he had to work, otherwise it was just board shorts.

That his tan lines were hilarious from how often he was at the beach - which was every day - so he spray tanned his thighs to match the rest of him.

"Yeah, but…" Bickslow shook his head incredulously. She'd been so sure she wasn't attracted to him before, and they were close enough now that he hadn't had an issue telling Juvia the day he realized that he wanted something more with her.

She'd turned him down right then, but it hadn't bothered him. Because he knew it was possible that she would just never feel that way about him.

"But nothing," Juvia whispered. "I won't kiss someone unless…?"

"Unless you… really feel it," he finished. He settled on her lap just a little more, then lifted his hands to pull the tie from her hair. He always loved how Juvia looked while her hair was down. With a soft smile, he brushed out her hair and lowered his lips to hers. To finally have just what he wanted with the woman who'd slept in the same bed as him (because he'd only had a studio apartment when Juvia moved in) for over a year.

"Any other requests?" he whispered between kisses. "I'm on your dollar, beautiful."

Juvia giggled and gently sucked on his lower lip while dragging the dancer down to lie on top of her.

"You know the rules," he laughed.

"I never said we were fucking," Juvia teased. Maybe Gajeel was right. She had changed since coming to the island.

"Then what - Mmm, Juvia!" Bickslow gasped as she clutched at the rounded globes of his ass and pulled him closer.

"Just kiss me," she rasped. "Koʻu aloha."

Bickslow chuckled and deepened the kiss. 'My beloved, huh?' Just the thought of not only being able to do this with her for however long they had left, but even later on when they went back home, was enough to have him over the moon.

"Oh," Juvia said, drawing back slightly. "And I don't ever want you to stop stripping. Unless you really want to."

"Yeah?" he smirked. "And why's that?"

She bit her lip and brushed her nose over his. "I love watching you dance for other women. Especially because you always come home to me, now."

"Aloha no au ia 'oe," Bickslow whispered. He'd never imagined that he'd find a woman like her in all his life, but here she was. Wrapped in his arms, her hands gliding over his bare skin with her legs pinned between his.

"I love you, too," Juvia said, a quivering moan breaking in her chest as his tongue curled wickedly around hers, driving her to the brink of madness.

Eventually the timer ran out, but neither of them heard it. It wasn't until Laxus came knocking, then giving up and walking in only to back out of the room with a wide grin, that anyone was aware of just what Bickslow and Juvia were doing. And there was no way in hell Laxus was going to stop his friend from finally going after the woman of his dreams. Even if he was only wearing a hot pink thong and those ridiculous jester shoes.

.The End.

So, it's now a firm headcanon of mine that Bickslow is Hawaiian. So sexy.

In case you couldn't figure out what the three words were, here they are: Egg, Dustbunny, Car door.

Also, I'd like to throw out a few apologies here.

-I have never been surfing, and don't know the first thing about it aside from the little bit of research I did to write this. If there are inaccuracies, then let me know, and I'll try to fix them, but we'll chalk it up to ignorance on my part.

-I have also never been to Hawaii. And I don't speak Hawaiian. I tried not to be too cliché about it all, but… y'know. Also, for the foreign language bits, I tried to be as accurate as possible, but… Well, Google translate.

At any rate, a huge thank you goes out to LittlePrincessNana, because she helped me figure out what the hell goes on in male stripper performances (since I'm a hermit and have also never been to a strip club, lol).

I hope you enjoyed this.

I love you, guys!

~~GemNika