SORRY FOR THE WAIT

I kept getting interrupted at typing this out but it's finally done. Finally.

And hey, just to be clear. Freed is NOT gay in this story. I'm only portraying his Laxus obsession, guys. And besides, I'm also a huge fan of the Runestar shipping xD

Anyway, LAST chappie. Enjoy!

"NO!"

She screamed and pushed Laxus' away with sudden inhuman strength. She tried to scramble away from him but her legs felt like jelly. She unceremoniously fell on her butt. But the pain was gone instantly, as panic had overridden her racing thoughts.

She covered her mouth, her lips had been trembling. Not in fear, but in... anticipation. She was sure; Laxus was going to kiss her. Pushing him away was the right choice. He was drugged and any intimate action just might lead to her ruin. But no, she wasn't scared of that. No, not one damn bit. Instead, she had been scared of her own self. She was actually waiting for it to happen.

She wasn't sure of herself anymore. She liked him? Did she? She did? Her? Days ago- err... yesterday she was adamant that she was not crushing on Laxus. And suddenly a day later, she was looking forward to some saliva-exchange?!

'Lucy Idiot-filia! Get a frickin' hold of yourself! Stupid stupid stupid...'

Laxus stood before her, unmoving. Lucy bowed her head as she continued her incessant chanting. She didn't want to look at him. She was absolutely, completely and totally perplexed. A million thoughts were racing in her head. But what was Laxus thinking? Was he even in the state to already be thinking?

"Lucy..." Laxus whispered so softly that Lucy could pass it off as the wind. She flinched. He didn't sound... possessed. Was he back to normal? "Lucy..." he repeated.

She bit her lip, hard. His tone was pleading. Him sounding okay pressed Lucy to not show her face, not after the embarrassing string of thoughts that coursed her mind. But that wasn't Laxus' fault. It was hers. Just hers. All hers.

She lifted her head slowly. Her brown orbs gazed at his shoes, trailing upward slowly. She was taking her sweet time, nervous on what Laxus' face is painted with. Her breath hitched apprehensively in every inch upward. Her eyes reached his jaw and she took a deep breath before taking in his visage.

Nothing.

'What?' she thought confused. 'Wait, no... not nothing.' She widened her eyes.

Laxus' face was blank. But his eyes expressed much more than that.

Laxus... a whirlwind of emotions flashed in his already stormy gray eyes. Shame. Guilt. Remorse. Confusion. And a lot more she couldn't make out. Above all, why was Laxus...?

Why was Laxus hurt?

"Oh, Mavis why..." she whispered with wide eyes. Her heart clenched agonizingly. There was obviously something wrong. Seeing him like this was painful. What happened? It sent an unsettling pit in her stomach. Every bone in her body screamed to make it right, whatever it was. She reached out shakily. "Laxus-"

But before she could say anything else, he flashed away.

Lucy gaped in shock and bewilderment. She watched as the lightning that surrounded his body fade away and soon enough, he was gone, leaving her alone on the cold, hard ground. Her hand dropped awkwardly beside her.

"Lucy!" she heard footsteps running toward her. "Lucy, what happened back there?"

Lucy looked blankly ahead of her as she took Evergreen's outstretched hand. She stood up and dusted her bottom. The Raijinshuu were looking expectantly at her. She didn't know what to say though. It wasn't like they weren't present during her and Laxus' exchange.

"What happened?" Ever urged.

"I don't know." She admitted hopelessly. "I-I'm so sorry."

"Who the heck... what are you sorry for?"

"Laxus. H-He... I'm sorry." Tears pooled in her eyes. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." She brought her hand up and hid her face from them. She did something. She hurt Laxus. She was swallowed up by guilt and regret. What did she do wrong? Was it wrong to push him away? Should she have let him kiss her? Should she have let him have his way?

She was scared. As much as Laxus occupied her mind and heart, she absolutely didn't want to be kissed under a lust spell. It would bruise what little womanly ego she had. But was that the wrong move?

She bit her lip harder than before, effectively drawing blood. Evergreen widened her eyes at the red drop and grabbed her hand and shoulder.

"Lucy! Lucy! Stop that! What on Earthland happened with you two?!" she shook her vigorously and Lucy had no choice but reveal her teary eyes.

"Laxus... I hurt him. I pushed him away and I hurt him, Ever!" she sobbed quietly. "I-It hurts. I can't... breathe. Was it wrong? Tell me Ever, is what I did wrong?"

Evergreen gaped at the sight. She was surprised at how much the blonde reacted. She hadn't expected tears for what she thought was just a crush. But as a woman and a friend, she understood.

"Oh Lucy..." She awkwardly pulled the Celestial mage into a hug. "It's not your fault. You did the right thing. Come on, dry those pretty eyes."

Lucy sighed into her friend's shoulder. Her sobbing stopped, although there was the occasional sniff. Evergreen was comforting her for the second time that day. She was eternally grateful. She returned the hug.

Evergreen patted the blonde's back. She shot a look/glare to the two males behind Lucy. They gulped and tried to decipher the message.

Find Laxus.

They nodded and trailed the lingering static in the air. Evergreen remained with Lucy, continuously comforting her. It took a few more moments than she expected but Lucy pulled away.

Lucy exposed her bloodshot eyes and Ever was tempted to pull her into another hug. But Lucy took a step back. She smiled sadly but nevertheless, thanked the fairy mage sincerely.

"I'm sorry, Ever." She bowed her head. "I got too carried away."

"Don't be sorry. It's not a crime to be bawl like a baby from time to time." Ever replied with a small smile.

Lucy laughed dryly. She was thankful for the attempt.

"Well, can you tell me what that bawling was about now?"

Lucy sighed. "Of course. Sorry again." She explained what happened, starting from when she pushed Laxus away 'til the present situation, additionally describing her feelings. Evergreen listened in silence. Although she had a confused look plastered on her face as if, pondering over something.

"And that's it, Ever. I don't know why, but seeing those hurt-filled eyes..." she bit her lip- which made her wince- in attempt to stop impending tears. "...broke something in me."

Evergreen secretly grinned at her blonde friend. She wanted so much to blurt out what she thought but decided against it. It wasn't the time to bomb Lucy with a revelation.

"Lucy, you know the best thing to do right now? Talk to him. Set things straight."

"But how?" she said miserably. "He... flashed away. He's gone. He could be back in Magnolia for all we know. He left."

"Well, Lucy. That's where you're wrong." Ever smiled softly.

"He's over there." Freed pointed to a hunched figure sitting at the edge of a pond. He had an upset air about him. He wasn't happy that Laxus seemed so crestfallen. He wanted to share in the pain. But that's not what Laxus needed. Or specifically, he's not what Laxus needed, at present.

He internally frowned at that.

Lucy silently thanked him. She walked slowly, killing the slightest crunch of her steps. Her efforts were in vain, however. She saw how Laxus' ears twitched at her first step. She continued walking silently, not speaking a word. Laxus didn't move from his position, not speaking either.

She didn't stop until she was directly behind him. The situation felt familiar for some reason. She shook it off.

She inhaled a sharp intake of breath once she got close enough. Laxus' was enveloped in a downright gloomy aura. She felt a pang in her heart. She blinked away her watery eyes and breathed in.

"Laxus…" she spoke quietly, barely above a whisper. Laxus didn't respond, but she knew he heard. "Laxus, look at me please." She begged.

Laxus didn't move an inch. She bit her lip. She moved next to him and extended a shaky hand. Laxus let her hold his chin and gently tilt his head to her.

"I'm sorry."

He visibly stiffened. He crunched his eyebrows. "You shouldn't be." He replied softly after a minute.

"I should." Lucy internally cheered that Laxus responded. "It's my fault you're like this."

Laxus' eyes narrowed. He lifted his hand and rested it over hers. "No, it's not."

"Yes, it—"

"It's mine." He cut her off. Lucy widened her eyes slightly. She was about to retort when Laxus suddenly sniffed the air. "I should be sorry. I'm sorry."

She stiffened and shivered when Laxus' large thumb caressed the corner of her lip. Her eyes grew larger. What was he-?

"I did this, didn't I?" he said miserably. It was there again. Those eyes.

Lucy realized he meant the dried drop of blood from her ruthless lip-biting.

"No. No!" Lucy exclaimed. "I-I did this. I-I bit my lip. You didn't do anything, Laxus."

Relief flashed in his eyes, momentarily. "That's not true. I hurt you. I hurt you guys. I hurt my nakama." His grip on her hand tightened. "I vowed to never hurt my nakama ever again. And… I just did."

"Laxus. You didn't hurt anyone. Trust me." She said pleadingly. Seeing the disbelief in his eyes, she gripped Laxus' other hand. "Ask any one of us, and we'd say the same thing. I swear. I promise."

"You don't know that."

"Celestial Mages never break their promises. Ever." She said firmly.

Laxus searched her face, as if searching for any sign of a lie. He sighed. In relief or exhaustion, she didn't know. The answer came shortly. She was glad when his body relaxed. She wasn't glad, however, when his hand fell off hers.

"I'm sorry." He whispered softly.

"Laxus, I just told-"

"For leaving so abruptly."

"Hn…" she smirked slightly. " Well, you were gone in a flash." She joked. Laxus cracked a smile at this.

"Thanks."

"You shouldn't thank me. That was a totally lame joke."

"Not that, dumb blonde."

Lucy couldn't help but smile at the insult. She realized what he meant. "Just returning the favor."

Laxus cleared his throat and took a deep breath. "This will be the one and only time I'm saying this, so make sure those ears are goddamn clean." She raised an eyebrow.

Laxus shifted until he completely faced Lucy. She did the same, albeit hesitantly. She was only expecting a simple explanation for the 'thank you'. That's what she usually does. She was confused, however, by the amount of preparation it took. She internally laughed. It must be bruising for a prideful man as Laxus.

She visibly flinched when Laxus took her hand in his. She relaxed instantly when she felt the gentleness behind them, although, she was still uneasy on his sudden gesture. Her heart raced unwillingly. A pit made home at the bottom of her stomach. She couldn't help but feel weird at the situation.

She raised her eyes and they made contact with his.

"I guess I've fallen for you, Lucy Heartfilia."

'Oh. My. God.'

Laxus watched her lose it. She opened her mouth in shock. Then closed it. Then opened it again.

He watched it happen repeatedly. On any other occasion, he would have found it funny or stupid. But in this occasion? It jumbled his nerves.

She broke eye contact and retracted her hand. He kept up his poker face, but inside it stung. She wrung her hands together and bit her lip. Laxus' heart sunk.

But he didn't give in. He held his ground. He was waiting for an answer and he was going to get one.

Of course, he'd much prefer a positive one.

Lucy didn't say anything. She averted her eyes and looked everywhere. Laxus nudged her slightly. His eye twitched when the action made her skin jump out of her.

He spoke with a tone that made clear that he wanted an answer. And he knew Lucy understood it. But seeing her all so jumpy and edgy because of his shocker confession offended him slightly- or greatly. But this was Lucy Heartfilia, the girl he fell for. He would be patient, even if he had to wait for Edolas to come crashing down. He finally understood where he wanted to be in her life. And he would go through anything to take that place.

Lucy bowed her head, which shielded her face from his view. Even without his dragon senses, he could clearly hear the erratic beating of her heart. She took a breath. She was ready to speak.

Laxus' heart waited on edge.

"Laxus…" she said softly. "I…I… Laxus, I…."i she repetitively stumbled out words. With all that stuttering, Laxus wasn't sure where she was going anymore.

"I… I-I don't love you, Laxus."

*crack*. His jaw dropped in sheer shock. He didn't expect rejection.

"A-And, I'm not sure I l-like you, either."

*bullseye* An arrow shot straight into his heart. And not in the fucking romantic way.

He wasn't sure what to feel. Devastated because he was rejected? Or hella annoyed that she rubbed salt into his wounds? He was ready to storm out.

"But…" she said.

Laxus' tuned into her. It was just so embarrassing. He decided to confess. It seemed to be the perfect time. But then he's slapped in the face with rejection? He wanted to walk out and never face her again. But he was a man. And a man never runs away. And besides, she had something else to say.

"But." He repeated emotionlessly.

"But… I want to, Laxus."

His jaw slackened… again. He snapped his eyes to her and was instantly taken in by her beautiful, brown orbs. He couldn't make sense of the situation. His mind was in a jumbled mess and he could do nothing but openly stare.

"I'm not sure how I feel for you. But I know that I want to fall in love with you… godthisisembarassing." she slapped her face a few times and kept her hands there. Laxus didn't need to inspect closely. Her face was completely, absolutely, entirely red. Seeing her like that… his face heated up.

"You want to… love me?" he questioned. She nodded shyly. "So when you said you don't 'love' me…"

"I really don't." she finished his sentence. "But listen, Laxus. I want to. I really do. Thing is, I think of you so much that I can't process anything else. When Freed said you followed me, I was elated. And seeing you with Tara earlier, shattered me. I realize I don't want to see you with anyone else. And Laxus, you can't imagine how happy I am to know that… you love me."

"I'm not sure if I like you already. Maybe I do. But Laxus, I need time before it turns to love. Rushing… it scares me. But you don't. So please, Laxus. Teach me how to… teach me how to love you." She finished. Earlier, she was red as a beet. That didn't really change. But instead of the excessive shyness she showed, was a determined aura. Laxus smiled genuinely at this.

He reached out and caressed her hair. Lucy hummed at the touch. He gently pulled her head to him.

"I wouldn't have it any other way." He whispered as he kissed her forehead.

"I really wonder."

"What is it?" Laxus asked the small blonde walking beside him. He gazed fondly at her.

Lucy skipped, unaware of the gazes of the taller blonde. "I mean, like, so much happened. So much that I'm still trying to wrap my head around it." She chuckled. "Thing is, I wonder how everything happened. Specifically, how did it start? I really wonder." She looked up and appeared trying to flashback on things.

"To be precise, Lucy-san." Freed spoke up. "Looking back at the past events and tracing it to the root, I'd say everything started in the bath."

Lucy, Laxus, Bixlow and Evergreen snapped their head at him. And realized that his speculation was correct. They couldn't believe it.

"Seriously?"

The End

Yup. It's done. So saaaad. TT^TT

Anyway, I'd like to thank everyone for reading this story! To everyone who took their time to review and favorite and follow. I send my heart out to you. :)

Anyway, THIS IS IMPORTANT:

To me, that is. Question: Is my writing/storytelling satisfactory?

This is a first and only request. I'm not expecting or forcing anyone to answer but it'd really mean a lot to me if you do.

Whatever, your answer is, I am going to improve. Really. I just want to know if there is anything you're unsatisfied with or bothering you. Like my grammar, description or passion. I want to know what I'm going to grind on. (:P)

To anyone who will take their time to answer, I sincerely, from the bottom of my heart thank you.

So that's that. Bye guys. I love all of you! :)

See ya.