Chapter One

When Laxus had entered the guild that summer's morning, everything had been normal.

Natsu launched a flaming fist in his direction, and had promptly been buried into the wall on the opposite side of the guildhall, Ever, Bix and Freed were sat at the usual table waiting for him, and Mirajane shot him that smile that made his heart skip inside his chest.

Just seeing her face every morning since his re-entry into the guild, somehow made his day start off so much better. Last week when she'd come down with a cold he'd been in a vile mood all week, snapping at Blondie when she brought him his order whilst she filled in for Mira. This obviously made him even less popular with the Celestial Spirit mage than he already was, but at the time all Laxus could think about was Mira.

It was that evening when everything changed. That summer's evening, when Laxus's life would be turned upside down.

Fairy Tail were having one of their usual parties, the kind that go on till midnight as though its New Year's every day. Midway through the party, Freed had left the Thunder Tribes table without a word; odd in itself, but Laxus chose to ignore it in favour of drinking his whiskey. It wasn't until he heard her familiar voice echoing through the guildhall that his blood slowed to a halt and his heart collapsed into his stomach.

'Everyone! I have an announcement to make!' She said, giggling in a way that reminded Laxus of how Bisca always sounded when Alzack was around. He knew then what the "announcement" was. He could smell him beside her before he even turned around.

'Freed finally asked me out!' The guild erupted into cheers, hoots and wolf-whistles as Freed turned bright red at Mira's infectious laughter.

Laxus watched as the new couple intertwined their fingers and stared into one another's eyes, as though the rambunctious guild surrounding them were invisible.

For a moment, Laxus despised his friend. For a single split second, he assessed how easy it was to kill him. Then he realised what was going through his mind, and he gripped the whiskey tumbler tightly in his hand before downing the remnants of the drink, earning a puzzled look from Bix.

'A toast! To the new couple!' Laxus shouted out, pouring himself a full glass from the bottle at his side and turning with a wide smile, his glass held high. Of course, no one saw through his charade of happiness as the celebrations erupted with his words.

It was just after this that the flame-brain stepped up onto the bar, shouting for quiet, before yanking Lisanna from the ground to stand beside him; encircling her slim waist and pulling her so her body was flush against his.

'Yeah, so me and Liss are together too! Double party!' Again, cheers echoed throughout the building. Cana was pouring barrel after barrel of wine down her gullet, Gray and Natsu almost immediately started fighting, Elfman was thumping his chest drunkenly shouting about being manly whilst crying at the "loss" of his sisters, and Erza was demanding they celebrate properly with an immense cake.

Laxus looked on impassively at his guild mates as they clapped the men on the back and squealed with the women. He stood, grabbing the bottle of whiskey and beginning the long, lonely walk up to his office, when he noticed someone who wasn't celebrating.

He watched her walk up to Natsu, a false smile plastered across her face as she hugged them both. He watched her wave good bye to them, still grinning, as she exited the guild into the warm night air.

Huh. Looks like I'm not the only one who got left behind. Shrugging off the momentary feelings of empathy, he disappeared up the stairs.

Within what felt like minutes, Laxus had finished the bottle of whiskey he'd brought with him, and the one he kept for emergencies stashed in his desk drawer. When he'd opened it to check if the bottle was there, feeling sure he'd finished it not long ago, he'd been pleasantly surprised to find it full and unopened. Normally, the lightning dragon slayer would be more suspicious, but in the half drunken, depressed state he was currently in, he didn't question the bottles existence, and instead began working on getting rid of the burning amber liquid.

He scowled as the sounds of the party downstairs reached his ears, glaring in the direction of his guild mates as he finished off the last few drips of whiskey, before throwing the bottle across the room, smashing it against the door.

'Fucking women… fucking Freed… Fucking whiskey…' Laxus grumbled, stumbling upright and opening and closing every drawer in his desk, searching for another bottle of booze but coming up empty handed.

'Fucking guild.' He said before staggering towards the window and throwing it open. There was a slight, cool breeze, but the air temperature was warm. He could sense the oncoming storm; his skin buzzed at the feeling of electricity in the air and he longed to relish in the taste of fresh lightning.

Jumping from the window, he fell on his backside and started giggling to himself, his laugh deep and reverberating in his throat. Slowly, he stood upright and began the long walk towards the local bar only two streets away.

Laxus took a deep breath of fresh air before he entered the pub, knowing if he looked too drunk they'd try and throw him out. He also knew somewhere in the back of his mind, that in his current mood anyone who touched him would end up as ash.

He glared at anyone who attempted to make eye contact with him as he stalked towards the bar, his entire being focused on walking in a straight line. Finally, he reached a bar stool and threw himself on the seat.

'Whiskey, now.' He snapped at the bar tender, and in seconds a large bottle and a filled tumbler were before him. He grunted his thanks as he continued to drink away his sorrows, sometimes pausing to think as he swirled the cinnamon flavoured liquid around the crystal cut glass, wallowing in the depths of self-hatred that had swallowed him up so long ago.

The pits of despair that, with a single smile and laugh from her, he'd been pulled out from. Just seeing her face, looking up at him with such complete trust, made him feel human. She made him feel as though he belonged in Fairy Tail.

Without realising it, she'd stolen his heart, and now she'd crushed it, by dating his best friend. Someone who deserved her, someone who he knew would die for her without a second's hesitation. Freed was better than him. Freed needed her just as much if not more than Laxus did, and because Laxus knew this he hated himself all the more for trying to think the worst of his friend.

'Wow Laxus, never thought I'd find you like this. Come on, let me help you up.' Laxus grunted, his eyes heavy as small hands pulled one arm around a slim neck and yanked him upright, groaning with the effort.

'Come on, Laxus! At least help me a little!' He mumbled incoherently at her words, but somehow managed to take his weight off of the tiny woman whose arm had encircled his waist as much as it could.

'Jeez, I know I told Billy to call me if you got into trouble, but damn it Laxus! I didn't think I'd actually have to come get you.' Laxus frowned, puzzled, and tried to focus on the woman beside him, but his eyes weren't working properly.

'Who… Bobby?'

'You mean Billy, right? He was the bar tender you scared half to death as you cleaned him out of whiskey and vodka. I paid your tab, don't worry. Though you do owe me quite a bit of cash now. Mavis knows how you drank that much and are still alive!' Laxus stared at his feet, watching them go in the wrong directions and giggling at them to himself.

'Wow. You're really drunk. I guess you're coming to mine to sleep it off though, I do live closest and I haven't got a clue where your place is.' Some small part of Laxus's mind that was sobering up quickly took in the woman's words, but considering the majority of his brain was swimming in a haze of alcohol induced happiness, he just allowed the little person to lead him off into the night without a second thought.

She looked up at him, smiling sadly to herself as she recognised the sadness in his eyes that he'd tried to drown out with alcohol. She knew from experience, that didn't work. Every time that person's eyes had passed over her as though she didn't exist to him, she'd felt those same feelings. Loneliness, hatred, regret… guilt.

She knew right now, she was the only person who could help Laxus, despite the pain it would cause her there was no way she could leave him alone now.

It wasn't long till they reached her apartment, and Laxus had somehow managed to sober up enough to realise how tired he was. As soon as the door in front of him opened, he quickly stumbled across the room and collapsed on the bed.

'Hey! You get the couch, get off my bed!' He felt tiny hands grip his arm, and smirked as he turned and grabbed the woman, pulling her slim, curvaceous body against him.

'Laxus! What are you doing? Let me go.' Her voice was tiny and muffled against his chest, but he couldn't sense any fear from her, only the quickening of her heart and the scent of her arousal. He took a deep breath, relishing in that fully feminine scent, and a deep growl rumbled throughout the room.

He heard her breath hitch at the sound, and felt her body tense against his, making his own arousal spring to life. Growling deep in his throat, he pulled her up so her face was level with his, before smashing his lips against hers. At first, she didn't move, but as soon as he nipped her lower lip she moaned and allowed him access to her mouth; her arms encircling his neck and gripping the short tufts of his hair in tight little fists. The slight pull on his scalp made him tense in pleasure before she sucked his lip into her delectable mouth.

He groaned as her body pressed against his, the feeling of her breasts against his chest making him forget his feeling of loneliness. The sweet taste of strawberries on his lips, and the intoxicating scent of her made him forget all of the sorrow and pain he'd tried so hard to drink away.

Still attached to her lips, he threw off his cloak and ripped off his shirt. Immediately, her cool fingers traced across his broad, muscled chest; outlining every dip and divot of his torso as though committing it to memory. She moaned into his mouth as his hands massaged her breasts, jerking her hips upwards wantonly, needing to feel the pressure her body craved.

Her reaction to his touch made his muscles tense, and he forced himself to tear his mouth away from her, before yanking her shirt over her head and returning to the kiss. She latched onto him, her nails softly raking their way down his back, causing him to fist his hands into the sheets on either side of her head.

Pulling away from the passionate kiss, he peppered light caresses with his tongue along her jaw, across her neck and earlobe, before slinking down to her collarbone; making her moan with unrestrained need.

'Mira…' He whispered, his eyes closed as he breathed in her scent. At the name, she froze beneath him. Not noticing, Laxus continued to administer attention to her creamy skin, nipping sharply at the crook of her neck to be rewarded with a guttural moan from the woman beneath him, before her hands pulled his head away and pushed his body off of her.

Laxus blinked in a daze, confused as she stood and pulled on her shirt as she walked away.

'Go to sleep Laxus.' Her voice was cold, emotionless as she went to exit the room. Suddenly, before he could stop himself, he called out to her.

'No!' She stopped and turned, her blonde hair still mussed up from their tryst on the bed. He stared into her hypnotising brown orbs, fear and uncertainty written across his face. Emotions that hadn't been expressed since he was a child.

'What is it Laxus?' Her voice was soft, quiet, but somehow sad.

'Please… stay with me… don't… don't leave me alone.' She blinked in surprise, staring into the unsure grey eyes that were in as much turmoil as the raging storm that had begun outside; the rain lashing against the glass panes and the thunder seeming to split the air in half.

'Laxus… I can't… you don't want this-'

'Okay, I won't try anything, I just… please. I need… someone. Could you just… stay, please?' He said, his heart hammering against his chest, the alcohol still in his system making him able to express his fear of loneliness.

She stared at him for a moment, unmoving, assessing the meaning of his words before letting out a sigh.

'Okay.' She whispered, walking back towards the bed and dropping her belt on the bedside table, before quickly changing into a pair of pyjama shorts and baggy men's t-shirt. Whilst she did this, Laxus turned away and stripped off his trousers so he lay under the duvet in his boxers, waiting for her.

She climbed into the bed, and he immediately turned and pulled her tightly into his arms, breathing in the sweet coconut scent of her shampoo.

'Laxus…'

'I need to hold you. Please.' The broken tone of his voice almost made her heart shatter, but she nodded with a sigh, and settled in for the long night ahead.