And here's my one-shot for the first prompt of LaLu week! Hope you enjoy!

Hiro Mashima owns Fairy Tail.

***LIKE A TATTOO***

(Prompt: Storm)

Lucy was excited as she made her way into the little shop. She'd wanted a tattoo for a long time, but between bills and the problems she'd had with her car, there'd never been enough money to pay for it. More than once, she'd had to push the desire aside in favor of taking care of one unforeseen problem or another, but now, things were about to change.

Today was her 20th birthday, and instead of the usual gifts, her girl friends had all decided it was high time she quit putting it off. So, they'd pooled their money together and insisted that she use it to finally get her tattoo. And Lucy damn sure wasn't about to refuse.

She waited for so long, and as she stepped into the tattoo parlor, she couldn't quite believe the day had finally arrived. Feeling a wild sense of elation, she almost skipped to the counter, bypassing walls upon walls of pictures. She didn't even bother to look. She already knew just what she wanted.

The woman behind the bar looked up at Lucy's approach and smiled. "Hey there. What can I help you with today?"

"I'm here to get a tattoo," the blonde uttered proudly, before laughing at herself, "Oh jeez. That was ridiculous. Why else would I be here?"

The brunette joined her in her amusement, and nodded. "Yeah, kinda what we do here."

"Sorry about that. Blonde moment," Lucy giggled, then pulled a paper from her bag and handed it to the woman. "I was wondering if I could get this done on my back."

"Hmm...that's nice. I think we can help you. One sec." She paused for a moment, then yelled into the back, "Laxus! Get your ass up here!"

Lucy jolted at the woman's loud summons. She couldn't decide if she found the attendant's behavior appallingly unprofessional or oddly endearing. From farther in the shop, there was a harsh curse, and then the door to the back opened, admitting a tall, blonde haired man.

"Cana! What the hell is your..." he began, trailing off as he seemed to notice the petite blonde standing there. "Oh, didn't know we had a customer. Sorry about that."

Lucy, for her part, said nothing in response. She just couldn't stop looking at him. She knew she was being rude, knew she was embarrassing herself, but she just couldn't quit staring. She was certain she'd never seen a more delicious looking man in her life.

"Oh hell, you broke another one," the girl behind the counter laughed, her voice tinged with hilarity. "That's the third one this week!"

Hearing that, Lucy shook herself from her stupor and grinned sheepishly. "Um...sorry." She very nearly elaborated on her distraction, but what could she say? 'Oh I'm sorry was eating you with my eyes. Your muscles were just so delicious, I couldn't help myself.' No way in hell...

Laxus took it all in stride, his eyes lighting up with amusement. "Now that you've gotten all up close and personal with my body, care to tell me your name?"

"Oh!" Lucy flushed a soft pink and somehow managed to introduce herself. "I-I'm Lucy. I was just wanting to get that as a tattoo," she said, pointing to the scrap of paper in the other woman's hand.

"Alright, let's see what you got there." Laxus moved toward the brunette and reached out for the information. He glanced down and then back up in surprise. "You want this?"

Lucy frowned at his reaction. Was he saying something bad? "What's wrong with that one? It's amazing," she said defensively.

His mouth lifted in a crooked smile. "You think so?"

"Well...yeah." Now, she was confused. He seemed almost flattered, but why? "I'm sorry. Did I miss something?"

Laxus laughed, then moved toward an alcove off to the side. As he disappeared from sight, Lucy couldn't help but wonder what was going on. It was obvious that the man knew something she didn't, and looking at the woman he'd called Cana, Lucy could see that she was in on the joke too.

Frustration speared through her, battling with her curiosity. Was she ever going to get her tattoo? "Look, if this isn't something you guys can do, I can go somewhere else," she suggested, trying to keep her voice appeasing.

Cana chuckled, shaking her head. "Trust me. We got this. Just hang on a sec."

Lucy sighed. She had been patient for so long already, nearly 3 years, and she was tired of it. This tattoo was a gift from her friends, and it was almost like a reward for all the sacrifices she'd made to get where she was now. Why should she have to wait?

She had just decided to leave and find another shop when Laxus returned. His expression was triumphant as he handed her design back to her. "Here, I won't need this."

Lucy's frown deepened as she accepted the bit of paper she'd brought. What game was he playing? "Look, I told her I can just go somewhere else. All you had to do was say you couldn't do it." By this time, she was getting aggravated. It wasn't that complicated, so why make such a production of turning her away?

"What are you talking about? Of course I can do it. It's mine."

"What?" The blonde woman felt like she'd stepped into some kind of crazy place. She eyed the man before her, wondering just what was wrong with him. Sure, he was hot, but she wasn't sure what to think about him.

His expression turned smug, and he explained, "It's my design. I came up with it about 4 years ago."

With that, he handed her a large sketch. Sure enough, it was the same picture. Her eyes widened. "You drew this?"

"Yeah," he laughed. "Kind of ironic that you came here for it, don't you think?"

"Yeah," she mused, then smiled timidly, feeling bad for how she'd been thinking about him. She couldn't believe she'd somehow stumbled upon the man responsible for the tattoo she'd fallen in love with so long ago. "I guess I should apologize then."

"No need." He waved off her apology, then raised a brow in question. "So, you ready?"

Was she ready? She'd never been more ready for anything in her whole life. This tattoo meant a lot to her, and when she'd seen his design for the first time, she'd known it was the one for her. It embodied everything she loved about storm - the wildness, the ferocity, the beauty.

She looked to the man responsible for that incredible art, and nodded firmly. "Hell yeah!"

Laxus grinned at her enthusiasm and led her into the same alcove he'd disappeared into before. "So where did you want the tattoo?"

"Between my shoulder blades, but I want it to be a bit wider at the top if that's okay. Maybe about this long," she answered, touching a place a little higher than the dip in her back.

He considered her request and agreed, "Yeah, that shouldn't be a problem. You okay with me freehanding the parts I'd have to add at the top?"

"Sure. It's your design," she laughed, feeling damn near elated now that she was so close to getting her storm tattoo. "I feel fairly certain you can handle it."

The large man chuckled, then handed her a dark sheet and pointed toward a door. "The bathroom's right there. Go ahead and strip down, while I print out your design. Then we'll get started."

Lucy blinked dumbly at him, before biting her lip and taking the folded cloth. She'd forgotten that she'd have to get half-naked for this, which sounded stupid, even in her head. She'd known of course that the placement would require nudity, but the thought of being even partially bare in front of such a sexy man was a bit nerve-wracking. "O-okay."

She hurried into the small room and took off her shirt and bra, stuffing both into her bag, before unfurling and wrapping the sheet around her. Taking a deep breath, she turned the door knob and headed back the way she'd come. She was nervous, but she sure as hell wasn't backing out.

Laxus lifted his head as she came back into the room, smiling at the way she clutched the sheet to her chest. He could see a faint splash of pink on her cheeks, and felt an irrational sense of pride in her ability to go for what she wanted in spite of her embarrassment. Shaking the strange thought aside, he asked, "You good?"

"Yeah," she said, then climbed onto the chair he indicated.

He watched as she straddled the seat in front of him, her hips shifting until her front was pressed closely against the back of the chair. He tried to ignore the seductive way she'd moved, forcing his focus higher on her body just in time for her to look over her shoulder and ask, "This okay?"

"That's perfect," he answered gruffly. Why was she getting to him like this? Pushing aside his attraction to her, he returned to business. "This your first tattoo?"

"Yeah. Does it show?"

"Just a little," Laxus chuckled, pressing the picture to her back, then pulling it away. He studied the placement, and nodding to himself, told her, "Okay, I'm going to wash up. I'll let you know just before I start, and then I'll need you to stay as still as you can, alright?"

She nodded her agreement and settled her weight into a more comfortable position, dipping her head down until it rested on the top of the seat. He washed his hands and pulled on gloves, swiping a bit of Vaseline on the back of one hand, then grabbed his tattoo gun. "Okay, here we go."

He touched the gun to her skin and was pleased to see that she hadn't jumped. So many people moved with the first poke, and though most weren't enough to mess up the design, he'd had some that had damn near hopped off the chair. Nice to see she wasn't one of them. He liked a tough girl.

"So, what made you choose the storm?"

"Oh, I love storms. There's just something about them that makes me happy..." She paused as he made a pass over her spine, then continued, "Everyone says I'm weird, but I think they're beautiful."

His lips lifted at her response. He'd always felt the same way. He liked the fierceness of the wind and rain, the power of the lightning. It was oddly peaceful to him. "Me too."

"Really?" she asked happily, then laughed. "I guess that's why your picture turned out so well. It's really stunning."

"I'm glad you like it enough to give it a permanent home on your body," Laxus joked.

Lucy giggled. "Well, I do like it!"

The gun made another pass across her spine, and she tensed marginally. Laxus continued with his work, but tried to ease her a little. "That part's a bit rough, I know."

"Oh no. It's fine," she grunted comically. "Absolutely fantastic."

"Oh, I see. You're a masochist..." He didn't think he'd ever had so much fun with a customer before. There was just something about her that made the conversation easy and exciting.

Lucy snorted. "No, that was sarcasm. My friend, Juvia's the masochist."

"Really?" Laxus laughed at her admission, though he wasn't all that shocked. He'd had people tell him the most insane things while sitting in his chair, things he was certain their friends and family wouldn't want anyone to know. It was like they just lost their ability to keep secrets the moment they stepped into the shop. "I don't know about that stuff. Can't see myself liking it."

"Me either. Just a little too kinky for my taste," she declared firmly.

The tattoo artist shook his head with a grin. "Ah...so you're a fan of vanilla then."

"Well, maybe not straight vanilla. I like an occasion bit of mint chocolate chip in my diet. Every girl needs a little spice in her life, you know." Lucy halted, wondering why she was telling him all this, then laughed, asking, "How the hell did we get on this conversation?"

"You're the one that mentioned kink. I just asked the questions," Laxus said innocently.

"Ha!" Lucy argued good-naturedly, "You're the one that mentioned masochism."

Laxus couldn't help the rumbling laugh that followed. He hadn't had this much fun with a simple conversation in a long time. "Okay, so maybe I started it. Of course, you can't really fault a guy for asking questions when you provide such leading information."

"Look at you. Still trying to blame someone else. Just like a man," Lucy mused, her mouth turning up in a large grin. "Besides, it's not my fault I'm so fascinating."

"Really humble too, I see."

The half-naked blonde giggled, then gave a small grunt as Laxus hit a particularly painful spot. "Oh holy shit sticks, that hurts!"

"Sorry about that, but really? Holy shit sticks? What kind of cursing is that?" he asked, amused at her, but also trying to distract her again.

"I'm a terrible cusser," Lucy quipped as soon as he'd moved away from the tender area. "My friends tell me all the time that I'm never going to get a man with such a potty mouth."

Laxus' smile grew wider at that. She didn't have a boyfriend. Wonder if she's looking for one? "Most men don't give a damn either way. I mean, you'll find some that want a 1950's chick, but most aren't bothered by it. Some of us even think it's hot," he hinted.

"Oh well in that case, I'm really fucking happy that you're giving me this damn tattoo I love so much It really hurts like a bitch!" she chirped in the sweetest voice she could manage.

Laxus cracked up. This girl was something else, sweet and sassy at the same time. He couldn't help but be drawn to her and her fake potty mouth. "Nice job. You used all the cuss words correctly."

"Yippe...ouch!" Lucy yelped as he moved a bit lower down her spine.

Laxus winced a bit. "Sorry. It's gonna be a bit more painful down here."

"Shit, you really know how to treat a lady, don't you?" she grunted, her tone playfully snide.

"Oh I always know how to treat a woman," he argued happily. "Not my fault you wanted to spend our time together doing this."

Lucy pouted. "Damn...I suppose you have a point. I really hate when you're right."

Laxus burst out laughing again, pulling his hand away from her back. "Would you stop making me laugh? You're gonna make me draw the lightning bolt wrong."

"How is it my fault? I'm just talking. You're the one with the tattoo gun. Aren't you supposed to know what you're doing?" Lucy asked with mock innocence.

"Don't be questioning my tattooing skills. I'm a professional," he touted smugly. "Now, quit making me laugh or your lightning bolt's gonna look like a noodle."

"You mean like a cooked one or the hard kind?"

"Oh for fuck's sake," Laxus groaned comically, but he couldn't stop smiling. "Like a cooked one – limp, wet, floppy. You getting the picture?"

Lucy hummed, trying to decide if she should keep her mouth shut, but it was far too tempting. "Well, that doesn't sound like much fun."

Laxus pulled away from her with another bark of laughter. "Okay, you're officially grounded. No more talking until I'm done."

"Hmph...you're no fun," she muttered, though she secretly smiled. She couldn't have imagined that she'd have such a good time with him, especially after the way things had begun, but she was honestly having a blast.

Laxus continued working on her tattoo in silence, giving Lucy time to think on everything that had happened. The man was hot, quite literally the finest man she'd ever met, and he was easy to talk to and joke around with. That wasn't something you found everyday.

She couldn't deny she was interested, more than just a little. She wondered if he was dating anyone. They got along well, so maybe he'd want to go out some time. Then again, he could just have been trying to be nice.

After some time, Laxus set aside his tattoo gun, nodding his head in satisfaction at his work. "Alright, Lucy. Ready to see it?"

"You're done?" She glanced back over her shoulder with a grin.

"Yeah, go check it out," he answered, nodding at the mirror across the room.

Lucy fairly hopped out of the chair, barely remembering to hold onto her sheet, and hurried over to the full length mirror. She turned her head at Laxus' arrival beside her. "Is it weird that I'm nervous now?"

"No," he chuckled. "A lot of people get like that before seeing it."

"Okay, here goes." With that, she closed her eyes and aimed her back at the mirror. Taking a deep breath, she peeked out and over her shoulder.

Her eyes widened as she stared at her tattoo, and she gasped. It was beautiful, exactly what she'd wanted. "Oh wow, I can't believe...it's amazing," she breathed softly.

She angled her body a bit more, a stunned smile on her face, then turned to look at him. "It's absolutely perfect," she said, then squealed and jumped in place, laughing. "Oh my God, I finally have my tattoo, and it's so bad ass!"

Laxus grinned down at the petite blonde, enjoying her excitement. "I take it you like it."

"Like it? I love it!" she gushed, bouncing up to him and taking his hand. "You are absolutely magnificent! Thank you so much!"

"Yeah, and I tattoo really well too," he joked, giving her a sexy smirk.

Lucy laughed. "Wow, cocky much?"

He shrugged, his demeanor completely unrepentant, causing Lucy to shake her head. "Okay, I'm going to get dressed. This sheet is getting on my nerves."

"Strange, it was really working for me," Laxus mused, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

"I'm sure it was." Lucy, rolling her eyes, turned to grab her bag and headed into the bathroom again, gingerly pulling her clothes back on over the tender area on her back. She hated covering it at all. It was such an incredible work of art, it seemed a shame to hide it, but she hadn't brought any other clothes. She'd just have to go shopping for more shirts that would show it off.

She stepped out of the restroom and finding no sign of Laxus, she headed toward the front desk. Now that it was over, she was feeling strangely sad at the thought of leaving. Would she ever see him again?

"He does really good work, doesn't he?" Cana asked, then gestured to her back. "Can I see?"

"Oh sure," Lucy said, then spun around and lifted the back of her shirt.

The brunette studied it for a moment before whistling through her teeth. "That is bad ass!"

"Isn't it?" Lucy smiled broadly at her approval and dropped her shirt back into place, before turning back to face the other woman. "So, um...do I pay you or Laxus?"

"Who do you wanna pay?" Cana teased, leaning across the counter with a conspiratorial whisper, "I can call him out here again if you wanna take another look at that body of his."

Lucy blushed at the reminder of her earlier staring, but she braved a response, "Can't really blame me for that, can you? He's hot as hell."

The woman behind the counter laughed uproariously, then nodded. "Yeah, he is that."

Before we could continue our conversation, Laxus came around the corner. "Who's what?"

"It's nothing for you to worry about," Cana said, giving Lucy a wink. "Now, how much does the little lady owe you, Laxus?"

"It's $300 for the tattoo, another $200 for the conversation," he said with a grin.

Lucy couldn't help but laugh. "So you admit that your tattooing skills outrank your conversational skills?" Seeing his pout, she added, "Hey, you practically handed me that one."

He shrugged. "Okay, that might be true."

Lucy dug through her bag, then produced the cash with a flourish. Giving him a final grin, she pressed the bills in his hand. "Thanks for the awesome tattoo, Laxus, and for the almost as good conversation." She then turned to Cana, pushing a card across the counter to her. "Let's hang out some time."

With that, she waved and headed out the door, leaving Laxus to stare after her in stunned silence. Cana promptly burst out laughing at his shock. The blonde man turned to her with a glare and muttered, "Oh, shut the hell up."

"Oh my God, your face!" Cana howled, continuing to rib him.

Ignoring her, he dropped his eyes to the money in his hands and began to count. He got to the last bill, counting $340, when something fell to the floor. Bending over, he found a small white rectangle, and as he picked it up, he grinned.

Lucy Heartfilia

Physical Therapist

(910)555-7328

On the back, she'd scrawled a quick note:

Give me a call sometime.

Love to enjoy a storm with you.

Lucy