Shaking the Demons

A lot of men had trouble shaking demons. A lot. Drinking, gambling, abusing, womanizing. Most had a crutch.

Laxus' was a lot more complicated.

Mainly because his had a name. Sure, the others had name too, but they were more of titles. No, his was a living, breathing, in the flesh demon. And he hadn't even summoned her or joined a cult or nothing to bring it upon himself. Oh no. It was just a blight that he seemed affixed with for the rest of eternity.

Err, it wasn't right. She. Very much so a she. He would know. After all, he'd submitted to that she only hours before…

In fact, it was her breath that was tickling his shoulder in that moment.

It was kinda cute, really, watching Mirajane Strauss sleep. She didn't keep her bangs up and it made her look…odd for some reason. Almost like she had when they were just kids. And then there was the way she always curled up. Always. Usually facing him.

She didn't snore or anything annoying like that (though she insisted that he did, he had no proof of such a thing and refused to acknowledge it). She just kinda…was there. In his bed. Every single night.

He tried to get rid of her. He really did. He acted like an ass at the guild whenever she was around…well, more than usual. She'd only giggle and say that he was extra grouchy that day and needed to get a good night sleep later. He'd trash the apartment one day, but he'd come back the next to find it clean and Mirajane telling him that they needed more glass cleaner or something. He'd openly hit on other woman in front of her, whenever they were out, but she only giggle and compliment him on how sociable he was becoming.

She was like a monkey on his back and she was not letting go. Na-ah. Not after getting those demon claws in him. No way. He was stuck with her, apparently.

And it wasn't all bad. Mirajane Strauss was, by far, the hottest woman in the whole guild. As far as he was concerned at least. An opinion he'd fight to the death to make fact. And if he had to get stuck with one of the woman from there, she'd have been the choice.

But gah! Did she have to be so annoying?

Although…there were trade offs. When she made him upset, acted too clingy or something, he'd usually get a blow out of her that night. Or when he had a stomach ache after getting back into town from having to ride the train, she'd come over and rub it for him, bringing medicine and everything. Then there were the nights when he was just dead tired and she'd come over, cook him dinner, shower with him, and then give him a back massage until he fell asleep.

She was almost an angel then. The closest he'd ever gotten at least.

It wasn't like the mostly unconscious woman next to him felt so differently about him.

For the most part, Laxus was a pig. Truly. And he was rather mean-spirited too. And she totally knew what he was doing, when he flirted with other women. Or when he purposely toss stuff around his apartment. But she knew that he'd never take another woman home. Not to mention, it was his apartment. Even if she didn't clean it one day, so what? He wouldn't be doing that to her home where she lived with her siblings, so what did she care?

And that treating her like a jerk in front of others at the guild? That only worked in her favor. It made all the other guys feel bad for her and tip better. Kept her from having to show more cleavage.

Then there was the fact that, fine, maybe she was a little clingy, but he wasn't much better.

They'd broken up, once, back when they first started sleeping together. Not even really broken up, as they'd never truly defined the relationship back then. Laxus was just raving to her one day, about how tired he was of her always showing up at his place and all this other stuff, so she told him fine, she wouldn't anymore.

And she didn't. And probably wouldn't have, had he not shown right back up on her doorstep the next week with flower and candy and a grumble about how he was just sleep deprived the other day.

So she couldn't be that overly attached if he couldn't let her go either, could she?

Fine though. Maybe she was a demon. The monkey on his back. But he was the one on hers, constantly drawing her down to his level.

She never argued with a man as much as she did with Laxus. Never. She'd never felt the need to. Given that she rarely dated anyhow, when she and a guy she was seeing got into a disagreement, that was usually the end of the guy. But Laxus was…different.

Because she was different. To him. She knew she was. He wouldn't say it, but it was obvious. She'd never known him to have a girlfriend before (though for months he'd refuse to acknowledge that that was indeed what she was to him), much less one that he was faithful to.

But oh, was he faithful. He tested his boundaries some times, but he hadn't so much as taken another woman out to dinner since they first slept together. She knew that some of it had to do with the fact that yes, they did care about each other, but another part of it probably was because he had no idea what she'd do to him if he did. She was, after all Satan herself.

And at the moment, she was also waking up.

"You up?"

His chest rumbled under the hand she had atop it.

"Mmmmm."

He reached over then, with one of his hands, to rub a thumb roughly across one of her lips.

"I'm hungry."

She peeked an eye open. "What time is it?"

"Early."

"I have work in the morning," she mumbled sleepily, though she was already moving to sit up. She was a little parched anyhow. It'd be easy to throw him together a few sandwiches as she got a glass of water.

"You're an angel," he told her softly as she sat up then, stretching with a loud yawn.

"No, I'm not," she told him when that was done, just sitting there for a moment, breathing softly. The bed was too warm to leave, but…

Mirajane turned then, to glance down at the man, who was laying with his back flat against the bed. Upon her gaze, he moved to sit up, no doubt thinking she'd force him to if she was actually making him food. When he was up though, she only moved to kiss him, really just grasping his bottom lip between her teeth. Pulling back then, he moaned as she bit down a little.

"I'm a demon," she told him before reaching out to shove his chest. There was no reason for him to get up as well. As he fell back down, no doubt happy she wasn't making him, she added, "And don't forget it."

"I can't," he grumbled as she slipped out of bed. Maybe he wouldn't get rid of her any time soon…she was pretty angelic at times. When she looked over her shoulder though and winked, he became suspicious "And no spitting in my food."

"I make no promises."

"Mira."

Guess I'm a little late to the party on this one, eh? But maybe I'll get out tomorrow prompt. Hopefully it's better than this one. It turned out a lot more drabble like than I'd have preferred, but I really didn't know where to go with it. Alls well that ends well, I guess.