Commitment

"Have you ever slept with Evergreen?"

For a moment, Laxus thought about feigning sleep. Then he remembered that he was the freaking Thunder God! He answered to no man…err, woman.

"Hmmm?" Glancing to his side, he found that Mirajane was still laying there, of course she was, but her back was to him.

"You heard me."

He laughed slightly then, his hands folded behind his head as he stared up at the ceiling. "Why? You jealous?"

Mira didn't answer for a moment, but did shift slightly. He thought that she was going to turn around to face him, but she wouldn't.

"No," she replied slowly. "I'm not your girlfriend or anything."

Snort. Or anything.

"Then why do you-"

"She's having sex with Elfman now and it would bother me that I'm having sex with a man that's slept with the woman my brother's in love with. Not to mention if you're still sleeping with her, I need to tell Elfman so he can-"

"Alright, alright, shut the fuck up." He closed his eyes again. He thought he was going to get to see the jealous side of Mirajane, but so far, it refused to show its face.

He tried everything to bring it out. Since they first started hooking up, he'd done it all to get a rise out of her. Flirting with other women around the guild (she never seemed to be paying attention), boasting loudly about his conquests to Freed and Bickslow about the night before (even though they didn't exist), as well as buying women's stuff to leave around his apartment where she would find it (even though all the other women he fucked just got taken back to their place or a hotel). Nothing. There was literally nothing he could do to get her riled up.

He thought a few times about inviting her over while he had another woman in the house, stage it so she walked in when he was getting a blow or fucking the chick. Something crazy. But the other part of him was afraid that would completely scare her off and he couldn't have that.

Not that he'd ever admit it, but…Mirajane was fucking amazing.

"I've never slept with Ever," he grumbled.

"Really?" She seemed unconvinced. "I mean, you're not just saying this so that I don't stop coming over?"

"You ain't that great, chick," he grumbled. "Besides, she ain't my type."

"Considering you fuck anything with boobs, I highly doubt that."

She got a look for that one. "If I say that I didn't sleep with someone, I didn't."

"Sorry," she sighed. "It's just, you know, she's, like, your bodyguard or whatever. It would make sense that you'd use her for other things too."

"Please. I don't pay for sex, Mirajane. Why the hell would I need to?"

"Hmmm."

Reaching over then, he flicked her in the back of the neck. "For someone that was just begging me to go down on them a few minutes ago, you sure are making a lot of claims."

"For someone who actually went down on me, you sure are acting pretty macho."

Another flick. "I could kick you out right now, you know."

"I know." She snuggled closer to her pillow. "But you won't."

"Why the fuck won't I?"

"Because, silly," she giggled. "I haven't gone down on you yet."

Needless to say, Laxus got no sleep that night. When he finally did drift off, the sun was coming up and Mira was heading out to the guild, calling softly to him that she'd see him when he got there. Ugh.

His silly little demon.

When he eventually did wake up fully, he immediately went to shower and shave before heading out for the day. The first thing he did was shove some money at his landlord to shut him up before heading down to the guild to see what jobs were around. When he got there though, he found that his day was about to be preoccupied by something else entirely.

Now, Laxus had a hard enough time dealing with the guild members that were, you know, actually important. But all those lowly guild members, he didn't even waste his time with them. Seriously, if he was master, they wouldn't even be around. At all. They took up space and wasted time.

And apparently, didn't know how to keep their grubby paws off his property!

He was heated almost immediately, when he walked in and saw some guy sitting at the bar, leaning across it, whispering things to Mirajane. And she was just standing there, totally flirting back with him!

She kept giggling and playing with her hair and talking to him and just…just…not doing what she should in that situation! Which was totally transform into Satan Soul and rip him to shreds!

"Hey, Laxus," he heard Bickslow call out for him, his stupid dolls calling out the same. "Over here!"

"Yes," he heard Freed say as well. "We must discuss our upcoming job."

But he didn't really give two shits about some job at the moment. Instead, his face was set in a dark gaze and his music wasn't loud enough in his headphones to drown out the beating pulse in his brain.

He was going to kill somebody. The Salamander was lucky that he didn't pop up and beg for a fight right then, because he would have murdered him. In cold blood. Without a second fucking thought.

"Mira," he ground out as he made it to the bar. She was finished with that guy then, busy filling up a pitcher of beer to take to some table or something. Laxus didn't care what she was doing. She was going to pay attention to him. Right. That. Second.

"Afternoon, Laxus," she greeted, hardly glancing at him. "If you wait a second, I'll be right with-"

"Now."

"Laxus- Hey!"

He just went around the bar to grab her arm and stomp off with her. Elfman, who was at the bar, sat his drink down and started to intervene, but when Laxus' back was turned, Mirajane winked at him and the muscular man about had a heart attack.

"They do stuff like this for fun?" he grumbled softly to Evergreen, who was supposed to be sitting with the Thunder God Tribe, but chose to be with him in that moment.

"Apparently."

Laxus only drug Mira far away, off to one of the hall closets, where he shoved her in before going in as well.

"Wow, Laxus," she giggled. "That horny?"

He wasn't in the mood. At all. He didn't even need to hit the light switch then as electricity naturally flowed through both his fists. He was usually calm under pressure, a dormant anger type of man, but something about the way that guy was talking to Mirajane…

"The hell was that, Mirajane? Out there? Huh?"

"What are you-"

"Where do you get off? Flirting with other guys like that? What? You think this is some kind of-"

"I don't get it." She was staring at him, eyes wide and holding that innocent façade that she gave everyone else at the bar. But he wasn't everyone else. He was Laxus. She wasn't going to play him. "What are you? Jealous?"

He threw a hand up then, full of electricity as he sailed passed her head and hit the wall behind it, making the stone crumble slightly. Mira only made a face.

"Laxus, one of us is going to have to pay for-"

"I," he growled in her face as he stared at her with dark eye, "don't get fucking jealous, Mirajane."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah," he snarled. Then he let his hand drop and suddenly, it was dark as the electricity running through his hands dissipated.

"Then what do you call this? Huh? You-"

"You don't get to talk to other guys like that, Mirajane." And suddenly, in the darkness, she felt one of his hands touch her hip. "You don't get to flirt or giggling or whatever. You-"

"It's called getting tips, Laxus."

"It's called if I ever see it again, I'm gonna rip the guy's balls off."

"You are," she giggled. "You're jealous, Laxus. And I'm not even your girlfriend! Who knew that you would get-"

That time, he didn't punch the wall. He just shoved her up against it, his eyes locking with hers in the darkness.

"L-Laxus-"

"I don't give a damn what you are to me, woman," he said, his breath hot against her face as he glared down at her. "We don't even have to even be friends. But when I make something mine, it's mine. I ain't jealous, Mirajane. I'm fucking possessive to the highest degree. And I ain't got no shame about it."

Then he was kissing her and Mira couldn't help it as she grinned. She was sure that he was supposed to be intimidating her, but she just wasn't buying it. He was so… She didn't even know what he was. Cute came to mind, but that just didn't give it justice.

"I am not having sex up at the guild," she finally whispered, turning her head from him when he tried to get a little too handsy. "Ever."

"You're mine, Mira." He moved to press his lips against her neck. "And if I have to fucking make that clear, tell me now."

"If you bite me or something, we're going to have a big problem."

He only pressed a kiss against the flesh of her neck before releasing her and turning. "So stop flirting with other men. It's not going to fly. Got it?"

Not waiting for her to answer, he stormed out of the closet, just as angry and worked up as when he had come in. Mirajane only giggled though.

Laxus might be possessive, fine. But he had also been jealous and that was plainly clear.

When she got back out to the bar, it was to an annoyed Lisanna who took to complaining about how if she's going on break, she should tell someone. Mira only held her tongue because she more than covered for her younger sister numerous times in just the past week. But sometimes it was good to let Lisanna feel in charge. So Mira only apologized before getting back to work.

The first table she went to bring drinks to was the one that the Thunder God Tribe was gathered at. Even Ever was joining them then, though Elfman had moved as well, to a table near by. They were so cute.

Laxus wouldn't look at her the entire time she was over there though. Which was fine. She had had more than enough of him for the day. When she started to walk away though, to take care of other customers, he spoke her name.

It was clean, coming from his mouth. Not in a loving tone, but not condescending either. Just as if they were two people who knew one another. And weren't they?

"Yes, Laxus?" She turned to look at him. "Did you want something?"

Evergreen was busy making faces at Elfman again who looked about as love struck as she did while Bickslow as busy annoying Freed by having his babies woosh around, making the man's carefully organized maps and documents fly everywhere. Only Laxus was paying attention to her.

For a moment, he just stared at her, narrowing his eyes. Then he just looked off, away from her.

"When you get off, I need to see you. At my apartment." He paused before saying, "I'll show you to try and turn me down."

Grinning, Mirajane went off then, back to work. A few times she caught Laxus' gaze, but he mostly avoided her. And when he left that night, it was long after the rest of the Thunder Legion had dissolved. But in Laxus' place, resting on the table was a wad of jewels. Mira snatched them up almost immediately, counting them.

"Maybe they were for me," Lisanna complained. "You know, no one ever tips me. It's not fair. Only you."

She only patted her sister on the head and said that the next tip was hers, no matter what. Lisanna only took to complaining about how that would only be a couple of bucks, but Mira tuned her out as she pocketed Laxus' money.

It wasn't until she got to his place that night, him having left the door unlocked for her, that she got to the bottom of it.

"That was a lot of money, Laxus," she said as she walked into the apartment. He was just as he always was, laying on the couch with his headphones in, trying hard to make it seem like he wasn't waiting on her. "So what's your pleasure?"

He only took one headphone off. "Huh?"

"I'm assuming you're, what? Paying me now? For this?"

"Shut the fuck up, Mira. You always think you're so damn funny. You're not. So just get over here."

She only came slightly closer. "Are you going to tell me the real reason you left, oh, a tip that tripled your bill?"

Grunt. "You said that you had to do that, huh? With other guys? For money? The hell, I'll give you some dang money."

Moving then to lay atop him, Mira only took the discarded headphone and latched it onto her own ear.

"Laxus," she sighed. "You're the craziest guy I've ever been with."

He flicked her head. "And the last. You hear me?"

"You're so clingy."

He couldn't help it. For all the times he tried to elicit the same feeling from her, it was so instinctual to him. All the other women he'd been with, they were just that. Women. But Mira was…well, she was Mira. The demon. His demon. And the dragon didn't like other guys pawing at his demon.

"I'm glad that I'm not your girlfriend," she told him, as if in an offhanded way. She was baiting him. "If we're just having sex and you're this way, why, I don't know what I'd do if-"

"Shut up, demon." He pressed a hand to the back of her head then, forcing her face into his chest. Life would be so much easier if she was just one of those women that were in awe of him, that were happy just to be noticed by him. But then…then he figured he wouldn't be as interested in her as he was.

"Thought you were going to teach me lesson tonight, Laxus? Or-"

"Sleep." He shifted slightly on the couch, but didn't force her from his chest. "For awhile anyhow."

Mirajane giggled and he wanted to strangle her. But he didn't. And eventually, she just settled against him and for awhile, they had peace.

"So if you haven't slept with Ever," Mira asked eventually, causing him to peek an eye open and stare at her. "Then who have you slept with?"

"Don't start."

"You went crazy when I just talked to a guy. But I can't ask-"

"Who all have you slept with, Mirajane?"

And then, suddenly, she was yawning and cuddling closer to his chest.

"This late already?"

"Demon-"

"I am so sleepy." She let out a soft breath as her eyes slipped shut. "Night, Laxus."

Damn demon. Still, he only held her for awhile, even though he got a little uncomfortable at one point.

"No more being attractive," he told her later, when they headed to his bedroom. "Outside of this apartment. For my pleasure. Other than that, you have to look plain."

"I could do that," she said as she fell into his bed with a slight bounce. "But you could also stop hiding women's bras around where I'll find them."

He blinked as he stood there in his dark bedroom, pulling off his jeans. Pausing mid-unzip, he said, "I don't do that."

"Right."

"Mira-"

"Make a decision, Laxus. Either we're just dating and can see other people or we're not."

"And you don't care either way?"

"I have a preference, yes, but not an overly serious one, no."

"So if I… I've never…been that before."

"Been what?"

"Committed."

"That's sad," she said after a moment, just sitting there on his bed as he still was poised to drop his jeans. "Really sad, Laxus."

"Not really. I mean, I get to do whatever I want. You know? Screw whoever I want. That sort of stuff."

"Yeah, but you don't have someone to care about you."

"The Thunder Legion cares about me."

"You know what I mean."

Slowly, he let his pants fall before taking a step closer to the bed to sit down next to her. Mira only stared at him.

"So you've never had a girlfriend then?"

He only shrugged. "You know that I have. Or I have women that claim to be my girlfriend. But I'm usually screwing around on them. Almost immediately."

"It's probably because you have no strong female presence in your life."

His eyes widened. Then he blinked. "Mira-"

"I'm being helpful."

"You're being nosey."

"I'm not someone that's fine with being cheated on. If we're actually together, then you're with me until I'm done with you. Those are just the rules." Mira shifted then, moving to force him up against the headboard. "But if you wanna just date, that's fine. But you have got to stop being so clingy. Or trying to get me to be that way. Because I'm not."

He only sat there though as she moved to climb into his lap, resting her hands on his chest for a moment before sliding them up to his shoulders.

"I don't do open relationships," she went on. "So tell me now. Are you my boyfriend, Laxus? Are you going to take me on dates and tell others that you're with me?"

"What else changes?" he asked.

"Well," she said slowly. "We don't just sleep together anymore. I do things for you."

"Like what?"

"You remember last week when I came over to hook up, but you didn't feel well and I left?" She rested her forehead against his. "If you were my boyfriend, I'd have stayed, you know? And made you some soup, rubbed your tummy-"

He snorted. "I don't need that. I-"

"You've never had that," she told him. "Women are around for more than just sex."

"I know that. I'm not saying that you are. You're a really good mage too."

She blinked. Then she sighed.

"Even if we don't become more than this, Laxus, you should at least try it," Mira told him as she felt his hands find the way to the zipper of her dress and start to undo it. "Once. With someone. Promise?"

He was more concerned with the way she kept rubbing against him then and only nodded his head, putting it all out of his mind.

…Until they finished for the night and Mira started to leave. She did that sometimes, instead of just staying. More often than not, really.

"You don't…have to go. Do you?"

She was sitting up in bed, on the edge, and glanced over her shoulder at him. "You want me to stay?"

His stomach was twisted up. He wasn't sure why.

"If…" He paused. "If I gotta try with someone, Mira, I'd want it to be you."

She giggled slightly. "Really?"

"Yeah. I just… I might mess up."

Turning fully then, she moved to slide back into bed next to him.

"Just don't do anything behind my back. If this…doesn't work for you, then tell me upfront. I might be a little hurt, fine, but it's whatever to me." She winked at him. "It's not exactly like I grew up dreaming of being with Laxus Dreyar or anything. This is just something for fun. That's what having a girlfriend's supposed to be. And when it stops being fun, we stop. Okay?"

She could tell that he was still hesitant though and only moved to curl up towards him, her head pressing against his side.

"Besides, Laxus, we've been hooking up for what? A couple months now?"

"Yeah."

"How many women have you slept with since we started?"

He paused. "Well…just you, I guess."

Nuzzling her head against him, she said, "You can be committed. It just takes some control. And you've had that control, apparently, this entire time. When you didn't know you were doing it."

"I just didn't want…you to stop hanging around. I thought if you found out I really was sleeping with someone else, you'd, like, stop being around me."

"I will," she told him softly. "Now that we're more than just dating."

Grunt. He stared up at the ceiling. "I'mma need some more benefits to this though than just getting my stomached rubbed. What else you gonna do for me?"

"Tell you to shut up when it's time to go to bed."

"Mira-"

"Shut up."

Lifting his head slightly, he narrowed his eyes down at her before just dropping his head once more. Maybe being with Mirajane wouldn't be so bad. Since, apparently, he had been for awhile without even realizing it.

Maybe commitment wouldn't be so bad. Maybe-

"But Laxus?"

"Hmmm?"

"I might not care if, you know, we break up. Or you're not interested after awhile." She paused. "But if you sneak around on me or have sex with anyone else, and I mean anyone, you will have the full force of Satan Soul coming down on you every time we're within the same vicinity. So don't cheat on me, huh?"

And then she giggled and Laxus only stared at his ceiling, unable to sleep.

What exactly had he gotten himself into?