This will be my first LaLu Week. This will be my first ship week ever, actually. Hope you all like this. I certainly love my LaLu. :3

Disclaimer: I own nothing. It's not mine. Rub it in, why don't you!

Day 1

Aquarius

When Laxus and Team Thunder God asked me to join them on a mission, I was ecstatic. Ever since my losses at the GMG, the Guild had been treating me differently. They wouldn't say it, but I knew they were calling me weak. And who could blame them? I am weak. I have no inkling as to why Laxus, the Laxus Dreyar, a man for which I had a serious crush, asked me to join him. Then he told me the S-Class mission demands it. It doesn't demand me personally. Oh no. Who would ever want to request the weak, little Fairy for an important mission? No, the request just states that a Celestial Mage is needed. For what, I don't know. Laxus wouldn't let me see the paper.

Whatever. I'm just glad to escape the Guild. Team Natsu has been avoiding me and I am sick of the loneliness. I may not know them all too well, but being with Team Thunder God is better than being alone. I'll even be getting paid a whooping three million jewels! That is enough to cover rent for three fucking years. Maybe I can finally move out of my apartment and get a house! I love my apartment, but the landlady has about had it with the damages my Team inflicts on the building.

But first things first, we have to complete the mission.

And Laxus never said anything about a sea monster.

Everything had started out fine and dandy. Freed and I were translating an ancient book that resided in the abandoned, sea-side temple while the others explored the cave. Now when I mean sea-side temple, I don't mean a temple built by the sea. The temple was carved into the face of a the cliffs along with the rail-less stairs leading up to it. It must have taken years to complete, but I digress. We had collected the book after making sure no sensitive material was inside (Don't want another plot to take over the world. Can't be too careful) and began down the treacherous steps.

That's when my unlucky streak reared it's fugly head and disaster struck.

Team Thunder God and I did our best to avoid the water beast's attacks. Ever, Bickslow, Freed, and Laxus had the ability to fly. And they did. Leaving me to fend for myself. I told myself that they didn't realize that I wasn't with them. I did my best to convince my heart that they were used to having every member capable of protecting themselves. My heart still ached at the abandonment. My dark side, that tiny voice that did its best to drag me down, whispered that this was their plan all along. They were sick of having a weakling in their Guild and they decided to feed me to this sea creature. It hurt. Oh Mavis, did it hurt. But I can't go out like this! I refuse to meet my end at the fangs of some stupid monster! I have gone through too much to die now! Seeing a small puddle on one of the steps, I took the opportunity to summon the Water Demon. "Open, Gate of the Water Bearer! Aquarius!"

A cloud of blue dust signaled her arrival. "What the hell, brat?! I was on a date with my boyfriend! Just because…!"

"AQUARIUS! HELP!"

The bluenette turned around to see what I was pointing at. I couldn't see her face, but her body went tense. "Get out of here, runt. I'll keep him distracted while you get away. This beast is a nasty piece of work."

"No! I promised that I'd never use my Spirits as shields! You guys are my family and I won't run away while you fight for me!"

"Shut up and run, Lucy!" Aquarius lifted her urn over her shoulder and swung it like a baseball bat. A giant wave rose from the choppy waters and sent the beast further out to sea. "Now's your chance! RUN!"

I dashed down the stairs, praying my tear-blurred eyes wouldn't send me into the water. That monster wouldn't be gone for long and I wanted to get the hell out of dodge before it came back in a fury.

I figured that the Fates had it in for me when the monster's head emerged from the sea. It opened its maw and released a torrent of water at my surrogate mother. She managed to divert the flow and sent it towards me. I could only scream in terror as the wall of water hit and swept me off my feet. I could have sworn I heard a masculine voice call my name before the sea swallowed me whole. I fought my way to the surface, only getting in a short breath when a wave sent me spiraling into the depths. A swish of a large object and a sharp pain on the back of my head sent me into oblivion

And that's how I ended up here.

In a cave.

With Laxus.

Alone.

Just the two of us.

It's not like it was an unpleasant experience. The man has the body of a God with a face to match. His jawline could cut diamonds and that lightning-shaped scar over his eye only added to his charm. He is rugged and manly and, damn, that eight-pack! Not a six-pack. An eight-pack. Laxus is a sexy motherfucker and he knew it. The fire in the cave only highlighted every dip and curve, making them stand out more. Damn, he is fine!

However, it's pretty easy to ignore your attraction to a man after he leaves you to die at the hands of a sea beast.

"Lucy! Oh, thank Mavis! You're alright! My heart fucking stopped when I saw you fall in the water then broke when you came up for air and only to be pulled under a wave! I jumped in to save you while that Spirit of yours kept the monster from us! I brought us back into the cave and tried to resuscitate you, but you wouldn't wake up! I mean you coughed up all the water in your lungs and then you fell unconscious again! I've been sitting here in a fucking panic for the past three hours! Stars above, Lucy! I thought you had slipped into a coma! I thought you were going to fucking die! I sent the others to town to get a doctor, but a storm's blown in and I doubt they'll be back 'til morning."

I tried to yell at the fucker, but my shout turned into a yelp. Fuck me, my throat hurts! Son of a fuck-mothering prostitute! It feels like I stuck some steel wool down my throat and scrubbed it until I bled then drank a gallon of salty lemonade with a splash of whiskey and acid! Did I swallow a fucking porcupine alive in my sleep?! Fuck me sideways, on a table, and against a Gods-damned wall! I barely managed to croak out my need for water. Thankfully, Laxus, bless this man, understood me and handed me a water bottle. The second the fresh, crisp water hit my tongue, I downed the fucker. I chugged it like a teenager at a parent-free party. I sucked every last drop of water from the bottle and wondered if Wendy had cast some sort of healing spell on it because, damn, did my mouth and throat feel good.

It doesn't excuse Laxus, though.

"Why the fuck are you here? Aren't you supposed to be on your way home to spill some sappy sob-story for the Guild about my untimely and watery death?!"

The Lightning Mage, who had watched me suck down an entire water bottle with fake concern, leaned back in surprise. "What are you talking about, Blondie?"

"Don't play innocent! You guys left me to die! What's the matter? Can't stand having a weakling like me dragging your Guild's reputation through the mud?!"

Laxus gaped like a fish, his eyes filled with hurt and sorrow. "Blondie, I…"

"If you wanted me to leave so bad, you didn't need to drag me all the way out here to kill me! You could have just asked!"

"Lucy, no. I…"

Tears, unbidden and unwanted, gathered in my eyes and spilled down my face. "What the hell is wrong with you?! Am I so worthless that you couldn't allow me to live?! Am I so pathetic that you couldn't be honest?! Why the hell would you resort to feeding me to a sea monster?! What's the matter? You not man enough to kill me yourself! Am I so pathetic that you wouldn't dare soil your hands with my blood?!"

"LUCY!" His large hand covered my mouth and stopped the flow of angry ranting. He leaned his forehead against mine so that I could not escape his gaze. I had nowhere else to look but into his stormy, sorrowful eyes. "Lucy, I swear on my mother's grave that we didn't mean to abandon you. In case of an emergency, one of us was meant to grab you. We were all taken by surprise and we all left thinking that one of the others would grab you. Please believe me when I say that I had no intention of leaving you behind and I certainly would never want you to die. The moment I realized that you weren't at camp, I came back as fast as I could."

There was such sincerity in his gaze and tone. Part of me wanted to believe him. I wanted to throw myself in his arms and make him swear to never leave me again. The other part of me beat that naive little twat into submission. I hissed and pushed him away. He didn't go far, but At least I had a bit of breathing room. "Yeah fucking right! I know what everyone says about me behind my back! Damn it! How could I be so stupid?! Why the fuck would a man like you want me by your side on an S-Class mission?! I'm cannon fodder, that's why! I do make a pretty damn good shield! I've thrown myself in front of enough people to be qualified as one!"

He used both hands to bring my head back to his. "No no no no no. Lucy, I would never use you as a shield. It makes me physically ill to see you hurt. If anything, I would be the one shielding you."

I tried to pull away again, but his warm, calloused hands kept me trapped. "Why did you invite me on this mission. You didn't have to take the request. You could have taken another one that didn't require my presence. Why in the fuck was I even needed? We came here for a fucking book that Freed would have no trouble translating on his own. So what if it's a fucking original tome of the ancient practices of….. You didn't need a Celestial Mage, did you? That explains why you wouldn't let me see the request."

The guilty gleam in his mesmerising blue orbs spoke for him. A nod of his head and a quiet 'yes' confirmed my theory.

"... Why? Why would you lie to me? Why else would you want me with you on a mission other than to get rid of me?" My voice had grown softer. My anger had evaporated, leaving nothing but hurt and curiosity. 'Why?'

"I… I wanted to spend some time with you. I wanted a chance to get to know you better. And maybe, you know, you could get to know me too."

"But why?"

He took a deep breath, his eyes flashing orange for a moment. He closed his eyes and released his hold on me. "Forget it. Get some rest. You need it."

I wrapped both my hands around his wrist. It was the only place where my hands could completely encircle him. "Oh no you don't! Tell me what you were going to say!"

"It's nothing, Lucy. Please drop it and go to sleep."

"Damn it, Laxus! What were you going to say?! Why did you ask me on this mission? What is it about me that makes you want to know more?"

He exhaled through his nose and looked at me. The sheer amount of emotion in his eyes overwhelmed me. His face revealed nothing, but his eyes practically glowed with his inner turmoil. And love. There was a lot of love in his gaze. "I… Lucy, your first impression of me wasn't exactly the best. I was an egotistical, selfish dick that only thought of himself. I made inappropriate comments about your body and even refused to lend my aid to the Guild during Phantom Lord's attack unless you agreed to be my girl. I have committed many wrongs in my past and there is no amount of good deeds that will atone for the things I've done."

"You didn't answer my question."

He released his breath slowly. "From the moment I met you, Lucy, my world become centered on one thing. My sexual fascination became an obsession when I was reinstated in the Guild. I would sit on the second floor right by the railing and just watch you. I even have a new route to and from the Guild from my house that takes me right by your apartment. I walk by in the morning and hear you threatening Natsu and Happy for sneaking into your place and eating your food. I walk by your house late at night and listen to you sleeping soundly or yelling at your Team for sneaking in again. Sometimes I'd take a mission that was close to yours so that I could jump over and check in on you. I hated watching the Games. The way Raven Tail cheated you out of your win made me so mad I just about punched Gajeel in the face because he was closest. You have no fucking clue how close I came to jumping into the Naval Battle just to beat the shit out of Minnie or Miranda for what she did to you. It would scare you at the sick pleasure I found in taking down Raven Tail. Then you go and get yourself entangled in that Eclipse Gate mess. Damn it all, you're going to give me a heart attack!"

My heart pumped rapidly in my chest. My skin felt much warmer and burned where our skin touched. "Laxus…"

"I stayed as far from you as I could handle. I didn't want to force myself into your life. I degraded you, used you as a bartering chip, had you turned to stone, and pitted you against a family you had grown to love all because I let my ego get to my head."

Could it be? Is this what I think it is? "Laxus…"

"Lucy, you are such a beautiful and amazing woman and you need a man that you can be proud of. I've realized long ago that the man you're looking for will never be me."

"What are you saying, Laxus?" I cupped his cheeks when he tried to turn away, much like he did to me.

"You know what I'm trying to say."

"No, I don't. Tell me."

"Lucy, I can't…"

"Say it." We stared into each other's eyes, trying to force the other to submit. "You have to say it, Laxus."

The fear in his eyes, the fear of rejection, mixed with the endless love that made his eyes glow. He leaned in close until our foreheads and noses touched. "I am in love with you, Lucy Heartfilia. Have been since I first laid eyes on you. With the closeness you and Natsu shared and the wrongs I've done kept me from believing that there could be any hope for me. I am not an upstanding citizen, or a good role model, and I'm definitely not a virgin. But Lucy, I promise, I swear on the stars in the sky and the gems in the earth that I will strive to be a man you can be proud to have by your side. I vow to protect and care for you, to be your shoulder to cry on and the rock you cling to in a storm. I promise to make you happy and be grateful for any attention you give me. I know that I will never deserve to bask in your light, but I can't help but want you as my own. If you give me a chance, I will spend the rest of my life doing my damned best to make you happy enough to call me yours and never regret saying yes."

My heart was racing a mile a minute. I never knew Laxus was one for words. By the stars, this man made my knees weak and my heart flutter. I felt as if I were the only person, the only thing in his world. I was the sole center of his attention and I loved every second of it. Who would have thought? Laxus Dreyar, a God amongst men, was in love with me, a sorry excuse for a Mage that ran away from home because she got lonely.

No, this must be some kind of sick prank. I bet Bickslow and Ever are recording this right now to laugh over later. As soon as I say yes, they'll pop out and admit it was a set up. No doubt they'd show my humiliation to everyone. Not just in the Guild, but to other Guilds as well. I'll be a laughing stock! As if Laxus could ever love me! I can't! I won't allow him to make a fool out of me!

One of my Keys slipped from the pouch and touched my skin. The flare of heat almost made me wince, but the voice in my head distracted me from the pain.

What are you doing?

'Aquarius? What…? Why are you talking to me? Don't you have a boyfriend to attend to and annoy?'

Sure I do. Want to know how we started dating? He told me he loved me and I took a chance. Now I am happier than I've ever been.

'What are you saying? That I should say yes? Give him a chance to hurt me? No thank you, ma'am. I am hurting enough without the help of him and his friends.'

Lucy, a man can't fake sincerity like that. No one can. He's telling the truth. So quit your fucking whining and accept him already!

'No! The only thing this will lead to is pain!'

Lucy, this man risked his life to save you. He stripped out of his shirt and dived into the water after you. Do you know what you've been resting on for the past few hours? His beloved coat. Would a man that is planning such a cruel prank do something like that?

'Look at us, Aquarius! We are totally different people. Opposite ends of the spectrum, him and I. This will only lead to heartbreak.'

You don't know that. This could lead to something beautiful. He could be the one that makes you happy, Lucy. You never know until you try.

'But his friends could have set this up! What if this is all an elaborate prank?!'

Then I'll destroy the evidence and torture them into silence. Virgo offered to bury them alive if that's the case, but I don't think he's lying. Give him a chance. He just might be the one that you've been looking for.

She's right. The Water Demon is right. No one can fake sincerity. Not that well.

I looked down at his chest, unable to meet his eyes. "Laxus, I honestly have no idea what a man like you sees in a girl like me. I'm nothing special. I'm not strong, or fast, or brave. I'm not the prettiest, or the smartest, or the most talented, and I never could have imagined that I could gain your attention. I never even pondered a life with you. You were so far above my reach that to have pictured myself with you could have doubled as a joke. The thought of being you has honestly never crossed my mind." I shuffled a little closer. "But… I suppose… if you speak the truth… maybe… I could… give it a try."

I thought his eyes were bright before. Man was I wrong. The stormy blues were blazing. They could have doubled as flashlights. I could put him on the cliff to warn ships of the rocky beds. "Really? You mean it?'

I blushed under his scrutiny. "Just… don't break my heart, okay? I don't think it can take much more abuse."

Never have I seen a smile so blindingly bright and happy as the one that occupied the Lightning Slayer's face. He took my head in his hands a peppered my face with soft kisses. "I promise! I swear I'll protect your heart to the best of my ability! I'll protect and guard it like the rarest treasure it is! Thank you! Thank you so much!"

I giggled under his ministrations. My laughter came to sudden stop when our lips met for the first time. Stars above, it felt like fireworks were going off in my body. My skin burned hotter than any fire where his hands touched my skin. When they began to slide down, they left a tingling sensation in their wake. I shivered as they skimmed the sides of my breasts and continued down to settle on the flare of my hips. Lightning danced in my veins and I reveled in each passing second. He pulled me onto his lap and deepened the kiss. Oh, fuck me! I thought I was hot before!

Wait… Wait a minute.

His hands touched the sides of my breasts?

I pulled away, doing my best to ignore his lips traveling down the side of my neck. I then noticed the lack of clothing.

My high pitched shriek brought an end to the kissing. "WHERE THE FUCK IS MY CLOTHES? WHERE THE FUCK IS MY BRA?!"

Laxus winced and stuck his pinkie in his ear. "I didn't want you to get sick so I stripped you out of your wet clothes and wrapped you in my coat. I tried not to look. I hardly saw anything."

"YOU LIAR!"

"I left your panties on."

"THAT DOESN'T MAKE IT BETTER!"

"If it's any consolation, you look way better than you do in my dreams."

"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Sorry for the delay. Just found out about LaLu Week.