Hi Everyone!

This is a special little piece dedicated to my triplet sister, Gemnika.

A long, long time ago, in a galaxy not so far away... On September 29th, a genius was born into the world. And I'm lucky to call her my friend, my sister. Happy Birthday, Gem! I love you, sugar! To the stars and back. I hope you have the best day ever.

On to the reading!

Orgasmic bliss.

It was building inside of her to the point of madness but that was just how it was with him.

Back arched, sweat slicking her skin, she desperately clung to the bed sheets beneath her. Every powerful thrust of his hips rocked her body and threatened to send her into the headboard. A hand tangled in her hair, the constant tug pulling her head further back until she all she could see was the ceiling above her. Strong, thin fingers dug into the fleshy curve of her ass. Over and over, the long, thick length of his arousal pistoned into her. Stretching, hitting the deepest parts of her to send her higher and higher.

Fast and rough, just the way she liked it. After two years together, he knew her body sometimes better than she knew herself.

The sound of their bodies meeting joined the symphony of staccatoed breaths, grunted moans and heightened cries of passion. It filled the otherwise quiet room, the movie that had been playing long since stopped. They didn't need it. Her and him. They were better than any porn star that had been captured on film. She knew that with unquestionable clarity. They'd filmed each other in the throws of passion several times before. Watching the results never failed to turn her on, a constant reminder of just how lucky she was to have such a desirable man at her side.

"F-fuck!" he cried out as his hips snapped against hers, driving himself deep inside.

Liquid heat erupted inside of her, setting off a cataclysmic explosion that needed no help from the fingers she pressed against her clit. Muscles tensed, to the point of almost pain before the invisible chains holding her captive broke and shattered the world around her. Fireworks sparked behind her eyelids as they slammed shut. Mind numbing and spine-tingling tremors wracked her body as his name erupted from her lips the way swear words flew from a Tourette's mouth. She was completely undone and sent flying on the most delicious high. But that was just how it was with him.

"H-holy," he stuttered breathlessly as he withdrew to fall to the bed beside her. "I needed that."

Lucy collapsed against the sheets, spent and her chest heaving in her efforts to catch her breath. Looking over, she smiled as she lazily studied the profile of his slender face. Dark eyelashes lay against fair, freckled cheeks. The straight bridge of his nose gently sloped into a small upturn at the end. His kissable, thin lips parted to allow him to capture more of the much-needed oxygen they'd both expelled. His soft, messy ginger hair even more tousled with sweat-dampened locks clinging to his forehead.

She'd known Loke since high school, always refusing to give into his flirtatious advances. Until her best friend Cana suggested that she just take a chance and see where it went. Two years later and she was so glad she did. He had proven to be the most gentle and attentive boyfriends she'd ever had. And the rumors had all been true. He was an absolute beast in bed, his sexual expertise delivering more orgasms than she'd ever thought possible. She wasn't overly sure it was love, but she knew that part of her was definitely falling.

She reached over to lay a hand on his chest, frowning when he brushed it aside and rolled off of the bed. Propping herself up, she watched as he glanced around the room before picking his pants off of the floor. "What ya doing, Sexy?"

"Getting dressed," he replied as he pulled the denim up over his hips.

Getting dressed? She pushed herself up to sit as he retrieved his discarded undershirt from the floor as well. "Wait, why? It's not like we have to be clothed to eat dinner."

His reply came in the form of silence as she watched him continue to dress. It was odd, confusing even and she scrambled from the bed as he disappeared into the bathroom. She moved to give chase only to have the door closed in her face. Giving an indignant huff, she turned back and made her way over to the closet to pull out a sweatshirt. Her eyes drifted to the bathroom door from time to time as she pulled on a pair of tights. His behavior had been strange when he'd arrived there after work but then it had all dissipated when he came into the kitchen and started kissing her neck.

Maybe he had a rough day...

He'd been distant as of late, his job more taxing than normal. They'd talked about it countless times. There'd even been moments that his sour mood had sparked shouting matches that left them both mentally exhausted. He'd been under a lot of pressure with what he referred to as The Zodiac Project. His boss was riding his ass and his team reluctant to lift a finger to help him. Deadlines and unrealistic expectations she understood, a little too well. It was no different being the lead journalist for one of the country's largest and most political publications.

Maybe he left something at the office… Maybe I did something to piss him off…

Her mind took off with a litany of possible explanations as she grabbed the hair tie she kept on her nightstand. She pulled her long, golden hair up into a messy bun, giving zero fucks if it looked ok. It was comfortable. The toilet flushed in the other room and finally the door reopened. She watched, incredulously, as he silently walked across the room to grab his wallet and watch from his usual side of the bed. "Are you going to tell me what's up?"

Loke snapped the clasp on his watch to secure it to his wrist before looking up. He studied her for a moment before releasing a heavy sigh. "Lu," he said with a slight shake of his head. "I don't think this is really working for me."

"Excuse me?" She blinked. Wasn't working for him? Her brain tried to make sense of it while a strange foreboding knotted her stomach. "What isn't working?"

"This," he said with a wave of his hand between them. "I'm just not feeling it so I think we should take a break."

A break?

Stagnant air caught in her throat, choking her as she glared. He couldn't possibly be saying what she thought he was. No one did that to someone they cared about. Right? "You… You're joking, right?"

What could only be pity flashed in his amber eyes as he shifted uncomfortably. "No, I'm not."

The finality of his words, in his voice, tore at her heart and numbed her limbs. This seriously could not be happening. She tried to tell herself that over and over but there was no getting around the words that had indeed come from his lips.

The lips I'd just been kissing.

He really was breaking up with her and in the most fucked up of ways. Anger swelled within her breast as her eyes narrowed. "How about I break your dick?"

His face fell into that you're so damn dramatic expression that he so often gave her. "Don't be like that, we both know it's been pretty stale for us lately."

"For who?" she bellowed. "It sure as hell wasn't stale five minutes ago!"

He pulled his suit jacket from the corner chair and gave a simple shrug of his shoulder. "Meh," he replied casually. "I've had better. We've had better."

You've had better?

She could feel the vein at her temple throb and was pretty certain her eyes were bulging from their sockets. His lackadaisical attitude astounded and confused her. He had never once been cold. Even during their arguments, he never once went as frigid as he was being in that moment. The uncaring expression, the locked away look in his eyes. The go fuck yourself way he was standing as though this was a mere business transaction. This was a whole new side she'd never seen. "You're a fucking dick," she gasped.

"Look, I'm sorry."

No, you fucking aren't.

There wasn't an ounce of remorse in his voice and that cut deep. A little too deep for her liking. "For what?" she asked as she walked over to the nightstand to pick up the pack of cigarettes lying there. "Being a damn jackass by fucking me and then breaking up with me?"

"Lu," he tsked as though he was reprimanding a child. "That was like a goodbye kiss."

The insult of his words stung. Like a son of a bitch, if she were ever to truly admit it. Him physically slapping her across the damn face would hurt less than that did. A goodbye kiss? Her mind stuttered over the mere thought of it. They'd just had sex. Sex that he'd initiated no less. She stared at him across the room. Flashes of graphic images depicting the way she wanted to pummel his handsome fucking face into the concrete street outside plastered themselves across the frontal lobes of her brain.

She wasn't a violent person. That trait, she'd always left to her older brother. He had the build and mentality for it. But right then, she wished she had half of the power Laxus had just so she could unleash the rage that was building up inside of her. She turned away and looked out the window into the blackness of the night sky. "Get out," she seethed in a whisper.

"What?"

Are you fucking deaf now too?

Lucy pulled a cigarette from the pack and threw the box back onto the table, not caring that it was the one flipped up for good luck. She could practically feel herself shaking where she stood. "I said," she replied through gritted teeth as she turned back with an enraged glare. "Get. The. FUCKOUTTAHERE!"

Loke flinched at her screamed words but the impassive expression remained in place as he finished pulling on his jacket. "Fine," he said as he looked back up at her. "Call me when you've calmed down."

"When I calm down?" She asked incredulously. Had he really just said that? Her free hand dropped to grab the glass of water off of the nightstand and without any further thought, she sent it sailing across the room to crash against the wall next to him with an unholy scream. "Go die in a fucking ditch!"

His eyes widened before he turned and fled from the room. She didn't give a shit that the glass shattered or that water was flung everywhere. The sound of the front door of her brownstone apartment slamming was the finale that broke the rage. Tears welled in her eyes and she sank to her knees. Two entire years of her life, wasted. And for what? Pain gripped her chest, constricting her ability to breath as the first sob ripped from her lips.

Freed switched the bags to his left hand so that he could reach into his coat pocket for his handkerchief. He dabbed at the light sheen of sweat that covered his brow and sighed when it soaked the fabric. The warmer Magnolia climate was so much different than what he was used to. London had its share of humidity but it was never this hot. The heat here was as oppressive as the way clouds and rain were in his home country. Already here a year and he was still acclimating.

Glancing around as he made his way to his Brownstone on Strawberry Street, he couldn't help but admire the charm that the city had to offer. The buildings here were unique, quaint even with their brick and mortar facias. Back home, everything was being upgraded into a more modern look with stucco and plaster. The old buildings were being torn down to be rebuilt with glass fronts and high-tech interiors. It was quite the nuisance really and the primary reason he'd been unwilling to sell. He'd chosen to rent out the lovely flat he had in West Brompton for when his service here was over. Working for the consulate, he was assured that his tenure would be no more than five years at most.

The people here, though. He still wasn't overly sure what to make of most of them. They were strangely different with their odd words and peculiar customs. The trunk of a car was called a boot where he was from and one used a mobile or the telly and not a cellphone. He still had trouble with the terminology but then he was one to resist complete assimilation. He rather liked the Queen's English better than the more primitive version. But then, perhaps that is how tourists and outsiders viewed England. Too often, his American counterpart, Laxus referred to him and his fellow countrymen as seemingly snobbish. He could only surmise it was true when he'd asked others he'd developed a friendship with.

His keys slipped from his hand and he stopped to pick them up, movement catching his eye as he stood again. His brow furrowed when he saw the figure sitting on the steps of his building. Blonde hair pulled up into a messy bun, leggings, and a baggy sweater. Lucy, his next door neighbor. She looked less put together than normal. Even with the reduced lighting and distance, he could see the way her eyes puffed. It didn't detract from her beauty, though. Nothing could, in his opinion. It wasn't often that someone caught his eye, his brain trained solely on his work. But she had, from day one.

Unfortunately, he was not her type and her brother would most likely kill him even if he was.

"Lucy?"

The blonde jumped with a start and looked up, her eyes widening. "Oh," she meekly replied as she pulled the arm of her sweater across her eyes. "Sorry."

He was never one to pry into other people's affairs, not when he valued his own privacy. But she was the sister of a close friend and coworker. He slowly made his way to the steps that led to their building and dug into his pocket for a fresh handkerchief to offer. "Is everything alright?"

"Yeah," she chuckled bitterly before sniffling. "I mean, no but it will be."

Freed weighed his choices, not that there were many. He was raised to be a gentleman and leaving her sitting outside alone at night just wasn't something that was in his character. The issue was he often found himself flustered in her presence. She was what his sister, Evergreen, would call Cosmopolitan pretty. He was less than ordinary with his oddly colored green hair and buttoned up suit sense of fashion. He was definitely the geek to her supermodel. It was why they rarely spoke. He preferred to admire from afar, leaving his dealings with her for when he needed a cup of sugar or Laxus had a friendly get together.

But again, he was too much of a gentleman. She was obviously upset and his groceries be damned, he could not very well walk away. Just be yourself, Freed Justine. Help her with her problem like the good Samaritan you are. "May I inquire as to what is wrong? Perhaps I can be of some assistance."

Lucy looked up to give him a half-hearted smile. "Know any good hitmen?"

"Fiddlesticks," he frowned. "I am most regrettably out of hitmen this week."

He wanted to smack himself the moment the words had left his lips. Getting chummy and showing his odd sense of humor was something he preferred saving for those who knew him. Or were of a more crude ilk. But to his surprise, she laughed. And not just a polite chuckle but sincere laughter that lit her face.

"Well damn it, Jim," she laughed. "What good are you? No hitmen available."

A wide smile spread over his face. The reference to Star Trek was certainly not lost on his little geek heart. It skipped a beat in his chest and his cheeks warmed a bit. She was even more beautiful when she laughed. It was a quality he found attractive in a woman and not all could light up a room. But when he saw one that did, like her, his knees went weak. Get a grip, you wanker. She's got a mate. Not that he cared for the man he'd seen frequenting her apartment. He was what he liked to call a Dandy. Full of complete bullshit and himself with not a stitch of honesty to back it up, especially where women were concerned. "I may not be a hitman," he offered. "Government occupation and all that, but I am here if you'd like to talk. Only if you want to, that is."

Her face softened as she studied him for a moment before replying. "Thank you, Freed. I really appreciate it."

"Anytime, Lucy."

A heavy sigh fell from her lips and he shifted, uncomfortably, as an awkward silence fell over their front steps. He found himself admiring her profile. The slope of her forehead, the delicate bridge of her nose that led to full, pouty lips and the gentle curve of her chin. It was quite remarkable how polar opposite she was to the granite build of her brother, Laxus. Their only shared similarities were their sun-kissed peaches and cream complexion and golden blonde hair. Even their personalities were different. Where Laxus was an in your face, sometimes brash personality, she seemed more poised and refined.

Neither were bad in his book, he'd come to love Laxus like a brother himself. The siblings were just that estranged.

When he realized that she was perhaps done with talking and wanted to be left alone, he decided that was his cue to go about his own business. He readjusted the bags in his grasp and flipped his house key out. "I shall leave you to it then," he smiled. "You know where to find me, should you be of need of my services. Try to have a pleasant evening, Lucy."

He waited for a reply but none came. A sigh escaped his lips and he moved to make his way up the few steps, stopping when a slight tug came to his trouser leg. He looked down to find her thin fingers clutching the fabric, her gaze trained on the street in front of her.

"Freed?"

He nearly started when she spoke his name and he cleared his throat to dislodge the sudden knot that blocked it, his fingers pulling at the bow tie around his collar. "Y-yes?"

She looked up at him, her full lips turned down. "Can… Can I ask you a personal question?"

A Personal question? His mind flittered through the skeletons that hid in his proverbial closets, making sure their hiding places were well kept before daring to answer. "Of course."

She released the leg of his trousers to nervously chew on a fingernail. Contemplation flashed across her face. "Would you," she started with a soft blush. "Not saying you actually would, mind you. But if you could, would you ever have sex with someone and then break up with them?"

"Wh-what?!" He choked. No matter how long he'd been doing his job, there was no amount of training that could have kept his poker face in place. Just the thought of anyone stooping so low was absolutely appalling to him.

"It's… The question just came to me, is all and I wanted the male perspective."

Freed struggled to regain his composure. He had to wonder if that was what had her so low. "No," he replied with absolute conviction. "I would not. That is deplorable, only an animal would do such a thing."

A heavy sigh escaped her lips, her shoulders noticeably dropping. "Thanks."

He glanced down at the bags in his hands and chewed his bottom lip. There wasn't anything that would spoil or needed to be put on ice. It was just a tin of earl gray, a small sack of sugar, whole wheat noodles, a jar of alfredo sauce and biscuits to be enjoyed later with his tea. Resigned that it could wait, he turned and lowered himself to take a seat next to her. It was then that he realized an unlit cigarette dangled from her fingers. "I did not realize you smoked."

"Oh," she said as she brought it up to blink at the cigarette. "No, I don't. I mean, I used to and now I just hold one when I've got a lot on my mind."

"Ah," he nodded. "Old habits then, I take it."

"Something like that," she chuckled. "At least I don't inhale, right?"

He gave a nonchalant shrug of his shoulder. "According to political figures, it is acceptable as long as you do not inhale."

A bark of laughter burst from her lips when he wiggled his brows. "Thank god for them, right?"

He smiled when the shadows that had been haunting her face seemed to diminish a little and the light that usually shone in her eyes seemed a bit brighter. It wasn't back to its full potential but it was there. "Yes," he chuckled. "Politicians and Hitmen."

"Oh, can't forget the hitmen."

"Absolutely not," he grinned. "They are a necessity."

The laughter faded from her voice and her lips settled into a gentle smile. "Thank you, Freed."

His brows furrowed and he reached up to push his long bangs over. The reason he wore them long didn't cross his mind as he tucked them behind his ear so that he could fully see her. "For what?"

Until she gasped.

He'd been born with Waardenburg syndrome. And while he didn't have the hearing loss that often accompanied it, it did explain the oddly colored hair and different colored irises. One was a cerulean blue while the other appeared almost amethyst in color. He'd grown his bangs out as a child to cover it up. Constantly hearing others whisper about him being an oddity was unsettling, to say the least. He reached back up to pull his hair back down but she stopped him with a hand on his.

"Don't," she smiled. "I think they're beautiful and I was just thanking you for… Well, for being a great neighbor."

His cheeks warmed and he quickly averted his gaze. She didn't shun him for being weird, instead complimenting him. It was a change that he wasn't used to but damn, did it feel good. "Oh," he replied shyly. "I mean… I did not really do anything."

"Bullshit," she grinned. "You've proven that not all men are giant, herpes-infested dickbags."

Dickbags? That was certainly a new one and for the first time, he could see her brother's influence. That was definitely something that he would expect from the large, blond's lips. But not hers. "Wh-what?"

She chuckled, visibly amused with his shock. "Sorry, bad breakup."

Freed started to nod but froze when the last word finally sunk into his addled brain. He tilted his head and stared at her for a moment, not wanting to hope against hope that it meant what he thought. "Does… Did you finally kick the minger to the curb?"

"The what?"

She's American, you wanker! She wouldn't know what that means. And he wasn't about to explain it either. Insulting the man just wasn't the image he wanted to leave her with. "I apologize, Brit humor and all that. I meant to say your boyfriend."

"I wish…"

The dejected groan she gave confused him. In her words, they broke up. Surely that meant… "Oh," he gasped when the realization hit. He now understood the reason for her initial question and he was suddenly enraged. That ignorant nancy! Wait till I see… Laxus better kick his arse. "Oh god, Lucy. I…"

She held up a hand and gave a shake of her head. "It's fine, it happened and now to move on."

"I wholeheartedly agree with your initial assessment. He is a giant herpes-infested d-dick… um… Balls?"

Another bark of laughter erupted from her lips and she nearly fell backward as she clutched at her stomach. "Bag," she cackled. "Dickbag, oh god. You're gonna kill me."

He'd never penned himself for being a comedian but it was nice to know he could make her laugh after finding her so incredibly low. "It is okay," he chuckled. "I am certified in resuscitation measures. CPR, I believe it's called."

"You're a riot, Freed," she giggled. "But wanna know the best part? When I got angry, he told me to call him when I calmed down."

He blinked and found himself speechless for the first time in his life, or that he could remember. Not only had the asshole broken up with her after sex, but then dared insult her by being miffed over her anger. What an absolute twat. "Wow…"

"Yeah…"

"If it is any consolation," he offered. "He sounds a lot like my ex, perhaps we should set them up."

Lucy's head snapped up and her brows quirked. "You mean, Juvia? Was that her name?"

Just the sound of the woman's name made him shudder. She'd been wonderful, at first. He'd thought to have finally found someone his speed with a meek and mild demeanor. But three months in and she became a different person, stalking him everywhere he went and constantly questioning him about everything and everyone he dealt with. It had become cumbersome and then she'd pulled some pretty freaky stuff that had just put him completely off. "Unfortunately," he groaned. "She was… Different."

"Should I even ask?"

"Watersports."

Her brows shot up towards her hairline and she let out a whistle. "Alrighty then."

"Mhm, and she said I was the one who needed help when I told her that just was not for me."

"Well," Lucy shrugged as a devious grin settled on her lips. "You are out here, talking to me. She could have a point."

He playfully narrowed his eyes. "That is clearly beside the point, unless you like to partake in bedtime water polo."

"That would be a big, fat fuck no," she chuckled. "Maybe silk scarves and a spank or two but no human waste for me, thanks."

Her words sent his imagination racing to a place it really didn't need to go. But then how could he resist the mental image of her restrained over his kitchen table, her knickers around her ankles and that creamy flesh of the ass he'd only admired from afar reddened. The thought of his handprints on her skin and the idea of her moaning for more. He cleared his throat and pulled his shopping bag into his lap to hide the evidence of his deviant thoughts. "And where were you six months ago?"

She laughed and pointed up at their building. "Living right here."

Yes, yes you have been and I've been a squandering fool. "Perhaps I should thank your brother for telling me about the vacancy next door to you then."

"Probably, he said he wanted to know who my neighbors are."

He laughed, fully believing that. Laxus could be called a great many things by others who didn't know him, but Freed did. He knew his friend to be protective over those he cared for, to a fault at times. It was one of his many redeeming qualities. "Yes," Freed smiled. "This is Laxus we're speaking of and he does work for the state department."

"True story, my dating life has been extremely limited since he'd been accepted to the academy."

"And yet you still managed to find the todger bag."

"Dickbag," she corrected with a chuckle. "And yes, yes I did."

He watched as she flicked away the unlit cigarette, his lips pursing. It was a release of sorts, her way of throwing out the trash for bigger and better things. Things that were more worthy of her. If only I were… The thought soured his tongue, the sour flavor coating his taste buds in the most egregious of ways. Why wasn't he worthy? He'd believed himself so for such a long time that it must have begun to rot his brain. Perhaps it was time to change that.

He looked over to find her knees pulled up and her chin resting on her folded arms. "Would you like to come inside for a cup of coffee or tea?"

"Do you need more sugar?"

Had he really borrowed it that often? I need to start keeping better track of my supplies. "No," he chuckled as he raised the grocery bag. "I remembered it this time."

Her eyes flickered down to the bag he held. "Oh god!" She groaned. "You've been sitting out here with your groceries for me?"

Well, it is more along the lines of for you and me. "There's nothing perishable, I assure you."

"Yeah, but still. I've been holding you up," she frowned. "I'm so sorry, you didn't need to-"

He held up a hand to put an end to her rambling. He pushed up from his seat and brushed off his trousers. "Nonsense," he smiled as he reached out to offer her a hand. "Come on, we can compare notes on the exes over a cuppa."

"Do all Brits say cuppa?"

He pursed his lips, contemplating her question for a moment before giving a shrug. "Only the cool ones."

"Oh," she chuckled as she took his hand and allowed him to pull her up. "So just the ones wearing bow ties that fly around in a police call box."

"Sadly," he pouted as he stepped aside to allow her up first. "I am not that cool. Only the Doctor can claim that right."

He watched her climb the steps, his eyes dropping inadvertently to the generous swell of her ass. His tongue darted over his lips as his imaginative images from before flashed in his mind. She really does have a nice ar- His thoughts quickly came to a halt as she stopped in front of him and he stopped mere inches from colliding with said ass. She turned and the smile she flashed him nearly knocked him over.

"I don't know, I believe you pull it off better."

He gave a hum of contemplation as his mind scrambled back from the pits of lust-driven hell to their conversation. "I-I am not sure I agree.

"It's the green hair," she chuckled as she turned to continue on towards the door. "Totally seals the deal."

Heat blazoned across his cheeks once more and a soft smile touched his lips. "Well… Then I guess I am cooler than the doctor."

"Much."

He couldn't resist looking over at her under the porch light over his door. But it proved to be a move much to his detriment. Despite the puffy, red-rimmed eyes, she was even more stunning than she was by moonlight. The oppressive urge to kiss her slammed him and he barely was able to restrain himself as he turned to unlock the door. She just broke up with someone, ya bugger. "So," he started only to curse under his breath when his fumbling hands missed the keyhole. Not once, but twice. "Um, are you going to call him?"

Lucy laughed and reached out to steady his trembling hand, helping him guide the key into the lock. "Call him an asshole, maybe. I'd rather dumpster dive into a pit of laser beam toting sharks."

You, my friend, truly need help. How cool are you now that she had to help your arse unlock a door?

He heard the lock turn over and sighed as he gave a twist to the doorknob and it turned without fail. Pushing it open, he stepped aside to allow her entry. "You mean, there are sharks that are without laser beams?"

"Unfortunately," she said as started to pass him but stopped herself short. "How is it we've never actually talked much before?"

Because I'm a naff muppet who couldn't find the balls to actually approach you on my own?

"We… I…" he stumbled. What could he truly say without incriminating the crush he'd been hiding since the first day he'd met the woman? He knew for sure that he'd come off as her very own Juvia. "I'm not sure, but does it truly matter? We're talking now."

"No…" she replied thoughtfully before flashing another million dollar smile. "No, I guess it doesn't."

He took one last look out at the steps and the street beyond. What he'd figured to be a lonely night had taken an unexpected turn. It didn't matter. While he had no clue what would come of the hand that the fates had dealt him, he wanted to believe that just maybe it was meant to be. She deserved the stars and just maybe… He could be the one to give them to her. Even if it was just as a friend.

Her fingers wrapped around the straps that held her stretched over the end of her bed, her wrists bound. The tingle-inspiring sting that prickled over her skin gave birth to the moan of pleasure that tumbled from her lips. A soothing hand glided over the overstimulated flesh of her backside and still she pushed back for more. She needed it. She needed him. Flesh on flesh, his thin fingers gripping her, his lips against hers. She needed to hear his voice in her ear, him telling her over and over again that she was his… Because she was. Heart, body and soul for all that it was worth. He'd stolen them all and she had zero regrets.

"Freed," Lucy gasped as the leather strap came down on her with a pop that echoed in the room. "Please."

Eight months and he still found the sight of her reddened flesh utterly breathtaking. He still struggled with just how he'd gotten so lucky. She was utter perfection with her doe brown eyes, hair the color of sunlight and face that even the greatest of artists could not duplicate. Every picture he had of her captured her beauty and yet, they did not do her justice. And the fact that she looked at him with the same adoration, the same love he felt for her… He didn't get it. He'd take it but he couldn't begin to understand. He let the belt slip from his grasp, the buckle hitting the floor with a thud as he crawled up onto the bed and over her prone form.

"Please what, Love?" he growled as he pushed her hair away to brush his lips against the back of her neck. "What do you want?"

Her eyes rolled as his teeth grazed her skin and she pulled against the padded cuffs holding her fast. Already, she felt herself teetering on the edge and he'd only just begun. Only he could ever do that. No matter how many lovers she'd had before, only he could liberate her before rightfully laying hands on her body and he'd done it from the beginning. His voice, the way he always put her first, those beautiful, mismatched eyes of his… His sense of humor. He'd found a way to make love to her in crowded rooms with just a smile and a few simple words. She pushed her hips back up against him, earning a throaty moan when his trouser covered arousal nestled between her sore ass cheeks.

"Fais moi l'amour, s'il vous plaît."

Freed had every intention of doing just that. The sun wasn't even close to setting yet and he'd planned to make love to her until the sun came up. They hadn't seen each other in a week, her job with the newspaper sending her across the country while his had sent him back to England. They'd been reduced to emails, no luxury of even speaking by phone much less anything else because of the time difference. He'd missed having her next to him, missed waking up to her sleepy smiles and he'd definitely missed being able to lose himself inside of her. He slipped a hand under her raised hips, his fingers finding the juncture of her thighs already slick with her arousal.

"You cheeky little tart," he chuckled darkly against the shell of her ear as his fingers slipped between her thighs. "You know what your bilingual tongue does-"

The purr that started with the strumming of his refined fingers across her sex quickly morphed into a whine when a loud knocking interrupted his words. The heavy-handed pound on the front door could only mean one thing. "My brother has a million fucking watches," she groaned. "Yet he has the worst timing."

Freed sighed and reluctantly pulled his hand from under her. "We could always not answer."

"Do you really want a repeat of the last time we did that?"

No. No, he certainly did not. It wasn't exactly the way he'd wanted to inform his best friend that he'd entered into a relationship with said friend's baby sister. He could still clearly picture the look of shock and then anger that darkened the large blond's face when the man had unceremoniously let himself into Lucy's apartment only to find them both naked as the day they were born. To this day, he was not really sure how he'd escaped with his life.

"Guess I better go answer it then."

Lucy started to reply but stopped when he withdrew and his footsteps sounded on the floor. She gave a tug at the cuffs and tried twisting her hands enough to reach the safety release. "Uh, Babe?"

Freed grabbed his shirt from the floor and glanced over to find her fiddling with her restraints. "Oh shite," he chuckled as he dropped the fabric and ran back over to release her. "Stay here and hopefully I can get rid of him."

She rubbed at her wrists and pushed herself up to sit, completely unashamed of sitting there completely naked while he was still half dressed. "Tell him Satan has unleashed his unholy fountain of doom and you're helping me clean up the blood."

"Such a lovely image," he deadpanned. "I'll use it, though. Be right back."

Lucy bit her lip as she watched him stride out of the room. She didn't need to move his long hair to know the contours of muscles that landscaped the plane of his slender back. Her fingers had committed every hill and valley, every smooth and rigid surface including the two small dips at the base of his spine just before it reached the small but solid curve of his ass. He was as wholly and uniquely beautiful as his personality. It amazed her to know he'd lived next door to her for a solid year before she'd really taken notice. Sure, she'd seen him and had even spoken to him but she'd been utterly blind to not have really seen him sooner. She heard the front door open and flung herself back onto the bed. It didn't matter because he was hers now.

"Laxus, could you ca-"

Freed's words died on the vine when he opened the door. Instead of the six foot, four inches of muscles and attitude, he found a very familiar, ginger- haired male standing there. It was unexpected, to say the least. But the look of utter shock that dropped the man's jaw was so very well worth it. "Well, you certainly are not Laxus."

Loke stumbled, his eyes darting behind the peculiar, shirtless man that had answered Lucy's door. He'd come with every intention of making an amends with her. Out there, without her, life had just not been the same. The grass certainly was not greener on the other side of the fence and he wanted her back. Did she move? "Uh, is Lucy here?"

Lucy pushed herself back up to sit, her teeth worrying her bottom lip. She knew how her brother could be and she could only imagine the hell he was most likely giving Freed. But there was no way she could go out looking like she did. He was still ribbing her from the last time and that was well over five months ago. She glanced over at her bathroom door, contemplating grabbing her robe and just going to deal with him, herself.

"Baby," she called out as she rolled off of the side of the bed. "Everything alright?"

The sound of Lucy's voice coming from the bedroom preempted Freed's response and a smug grin settled on his lips. "She's a little tied up at the moment," he informed the astounded male at the door before calling back to her. "It's just a door to door salesman, Love."

Loke felt his jaw drop again. A salesman? Love? Baby? "Who the hell-"

Freed held up a hand to stop the man's tirade. He neither wanted nor cared to hear anything the asshole had to say. Lucy was his now and she'd remain that way. "We are not interested," he grinned before swinging the door shut, letting it slam in the man's face. It was seriously a dick move and he could not give a single fuck. He had better things to tend to. Turning back, he made his return trek towards her room as he started undoing the button on his trousers.

"Now, where were we?"

Lucy had only just made it back onto the bed when she'd heard the door slam shut. It really must not have been her brother, thank god. The door pushed open and the air in her lungs quickly abandoned her at the sight of her handsome boyfriend standing there. A devil may care grin quirked his lips, a waist length lock of green hair laid against his chest as a thin, faint line of hair led from just below his belly button to disappear beneath the open fly of his gray trousers. Lean muscle sculpted his chest, abdomen and arms, something most would never imagine given his thin build.

"I, uh," she blinked as fire spread across her cheeks. "I believe you were about to tell me what my bilingual tongue does to you."

He reached the end of the bed and leaned over to grab a hold of her bare foot. A delighted squeal burst from her lips when he gave a firm tug to pull her down further. "How about I show you?" he grinned as he climbed up the length of her body to kneel over her.

She wasn't given a chance to respond when his lips captured hers, his tongue sweeping between her parted lips to steal the moan that billowed up from the depths of her gut. Earl gray and mint. God, how she'd missed the taste of him and oh, how she loved the way it permeated her mouth as they kissed. He guided her hand down between him and her body responded with extreme delight when her fingers brushed against the hard length of his arousal. Even through the fabric she could feel the warmth of it, could feel the way it jumped at her touch. Eagerly, she left his guidance, her hand slipping into the opening of his pants and under the band of his boxers to grasp him.

Freed gasped into the cavern of her mouth, his control slipping as his hips thrust of their own accord into her inviting touch. Her fingers were heaven, those dainty little digits pulling the moisture from the tip of his straining erection down as she worked the full length of him. He wanted so badly to be inside of her. His lips trailed down to the soft, tender flesh of her throat, his tongue finding glory in the way everything about her tasted of strawberries and freshly harvested honey. His fingers followed the same direction, ghosting across her stomach and the thin, light patch of neatly trimmed blonde curls to the slick folds it led to.

"Fuck," he groaned against her skin. "I want you so bloody bad."

"I want you t-to-Ahh, gods!"

Slender fingers speared into her quivering core, robbing her of all intelligent thought. She couldn't breathe and a wild, raging fire spread through her veins. He knew just where and how to hit, the tips of those fingers curling upwards just right to pass over that delicious little spot she didn't know existed until him. Fuck the bastard before him, no one before Freed was ever able to do the things that he did. Her fingers tightened around his length, her fist matching the tempo of his fingers so succinctly that she could clearly imagine it was his cock inside of her. But it wasn't and her body craved it the way a man lost in the desert craved water.

Freed could already feel himself building. That thickening tension in the pit of his gut, the way his toes curled with every stroke of her curled fingers. But it wasn't in her hand or on her stomach that he wanted this to end. He could curse himself for not relieving a little bit of the tension when he'd first arrived home. But he'd wanted her as badly then as he did now. His fingers withdrew from the hot, wet confines of her body to pull her grasp from his arousal. Giving one last nip to the reddened spot on her collarbone where his lips had been, he pushed up and started to lean towards the bedside table but hands on his hips stopped him.

"Lucy," he blinked. "I'm only reaching for a Durex."

She gave a roll of her eyes as her fingers impatiently pushed at the waist of his trousers and boxers. She'd waited an entire week to be with him and she was done waiting. He needed to be naked and seated inside of her, right there and then. "On the pill, remember?" she grinned as she worked the fabric down over his ass. "I wanna feel all of you."

His brows shot up at her words, his eyes flickering hesitantly at the little foil package on the table. It definitely wasn't that he didn't want to, because lord knows he did. He'd only ever gone bareback once and it had been with her their very first time together. One pregnancy scare and a forced round of STD testing, thanks to her brother, they'd never attempted it again. "Are you… Um, sure about that?"

Lucy could practically taste his reluctance and knew it was for good reason. Reaching up a hand, she pushed a lock of hair behind his ear. "Freed, Baby. We've both been tested and cleared. I'm on the pill, I think we'll be okay."

He heard the logic in her words but still, he wanted to argue. And he would have had her fingers not found their way back to his erection. Any resistance that was left abated when she pulled the sensitive head of his cock up the length of her slit. "Y-you don't fight very fair, Poppet."

"Ah-all's fair in love and war," she moaned as she pushed her hips up towards him. She could feel herself practically dripping with need. "The w-war's done so-so just love me, Freed."

There was very little he would ever deny her and this certainly was not one of those. It didn't matter that his pants were still around his thighs. The only thing that was of any concern was getting inside of her. He'd take his time the next go-round. He felt the tip nudge against her opening and he reached down to pull her hand away before sinking himself inside of her with one thrust. The squealed pitch of her moan married with the harsh grunt that tumbled from his lips as he found a home in the crook of her neck.

The fire his fingers had ignited blossomed into a raging inferno and she gave herself over to the flames. Her legs wrapped around him, her heels digging into the firm globes of his ass as her fingers found traction in the rippling muscles of his back. All she could do was hold on, his every thrust breathing life into her body. The raw feel of him plunging into her over and over again was almost too much to bear and yet she cried out for more. She'd never felt more alive than when they were one. He was the moon, she was the tide and all of who she was swelled and ebbed with his gravitational pull.

Freed could feel the tension mounting in his gut. The sound of his name chanted like a Franciscan prayer, the feel of her warm, tight body pulling him in over and over again. He was never more sure that she was the heaven to his sin. An angel sent to deliver redemption in a world where there was so little to be found. And who was he to reject it?

"Fuck!" he growled against her hair as his toes curled and he felt the all too familiar surge forcing its way up the length of his shaft. "I-I love you, Lu-Lucy!"

Mind, body, and soul effectively blown. Her nails dug into his back as her entire body seized beneath him. His declaration, the force of his release. They snapped the cord inside and set her off like fireworks in the January sky. Hot, wet tears escaped the corners of her eyes and she found herself tumbling head over feet as the tremors of sweet release shattered the world around her.

"Hey, Poppet?"

Lucy paused, a gentle smile rising on her lips as the tape gun's handle fell loose in her grip. Three years and she still got chills when he called her that. Breaking the tape, she smoothed it over the box's seam and pushed it away to stand. The living room was an utter mess. Boxes were strewn all over the place, the walls bare and the couch piled with the last few things that needed to be packed. They were nearly done and yet it felt like they still had a million things left to do. She was only moving from one apartment to the next but she'd managed to accumulate a lifetime's worth of crap in the seven years she'd lived there.

But the shiny, diamond ring on her finger made it completely worth it.

She weaved her way through the mess, kicking random pieces of packing paper and empty boxes from her path. At least the bedroom's done. That room had been the worst. Her closet alone had taken them days to weed through and pack. Her soon to be husband's organizational skills had deemed she pare down. And she had, but there still ended up being four boxes just for clothes and another three for shoes. That didn't count the sports equipment, board games or toys they'd managed to accrue over the few years of being together.

She reached the kitchen door and chuckled when she found the love of her life leaning over the counter. Beads of sweat lined his brow, his flowing green hair pulled up into the messiest man bun she'd ever seen. His usual attire traded out for a t-shirt and sports shorts. He looked completely wrecked yet she couldn't find a single complaint to be had. He was devilishly handsome in the geekiest ways possible and she loved him even more for it. "Yes, Love?" she grinned as she leaned against the door.

"Do we really need all of these dishes?" he groaned as he gestured to the two complete sets of china that were piled on island counter in front of him. "I have dishes, you know."

Silly men and their inability to comprehend the art of entertaining. She snorted and pushed off of the door jamb to make her way over. "The bone set needs to be kept, all the others can be donated."

"The what?" Freed blinked.

Point made. She sighed and pointed to the pieces on his left. "The silver-rimmed ones with the letter H on them."

"Why keep any of them?"

"Because that set was my mother's and the next dinner party we throw for your associates, they will come in handy."

He stared at her for a moment before conceding with a sigh. "Fine, I'll pack those but I am thinking we should probably eat soon."

Lucy glanced at the clock and leveled an unamused glare in his direction. She wanted to get the job done already and it was only five o'clock. "Freed, I don't think the baby's gonna starve if we wait another hour."

He started to speak and her stomach betrayed her, growling loud enough for it to be heard throughout the room. "You were saying?"

Fuck you, kid. Daddy doesn't always have to be right, you know.

She shook her head with a sigh. "This kid hates me already," she groaned. "You both will gang up on me. I can already see it happening."

"Our child does not hate you," he chuckled as he made his way around the corner. "He loves his Mum as much as I do."

Her cheeks warmed and she pressed her face into his chest when his arms wrapped around her. "Wanker," she mumbled without a lick of sincerity behind it. She loved him, with all that she was and there wasn't a single day that went by that she didn't know just how lucky she was. Or just how lucky she'd been the night he'd found her on the steps of their building. "I could always run down to the Chinese place."

"Again?"

She pulled back enough to look up at him with a sheepish smile. "She likes the mei fun there."

His head dipped and his lips brushed against hers. "Chinese it is then," he chuckled. "Be a good girl and get my usual?"

"Of course," she smiled. "You'll need the energy for later."

"Whatever for?"

"Mummy's wanting time with Daddy."

A hand connected with her ass, making her yelp in surprise.

"Go on with ya, Cheeky Tart."

She leaned up into his lips once more, giggling when he nipped at her. "I'll be back in a few," she said before pulling away and scurrying to the bedroom for her shoes and purse.

With the item in hand, she made her way to the front door and called out a quick "I love you" before starting off down the street. The leaves on the trees were starting to brown and fall, withered, from their branches. The change in seasons had finally begun and she couldn't be happier for it. Now that she was starting to show, it made life easier. Cooler weather meant baggy sweaters, leggings, and boots. It also meant not sweating as much as she had been with the changes to her hormones. There were times she thought she just might spontaneously combust.

"Hey, Miss Lucy!"

Two teenagers raced past her on scooters and she waved, instantly recognizing the female. It was Wendy, the young girl that lived across the street with her grandmother. They were nice people, even if the old woman was a little on the ornery side. Porlyusica, despite being well into her sixties, headed up the neighborhood watch. She knew all the comings and going in their little section of town. And while it was sometimes a nuisance to live so close to someone who was so incredibly nosey, it had its benefits. She never had to worry when she was gone because the old woman would have the police there in seconds flat should some unknown person came snooping about.

Magnolia may have grown into a full-time, bustling town, it still kept its quaint feel for reasons just like that.

She came to the corner and pressed the walk button on the street light pole. They'd had it installed after one of the women on her street was nearly run over by a speeding vehicle. Some had argued over the light's placement, calling it an inconvenience, but she was happy for it. She was getting older and was starting a family. She hated the thought of her own child not having the comfort of a crosswalk. A small fluttering in her belly made her giggle and she passed a hand over her growing abdomen. It had been an unplanned pregnancy, but she couldn't be happier. She was on the verge of getting married to the most remarkable man she'd ever met and he had been just as ecstatic when she'd told him the news.

"Lucy?"

The sound of a familiar voice had her looking up, questionably, at the light before looking around for its owner. Her brows rose when she located the source, it taking a few moments to recognize the man walking up. If it weren't for the ginger hair and glasses, she'd still be in the dark. "Loke?"

He'd put on a good bit of weight, his face rounder than she remembered. His clothes were plain, worn and dingy, not the tailored suits or well put together appearance that he'd always had. She was shocked, to say the least.

"Wow," he smiled. "You look great."

She forced a smile, uncomfortable in his presence after so long. "Thanks, you too."

"No need to lie," Loke chuckled. "I look like crap but life's been good to you, it seems."

Very and all thanks to you being a dick. Life was fantastic in her eyes. She gave a small chuckle. "Yep. Was promoted to editor-in-chief last week, getting married next month. Life's been very busy."

"And with a child on the way, I see."

"Yeah," she smiled. "That too, the Fiancé and I couldn't be happier."

He smiled sadly and gave a gentle nod of his head. "That's wonderful. I'm very happy for you."

Rubbing her fortune in didn't exactly make her feel better, being vindictive was never one of her things. She just never had the heart for it, but the sorrow in his face did make it worth it. A little. "Thank you."

He shifted, almost unsure of himself. "I… Uh, guess I better let you get on," he said. "Just figured I'd say hi when I saw you."

Lucy just nodded. There was nothing left for her to say. At least, nothing worth mentioning. She wasn't the cold-hearted bitch she so often wanted to be. Not even when he deserved it. She was over it. Turning, she started to make her way across the street.

"Lucy…"

Her footsteps faltered as she reached the curb and she reluctantly turned back. She was afraid to hear whatever he had left to say. "Yeah?"

He hesitated a moment, his finger scratching at his unkempt hair. "S-sorry," he called out. "For what I did. It was an asshole move."

She blinked. An apology was the last thing she'd expected. Perhaps he'd grown, matured, in the time they'd been estranged. Whatever the cause, she smiled. "No worries, Loke. It worked out for the best."

The ginger - haired man looked as though he had a reply, but thought better of it when he smiled and gave a nod of his head. "Take care of yourself."

"I will and you do the same."

She watched him turn and walk off down the street. Her words were heartfelt. He apologized and that sealed the deal. She did wish him well because she'd found hers. The best thing that had ever happened was him being an ass and leaving the way he did. It lead her to Freed. And because of Loke, she knew just how lucky she was.

So, yeah. Don't ask. Freed ended up being British and it's now a lovely headcanon for me. He does it so well.

Again, Happy Birthday my Triplet!

Love and kisses,

Princess Nana