Okay - I know this is a one-shot but this got stuck in my head while I was trying to write another story and I just had to get it out.

I do not own Fairy Tail.

Enjoy!

"It's weird"

"What do you mean, it's weird?"

"Your magic," Laxus clarified, "Not sensing it is weird as fuck. It makes me panic whenever you start using magic because I think you're going to die of magic depletion."

Lucy rolled her eyes, and crossed her arms over her chest. They were at home, in the little cottage she'd convinced him that they needed because it was cute and there was a great fireplace. It also happened to have the largest bath tub she'd ever witnessed.

The very bathtub she was in now, having been trying to relax until her boyfriend stormed in at random and started going off about how concealing her magic was weird.

Because he clearly couldn't have found a better time to confront her about it.

"You know why I do it, Laxus. We've talked about this. Or do you like it when I get kidnapped?"

Laxus was fidgeting, and started pacing back and forth in the bathroom. He didn't answer.

"Lax, if you're going to be doing your best brooding impression of Gray for much longer, can you maybe shut the door? You're letting all my steam escape and it's cold." Lucy suggested, having lowered herself down to her chin in the bath to guard herself from the chill of the outside-the-bathroom air that was coming in.

She had no idea how the man had yet to figure out that her bath time was sacred, but clearly, he hadn't, and it was extremely vexing. He was lucky she was naked and cold because if she hadn't been, she likely would have already Lucy Kicked him to oblivion for his thoughtlessness.

As it was, she just gave him her greatest death glare (which was, admittedly, pretty terrifying) but he didn't get the full effect because he was still pacing and not even glancing her direction.

"LAXUS. DOOR. NOW."

The man paused at that, and gave her a puzzled look. When he saw the anger in her eyes, he gulped, and rushed to close the door. He almost always beat her in their spars, and he shouldn't logically be terrified of a 5'5' blonde woman who loved him, but… he kind of was. Mainly only when she leveled him with that particular glare.

He turned back around to face her once he'd secured the door, and steeled his nerves.

"I don't like it, Lu." He crossed his own arms over his chest.

Sitting up and scrutinizing his features, she responded, "I know. But it's keeping me safe. Keeping me from having to look over my shoulder all the time."

"About that," Laxus began, taking a seat at the tub, "What if that's not the reason you haven't been targeted? I mean, you know how rare it is for people to be able to sense magic. How likely is it that you shielding yours is helping you at all?"

Lucy quirked an eyebrow at him.

"It's just as likely that they've heard the stories about how strong you are now and haven't tried anything. I mean, you're S-Class now, after all."

"That's… not likely. At all. Fairy Tail is the best known guild in the country, and we are targeted all the time."

Laxus' face fell, "Please, Lu. I'll look after you. But it really bothers me that I can't feel your magic anymore. I'm… on edge. Can we just see? If it doesn't work we will go right back to shielding your magic."

Sighing, Lucy caved. She never could say no to the man, not when he had that lost puppy look on his face that no one else ever saw.

"Fine…"

"Really?" Laxus brightened immediately. Lucy rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, really, if it's that important to you. We'll try it."

Lucy sat up in the tub and grabbed her keys from the little shelf on her right, communicating with them silently to stop shielding her magic for her. Laxus frowned.

"You bring your keys when you bathe?"

"...yeah? What's the problem now?"

Laxus looked annoyed, but he averted his gaze, "Just that pervert Lion can see you…"

"Oh, so now you want me to be defenseless?"

"No! That's… That's not what… Oh never mind," he grumbled.

A few minutes passed in silence while Lucy spoke with her spirits. Assuring them that yes, she was sure, and no, she wasn't in danger, and no, she didn't need them to appear.

Taking a deep breath, Lucy eyed Laxus seriously, "You're sure about this?"

Laxus looked excited, and nodded enthusiastically, "I am. I've got you, Lucy."

The celestial mage nodded, and suddenly the room was filled with golden light as the blocks she'd placed on her magic in the spirit realm were lifted. The pressure in the air increased dramatically, and Laxus gasped.

"Holy fuck, Lucy. This magic is insane! I've never known you to have this much!"

Lucy giggled, a little bit loopy from the sudden increase of free flowing magic. While she had access to her magic when it was concealed, it was a more dampened feeling. This unencumbered feeling was nice after having been without it for so long.

"I have been hiding my magic since before I joined Fairy Tail," she laughed out, "It's just that, until recently, I hadn't been able to keep up with how rapidly my capacity was growing. You've never experienced my full magical presence."

Laxus felt a little bit, overwhelmed, but was still glad he could feel her magic. He had missed it's warmth, and he hadn't been lying. Seeing her use magic when it seemed she didn't have it? It had him on the edge of a panic attack almost constantly.

"That… makes sense, I guess."

"So, can I take my bath in peace now?" she asked him, amusement dancing in her eyes.

"Y-Yeah, I guess so. Let me know when you're ready to go to the guild."

Hours. It had been hours. And she still wasn't ready to go to the guild.

He shouldn't have been surprised, bath time was something Lucy took very seriously. Shower days? Lucy was efficient, wasting no extra time on excessive makeup, no debating on what clothes to wear, nothing. She was as low-maintenance as it gets when it comes to women. Bath days? Laxus loathed bath days. Something about soaking in warm water got the 'girl' side of her brain working overtime, and it took her literal hours to prepare herself.

All that, and at the end of the day Laxus couldn't tell a single physical or visual difference between Shower Day Lucy and Bath Day Lucy. She always looked the same. Amazing, gorgeous, yes, but she always looked like that. He didn't really understand why bath day took so fucking long if she always looked the same when she was done.

Apparently, it wasn't his business. Or so she'd informed him when he asked her about it last year.

"You ready to go, Laxus? I'm waiting on you!" Lucy called from their front room.

Grumbling, Laxus stood and made his way over there to put his shoes on to leave. He mumbled something about "waiting on me, my ass" but when Lucy asked him to speak up he claimed innocence.

They stepped out of the door and locked up, and started walking toward the guild hall hand in hand.

They made it about twelve steps (ten for Laxus, who's long legs were much larger than Lucy's) when they were attacked by a group of dark mages.

"Lucy Heartfilia! You're coming with us."

Laxus looked on in disbelief. No fucking way.

Lucy grinned up at her boyfriend - a self-satisfied smirk, really - and laughed in his face, "ah ha! I told you!"

"...do I really have to say it?"

"Yup."

At this point, the dark mages seemed rather frustrated at the lack of fear on their faces, and started attacking. Only to be disabled in a few seconds by lighting, and tied up a few seconds later by a menacing looking maid.

"I, Laxus Dreyar, have lost this argument and hereby admit that I was being a dumbass."