Title: seventh times the charm

Pairing: Laxana (Laxus X Cana)

Rating: T (for Laxus' language)

Warning: Spoilers up to chapter 249, language, implied sex

Author's Note: And another crack pairing from me! This time one I support wholeheartedly. It's crack, yeah, but I love this pairing. Hope you guys fall in love too! Also, reviews make me write more, so review please? Helps me get inspired to get more stories up!

Disclaimer: I can't write fight scenes. Leaving that to the real owner of Fairy Tail, kay?

She had been on a mission when they first ran into each other. Or, well, on her way back from one, but it really didn't matter. As was her nature, she had stopped at a bar, to have a drink or fifteen before continuing on her way.

How was Cana supposed to know that Laxus Dreyer, ex-member of Fairy Tail was there? She wasn't psychic, after all. … Even if she told fortunes half the time. That was more of a side gig, not her real deal.

But she was getting ahead of herself.

The fact of the matter was, Laxus was there, sitting at the bar, drinking down a tankard of beer. Cana stood in the doorway for a minute, debating finding another bar, but she figured it wasn't worth the effort, and took another seat. Not next to him — she was an alcoholic, not an idiot — but not outwardly avoiding him either. Then she did what she did best, and started drinking.

It was an open secret that Cana had taken the news that Macao had a new girlfriend hard, but it was something she was getting over. Not being S-Class yet, that was hard. That was what drove her the most to the alcohol. That, and the fact that he drank, when he was around. The one person she wanted — no, needed — to impress, to make proud. Her father.

"Oi, you gonna ignore me drunk tits?" A voice drew her out of her thoughts, and Cana looked over at the blonde. After all, he was the only one who would give her a nickname like that.

An amused smile crossed her lips, hiding the frustration she was fighting. "Nah, I was just wondering how long it'd take ya to notice I was even here." That was good to see though, Laxus acting more like he had back when they were younger. Back in those days, before he had become obsessed with power and the like. Insulting people for attention, she had always been able to see the reasons behind his actions. After all, they weren't all that different, not really.

He scoffed, scowling at her. "Ya think I'm so weak that I wouldn't notice you? You fucking reek of booze woman."

Much to his irritation, she just laughed, grinning back at him. "Hey, it's what I do~" Turning in her stool, she took a sip of her beer. "How've you been Laxus? Figured it out yet?"

"Figured what out?"

That answered her question in itself, and she shook her head. "You'll know it when you do. Anyway, I gotta get back to the guild. See you around Sparky." Ignoring his protests at the nickname, she tossed down some jewels for her drinks, and headed out of the bar, interested in how he would take that.

She wondered if he even knew he still cared.

The second time, she was already drunk when he walked in. Unlike her, he stalked over and took the seat next to her. "What the fuck did you mean when you ask if I had figured it out yet?" he demanded, slamming his hand down on the bar to get her attention.

To be honest, she didn't even remember, but she wasn't about to tell him that. "Can't tell ya," Cana retorted, smirking as he growled in annoyance. Well well, he was obsessing over this, wasn't he? Better than going off to join his father at least, she figured, taking another drink. "Secret, Fairy Tail business~"

Laxus just glared at her, yelling for the barmaid to get him a drink. And then another, and another, until he was pretty close to as drunk as she was. "Been a while, hasn't it?" she commented, pounding another tankard. "Since we've drunk together like this, ya know."

"Che..." was the only response she got, but it was enough really. It was something. And that was all.

As he got up to leave, the blond artificial dragonslayer put down his money. "Get another drink for her too," he muttered to the barmaid, almost to quietly for Cana to hear. But hear she did, and the brunette smiled, standing up to kiss him on the cheek as a thanks before returning to her alcohol and her thoughts.

She was a fairy, always would be, but he hadn't abandoned her even after she had reminded him of that fact. He was getting closer, she knew. Closer to realizing that he still cared about the guild, and deep down was still part of her nakama.

She was willing to wait.

If they were drunk the second time, the third time saw the both of them absolutely plastered. Cana wasn't sure if it was just desperation for someone to give her something that felt like love that drove her to accept his insulting offer, but she figured she was just another one-night stand for him.

The worst part was, she didn't care.

So instead they drank more, alone in his hotel room. She sat on his lap, and kissed him sloppily, the alcohol taking its toll on her hand-eye coordination. He slid his hand into her bikini top, and she let him drag her into his bed.

This wasn't love, Cana told herself in the aftermath, pulling the sheets up to her chest. This was loneliness. He only cared outwardly about the people strong enough to put up a good fight against him, and she wasn't that. Despite being chosen for the S-class trials so many years running, she had yet to make it through.

But he was alone now, exiled from the only family he had ever known. And she was there, and drunk enough to say yes to what was clearly a bad idea. Closing her eyes, Cana wasn't sure which one of them was stupider — the boy who had been trying to be bigger than he really was, or the girl who was slowly falling for the wrong boy all over again.

She wasn't surprised when Laxus was gone in the morning.

The next time she saw him, it was the S-class trials, and they had just defeated the dark guild. Her father was there, laughing at him like nothing at happened. Like they hadn't almost died. Lucy had told her about what Laxus had done, and she was torn between two desires. To tell her father what she had kept hidden for over a decade, and to thank him for helping them, even though he insisted that he didn't care about them.

She said nothing. He didn't even look at her, and that in and of itself cut like a knife.

The fifth time was filled with anger, and pain. She was an S-class mage, for crying out loud, and the daughter of Gildartz Clive. There was no way some Raven Tail goons could defeat her. And yet, here she was, unable to reach her cards. Fairy Glitter hadn't worked either. Damn, she hated that spell sometimes, with its fickleness when it came to her. When it worked, it was powerful, but when it didn't, all it did was wear her out.

And then she saw the lightning. It struck the ground between her and her opponents, who fled at the sight of the man stalking towards her. This time, however, she was not in the mood to deal with his ego. "I had it under control Laxus," she snapped, grabbing her bag of cards and slinging it over her shoulder. Not that she had at the time, but she was going to get through eventually. She was a mage of Fairy Tail, after all.

"Tch, like fuck woman." She had noticed this, he never called her by her actual name. Sometimes it was amusing, but right now it just pissed her off even more.

Grabbing the collar of his shirt, she yanked his head closer to hers. "My name is Cana you asshole, I suggest you use it." Releasing him, she stalked off to sit down, searching for a first-aid kit in her bag. She was wounded, and needed to take care of her cuts before she returned to traveling through this forest to get the item she needed to find.

She didn't hear him mutter an apology before he left.

The first thing she did the sixth time she ran into him was apologize herself. "Look, sorry. I was in a bad mood and… Shit." Damn, she couldn't even look at him; she was so pissed at herself. It was just… Having to be saved, when she was finally S-class, it drove her nuts. And, deep down, she hated the fact that he had saved her. Cana knew how much he valued strength, and part of her wanted to be strong enough for him to see her standing there, wanting him.

But, of course, that had failed. She really did have the worst luck with men, didn't she? Not even counting the fact that she was always interested in older men (that could probably be blamed on the father issues she had had for years), she always fell for the ones that shouldn't even be part of her life.

Laxus was just the latest in this. Younger than the others, but still older than her by five years. He wasn't right, but still she wanted him.

"Tch, don't fucking apologize. Makes you look weak." She looked up, eyes wide with shock as he said that. "Got it, Cana?"

She didn't realize that he had used her name until she was almost back at the guild the next day.

Seven was the most magical number, some said, and it only made sense that the seventh time was at the guild, surrounded by her — their, it was once again his — nakama. He was back, once more, only this time it was for good. A knowing smile crossed the brunette's lips as she took a sip of the wine Mirajane had given her, watching him be accosted by Natsu and the rest of their guild.

Master Marakov and Laxus had been in a meeting for hours, behind closed doors, with no one else allowed in. So, naturally, everyone had been at the door, evesdropping. From what Cana had pieced together, there had been an apology, and Marakov had finally allowed his grandson back into the guild. Partially to protect him from… someone, and partially for another reason she hadn't caught.

Not that it mattered, he was back, and Cana would drink to that.

Later that evening, he managed to get away, and sagged onto the stool next to her. "Fucking forgot how annoying the people here can be," Laxus muttered, glancing over to where the Raijinshuu were passed out, still grinning at the return of their leader. They weren't the only ones, a bar fight had broken out and most of the people in the room were on the floor from either that or the alcohol.

She smiled at him. "You missed it though." Not a question, but a fact she had known all along.

"Tch… Don't tell them." His voice was barely loud enough for her to hear, most likely because of Mirajane at the other end of the bar. Time hadn't stopped her from being the guild's top gossip.

A soft laugh rang out, and she watched the blond look at her questioningly. "You finally figured it out," Cana told him, taking another drink. "You always missed this place, and never really wanted to change it."

He had to take a minute to remember what she was talking about. "Wait… That was what you meant?" She nodded. "Even back then?" Another nod. "Tch."

Her blue eyes met his gray, and she grinned. "You just needed time to realize it, that's all." Confessions of love could wait; right now he needed to be in the right place for a bit.

Or so, she thought. "Maybe what I needed was someone to remind me what I was missing." He smirked as she blinked in confusion, reaching out to run his hand up her mostly bare arm. "Gildartz's daughter, huh? Maybe you are strong enough to keep up with me. Already knew you had the looks, but the power… That was worth the wait."

She found out that the seventh time was the charm the next morning, when he was still there beside her.