Chapter Text
Bickslow sighed into his mug. With barely sleeping a wink, he headed out to the guild a little bit earlier than usual.
He had hoped to catch Lisanna this morning alone, knowing she had an early shift today, but much to his dismay, the place was already filled enough to keep her busy enough to not even glance his way.
Not that he blamed her.
He couldn’t even look at her properly without blushing or coughing awkwardly.
It also didn’t help that the reason he hardly slept a wink was that his mind (much like he expected) found it a very fun way to come up with various other outcomes about yesterdays shower scene.
Neither of them where exactly PG13, most not even PG18.
Each of those very vivid scenes waking him up every half an hour with a feeling he rather not worded out loud.
Even if he tried, horny and wanting didn’t even describe it properly.
He silently wondered if she had the same problem.
He watched her move swiftly around the guild, between tables and chairs, guild members, swaying her lovely hips with each movement…
NOPE!
He shook his head.
Do not go there.
Seriously Bix… You’re too chicken to tell her how you feel, you are not allowed to think about her like that.
If anything else, his dreams made him feel guilty. Pleasant as they were at the time, the nagging feeling he felt this morning about them left him depressed, because he didn’t know if he was even allowed to be thinking about her like that.
Determined to face her properly today and tell her about it face to face, he headed towards the guild.
But apparently, her way of dealing with the problem was a different one… He was now sure she was looking anywhere BUT at him.
Was she angry? Was she scared? Shy?
He did know one thing.
The moment her sister came in, she had told her all about it. If the stern, angry yet troubled look she gave him was any indication. He was at least relieved she had talked about it to someone. Meaning she didn’t plan on ignoring everything completely.
He decided not to make a move yet. Perhaps he needed to talk to someone about it as well.
As if in cue. None other than his knight in shining armour himself, Laxus Dreyar had graced him with his presence.
Bickslow couldn’t feel more relieved as he watched him slam the doors open and made his way towards their usual seat with much gusto.
Something was a little off though. Because he noticed Laxus’s gaze quickly shifted towards the bar before their eyes met in greeting.
Bix followed his gaze towards his target and found them falling on a certain brunette drunk who was sleeping face forwards towards the counter top.
Had something happened between them after they headed off towards the showers?
He had to admit, after training with Gajeel and Lily, he headed home to bathe properly and then sleep off his problems. Which did not work, but whatever. He felt a little bad that he forgot about Laxus, who had finally taken a step closer towards his… was it a crush? Perhaps a little more than that.
Well, no other time like the present to find out.
He stood up to greet his teammate with a handhake and a shoulder pat/hug before they took their seats.
He rose his hand towards the bar to order a drink, only to noticed Lis was the one that nodded at him. Her eyes where wide when they met. She had clearly not expected it to be him that ordered something, so she quickly nodded and turned away rather abruptly… Was she blushing? Was that a good sign? Ugh, women are so confusing.
When they sat down he immediately noticed something wrong with his friend.
“What’s up?” He asked him.
Laxus rose an eyebrow and smiled. “That obvious huh?”.
“Kinda.” He replied as he took a swing from his beer. Good ol’ morning beer. It was now almost empty though.
They never spoke much, but they never needed to. They knew each other well enough to know when something was wrong.
“So how’d it go?” He tried again.
Laxus grinned at him. “Great.” He then leaned closer to him. “She beat me though. Had to give up, I still wanted to know what I was doing after all.”
Bickslow nodded and grinned, quietly waiting for him to continue.
“Headed to my place afterwards actually, she insisted. Couldn’t refuse, you know?” He tapped the table impatiently. Another nod as Bix rose his cup again to take a sip.
“Then it happened… And it was amazing.”
Bickslow barely swallowed his sip before coughing. “Wait, rewind.” He cleared his throat. “You guys a thing now?” His eyes shifted to the counter and back to Laxus.
Laxus seemed lost in thought.
After a short break he sighed. “Don’t think so. She probably thinks it’s a one-night stand. Bailed on me before I got out of the shower this morning.”
Bickslow felt his heart sink for his friend. They where all rooting for him. This was after all the first time Laxus had shown ANY interest in a woman that was more than just a fling. He groaned to show his frustration. Laxus could only smile.
“Did you do the thing?” He asked with a raised eyebrow.
Laxus laughed out loud. “Obviously, she loved it too. There’s no way she didn’t. She’s rather a loud one too.” He added thoughtfully.
“Dude, TMI” the blue haired chuckled but he rose his glass to him anyhow. Laxus only laughed as he made a spark appear between his thumb and index finger.
As If on que, the brunette seemed to awaken and ordered something from Kinana, who had also started a while ago.
“Whatcha gonna do?” He nudged his head towards Cana. “Ask her?”
“You know I might.” He frowned.
Man did he admire his courage. If only he would have the guts to even consider that. He quietly glanced towards his own crush. She was busy laughing with Kinana about something as she was apparently making coffee.
Laxus stood up and grinned at his friend. Bickslow shifted his gaze towards him again and smiled at him as well. He held up a quiet thumb, wishing him luck and followed him with his eyes as the man made his way toward his goal.
He wachted the whole thing intently.
How they started to talk, like it was the most normal thing in the world.
After he ordered something, he started learning in close to her.
Man, this guy is so bold.
Bickslow turned away for only a few seconds to watch his own crush, only to turn back and notice laxus was now hugging Cana from behind.
Well it was more like he hit his arm around her and said something to her.
Not even a minute later he flipped her from the wooden barstool into his arms and…
Oh god.
He’s kissing her.
Not just any kiss.
This is…
What the hell is going on?! She’s kissing back?! This is… this is great! He did it!
Too shocked to do anything else, he started to cheer! “WHOO! Way to go Laxus!”
Soon everyone else started to join in with the whistles and egging him on.
Some where cheering for Cana, others for Laxus. The rest where just sighing “finally”’s (this being the Strauss family) or just smiling broadly and holding up their glasses.
Not really paying much attention, he automatically sought out his “partner in crime” from the day before with a smile.
She had done the same and they just happily smiled at eachother, nodding to a mission well done.
Not that they did much.
For a few seconds, he felt himself get warm, he had missed this smile. Even though it hadn’t been long since he had seen it. He noticed her smile fade into shock at the realisation they had locked eyes. He felt panic come up. Should he had not done this? Was she… blushing now?
Yes! This is good… right? Or is it shame? Ugh…
Looking down again thinking before looking up, he was just in time to see Laxus flip Cana back into her barstool and kissing her neck with a grand gesture.
Oh, this man.
He couldn’t help but smile again for he had never been more proud. He finally made his feelings clear in such a manly way and it seems they were mutual.
He would never be able to do it like this.
Even trying to image this with Lisanna. Yeah, no, it just didn’t work that way.
He stood up as he watched his friend/teammate/master… whatever, all of the above, walk to him pretty confident. They high fived with a big grin before sitting down again.
Oh what he would give to be as confident…
When they sat down. They weren’t talking.
It was just a pleasant silence with a smile on both their faces.
A Smile that got broken by their other teammate.
“So, that happened.” Freed pulled up a chair and joined them.
“Saw that huh?” Laxus chuckled.
“Who didn’t?” Bix joined, also smiling.
“One down, 3 more to go!” Laxus rose his mug, only to noticed the other two didn’t join.
A silence followed “That bad huh?” Laxus lowered his mug again.
Freed sighed “After bicklow left, Mirajane was too worried about Lissana to actually noticed anything else. She actually went to check on you guys. Did you really shower?” He rose an eyebrow.
Bickslow cleared his throat. “So… did Evergreen ever return last night?”
“Don’t change the subject!” Freed finally smiled again. “But no, she didn’t” His smile turned into a frown. “At least not that I know off, maybe she did get lucky?”
“Guess we’ll find out later?” Laxus shrugged. Then he turned back to Bix “Now, no more hiding, what happened to you yesterday? You were being all weird.”
A sign escaped Bix, might be best to finally come clean. Who knows, they might actually have some advice for him?
“Before I get to that, there’s something I must tell you.”
“Wait a minute, wait a minute.” Freed held up a hand. “You’re telling me that you and Lisanna had switched bodies?”
“More like our souls switched owners. But yeah, same principle.” He answered.
“And you took a shower like that?” Laxus grinned.
“That’s what you got from this???” Honestly, Bix should not be surprised.
Laxus simply shrugged and then turned to Lisanna. “And now she’s avoiding you?”
Another sigh from the blue haired man. “Yeah… And I’m not sure how to bring it up...-”
“You mean you’re too chicken?” Laxus interrupted him.
“I’m not chicken, it’s just that- ” Bix started, but this time Freed was the one who interrupted him.
“Nope, you’re just too chicken.”
Perhaps he was… I mean, what did he expect. That they where a couple now? No way, but there’s also no way they can continue this awkward silence game either. Nor the friendship they had before.
I mean it was clear they liked each other, they just didn’t know how much yet.
Or did they?
“Just go talk to her.” Freed smiled to his friend. “What’s there to lose?”
“You’re all taking this rather well…” Bickslow left those words on the table, not to change the subject, but to give him some more time to think.
They simply shrugged. “It explains a lot, so we’re not really that surprised, ever since you both left for that shower, we knew something was going on, before that is was just suspicion.” Freed explained, and Laxus simply nodded.
“Now go, if you keep this hanging, nothing is ever going to change.” Laxus urged him.
Bickslow looked around the room.
The guild had filled in nicely and there was a lot of pleasant hubbub going on.
It indeed looked like the perfect time as there where people enough that their conversation or absence would not get noticed.
Save for maybe the iron dragon slayer who locked eyes with him and slowly nodded with a grin.
Oh great… he heard that whole story…
Well, at least he was rooting for them as well…
Bix noticed that he was sitting next to the Levy, strangely absent again from her other teammates, and even lily wasn’t there.
RIGHT, their date had started.
In the guild? C’mon Gajeel, you can do better than that.
She was blushing a little and smiled at him, then she waved happily. At least she didn’t seem to mind.
He let his gaze wonder until it locked on a short, white haired fairy. She was hanging on the bar, talking to her sister again. She didn’t seem that busy at least.
A kick under the table from Laxus made him look back to his companions. “Well?”
“What, now?!” He exclaimed.
“Yes, now, go!” Freed took his arm and shoved him to the side.
Bickslow stood up slowly. “But it’s not- Can I at least wait until her break??”
The disapproving glances from his teammates told him the answer.
Another sigh. Well… now or never?
He looked at his friends one last time, who gave him a thumbs up and a nod, before he slowly made his way to the counter.
He cleared his throat when he was standing behind her, earning an eyebrow rase from the older sister, but she said nothing.
Slowly, Lisanna turned around and looked up at him. As if realising how much bigger he was again he hunched a little. But before he could say anything, she had already stepped sideways.
“I’ll just- uh, get out of your way then.” She quickly uttered as she stepped past him.
“Please, wait” He reached for her shoulder.
The motion startled her, but she didn’t move.
“Can- can we talk?” It was almost a whisper.
Lisanna turned around and looked at her older sister.
She simply nodded and left to go the other side of the bar.
“I- Uh, I don’t have much time, but yeah… perhaps it’s best if we talk.”
Well that didn’t sound like a positive note… She didn’t mean for it to come out this way though.
As if his pained face wasn’t enough. His small “Oh, okay.” Almost broke her heart.
Perhaps he did mean more into this than just fun flirting?
Her sister said as much when the told the whole story.
Something about watching her all the time, yeah right.
She didn’t seem surprised either.
It is true though, that she didn’t have a lot of time, but if he wanted to talk…
“I have something to tell-”
“I’m sorry about yesterday!” she blurted out, at the same time and bowed. Not really hearing what he was saying.
“What?” he asked her, clearly confused.
“The shower and the blindfold thing.” She put her hands behind her back and kicked the floor a little embarrassed.
She then looked up at him, with a clearly confused face.
Now they were both confused. Ok, was this not why he was here to talk?
“The… blindfold?” He asked her. “That’s not what- Why are you apologising?”
She hid her face behind her hands as she held them up. “It’s so embarrassing. The blindfold was all my idea, and you stayed so cool during the whole thing, and I just panicked and blamed you, and it all went wrong when my sister came in, and- ”
She was rambling, she knew she was, but she couldn’t stop.
When she told her sister this yesterday, the only thing she could do is laugh, with the words “Oh he’ll be so embarrassed after this.”
“Lis- please, don’t. You’re not-” He tried stop her.
She heard the concern in his voice as he interrupted her rambling.
“That’s all hardy your fault. We just didn’t understand what the spell meant by “One must understand the other’s body perfectly and experience.””
“Which is pretty obvious now, once you’ve been through it.” He ended with a chuckle.
She lowered her hands.
“I think we got lucky to be honest. It only lasted for a day.” He added to reassure her.
She still looked down. “The only downside is that we’ve seen everything now, not exactly how I’ve pictured my first date to go.”
“This was a date?” He cocked his head thoughfully, yet a little amused. He couldn’t help getting his teasing side into this.
“What? No!” she waved her arms. “I mean, I don’t usually show my body to anyone like that even if I date!”
Bickslow nodded “No, I get it, though I didn’t mind that much to be honest, you’re pretty.” He put his hand behind his head.
Lisanna turned bright red. “Wait! No! I didn’t see- I mean I did, but not on purpose, I just-” Now it was Bickslows turn to panic as he waved his arms in front of her.
Oh now she was horrified. He did see everything.
“I can never get married anymore.” She signed into her hands once more as she held them to her face.
“I’ll marry you.”
She froze and slowly looked up at him.
He also stared at her wide eyed.
“That came out wrong!” was panicking even more now.
“I mean that, I don’t mind if a woman was seen before, that still makes her marriageable, I mean you’re pretty and, I don’t see how…-”
Suddenly, something came flying their way and hit his head rather abruptly to the side. Interrupting his rambling.
It was a small piece of metal.
“oww” He rubbed the side of his head as they both looked at the origin.
The origin was an annoyed metal dragon slayer who was shaking is head with a scowl.
It made her chuckle, which turned into a full out laugh. He joined her. Happy they were talking again.
Although she was not sure if he actually liked her in any way or just wanted their friendship back. She was content with what she had.
Until he said the next sentence.
“Would you like to go on a date with me?”
He blurted it out. It was probably not the best moment, but it just felt like if he didn’t say it now, he would forever hold his silence.
She regarded him quietly. Oh great, she was actually thinking about this. Was this good? Was this bad? Does he need to add something? He needs to add something, doesn’t he?
“Like, start over? Try again? A real date?” Nope, he should have kept his big yapper shut.
“You’re serious?” Her eyes went wide.
Oh god… he made a mistake; their friendship is now ruined and he read all the signals wrong. “I mean, if you don’t want to, we can just pretend this never-”
“Yes!” she interrupted him rather abruptly.
Wait, did she just say yes to a date? With him? Was this happening?
“A romantic one?” She cocked her head, slightly blushing.
“If you want that.” He was also blushing now, as he held his hand behind his head, scratching it awkwardly.
“I’d like that Bix.” She smiled.
The smile made his stomach do summersaults like it had never done before.
He leaned towards her a little. “I’d like that as well-”
But before he could finish that sentence, the door burst open with a loud bang and a big white haired man came in bellowing. “This is all your fault!”
“Nii-san?” Lixanna looked at the door and watch her brother come in with a lot of gusto, not something he would do normally.
Behind him a timid looking Evergreen ran after him. “I didn’t know that would happen, honestly!”
“YOU’RE THE ONE THAT SHOULD BE AN EXPERT ON BEASTS!” He bellowed again towards the little woman.
Ok, that’s something his brother would NEVER do towards a woman. Not very manly he would say.
She looked around to find her sister only to noticed Bickslow do the same with his teammates.
All of them locking eyes and coming to the same conclusion after the petite woman said the following.
“Ever, please lower your voice, everyone is watching.”
Laxus started laughing loudly as he pointed towards both of them. “You two, what, You switched?”
The big man stompted towards the Raijinshuu table. “IT’S not funny!” He broke the table as he hit on it. Not realizing his strength yet and this surprised him.
“Gajeel, if you want that date with Levy, I suggest you leave now, before she get’s her enlarged hands on the same information we did.”
Bickslow had mumbled this between his teeth, but she was standing close enough to hear it. He didn’t turn his head towards any direction as he said it.
She stared at him wide eyed.
Wait, Date? With Levy??? How did he get this information?
Her gaze shifted to Gajeel, who nodded and stood up.
He gently nudged Levy to do the same. Quickly catching on as she did best and they quietly left the guild as Evergreen was now trying to fix the table, which was obviously not working.
Oh she would roast the information out of him later. But for now…
She kissed his cheek.
“I think our date will have to wait. We have a mission to finish now.” She chuckled, as she took his hand and dragged him towards the noisy man and small uncomfortable woman.
This startled him. And she enjoyed the blush creeping onto his face. Oh, it will be fun to tease him.
She felt her heart warm to the fact that he was the one that took the first step and that he might actually feel the same about her. But that’s something they will have to find out together.
For now though, she wanted to be around to noticed Ever and her Brothers reaction to the curse and solution.
She watched as her sister smiled and nodded her way, clearly having seen everything. Probably the kiss too. They all made their way to the table to catch on what was happening.
“Ever.” The small brown haired woman said, adjusting her glasses awkwardly.
They all turned towards her.
“I need to pee.”