Chapter Text
Laxus and Juvia were a gentle presence at the guild, there were no big moments, just people who found out and just went to business as usual. It was a weird thing that happened but everyone accepted, because when given a bigger look, it made sense.
Juvia was made out of water, she wasn’t in sync with her element, she was her element; going where the flow took her, taking the shape of the container she was put in and for most of her life she didn't get to decide what shape that was.
While Laxus always felt like he had something to proof, first to his father, second as the oldest of his generation, third as a leader of his team, and with time the list just continued growing.
So taking things slowly was a great idea, because if not, the whole relationship would be a dumpster fire with way too many spectators looking helplessly. In time all the guild members found out with more or less of a reaction
Cana POV
Mira hurt her ankle when she was cleaning the guild and I thought it was hilarious how the almighty fell like all the other mortals did, with no dignity, the girls decided to help around while she rested.
During the day you saw Kinana and Laki in their usual job as waitresses, Lucy and Levy helping in the kitchen and I organized all the alcohol, and didn’t need any help at all.
Juvia was out on a mission, and came around when the guild was about to close to report to the master. She felt the need to help even when it wasn’t necessary, so she offered to clean.”Don’t fall down the stairs, we don’t need more of that today” I said with a barrel at arm’s reach.
Juvia was confused, guess no one fill her in, she took a bucket with water and started to use her water magic to clean. When she clean the bar, I was falling asleep so she put me on top of the bar table, and I closed my eyes
When I woke up I heard whispers from the second flood, opened one eye and I saw… Laxus and Juvia slow dancing, no music, just little words in each other's ears.
For a moment I wonder if my dear alcohol is betraying me, but no, it would never do that… right?
“I was worried” Laxus said really clearly, I grew up with this dude and he never went this simp with anyone, much less with a person that a few years ago he categorized as a threat.
“Shouldn’t be” Juvia’s voice said and here I am thinking this is a prank, until she puts her hand on his jaw and gives him a soft kiss, way to intimate to confuse with something else…how the fuck that happened.
Discreetly I turn to my stomach and grab a bottle of vodka, because sober Cana can’t and won’t deal with this. No wonder the cards were all over the place this morning.
Mirajane POV
Opening the guild was a task I truly didn’t want to do, but someone had to. Juvia sometimes came early in the morning to draw in that morning golden hour so I would tell her when I would open the guild that early, she never failed to show up.
This morning was no exception, while I brought her the usual tea, I saw the drawing, they were always clothing; as a model I could tell they were complex pieces so I just said: “Do you ever made some of this, they are beautiful”
“Juvia does, all the corsetry she does by hand” She looked very proud, and in that moment I was grateful for the position I chose at the guild, she never shows this to anyone; A piece of her that I got to see just for being there at the right time.
The door opened and the master and Laxus started to walk to us “I’m happy to see two of my lovely children up this morning.” The master said with a smile “Juvia is happy to see you too, master,” she said with a gentle smile.
“Master, I expect you to finish the paperwork the council request” I said with a smile, and he saw me this a little sweat on the brow “Of course Mira, this old man is not that irresponsible ”
After making sure the master was really starting on the paperwork of the success rate the guild had in the last year I went to the bar to check two main things
1.How much damage Cana made last night
2. If there was enough food for everyone that came in for the day
The surprise when I came out of the office wasn’t Juvia picking her things up, it was that when she leaned forward, Laxus casually grabbed her butt and she didn’t say anything, nothing, nada.
How didn’t I notice this, I’m the shipper here, this is my thing; if someone knows this and didn’t tell me, I’m going to be pissed.
Gildarts POV
I don’t go to the guild much, except to see my adorable daughter and take on a new mission. Going to the guild just makes me feel old. The little gossip I knew automatically gave me a headache.
From Natsu asking Lucy to move in with him, Gajeel and Levy’s baby doing a new thing, Gray deciding to ruin his life and not moving on, and Juvia moving to a farm an hour away; all was to much and unless it involves Cana, I don’t want to hear it.
Though the water mage had always seemed to intrigue him, from accepting the master’s order to not practice a huge part of her magic to enter the guild, to hopelessly trying to make a relationship work, to moving to a farm in the middle of nowhere when that relationship blew up in her face.
She was the person who had the most solid ground in the guild, maybe because she grew up in an orphanage, but damn she made all that work. It was funny to see the horror in her face when Natsu asked her what was a bank account, and how she was the only one in the guild with a car. Maybe I should get a car, a road trip with my little girl.
When I came out of the guild, the party was still going, it was someone’s birthday and I didn’t bother to ask who’s. Juvia’s car was parked in the usual spot and Laxus was waiting, Juvia came with a bottle of wine and went directly to the blond to make out with him and Laxus held her from the waist. Then both enter the car and went to their merry way
I’m way too old to deal with this, the plan is to ignore it and go to sleep.
Freed POV
“Where is the boss?” I swear if Bickslow doesn’t shut up I’ll throw him in a hole somewhere to never be found, because the damn dolls are not helping. Laxus wasn’t in his apartment, the guild and he wouldn't leave without telling us… right?
“Bickslow, if we knew we wouldn’t be looking for him, you damn idiot” At least Evergreen voice out what I thought or a version of it, with less explicit descriptions of murder.
Where he was, he may have gotten attacked last night and I was none the wiser, I fail to do the thing I swore to do, follow him and his leadership. Maybe he thought we were too weak for being around him anymore.
“Well we have been walking around for 3 hours and haven’t found anything, my babies need rest and you two need better tracking abilities ” I turn around ready to follow through with my fantasies when I saw the impossible.
Laxus and Juvia coming out of a craft store, he was carrying a few bags, they were holding hands and I’m having an aneurysm. Why haven’t I been told about this, was I not worthy of such friendly conversation? The bro talk seem like something we could do.
“Lax…” Evergreen started to say but Bickslow and I drag her out of sight, I’m figuring this out now and no one is stopping me.
“Shut up Ever, don’t you see, the boss is trying to get laid” Bickslow has the tact of a fanboy when the new issue of sorcerer weekly comes out.
“They are moving,” I said while following the newfound couple. I recognized Juvia’s car, and put a tracking rune on it. How this happened, Juvia is supposed to try to fix things with Gray, not stealing Laxus away.
We started following, but the car was faster than walking, but I’m not giving up, I’d flown but the two idiots can’t do that.
Finally we got to a place with not a lot of houses, but quite a bit of animals. When Juvia said she was moving to a property outside of Magnolia after the breakup, I thought she was exaggerating.
The house was beautiful, with a stone path to the door and what I was hoping for many windows. I couldn’t see them, but the land was really flat, where were they?
It was a familiar thunder behind us that made us realize that we were screwed.”What are you doing here?”
“Boss! We are so glad you are ok, you see Freed, you can stop having your panties in a twist ” I hit him in the back of the head for that, How dare he? But Laxus still has a frown, Who is going to save us now?
“Ooh, Freed-san, Evergreen-san and Bickslow-san, we weren't expecting you here, but Juvia made dinner, do you want to join us? ” Laxus still was glaring at us, but Juvia had a sweet and genuine smile on her face.
“I’ll take you up on that offer rain drop” Bickslow said as he ran up the stairs inside the house, I heard Laxus sign and I looked at him.
“When were you going to tell us this” I said, no way this is staying unanswered, Evergreen also looks at him waiting, thanks god, because we need a united front that Bickslow abandoned too quickly.
“After this nonsense, consider yourself lucky you know” And you know what that’s fair, and we went inside. Ever looked way too eager to find an opportunity to snoop around.
.
.
.
But the most interesting discovery was the one that involved Team Natsu, who always had the subconscious need to have problems bigger than themselves all the time.
One day Natsu caught the interest of an old guy that wanted to clone strong mages for his personal usage, an army of sorts. Dragon Slayers hit the mark with their instincts, concentrated magic and willingness to take a battle to an end.
And with the right information he realized that Fairy Tail had a big number of Dragon Slayers and that they tended to be extremely loyal to their significant other, they seem to be protectors by nature; to the extent of pinpointing when they were in danger.
It was a simple plan to execute, the celestial mage and the solid script mage when shopping with the baby girl, when they were distracted knock them out and put them in the dungeons he had carefully prepared. He was grinning at the thought of iron and fire soldiers.
The problem arise with one of the targets, his informants told him she was on a mission, and that she most likely wouldn’t behave or look like in the photos or reports provided to him. But as a man with a goal, he figured out where the mission was.
Juvia Lockser, the Queen of the Phantom, the Bloody Queen, the Queen of the Sea,the Queen of the Drowned, the Mad Queen, with such a reputation it was easy to think what type of mission was; even after years in the down low people still requested her services, undercover being one of her specialties.
She was leaving the building, black wig, red dress with a slit on her right leg covering her guild mark in the opposites quite easily; when she took a corner you could tell she knew someone was following her and a fight would follow suit.
Lucy POV
My head hurts, my sight is blurry and there is a rush of adrenaline when I realize I was last with Levy and Emma. I open my eyes and see the them both awake.”Are you ok? How is the baby?”
“We are ok, just our ego is bruised ” Well at least she was optimistic, I want to throw something to the wall.
“How long you been awake” I asked
“A few hours, Emma woke me up, she was hungry” She went near me and whispered “I heard the guards talking about someone else coming soon” That is not good news. I look around and wonder if Virgo can take us out of here.
“It’s not going to work” Levy said “you see the runes on the ceiling, they cancel magic”
“Just great, guess we wait now”
True to their word, the guards brought a girl later that day(or what we thought it was the evening) dark hair and a red dress that had boning, she was probably one of those breathtaking girls of high society; what do we even have in common with someone like that?
That girl woke up in the middle of the way to what I assumed was her cell, she kicked those guards to put some space between them and took out iron knuckles from her dress (didn’t they search her correctly?). Levy looked surprised and worried while the girl continued to fight the guards, until one came through the door and gave her an electric shock, she didn’t scream but fell to the ground motionless.
Erza POV
The girls went to the shops earlier that day, from a moment to another Gajeel and Natsu started to get anxious, normally they would get slightly annoyed at something stupid and then fight about it. This was just different, in a bad way. I try telling them that perhaps the girls are just taking their time, that was my first mistake.
As time passed, I kept stopping them but had a gut feeling and finally listen, what I should have done from the beginning. By that time Laxus slams the guild door close, Is he not going to help? We have no idea of what’s going on and he just leaves like that.
It doesn’t hurt to look for them just in case, I keep telling myself as we look, call and ask for them. If I wasn’t as stubborn and dismissive all of this would not be happening, the whole guild is looking for them and I see Gajeel more and more desperate, I want to cry Levy and his child are missing; Why Juvia has to be on a mission right now, she is the one to level head Gajeel in moments like this.
Is when Wendy gets a faint smell that we grab a small group and track the smell down. I don’t think I’ll be able to forgive myself if they are hurt, if little Emma is hurt.
Wendy POV
We follow the scent to a reclusive area, an old stone castle and the smell of the girls is all over the place, I give a look at Gajeel and Natsu so they don’t rush in and someone gets hurt, but a three of us just end up given shock looks and focused in one particular direction.
“What is happening?” Gray asked as we just pointed directly in front of us, where Laxus was looking ready to kill someone. Erza and Gray are confused, and I just can’t wait for this to end.
“It doesn’t matter,we have a toddler and two guild mates in a dangerous situation, let’s keep our minds on that” I guess that I’m losing it, it doesn’t matter what Laxus does, as long as everyone is safe.
“Wendy is right, I just have things to take care of here” Laxus said, while Erza wanted to choke him for not helping find the girls and be nowhere to be found when they needed him.
“Just let’s come up with a plan ” Erza sighs and looks at the castle.
Erza POV
Breaking in wasn’t difficult, mostly because Natsu and Gajeel were honestly at the edge right now, on the outside the castle wasn’t that big; but after so many underground paths that it was tiresome. If it wasn’t for the slayers noses, I don’t think we'd have found them.
We enter a place with a lot of cells, they all had some rune in them, that’s when we see a blond and a bluenette inside one of the cells.
“Finally, it took you long enough ” Lucy said
“Lu-Chan don’t be rude” Levy took Gajeel’s hand from between the bars “We are ok, Emma is a little cold but nothing to worry about, let’s get out of here love ” She was soft talking, probably knowing what he needed at the moment. He told her to step back and tore down the bars.
Laxus had rushed to the cells in the back of the room, there was a black haired woman in the cell “Who is she?” Gray just made an stupid face and didn’t answer.
“Are you awake?” He had a concerned tone in his voice, what the hell is happening?
“Yes, but I got my ass kicked, just a little bruised, nothing major. '' The woman had traces of a familiar voice, have we met this person?
“I’ll get you out” He literally took off the door of the hinges, it was impressive, how do you learn to do that? Erza concentrate, Natsu doesn’t care about anything he is checking if Lucy has something broken, Gajeel has Levy and Emma in a hug and Wendy steps up to make sure the baby is fine.
“Why are you not surprised? ” Lucy asks Natsu, who is moving her arm to see if it has proper movement. Laxus and the woman are hugging and for some reason his knees just give up on him. Why are Lucy, Gray and me the only ones confused?
The woman seems to have taken the brunt of the attacker’s force, she looks up to laxus and smiles at him, kisses him softly, the idiot takes advantage of that and starts fully making out with her; are we supposed to see this?
His hands however roamed through her body (maybe we shouldn’t be looking) and lifted her dress, and that’s when we see the guild mark. The other hand in her hair removes what looks like a wig.
My brain just tells me to look at Gray, and he is heartbroken, I want to yell at him that this is his fault, he ruined it, he had a good thing going and HE blew it. Because in front of us was Laxus kissing the one and only Juvia. How did this happen?
“I need to find my purse, the mission reward depends on me giving back a ring ” Juvia said, and doesn't think she registers who is around her and Laxus just nodded. Why is she not talking in third person?
She stands to put the wig back on. “Why are you putting it back?” Laxus asked, that’s definitely not one of my questions. “I’m not walking around with blue hair and dark brows, thank you very much” she walk to the door at the end of the room and I guess we were following.
“How did you found me”
“I knew the cabin you were renting for the mission, it was easy to figure out from there.” He handed her a bottle with what I assume is water, Juvia tends to grow weaker when dehydrated. That was thoughtful.
“Are you ok Ameonna?” Gajeel finally said something.
“Yes, they got me with a dart and I couldn’t use my magic after that, it kind of sucked ” she opened a door and look at the guy in what it look like a hallway “you better give me my things back or I will make sure you have a vacation at the bottom of the ocean” The guy look like he was about to cry, who leaves only one guard at this part of the castle?
He stuttered a plea of mercy and guided us to a room where a black purse, Lucy’s keys, and some shopping bags were. Juvia started to search inside the purse and said “Blood Chains”
Red liquid came out of the wall and kept the guy in place. “What did I say?” I am not understanding anything but Juvia has officially lost all reminder of sanity she had left. “Come on, don’t be shy”
“To give your stuff back”
“Or what?”
“Vacation at the bottom of the ocean” If he didn’t pee himself before, this is going to make him. Why are Gajeel and Laxus not worried at all, this is terrifying; bloody wall, the monotonous voice and the look in her eyes.
“Good boy, where is the ring?”
“My right back pocket” So that is what she was talking about…
“Gajeel can you get it, I don’t want to touch it” Did she just call the guy an it?
“What makes you think I want to” Gajeel looked offended by the request,I think Levy found it funny
“Please” Juvia seems to be going back to a resemblance of what we know, but the guy wasn’t moving from his place, I never seen her use this type of magic before. And from the looks of it Gray hadn’t either and he dated her.
“Fine, but just because I want to get out of here ” he searched the guy’s pocket with utter disgust and showed her a ring, that was a big emerald, no wonder he wanted to keep it. “Let’s get out”
Juvia released the guy from whatever the hell that was and we made our way outside, it was dark already. Laxus was behind her at all times in this shitshow.
There is a man outside talking to a lacryma and says “The dungeons have been compromised, operation failed” and he banished.
All of this for nothing. Why are we even here? Why was all the kidnapping happening?
“How far from the cabin are we” Juvia asked Laxus
“Not that far, but is not big enough for all”
“I don’t think that matters right now”
.
.
.
Lucy POV
We get to a small cabin in the middle of the woods, is this the place Juvia was staying during her mission?. She was out of her dress and wig, acting like every day Juvia again and that’s great, it was scary seeing her acting so out of characters of the person I knew.
They were in the kitchen with Levy and Gajeel, there was a pot simmering in the stove, those four were acting like everything was normal, it’s not. I am hungry and want whatever that is now, but first:
“Juvia what the fuck is happening between you and Laxus ”
Everyone was looking at me like nobody was dying to know, the hypocrites however look over at them for answers.
“Isn’t it obvious they are dating” Natsu answers me, of all people Natsu, who thought babies came from eggs until we had to show him a birth video, that guy, knew before me and worse he didn’t told me; we literally live together couldn’t he just said: ‘ Hey, heads up, Laxus and Juvia are dating’ I’m going to kill him.
“Well Lu-chan,Dragon Slayers have a good sense of smell, it’s not like they can hide something like that from each other and Juvia is basically Gajeel’s sister so…”
“You knew?” I screamed at Levy, the betrayal hurt, my boyfriend meh, but my best friend, that’s too much “Why didn’t you tell us?” I asked Juvia directly.
“You never asked Lucy-san, Juvia apologizes if that was expected from her”
“In what world would we ask if Laxus and you are dating ” I can’t believe it, how do you hide something like THAT?
“In this one, and if Via didn’t told you, well tough” Laxus looked so annoyed, Juvia was worried she did something wrong and I feel dumb.
“And is not like Juvia told me either bunny girl” Gajeel said
“What?”
Gajeel POV (a year and a half ago)
Juvia usually didn’t went to my apartment after a mission, if anything we stayed in her house, something about the animals needing to eat. Well it was a big house and the pasture like 27 acres and Emma and Levy loved it there so i guess it was a win win.
The night Juvia was supposed to arrive she didn’t, that’s normal when traveling in train and in this mission she needed a lot of luggage, but didn’t stop me from worrying; Before Levy, Juvia was the only person I could consider family, we had each other’s back when no one else would.
She entered the house early in the morning, Levy and Emma were asleep and I just sneaked out to meet Juvia. That is when I smell the answer to a question I never planned to asked.
We sat side by side on the couch not saying a word, completely lost.
“Juvia had sex with Laxus-san”
“Yeah... I can tell”