This idea for a oneshot just popped into my head along with a few others, so I decided to write it.
BixLu is far too underrated. I love it so much and I wish there were more fics about them. I think that they'd have a great dynamic either romantic or platonic. I wish that they interacted more in the show. I honestly don't know why exactly why I love BixLu, I just do. Then again, that's the same reason I have for loving a majority of rare Lucy pairs.
WARNING: MENTIONED BEATINGS/TORTURE AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING
Saving My Cosplayer (Bixlow x Lucy)
Bixlow walked over to the blonde celestial wizard that he had a crush on since she beat him during the Fantasia incident. Lucy turned around on the stool she sat on at the bar and smiled at him, returning his greeting with "hello, Bix. What's up?"
Bixlow gave her a large smile and said, "come to see if you wanted to hang out sometime." His 'babies' repeated the words "hang out" as they floated around his head.
Lucy laughed lightly at the small, wooden totems before responding, "I'd love to hang out with you. I'm going on a job with Natsu once he and Gray stop butting heads, so how about when he and I get back?"
Bixlow narrowed his eyes under his visor, a feeling of jealousy building up in his stomach. He knew that it was silly to get jealous over Lucy and Natsu being partners, but he just couldn't help it, he was pretty sure that the Fire Dragon Slayer had a crush on Lucy. Ignoring the unwanted feeling in his stomach, he gave the blonde his trademark grin with his tongue hanging out and answered, "yeah, Cosplayer, that sounds great!"
Lucy smiled, a heavenly smile in Bixlow's opinion, in response before leaning to the side in order to peer past him and at the brawl that was beginning. Bixlow turned around when he noticed that Lucy was grimacing at the sight. Upon turning around, he saw that not only were Natsu and Gray fighting but now Gajeel and a few others were getting involved. Bixlow couldn't help the laugh that escaped him when he heard Lucy groan and mumble something about needing a month-long break from Natsu.
He turned around to see the celestial wizard of his affections stomp past him, up to Natsu, grab him by his scarf, and drag the whining pyromaniac out of the guildhall. Bixlow gave a hearty laugh at that before walking back upstairs to Fairy Tail's second floor and sitting down at the table that he and his team frequented, intent on waiting for his Cosplayer to return so he could finally do what Laxus, Freed, and Evergreen have been bugging him to do, and make a move on Lucy.
Three days passed and every day Bixlow would arrive at the guild early to sit at his usual table and watch the guildhall doors, waiting for Lucy's return. He's had a massive crush on her since the Fantasia incident when she kicked his ass. He had always thought that she was gorgeous, but that battle, along with the time he spent befriending her, showed him that she was also strong, smart, kind, and many other things that Bixlow loved in a woman.
After he was beaten by the celestial wizard, his interest was sparked. After a while of getting to know and befriending her, that sparked interest turned into love. He would so often find himself looking forward to seeing her, pushing himself to ask her to take a job with him but ending up failing and wishing that she would approach him about taking a job together, and cursing himself out for passing up a perfect chance to ask her on a date due to his stupid nerves.
Eventually, he told Freed and Evergreen about his feelings for Lucy in hopes of them coming up with some sort of solution for him. Freed had actually put down his book and informed him that his only option was to confess to Lucy. The rune mage explained that if Lucy ended up rejecting him, then Bixlow will be able to get over her faster since he'll have the knowledge that his feelings aren't returned rather than pine for her longer and never know if he ever had a chance. Freed went on to explain that if Bixlow confessed his feelings and she felt the same way, then he'll no longer be left to question if he could have ever gotten with her.
Evergreen, however, had jumped up and attempted to dash away to the bar so she could tell Mira of this new piece of information and team up to put Bixlow and Lucy together. Fortunately, Bixlow was quicker than her and was able to grab his friend before she could tell the dreaded "Demon Matchmaker." The brunette eventually stopped struggling to free herself from his grip and sat back down. She informed him that she agreed with Freed. Bixlow had many times tried to confess to Lucy, but ended up chickening out every time.
When Laxus returned Bixlow had made Freed and Evergreen promise to not tell their returned friend. He found out that his two friends went back on their promises when the very next day Laxus dragged him outside, behind the guildhall. Once outside, the Lightning Dragon Slayer had demanded that Bixlow explain what the other two had told him about their seith mage having romantic feelings for Lucy.
Since then, Laxus, Freed, and Evergreen had been bugging Bixlow to confess his feelings. He would always say that he would confess, but end up either not doing it or finding an excuse to not even try. His three friends got so tired of the whole thing that Laxus banned Bixlow from going on a job on his own or with another mage that wasn't Lucy. Freed even went so far as to place runes around the Fairy Tail guildhall with the rules that Bixlow could not leave unless the sun had set or he was with Lucy. Evergreen, not wanting to be outdone by her two male friends, enlisted Mira to keep an eye on Bixlow whenever his three friends were away and make sure he doesn't somehow find a way around Freed's runes or go against Laxus' ban.
So, now Bixlow was waiting for Lucy's return, determined to get Laxus, Freed, and Evergreen off of his back and found out once and for all if she felt the same way. The seith mage downed the rest of his beer and waved off Mira when he noticed her bringing him another one. He didn't want to even be a little bit intoxicated in case Lucy came back today, after all, it was still morning.
He returned his shielded eyes to the large wooden doors and watched, wishing that he had asked Lucy when she was expecting to return to the guild. He placed his elbow on the table, propping his left arm up, and rested his chin in the palm of his hand. He released a sigh through his nose. He was bored. It was boring having to sit at his team's table and wait for the blonde woman to return from her job, but he was willing to power through the boredom if it meant getting to finally ask her out. He just hoped that he'd be able to actually do it this time because he wasn't sure how much longer he can take Laxus' ban, Freed's runes, Evergreen's enlisting Mira's help, and all three of their pestering without trying to deck any of them.
Bixlow was snapped out of his thoughts when the sound of the guildhall doors burst open, creating a loud 'bang' noise when they slammed against the walls. He straightened his slouched posture as he took in the sight that drew the attention of the rest of the guild.
Natsu was horribly beaten up. His clothes were dirty, torn, and covered in blood. He was covered in bleeding injuries and already-forming bruises. He was obviously in pain. He took a few steps forward before collapsing to his knees, Lisanna and Mira managing to catch him before he fell forward. Bixlow watched as Mira sent Levy to find Wendy and to inform Master Makarov that something had happened. The seith mage had to take a few moments to process what he was seeing before he jumped to his feet once he was suddenly hit with realization.
Lucy had gone with Natsu.
He jumped over the railing of the guild's second floor, landed on his feet easily, and ran to Natsu. He kneeled down in front of the badly beaten dragon slayer and demanded through clenched teeth, "where is Cosplayer?"
Natsu struggled to answer. After what felt like hours, he finally managed a pained whisper as tears pricked the corners of his dark eyes, "s-she was t-taken...I c-c-couldn't sa-save her."
Bixlow turned to an also injured Happy and demanded to know where the job request that Natsu and Lucy had taken was. The trembling, wounded blue exceed dug into a pouch that he had been carrying. Bixlow immediately recognized the pouch and the belt that it was attached to.
It was Lucy's. He could tell by the celestial spirit keys that glimmered from inside the pouch.
After being handed the job request, Bixlow grabbed Levy who had just returned with Wendy, but was unable to locate Makarov. He pulled the letter mage to the guildhall doors and order her to take down Freed's runes. The shaken Levy didn't argue or even tried to ask why he wanted her to do such a thing. It took longer than Bixlow would have liked, but she eventually succeeded and the seith mage was out of the guildhall faster than anybody could blink.
He wasn't going to let Lucy be taken from him. Not when he still had to tell her his feelings.
Lucy strained against her restraints. She was sitting on a wooden chair, inside a small, stone room. Her arms were chained behind her and her legs were also bound by chains. In front of her, across the stone room, was a locked, metal door. She glared at it, as though it would open up just like that.
She was tired and in pain. Her tank top was now a cropped tank top and covered in dirt and her own blood. Her skirt was almost completely ripped off of her body. She was covered in still bleeding wounds, there was even a large gash above her left eye, the dried blood practically gluing her eye closed. Her golden blonde hair was coated in dried blood and had lost its trademark luster.
She's already given up on screaming for help or for her captures to release her. Her voice had gone hoarse and painful to use. How long had she been here? She had no idea. She and Natsu had taken a job that seemed easy. Take out a few dark mages. That was it. She and Natsu had estimated that they would be back in a week.
The two mages and their blue exceed had managed to track down the dark mages that they had to defeat. However, the pair were quickly ambushed just as they were about to attack. They tried to fight back, but there were too many dark mages attacking them all at once, and the two Fairy Tail mages and exceed ended up being overpowered and beaten.
Natsu and Happy managed an escape, but Lucy was too injured and tired to attempt escaping. Natsu had promised to come back for her. That was a while ago. Lucy didn't have her keys. They were taken from her when she, Natsu, and Happy were captured. Lucy found holding onto the hope of being rescued increasingly difficult.
"So, what did the boss say he wanted to do with the girl?"
Lucy struggled to raise her head at the sound of a man's gruff voice from the other side of the metal door. Another voice, a deep, feminine one that belonged to a woman, answered, "take her to Bosco and sell her. She's really pretty. She'd surely go for a lot of money."
The man laughed crudely before banging his fist against the metal door and shouting at the beaten celestial wizard, "you hear that? You're gonna be some man's pretty little plaything." The two dark mages chuckled to themselves and walked away.
Lucy dropped her head. She wasn't surprised that she didn't start crying at that reveal. Since being captured, all she has done is cry against her own judgment. She hated that she showed such weakness, but her body just would not stop the tears. She had cried so much already that she probably didn't have any tears left to shed.
She felt the last shred of hope she had slip away.
She's never going to see her friends again.
Never going to fight alongside her spirits again.
Never going to gossip with the other women of Fairy Tail again.
Never going to get the chance to tell Bixlow that she loved him.
She hadn't been a big fan of Bixlow at first, but when she saw how much of an effort made to befriend her, she gave him a chance and became his friend. Now, she was glad that she did because she found him to be very funny, nice, surprisingly smart, and dependable.
She mourned that she wouldn't be able to tell him she loved him, go on dates with him, and have the future she always dreamed of with him. She wasn't ignorant of the possibility that he wouldn't return her feelings. She knew that it would hurt if he didn't feel the same way, but she would be fine with remaining his friend. She just wished she could have worked up the courage to confess to him.
Lucy had no hope left. This was it. She was going to be taken to Bosco and sold to some fat, old man.
She raised her head at the distant sound of an explosion. She strained to hear the shouting of the dark mages accompanying muffled sounds of fighting. She felt her hope returning. Did Natsu return for her like he said he would? Did he send someone to save her? Was she going to get out of here at last? Was she going to finally get her chance to tell Bixlow that she loved him?
She painfully strained against her chains, listening to the sounds of fighting and shouting that ever so slowly got louder. She listened for a familiar voice, but was unable to hear someone that she recognized due to the overlapping of loud voices and continuous sounds of magical attacks destroying anything they hit.
A small smile appeared on her face, but it quickly dropped when she heard a man on the other side of the door growl to someone else, "we need to get the girl out of here. Nyx and Robin are waiting outside. They'll take her to Bosco and sell her."
Lucy felt her hope begin to slip away once more and despair fill her gut once more. She listened to the sound of the metal door being unlocked before it screeched open. Two large men stalk towards her and unchain her. One of the men grip her arm painfully, causing the blonde to whimper as she was yanked to her feet on weak legs and roughly dragged out of her small prison.
She tried to struggle out of her capture's grasp, but was in too much pain and too weak to succeed. She switched to screaming for help. She managed to only get out a few screams before the man clamped his other hand over her mouth, quieting her as he continued to drag her away from the sounds of fighting.
Once outside, Lucy saw two women waiting to take her away to Bosco. Before she could be passed off to the pair of female dark mages, the man pushed her to the ground with a pained shout. Lucy landed on her front, unable to pull herself up or to even lift her head. She internally grimaced as she listened as the man's screams of pain were joined by the two women's own pained screams. After a few minutes, the three dark mages' screams weakened before quieting entirely. Lucy could feel herself fall into unconsciousness when she finally heard a familiar voice murmur to her as she was picked up by the mage that saved her, "thank goodness we got here just in time. Bix is going to be mad that I was the one to actually save you."
The last thought on Lucy's mind was recognition of the voice.
Bixlow paced back and forth in the infirmary that Lucy had been resting in for a whole day now. After he got through Freed's runes he managed to contact Laxus, Freed, and Evergreen and tell them about Natsu having returned heavily injured and Lucy missing. The three mages left their individual jobs with promises of returning to their job posters and rushed back to Magnolia. The group of four then got the location of the dark mages' hideout from Natsu and formed a plan to save Lucy as well as complete Lucy and Natsu's job for them.
The fighting lasted longer than expected, but they managed to succeed. Bixlow, Evergreen, and Laxus had met outside with reports that they were unable to find Lucy while they fought. It didn't take long for Freed to materialize from several runes with an injured, unconscious, and half-naked Lucy in his arms. Bixlow had rushed towards his friend and took Lucy into his own arms, trying to not freak out. The group hurried back to Fairy Tail to find Porlyusica assisting Wendy.
A whole day later, Bixlow refused to leave Lucy, barely ate, and was unable to sit still. Porlyusica had stated that Lucy needed rest and should be waking up any day now before she hit a few mages and left. Natsu was in the main part of the guildhall, able to hang out with his guildmates but not take any jobs or join brawls for a few weeks. Lucy was determined to be in a worse state due to having been with the dark mages longer and was most likely tortured based on the freshness of many of her injuries as well as their degree of severity.
Bixlow bit his lip to the point that it seemed as though he was going to make it bleed. He stopped in his tracks when Lucy groaned in pain. Bixlow whipped around to see her struggling to sit up with a grimace of pain on her bruised and cut-up face. He rushed to her side and gently pushed her back down on the bed as he softly urged, "you need to stay in bed, Cosplayer. You're not in good enough condition to get up." Lucy whimpered a little as she obeyed. Bixlow felt his heart ache at the sound. He hated seeing her so injured and in pain.
Lucy looked up at Bixlow as he sat in a chair next to the bed, scooting it closer so he could hold Lucy's hand and look her in the eye. He fought the tears that stung his eyes. He was conflicted about if he should confess to her now or wait until she was able to get out of bed and walk around without being in an incredible amount of pain. Almost losing her had scared him beyond belief and he wasn't sure if he could go much longer without telling her of his feelings for her.
Just as he was about to ask if she wanted anything, the blonde spoke weakly, "Bix, I have something to tell you." The seith mage suppressed the feeling of hope that bloomed in his stomach. He silently nodded for her to go on.
Lucy continued in such a soft voice that Bixlow had to lean a little bit closer to her, "I love you. I've loved you for some time now."
Bixlow looked at her with his eyes widened behind his visor and his mouth slightly agape. He couldn't believe what he had heard. Lucy loved him too? Was this actually happening? He used his free hand to pinch his arm, digging his fingernails into his skin. When he didn't wake up in his own bed at home, he concluded that this was all real.
He looked back at Lucy to see that she was giving him a look of apprehension, as though she was expecting him to reject her. Bixlow let go of Lucy's hand and placed it on her cheek, careful to not hurt her. He leaned forward, stopping when his lips were just centimeters from hers. He whispered, "I've loved you since you kicked my ass before the Fantasia Parade." He then closed the distance between their lips in a gentle kiss, one that Lucy didn't hesitate to return.