#love-struck

[sleepydrummer]

He is half of my soul, as the poets say.

Madeline Miller, The Song of Achilles

[imaginativeworks]

Little Funny Story

So I was drawing these Valentine’s day Cards, I was making for my art account anyway so I was drawing the stencils for the boarder and ended up making this one that kind of look like a face so I leaned into it a bit more and now it looks like a love-struck king fellow who’s sweet and kind of has this sort of himbo energy to him. Maybe I might make a cute prompt or something inspired by it, I don’t know. 

[fluffygrimreaper]

Being love-struck is the worst torture, it makes one to hide the huge flood of infinite confession because of restrictions, but too intense the dam's gonna explode with emotions spilling everywhere.

— Fluffy Grim Reaper

[moonpiepig]

Love-struck - Chapter 1

Finally reunited after 2 years apart, can Laxus and Reader heal deep wounds and rekindle their love from the past? Here is chapter 1 of Love-struck. The story starts off at the end of The Battle of Fairy Tail arc when the fight is moved to the top of the cathedral.

Feedback is always welcome :') Enjoy!

The ground trembled as an explosion erupted from the square. Before the dust had settled, Y/N charged into the wave of desperate citizens fleeing the town, her steps uneven due to a painful limp. Familiar voices guided her towards to centre of Magnolia.

“Face it already, it’s over!” Laxus roared from a rooftop.

Waves of crackling energy danced around him, highlighting his strength and threatening all those who wished to intervene. Natsu could be seen saying something, his words lost in the wind while struggling to lift his weakened body from a pile of rubble. The intrepid crowd below strained their ears, trying to decipher the few sounds carried down to them, holding their breath in anticipation.

After a tremendous pause, Laxus threw a fist into the air, forming a blindingly bright magic circle. The townsfolk cowered as a mass of lightning flooded the area surrounding the blonde wizard and static energy grew thick in the air. He aimed, and the surging light formed a spear hurtling straight towards Natsu. A voice cried out from the crowd near Y/N.

“Don’t do it!” Freed pleaded. “That much magic energy could kill him!”

Having come to the same conclusion as Freed, Y/N teleported into the path of the spear, ramming into Natsu’s side and shoving him out of the way. She spread her arms wide and took the full force of Laxus’ spell, causing the lightning to envelop her body, stealing the breath in her lungs, and pushing her back to the edge of the building. Muscles screaming under the brutal battering from Laxus’ power, she spun, swinging her numb arms and splaying her palms in the direction of the spell’s origin. The lightning arched around Y/N as she turned and exploded from her hands, forming a spear once again. It soared through the air and Laxus shielded his face as the spear slammed into his chest, knocking him backwards off the roof. The lightning vanished, and relief rang through surrounding streets. Y/N saw Freed race towards Laxus, who lay sprawled out on the courtyard cobblestones, grimacing in pain. Satisfied that he would recover, her vision blurred and her legs buckled, all energy drained from her aching body. She heard Natsu calling out to her as she blacked out.

Y/N opened her eyes and furiously blinked until the outlines of her surroundings came into focus. Delicate sunbeams danced along dusty surfaces, illuminating weathered wooden walls and aged furniture. As she started to slowly stretch her sore muscles, a strange sensation brushed against her chin. She batted it away hastily and, instead of a spider as she had feared, she grasped the fur of Laxus’ coat draped over the blanket on top of her. She glanced around and quickly found Laxus in a dark corner, slouching in a tattered armchair, his snores rumbling quietly and his bandages securely bound across his shirtless torso. Her heart slowly sank as she studied his peaceful expression, remembering the man filled with rage and pain she had witnessed earlier. His now vulnerable state brought back fragile memories from mornings spent together years ago, and Y/N gripped his coat tighter. Laxus jolted awake with a grunt, his eyes flying open in panic and meeting hers before quickly darting to the ground. Y/N’s face burned as she sat up straight and stared intently at the dusty bookcase on the wall in front of her. A long silence fell between them.

“So… you’re back then?” asked Laxus, choosing his words with care.

Y/N nodded slightly, uncertain about the lack of emotion in his voice. Laxus heaved himself up out of the chair, scowling in pain, and hobbled across the room. The windowsill creaked as he leaned against it, peering at the street below, his shoulders hunched. He looked exhausted. Light-hearted, unrecognisable voices drifted into the room from downstairs and the sun lazily rose, exposing more of the unfamiliar surroundings. Y/N pushed the blanket away and shifted around uncomfortably as a thought popped into her mind.

“Where are we?”

“An inn. Natsu wanted to take you to the Guild, but I thought best to keep you away from everyone for now.”

A wave of gratitude washed over Y/N as she thought about her old friends finding out she had returned. She definitely wouldn’t have had the chance to rest and ready herself.

“I see… tha-”

“What happened?” Laxus interjected, stressing each word vehemently. He turned and took a small, tentative step closer to the bed, cradling his bound arm and staring firmly.

“It’s a long story,” she croaked as tears stung her eyes.

Laxus’s lips curled into a sneer and he snorted in frustration. Y/N silently gathered Laxus’ coat in her arms and folded it neatly beside her on the bed, taking care to smooth out the creases.

“Why were you fighting Natsu earlier?”

“It’s a long story,” he retorted, massaging the tension in the back of his neck and lowering his gaze. “Levy said the old man’s not doing well.”

Y/N froze, a sickly chill running down her body. The weight of his words rested on her chest and she slowly nodded.

“We need to go see him,” she concluded, rushing to collect her belongings at the foot of the bed.

Laxus stuffed his free hand into his trouser pocket and hesitated, shifting his weight from one leg to the other. “I don’t think he’d be too happy to see me right now.”

Y/N strode over to him, picking up his coat on the way. She teetered on the balls of her feet as she reached up and wrapped the coat tightly around his shoulders. She heard him inhale sharply, and she paused, clutching the fur lining and noticing her reflection in his wide, slate eyes. She felt his heart race underneath the fabric, his familiar scent drawing her closer to his parted lips.

Pain twinged in her wounded leg and she swiftly took a step back to adjust the bandage around it, remembering their time-sensitive plans to go to the Guild. She softly cleared her throat, unable to look at Laxus, and put her boots on.

Laxus hurried out the door mumbling, “I’ll meet you downstairs.”

Tension filled the Guild Hall as they entered, Y/N hidden from view behind Laxus’ towering figure. He squared his shoulders and marched forward, ignoring the crowd assembling around him. As he reached the centre, Macao and Wakaba stepped in front of him, blocking his way.

“What do you want?” spat Wakaba, the smoke from his pipe wafting around Laxus’ face.

Laxus frowned and clenched his fist before addressing the room loudly.

“Where’s the old man?”

The Fairy Tail members exploded into an unwelcoming protest, passionately waving their arms around and shouting threats. Y/N placed a hand gently on Laxus’ upper back in support while cowering slightly from the waterfall of hatred threatening to drown them. As the volume and ferocity rose, Erza charged forward and silenced them.

“Quiet everyone!”, she boomed, before softening her voice and facing Laxus. “The master is in the infirmary.”

Laxus turned to Y/N and stiffly gestured towards a table. She nodded and offered a small smile, which he returned before leaving to see his grandfather. Without Laxus shielding Y/N, those around her had realised her presence and a stunned silence fell across the hall, suffocating her. She inhaled deeply and wiped the sweat from her palms, her mind reeling, trying to figure out how to ease the wall of confusion closing in on her.

[moonpiepig]

Love-struck - Chapter 3

Laxus and Y/N set off on their journey and stop by a town recently known for mysterious disappearances.

Y/N slowly woke to a flock of pigeons cooing softly outside. She stretched out her stiff arms and gently wafted the dust particles lazily drifting through the warm sunlight before pushing back the thick duvet and hoisting herself upright. She strolled into the main room, stopping for a moment to check her reflection in the hallway mirror, and found Laxus deeply asleep sprawled across the sofa, an empty, crystal glass in hand. Y/N knelt down on the floor beside him and observed his peaceful features aged with exhaustion and upset, the scent of scotch lingering on his breath enveloping her a little more with each exhale. She very gently removed the glass from his hand and his puffy, bleary, bloodshot eyes fluttered open in surprise. Laxus squinted and reached towards her, delicately twirling a strand of her hair between his fingers. Satisfied with the result of his unspoken enquiry, he grinned widely and swung his legs off the sofa, wrapping the blanket tightly around him. He grimaced and cradled his now pounding head in his hands.   

“Good morning.” Y/N chuckled and made her way over to the kitchen. “Would a coffee help?”

Faint groaning answered her question and she rummaged through the few unsealed boxes near the fridge. Successfully finding a jar of slightly expired, instant coffee and an unopened packet of plain biscuits, she boiled water and returned to the sofa with two steaming mugs. Laxus was now fully dressed and sat on the floor stuffing his remaining belongings into an oversized rucksack. 

“How are you feeling after last night?” Y/N asked tentatively as she handed Laxus his hot drink.

He took a sip and frowned as the coffee scorched his upper lip. “I’m fine,” he replied cautiously, lightly swirling the liquid around in his cup. He cleared his throat loudly and paused. “I… Um, I don’t remember much about last night.”

“That’s probably a good thing,” she concluded, before catching Laxus’ eyes widen in alarm. “Nothing bad happened. We came inside and you were already a little drunk and very upset about being suspended. You poured out whiskey and your feelings about Gramps and then you passed out on the sofa. That’s when I went to bed.”

As she finished summing up the events of the previous night, omitted fragments flashed through her mind of Laxus singing and standing on the coffee table, pointing a finger into the air, losing his balance and crashing to the ground, soaked in his drink. Once they had said goodnight, Laxus had grabbed her hand and refused to let go and so she had sat on the floor next to him as he drifted off to sleep.               

“So everything’s alright?” he asked while rubbing the back of his neck, his face tinted scarlet.

Y/N nodded, smiling reassuringly and Laxus’ shoulder relaxed as he laughed awkwardly. They drained their mugs while making small talk and quickly packed away the rest of the apartment. After they had swung the door shut behind them, Laxus hid the apartment key underneath a potted plant and explained that while they were gone, Freed, Bickslow and Evergreen would store away the boxes left inside.

The train clanged and screeched as it left the small station, engulfing Y/N and Laxus in plumes of mist and the thick scent of oil and coal. Laxus leaned against a stone pillar, doubled over, his clammy, colourless face scrunched up in discomfort. Y/N rubbed his back in small, circular motions and surveyed their surroundings suspiciously. Unchecked tickets lay scattered next to suitcases and bags dotted around the station, and a huge stained glass window appeared to have been smashed from the outside, the shards of glass sparkling in the sunlight and casting colours onto the high walls. 

During the journey, a group of merchants had gathered across the aisle from Y/N and Laxus, arguing about whether to attempt business in a small town between Onibus and Oshibana. A short, muscular man covered in tattoos slammed his fist against the wall and viciously argued that the other men were paranoid. His words were hastily drowned by the fearful exclaims of his group, each voice telling a tale more elaborate than the one previous. Through the commotion, Y/N had heard multiple mentions of unexplained disappearances turning the area into a ghost town and, sensing a job opportunity, had quickly dragged Laxus out onto the station platform just before the doors had swung shut. 

“You really think the merchants were onto something?” asked Laxus, straightening up and picking a small cluster of moss from the cracked, marble station sign. 

Y/N shrugged. “We might as well look around.”

Their footsteps echoed loudly on the flagstones as they crossed the deserted platform and exited into an empty street. Rows of houses in various states of desolation with boarded-up windows stood lifeless. The once-bustling market square now contained stalls littered with rotten fruit and mouldy, baked goods, seemingly untouched and a whistling breeze gently wafted clothes abandoned on a washing line, disturbing the stillness. Laxus and Y/N wandered around the town, knocking on doors and searching for clues. 

“I don’t sense any traces of magic,” said Laxus, as they came to a clearing near a church in ruins. “And it doesn’t look like anyone has been here in at least a year.”

“Maybe… but why would anyone ju-” A deafening thud behind her rang through the silence, and a strong arm wrapped around her, clasping a cold band over her wrist and dragging her backwards. She felt her magic energy fade and Laxus charged towards her, a fist crackling with blinding lightning, poised to attack, as a dark figure appeared by his side and brought a large rock down onto his head with a sickening crack. Y/N screamed out to him, thrashing her limbs violently and kicking her attacker’s legs.

“Shut up!” a raspy voice hissed into her ear before pushing her down a large hole into complete darkness. 

A match was struck and a dim light danced in the distance. Held upright by her captor pointing a knife to her back, Y/N stared straight ahead, watching a figure slowly light candles. Laxus lay motionless next to her. She tried to focus on the faint, magic energy she felt flowing through her, desperate to form even the smallest spark, but the band had left her powerless. Panic balled up in her chest and bile rose to her throat, leaving her uncomfortably warm and lightheaded. Through the weak light, she could see they were in a large cavern with multiple tunnels connecting to it. Paintings were dotted around the walls and at the mouth of every tunnel lay a symbol carved into the ground.

Footsteps approached her from behind and she tensed her muscles, ready to lash out and escape.  

“Welcome!” exclaimed a deep, booming voice. “I’m so sorry we had to bring you here this way, but you two were just too loud.”

A short man with a thick white beard hobbled into view. He was dressed in a tattered suit with small tears at the knees and one sleeve was folded neatly and pinned to his shoulder. His large, round glasses reflected the flickering candlelight. As soon as he extended his one arm in greeting, she sensed her attacker retract their knife and saunter away, disappearing into a tunnel. Y/N stared at the man’s hand, unmoving. Eventually, he lowered it and stepped back, allowing Y/N space to kneel by Laxus’ side. She checked his pulse, and held her jumper to his head, soaking up the little blood trickling from the wound. 

“It looks like he will be fine,” assured the man. 

“No thanks to you,” she retorted venomously. “What do you want with us?”

The man crept closer and dipped his head in a slight bow. “I am the mayor of this town, and I was hoping you could help us.”

“Why should we?” “Because we are desperate.” The mayor reached forward and clutched Y/N’s wrist, unbinding the band and allowing magic energy to flood back into her. “And of course, we will pay you for your efforts.”

[moonpiepig]

Love-struck - Chapter 4

A lot of consideration was put into what kind of magic Y/N would have. I wanted it to be something that could support Laxus and make her a great work partner. I chose this kind of magic because not only is it similar to Laxus' but they can literally fuel each other's magic energy. This magic was also something that I was interested in exploring more when I watched Fairy Tail, but in order to not make Y/N too OP, her magic will be flawed (but more about that in future chapters).

FRIENDLY WARNING: This chapter contains some violence and mentions a wound without excessive detail. If reading a few sentences containing blood and loss makes you feel uneasy, I'd suggest stopping after the bathroom scene. Enjoy!

One last thing, it's pretty clear by now I'm sure that I favour Laxus („ಡωಡ„) but who is your favourite in Fairy Tail? Do you ship anyone?

______________________________________________________________

14 years ago…

Perching on the cold, hard, oak pew between her parents, Y/N smoothed down the skirt of her long, formal dress, and stretched her numb legs as the crowd solemnly bowed their heads for the final prayer. The church was fairly small, yet towering, with sweeping, stone arches and pools of deep shadows concealing century-old secrets. The citizens of the humble village where Y/N was raised, stood motionless, their faces scrunched in concentration as the priest’s words washed over them, fostering the unwavering hopes and beliefs shared amongst them. A vast, stained-glass window loomed at the front of the hall depicting a dark-haired man surrounded by a circle of black books. Underneath, a line of cloaked figures slowly ambled across the room in single file and opened the tall, sturdy doors, flooding the church hall with the early morning light. Row by row, the crowd meandered outside, nodding to one another, clasping hands and repeating the phrase that had been drilled into Y/N since she was born.

“May Lord Zeref return,” echoed Y/N monotonously as she rose with her parents and exited the church. She headed home hand in hand with her mother while her father left for work.

The stale familiar scent of mould and mildew filled their nostrils as they stepped inside the ramshackle cottage. Y/N took a seat at the kitchen table, scraping a crooked chair harshly across the wooden floorboards, and watched her mother potter around the kitchen with anticipation. After a few minutes, the petite woman turned around to face Y/N and a sly smile slowly spread across her face. She strolled over to the kitchen table and placed a small, plain cake atop the dishevelled tablecloth. Rummaging through the drawers, she found an old candle stub, carefully set it on top of the cake, and struck a match with a flourish. Y/N’s eyes widened with awe as the tiny flame grew on the candle, illuminating the kitchen with warmth.

“Happy eighth birthday, sweetheart!” exclaimed her mother as she wrapped her arms affectionately around Y/N from behind. “Remember to make a wish before you blow out the candles.”

Beaming, Y/N’s mind reeled with fancies. Visions of a new toy or book, a bowl filled with more food than she could stomach, and a pristine house with a pet running through the expansive gardens, filled her head. As the wax started to drip onto the cake, Y/N made her decision. She tightly closed her eyes and wished for a picnic by the sea, before filling her lungs and quickly blowing out the candle in one sharp breath. She had been told tales of beaches by an elderly woman who had been given the title ‘Grandma’ by the entire village, not only due to her age but also her wisdom and unwavering kindness. Rolling tides spraying salt into the air across an infinite horizon seemed like a dream to Y/N, who had never been further than the farmland gate. She grazed her feet across the rough floor and imagined the feeling of sand warming her soles and sticking in between her toes. She sighed and opened her eyes, eager to eat the cake, and came face to face with her mother now sitting opposite her. The calm, happiness that had filled her, quickly drained away as an icy chill spread through her veins. Blowing out the candle had extinguished the comfort and brought dread in its place, as her mum slid a black, tattered book across the table towards Y/N.

“No…” whispered Y/N, shaking her head. “I don’t want to do this.”

“Come on now sweetheart. We’ve talked about this for years and you know why we have to do this,” crooned her mother. “This is a good thing! I think you’re strong enough to handle this magic. Such a clever little girl you are.”

Her heart raced and a vice clamped hard around her lungs as panic surged through her body, preparing her to run. “I don’t want to do this!”

Her mother shot up, sending her chair flying backwards, and stormed over to Y/N before she could move. The furious woman grabbed Y/N’s wrist firmly and dragged her to the bathroom where she swung open the door and shoved her daughter inside. Pain shot through Y/N’s knees as she tripped and fell to the cold, stone ground, grabbing onto the sink to soften the impact.

“If you don’t do this, we won’t be able to stop Zeref!” her mother shrieked. “If he rises, he will destroy everything and kill us all! Is that what you want? Is it?”

Her face soaked with tears, Y/N shook her head and gingerly hoisted herself up. “You said this could be dangerous!”

The woman’s expression softened slightly and she took a small step forward. “This is a risk we have to take.”

Sensing the opportunity, Y/N lurched towards the door, screaming in protest. Her mother swung the black book and slapped Y/N across the face with it, hard enough to knock her daughter to the ground again. For a moment, Y/N’s mother stared at her daughter lying propped up against the bathtub glaring at her, and tears stung her eyes as conflict bubbled inside her. She gently placed the book on the edge of the sink and hurried outside the room, locking the door behind her and wishing Y/N luck.

Rushing to her feet, Y/N banged against the door, screaming and pleading until her fist went numb, and her vocal cords grew too raw to make more than a whimper. She stepped back and wiped her tears away with the sleeve of her dress. Forcing herself to inhale slowly and deeply, the cool air that filled her lungs cleared her mind as she built up the limited magic energy flowing inside her. Staring ferociously at the door, white sparks violently danced around her, glowing brighter and filling the windowless, dark room with vibrant flickering light. She raised her palms and electric energy shot up her arms and surged towards the entrance. She stood frozen, feeling completely helpless as the energy fizzled out before reaching the door, plunging her into darkness once again. All her energy dissipated and she perched on the edge of the bathtub. Eventually, she felt around in the dark, searching for candles and matches from the cabinet underneath the sink. Accepting defeat, Y/N lit a candle and began to read the black book.

Just before Y/N reached the last page, an aggressive commotion in the kitchen interrupted her. She snapped the book shut, cast it aside and pressed her ear against the door, her heart pounding in her chest. Her father was bellowing indistinctly at her mother, who wailed apologies while standing near the bathroom. As the argument reached its crescendo, Y/N heard a muffled thud, followed by a sickening silence. She shivered and strained her ears, her breath catching painfully in her chest, leaving her head swimming. Hurried footsteps charged towards the door and Y/N leapt away from the entrance. A heavy key turned in the keyhole, releasing the lock with an echoing click. The door slowly creaked open. Faint candlelight poured into the bathroom, revealing her mother’s figure looming in the doorway. She rushed towards Y/N, embraced her tightly and ran her clammy hands through her daughter’s hair. Y/N could hear the panicked woman’s racing heart and haggard breathing, and, feeling sick with suspense, she pulled away and held her mother at arm's length.

“Where’s dad?” Y/N demanded, her voice holding strong despite the lump in her throat.

Her mother sighed and squeezed her eyes tightly shut, before meeting Y/N’s gaze with a painted smile. “Did you manage to read the whole book, you clever girl?”, she asked, her sugary words dripping with false composure.

Y/N pushed past her mother and raced into the kitchen, slipping and falling to the floor once she had reached the table where her cake still sat, untouched. Landing in a puddle of red next to her father’s lifeless body, her shocked cry caught in her throat, leaving a sour taste as she understood the scene beside her.

“He didn’t understand, sweetheart,” her mother explained, deadpan, from behind. “We can start a new life together now, just the two of us.”

Y/N placed a hand on her father’s pale face and attempted to wipe away the blood trickling from his gaping head wound. His eyes stared blankly into the distance and his mouth was slightly agape, frustratingly relaxed for a man who laughed at his own terrible jokes and told bedtime stories so vividly that Y/N felt she had lived through every book in their meagre library collection. Her father. The man who would smuggle her sweets from his coat pocket and scour her bedroom for monsters in the dead of night, would smile at her no more. Y/N hesitantly picked up the bloodied rolling pin and sat fixated on the feeling of the smooth, sticky, heavy object in her hands until her mind went blank. Fury and dismay boiled inside her, heating every inch of her trembling body until she lost control. Magic energy surged around her and the once weak, white lighting sparks now grew black and strong, as significant power flowed through her. As she rose to her feet, she noticed darkness had spread down her right leg and covered both arms from her fingertips to her elbows. She turned to face her mother, who now cowered in a corner, and strolled towards her.

“Stay away!” her mother shrieked, shielding her face with her arms. “I had to do it for us! We need to stop these people from bringing Zeref back.”

Y/N swung her arms and crackling lightning burst from her palms, engulfing her mother and knocking the woman off her feet and through the window behind her. Shards of glass flew as she shattered the window and landed in a crumpled heap in the long grass outside. The dark marks on Y/N’s skin faded with her anger. Exhausted, she took a shaky step forward, and collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

Rain thundered down onto the roof of the cottage and a fierce wind howled in the early morning hours when Y/N awoke. Her muscles burned and her head pounded as fragments of the night returned to her. A rancid, rusty odour filled the kitchen, reminding her of her loss. She wearily pulled herself up onto her feet, swaying slightly from fatigue, and trudged outside. Her mother lay in the grass as pale as her father, the rain glistening on her lifeless skin, and her body was contorted from the impact. Horrified by her actions, Y/N dropped to her knees, grabbed her mother's shoulders and shook her frantically. Tears merged with the rain and streamed down her face, blurring her vision.

“Wake up, mum,” she croaked. “Please. I didn’t mean to hurt you!”

Y/N placed the woman’s body gently back onto the ground and tucked stray strands of hair behind her ears. She traced her mother's eyebrows and gently kissed her cheek before wrapping a heavy arm around her and curling up against the cold body. Y/N sobbed and mumbled countless apologies until the rain eased into a light drizzle and she heard the church bell ring in the distance, beckoning the sleepy villagers to gather for the morning service. Her heart sank further as she realised that people would notice her family was missing before the service would even start, and she knew the priest would send someone over to check up on them. This person would find her alive in a brutal scene and in her mind, she imagined they would look through her and see who she was now. What she had become. A monster. A devil who easily murders those she cares for. As she started to fear the dark marks would appear again and consume her entirely, she made the decision to flee before she could hurt anyone else.

Y/N sprinted into the kitchen, gathered the few items of food she could procure from the shelves and stuffed them into her father’s camping bag, along with her blankets and pillows. She searched the cottage for small possessions that she could sell in order to purchase a ticket on a boat to Hargeon. A wonderful-sounding place grandma had described in breathtaking detail. Her frayed rabbit lay on her bed and Y/N hugged it tightly, desperate to subdue the loneliness that grew inside her, before attaching one of its arms onto the bag with fishing wire she had found in her father’s toolbox. As she headed towards the main entrance, she paused by her birthday cake. Y/N grabbed a handful of the stale cake and closed her eyes as the sweet sponge coated the inside of her mouth with sugar and vanilla flavouring. Once the whole thing had been devoured, she clutched her rabbit’s hand, bit back tears, and left.

[moonpiepig]

Love-struck - Chapter 2

Y/N takes a trip down memory lane as they prepare themselves for a long-lasting journey together. 

This chapter takes place the night of the festival after Laxus is expelled.

Y/N frantically rapped on the worn door and stepped back, placing a hand on the frame to steady herself as she raggedly inhaled. Her heart pounded in her ears and her muscles burned from the intense sprint, aggravating the bandaged wound on her leg. She tightened the lightly bloodied cloth and hoped she hadn’t made the injury worse in her haste. A soft scuffling from nearby reminded her she had more important things on her mind.

As Y/N leaned forward to bang harder on the door, it swung open, revealing a disgruntled Laxus, and her fist met his solid chest. He scowled at the source of the impact with a grumbled threat halfway out his mouth before recognition lit his eyes. Y/N pushed past him and stormed into the apartment, her face heated with frustration.

“I waited for you for hours!” she snapped, her blazing eyes meeting his. “I was starting to get worried when Evergr-.” She froze, noticing a large bag bursting with clothes balancing on a sea of cardboard boxes peeking out from the bedroom. Y/N stabbed a finger towards the messy pile. “What is this?” She demanded accusingly.

Laxus rubbed the back of his neck and sighed, staring across the room above her head. “I’ve been kicked out.”

The room became still. Y/N’s eyes burned into Laxus’ face, searching for the slightest hint of insincerity, slowly discovering nothing but his sadness and frustration festering inside. Laxus’ gaze bore into the wall, refusing to look at Y/N’s softening features.

“I’m going to take off and travel around a bit,” Laxus admitted.

“Were you even going to tell me? You can’t just leave without saying anything!” Her shout stunned Laxus for a second, leaving him numb from the blow.

“You mean like you did?” he retorted, raising his voice and prodding her shoulder, stepping in close to her. The warmth of his breath rushed across Y/N’s face and her throat tightened, choking back her retaliation.

The air grew thick with static as Y/N crossed her arms and turned away, blinking back tears. Laxus reached out tentatively to touch her shoulder, hesitation stalling him, and at that moment she strode towards the boxes before his fingertips could brush against her. She sniffed hard, wiping her eyes with her sleeve, and stuffed the clothes into the bag.

“When do we leave?” she croaked, firmly pulling the bag strings into a tight knot. “Thunder Legion and hiatus aside, I’m still your partner.”

“We should leave in the morning.” He reluctantly swallowed his protests and gestured towards the sealed boxes. “I packed away all your things after… All of them are labelled so it shouldn’t take too long to find what you need.”

“Thank you.” Y/N made her way through the cardboard maze into the bedroom, leaving Laxus to finish packing in the living room.

The bedroom was in complete disarray. The wardrobe had been stripped bare and the items of clothing Laxus had deemed unimportant, had been left scattered across the floor. Pools of various trinkets that had once brought personality to the room, lay spread across multiple surfaces waiting to be sifted through. Despite the chaos, one half of the bed appeared to be untouched, with crisply tucked in sheets, plump pillows and a neatly arranged fleece blanket on top. Y/N perched on the edge of the bed and ran her hand across the soft fabric. A small sigh escaped her as she reminisced about the long nights she had lain on the sofa wrapped up in this blanket, waiting for Laxus to arrive back after a solo job. She heard movement behind her and Laxus appeared in the doorway.

“I was going to say goodbye,” he said tenderly, fidgeting with a roll of tape. “To you. At the parade tonight.”

“Okay.” Y/N’s voice was small as she smiled sadly, her eyes locked on to his.

After a short pause, Laxus cleared his throat and turned, swiftly leaving while mumbling an excuse about preparing food. Ripping the tape from a tattered box by the nightstand labelled ‘books’, Y/N began to filter through her old belongings.

Y/N woke with a start and shot bolt upright on the cold, wooden floor. Squinting at the contents of the room outlined by the moonlight glimmering through the lone window, she recalled her whereabouts. She stretched her stiff muscles and flicked the switch on a nearby lamp, flooding the room with a hazy, orange glow. Over the past few hours, Y/N had shoved the necessities for the trip into a borrowed bag and sealed away the rest to be left in storage. She had taken a break to flick through a short book on Lost Magic and had felt her heavy eyelids droop while nestling against the foot of the bed. The last thing remaining was an opened shoebox with her name scrawled across it, lying next to her.

Rummaging through the few objects inside, she felt something sharp slice into her finger and jerked back her hand. A tiny sliver of glass protruded from her now throbbing finger. Y/N carefully removed the glass with a grimace and searched for the culprit, finding a worn picture frame with a spider web crack distorting the image within. Once she had staunched the blood with the bottom of her shirt, she chuckled softly, recognising the photo. That day, Makarov had sat on the bar table with his arm around Y/N and had hurriedly raised a glass with his other hand, soaking Laxus’ dark mustard shirt with the contents. Both Makarov and Y/N had beamed at the camera, oblivious to Laxus glaring at them. Still smiling, she gently placed the frame back inside the box and extracted a delicate chain. She snatched a folded piece of paper that had been wedged into the clasp before it could drift down by her feet. Y/N fastened the necklace around her and ran her thumb across the small, silver star pendant that Laxus had presented to her 4 years ago when they had celebrated her birthday in a cute café. Y/N had been caught off-guard feeling drowsy after eating one too many cat cupcakes and had sat speechless, staring at the sparkling star until Laxus rose to his feet threatening to return it.  

Y/N held the paper close to the light and peeled back the crinkled folds, revealing a single, pressed, white lily. The pale petals were stained with vibrant pollen and the ends had almost disintegrated. Her brows furrowed as she tried to recall pressing a lily for any significant reason, but her mind drew a blank. Her thoughts turned to Laxus and as she made the decision to ask him about the flower, she realised how loudly the silence rang through the room. She was alone.

Y/N tucked the lily into a book and grabbed her bag, hopping over the boxes and ignoring the searing pain in her leg as she rushed out of the apartment. She slammed the entrance door behind her and turned to make her way towards the stairs, immediately tripping over something blocking her path. Once she had caught her balance, she spun round to face the obstacle, and her irritation was quickly extinguished once she found Laxus sitting hunched over on the corridor floor, his head held in his hands. He looked up with red-rimmed eyes as Y/N knelt down in front of him, gently wiping his tear-stained cheeks with the back of her hand.  

“What happened?” she whispered with concern.

“Gramps,” he mumbled gruffly.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“No, not today,” he said as he took her hand and lead her back inside. “Let’s just go to sleep.”

A/N: I can't believe this took so long to finish! I ended up catching Covid after going on holiday to reunite with some old friends and since then the exhaustion has been real...

However, we now finally have chapter 2 of Love-Struck. While writing, I had to think how Laxus would live on his own while Y/N was gone and I couldn't get the idea of his only using one side of the bed (his side) during this time out of my head :'(

Has anyone got any thoughts about where the lily came from?

[ab4eva]