I’ve given up fighting my ocs and have finally accepted that Virgo is in fact trans gender (more detailed explanation under cut)

(She is a trans woman that would really want to transition but she doesn’t really have time to think about gender when the plot is happening- so Virgo is he him in present she her in epilogue and transitions after the plot is done :)

( Also the sketch and face closeup)

Laxus and Lucy Ship Week 2017: Day 3

I said repeatedly to myself that I would not write any angst for this prompt. I had a plan and everything for it to make it this big ball of fluffy garbage to make up for yesterday. (Laxus was going to cry while cutting onions and Lucy was going to tease him relentlessly) Not to say I don't like fluffy garbage, because let's face it, everyone needs fluffy garbage. It's like crack. Crack-ship crack. Will that happen? Nope. My brain did its brain thing and was like "I'm so disappointed in you. Where is your creativity? Because you suck so badly, you are now going to write a medium AU. No exceptions. And you know what? I'm going to be a dick and make you continue this in another prompt. You're welcome." The last thing I will say in this huge author's note, is that you can thank my brain for this, because I had no intentions of writing it. At all. This will continue on in the last prompt of the week 'Father'. Day 3: Tears. ___ "Here's your change, sir. Thank you so much for choosing Celestial Café!" The petite blonde heaved a tired sigh as one of the few costumers she'd had that evening left the establishment, the little bell above the door chiming as it shut behind him. She glanced around, the few employees working their shifts were doing their jobs diligently. Everything was in order, so she decided it was time for a quick break. Lucy Heartfilia was the proud owner of the small red-brick building. It was nestled in between the town's only library, which so happened to be run by her very best friend, and a new dojo that had opened up just a few days ago that was oddly named Fairy Tail. She was quite young to own her own business, and it was hard at times, but it was so worth it. The blonde found it ironic that the business lessons forced upon her by her father became so very useful later in life. She'd detested them back then, but now she was grateful. He may not have been the best father to her, but in doing what he did, he unknowingly helped her achieve her dream. And it was her dream. Her mother had been a culinary genius when it came to cooking, especially pastries. Growing up, Layla would always prepare the meals, even if her father thought it was servant work. Like her mother, Lucy knew that even though he always acted as though it bothered him to no end, he secretly adored her cooking. Being raised by a professional chef, Lucy was often right by her mother's side. The woman taught her everything she knew, and Lucy came to love cooking just as much. She continued cooking whenever she was able to sneak into the kitchens after her mother died, becoming fast friends with the chef hired by her father. The man, Bero, was amazed at her gift toward cuisine seeing that she'd only been eight at the time. That was when she discovered she had another, more unusual gift. Realizing that her thoughts had gone completely with the wind, Lucy lightly smacked her own cheeks in an effort to focus. "Aries." The blonde called to one of her employees, catching her right when she was coming back inside from her break. The timid woman walked around the counter to stand beside her, tucking a stray strand of cotton candy pink hair behind her ear. "Y-yes, Miss Lucy? I didn't take too long of a break, did I? I'm sorry!" The blonde gave her a soft, reassuring smile. "No, not at all. I was just wondering if you would mind manning the register while I took a break myself." Aries relaxed slightly, nodding enthusiastically, already entering her personal code into the register. "Of course I don't mind. Take as long of a break as you need, Miss Lucy!" A tall, ginger haired man leaned up against the counter beside the pinkette. He adjusted his tinted glasses on his nose, before giving her a charming grin. Not giving him the chance to open his mouth, Lucy thanked the woman before retreating to her office where she grabbed her purse and her water bottle. She left out the back door, walking a little further down the narrow alley that separated her café and the dojo, taking a seat in one of the fold out chairs she'd placed their for her employees. Setting her purse on the tiny iron table next to her, she dug through the chaos within its depths to find her lighter. With a victorious internal cheer, she finally found the damn thing and took a cigarette from her pack. Taking in a deep drag, she leaned back in the chair, tipping her head back and closing her eyes. Smoking was a nasty habit, she knew. But she needed a convenient way to take the edge off. Recreational drugs were off of the table, and other than the rare joint she had shared with friends in college she refused to touch the stuff. As much as day drinking appealed to her, some days more than others, she had a business to run and she needed to be coherent enough to keep it afloat. Her gift, as one might call it, was also her curse. It was a constant hum, one she'd once thought everyone experienced, buzzing within the depths of her mind. Depending on where she was or who she was near, it ranged from a barely there vibration to a violent jackhammering in her skull. Then there were the whispers. Whispers only she could hear unless the spirit was strong enough to make their presence known to others. Even then, that person would have to have a decent sensitivity to the paranormal. Yes, she said spirit. Lucy Heartfilia, proud business owner at the age of twenty two, was a medium. She talked to the dead on a daily basis. After graduating high school early, she went to college to get a degree in business. She hadn't needed to go to culinary school. Even after death, her mother continued teaching her everything she knew. Layla had stayed with her until the café's opening day, at peace knowing her daughter followed her dream. Her employees knew about this gift. They'd picked up on her seemingly odd quirks, and only thought her strange until Aries came along. Damn Loke. He was an annoyingly persistent entity. She'd tried ignoring him at first, but he just kept finding new ways to pester her. And when that didn't work, he tried again. And again. And again. And again. Until one day, she just snapped. In the middle of cleaning up the café at the end of the day, she'd whirled around while attempting to count the register - over his obnoxious voice shouting out numbers at random to make her lose count - and yelled for him to shut up. They'd all looked at her like she'd grown a second head, wondering if she'd finally completely lost her mind. Catching herself, she'd told them to get back to work. But Loke had the tenacity of a lion and wouldn't have it. He'd finally gotten her to talk to him, and he wouldn't let the opportunity escape his grasp. It was then that Lucy found out he had more power than any spirit she'd ever encountered. Everyone had watched, stunned into silence, as the lights surged above her head. The tip jar, tray of assorted cookies, and sample jars of homemade jams she made and sold went sailing off of the counter, crashing to the floor and shattering. Afraid he would get violent, she had no choice but to do as he wished. She'd explained what was going on and passed his message to Aries, who happened to be his girlfriend from when he was alive. Apparently, from what she gathered, Aries was raised by abusive parents. When they'd started dating, and he'd found out, he'd been livid. Confronting them had gone horribly wrong. Her mother, Karen, was completely unstable, her father a drunkard. She'd threatened to burn the entire house down if he didn't leave and never come back, but he'd refused to leave without Aries. She'd left the room, and thinking the fight was over, he had Aries wait outside while he packed up some of her things. What neither of them knew, was that Karen was in the kitchen cutting the gas lines to the stove. Karen, Loke, and her father who had been passed out in the living room, died in the explosion. Debris knocked out Aries in the front lawn, and she'd woken up in the hospital three days later to find out they were all gone. Loke just wanted to let her know that she needed to stop blaming herself. Surprisingly, the entire staff was cool with her ability, and accepted the odd occurrences that would sometimes happen in the café. Because no, she couldn't get lucky, and instead of moving on, Loke decided to stick around. It wouldn't even surprise the small blonde if he only did it to agitate her further. She'd even reconnected a few more of her worker's lost loved ones. Scorpio's wife Aquarius was glued to his side. She was a joy. Not. She flooded the bathrooms on a daily basis. Aiden's father, Horologium, kept watch over him in relative silence. He was a nice spirit, though the man constantly tampered with every clock or watch in the place, as he had crafted them by hand when he was alive. Lyra was followed by Virgo, who was the maid that basically raised her from a small child because her father was some sort of Duke and was rarely around. There were a few more, and they had all tethered to Lucy to keep them from becoming wandering souls before they wanted to move on. And that was fine, it just wore her out sometimes. The sound of a door opening and shutting near her snapped her out of her thoughts, and made her realize she'd been zoning out for so long that her cigarette went out. The blonde stuck it in the bucket of sand meant for butts and fished out a new one. It was a waste, but she hated nothing more than the taste of a relit cigarette. Even the thought of it made her cringe. Just as she took the first inhale, a large sigh was heaved and a person was plopping down heavily in the chair beside her. And she immediately started drooling. This man…was a god. Thick chiseled muscle everywhere. He was so tall and just large that the folding chair he was sitting in groaned with his weight. Thanking the Gods that he was shirtless, her eyes studied the tribal tattoo etched into his muscular pectoral and shoulder in black ink. Amongst the thick black design was the same symbol used by the dojo he had just exited from. She had seen several other members sporting the same mark, and often wondered if it was a requirement to join. It resembled an oddly beautiful cross between some sort of bird and a fairy. 'Do fairies have tails?' She mused internally. Stormy blue eyes glittered in the lamplight, spikey blonde hair just a shade or two darker than her own. Defined jaw. Slightly crooked nose, but it didn't hinder his attractiveness in any way. The thing that stood out the most though, was the jagged scar that cut through his eye. It looked like a lightning bolt, and just fit his appearance so well that she couldn't even picture him without it. "You done checking me out now?" A deep, smug voice asked. Heat crept up the back of her neck when she realized she had been ogling him. Refusing to stutter like a fool in front of this Adonis of a man, she rolled her eyes and took a lazy drag. "Yeah right. Can I help you with something?" The much larger blonde arched a thick brow. "What makes you think I need anything?" She gestured to the seating area with the hand holding her cigarette. "Well, seeing as these are my chairs and tables, I had a right to assume you sat here with me for a purpose." "Sheesh. If you're gonna be stingy about some cheap folding chairs, then I'll just go." He huffed and rose to leave. Without fully understanding why, she reached out and grasped his wrist, tugging him back down in his seat. Though, she had a feeling that if he hadn't wanted to sit back down, she wouldn't have been able to move him at all. "Wait. I never said you had to leave. Just make sure that if you or anyone else use these chairs, that you leave room for any of my employees if they want them." He smirked at her. "Deal. Now, can you quit holding my hand?" This time, the blush lit up her entire face, and she snatched her hand back to fast that it slapped against her bare thighs. Fidgeting with the hem of her skirt, she mumbled out an apology and tried to ignore his amused chuckles. "Mind bumming me one of those?" He asked when his mirth faded. Blinking at him in surprise, she reached into her purse and then offered him the open pack. "You smoke?" He just seemed so healthy and in shape, and not the usual type to do such a thing. After using her lighter and taking the first drag, he slouched a little in his seat, suddenly seeming exhausted. "Only sometimes. When the time calls for it." He looked at her and she was stunned to see the sadness swirling in his gaze. "Today was just one of those days." Before she could respond, a deep sigh sounded next to her. A ridiculously tiny man was now standing in between them. She had never seen a grown person so small! He wore an orange tracksuit, the dojo's symbol printed in a contrasting white on the breast pocket, and a funny little hat. His white hair poofed out on the sides of his head, the color matching the mustache on his upper lip. And he was gazing at the brute of a man with so much grief that it made her heart clench involuntarily. The little old man shifted to look at her, and his eyes widened almost comically. "You can see me?!" He shouted in disbelief, and a stray cat startled from further down the alley, bounding away like a bat out of hell. When she noticed that the man sitting next to her was looking in the direction the cat came from, Lucy gave the spirit a miniscule nod. After a beat of surprise, the spirit scrambled closer to her and she fought the urge to back away at the intrusion to her personal space. "Please! You have to help my grandson. He's not coping well with my death, and I don't want him ruining his health or everything he has worked so hard to achieve. Please, I beg of you, child. Help him find closure!" His face was serious, and his voice was pleading and urgent. She wanted so desperately to respond to him, but the other blonde was looking at her again. "You alright there, Blondie? You look like you've seen a ghost." He teased. Lucy forced herself to turn to him, and the urge to laugh hysterically at how true his statement was bubbled up in her throat. She pushed it down, instead focusing on the name he'd called her. "In case you haven't noticed, you're blonde too. But yeah, I'm alright. Just zoned out for a minute there." She waved him off and extended her hand to him. "I'm Lucy, by the way. I own Celestial Café." He shook her hand with a small grin. "Laxus. I run the dojo. Gotta say I'm impressed, you're a bit young to own your own place like this. Either that, or you look way younger than you are." She stuck her tongue out childishly and put out her finished cigarette. "I'm twenty-two, thanks." Standing up, she gathered her purse (and her courage) and smiled at him. "Well, it was nice meeting you. This might sound odd, but I actually have something I need to discuss with you. Stop by tomorrow night after the café closes and I'll treat you to some free dessert." Laxus looked at her strangely before smirking smugly. "Huh. Only known me for all of ten minutes and you're already asking me out. I think that's a new record, Blondie. But sure. I'll be there." Resisting the urge to smack the smirk off his face, the blonde only huffed and walked back into her café. She had no idea how to go about bringing all this ghostly stuff to a stranger, but she knew for a fact that she was not looking forward to it. }{}{}{ The next day, unfortunately, flew by. She now found herself compulsively wiping down all of the tables for the fourth time since she'd closed up shop. Having already prepared scones with fresh berries, a small platter of assorted cookies, and would ask him what he wanted to drink when he got there, all that was left to do was wait. Gods, she was nervous. Normally when confronting someone about a spirit, which she tried not to do often, she would never really have to see that person again so it wasn't that big of a deal. With Laxus though, it was different. He worked right next to where she did and would probably run in to him often. If this went south for any reason, things could get sticky. The last thing Lucy needed was for him to spread it around that she was a freak. The door chime rang behind her, and she forced herself to stop furiously scrubbing the pristine table and face him. "It smells pretty damn good in here, Blondie." The large blonde said as he casually glanced around the café. Taking in a calming breath, she tossed the rag in the sink behind the counter and gestured to a booth where she had placed all of the snacks. "Go ahead and take a seat over there. Is there anything you'd like to drink?" Laxus walked to the booth and sat down, examining the deserts with interest. "What's your favorite?" The petite blonde gave him a sheepish smile. "Well, even though I know how to make all those fancy drinks, my favorite is just plain coffee with soy milk." Picking up a scone, Laxus raised a brow at her, but nodded. "I'll have some of that then." "Okay, it'll be right up." Taking two mugs off the drying rack, she filled them with freshly brewed coffee from the pot before retrieving the soy milk from the fridge. As she was putting everything away, a surprised grunt reached her ears. "Holy shit. That was the best scone I've ever had." Striding to the table, a mug in each hand, she watched in amusement as he reached for another. A sorrowful sigh alerted her of the tiny spirit sitting in the space beside the hulking man. "Lucky bastard. Those look delicious." He grumbled enviously. Lucy stifled a giggle, placing the full mugs in front of each of them and sat on the other side of the booth. "Thank you! They're one of my favorites. And they're very good with the berries." She suggested, blowing gently at her hot beverage before cautiously taking a small sip. They sat in silence for a while, well besides the spirit's grumbling, nibbling on the snacks and sipping at their drinks. After they'd eaten their fill, Lucy cleared her throat, squaring her shoulders. "I assume you're wondering why I needed to speak with you." Laxus straightened in his seat at the change in her demeanor and crossed his arms over his chest. "Well, I was pretty sure this was a date of some sort, but going off the look on your face I was clearly wrong." Too nervous to be bothered with his teasing, she took another deep breath. "Yes well… let me ask you something. And you have to promise to keep an open mind and to hear me out until the end, ok?" His thick brows furrowed. "Why do I feel like I'm about to get grounded or something?" Rolling her chocolate eyes, she huffed. "Just promise." He raised his hands in mock surrender before crossing his arms once more. "Alright, I promise." Tucking her hands in her lap under the table when they began to tremble, Lucy hoped he couldn't tell how nervous she really was. "Do you believe in ghosts?" "What?" He asked, eyebrows shooting up to his hairline. "Do you believe in ghosts?" She repeated. "Are you serious?" At her pointed look, he sighed and scrubbed a hand down his face. "No. Not really. They're just spooky stories invented to scare children." This was going to be harder than she thought. Why was she even hoping that she would get lucky and he would believe in their existence? She sighed. "What if I told you that they are, in fact, real?" "Then I'd sincerely hope you get the mental help you need." He said, but she could tell that he was only half joking since he was looking at her like she was wacko. A little angered, and actually kind of hurt, by his statement, she glared at him. "I do not need mental health. It's not like I asked for any of this. And here I was just trying to help you." "Help me?" A look of sudden understanding washed over his face and she gulped as he suddenly looked incredibly intimidating. "Oh, I see what this is. Let me guess. I have an evil ghost attached to me, and with the right price you'll get rid of it. Am I right?" Stunned at his accusation, she gaped at him for a moment. "Never would have thought a person like you would run that kind of scam." He spat, reaching to throw some Jewel on the table and leave. Her hand darted out before he could even pull the Jewel out of his wallet, and she looked at him pleadingly. "Wait, no. That's not it. You promised you would let me explain until the end. Just let me explain. Please?" Contemplating for a full minute, Laxus heaved an exasperated sigh and sat back down. "Fine. Start talking." He growled, shaking off her hand. "O-okay." Lucy looked down at her hands that were clasped together on top of the table, unable to meet his harsh glare. "I… I have this gift." He snorted, but otherwise kept quiet. "Sometimes it feels like more of a curse, but I try to help people with it." She finally lifted her head to look him in the eye. "I can speak to the dead." "And what does that bullshit have to do with me?" He scoffed. Glancing at the quiet spirit as he watched his grandson disapprovingly, she tried to muster as much courage as she could to get through this. Looking back to the dojo owner, she saw he was eyeing the empty space next to him out of the corner of his eye. When he brought his attention back to her, she spoke, cursing herself at the slight tremble of her voice. "You have a message from someone who cares for you very much." "Bullshit!" He roared, and she flinched back, half expecting him to strike her. Seeing her reaction, he tried reeling back some of the anger that surged through his veins. There was a few things he hated about people, and this was one of them. People like her, doing this, preyed on others by using their grief. It was disgusting and cruel. It angered him to no end, and he would've already left if he hadn't promised her he wouldn't until she was finished. One thing he prided himself on, was keeping his word. "Prove it." He bit out, ignoring the slightly disturbed feeling he got while watching her cower away from him. "I bet you can't, right? You've probably looked me up, and will tell me some generic shit to get me to believe this bullshit. Then you'll ask me to pay you to deal with the problem, right?" Lucy shook her head rapidly, willing the sting in her eyes to go away. Why was this so hard? She was used to people reacting this way. Treating her like scum because of something they didn't understand. The only people who had ever accepted her had been Bero, and her employees, plus some of the random people who had actually believed her throughout her life. But everyone else treated her poorly, thinking she was a freak of nature or a cruel liar. So why was this any different? How was this, the same situation she'd been in more times than she could count, hitting her this hard when she could usually just brush it off? "You heard me, Blondie. I said prove it." He said coldly, leaning back in his seat to express that he was waiting. Movement caught her eye and she watched as the spirit made a hand gesture. "Show him this, and he will understand." He said, looking at her sympathetically, as though he really didn't like putting her though this. She nodded minutely at him and turned looked at the expectant Laxus. Sucking in a shaky breath, she raised her fisted right hand above her head, turning it so that the back of her hand was facing him. Slowly, and almost cautiously, she uncurled her pointer finger and her thumb and watched his face. His response was immediate. He lurched in his seat, face draining of all color as he stared at her raised hand with shock and disbelief contorting his features. "How do you…" He trailed off, voice cracking. Lucy lowered her hand and gave him a gentle understanding smile. "Like I said, I have the ability to speak to the dead. I'm a medium. Your grandfather wanted to talk to you." Laxus stared at her for several minutes, deep in thought, and she jumped as he unexpectedly lurched to his feet. "Never speak to me again." His voice was low, threatening, and he never looked back as he left the café, disappearing into the night. Dumbfounded, she turned to look at the tiny spirit. He shook his head sadly. "Thank you for trying, child." He said softly, before hurrying off after his grandson. Lucy sat there for a long time, staring at the door, before she burst into tears. Laying her face on the cool surface of the table, the salty streams poured down her cheeks and on to the table as she sobbed openly. Sometimes, her gift was more of a curse. }{}{}{ Months passed, and besides spotting glimpses of him as he went to and from the dojo, Lucy never saw or spoke to Laxus again. Her coworkers knew something was wrong, as did the spirits who frequented the little café. They all took it upon themselves to do the majority of the work so that she wouldn't have to worry about it, and she was grateful. She just couldn't get over it. Never once had she been this bothered by someone rejecting her abilities. It was always at the forefront of her mind. She'd berate herself constantly over how she handled the situation, thinking of many different ways she could have done it differently. If she had done it another way, would it have turned out better? Would Laxus have accepted her gift and listened to what his grandfather had to say, so that he could finally be at peace and move on? It bothered her to no end that she would never know. So, imagine her surprise when the man himself came barreling into the café as she was just about to lock up for the night. "Laxus!" She gasped, as he easily towered over her small frame. "Let's say that you were telling the truth. That gramps really is here and wants to talk to me. What would be so important that he would stick around after death? Huh? What would he say?" He demanded, gripping her upper arms tightly. He looked haggard, exhausted. His eyes were red-rimmed and puffy as though he'd been crying hard about all of this. Over-all, he looked desperate for answers. She smiled softly at him, despite the pain from his strong grip. "How about we sit down and ask him, Laxus." Laxus stared at her for a moment, before his eyes widened and he ripped his hands away from her body as though he'd just realized what he was doing. Lumbering past her, he plopped down at a booth and ran a hand through his disheveled blonde locks. Rubbing her arms, wincing at the tender flesh, she walked to him and lowered herself into the seat adjacent to his. The tiny spirit made himself comfortable on top of the table so he could face them both, sitting with his legs folded and his hands in his lap. "Get on with it." Laxus grunted. Ignoring his demanding tone, she turned to smile at the spirit. "I never got your name." He returned her smile. "It's Makarov, child." "It's nice to meet you officially, Makarov. I'm Lucy." She introduced, aware that Laxus was looking at the empty space where his grandfather was sitting rather skeptically. "Now, would you mind sharing what you wished to tell your grandson?" Makarov gazed at the imposing man with sorrowful eyes. "I need for him to know that I would do it again without hesitation. Anything to keep him safe." She relayed the message, heart clenching when his stormy blue eyes glazed with unshed tears. "Can he hear me?" He rasped. At her nod, he looked to the empty space. "Gramps, you senile old man. You should have never done it in the first place." Makarov scoffed. "And what? Left you with him? What kind of grandfather do you take me for, brat?" "Yes! Then at least I would still have you." He said angrily. "You left me alone, gramps." When there was a lull in the conversation, her passing along what the spirit was saying, she cleared her throat delicately. "Would you mind explaining what happened?" She asked them respectively. Laxus remained silent, glaring at the ceiling, so Makarov sighed and began the tale. "My son, Laxus's father, was a problematic man with a raging drug addiction. He wasn't always that way. As a child and into his teens, he was actually a very kind boy. Very smart too. For reasons I still do not know, he dropped out of college in his second year, often getting into trouble and having me bail him out of jail. A year or two later, he showed up on my doorstep, a little bundle in his arms. Apparently, someone had left the child on his porch with a note stating that the baby was his son and that his name was Laxus. "Ivan wanted nothing to do with any of it, so I took the child in. I didn't see Ivan again until a few months later. He was sober, said he got a job and that he wanted to raise his own son. So I let him. A few years later, when Laxus was three, Ivan moved back to town in search of a new job. He moved in to a house down the street and everything was fine for a while. But then, when Laxus was four, he fell back in with the same crowd and started doing the drugs again. I waited for him to realize that what he was doing was wrong, and I often checked up on them to make sure that Laxus was being cared for properly. This went on for years, somehow Ivan managed to keep his job, and I never noticed the signs until it was too late." Makarov took a deep breath, before he continued. "When Laxus was about ten years old, I took him swimming. That's when I saw the bruises. Ivan had become abusive, and I hadn't even known. I thought that confronting him was a good idea, but it made everything spiral out of control. It made Ivan spiral out of control. "He lost his job, refused to let me see my own grandson, and started making and selling the drugs himself. I was conflicted. He was my own child, and I didn't want to report him to the authorities, but he needed to stop. One night I went over and broke into the house to speak with him. One look at the state of the house, and the still healing gash over Laxus's face and I was filled with rage. Ivan was already pissed because I was there, but the situation grew out of control. When I knew things were about to get violent, I told Laxus to run down the street to my house and call the police. Ivan panicked, grabbed his gun and shot me before shooting himself. We both died that day." Lucy couldn't stop the tears streaming down her cheeks even if she tried. Gazing at the irritated blonde man in front of her, she couldn't believe all that he'd been through. She thought having a neglectful and verbally abusive father was tough, but she couldn't even imagine how hard it must have been for him. "The hell are you blubbering about, Blondie?" He grumbled. She sniffled, snatching a napkin from the dispenser on the table and dabbing her eyes. "I'm just sorry you had to go through all that you did, Laxus." The larger blonde tensed briefly, before huffing. "I don't need your pity." Giving him a sad smile, she nodded. "I know." Makarov gazed between the two, something mischievous in his eyes. She gave him a questioning look, but he waved her off and grew serious once again. "Tell him that it was never his fault. He didn't need to be strong enough to handle it on his own at only ten years old. He was just a child." His gaze watered and he cleared his throat. "Tell him that I love him dearly, and that I'm so proud of him. He's taken my place at Fairy Tail and doing such a wonderful job. Let him know that I've seen how the dojo is thriving at this new location." The petite blonde relayed the message, and Laxus hunched forward, pressing his palms over his eyes. His shoulders trembled and his jaw clenched from restrained sobs. "Tell him that he needs to stop killing himself over it. To stop with the heavy drinking at home, and that he needs to take better care of himself. He is the only one I want carrying on Fairy Tail's legacy, and he can't do that if he's dead." Thick streams slipped past his hands, and he nodded his head. "Okay, old man." He croaked. The mischievousness returned to the elderly spirit. "And quit wasting time, you brat. You're twenty-seven. Find a pretty lady who, oh I don't know, is blonde and sees dead people, and give me some damn great-grandbabies!" Lucy relayed the message, and it took Laxus's strangled laugh for her to realize what exactly she had said. Her entire face flushed, the spirit's cackles only deepening the blush and embarrassment. Laxus wiped away his tears with the sleeve of his black dress shirt, an amused smirk playing at his lips. "God dammit, you old perverted geezer. You've been hounding me about making babies since I was seven." Lucy giggled despite her own embarrassment, but the way Laxus was now looking at her made her blush for a whole new reason. Makarov wiped a tear of mirth from his eye and smiled at the two blondes in front of him. It was time now, he could feel it, and from the knowing look the small woman was giving him he knew she felt it as well. "Laxus, it's time to say goodbye." She said, reaching out and placing her hand on top of his large one. He surprised her by flipping his hand and lacing their fingers together, giving it a small squeeze. "I love you, grandpa. Thanks for everything. I'll never forget you, old man." He said evenly, his voice only trembling at the end. "I love you too, brat. Keep making me proud." Makarov closed his eyes, and his body began to glow a faint white. After a moment, the light pulsated and he completely vanished. Laxus's eyes shot open wide as a large gust of warm wind blew past them, rustling their hair along with the napkins at their table. He looked at her for answers, and she smiled sadly at him. "He's at peace, and moved on." He nodded slowly, closing his eyes as a fresh wave of tears threatened to flow. He forced them back, gently squeezing her tiny hand. It was unreal, how light he felt now that the huge weight had been lifted off of his shoulders. It wasn't as though all of the feelings of shame and guilt were gone, that would take time. But he felt like he finally had closure after all of this time. He had hope. Peace. And it was all thanks to the woman he'd treated so poorly before. Stormy blue opened to meet chocolate brown and he smiled. "I don't even know how to thank you for this." He started. "But I do want to apologize, for how I acted before. I shouldn't have been so cruel." Lucy shook her head and squeezed back. "No, I understand." They gazed at each other for a long time, similar feelings of warmth blooming in their chests. After a while, Lucy reluctantly retracted her hand. "Are you hungry?" Laxus thought about denying it, not wanted to ask anything more of her in that moment, but the sudden roaring in his stomach betrayed him. Smiling brightly, Lucy stood and made her way to the kitchen. "I have just the thing!" And as Laxus watched her walk away, all he could think was that he could get used to this. Ghosts, tears, and all. ___ Fucking fin. Why do I do this to myself? This was supposed to be a short fluff piece, and instead it turned into an angsty, 6,000+ words piece about ghosts. Now I have to rush to write tomorrow's prompt, but even if it's a day late I will post it. Thank you all for everyone's kind words from yesterday's post. I didn't realize so many people would get so emotional over it. Sorry if I made you cry! Also, a big thanks to everyone who gave condolences for my friend. It was appreciated! The next one will be all fluff. Even if I have to hold a pillow to that voice inside my head that feeds me ideas until it passes out. See you all tomorrow for Protect!