☕Professional☕ Burger Flipper

The late fall chilling air blew strongly past the many thickly settled trees that lined the forests that surrounded Mangolia. Sending loose leaves barely attached to their branches free. Swirling and dancing almost like a whisper through the air past Laxus'sface. Huffing to himself, his cheeks a light dusty pink. He grabbed his scarf that he tied around his neck and held it close up to his nose to regain any sense of warmth.

His breath came out as small white puffs of smoke. As he tried to focus hard on his walking as he kicked a clear path on the dirt ground. Piles upon piles of leaves had littered the previously spotless hiking trails leaving them abandoned and an absolute chore to trudge through.

Pulling his scarf down he rubbed his reddening numb hands together. Before reaching up and lowering the volume of his sound pods. Music that would normally give him comfort now a mere distraction in this critical moment.

Hands reach up to cup the sides of his mouth he inhaled. “Bluebell! BlueBell where are you!? Ugh! I leave you out of my sight for one second and you go scuttling off. I swear when I find you you’re going straight into the punishment corner…”

Waiting a second he raised one of his eyebrows before an idea came to mind.

“With the cone of shame Bellie!” Another pause of waiting.

But, nothing that earned a sigh from Laxus. As he then stuck his newly forming frost bitten hands into his thick coat pockets. His face scrunching up as he continued to look around for Bluebell.

“Damn, that usually works. Jeez Bellie, where could you have gone this time? It’s almost nightfall now.”

Walking through a particular thick brush. Using his arms to smack the thin bare branches out of his face. Carefully back and frothing his steps on the ground to make sure his next step was on actual solid ground. Stealing a glance down at one of his favorite green shirts that had sustained a gross huge mud stain. A testament to him not being careful enough going up the hill towards the forest.

Reaching up to his cheek hissing as he felt a few thin scratches to his face. As a careless step near a huge rock had sent him flying forwards and towards the muddy ground. To be honest because no one was around to see him in one of his few weakest… or probably stupidest moments, he just laid there for a good while contemplating just why in the world he was trekking through the woods so late.

Eventually though he did force himself to get up and continue walking forward even with no sense of direction. The only thing truly motivating him was the thought of having to get the guild involved in such a silly situation. Ranking his hand over his face he rolled his eyes.

“God, I can hear Natus now. Oh Laxus cares about a little baby ducky how stupid is that- AAAHHH!”

Mid mocking statement Laxus had forgotten to mind his footing and when he was lost in thought. His foot that was meant to step on more mossy ground had in fact not. For that matter it met with nothing. Which sent him flying forward past the thick wiry bushes and down another slimy cold muddy hill. He merely tumbled his rather large body down until after moments of screaming did he finally meet the ground. But no Mother Nature couldn't stop there now could she? 

Oh no if she was gonna get him then she was going to make sure he knew never to come back to her forest ever again. Since when he finally met the ending of the hill his head had slammed onto a rather sizable rock with a loud crack. With everything in his vision going black. Except for in a strange instance before he lost consciousness he could have sworn he saw a mix of two bright colors. A cheery yellow and a dark crimson red?

                                                              -  

“Yeesh, god my head. Stupid hill, stupid forests, damned Bluebell!”

Laxus reached up to feel his forehead fully expecting a new open wound and blood. But was fully surprised when he touched bandages? Even his cheeks had bandaids on them? Man he truly wanted some space between him and the thunder legion while he was looking for Bluebell. He hadn’t yet told them about the little baby duck that had been following him around. So knowing they had found him only further fueled his annoyance.

“The fuck? Freed if you were going to bandage me you at least could have woken me up first.”

A deep chuckle rang out through the clearing in the forests. “Well it’s a good thing that I’m not your personal little lap dog then ain’t it.” Laxus’s eyes snapped open looking around until finally he landed on a familiar beloved thorn in his side.

“Of course it had to be you out of everyone I could have possibly run into. Today is seriously not my day.”

He watched as Gajeel smirked up at him. The way he crossed his legs and rested his head in his hand with such smug confidence it truly burned a new level of contempt for the man.

“Awh~ Ain’t too happy to see me sparky? Truly wounds me and here I thought we were finally making some progress in our relationship seeing that your just a big of a fuck up as me.”

Laxus tried to stand but as he stepped up his head immediately began to spin around making him rather fully dizzy and nauseous. Causing him to sit back down rather harshly.

“You're an idiot or something? You just smashed your head in too; take it easy for a second will you. Plus bandaging you up while you were knocked out wasn’t a simple task let me tell you. Has anyone ever told you that you move a lot when you're out cold?”

“Whatever, I don't have time for this.”

He watched as Gajeel then leaned back hands on the discarded crunching leaves that surrounded them. Taking a further look around where they were. It seemed to be a cleaning in the woods. There were a few trees around them but what was weird was it seemed like this was a massive ditch connected to the upper ground of the forests by the hill he fell down.

“Why the rush? Mean you ain’t got a happy guild to return to after all.”

That got Laxus, as electricity began to vibrate and pop around his form. As a particular nasty glare was thrown towards Gajeel. Which he could see got Gajeel who jumped just slightly but tried to play it off with a wave.

“Relax, anyway I’m in the same position as you. But I think I know why you're out here in the middle of nowhere.”

Laxus took a few deep breaths as reached up and turned down his sound pods. Turning them off with a light click. His lightning finally also cooling down.

“Alright then be my guest, why am I out here?”

“Probably because of this little nuisance.” As Gajeel spoke, reaching towards his thick hair searching for something.

Laxus watched as Gajeel seemingly found what he was looking for with a satisfied smirk on the man's pierced face. Watching as the man tugged his arm free of the mess of hair to finally pull out what seemed to be- “-Bluebell!” Laxus shouted.

A little bright yellow baby duck with a blue ribbon around her neck and a little bell attached to it. Angrily, her bill still snapped onto some of Gajeel's hair. Even as Gajeel tried to pull her out of the tangled mess.

“Bluebell huh, she like your pet or something? Never actually would have pegged you as a pet having kind of guy.”

Laxus then scooted towards Gajeel which caught the attention of little Bluebell. Seeing her eyes open up wide in shock as the little duck finally freed Gajeel's hair in her mouth. Before letting out small quacks of delight as she waddled over towards Laxus.

“Come here you little trouble maker.”

Laxus lowered his hands to the cold ground cupping his hands together as she jumped up and landed onto his palms. Finally able to let out a sigh of relief as he held Bluebell towards his face as she rubbed her little head against his bandaged cheek. A small smile on his face relieved that she wasn’t harmed.

“Where did you find her? I searched the whole guild, home, and even these woods.”

Gajeel just shrugged before absent mindily scratching his chin.

“To be honest I don’t truly know. All I do know is I was at the guild talking to you one minute then you vanish out of thin air. Thanks for that by the way, not like I was enjoying our rare conversations out in the open when they happen but it’s whatever.” He spoke with a bitter smile, which caused Laxus to roll his eyes.

“But once you left I wasn’t in the mood to listen to another book summary from Levy or consulate Juv for the millionth time today. And with Salamander being his usual annoying self I was not in the mood to fight him. So I came out here to train, when I realized somehow your little BlueBell had hopped into my hair.”

He then gripped the ends of his hair and twisted the long length to the side of him. Wringing out a pool of water from his hair. Which got a disgusted groan from Gajeel.

“She cried a ton when she realized she wasn’t at the guild or that you weren’t around. So I was going to find you and return her to you. But then I heard your bigass marching through the forest then eventually falling here. And I bandaged you up and that brings us to now.”

Laxus then lowered Bluebell down to the ground watching her waddle from his hand to inbetween him and Gajeel. Her little head looked back and forth between them. A puzzled expression was clear on her face. When Bluebell waddled towards the arm of his coat and tugged at it with her bill. Before going over to Gajeel's hair and trying to snap at it only for Gajeel to hold his hair up away from the baby duck.

“Nope, absolutely not. You tangled my hair up enough for today. Probably going to have to take me hours to get all the knots out.”

Laxus then slowly stood up feeling himself wobble just a little bit but balancing was much easier than before. As his vision didn’t blur this time or his head didn’t spin as much now. But Gajeel, catching sight of Laxus standing, frowned harshly.

“What did I say before? You're really stubborn huh? Well fine but if you fall again and if I have to carry you back to my house I swear to god Laxus.”

Laxus taking slow steps towards Gajeel by his side now. He then took a seat next to him before letting out a heave from moving too much in his state.

“I’m fine I’ve taken worse blows than this. But hey you have your comb with you though right?”

Gajeel nodded before reaching into his pocket and grabbing a thin wide tooth comb. “Why do you ask?”

Laxus then opened his hand.

“Give me it, I'll help comb out your hair.”

Gajeel then slightly blushed at that before a sly smile spread across his face.

“Oh going all soft on me now sparky? Ain’t like you to be all tender.”

Laxus groaned before snatching the comb out of Gajeel's hand and grabbing at his shoulders, roughly turning him around so that Laxus could face Gajeels back.

“Just shut up you saying stuff like that is exactly why I don’t do this sorta shit with you.”

The comment came out a bit sharper than Laxus had intended it too. And as the words left his mouth he felt a tinge of regret well up in his chest. Even more so when he saw Gajeel's shoulders slightly sag a little. But he didn’t say anything afterwards which made Laxus cringe. Taking a section of Gajeel's hair he began to gently comb through the ends and go up the hair's length.

“Look… You know I’m not good at being all soft and romantical. I told you that since the first day we started all this. I don’t exactly know what I’m doing here.”

Laxus watched as Gajeel moved around to cross his arms in front of his chest.

“Oh I know you made that perfectly clear when we first kissed, remember. You really know how to kill a good mood, you know that?”

Glancing towards Bluebell, the little duck had been waddling around exploring the area they were in. Before plucking a small flower with her bill. Then waddling back to the two standing in front of Gajeel she held a small little daisy. Big glassy eyes sparkling up at Gajeel with small tears in her eyes. Making Gajeel chuckle.

“What is this for me you little monster?”

“Quack!” She yelped loudly.

Making Gajeel pause before looking up towards the side. Placing a finger to his lips in a mock thinking session.

“I dunno, you did an awful lot of damage to my hair. And now sparky here has to do the grouling task of combing the mess you made~.”

“Quack!”

Gajeel then reached out and took the flower from Bluebell's bill.

“Well… I think you're offering such a lovely flower. I think that’s more than enough of an apology payment to make us even.”

Bluebell then let out another excited quack delighted. As she waddled closer to Gajeel's leg and climbed up his pants leg before landing tumbling to Gajeel's lap and curling up into a ball. Closing her eyes as her bell chimed loudly. As little small snores escaped her now heaving body.

“Real nice, she apologizes then falls asleep on me like I’m her personal bed.”

Laxus then leaned over and took the daisy from Gajeel's hand and tucking away a strand of stray hair that hung around Gajeel's face. He placed the daisy along the strand of hair behind his ear.

“It’s good it means she likes you.”

“Huh she seems to be the only one.”

“Hey.”

Laxus looked at Gajeels face but he just turned his face away to avoid Laxus’s gaze. So cupping his jaw Laxus moved Gajeels face back to look at him.

“Hey, come on, look at me.”

Gajeel finally locked eyes with Laxus.

“Alright I’m looking at you, what is it?”

“Listen, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to up and leave you at the guild. And I’m sorry that… That I’m cold to you while we're in public.”

“It really sucks. I hope you know that.”

“Yeah I can see that. I-I, god I’m bad at this. But what I’m trying to say is that I do care a lot about you and I really, really do like you. I’m just not used to being in an actual relationship much less a healthy long term one.”

Gajeel then leaned his side against Laxus’s chest. Resting his head against Laxus’s neck.

“You act like you're the only one in that position in this relationship. You know this is also my first real relationship too. It’s just sometimes I feel like you're mad at me or ashamed to be seen out in public with me.”

“I can see that and… I can stand to work on my anger. But I want to make something crystal clear.”

Laxus then placed a hand onto Gajeel's head and placed a kiss upon it.

“I am not nor would I ever be ashamed to be seen out in public with you. You're honestly quite a catch, Gajeel. I don't know if you know that.”

“Please flattery ain’t going to get you anywhere.”

“Oh yeah then why is your face all red?”

“Shut up! But if that’s the case then why does it seem like you avoid me at the guild?”

Laxus began to pet Gajeel's head.

“That is another thing I’ve got to work on. I avoid mostly everyone at the guild if I can, you see that right? But I, I’ll promise to work on it when it comes to you if it makes you feel that way.” Laxus then clicked his tongue. “I just don’t want the others to start running their mouths or making up rumors about us, much less you. We deserve our privacy.”

“Thank you and I get that but you know well and good as much as I do that there our guild, there basically family to us. Even if they do flap their gums about what they might think is going on between us they never would want any harm to come to us.”

Gajeel then chuckled.

“I think Mirajane would throw a huge party for us if she found out.”

“Ugh please don’t remind me I’ve had that dreaded thought for awhile now. You know I just don’t like my personal business out for everyone to know. But if you want to actively go public about us one day then I wouldn’t have a problem with it. Even if you are the best and most beautiful secret that I want to keep all to myself.”

Gajeel then looked up and leaned in closer to Laxus’s face.

“You should be open and soft more often. I like you complimenting me like this.”

Laxus smirked at Gajeel, inching closer.

“Hm I’ll think about it but I think if I do it too often your ego might blow up out of control.”

Gajeel shrugged.

“Maybe so but I love it when you're all romantic.”

“I bet you do, how about you show me how much you enjoy it metal head~.”

“I think I’ll take you up on that sparky been awhile since we’ve had some genuine alone time.”

“That’s true but let's remedy that.”

“Just shut up and kiss me already.” Gajeel spoke which caused Laxus to laugh.