Time Changes Everything

There's no way

   All Cobra could feel was pain, it seemed to eat him alive as he laid still on the cot. He could feel someone holding his hand tightly and the sound of sniffles loud in his ears, but he couldn't find it in himself to care, all he cared about was the pain. 

   It felt as if was about to tear him apart. The burning in his limbs and the way his head pounded with a headache had him wishing that the dimwitted idiot had killed him. The sound of sniffles brought him back to the present, cracking his one eye open, he glanced up at the being making the sounds. He stared at the face in front of his own, the brown eyes that made his heart speed up were bloodshot and puffy. Her cheeks that were so well rounded and full were covered in tear stains. She was shaking like a leaf, her hands cool to the touch. If Cobra looked close enough, he could see light bruising from a fight, which was weird because he didn't see any earlier.

   "Woah, come on Bright Eyes, there's no need to cry over little ol' me." Cobra chuckled, watching as Lucy's head snapped up, her puffy eyes meeting his.

   A bright smile spread across her face as she leapt forward, wrapping Cobra into a tight hug. He could hear how her breathing became labored and his shoulder grow wet as she began to cry again. All he could do was laugh as he wrapped her into his arms, finding solace in her hold. Her scent alone calmed his nerves, something that always happened when he was near her, even when they had taken her during Nirvana. 

   "You dumb snake, why would you come here? You should know better than to put yourself at risk like that." Lucy chastised him, burying her face into his neck as she breathed in his smell. 

   "I wanted to check on how you were doing Jiggly Bits, is that so much of a problem?" Cobra teased, laughing when Lucy bit into his neck softly. 

   "No, but at least wait for me at my apartment for when I get home instead of come charging into the guild where you are bound to get beat up." Lucy laughed, pulling away to look down at him.

   His normally tanned skin was a shade or so lighter and although his color was slowly returning, he still looked like shit. His bangs stuck to his forehead unattractively and his body was littered in dark bruises. Lucy growled under her breath, mentally reminding herself to beat Natsu even harder once he got better. Cobra raised an eyebrow at what he heard. Someone beat Natsu?

   "Who beat that damned firebreather this time?" Cobra asked aloud, watching as Lucy looked up at him sheepishly. 

   "Oh no way, you kicked Salamander's ass? Way to go Bright Eyes!" Cobra cackled, his head tossed back as he laughed. 

   Lucy smiled as she watched Cobra enjoy himself, she had never seen him so carefree before. Cobra's eye popped open as he chuckled, hearing the happiness that washed over her soul and made it practically sing in delight. He had never heard something so sweet in his life, it was truly breathtaking. Basking in the way her happiness seemed to roll off her soul in waves, he got lost in the symphony her soul sang. The soft baritone of his soul that fused with the soothing alto of hers and mixed together to form a wonderful tenor had his eyes widening in shock. Not once had he heard his soul harmonize so beautifully with someone else's and he was certain that he wouldn't hear it do something like this with someone else. 

   Cobra had found his mate, and surprisingly enough, Lucy seemed to notice the way his eyes held a sudden flash of seriousness in them and immediately drew to the same conclusion. How she could tell was beyond him, but he was too busy losing his shit to be bothered by it. Dragon slayers rarely found their mates and Cobra was more than okay with never finding his, in fact he didn't expect to, but now that he did, it hit him just how important this was. The sheer amount of love that he felt for her was unbearable and he was certain that he couldn't contain it. He felt the need to keep her all to himself, to protect her with his life and make sure she never felt hurt again. Cobra wasn't used to feeling compassion for another being, let alone a puny fairy that he had his heart set on destroying more than once.