From One Dragon To Another: The Next Tail

Chapter 2 - Trading Partners

"You have a proposition for me?" I asked curiously.

"Yes. If you become S-Class then I will ask you to marry me." Laxus replied.

Marriage?!

My face burst into a bright shade of red, my brain going into meltdown. I didn't know what to say. It's not the fact that I didn't love Laxus but, the fact that it feels like only yesterday when we started dating. It's just a bit sudden.

"Marriage? Are you sure? I mean we've only been dating over a year." I said.

Laxus came closer to me and held my hands, his eyes connected with mine and he looked at me adoringly like nothing else in this world was important.

"I know we haven't been going out overly long but, I know that you are the one for me, the one person who I would love for the rest of my life. I couldn't imagine being with anyone else but you, Akari." Laxus explained.

"Really?" I asked as I felt tears surfacing in my eyes.

"Of course. You've been in the guild now for almost a year and a half, even during that time when we weren't officially together, we still had feelings for each other, we naturally clicked." Laxus replied.

"I guess we did." I said as I smiled at him softly.

"If you're not ready then I entirely understand but, I'm hoping that you feel the same way and that my proposition would push you to become S-Class because, I know that you can do it." Laxus said.

Laxus used his marriage proposal as an incentive to encourage me to use my full abilities to become S-Class. Very clever.

"Laxus. I will make S-Class, even if you didn't mention the proposal but, you asking to marry me if I become S-Class, it makes the whole deal even sweeter for me. I will become S-Class, but more importantly, I want to be your wife, I want that even more than being S-Class." I said as I looked into his eyes.

"Then you go ahead and smash that trial Sparky." Laxus grinned as we both leaned in for a kiss.

Everything seems to be in place now, the only thing missing is that I need a partner for the S-Class trial. Everyone else seemed to have found a partner by the time I came back into the guild hall.

"So who are you all partnered with?" I asked the other S-Class contributers.

"Me and Happy are the dream team." Natsu grinned.

"Aye sir!" Happy announced.

"Loke offered to pair up with me." Lucy smiled.

"I'm going to help my beloved become S-Class." Juvia said excitedly.

"Yay…" Gray said sarcastically.

"Gray doesn't seem too happy about that." I mentioned with a giggle.

"Don't get in my way, love rival!" Juvia said as she stared at me intensely.

"I'm literally going out with someone!" I exclaimed.

"It's fine, I'm happy working with Juvia, really." Gray smiled.

"Really?!" Juvia said with a bright smile.

"Yeah, as long as you don't do anything weird around me." Gray replied.

"What about you Levy?" I asked.

"I'm pairing up with Gajeel." Levy smiled.

"Me and Evergreen are partners." Elfman said.

"What about you Akari?" Lucy asked.