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Chapter Text

Prompt: "Hey, can I hold your boobs for a sec?" for MystLu

"Damn Cana and her card readings," Lucy grumbled under her breath. The blonde had no doubt that card mage knew what she was doing, but somehow she always ended up getting the raw end of the deal. Without looking away from the book in her lap, the celestial mage glanced up at the man sitting across from her.

Mystogan, Fairy Tail's most reclusive member, had been paired with Lucy to carry a mission for the guildmaster. Were she younger, she'd think that the mystery that surrounding him was romantic. However, at twenty years old Lucy had outgrown such fantasies. She'd lived through far too many evils and only allowed such carefree thoughts to cross her mind when she sat down to enjoy a book or write her own.

Bored of reading, Lucy returned her worn book to her pack and pulled out the package she been given by the guildmaster. Knowing the old pervert, it was probably something important that had slipped his mind so he was sending the two of them to save face. She had no problem with the silent mage, she was actually appreciative of the change in volume as compared to her team. The man just intimidated her.

Even though she'd been in the guild for years and could easily stand toe to toe against Natsu, there was much she didn't know about the man with her. She knew a little about the kind of magic he used, though she could explain it verbally. She also knew what he looked like but had never heard him speak a word. When the two had received their instructions from the guildmaster, he had just simply nodded.

When they'd arrived at their destination, he was asleep. "Myst, we're here," she said softly, nudging his shoulder.

He cracked his eyes open and looked up at the blonde looking down at him. The two mages exited the train and headed to a former client's home. Mystogan maintain his usual aloofness while Lucy handled the talking. Apparently, they'd been tasked to deliver a written apology that had been expected weeks prior. Needless to say, the client was not happy. Luckily, Lucy was a socialite and was easily able to calm the man down and even managed to convince him to accept the guild's apology.

It was well after dark when they'd finally been able to leave. Lucy would have preferred not staying the night in town because they weren't exactly getting paid for coming all the way out here and she didn't want to spend her money. They didn't have a choice however, since the last train had already left for the night.

"I'll meet you at the hotel, I want to stop at the convenience store," she informed him, though she didn't expect an answer. "Would you like some more apples if they have any?" she asked, a sly smile gracing her face. If there was one thing she knew about the man it was that he loved apples. He simply nodded at her before she turned on her heel and walked to her destination.

Mystogan watched her go until she turned the corner then headed to the hotel. He could go and hopefully be able to get a room for each of them before she arrived at the hotel. He wasn't sure how she'd been able to hold a conversation with their client for hours, but commended her for it. She was a poster child for the guild and understood why she was preferred to handle delicate matters such as today's task.

At the hotel, he'd only been able to get a single room for the two of them and hoped that it had two beds. He was a private individual and while Lucy had been nothing but respectful, he didn't feel like sleeping on the floor so that she could have the bed. He waited in the lobby for her for about fifteen minutes and was concerned that he hadn't made it.

He left the hotel and headed in the direction she had gone. It took him no time to find the woman but she looked rather pissed with the man that was following, and no doubt harassing her. She didn't look in any immediate danger and stayed out of sight as they approached his position.

"Hey, can I hold your boobs for a sec?" the man asked her.

Lucy just ignored him and continued to the hotel. After spending all afternoon talking with that insufferable client while remaining calm had taken a toll on her and she was tired. The last thing she wanted was some creep talking her ear off and asking for favors.

The man, now annoyed with her for being ignored, reached out a clammy hand. Before he grabbed her though, she felt someone different throw an arm around her and pull her close. She recognized the bandaged wrapped arm and didn't fight off her companion.

"Who the hell are you?" the man demanded.

Mystogan only glared at the man and moved Lucy so that she was wrapped in his arms and they were just grazing the underside of her breasts. Lucy rolled her eyes, but smirked then stuck her tongue out at the creep. He quickly turned tail and left the two of them. When he had turned the corner, Lucy shimmied out of Myst's arms and reached into the grocery bag, revealing a candy red apple.

She offered it to the mage, who gladly took it before they continued to the hotel.

"Thanks for stepping in back there," she said. "Though that creep at least had the decency to ask if he could touch my boobs first."

The mage choked on the bite he'd just taken and stared wide-eyed at the blonde. She snickered at his flushed cheeks that were barely visible under the mask he wore. He looked like he wanted to say something but she'd just rendered him silent, which made her laugh even harder.

Chapter Text

Prompt: "I've never felt this way before, and I'm terrified to be honest." for NaLu

He was sitting at the bar, his eyes following his best friend. A year after the war with the Alvarez Empire, Lucy had finally finished and published her novel. It was a dream of hers that she'd had for a long time and tonight she, her guildmates, and all manner of individuals were gathered to congratulate the celestial mage on receiving an award for the book.

Naturally, he'd read it because it was something Lucy had written and he wanted to support her. "The Adventure of Iris" was a retelling of all that Lucy had experienced thus far at her time in Fairy Tail and he remembered each and every one of them. Starting from the day they met and ending with their latest trial that had ended only a year prior. Reading it had shown him just all that they'd been through in only a handful of years.

Their adventure wasn't over yet however. While she'd been working on her novel, he hadn't just been sitting idly waiting for her to finish. The fire slayer had been taking care of something rather important for his team and was more than ready for this night to be over. But this night was about Lucy, so he'd mingle and enjoy himself until she passed out from drinking too much, when he'd take her home.

As he shifted his weight to stand, Natsu felt a hand on his shoulder and looked over at Gildarts who'd taken the seat beside him.

"You've been staring all evening," he teased. Natsu looked away from the aged man, blushing and mumbled something about old men minding their own business. "So what're you gonna do?"

"Huh? About what?"

"A girl with a heart as big as hers is rare," he stated. "Not to mention her body-"

"Oh, come on," Natsu groaned, rolling his eyes. The man just laughed.

He knew that Lucy was beautiful; he'd seen wearing next to nothing plenty of times. Hell, he'd seen wearing nothing on more than one occasion also and didn't need to be told that she was gorgeous. He didn't care about all that though. He cared about the girl that had been through every adventure with him. She saved him just as much as he had her to make sure that they always returned home together.

"I care about Luce and I want to be with her forever."

"Then stay with her." He looked at Gildarts as the man threw back his drink.

"What am I supposed to say? I've never felt this way before, and I'm terrified to be honest," the fire slayer confessed.

"Who says you have to say anything, Natsu? If you want to be with her forever, then be with her."

He thought about the older man said and looked at the celestial mage who was standing with Erza. The blonde looked his way and waved, smiling gleefully. There wasn't a doubt in his mind that he wanted to be with her always, but would she understand if he said it that way?

He didn't know and didn't think about it again as spent the rest of the evening enjoying the revelries until it was time to take Lucy home. He carried her home, where she promptly stripped and climbed into bed, cuddling Happy. He had to pry the exceed from her grip just to get her to change and after doing so she clung to him and he was forced to lay with her until she'd fallen asleep.

The following morning he had his opportunity to tell her but as he looked down into her glistening brown eyes, he realized that Gildarts had been right. There was no need to define what he felt for Lucy, just as long as they could stay together forever.

Chapter Text

Prompt: "Cuddle with me you weirdo." for GrayLu

An irritated and exhausted Lucy, dragged herself home grumbling the whole time about how she needed to stop letting Natsu pick the jobs they went on. It wasn't an issue of them not earning enough or even losing part of the reward due to his occasional inattentiveness. It was the constant fighting and monster hunting that she was growing tired of. She could definitely fight and easily hold her own against the guild's elite, but there was more to mage work than just fighting.

Maybe she just needed to take a break for a week and let her body properly rest. That's exactly what she needed; to go home, take the longest bath imaginable, and then curl into bed with a good book. Just thinking about sitting in the hot water with her favorite bath salts to ease her tense muscles, put a skip in her step and she hurried home.

When she stepped inside, she locked the door and then made sure the widow had also been locked because she wanted no visitors tonight. Satisfied with her security measures, Lucy heated the bath with lavender salts, then laid out a pair of her favorite underwear and one of several t-shirts that Gray had forgotten at her place. It wasn't like he wore them anyway.

"Ahhhh, that feels nice, Lucy hummed as she lowered her body into the hot water, her body already starting to relax thanks to the bath salts. She rested her head against the back of the tub and slid deeper into the water till it reached her chin and closed her eyes. She had half a mind to just go to bed but her without her favorite cuddle buddy, she knew that'd be near impossible.

"Where is he anyway?" she wondered. It was nearly ten when she'd gotten home and the apartment had been empty. While she expected to remain empty while she was out of town, it wasn't unusual for her to come home and see Gray waiting for her. He had a spare key so that he could let himself in for instances like this when she was too comfortable in the bath or just unable to hear him knock. Maybe he had been waiting but left, thinking that she wanted to be alone

Lucy was enjoying her warm bath, but she also craved his touch at that moment. She loved the contrast between his cool skin and hers, how she always shivered at the first moment of contact from him. One would think that she'd be cold while he held her at night, but he always made sure Lucy was comfortable with a few extra blankets to keep the heat trapped between them.

The celestial mage sighed at the thought. Her plans for a nice night alone had been dashed due to her desire to spend the night with the ice mage.

Lucy, lost in her thoughts, failed to hear the ice mage return and rummaging around in the kitchen. She'd been texting him while she was on the train and he stepped out to buy a couple of her favorite sweet treats since she seemed stressed and worn out. He thought to surprise her when she walked in, but when he returned she was already in the bath.

He started to put away some of what he'd bought when he heard Lucy shriek followed by something crashing and the splash of water. Gray rushed to see what had happened and found the blonde sprawled on the floor with her legs still hanging in the tub. He raised an eyebrow at her, unfazed that she was naked.

"Hey, Gray," she greeted. "When did you get here?"

"Just got back. You good?" he asked, his eyes raking over her to make sure.

"Yep. I just stood up too fast."

Gray grabbed a towel and tossed it her, leaving her dry off. "You want some ice cream?" he called back from the kitchen.

She walked out of the bathroom and over to her bed. He watched her get dressed while he waited patiently for her answer. "Nope. I want cuddles," she answered, pulling back the covers on the bed.

"What?"

"Cuddle with me you weirdo," she whined.

Gray blinked at the blonde standing in front of her bad and pouting at him. "You just fell out of the bath and didn't care that I walked in on you naked and I'm the weird one?"

Lucy shrugged. "Maybe I've just gotten used to seeing you naked all the time. By the way, where'd your shirt go?"

"Hell if I know."

"Well if you're done talking about my being naked, will you come to bed?"

The ice mage walked over to her, forgetting the ice cream, and held his arms open for her. She met him halfway, shivering when his arms wrapped around her waist. "I will never understand why you love that so much, but I love your reaction, Lucy."

"Mmm, I love Gray cuddles."

Gray led them to the bed, smiling as she made herself comfortable against him. "Hey, Lucy."

"Yeah," she mumbled lazily.

"Love you."

"Mmm, you too, Gray. You... too." He rolled over, pulling her closer to him and kissed her forehead before he too, drifted off to sleep in the arms of his cuddle buddy.

Chapter Text

Prompt: "Oh... Well you're welcome to stay if you like." for Mineel

Minerva Orland huffed as she stepped inside her apartment, kicking the door closed behind her. She walked to the kitchen where she set her groceries for dinner onto the counter, then limped to her bedroom to change her clothes. She'd been running late that morning and in her rush to get to the office, had rolled her ankle. Looking at it now, it was swollen pretty badly and she needed to ice it. But that would have to wait because she was hungry, so she popped a couple aspirin to dull the pain and went back out to the kitchen.

She lived in what was the plainest apartments she'd ever seen, but the building wasn't far from her workplace and the rent wasn't half bad, especially for a recent college graduate. The woman worked as an operations specialist for a freight company in its newly developed international department. Minerva loved what she did, but her field was one that was dominated by men and had been for decades which meant she was barely respected, even though she was the head of operations for the international department.

Despite the lack of respect and how often the men tried to walk over her, she was the only one who knew how to do her job and do it efficiently without cutting corners. She had to tell herself that over and over on some days because it was hard, no matter how thick her skin was. Her relief to all that though was cooking. She didn't mind having to cleanup after work twelve hours because cooking was how she relaxed. It helped her feel closer to the mother that was barely a part of her memories.

As she started to peel then cut the eggplant she'd bought, she heard a faint scratching followed by a soft meow outside. Minerva, her weight shifted to her good ankle, stood on her toes and saw a black cat staring at her. Her neighbor had a cat didn't he? She didn't know if this was his cat, but it was wearing a collar so she walked over and opened the window to let him in.

The little guy started rubbing against her legs and she flinched when he touched her sore ankle. "I've already got food on the stove. I'll take you home when it's finished, okay?" The cat just blinked at her and followed her as she returned to the kitchen to finish cooking. When it was done and she'd scooped some rice into a bowl, there was a frantic knock on her door.

"Just a moment," she hollered as she walked to answer it. Whoever it was much not have heard her since they had knocked twice more before she opened the door. Standing on the other side was her neighbor, Gajeel, looking disheveled with dripping wet hair, a shirt that had been pulled on backwards, and jeans that weren't zipped up completely.

"I'm sorry, but have you seen a black cat? I left my window open and saw that yours was open too," he asked then took a deep breath.

Minerva couldn't help but to smile and giggle at him. "I think he's in the living room. I was just about to bring him over to you."

She moved to let him inside and cried out when she put too much weight on her ankle. Gajeel looked down wide-eyed and stepped inside where he lifted her into his arms and carried her to the couch. His cat lazily looked at him and jumped down when he shooed him away.

"Have you iced or wrapped this yet?" he asked, taking a closer look at her injury. He'd seen that his cat was here and was no longer worried about the feline but rather concerned for his neighbor. Her ankle looked bad and she looked to be in quite a bit of pain.

"Umm not yet," she admitted."

"When did this happen?"

"This morning."

Gajeel just sighed and asked her if she had an ace bandage or something. She told him to check underneath her bathroom sink. When he walked to said room and flipped on the lights, he took in his unkempt appearance. Embarrassed, he fixed his clothes and used a towel to dry off his hair a bit more then tied it back. Once he looked presentable, he grabbed the bandage and walked back out to where his neighbor was waiting.

"You clean up nice," Minerva teased."

"Yeah... sorry about that. I used a towel for my hair, hope that's okay."

"It's fine," she assured him. She watched as he knelt beside her and carefully wrapped her ankle. "You didn't have to do this, you know. I was going to take care of it after I'd eaten and cleaned."

"Don't worry about it. My way of saying thanks for letting Lily wait inside with you."

He went to the kitchen to get some ice for her and she thought about how she'd never really talked to Gajeel before. They'd introduced each other when she moved into the building and always said hello in passing, but this was her first time interacting with the man. He was good looking and she felt like a teenager all over again. When had she just spent time with someone that wasn't from work?

"So you're the reason the building always smells so damn good," he said when he walked back to the living room.

"Huh?" she asked, shivering when he placed the ice on her ankle.

"The food?" he raised an eyebrow at her.

Duh, Minerva... what else would he be talking about.

"Oh... Well you're welcome to stay and have some if you like," she offered.

"Really?"

Minerva felt her cheeks heat up, now unsure about her offer. What was she doing?! She didn't have people over for dinner. "If you'd like, that is."

"I'd like that." Minerva looked up to see him walking back to the kitchen with a smile on his face. Lilly jumped onto her lap and curled up, purring and thanked the cat for visiting her and bringing her her first friend.

Chapter Text

Prompt: "We're more than just friends and you know it." For LaxLu

It was a quarter to eight on Friday night and Lucy was stuck at the guild with Laxus, finishing up the week's mission reports. She wanted to say that they were almost done as there were only three reports left, but each one was at least and inch thick.

She turned the page of the report in her hand and huffed. There was no way she was going to make her date at this point. Oh well, she doubted things would have far with her new interest. He was nice enough, but he was just... boring was the nicest way for her to describe him. Still, she thought it appropriate to call and let him know that she wouldn't be able to make it.

"How long are you gonna stare at the clock, blondie?" came Laxus' annoyed voice.

Lucy set down the stack of papers and walked to the door of his office with her lacrima comm in her hands. "I need to make a quick call. Be right back, Sparky."

Laxus just rolled his eyes as she closed the door behind her. Canceled another date huh? He felt bad for the woman, but he had to admit that he was a bit glad as well. He'd been working with the celestial mage for about a year and the two had grown quite close. He cared about Lucy. A lot. When he discovered that she was a natural at this kind of work, he enlisted her help. He offered her compensation for her time, but she'd denied it and didn't let him argue.

At first, they met once a week to go over these reports, but she eventually started stopping by more, claiming that she was bored and had nothing better to do. He knew that she was just using him as an excuse to get a break from the rambunctious guild, not that he blamed her or minded the company. He could only work with his team around for so long before they drove him crazy. Lucy's company was welcome anytime, he thought when she walked back into the office.

The celestial mage was straight-faced as she picked up the file she'd been working on and began working once more. Apparently the conversation hadn't gone well and she was in no mood to talk about it. He'd learned that once she'd withdrawn to herself there was no getting her to talk. If she was going to brood and be silently pissed off the rest of the night, he didn't want her to work.

"You can either complain or go home, blondie," he stated. She paused in her work but didn't look at him. "None of silent stewing in here, you got that?"

The blonde rolled her eyes. "Yeah yeah, I hear ya."

Lucy had to admit that behind the shit eating Laxus always wore was a guy who was a pretty good listener. He didn't talk much but he didn't mind her talking and occasional complaining. At least, he never said anything that indicated that she annoyed him. But what was she supposed to say to him? That she was still single because there was still work that needed to be finished?

It was her own fault. She knew that Laxus would have told her that she could leave anytime she wanted. No, she couldn't use helping him as an excuse. Not when she'd been the one to decide to stay and help him finish.

"I don't get it, Laxus," she mumbled.

He closed a now finished report and looked up at her. She was still on the page she'd left off on before she'd walked out for a moment. He pushed his chair back from his desk and walked over to her, taking the report and tossing it to the desk.

"What's up with you?" he questioned. Lucy watched him turn away from her and stroll over to the couch against the wall.

She followed him over and made herself comfortable in the corner opposite of him. "I want to complain about another failed attempt at dating, but I can't do that."

"Why the hell not?" He never cared when she complained so why would she suddenly not want to?

"Because, I can't blame anyone but myself," she admitted. At this point, Laxus was confused and annoyed at her vagueness. "In the last two months I've cancelled three dates to stay and help you finish up these damn reports."

"And?" he prompted. What was she trying to get at?

"And I just feel like it's hypocritical of me to complain because I'm choosing to stay with you when I don't have to!" she snapped. "I'm just angry at being angry for choosing to help a friend over doing something for myself." Lucy let out a frustrated sigh and hung her head, unable to see Laxus moving until he was kneeling on the couch in front of her.

"We're more than just friends, blondie," he whispered and she looked up, meeting his gaze. "You know that, right?"

Lucy had always thought Laxus had lovely eyes, but when he was only foot from her face she could see their brilliance clearly. Had they always been this bright? Wait- did he just say that they were more than friends? Was he implying that there was something between them?

She thought about the relationship that had formed between the two of them over past year. It started with her stopping by more than just the one night a week to work with him. She could admit that she'd used him needing help as an excuse to get away from the crazy of the guild every now then, but then she'd just gotten used to it and would make a point to stop in every day even if it were for only an hour or so.

He listened to her complain about failed dates or her team after a rough mission. She was even able to hold a conversation with him because he hated to work in silence when he wasn't alone. She had bad days and would put up with her, but too had bad days and she'd mostly been successful at listening to him when she could get him to talk.

His rule of working in silence when she was around was applied to him as well, he just didn't always talk to her. On the days that he hadn't, she'd walked out and let him be. At first she'd felt bad but then the first time she'd been too upset to talk to him, she realized that sometimes you just couldn't talk about what was troubling you. Sometimes you just needed to be alone and think.

Over the last year she'd come to care for the lighting mage. She'd learned a lot about his character and gotten used to doing things a certain way from hanging around him so much. She'd come to rely on him to bring her back down when she could think rationally. Why had she not seen any of this before now? Before his eyes were only inches away from hers. He'd been the one to say it though; that they were more than friends.

"Does this mean..."she started.

"Yeah," he said bashfully. "What do ya say I take you out since you cancelled another date just to stay with me?"

"I think I'd like that."

He stood up and offered his hand. She took it and didn't let go as they walked through the guild, all eyes all them, and out as he took her on their first date.

Chapter Text

Prompt: "The saddest part is that you're so much better than this and you don't even realize it." for LuVia

Lucy wasn't sure how much longer she could stomach watching Juvia throw herself at the ice mage. She was mad at the water mage for being so blind and not seeing that Gary had zero interest in her, but that anger also extended to him since he had yet to give her a direct answer. He'd talked to both Lucy and Erza plenty about letting Juvia down and both women agreed that he needed to be forward with her.

Here Lucy was though, standing in her kitchen with the water woman on her couch crying because of something that had happened with Gray. She was so upset that when Lucy opened her door an hour earlier, she was able to find out where she sudden rainfall had come from. Despite how Juvia teased the celestial mage about being her love rival, the two were quite close and it wasn't unusual for her to visit Lucy's place. Especially when it concerned her teammate.

The celestial mage sighed and walked to the living room carrying a tray of hot tea and cookies. She sat down beside her and handed her a cup.

"Thank you," she said between sniffles.

"You're welcome, Juvia," she answered softly.

The women sat under a blanket together and Lucy listened to Juvia tell her what had happened with Gray. Seems the man finally told her that he wasn't interested in dating her. Juvia admitted that she was a bit thankful to have some closure but that didn't make it hurt any less. Well of course she was going to hurt. She'd only been after the man since joining the guild; no before then.

It hurt Lucy to see her like this. All Juvia had known for most of her life was rejection and sadness just for being who she was. Too many people attributed rain to a feeling of gloom, but not Lucy. She thought that the rain was beautiful and strong. It could cleanse away what made one feel dirty and brought life to so much. The rain was a blessing and it hurt the blonde to see that Juvia wasn't able to see herself in that light.

"Why does no one want her?" she sobbed, breaking Lucy's heart. She wanted to tell that she was wanted. That she had wanted her for a long time. "Juvia hates being so sad."

"The saddest part is that you're so much better than this and you don't even realize it." The words left her mouth before she'd even had time to think about them.

Juvia just looked at Lucy who had turned her head and was now looking out the window. She looks so sad, Juvia thought. She had seen Lucy sad before but this was different. She didn't know why the blonde was sad but she didn't like how it looked on her. The water mage set her cup down and moved to hug Lucy.

Lucy froze when Juvia's arms enveloped her and she cried. "I'm sorry, Juvia. I don't know why I said that."

Juvia smiled when Lucy's arms wrapped around her and she squeezed her close. "If Juvia knew that Lucy were sad, she would not have come."

"Silly, that's not the problem," she sobbed. She pulled back from the woman, holding her hands and looked into her eyes.

Juvia listened to the blonde as she told her she was worth so much more than those who had rejected her could ever offer her. Lucy told her that it was okay to be sad because they didn't love her, but that she couldn't let it affect how she loved herself. That had struck something within Juvia.

She'd always thought that if someone loved her she'd be able to love herself. But to love herself first, she didn't know if that was possible for her to do. As she continued to listen to the celestial mage, who was still holding her hands, she noticed how bright she looked while she talked about Juvia. She wasn't sad anymore. If Lucy could look this happy when talking about her, why couldn't she do the same.

"Can, Lucy show Juvia how to love herself?" she asked when the blonde had paused.

Lucy smiled and rested her forehead against Juvia's. "Of course, because I love the rain."

Chapter Text

Prompt: "Is that a threat?" for SilDarts

Gildarts strode across the street, barely looking both ways before he did, to his favorite coffee shop. Greyhouse Coffee. The tenured physics professor normally stopped in every morning and evening, but this afternoon he was supposed to be meeting his daughter, Cana.

He and the twenty year old had only met two years prior, him having been estranged from her mother before she'd been born. As a result, when Cana's mother passed she was raised in foster care. After years of research, having nothing but a letter left to her by her mother, Cana decided to attend Magnolia University and meet this father of hers.

Needless to say, he was surprised and ashamed. He had loved Cana's mother dearly at one point but he followed his dreams and had left her behind. If she had told him that they had a child, he would have dropped everything to be there for their daughter. That was all in the past now and for the last two years, he'd been trying his best to do right by the girl.

The man sighed as walked inside, his cheeks stinging from the sudden contrast of warmth in the cafe. He nodded to the shop owner, Silver, who pointed to the far corner where Cana was sitting. He walked over and took a seat beside her at the bar that faced the outside. She had earbuds in and didn't hear him until he pulled one out.

"You're late," she grumbled without looking at him. She had half a mind to yell at him and then walk out, but remained seated for the time being because this was her favorite place to study at and she really didn't want to be barred from returning for causing a scene.

"I'm sorry, Cana," he apologized. "Class ran over a little and it's on the opposite side of campus."

"Then don't agree to meet at a time you can't make!" she barked. She glared at him for only a moment before realizing that everyone had just heard her, then turned back to her computer.

Gildarts knew that she didn't actually enjoy these meetings of theirs, but he was clueless on what she expected from him. After they'd sat down for the first time and talked, she told him that she didn't expect him to suddenly be a father to her. She had just wanted to know him and for him to know her. He wasn't okay with that though and asked for her to let him try. Much to his relief, she had agreed though her expectations weren't high.

"I'm really that bad at this aren't I?"

"Yeah you are," she scoffed.

No matter what she thought about him, he really was trying. She normally toned her attitude down out of respect, but today she let it run wild and it hurt him, even though he probably deserved every bit of it..

"Cana, can you cut the attitude and talk to me?" he pleaded.

"No! You don't get to ask me that!"

Silver had been watching the two and let her first outburst slide, trusting her father to keep her quiet. After the second one though, he'd had enough and walked over to the two.

"Excuse me," he started and both turned back to look at him. "One more outburst like that and I will escort you out."

Cana, beyond pissed at this point, turned her anger at the owner. "Is that a threat?" she growled at him, inching closer.

Without thinking, Gildarts grabbed her stuff and then her arm and dragged her out of the coffeehouse. She struggled to get out of his grasp but he held her tightly, squeezing her arm to emphasize that he wasn't letting go. They walked around the corner to the alley where he shoved her away from him and dropped her things onto the ground.

"If you want to hate me, fine. I probably deserve it, but that gives you zero right to get in someone else's face, you hear me?" he shouted. Cana stood frozen, having heard him raise his voice at her for the first time. "I don't know where you get off thinking that shit like that is okay, young lady."

Gildarts was on the verge of tears. He'd always been a level headed guy who rarely got worked up over things, but seeing his daughter shout in Silver's face had been his breaking point. Never before had he witnessed anything so disrespectful firsthand and was ashamed. He'd have to go back and apologize to the man after this.

He looked at Cana, whose face had become sullen as she shrugged on her jacket and then picked up her things from the concrete, one of which had been her laptop. Shit. "Listen, if the laptop is damaged, I'll pay for it."

She studied him for a moment then walked past him, putting as much distance between them as possible. "Thanks for the offer, but you don't have to do that."

"Cana-"

"It's fine," she asserted. "I'll give you a call sometime. See ya," she said meekly.

She walked away and he was left standing alone in the alley behind the coffeehouse. He looked up and closed his eye, enjoying the chilly air against his exposes cheeks. What was he supposed to do know? He didn't get much time to think as he heard a service door open behind him.

Sliver walked up and stood beside the man, intertwining their fingers. He felt for the man which was why he stepped in and threatened kick her out. He knew that Gildarts was trying but he also thought that he needed to accept that he was never going to be close with Cana. Silver hated that he was trying so hard and stressing over the girl who couldn't give two shits about him.

"Where am I going wrong, Sil?" Gildarts asked with a trembling voice. Silver just squeezed his hand unable to answer him. "I'm sorry she got in your face," apologized.

"It wasn't your fault, Gil." Silver tugged him along. "Come on, let's go home."

Gildarts planted his feet and Silver looked back at him. "Let's take the long way home. The chill feels nice." Silver could only smile as he was lead farther into the alley as they took the roundabout way home.

Chapter Text

Prompt: "I know you told me to stop thinking about you, but I can't get you out of my mind." for LaxLu

Lucy sighed as the last customer finally packed up his things and left the coffeehouse she worked at. The place she worked at closed at midnight but the owner and dad of her closest friend, allowed her to start cleanup a quarter till. Not that it helped her get out any earlier, if anything it gave her more time to be through in her cleanup of the place. At 12:30, she walked out of the back door, then hastily down the alley to the street. She felt safe enough on campus but the dark still freaked her out a little.

When she turned the corner, in front of the coffeehouse, leaning against his cruiser, was a young police officer waiting for her. Laxus, as she recalled his name, was a regular customer and had taken a liking to her. He was a few years older than her at most and he was indeed handsome, but she had declined his invitation to dinner one night simply because she didn't have the time. She was taking eighteen credit hours this semester and closed the cafe six nights out of the week. Lucy didn't even have time for herself.

"Laxus, what're you doing?" she called as she approached his cruiser.

The blonde stood up and waved at her which made her smile. "I'm on patrol tonight and was passing through. Thought I'd offer to walk you home," he answered.

Though she had rejected him, he didn't hold it against her. He was still a regular and she liked talking with him when he had time to kill. All she had asked of him was to not think about her in any romantic fashion because she just couldn't reciprocate those feelings. It had been a lie of course but she felt embarrassed to tell him that she simply didn't have time to date. He wasn't a creep that waited for every night, but this wasn't the first time that he'd offered to walk her home.

"I'd like the company, if you've got the time for it."

"Let's get you home then, blonde." He smirked when she rolled her eyes at him.

They walked in comfortable silence, taking note of how quiet it was on campus during the fall when it wasn't windy outside. He wanted to say that his reason for walking her home was to just look out for a friend but he couldn't lie to himself. He was already lying to her about not thinking about her because he thought about her all the damn time. Laxus knew that it probably be easier to stop if he stopped getting coffee from the place she worked at, but he liked the brew and Silver was a cool guy.

Besides, why should he have to change his routine because of some girl? Well, he he did intend for this to be the last time he walked her home but he didn't know if he should tell her or just stop showing up when she got off. And that was the thing about Lucy. He just didn't know when it came to her. Yeah, she'd declined his but she made it obvious that she liked him to some degree because they always talked for a bit whenever he came in.

He didn't want to stop seeing her around but all he'd been getting from the girl was a slew of mixed signals and he was lost. When they'd walked the three blocks to her apartment building, she thanked him for walking with her and bid him goodnight. He called after her before she managed to get completely inside.

"What's wrong?" she asked. She knew there had been something weighing on his mind as he'd been quiet for most of the walk.

He sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "Dammit," he muttered.

"Laxus you can talk to me." She stepped toward him and reached out to take his hand.

"I know you told me to stop thinking about you, but I can't get you out of my mind," he admitted. He gently squeezed her hand then felt it slip from his.

Lucy just stood there for a second. She knew she'd been fooling herself and had hoped that he'd be able to move on from her so she'd be forced to face reality but that just wasn't the case. She had more she wanted to say, like how she was sorry but he was still on the clock and had wasted enough time with her for one evening.

"You should go, Laxus."

That's not what he'd been hoping to hear. His shoulders slumped and he turned away. "I'm sorry, Lucy."

"You can make it up to me by taking me out tomorrow," she suggested. He stopped and turned back wide-eyed to see he smiling at him. "My schedule is pretty packed but I imagine yours normally is too. Still, I want to give us a try."

"Really?"

"Yep! Now seriously, you should get going." She waved him off, but he stepped back to her and kissed her cheek, then hurried back to where his car was sitting.

Chapter Text

Prompt: "First one to make a noise loses." for Bickslow/Meredy

"Bickslow," Meredy drawled, "I'm bored."

The seith mage looked over to the pink-haired girl who's head was resting on the table. He looked at how her cheek was smushed against the table and laughed at her.

"Let's play a game then," he offered. Her head shot up. Meredy loved games and Bickslow game up with the best ones. "Use your magic and link us," he instructed holding his wrist out to her."

She narrowed her eyes at him, skeptical because they rarely used their magic when they played a game. "What kind of game are you suggesting, Bix?" she asked as she linked their senses together.

"A fun one," he chuckled. "Now, who can we use..." he mused. She watched him look around the guild until he spotted who he was looking for and waved them up.

A moment later, Lucy skipped over to their table. "Hey guys!"

"Cosplayer, we need you help."

"What's that, Bix?" She raised an eyebrow at him.

"Meredy and I are gonna play a game," he explained raising his wrist. Lucy looked at the sensory link they were both sporting.

"He hasn't even told me the rules yet, Lucy," Meredy confessed.

"First one to make a noise loses." Both women looked over to him.

Lucy scoffed at him and held her wrist out to Meredy. If he wanted to use her senses and emotions as a catalyst , she was going to that it wouldn't be easy for them to remain quiet. Once Meredy had placed a link on Lucy, the celestial mage walked away and went about her day.

So that was it? They were to sit there and stare at each other until something happened in Lucy's day to make them laugh? Meredy shook her head at the thought. This was Bickslow, there had to be something more she didn't know about. She leaned forward with her elbows propped on the table and rested her head on her hands.

Bickslow met her gaze. He could feel that she was wary, like she was trying to figure him out. Sure enough he had a plan, but this game of theirs was spur of the moment. His real intention was to fluster the girl in any way possible so he'd asked Erik what he could do. The poison slayer told him that getting her to focus on one of her many ships was a surefire way to get her worked up.

Bickslow knew that one of Meredy's latest obsessions was Erik and Lucy and decided to mess with them all. So when the celestial mage walked without the poison slayer, Bickslow jumped at the chance. It was all working so perfectly until he felt something on his wrist. He looked over at Meredy who was staring at him. She quickly turned her head away, her cheeks flushed. He wanted to call her cute but bit his tongue to keep quiet. No way in hell was he going to lose his own game.

He took his time looking around the guild, ignoring the single violet eye glaring through him. He was in for it now, having pissed off the poison slayer for involving his girlfriend. He wanted to beg for mercy, but knew that he'd get none. Still, if he wasn't shown mercy, then neither would the girl sitting across from him.

Meredy's eyes followed the seith's gaze after she'd felt pressure on her wrist and saw the poison slayer looking at at the two. Oh god, he was trying to kill them. She whipped her head around, her mouth open to speak, but he was holding a finger over a playful grin. She close her mouth, drawing her lips into a thin line.

Now that the poison slayer was also aware of their game, it wouldn't last long and she knew full well that Bickslow had planned this. Meredy was determined to win though and was confident that she'd be able to ignore Erik's antics. Besides, it was Lucy they were linked with and while she'd probably let him have some fun torturing the two of them, she wouldn't let him do anything over the top.

The pair felt as Erik wrapped his arm around Lucy's waist, his hand resting on her hip. It felt weird, but it was nothing that she was going to complain about since she couldn't exactly relax and go back to being bored. No, she was on the edge of her seat, waiting for something to happen. It felt like forever had passed, until she felt the lightest touch imaginable gaze up her spine and she shivered, followed by her hand slightly stinging. Lucy must have slapped Erik away.

She looked over at Bickslow whose grin had faded. She smirked at him, happy to know that he had to endure this torture with her. Seeing Meredy grin at him made this game worth it. He wanted to smile back at her but there was a sharp pinch on his waist causing him to slam a fist on the table and Meredy to jump with her hands in front of her mouth.

Several people were staring at the pair now and across the hall they felt Lucy trying to hold in her laughter. The celestial mage had wanted to make it harder for them since they decided to use her, but Erik was doing a fine job of getting at them himself. She was still being used but to see them struggling was priceless. For a moment, she met Meredy's and offered her an apologetic smile.

The sensory mage tried to return it only to feel her waist pinched again so it turned into a sneer, which she directed at the poison slayed who was grinning evilly. She rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to Bickslow and wonder just how much longer before one of them cracked.

Chapter Text

Prompt: "Cuddle with me you weirdo." for Gratsu

Gray knelt in the center of the bed, eyes narrowed at Natsu who sprawled on the floor, his chest rising heavily. Everything with the fire slayer always ended in damn fight which then led to angry sex, and the ice mage was having none of it tonight. He just wanted to crawl into bed and hold his warm body against his own, but Natsu just couldn't behave for one fucking minute so that Gray could relax.

The ice mage laid back down, ignoring the sullen look on Natsu's face. "Unless you can keep your hands to yourself, you're sleeping on the couch," he snapped when he felt the bed dip from Natsu's weight.

The man stopped his movements and looked down at Gray. He hadn't meant to anger him and he didn't want to anger him further, so he opted for sleeping on the couch just in case he really didn't want to be near him. Downcast, he left their bedroom without saying goodnight and threw himself on the couch. When the ice mage had walked in and stated that he was immediately going to bed, Natsu was concerned as the ice mage was normally calm and level headed, except when he was involved.

Something had happened or been said to Gray for Natsu's teasing to anger him and he'd only made it worse because he didn't ask if everything was alright in the first place. Not that Gray would have said anything to him. The only one who could get the ice mage to open up wholeheartedly was Lucy, and she was able to do that to everyone.

It saddened Natsu to know that he was a shitty boyfriend when it came to comforting Gray or trying to at least. He'd tried to do as Lucy did and coax the ice mage to talk to him but it mostly ended up angering him, resulting in a fight. He always felt better afterward but Natsu kinda hated all the fighting. Even if that anger Gray felt was never because of him, it was directed at him and that hurt.

He was aching cold laying alone in the living room. He wasn't actually cold, but without the stark contrast of their skin touching and the heat he always felt from it, Natsu was cold. He laid there, turning from one side to another, unable to get comfortable. He could hear Gray doing the same, though the man's breathing was uneven.

"Must be dreaming," he whispered to himself.

He continued to toss and turn until exhaustion finally won him over. He wasn't sure how he'd been sleeping, but it couldn't have been too long because the place was still dark when Gray nudged him awake. Natsu rolled over and looked up at him with bleary eyes, sitting up the moment he saw Gray's eyes.

"What's wrong?" he asked reaching out for the man's hand.

"Come to bed please," he sniffled. He pulled Natsu to stand and they walked back to the bedroom hand in hand.

Gray led Natsu to the bed, his eyes puffy and red from crying but also wanting and lustful. The fire slayer crawled onto the bed, settling between his lover's legs and placing his lips over Gray's. He wanted to be gentle and take care of him. He wanted to ease whatever was troubling him away, but Gray was desperate and reached down to palm Natsu's hardening causing him to groan into the kiss.

Natsu dragged his mouth down Gray's jaw all the way to his collarbone, leaving little bites then smoothing his tongue over them, making sure Gray felt every bit of heat from him. The ice mage needed more and tried to overpower Natsu, which he normally would have allowed because he loved the challenge, But Natsu needed to know what had caused him to be so desperate for his touch and held him down, pulling back to look at him.

They stared at each other for a moment, breathing heavy, until Gray turned his head and brought his arm up to cover his eyes. Natsu leaned down to nuzzle his cheek. "Talk to me please," he pleaded.

A moment of silence passed between them as Natsu dotted fleeting kisses anyplace he could on Gray's face. "The guild pissed me off right before I came home," he sighed.

"What happened?" Natsu had been on a job with Lucy and didn't end up going to the guild when they got back into town.

"Lucy and I were hanging out, just talking minding our own business, and the other women decided to gang up on us."

Natsu stopped his kisses causing Gray to turn his head and look up at him. He reached up, placing a hand against Natsu's warm cheek and smiled when he turned his head and kissed it. Gray loved how tender he was able to be, taming that fire so that it only warmed you versus burning. "Is she okay?"

"Yeah," he nodded. Both men were fiercely protective of the woman that they'd dubbed as their sister. "They weren't trying to get her with anyone tonight. It was me they were after."

"Juvia again?"

"She hasn't done anything though. It's everyone else trying to pin me as the bad guy because I have no interest in her," he said frustrated.

Gray and Juvia had already talked at length about why he couldn't date her and she'd more than understanding. He thought that maybe she'd hate him and distance herself, but he had actually grown closer to her, being able to form a proper friendship. She even supported him and wished both he and Natsu the best.

But it hadn't been made public knowledge to the guild about the two of them and those that did know felt no need to shout it to the world because that was their business. Why couldn't their other guild members understand that? Gray also wished that he could ignore them like Natsu could. He and Lucy had been the center of Mira's attention forever now but they were both able to play it off and brush it aside.

Natsu rolled off of Gray and pulled him it his arms. "Stop thinking and just cuddle with me you weirdo," he demanded, snapping the ice mage from his thoughts.

Gray kissed Natsu once more when the fire slayer rested their foreheads together. He really did wish that he could brush things aside like Natsu could, but maybe that was one reason he loved being with him. When Gray was with him, he was able to focus on him and ignore the rest of the world.

Chapter Text

Prompt: "Hey my porch lights are not on! Fuck off!" for Galu

October 31st, Halloween night and one of Lucy's favorite holidays. The twenty-seven year old always enjoyed seeing the various costumes everyone's children were dressed in. This year was the first year she'd be able to hand out candy to the adorable little monsters, or it would have been had she not had such a shitty day. She'd bought plenty of candy, but since she'd gotten home from work nearly three hours ago, she'd cleared out and entire bag.

The day had started off well enough. So what if the deadline she'd been given originally had been pushed up, leaving her way less time to work. And screw her ex who was too much of a wuss that he had to break up with her over a damn text. Hell, it gave her more time to focus on her work. But fuck that goddamn sexy police officer who had pulled her over for speeding just because she turned into the neighborhood a little too fast. Okay maybe she was going fifteen over. She'd pay the ticket but damn it all.

Today was just a shitty day and Lucy decided that she was just going to order too much chinese food, pig out on candy, and watch Netflix until she passed out from a fucking sugar coma.

She was three episodes in when there was a knock on her door. She ignored it, thinking that maybe it was just some trick-or-treaters who hadn't paid attention to the fact her porch light was off. A handful of seconds later, there was another knock. Lucy grumbled, paused her show, and then stopped to the door as the individual on the other side knocked for a third time.

"Hey, my porch lights are not on!" she yelled. "Fuck off!"

Thankfully there weren't any children at her door when she flung it open and glared at the culprit who'd interrupted her night of self pity. She recognized the black-haired man as the officer that had pulled her over earlier. He was out of uniform and in civilian clothes. He blinked at her and her face grew hot.

"Umm, hey," he greeted rather hesitantly. Lucy was still frozen in place, unable to speak. "Listen, I thought you looked troubled earlier and I knew that you lived down the street from me," he explained pointing to five houses down from hers. "I just wanted to ask if everything was okay."

Lucy stood there for another moment before she started crying. No everything was not okay and this neighbor that she didn't know was the first person to ask her that day. Gajeel blanched and quickly apologized, noting the parents and children outside were beginning to stare. He had only recognized the girl as his neighbor earlier that day and wanted to make sure she wasn't in any trouble. That's why he'd stopped by. He hadn't meant to make her feel worse about it.

Amidst her crying, the blonde felt her stomach turn and rushed to the bathroom. The man stepped inside, closing the door behind him, when he heard her getting sick. His eyes were drawn to a mess of candy wrappers and cold leftover takeout. No wonder she was sick. He walked to her kitchen, well aware that he hadn't been invited inside. It wasn't like he could just walk away from her when she might need help.

He searched for a glass and filled with some tap water and went to the bathroom. He leaned close to listen for her and could hear her breathing steadily. He knocked on the door and waited until she cracked it open. "I brought you some water," he offered her the glass through to partially open door.

"Thank you," she croaked, her throat raw from cry and vomiting. Lucy took the glass and took tiny sips, being sure not to agitate her stomach again.

After a moment of being sure she wasn't going to throw up again, Lucy grabbed the sink and pulled herself up. She washed her face and rinsed the taste of bile from her mouth as best she could, remembering that the officer from earlier was just outside her bathroom. When she was done and opened the door, he looked into her eyes from where he was leaning against the wall.

"I'm sorry for causing a scene, officer," she said then sniffled. She didn't catch his name before running off, if he'd even offered it.

"Gajeel is fine," he offered. "I'm sorry if I upset you." Lucy watched him rub the back of his neck and glance away from her.

"I'm Lucy, though you might already know that." He nodded. "Anyway, there's no need to apologize. It's just been a bad day," she assured him. "Umm, can I get you something to drink?"

He looked at her. "Huh?"

"Would you like something to drink? Or do you have somewhere to be?" she asked.

Gajeel could only nod and followed her to the kitchen. She was obviously not in the best of moods but she was still trying to be a good hostess to him of all people who had undoubtedly made her day worse earlier that day. She shut the fridge and slid a beer to him.

"Someone's got good taste," he commented looking at the bottle. "My ex was the one who drank that. It you like it, then they're all yours."

"Ex?" He eyed her as she walked across the foyer and started cleaning up the mess in there.

"Yep. Coward dumped me with a text today," she scoffed.

"What a pussy," Gajeel chuckled. "Guy like him obviously isn't worth your time."

"He was pretty high maintenance. I probably would have dumped him sooner or later," she admitted.

"That's harsh, men like to be taken care of every now and then you know."

The blonde narrowed her eyes at the man. "Coming over to my house and demanding that I make your ass dinner after I've had a long day at work and wasn't even going to cook for myself, fuck outta here with your fancy ass beer." Gajeel laughed at her statement but stopped when she directed her next words at him. "And you, mister sexy police officer are an ass."

"Hey now," his voice growing a tiny bit serious, "You were speeding when you turned into the neighborhood."

She shook her head and leaned against the counter. "The next time you think there might be something wrong with the person you pull over, don't hesitate to ask."

He really should have asked her earlier so that he didn't feel like an ass when she'd driven off. It was why he stopped by in the first place. "I know. And I'm sorry I didn't say anything earlier."

Lucy shrugged. "Eh, no worries. Gotta admit, had you said something earlier, I'd still be alone right now."

Gajeel took a sip of his drink then smirked at the woman. Happy Halloween indeed.

Chapter Text

Prompt: "You look surprisingly angry while chewing gum." for JeLu

Lucy rested her head against the bus window and pulled her coat tighter around. She loved being a TA for the first year astronomy classes, but hated taking her class to the dark site in the dead of winter, especially when there was snow on the ground. Jellal, her teaching partner for the night, sat beside her with his eyes closed. She watched his jaw clench then fall slack and couldn't hold back the comment on the tip of her tongue.

"You look surprisingly angry while chewing gum."

Jellal looked at the woman beside her. Noting her sly smile. "Wipe that grin off your face, Lucy."

"The hell is wrong with you?" she questioned, trying not to draw attention to the two of them.

Jellal sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'm sorry, Lucy. Erza and I...we're having issues," admitted.

"I know," she snapped and went back resting her head against the window.

Erza always made it known to her when something had gone awry in her relationship with Jellal. She used to feel sorry for her roommate but since the previous semester she'd been actually become good friends with the man and heard his side when the couple was having complications. It wasn't that either one of them were doing anything wrong, but they both lacked communication with each other. She'd tried telling them that what they really needed was to just sit down and talk, but Jellal always said the same thing to Lucy; all Erza ever wants to talk about is their childhood.

They were both raised in foster care and had suffered at the hands of a particularly cruel guardian for a time. She'd heard about it from Erza and understood why the woman wanted to be a social worker. It was an admirable dream, to prevent others from experiencing what she had but Jellal had his own dreams and he was pursuing them. Jellal wanted to move forward. To leave his past behind and he sometimes wonder if maybe he needed to leave his childhood friend behind.

He cared about her deeply and wanted her to be happy but that never seemed to be the case with him.

He looked over at the woman beside him when the bus came to a stop. Before last semester he'd only met her in passing when he dropped Erza off or was picking the woman up. He was thankful for the familiar face but at first he didn't know how to act around her. It wasn't long before she confronted him about his awkwardness.

"Lal... Jellal," she called, snapping her fingers before his eyes. "You with me?"

"Shit. Sorry again," he said.

Lucy just shook her head and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'll do the talking tonight, okay?" Jellal nodded at her. Once again thankful to have her as a friend.

The blonde explained to the students exactly which constellations they'd be looking at tonight and which ones that needed to be drawn on their worksheets. The TAs and students filed off the bus and Lucy wasted no time in pointing out the major constellations before letting the students work. She walked back over to Jellal, standing close to him to fight off the cold.

He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her against him. "Thanks."

"You're welcome." Jellal wondered how things between him and Lucy would change if he and Erza stopped seeing each other. "Hey Lucy?"

"Yeah?" she asked and tried to stand closer to him.

"How would you feel about me if I ended things with Erza?"

Lucy looked up at him, eyes wide with confusion. "Why would it matter what I think?"

She truly wanted to know. Yeah, she'd be sad for her roommate but Jellal was her friend too and for to be considering that option couldn't be an easy thing. She understood why he thought letting Erza go would be the best option.

Jellal just shrugged. "I like you Lucy. And I don't want you to have to work with a guy you might end up hating."

The blonde rolled her eyes and looked up at the clear night sky. "Don't say stupid stuff like that," she warned. His eyes followed hers, and for the first time in a while, he thought about the maybes of the future instead of the what if's of the past.

Chapter Text

Prompt: "Here, take my hand. Everything is fine, just hold onto me and keep moving." for GrayLu

Gray watched the dryad approach him from her tree, a bright and warm smile on her face that contradicted the way her body shook from the cold. The ice faerie had been in her forest for weeks now and the two had been near inseparable. For the last week, she'd returned to her tree at nightfall because it was too cold for her to rest if she didn't.

The snow had not yet begun to fall so they still had time together. But Gray knew that time was short and that made him sad. Lucy didn't think about that one bit, though. She was excited for the snow to come so that she could finally see and feel it. He loved how lively and carefree the dryad was. True to her nature she worried not about the inevitable and lived each day full of joy. He was going to miss that.

Lucy skipped up to Gray, maintaining a safe distance from him as he'd asked the first day they met. She noticed the pensive look on his face and clapped at him, bringing him out of his thoughts.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked.

Gray shook his head and just smiled at her. "It's nothing."

"Hmph." She didn't buy it and started off into the forest without another word to him. The ice fae let out a heavy sigh and followed her, wondering where she'd lead them today.

Gray worried about the dryad. She'd never experienced snowfall or a winter freeze. Even at the current temperature, he could see that she was uncomfortable. He stopped walking and looked up at the sky, or what he was able to see through the treetops. Snow would fall tonight, if not during the day, and he would be gone by the week's end. He'd stay to make sure that Lucy and the rest of the forest were sleeping before left her and moved on to his next destination.

Lucy didn't wait for Gray to catch up to her. She'd shown him many of her favorite spots in the short time they'd been together and was confident that he'd be able to determine where she went. If he had even followed her. Lately, his attentions have been on the thoughts running wild in his head rather than enjoying the time he had left with her.

The dryad wove her way through the trees and brush until she came to the river, then followed it upstream. Normally she would have walked closer to the bank but the waters had grown too cold for her to be comfortable. Though she made sure to keep her comments to herself, because she didn't want the ice faerie to constantly worry about her. She just wanted to spend their remaining days together smiling the entire time.

"Lucy!" she heard him call from behind.

"You're slow, Gray!" she teased as he came into her sight a little ways downstream. She waited for him to reach her before continuing forward.

When they had reached the thirty foot waterfall, Lucy climbed a hidden path to the top with Gray right behind her. This part of the forest was elevated a bit higher than the rest and the waterfall could be called one of the highest points. She'd brought him here once before, when the morning was still dark, so that they could watch the sunrise from there. That morning, Gray realized that he'd made a horrible mistake without noticing. He had fallen for the dryad. Since then, the closer winter came, the more her worried about her.

He thought about how he wanted this last week to be full of happy memories for them both since he knew that he'd probably never come back. He didn't want to subject her to his winter ever again and decided that he would go far away, wishing her the best and hoping that she would forget him. Gray watched Lucy climb onto a fallen tree and begin to cross it, when she lost her footing and fell. He reached out, grabbing her hand and pulled her back to the shore, only to realize his mistake a second later.

Lucy held her arm to her chest, the limb now frostbitten from his touch. She understood now why he never allowed her too close to him. Gray fell to his knees, his arms folded in against his body so he didn't make the same mistake.

"Lucy," his voice trembled.

"I need to get home, Gray," she directed him. He looked at her and flinched away as she reached for him. She was trembling, from fear or the pain he didn't know which. She did need to get home and that wasn't possible to do on her own.

The ice faerie stood and hesitantly offered his hand to her. "Here, take my hand. Everything is fine, just hold onto me and keep moving, okay?" Lucy nodded at him and took it, hissing at the freezing bite. "Please, only hold onto my hand. Don't touch any other part of me," he warned. "Dammit. I'm sorry, Lucy."

She shook her head, protesting the fault he was putting on himself. "It was an accident." She was stuttering her words now. "I'll be okay. You'll get me to my tree and will have saved me a second time."

A second time. Her words echoed through his mind. If he hadn't pulled her back to him, she'd have fallen to the bottom of the waterfall and would still have been gravely injured. This way at least, she was still able to move with assistance.

"We're almost there, Lucy." Gray wanted to apologize again but knew that she'd only brush his words aside. When they reached the clearing, Lucy lunged forward wrapping her arms around him. "Lucy! What are-"

"I don't want you to leave, Gray." She collapsed and he turned around to catch her.

He carried her to the branches that had already bent down to cradle her. The dryad cracked her eyes open one last time saddened that her last memory of him would be her watching him crying as she was taken away to heal for who knows how long.

Chapter Text

Prompt: "Don't make it obvious that you're an asshole, put your shirt on." for LaxLu
NFSW content ahead

Lucy looked in the mirror one final time, pinning a stray hair and smoothing out the skirt of her dress. Somewhat satisfied, she turned to her fiance who was laying on the bed, still shirtless.

"How do I look?" she asked, drawing the man's attention away from his phone.

Laxus took a good look at her as she twirled about once then stopped and rested her hands on her hips. "You look great, blonde." he commented then went back to looking at his phone.

Lucy rolled her eyes and walked from the bedroom. "We're leaving in twenty, please be ready!" she called back to him.

He looked to the door she'd just walked through and sat up. He had wanted to say more regarding her appearance, but she'd asked him to behave since this night was important to her. He found it hard to resist her with the strapless high-low dress she was wearing. It hugged every curve so perfectly and when it was paired with her favorite heels that showed off her calf muscles, he thought she was the epitome of beauty.

Laxus grabbed the button down shirt and padded down the hall to the kitchen where Lucy was rummaging for something light to eat. He tossed the shirt on the back of a chair and walked up behind her, pulling her close and gripping her hips. He kissed her neck and glanced up at the clock. Seventeen minutes was long enough for a quickie.

He ground his hips against her ass and she gasped. "Laxus, now is not the time," she moaned.

"I've hardly done anything and you're already moaning," he teased. His hands slid under the skirt of her dress and up her thighs.

"S-shut up you ass," she hissed as he brushed a finger against her clit. She doubled over in an attempt to get away from him but he held her hips firmly against his, grinding against her again. "Sparky, we really don't have time for this."

Fifteen minutes. There was still time. "I've got a condom in my pocket. I promise we'll be done before the others get here," he was desperate this point. "Besides, we'll be with everyone all night and I won't be able to congratulate you properly."

Damn this man was a smooth talker and knew exactly how to push her buttons. He kissed her neck again and this time slid a finger inside her. He was being care not to leave any marks on her skin and had to admit that the thought of pouncing on him while he was still on the bad had crossed her mind while she was getting dressed.

"Clothes stay on, don't touch my hair, no marks, and you better be done before that doorbell rings."

Laxus undid his pants then reached for the condom while Lucy bunched up the skirt of her dress, baring her thong clad ass to him. With the condom on, he pulled her panties aside and rubbed against her entrance twice before pushing inside her. He gave her a moment to adjust since they'd pretty much forgone foreplay that she normally needed.

After she rocked her hips he pulled back and with a little more force pushed into her. Her wanton moans spurred him on and he reached around her to rub her clit. "Th-There, Laxus." God, he loved hearing his name roll from her tongue. She started to meet his thrusts and he leaned over her, dragging his lips over her skin. "No... marks," she groaned.

He trailed his tongue to her ear, nibbling on it. "Damn, I love you," he growled. The sound made her clench around him and his thrusts became shorter. "Fuck. Lucy."

"Me too...Hurry." Lucy gripped the counter, her knuckles white, then released her hold as she climaxed. Laxus followed right behind her.

A moment passed between as they caught their breath and recovered. Laxus pulled from her and the doorbell rang. "Told ya it'd be quick," he boasted.

Lucy straightened her dress and narrowed her eyes at the man."Don't make it obvious that you're an asshole, put your shirt on," she said then walked to the door.

Chapter Text

Prompt: "Okay... this is new." for NaLu

Lucy trudged home, weary from the week long retreat she'd taken. She was up before the sun everyday to meditate, but sometimes with how rambunctious her daily life with the guild was, she just needed to get away. However, while she'd hoped to use the week to clear her head, her spirits had made that impossible.

She loved them all to pieces and was happy to know that they cared so much about her, especially when she was troubled. Sometimes though, all the celestial mage needed was to be alone. Last week had been one such week, but she never found the peace she was looking for.

Lucy sighed as she unlocked her apartment and switched on the lights. Wait. The place was empty? She set down her bag and cautiously walked farther inside. The place was indeed empty at first glance. She checked the kitchen, the bathroom, she even pulled back the sheets on her bed. Natsu was nowhere to be seen and she was oddly disappointed. As of late, she'd begun to notice that the fire slayer had been acting a bit distant towards her.

That had been her reason for leaving town for a week. She didn't like to think negatively, especially when her best friend was concerned, but it also did her no good to keep things bottled up inside. And she couldn't talk to anyone from the guild about it because not a single one of them knew how to keep a secret and she didn't want to make a big deal out things when she was sure that it was just all in her head.

Standing in the middle of her apartment, she wondered just how much of that was true. Was she really overthinking things? She didn't know anymore. Lucy walked over to her bed and fell onto it, kicking her shoes off before pulling the sheets over her. Her muscles begged for a hot bath but a sudden wave of exhaustion washed over her. She didn't want to think about her foolish insecurities so she let sleep take her, not caring that it was the middle of the day.

When she next opened her eyes, she could see the sun falling behind the horizon. Lucy was comfortable where she was and intended to remain there until she heard someone knock at her door. It took her a minute to sit up and climb out of bed, but hearing the voice on the other side confused her.

Lucy opened the door and stared at Natsu. "Okay... this is new."

"Hey Luce," he greeted, bringing his hand to the back of his head and putting on his trademark smile.

"Hey Natsu," she responded. "Umm, come in, I guess." She stepped aside and motioned for him to enter then followed him to the living room.

"You okay?" he asked suddenly.

Lucy stood there, looking at his back not knowing what to say to him. Was he asking because she didn't go the guild today or because she'd been gone for a week. She didn't know what he wanted to know but she did know that she didn't like how sad he looked from where she was standing.

"Did I do something?" he asked when she didn't answer.

"What are you talking about?" she snapped. Was he trying to insinuate that she was mad at him because she'd been gone a week? With how he'd been avoiding her before she left she should have been angry with him, but she wasn't. She was scared that she'd done something to make him act that way.

Fists clenched at his sides, Natsu turned on her to speak, but seeing the dejected look on her face rendered him silent. He finally noticed that she was still dressed and she looked like she'd woken up not too long ago. Then he saw a tear slip from her eyes and he walked over to the blonde and pulled her into a hug.

"I'm sorry, Luce. For whatever I did, I'm sorry," he whispered.

"Why were you avoiding me?" she sobbed.

Damn he was an idiot. Of course she would have noticed something like that and gotten worried. He just needed to think about some things, namely his feelings for the woman in his arms. Thing was, as long as she was near him, he couldn't think properly. He stopped coming over unless the whole team was there and he'd even taken a few solo missions, leaving her at the guild alone some days. He assumed too much in thinking that she'd probably appreciate him getting out of her hair for a bit.

He pulled back from her and led them to the couch, pulling her into his lap after he'd sat down. Lucy grabbed the blanket from the back of the couch not caring that she'd probably get too hot in a little while. They sat there for a time, holding each other, neither saying what needed to be said. Lucy still wanted to know why he'd been distant with her and Natsu wanted to tell what had been on his mind. For the moment though, the two were content with the lack of space between them.

Chapter Text

Prompt: "She might just be your worst nightmare." for AcnoLu

He doesn't think like he used to. Each night she used to be the last thing on his mind before he went to sleep. He doesn't sleep anymore. All he does is dream of her. Her soft skin, her silky hair, her bright eyes. He'd been warned about her before the fall, but the moment she told him to jump he did without hesitation.

Acnologia gripped the half empty bottle of whiskey and took a generous gulp. Eyes red from crying and lack of sleep. He looked over to the bed and saw her laying there, waiting for him. He approached the bed and crawled over her, leaving kisses on every inch of her skin. She hummed and reached to bring his face to hers. She looked like an angel with her blonde hair splayed out on the pillows.

"Acno. Dammit, fuckin wake up." Erik snapped. Getting no response from the passed out man, he filled a glass with water then returned to him and splashed his face.

Acno came to sputtering and frantically looking for the woman he'd just been with. He was no longer in the bed and his hair reeked of alcohol. He looked up at the man standing above him and groaned. Another dream. Every time he slept, he dreamt of her.

"How much did you drink last night?" Erik questioned, pinching his nose.

"Not enough apparently," he answered, hinting at how easily Erik had awakened him.

"She left you, man. You gotta get that through your damn head."

"Shut the fuck up," he snapped.

Acnologia push up off the floor and stumbled to the bathroom. He turned the shower to the hottest setting and stripped down. Looking in the mirror, he took note of his haggard expression. Nearly two weeks had passed and all he'd done was mope about and feel sorry for himself. He needed to get a grip. He was better than this. Better than her.

He stepped under the hot water, hissing then turned it down some. He thought about the first time he saw Lucy. He'd gone to the club with Erik one night to look for a quick fuck when he saw her. He watched her for most of the night as she wove through the crowded dance floor. She was an ethereal being, completely at home amongst the crowd swaying her hips in time with the music. She moved from one partner to the next, regardless of gender, and after a while she'd look in his direction when she switched. As though she were daring him to enter her domain.

"She might just be your worst nightmare." Erik's words from that night echoed through his mind.

A nightmare isn't what he wanted to think of her as, but that's what she was now. He hadn't seen her since she'd left yet she haunted his mind constantly. He was bad for someone like her, a woman with clear goals that she wanted to meet while he was simply content to live one day at a time. He remembered that she had mentioned liking that about him one time. How free he seemed to be because of it.

Guess it wasn't enough for her to stick with him. So what had it all been for? Two fuckin years devoted to each other just to end because-

As the water beat against his skin he couldn't recall why she walked out. All he knew was that she was gone and wasn't coming back. To his knowledge at least. He turned the water off and ran a towel over his body then through his hair. Not caring if Erik were still at his place, he walked from the bathroom to their- his- bedroom to get dressed, unaware of the figure watching him from the living room.

Lucy stood up from her spot and walked to the bedroom. She took in his appearance and felt tears well up in her eyes. Erik had warned her that he didn't look good but this was worse than she imagined. She had at least been trying to move on and take care of herself but in the end she still worried about him. She admitted to his friend that she may have acted a bit hasty in leaving, but she just didn't know what else to do at the time.

"Acno," she whispered. He froze, shirt in hand ready to throw on. She wasn't there he told himself. She wasn't ever going to be there, saying his name. "Acno, look at me. Please." She was begging now. He didn't want to believe that she was really there with him. He tried so hard not to turn around, but was unable to resist.

Their eyes met and she broke down; falling to her knees and letting the tears fall. Acnologia hesitantly walked over to the blonde and reached out for her, but he pulled his hand back before making contact. Why was she here? Why was she crying?

"Lucy. Why-" She lunged at him and wrapped her arms around him. She held him tightly and cried into his chest. He didn't know what else to do besides comfort her, so his arms wound around her waist and he held her. He rested his head atop hers and let her see how much of a mess he'd become without her around.

Hid sobs shook her. In the time she'd know him, Acnologia had never cried before. Had her leaving really affected him so much, even though he'd been the one to put the idea in her head? "Acno, do you even know why I left?"

He cracked his eyes open and shook his head. There'd been too many sleepless nights and too much whiskey since that night that he could even try to remember everything that had been said between them that night.

"You idiot." Lucy pulled away from him and held his face between her hands. "You shut me out, Acno."

He just stared into her eyes. Had he? This woman that had made him fall so hard and so fast, he'd pushed her away? Yes, he was starting to remember now. She'd shown him her weaknesses and had forced his own to reveal themselves to her and he hated that. He'd never fallen for anyone. Had never loved anyone before her.

"I fucked up, Lu," he confessed.

"We both did." She leaned in and kissed him. "I think we need to talk about what was said that night, but at a later time when you're sober."

He nodded at her, understanding that talking didn't mean things would be fixed between the two of them. Still, it meant that there was hope and he needed that. He needed to hope that falling wasn't going to kill him.

Chapter Text

Prompt: "Don't say that... Not you." for Navia

Juvia stepped outside under the midday sun, taking in the warmth that reminded her too much of Natsu. It had been an odd turn of events when the fire slayer had asked her to go on a date with him and in her rush to answer him she'd said yes. It had been a mistake on her part at first, but the water mage soon learned that she enjoyed his company. After the third date, he expressed that he want to be with her and she told him that the feeling was mutual.

The first several months passed by in a blur, neither mage worrying about anything and simply enjoying the comfort they felt when in the other's presence. He knew how to make her happy and she was able to calm the raging fire within him. The two grew closer and matured together. Natsu mellowed out and Juvia became more confident in herself. She still needed to hear from the fire slayer that she was loved and appreciated but she was learning to control that obsessive personality of hers.

However, once the excitement of their relationship started to calm down, Juvia became far more insecure than anyone had ever seen her and Natsu had to put in more effort to ease those thoughts from her mind. The two started to take missions together, because she didn't want to go on any if his team was around. She thought that the longer they were together, the less insecure she'd be. The opposite had happened though and if she didn't do something about it, she'd lose Natsu the same way she had every other guy she'd been with.

It was obvious something was wrong with the water mage but she didn't know how to fix it. Saddened by the sun's heat, Juvia headed out of the city where the rain would fall and not burden anyone. That's all she was, a burden to those who truly cared about her well being. She'd been left behind and teased so much that she never any friends as a child And when someone showed her the slightest bit of kindness, she clung to that individual.

When Juvia was a decent ways from Magnolia, she picked a tree to sit under and let the rain fall. It was the only thing that comforted her anymore. Why? Why were they all the same? Tears started to slip from her eyes. She thought that Natsu was different from the rest but she'd misjudged him, taken in and blinded by the kindness that had been shown to her on those dates.

"Don't say that... Not you." She said those words to him when he said that they needed to talk.

She had listened to him for as long as she could before she got up and left him. If she left him, then it wouldn't hurt so much and maybe she'd be able to learn just to be content in being alone. She should have stayed with him though. If she'd let him finish, she'd have heard him say that he didn't think she was a burden. If she had listened to him, she'd know that he loved her and was more than willing to show her that she didn't need to constantly be at his side in order to be happy.

But Juvia had feared the worst and ran away before he could say anything. Natsu still wanted to tell her those things but she'd been avoiding not only him, but everyone. He was starting to lose his cool and that fire she helped keep under control was raging full force. It had been several days since either of them had been to the guild and all but Lucy and Gajeel were worried. The pair of them knew their friends well and were well aware of what was happening between the two of them.

Natsu smelled the rain and followed the scent without thinking about its origin. Coming to the source he found Juvia sitting alone, looking dispirited with tears slipping from her eyes as she drifted off. He approached her carefully, knowing that she often lashed out with her magic when she was surprised or startled. Juvia thought she'd seen a familiar figure walk over to her before the rain had lulled her to sleep, but she was entirely sure if she'd actually seen someone or if she was already dreaming.

An hour later, she opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling above her. So she wasn't dreaming earlier. Juvia turned her head and watched Natsu's back. His shoulders were slumped forward and he wasn't carrying himself what confidence that she admired in him. That must be what she looked like to him most of the time. It hurt her to see standing like that and wondered if this pain in her heart was something he knew because of her.

"You could have gotten sick you know," he stated. The fire slayer turned around to look at her and she flinched at the disappointed look in his eyes.

She looked away from him, ashamed of her childish behavior. Natsu walked up behind her and placed a hand on her shoulder. He wanted to hug her and tell her that everything between them was okay, but he wasn't a liar. She was nervous. She didn't know if he had just been making sure she didn't get sick and was now expected to leave or if he had something he wanted to say.

"I still have things I need you to hear, Juvia." So he did want to talk to her. Juvia was trying hard to not run from him. His grip on her tightened. "You can run if you feel you have to, but I'm going to chase you this time."

She slapped his hand away and shoved away from him, unsure of exactly what he meant but wary if he meant that he'd literally chase her if she walked out. "What more do you have to say to Juvia? Why should she listen to you say what everyone always says to her?"

"I'm not going to say what you've heard before. I never was," he explained.

"Juvia doesn't believe that. She can't believe that, anymore." she tried to snap at him but her voice was failed her. She'd already let the sadness settle in her heart once again and couldn't show anything but that.

"Then why are you still here?" he pointed out. "You want to believe me, don't you?" His eyes drew her in and she saw how sincere he was being. Natsu had never lied to her before and she did want to believe that he was different. "Just listen to me, Juvia. You don't have to believe what I say, but I need you to listen to my words. Please."

That single word was her downfall. It had been what convinced her to say yes instead of no when he first asked her out. She hung her head and covered her face to hide the tears. "Juvia is afraid," she admitted.

"I'll burn those fears." He held a hand out to her and she took it. They sat down and the water mage curled in on herself and let the man say all the he wanted her to hear.

Chapter Text

Prompt: "Don't make it obvious you're an asshole, put your shirt on." for Bixco

Bickslow cracked his eyes open with the morning sun and stretched, taking note of the empty spot beside him. His head was killing him and his limbs were sore, but he desperately had to piss so he somehow managed to get up and walk to the bathroom. Since he was out of bed, he quickly hopped into the shower and washed up.

Fresh-faced and dressed, the man walked to the kitchen and found the individual missing from the bed. Erik was sitting outside on the balcony, watching the morning sun like he did every morning. Bickslow admired the shirtless man as he poured some coffee for himself, then joined the man outside. Erik heard Bix slide the door open then closed before sitting beside him.

"You were up early?" Bix asked.

"Never slept," Erik corrected.

Bix raised an eyebrow at the man. No sleep? After the night the two of them had? That couldn't be possible. Upon closer inspection though, he could clearly see that Erik had gotten minimal sleep if any at all. Well if he hadn't slept, what the hell had he done all night? Erik's eyes were vacant but there was clearly something on his mind.

"Tell me what you're thinking?" Erik sipped at his coffee and glanced at Bickslow.

Erik had told him plenty of time before what was on his mind, but he always asked. He didn't know why and didn't care enough to ask. Nevertheless, he appreciated the company Bickslow offered and was never bothered by his presence.

"I was thinking. Same ol stuff Bix," he mumbled then walked back inside. He couldn't remember how long they'd fucked the previous night but shortly after Bickslow had passed out, Erik grabbed a blanket so he didn't freeze and walked out onto the balcony and thought about where he was and where he was going.

Bickslow slid the door shut behind him, grimacing at Erik as he pulled down a bottle of cheap vodka. He hated Erik's self-destructive tendencies but never did anything to stop him. He couldn't remember the last time he'd seen Erik sober.

"Why do you do this, Erik?"

"Do what?" he responded then threw back a shot.

"This!" he snapped, motioning around them.

It was the same damn thing the morning after Bix stayed the night. He cared about Erik and it hurt him to watch as he destroyed himself, yet he never did a damn thing. It was almost to the point in the morning where Erik would say something snarky and Bickslow would storm out. Not this time. He was determined to know why they went through this every fucking time.

"No one's stopping me, so why not?" He shrugged and threw back another shot. Bickslow reached around the counter and grabbed the bottle. "The fuck Bix!"

Bickslow was a fair bit taller than Erik so it was an easy thing for him to hold the bottle out of reach. Erik shoved Bix in an attempt to throw him off balance, but the man was planted. He was too tired to fight so he turned on his heel and walked to the bedroom, not caring if the other left. Not like Bickslow even cared about him. The two were decent enough friends so Erik called him over at least once a week and let the man fuck him he was numb and couldn't think anymore.

He loved that Bix was able to do that. It never lasted though. He was tired of spending his nights awake thinking about how shitty his life was and how it was nobody's fault but his own because he was doing nothing to make things better. He just wanted to walk away from this life. He didn't care how he left. He just didn't want to be where he was now.

Setting the bottle down, Bickslow followed Erik to the other room and watched as he climbed into bed. No way was he letting things end here. He strode up to bed, grabbed Erik by the ankles then pulled him to the floor.

"Leave me the fuck alone!" Erik shouted.

"Don't make it obvious that you're an asshole, and put a shirt on," Bix snapped. "We're leaving."

"And going where?" he scoffed.

"You're always talking about leaving all this shit behind, so let's fucking leave." Erik looked up into Bickslow's eyes and saw that he was being sincere. Why though? All Erik had done for him was offer his body, so what was he going to get out of running away with him?

Bickslow walked over to Erik who was still sitting on the floor and pulled him into his arms. Some friend Bix had turned out to be. He'd been too complacent with Erik's behavior and didn't deserve the chance to save him but he also couldn't stand to see him like this anymore. Erik was frozen, unaccustomed to be held when sex wasn't involved. He really was being offered a chance to escape this miserable existence of his.

His arms slid around Bix, clutching the man's shirt. "Take me away from here. Please."

Chapter Text

Prompt: "Just please be my best friend right now, and not the person I confessed my love to." for Mineel

The world around her seemed to slow down around her as the glass slipped from her hand and fell to the floor, shattering into too many pieces and spilling it's red contents. Minerva felt like that glass right now. The words left her mouth before she could stop them and the look on Gajeel's face made her feel like she'd just taken a knife to her stomach and she was about to collapse. Only the presence of the broken glass kept her on her feet.

Gajeel approached the rooted woman and lifted her off the floor, taking care to keep her bare feet from getting cut. All Minerva heard was the crunch of glass under his boots and his voice, though she didn't catch what he was saying to her. After he set her on the couch and checked her feet for any cuts, he went back to the kitchen and cleaned up the mess.

This scene felt too familiar and she thought about the first time they'd spoken. His disheveled appearance had made her laugh and his gentle attentions to her swollen ankle made her blush. After dinner that night, the two of them became fast friends. They lived on opposite schedules and her busy schedule didn't give her much free time but at least once a week they met up for dinner and just hung out, normally at her place since it was cleaner he said.

The first few months she was content with their relationship. Then one night, after she'd had a few drinks with some college friends, she ran into him as she stumbled her way up the stairs to her apartment. He'd been with another woman and when he stepped closer to her to make sure she was okay, she could smell the woman's perfume on him. That was her first time experiencing jealousy and the feeling never really left her after that.

It had been weeks since that night and while she'd not seen that woman since, or any other woman with him, it hurt that she felt this way. She could admit that she'd fallen for him. Hell, she'd just admitted it to him only minutes ago. She didn't mean for it to happen, it just had. Work kept her busy and so Minerva had never really thought about dating or anything like that simply because she kept herself so busy that the chance never presented itself. Not like she'd ever attract many men simply because she'd been told that her independence intimidated men.

Not Gajeel though. He was actually rather impressed that she was so intent on taking care of herself and living how she wanted to live. They were both individuals that made the rules for their lives and didn't abide by how others thought that they should. Would he still think of her that way? She'd just shown him how vulnerable she really was and knew that he had to be at least a little surprised with that new behavior of hers.

Too ashamed to go and help him clean her mess, she pulled her knees to her chest and started to sob, hoping that he didn't think any less of her and that maybe they could still be friends after this night.

"We're more than just friends and you know it."

Her words rang clearly in his head as he swept up the glass that littered the floor. He thought that he'd misheard her, when he turned around to check on her after the glass had fallen from her hands he knew that had been what she said. The wide-eyed expression on her face told him that she hadn't meant for those words to leave her mouth. He wondered how long Minerva had felt that way. They'd been friends for half a year now and only had time to meet once a week, but those few hours one night a week were his favorite. He loved spending time with the woman doing absolutely nothing besides eating good food, listening to her talk about the men at work who were intimidated. Sometimes their night included a movie and cuddling on the couch.

He'd fallen for her in an instant and there was no climbing up for him. But she prided herself with her independence. He admired that about her but knew that he stood no chance against her values so he was happy to know that she enjoyed his company enough to keep him around as a friend. It wasn't enough though. He started to distract himself with another woman, keeping her a secret from Minerva because he was ashamed of himself.

It did nothing to curb his desire for her and only made it grow for her. He missed a woman he'd never spent the night with. He was somewhat glad that she never felt compelled to date as he wasn't sure what he'd do if he ever saw her in the arms of another man. Her quiet sobs drew him out of his thoughts and he quickly made sure there was no remaining glass on the floor before going to check on her.

Minerva had pulled her legs to her chest, her head against her knees and her hair falling around her. Gajeel sat on the opposite end of the couch and reached out to her. "Min," he whispered.

"Just please be my best friend right now, and not the person I confessed my love to," she managed to say between her sniffling.

Gajeel smiled at her despite the stinging in his heart from her words. "Whatever you need me to be," he answered, hoping that she'd get deeper meaning.

What she needed was to get a grip and try to fix things before she lost what she did have with him. Those words that she'd spoken, she believed them to be true but she hadn't meant to say them. The level of comfort between them, the playful flirting, how he at least looked like he was listening when she bitched about work. She believed that there was more between them, they just hadn't ever acted on it. But she needed to stop thinking about all that for the moment.

"Thank you for cleaning up the glass, Gaj. And I'm sorry if I surprised you with what I said," she said meekly.

"I was surprised, but not in the way you're thinking, Min." She looked into his crimson eyes and felt his hold on her hand tighten. Before she knew it, he yanked her into his lap and held her close. "You have no idea how long I been waiting for you woman."

Minerva's eyes widened as his words finally sunk in. She knew that she was sometimes oblivious but had he really felt the same way about her this whole time. "How long?" she asked hesitantly.

"About a month after that first dinner," he chuckled and shrugged.

Her eyes suddenly narrowed and she smacked his head. "That long and you never said anything?" she snapped.

"Dammit, it was complicated. Let me expla-"

"No. Just kiss me already." Not needing to be told twice, Gajeel close the distance between them, surprised by how quickly Minerva could do a one-eighty with her attitude.