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They all got to the ship as fast as they could once their own fight was over, maybe they would be able to help there. She was worried, they were all weak and she had no idea how Erza, Natsu, Grey, Wendy, Lucy, Happy, PantherLily and Carla were doing. Mirajane trusted her friends, knew them to be strong, but the man they were facing had won against the master and only Erza was a S-Class mage, she knew Natsu was able to do unimaginable things when the guild was in danger but still… she wanted to make sure they were safe.
She turned to check that Lisanna was there as they arrived at the boat, a new habit she had, she always needed to make sure that her little sister was safe and within her sight. All of their marks began shining and she felt her powers come back to her, she sighed, it felt so good...
When they arrived on the boat, the first thing she saw was the few second-hand mages that were coming her friends’ way and she prepared herself to fight. But as soon as they saw them they ran away and she laughed at the sight, her sister threw herself in her arms, celebrating victory.
That’s when she saw him, sitting a bit farther away, smiling as he saw them celebrating. It wasn’t often he smiled, even such a little smile as the one he was arboring, usually he was always smirking. Maybe that time away had been good for him, but she guessed his mere presence proved that, and it explained the weather, the thunder that came out of nowhere earlier.
He saw her look, probably because himself was looking at her, and for a brief moment she could only see his eyes, all else lost to her sight. They stopped when Makarov went to him, screaming at his grandson that he had no right to be on Tenroujima as long as he was banned. It was fun, to see Laxus sitting on the floor and looking away like a kid who had stolen a candy. But what she really noted, was the words the master used, showing without any possible doubt that Laxus wouldn’t stay banned forever.
Once the master finally walked away from his grandson, the Raijinshu realized that he was there, she smiled as she saw them throw themselves at him. His eyes found hers once more and she could read the apology in them even as he smiled at his bodyguards. She really didn’t care though, she could wait, she was way more patient than a few years ago and she had already waited so long, what was an hour now ?
They all walked back to the camp and they began preparing something to eat, they got healed, all of them needed that. It took a while for Laxus to realize that Lisanna was there, she saw him make a double take when he realized, during half an hour he didn’t leave her, touching her to verify that she was real. He was smiling, widely this time, as wide as his lips could go. She also watched as Wendy presented herself to him, the girl seemed a little nervous but was soon reassured as she realized that he really was kind. Mira knew that the girl must have heard what happened at Fantasia, but Laxus seemed to be over that phase he had gone through back then, she knew it all had begun at Lisanna’s death, her return probably made things easier.
She walked towards them and he without a doubt heard or smelled her because as soon as she was near he got up. She walked into the woods and he walked in after her, they stayed silent as they walked until they found some place far enough so the others wouldn’t hear and suitable to sit. They ended up sitting on the ground in a clearing, they faced each other, their knees were touching and soon she leaned towards him. He did the same and both of them kept leaning forward until their foreheads joined.
“Demon…” he whispered.
He sent his hands towards her and she took them without any hesitation, intertwining their fingers. “I’m here.”
“I missed you.”
“I know you did, I also know you were the one to send the flowers on Lisanna’s…” she didn’t know what word to use, it wasn’t a death anniversary if the person was still alive, was it ?
Thankfully he didn’t need her to finish. “I wasn’t there, that’s the least I could do.”
“What do you mean you weren’t there ?” Her voice was almost inaudible but she knew he had heard, his heightened senses had without a doubt picked it up.
“I had promised myself to always be,” he explained, “should you want to be with me.”
She smiled, “I didn’t need you to make that kind of effort.” She realized then that on the first anniversary he had been there for her to go to when Elfman fell asleep, they had fought, or more likely he had let her hurt him. He hadn’t defended himself back then, taking everything she needed to get out and once she was completely exhausted he had let her cry herself to sleep in his bed, pressed against him and her tears ruining his sheets.
“I know that,” he simply stated. “Some days it just shouldn’t be about what you need but about what you want. You’re Mirajane Strauss, the She-Devil, you never need anything, doesn’t stop you from wanting to punch someone, and I know that these past few years the only person you allowed yourself to punch just for the hell of it is me. That’s why I had to be there, not because you might need me but because you might want me.”
“I missed you too.” She had, hell she had. Few people saw it, but Laxus was one of the persons she was the closest to, she would have called him one of her closest friends but their relationship, whatever it was, couldn't be defined by the word friend. She missed sitting with him, silent, often cuddled, listening to nothing but each other’s breathing and, sometimes, when they were close enough, heartbeats.
She could have made some small-talk, could have asked about what he had done during his banishment and kept them from talking about the important things. But she didn’t, not with him, never with him. Instead she asked the one question that had been on her mind for far too long.
“What are we, Laxus ?”
He closed his eyes. “I’m banned Mira.”
“You won’t be forever.”
“I might be,” he replied. “And even if I’m not, we don’t know how long it might take, shouldn’t we have this conversation when I’m really back ?”
“No, we shouldn’t. I need to know, I’ve been asking myself too many questions and I need answers.”
He sighed, “Shoot.” He accepted it, it didn’t surprise her per say, she knew him, and he knew her, he knew that if she requested answers, it meant that she was probably torturing herself with the questions, which she was but she would never admit it.
“What are your feelings for me ?” His eyes opened at the question, he didn’t expect this one. His eyes found hers and he slowly pulled himself back, sitting straighter as he kept his eyes locked in hers. She imitated him, unsure of what else she could do. She saw him pull up his walls, but she knew him better than anyone, and while his face was unmoving and emotionless, his body was still expressive. She saw fear in his shoulders, the uncertainty, then she witnessed as it changed to acceptance and determination.
His face softened as he pulled his walls back down. He smiled lightly as he looked at her. “I love you, Mirajane.”
She smiled, it wasn’t the huge smile she usually showcased, the smile that was nothing but generic, that had become a reflex and that she could wear under any circumstances. No, that smile was the one she had the first time she saw her little sister laugh after months of sadness when they all arrived at the guild, the one she had when her little brother managed his first transformation. It was the smile she had when she earned her place among the S-Class mages. A smile not as blinding as usual, but a smile that proved she truly was happy, a smile accompanied by shining eyes.
“And I love you, Laxus.”
He sighed. “But I’m still not back.”
“I’ll wait, what’s a few months or a few years ?”
“At our age ? A lot. You deserve better Mira, keep living, don’t wait for me.”
“I want to.”
“I won’t wait for you,” his walls were back up and she laughed, reading him like an open book.
“Liar.” He sighed and let go one of her hands to graze her face.
“You deserve to be happy Mira, not to wait on a guy that might never be accepted back in the guild.”
“Didn’t I already tell you that you’ll be back ? I know all.”
He chuckled, “Of course, you do.”
“And who knows, maybe I’d be happy to wait…”
“You shouldn’t have to.”
“I want to.”
“I’m sorry... you deserve so much better than me.”
“I don’t want anything better than you, I want you.” She leaned in the hand that was still on her face and looked down at his other hand, still locked with hers. She began to nervously play with his fingers as a thought that had crossed her mind earlier came back. “Perhaps we could see each other sometimes ?” She didn’t look up, after a few seconds without an answer she began babbling. “It was just a thought, I don't want to trap you, it’s not an ultimatum I just thought that maybe. But I can…”
He used his hand to force her to look at him, shutting her up in the process. He seemed really calm and certain as he opened his mouth. “We will, I’ll pass through Magnolia from time to time. And we’ll write, so when you go somewhere for photoshoots or whatever I’ll try and be around.”
Her face didn’t let any possible doubt of her surprise. “You’d do that for me ?”
He chuckled. “I’d do anything for you.” He leaned in and she closed her eyes as his lips found hers.
The kiss was slow, passionate but gentle, it had nothing of the uncertainty she had experienced the first time he had kissed her when they both were teenagers, it wasn’t either like a few years ago, the last time he had kissed her, violent and full of lust. No this kiss was simply filled with love and gentleness even as his tongue slipped in her mouth, there was desire and passion but it was canalised as they let the kiss last, their lips always moving slowly to expand the moment. When they finally pulled apart they smiled at each other in pure bliss, neither of them moving away from each other, on the contrary, he gathered her in his arms and sat her on his lap so she would be closer. They moved a bit to make the position more comfortable and then they simply cuddled, not a word needed, just each other’s presence.
Neither of them knew how long they stayed this way, but they both knew he needed to leave, so when his unnatural hearing heard that people were called to the camp to eat, he straightened. She got the message and stood up.
“So you’re leaving ?” she said once he too was on his feet.
“I am, but I’ll see you soon.”
She raised to the tip of her toes and kissed him one last time. This kiss was more heated, and shorter but not any less passionate and full of love than the one that had preceded it.
“I love you,” she said as they pulled out of the kiss and he hugged her, keeping her against him.
“And I love you.” He kissed the top of her head before letting go of her, she watched as he walked into the woods, once she couldn’t see him anymore she walked back to camp, where she found her guildmates around a table as they began eating, not everyone was there but they didn’t seem to have any intention to wait for the others. That didn’t surprise her in any way, they were Fairy Tail, no situation would ever change their behaviour. She chuckled as she began helping her sister to serve everyone.