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“I don’t think this is a good idea.” Lahar repeated for what was probably the third time since he and Doranbolt began down the hallways to the prison cells.
“I don’t, either. But he helped save lives, Lahar, and we owe it to him to at least consider a request.” Doranbolt answered, eyes straight ahead and in perfect stride with the man beside him. It didn’t sound to Lahar like the other man meant what he was saying at all.
Sighing, Lahar nodded once. They did owe it to him, didn’t they? He had risked his life to fight off a dragon. Took the time to try and save people. And then...he went right back into custody. He hadn’t fought them, hadn’t tried to get away. Cobra had, for all intents and purposes, been the perfect inmate. He never caused trouble, he always did what he was told, and often even thanked the guards around him for bringing his food or giving more blankets.
So, whether Lahar liked it or not, they had to at least listen to any request he might have.
The rest of the walk down to Cobra’s prison cell was quiet, their footsteps echoing against the stone walls. Lahar nodded respectfully to the guards they passed. Doranbolt ignored them. That hallway seemed to stretch on forever, cold and dark. It left too much time for Lahar to think of all the millions of ways this could go wrong. He stopped when suddenly there was a warm hand on his shoulder, and he looked over to Doranbolt.
“Calm down.” The man said, voice gentle and low. “It will be fine. We can refuse anything he might ask, remember that.” Lahar could feel a bit of the tension seep out of his shoulders, and he offered a barely there smile before giving a nod.
“Talking about a man where he can hear you is considered rude by most.” That deep voice cut through the silence, and once again Lahar felt his shoulders tense up.
“Prisoner 100977.” He stated, moving the last hundred feet or so to the front of Cobra’s cell. The man was seated on the floor, as it seemed he usually was. One leg stretched in front of him, the other bent at the knee with his arm resting on it. He glanced up, smirking and raising a brow.
“Lahar.” He answered, and his smirk widened when Lahar’s brow twitched. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”
Lahar cleared his throat, squaring his shoulders. Doranbolt stood behind him to his left, arms crossed over his chest. Cobra’s head tilted slightly, and it was almost annoying for Lahar to know the man already knew exactly why they were there. He pushed on, anyway. He’d be damned if he let it show how annoyed he got with the criminal.
“As a type of reward for your help during the dragon fiasco after the Grand Magic Games, we’ve decided to offer the chance for you to make a request.” He said, voice firm and official, far colder and harder than it had been while talking to Doranbolt.
“Oh really? How kind of you.” Cobra answered, that smirk never leaving his face. Lahar didn’t need to look behind him to know Doranbolt had narrowed his eyes.
“We cannot and will not promise you the fulfillment of this request.” He continued, as if Cobra hadn’t spoken at all. “We will listen to whatever request you have, and decide from there.”
It was silent for a long moment. Or, Lahar supposed it was silent for himself and Doranbolt. Cobra, however, could hear everything around them. It was amazing, really. An uncanny ability, one Lahar wasn’t sure he’d enjoy or not. Certainly, it was useful, but all that noise all the time? It had to drive a man insane.
Doranbolt was growing antsy behind him, Lahar could feel it. Knew the man was shifting his weight from foot to foot, grinding his teeth and tapping his fingers. He was growing more and more uncomfortable the longer Cobra stayed silent, and Lahar would be lying if he said he wasn’t, as well.
“Take me to Fairy Tail.” Cobra finally said, voice holding an odd finality to it. Doranbolt stepped forward, up to Lahar’s side, with his brows furrowed.
“Excuse me?” He asked.
“Take me to Fairy Tail. Their guild.” Cobra repeated, slowly pushing to his feet. The smirk had faded, leaving an unnervingly serious expression on the criminal’s face. “Bring me yourself, keep me restrained if you have to. But bring me to Fairy Tail.”
Lahar and Doranbolt sent each other sideways glances, both staying quiet. He couldn’t take this request lightly. Cobra was a criminal, known to have gone after Fairy Tail more than once. But, he had lost to them both times. Surely, he wasn’t stupid enough to try to take the whole guild by himself, it’d be suicide. Lahar licked at his lips slowly, eyes narrowing as he thought.
‘What are you thinking, Lahar?’ Doranbolt’s voice pushed into Lahar’s mind, a familiar warmth that fit into his mind as easily as his own thoughts.
‘I’m thinking we can allow it.’ Lahar answered. It was no use reminding the younger man that Cobra could still hear them.
‘Tell me you’re kidding.” Doranbolt replied immediately.
“He’s no idiot, Doranbolt.’ Lahar answered, though his facial expression never changed from the stony, thoughtful look it held before. ‘He’s been beat by single wizards from Fairy Tail twice before, he would not attempt fighting the entire guild at once. If he was going to run, he would have when we released him to fight the dragons.”
Lahar couldn’t quite tell if Doranbolt’s sigh was out loud or in his mind, but a tiny smile twitched at his lips either way. He quickly pushed it back, however, and another harsh expression hardened his features. He nodded once, reaching a hand to the guard standing nearby.
“Unlock the cell.” He announced.
He could almost swear he saw a genuine smile on Cobra’s lips before he turned away.
* * *
There was an odd familiarity, riding down the streets of Magnolia to get to the Fairy Tail guild hall. Lahar saw people whispering, rumors starting up right before his eyes as he guided the horses through the streets. Children stared in awe, amazed by either his uniform, or the horses, and Lahar couldn’t be quite sure which was more likely.
“I still believe you’re an idiot for doing this.” Doranbolt said, sitting close enough for their knees to brush. Lahar rose an amused eyebrow and glanced toward him.
“I was an idiot for allowing a strange man I didn’t know into my home, and that led to me allowing an amazing man who knows me too well into my bed. “ He countered, ignoring the little disgusted snort he heard from the carriage behind them.
Doranbolt didn’t answer, but Lahar could see his little smile from the corner of his eye. They fell into a comfortable silence once again, or as comfortable as they could be with a dangerous criminal in the carriage behind them. Something in the back of Lahar’s mind was nagging at him, telling him he didn’t need to worry about anything. But he couldn’t trust that part of himself, couldn’t just give the benefit of the doubt over to everyone. People got hurt, that way. The guilds could be lenient, his job was to keep criminals in prison where they belong.
The horses slowed to a stop at the front gates of the Fairy Tail guild hall. Lahar never ceased to be amazed by its extravagance. Large and intricate, truly a beautiful building. Both he and Doranbolt climbed off the front of the carriage, nodding once to each other briefly before they went to open it up. Cobra stood, keeping his unbound hands where they could be seen. He settled himself between the other two men, waiting patiently for them to guide him forward.
It was loud and chaotic when Lahar opened those front doors. Slowly, the quiet spread over the insanity within the guild hall as the wizards turned to see who had entered. The fighting and laughing died down until there was an almost uneasy silence hanging in the air. Lahar stepped to the side, letting Cobra step in through the doors.
“He’s been escorted here as a thank you for his help with the dragons.” Lahar announced, nodding once. It didn’t escape his notice how Doranbolt stood between Wendy - who was sitting rather close to the door - and Cobra.
“Erik!” A voice that Lahar didn’t quite recognize rang out, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw Cobra perk up.
A young woman started pushing her way through the crowd, tugging at her long skirt when it caught on something. Lahar watched as the two older members - Wakaba and Macao, if he remembered correctly - reached to hold her back. She struggled against them, trying desperately to push through. Cobra took a hesitant step forward, and Lahar saw him clench his hands tightly. As if he were holding back. The thought intrigued Lahar, and he turned his head slightly so he could watch him.
“Kinana, stay here! He’s dangerous!” one of the men said. The girl - Kinana, apparently - shook her head harshly.
“Let her go, Macao. “ That voice, Lahar knew. A few of the wizards shuffled so Natsu could push toward the front of the guild hall, eyes never leaving Cobra.
“But he’s- “ Macao began, and Gajeel joined Natsu’s side.
“He ain’t here to hurt anyone. Let her go.” He agreed, arms crossing over his chest.
Lahar turned in time to see the two men reluctantly release the girl. She instantly continued rushing forward. Her foot caught in her skirt and she fell forward. Cobra stepped toward her quickly, reaching to catch her before she hit the ground. Lahar saw her hands curl around his arms, and Cobra helped her back to her feet.
If you had asked him even just an hour before, Lahar would have insisted this man was inhuman. That he was the cruel, twisted remains of what may have been a person before. He hadn't believed the man to hold anything other than darkness inside him. But looking at him now, his fingers were gently touching this girl's hair. Softly, as if he were afraid she would shatter at the twitch of a finger. His face soft, an almost smile pulling at his lips. And she, cupping his face and staring into his one good eye with the purest adoration in her own eyes. Lahar just didn't know what to make of it.
“I’m so glad to know you’re unharmed.” Kinana said, her eyes tearing up. Cobra gently wiped those tears away.
“You weren’t hurt, either?” He asked, and Lahar was blown away by the softness of his voice, how this crass man sounded so sweet while talking to this girl. Kinana shook her head.
“I was out of the city before any of the dragons came through.” She explained, one hand resting on his chest and the other moving up to lovingly touch his jaw. “I was helping with the evacuation.”
Cobra seemed to relax further, as if the knowledge had lifted a weight from his shoulders. It was fascinating to see. Lahar had never witnessed this man acting so...well, human. The look in his eye was so warm, and the hard lines of his face seemed to have rounded out. That pale hand tracing over his jawline seemed so careful, and Lahar couldn’t quite wrap his brain around it.
The silence had stayed spread out through the guild hall, but there was something different about it, now. More respectful than curious. Less confused and more relieved. From the corner of his eye, Lahar could see a few of the wizards had small smiles on their faces. These young men and women were watching fondly, as if they’d been waiting for this. There was a sort of relief hanging in the air around them that Lahar just could not get a grasp on.
It wasn’t until Cobra hesitantly placed a hand on her waist that Lahar noticed he had long since stopped touching her. That initial catch when she had fallen, and a sweet touch to her hair were all he had given before his hands fell to his sides. Kinana’s smile softened a little bit, her head tilting slightly. Cobra didn’t look away from her, and Lahar knew that entranced look on his face better than he wanted to admit.
“You heard me.” Kinana said, voice quiet. “You heard me when the dragons started attacking, didn’t you?” There was a pause, then Cobra nodded once.
“I did.” He answered, voice still quiet and soft. Kinana smiled warmly at him, tracing his scar. She gave a pleased little hum in the back of her throat.
“I’m glad.” She breathed out.
Cobra stared into her eyes in a way that Lahar would go so far as to say was lovingly, and he tentatively tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear. His fingers lingered there, brushing over the curve of her jaw before his hands dropped once more.
“You’re happy, here?” He asked after what felt like years of silence. “Fairy Tail takes care of you?”
Kinana nodded, her smile never fading. Cobra let out a breath, and Lahar couldn’t tell what the look on his face was. Relief? Some sort of disappointment? Why was this man, a criminal Lahar had understood perfectly just hours ago, suddenly changing everything? How was he turning Lahar’s entire image of him upside down? And all because…
Because of a girl.
And like that, it hit him. Lahar knew, suddenly, why Cobra was so suddenly human and he felt like an idiot for not realizing sooner. All the obvious signs finally clicked into place and the simple answer was staring him right in the face. Just screaming for attention, demanding to be noticed. Cobra finally had someone worth living for, and Lahar now was wondering how it had taken him so long to see it.
Just a moment or two after Lahar’s revelation, he saw Cobra gently pulling Kinana’s hands away from him. She followed his lead, letting him ease her slightly to the side. He stepped forward into the guild hall, searching the crowd until he caught sight of Makarov. He stepped even closer, and the wizards cleared the area between Cobra and their master once they realized that’s who Cobra wanted.
Makarov stood, hands clasped behind his back, and he stared at Cobra. As troublesome and obnoxious as Fairy Tail was, Lahar couldn’t deny the respect he had for Makarov. The man was wise, kind hearted and he strove to see and nurture the best in everyone. So surely, Cobra was no different. There was silence for a long moment, then Cobra closed his eye and bowed his head to Makarov.
“Thank you for taking care of her.” He said, keeping his head bowed. “And I ask that you please continue to do so.”
Makarov stayed quiet for a long few moments, then nodded once. “Darkness has a tempting call, young man. Especially when you have nothing left to hold you in the good and light.” He hopped off the counter, stepping right up to Cobra.
“Darkness was all I ever had.” Cobra answered, quiet. Makarov shook his head.
“Humans are not born into evil, my boy. We all have the potential for both good and bad. Evil is seductive, it is easier and it deceives you. “ Makarov paused, glancing over at Kinana, then right back to the man in front of him. “But our friends and family, the people we love and who love us. They are what gives us the strength and the power to fight off our own demons. The people we fight to protect are our reason for living, they show us the good in even the darkest of things.”
There was a murmur of agreement throughout the guild hall, wizards smiling and leaning into each other. Cobra didn’t allow his face to twitch, and Lahar could see it in his gaze that he wanted to fight this, talk back. But instead, Cobra bowed his head once more, and turned to head back to the door.
Lahar and Doranbolt didn’t begin following until Cobra was almost out the door. Lahar nodded to Makarov, and he smiled at seeing Wendy wave to Doranbolt. The doors were just about to shut behind them, none of them looking back, when Kinana called Cobra’s name. Or, rather, called out ‘Erik’ after them. Cobra stopped and turned, as did both Lahar and Doranbolt.
Once again, Kinana came running. She threw herself into Cobra, reaching to wrap her arms around his neck. Lahar, in hindsight, should have seen it coming, but even still, he was surprised to see her press her lips into Cobra’s sweetly.
Cobra tensed, his good eye widening in surprise. But after a beat or two, the tension seeped out of his shoulders, and Lahar watched as his arms wrapped around her slim waist to pull her closer. He pressed into that soft kiss, and it seemed like he was afraid of pushing, like he was scared if he went too harshly he would scare her away.
The kiss was short, really nothing more than a sweet touch of lips to lips despite how intimate it seemed. Kinana sighed softly as she pulled away, arms loosening until her hands were resting on Cobra’s shoulders. She opened her eyes slowly, like she was savoring the moment, and she smiled at Cobra. He stared right back at her, like he was amazed by her.
“I’ll be here waiting.” She told him, hands tightening in his shirt.
Cobra hesitated, then brushed her hair off her forehead. He leaned into her to press a gentle kiss to her forehead, lips lingering for a long moment before he pulled away. He brushed his fingers tentatively over her jaw, then gave a little nod.
This time, when Cobra turned around, Lahar knew he saw a smile.