A/N: So many folks loved Ft Holiday Drabbles chapter 4, and the lovely rebellioncas made a specific request, so I continued the fun with this little multichap. It doesn't adhere to the Holiday Drabbles chronology at all lol—but whatever, it's fun. ^^

I meant to get this up days ago, sorry. Blame me working extra shifts so my coworkers can have holidays with family.

1. Prologue – Saturdays

Mira paused amid her scrubbing to look over at her cleaning partner.

Ostensibly swishing a broom around, Cana wasn't really paying attention, eyes on the invisible and eyebrows occasionally scrunching in a frown. The corners of her mouth were drawn down.

Mira walked over and grabbed the end of her broom. "Hey."

Looking around slowly, Cana blinked at her. Mira's hand slid to her shoulder for a few seconds; they stared at each other.

"What's up?" Cana asked.

"You looked intent in your thoughts," she said, scrubbing mindlessly at the table beside them. "Anything bothering you?"

"Yeah, it's nothing." Cana smiled unconvincingly.

"Your fathers are on a mission again?"

"It's not supposed to take more than a few weeks." Cana swooped the broom around the table legs searching for crumbs. "The whole family is gone but me. I should probably take a job too. Be useful."

She flashed Mira a half-smile. Mira frowned in concern.

"You're plenty useful, Cana," she said. "Thank you for helping me clean up tonight."

"It's Saturday." Cana shrugged, moving to the next table. "I always help you on Saturdays."

"I know, and I'm grateful." Mira smiled. "This is my favorite night of the week."

When Cana looked up again, Mira was still smiling (and blushing, but she'd learned from experience Cana wouldn't make it awkward when it was just the two of them). Cana smiled back, eyes crinkling at the corners. It made Mira's anxiety loosen.

"You just got back from a job," Mira said as they cleaned their way across the hall. "You don't have to go back out immediately, you know. You can take a break. It's important to relax. Brain and body need it."

Cana snorted. "You of all people aren't allowed to talk about resting."

Mira stiffened. Just because she didn't go on jobs, people thought she was lazy. And she was getting this from Cana…

"You never take vacation," Cana went on, turning around with a wry, kind smile and making Mira's self-defense evaporate. "You work harder than anyone else. You're allowed to take a break too, Mira. I'd like it if you did, and I know Elfman and Lisanna would too."

"I… You're one of the few people who says that to me," Mira said, flushing.

"Then the rest of the guild are idiots," Cana said. "They goof off most of the time anyway. Unless there's a crisis, this guild is full of lazy fairies. They probably rationalize that what you do for them doesn't count as work to make themselves feel better about working you so hard. And being so goddamn rude about it, too!" Cana burst out. "Charle today? Normally she's got a good head on her shoulders, but she unleashed her grumpiness on you full force."

"Yeah." Mira twisted the rag in her hands. "It was...uncalled for."

"Completely undeserved," Cana agreed. "You never deserve shit: you're an angel."

"Cana."

"You are," Cana said, smiling. "Like I said, you deserve to rest and relax too."

"Maybe we need to take a vacation together and hold each other to it," Mira laughed, face growing warm.

"I would hold you to it, too." Cana raised an eyebrow. "We don't need you getting sick again."

Swallowing, Mira stared down at the tabletop she was scrubbing, suddenly afraid of eye contact.

"That would be awful," she said in a small voice.

When Cana touched her shoulder, she jumped, then let Cana pull her into an embrace. Cana's arms were strong, like Mira was safe here. Held by someone else. She was so grateful for the physical contact.

"There'll always those of us who will take care of you, Mira. Always. So if you get sick, or need someone to cover the bar—if you need anything, we're here."

"Thanks," Mira sniffed.

Cana pulled back to look at her, smiling encouragingly.

"You truly know that, right? You'll ask for help when you need it?"

Mira smiled and nodded, folding back into Cana's hug.

"Good," Cana said.

She rubbed Mira's back for several minutes, and Mira soaked it in. Cana soothed her frayed edges; so good at giving.

As they returned to their chores, Mira shot covert glances at Cana's back. The card mage looked less glum, humming softly.

Mira held the dustpan for Cana and they went to the back door to shake out the broom.

"It's a nice night for this time of year," Cana sighed, staring up at the stars. "Brisk and dry."

Mira turned to look at her. "Do you feel better now about being useful?"

Cana nodded. But a few seconds later, she bit her lip and stared up, away from Mira, eyes sparkling.

"Cana?"

"I'm—I'm sorry, Mira."

"Darling, what for?" Mira asked, reaching out automatically to touch her, to rub her shoulder and comfort her. Cana was so rarely vulnerable enough for her to do this. Cana gave, but receiving...

"I just feel shitty. For no reason at all." Cana's voice was gruff, and she sniffed.

"That's okay."

"It's not. You can't fix things that aren't broken. There's nothing wrong, so I can't do anything. I just feel angry. And numb. And hopeless."

"Cana." Mira crooned her name quietly as she pulled Cana into a hug, the card mage finally giving into the build-up of sniffling tears.

When Cana sagged into her, Mira had to readjust her footing, but she would carry anything—anything for Cana.

It would be okay. She whispered those words until Cana's breathing slowed down.

Straightening, Cana wiped her eyes and gave her a watery—but genuine—smile.

"Thank you, Mira."

"Always, lovely."

They were very close together. In Cana's wide eyes, Mira felt she could see the edge of something so big and beautiful it took her breath away. When Cana hugged her, it felt like their hearts were a shared entity and the space between them ceased existing.

It always felt that way. Next week, Cana would go off and date Lucy. Or Laki. Or…

Cana always found someone.

So this was just this. Mira had gotten used to it, and it was okay.

Every Saturday they still hung out, just them, being totally themselves. Silly and raw and comforting and honest.

Mira was one of the few people who got to see the days like this—when Cana grew moody and dark. There wasn't always a cause. Mira reasoned there didn't have to be; you could feel shitty from a conflagration of circumstances, like having an upset stomach and not finding your house keys and running late and doing poorly on an easy job and forgetting it was a friend's birthday and getting home to find you were out of food.

Life could simply be unfair: sometimes it was unfair for Cana, and sometimes Cana was affected by that. If it affected her more strongly that it might've someone else, well—what was one mind's breaking point might not be another's.

But Cana was happy now; the night was beautiful; and now they would walk home together and chat all the way to their doors, which were right across the hall from each other at Fairy Hills. And Mira would wish to hold hands, but would be okay that they didn't, because she still had this.

As Cana sighed peacefully and moved inside, Mira almost whispered, I love you.

A/N: Mira's got it bad.

Comments are much appreciated.