Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail, and I do not intend to pretend to own it.
¨¨°º© ©º°¨¨°º© ©º°¨¨°º© Every Breath You Take ©º°¨¨°º© ©º°¨¨°º© ©º°¨¨
He had not told her, but in secret, he cared for her more than for anyone else. Ever since he had met her that day, he admired her. For her beauty, for her high spirits, for her whole character, and for her strength. For that grin curving her lips upwards when someone made a joke. For the frown when someone did something dumb. For the scared expression when they were in danger and he had to hold back so as not to take her into his arms, holding her tight and telling her that everything would be okay. And for that special smile that she sometimes showed, enchanting her whole face and making her look like a true fairy. Every time she smiled like that, he knew his reason to fight, his reason to be strong. And when that smile, on top of that, was directed to him, his heart beat so fast that he worried about it bursting out of his chest.
Every breath you take and every move you make
Every bond you break, every step you take, I'll be watching you
Not that he had time to worry, though, because every time he saw that smile his mind just went blank, leaving nothing but happiness.
In the beginning, he had thought it was just a stupid crush, nothing to worry about – even if he had thought that he was immune to these kinds of things. He had thought it would go away with time, when he discovered more and more of her flaws that would show him clearly how imperfect she was. Her emotionality, for example, making her weak in moments when she, as a fighter, should be strong. Her anxieties and fears, preventing her from being brave when they needed her to be. Her childish behaviour when she should be mature and adult. All this was supposed to show him that indeed, she was not perfect and he should get his thoughts the heck away from her. Because that was just not how he was.
Every single day and every word you say
Every game you play, every night you stay, I'll be watching you
But as time went by and he noticed these little signs of imperfection, it only made him love her more. Her being emotional and being able to show it was no weakness. It was strength, and many people he knew could learn from that. Most of the time when she was scared and anxious, he knew it was because he was reckless with himself and she only worried about him and their comrades, and even when she worried about herself, he knew it was justified and there was no need to forgive her that – even if he would forgive her everything. Besides, speaking of childish behaviour, he was one to talk. And he doubted that being this way made him look as cute as her. Every time she made that little pout, it made him want to laugh and hug her.
In short, his little stupid crush had grown to unconditional and absolute love, love that was so pure and undiluted that it seemed to him as if he was the happiest being on earth just by being beside her.
Oh can't you see you belong to me?
How my poor heart aches with every step you take
It made him want her to be his; it made him want to scream out loud that she should be with him, that they were made for each other. Couldn't she see that? Even he could see it, and he had never had such experiences. He should be dense and dumb, concerning these matters.
He knew that days of watching and longing would follow, of smiling in silence and waiting for her to realise. He would not push her into anything. He could wait, even if it hurt him. Because seeing her smile made it better. He would do his best to trigger that smile more often.
Every move you make and every vow you break
Every smile you fake, every claim you stake, I'll be watching you
He would always be the one to watch over her. It was unwritten law, and everyone in the Guild knew it. Everyone but her, that is. But even she would come to realise one day, realise that they were just meant to be; as friends, as lovers.
Since you've gone I've been lost without a trace
I dream at night I can only see your face
Until then, it had to be enough just daydreaming about the possibility. Picturing her face when he lay in bed, all alone in the darkness that was his mind sometimes and where even Happy could not reach him, imagining those beautiful brown eyes and the times he had touched her soft blonde hair, be it intentionally or just coincidentally. Dreaming of her, of them both, brought him to light again and made him endure the pain that was her momentary lack of knowledge, or ignorance. Because he knew that one day, it just had to happen. He could wait, as long as he could be just by her side.
I look around but it's you I can't replace
I feel so cold and I long for your embrace
I keep crying baby, baby please
It had to be her, no one else. His heart had known that since he had met her. He had just been blind to it.
Oh can't you see you belong to me?
How my poor heart aches with every step you take
And perhaps, at the moment, she was blind too.
But he would not rest until he had her realising, knowing that he had feelings for her that went beyond friendship. And until that day, he would enjoy that smile of hers, telling him of eventualities and giving him hope.
Because he would always love her.
Author's note: Aww, come on. I told you it was mushy.