disclaimer: disclaimed.
author's note: Kinabra deserves far more love. it's honestly one of the more developed pairings in Fairy Tail, considering the others. anyway, this is a short drabble so.
other: modern schoolteacher & jailbird!au.

a flower for a flower
for Michelle
by levy mcgardens

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The cloudless azure sky unfurled over the town of Magnolia like a warm blanket. Mockingbirds hummed in the trees. Inside her classroom, Kinana sat in tranquil solitude.

With a wistful sigh, she brushed an errant strand of her indigo locks behind her ear. Her last class of the day had just finished, and she was almost done putting stickers on the children's most recently completed coloring sheets.

Sticking a round cartoon ladybug on another sheet, she exhaled deeply again and plastered a smile onto her face.

"Alright," she reassured herself encouragingly, gathering up the mess of papers, "done!"

As she was stacking the papers away in a drawer, her phone rang. Its echo reverberated across the pastel yellow walls.

"Oh!" Kinana exclaimed, eyes widening, and slid her finger across the screen.

Upon seeing the caller ID, an effervescent beam weaved its way onto her face. She turned on the speaker. "Hello?"

"Hey." The soothing baritone of the love of her life's voice never came at the wrong time for her. "How're you doin'?"

"I'm great." Kinana's heartbeat sped up as she spoke. Somewhat afraid he would hear the erratic thump-thump-thump, she reclined back in her chair and hid a quiet smile. "How have you been, Erik?"

More commonly dubbed Cobra by people who knew only a fingertip's worth about her love, Erik was one of the dearest, most misunderstood people she had ever met. It angered her to think that society treated him as a reject and often scapegoated him thanks to his delinquent-like appearance.

This time, it had landed him in prison.

"Yeah. It's been good, Cubelios." His voice was a tad husky.

As he began speaking Kinana relaxed a little. It had been almost three years since Cobra had been charged with arson—nothing heavy, but his imprisonment had still hit her hard. When he had been charged, it felt like Kinana had been barreled over by a truck.

It hurt to see him leave her.

It had hurt like hell to see her only friend being sent into solitary confinement.

"I'm glad," she said, brought back to her senses, and closed a stray drawer. "I'm glad to hear that."

I wonder when you'll be discharged, Kinana couldn't help but think ruefully.

"Uh huh. How've the kids been?" Cobra inquired genuinely. The indigo-locked schoolteacher couldn't help but love the fact that every time Cobra spoke to her, his questions and general conversation were all sincere. She loved that. She loved—no. No, she couldn't think that.

Her voice was strained with wandering thoughts. "Great. I'm glad you asked."

Yes you do, a little voice in the back of her head nagged endearingly. You love Cobra. You love Erik. You love him so much but he won't know for who-knows-how-long now—maybe even never—because he's stuck in jail.

A comfortable silence fell between them. Kinana brushed her hair behind her ears and bent to tidy the area around the teacher's table.

"Yeah," he replied after a while. "Tell me about your day."

She did.

Kinana knew Cobra enjoyed listening to the soothing lilt of her voice, which served also as a great advantage for her as a teacher. So she did. She tapped off the speaker and instead balanced the phone awkwardly between her jaw and her shoulder.

"Well, actually, I was pretty unlucky in the morning," she began sweetly. "I was going to make myself coffee, but then I ended up getting macchiato all over my cream skirt. I had to change and barely made it in time to the bus stop." Pausing to conjure the memory back up, Kinana couldn't help but giggle at the image painted in her mind.

On the other side of the line, Cobra wished he could see her face as clearly as he could hear her thoughts. Her euphonious laughter more than oft sent him spiraling into another dimension.

Honestly, he'd pay whatever it takes just to be able to hold her in his arms again. Oblivious, said person continued with an embarrassed chuckle.

"Heh," she blushed. "Well, d-don't worry! In case you were. I still got here in time to prepare and all—"

"I did worry for a second there." She knew he was smiling in a more clandestine manner, and almost could see it right there, more tangible than concrete yet really less than smoke. It puzzled her.

"I'm glad you were okay."

Ba-dump. Ba-dump.

The blood rushing to her face was scalding. "Y-Yeah! Well, um, for my first few classes, we did the old coloring sheets—they're of a fairy tale I told them the other day, "The Three Great Magics;" have you heard of that story before? I do vaguely recall telling you once or twice... Ah! You must have been so irritated." The kindergarten teacher hid her head in her hands in embarrassment. Cobra grinned.

"Well, doesn't seem half bad. And I wouldn't mind if you told me again and again. I just like the sound of your voice."

"I like the sound of yours too," she replied in a subdued tone. "You should speak more too, you know. Then I'll always know you're still there."

"Ah," Cobra sighed. "Don't you know it."

"Mhm." Kinana smiled, but soon it fell. "I miss you, Erik." Her grip on the phone tightened.

"Speaking of which," Cobra began once more, "look out the window."

The indigo-haired lady, perplexed, swiveled her head around and saw nothing except for the lush green grass of the playground and the field and the cerulean blue sky. "Huh?" she couldn't help but mutter, when a bluebird suddenly fluttered over to the window pane.

Instantly, she perked up and paced over to the open glass window. Holding out her fingers while whispering soft nothings, Kinana giggled with glee, only to pause. "Cobra?" she whispered into her phone when he ceased to reply. The bluebird pecked gently at her index and ruffled its feathers before hopping and fluttering off.

Suddenly, a tapping from the adjacent window was brought to her attention. Pivoting back around, her footsteps slowed when a familiar face emerged on the other side of the glass from behind a bouquet of vibrant red roses.

"I'm right here," he replied with a rumble, but in her stupor all Kinana saw was his mouth moving and mouthing the words. Dazed, she ended the call.

"Erik..." she muttered, feeling a stinging at the back of her eyes, and covered her mouth. Immediately, she unlatched the pane and nudged the sliding glass aside.

"Hey," his baritone was sharp and clear as he pocketed his phone, "Cubelios." Kinana felt a pang as he said the name he had dubbed her since their youth.

"E-Erik—how?" she whispered, and dabbed at her eyes, partly to prevent the oncoming bout of tears, and partly to shield herself from his piercing gaze. It was all suddenly so realistic, seeing him outside of jail once more.

"A flower for a flower?" Cobra smirked, the corner of his mouth inching upwards. He handed her the bouquet, which she accepted. Afterwards, he ran a hand through his hair, and Kinana's eyes couldn't help but dart to the way his virile form flexed, even under the veiling of the white coat he wore more than oft.

"Erik." She wished to say more, but with her mind ajumble she didn't get very far.

"I wanted to surprise you," Cobra explained. "I got discharged early, so I came."

Kinana leaned on her elbows so she was tilting towards him on the windowsill. Their faces were almost nose to nose. She lay her forehead against his, eyes fluttering shut.

"I missed you so much," she mumbled.

Cobra's fingers brushed against her cheekbone, softer than the touch of a butterfly, and she couldn't help but desire to clasp his hand and never let go.

"I heard you, baby girl," Cobra said. "I missed you too. And I came with another surprise." He indicated the bouquet; Kinana's eyes followed. "Look inside."

An auspicious glint caught her attention as she delicately rifled through the scarlet roses, and her fingertips grazed against the acute edge of something—

Her fingers clasped around the small object, and she knew what it was before she even saw it. Evidently, Cobra also heard the sharp intake of breath, for he hid a grin.

"Ya found it?"

Her fingers traced along the edge of the ornate ring, already familiarized with the way the curves and edges fit her perfectly.

"I will," she said with a hushed whisper, voice stained with prospective tears as she held the ring that would bind the two together up into the rays of the afternoon sun.

"Eh?" Cobra raised a brow.

Finally, Kinana looked back at him. "Erik, I love you so much. Yes, I will marry you," she proclaimed defiantly, gazing at him. "I will."

Cobra's gaze softened, seeing the stubborn girl he thought about day and night look at him the way she did, as if he were for once useful to society. He tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear and slanted his mouth over hers, craving the way they used to touch.

His breath was warm as he muttered, "I heard your thoughts, Cubelios. I heard them."

Cobra couldn't help but think, as her hands ran through his hair, that even if he were to be locked up again, she'd still be his for the rest of their days. And he wouldn't mind that at all.

endnote: I hope you liked it! if you understood the general allusion made throughout the story, kudos to you.