Yup. It's official. I'm insane. This idea came about due to three things. First, leoslady4ever requested a serious Max story. Then W1n6s-0f-F1r3 asked to hear the background stories for the parents in Unconventional Beauty. Finally, I was trying to figure out whom to pair Minerva with for Unconventional Beauty. And so this was born. (Sorry, though, W1n6s if you're reading this – it's not the NaVia you were actually looking forward to.)
Profuse thanks need to go to ChaoticDucky for suggesting that they meet at his shop. Otherwise, I would never have actually gotten any ideas for this pairing… Which I now dub: MinMax.
This takes place Post-Tartarus.
Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.
Max sighed and leaned on the counter of his shop. No one was outside in the late August humid, sweltering heat. In fact, he couldn't even hear anyone at Fairy Tail's pool in the distance.
A glance up at the sky revealed why. It might be hot and bright out, but Max couldn't spot a scrap of cerulean in the blank white sky. There wasn't even a breeze fluttering about the empty streets. This was the calm before a storm, he knew. As soon as the clouds darkened the rain would begin to pour down. Laxus might have mentioned something about thunder and lightning on Max's way out the guild doors this morning, but Max hadn't really been paying attention, too eager to start work for the day.
He loved his job. Not as much today, as he was bored out of his mind at the lack of people around, but normally he loved his job. It wasn't so much that he enjoyed business itself or even the shop in particular. The visitors, regardless of whether or not they purchased anything, were what Max lived for.
Having grown up an only child with no real friends, joining Fairy Tail had filled a hole in his heart. The ever present hum of activity and friendly natures of most of the members had drawn him in even on his miserable days when all he wanted to do was hide in a hole. Loneliness had become a thing of the past at the guild, and it was pushed even further away when Max opened up the souvenir shop nearby. All his friends would stop by, tourists, locals, vendors… the stream of people and company and friendship and happiness had seemed like it would never end.
Until it did, seven years ago in December.
It was as if all the light in the world had been snuffed out, and the colour bled from it. Although Max's closest friends still remained, he keenly missed the ones that were gone. He mourned Lucy's infectious greetings and hellos as she passed the shop, Natsu's grin and even his tendency to accidentally set the wares on fire, Gray's interest in the creative aspects of the products (and his stripping habit – Gray's cast-off clothes brought in the majority of the sales), Erza's stern warnings about ordinances and her love of confections shaped like her friends. Wendy looking for new clothes for Carla, Elfman's MANLY declarations, Mira's kind encouragements, Master's belief that Max could make something of his talents for business…
Hell, he missed everyone.
As the flow of visitors to the shop had declined, Max eventually made the painful decision to shut it down. No one was interested anymore, and Max had lost his enthusiasm for it along with his friends.
Instead, he concentrated on his missions and schooling. He never lost faith that Fairy Tail would return to its former boisterous self. All he had to do was be patient. While he waited, he would become stronger in an increasingly desperate chase after his vanished friends. When they returned, he would show them that it hadn't all been for naught. That they had all made the most of the time spent away.
Max shook his head to clear it. Those thoughts belonged to someone else, now. Fairy Tail's missing members had returned, after all. That part of him, the one that languished in loneliness, was long gone. Especially after Natsu's speech during Chariots. Merely remembering it brought a smile to the Sand Mage's face.
"What the hell. I'll close up shop early today," Max announced to the still air. Why not? No one was around, and the morose path his thoughts had turned to made him anxious to visit the guild. Just to check to make sure everyone was still there.
He grabbed his trusty Broom, the one he'd rescued from the old (now current) guildhall when Twilight Ogre had taken over it. This stick of wood and bristles had gotten him through many a lonely day, for it reminded him of all the parties Fairy Tail had thrown seven years ago. Now he kept it with him in the shop, the object too worn out now to handle the messes Fairy Tail was once again creating.
Immersed in his therapeutic sweeping, he failed to notice someone approaching the shop.
"Oh, are you closing up?"
Max froze at the words, chills running down his spine. He'd heard that voice before, during the Naval Battle. It was a sound he'd hoped to never hear again.
Nearly dropping Broom, he slowly turned to face the owner of the husky, dangerous voice.
Minerva Orlando regarded him coolly, as he struggled to say something.
"What am I doing?" Minerva muttered darkly to herself, and she glided like a shadow through the empty streets of Magnolia.
She knew well what she was doing there, truth be told. The Territory Mage just felt like saying it out loud.
It was all the blonde brats' fault. Her guild's, and Fairy Tail's. They were conspiring to bring peace and love to the world, she was sure. All this goodwill made her want to vomit, honestly. Minerva preferred to darken the world to suit her, and hated the idea of conforming to IT.
That blonde bimbo had no right to tell her to visit the rival guild. And Guild Master Sting (gag) had no right to order her to comply with the request. It hadn't been a damn request. The uppity Celestial Mage knew full well that the new Guild Master of Sabertooth (again, gag – she had only suggested it during the Grand Magic Games to get Sting's ass in gear and she'd had zero intention of going through with the promise) would do anything to promote this new friendship and peace and love and… URP. Yup. She was gonna throw up if she kept thinking about it.
Minerva did understand the friendship thing. A little. Sting and Rogue had been very accepting of her return to Sabertooth, and so had Rufus and Orga for the most part. Yukino's presence had been a surprise, for the both of them. The Celestial Mage was doing her best to get over her lingering reservations about Minerva, but it was obvious that it still bothered her.
So Sting had ordered her to take this request to talk with Lucy Heartfilia as an opportunity to make reparations. Plus, Yukino had a great deal of respect for her fellow Celestial Mage. That would go a long way in Minerva's… rehabilitation.
Nearly outright snarling at the thought, Minerva couldn't stop her lip from curling in distaste. She had little use or regard for weaklings, still. Yukino she could tolerate because Sting and Rogue considered her powerful enough to remain at the guild, but she would not be forced to befriend a damn Fairy. Which was the only reason she conceded to journeying to Magnolia. She was there only to serve notice that she was in no way sorry about what she'd done during the Naval Battle and just where they could shove their love and friendship.
Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a mop of sandy hair. Stiffening briefly, she glanced over at the individual, planning on delivering a scathing tirade of insults. Only to bite her tongue in restrained frustration when she realized that it wasn't the Celestial Mage, and the person was in fact male.
He didn't seem to see her. So intent on sweeping, he blithely continued his actions while humming cheerfully under his breath.
She glanced over the shop and it's plethora of Fairy Tail memorabilia. Great. It was practically a shrine to the guild. Her eyes narrowed at the proprietor. Was he a Fairy Tail Mage as well?
Her gaze landed on a plushy sitting upon a nearby shelf.
Minerva blinked at it. What was it? It looked like the strange lovechild of a dog and a snowman.
It was… almost cute.
Shaking herself free of the thought, she returned to observing the sandy-haired shopkeeper. Realizing that he was almost finished, she also understood that he must be closing up for the day. She was the only person around, after all.
"Oh, are you closing up?" she asked.
The stranger nearly jumped at her voice, and he gripped his broom tightly in his startled state.
…Messing with him might be fun. And a good way to relieve her frustrations – especially if he turned out to be a Fairy, after all.
This ended up being a two-shot.
Please review, and let me know what you think of this very odd pairing.