Warning: lots of fluff and Laxana. Also Cana is a strong wonderful woman dont forget that.


Of Juvenile Cognizances and Warm Tuesday Stew

Laxus

Laxus groaned and trudged on lazily. The nauseating heat poured onto his back like an extra fourty pounds to carry, and the fact that his trainers had long ago worn out and were supplying his feet with unwelcomed blisters didn't comfort his mood either. Five hours. Five fucking hours, they had been on that god- forsaken train. Only to remember that they had another hour long walk in front of them. Perfect.

Sweat sheened brightly over Laxus' forehead, and his shirt clung to his back like a baby to its mother. Their trip was probably worse than they needed to be. First-Gildarts had been away on a mission, when he probably could've got Gajeel and Laxus to their destination in a matter of minutes. Secondly, as dragon-slayer mages, they had HORRIBLE motion-sickness, and so one train, even though it was already hell for any other passenger, was ten times worse for Gajeel and Laxus. It was already late in the evening, maybe six or seven, and they were starving, not having eaten since noon. There was only ten minutes left of walking- then they would supposedly reach the oh-so-mighty Fairy Tail.

Laxus didn't know what to think about that. He was supposed to kidnap these two girls, right? Laxus didn't really care. He was the strongest mage, he could definitely defeat two little girls. He hadn't even bothered to look at the pictures of them. He just knew that the master had assigned him a job, and he should probably do it, or get the crap beaten out of him. Laxus chuckled bitterly under his breath. Should he really be calling his own father "Master"? Yeah, Laxus was Ivan's son. Did that change anything? Of course not. Other than the fact that his father had decided to let him stay in his guild instead of kicking out onto the streets already. How loving, he knew.

Still, life was as hellish for Laxus as it was for the rest of guild members- no special treatment whatsoever. Laxus sighed. He didn't even know why he was in that guild. He had no huge emotional attachment to his father, and could probably run away and make it on his own if he tried. So for the money? Maybe for the fame. But then again, ravens were given names in the media.

No, though, Laxus didn't really care what those other people thought about him. Probably the fact that he hated Fairy Tail's guild masters' guts, yeah, that might be a pretty reasonable motivation. Did he forget to mention the fact that almost every fucking single problem in his life had been because of that old man, the man he didn't even know? It had been him that brought his father into jail before, almost completely disconnecting Laxus from the only family he had. It had been because of that guy that Laxus had spent seventeen long years in Marie Adah's Foster Home, and called an orphan.

Laxus thought back to those days. Those happened to be the easiest, most carefree days of his life- he had never had his father there to beat him, he had actually had friends. The nuns were kind, and they used to tell him and the other children stories before they went to bed.

Laxus smiled to himself a little bit, then told himself not to; No, those were NOT good days. Makarov What's-His-Face was the reason father hated me, why he countlessly abused me, why I was the cause to all of father's problems, Laxus reprimanded himself. He just had to remember that Makarov was the enemy of Laxus and Ivan Durhams, and that was that.

Laxus looked up. "Stop." He told Gajeel. His partner looked back at him, confused. The walk was supposed to have gone a little bit longer.

Laxus glanced at the path to his right. It looked oddly familiar… Could it be? No Laxus told himself, don't think about what's not possible. Still, Laxus' curiosity overcame his more reasonable side. "Why don't you rest for a bit? I'll go look for some food." he lied easily, turning to his partner.

Gajeel raised his eyebrow suspiciously. "Since when do you offer to do work?" he asked, snorting.

Laxus got a little peeved at this. "I'm gonna go look for something to eat, okay? Just wait here." he said finally, making it clear that he wasn't asking Gajeel's permission.

Gajeel muttered something under his breath and motioned with his hand to go. "Do what you gotta do, just bring me something too," he said, already plopping himself onto the nearest bench and closing his eyes for a nap. Laxus sighed and began to walk down the faded cobblestone. He was just surprised he had suggested it before Gajeel did, the lazy dimwit.

As soon as he said that, he corrected himself. Gajeel might be one of the laziest and disagreeable men he knew, but he was also probably one of the most powerful. Perhaps even as powerful as Laxus himself. That's saying something.

He also made a hell of a partner.

Further down the path, he could see small children chasing each other through the tall grasses. Despite himself, Laxus smiled a bit. This was it. The orphanage he had been sent to all these years ago. It looked almost exactly the same as it had back then. The same brick walls covered head-to-toe with lush green ivory, the same tall green fields that shown with joy and at-ease juvenility, and the same rattly old sign hanging from a post that read "MOTHER MARIE ADAH'S ORPHANAGE" in large, bold words. The path soon turned into soft dirt, leaving the cobblestone urbanity of the city behind. There were two buildings, one was the Main House, where the dormitories lay along with the Mess Hall, and the other a church. There were kids from all ages either playing, talking, or basking in the warm but wintry sunlight. Laxus couldn't help but feel a little longing to join them. He hadn't experienced such carefreeness in years. Before his father had taken him away right after his seventeenth birthday.

Laxus, deciding that he had stayed long enough, was about to head back to where Gajeel was when he heard a strangled cry.

A small boy maybe around the age of twelve had burst out of the Main House. He ran messily, tripping over his already scabby knees more than several times, waving his hands around exasperatedly.

"Please! Please, someone help! Mother Adah is hurt, someone please help!" he shouted desperately, looking towards some of the bigger kids lounging around.

"Yeah right. Why don't you stop lying and just go back inside?" one of them said annoyedly.

"I'm not lying! She really is hurt!" he exclaimed.

"Yeah, yeah, we've heard it all before Jonah. You can end the act." another called.

"I'm not lying!" the boy exclaimed again, this time a little more peeved. The kids just turned away, ignoring him.

Laxus, deciding the scene was over, turned around again. He had only taken a few steps when, again, he was stopped, this time by someone tugging him by the arm.

"Mister, you have to help me, please, my teacher is hurt." the boy cried. Laxus looked at him surprised. He really never believed that any little boy would have the guts to touch such an intimidating man like him, much less talk to him. Laxus' shock quickly wore off and he rewore his stoic mask. He tried to shake him off, but the kid wouldn't budge.

"Buzz off kid, get someone else to help you." Laxus growled, trying to scare him away. The boy remained defiant, small hands still clutched tightly around Laxus' arm.

"Please, I need your help," the boy said again, his voice wavering. Laxus sighed irritably. This kid was annoying. Deciding that there wasn't much chance of the boy leaving without Laxus hurting him, Laxus gave a slight nod of the head.

The boy beamed and excitedly tried to hug Laxus, which Laxus avoided by holding the boy away with his arm. "Thank you, thank you so much Mister!" the boy yelled happily.

A few kids looked at him suspiciously, and Laxus took this as a sign that he had to speed things up. "You said someone was hurt?" Laxus reminded him. The small boy stopped trying to embrace Laxus and said again, "Yes, my teacher. Come on, I'll show you."

The boy suddenly began running up the path again, dragging Laxus with him, towards the Main House. Laxus easily kept up with him, but he noted that the boy was pretty fast for his youth. After a few minutes of running, they reached the house and bolted up stairs, the boy pushing quite noisily through the doors. The sprinted through numerous hallways, the boy leading, and luckily they seemed to deserted. Laxus didn't want too much questioning.

They finally reached a large set of brass doors at the end of a hallway. The boy pushed them open to reveal a prodigious library, bright and colorful mosaics staining the glass walls. Along the sides lay row after row of shelves, all overflowing from a myriad of literature. The boy led him to the right, where Laxus now saw what he was so worried about.

A huge bookshelf had collapsed, hundreds of books spilling out from its crevices. Laxus could see a small head poking out from the side, buried under the rubble.

"Jonah..." It said weakly.

"Mother Adah, I've brought help, it's okay," the boy said gently. Laxus walked over to the side of the shelf, but it was truly humongous, several hundred pounds. Laxus was just surprised the woman hadn't suffocated yet. He crawled under the shelf and knelt down, raising his arms in a compromising position above him. Using his core strength, he pushed up, groaning in pain. His face contorted into one of absolute concentration as he used all of his strength to lift the shelf from the floor. Still, it was immensely heavy, and even Laxus knew he wouldn't be able to carry it the whole way himself.

"Help.. her.. " Laxus wheezed raggedly, hoping the boy had heard the barely audible command. Luckily he had, and now that the shelf was a few feet off the ground, he had pulled the woman out from under the rubble, leading her away. Laxus could watch the scene unfold in front of him. He saw a new pair of feet running into the room, "Jonah! What's going on?"

Only then had he realized that he had simply taken on too much weight. He began to sink downwards, the weight slowly overcoming his body. He might have died, might have just been crushed by the extraordinary bulk, but suddenly a new force held the shelf up with him. A woman probably younger than him slid under the shelf as well, painfully carrying it with him.

At first he was wholly and utterly shocked, but he quickly realized he had to help too. Together, they achingly lifted the bookshelf, until it finally hit the wall behind them with a THUD.

Laxus collapsed in a heap of exhaustion on the wooden floors, the weight finally lifted from his shoulders. He panted heavily and looked around for who had helped him. A mere five feet away from him lay a woman in a position almost identical to his, shoulders slouched and knees sprawled as she breathed densely. Laxus realized that she had to have been tona strong to have held up the bookshelf with him. He was silently impressed.

She suddenly looked up, almost knocking the wind out of him. She was, no doubt about it, breathtakingly beautiful. Her chocolate brown locks fell gracefully down her waist, and it didn't even look like she tried. Her chalky palm complexion was topped off by the reddest, fullest, lips Laxus had ever seen in his life. Her slender and curvy figure was adorned in a blue bikini top and brown cargo pants, numerous silver bangles hanging off her wrists and silver bands holding both of her upper arms. There was some sort of reddish mark on her shoulder, but he couldn't really make it out, still red from the heavy lifting.

She was frowning, probably because he was staring quite noticeably at her. She stood up and looked to where the small boy was still sitting on the floor with the old woman. "Jonah? Who is this man and why is he here?" she asked coldly. Laxus was taken aback. She was kind of scary.

The boy called Jonah beamed, "This man helped Mother Adah when the book shelf fell on her. Isn't he the best?"

The still gorgeous yet impassive woman regarded Laxus again before turning back to Jonah. "So you just let a random stranger inside?" she accused. He looked away shamefully.

"Oh Cana, don't be so rude! This kind man just saved my life, we should be thanking him!" the old woman piped up. She was very old, maybe fifties or sixties, dressed in a black and white nun's gown, but she seemed to have recovered a bit from the accident. She was also… strangely familiar.

The younger woman looked back at Laxus and scrutinized him, taking in his scratched up coat and the pale scar across his cheek. Laxus sat uncomfortably, still in his obscene posture. He returned her gaze nonetheless, not backing down.

Her lips soon curled up into a smile, one of the most genuine Laxus had seen in years. She walked over to him and held her hand out. "Well, then, I guess I should be thanking you and apologizing too."

He looked at her hand and then back at her face, not moving. "Oh come on now, I don't bite, promise," she teased. He reluctantly took her hand and let her help him up. He felt a small spark go up in his arm, and quickly let go. She didn't look like she felt it, and went on to say, "Well, it's nice to meet you. I'm Cana." The name struck a familiar chord in Laxus' head, but he couldn't quite place it.

Laxus nodded his head in return. "Laxus." he grunted.

"Laxus… why does that name ring a bell?" the old woman trailed off, looking at him with new eyes.

Just then, the library doors burst open. In strode Gajeel, peeved as hell, and looking around for his partner. When he spotted him on the other side of the room, standing considerably close to Cana, his eyes widened, then narrowed. "Food, Laxus?"

"Is this a friend of yours, then?" Cana inquired. Laxus just nodded.

"Hallway. Now." Gajeel growled, walking back out the door.

Laxus looked respectfully to the women and Jonah. "If you would excuse me," he said, following his friend out the door.

Gajeel was leaning against the wall, tapping his toe and looking at Laxus impatiently. "What the hell man? What're you doing inside a daycare?" he asked.

"Orphanage," he corrected.

"Whatever," Gajeel brushed aside "What are you doing here? With her?"

"This kid dragged me in here 'cause he said his teacher was hurt. That's it." Laxus said shortly, not including why he was in that area of town anyway.

"Sure, " Gajeel replied sarcastically, "Don't tell me. But what is she doing here?!"

Laxus was pretty confused by now. What was Gajeel talking about? "What do you mean her? Do you know her?" he asked.

"Does he know who?"

Gajeel and Laxus jumped at the new voice. Cana had followed them out the room and was now intervening in their pretty private conversation.

"Don't you know not to eavesdrop?" Gajeel asked threateningly, still eyeing her suspiciously, much to Laxus' confusion. Cana didn't seem intimidated by him, though. If she did, she didn't show it.

"I wasn't eavesdropping. I was just going to ask you guys to stay for dinner." she replied. The men exchanged glances.

"Look lady-"

"Look lady nothing, you don't really have a choice. Laxus here just saved my Gram's life. You guys are definitely not going anywhere without us treating you to dinner, at the very least." she said matter-of-factly. The men were shocked.

"Give us a moment," Gajeel said, pulling Laxus a few feet away. Cana just crossed her arms and leaned against the door. "Take your time," she said.

"Dude," Gajeel whispered, "did you seriously not look at the pictures?"

"What pictures?"

Gajeel pulled out the small stack of information they had been going over in the lobby of Raven Tail the other day and waved them in front of Laxus' face. "These pictures."

Laxus grabbed them from Gajeel's hand, looking more closely at them. The pictures of the two girls were still there, the ones Laxus had never really done more than glance at.

Upon closer examination, Laxus realized horrifically that the Cana in the picture was the Cana he had just been talking to seconds ago. He glanced at her, still leaning against the door, and then back at the photograph. He could also now realize that the red mark on her shoulders he noticed before was a guild mark; Fairy Tail's. The resemblance was uncanny. They were the same person.

"Yeah," Gajeel whispered, pissed that it had taken so long for his partner to put two and two together. "So, what do you want to do? Attack?" he asked, looking warily over at her.

"No, definitely not. We'd cause too much of a scene."

"Then what?"

"We'll… wait until tomorrow." Laxus said unsurely. "That way both girls will be at the guild. Plus they're gonna be the only ones there, according to Ivan. Until then… dinner wouldn't hurt?" Laxus finished, speaking more from his stomach than his common sense.

"Fine." Gajeel answered, equally starved. They looked back to where Cana was.

"Finished with your chat, boys?" she asked smirkingly.

"Cana! Have you invited the gentlemen for dinner yet?" Mother Adah called, popping her head out of the door as well.

"Yes, Grams," Cana said sighing, "these boys have been having tea party in the corner, though, not telling whether they're coming or not."

Laxus and Gajeel exchanged a quick glance again, and nodded slightly. "We'll stay," Laxus said to old woman. Her face was now completely recognizable to him, and he was almost saddened by the thought that she still didn't seem to remember him.

"Splendid!" the woman cried, clapping her hands. "Jonah, you come help me in the kitchen, and you, Cana, go help these nice boys to the table." Mother Adah grabbed Jonah's hand and they began scurrying back down the hallway, probably towards the kitchen.

"This way, Laxus and- I don't think I quite caught your name," Cana asked, looking to the second burly man.

"Gajeel."

"Alright Laxus, and Gajeel, follow me."

Cana led them down the hallway again. Her heels clicked on the shabby wooden floors and the men lumbered cautiously behind her. They still weren't sure if being there at all was a good idea.

A few more twists and turns, and they were in the open yard again. It was pretty dark outside by now, but the few kids lingering jolted up to the sound of doors. They had all seen not one, but two intimidating looking strangers enter the Main Hall that day, and suspicion had rosen.

"Cana! Who are these guys? Are they bothering you?" a boy probably a few years younger than Laxus asked. He was scrawny and had light blue eyes and sandy brown hair. He sized Laxus and Gajeel up, trying to look fierce.

"Oh I'm sorry, are you planning to protect her?" Gajeel said snorting, his obnoxious side reaching out of him. He looked down at the kid.

"Well, I'll have you know-"

"Quit it, Derek! These guys aren't bothering me, and if they were, I'd be able to handle it on my own." Cana said, sighing.

The boy named Derek stopped arguing, probably because it had been Cana to speak.

"Come on, guys," Cana said, motioning with her hand for them to resume their walk. Once they were a few feet away she started talking. "That's Derek. Sorry 'bout him, he's a good kid, but I think he's got a little crush on me." she informed them. The men didn't say anything in strolled briskly to the mess hall, which was a lot smaller than the Main House. They pushed through the doors again, walking in silence through the vast cafeteria they had entered, to the back of it, and then through another set of small wooden doors.

They entered what must have been a kitchen almost appropriate in size to the already very large cafeteria, and then they walked into a smaller, more private kitchen. There was a stove, a sink, some counters (your very average kitchen), and then a small brown table to seat six, coated in a plain checkered table-cloth.

Mother Adah and Jonah were there before them, already preparing a meal.

"Well, boys, sit down, make yourselves comfy." Cana said, gesturing to the seats with her hand, then going to help Mother Adah and Jonah. Gajeel and Laxus sat down at the first two seats next to eachother. They stared awkwardly at the floor. That went on for quite a while before Mother Adah finally turned from her position at the stove and placed two round dishes in front of her guests. There was steaming string beans on one side and a soup spoon on the other, and then in the middle a small bowl of vegetable broth. Cana, Jonah and Mother Adah sat down across from the table, plates identical to the mens'.

Laxus hesitantly took the small spoon from its place and dipped it into the bowl. He was still doubting whether they should have stayed at all. He brought the spoon to his mouth and-

Laxus was immediately hit with a flurry of emotions.

Cold rainy days at the orphanage, sitting grumpily at the mess hall with the other children. Then a hot bowl of soup being served to him, and the first spoonful warming his insides to the point where he felt ignited.

Helping out in the kitchen as a kid, serving the other kids and secretly tasting some of the flaming hot mix himself.

Rushing into the kitchen after being pushed into the mud by the older kids, and hoping that some hot broth would steal all his worries.

Then present day, feeling the piping hot soup slide down his throat, dousing any doubt of his being at the table, at that very moment.

The first spoonful was not enough, of course. Laxus dived for another, and once again closed his eyes, savoring the flesh-against-fire feeling lingering in his throat. The group of five ate in silence, but not an uncomfortably so one. It was clear that they were all enjoying the meal very much, excuse you, and really couldn't stop to take a breath or even create small talk.

Soon the bowl was empty, and Laxus' stomach felt whole, full, satisfied after his groggy day of travel. He slipped the last few string beans in his mouth and looked to his partner, who seemed to have finished as well.

"Ahh, Grams, your famous vegetable soup never fails to amaze me," Cana sighed, closing her eyes and leaning back in her chair contentedly.

"Yup, it's the best, Mother Adah," Jonah repeated, grinning toothily.

"Well, I glad you two enjoyed that," Mother Adah said smiling kindly. "Sir, would you be a dear and help me with the dishes?" Mother Adah looked to Gajeel.

"I, uh-"

"Come on, Gajeel, just help her with the dishes," Laxus said, smirking at his friend. The iron mage glowered at him in return and reluctantly got up from his seat at the table. He followed the old woman back to the sink while the smaller boy- Jonah- piped in eagerly and began to help the older people.

Alone, at the table, Laxus realized that Cana had disappeared. He looked to where the other three were fumbling about busily at the sink, and then back into the hallway, but she was no where to be seen. On his left, he noticed a glass sliding door was open, leading outside. Curiosity getting the better of him, he cautiously got up from his seat at the table and walked out the door.

The cool air danced on his skin like needles, and the icy wind ruffled his hair. Late autumn.

He noticed her then, sitting on the wooden porch steps, legs crossed. She was looking into the horizon, a sunset now dawning. She held a beer in her hand, her painted nails wrapped strongly around it.

She saw him out of the corner of her eye and jumped a little. "Oh, Laxus, didn't see you there. Just out for some fresh air." she said, turning back to her view. Laxus leaned against the wooden pillar beside her.

She held up the bottle in her hands. "I personally love a good dousing after dinner, or anytime of the day as a matter of fact," she said thoughtfully. "But Grams never lets me drink inside the orphanage walls. Like some?" she asked, offering it up to him. He accepted it from her and took a deep chug, letting the bitter-sweet drink swoon in his mouth. It was surprisingly refreshing. He handed it back.

"Thanks," he whispered.

"No problem." she whispered back, taking another swig of her own.

They stayed like that for a while, exchanging the booze in silence, watching the sky turn from blue to orange. Orange to pink.

"So," Laxus started, breaking the silence. "Mother Adah, you called her your Grams?"

Cana replied without looking at him. "Well, she's not actually my grandmother," she stated. "I've been in this orphanage since I was almost six, and since then, its been kind of a second home to me, and Grams a second mother, you know?"

Laxus nodded patiently. He did know. He remembered this place shiny and clear, and it most certainly had been a home to him all those years. He knew to any kid how rewarding this orphanage was, how special it made all of them feel. He knew exactly what she was talking about.

"And you've stayed here all these years?"

"Oh heavens, no, I moved into my own house when I was sixteen or so. Couldn't bother Grams any longer." she answered.

"But..?" he questioned.

"But, of course I just couldn't let myself leave." she admitted, sighing, and looking up at him. "I grew up here, these people are my family! So ever since I became an adult and licensed to work I've been helping out here. God knows Grams and the other nuns need some help," she said exasperatedly.

"But at the same time, I've technically been working since I was eight, at this guild, Fairy Tail?" she explained. Laxus shifted uncomfortably. He realized just what he was doing at the moment, and how wrong it felt. "A mage's guild, I'm sure you've heard of it." she added, still looking at him. He broke her gaze and nodded slightly.

She sighed and downed the rest of the booze.

"So are you gonna stay forever?" Laxus inquired, voicing the most obvious question.

Cana's head slouched. "I don't know." It was rasped out quietly and almost inaudible, and Laxus was only able to catch it because of his super-human dragon-slaying hearing ability.

"You don't know?" he asked, confused.

"I don't know!" she exclaimed, snapping her head up. "I just don't know! Am I supposed to stay here the rest of my life, making meals for kids and teaching subjects I haven't even learned, or am I supposed to do something with my life?"

She looked at him, straight in the eye. "Don't you ever get this feeling where you just don't know what you're fighting for, like what your purpose in life even is?" she asked him quietly. "Sometimes, I just don't know what to do. Am I supposed to go out, make a difference in the world, or stay here forever?"

Laxus didn't know how to respond, but he knew how she felt. He felt the same way everyday. He still didn't know why he was in Raven Tail, why he killed and hurt people for living, or what he was supposed to do with his life. How was he to put that in an answer though? How was he to sum that all up, put a bow on top, and tell this woman that he knew exactly how she felt, and that she wasn't alone in this?

Instead, he just said, "I know." That sounded pretty lame. She looked at him incredulously, and was about to say something when the glass door slid open loudly, causing both of them to jump. Gajeel was standing in the doorway, arms crossed.

"We really gotta go." he stated, plain and simple. Laxus nodded and righted himself from where he had slouched against the pillar. Mother Adah and Jonah appeared in the doorway behind the dark mage, "Are you leaving already?"

"Yes, we really need to get going. It's getting late." Laxus added. Cana got up from her spot on the porch and looked at Laxus.

"Well, we'll see you around then," she stated cooly. Laxus was surprised at how quickly she had shifted from all out conversation to impassiveness once again. But he wouldn't be fooled by her uncaring mask. He saw it on himself when he looked in the mirror everyday.

He nodded and looked to Jonah and Mother Adah. "Thank you for the meal," he offered.

"Oh, it's the least we could do, you know you saving my life, and all, " Mother Adah replied happily. Her crinkled old face scrunched into a loving smile. Oh, how Laxus longed to remind her who he was, and how much she had changed his life.

Instead he only nodded again, and turned around and walked past the women and boy through the door. They exited the small kitchen, and then entered the larger kitchen, and finally passed through the huge cafeteria to step out into the cold once again.

The children were all gone, much to Laxus' preference. They walked down the shabby dirt patch once again, the moon now shining brightly over their heads. Laxus shoved his hands in his pockets and pulled his head into his collar to conserve heat.

"Where we sleepin'?" Gajeel asked in a low voice. He was in a similar position to Laxus, head down and hands sheltered.

Laxus shrugged. "I dunno." His voice was muffled through the fabric. They continued their brisk pace through the fields and finally into the urban city once again. Laxus didn't dare look back. He didn't know what he would see, and didn't want to know. He was embarrassed enough. Those people had just treated like family, had even treated them to dinner- and he was supposed to kindnap Cana later? It was so, so wrong. He just didn't know what to think about it.

As a Raven Tail mage, he learned never to spare mercy, never to grow feelings towards the enemy. And he really didn't. He was ruthless when it came to battle, and he didn't give it a second thought before striking down an opponent. Somehow, though, Cana felt different. She had opened up to him, trusted him with something personal.

How was he to deal with all this? His mind was congested with worry, guilt and mixed feelings. His head throbbed from the exhausting day. It was all so complicated.

They reached the town square and spotted two vacant benches by the side. The waning moon hung dreamily over the midnight blue sky, stars scattered amongst its numerous folds. The evergreen trees swayed in the gentle breeze, craning their necks to dance in unison. Shopkeepers around them began switching off lights, packing up inventory. One by one booths and windows darkened, until finally the square was lit only by the dim, crappy streetlights. Laxus sighed and walked over to the nearest bench.

"We're camping out, I guess?" Laxus asked, looking to Gajeel.

Gajeel huffed and looked disappointingly at the bench. "Yeah, I guess. I didn't bring enough to pay for an inn," he admitted. He walked over and rested his back on the seat and let his feet dangle over the edge of the arm rest.

"G'night then." Laxus said, lying down on the other bench.

"G'night."

Laxus stared blankly in front of him. He couldn't sleep. He definitely couldn't close his eyes. There was too much clouding his mind.

It was all very new to Laxus, the whole, caring, thing? He had never felt guilty, had never needed to give his orders a second thought.

The stars twinkled infinitely over him, and Gajeel's loud snores filled the silence. Laxus stayed there for hours, back rigid against the hard wooden bench. He thought back to the small spark he had noticed before when touching Cana. It was all very cliche, and Laxus just didn't know how to deal with it.

The sky was so blue that night.

All he knew is that he had to get over it before tomorrow; when he had to defeat Cana Alberona, without a doubt.


Okay guys! How do you feel about that? I personally thought the talk on the porch was pretty fluffy, but I'md sorry itf it seemed a little rushed. But then again, I was just trying to emphasize how much they have in common.

Please review! U;n trying to update often, but with the holidays coming up, it might be a while. Sorry :( I'm trying my best!

Later nerds!