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Alcohol

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Days turned to weeks since Laxus's first encounter with Mirajane, who was now a constant in his unstable life as a detective. Crime was never dull in the city of Magnolia, Laxus now on his third cup of coffee turned away from the case file in his hand before looked up to his ceiling wondering if he should get a beer from his new neighbor.

After a startling encounter with his upstairs resident- Cana Alberona of all people to live under one roof Laxus found out that most of his acquaintances lived on the street he occupied, Mirajane included later that night at four in the morning of all times. He was positively stunned as he saw her unlock the door across from his residence.

"Mira?" Said person turned and grinned, "Hey Laxus!"

After some small talk Mirajane invited him over after a close call with the toppling oranges from her grocery bag. Her home was relatively comfortable like his company. Her walls were in a light shade of lavender, and her kitchen smelled of her favorite sweets. As expected on the lush walls were pictures, but he didn't see any with Lisanna in them. Laxus frowned at the observation. Even if Mirajane was mad at Lisanna- that was highly unlikely because the eldest would spoil her siblings with her love since high school. Mira would still proudly display her little sister on her walls with a mother hen type of affection.

Just what exactly happened to the two sisters? The question was evidently bugging Laxus's mind. He always found Lisanna to be somewhat like a little sister to him. Laxus noticed how Mirajane wasn't as cheerful and upbeat as he remembered her before she came out of the punk phase when they were in middle school.

When said person in question came back from the kitchen with two bottles of beer and her homemade kuzumochi, she set them on a wooden table and began chatting with Laxus. What they talked about were mainly mundane thoughts. What he did on his travels, what she did after modeling for that one photo shoot, and how their friends were doing in the boisterous town.

He didn't ask the question that had been prickling his brain for the past hour or so, because he wasn't that person that pried information out of people in his personal life. Soon or later they were drunk and Laxus despite being so turned in for the night before he would do anything he'd regret. With a drunken smile, Mirajane brought her arms around his neck and pressed her lips against his cheek.

"Thank you, Laxus."

Laxus didn't why she thanked him- he had done nothing to earn it in his opinion, but merely nodded and accepted it as she released her hold around his neck. The blond left her that night- or rather that morning wondering if he could have done more at the fleeting moment.

The next time he saw her was back at the café looking as bright as she was when he left to travel the world all those years ago.

Laxus getting up from her couch and files he went into his kitchen and grabbed two bottles of beer before heading over to Mira's place. If anything her place was like a sanctuary from his stressful head numbing detective work and was a place where he could talk freely about what had been going on his mind in the day.

She was his confidant, and that wasn't going to change anytime soon.

Mirajane was the calming presence in his hectic blood stained life in the homicide department. Personally, he was glad that she had allowed him her company, even after all he's done in the past. He was glad that she had given him a fresh start- a second chance.

When he was at her door, Laxus knocked on it then there was a pause in the muffled shuffling in the apartment before the door opened.

There was something different about the woman in front of him. The somber expression that seemed to flit from her clean blue eyes at small moments of thought and normalcy was now fully unconfined from her intricate locks of control over the depression he saw in their miniature conversations. Her eyes were puffy no doubt from crying- but because of what?

A spark of anger lit in his chest as the sight of her painful form that quickly dissipated when Mirajane flung herself into his arms before completely breaking down in front of him. He stiffened at the sudden contact before awkwardly enough putting his arms around her smaller and seamlessly fragile form.

Laxus held her in his arms as she wept. He didn't why she broke down in front, if anything he should have been the last person for her to be so vulnerable around.

In the midst of her tears, she spoke of Lisanna- her untimely death months after he left on journey to find himself which evidently shocked Laxus at the answer that was horrible in so many ways sated his curiosity for the situation. The worst thing was-

It was the anniversary of Lisanna's death.

It was like a knife was twisting itself in his gut.

Grief. Disbelief. Comprehension. Guilt. Anger. Helplessness.

He didn't know what to say at that moment in turmoil.

In his eyes, Laxus certainly did not deserve this precious dejected moment. He didn't mind that she was wetting his already stained shirt if he was the same person that he was five years ago…. Laxus would have most certainly took her suffering as a weakness and coldly shove her away. A trivial part of him winced at the remembrance of his past manner as a very arrogant and selfish asshole that wanted nothing more than be someone that wasn't Makarov's grandson.

Reeling himself out of his thoughts, the blond gently led her back into her apartment, closing the door behind him as he did so. Laxus was completely inept in the department of consoling- tried his best to comfort the crying woman. "Hey Mira."

Her pause in the tear fest gave the blond the indication to continue, "Remember how we first met?"

It wasn't a distraction or the need for conversation in the somewhat expressive moment- just a minute to bring her some form of nostalgic happiness and normalcy. It was the only thing he could think of to alleviate the despair that Laxus was seeing in her. He hated seeing her cry.

With a shaky laugh Mirajane replied, "Course I remember, Laxus. I dumped my tea all over you."