Nobody would play with him.

It wasn't because his hair was blue, he didn't think. Two girls had blue hair and plenty of friends, and as colorful as Bixlow's hair may have been, Natsu's was pink, pinker than the cotton candy from the fair the other week. And everyone played with Natsu. The blond girl who insisted on her princess crown, and the redhead with the toy sword, and Gray, who always managed to loose his shirts after naptime. They played dragons and knights and princesses almost every day.

Bixlow didn't want to play dragons. The last time he had played dragons, Laxus had hit him on the head with a sword, and he had scraped his knee. Bixlow wanted to play dolls.

"Do you want to-"

"Dolls are for girls."

"Boys can't play with dolls."

"But-"

The teachers had no pity on him, when he had told them no one would play with him. "Play trains," one had said. "Boys like to trains. Someone will definitely play trains with you."

"But I don't want to play with trains," he said. But nobody cared.

Nobody would play with him, so Bixlow played by himself.

He had gotten a new doll, from his mommy. It was a knight, with a sword and armor and everything. He had just sat down in his usual spot, by himself, when the sound of wailing reached his ears. He looked up.

"M-M-Mira-nee!" She was small, but not tiny, and her eyes were filled with tears as she clutched at her sister's dress. Her hair was neatly cut and brushed, but it was tangling as she struggled to stay with the older girl. The teachers tried unsuccessfully to pry her off. "Don't leave, don't leave! I don't want to go!"

Her sobs were hysterical, and Bixlow found himself wandering over. The other boys were making faces, and some of the girls at started to look weepy eyed.

"Lisanna, you have to stay here." She spoke in that way that he knew meant that she was trying to be nice, but her patience was running thin.

"B-but," she hiccupped pathetically, clutching a stuffed bunny in her free arm. "N-no one's gonna play with me," she whimpered.

He wasn't sure when he had made his way to her, but she tapped her on the shoulder. She turned away, all teary-eyed and wobbly lips. "I'll play with you."

"You… you will?" She bit her lip, looking hopeful and a moment away from tears at the same time.

He nodded. "Do you want to play dolls?"