Title: Forthwith.
Series: Fairy Tail
Pairing: Laxus/Mirajane
Setting: AU. Fairy Academy
Notes: A short one because this sort of an excerpt for a long AU story I couldn't finish. My first Miraxus AU, hope you enjoy this one too.

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"Would you care to go out with me, Mirajane Strauss?"

She is sitting with fellow freshmen students having their lunch at their favorite spot in the campus grounds, when all of a sudden this guy walks up to her, asking her out. She needn't ask how he knew her name; working part-time as a model she is used to being recognized. School has only started for a week, but this is already the fourth invitation she got from a fan.

But no… he can't be a mere fan. In fact, he has the look of someone who might have his own flock of fans daily following him around. Oh, he's handsome alright. Not in the movie-star or model kind of way; his lightning-shaped scar and height and build makes him look too tough and masculine for that.

He has character, too, obviously. He stood there with a long coat draped over his shoulders, covering most of his polo uniform. His arms are crossed over his chest, and he's looking very impatient.

"Are you going to answer me or not?" he repeated, because she only blinked and stared at the man towering in front of her.

Beside her, Cana gave a playful nudge, before deciding to butt in, "Well, if it isn't high and mighty Laxus Dreyar asking my friend here for a date. Look, if ya promise to smuggle one of your old man's precious wine for me I'll let you date this beauty."

"Hey," Levy scolded Cana for Mirajane, because she's still engaged in a staring contest with Laxus. Noticing this, Levy not-so-quietly whispered to her, "I've read articles about him. He's a senior, he's lead varsity team in countless victories, he's last year's MVP and gets excellent marks, his great-grandfather is one of the founders of this school… obviously he's hot, but he's also a certified playboy. Not to mention that he's proud enough to walk around followed by three student body guards, one of which is a woman. You better be careful, Mira-chan."

Laxus' smirk only got wider upon hearing these. He's a man proud of his accomplishments and faults, though he did frown at the mention of his ancestral relations.

Mirajane isn't too impressed about any of the information, but admitted to herself that all of it does make this man seem dangerous. She, however, has never been one to take people's opinion and accept them without question. She liked to decide for herself who to trust and who to give a chance. Looking at him… she can't explain it, but he has a certain pull on her.

He looks so tough, so confident, almost overbearing in the way he asked her out without as much as an introduction, even demanding a quick answer. "He's a certified playboy," Levy warned her. This could be something he does everyday - playing with random ladies' hearts. She could believe in that and just say 'no' to save herself. But she couldn't.

Instead she is drawn to his eyes and she can see the softness in his look that contradicts his tough guy image. It's almost as if her answer can make or break him, but he's not willing to show what's behind the tough guy façade. Mirajane can't not believe that his invitation is sincere.

He's intriguing, obviously. She has only met him for a few minutes and already, she can see the many complicated layers of his personality and she just knew there is more. And she likes it, because this is something she understands. She, too, hides her true self behind layers of smiles and sunshine, behind titles and a persona that she made to protect what's inside. She has yearned so long for someone who will peel away those delicate layers and see her for what she is. They say that when you meet your match, you can tell. What she can tell is that he is waiting for someone to peel his layers, too… Have they been waiting for each other, then?

Laxus is frowning again, and Mirajane's friends are nudging her.

Perhaps it's time to bring the waiting to an end. So she smiled and finally answered him, "What do you have in mind?"

Laxus slowly smiled and extended his hand, "A lot. How about we take a walk and make plans, just the two of us?"

Ignoring the shocked expression of Levy, as well as Cana's hooting, she muttered a quick goodbye to her friends and set aside her untouched food. They've already waited for a long time, there's simply no sense in wasting more.

They began to walk away, an odd pair who only just found each other, but have already stolen each other's heart.

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Thank you for reading...! Thank you all for the lovely feedback, I read all of the reviews. Thanks also to those who fave and follow.