10. Week #6 – Kisses

For some reason Cana kept waking up early. She'd made a discovery: mornings were beautiful when you weren't hung over.

As she sleepily decided between tea and coffee in their sunlit kitchen, she heard the shuffle of feet. She assumed it was Silver (who didn't sleep much, due to being only sort of alive), but an unfamiliar mutter made her turn.

Natsu and Gray were bumbling around in the cabinet, their bare shoulders colliding from standing so close together.

Cana blinked. "Good morning."

Gray jerked—he was always half-asleep in the mornings—but Natsu smiled at her.

"Yo."

"You slept over," she said.

Both boys blushed.

"Yeah," Natsu said.

Cana beamed. "Nice. Congrats."

Gray grumbled something which made Natsu laugh.

"This one is too grumpy to decide about breakfast," he said, rubbing Gray's back. "Any preference, Cana?"

"I have to start with coffee before I can answer that. But I can tell you Gray normally just has cereal."

"So plain and boring, snowflake," Natsu said, reaching into the refridgerator and beginning to pull things out.

"Are you going to cook?" Cana asked.

"I can cook," Natsu said defensively. "Actually quite well, which for some reason always surprises people."

"I'm not doubting you: this is my excited face, early morning style."

He grinned. "In that case, I'll make enough for three."

"If I help, can we bump it to five?" Gildarts asked, yawning as he entered. Behind him, Silver stopped by the table and looked consideringly at Gray.

"Are you awake enough to help?" Natsu laughed.

"Maybe," Gildarts grunted. He straightened. "Oh no, are you going to try to fight me while I'm tired?"

"Nah, I'm good." Natsu reached out and stroked Gray's hand, a reaction Cana wasn't certain was conscious. Which just made it more adorable.

Gray squeezed his fingers.

"You're being safe?" Silver murmured to Gray.

"Otousan!" Gray yelped, suddenly very much awake. "It's not…we haven't…"

Silver raised his hands.

"I don't need to know. But hey, look, you're awake now. You can help your boyfriend cook."

Gray gave him a nasty look, but didn't seem to complain about cuddling close to Natsu and asking how he could assist. Cana saw Natsu lean in to steal a clandestine kiss.

Gildarts returned to the table, sat, and closed his eyes.

"Nope, it's morning," Silver said, kissing his head. "You're supposed to be alive now."

Gildarts groaned. He was about as wakeful as Gray in the mornings.

When Gildarts leaned his head on the table, Silver rubbed his back. Looking from them to the two young men who kept deliberately bumping into each other in the kitchen, Cana sighed.

"Am I the only person in this house who's going to wear a shirt?" she asked.

"No one said you have to," Silver pointed out.

Cana made a face. "I hate loose tits. This is why big ones suck: it hurts when they bounce."

"Do you have to discuss this?" Gildarts grunted, face-down against the table.

"You're totally fine with your son and husband regularly wandering the house naked in front of everyone else," Cana said (both Fullbusters looked down to make sure they still wore pants), "yet hearing your daughter discuss boobs while fully clothed embarrasses you? That's sexist, Gildarts."

"Why can't you call me 'Papa'?"

"I call you 'Touchan' all the time, just not when you're being stupid. And don't try to change the subject away from your patriarchal privileged bullshit—changing the subject is privileged bullshit."

Gildarts groaned. "Sorry?" he said.

Cana hmphed.

"Are they always like this in the morning?" Natsu asked in a carrying whisper.

"Just wait 'til they have caffeine," Gray said.

Cana beamed.

After breakfast, Cana slipped away to pen another note for Mira.

She didn't know if Gajeel had been joking when he suggested it the week before, but she suspected not. Once she got thinking about it, it seemed brilliant. It was a way to say all the little, simple things she always meant to, but either forgot because she took Mira for granted or didn't because they got in a stupid argument.

Grabbing some paper, she thought of the two things about Mira which she loved best—her smile and her emotional intelligence—and penned two notes.

That was the easy part.

Sneaking the notes into places behind the bar where Mira would find them was harder. Cana showed up early, managed to hide from Mira's sight, and slipped the notes into place while Mira was in the back. Then she went for a walk to wait for the guild to fill up in order to avoid suspicion.

All quite elaborate for some little notes to a friend. Coward, some part of her said. But Cana just smiled at that part of herself. Her life was too complicated and she wasn't sure what she felt for Mira, or what she would feel when this whole getting-her-head-straight thing was over. She wasn't sure of anything.

Except this: Mira needed encouragement. The woman had been emotional in the not-quite-weepy way for a week now. They still hadn't had a real conversation. The one time Cana timidly tried (after a few more days of boiling over Mira's comments about 'always helping friends' despite not having come to Cana's aid…she knew she needed to move on, but yes, it made her angry), Mira was shutdown and too reserved. Cana just wanted her to feel better at this point.

As she approached the guild an hour later, she found herself smiling. It wasn't forced. She felt genuinely happy today. Calm. Like life was full of possibility.

Like things could be okay.

Mira had received another note.

Last week's 'you can do this, lovely' was still in her pocket, wrinkled from how much she'd pulled it out to glance at it. It was a huge mystery, which had improved her spirits. She wasn't sure whether it just got in the way of her processing all the guilty, jealous, happy, sad, and complicated feelings, or truly alleviated some of the anxiety curled tight in her gut lately. Maybe both.

This morning as she opened the cupboard to get plates, a piece of paper drifted out like a leaf.

Don't forget to take care of yourself, lovely. Your happiness matters too.

She looked around the guild. Hardly anyone was here yet, and the space behind the bar was her kingdom to command.

She carefully flattened it and put it in her pocket, smiling. She really couldn't help smiling.

Later, she nearly drowned a note before noticing it at the bottom of the mug she retrieved.

You're kind, and also smart. You're smart, and also wise. You're wise, and also strong. Don't forget.

Mira blushed profusely and darted into the back kitchen.

It made her feel good, and also curious, and also a little annoyed that she didn't know who it was.

Someone noticed her. Someone saw her, and wrote to her, and wanted her to know these things… Someone cared.

She needed a minute to compose herself.

As she stared around the kitchen, a soft noise caught her attention, and she rounded the corner into the pantry—

Laxus and Freed were making out against the shelves, hands in each other's clothes, totally oblivious to her presence.

Laxus had Freed pressed up against the shelves with the entire length of his body. The Dragon Slayer bit back a groan at whatever Freed was doing and mouthed harder at Freed's lips.

With disembodied fascination, Mira noted that Freed had to rise slightly on tiptoe to reach Laxus, a hand sliding up under Laxus's shirt while the other wound through his hair to keep him near. Not that it looked like Laxus would go anywhere soon.

At least, chuckled the part of her brain that sounded like Cana, they're still clothed.

Mira gave a little cough.

"Holy shit," Laxus gasped as they decoupled in a tangle of limbs.

"Goddess. Um. Hello, Mira." Freed wiped his mouth and ran a hand through his hair, which was irreparably messed from Laxus's tugging. He didn't notice his shirt was untucked, and that nearly had Mira laughing with happiness for him.

"We didn't expect you," Freed said.

"Clearly," she chuckled.

Both men went red.

"How long as this been going on?"

"A few weeks," Freed said.

"Since the attack," Laxus put in, and Mira nodded. She knew that would be the breaking point.

"Why," she turned on Freed, "didn't you say anything when we had lunch? You! I'm almost tempted to be mad."

"Sorry. We weren't…" Freed glanced at Laxus, "solid at first. Weren't actually certain for about a week where things were going. Plus, you and I were focused on your problems. I wanted to be a good listener. You had a lot going on."

He eyed her, and Mira knew it was true: she'd ranted at length about Cana's fury over letting Laxus carry him—Cana cockblocking Laxus despite knowing Freed liked the man. And making Mira feel guilty about it! She'd also made him tell her all about Cana's injuries, guilt welling up as she pressed for details.

Her self-flagellation over her own callousness gave her strange, sick pleasure. She wasn't sure the mental self-harm was healthy, but it felt good to berate herself over something which was solidly her fault. It was nice to have someone to blame for everything. And to know she could do better: to feel in control.

"Speaking of your problems, Mira. So…Cana was the one who made us talk. I guess you could say she nudged us to be more courageous."

"She did?"

Freed nodded.

"Well, she gave the advice to talk," Laxus grumbled. "She didn't make us. She reads people really damn well and saw everything. Not that I should complain. She doesn't make people feel awkward about it; it can just be startling when she knows everything you don't tell her."

"That's why she has her club," Freed chuckled.

"Mm," Mira said. She shook herself and smiled. "I'm glad to see you're both finally happy."

"Thank you." Freed flushed, while Laxus smirked in a gloating, proprietary way.

"May I get to that shelf?" Mira asked, planning to not have access to the pantry for a little while.

"Oh! Of course."

The pair shifted out of the way while she grabbed several items.

"Thanks." As she headed back toward the kitchen, she looked over her shoulder. The pair had already drawn nearer to each other, Freed's hands settling on Laxus's hips to keep him close. "I won't need to get in here for another half hour at least. So, you know. Go to town."

Freed's face went the color of strawberries, but Laxus reeled him in and started sucking on his neck. As she passed out of sight, Mira almost thought she heard a growl and a gasp.

She closed the pantry door.

As she cooked and served, Mira kept thinking about Freed's hands tight on Laxus's waist. She wanted to be held like that: like she meant the world to someone.

She knew it was insecurity: the voices which listed her fuck-ups over and over were liars and cheaters, and she needed to ignore them. She knew she had to fight it. On her own. But it would be nice, for once, to get some outside input letting her know she wasn't a terrible person. Because what if she was? She would want people to tell her so she could change and do better. She loved her Fairy Tail family. She wanted to care for them.

Was she a terrible person? Had insecurity itself made her a terrible person? If that was the case, then wouldn't insecurity over her insecurities just make it worse?

How much had she screwed up?

That line of thinking made her want to cry.

But the three notes in her pocket said at least someone felt she did okay.

These thoughts were so preoccupying that she almost forgot it was Cana's drinking club. When Cana showed up cheerfully, Mira waited to see if Cana would order alcohol.

She ordered water.

Mira didn't have the nerve to ask. Was too afraid of making it sound like she was checking up on Cana, or gloating, or judging, or anything aside from what she actually was: confused.

And not because she thought Cana was a drunk. (Okay, she was, but not a disorderly one. And that had never been Mira's problem: her problem was the vast number of women Cana flirted with, felt up, and made out with when she was drunk. And did she have any right to be upset when she herself had never made a move?)

It was a change of routine, a change of Cana, and she wanted to know why.

But they weren't talking anymore, and she couldn't find the courage to ask. She no longer knew how to not make Cana mad.

Cana wasn't drinking, but Lucy was.

"Are you okay?" Cana asked, watching her down her third beer. She traded a concerned look with Gajeel, who shrugged. "I've never seen you drink this much in an hour."

"I won't go overboard," Lucy said quickly. "I ate a big breakfast to make up for it. I need the bravery. Sooo fucking much."

"Why—?"

Cana cut off when Juvia appeared.

"Hi," Juvia said to the three of them, blushing shyly.

Cana blinked. She'd never seen Juvia act timid with anyone besides Gray.

"Can I sit here?" Juvia asked, motioning to the seat next to Lucy.

"Yes," Lucy said, giving her a kind smile.

Juvia flushed darker.

A pause. Cana tried to pretend she wasn't there while watching them both.

"Hey, Cana," Gajeel said, drawing her attention away (although they both kept a sight line on the two women). "Did I tell you the latest Laxus-and-Freed smell news?"

He grinned; he knew she loved hearing about dragon-y things. Beside them, Lucy and Juvia struck up conversation.

"What's the news?" Cana asked.

"They smell even more like each other today. Very strongly. Guess who slept over…"

Cana clapped her hands happily. "Good! So they're really moving ahead with it. They're about a week behind Natsu and Gray though. Gray has apparently been staying the night at Natsu's since the day they got together, and now Natsu has stayed over too."

"Not sure they count," Gajeel said. "They practically slept in each other's arms on missions. The rest of the team pretended not to notice. One time they were the last two to wake up and everybody got to see them holding hands in their sleep."

"Seriously?!"

"And that was at least six months ago."

Cana face-palmed. "Of course it was. Idiots. Okay, you're right, they don't count for timing."

"They could get married tomorrow and it wouldn't surprise me," Gajeel said, which made Cana yelp.

"That makes me feel old!" she complained. "Don't say things like that. He's my younger brother. He's supposed to give me lots of heads-up."

Gajeel chuckled.

Lucy and Juvia were having the world's cutest conversation. About books, predictably. Just as Cana's curiosity was getting too high and she began to turn around to look, Levy walked up.

To Cana and Gajeel. Very much not looking at Juvia and Lucy.

"Hello," Levy announced, a little too loud. "How are you two?"

"Okay," Cana said, and Gajeel said, "Good."

Levy interrupted them in her haste to accidentally notice who was beside them.

"Oh! Hey, Lucy. Hey, Juvia," Levy said, voice level and unaffected. "What's up?"

Cana gulped down her water. Ohhh boy. Now the show began.

"Nothing much. Why don't you join us?" Lucy said warmly, and Cana was amazed at how at ease she was.

With how nervous Lucy got talking about her crushes, Cana had expected her to be an even worse ball of nerves when they were present. But she looked serene and happy. Cana knew Lucy, and three beers wasn't enough to cause this level of calm. Lucy genuinely felt comfortable with the pair.

This explained why the three hung out so much: awkward as their love triangle was, there was an easiness to their interactions, as Levy perched against the bar and she and Juvia both relaxed.

"What are you talking about?" Levy asked, cheerful and interested this time.

"The Starlit Water," Juvia said. "Have you read it? The protagonist has your same magic."

"Yes!" Levy said excitedly. "It was thrilling as a journey-to-enlightenment novel. But the metanarrative was what I really loved."

"Us too," Lucy said. The three were leaning toward each other subconsciously. "There was this one quote that just got me…"

Cana tore her gaze away.

"It's going to be an intellectuals' guild if this keeps up," she told Gajeel with a wink, nodding at the trio's conversation.

"Guess I won't belong."

"What are you talking about? You'll always belong here. It's your family."

To her surprise, he reddened, snatched up his drink, and gulped for a long time. She touched his arm for just a second—not enough to discomfit him, but enough to say she was here.

Then she froze as she heard Lucy stutter.

"S-So, um…while you're both here…I was wondering if," Lucy's voice trailed higher, "you'd both like to come out with me some time? I mean, go out with me." She gave a shrill laugh. "Go out, sorry. Yeah. So, um…would you?"

"Both of us?" Levy asked. Cana could practically hear her gaping.

"Yes?" Lucy replied.

"I would."

For the first time since she walked over, Juvia didn't sound nervous. "I would, Lucy. And Levy."

Gajeel was looking over at the women with round eyes. For all that he and Cana had set things up for this, it was a little unbelievable.

Cana spun on her stool to watch. Lucy and Juvia were both looking at Levy, Juvia biting her lip while Lucy twisted her fingers in her lap.

"Yes?" Levy said, mirroring Lucy. "I mean, are you…um…yes?" She laughed, high and shaky.

"G-Good." A vibration ran through Lucy's body. "When are you both next free?"

Juvia and Levy looked at each other; the eye contact made Levy turn pink and bite her lips around a smile.

"I'm…actually free tonight," Levy laughed. "I have an afternoon tutoring session with a newbie rune mage, but that's it."

"Me too," Juvia said. "Tonight, I mean."

They looked at Lucy.

"Oh! Okay. Tonight it is." Lucy looked both shocked and pleased, like something unexpectedly wonderful had just happened. "Shall I— Um, let me think about this. There's a certain place I'd like to take you both. How about if I get Levy, and then we'll come and get you, Juvia?"

"Works for me," the other two said.

A pause lengthened; the three were looking between each other, shy half-smiles twitching on their lips.

As the silence continued, Cana coughed.

Lucy shrieked and fell off her stool.

"Lucy!" Levy dove and helped her up while Juvia gave Cana raised eyebrows.

"What was that for?" Lucy pouted at Cana.

"Sorry. I didn't expect that to happen," Cana admitted. "You sure you didn't drink too much?"

Lucy laughed. "I'm fine. Truly."

She grinned cheerfully, with no idea her happiness was beaming out like a lighthouse. Behind her, Juvia scooted over on her stool to share with Levy, the pair smiling without looking at each other.

They were going to do just fine.

Levy couldn't believe her luck.

A wonderful date with two fascinating women. She knew Juvia was interesting, deep-thinking, beautiful, and kind, but paying attention to every little detail in ways she hadn't allowed herself before, Levy found herself falling in love with her just as much as she was in love with Lucy. She thought of all the times she and Juvia had both gone to Lucy's house; all the times walking each other home after a confusing night of both flirting with Lucy. Maybe this really had been developing for a long time.

They'd reached Lucy's place now: after food and laughter and smiling eyes, they just couldn't stop their conversation, and so sought a place to continue. Lucy had pointed out what all three of them already knew: she had a vast collection of hot cocoa recipes. Syrupy and rich and spicy and smooth. You could probably get drunk off of how good the stuff was.

"Natsu hates hot cocoa," she'd explained to them once. "So I keep it around since he'll never steal it."

That had made Levy laugh. She understood: Gajeel was always breaking into her place and stealing her food.

As they stood around watching the kettle heat up, Juvia asked, "Do you think with Natsu dating now, you'll be able to hold onto more of your groceries?"

"We'll see. I might end up with he and Gray breaking in."

"When Gajeel was dating, he just brought his datefriend with him and raided my pantry," Levy admitted. "So don't get your hopes up."

Juvia let out a startled laugh.

"Gajeel steals food?"

"Like you wouldn't believe," Levy sighed. "I can't have any metal in the house either."

"He ate the furniture at Phantom Lord too."

"Dragon Slayers," Lucy said, and all three shook their heads.

"Speaking of Natsu," Juvia said shyly, "I have a confession."

She glanced at Lucy, who looked as bewildered and curious as Levy was.

"Gray was feigning having a crush on me for several weeks in order to make both you and Natsu jealous of me and him, respectively."

"That's what that was," Lucy exclaimed. "I got nervous that you'd finally landed the person you were after and I'd have no chance. Except then you acted all cold toward him, and I thought maybe..."

"Yep, all farce. It was fake when I pretended to like him all those times, too. That was supposed to make Natsu jealous, and it did, but not enough. Plus then nobody knew I was into women, and it was hurting my own chances." Juvia coughed. "It was Cana who came up with the reverse-jealousy-making plan. She's quite smart like that."

Lucy bit the tips of her fingers, nails too short to chew on.

"Yeah, she is," she agreed. "She's been giving me advice about you two for weeks."

"Serious?" Levy and Juvia asked at the same time.

"Yes."

The pink that entered Lucy's cheeks whenever she acknowledged her feelings aloud made Levy feel like she was special. She was worth getting embarrassed over. It was silly, but it made her feel chosen.

Yeah, she was lucky.

"While we're confessing things about Cana," Levy broke in, "let's just admit she helped orchestrate all the necessary encounters to make this happen."

When she and Juvia met each other's eyes and started laughing, Lucy joined in.

"She did" she chuckled.

"She pulled this whole 'we have a hypothetical question for you about polyamory' thing on me with Loke and Gajeel," Levy said. "All three of them are good at acting innocent, but there was no reason for them to ask me those questions, especially about how I'd recommend a person ask two people out... It was a little too obvious, but I think it was just obvious enough, you know? Because it made me realize...this was okay."

Turning red, Juvia coughed. "I, eh, may have put her up to that. I asked if she'd bring the subject up if either of you were ever around..."

Levy's laughter returned, doubled.

"Sorry," Juvia squeaked, though she was smiling. Lucy and Levy both reached over to touch her comfortingly—shoulder and knee—at the same time.

"Don't apologize, silly," Lucy said.

"Sorry for apologizing—" Juvia caught herself and shook her head. "Ugh. I'm made of water: I'm basically good for crying and fitting in."

"And making flowers grow," Levy said. She watched the little jolt as Juvia's breath caught. Suddenly Levy yelped, "Water! We forgot about the kettle!"

When the cocoa was made, Lucy shooed them all to the sofas to be more comfortable. The conversation flowed, past nine, past ten, as easy as the smiles they traded, or the affection you could feel with every breath, or the sheer comfort of this place with these women. It was just so natural: like Levy belonged here. Admitting they'd all had their nerves and semi-machinations had made it easier to talk about their emotions, too.

Her chest stirred with new things. It was wonderful and all-consuming.

When Lucy excused herself to use the toilet, Levy looked to Juvia. Sparks of excitement were flying up her spine, made more wild by the late hour.

"Levy-san," Juvia said.

"Just Levy," she reminded her.

"Sorry." Juvia blushed prettily and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Thank you for, um…coming on this date with me. I mean, with…" She waved vaguely at their surroundings. "But you know. With me too. You know?"

Levy spent a moment translating, causing Juvia to launch onward, words coming faster and faster.

"I know I'm not… Whatever. No, that's not what I wanted to say. Um. I'm…I like you. And I don't know if you like me. I know you like Lucy—and that's a good thing! Because she's wonderful! Goddess, she's so wonderful—and I know I'm not her, is what I mean, and so if I'm just not as…" Juvia waved her hands, "palatable? That's not it. Whatever—then I'm sorry."

"Juvia…" Levy began.

Juvia swallowed and sniffed.

Startled, Levy reached over and grabbed her wrist.

"It's okay. No need to cry, darling."

"Sorry," Juvia murmured.

"Don't be. I understand. Hey, Juvia?"

She waited until Juvia looked up.

Here, tonight, Levy had two beautiful women all to herself: both smart, both unique, both intense. They made her feel different things, but she liked that; liked the three of them together—if one didn't exist, Levy's relationship with the other wouldn't be the same, because they each brought out different things in each other. It was the miracle of a friend group, or a guild, in a microcosm.

Brave and in love, Levy leaned across the sofa until their noses touched. Juvia inhaled as if suddenly fighting for air.

"I like you too, Juvia. I'd like to date you. Not just Lucy: you too. Okay?"

"Okay."

Levy kissed her.

Juvia's skin smelled cool and natural, like springtime. Like rain. Juvia kissed like she wanted to: like every move of their lips thrilled her, like it was turning her on how many excited noises Levy was making as kisses turned into making out. And goddess, Juvia tasted amazing.

There was a surprised, "Oh!" They broke apart.

Lucy stood there, looking soft and vulnerable. Happiness threatened to burst in Levy's stomach seeing her there, their circle complete.

Juvia said, in a voice that was incredibly seductive, "We've been getting acquainted. We saved a spot for you..."

A/N: So much smooching. I have no regrets.