I'm so, so, so sorry for the extremely late update. Please forgive me! To those who have been waiting for me to review your stories, i so sorry i had no time to do that but i have read your stories. Reviews will follow as soon as my school holidays start.

You guys are probably going to kill me if i don't let you continue reading so, on with the story!

DISCLAIMERS: I do not own Fairy Tail ;(

Chapter 10 –Talk with Kyou

Outside the girls' dormitory they saw Shiki talking to Happy. Wondering what the little blue cat had to say, Erza and Kyou walked closer to them.

"Don't go inside, Happy, Erza will kick you on the face," Shiki shouted at the cat who was walking towards the gate.

"I'm a cat, I'm allowed in," Happy said in a happy tone and continued to march up the slope.

"Actually, Happy, I don't think I can allow you in. What Shiki says is right. Cat or not, you are a male and this is a girls' dormitory," Erza said strictly, announcing her presence.

"That means I can't see Charle in the dormitory anymore," Happy mumbled sadly.

"Come on, Happy, Shiki. I'm Erza would love to get her rest now," Kyou herded them out to the road after laughing at Happy's statement, "Goodnight, Erza, we'll see you when we're back from the mission…with Natsu."

"Yes, sure. Are you confidant that you'll be alright on your mission?" Erza asked with a smirk on her face.

"I'm sure we'll be alright," Kyou replied politely though she was thinking, 'I'm a Dragon Slayer for god's sake!'

"Don't worry, Erza, they have me there to protect them," Shiki replied to Erza with a wide smile on his face, before walking down the hill with his hands behind his head.

"Wait for me, hothead!" Kyou shouted at Shiki as she took off after her 'boyfriend'.

"Gajeel, Wendy, Kyou and I are going on a mission tomorrow. You wanna join?" Shiki asked Happy as he walked away from the girls' dormitory, trying to lift Happy's mood.

"Aye, sir! I'll follow you! But we need to eat first!" Happy said happily and flew up into the sky.

Let's go back to the guild then," Shiki said as he waited for Kyou to catch up first, "Kyou! You're very slow, hurry up!"

"Where are you guys headed now? Home?" Kyou asked after she purposely took her time to walk over to them.

"To the guild!" Happy flew up to her shoulder.

"Alright then, have fun, I'll be heading home now. Bye," Kyou said goodnight before making her way in the direction opposite the guild.

"I thought she lived in the guild?" Shiki scratched his head as he stared at Kyou's retreating back.

"Maybe she's going for a walk. Let's go, I'm hungry," Happy whined, eventually succeeding in making Shiki walk to the guild.

Kyou aimlessly wandered around for a while before she finally found Laxus. He was at the edge of the forest, near a huge waterfall. (A/N: Just imagine the place Lucy saved Loke in the anime.) He was seated at the edge of the cliff, his legs dangling into the empty space below. His expression was one that was never seen on his face before…utter disbelief and hope?

'Eh? What would Laxus be hopeful for? He's gotten everything he could have, right?' Kyou thought to herself as she walked forward to stand behind him.

If Laxus sensed her, he did not acknowledge her. Sighing, Kyou took a seat next to him, leaning her head on his broad shoulder. Almost automatically, Laxus put his arm and jacket around her, keeping both of them warm in the cold night. The both of them were quiet. They both knew that when the other was ready they would start talking. They were sitting in the cold forest floor for almost two hours when Laxus finally decided to speak and break the silence.

"I heard that you're going on a mission tomorrow?" he asked the girl in his arms, though they were nothing more than friends, it felt right to have her in his arms.

"Yea, with Shiki and the others. Shiki found some location of a dragon so our mission was pulled forward to today, or else it would have been two weeks later," Kyou explained, nodding her head.

"But you just came home…" Laxus whispered, his voice hollow, "Why must Shiki go with you guys anyway?"

"I don't know? He found the location so…it wouldn't be right to just leave him behind here," Kyou shrugged.

"Or it could just be an excuse so that he could follow you, right?" Laxus replied in a monotonous tone.

"N–" Kyou wanted to say and erase the hollowness that Laxus was feeling but she changed her words, "Y-yeah, maybe."

Laxus sighed in frustration. He was already stressed about having to run the guild and marry Erza. Just when he was about to ignore his feelings for his recently found long-lost best friend, his grandfather had to drop the bomb on him.

"It's getting late, I should probably go and rest before the mission tomorrow," Kyou said after a few minutes of silence.

Kyou hugged Laxus tightly and whispered into his ear, "You know you can talk to me if you need to, right? Don't suffer in silence, Laxus-boy…I know what it feels like. I've experienced it."

As she stood and began to walk away, Laxus stopped her in her tracks with four words from his mouth.

"Do you love me?"

Please review :)

Kirihara-Sama :P