I do not own anything. Credits to Laramie Briscoe and Hiro Mashima.

Their Last Hope

21

Acnologia

Inhaling deeply on the cigarette clenched between my lips, I sigh as I let the nicotine wash over me. I'm doing my best not to be high strung, to have this conversation as level-headed as possible, but there's no denying I'm pissed. Squinting against the bright sun, I keep my gaze trained on the exit of the neighborhood gym. A part of me had wanted to go inside and confront him, but I'm old enough to know he may have friends inside that I don't want to tangle with.

Leaning against the brick, my feet crossed, I keep watch. Thirty minutes after I take up my stake out, I see Z walking outside, head bent down as he texts something on his cell phone. Walking across the street, I'm beside him before he notices me. Putting my arm around his shoulders, I lean in. "You and I are gonna have a little talk. The diner up there okay with you?" I point my phone to an all-night diner a half a block up.

He cuts his eyes at me, I can tell he's trying to figure out what my play is here. "Your choice, but we're having a talk today. Right now."

"Good, asshole, I'd like to talk to you about my motherfuckin' starter."

I grip my arm around his neck tighter. "We'll talk about that too."

We walk the rest of the way in silence. When we get to the diner, I motion him to a table further in the back. I don't want us interrupted and I want him to hear me loud and clear. Neither one of us say a word as we settle in and the lone waitress takes our drink order.

"What's this about?" he tilts his head to the side, giving me a blank stare.

I'm not stupid, and I know he's smarter than he acts. He knows exactly what this is about. "First of all," I tell him, taking a drink of the coffee the waitress sat before me. "You'll get your starter when you pay me the money you owe me. I don't care if you have to do it in payments."

"Man," he blows out a deep breath and moves so I can feel his feet under the table. Z's not a small guy, but not big either, but by any means, as he gets older, he'll fill out, and probably be the type of person people don't want to mess with. My goal is to make sure he's got a good head on his shoulders, and doesn't end up where I did. "From what my mom hints at, you owe us."

At first I don't understand what he's saying, then I remember Irene telling me that Z hinted I've got many girlfriends and secret babies, well fuck this misunderstanding with no logical basis, "Zeref," I use his given name for only about the second time since I've known him. His dark eyes flash as I do it, and he shifts in his seat.

"You think, I don't know about the money you've been sending her? I saw it in my own damn eyes."

I raised my brow, still confused on what he is pointing out. "Your mom and I are friends, and yes, I've been lending her money for your brother's medications, because I want to help."

"Don't fuck with me, for a man like you, with no exchange?" Z replied with narrowed eyes. "I saw her forcing back her cries when she went out of your house the last time. You screwed her, didn't you?" Ah, so that's what this is about, and his illogical hatred coming from.

"He couldn't support my brother because she doesn't have a stable job, so the lady becomes your whore." He stated with a blank face.

"Dammit, that's your mom you're talking about. Learn some respect," I kick hard him under the table.

I'm going out on a limb here, because I think this is what the kid wants, and if I can provide some help, then I will. "Listen you shithead. f you want the truth, I didn't fuck your mom, she's one of my few trusted friends that I could only count in one hand. I don't need you to believe me, but honestly, she couldn't afford paying the medical bills, even after having a decent job in the bookstore. She's underpaid, and I am just helping out. If it gives you some consolation, she asked me to stop sending her money, you know why? She swallowed her pride, and sent your brother to your Uncle Igneel in Fiore. There's no more use of my help. Your Uncle takes care of your brother now. You don't know about that, do you? Well, go home, and find out, shithead."

For one of the first times since I've met him, he sits up straight, and keeps his mouth shut. He gets mellow with his brother. Now that he knows his brother is well taken care of, I hope I could get through to him.

"You know why she was crying the day she went out of my house? She does not know what to do with you! Since you lost your father, she had lost a partner, and a father figure to you and Natsu. And as the older brother, what did you do to your responsibilities? Threw it away! Look at you now, living in the streets. She asked me to be your father figure, because I've been in the same place like you, but I refused, because I know I can't babysit you! She cried the entire time. I can't be the father figure that your mom is looking for, but I can be your friend, Z. The people you're hanging out with," I take another sip of my coffee. "Are going one place, boy, and that's jail. I've been there, done that, and I never wanna go back again."

"Like you could help me," he gives me a smart ass grin and scoffs at the idea.

"I could if you'd let me. I don't have a lot of hours right now, but give me a few months to a year, my shop will need the help."

"Sure," he takes a drink off of his Coke, tossing the paper to the straw down. "One more empty offer to go along with all the others who've refused after everything I've done for them."

I grab the paper, hooking my hand over his. I grasp his fingers in a strong grip, forcing his eyes to meet mine. "I'm not bullshitting you, but I'm not going to baby you either. I'm going to say this shit one time. Find my money, I'll give you back the fuckin' starter. If you're interested in a job, come see me in a few months. If you want none of that, that's fine too. Don't come to my shop, don't threaten me again, and you sure as fuck better never talk to Irene again."

He looks like he wants to say something else, but stops.

"Are we clear?" I use a firm tone with him, not mean, but firm to let him know I'm serious.

"Crystal," he glances up at me. "Can I go now?"

"You're totally free to leave whenever you want. Just remember what I said."

He gets up, walks out, and never looks back. I notice though, that his walk isn't so much a strut, and the set of his shoulders isn't so squared. Maybe, just maybe I got through a little bit. Hopefully one day, the kid will be a productive member of society.

Today, I don't have time to dwell. Today's Thursday, and I'm pretty fucking excited.

Pulling my cell phone out of my pocket, I check the time for the hundredth time since I got back to the my cell phone out of my pocket, I check the time for the hundredth time today. Thursday has never been a buzz day of the week for me, but this week, it means I get to see Irene. She's been busy, I've been busy, Sprite's even been busy, and since they spent the night over the weekend, I haven't seen them. I haven't even spent hours with Erza. I get to remedy that tomorrow, but today, today I get to see the lady I've been sharing naughty text messages with.

I've never been a texter, not really, but when it's the only way of communication for us, I'll let my fingers do the talking. Most of the time when she's home, Erza's around, and it's not like we can be having phone sex with a six-year-old in the room. Fifteen more minutes, and she should be here.

Glancing at the bike I'm working on, I admit I should have been done with it yesterday, but I've been distracted. There's never been a woman in my life I've had to see. I never thought that guy would be me, but Irene's working on changing all kinds of things I thought were fact. She and Erza are opening me up to a whole different world.

"Acno!"

Even her voice makes me hard. Getting up from where I'm sitting in the back of the shop, I see her. She's changed into comfortable clothes because she's working on my office today, but fuck if she's working on my office before I get a taste of those lips.

"Goddamn you're a sight for sore eyes," I rush over, wiping my hands on a rag I throw to the ground before I take her in my arms. Lifting her up, I grab her ass, wrapping her legs around my waist. Breathing in her scent, it gives me a sense of peace. I haven't felt this calm since she and Erza left my apartment on Saturday, and I've been an anxious mess the last few days.

"You are too," she seductively smiles, initiating our kiss as she twines her arms around my neck, inviting me into her heat.

Reluctantly, I put her down, not wanting to get too out-of-control here, where anyone can walk in off the street. "I've missed the hell outta you."

Resting her head on my chest, her arms are tight around my waist. "Same here, and Erza keeps asking me when you can go see her. I tell you, this week has been the worst. All I've wanted to do is go sit outside your apartment and wait for you to come home so I could cook you and Erza dinner and we could all hang out," she sexily laughs.

"Next time you want to, just do it. The scenario you've just describe would have made my week a million times better."

She pulls back, and I hold her hand until I have to let her go. Taking her jacket off, she lays it against the back of a chair I have out in the work area. "I've gotten a ton of orders because Halloween's this week, so I've been working almost twenty hours a day to fill them. I had to shut off my store to catch up," she grins at me proudly.

"Damn baby, that's amazing!"

"I know," she nods, excitement in her voice and her eyes. "I need to start on Thanksgiving stuff next week, but this has allowed me to go ahead and pay for Erza's aikido lessons through the year. Do you know how awesome that is? To not have to worry about those lessons for the rest of the year?"

"It means a lot to you, so it means a lot to me," and I realize saying the words, it's true. Anything to take her mind off what she deals with on a day-to-day basis means more time for us and Erza.

"Thank you," she gives me another smile. "You don't know how much it means to me, to hear you say that. I feel like most of the time I'm spinning my wheels or beating my head against a wall, so when things come together, and a plan works out, it's almost orgasmic."

The word hits me right in the chest, because I wanna be the one to give her those feelings. "You sure about that?"

"Well," she cuts her eyes at me, licking her lips. "It used to be almost orgasmic, until I realized what a real orgasm felt like."

"Anytime you need one to be reminded, I'm your man."

"If I ever feel the need to be reminded, trust me," she walks back over to me, slipping her fingers in the waistband of my jeans. "You'll be the first person I call."

I have to put a stop to this because it's a work day, and I have shit to do. Leaning down, I palm her neck, pulling her in for a chaste kiss. "You're hell on my concentration; I have work to do, and so do you."

"Speaking of, you haven't added to the trash pile in there have you?"

"No," as she turns around, I smack my palm against her ass cheek. "Don't get mouthy."

She whips back around, surprise written all over her face. "If that's how you're gonna act, maybe I'll get mouthy more often."

I'm speechless as she saunters into the office.

Irene

I can't believe what I just said to him. Nobody has ever smacked my ass the way he did. It caused a reaction in me, one I hadn't been prepared for. Sure I've heard people at work, girlfriends I had, talk about their boyfriends doing it to them. I always smiled and nodded, but I never really got it. Not until his palm made contact with my jean-covered flesh. I'd let him take me over his knee any day of the fucking week if it gave me a jolt like that innocent touch had.

Shaking my head, I try to get myself out of the lust-induced fog this man puts me in every time I'm in his presence. Never before, not even with my ex, have I been so attuned to a man, so conscious of how he makes me feel. If it were anyone but Acno, I think it would be completely disconcerting. With him, I'm willing to give a piece of myself up, let him help me figure out who's hiding under everything she's tried to cover up for so long.

Paper after paper goes into the trash bag that I'm going to run by the shredder we use where I work. I don't even know why he's kept most of this stuff. My goal today is to get the desk completely clean. It's a great desk, but it does nothing for Acno, and it looks nothing like him either. I have a plan, but it'll only work if he agrees.

Putting my hair up in a ponytail, I turn my Spotify on, and listen to the angry rock I prefer not to listen to around Erza. If Acno wonders what I'm doing in here, he doesn't make it known, and knowing he trusts me with his personal information is another sign of how deeply the two of us are into one another – even if we can't really speak the words aloud yet.

An hour later, the desk is clean and polished. I'm re-thinking my idea, but the wood grain doesn't scream Acno to me. I'd love to do something drastic to it.

"Acno, can you come here for a sec?"

"Yeah, give me a minute."

His voice reverberates off the shop, and I love he hasn't left, he's stuck around while I've been working. It's nice to have someone around, even if you don't see them, just knowing they're there and you aren't alone.

"Holy shit," he whistles as he walks into what had once been the bane of his existence. "There's actually a desk under all that weight?"

"There is," I laugh. "And there's no more paperwork in it either, all that's filed by year, and vendor in that filing cabinet over there," I point to a black filing cabinet I'd found in a closet. A little paint, a little elbow grease, a nice cleaning, and it had fit perfectly in the corner. "But I have a question for you."

"Go for it."

"How attached are you to how that desk looks?"

His eyebrows come together in question as he gives me a glance. "What do you mean?"

"Stick with me for a second," I tell him, hoping to lay out my vision. "What I want to do is take the drawers off. Since we've moved all your filing to the cabinet, you don't need all this space. I want to pick it up, and turn it around, so that you're back isn't to the door. If someone comes in, and you sit behind this, I want them to see you as a businessman. The wood grain look is pretty nineteen eighties too, so what I'd like to do is strip this and paint it a nice matte black. That way it won't show up any of the grease that accumulates in here, and you can still be comfortable sitting at it. See the fingerprints at the edge?" I point out where it looks as if he's grasped it to either stand or sit at certain times. "You won't have to worry about that anymore."

"I see where you're going."

"And if it's turned around, we can put a shelving unit behind you, move the chairs in front of the desk, and if this place expands – which I think it will – you can watch over the bay at all times if we open the window up," I point to the nasty blinds that cover it now. "It'll also make the place feel bigger."

He leans against the door, relaxing his feet as his eyes roam over the space. I watch him cross his arms over his chest, rubbing his hand over his chin. "I'm all for it, I like the idea, and I think I'm gonna really enjoy the change of view. Do I need to help you with the desk?"

I look at my phone, seeing if I have enough time before I have to go get Erza from school. "No, I can get started on it today if you can help me move it out back. I'll have to stop in the middle and go get Erza, but we can come back here, if you want us to?"

"Do I want you to? Is that even a question you have to ask? We just sat here talking about how much we fucking miss each other."

The smile that spreads across my face is one of pure happiness.

"Why don't you pack bags for both of you? Halloween is tomorrow, and this is a great neighborhood to Acno or treat in. And then we have the weekend…" his voice trails off.

"You're asking us to stay here for a few days?" I can't believe he's asking us this; he's opening up his home to us. Erza had mentioned wanting to know if Acky would be willing to go trick or treating with her, and I hadn't even had to bring it up.

"The loneliness I didn't even know I felt before you two showed up is fucking suffocating me when you aren't here."

"I have some work I have to do," I warn him, not sure if he knows what he's getting into.

"Bring it with you. It can't be that hard to move, is it?"

It's kind of a pain in the ass, but I'll never tell him the truth. "I might have to take over your dining room table."

"We can eat on the couch with TV trays. The only thing that matters is I see you. This week has probably been the loneliest of my life." The confession sounds like it's being ripped from his throat.

"It's been pretty lonely for us, too," I admit. "And Erza's done nothing but talk about how she wants to see Tux."

"Alfred," he argues, a smile on his face.

"Acnologia Belserion, you might as well give it up, the cats name is Tux," I move to the end of the desk. If my daughter wants to call it Tux, then Tux it will be, not open for negotiations. "Now come on, I don't have much time before I have to go get Erza. If I can, I'm gonna do my best to get this stripped and sanded so I just have to paint it over the weekend."

"Erza and I will help you. It'll be a family project."

Be still my beating heart, with the words he just spoke, I've completely lost myself to this man. "Sounds good to me." I don't know if he can hear the emotion in my voice I try to mask, but something tells me he does.

Instead of crowding around me when we take the desk outside, he drops a kiss on my forehead and goes back in to do his own work. Left by myself, I let the tears come. I let them slowly make their way down my cheek, and I cautiously let some of the sobs out. No one's cared for me or my daughter the way this man does, and I'm scared to death that it's going to be taken away as quickly as it was given to us.

If he's pulled from our lives, it'll kill both me and Erza, and I'm not sure either one of us will ever be the same. I'm all too aware of what he's said about the option they have to revoke his parole when he goes to his meetings, and I send a huge prayer up that I'm allowed to keep this man in my life.

As I start my work on the desk, I realize I'm stripping back layers, much like I've been doing in my own life since Acno showed up. And when I'm finally done, and the desk is a bare piece of wood, completely uncovered for my eyes, I realize how beautiful it is in its simplicity. The varnish covering it had dulled its sparkle. Looking at the wood, I smile, seeing how porous it is. It'll take the new color magnificently once I'm able to start painting it. It'll adapt to what we need it for really well.

Is that the way Acno sees me? He's pulled back almost every layer I covered myself with. Am I most beautiful when I'm not hiding anything? If that's the case, then I need to explain my fears, I need to be honest, and let him know the only thing holding me back right now is worrying he'll be taken away from us. Worrying that once those hours hit zero he'll decide Erza and I are no longer worth it. Decision made, I decide I'm going to talk to him about it tonight. If I'm going to be all in with him, I want him all in with me.

No pretense, no half-truths, no waiting for the other shoe to drop.

For once in my life, I'm going to face my fear head on and cut it off before it becomes a problem.

Author's Notes

Thank you very much for your continuing support, I couldn't believe, this fanfic had reached this far, so thank you, it's all because of you.

Shoutout to BrilliantlyReckless, ERJasandrea13, and Kimchimustard! :)

So almost everyone in the canon are going back to life, huh? How about Irene? Pft.

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