One of my internal organs was recently removed, so in celebration of having my appendix cut out, I am writing! While on pain killers. So the results might be iffy. But hey! I'm writing!
Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.
Title: Sating Curiosity
Pairing: Minerva x Gajeel
Requester: gsut
Prompt: "okay it was me… so?"
Eyes narrowed, Minerva contemplated the man standing across the guild, shouting obscenities at his guildmates. "He was in the Council?" she questioned Lucy, feeling knocked sideways by the revelation. "I'm not sure I believe you. Take it from me, he looks more like he belongs in a dark guild." All that metal in his face had to be against Council uniform regulations.
Lucy giggled at her friend. "Oh, he was part of a dark guild, too." When Minerva turned to stare incredulously at her, Lucy laughed outright. "Alright so technically he was spying on them, but still!"
This was choice information. Minerva almost felt bad that it had taken several drinks to get Lucy to spill it. The blonde was a chatterbox under normal circumstances, but once the alcohol got involved there were zero reservations left in her.
A sudden, heavy weight thumped down at their table, startling Lucy into knocking over her drink. "Hey!" she griped, flushed and trying to muster up her best glare for the interloper. "What was that for, Gajeel?!"
The object of their conversation snorted. "For the better, I'd say. Your liver will thank me in ten years." While Lucy pouted, he turned his crimson gaze towards his much more sober table companion. "My ears were burning. What's your interest in my Council stint?"
Dragon slayer hearing. Of course.
Gajeel flashed his too-sharp teeth at Minerva. "If you want me to help you with any parking tickets, I'd say you're out of luck. They didn't much like me there."
He sounded wholly proud of his bad reputation with the Council. Then again, he was a member of Fairy Tail. Minerva had to assume that was par for the course.
"No, I can take care of my own parking tickets."
Grinning, Gajeel held up his hands in a helpless gesture. "Seriously, though, you don't strike me as one for idle gossip."
She considered him for a brief moment. "That's true."
Still grinning at her, he leaned forward conspiratorially. "So? What do you need, then?"
Minerva was relieved that at least one Fairy knew how to get right to business. "Just looking to sate my curiosity about something."
"Don't leave us all in suspense now," Gajeel mocked, gesturing to the table.
"Yeah!" Lucy added with a hiccup, and slammed her hand down on the table, wincing as soon as the pain registered.
"Maybe don't hurt yourself," Gajeel stated to the drunk girl.
"I'm gonna go find Mira." With that mumble, Lucy shakily stood and tottered in the general direction of the bar.
Once she had assessed that the girl was safely in Mirajane's clutches, Minerva turned back to her table companion. "I know that someone at the Council had to have sanctioned my return to Sabertooth. What I want to know is who that person was."
"What do you want to know that for?" Gajeel asked. "If it was me, I'd just take the favor and be grateful for it."
It was Minerva's turn to snort at him. "Somehow I doubt you would."
He hesitated for a moment, and then burst into laughter. "Okay, you got me! You're right, I didn't take Belno's meddling very well." Regret tinted his words, an emotion that Minerva was all too familiar with. He shrugged. "Okay, guess there's no harm in telling you. It was me."
She stared at him, flabbergasted.
"So what are you going to do, now that you know?"
Minerva thought about it for a long moment. Her original intention had been simply to thank whoever it had been. Maybe to ask them why they'd given her another chance. If they felt that she'd lived up to that opportunity, made the best of it, maybe.
But she thought that she probably already understood from their brief conversation. There was no more need to ask the questions.
Instead, she offered, "How about I buy you another drink?"
Gajeel's grin was infectious. "Done! Mira! Two more over here! The Saber is buying!"
