Summary: In Zeref's defence….the client was unprofessional first.

Pairings: Zeref/Mavis and some implied brotherly Zeref/Natsu.

YouTube Prompt: A tribute video for any character or to the guild as a whole to the song '7 Years' by Lukas Graham.

Zeref shuffled awkwardly beside the bouncing Mavis. It was a warm, sunny, day and Mavis' cheerful mood fitted the atmosphere perfectly as she tugged him along the dusty road towards the town. They were going on their first ever job together, just the two of them, and Zeref was struggling with the urge to turn round, run away, and hide under his bed.

He wasn't quite sure he was ready to face the world now he was no longer cursed and evil.

"Relax," Mavis murmured comfortingly as she squeezed his hands, "it's just a simple job where we slay a magical beast. We'll be home before tea time and your reputation will be on the path of restoration."

"If you say so," Zeref mumbled, "but perhaps I should keep taking translation jobs with Levy until people forget my name."

"If you do that," Mavis rolled her eyes in frustration, "then you'll never leave the archives of Fairy Tail."

Zeref smiled softly at that thought. He wouldn't mind spending the rest of his life in the archives of Fairy Tail. Reading all of his favourite books all over again, cuddling with Mavis, and having loud, noisy, afternoons of excitement with Natsu, Happy, and Lucy. No judgemental stares, no screams of fright, and very little guilt. He would like that very much. However…one look at Mavis' unimpressed, stoic, face as she could clearly read his face, told him that was not the right thing to want.

He sighed in defeat and continued to allow Mavis to drag him into town, all the way through, and towards a cutesy, little cottage, which the job request asked them to report to apparently. Mavis finally let go of Zeref's hand in order to knock on the door hastily. She bounced back and forth on the balls of her feet with giddy excitement.

The door opened and a middle-aged woman peered round cautiously.

"Hi!" Mavis trilled. "We're the Fairy Tail members you requested."

"Oh thank goodness!" the woman cried out in relief as she placed a hand on her chest. "We have been hoping they would send someone soon. I'm Mrs Cockette, town council secretary."

Mavis snorted at that. She bit down fiercely on her lip and covered her mouth with her hands hastily. Zeref felt embarrassment well up within him as he recalled quite a few stories where Mavis' giggles have ruined a job. Quickly, he reached out and shook the poorly named Mrs Cockette.

"Good to meet you Mrs Cockette," he said politely (Mavis giggled harder against her hands at that), "this is my associate Mavis, and I'm Zeref. Where exactly is the-"

"Zeref?" Mrs Cockette repeated. "As in the black wizard Zeref?"

"Erm, yes," Zeref mumbled hesitatingly. He had suspected something like this might happen. "I have previously been known as-"

"As the darkest wizard of all history," Mrs Cockette interrupted once again, "Zeref?"

Mavis' giggles stopped abruptly at that as she glowered at the middle-aged woman ferociously. Zeref hastily grabbed her hand and pulled her close fearing, correctly, that she would launch herself at the woman and defend his honour.

"I did have a bit of a nasty reputation," Zeref admitted shamefully, "but I can reassure you-"

"As in the arsehole that tried to invade us just three months ago?!"

"Hey!" Mavis snapped irritably. "If you would just bloody listen you would know that he's a changed man and is trying to do some go-"

"HELP! HELP!" Mrs Cockette screeched. "ZEREF THE BLACK WIZARD IS HERE TO KILL US ALL!"

Mavis opened her mouth to argue this when Zeref suddenly hauled her away and darted down the street. Mavis twisted against his hold to turn round and see a mob quickly forming at their heels with Mrs Cockette leading them.

"YOU ARE VILE!" she screamed after them. "AND EVIL! AND DARK! AND…AND…AND…!"

Something snapped inside of Zeref as his dark eyes burned with barely suppressed fury as he halted to a stop and whirled round to face the growing mob. Mavis staggered about as his hold on her wrist hadn't relented. "OH YEAH?!" Zeref bellowed. "AT LEAST I'M NOT A FEMALE COCK!"

…for some reason that just made the mob more angry and Zeref and Mavis were forced to flee while dodging pitchforks being flung in their general direction.

"You know…its times like this…" Mavis wheezed, as she struggled to breathe, the hundred years spent in a crystal had definitely taken a toll on her body. She never use to have this problem before. "…that I can totally tell….that you….and Natsu….are brothers."

"What's that supposed to mean?!"