"Wait up!" Mira called, chasing after the slayer. A few other mages tried to follow her, but Makarov stopped them using his titan magic to extend his arm, blocking the door and shaking his head.

"But, Master!" Erza protested.

"No, Erza. I believe those two have a lot to discuss by themselves," the old man replied.

"He's right, Erza," Lisanna said, putting a hand on the knight's shoulder, as well as putting aside her own frustrations for not being quick enough. "Just let Mira handle this."

The red-haired warrior sighed and simply sat back down.

"So, are we gonna listen to more tunes, or what?" Cana asked.

"Maybe we should wait until Natsu comes back," Wendy answered timidly. "He looked really upset."

"Wendy has a point," Makarov nodded. "Alright, we'll wait until they come back." A groan of disappointment came over the guild, but they went back to their everyday activities, though many of them were talking about the music they'd been listening to. 'I hope you're doing alright, my child…' the old man thought, sipping his beer once more.

Meanwhile, outside, Natsu was walking off in the direction of his hut, not that Mira actually knew this seeing as she'd never actually been there before. She was a little unsure of what to say, considering the situation she found herself in, but after five minutes of walking behind him, she spoke up. "Where are you going?"

"Home," he replied simply. The two continued walking in rather uncomfortable silence for another ten minutes before they arrived at a small cottage with a sign out front labeled 'Natsu & Happy'.

"Natsu...I'm...I'm sorry…" Mira whispered as Natsu put his hand on the door.

"What are you-" he was cut off mid-sentence by the demon spinning him around and kissing him again.

After a few seconds, she let go and her eyes were filled with tears. "I'm sorry for going through your stuff without your permission. I'm sorry for helping them pressure Happy into sharing it. I'm sorry for being so mean to you when you were younger. I'm sorry for not realizing how much you were hurting too when Lisanna died-"

"Mira…" Natsu breathed out, eyes widened in shock as she continued to break down in his arms.

"I'm sorry for letting you help me but doing nothing for you in return. I'm sorry for not helping you when Igneel died and for letting you go through it alone. But most of all I'm sorry for not doing anything near as much for you as you've done for me and for the rest of Fairy Tail," she sobbed. "Just...just don't hate me. I know I deserve it-"

"Mira. Stop," he said firmly, grabbing her shoulders. "You don't have to apologize for anything and I could never ever come anywhere close to hating you."

"But I-"

"No. Stop it. If anything, you should apologize for crying. You know what I hate more than anything else?"

"Gray?" she asked, sniffing lightly.

Natsu rolled his eyes. "No. It's the people I care about crying." Unfortunately, this just made Mira cry even harder, continuing to attempt to squeeze the life out of him as he just returned the hug, resting his chin on her snowy white hair. "Why don't we go inside."

Mira said nothing but nodded before releasing him, wiping some tears out of her eyes. The two walked through the rather surprisingly clean house before sitting on the couch, where Mira proceeded to once again attach herself to the torso of the pyro.

"Now, why are you apologizing for all this all of a sudden? Come to think of it…" Natsu hesitated and blushed. "Why'd you kiss me?"

"I...I don't know," she admitted. "We listened to some of your songs...and I realized what I should have a long time ago. That you're just as human as the rest of us."

"Oh," Natsu said, still unsure of how to react to the whole situation.

"And...there may have been a song or two that had us worried for you…" Mira hesitated. "And there may have been a song or two that made me think you might share some of the feelings I have for you."

"Mira-" Natsu's eyes widened but was once again cut off by the barmaid's lips.

"I love you, Natsu...So much for so many reasons. I love how you're able to cheer up the whole guild with your smile. I love how you treat everyone with such compassion for no other reason than you care about them. I love how you protect your family and how safe I feel around you." She smiled at him. "And...well...I don't know I just...kinda...saw you and...well…"

"I love you too, Mira," Natsu said.

"Really?" she asked with the most hope he'd ever heard in her before.

"Of course I do!" he answered with a huge grin. Mira squealed and almost tackled him off the couch, almost like she was trying to merge their bodies with each other, before kissing him again.

"It feels so good to be able to say that out loud," Mira sighed, simply laying down on top of him.

"How long have you been waiting?" Natsu asked, slightly confused that this has been on her mind for a while.

"Maybe a year after we thought Lisanna died? Maybe earlier...I don't know. I always did think you were cute," she admitted with a blush.

"Well, it's good to know that I've been waiting just as long," he said with a grin.

The two simply laid there in silence for a few minutes, Mira enjoying his warmth and Natsu enjoying the fact that Mira just told him that she loved him, something that he'd been hoping to happen for years. The barmaid was the one to break the silence, as there were still several things on her mind that she wanted to get out of him. "Hey, Natsu? Can I ask you something?"

Natsu sighed and scratched his head, sitting up, which ended up with Mira in his lap. "Is it about the songs?"

"Kinda," she admitted. "I just wanted to know why you never told anyone. I meant what I said...I loved all of them. Well...maybe not the one about the fishing hole…"

"Hey, that one was a lot of fun!"

"I'm sure it was," she giggled. "But seriously. Why did you hide it? You're amazing and I would have loved to sing with you, you know…"

"I...I don't really know to be honest," he said, letting out a breath. "I guess I was afraid. Everyone knows me as a bit of a dense, care-free, fireball. I just thought that if I kept acting the same, it would keep them from their problems, since I found a way to deal with mine."

"Natsu," she whispered and kissed him again. "You're the one who tells everyone they don't have to go through things alone. We would have been there for you. We should have been there…"

"Hey, what'd I say about apologizing? You don't need to apologize for anything. I'm the one who didn't tell you guys anything, right?"

"Did you...did you not trust us enough?"

"Mira, I trust all of you with my life. Especially you, I trust you more than almost anyone else in the world. I just...never wanted to be a burden...I guess I was afraid...that if I seemed weak that no one would want me around…"

"How long have you felt like that?" she asked, more tears forming in her eyes.

"I don't know...I guess since around I started writing music."

"How long ago was that?"

"I think it was about a month after Lisanna passed away...I stayed with you and Elfman that whole month. You would always yell and scream for no reason and then just break down crying. I hated that...I didn't care that you yelled, I just hated to see you cry."

"Thank you…" she said, leaning her head onto his shoulder as he stroked her back. "And I'm sorry for that."

"It was important to me that you were ok. I just wish I could have done more...maybe you wouldn't have lost your magic."

"Natsu Dragneel," she suddenly sat up and glared at him. "Don't you dare say anything like that. You did more than I could have ever wished or hoped for. Don't try and act like me losing magic was your fault."

"But-"

"No. It was not your fault. You're the only reason Elf and I are still at the guild practicing magic at all. Ok? Now finish your story," she said, lightening her tone at the end and laying her head back against him.

"Fine. Anyway, after about a month, you seemed to be a lot better, so I took a mission. A short one, but I stayed away from the guild for about two weeks I think."

"I remember that," Mira told him. "I almost made Master organize a search party for you, but he insisted that you were fine."

"That means a lot," he said, squeezing her a little tighter. "But I was fine. I just needed some time to myself, you know?"

"You should have told me."

"I didn't want you to worry about me."

"I want to worry about you. I love you."

"I love you too…" he answered back, before continuing his story. "Anyway, I met someone while I was out. I spent a few days kind of just sitting on a hillside, staring at the sky and thinking about Lisanna… A woman came and asked what I was doing…"

Flashback - X782

Natsu was sitting on a hillside in a little town called Dahlia gazing up at the sky. He'd been there for a few hours today...and a few hours the day before...and a few hours the day before that. Today, however, a curious woman came to see what the strange boy was doing.

"Young man, you've been sitting in the same spot for hours every day for three days," she said, approaching the fire mage. "We don't really get visitors outside of the festival, so what exactly are you doing here?"

Natsu turned to look at the person who spoke to him. She was much older than most of the adults at the guildhall but younger than the master or Porlyusica; perhaps in her mid to late forties. Her hair was black, but starting to gray, and she had smile lines on her face. She wore a simple blue coat and a pair of jeans with a pendant around her neck. "I'm sorry, miss. I was just...thinking about something."

"Well, care for some advice? Sometimes talking to someone can help. I told my children that when they're feeling conflicted or down, talk to someone you either trust completely or someone you've never met. You'll get the best advice from them."

"I guess so…" Natsu sighed and looked over the horizon as she sat next to him. "About a month ago...my best friend...she was killed on a mission."

"I'm terribly sorry to hear that, my dear," she said sadly, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"I guess...I don't know...I haven't really had time to deal with it. I've been helping her older sister and her brother get past it...and my whole guild, too. She was...she was everything…to us..." Natsu whispered.

"I understand, dear. Dealing with the death of a loved one is truly hard. It affects the lives of so many people and they all need to take time to themselves to grieve so they can move forward."

"I...I just...why did she have to die so young?" Natsu croaked out, tears coming to his eyes. "It...it just feels like...like everything I love goes away...First, my father disappears, and now her too…"

"Let it out, dear," she told him, as she hugged his shoulder. "Let it all out."

With that, Natsu finally broke, allowing himself to truly grieve for his friend, bawling into the shoulder of this woman he didn't even know the name of. Several minutes went by before Natsu pulled away. "Thank you…"

"Not a problem, dearie. Now, why don't you come with me? I have something to show you and I have a sneaking suspicion that you're going to really like it."

Natsu was confused but agreed to follow the woman to her home.

Flashback End

"And she taught me all about music," Natsu said. "I obviously knew what it was, but what she taught me was something that was remarkable. She told me that music was a way to pour your emotions out into, that way they don't cloud up your thoughts. She said that music was a way to deal with the hardships that life gives to you. She taught me some of the basics of guitar and helped me learn to sing, but she said that I was a natural and really didn't need any help. So, I went back a few times, and we played music and sang together."

"Natsu, half of me wants to kill you for being so stupid to try and go through everything by yourself and the other half of me wants to sit here and kiss you for the next hour," Mira told him, sighing contentedly from his shoulder.

"I don't suppose we could go with option three?" Natsu questioned hesitantly.

"Why, you don't want to sit here kissing me?" Mira teased.

"Well, no it's not-I mean-ehhh, shut up!" The barmaid just giggled at him and kissed him anyway.

"I have a few more things I want to ask you," she said, looking at him. "First, are you absolutely sure you're ok? I don't want you to go through everything alone. Let me share it with you. Anything and everything, I'll be here."

"I'm ok, but thank you," he grinned and kissed her forehead. "I'll remember that."

"Ok. Next thing, you have to sing a song with me. You can pick one or we can write one, but I'm not going to sit here finding out that you're one of the best singers in all of Fiore and not join you!" she said pouting slightly. "And you never even asked me to before!"

"Well, I would have...I just," Natsu scratched his head nervously. "You know…"

"Mmmhmm. We can do that later. Just know you aren't getting off the hook for it."

"How is that a question?"

"It's not. It's an order for my boyfriend."

"Boyfriend?"

"Right, uh, mate. Lover. Whatever I'm supposed to call you."

"Oh, yeah! I remember now! Lucy told me about what a boyfriend is!" Natsu realized. "Wait, you know about mates?"

"I may have done some research…" Mira blushed. "And Gajeel mentioned your...heritage…"

"And...you're...uh…" he asked nervously, considering he wasn't exactly sure how to cross that bridge yet.

"As long as I'm with you, it's ok. Besides, I have an inkling that I'm sharing you with my sister. Right~?"

"Hold on a minute!" Natsu protested, but his red face gave it away.

"You're too easy!" she giggled while Natsu muttered something about demon women. "Ok. Last question."

"Shoot."

"Could you...maybe...sing a song for me?" she asked, suddenly getting slightly nervous.

"Mira…" he sighed.

"Please?" she begged, giving him the saddest and most innocent look she could muster.

"Don't look at the eyes, don't look at the eyes!" Natsu told himself aloud. "Ugh...you win."

"Yay!" Mira squealed, snuggling against him even tighter. "Thank you thank you!"

"You have to get off of me, though."

"Fine…" she huffed as she got off of him, as Natsu walked over to the other side of the room where a bookshelf was. Using his rather frightening inhuman strength, he moved the bookshelf to reveal a hidden door that remarkably had no doorknob, so it simply swung open with the removal of the obstruction. "Woah…"

"Pretty cool, huh?" Natsu said proudly, before entering the room. He returned a moment later with a beautiful acoustic guitar. It was a dreadnought shape with black around the outside bleeding into a dark red.

"Wow, that's a beautiful guitar," Mira said.

"Thanks. It was actually the one she gave me after one of my visits. She said that the color was 'tobacco sunburst,' whatever that means…"

Mira giggled and patted the spot next to her. "So, what are you gonna sing?"

"Well, is there anything you want to hear about?" Natsu asked, sitting next to her.

"Hmmm…" she thought for a moment. "Sing something that means a lot to you. Something that just says 'Natsu!'"

"I think I can do that," Natsu said after thinking for a moment. He fiddled with the tuning for a moment before he was satisfied, though as a guitar player herself, Mira could tell that it was tuned differently. "This one should work. It's about how I always want to be myself no matter what and that even if I make mistakes, I'll learn from them, so it's ok."

"That's very Natsu," Mira said giggling.

"Thanks," Natsu chuckled. "It's called There is Only One God and his Name is Death. I don't really know why I called it that to tell you the truth."

"I'm sure it'll be great, go ahead and sing."

"Alright." (Song: There is Only One God and his Name is Death by Slaves)

Natsu started to strum the guitar, the alternate tuning giving a beautiful sound to the chords as they freely flowed into the air. Mira closed her eyes and put her head on his shoulder as he started to sing.

The farther I go, the further you get
Away from who we really are
I chose a different route, a different path in life
Praised by many, but still, labeled an outcast

Mira was smiling contentedly as he sang and almost shivered in delight as he held out his high note. 'That was the most beautiful thing I've ever heard…' she thought.

The things that last never happen overnight
These calloused hands built the foundation of my life
Abandoned for love, left with no advice
How quickly we change overnight

Made me out to be the bad guy
How long can I wear the blame?
Sick of feeling wrong
Why do they judge me all the same?
Nobody's perfect, trying to justify myself
To the ones who will never understand
Who will never…

Mira frowned slightly at this, sad that Natsu thought he always had to prove himself to people and even more upset that he thought no one would understand what he was going through.

The things that last never happen overnight
These calloused hands built the foundation of my life
Abandoned for love, left with no advice
How quickly we change overnight

Torture myself, that's what I feel I'm worth
Torture myself, well-aware that the pain is somewhere else
Torture myself, that's what I feel I'm worth
Torture myself, well-aware that the pain is somewhere else
You can root for the villain, I'll take that title
I'll take the heat now and be your rival
You can root for the villain, I'll take that title
I'll take the heat now and be your rival

The things that last never happen overnight
These calloused hands built the foundation of my life
Abandoned for love, left with no advice
How quickly we change overnight

With his final note echoing in the walls of his tiny cottage, Natsu finished his song. "How was that?"

"I loved it," Mira said, turning to kiss him again. "But you know you're not alone anymore, ok?"

"Thanks, Mira...that means a lot to me." Natsu smiled at her as she smiled back, neither remembering the last time they were this happy. "So, now what should we do?"

"Well, I read that there's supposed to be some sort of ceremony before I can become your mate officially…" Mira said looking at the ground embarrassed. "So...maybe we could…"

"Oh, yeah! How could I forget about that!" Natsu exclaimed, standing up quickly, causing Mira to squeak. "Let me put this back and then we can go do that." Natsu caught the barmaid off guard with a kiss and then ran back towards the room shortly before emerging and replacing the bookshelf. "Alright, let's go!"

"Wait, where are we going?" Mira protested but smiled happily as he grabbed her arm and headed for the door.

"You'll see in a minute! Come on!"


A/N: Well, this just happened. I wasn't planning on this being finished this quickly, but everything just kinda fell into place. I figured I really needed to tie up this loose end with the whole Mirajane randomly kissing him thing, so that's what this chapter was about. In the next chapter, I plan to have the two return to the guild and clear up some more of the loose ends. I don't plan to describe the ceremony, simply because this story is supposed to be focusing on the songs, humor, and relationships, not so much the dragon culture. If you're into dragon culture, I recommend my other stories, as there is quite a bit in those. Also, quick side note, this chapter's title was actually the initial title of this story. I figured that was too niche and I needed to generalize it a bit more. With that said, I hope you enjoyed!

~ Ad Vitam, Ad Mortem ~