Hachiman Hikigaya yawned rather lazily as he watched the bobber bob up and down on the lazy stream. He had been fishing for quite a while now with moderate success of course, but he still hadn't caught his quarry. Disappointed, he could do nothing accept wait patiently as he watched the calm waves of the river travel in his eyes rather slowly. He couldn't smoke either, he found himself quite distracted whenever he smoked, time always escaping his notice when he did indulge in it. Drinking was obviously a big no no. So he simply waited.

The summer breeze blew by him as he still sat there, rustling the grass as it did so. He of course noticed it, noticing everything as he tended to do so. The sky was a bright pale blue without a single cloud in sight. The sun also complimented the sky, its bright yellow working with the pale blue sky in a beautiful and lazy duet. Hachiman only sighed as the moments still passed un-eventfully. It was hot. Absurdly hot that even he, a man who values modesty above all else took off his plain brown tunic, leaving only a white tank top glistening and soaking with sweat. His trousers were also rolled up to his knees as well.

Slouching, he continued to fish. Complaining ever so silently in his mind, he noticed a set of light foot steps behind him. Not bothering to turn his head around, he ignored the new comer, hoping they would leave.

"Yo." Said a familiar voice.

"..."

"Aw come on, don't be like that eight." They exclaimed.

Sighing Hachiman turned around and addressed his new visitor.

"What do you want Cana?"

"Just wanted to talk." Cana said as she took a step next to him and promptly seated herself down on a nice green clump of grass.

"..."

"It's been a while huh?" Cana asked, looking at his black onyx eyes.

"...Indeed." He finally responded, not bothering to look at her and instead focusing his attention on the stream.

"...So what were you doing all these years?"

"A quest."

"Oh yeah. A quest. Tell me, how did it go."

"...Well enough."

"Its odd."

"..."

"When you spoke with Mira the other day you apparently spoke a lot more. Would you care to inform me why?" Cana asked with an all knowing smile.

"...You already know."

"Do indulge me."

Hachiman sighed for the umpteenth time that day.

"Unlike the others, you always were the most intelligent one." He stated simply as he eyed the bobber with unease.

"Hoh?"

"I'm not gonna be able to weasel my way out of this like i did by baiting Mira so why even try." Hachiman said as he let out a yawn.

"You know, despite what you did all those years ago, your pretty smart yourself." Cana said with a bright smile, before letting it disappear completely.

"...Your point."

"Why?"

"I was involved in the mess, naturally i had an obligation to clean it up."

"Not that."

Hachiman grimaced, even going so far as to flinch at her words. There was no playing games with Cana after all was there? Cana only sighed as she eyed the bobber bob gently up and down.

"I may be constantly drunk but i'm not daft Eight. I notice a lot of things in the guild. And i can also tell when something is wrong."

"So. Tell me, why do you distance yourself from us? aren't we family?" Cana said with a resigned face, a bitter sweet smile as she spoke the word family.

"...I have my own way of doing things." Hachiman said after a long pause, not liking where the conversation was going.

"And we at fairy tail do as well. We would have gladly shared your burdens, your pains so as to say like we do with all of our members."

"Are you saying that everyone at fairy tail wishes to suffer together? that is both stupid and highly improbable." Hachiman refuted with a frown.

"Well, isn't that what fairy tail is? stupid and highly improbable?" She shot back at him with an easy grin.

An awkward silence befell the two as they gazed the slow moving, lazy yet relaxing river.

"Hachiman. You might not know it or even not care. But there are people who care about you and get hurt at the sight of you hurting yourself you know?" Cana started, her hands and fingers brushing against the soft wavy grass.

"Spare me the lecture, your not nearly as old as the old man to start going on about these sorts of things. And besides, you should dislike me much like the other guild members, it would make things a heck of a lot easier."

"Why should i dislike you? i mean, sure i dislike what you did but i don't hate you. And i guarantee, hating you will not make things a lot easier, in fact it would make things a bit more difficult."

"..."

"...Since you wont speak, i'll do the talking alright? trust me it wont be painful i promise."

"Where do i begin? oh! Bisca's dating Alzack!"

She received silence as Hachiman continued to fish.

"We had a brief stint where Laxus tried to take over the guild. He failed of course, but Natsu really pulled through for us!"

"...Hmm, we also have new people joining! there's Wendy, Gajeel a new dragon slayer and Juvia along with the others."

"But man, let me tell you a lot of things happened while you were gone these past three years."

"You got yourself demoted for one thing, can't do any s class ranks anymore~" Cana said with a teasing grin.

"Tis a shame really, less money on buying the booze." Hachiman finally replied, still not looking at her.

"Look at you! drinking now are ya? and here i thought you were a teetotaler!"

"Well, you'll find booze a good companion in both long warm and short cold nights."

"That's something i can agree with!"

"...But man. Was the old man pissed. I think he popped a vein when he had heard about what you had done."

"That's why hauled i ass and got myself an s class as soon as possible."

"You can't keep running forever though~"

"I'll cross that bridge when I get there."

"I can't wait to see the look on your face when he spanks ya~!"

"That's why i'll keep on running. Until either that old geezer calms down or he finally buys the farm."

"Sheesh, your so irresponsible you know?"

"I don't see a reason to change that."

"Oh there are plenty! like getting a girlfriend for instance~!" Cana once more said in a teasing way, even whispering in his ear.

Gulping and jumping a little bit, he quickly calmed down. Forcing a cough, he regained his composure and replied to her.

"I don't think anyone would ever want to be in a relationship with a man as rotten as me." He said with a frown, disliking the fact that he was being teased by the town drunk.

"Oh really now? i guess you don't notice everything with those rotten eyes of yours huh?"

"Oi, if you continue on like that then i, as well as any other guy will get the wrong idea you know?"

"Tee hee!" Cana let out a giggle as she enjoyed teasing him.

"So...what are you doing right now?"

"Fishing woman." Hachiman said tiredly.

"Hoh? what for?"

"A fish."

"No silly! what kind of fish are you looking for?"

"..."

"Come on! tell me!"

"...A begging red."

"Huh! a begging red? aren't those extremely rare?"

"My client wants want to make some alcohol."

"Your doing quests already?...wait! can you show me you quest paper?" Cana said excitedly, a spark of realization in her eyes.

Reluctantly, Hachiman pulled out the piece of paper from a small magic portal that he conjured. Taking it with excitement, Cana merely grinned widely at the sight of the paper and practically shoved it into Hachiman's face.

"See this Hachiman? i put this quest on the board ages ago and nobody has even attempted it!, could you... could you be trying to complete it?" Cana said with a thankful and joyful look.

"What does it look like dumb ass? I've been here for the better part of a day just trying to catch your stupid fish." Hachiman said as he growled, looking at the river with massive amounts of spite.

"Hey! it's rude to call your employer a dumb ass you know?"

"Well excuse me princess." Hachiman replied sarcastically.

"Yea! since i'm apparently a princess, you should treat me so!" Cana giggled, clearly having a lot of fun talking with Hachiman.

"Oh do forgive me your highness, i do so beg your pardon." Hachiman said with snark.

"Beg." Cana laughed as she gave herself a back pat at her reply.

"Be careful what you wish for." He said with a frown.

"Or what?" She said still giggling.

After hearing those words, Hachiman's frown quickly turned into a mischievous smile as he stood up. With lightning speed he grabbed her warm yet smooth supple skin and flipped her side ways, holding her like a princess. Cana, shocked at what had just happened quickly blushed at both Hachiman's action and his surprising strength to lift her up.

"Or this will happen." Hachiman replied with a shit eating grin.

"H-hey! Eight! let me down!" Cana stuttered with a crimson shade on her face.

"Hey, you wished to be treated like a princess, and you shall be treated so your highness."

Wendy smiled happily to herself as she and Carla walked together. She had just managed to complete an entire quest by only herself and Carla! she felt that it was only natural to bask in her achievements and feel some pride as she walked.

"Sheesh! when are you going to wipe that wide grin off of your face!" Carla asked with slight irritation.

"Oh come on Carla! we managed to complete a quest by ourselves! Our selves!" Wendy exclaimed, waving her hands in the air jubilantly.

"Humpf! no need to get so worked up over something so trivial! this will only be the first of many!" Carl exclaimed, letting only the slightest mirth of a smile escape onto her face.

"Yea!-Hmm? is that Cana over there? what's she doing with that man?" Wendy asked innocently enough. He finger touching her chin in thought.

"Wha?- N-no Wendy! don't look at them!" Carla quickly said, trying to distract her.

"Hmm? why?"

"W-well... she's probably on a...date" Carla said, unsure on how to explain this to the little girl in front of her.

"A...Date?" Wendy asked in confusion.

"What's that?"

"Erm...It's when a woman spends time alone with a man..." Carla trailed off.

"A date huh? i see! it would be quite rude of me to intrude!" Wendy said with an unknowing smile.

Sighing in relief, she and Wendy kept on walking, Ignoring the sight of a blush Cana letting out an embarrassed smile whilst being carried by an unknown somewhat handsome young man.

The sun had already set with the moon out in all its glory before Cana realized the time. Shocked, she spoke to Hachiman.

"It's already dark out huh?"

"Hmm." Was his reply.

"Time goes by so fast whether you notice it or not huh?"

"Yep."

"...Say...Hachiman...do you... do you think that one day...I and the guild can...help you?" She asked hesitantly, the only question that she had wanted to ask Hachiman now being let out and asked.

"...I don't know." Was his cold hard reply, his Onyx eyes only hardening at her question.

"I...see..."

A heavy silence hung in the air after that. The blackish blue night sky was in her eyes, quite beautiful as the stars twinkled in the night. The croaks of the frogs along with the cries of the bugs only existed to add to the beauty of the summer nights. She thought as she gazed somberly at the fireflies, moving constantly, almost dancing like fairies. Their small yet inspiring glow giving light to the night.

"Well...Eight. My request...its years old. You don't need to complete it. I don't think the begging red even lives in this river anymore...here, i'll just pay you." She said with guilt. Realizing that Hachiman had most likely started fishing in the early morning, enduring all those hours of intense heat. Not to mention her butting in as well, he must have considered her a nuisance.

Hachiman didn't say anything as he still focused on the river, his fishing line getting the most subtlest and smallest of pulls. With lightning fast speed, he pulled up the fishing rod, the result? A begging red flying through the air with its mouth stuck in the fishing hook. A majestic sight indeed.

"What did you say again Princess? because i just got my rotten hands on the item that you had so long ago desired." He exclaimed with confidence as he pointed at himself with his thumb. Smiling with a wide snarky grin as he did so.

"What? No way! you...you actually caught it?"

"Well, yeah. You quite literally just watched me catch it." He said in a monotone voice.

"Here." He said, giving the fish to her.

"You can pay in the form of keeping your mouth shut and not telling anybody that you saw me. I don't want to run into anymore people in fairy tail." Hachiman said quite seriously as he ruffled his hair.

"That's it? Pfft! your a weird one all right!" Cana exclaimed as she started giggling.

"Good bye princess...it...wasn't so bad seeing you." He said as he stood up and left. Leaving her there to only giggle at him.

With the calls of the bugs and the croaks of the frogs, Cana merely smiled to herself as she stood there on the river bank, With the soft winds blowing and rustling the green grass while looking at the stunning moon. Its beautiful glow washing over her as she eyed longingly at the stars.

"I know its selfish eight therefore i didn't ask you. But... would you...help me?...if i asked you to?"