Disclaimer; Fairy Tail and all it's characters belong solely to Hiro Mashima!
A/N This chapter has been edited due to spelling, grammar and any other mistakes to improve this story for all of you readers and fans!
*Lisanna's p.o.v *
We had stayed up til the early hours of the morning planning how to implement 'the demonic set up' as we had dubbed it. Very cliche I know but we were all getting tired when it got to that point, so it was also the best we could come up with. Unfortunately when we'd arrived back at the guild a few hours later, Mira had been assigned an emergency s-class mission and had chosen Freed to go with her, as Erza was out on a mission of her own and Laxus was busy doing goodness knows what. The downside was it could take up to 2 weeks to accomplish the customers request, but so is the life of a wizard...especially an S-class one. But that had only hindered my plans for about 30 seconds, I had then decided to use the time to really study the would be Fairy Tail couples and find out just who needed to be with who. Being the head barmaid while Mira-nee was away on this job, would be a great help. I could see all the happenings of the guild and the interactions of it's members. I was starting to see why Mira-nee loved her position so much, best way ever to find out all the gossip haha.
The first couple who had gained my attention and gotten their names on my matchmaking list today, were the ice make mage and his water mage stalker! That needed sorting out and pretty soon, things had gotten even more complicated with those two since Gray had saved Juvia's life in our battle against the dragons. But that was the thing that was really irking me, we had survived a battle against 7 dragons, several of us had died, the only reason they weren't still dead was thanks to Ultear who had sacrificed her time and become an old woman, to save our asses (according to Gray). If end of the world stuff didn't spur you into telling the person you loved that you wanted to be with them forever, what would?!...I mean there hasn't even been any sign that it had slapped people in the face about who they might actually want to spend their life with!
I sighed irritable at this, for what felt like the millionth time since we had finally sent the dragons home. Just how stupid were the males in this guild! I mean most of the ladies were sending out neon signals of 'Look at me I like you' yet they just either ignoring it or were not seeing the signs at all! The size of the task I had set myself was starting to sink in...this might be harder than I first thought!
"Hey Lisanna, Earthland to Lisanna. HELLO."
I jolted out of my inner musings to look at who had called my attention away from my very important internal debate. Well it was important in my mind anyway.
"Oh hey Bixlow, how can I help you?" I smiled my most dazzling smile at him. It was weird to see him by himself like this. Hmm wonder who I should pair you up with?
"Can I have a beer please," He asked, sounding kinda down. "beer beer" "please please" his creepy babies said in their weird mimicry way that they had. That was the only thing about the guy I could never really seem to warm too...his magic, it was just plain creepy. Helpful at times, but creepy.
"Sure no problem," I replied, never once losing my smile, as I turned to the pumps to pull him a pint. Though I was glad that he didn't see me shiver slightly as his babies floated around, I mean they were human souls trapped in those toys after all, it was unnerving. I set the mug down in front of him and noticed that he looked really down, which was so strange. The sight of him without his usual manic grin on his face was just plain wrong.
"What's up Bixlow?" I inquired. However much I disliked his magic the dude was a close nakama of mine and I couldn't bare to see him so down. I'd known him ever since he'd joined the guild and now that Mira and Freed are an item, we have become even closer, to the point where my heart would sometimes beat a little faster if I was left alone with him. I'd just put this down to I was a little afraid of being turned into one of his babies. But I did find the man extremely good looking when he took his helmet off. Though at times him wearing the mask was a good thing, it meant less people could faun over him...wait I was starting to sound like Juvia. Why would I care if others found him handsome too!
"I've been left," He muttered while taking a huge gulp of his beer. His words pulled me from my dizzying thoughts.
"Huh? Left how?" was really all I could muster to this, I wasn't a mind reader people I needed details!
"Ever is still out on that mission with Elfman and Warren. Laxus is off somewhere running an important errand for the Master and Freed had to go on that emergency mission with Mira...I'm all alone." He pouted. Who would have thought that Bixlow would get so down about it though. But now that I think about it, that's right, ever since Freed and Bixlow joined the guild, I don't think I've ever seen them apart.
"Missing Freed are we?" I teased, as I got several orders of drinks ready to be distributed. He looked like he needed cheering up over the situation and what better way to do that than make a joke out of it, or maybe...
"Just a little bit," He muttered again, taking a swing from his mug. Was that jealously I heard in his voice?..Though hadn't he and Freed only arrived back from a job yesterday? Wow talk about abandonment issues, then again many of us here have those issues...So who am I to judge?
"Jealous that Freed has a girlfriend and you don't?" I continued teasingly trying to cheer him up, and distract him from the fact his teammates were all away or busy, as I walked around the counter. Balancing my overloaded tray was harder than it looked and I was struggling to handle it if I'm honest. How does Mira-nee make this look easy! Or Kinana for that matter. Even after all these years of practice it was still the only thing about being a barmaid I struggled with.
"Maybe," He said, putting his mug down, so he could rest his head in his hands. The guy looked miserable, like a lost puppy caught in the rain. And I for one couldn't leave an animal in distress. Especially not such a cute one.
"All you need is something to take your mind off it," I called back, knowing just what would help him to get over his loneliness and possibly get him a girlfriend, so that when the others weren't there he'd still have someone to keep him company. Though the idea of Bixlow having a girlfriend caused a slight ache to flare in my chest. Odd.
I hurried to get all the drinks to the right tables to try and forget about that weird achy feeling I'd just experienced. I noticed on my round that there were barely any of our regular guild members here today, apart from Wakaba, Macao and Nab. Everyone else were from other guilds or normal people come to visit.
I saw Bixlow get up from his place at the bar and head towards the guild doors. Crap I needed him to stay. My lost puppy project could not leave yet!
"Hey Bix," I yelled at his retreating form. I quickly deposited my apron and tray on the bar top.
"Yeah what do you want?" He hollered back, turning slightly to see me out of the corner of his visor.
"Like I said all you need is something to take your mind off of it, didn't I?" I smiled, walking up to him with a gleam in my eye.
"What do you have in mind?" He asked curiously his tongue sticking out, probably noticing the shine I had about my gaze. I wonder what he could do with that thing...wait no not the time to be letting your mind wander to the gutter Lisanna focus.
"Take me out for lunch and I'll fill you in," I winked in response. I may as well get a free meal out of this, after all I was going to help the man gain a girlfriend. That thought caused that unusual pain to flare up again within my chest. What was with this weird ache? I hope I wasn't getting a chest infection. I did not need to get sick with all my plans about to start being put into motion.
"You know you are scarily like your older sister, when you want to be, you know that?" He laughed, in a somewhat less manic way than he usually did. "You got a deal."
"Right listen up everyone," I yelled, turning back to face everyone before I left the guild. " The Bar is shut for an hour while I'm on lunch break or until Kinana arrives, so behave, do you hear me!" I smiled while still putting the right amount of Mira like warning in my tone. The place gave a unanimous gulp at the hidden threat, and went back to what they were doing. I turned back around to see Bixlow looking at me with an amused glint showing through that visor of his.
"What?" I asked innocently.
"Oh nothing, just thinking that you're pretty awesome." He laughed again as we started walking towards any cafe, restaurant or bistro, that caught our fancy for our lunch and talk. Hmm this sort of felt like a date.
*Bixlow's p.o.v*
"How the hell did you get Freed to agree to help you with this?" I couldn't keep the disbelief out of my voice. Freed never usually cared about these things or wanted to get involved at all, so how had this little blue eyed beauty managed it?
"Ah well, therein lies your unknowingness of your best friend," Lisanna winked sexily at me, as she took another bite of her vegetable curry.
"I've known the guy since we were kids, I know him inside and out!" I fumed at the youngest take over mage, who was a mini me of her elder sister, but prettier in my eyes than Mira. "And again I ask how the hell did you get him to agree?"
"I got Mira-nee to puppy dog eye him." She deadpanned, raising her glass of water to her lips to take a sip. I had to say the way it showed off the curve of her neck reminded me all over again, why I had fallen for the girl. She truly was gorgeous. Looks aside though her soul was what made me fall for her, it was the most amazing colour of gold I'd ever seen.
"Seriously? Mister law and order just agreed to this insane plan of yours because your sister gave him a battering of her eyelashes?" I half whispered, half murmured, trying to bring my mind back to the topic at hand. Just how badly wrapped around the she-devils finger was Freed? To agree to this kind of plan... more wrapped that my wildest dreams I'd have to say!
"She is his girlfriend don't forget and I'm pretty sure there was other things to sweeten the deal offered behind closed doors." She said, picking her fork back up and waving it at me. "But we're getting off topic."
"What was the topic again?" I asked, because honestly I'd totally forgotten after the blue eyed minx had dropped the bombshell that Freed Justine was helping her and her demon sister with this crazy scheme of theirs.
"Will you help me with it or not?" She asked annoyance starting to creep into her voice. Oh she was so cute when she sounded annoyed.
"It's one crazy assed mother of a plan you wanna pull off here," I chuckled, pausing for effect. Which I got, Lisanna's face started to fall. "But I'm not known for going along with any plan that isn't crazy," I laughed as her face picked back up into a grin. I'd felt bad making her frown...maybe I was as whipped as Freed? Though unfortunately for me I wasn't dating the girl who had tamed me. Simply longing for her from afar.
"Oh yay, that's great news Bixlow thank you!" She squealed at me, jumping up to run around the table to give me a bear hug, then returned to her seat to sit back down. I tried to hide the blush that had crept onto my cheeks at her sudden hug attack and tried to clear the fog that had descended on my brain from her close proximity and the her scent of her perfume.
"Well who do you have plans on setting up first, fill me in." I asked starting to get into this. Lisanna was right I did just need something to take my mind off of things, and I could see no better way of doing that than this. It may also help me with a plan of my own.
"Well so far I have several ideas, but the most obvious is Gray and Juvia," She mumbled to me, through a mouthful of food.
"That's an understatement," I cackled. Stripper and stalker had been dancing around each other for too long, even if he said he didn't like Juvia that way he sure spent a lot of time alone with her for simply being her friend. "Who else?"
"Elfman and Evergreen but I think they need more of a push than anything else." Lisanna mused while pulling out a notebook, most likely full of different pairings she'd thought up from her observations of the guild members.
"Ya think so? I mean they've been spending plenty of time together recently on missions and what not," I muttered through a mouth full of my own food. Damn this place made a mean steak baguette.
"I know that, but nothing romantic has yet to emerge!" She huffed grumpily.
"Well we shall see about those two, now read me the others on that list of names you've got there and we can start to make a plan." I said excitedly, seriously this meddling business was fun, I could see why Mira and Lisanna were so fond of it.
"Okay here goes; Wendy and Romeo."
I nodded they were cute together even if technically she was way too old for him.
"Yeah I know what you mean, she is a little bit older than him, but with the tenrou situation it plays out nicely" She mumbled looking at her notes. Wow were we on the same wave length? That was kinda hot.
"Gajeel and Levy," She continued on with her list.
"That could be a bit trickier than you think Lisanna," I stated, there was still unresolved issues to be talked out there, mainly on the dragon slayers side not the bookworms.
"I've already thought of that, all we need to do is trap them in Freed's ruins with a 'you can not leave until you speak your mind' as their first test or just get them in a situation where the scrap for brains has to confess to her," She smirked scribbling something in that damned notebook of hers.
"Damn, woman you think of everything don't you." I grinned at her. Basking in the fact that I was getting to see just how evil this supposedly, innocent looking girl really was. "Anyway do explain all I'll give my feedback at the end," I said, relinquishing all control over to her for the moment, as she continued to tell me the pairs she wanted to go about setting up.
I sat staring at the girl in utter disbelief, she really had put a lot of effort and brain power into this plan of hers, considering she said she only started coming up with it the day previous. She was planning to set the entire guild up by the end of the month! Gajeel and Levy. Wendy and Romeo. Erza and Jellal (one of the new additions to the guild since his name was cleared). Laxus and Cana ( I knew they'd had a fling in their younger years, but I had noticed recently that Laxus had eyes for another lady). Gray and Juvia. Elfman and Evergreen. Happy and Carla. Poor guys wouldn't know what had hit them I snickered, but I couldn't help feeling like there was a couple missing?
"What about the cheerleader and the pyro?" I questioned, intrigued why their names hadn't been mentioned yet.
"Oh I have special plans for those two," Lisanna grinned the most evil grin I had ever seen. I looked forward to where this was heading, seeing the youngest of the take over siblings look this mischievous was a huge turn on.
"Lisanna my dearest, I do believe this is the beginning of a wonderful partnership," I chuckled holding out my hand for the girl to shake, as we got up to leave our lunches finished. Normally I'd be sad that our time together was coming to an end but with this new partnership of our starting up, I knew I'd get to spend waaay more time with her than I normally would be able too. And that made my heart race in delight.
"Indeed it is my good man, indeed it is," She giggled shaking my hand. With that we walked over to the till, I paid, then we headed back to the guild ready to set stage 1 of the plan up. Tonight was going to be a very interesting night for Fairy Tail, that I could guarantee.