Disclaimer: I am not the owner of Fairy Tail

At Fairy Tail's guild hall, Nab was feeling uncertain of what to do now. Things seemed to be calming down and settling back into a normal routine after just a few hours. Team Natsu was back together, and Lucy had yet to really do anything about Loke. However, Nab knew it was only a matter of time before the celestial spirit vanished again. He would probably return to his old role too, of just staring at the request board and waiting for an event that would never really happen. Really, did he ever have a hope of gaining a partner in the first place? He sighed, shaking his head as he sat at the bar counter.

Mira glanced at him, smiling pleasantly, but he ignored her. If he spoke to her about his problems, the whole guild would hear about them. However, someone else approached, looking up and speaking to Mira for a moment. "Hey, could you give us a minute?" Nab stiffened, recognizing Loke's voice.

"Of course." Mira walked around the counter, smiling towards Loke. "Please cheer him up…he's been looking kind of down ever since they all got back from Edolas."

Even though she had whispered the last part of her comment, Nab still heard. All Loke did was nod in response, focusing his gaze on Nab. The celestial spirit folded his arms over his chest, frowning for a moment. He opened his mouth to speak, then seemed to think better of whatever comment he had been about to make. After rubbing the back of his head, he sighed and shook his head. "So, welcome back, I guess."

Nab nodded, staring at the counter intently. Really, he'd never noticed the odd patterns in the smooth surface there. Someone must have scratched it in some kind of fight, though the blemish was difficult to see unless you were up close like this. "Yeah. I…uh. I guess I didn't really need to do much of anything." He shrugged, hunching his shoulders over. "My magic is still as useless as ever, I suppose."

Snorting, Loke shook his head. "Yeah right. Like August could have done that if you hadn't shown him how to get there." Frowning, Nab glanced over at him. Smiling, Loke chuckled faintly. "I forgot you didn't know. August told me how his magic works. See, he can copy any magic he sees. So, basically…if you hadn't gone to Edolas in the first place, August wouldn't have been able to copy that spell of yours."

"But I didn't—"

"I'm not going to listen to this again, Nab. We've gone over this so many times in the last few months that there really isn't anything more to add." Nab went silent, frowning at the counter. "You've got skill, if you just believe in yourself." He had improved at least. Nab didn't know what to say in response. His body felt warm, and he was hyper aware of the fact that Loke was in the seat right next to him. The celestial spirit knew now, didn't he? Though, he had resolved to act like he didn't. Yet, it seemed so hard to act that way. Did Loke think about it that much? Or did he just want to ignore it too?"

With the silence dragging on, Nab desperately reached for some topic to break it. "Um…so, Lucy's back." Loke nodded, and Nab gave him a forced smile. "That means you'll be heading back home soon, right? I mean, it was what we were so worried about…given what will happen if you can't get back to the celestial world."

"True, but it takes years for that to happen." Loke shrugged, leaning back in his seat. "At this point, I'm in this world using my own power, not Lucy's. While I need her magic to get back…I don't necessarily have to leave right away." He hesitated, glancing towards Nab out of the corner of his eye. "I've got a few things I need to talk to you about, before that happens."

Unable to help himself, Nab let out a rather odd noise, something like a squeak crossed with a snort as he inhaled a bit too sharply while making the sound. "I…well, I um…see, what August said, it really doesn't—"

"Don't try and lie to me, Nab. You wouldn't have freaked out like that if there wasn't some kind of truth to his words." The animal possession wizard swallowed, staring at his feet. Why did they have to bring this up now? Couldn't he just pretend for a little while longer that nothing had changed? "I'm not going to lie to you, Nab. The more I think about it, the more I realize I hardly know a thing about you. No one in this guild does…so it goes without saying that I can't say I return the sentiment about you."

Something hit Nab's chest, hard. He couldn't breath for a moment, and his vision blurred. However, he remained in place, frozen and forced to listen to words he'd rather ignore entirely. "Really, I didn't expect anyone in the guild to tell me something like that. Fairy Tail knows me too well for how I behaved when I thought I only had a year to live…for not really being devoted or caring strongly about anyone like that. Even Lucy sees my flirting as an annoying joke…which to be honest, I'm not certain if it really is much more than that." If Nab had looked up, he would have noticed how thoughtful Loke's expression had become, focused on the wall behind the counter rather than Nab. "She's a strong wizard and one of the best key holders I've ever had…but as much as I admire her, I can't say I think we'd be a good match. Really, I don't think any mortal wizard is a good match for a celestial spirit…just considering our lifespans alone is enough to realize that."

Something was shattering in him. It was quiet, so Loke probably couldn't notice, but Nab was breathing a bit faster now. His skin felt sweaty, and he wanted to run again. However, he wouldn't do the same thing again. He wouldn't use his magic to run, not when he needed to face this at some point in time. "Still…that's not even the point I was trying to make when I started talking about this…" Loke sighed, shaking his head. "Even after thinking about this for the last few weeks, I'm still at a loss on what to say. When August first said that…I will admit, a part of me was actually…happy. I've had admirers from tons of places…but here at the guild, it's different. People actually know me here, and not a single one of them has claimed to want to be anything more than friends with me here."

"Still…the more I tried to think about what I felt about you in return, the more I realized…I have no idea, Nab. I have no idea whether we would even be good friends, because you never really tried to speak to me. After that one job…well, can you really say anyone got to know you?"

Shaking his head weakly, Nab closed his eyes. It really was his own fault then, wasn't it? No matter what he did, he just hadn't been able to bring himself to approach Loke. The celestial spirit had always seemed happier around others. He never wanted to ruin that, so he just kept his distance and waited patiently. "No one knows you…so the best advice I can give you is to change that, Nab. I…I can't make any guarantees. Never once have I even considered myself to be interested in men…nor have I ever thought about taking a relationship more seriously than I have in the past. As a celestial spirit, it was my way of…well, protecting myself, along with those around me at the same time. I'm not going to age or die unless I get stuck in this world, Nab. If I actually let myself love someone here…no matter who it is, I'll be watching them grow old and die without me. Our time together would be limited, given my role in the celestial world, and there are just certain things that will always be different. That's why…why I've never been able to seriously consider a relationship with anyone in the mortal world. Other spirits have done it, but it always ended in heartbreak. Some say it's worth it, though, for the right person."

Biting his lip, Nab nodded weakly. "I...I understand. It isn't like I expected anything to happen..." He trailed off, hearing the roughness in his own voice. "I'm weird enough…for liking men…my family said it was wrong, that it was just my imagination…they tried to change it." He held himself closely, not wanting to think about it. "So, I just decided to stay quiet. It was no different when I met you…so I really don't mind if you're not interested. Even if some people are starting to be…more open about this…I can't say I'm one of them. Despite being…gay…I just…it just makes me wonder if my parents really were right in the first place…"

"What in the—your parents said that to you?" Loke stared at him, while Nab nodded, smiling faintly.

"Well, yeah. They were just trying to help…it was what I would have heard from others eventually anyway." He shrugged, not really certain of what the problem was. "I live on my own now, and they're gone…so it doesn't really matter."

Shaking his head, Loke ran a hand through his hair. "Well, first thing I'm going to tell you…is that they're wrong." Blinking, Nab stared at him with wide eyes. "Who cares if you love guys? I mean…haven't you been listening to me this entire time? I don't really care about that. My issue is the fact that I don't think I do…or at least, that I've never taken the time to really consider anyone seriously for a relationship." Loke placed his hands in his pockets, shaking his head. "Don't give up on the things you want, okay Nab? No matter what your parents…or even what I, tell you…follow your heart and live your life the way you want to. Otherwise, you're going to grow up and look back at your life, seeing nothing but a life filled with regrets that you can never go back and undo."

Was he trying to say to keep pursuing him? Nab frowned, uncertain of what to make of it. "Well…I'm not certain what you are trying to tell me. I mean, you aren't really interested, right?"

"Right." Loke shrugged, giving him a small smile. "However, like I said before, I don't really know you that well anymore. So, how about we start by taking another job together sometime? I probably should get back to the celestial world and rest for a bit soon…but that doesn't mean I can't come back with my own power when Lucy's taking a break."

Nab didn't really get it. Was he trying to say yes or no? All he could see was Loke saying he didn't care, and then asking to go out together. "Well…I mean, that sounds great but…I still don't…"

Loke chuckled, shaking his head. "I'm saying to give it some time." Nab blinked at him, while Loke tilted his head back, not really meeting his eyes. "Maybe I've had some time to process the idea…but I still don't know enough to confidently say either way, Nab. So, I want to start…by just trying to be your friend. I don't want you to give up…but I'm also not going to stop you from moving on if you decide that's what is best. That's why for now…we're going to try and become that team we both once thought we'd be. Maybe we won't be the strongest or brightest team in the guild, but we'll at least have fun, right?"

Smiling, Nab slowly began to nod. They weren't close by any stretch of the word, and the more he considered Loke's words, the more he realized the celestial spirit had some valid points. Nab had admired him for so long without ever speaking to him, only hearing his words as Loke talked to others. Now, it was time to speak to him in person. Maybe it would help him move past these insecurities of his so he could actually do better with his work. "Thank you…I thought…I thought you'd want to just ignore me after all this…"

"Really? Since when have I ignored anyone who claimed to be in love with me?" It felt odd, seeing one of Loke's trademark flirtatious smiles directed towards him. Yet, it seemed oddly fitting considering the topic of conversation. He really had always flirted with anyone who let him do so. "I'll see you around, Nab. Next time I'm in the mortal world, I'll make sure I find you so we can go on that job we talked about."

Nodding, Nab smiled towards him, watching as Loke slowly began to vanish away. "I'm glad we got the chance to talk…" He paused for a moment, seeing Loke almost entirely gone. "I'll be waiting for you…just like always." He saw the celestial spirit's eyes widen for a moment, before Nab quickly looked away and hide his face. He hadn't meant to say that much! Still, it just had to be said at some point in time.

With Loke gone, no one else in the guild hall seemed to do anything differently. Natsu and Gray were slowly starting to fight in one corner of the guild. Lucy was watching them and trying to avoid getting caught in the battle. Wendy tried to reason with them using her timid voice, but she still went unheard. Like usual, it took Erza to stop their antics. Still, they weren't the only ones he saw. Always, he was the one that went silent and unnoticed, able to see everyone while not being seen himself. He could see Team Shadowgear trying to swarm around Levy, who just looked dazed by everything around her. Something had seemed odd about her ever since she came out from the library, but it really was none of Nab's business to ask what was wrong with anyone in this guild.

Gajeel remained by himself, snacking on some kind of metal. Lisanna was sitting by her older brother, laughing at something at one of the tables. Overall, things seemed peaceful, considering the war that they had just been in the midst of before he left. It was as if Fairy Heart was the last things on their mind and Zeref had been little more than a dream. Still, when Mira walked back towards the counter with a small smile, he realized that maybe the war really had done something good for them after all. It brought them closer together, giving them a chance to stand against an enemy unlike anything they had seen before.

"So, was Loke able to cheer you up? You seemed more down than usual today."

Mira's question made Nab frown for a moment. Did he feel better? Loke told him that he didn't feel the same. In essence, Nab had been rejected. Yet, that was exactly what he had expected. He was useless and weak, unable to do anything alone. Hadn't he gotten something else though? Smiling faintly, Nab looked up and met her eyes, giving her a small nod. "I think he did. Loke said we might be taking a job together when he gets the chance…"

"Really?" Mira smiled brightly at him, stepping behind the counter and leaning towards him. "Does that mean you're giving up on finding the perfect job? I have to admit, I haven't seen you take a job since we were kids."

Did it? Even when he made that claim, Nab knew he was lying. Still, it seemed like he just might have found the job he wanted anyway. "Maybe…maybe I've found it." Just being friends with Loke would be more than enough. Maybe the celestial spirit was right and he'd move on. Maybe he wouldn't and they'd never become anything other than friends. Either way, Nab had his heart set on this path for now, and he wasn't going to give up. Loke told him to fight for what he wanted, and while he might not be all that confident in being successful, it just might be time for him to start trying for a change rather than letting his doubts stop him before he got the chance to even make an attempt at anything.

So, I've been replying to reviews via PM when I can, but I've noticed lately that email notifications for PMs have somewhat stopped coming through. I just wanted to check and see if you guys preferred responses that way, since I can sometimes get them to you faster, or if you preferred to wait and have a response in an author's note in the story. I'm fine either way, so just let me know your preference! Feel free to review and tell me what you think!