Disclaimer: I do not own Hiro Mashima's Fairy Tail, any work professionally associated with it, nor any references made such as songs. All original plots and characters are mine.

In a land far, far away lies the kingdom of Fiore, a small, peaceful nation of 17 million, and a place filled with Magic found in every home, bought and sold in every marketplace. For most, Magic is merely a tool, a mundane part of everyday life. For some, however, Magic is an art, and they've devoted their lives to its practice. These are the wizards. Banded together into magical guilds, they ply their skills in search of fame and fortune. Many such guilds dot the landscape of Fiore. But there is a certain guild in a certain town that soars high above the rest, one from which countless legends have been born. A guild that will no doubt continue to create legends well into the future. Its name...is Fairy Tail.

Arcticados was not a place for the faint of heart. Most considered the tundra a frozen wasteland, but that was not true. Cities blossomed within this wintry wonderland with sparse trees and mountains. During polar twilight, the sky was a permanent shade of dark blue with street lamps always on and everyone taking the necessary precautions during their nighttime activities. Boats were docked early this time of year with the night twenty-four-hours. Yes, vast expanses of snow and ice covered a portion of the land between cities with long and desolate roads to connect them, be the cities on the ground or built into the mountainside, but the people thrived under such conditions most would not survive in. The nature of Arcticados was the most captivating. An Amarok howled from the distance as it proclaimed a polar bear that had been trying to get back to its burrow as its meal. A skulk of Glaciumihos had divided themselves between defending their intricate series of burrows or to hunt the roaming bison a couple miles east. A pod of akh'lut were in their orca forms as they breached for air, but a mother and her offspring herded towards the land to beach themselves and Magic cloaked their body until they came out as black and silver wolves, the mother eager to show her pup how to hunt.

Adélie City was only a couple thousands of people with the natives being of the Iñuipav descent. Most houses were built out of wood and stone, but some had clung to tradition of using ice and snow and that was okay as well. Some of the natives wore their garb of sealskin and sheep and caribou for their parkas and mittens and pants and boots to survive in the intense winter months and polar nights while others wore store-bought clothing and footwear. A few children laughed as their husky pulled on their sled. A couple left a family-owned restaurant with leftovers and affectionate attitudes. A grandmother welcomed her sister inside for a hot meal.

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« This is Adélie City located in Arcticados. With a population of around four-thousand and three hundred citizens, Adélie makes popular exports with Tizheruk meat, skin, and teeth and are faithful to Christianity and blending it with shamanism. Like in most of Arcticados, the Iñuipav people and others practice Snow, Ice, and Water Magic in their many forms as well as Taming. »

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

Ur's family home was still in good condition after all these years. The property had been kept up with due to the combined efforts of Gray and Lyon once they had discovered both of their master's parents' homes. It had been cleaned out and restocked and suited for Gary's needs, but what was more impressive was the land that had come with Ur's family home. The rare shards of ice collected over the years floated and were bubbled within a Magic Spell with their own podium to float on. Snow existed outside the bounds of the property, but spelled stone had been put out as training grounds for those who dared to battle.

"Agh!"

Just as Gary and Skade were trying to do.

Stripped down to just shorts with no shoes and his collar on, Skade in his Human Form looked comfortable in such chilly weather. It was natural, after all, for an Ice Devil to like being in the tundra. But his face remained expressionless as he watched Uki who had taken off her gloves and removed her Anti-Ether parka to dress in a regular long-sleeve, pants, and boots. The mask she wore had fell off as beads of sweat trickled down her brow as she blasted spurts of ice without a semblance of control.

Skade drawled, "Do not let the ice control you. You control the ice."

Uki panted. "I know that!" she snapped. "But that rules applies to Ice Magic, not to Cursed Ice!"

"The control is one in the same." Skade held out a hand and with just a thought, no spell needed, he made a levitating ball of ice. Perfected and curved, the only difference it had from Gary's ice was it had a deeper shade to it. "Like Ice Magic, your Cursed Ice is not a burden or something in itself. It is part of you. You use it as an extension of yourself." He spun around and the ball of ice sharpened into a sleek broadsword that he grabbed with no hesitation. "Think what you desire and your ice will make it happen."

Uki clenched her hands into fists. "I'm trying," she snapped at him, "but you're not making any sense. This isn't cute Magic I'm trying to do. This is a Curse that I've killed people with. This isn't easy."

"The only reason you say that is because you are letting your Curse define you," Skade growled. "If you would just listen—"

Uki whipped around with her eyes set in a glare. "I am listening, you monster!" Without her asking to, her dark ice tracked past her and tried to launch at Skade.

Skade held no fear as he held out a hand and the Cursed Ice stopped on his volition. He made a fist and the ice was crushed into a crystal-filled mist. Icy-blue went to slits as he snarled, "I might be a monster, but I am a monster with control over my Curse so it does not hurt the one I care about. You are nothing more than a human who refuses to listen at every turn and will kill your tribe before the season is over!"

"And their lives are on you!" Uki sneered. "You Cursed me! You should be able to take this Curse away from me! Give me back my life!"

Skade bared his teeth. "And I have told you for the last week I cannot undo a Curse!"

"Then you're useless!" Uki snarled. "Look at me! Look at this!" She tried to gesture to the dark ice she had subconsciously whirled about her only to be startled out of her hands blasted more ice. Angrily, she wrestled out her Anti-Either gloves and put them on. "You did this! You did this to me! Take it back!"

"I told you I cannot—!"

"Then don't expect me to show up to this farce of a 'training session'," Uki sneered as she stepped over the ice she created and marched to retrieve her Anti-Ether parka. "I should just kill you while I have the chance. The chairman is out of his mind thinking you could train me. My mentor trained me to be a Shaman and to listen and befriend Spirits, but you had to ruin everything for me!"

Skade let out a powerful growl and satisfaction coiled within him when Uki hunched over. The Curse within her could not ignore its original maker and would hold its host captive. "Throwing another temper tantrum will not change this situation!" he spat. "You think I enjoy trying to teach a human like you who does nothing but whine and complain over how her life is so difficult!"

"Let me go!" Uki choked out in a growl. "Stop doing this to me!"

Skade turned his growl into a throaty snarl and watched as Uki fell to all fours and let out a pained howl. Before he could say anything more, Gary forcibly retook his body and let the control he had over Uki's Curse gently fade back until she had her own independence. He rushed over to her as she coughed and wheezed and tried to help her up. "Uki—"

But she slapped his hands away. "Don't – touch me." Shakily, she got back to her feet and regained her cool composure. "I think we're done for today." Her hazel eyes flashed to his in challenge. "Or are you going to make me stay, Teacher?" Cutting words.

Gary sighed. "No. We're done."

Uki gave him a short nod and went to retrieve her parka.

Gary followed her with guilt in his eyes. "Uki…" He rubbed his neck. "I know this isn't the best predicament to be in. Being Cursed… It feels like the life you had is gone and you can never return to it. But I promise it does get—"

"I will not be back to train until the day after New Year's." Uki buttoned up her parka to give him a steely look. "I have a ceremony to prepare for our offering to the Spirits and I will be doing a few more blessings and I have more appointments scheduled than normal." She pitched up an eyebrow as though to dare him to say otherwise.

Gary crossed his arms. "I'm not here to disrupt your Shaman duties, Uki," he retained as he had repeated the entire week with her. "I'm here to train you to use the Curse given to you."

"Forced upon me," Uki stiffly reminded as hatred flashed in her eyes, "without my consent."

Something in Gary's eyes hardened. "You might be older than me," he started in a deadly calm tone, "and I respect you as a person and respect your feelings towards me and the situation I've put you in. But"—icy-blue creeped into his eyes—"don't ever call me that name again without knowing what you're accusing me of. Angel was on that stand and her trauma was laid out to the world. Millions of people endure that and live with that pain in silence. You have treated those same people in your tribe. Tell me, Uki. Are you comparing your Curse to the life they live and the trauma they have?"

That shifted something in Uki. Maybe it was guilt or realization, but it was something and she swallowed as her eyes fell to the ground. "No. I…" She turned her body away from his. "I didn't mean to disrespect her or any of those victims like that."

Gary nodded even though she could not see it. "The Curse given to you isn't fair. I acknowledge that and I will do everything I can to help you. But if you ever disrespect anyone who truly went through that trauma, don't expect me to act civil for much longer."

Uki nodded and locked her jaw. "May I go now, Mister Fullbuster?" A dig, but it was a lighter one than before. More resigned even if it was not a full apology.

"Happy New Year's Eve and New Year's to you, Uki," Gary farewelled. "Have a safe ride home."

Uki nodded and wordlessly left the snowy yard as she escaped going through a side walkway.

Gary went back inside the house to be welcomed with heated floors. He carried himself all the way to the ground and peeled back one of the curtains to watch as Uki greeted the sentries that Magic Council branch in Arcticados had appointed to her and one tribesman before she climbed in a car. Only when they had driven away was when Gary sighed and let his shoulders drop. "This isn't going well." He walked back to the kitchen.

You should not have let her run. All she does is run, Skade accused, bitter. If she shows no progress before June, we will never return to Malã'ika.

Gary helped himself to a vegetable shake as he took out the fish he had been marinating for the past day. "She'll come around," he promised. "We started only days ago and, considering she has every right to hate us, it'll take some time for her to come around and trust us enough to help her."

It is not us she does not trust alone. She does not trust herself. We cannot help one who does not trust herself.

Gary went to preheat the oven. "We can't," he agreed, "but as her teachers, it's our job to help her gain more confidence in herself." Cerulean blew over with worry. And I'm worried about her body. All that Anti-Ether she wears is slowly deteriorating her body in ways she probably ignores. Skade could smell those herbs on her. She's trying to slow the progression, but if we can't get her to under the Curse inside her, she might not be a Shaman for much longer. He went over to the pantry to retrieve some rice when he paused.

"I wonder…" Gary looked at the bag of rice he pulled out. "Has Angel eaten today?"

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

Fairy Adventure Special Feature

Episode 068

For Auld Lang Syne, My Dear

新年をお迎えください。 時計が真夜中までカウントダウンすると、感情が浮かび上がる！

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The Dragneel Residence was still covered in Christmas decorations and was notably less busy that normal—for the most part. A meal had been made, but New Year's Eve was a relaxed day and the family had decided to eat in the living room while they watched the New Year's Eve-palooza being lacrivised from New Azalea City on LBC News. Lucy had been shuffled into Natsu's lap (against her blushing protests it was not an appropriate action to do in front of their children) and had her fill while Natsu gorged himself. Actaeon, Lelantos, Icarus, Plue, and Býleistr were all out as they snacked on the portions Lucy had dished aside for them with Plue happy munching on his waffle and the dogs wolfing down the sausage and bacon offered to them. Býleistr was satisfied with his little bit of everything. Luke and Luna were still in pajamas as Luke took up the loveseat while Luna took the grandfather chair.

Nashi came into the living room in comfortable thermal leggings, a Young Nation cap, and an ICY sweatshirt with a duffle bag and her mini-suitcase with her. "Okay, Býleistr, we gotta bounce now!" she called to her Celestial Spirit. "I don't want to be late!"

Býleistr abandoned his food to become his Lion Form while Lucy peered to her older daughter. "I can't believe you have to be in New Azalea this early in the morning. Justin needs you that badly?"

"Not necessarily," Nashi said as she stroked Býleistr's mane. "But we definitely want to sightsee and considering EMPHASIS is performing tonight, I'm all about seeing the random dance play." She hopped over to her mother to kiss her cheek. "I won't be back for a couple of days, remember?"

"We remember," Luna grumbled. "At least you get to go out and actually drink alcohol."

Lucy shot Natsu a look and he grunted. To Luna, she regarded, "Actually, baby, your papa and I have been talking and we think you going to the New Year's Eve party Bleu invited you to would be wonderful."

Luna perked. "Wait, really?"

"No—Ow!"

"Yes, really," Lucy affirmed sweetly, ignoring that she slapped Natsu's chest the moment he tried to protest. "With Luke already going, you'll be safe and looked after there. Besides, staying in a house all on your own during a holiday like this isn't very fun. Virgo said she'd stay with you, but I think you deserve to be with someone you care about once the clock strikes midnight."

"No kissing." Natsu pointed a finger at his youngest daughter before pointing at Nashi. "That goes for you too."

Nashi rolled her eyes. "Whatever you say, Papa." Pulling away, she moved out of the living room and down the hall. "Come on, Býleistr, let's jump. Bye, family. Happy New Year! Love you!"

Everyone called out their farewells and their love as Nashi and Býleistr left the house only for Luna to squeal and hug her mother. "Thank you, thank you, thank you, Mama!" She shot her father a rueful grin when he dramatically coughed. "And you too, Papa."

Natsu sighed. "Just be careful tonight," he warned her. "Who else is going to be there again?"

"Mary Jane and Peter," Luna listed. "And E and Silver were invited too, but they were going to come over if I couldn't convince you—! Ah…" A blush feathered her cheeks. "I-I-I mean…"

Lucy tittered. "No worries. It's times like these you should enjoy fully and if you happen to kiss Bleu at midnight"—she silenced her husband with a firm nudge—"then it happens. But no alcohol, young lady. Not," she added sternly when Luna wanted to protest, "until you are fifteen. And this wasn't a suggestion." She wagged a finger at her son. "Luke, I want you to make sure Luna doesn't drink, you hear me, young man?"

"Loud and clear, Mom," Luke snickered as he caught the sour look on Luna's face. "Lu, you want to ride with me or what do you want to do?"

But Luna shook her head. "Bleu told me to text him if I could go. He can pick the both of us up and E and Silver." She giggled when Icarus whined and crawled over to her for nuzzles. "Sorry, Icarus, but this party is for humans." To her parents, she asked, "What are you guys doing for the eve?"

"The Provincial League is hosting some event for all of us who are not as young as you," Lucy explained with a beam. "Oh!" She looked at her husband with wide eyes. "Speaking of, we need to get ready so we can meet Levy and Gajeel for your brunch!"

An embarrassed blush cursed Natsu's cheeks as he hissed, "Lucy…!"

"Oh, hush, brunch is manly," Lucy teased him as she sprung up from his lap to stand before him. She held out her hand and wiggled her fingers. "Come on, Your Majesty." A giggle for the way Natsu's eyes lit up. "Let's get showered and ready so we can start walking—O-Oh!" She had no chance to finish when Natsu launched off the couch to haul his wife over his shoulder. Red burst across her face. "N-N-Natsu!"

Natsu grinned at his children. "Your mom and I are gonna get ready, but it might take us a little while." He snickered when Luke actively grimaced, Luna rolled her eyes, and Lucy spluttered. "Later!" And with a mad cackle, he took off down the hall and ignored his wife's cries they were not doing anything indecent.

Luke shook his head as he lifted a hand and murmured a spell. "I can't believe one of the main reasons I love Magic is that I can tune out when Dad decides to be a pervert," he muttered, cross.

"At least you can do that," Luna grumbled. "Basic spell work is fuzzy to me."

Luke winced again as he remembered Luna's simple duplication spell of a bouquet turned to the house filled with flowers. "Yeah… You say the spells right, but your control lacks some." He tried to cheer her up when his sister deflated, "Hey, you're better than Igneel. Basic stuff was iffy with him. You get the desire result but just as such an extreme. Igneel was a wild card because he'd rush through the spell or get words mixed up." He sweatdropped as he remembered Igneel's rudimentary spell work training. Honestly, he caused more explosions than actual magical results. Even in our chemistry class, he'd make simple things explode. It's amazing the country hasn't burned down because of him…

"You think…Igneel would be proud of me?"

Luke blinked when he saw Luna's uncertain look. "Why wouldn't he?"

"Well…" Luna rubbed her arm. "I-I mean… I did the thing he told me not to do and I'm not really that impressive with my training yet…"

"You think he'd care how far along you've gotten?" Luke asked, incredulous.

Luna looked down at her lap. "He fought with you and Nashi all the time for training," she pointed out. "I doubt he'd want to fight me."

"That's good thing," Luke muttered. "Trust me. Having your ADHD brother wake you up at three in the morning for a fight isn't that great." He took another bite of his food and swallowed before he told her, "You should know by now no matter what you do, if you fail or if you go against what he tells you, Igneel's always going to be proud of you, Lu." He grinned teasingly. "Yeah, he might get pissed right after he leaves, you and Gale have a moment, but he loves you too much to let that get to him. Remember when you were little and you told everyone Cane was your Prince Charming?"

Luna's eyes widened. "That's right! He kissed me and everything!" She had to laugh. "Igneel was so angry! But he took it out only Cane instead of me and just told me I was too pure for princes and he wouldn't let any prince touch me."

Luke chuckled. "But it's just like that now. Igneel wouldn't be pissed off at you. Upset a little, yeah, but not enough to throw a tantrum and hole himself up in his room. He still loves you, Lu. It doesn't matter what you do. That won't change with him. He's a stubborn guy when it comes to the ones he loves." Bleach blonde hair filled his mind. A little too stubborn… Shaking his head, he offered, "Hey, since Mom and Dad are going out and Nashi's gone, want to work on some spell work and potions then?"

"You'd do that?" Luna brightened at the offer. "Really?"

Luke shrugged. "Sure. We've got hours until the party starts and I definitely don't want to go anywhere."

"Me either." Luna got up and grabbed her plate. "Then, sure! Let's do some spells and potions! What time should I let Bleu know to come to Magnolia?"

Luke checked the time on his Compact. "Um… What, this party we're supposed to go to is in Cedar? So that's like a…thirty-ish minute drive and the party starts at around nine-nine-thirty? So I'd tell him to come at nine, unless he wants to eat with us, then he should come at seven-thirty-ish." He hopped up with his plate. "And don't worry," he murmured to his sister with a wink. "I've got you covered for tonight."

Luna silently squealed and mouthed, Thank you before she said aloud, "Thanks. But why are we eating before the party?"

Luke herded her towards the kitchen hallway. "Just trust me on this one. You'll thank me later." As he dove in about the possible dinner plans he had in store for them and the Celestial Dogs followed them in hopes of being able to eat the delicious scraps, no one noticed that the movie on the LV had taken a break to showcase the news.

John and Yoko appeared with LBC News in their professional garb, but they looked to be outside with their jackets and ear muffs on with a crowd behind them. Some held up signs to address their parents while others held up signs to wish those watching the broadcast a happy New Year. John spoke into his Microphone Lacrima, "This is John Winston here live from New Azalea City at the New Year's Eve-palooza to invite you all to countdown the clock with us with J-pop sensation EMPHASIS starting at eleven-thirty tonight!"

"That's right, John," Yoko added, "but we've got a bunch of guests coming on to celebrate into the New Year, so stick with us!"

"And we just wanted to remind you that in only a few days the king of the Alvarez Empire will be doing a press conference to address the conspiracies to his people and Spriggan sympathizers about rumors of the true heirs to the throne. We'll be broadcasting it live to you from LBC News. I'm John Winston."

"And I'm Yoko Cox," Yoko said.

Together, they chorused, "And we hope you're having a happy New Year's Eve."

As the audience broke into yowls and cheers as the camera panned out, a commercial came on about finding.

The house Tesla arrived at was in the suburbs, a simple three-bedroom ranch-style house that had been vigorously updated. The neighborhood was full of foliage and Sinnish traditional houses with their low-pitched barrel tile roofs and their mudbrick structures. Snow covered the front lawns and winter had taken many of the tree leaves around the neighborhood, but that was okay. It did not stop anyone from anything else. Loud ranchera music was playing a few houses over as a family took down their Christmas decorations in prep for the new year. A group of high school sophomores exited a bodega down the street where a handsome tortoiseshell cat meowed at them before going back inside. A few children were building a snowman with rosy cheeks and laughing eyes.

"Cuando tú me besas… Me siento en el aire… Por eso cuando te veo…"

Tesla sighed as the lyrics were crooned over her mother's speakers. She finished up the iron skillet with her sleeves rolled up, gloves on her hands, and her hair pulled into a high ponytail today with a red bandana headband. The kitchen appliances might have been updated, but her mother still used those same pots and pans she had been gifted years ago and her refrigerator was stamped with dozens of magnets and pictures clipped onto the door. "Mami," she called, "vine a ayudarte con las decoraciones. ¿Por qué me estás haciendo limpiar tus platos?"

"Porque sé que tu novio nunca te hace levantar un dedo, nena, y te vendría bien el trabajo," came feminine chuckle. "Me sorprende que no viniera contigo para verme. ¿Ya lo he asustado?"

Tesla snorted as she began to pad-dry the iron skillet. "Ojalá," she muttered. With a huff, she replied, "No, Mami, no lo asustaste. Prácticamente tenía que empujarlo fuera de mi coche. Estaba decidido a conducirme aquí." She paused in her drying to sigh. "No soy un niña pero me trata como no puedo comer hasta sin él cortando mi comida."

Footsteps traipsed into the kitchen. "Deja que el hombre te estropee, nena. Está claro que solo quiere cuidarte," came soothe as calloused hands flattened down Tesla's ponytail. "Especialmente con todo lo que se avecina."

Tesla rolled her eyes. "Sí, porque bañarme y trenzarme el pelo me está cuidando." Her shoulders dropped. "Estoy actuando como un mocoso, ¿no?"

"A little, yes, but I know it can't be easy for you, nena," came murmur as well-worked hands gave Tesla's shoulders a squeeze. "Look at me, Tesla."

Tesla turned around and looked at the kind woman who had adopted her and became her mother. Peachy tan skin with laugh lines with short and layered skin, at fifty-two, she looked as radiant as the day Tesla met her in that group home with those bright hazel eyes and warm smile. Her mother searched Tesla's eyes and said, "You look so different, nena. I can tell something is wrong."

⌜ BOUGAINVILLEA TOWNSHIP

Name: Adrienne Greer

Age: 52

Occupation: Freelance Writer

Likes: Stage Plays Dislikes: Lacrima Games

Special Note: Adrienne has published several anthologies in both Minstrish and Sinnish and is working on a new series! Tesla is her biggest inspiration!⌟

Tesla lowered her lashes to the ground. "It's nothing, Mami. Sólo estoy cansada." When her mother gave her that look, Tesla insisted, "I am! I just got back into the swing of things at work and then therapy was emotionally draining and I'm making sure my professor approves my lesson plans for my little flutes—it's a lot, Mami."

"And I'm sure it is," Adrienne agreed slowly, "but I know there's more to it, Tesla." She let her daughter go to cross her arms. "Jaxton said you've been a little distant since Christmas—"

"Glad to see you both talk about me behind my back," Tesla grumbled. "Charming."

Adrienne raised an eyebrow. "Well, considering you looked half-alive during Christmas and your own birthday and you barely acknowledged anything or anyone, we would have talked to you, but you seemed busy being in your own head." When Tesla turned back to the sink to finish off the iron skillet, Adrienne continued, "And even now, your smile is different, the light in your eyes is different… Even your energy is different, mija."

"Just stressed," Tesla bit. "Nothing more than that."

Adrienne leaned against the counter to watch her daughter and gauge her reaction to her next words. "That man is free from jail next month," she began, watching as Tesla slowed in her drying. "Your biological mother has been scene about it in those horrible blogs. It's okay to admit that the thought of him out of jail is affecting you in more ways than you wanted." She cupped her cheek as her shoulders slumped. "Maybe you should take some additional time off for spring semester—"

"And give what excuse?" Tesla asked her, tone sour. "No one even knows he's my sperm donor. We're lucky my stupid actions trying to get him in jail got trashed by the media. Oh, wait, I should say we're lucky my biological egg donor paid off every single journalist to throwaway their stories. Because she was so happy to remind me about that." Setting the iron skillet on the counter, she went to wash her hands. "Besides, what does it help if I take off time from school? I can't take off from work when I just got back and my students rely on me way too much to drop this on them."

"They'd understand—"

"Mom, they're a bunch of ten to thirteen-year-olds," Tesla deadpanned. "Maybe they'd understand, but their rich parents wouldn't." Drying off her hands on the hand towel, she murmured, "I can't just hole myself up in my apartment for the end of time and be alone with my thoughts again, Mom. I… I just can't."

"And living half of life going through the motions is what you call 'living'?" Adrienne challenged softly. "Tesla, we're just worried about you. This entire week, you've only eaten when Jaxton nudged you to, he tells me you can't sleep without your pills again, and the GM at Meido looked concerned you looked like you could pass out."

"Thanks for spying on me," Tesla said tightly as she threw down the hand towel. "What next? Will you be asking all my professors to check in on me? Tell Jaxton he should be giving you a minute-by-minute schedule?"

Adrienne hardened. "No me hables así. Estamos preocupados por ti, Nena. No te estás cuidando de ti mismo y todos podemos verlo." She reached over to cup Tesla's chin when her daughter tried to look away and pleaded, "We just want to help you in any way that we can. We're scared for you, Tesla. The last time you had to deal with those gringos, you fell apart. I don't want you to fall apart again."

Tesla blinked rapidly. "I'm not falling apart," she rasped with a quiver in her voice. "I just have a lot to think about."

"Like what, nena?" But when Tesla did not answer, Adrienne guided her daughter over to the living room. Full of pictures of Adrienne and Tesla together as they journeyed all over Fiore filled the living room alongside childish drawings and collectibles and memorabilia picked up along the way. Adrienne sat them both down on the loveseat and held Tesla's hands. "What's going on, nena?" Adrienne asked. "What are you thinking about?" When Tesla hesitated, Adrienne asked, "Are you and Jaxton really having problems?"

Tesla shut her eyes. "No, Mom, it's not that," she denied. "It's just…" Deep inhale. Exhale through her nose. "I was contacted earlier this month," she began as she wove her half-life, "by an older cousin on my sperm donor's side."

"Oh?" This surprised Adrienne. "Are you sure she's your cousin?"

Tesla swallowed and nodded. "I wasn't at first, but we took an ancestry test and it confirmed everything." More like she used her spy to steal my DNA to prove it to me.

"And?" Adrienne prompted. "What happened? Did you meet her?"

Tesla nodded again. "Yeah, she and I went to lunch. And I know what you're thinking. It's convenient a cousin on my sperm donor's side reaches out to me and she could be trying to sway me to see him or tell him I'm here, but it wasn't that, I promise you. She hates him almost as much as me since her father—my apparent uncle—might have been a few notches better than my sperm donor, but it wasn't much."

"What's her name?"

"Zelda," Tesla answered.

"Zelda," Adrienne repeated. "What a beautiful name. What's she like?"

"She's…" Tesla struggled from a description. "She's…very business-oriented," she decided to say. "And she was determined to make a connection with me. She doesn't want my sperm donor finding out about my real identity and she's trying to make sure it never happens."

"Well, that's good," Adrienne enthused. "But I'm still concerned this could be a ruse. Remember the social worker who came to your psych unit two years ago?"

Tesla winced. "I know. I'm still cautious with her, but I really do think she could help me stay safe." She licked her lips. "I'm just really worried what happens when he gets out of jail. What happens to Jaxton? Should I even keep our relationship public?" Her breathing came out in pants. "I don't even have much social media. I use VPNs and I don't let people take my picture, but what if that's not enough? Wh-What if he still f-f-finds me? What if he finds Jaxton? What if he f-f-finds you?"

"Nena." Adrienne slipped a hand onto Tesla's cheek.

"I can't let that happen," Tesla choked. "I can't let him hurt you or Jaxton or anyone I care about."

"And he won't," Adrienne promised firmly. "My security system isn't going anywhere and neither am I. We've taken every precaution to make sure that man never gets close to this house or to your apartment. Anything that could be used to track you down was redacted and destroyed, Tesla. He won't find you."

"Yeah, but—!" Tesla bit her lip from blurting anything else. But what if someone else finds Jaxton or Mom? What if he makes a deal with someone who could find them? I can't let that happen. He can take me; I don't care. But if he touches them—her eyes darkened as tension rolled across her body—I will kill him right then and there. He doesn't deserve mercy. He deserves the same torture he gave to me.

"Tesla?"

Tesla blinked away the darkness to see the concern littering her mother's face. "Sorry. Just thinking again."

Adrienne frowned and rubbed Tesla's cheek. "Do you like your therapist?"

"Doctor Orr is…nice," Tesla settled on. "The Com consultation wasn't anything to write home about, but it was refreshing. He talked about his style of trauma therapy and since he got my med records already, we glossed over what went wrong with my other therapists that made me leave."

"And that was…?"

Tesla huffed. "Considering each time, I got bullshit answers of making peace or getting closure with my sperm and egg donor or the threat of calling EMS or being heavily medicated? Well, everything else was perfect," she drawled, sarcastic. "But the Com-call made me hopeful Doctor Orr isn't like that."

"I'm happy you're hopeful," Adrienne said. "But I'm still worried about you, nena. I hate that you feel so alone."

"I don't—"

"Don't lie to me. I had a hand in raising you," Adrienne reminded in good humor. "I know you know you're not alone, but you still feel like you are. I just wish I could do something to change that."

"Mom, you've done enough for me," Tesla promised her. "You've given up so much for me. You have no idea how grateful I am to you."

Adrienne smiled. "It's what moms do," she reminded. "There's no need for thanks." She got up to wink at her daughter. "But if you're really grateful, you could—"

"No les daré nietos, por última vez," Tesla groaned. "I thought you accepted that?"

"Adoption is an option," Adrienne smartly implied. "Besides, Blalan babies would look adorable! And Jaxton is definitely a man you don't want to let go of."

Tesla crossed her legs as her mother left the living room. "And I don't plan to, Mami. But children aren't the end-all-be-all," she called. "Neither is marriage!"

A gasp could be heard from the kitchen. "You better marry that man, nena, before I marry him!"

Tesla snickered when she brought out her Compact and saw she had a few missed text messages. "Jaxton is more into younger women!" she replied, though her brow scrunched when she saw she had messages from Zelda. "And he definitely likes a little more melanin!"

"I'm still exotic!"

"Uh-uh." Tesla scrolled through the messages from Zelda.

« I reviewed your schedule. Starting the week of January 2nd, we will meet every Tuesday and Thursday from nine in the evening to ten in the evening to start working on your skills. We will be meeting here. Make sure to have a change of clothes that are light. Do not be followed. Do not invite anyone. Do not let anyone know. »

Tesla typed back:

« Received. »

She clicked the link to see Maps was giving her to direction to what appeared to be coordinates that were in the middle of a broad lake. She wouldn't send something like this as a joke. Something about her tells me she isn't a joking person. I guess the area is unmarked. She exited out of her thread with Zelda to enter her thread with Jaxton and saw his messages.

« Did you make it to Adrienne's okay? »

« Have you eaten? »

« I'm coming to get you at six for our dinner reservations, baby girl. Don't forget »

« Call me when you can »

Tesla got up and called to her mother, "Mami, I need to call Jax back, okay?"

"Okay!"

Tesla decided to take the call onto the screened in back porch. The fencing had been updated from chain link to wooden fences with the detached garage in the corner. Shivering a little, she pressed Jaxton's contact to call and put her Compact to her ear and was left to wait.

Jaxton picked up on the third ring. "I'm happy to see you followed my directions. Have you eaten yet?"

"I came to my mother's house. You really think I haven't eaten?"

Jaxton chuckled. "Fair point. Did you figure out which party we should go to first?"

Tesla hummed as she messed with her socks. "I know you hate house parties, but we did promise to stop by the one Ricky's going to with the black frats and sororities," she reminded. "We can stop there first for a little bit then go to the penthouse Justin rented out."

"That sounds good to me." A beat. "How is everything at Adrienne's?"

"You mean did I find out you two talk about me behind my back? Yes. Yes, I did."

"We're worried about you, baby girl," Jaxton reasoned. "This entire week, you've been in your thoughts." Two beats. "Which is why we will hold off on sessions until after his release."

Tesla growled. "But I'm fine," she snapped.

"You aren't." Still calm. Still steady. "This isn't a discussion. No Academy. No sessions. Not until he's released."

There was so much Tesla wanted to say, but her emotions became confused and jumbled up that she felt tears prick her eyes as she gasped out a breath. "This isn't fair, Daddy," she whispered.

"Our time at The Academy or in a session shouldn't be an escape like that, baby girl." A sweeter, gentler tone. No chastisement. "It's a compliment. It's an emotional experience. This week has been difficult for you and I know I've set off some of your triggers by accident. I don't want you dropping."

Tesla closed her eyes. "I'm sorry."

"You have no reason to be sorry," Jaxton assured her. "This is a process and I understand it is. But I want you to know I love you regardless. And if you feel you need a break from anything, it's okay to tell me. This isn't about just me. I'm right here to support what you need."

Tesla squatted down as she sniffled. "But what about what you need?"

"All I need is you in any way you'll let me have you. Even if it's just a Com-call. Nothing else."

Tesla rubbed her temple with her free hand. "You're too good to me. Why are you dating me?"

"Is this a trick question?"

Tesla snorted. "No, it isn't." She heaved a sigh as she opened her eyes. "How about I come back to my place at around four and then meet you at your place?"

"I'll meet you at yours."

"Perfect. Look, I'll let you go. I'm freezing my tits off outside. But I'll see you later, okay?"

"Yeah. I love you."

"I love you too." Tesla hung up and hung her head. "He understands what I need even if I don't say anything." Her hand tightened around her Compact. And my father would kill him in a heartbeat. She rose to her feet and went back inside the house to see her mother had brought out more tapas for them to share.

"Everything all right with your boyfriend, nena?" Adrienne asked.

Tesla smiled. "Yeah, perfect." She settled on the loveseat again. "You know, Mami, I think he's going to help me get through my father's release."

"I knew he would," Adrienne tittered. "The man is crazy about you. He'll support you in any way he can."

Tesla laughed as she helped herself to the empanadas. "I know he will. And I know you will too, Mom. And I trust you when you say he won't find me." She dug into her snack. Because I'll find him first. And take care of him myself.

On Myosotis Island in the Fioren Isles, there WAS nothing better to do on New Year's Eve with children than to enjoy winter from playing outside to watching movies. Veronika took to staying inside in her two-story condo wrapped in a shawl in her banana bun with a piping hot mug of coffee. But she watched from the bay window in the living room as her children played outside, bundled up in snow gear. Spencer was with them as he taught Ivan how to properly make a snowball so he could take revenge on his sister who had started the snowball war. Veronika chuckled to herself when Ivan had finally gotten and threw a snowball at her sister who dramatized her downfall for the sake of his laughter.

"He's really good with them."

Veronika sighed. "I know, Miss Chelsea, I know."

"And that's the problem?"

"A little." Veronika placed a hand on the charm Spencer had gifted her. "And so much more." She smiled and waved when her kids saw her watching, but she felt her body freeze when Spencer looked up at her. Abashed, she turned away from the bay window to retreat into the kitchen. Updated with an industrial mainframe, everyone had a hand in taking down the tinsel and garland and lights they had given the kitchen.

A robust woman had taken over the kitchen with her curled bobbed a salty ginger. No matter how old she was now, it was apparent Miss Chelsea must have been a star back in her day. She was in the middle of making snacks for the little family and their guest as she told Veronika, "Is it a problem because he's a soldier, dear?" Accent Minstrish treasured her words.

⌜MYOSOTIS ISLAND (FIOREN ISLES)

Name: Chelsea Goolsby

Age: 71

Occupation: Nanny

Likes: violin Dislikes: jean jackets

Special Note: Chelsea started her life in Fiore from Minstrel as an au pair when she was in her twenties, but she became a special ed teacher and, eventually, a nanny!⌟

Veronika settled at the island to sigh again. "You know how I feel about them."

"I know how you feel about those awful scum of fathers for you two adorable little ones," Miss Chelsea pointed out. "But this soldier right here isn't anywhere near like those two—and that's a compliment." She paused to see Veronika's shoulders slump. "What's wrong, Veronika? You seemed so happy only days ago, but now, you're retreating into your shell."

"He leaves tomorrow." Veronika thumbed the rim of her mug. "And who knows when he'll be back? It's stupid to think otherwise. He'll be in a foreign country with women flaunting themselves on the Magic Council base with no strings attached and I'll be here with you and my kids. And he'll be killing people out there."

"Not if he can help it," Miss Chelsea kindly reminded. "And never the innocents. The blood on his hands is never something he wants, but it's something he'll do if it protects the innocent."

Veronika huffed. "Okay, so say I do believe that. It doesn't change the fact for half a year or more than that, he'll be around exotic women that can offer him more than an event planner ever go."

"Like what, dearie?"

"Like I said, no strings attached," Veronika reiterated. "No emotional baggage or hesitation."

Miss Chelsea looked at Veronika with a soft expression. "And that's something he told you he wants?" She watched as Veronika opened her mouth then closed it again. "You know, when I was a fair bit younger, I had a husband in the navy."

Veronika's eyebrows shot up. "I didn't know that."

"Mmm." A found little smile graced Miss Chelsea's features. "I don't talk about him often because our marriage was so short. It was such a whirlwind, dearie. Met the man when I was just seventeen when his outfit came in for a night on the town. We danced and he swept me off my feet. A few weeks later and I'm getting married to the man."

Veronika gawked. "Just like that?"

"Just like that," Miss Chelsea chuckled. "I told you, it was a whirlwind romance. It felt like something only movies could describe. He made me feel…cherished and desired." She winked at Veronika. "And it definitely helped his physique was outrageously handsome." The women shared grins. "But," she added with a heavy heart, "there came a day when he had to leave for his next post. Being married to him meant I could come with him to his base, but I was happy where I was. I was willing to wait for him."

"You sound sad," Veronika hedged. "Does that mean…everything didn't go well for you?"

Miss Chelsea frowned. "Yes and no," she answered. "We wrote letters to each other often and I visited his base whenever I had the chance. But then he was deployed during the Second Rebellion. Our letters became shorter and scarcer." A sadness dripped onto her. "And then I received the telegram he had died and received his tag."

Veronika removed herself from the stool to flood over to the nanny and give her a side hug. "Oh, Miss Chelsea, I'm so sorry."

Miss Chelsea patted Veronika's hand. "There, there, dearie, it's quite all right," she soothed. "I've made my peace with his death because we had so much life together."

That confused Veronika. "What do you mean?"

"While he was alive, my Aubrey never went a day without making something memorable happen," Miss Chelsea relayed. "My father—Mary bless his soul—was my Aubrey's biggest support in our union, but he did warn us both he had been in the army and nearly lost my mother—Mary bless her soul—because of the strain of war. He had been drafted in the First Rebellion when my mother fell pregnant with me and they had not taken the time to establish a deeper relationship before he had to go. He implored my Aubrey and me to make sure our foundation was heavily grounded and to continue building upon it should he be forced to move."

"And you did?"

Miss Chelsea nodded. "The romance never faded, but it's never easy to be apart from the one you love for so long." She rubbed Veronika's hand as she looked up at her. "But the fight is worth it when you find your own Aubrey."

Veronika sighed and let go of the older woman. "I don't think it's like that for Spencer and me," she remarked.

"You don't? Not even when that man who could easily be spending his last days in Fiore with his family decided to spend the holidays here with you and your little ones?"

Veronika winced. "He's here for the kids—"

"Kids who love him like he was their father," Miss Chelsea cut in softly, noting when Veronika stiffened. "I see the way they act with him every time he comes to visit and I know you do too. They love him like a child would love their father. And he loves them like a father ought to love their children."

Veronika was quiet for many moments until she confessed in a choked voice, "They've called Spencer 'Daddy' on accident all this week."

"Oh, dearie…" Miss Chelsea rubbed Veronika's shoulder.

"I'm worried how comfortable they've all gotten," Veronika blurted in a rasp. "I'm worried they do see Spencer as their dad."

"Why are you worried, dearie?" Miss Chelsea questioned. No push. No goading. Just a question.

"He isn't stable," Veronika breathed. "He's leaving tomorrow for a job that could be half the year at the very least. Lisa-Jane and Ivan deserve a parent who is here for them when they have nightmares and when they have their first crushes and when they got an A on a test or they scraped their knee. They don't need someone who disappears for months without a word and then comes back like everything is fine."

Miss Chelsea brought Veronika's head down to her shoulder. "No one said parenting was easy." Gentle words. "As ironic as it sounds, even parents who live with their children act the same. I've nannied for families where I'm the only guardian the poor little dears have ever known. Their parents are out socializing or working and it makes me question why they wanted children in the first place." Meaningfully, she added, "And I've watched the sweetest of marriages fall apart even when the spouses were always together."

"But it's…! It's different with the military, Miss Chelsea," Veronika whispered. "I don't know what he's doing out there and I know he can't tell me. I've read stories about those Mages for the Magic Council special forces who return from missions and they've lost parts of themselves and can't find it again. I have kids to think about. They won't understand if he comes back different than before."

"I think they will," Miss Chelsea countered. "They just need an explanation. But you're so focused on your children, you can't see why you're against him in the first place."

"My kids are my first priority—"

"As they should be," Miss Chelsea agreed. "But your children have come to terms about Spencer and his livelihood. Have you?"

Veronika could not answer the question when the front door opened and excited giggles flooded the condo. Lisa-Jane yowled they were home and Veronika passed Miss Chelsea a frantic look. The nanny winked at her and went back to finishing off the snacks while Veronika rounded out of the kitchen to go to the front hallway. She beamed as she watched as Lisa-Jane wiggle out of her boots while Ivan had been set down on the hallway bench for Spencer to help him out of his coat and boots. "Did you have fun?"

Lisa-Jane nodded. "Mmm-hmm! Mmm-hmm! We made snow angels and a snowman and everything!" She let her mother help her out of her coat and unzip her snow jumper. "You should've come outside with us, Mommy! It was a lot of fun! Oh, that's right, you hate snow!"

Veronika pinched her daughter's side, smiling when Lisa-Jane giggled. "Snow is pretty from a respectable distance," she reasoned. "And by that, I mean the distance between it and our very warm home."

"You're no fun." Lisa-Jane shimmed out of her snow jumper and, as her mother collected it, she put her hands on her hips to address, "So, now that we're inside, you promised—"

"I promised we'd watch Baron Brown features after you came inside and took your shower and lotioned up," Veronika reminded her in good humor. She stuck out her tongue right back at Lisa-Jane when she did so before tickling her daughter's tummy to make her laugh. "Go, young lady, before I eat all the snacks Miss Chelsea made."

Lisa-Jane's eyes widened. "No, she makes the best snacks!" And she hurried off, screaming at Ivan she was using the bathroom first.

Veronika moved to her son who was left in his long sleeves and long johns. "And that means shower for you too," she told Ivan. "But since Lisa's taking her shower first, why don't you go to your room and pick out the comfy clothes you want to wear for movie day, yeah?"

Ivan nodded. "Okay, Mommy." He looked back at Spencer then to his mother. "Is Mister Spencer staying for movie day too?"

"U-Uh…" Veronika offered Spencer an uneasy once-over.

Spencer took mercy and squatted down to Ivan's level. "Not for a little bit, Ivo," he said in apology. "I have to head back home after I get showered up."

Ivan looked visibly crestfallen and even Veronika looked taken back until she masked herself with indifference. "And there's your answer," she told her son. "That's okay, Ivan, we'll still—"

"But," Spencer added and his gunmetal dark blues clashed with Veronika's sunset-shrouded ceruleans, "I'll be coming back later tonight."

Veronika rolled her eyes and turned away while Ivan brightened. "Really?"

"Yeah." Spencer slid his eyes back to Ivan and rubbed his neck ruefully. "My little sister has a show she's doing in New Azalea for the palooza and she'd kick my ass if I didn't come to say good-bye to her. Plus my other brother is in town at home and he never answers when I call, so I want to see him in person. But I promise I'll come back here the second I'm finished." He tacked on, "If Lucky's okay with it?"

Veronika stiffened, but she was unable to get in a word when Ivan clung to his mother with those big eyes of his. "Please, Mommy, can Mister Spencer stay the night again for a sleepover?"

She sighed and offered her son a resigned smile. "Whatever makes you happy, little man."

"Yes!" Ivan turned to Spencer with a beam. "Mommy says you can stay again!"

"I heard." Spencer smiled back, though he offered Veronika a stare full of mirth which she rejected with a huff. "So be good for your mom, okay? And save some good movies for me."

"I will!" Ivan rushed to tell his mother, "Mommy, I'm going to pick out movies!" And he dashed off.

Veronika grunted and swept down to get Ivan's snow jumper and his coat. "You know, you don't have to be this nice," she muttered. "You have a flight at four in the morning tomorrow. You could just go home."

"Taking steps back, are we, Lucky?"

Veronika turned her back on him and said tightly, "This isn't a dance or a game. These are my children's lives. If you have to leave, then leave. Just make sure you give them proper good-byes and don't fool them into thinking anything else about us—" Her breathing hitched. "I mean you."

STEP… STEP…

"And what would they think of us, Lucky?"

Veronika refused to cower back or shiver at his voice like a weak damsel. She whirled around and faced him head on. She had gotten some height from her father and sat at one-hundred-and-seventy centimeters. She knew she was tall for a Fioren woman and she did not mind that one bit. But he saddled her for the title of "tall" with one-hundred-and-ninety centimeters and forced her to tip her head up to meet his collected stare. "I know my kids are getting hopes they shouldn't have," she hissed at him. "She's called you 'Daddy' this week. She's been slipping up and she doesn't even realize. And Ivan…" She rubbed her face. "When you put him to bed on Christmas Eve, I know he called you 'Daddy' too."

Something akin to guilt flared in Spencer's eyes. "I'm not trying to make them think I'm their father, Lucky," he wanted her to know. "I'm here as a friend."

"Dammit, I know that," Veronika snapped. "And that's what makes it worse. Because you're not even trying to fit into their lives and you're doing it anyway. Don't you see that? They love you like you're their…" She tightened her grip on her children's snow clothes.

"And you?"

Veronika let out a harsh breath. "What about me, Captain?"

"What do you feel about me?"

Veronika rolled her eyes and tried to step away. "This isn't about me—"

"Hell yes, it is."

That shocked Veronika to hear him snarl at her, but she regained composure to growl, "My kids are the prerogative, Captain. End of story."

"And you just said your kids love me," Spencer countered. "They've called me their father. And I love them too. Your prerogative wants me here and has given me a chance. That's that. End of story," he mocked her words. "But what about you?" He kept talking when she tried to leap at him with a defense, "You let your walls down with me on Christmas Eve, Lucky. We kissed on Christmas. And the day after, you go back to ignoring me and only agreeing to even being in the same room as me if your kids ask for it. What changed?"

Veronika tched. "It doesn't matter—"

"It does to me—"

"Why?" Veronika challenged. "Why does it matter to you, a fucking captain who traipses off to god-knows-where to do god-knows-what for who knows how long? Why does it matter what a shut-in event planner and mother thinks of you? You who will be leaving tomorrow like it's nothing while I have two children who need a parent to be there for them when they're sick and when they're upset. Why the Hell should my opinion matter to you?"

For a moment, it looked like Spencer puffed up in anger, but he blinked it all away and resigned himself to a neutral mask. "This is getting us nowhere," he decided, tone distant. "You're too far back in your fears to realize why it matters to me."

Veronika growled, "I'm not—!"

"But that's okay."

She blinked, wary of Spencer's sudden change of pace when he went to sit down and take off his boots. Wary and perplexed. "It's… 'okay'."

"Yes." Spencer grunted as he untied and wrangled off the first boot. "It's okay." He got off the second boot and placed them by the shoes before he stood back up again to unzip his coat. "I'm going to shower and change and tell the kids I'll see them later. You can be here for that or you can keep avoiding me like you've done since the day after Christmas." Coat gone, he walked up to her and looked down at her with such intense eyes. "But I'm coming back tonight, Lucky. I'm spending my last night in Fiore with you"—a darkness flared in gunmetal dark blues—"just like on Christmas Eve."

Veronika gritted her teeth. "You ambushed me at a vulnerable moment," she spat at him.

"That wasn't an ambush, Lucky," Spencer said with softness in his tone. "You asked for me to meet you in your bedroom."

"You could have said, 'no'." But Veronika's voice wavered at the end as her eyes fell to his chest. "You should have said, 'no', Spencer."

"And I did, Lucky. The first two times." His hand lifted to cup her chin. "But I couldn't the third time you asked me."

For a moment, something raw invaded Veronika's eyes and pressured against her body. The emotions she had viciously clawed down since the lodge weekend—seeing her family, seeing Laxus—tried to clog her throat and burn into her heart. But she physically shook them off as she wrenched herself out of Spencer's grip and turned away from him. "You should get going." Tone pitched low. Flaking off any emotion. "It'll take you a while to reach your family. Wouldn't want you to miss your chance."

"I'm coming back."

Veronika nodded. "Yes. The kids know that." She moved away—

Spencer caught her elbow. "But do you, Lucky?"

She withheld her silence.

Spencer let her go. "I'm coming back," he repeated to her. "We'll talk later tonight, Lucky."

Veronika dipped her head before leaving him to his lonesome.

Spencer looked up at the ceiling as he threw an arm over his eyes to mumble, "Stubborn woman."

"That she is."

Spencer lowered his arm to see Miss Chelsea stood at the end of the hall with her mixing spoon. He aimed her a tired smile. "Any advice for me?"

"Oh, plenty, Captain," Miss Chelsea promised with a smile. "Come along. Why don't we talk while the kids and Veronika are upstairs and I'll send you on your way with some snacks for the road, hm?"

Spencer chuckled and came closer to her. "Miss C, you are God-sent. I don't know how I've survived this long without your cooking."

Miss Chelsea tittered. "Keep this up and I'll try to sneak you a week's worth of meals into your luggage." And she and Spencer shared an unbarred laugh as she guided him over to the kitchen.

Gale was in the living room, sitting in the recliner with the black auditorium acoustic guitar Olivia had left for him to have and to hold. The Lacrima-Vision was on the New Year's Eve-palooza as he strummed a staggering melody before he jotted down the notes and decide to add or take away the notes he had strung together. Galileo came downstairs with his hands wrapped and in some loose shorts only to pause when he saw his little brother strumming along. "Write any good love songs, Ali Swift?"

Gale snorted as he started the chord progression. "Fuck off. I think break up songs would be more fitting." He cringed when he hit a minor seventh and went back to a major seven instead.

"Right. Sorry." Galileo came into the living room and slump down on the couch. "H-How's everything going with her and everything?"

Gale shrugged as he focused on the triplet and trying to figure if it would be better to sink the note or go higher on the third eighth note. "Going okay. Things have been a little awkward with training, but it is what it is, you know?" He went back to play the melody from the beginning. "Gets on my nerves that Aunt Luce's Spirits are always watching, but I get it. I'm pretty much a risk."

"Don't say that," Galileo scolded. "You're not a risk."

Gale paused to shoot Galileo a flat look. "Mister Loke had to step in when I flipped Blondie onto her back." He rolled his neck at the memory. "He didn't say anything directly, but he encouraged us to set up for the next round. I could feel him glaring at me the entire time."

"But you didn't—"

"Of course I fucking didn't do anything," Gale snapped, rubies flaring. Then, he simmered down and sighed. "S-Sorr-Sorry. Just on edge." He strummed an A minor 9. "It's just…frustrating to have her so close, but I can't do or say anything outside training and she's just right there, you know?"

"Yeah." Galileo's eyes flickered in sadness. "Yeah, I know."

Gale went to an Emadd9. "But I get it. I won't touch her." He paused strumming and cursed, "Dammit. Should've brought down the electric. Worked on some power chords." Another sigh went and he grunted, "Igneel and I might not have seen eye to eye on a lot of shit, but I get why he did what he did."

That sparked Galileo's curiosity. "What do you mean by that?"

"Dude was a time-ticking bomb," Gale explained. "He could keep everything back because he bothered Janie whenever he pleased, but he was frothing at the mouth on the inside the second that other guy caught her attention. What's his name? Ah, fuck it, doesn't matter." He sat back with his guitar lazily on his lap. "Point is, he didn't have much to worry about with Janie not really liking other guys, right? She didn't even like people. But she tolerated him to a point. That was enough for him. But his little power trips only started after that other dude came along. And I get why he couldn't handle it anymore." That ruby stare became blanketed in sadness.

"It's like, before, you just had the urge to be near her, you know?" Gale murmured. "That was enough. You didn't feel too much pressure unless things got heavy, but you were fine not pushing anything too much. But then Player Two shows up and now it's a competition you didn't think you'd ever have. And it pisses you off so much there's a Player Two, you start to rage. It's like this instinct you have to do what it takes to be the only one." He closed his eyes. "For all the shit he gave me, Igneel's a pretty fucking strong guy for enduring this. Dude's got some major cojones."

"I'd say so."

Gale opened an eye to catch the depressing smile on his brother's face. "You've been more angsty than usual," he noted. "What's wrong?"

Galileo threw an arm over his eyes. "Nothing. Just in a rut is all."

"Oh." Gale stretched and opened his other eye. "Anything I can do to help? Is it with Liv going back to the City of Metal?"

"No, no, it's not that…" Galileo groaned. "Man, I don't know. Just problems hitting everywhere."

Gale lazily strummed a diminished C chord. "You finally solved the whole thing of you and Nashi sleeping together behind Gary's back?" He cocked his head when Galileo groaned again and sagged into his chair. "Guess not then. Is she not going to tell him?"

"No, she is," Galileo assured. "Just not sure how Gary's going to take it. He's a nice guy, but I knew how he always felt about her. And in those last times, I knew she was starting to fall for him too."

Gale hummed as he closed his eyes and plucked. "We get our dicks wet and end up hurting the people we care about. Sounds about right." He arched his back to crack it. "It's shitty we're hitting the end of the year with all these regrets. I can't have the girl I loved. My first time was in a fucking barn. And I'm stuck in this purgatory with all my anger."

"Angelfish was my first," Galileo murmured. "But I get being in this hellish purgatory. You're stuck in a damned-if-you-do-damned-if-you-don't situation. You want her bad and you want to be there for her and help her and be someone she deserves, but then you look at all your past sins and you know deep down you're not someone who should be around her. Your bad outweighs her good."

Gale opened his eyes to prick up an eyebrow. "Speaking of experience?"

"More or less," Galileo answered in vague.

"Sounds like more," Gale drawled. "Sure you don't want to talk about it?" When Galileo was silent, Gale pressed with a grin, "C'mon, dude. I pretty much hit rock bottom last week and now I get to rock anger management and therapy on top of fighting the girl I love and I can't touch her in any other way without getting physically assaulted. You have nothing to lose talking to me and everything to gain."

Galileo chuckled, though it lacked warmth. "Let's just say I met someone I didn't expect to see. We clicked and it was great…until I found out she has a thing against dating Mages."

Gale stopped dead with both his eyebrows raised high. "And did she know she was letting a Mage into her temple or…?"

"Apparently not." Galileo shook his head. "Don't get me wrong. She has nothing against Mages and she's friends with a lot of them. But when it comes to dating a Mage let alone fucking one, it's a disgusting thought to her since wizard guys aren't considered 'stable' sort of people or 'commitment-oriented'."

Gale whistled. "Jesus. That sounds like a lot to unpack."

"Tell me about it." Galileo grimaced.

"I'm assuming you chose that moment to get the Hell out of Dodge?"

"It's not like I intended to," Galileo said in his defense. "But we had to get moving on to make it to the City of Metal. And I tried finding her, but she had up and disappeared, so I left it at that." He ran a hand through his now-short hair. "Crazy great connection that crashed and burned."

"So, what, you've seen her around?" Gale slowly grinned. "What, she in Magnolia?" He cackled when Galileo reddened. "Oh, so that's why this is so awkward for you being home. The crazy connection is in your hometown and you can't do jackshit about it."

Galileo created a ball of metal and threw it at Gale who caught it before it could hit him in the nose. "Shut the fuck up," he muttered. "You're not in a better position than me."

Gale chuckled until he sighed. "Yeah. Guess not." Eyes drew to the ceiling.

Galileo glanced over to Gale. In a spur of the moment decision, he decided to ask, "Do you think you're ready to talk about what happened with Emma?"

Gale did not tense or flinch. He barely stirred. "I don't know," he answered as honest as he could. "There are days when I don't think about her. And a lot more days that, when I do, I have those brief memories when she was happy to be near me. She and…"

Neither dare say the other name.

"But then…I get these memories when she wasn't happy to be near me." Gale's confession came out small and quiet. "It hurts when I remember them." He swung the guitar out of his lap and placed it back into its stand. Smoothening his hands down his face, he slumped forward. "It's ironic. You, Livy, me—we got our drive to learn from Mom. We've done a lot of shit. Taking exams to be fluent in other languages. Graduating college way early. It's a passion. It's fun to us. It makes sense. But then shit like this happens."

"Your anger, you mean?" Galileo lightly questioned.

Gale nodded. "Yeah. Not like it's logical. But it just…happens."

"You think it's from Emma?"

"Emma. Nearly having a hole inside me. Watching a good friend nearly kick it in front of me." Gale shook his head. "Who the fuck knows? We'll see what happens with this therapy thing though. It fucking sucks. I have to go twice a week. But I need to get my shit together one way or another."

Galileo nodded. "We both do."

Gale rubbed his jaw. "This shrink is no joke, though. No coddling or anything." He chuckled. "Maybe a kick in the dick is what I need at this point."

"Honestly? I agree." Galileo tilted his head upwards. "Liv pretty much kept us both in line. She didn't like frivolous stuff. Got it from Dad. But she was right to do that to us and same with Dad and with Lily. Neither one of us would be here today if we weren't straight-up told where we went wrong." Hazel drifted down to Gale. "Just don't push yourself too much that you break. You don't need that."

Gale waved a hand as he got up. "Nah. I won't break. Can't afford to shatter now." Not when I've let Blondie shatter because of me so many times. "Don't you have a party you're going to tonight?"

"Yeah. Justin's." Galileo rolled his shoulders. "Thought I'd train a little bit, though."

"Mind if I join you?"

Galileo raised an eyebrow. "Yeah?"

"Yeah. I could use the workout." Gale stretched his arms as a twitchy dark grin overcame him. "Fighting is the best option than throwing around boulders just thinkin' about Blondie and her little prince." His fingers twitched until diamonds wrapped around his hands and he knocked his knuckles together with a dark aura befalling him. "So let's fucking fight before I start getting too pissed off."

Galileo shied away from the menacing aura Gale projected. "I think you're already pissed off enough…"

"The Hell do you mean?" Murderous intent waved off Gale as a vein on his neck bulged. "I've never felt better."

Galileo nervously chuckled. "I'm in danger."

The Fernandes House was relatively quiet for the day without Aine and Erza in the house, but that did not mean it had been abandoned. Ena had taken the living room hostage with her PAL set up and the Printer Lacrima had been brought out. A movie was on for background noise, but Ena did not pay too much attention to it. She was focused on the emails she was handling and making sure all the signatures were scanned in and uploaded. Silver trotted into the living room with a tray of fresh tea for the pair of them and snacks he had put together. He watched as Ena sighed and stretched as he lowered himself to the coffee table.

"Something wrong?" Silver inquired as he took her tea mug to pour her a fresh brew.

Ena yawned, holding a hand over her mouth. "Oh, no, nothing's wrong. Just tired. It's been a long week." Much to Silver's bewilderment, Ena slapped her cheeks and set her jaw. "But I've still got a little more work to do before dinner tonight, so I'll make it my goal to get it done by lunch!"

Sparkles appeared around Silver. That was so cute…! Red covered his face as he sat her mug back onto the coffee table and he viciously shook his head. Crap. Why did I think that? Fernandes isn't cute, she's just…Fernandes. He hazarded another glance as Ena gave a covered yawn with tears forming on the corners of her eyes. He nearly had a heart attack when she pulled up her hands to rub her eyes like a child would (even if the complaints she muttered under her breath were very mature). Crap, now she looks really, really cute!

Ena blinked and narrowed her eyes at Silver who looked oddly red. Raising an eyebrow, she cast a question to him, "Something you care to share with the class, Fullbuster?"

Silver tensed up, dumbstruck. "O-O-Oh! U-Um! W-Well!" I can't tell her I thought she looked cute. She'd just think I was messing with her and threaten me with her sword! But what do I say, what do I say? Think, Silver, think.

"Speechless again." Ena rolled her eyes back to the stack of papers and leafed through them until she found what she was looking for. "You really are an idiot."

A tick mark blasted Silver's temple as he snapped, "I'm not an idiot!" That was when he registered what Ena was doing. As he poured himself some tea, he told her, "I-I was just thinking about you working on a holiday is all. Isn't it a little weird? Don't bosses normally take off today and tomorrow?"

"Some do," Ena supposed as she scrutinized the paper. "I don't. I normally work holidays."

"But you didn't work during Thanksgiving," Silver pointed out.

"I did. I just did it in the room L and I were sharing," Ena demystified. "L put her foot down with me working on holidays, so I compromised to closing early. The online store will keep taking orders, of course, and I outsource for customer service, but my employees are normally off today unless they want to work a half-day."

Silver set down the tea kettle and gripped his mug. "Even with your employees not working on holidays, you'd still work them?"

Ena hummed her confirmation.

Silver scrunched his brow. "Why?" He could not understand it. "Don't you like celebrating the holidays?" He offered her a wry look. "Maybe you're just a fun-hater."

Ena snapped her eyes to his and glared.

Silver feverishly choked out as he waved his hands, "I was just kidding! Really! It was a joke, I swear! I didn't mean anything by it!"

Ena sighed heavily and set down the paper. "I do celebrate holidays. But when I was just starting, I didn't want to risk slacking off. I don't expect anyone who works for me to work on a holiday ever. But I'm the boss. I can't just let things go. Honestly, if it wasn't for L inviting us to the party tonight, I'd be going over these employee reviews tonight and tomorrow."

"Oh." Silver frowned. "That just sounds so…lonely."

Ena shrugged. "Not really. I like being ahead of the game. Falling behind isn't an option for me." Something like resolve fluttered in those dark brown eyes of hers. "I have to show a world of adults that I'm just like them. I have to keep up. I can't afford slacking off for one day or they'll go back to treating me like a kid. I've worked too hard to build a respectable name for myself and everyone who took a chance to work with me. I can't let them down now."

Silver considered this. "I see." He took a sip of his tea. "So what I'm getting at is you're a workaholic and you're overly-competitive."

SHING!

Silver was too afraid to breathe or swallow with a blade at his throat and nervously said, "Which are all good qualities! Very good qualities!"

Sheathing her blade, Ena huffed (and ignored Silver's muttered complaints she was one day going to kill him for real). "Everyone has something they're focused on," she reasoned. "For some people in our guild, fighting is their life and they spend every waking second training. For people like Luke, studying is their drive. L has her photography and I know she'll pick it back up and do something great. For me, this is my passion. I love what I do. So, yeah, maybe I'm constantly working, but…" A soft look adorned her face. "Is it really work when you're doing what you love?"

A wild blush blossomed on Silver's cheeks. "N-No…" Actually, that's…really admirable. Blinking rapidly, he coughed and tried to cover his blush. "I mean no. I-It isn't, I guess." As Ena returned to her work, Silver awkwardly dragged a finger over the rim of his mug. "So, um… You're really going to the party tonight, then?"

"L asked me to, so of course I am," Ena replied without looking at him. She was too busy trying to make sure the paper's contents were correct. "I promised her I'd head to her house for dinner. Luke is ordering for us tonight."

"O-Oh. Th-That's nice." Silver bit his lip and kept toying with his mug. I could just ask her. No, but… She'll just think I'm messing with her again. But it's just a question. And we're friends, right? So it wouldn't be weird. Taking a deep breath, he summoned up all the courage he could find. Okay. Here goes. "F-F-Fernandes, are you—?"

"You can go, by the way."

Silver blinked, thrown off at her absent words. "Huh?"

Ena flicked her eyes up to him to give him a dismissive wave of her hand. "You can go," she repeated. As she went back to typing on her PAL, she told him, "I don't know why you came over in the first place. I told you yesterday I didn't need an assistant tonight. I can handle this on my own. So you may go."

"O-Oh. Well, um…" Silver swallowed. "I mean a good assistant doesn't just leave their boss behind, right? I wouldn't be a good assistant if I just left you all on your own." He nodded at the stack of papers. "M-Maybe I could help with—"

"I don't need your help."

Internally, Silver felt like an arrow went through his chest. Shot down without even finishing my question. Thinking quick, he stumbled over his offers, "I could get you more tea!"

"No." Ena waved her hand at him again. "The tea you brought out should last me."

Silver glared at the tea. Quick, think of something. An idea came to him and he offered, "I could get you some more snacks!"

"No." Ena pointed at the plate of snacks. "You've brought plenty."

Silver's smile cracked. "M-Maybe I could switch out the movies—"

"No. After this movie ends, I'll just listen to soundtracks."

A sweat broke over Silver. "I c-could—"

"No."

"But I—!"

"No."

"But I didn't even—"

"No."

Silver hunched over as smoke blew from his head. She didn't even let me finish those last ones.

Ena paused in her work to look over at Silver with a quizzical expression. "Shouldn't you be rushing out the door to go and bother your 'beloved' or whatever?" If she noticed Silver comically froze, she certainly did not look like she did. "I'm sure your time would be spent more effectively hunting her down and stalking her than staying here with me." Falling back to typing, she offhandedly said, "I'm honestly surprised you accepted L's offer to come to the party. I just assumed you'd be too busy stalking your love interest to attend a party where she wouldn't be at and forcing her for a countdown kiss."

Silver sat on his heels with his hands on his knees, a somber expression befalling his face. I don't know how to answer that, he admitted. Honestly, these last few days, I've been forgetting about Paige more and more. His hands fisted. I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing. She's supposed to be my Beloved, but I've been so focused on En—Fernandes. It's weird. I should be taking this out. I could go find Paige. But… His jaw twitched. Is that what I really want to do? Just get rejected again?

Shadows covered Ena's eyes. "All right then."

SLAM!

Silver flinched and he broke into a sweat as he watched with wide eyes that Ena was rising to her feet. Smiling hesitantly, he asked, "D-Do you need anything else?"

"Actually, yes," Ena replied, tone neutral. "I do."

Eager, Silver clapped his hands together and proclaimed, "Sure! Whatever needs doing!"

Ena took a deep breath. "And what I need from you is…"

And Silver found himself thrown onto her porch with his shoes and coat following in suit.

"…to leave me alone so I can have some peace and quiet!"

Silver quickly grabbed his things as he watched Ena loom over him from the doorway. "B-B-But—!"

"No 'but's!" The shadows left to reveal a warm Ena with a quiet smile. "Hey, you've been a big help to me this week. You did everything I asked for"—she sweatdropped as she remembered the last few days and thought, even if he took my words a little too literally—"and you've been coming early and staying late with me. You even did your research to be useful for me during the auction and when Jasper came over to do the photoshoot. I've never had a photoshoot run so smoothly."

Silver was all aglitter and preened by the praise. "So you're saying you'd be lost without me?"

SHING!

Ena's cheek twinged as she put her blade below Silver's chin. "You're testing me, Fullbuster."

Silver offered a nervous beam. "R-Right. Sorry. Please continue."

Sighing, Ena withdrew her blade. "I like the dedication, but there's no need to push yourself. You're in love, aren't you? And New Year's Eve is the time when lovesick idiots like you want to be with their crushes. So I'm officially giving you the rest of the day off to illegally stalk someone." To herself, she muttered, "But I'm not bailing you out if you go to prison for it."

Silver, however, was not as pleased as he should have been. What's wrong with me? I should be happy she's letting me go, but… I just feel worse. He attempted to scramble for a rebuttal. "But what about you?"

"I'll be fine." Ena waved a hand. "I didn't have an assistant before you. I know how to work independently. I never needed an assistant to begin with. The help is appreciated, but it isn't necessary."

But Silver hung onto those keywords as his shoulders drooped. "You never…needed me?"

Ena must not have noticed Silver's dejection as she shook her head and snorted. "Gosh, no! Why on earth would I need an assistant as underqualified as you? You can't even tell me the difference between cashmere and wool or what a camp fashion style is!"

Silver gawked. What normal person can say all that anyways? Bitter and annoyed and bitter about being annoyed, he grumbled, "Well, if I'm just so useless, then why did you even let me stay? You should just fire me."

"I had planned to after today."

Silver could have melted right there. She doesn't hold anything back, does she?

"But…"

Silver instantly perked. "'But'?"

Ena exhaled and pushed her hair to one side. "Well, if you must know, your willingness to learn and your observational skills impressed me," she admitted without flaw. "L is the only person I know who knows me and she does try, but I know fashion is still a blur for her and I love how much she tries hard to understand me. But in just this past week, you've shown me you'll take it to another level. You might not know the different fashion styles and I can't ask for your opinion on the stitching like I can with Gigi, but I know for a fact you did a lot of research to prepare for the auction."

"How—?"

"L is my best friend too, whether the fact is charming or not," Ena said dryly as Silver blushed.

Silver got to his feet to toe on his shoes and shrug on his coat. "Yeah, well, I just didn't want to sound stupid," he muttered.

"You did."

Silver internally wept. Why doesn't she just stab me at this point?

"But the fact that you took the time to study and research and learn about how I run my photoshoots impressed me," Ena gently put. "You might not think I'm listening, but I was listening when you were asking Genius questions about the software we use in-house and I noticed you were taking notes on my calls with vendors, even without my asking you too. You spelled everything correctly and everything. Impressive you could spell so many big words."

Silver sweatdropped. "Th-Thank you?" But why does it sound like a backhanded compliment?

"And I overheard your conversation with my mom this week too," Ena told him. "You were trying to learn more about accounting. I commend you for that. You told Genius I wanted an AD and a t-tech before I could." She measured him with a soft look. "Yes, I could hire another assistant more qualified than you, but that assistant more than likely wouldn't respect someone as young as me and still work this hard. I respect you for meeting me at every turn and making up for your lack of intelligence with studying."

"Thanks?" But now it sounds even more like a backhanded compliment. "So, um… You're not firing me?" Silver checked.

Ena shook her head, but before Silver could get excited, she deadpanned, "I plan to keep you on longer, but if you in any way hinder my business, I will make sure no one ever hires you in Fiore. Do you understand?"

And he was back to his twitchy smile. "Y-Yes. I understand."

"Good. Now." Ena gestured to the outdoors. "You've worked hard for me all this week. Enjoy yourself. I encourage all my employees to enjoy their holidays with people they cherish. Be with someone you cherish. You've given your job enough attention. Now give the person you like that attention." She put her hand on the doorknob. "I'll see you at dinner. Have a nice day, Fullbuster—" She caught herself, perplexed. "I'm sorry. We're friends now and off the clock." A wide smile graced her features and she offered him a polite bow of her head. "Have a nice day, Silver."

As Silver's eyes widened and he opened his mouth, the door was shut and he was alone. He moved to knock on the door, but he faltered and stuffed his hands in his pockets. "Have a nice day."

Turning around, he hopped off the porch and began his lone walk into Magnolia. He passed people without so much as a nod of acknowledgment or a backwards glance. The town moved in a blur with people bundled up with warm cups of cocoa or otherwise as they flooded restaurants and bars and stores before everything shut down. But Silver did not really care. He just kept his head down.

A clear smile. "Have a nice day, Silver."

Ears burning, Silver groaned and pulled up his hood. "Even the way she says my name is cute," he mumbled. "Dammit." He turned down the street and began to pass by a park as he drowned himself in his thoughts. What was I even thinking, asking her if she'd want to go to the party with me? Of course she wouldn't have. She probably would have said…

He conjured Ena in his mind and could see her shoot him a poisoned smile with her blade in her hand. "I wouldn't go with you even if you were the last person on this planet, you lovesick idiot. Ask me again and you'll be the best friend to my rapier."

Shaking off the vision, Silver moped even more. Yeah. That sounds like something she would say. His eyes shined from the lights permeating the city. Would it have mattered anyway? I shouldn't even be thinking of asking her to a party. It's not like this is for work or anything. I should be thinking of—

Thick blue hair. Pale red eyes.

Silver stopped.

And people were startled when he suddenly crouched down, viciously scratched his head, and shouted, "Ugh, this is all getting so confusing! Why is love so hard…?"

DING-A-LING.

"Thanks! We'll come again!"

Silver lifted his head—

Mayan blues widened.

Out of a restaurant, Paige came out. She had on shorts, but she made sure leggings were on with her fur-trimmed coat and boots and a snowball hat to cover her head. Elvin was with her with his hood up and his glasses on as he carried a large take-out bag with him. He looked like he had seen better days. Penelope had come with them. Rather than her nose stuck in a book, she seemed to be observing something. But Silver kept his eyes on Paige as she laughed at something Elvin grunted, though his lips twitched in amusement.

There… There she is…

Silver felt a shiver when Penelope's eyes drifted to him. Panicked, he scrambled for a moment until he hid against the slightly more jutted out wall of a store. Panting frost, his hand came up to clutch the material over his heart. My heart's racing, but… It wasn't because of her. It was only when Penelope spotted me. An emotion gripped him, but he could not put his finger on it. Guilt? Fear? But… Shouldn't it have raced? Why didn't it?

"Um… Silver?"

Silver flattened himself against the wall, startled when he saw an awkward Elvin had approached him. "Where did you come from?"

Elvin looked at Silver, bewildered. "I was calling your name for a little bit." He pointed past Silver who began to spiral. "Look, Penelope sent more over here since she thought she might make you feel awkward," he tried to explain, though his brow furrowed when Silver looked even more unnerved at that. "Are you doing okay or…?"

"I'm fine!" Silver blurted. "More than fine! I'm great!"

Elvin's eyebrows slowly went into his bangs. "Um… Well, okay, then." He started to shuffle. "I'll be going first then—"

"Wait!"

Alarmed, Elvin stayed where he was. "U-U-Uh, okay then." He peered closer at the fluster Silver. "Are you sure you're okay? You look really red." The thought dropped on him and he put a fist in an open palm. "Oh. I get it. You're all flushed because of Paige, right?" He did not notice Silver pressing his lips together and fidgeting as he looked down at the take-out bag. "You can join us if you want," he offered. "We finally convinced Penny to take a break from work, so we went out to get some take-out. We've got more than enough food for you if you want to come…" But when he looked up, he was taken back at the look in Silver's eyes, a little lost. "Hey… What's wrong?"

Silver sniffled.

That made Elvin jump. Is he going to cry?

"C-Can I ask you a question?" Silver's words came out small and quiet.

"Oh! Um, sure," Elvin gave the go-ahead. "What's up?"

Silver rubbed his cheek, eyes to the ground. "Have you ever…?" But his words trailed into a mumble.

Elvin blinked. "I'm sorry, what?"

Silver let out a terse grunt and tried again. "Have you ever…?" But the words, again, fettered into an unintelligible garble.

"You're going to need to speak up," Elvin told him, exasperated, "because I can't understand a word you're saying."

Fed up, Silver ended up shouting, "Have you ever loved a girl?"

The wind blew.

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

Wow…

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

Elvin's mouth opened then he hesitated. "No," he answered, timbre soft, "I haven't."

Silver buried his head in his hands. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have—" A forced exhaled heaved out from him. "I'm just confused," he confessed, desperate to tell his frustrations. "I don't know why everything is so confusing."

"What, my cousin?"

Silver shook his head. "No, it's not her. It's…" He groaned. "Well, maybe it's her. I don't know. Everything used to be so easy, but now…!" He hung his head. "Why is love so hard?"

"Isn't it supposed to be?"

Such a simple question scrunched up Silver's face in confusion. "Well, no." But his own answer shored up troubled doubt. "It's… It's supposed to be easy."

"Maybe I'm not the best person to ask, but…" Elvin rubbed the back of his head. "Well, um… It just doesn't seem logical that love would be easy. In fact, if the love you had was easy, then…was it really love to begin with? Or was it…infatuation?"

Mayan blues rounded.

Elvin winced. "I'm probably messing this up," he told, "and I don't know if I'm correct in this, but it's just something I noticed—something I picked up from my sisters Evie and Esme. You might not remember them. They left the guild some years ago. Esme was sort of like a serial dater and Evie went out with guys on occasion. But it wasn't like anything stuck with those relationships. They were too easy. Whenever Esme had a fight with one of her 'boyfriends', she'd call it off and find someone else. Evie sort of just took it with guys and bowed out if things got dicey. They took the easy way. But…" He had to smile. "But I look at them now. Esme's married to Guil and he's really great. But I know things weren't easy for them."

His smile faded. "I don't know all of it, but I remember when Esme came home one time. She was really upset. I don't know what happened exactly, but she and Guil were in a rough spot. But she didn't just let it go. It's because she loved him that she wanted to make things work. And Guil chased right after her to bring her home. And Evie… She's dating a woman named Ola. But I know for a fact it hasn't been easy on her. Ola's dad hates that Ola is a lesbian and he doesn't like Evie. And, in Joya, it's not easy for them to be together. I've heard being part of and open about being in the LGBT community can cause you to be killed out there. That doesn't sound easy to me. But they make it work still."

Elvin scratched under his chin. "Thing is, it seems like, to me, the love that sticks around is the love you work at and fight for—or, well, at least for my sisters. The easy love isn't really love. It's just infatuation and that doesn't get you anywhere but a waste of time."

"But…" Silver dropped his stare again. "What about when…you don't know if you should fight or not? Doesn't it make you feel guilty about not fighting for it?"

Elvin considered this. "I'm not too sure about that. I guess it depends if you think the love you're fighting for is worth it," he supposed objectively. "And if you really loved the person to begin with or you just wanted to love that person."

That choice of words stirred Silver's conscious and he was hooked to know what that meant. "What do you mean?"

Elvin hedged. "Um… I'm probably just talking nonsense here—" But when he saw the big eyes Silver was giving him, he hesitated once more before he sighed. "Penny's probably better at this than me, but… Okay, so, I'm just saying this as an observer. But Justin had this ex a while back. I can't say I really liked him and, honestly, not too many in our family did like him, but Justin really did and Uncle Freed hoped we were happy about Justin's boyfriend. Well, everything was fine and great until Justin told us they broke up and he might have gotten drunk."

Internally, Elvin sweatdropped as he remembered the knackered Justin red-faced and in the mood to do a strip show while a frantic Orochi tried to calm him down. And he might've ruined his liver…

"But he told us something I thought was interesting. He didn't really love his ex. He just wanted to be loved and he pushed that image onto someone." Elvin fidgeted with the handles of the takeout bag. "I can tell it's different with Ace. I can tell he has real feelings for Ace and Ace does for him. I'm not saying everyone is in that position, but you shouldn't feel guilty about not fighting for a love that wasn't love to begin with. And maybe it was love at the beginning, but it's not love anymore. Same thing. There's no point in fighting for something that just doesn't exist because you feel like it's the right thing to do."

Every word Elvin had offered, Silver memorized and digested with care. "I see." He had to ask this, though. "What's infatuation?"

"Well…" Elvin cradled his chin. "Let's see… Being infatuated with someone is like…" He had to think on this. "Well, it's like…" He snapped his fingers. "It doesn't require any thought," he replied. "See, being infatuated with someone is the same thing as love at first sight."

Something within Silver hollowed. I thought I fell in love with Paige at first sight…

"You think they're perfect just because. You'll never hold anything they do or say against them because you think they're that perfect to be above judgment."

I thought Paige was perfect… Nothing she could ever do was wrong…

"And you don't let yourself be yourself around that person. Because they're perfect, you want to be perfect too."

I always pretended to be fine around Paige… I didn't want her to see anything else…

Elvin shrugged. "But that's just what I think it is," he reminded. "Honestly, you might want to ask someone else because…" But the words trailed off and his eyes widened. "Silver… You're crying…"

DRIP.

Silver touched his cheeks and felt the moisture. "I'm…crying?"

DROP.

Silver rubbed away the tears. "I'm sorry." Without warning, he booted past Elvin. "I'll be going first!" He knew Elvin was calling after him, worried, but he did not want to respond because he was not sure what he would say. He climbed through the pedestrians with no excuse as tears stained his cheeks and the cold bit at his skin. He could not look back. He had to keep running. He had to keep going.

Is that this has been? I haven't been in love? I've just been infatuated? I…never loved Paige? I was just…pretending I did?

Silver pushed himself through, but he stumbled onto the bridge and ended up ramming onto the brick railing. Getting a solid grip on the brick, he let himself stay there and just breathe. He needed to breathe. He needed to be stable. Nothing added up and yet there it was in the equation—the improbable answer. Sniffling and palming away his tears, Silver fumbled for his Compact and placed a call. The moment the line connected, he croaked, "Can I please come over? I need to talk to you."

°•°•°•°

Elvin jogged back over to the waiting Paige and Penelope with a perturbed look on his face. Paige was in the middle of saying something to her twin when she noticed Elvin approaching and grinned. "There you are." She nudged her sister. "Penny told me you got flagged down by some hot girl, but I knew it couldn't have been true."

"What?!" From head to toe, Elvin was a barrel of red. "No! No, that wasn't it at all!"

"It could have been," Penelope said without a care in the world. "Just because you're asexual doesn't mean you can't like someone. I figured this might be the time."

"No, this is not the time for that!" Elvin huffed and fiddled with his hood. "So, just to be clear, some hot girl did not flag me down or whatever," he grumbled. "I ran into Silver in a way."

"Oh." Paige's face went flat. "Okay."

Elvin cocked his head, quizzical. "You don't even want to know what we talked about?"

"Not really." Paige shrugged. "Ready to go?"

"Oh, um, sure." Elvin fell into step with Paige as Penelope trailed ahead. To the untrained eye, she looked like a girl with wanderlust, but Elvin and Paige knew Penelope was eager to get back to work, no matter how expressionless she looked. Elvin murmured to Paige, "What's the deal with you and Silver anyways?"

Paige quirked an eyebrow. "There isn't one," she deadpanned. "And there better not be one."

"Why do you say that?" Elvin waved his hands when Paige glared at him. "Hey, don't give me that look! I'm just curious!"

Paige huffed and turned away from him. "Yeah, well, it's nothing to be curious about," she grunted. "I told him to get lost and he's finally listening to me. That's all there is."

"Aren't you curious as to why he stopped?" Elvin probed.

Paige did not need to think about it. "Nope. That's my story and I'm stickin' to it." She sent him a glower when he opened his mouth. "And you better stick to it too, Elf."

"Okay, okay, no need for that," Elvin muttered, bothered. "I'll back off."

Paige offered a short nod. "Good. Now we can get back to what we were actually talking about." As she dropped into a conspiratorial murmur with Elvin, she pointedly ignored when she felt a twinge deep inside her. She knew that feeling. Penelope was flicking a wavelength in her direction, but Paige would not reply back. The farther away he is from me the better. I don't have time to deal with him. Pale reds drifted to Penelope. I won't ever let her slip into the Otherworld. I have to get stronger. And all he is is a pain in my ass.

For the days Gary had spent within the late owners' property, there was little to be done until his meeting happened with the Ministry of Magical Creatures as well as the arrangement he made with Draculos. To spend the days after Uki stormed out, he busied himself with his own training and, when he could not take anymore, he did the only other thing that would make everything seem a bit less bleak.

He painted.

Gary had to be grateful the late owners were eccentric people. The house they had built for themselves was far enough away from people that it had its own private drive, but it was close enough towards Adélie for grocery trips. But the rooms in this large domicile were everything Gary could have hoped for. He had access to everything, from the fully equipped study to the library to what he had called "the art room". It was a circular room attached to the house on the second floor with windows all around, but it was obvious from what Gary found in the closet that the parents of his father's late master used this room to sculpt ice and snow and to paint.

So he did the same.

Or, well, he tried to.

Gary had set himself up with a wet canvas this time around and one of the old paint aprons he had found and had all his colors and brushes out, but as he stared at the canvas, it made less and less sense to him. He sighed. "I'm just not inspired," he murmured to himself. He looked over to the wrapped-around windows and looked past the snowy backyard to see the frozen lake. A few holes were apparent where Skade had gone ice-fishing by literally diving down into the water in his Devil Form and hunting for fish, but his eyes caught the gothic darkness of the sky.

Back home, it's not like you couldn't see the stars. But this is a view you can't buy at home. Gary got up to move over to the window and looked out at the arctic. It's weird. I was mostly busy in Magnolia or out of it. It was always work or a special assignment or meetings or deadlines or training… I had Angel, but… Even then, we were busy fighting for our lives in some way. But now, I have all the time in the world until the Chairman sends over the documents so I can keep working up here.

"Treat this like a vacation," he remembered Draculos tell him the second he touched down and a Compact was passed to him. "For the next week or so, you're on vacation, Mister Fullbuster. Enjoy it. You never know how much you'll miss the peace until it's gone."

Gary sighed and messed with his hair. "'Peace,' he says," he murmured. "This isn't peace. This is being left with my own thoughts." A mirthless smile bittered his lips. "Which is the last thing I need."

VRRRRRRRRRRR…

Gary blanked then reached for his shorts to pull out the government-issued Compact he had been given and answered the call. "Hello?"

"Oh, Mister Fullbuster! I'm so happy you answered!"

Gary chuckled as he crossed an arm. "I was more or less warned that since this Compact is a gift from the Chairman himself, I should always make sure I answer, Miss Monics."

Iris laughed with him. "Oh, don't mind the Chairman. His threats aren't even threats," she promised amusedly. "But I did call you to let you know your document everything requests have been approved and signed off by your Guild Master, so I'll be mailing the documents to you, but it'll take at least two days to get the physical copies to you."

"Worth the wait," Gary supplied. "I can't wait to have my own equipment again."

"I'm sure," Iris chuckled. "You're scheduled to depart back to Magnolia Town, Fiore the third week of January so you can publicly declare your leave of absence to Arcticados and you'll be free to move about the continent as yourself as long as you'd like as long as you don't miss your daily appointments with Miss Uki."

Gary felt Skade stir and sharpen his hearing and prick his ears. Both of them heard the muffled roar of a vehicle heading down the private slope. "Wouldn't miss it for the world," Gary drawled as he curiously moved to the glass to catch the sight of a four-wheeler trekking up the private drive with tinted windows. Who is that? Uki couldn't possibly be coming back.

"I take it Miss Uki isn't, um, adjusting well?" Iris heard Gary's sigh and admitted to him, "The Chairman suspected Miss Uki might still have some…reservations with you, but I'm sure she'll understand sooner or later. Please don't give up on her. She doesn't have the right to judge you and she'll see that in time."

"Or maybe she does, considering I Cursed her." Gary squinted as the vehicle came closer. "Miss Monics, do I have any scheduled appointments today? I thought the centries would alert me if someone was approaching the house."

"An appointment?" Iris shuffled some papers before she answered, a tad confused, "No, you don't have an appointment. The representatives from the Ministry of Magical Creatures will be coming by with your attorney on January fifth to assess Mister Skade as an endangered Magic Creature and negotiate both of your terms of breeding interests or options for preservation and longevity."

Gary locked his jaw as he watched the armored vehicle pull into the driveway. "Well, you might want to give me different centries, Miss Monics, because they did a poor job of warding off strangers from coming onto the property." He watched as the armored vehicle came to a stop at the front entrance and a suited man with a top coat came out of the driver's seat.

"Oh, that!" Now Iris sounded relieved. "Oh, the Chairman felt a little bad for you, Mister Fullbuster, since you missed Christmas. So, in his efforts to make your stay more welcome and to help improve your relationship with him, he wanted to give you a belated Christmas gift. Do you see it yet?"

Gary's brow furrowed as he watched the chauffeur round to the back and open a door. "No, I—"

Cerulean widened.

"Miss Monics," Gary said urgently, "can you call me back?"

"Don't worry, Mister Fullbuster, there's no need." Her voice incredibly soft and warm. "Enjoy yourself. Happy New Year." And she hung up.

Gary did not care about anything else as he rushed for the steps and practically flooded down them in a race to get to the front door. Apron and no shoes, he threw open one of the doors of the dual entrance and stepped out onto the porch, panting and scared and hopeful. This… This feels like it's too good to be true. Like this is a dream. And if I blink, it'll all just go away, but… He took determined steps forward. But if this isn't a dream…

He jumped down the steps and rushed down the sidewalk as the chauffeur helped his ward and insisted on getting the luggage. But Gary did not care about that as the chauffeur took one look at him, smiled, then murmured something to his ward. His ward turned—

Hickory clashed with cerulean.

There Nashi stood wrapped head to toe in winter gear with pink stinging her cheeks and her hair thrown back into a ponytail that pierced her cap. Sure, Býleistr was with her and looked adorably unhappy he had to be put in a travel carrier as a cat and was hawking up the dirtiest words known to man, but, right now, that did not matter. Happiness, relief, and worry filled Nashi's eyes when she caught Gary charging towards her. "Gary," she breathed. "H—Mmmph!"

And he was kissing her.

°•°•°•°

Instantly, Nashi dropped what she was carrying to wrap her arms around him and lean into the tight embrace he brought her in and the hard and desperate kiss he gave her. The moment he shifted, she thought he was pulling away and tried to call him back, but that was when she realized her mistake. He was not pulling away. His head tilted and his hand caressed the back of her head as his tongue licked the seam of her lips and she opened for him to be driven wild the moment he dominated her mouth and lit her body aflame even in the tundra. He forced her backward until her back was against the car and he held her prisoner, groaning into her mouth as he drank his fill of her.

Enough was enough and Nashi had to breathe. She tore her mouth away from his for a quick inhale and exhale only for Gary to force her chin up and give her a heart-stopping kiss that had her moan and nearly fall to her knees right there on the spot. Her laughter drew him back from her and desperate cerulean connected with warm hickory.

"It's been a while," Nashi murmured.

"Yeah," Gary breathed. "It has." His bottom lip trembled as his hand came up to brush her cheek as though she were made of glass. "This doesn't seem real," he whispered. "Y-You're here. With me." He blinked as water stung his eyes. "H-H-How…?"

Nashi nodded. "The Chairman might have a romantic side to him," she told him, searching his eyes. "The day I got your will and trust is when I made a call and it went straight to his office. Miss Monics had everything ready for me to sign so I could come here for a few days."

Gary swallowed hard. He needed to keep looking at her. He could not blink. Not now. He needed to keep looking at her. "But…our Com call…"

"I had an NDA to sign," Nashi told him with apology in her tone. "Your line was secure, but the Chairman has a flare for dramatics, apparently." Her gloved hand came up to brush back his hair. "You need a haircut. Lucky for you, I brought supplies straight from my Uncle Cancer."

Gary choked out a laugh. "I do need a haircut." He felt her cheeks then thumbed her lips then feathered her throat, shaking his head. "You're so full of surprises, Angel. I…" Shame filled him. "I'm so sorry," he said. "You had to relive that day because of me. I never wanted that for you."

"I didn't either." Her hand came to cup his chin. "But I'd do it again if it means you're free." She brushed away the tears that wove down Gary's cheeks. "Don't cry, you stupid dog," she chided lightly. "We're in the freaking arctic. You can't afford to cry here."

"I'm an Ice Mage. I'll live." Gary cupped her face as his face contorted into pain and relief all at the same time. "I just… I missed you so much and I'm so sorry—!"

"Shhh… Nothing to be sorry for," Nashi soothed. "But for the record, if you ever try to pull a stunt like that again, I'm going to be extremely hurt and offended. We're in this together, okay?" Her eyes dropped to his chest. "I hate that I had to leave you behind to deal with this whole mess by yourself. I'm sorry—"

"You did nothing wrong, Angel," Gary urged her. "You did everything perfectly."

"You're right." Nashi shrugged and looked up at him with a cheeky smile. "I was pretty splendid, wasn't I?"

Gary gave a wet laugh. "Perfectly splendid," he teased back in a sniff. "But what about Justin's party tonight? Your family—?"

"Justin will have other parties, dummy." Nashi wiped away more of his tears. "And my family is breaking off to do their own thing. And, well…" The pink on her cheeks went deeper. "You're my partner, aren't you? Makes you a little more important than some stupid party."

"A 'little'?" Gary smiled.

"Only a little. You'll have to prove to me you're more than 'little'," Nashi jested.

"Well, isn't that cute?"

Nashi and Gary looked to the side to see Býleistr had been let out of the travel carrier to sit as a cat in the snow, unperturbed at the chilly weather. His tail swayed this way and that. "You know, most mortals go into their houses when the weather is shit," he relayed flatly.

"Don't mind him," Nashi murmured to Gary. "He's just cranky from all the jumping he did today."

Býleistr scratched his ear. "And you better be thanking His Royal Crankiness with some of that cream liquid you gave me for Christmas," he muttered darkly. "That jumping was brutal."

Both Gary and Nashi laughed as the chauffeur came over with Nashi's bags and cleared his throat. "Mister Fullbuster," he said, "you may call me Mister Hollifield. I am employed directly under Mister Hyberion himself with a nondisclosure agreement of my own. Your identity remains a secret. For the duration of Miss Dragneel's stay, I will be her personal driver and yours to and from Adélie. Mister Hyberion, however, did implore you both to either wear glamour charms or otherwise before heading into a populated area and would like to remind you that even during Miss Dragneel's stay, your engagements take first priority."

Gary nodded and stuck out his hand to Mr. Hollifield who shook it. "I know. Thank you for bringing her to me." He turned back to Nashi with a smile. "Thank you for bringing me an Angel."

"God, you're so corny, it's cringy," Nashi snorted, though the red crawling on her neck clearly meant how affected she was. "First, you say, 'make love' and now this? Is this what's in store for me?"

"And plenty more where that came from," Gary jested while Nashi mock-pouted. "But you did remind me of something."

Nashi cocked her head. "Oh, what—? Put me down!"

Gary gave an innocent beam with Nashi held up in his arms. "But, Angel, it's customary for the groom to carry his bride over the threshold!" he said cheerily. "This is like our honeymoon!"

"Honeymoon, my ass! I'm not getting married to you!"

Gary chuckled as he stepped towards the house. "I've missed teasing Angel like this," he remarked. "It makes me happy to have Angel back in my arms where she belongs!" He stopped right before the entryway to look at Nashi who hid her face in her hands. Concern touched him as he probed, "Angel?"

"I just…! I…!" Nashi partially revealed her red face. "I…don't mind, you know…" She swallowed and peeked up at him with those large hickory eyes. "Belonging to you…I guess… A-As long as you belong to me and everything…"

Surprise shot through Gary until he softened and nuzzled Nashi. "I've always belonged to Angel," he murmured to her. "I'm just happy Angel's heart belongs to me. I'll treat it with care. I promise."

"I know you will…"—Nashi hid her face into his neck—"you stupid dog."

Gary hummed. "Well, now that Angel's heart is mine…" He carried her into the house and chirped, "Now Angel and I can make love!"

Nashi whipped her head up to gawk at him. "That's not even a real thing!" she spluttered. "And y-y-y-you can't just declare something like that! I'm not here just for that!"

Gary pouted. "So then… Angel doesn't want me to worship her body?"

Nashi looked like steam could come out of her ears as she wrestled between annoyance, lust, and happiness. "I…! You can't just…!" Taking in a deep breath, she gave him a glare. "Fine. But I get to worship you too—Ah!" She clung to him when he started climbing up the stairs at a fast pace. "Sl-Slow down! We've got time!"

"Not enough time." Gary might have said that with a smile, but the something in his aura shifted. "And I plan to use every single second Angel is here to make sure you know who you belong to."

Nashi gulped. He's smiling, but…it's like I've walked into the wolf's den… Her eyes flicked down. And I really like it. "Just…be gentle the first time, okay?" she timidly requested. "We haven't… It's been a little bit since we've…" Too embarrassed to say more, she nuzzled into him. "Forget it. Never mind."

Gary did not stop until he came into the master bedroom. It came with its own fireplace and couch with a king-sized bed with four posters with a wooden canopy that had been the roof painted with a starry night and the sheer curtains of the bed had been shucked and tied back. During the summer months, the masters of the house could see the lake and its beach and the horizon. But for now, Gary went straight to the bed and gently set Nashi down with her head on the pillows. Chest heaving, she could only watch, bewitched, as he removed his apron before taking off her cap, her boots and socks, and her jacket one by one.

"I'll start gentle." Gary said this as he helped her out of her sweatshirt. "I want Angel to know how much I treasure this gift. How much I love her." He pulled up back up to crawl atop her and dark cerulean shared a heated connection with willing hickory. It did not matter how cold it was, how odd their pairing was, an Angel and a Devil. No one would dare deny there was something about her summer and his winter that just made sense. "But afterward, I won't be as gentle." The warning was delicate as his fingers fell down a lock of her hair. "Angel told the world I am hers. But I want Angel to know I'm hers."

"And that I'm yours too," Nashi whispered. "I…want to be yours in that…"—her eyes averted to the side—"in that other way too… You know… BDSM?"

Gary stilled. "Angel." His voice dropped dangerously. "Do you understand what you're asking?"

Nashi licked her lips and braved herself to meet his eyes only to be taken back at the sliver of icy-blue she saw within his gaze. "I…" She took the plunge and gave a nod. "I tried to learn what I could, but I was told it's different for every person."

"It is," Gary conceded. "But we don't have the time to teach each other."

"'Each other'?" She looked adorably confused. "But…I thought I learn how to please you?" She growled when Gary chuckled. "Don't laugh at me!"

"I'm sorry. I don't mean to." Gary gave her a tender look and kissed her brow. "Everything we do, we do it together. We learn together about each other from our likes to our limits. And it is a lot, Angel. We don't have time for it all." He watched the emotions war in Nashi's eyes before he dipped down to give her bottom lip the sweetest of kisses. "Don't worry, my Angel," he murmured against her lips. "We have time for so much more." His next kiss fell onto her chin. "Because I"—the open-mouthed kiss was on her neck and she hissed and wriggled—"want Angel to know"—his free hand slid under her shirt—"how much I love her."

Nashi trembled. "G-Gary… I…" But the words were lost when a breathless moan left her the moment she felt the missed iciness of Gary's fingers on her skin.

"Shhh… No more talking, Angel," he whispered against her flesh. "We'll talk later, I promise. I just…" A chilled breath left him and he could not help himself when Nashi's back bowed when she felt his winter. "Fuck, Angel, I just need to taste you," he whooshed out right before his lips found hers just as his hand squeezed her breast and he growled the moment her cry was muffled in their kiss.

°•°•°•°

Býleistr looked ready to shoot himself as he made himself at home in the kitchen with Nashi's luggage still parked in the foyer. He sifted through the refrigerator for something good to eat and perked when he saw a carton of heavy cream only to roll his eyes when he heard the sounds of heavy moaning and growling. "Moon Spirit. They see each other for five seconds and they're already going at it." He took out the carton of cream and went to look for a bowl only to wince and then glare at the ceiling when he heard a loud cry.

I deserve a damn raise for listening to this shit.

Finding a bowl, he grumpily plopped down at the island, ripped off the cap, and poured a good portion of cream into the bowl. His lips curled into a disgusted sneer the moment he heard a smack and a moan to follow. "She better get me that really good salmon," he growled darkly. He lifted the bowl and slurped half of it, licking his chops. "If I wasn't here on guard-duty, I'd be getting some back in the Star Realm." But he could already see an angry Leo and Virgo with her chain. Maybe not. Not with those buzz-killing vultures ready to see me screw-up.

"Ah… Oh, god, ye-es…!"

Býleistr shot a murderous glare at the ceiling before he pulled away from the island and stomped over to what appeared to be the updated living room that kept to the whites and the blues and grays with stripes of black. Maybe later he would take note in the tribal artifacts and the spiritual tapestries, but he plopped down on the large sectional and would have murdered the remote if he was not careful. I never thought I'd be willing to watch this mortal crap, but—

"That's it, Angel, spread your legs for me. Fuck, you're so beautiful."

Býleistr had to work to keep his claws sheathed as he damn near broke the ⟪ ON ⟫ button. I'd rather suffer from this shit than whatever the Hell is going on up there. He turned the volume up as loud as he could before he sat back and sighed in relief when the droning voices drowned out Gary and Nashi. "There we go." He crossed his legs with a foot on his knee. "Now I can drink in peace." He slurped the cream in his bowl—

"—but wasn't Fairy Tail involved in that, though?"

Býleistr stopped.

Girlish laughter. "Then again, when isn't Fairy Tail involved in anything?"

Býleistr set down his bowl to narrow his eyes on the show the Lacrima-Vision had landed on. Five women sat at a round table in their professional attire with their papers and coffee mugs, but the show had been labeled QUEENS AT THE ROUND TABLE. He watched as a woman with no hair and dark skin spoke up, "I think King Ajeel is out of his mind. I mean, really?" She looked around her co-hosts who all shrugged. "Alvarez has suffered a major blow with Dimaria Yesta's disappearance and now all of a sudden King Ajeel wants to hold a press conference about all those gossip blog stories about 'true heirs' to Alvarez?" She shook her head. "This is just a publicity stunt. I'm telling you. His son's poll numbers look low and there you have it. The king is just trying to talk up his only son."

"Alvarez"? Býleistr planted both feet on the ground and let his elbows rest on his thighs as he leaned in. "True heirs"?

A short woman who looked older than the others and had been done dirty with the wig she was wearing. "I'll have you know I do believe in the rumors," she said in an authoritative tone. As the others goaded her for her reasoning, she held up a hand for silence and she got it. "Listen, ladies, something isn't right with that Alvarez Empire. After all, wasn't that 'Spriggan Emperor' the leader for over four-hundred years?"

"Obviously, he was a Mage," a red-headed woman pointed out. "Sources confirmed the Spriggan Emperor was a Mage, right, ladies?"

But the short woman harrumphed. "No Mage can last for that long," she countered.

"Maybe he was a god or something," a younger woman with springy hair theorized. "Or, like, a Demon or something."

Wild oranges sharpened. A Demon, huh? Four-hundred years? He rubbed his jaw as the ladies continued their talk and they bickered even more. Princess' memories showed me she's related to the Spriggan Emperor Zeref—or the late Emperor. The 'true heirs'. So they're talking about her and her siblings. His eyes dropped down in hard thought. Should I alert Mister Natsu of this? But how do people know Mister Natsu is the late Emperor's brother? None of this is making any sense.

On the show, the buzzer went off and the ladies all stacked their papers and chatted as the voice-over perkily said, "That's all the time we have for that topic! Next topic is, ladies…!" The projector cast on a blurred image of a flaming winged beast as it moved out of sight of the frame and into the trees. "This mysterious photo has gone viral all over Fatesbook and Instagraph and now we just want to know: what sort of monster is that?"

New Azalea Square had been packed since this morning as people from all over Fiore gathered for the New Azalea-palooza, a mimicry for the USM's rambunctious celebration in New Yorkshire City. LBC's New Year's Eve-palooza brought along artists both local and international as well as actors, comedians, and even the cohosts from the show Shake It Bake It Make It. As John and Yoko introduced the band Girlz World who had come from the USM for their big-time debut in a foreign country, the blocked-off square surged with hundreds of people with their signs and rose cheeks and nipped noses. The restaurants were packed with reservations that had been made six months in advance and the stores could hardly keep up with all the incoming clientele ready and willing to spend their money on the end of the year sales.

The celebrities who were appearing on the LBC's New Year's Eve-palooza had all been put up at The Palace Hotel that was close by. Security guards were everywhere to ensure the crazed fans did not get in, especially the STRESSORS who were fueling the other fans with chants. The only reason Spencer was let in was the pass his sister had sent him with the information on using a side entrance that had been blocked off. He had to pass through multiple checkpoints and give his ID and his pass at every single one of them until he got to the floor and, even then, the guards had to clear him.

Finally, Spencer had made it to the room and he had been bustled straight into a room that smelled of setting spray, powder, and the noise consisted of orders and the LV screening the palooza as the Meidilandian girls group introduced themselves. Most of the workers were dressed in black, some with face masks on, some with headsets, some with both, and the rest with neither. The back-up dancers were stretched out and limber as they worked through some of their weaker points of the rehearsed dances. But Spencer did not care for that. He excused himself and shuffled past workers until he saw a fresh-faced young woman with blonde hair in dipped with silver and black. She spoke with her main back-up dancer as he made some comments about their dance for one of her numbers as she was dressed in a robe for the time being.

Spencer hung back and waited for their conversation to end, but it was then she turned and gunmetal dark blues connected with brightened dark brown. "Hi, Smiley."

"Spencer!" she shrieked and ran towards him to launch into a hug. "Oh my god, I uber can't believe you actually came!"

⌜TWICE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY

Name: Morgan "Smiley / Jennababy" Lates

Age: 17

Occupation: Artist

Likes: sports anime Dislikes: country music

Special Note: Morgan is a popular singer-songwriter in Fiore and goes by "Jennababy" since her middle name is Jenna! I wonder why they call her Smiley…⌟

"Hey, I came to MagiaLand and saw you perform the new Friendship is Magic show," Spencer pointed out as he hugged her back.

Morgan drew back to punch him in the shoulder with a bright beam on her face. "Yeah, but you didn't take the offer to even come backstage!" She wiggled her eyebrows. "But why would you when you were with your uber lady friend?"

Spencer lightly pushed her away with an eye roll. "Oh, shut up. She's not my 'lady friend'."

"Oh, she uber is," Morgan quipped back as one of her assistants rushed over to her and whispered in her ear. She nodded and whispered back before smiling at her older brother. "We've got some time before I have to finish getting ready so we can ferry over to the stage, but come on, come on, sit with me while they touch up my make-up!" She guided her brother over to her make-up chair. Some of the back-up dancers were receiving touch-ups and an extra chair had been given to Spencer to sit beside Morgan.

She was given her bib and the make-up artist was all ready for her to make sure her look was set. As such, Morgan's lips twitched and she had to ask, "So how's your lady friend doing and why haven't you brought her home yet? Dad uber spilled about the jewelry, by the way."

"Of course he did," Spencer sighed.

"Well, what did you expect? You know how Dad is." Morgan tilted her jaw to let the artist continue her work. "But it's uber cute you did that. How'd she like it?"

"She liked it." Spencer brought out his own necklace and thumbed the V charm that hung from it. "And now we're back to square one."

Morgan frowned. "Ooo, that's not uber cute. What happened?" She shot him a curious look. "Don't tell me you tried to propose or anything."

"Stop bringing that up," Spencer grumbled. "I didn't propose."

"Spence, you uber scared off your exes with your love ideas," Morgan pointed out. "And you bought the girl a ring, didn't you? Sounds uber proposal to me."

Spencer's eyebrow twitched. "It wasn't an engagement ring and I was young and stupid back then with my so-called 'love ideas'," he gritted out. "So, no. I didn't propose then and I didn't propose now." Dropping the charm, he leaned his elbows on his thighs. "We had a great time on Christmas Eve and Christmas, but then a flip switch and she remembered."

"That you're leaving her to go kill people in a third-world country?"

Spencer shot his sister a look.

Morgan smiled back in teasing. "What? I'm just repeating what your uber military-hating lady friend probably said. And what Mom says. By the way, you know Mom's uber pissed you're leaving and she uber hates you're getting involved with the Faction."

"Oh, she mentioned that once or twice while I was home," Spencer grumbled, shaking his head. "I think she thought when I went into the military, I was staying in the Fioren military. But H.A.W.K.S. isn't just for Fiore. We answer to the Magic Council first and foremost which means we head out where help is needed."

Morgan's smile dipped when she noted the exhaustion on her brother's face. "Is it really that bad?" Question quiet, small.

Spencer sighed. "Nothing for you to worry about right now," he assured. Changing the subject, he said, "But what I am worried about is Preston. What's going on with him?"

Morgan snorted. "Like I know nor care." She made a show of rolling her eyes. "Between you and Preston, I don't know who has it worse, honestly. At least with you, there's some sort of hope. Now, back to your uber lady friend—"

Spencer groaned.

"—so what's going on? I might not be old like you, but I might have an idea of how you can get things back on track."

"I'm going to ignore that age dig," Spencer muttered. "I have my own plan on getting things back on track." A mirthless smile spread on his lips. "I know she's trying to keep away because she knows I'm leaving. But I just need her to understand she and our kids are—"

"'Our'?"

"Hers," Spencer quickly amended after a cough. "Her kids."

Morgan hummed and thanked the make-up artist once she was finished before she faced her brother. "It's okay to uber love those kids, Spence," she murmured. "You uber talk about them enough that it makes me think they really are your kids." She hesitated before she asked the question, "Do you want them to be your kids?"

Spencer took a deep breath. "I want them to be happy," he answered, "and I want Lucky to be comfortable. Those kids are hers and she'd made that clear. She's protective of them. And I'll do what I can to remain a part of their lives for as long as she lets me."

"And her life?"

"It's a work in progress." Spencer rolled his shoulders. "She's focused on her kids' feelings. You can't fault her for that. They're her whole world and she's spent so long protecting them from their biological fathers. I admire her going so far to make sure her kids have a stable life. But because of that focus, she doesn't focus on herself and what she wants. And after that night on Christmas Eve…" His hands rolled into fists. "I know what she wants. But getting her to admit that and not take it back is the problem."

A smile. "Seven Things I Hate About You."

Spencer blinked as Morgan stretched out. "What?" His brow scrunched. "Why does that sound familiar?"

"Because it was the movie Mom loved to watch," Morgan supplied. "It's an uber romance movie. But it's about an uber stubborn woman who got burned badly and the male lead is determined for her to see he was different." She got off the chair and shook off her jitters. "They have a moment, but then things happen and they're back to square one and she's back to hating him."

"And then what?" Spencer prompted.

Morgan looked at him with a somber expression. "If this is your last night with her, then you need to remind of something that reflects who she is," she advised. "In the movie, that's what the male lead does. If your uber lady friend is so focused so much on her children that she forgets herself, then you need to make her remember herself." She nodded when an assistant murmured to her. "I have to go soon. They want to run over the sets and then start boarding everyone onto the bus so we can get to the practice stage."

"You know we're all proud of you, Smiley," Spencer murmured. "You're doing what you love. You seem happy. But just don't overdo it. Take a break sometimes when you need to, okay?"

"I could say the same to you."

Spencer blinked. "The same to me?"

Morgan shot her brother a serious look. "You uber love what you do with your job. You know that. I know that. But you never take a break. Your lady friend needs to understand you do love what you do. But you have to understand if you plan to re-enlist, your chance for a family is going to become smaller and smaller." She cocked her head. "So what's important to you? Your job? Or a family you could be a part of?"

Spencer's eyebrows rose. "My chance for a family?" His eyes averted to the side. She might be right. I can't show Lucky and her kids I want them when I'm in and out. Some people can form a relationship while they're in service. Lucky's different. She doesn't trust me and never will unless I show her I'm there. But… Does this mean I should leave after this contract?

CLAP!

Spencer blinked out of his thoughts to see Morgan had touched his shoulder. "Smiley…"

Morgan beamed. "Hey, no need to get all uber serious now. You're going to do great wherever you go after tomorrow. Just…think about what I said, okay?"

Spencer nodded. "Okay." He brought her in for a hug. "You better know I'll be watching and I'll totally text you if you mess up."

Morgan pushed him away and gaped as he laughed. "Come on, Big Bro, that's uber not cool!" she pouted.

"Yeah, yeah." Spencer nodded over to the door. "Just do what you always do, all right? Have fun." He jerked his chin at her back-up dancers and cocked an eyebrow when one of the muscular dancers gave Morgan a side-eye. He maybe had an inch of so over the rest of the dancers with black roots and silver locks. "Just not too much fun. They know you're seventeen, right?"

Morgan rolled her eyes and hefted a sigh. "Yes, they know I'm seventeen and my dancers aren't that much older than me, but," she stressed in addition when Spencer gave her a scowl, "I don't mix business with pleasure." She swiveled her head and allowed an appreciative eye to fall to the dancer Spencer had been glaring at and had to fight her giggle when the dancer smiled at her. "But I—"

"No 'but's," Spencer said firmly. "You're too young."

Now Morgan punched his shoulder. "Shut up and get out."

Spencer chuckled. "I'm going, I'm going…" He moved past her only to turn and flick her temple. While she winced and snuck him a dirty look, his eyes softened. "I'll be careful. You do the same, okay?"

Morgan sobered and nodded. "I will." She swallowed. "I uber love you. You know that?"

"I love you too." Spencer tugged on a lock of her hair with a slight smile. "See you soon." He knew his sister wanted to say more, but she was ducked away by one of her assistants. He nodded at security as he let himself out. While some people thought leaving might be easier than entering, that was not the case. He still had to go through checkpoint by checkpoint with scanners and otherwise, but it gave him some time to think. And his mind automatically drew to a stubborn blonde and her two adorable children. Love and adoration tugged at his heart.

I thought about leaving the military after my last contract, he reminded himself. I stayed because of my brothers and sisters on my team. I talked to a few of them. Shit with the Faction is turning even more serious with a few travel bans and the Council losing ground in smaller countries and territories. It's worse for some of the team with Spiritless family. It's why some of them are resigning after this contract. It's not like you can't have a family while you're on the job. It's not like you can't reenlist whenever. Easier thing to do with the Council. But…

Cerulean shrouded in sunset orange.

Spencer locked his jaw as he made it to the first floor. Would she even trust me if I left after this contract? He scrubbed his jaw, frustrated and weary. We really need to talk when I get back. He cut through the lobby—

"Going to ignore me, asshole? Oh, sorry. Captain?"

Spencer paused. It took a moment for the voice to register and when it did, he closed his eyes and chuckled. Son of a bitch. "Easy to ignore you when you never pick up your fucking Compact."

A grin. "Irony isn't lost with you saying shit like that."

Spencer shook his head and turned around. "I'm sure it isn't." His eyes opened to see a man maybe a few centimeters shorter than him, lanky and with a punchable face (in Spencer's opinion). Shoulder length dirty blonde hair, and a god-awful tacky tee-shirt with those headphones wrapped around his neck and sunglasses to cover his eyes—he might not have stood out in a crowd, but he could if he wanted to.

Spencer lifted an eyebrow. "Glad to see you're still living and not high off your ass"—gunmetal dark blues watched as the man shoved up his sunglasses to reveal a dark set of eyes—"Preston."

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

And so…

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

Bleu had decided to bring sleek SUV to fit him, Luna, Luke, Ena, and Silver, but he had taken up the offer to have dinner at the Dragneel Residence and so had Mary Jane and Peter. They had ordered in. New Year's Eve had too long of wait times anywhere to find a decent recent to eat dinner at and Double Trouble had their favorites already memorized. The split a copious amount of fries and other sides between them as everyone dug into the burgers and steaks and chicken and salmon (for Luke, he preferred a black bean burger). It looked like everyone had dressed up a little bit for this party with some dresses and dress-shirts with some flats and classy sneakers. Bleu had refused to part with his backwards cap for the event, but it suited him.

Mary Jane swallowed her bite and asked Peter once again, "And you're sure we shouldn't be dressing up more than this?" Ellie and Justin had been a tremendous help in picking out her outfit the day before and paired her with a sweater from Ellie's wardrobe that said I DON'T DO RESOLUTIONS I DO REVOLUTIONS and some nice leggings and some nice heel booties with her hair pushed to the side for the evening. But she still felt underwhelming.

"You looked beautiful," Peter assured her. He had thrown on an oversized flannel with a t-shirt underneath and some skinny jeans with a crown beanie covered his hair. "And it's just a party at Bane's house anyways. You could come in jeans and no one would care."

Mary Jane eyed his jeans enviously. "So you say now."

"Why are we eating all this again?" Luna asked after a bite of her chicken sandwich. Ena had been adamant Luna was in another dress for the evening and put her in a black sweater dress and thigh-high boots with her hair sectioned into two braided ponytails. "And how does this help me get away with drinking?"

"Which you cannot tell Mom and Dad I'm letting you do," Luke reminded her in warning. He had messed with his hair a little, but he had chosen a sweater that was half-black and white striped and the other half was a solid light grey. He kept to jeans and converse. "You won't be drinking too much, but it'll help you from getting drunk too fast." He copped Bleu a look that spelled do-not-let-my-sister-get-drunk.

Bleu nodded back. He had decided on a half-black-half-red oversized dress shirt with one part tucked in with one shoe black and the other shoe red. "It's cute you're a liquor newbie, Treasure," Bleu teased. "I thought Fiore's drinking age was twelve?"

"Try telling that to the fun police AKA my papa," Luna grunted.

Ena rolled her eyes as she finished a bite of salmon and rice. She had fitted herself into a pleated skirt and long sleeve shirt with her hair down and her signature one-off braid rolling down his shoulder. "Oh, please. No one wants to see you drunk." Mischief danced in her eyes. "Although, I think Bleu would like it since the time you got drunk at my house, you—"

"You told me you'd never talk about that!" Luna cried, cheeks red.

Luke looked between the duo in suspicion. "Talk about what?"

"Yeah." Bleu eyed Luna's red face with an interested grin. "Please keep talking, Ena. What exactly would I like?"

"And why was she getting drunk?" Luke demanded to know with a glare at Ena.

Ena waved a dismissive hand and remained unbothered at Luke's apprehension. "I had it handled," she assured him. "I had a very long and very stressful day and I wasn't about to deny her something when I was already going through the liquor cabinet." She winked at Bleu. "Just make sure you keep her away from anything clear, okay?"

"I thought it was water!" Luna insisted. "You never said anything!"

"No, I did say something when I came back to see you poured all the shots into one glass—"

"I didn't know why you'd have water in all those tiny glasses—!"

"Shot glasses," Ena corrected, thoroughly amused when Luna groaned. "It's okay, L. You still have your looks."

Luna muttered as she squeezed her sandwich. "You won't have yours for long." She noticed Luke pushing up his glasses and clicked her tongue. "Can't you just wear your contacts for just one night?" she pleaded with him once more even when Luke let out a sigh and ate his sweet potato fries. "One night, Luke, that's all I'm asking!"

"I hate wearing my contacts," Luke muttered.

Ena appraised Luke very carefully before she said, "I agree with L. Your glasses look fine on you, but for this look tonight, your contacts would do a much better job conveying your attractiveness. Especially with your sweater. I vote contacts."

Luke's lips twitched in a grin. "Why, Bambi. Are you saying I'd look hot without my glasses?"

But Ena snorted as she picked up her drink. "Hear what you want to hear, darling. Hear what you want to hear."

"Well, if the great and all-powerful Bambi graces me with her advice, then I'll dig out my contacts and appease her," Luke teased. "For the sake of my 'attractiveness'."

Ena rolled her eyes and shook her head in good humor. Finishing up her sips of her drink, she quipped back, "Good to see you can follow orders, darling. Now if only you could drop that horrendous nickname, that'd be appreciated."

"You love it."

"Sure I do. You know, you're much more handsome when you're defiant."

"Really?"

"No."

Luke snickered. "Tease."

"Born this way." Ena winked at him. "And don't you forget it, darling."

As Luke and Ena broke into banter, Bleu had to watch with raised eyebrows until he leaned over to murmur to Luna, "Is, uh, something going on between your best friend and your brother?"

"He can hear you," Luna whispered as a smile touched her lips. "But no. They've just always been close." She tilted her head as she watched Ena turn up her nose when Luke offered her a sweet potato fry. He laughed at how disgusted she looked, but she nibbled one it only to quickly spit it into a napkin and Luke full on cackled at the curses she gave him. Though, I guess I can see why people would think that. Her eyes swept over to the withdrawn Silver who was watching Ena and Luke's interaction with a scowl. Sadness clothed her face. Silver…

"What's wrong, Silver? What's going on?"

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

The focus was surrounded in the living room with the LV on low volume for the LBC presents the New Year's Eve-palooza. Silver sat before the focus with his knees drawn up under his chin and a retched look in his eyes, pale cheeks stained in a pale pink. "Can I ask you a question, Lulu?"

"Of course." Honesty. "Whatever you need. What did you want to ask?"

Silver huddled over even more. "Did you…?" His eyes flicked to hers then away. "Do you think I…love Paige?"

The focus blinked and Luna had been effectively startled. "Do I think you love Paige?" She thought on that question.

"Be honest." Silver nuzzled his chin further. "Please, Lulu."

Luna strung out a sigh. "Well… I don't know too much about 'love'," she started in admission. "I know you had strong feelings for her and you kept saying it was love at first sight, so I believed you and supported you, of course."

"So you…don't anymore?" The focus watched as Silver looked crestfallen at the news. "Do you think I'm just…infatuated with her?"

Luna held onto her quiet moments for a little longer until she carefully put together her words. "I think you really like her," she offered, "but I'm not really the one to ask about love or infatuation or anything like that considering how messed up my love life is. I know you'd rolled your eyes at me, but E gives better advice."

But, for once, Silver did not scoff. Instead, he looked tenser. "I already know what she'd tell me," he rasped. "She'd tell me I didn't really love Paige and I was just an idiot and…and I'm starting to think she was right."

The focus widened when Silver's face contorted as his eyes flooded with tears. Instantly, the focus lurched and Luna wrapped her arms around Silver in an embrace. "Silver…"

Silver sniffled and snuggled into her hug. "I don't like feeling like this," he choked out. "I feel so h-h-horrible."

"Because you feel heartbroken," Luna inferred.

Silver shook his head against her. "N-No because I don't."

This certainly surprised Luna. "You don't?"

Silver nodded and hacked out a wet cough. "That's why I feel horrible," he rasped. "I feel so…ugly and guilty I don't feel like my heart is breaking as much anymore. I feel horrible I'm not chasing after Paige anymore. It's like I'm betraying everything I worked for." He rubbed his cheek as he sniffed. "I don't want to feel like this, Lulu."

Delicately, Luna begged the question, "You don't want to feel like this because you want to love Paige or…because your heart is moving on and you don't like it?"

"Wh-What?" Silver pulled away to brushed away his tears. "My h-heart isn't moving on." He muttered his thanks when Luna passed him tissues. After blowing his nose, he mumbled, "My heart hasn't moved on. Th-There's no one else."

"No one?" Luna gently challenged. "Not even E?"

Comical red splashed onto Silver's cheeks as he moved back, offended. "Wh-Wh-Wh-What?!" Viciously, he shook his head. "No! Not En—I mean, Fernandes! Definitely not! No way!" He crossed his arms as he muttered, "She's not even my type anyway. She's all small and she's a redhead and she's always insulting me and she doesn't even…. She doesn't even…need…me…" His lips trembled…

…and the focus was stunned at the impressive waterworks Silver displayed. Which meant the storm clouds he induced within the house that created rain and his overflowing tears that could create a lake. "Wah…! Fernandes hates me…!"

"Wait, wait, don't flood my house!"

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

But it was a little later he told me something even more interesting…

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

The focus wiped their hands with a towel as Silver sat in the bathroom in the bathtub. The tub had been filled and he had stripped down to swim trunks. The focus turned to the mirror to see Luna had changed in a looser t-shirt and pajama shorts with her hair wrapped in a towel. "Okay, well, this should be a better spot," Luna sighed. The focus turned back to a red-eyed Silver and Luna settled down on the toilet-seat-covered toilet to finish drying herself off. "Do you feel better in the water?" 'I should be concerned he had swim trunks on hand, but he's done this so many times, I'm not even bothered by it anymore.'

Silver wordlessly nodded.

"Okay. What's his about E hating you?" Luna asked. "She doesn't hate you for the record."

"Yes, she does," Silver petulantly mumbled. "She said it herself."

Luna chided, "Silver…"

Silver huffed. "Well, what she said was as good as," he muttered.

"And what did she say exactly?"

Silver's mood darkened. "She said she doesn't need me." Shoulders slouched. "She said she never needed me."

'E, I'm going to strangle you the moment I see you.' Aloud, Luna posed the question, "But why did she say it?"

Silver tensed for a moment then he looked away. "I don't want to talk about it." But something must have written on Luna's face when he froze and immediately blurted, "Why am I getting interrogated like this, huh? Shouldn't you be interrogating her for being so mean to me? I thought we were best friends, Lulu?"

"Well, before, you would've just fought her," Luna pointed out. "I would've stepped in if you guys were fighting. But it doesn't sound like this was a fight." The focus watched slowly as Silver clenched his fists only to slump them a moment later. "So what was it, Silver? What was it that bothered you?" She noticed Silver looked like he wanted to clam up, so she gently added, "And I promise I won't tell."

His eyes closed in exchange for a deep breath. "Okay." And he kept talking.

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

Luna frowned when Silver pushed away his food and excused himself the moment Ena had leaned over to fix Luke's hair. Going back to her chicken sandwich, she finished it off in a few bites. I promised him I wouldn't say anything and I'll keep to it. I'd never betray his trust like that. But still… Her eyes went back to Ena who did not seem to know or care Silver had left as she was too focused on taking off Luke's glasses and adjusting his look. E… Please see what I see.

"Something wrong?"

Luna's eyes swung to Mary Jane who had scooted closer to her. "O-Oh. Um, it's nothing," she tried to pass off.

But Mary Jane offered her that knowing look. "Yeah. 'Nothing'." She took a sip of her drink. Peter and Bleu were chatting about their group of friends, so this was the time to bring it up. "I need some more to drink." She got up. "Come with me?"

"Oh, um… Sure."

Luna escorted Mary Jane down the hall and into the kitchen. Mary Jane leaned against the island while Luna went straight for the refrigerator. Closing her eyes, Mary Jane let out a breath. Okay. Here we go. Her eyes opened and flashed blue as she waved a hand. Blue energy wafted from her hand as she felt the effects of such a tranquil power and Mary Jane felt that tug deep inside her and the power was gone. As Luna pulled out more lemonade, Mary Jane asked, "So what's been going on with you and Gale?"

Luna dropped the lemonade bottle in her shock of the question and wide eyes spun onto Mary Jane. "Wh-What do you mean?" Her eyes went this way and that. "Nothing's going on! We're just training together!" She scooped up the bottle and untwisted the cap.

Mary Jane crossed her arms with a smile. "Luke can't hear us," she assured. "I've been wanting to ask you about Gale since Christmas, but I left it alone since everyone got a little busy. So I'm asking now." She made sure to watch Luna's face. "What's going on?"

Luna began to pour the lemonade into a glass. "Nothing," she admitted, tone tired. "Really, Mary Jane, nothing's going on. On the day after Christmas, he came over for a training session then we went our separate ways."

"Right." Mary Jane nodded when Luna gestured if she had poured enough. "And how did that go?"

Luna's shoulders drooped. "Honestly? It was awkward." She winced at the memories. "And it didn't help I was being babysat by my uncles and aunts the entire time to make sure Gale and I only spoke when we needed to. But then again…" A grim smile. "It's probably for the best." She turned to Mary Jane and opened her mouth, closed it, then opened it again. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Always." Mary Jane shifted her feet. "What's the issue?"

Luna went to put back the lemonade at a slow pace. "Do you think it's wrong I'm with Bleu after everything that happened with Gale?"

Mary Jane rolled her lips as she tapped her chin with a finger. "I don't think it's wrong," she slowly replied. "I know you genuinely like Bleu, so it's not that. The only thing I'm really worried about is if you think of Gale when you and Bleu are together or if it's just you and Bleu."

"Right…" Luna rubbed her arm.

Mary Jane continued to explain: "My mom sort of talked about this while we were in Greenheart, so I guess I understand what she's talking about now. It's fine to love two people. People fall in and out of love all the time with people. For some people, they can do so quickly and other people take time. Some people can't just let go. So you kind of have to acknowledge what person you are."

Luna nodded. "Yeah. Right." Meira and Faven said the same thing to me. I have to give myself time before I can love someone else. But—

"You're probably thinking about how Gale isn't the right person to love, but Bleu is and, since he's a nice guy, you want to give him a chance."

Surprised chocolate connected with expressive scarlet-cerulean.

"Well?" Mary Jane prompted. "Am I right?"

Luna gave a nervous laugh. "You sure you don't have Telepathy?" Laughter gone, she confessed, "But, yeah, it's what I'm feeling. Pretty stupid, huh?"

"Not really." Mary Jane lifted her chin. "I don't envy you, lady, but I don't feel sorry for you. And I know that isn't what you want to hear, but you know I don't want to be gentle," she added when Luna winced again. "Gale is an arrogant son of a bitch and I will never understand how you tolerate him." She laughed. "Excuse the language. Blame Igneel."

Luna offered a little smile.

Mary Jane went on: "He's aggressive. That makes him strong, but it makes him weak. But whether you like it or not, you accepted that as a normal. He hurt you and you hurt him, yes. He took it a step farther and he could've crossed a line no one should ever cross. Maybe you don't see it or you do, but everyone else does around you and it's why things went this way. I don't care who you are or if you've been talking crap all night long." Anger flooded into her mixed eyes. "You don't ever make a move on someone like you could get physical. No excuses."

Mary Jane forced herself to calm down. "You both have flaws. And some of those flaws might stick with you, the more harmless ones. But the major flaw Gale has needs to be worked out before you and him can turn into an 'us'," she said. "That being said, neither one of you should control the other about relationships at this time. If you want to be with Bleu, you better make sure you know what you're doing and you like Bleu for himself and not as a replacement."

"I don't," Luna interjected. "I don't see him like that."

"Then, there's nothing to worry about," Mary Jane said simply. She went over to put her hands on Luna's shoulders. "Enjoy this. Enjoy your time being young and mortal, Luna. You'll make mistakes and you'll stumble and fall. But that is part of this existence. That is the beauty of life." She frowned when she saw Luna's wide eyes. "What's wrong?"

"Your eyes." Luna's tone was hushed. "They're… They're blue."

"What?" Mary Jane blinked once then twice. "They're blue?"

Luna's eyebrows slammed together. "Um… Well… Now, they're back to being red and blue, but…" She narrowed her eyes as she examined Mary Jane's face. "Are you okay?"

"Huh? Y-Yeah, yeah." Mary Jane pulled away to touch her temple. "Yeah, I'm fine, I… I'm good." Shaking away everything, she took up a smile. "We'd better get back to everyone before they think we're missing, huh?"

Luna hummed. "Yeah. Sure." She watched as Mary Jane grabbed her drink and the pair headed back out to take their spots. Luke had disappeared and Ena was talking to both Peter and Bleu while Silver resigned himself in silence.

Mary Jane pecked Peter's lips and smiled. "What are we talking about?"

"Bleu's impeccable fashion sense," Ena explained. "Josean street fashion looks amazing on him."

Bleu pouted at Luna. "Why can't you give me compliments like that?"

"Because you'd have too big of a head if I did," Luna joshed, giggling when Bleu groaned and leaned against her. "Don't give him an ego, E."

"But it's true," Ena protested. "You'd make such a perfect model." Her eyes glinted. "Actually—"

"No." Luna was between wriggling out of Bleu's hold and pointing a finger at Ena. "He is not modeling for you."

Ena turned to Mary Jane—

"I'm not either," Mary Jane laughed. "I'm sorry, but I'm not my mom or Lance. I'm not model material." She poked her thighs. "I'm too squishy."

Peter nosed her cheek and murmured, "Thick, Sweets, is the right word, and believe me, that's hot."

"Peter, while you're whispering dirty words to your girlfriend, convince her to model for me," Ena commanded. "And Bleu, really, you'd be a great male model to add to my collection. My mannequins work wonders, but living dolls are preferable."

Bleu laughed. "If Treasure allows me to, we'll see."

"'Allow' you too?" Luna squawked. "I'm not that controlling!"

Bleu clicked his tongue. "But weren't you the one who kindly told those girls to find their seats when we went to the theater?"

Luna blushed. "I was being kind," she defended. "The lights flashed, but they didn't notice since they were too busy talking to you."

Bleu simpered as he kissed Luna's cheeks then her lips. "Okay, Treasure."

Luna kissed him back when Luke came back into the living room without his glasses, though he scowled the moment he saw the couple. "Okay, no kissing my sister in front of me."

Luna and Bleu sheepishly pulled away as Ena got up to stop Luke in his tracks. He raised his eyebrows as a grin tugged at his lips. "Am I passing your test?"

Ena hummed as she held her chin with a hand. She fiddled with his hair and adjusted his sweater. Circling him with a slow once-over, she gave a nod of satisfaction. "Yes. Now you look flawless." Her eyes squinted and she reached up to pick a fleck of lint off his clothes. "If you looked like this, you could be my model. You have the right physique for it and height. Though, I'd prefer a bit more firming here." She laid both hands on his chest. "Still, you've got the basics to work with." She reached out to grab his chin and jerk his head down, searching his face. "Cheekbones might need a little contour but not much."

Silver's grip on his glass tightened.

"E…" Luna sang. "You're doing it again."

Ena sighed and let go of Luke. "I can't just not inspect him," she complained.

"Because I love being looked at through a microscope so much," Luke grumbled, rubbing his chin. "I'm not a model, Bambi, or a living doll. I prefer to be behind a PAL than in front of a camera."

Luna frowned. "Hey."

Luke made a production of rolling his eyes. "Unless my baby sister wants to take photos of me which no one will ever see."

Luna beamed, satisfied.

Ena shrugged, crossing her arms. "Well, you're fairly attractive, Luke, so don't sell yourself short. Many people would kill to look as handsome as you."

"Oh yeah?" Luke tugged at Ena's hair as he snickered, "Is that your way of saying you think I'm a handsome piece of meat, Bambi?"

Ena chuckled as she brushed his hand away. "You are handsome, but I don't know about the 'meat' part. I'm not too keen to devour you. I'd chew you up and spit you out."

"And maybe that's what I want," Luke jested. "A handful of a lady who can put me in my place."

"Darling, you're barking up the wrong tree." Ena patted his cheek as she passed him to sit back down. "But don't let that stop you from trying. In fact, please keep trying. Be my admirer and spend your money on me."

Luke snorted as he plopped back into his seat and reached for his drink. "No thanks." He nodded at Bleu. "Are we still leaving at nine?"

Bleu checked his watch. "Yeah. We should finish up eating and start heading over. Ekho said the place is already packed." He looked at Peter with a questioning stare.

Peter nodded.

Bleu looked down at Luna and murmured, "Make sure you bring your own water bottle and that straw I bought you. Not saying it will happen, but let's not take the chance someone spiked the drinks or put some happy pills in the food."

"I know. Luke and E told me all that." Luna rubbed her hands together. "This is just so exciting to me!"

Bleu smiled. "I know. Just make sure you stay close to me or anyone here, all right? The house is going to be full of people you don't know—"

"I know." Luna rubbed Bleu's arm. "Don't worry. I don't plan to wander off. But I might just cling to you."

Bleu hummed as he craned down for his forehead to touch hers. "Sounds perfect to me." He kissed the bridge of her nose and Luna smiled.

Peter's eyes bounced from Luna and Bleu then back to Mary Jane. "Well, he told me they were still working things out, so I guess they have?"

"Work in progress," Mary Jane told him. Lowering her voice, she asked, "And you're sure this party will be safe?"

"Bane's dad hires security guards for every party," Peter explained. "It'll be okay. Are you sure you want to go? I don't want to force you and the last party we went to didn't end up well."

Mary Jane grimaced. "No, I want to go," she promised. "Just don't let me run away this time."

"If you do, I'll be the one to chase after you," Peter vowed. "Don't think I'm letting you slip through my fingers so easily, Sweets. You're mine."

"Good." Mary Jane passed him a teasing smirk. "Just how I like it."

Bleu cleared his throat to get everyone's attention. "Okay, everyone, finish up because we have a drive ahead of us. Luke, Silver, Ena, Treasure—you're with me." He winked at Peter and Mary Jane. "Gives the lovebirds some alone time."

Peter hollered back, "Like you aren't thinking it either."

"Oh, I am." Bleu chuckled when Luna blushed. "But we have time." He shot Ena and Silver a curious look. "Are you guys together or separate? Not like it matters, but we have a party system to help keep everyone from not accidentally kissing with someone taken at midnight."

Ena frowned and looked over at Luke. "I don't want to tie you down."

Luke shook his head. "I told you, Bambi, you wouldn't be."

"What?" Luna looked between her brother and best friend in confusion. "She wouldn't be what? What are you guys talking about?"

"I was going to stay close to Luke and kiss him at midnight," Ena said like she was talking about a dog she saw on the street. "We thought it'd be easier since we know each other."

Silver gritted his teeth.

"I said I didn't mind." Luke shrugged. "And I don't. I wasn't planning on kissing someone, but it might as well be someone I know if I am."

Silver's hands clenched into fists.

"I told him I didn't want to hold him back if he met someone," Ena tried to say.

"Who am I going to meet?" Luke rebutted. "I said I don't really care. I'm not that much of a dancer, so it's not like I plan to meet someone."

"But it could happen," Ena pointed out. "I don't want to—"

"Bambi, it's fine," Luke laughed, exasperated. "I'm fine with kissing you. It's not that big a deal—"

"We're together!"

All eyes went to Silver who had furious red cheeks and looked like he wanted to take back those words. "U-Uh, I—! I-I-I mean…!" He floundered for the right phrasing. "We're not together-together or anything, but we're, um, I mean—!"

"Oh, that works perfectly!" Ena reached over to pat Silver's hand and give it a squeeze. "Yes, that's a grand idea! Thank you, Silver!" She turned back to Luke who raised an eyebrow as he witnessed Silver staring at his hand as though it had all the answers. Ena whispered, "Paige and him are in a rough spot, so it's a great opportunity for me to cheer him up and you can meet someone."

Luke slowly drew his eyes back to Ena. "You sure? I don't mind being your date, Bambi."

But Ena waved it off. "Yeah, I'm sure. Go meet someone." When Luke wanted to protest, she grabbed his hand and shut him down to say, "You are smart, well-rounded, and attractive. You've been studying too much. Go relax and have fun. Unwind, for Heaven's sakes."

Luke blinked before he chortled. "Ironic words coming from a fellow workaholic." But at Ena's stern look, he sighed. "Fine. I'll try to relax." He squeezed her hand. "Maybe I should start calling you 'The Duchess' for all this bossiness you have."

Ena smirked as she drew back her hand. "Do that and you'll see my blade. If it's a fight you want, I won't back down." She turned back to Bleu. "Silver and I will be together. Luke will be single."

"That sounds like a threat when you say it like that," Luke muttered. "A death threat or a bad omen."

Luna clapped her hands excitedly. "Oooh! Finally! Luke might find a girlfriend!"

"He might interact with the opposite gender," floated Mary Jane's tease before she sipped her drink.

Luke blushed and hotly defended himself, "I see girls all the time!"

"Dating sim girls don't count," Ena muttered.

Luke felt like an arrow shot through his chest and recovered quickly with a retort, "I wasn't talking about dating sims—!"

"Girls in your manga stash don't count," Luna pointed out dryly.

Mary Jane added, "And neither do v-tubers or those vocaloids either. And especially no body pillows."

Luke was nearly down for the count as Peter and Bleu collectively thought, I think they killed him.

"You hang out with guild girls all the time and they don't count because they're practically family," Luna reasoned. "You're finally going to dance with women! Oh, Igneel would be so proud!"

Mary Jane snorted. "Igneel would be talking up Luke to every single girl and embarrassing him." Mischief danced in her eyes as she looked at Luna then Ena who both grinned.

Luke saw this and groaned. "A little help?" he pleaded to Bleu and Peter.

Bleu snickered. "Sorry, dude. You're on your own. Your sister has me wrapped around her finger."

Peter took mercy on Luke and looked at Mary Jane. "Sweets," he said gently, "maybe you shouldn't do…" But his words trailed off when Mary Jane whispered in his ear. Several times he interjected, but the moment his breathing went labored and his eyes dilated, he cleared his throat and pressed his hands together in prayer. Calmly, he told Luke, "I've been touched by a higher power. They've told me I'm to stay silent on such a matter."

Bleu, Luna, and Ena laughed as Luke gawked. He was so easily swayed!

After a few more minutes, everyone finished up their food and made sure to clean up. Luke and Luna swept around the entire house before locking it up. As everyone went to the cars, Bleu called to Mary Jane and Peter, "Janie, don't do anything to my dude that makes him crash his car!"

Mary Jane tittered while Peter turned red and cursed, "Dammit, Bleu, stop thinking dirty!"

Bleu escorted Luna to her side of the car and helped her into the passenger's seat while Luke, Ena, and Silver took the backseat. Once she was seated, he closed his door and went to his side to get in and start the car. He looked over at Luna. "You ready?"

Luna nodded. "I am."

"All right then." Bleu tapped the touchscreen and started to play an R&B/Soul song. "Then let's go."

Peter watched as Bleu began his drive before he followed after him. He glanced over at Mary Jane who was humming along to the song on the radio. "So, uh… Did you really mean all that?" He stiffened when he felt Mary Jane's hand glide over his thigh.

"What do you think?" Mary Jane asked in light teasing.

Peter shuttered a breath as his hands tightened on the steering wheel. "I think I'm going to crash this car."

Mary Jane threw back her head and laughed as Peter forcibly cranked up the music.

The city itself had a commercial district with houses a little close together but not by much. The bars would stay open with a last call at one-thirty, but the restaurants and stores had all locked up for the evening. The streets had been paved off and Guard cars were out to police any drunk drivers and speedy party crashers. Parties differed from house to house with cars filling up driveways and streets. Some parties were for the adults as the LV played the LCB broadcast as people sipped their wine and beer over conversation and cigars. Other parties were for those with smaller children or unable relatives and friends and they stayed in as they began to settle for bed. The youth had

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

« This is North Bluemink, a city in eastern Fiore. The North Bluemink High School boys' volleyball team—the Bluemink Owls—is ranked first in Fiore and is the pride and joy of North Bluemink! »

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

The party was held in a development with larger houses and even larger backyards. Most were North Bluemink students, but some did come from neighboring schools. Either way, it did not matter and everyone enjoyed it. A majority of the party was held in the luxurious basement with its own bar and pool table and ping pong table. The main level was heavy in fumes from weed and nicotine as people vibed on couches and some were roped in the darker corners of the house for sloppy make-outs and dirty words. Upstairs had been locked for the night and no one would be wandering to the second floor for anything risqué.

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

Percocets (Ya), molly, Percocets (Percocets)

Percocets (Ya), molly, Percocets (Percocets)

Rep the set (Yee), gotta rep the set (Gang, gang)

Chase a check (Chase it), never chase a bitch (Don't chase no bitches)

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

The lazy hip-hop/rap song called for shots and some casual grinding. The hair was thick with sweat, liquor, and that twinge of weed, but that was normal. Kat could not dance for her life, but Miles guided his girlfriend through the movements. Julia and Dash were playing a game of pool with two other guys, though Dash used the old trick of let-me-show-you-how-its-done as he leaned against her and helped her with her pool stick. Dante had yet to make an appearance.

Gale kept his head cool with a light beer, but he dismissed any offers of a joint. Instead, he settled on a conversation with the more sober members of this party as he claimed a spot on an accent chair. Several times, girls and a few bold guys had approached him for dances and a few rounds of games. He had joined in on a pool game and a game of Blackjack, but he resigned himself to the chair otherwise. He smirked and shook his head when he saw one of the guys near Julia had come to approach her the moment Dash had left her. Julia fed the boy an indulgent smile, but whatever she had said had the boy pale and back off.

Yeah, you tell 'em, Lady J. Gale chuckled into his next sip. He swept his stare across the way before he leaned back and closed his eyes. Man, this week—this year—has been killer. He sighed. Not like training has been any easier this past week. I'm pretty sure Uncle Natsu is flexing to get back at me. No doubt about that. And above all else…

Wide chocolate eyes.

Gale sighed again as he brought his bottle to his lips. It's like a blessing and a curse getting to see her two hours a day. Those two hours go fast, even with the babysitter brigade. It's fucking torture, but the best kind of torture. How messed up is that? I can't wait to see her, but I dread it at the same time. And the second I'm near here, I get all nervous and shit about watching my words and touching her. Christ. The Hell did I become such a bitch boy? Though he could not help the lazy grin as his mind conjured up an image of Luna, cheeks flushed and lashes low. Yeah. Her.

And that grin slipped away as he remembered her tears. And I fucked it up.

A poisoned smirk. "Well, well… You're a hard guy to track down."

Gale's jaw clenched. Shit. "Not to sound rude but leave me alone. I'll even add on please if it gets you to go away." His eyes peeled open to see her. The same girl from that party. The same girl that he forsook his Truth to. The Wild stirred, teeth gleaming, agitated at this unwanted presence.

But she gave a light laugh as she crossed her arms and bolstered her chest. She had worn a low-cut shirt and a skirt with thigh-high boots to the party and she was making every asset she had count for it. "Don't tell me Mister Philosophical is a one night only kind of guy? The way you were going, it seems like a second time was on your mind."

Gale clenched his beer bottle. "I learned to respect women, so I'll say this again nicely." Ruby glared into her eyes. "Step off and sink your claws into someone else. I'm not interested."

Much to his ire, she stepped closer in an attempt to go between his legs, but he shut her out quickly so she could not give him the opportunity. Annoyance flicked in her eyes at the move, but she kept persisting. "You know, it's funny how you say you weren't interested." She tapped a well-manicured finger on her cheek. "Because while you were busy thrusting, you said a very interesting name." Her smirk broadened when Gale rose to his full height, inches above her. She did not seem bothered at the anger he projected or the intensity in his eyes. "What was it again?" she mock-questioned. "It's on the tip of my tongue…"

The Wild willed him to show his Teeth of War, to growl at his mistake. But Gale held back. "That should go to show you how little you factored into the equation," he said lowly. His nostrils flared and that was when his eyes narrowed. I might've been crossed off my ass that night and my nose was jack-shit, but something about her scent… It doesn't smell right.

"True," she sighed. "But it's not like I wasn't using you and saying someone else's name." Her eyes twinkled. "Nothing wrong with using someone to get over heartbreak."

"Maybe to others. I was a weak son of a bitch to think hurting someone was worth getting my dick wet." Gale parted his lips to take in her scent. He sifted it through the haze of booze and weed and sweat and lust to find something…pristine about it. She smells…clean. Not like she took a shower or something, but it's almost…clinical. But I don't smell any blood or sickness on her, so it's not like she came out of a hospital. What the Hell is she playing at?

She clicked her tongue. "So Mister Philosophical has a catharsis." She cocked her head. "Tell me. How's your Luna doing these days? Doesn't seem like she's here with you right now, so I'm guessing your little heartbreak still goes on."

Gale knew he did not trust her from the moment she opened her mouth, but the question raised more alarms than it did strike a chord. His eyes narrowed as his hand twitched. One touch and I could figure out what game she's playing at. But touching her means she could take it as something else. But her scent… It doesn't smell right. And that question… The Wild longed to surface and inspect the all-too-calm girl before him. She smells calm. No shift in heartbeat. It's like…this was rehearsed.

A throat cleared.

Gale and the girl looked to their right to see Julia had come over to slide a hand onto Gale's shoulder and offered the girl a neutral look. "Whatever you're selling isn't something he wants," she said without an ounce of shame, "so I suggest you walk away. No means no. Hard to believe a girl would forget that."

The girl offered no protests. She merely shrugged. "Fine. I'll go." Her eyes flashed to Gale. "But in case you need me to fake being her, you just let me know." She left and disappeared into the crowd of dancers.

Julia sneered. "What the Hell is she doing here?" she wanted to know in an angry mutter. "She's supposed to be on the other side of the country. Kat told me so. From all the info she pulled on her, it doesn't seem like any of her mutuals would even be in North Blue or know anyone here."

"Isn't that strange to you?"

Julia shot Gale a questioning look. "Uh, yeah, it is. Why do you think I'm getting all huffy here?"

"No, not that." Gale tugged at Julia's arm and she followed him until they secured a spot against the wall for their heads to duck close. "I'm pissed as shit she's here, but this is all a little too convenient when you think about it," he murmured to Julia. He eyed the dancers for any sign of the girl. "Something about that chick didn't smell right."

"What do you mean?" Julia came to her own assumption. "Did you smell Magic on her?"

Gale frowned. "No, no, that wasn't it." He looked down at his beer bottle. "It wasn't Magic. She just smelled…clean," he described lamely. He saw Julia's look and scrubbed his face. "I don't know how else to describe it. I was out of my mind at that party and my nose wasn't working like it should have, but I vaguely remember her scent and what I just smelled didn't smell all the way there."

"Oh." Now Julia was perturbed. "But you didn't smell Magic?"

Gale shook his head. "No. I would've known straight out the gate if she was using some sort of Glamour or Transformation Spell," he explained. "I don't know what I'm smelling, but somethin' ain't right about her, Lady J." This doesn't make any sense. Sure, scents might get all tangled and shit, but I can normally strip it down and figure it out. But that…cleanliness about her… It's not something I've smelled on a person. "Maybe I'm just crazy."

"You know that's not the case," Julia disputed. "Your hunches normally lead to something." She rubbed out her shoulder. "We'll have to keep an eye on her. You think you'll be okay with her here?"

Gale nodded. "Yeah. I'm fine. She's got some fucking balls, but lo and behold, so do I. I'll just chill here." His eyes drifted to Dash who had Dante near him and—

Lightning struck him. Shit.

Julia watched, confused, as Gale ducked away and tried to shield his sweating face. "What's wrong with you?"

"There she is!"

Julia looked back only to brighten when she saw Carlisle bounding towards them with Dante behind him. "Carlisle!" Oh, so that's why Gale made that face.

"Hi!" Carlisle came in for a hug for Julia. "It's good to see you again!"

"Good to see you too!" Julia looked between Carlisle and Dante. "So, uh… What's going on here?"

Carlisle laughed. "Talk about dumb luck!" He tapped Dante's chest with the back of his hand. "I found this guy on Gyndr again and here I am!"

"Oh yeah?" Julia tossed Dante a grin. "No doubt Prince was trying to track you down. From what I hear, you made quite the impression on him."

Carlisle's grin turned downright smug as he prodded Dante. "Did you hear that, Prince? Did ya, did ya, did ya? I made quite the impression on you."

Dante sighed even if his eyes were shining. "I heard." His eyes caught Gale trying to creep up away and he cocked his head. "Not joining the party, Gale? That's unlike you. Everything okay?"

Gale pressed a finger to his mouth in a desperate attempt to shut Dante up, but Carlisle perked, eyes sparkling, as he said, "Gale's here?" But he gaped when he saw Gale and charged over to him. "Oh, there's the Beast!" He dove for the Earth Dragon Slayer who looked both disgusted and panicked. "Come to me, sweet papa—Gah!"

Dante did not even have to try as he held Carlisle back by his shirt. But Carlisle made a valiant attempt to run to Gale. "Come on, Gale, don't be shy! Cry on my shoulder!"

Gale's eyebrow twitched and he growled darkly, "I'll give you something to cry about, you motherfu—!" But he frittered the words away with a forced grin the moment Dante caught him with his stoic eyes. "Thanks for the offer, but I'm fine," he gritted out.

Dash murmured to Julia, "That sounded painful."

"Yeah, well, no one messes with the Prince," Julia murmured back.

Once Carlisle was calm down, he crossed his arms and asked cheekily, "So how do you feel that my cousin is probably making out with your Beauty right about now?"

Lightning struck Gale.

Dash and Julia's eyes widened. Shit, he's going to freak.

Gale took one look into Dante's eyes and forced out a breath. In the calmest voice he could muster (which still sounded gritty and terrifying), he told Carlisle, "I'm doing just perfect, Carlisle, thank you for asking."

But Carlisle was long from letting the subject drop as he poked Gale's cheek and chest with a smug little grin and goaded, "Aww, no need to be all pouty, Beast, that your Beauty ran off with Gaston in the end! It's not like you to be so chill about this sort of thing! I'd think you'd be thinking of all the ways to murder my cousin and try and steal your Beauty away into your tower! That's what you're thinking, isn't it? Isn't it?"

The grin on Gale's face was jagged and his eyes spelled murder as a tick mark twitched on his temple. "I think I want to murder someone other than your cousin right now if you keep puttin' those hands on me, Carlisle."

"You've tormented him enough, Lips," Dante sighed, reigning back Carlisle before Gale could strangle him.

Dash and Julia both had question marks going off around them. 'Lips?'

Carlisle huffed. "Fine…" He added in a mutter under this breath, "Prince buzzkill."

Dante raised an eyebrow to which Carlisle offered him an innocent beam. Sighing, he pulled a look of apology towards Gale. "Please forgive him. He's a little energetic tonight and that's my fault. The five seconds I'm not watching him, I find out he's taken two addies behind my back." A note of disapproval swept through his words as he pinned an accusing stare on Carlisle then went to Dash who sweated and look away.

Carlisle pouted. "What…? I was just trying to meet people and I met people and they were nice enough to share their drugs! Not like they made me pay for them."

"I think they made it clear what they wanted in return," Dante said dryly, tiredly. He narrowed his eyes at Dash.

Dash cleared his throat. "If you guys would excuse me…" A scowl crossed his face as he cut through the dancers.

Gale pointed between Dante and Carlisle. "So am I to expect more of this in the future?" He eyed Carlisle who suddenly began to chat with a girl with light-up shoes. "Because if he's going to be this geeked up and pissing me off, I'm going to need several drinks and a week's notice before I see him again."

"We're not dating," Dante cleared up. "Just…talking."

Gale pitched up an eyebrow. "If that's what you kids want to call it," he drawled. "I'll try not to murder him as long as you keep him on a short leash. I'm talking middle finger short. I don't need another reminder of how fucked up my life is."

"He has a mind of his own," Dante chuckled. Sighing out his laughter, he stuck his hands in his front pockets and nodded at Gale. "Take it things aren't looking that great with Luna? Sucks." His eyes glittered in amusement. "Not too late to join the dark side."

Gale snorted. "Prince, I'm flattered, but I'm good. Twinks aren't my thing."

"Doesn't have to be a twink." Dante nodded over at Carlisle who had, for some reason, rolled up his sleeve to show his well-defined arm to a few awestruck girls and flexed it to show veins protrude. "He's not one and I'm not."

"I prefer boobs," Gale deadpanned. "How about that? Boobs on a woman."

Dante snickered. "Suit yourself." He slapped Gale's back. "Just try not to do anything you'll regret," he offered in serious advice. "I don't understand all the stuff you guys have going on, but you did seem to really care about her."

"I do," Gale unconsciously corrected.

"Then, you better make sure you do what it takes to get back to a place where you can show her that," Dante counseled. "The world isn't ending. Life just sucks right now. It's fine to be down about these things. But don't let it lead you towards stuff you regret."

Gale toothily grinned. "Whatever you say, My Liege."

"Don't fucking start, man." Dante punched Gale's chest when the Earth Mage laughed. "Do me a favor and stay out of Purgatory too. Don't even think about coming down there. I'll know."

Now Gale scowled. "Dude, the fuck?"

"You don't need to fight," Dante countered. "Not there. Not anymore. Your fight's above ground, not there. Like I said, I'll find out if you dropped by for a match and so will Jax." His lips twitched. "I guess being the Prince has its perks." And he left Gale at that to see Carlisle had caught quite the mini fan club of women and a few guys.

"Wow, you're just so nice!" one girl tittered to Carlisle. "You have the most amazing smile!"

"Really?" Carlisle scratched his cheek as his smile widened. "Well, thanks! But my smile pales in comparison to yours! It's so bright and beautiful!"

That line alone made all the girls swoon. He's Prince Charming!

"And your eyes are so beautiful too!" another girl enthused. "They're so hypnotic!"

"Thanks, but my eyes are nothing special," Carlisle passed off with a laugh. He winked at her. "But your eyes on the other hand are one of a kind!"

Again, the girls swooned. He's Prince Charming!

"Can I get you anything to drink?" a different girl offered.

"Yeah!" her friend chimed in. "And anything to eat?"

Carlisle beamed. "Aww, you guys are too nice to me! It makes me feel special! I could eat!" But he stilled when a heavy hand fell on his shoulder. He did not even have to look to know Dante was the one who held him and he shot his entourage and apologetic wave. "A-Actually, I think I'm okay. But you guys should definitely enjoy yourselves!"

The girls pouted and voiced their displeasure, but with one look at Dante, they dispersed.

Carlisle sweated when dark aura enshrouded Dante said calmly, "I leave you alone again and already you have a fan club, Lips. You are such a pretty boy."

"Hey now, no need to be rude!" Carlisle pouted. But his smile cringed when he saw Dante's dark look. He tried to back away. "I'll go find some drinks—"

But the words were gone when Dante dragged him away. "You're coming with me, Lips," Dante ordered. "And try not to pick any strays along the way." He shook his head. "Pretty boys like you piss me off."

"Hey...!" Carlisle whined. "Now you're just being mean to me!"

Meanwhile, Gale growled as Julia came to his side. "You know, I'm starting to get the feeling our resident lone wolf and our resident Prince know way too much about me." Ruby accused ocean. "Someone's putting me on blast."

"Someone has your best interest at heart," Julia countered, squeezing his shoulder. "You're hurting, Gale. We're just trying to make sure you heal in the right way." When Gale rolled his eyes, she clicked his tongue. "Well, while you continue to sulk and brood in your chair, I'm going to hit the bathroom. Try not to do anything too stupid without me watching after you." She knew Gale had made a face, but she left him alone regardless. She shouldered her way past people with some smiles and helloes thrown out here and there and she was set to go to the hallway when she noticed two people were preoccupying it.

Her eyes widened and she stayed out of sight. No… No, he wouldn't…

Julia peeked into the hallway again. Cane was there, leaning casually against the wall and bored out of his mind. A taller girl with honey topaz skin and a face a-flurry with freckles stood before him with her hair in lengthy braids and her face in a pinch. Frustration visibly wrote on her face as she gritted something to him, but Cane did not look interested in anything she had to say.

That's Cassie, Miles' ex. Julia's brow furrowed as she watched Cassie huff and look at her L-watch before muttering something. Why is she hanging out with Cane? What's going on here?

"What's going on here?"

Julia could have jumped out of her skin and she thanked every deity out there she did not make a lick of noise as she whipped her head to glare at a curious Dash. "Give a girl some warning before you speed over like a vampire," she groused. "And it's nothing." Nothing I can explain anyway. "Get everything worked out? I thought you weren't dealing anymore."

"I'm not," Dash insisted. "But doesn't mean I don't know the dicks trying to sniff on my old stomping grounds." He sweatdropped as he remembered Dante's stare, though, in his mind, the stare looked more menacing and lethal. And if Dante's playboy gets anything else in the hopes of a blowjob, I don't think I'll ever feel a blowjob ever again. He shook off the thought and nodded to the hallway. "So what are we staring at?"

Julia glanced over her shoulder to frown when she saw no one in the hallway. "Nothing," she said slowly. She swiveled her stare back to Dash to flash him a pretty smile. "But I know what we're doing."

"Oh?" Dash tilted his head as a grin tugged his lips. "And what's that, Peaches?"

Julia brushed his jaw with a few delicate fingers. "I am going upstairs to freshen up," she told him in a husky murmur, "but the second I'm back downstairs, why don't we take a shot, dance for a little bit, and see what happens?"

"Mmm, I do like that idea," Dash agreed, biting his lip. He took a step back to nudge her towards the stairs. "Go do your thing. I'll be down here." His eyes caught something over his shoulder and he grimaced. "And you better hurry. Gale looks like he's about to strangle someone again."

Julia heavily rolled her eyes. "When doesn't he?" She pecked his cheek. "I'll be back in a flash."

"Oh, god, no, don't start!" Dash begged of her as she laughed and stepped away.

Julia took a few steps up the stairs, but she managed a slow glance over at the party that would not stop. I can't see Cane or Cassie anywhere. She tossed the thought of those two away as she made her way upstairs. Maybe it was nothing and I'm just trying to start trouble.

But her gut told her the trouble was just getting started.

Nashi giggled as Gary carried her downstairs, her dressed in a shirt of his and him only in shorts. "You're going to have to put me down eventually!" she told him.

"I will. Right…here." Gary had come into the kitchen and set her down on the island only to plant his hands on either side of her and bring her in for a deep kiss.

Nashi threw her arms around him as a humming laugh escaped her and had her pull away. But she openly laughed when Gary mouthed kisses onto her skin. "Gary…! I told you I'm hungry and don't you dare say you're hungry for me," she warned him in good humor.

Gary gave her a dramatic sigh as he pulled his face away. "Fine. I'll get Angel fed," he supposed.

"Well, thank you, Master, for doing such a task for me," Nashi purred in teasing, enjoying the way Gary's eyes darkened. She pressed a hand on his chest when he surged towards her and clicked her tongue. "Ah-ah! Feed me!"

"And what do you say?"Gary pressed.

Nashi beamed sweetly. "Please feed me, Master?" She squealed when Gary pressed a firm kiss into her neck and teethed her skin.

"Good girl." He pulled back to look into her eyes. "Do you want to help me cook or do you want to wait? I know you said you're not sore, but…"

"I can help," Nashi promised. "I want to help. You always cooked when we were at your place. I want to help." She smiled when Gary helped her down to the floor only to gasp when he squeezed her rear. "I think you're getting a little too confident with me."

"I only have Angel for a few days." Gary backed her into the counter for a knee-buckling kiss. "Forgive me for not wanting to stop touching you." He let her go and could not get enough of her flushed cheeks and the way her eyes darkened.

A drawl crashed over their intimate moment. "Well, stop touching her in the damn kitchen where we are all going to be eating."

Gary chuckled as Nashi whirled around, mortified, to see Býleistr leaning against the kitchen entryway. Nashi cleared her throat only for her breath to be stolen again when Gary pressed into her with his hands planted on either side of her to cut off her escape. "H-How-How…? How much did you hear?" she asked, fearing the answer.

Býleistr lifted an eyebrow before his eyes went to Gary, amused. "I'm impressed you got her to scream that loudly and she wasn't even pissed off."

Nashi worked her mouth, but the horror stopped her from speaking. Gary kissed her cheek and said to Býleistr, "I know I can get her to go even louder."

"Okay, that's enough of that," Nashi nervously laughed as she tried to wriggle away. "I didn't just come up here for sex."

"Oh, of course not," Býleistr drawled with a grin. "You two just decided to start rutting like Taurus within a minute of seeing each other for no reason. Got it."

Nashi glared at him. "You know you can leave."

"You think I don't want to?" Býleistr transformed into a cat as he came over and leapt onto the island. "As much as I hate it, you're stuck with me until the end of this trip, remember? I'm here to be a lazy house-cat, but cats still have sensitive ears, Princess." His nose wrinkled and he sneezed. "And sensitive noses. Ugh. Moon Spirit, you smell sweaty and mated. Gross."

Nashi gaped. "But we showered!"

Býleistr flicked his tail. "You should know showers don't take that sex scent away," he groused. "Look, I don't care how often you both feel the need to bone, but just don't do it in the kitchen, okay? Eventually, I will come in here to get something."

Nashi's eye twitched. "'Bone'?"

"We'll make sure we don't do it in areas we might share," Gary promised. "Excuse my bad manners. I just want to make every second count."

Wild oranges softened as Býleistr snorted. "I hear ya, Wolverine, I hear ya." He nodded over to the oven. "Why don't you two run along? I can cook."

"'Bone'?" Nashi questioned again.

Gary raised his eyebrows at the Leo Minor Spirit. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah." Býleistr purred his amusement. "Princess over here ain't the best cook, so you're welcome in advance from saving your house from a burned kitchen. We watched a lot of YouView cooking channels and it isn't that hard. So go on. Have your fun. I'll call you when it's done."

"'Bone'?!"

"I think we'll take you up on that," Gary decided. "Thank you, Býleistr." Without preamble, he pulled away to pull Nashi out of the kitchen. "Come on, Angel. Let's go outside."

Nashi snapped out of her daze Býleistr had actually said the word "bone" to gape at him. "I need my winter gear!"

"Not for this," Gary countered. "I'm going to use my immunity spell on you."

"Oh." Nashi frowned. "But won't it be less effective after a while?"

"It will." Gary paused them at the back door. "But since I won't see you for weeks afterwards and probably won't use this spell on you for a while, the after-effects will have worn off the next time I use it. Are you ready?"

Nashi nodded. "Yeah."

"Good." Gary coddled her cheeks with his hands before bringing his head down "Hiemo," whispered he right before he pressed his lips to hers.

Nashi did not know what she was moaning from. From Gary's possessive kiss or the electric feeling that had her toes curl when she felt his Ice Magic flood her body from the inside out. Her Magic vibrated, but it was not out of protection. She knew this spell. She knew him. But her Magic made room and she felt that iciness she had craved wind around her tight and fill her until she was well and accommodated to its chill. All that was left then was the after-buzz that had her stagger and Gary had to catch her.

"What the…?" Nashi held onto him as she tried and failed to right herself. "Your spell never did that to me before…" Shaking away the dizziness, she looked up at him and asked, "What was…?" But the words died when she caught darkened cerulean freezing her in a haze of lust. "G-Gary," she tried weakly. "Outside?"

Gary closed his eyes and gave a deep breath. "Angel," he said tightly, "never kiss anyone like that outside of me."

Nashi blinked. "What? Oh! Of course I wouldn't," and then she tacked on purposefully, "Master."

"The things Angel does to me," Gary groaned. He opened his eyes and the lust had been partially chased away from clarity. "Hang onto me, Angel, okay. I've got you." Once Nashi nodded, Gary opened the door and took them outside. Darkness had spread even thicker with stars planted in the sky already. The snowy backyard had been accustomed with floating Lacrima that lit the way for those who dared to step outside. He smiled when Nashi's lips parted in surprised and wonder as she observed everything around her. "I know there's no grass, but do you like it?"

"It… It looks like from my dream."

Gary blinked. "Your dream?"

Nashi nodded. "Mmm-hmmm."

Gary could tell Nashi was debating within her head. "Here. Let's sit." He moved her over to a padded bench. He sat down and pulled her onto his lap and she automatically curled into him. "Now. What dream are you talking about?" He noted her hesitation and soothed, "Angel… I'm not here to judge. I'm here to listen."

Nashi breathed out. "I… I think it was a dream. Or, well, it was a memory. I think…we were connected when I was unconscious on Morozko," she tried to explain. "I don't know what it was, but it was something. I could see through your eyes when you were younger." She paused, afraid to say more.

"Go on," Gary encouraged, timbre gentle.

Nashi swallowed. "I started seeing the memory when you and your dad and Linus and Mister Vastia came here when you were young. I think the memory was…

"Was when Skade emerged?" Gary finished for her. He chuckled when Nashi hid her face into his neck. "No need to hide, Angel. I'm not angry."

She paused. "You're not?"

"No." Gary rubbed her legs. "And, if you want to, I can tell you what happened."

"I don't want to force you—"

"Angel," Gary stopped her. "I want to tell you more about me."

Nashi blinked and lowered her head, letting her hand fall to his chest. She ended up whispering, "What happened?"

"Well…" Gary drew in a breath. "It wasn't until late at night when Skade came to life. I was young and stupid. Miss Ur's late parents and Miss Ur collected rare ice from around the world and displayed it here in the backyard. I was drawn to the Cursed Ice, but I never understood why. My dad kept telling me to stay away from it, but I just felt such a pull. Every time I was near it, I started hearing this voice."

"Skade's voice," Nashi assumed.

Gary nodded. "Yes. I just didn't know it at the time. The pull to the ice was strong and Skade was trying to ask me to touch it. He was the literal Shoulder Devil." The pair shared a light laugh before he continued. "He kept me up at night so much that I couldn't take it. I snuck out and…and I touched the ice."

"And Skade came out."

"He did." Gary took a moment. "Neither one of us was ready for it, though, no matter how much Skade wanted to be free. He had been asleep for most of my life, so he didn't react well to being outside. He couldn't understand it. When my dad came out and Uncle Lyon, he couldn't recognize them as family. All he knew was my dad was the one who wanted him to stay asleep—or so he thought at the time."

Nashi hummed. "Is that why he ran to Adélie?"

"He never meant to come into contact with more humans," Gary explained. "He was searching for answers and he was confused. When he came to Adélie, it wasn't like the natives were that afraid of him. They thought he was an angry Spirit, but the more that came around to crowd him, the more he started getting nervous and unstable. His powers started lashing out and that's how the Polar Calamity started."

"And that's when…"—Nashi moved to see his face—"you were taken away."

Gary gave a singular nod. "Yes."

Nashi did not hesitate to bring her forehead to his jaw. "They took you away because they didn't understand," she murmured. "Because you were different."

"Yes." A neutral tone.

"And they did horrible things to you and Skade." Nashi closed her eyes as anger fed into her and sadness on his behalf. "But you escaped. You made it out alive. You're here with me." She hugged him. "I'm so happy you're here with me." Her mind flashed to the Devil boy, beaten and alone. "I won't let you be alone, you hear me?"

Cerulean widened. Angel…

"I won't leave you," Nashi whispered fiercely. "I meant what I said when I named Skade—when I named you. You're mine. I don't care that you're different. I'm different too. We're both different. We don't fit in with normal. But I don't care about that, you got that? I just care about you."

DRIP.

Nashi blinked when she felt something wet hit her skin.

DROP.

She tried to pull away, but Gary had a death grip on her as he held her tight. "Ga-Gary?"

"Please, just… Just let me hold you," he pleaded with a quiver in his tone. "Please."

Nashi softened and nestled into him. She heard his sniffles and felt his jaw tremble, but she merely closed her eyes and focused hard on feeding him the same warmth Kyler had showed her. "It's weird, you know?" she mumbled. "Us. We're weird. What that attorney said back there… It makes sense in a way. I'm half-Demon, but I have Angel blood and I have Angel souls bonded to me. And I really like a person who is a Devil. Talk about star-crossed lovers. But we also do make sense in a way too." Hickory shimmered. "You're so strong; it's amazing. You're like winter. Strong and powerful and nothing can stop you…but you do it all alone. Nature hides from you, but you don't let that affect you. At least not on the outside. But you're hurting on the inside and you feel like everything is your responsibility. You feel like…I'm your responsibility. Because you know you're different and that'll cause problems for the people you love. It's why you tried so hard to keep me from getting captured. And why you tried hard to keep everything inside."

Nashi shifted and Gary slackened his hold for her to straddle him and frame his face with her hands. She watched as tears ran down his cheeks as he gritted his teeth. No pity was in her gaze. Just tenderness and knowing. "I know it's going to take some time for both of us to say what we want to say," she murmured, "and that's okay. But all this time, I've been so lucky to have you at my side to listen and to really learn about me. And I hate you didn't have that. You felt like you had to hide."

"I'm sorry," Gary whispered.

Nashi shook her head as she brushed away his tears. "You did what you had to," she reasoned to him. "There's nothing wrong with that. But through whatever's happened to you, through whatever happens to you now, I'm going to be right here like you were to me. I'm going to listen and learn. Every problem you go through, I promise you, Gary, I'll do the hardest part with you and we'll solve it."

Her eyes pricked with her own tears as she wiped his face when he closed his eyes and bowed his head. "All this time, I thought I was lost. But you showed me what it was like to be found. You gave me someone who treats me better. And you deserve that. You've been brave for such a long time. But you've been lost. And I want you to feel found again. Someday, somewhere, somehow, I'll make you feel found."

Gary sniffled again. "You're so good, Angel," he whispered. "And I'm not. I just wish I knew what makes you think I'm so special to deserve this."

"I wish the same thing to you," Nashi told him.

"They had us do terrible things in that lab." He tamped down his cry. "They had us kill innocent p-p-p-people—"

Nashi's breath hitched, but it was not out of disgust. It was out of mourning for the innocent Gary had lost at such a young age. "I'm so sorry."

"I don't deserve anything from you." Gary fell into her chest and clung to her as his shoulders shook. "You shouldn't want me. You shouldn't give me an-an-anyth-th-thing." He nuzzled into her as his fingers dug into her shirt and a cry came out. "I'm n-n-nothing like you. I'm not good—"

"You are good," Nashi soothed and prayed her voice did not waver. "You just don't see it yet. That's okay. I don't see it yet with me either. But someday, somewhere, somehow, we're going to see it in in ourselves, okay?" She stroked his hair as he cried. "But I want you to know right here, right now, you're being found. I'm never going to let you feel that type of loneliness again. I want you around. And I want you to be treated better. I won't let you drift away."

Gary sniffled and squeezed her once before he pulled back only to tilt his head up. Watery cerulean clashed with shimmering hickory. "I just adore you," he whispered. He lifted a hand to brush her cheek. "You're just so good."

Nashi offered him a sad smile. "I'm not, though. At least, not in my eyes." She brought up her hand to cover his. "We'll get there," she promised. "We aren't going to fall apart because of this, okay? I'm right here." She craned her neck to kiss his brow. "Right here. Distance doesn't matter. No matter what, you'll have me."

Gary gave a sniffling laugh. "That sounds like a marriage proposal, Angel," he teased. "Careful now. I'm more than ready for that step."

"You make it hard to comfort you sometimes," Nashi sighed as she pulled back to look at his face. "But, no, let the record show that was not a marriage proposal, just in case you try to slip a ring on my finger while I'm sleeping or sign a marriage license in my name without me witnessing it. No. No marriage. Just a promise between…" She frowned when she could not find the words.

Gary softened as he took her hand and brought it to his lips to kiss her knuckles, then her fingertips, then her palm, and finally her wrist, right where her pulse was. "We can call each other 'partners'," he assured it. "It's okay, Angel. I don't need labels."

"You don't?" Nashi felt so relieved. "Are you sure?"

Gary nodded. "Labels can be nice, I guess. We can go by partners for now, though, until I'm back in Magnolia when I can take you out on proper dates. After that, if you want to call me your boyfriend, then I don't mind that title. But for now, I don't need a label. I belong to Angel. And Angel belongs to me. That's enough."

"Oh, right, this isn't a date. It's our 'honeymoon'," Nashi snarked with a playful eye-roll. When Gary chortled, she watched as their fingers folded together and asked softly, "How are you feeling?"

"Lighter," Gary confessed. "Happy I'm with you." He paused. "And a little guilty I want to steal you away."

Nashi burst into giggles. "Like I'd object to that?" She bopped his nose when he brightened. "But the Chairman would, so no ideas." Though, she grinned when he pouted at her. She opened her mouth to say more when—

Princess, Býleistr called her. Soup's on.

"And the pussycat says dinner is ready." Nashi climbed off him and snickered when Gary looked visibly put-out she would do such a thing. "Come on, Master." She held out a hand to offer him. "Let's eat. I'm hungry. You wore me out and drove me to starvation."

Gary grinned. "Obviously I'm not doing my job right if you can speak this eloquently." He took her hand, but he pulled himself up before guiding her back into the house.

"I think by the fourth orgasm, I wasn't even speaking Minstrish," Nashi said dryly as Gary opened the door and she stepped inside. "I wasn't…" Her words trailed off when she saw the lights had been turned off save for the flickers of candlelight coming from another room. "Um…" She shot Gary a puzzled look even though he was unfazed. "Býleistr?" she called. "Where are you?"

She toed across the kitchen to where the light was only to see the living room had been dressed in candles while the fireplace had been put to use with sated flames. A spread was placed on the coffee table with seafood and fish dishes and vegetarian dishes and drinks set aside.

"What's going on?" Nashi slowly questioned. "How did this…?" She shivered when Gary pressed himself against her back with his chin on her shoulder.

You didn't think you were the only one I could communicate with, did ya, Princess?

But… Nashi could not fathom this. How…?

I can't use Telepathy on anyone outside you and Miss Lucy, naturally, Býleistr supplied, and the Wolverine. You two are connected. Easier for me to set up a link. And while you were too busy freaking out over "bone", the Wolverine and I talked outside and inside. You're welcome. Enjoy yourself, Princess. And he cut off their link.

Nashi felt her body tingle when Gary pressed a kiss on her neck. "You two ganging up on me is going to bite you both in the ass," she muttered. "But I'm way too impressed to try and argue this. Should I consider this our first date?"

"Unofficial." Gary nudged her over to the coffee table. He sat first, crisscrossed, and he pulled her down into his lap. "I told you I want to enjoy every moment I have with you in any way possible. And it's New Year's Eve. We still have a lot to do."

Nashi laughed. "How can we have so much to do when I just showed up today?"

"You think I didn't have plans in the back of my mind what would happen if Angel was here?" Gary reached around her for the fork to break off a piece of salmon for her to inhale. "Now I can actually do those plans I made in my head and I promise you they won't disappoint. But we've still got some time, so I need to feed you."

"I better be burning all these calories off," Nashi muttered.

Gary hummed. "Oh, you will be. I can promise that."

Their meal was gentle and caring with teases and tender looks and laughter. Nashi had launched updates on him on all he missed and he gave her rapt attention at her every word, though he was quite shell-shocked to hear about the development between Dash and Julia and even more so with everything that happened between Gale and Luna. He gave her comfort when she hitched as she told about Igneel's leave. They fed each other between stories with Nashi nearly spitting out her drink when Gary brought up Skade's unbridled self-love session within their prison cell and her own ire when it came to Uki's accusations and she provided comfort when Gary felt downtrodden he might never make progress.

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

It was nice to just talk and just be. It didn't matter what we talked about. It just mattered that we talked. And for the first time since I've known him, it felt like I was really talking to him.

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

And after their plates were demolished and Nashi's eyes fell a little heavier thanks to the drinks and the travel, they shored up pillows and blankets as they laid together before the roaring fireplace and carried on their conversation that led to chaste kisses and lingering touches. And those lingering touches slowed conversation into longer kisses and breathless pants and the room choked with lust. But this was different. This time was not like their times before.

Gary might have been on top of her, drowning her in his affections, but tears left him when she whispered sweet nothings to him. When she whispered all the things about him she was drawn to and all the things she admired about him. She offered reassurances to him that he never knew he needed. She assured him he ought not to feel guilty for feeling like a burden. She assured him he was never at fault for her scars. She assured him she never once blamed him and never will blame him for his past sins or his future ones. She assured him she would spend her time making him feel found until he knew he was.

And that freed something inside him.

Clothes gone and nothing between them, the passion they shared was full of adoration and promise. Every inch of them was covered in the other as they took their time to relearn everything they knew about each other. There were tears shared and whispered assertions and vows in abandon, but everything was backed by the intense feeling of wanting to show the other they were found. His kisses cooled while hers burned. His touches brought iciness while hers brought flames. Hearts sliced open and raw, they were heavily intertwined when they joined together, so wound that you could not tell where he ended and she started. That incessant need to be closer, to be together—it was a feeling that grew into a basal instinct.

The deeper he went, the more she begged, that instinct drove them to such lengths that neither could see, but they could feel. Summer and winter filled the entire room as floodgates were open with no intention on stopping. There was no battle for dominance between heat and cold, light and dark. They were balanced, broken and battle-weary but full of such hope for a future. The connection they shared so deeply rooted in their souls expanded and ripped open a new level that they would question in the weeks to come. But for now, they let the connection take over as their emotions hit their peak and nothing could stop them from letting it all snap.

"G-Gary…! Ah-ha…!"

"A-A-Angel…! Nnngh!"

And they stayed like that, suspended, teetering, releasing but not letting go. Sweat kissed their skin with scratches marks welded onto his back and teeth marks alongside her breasts, but none of that matter now. They rode out the throes of their passion through shivers and muted moans until they could not give anymore.

Gary looked down a very flushed Nashi with eyes hazed in love and arousal. "I love you, Angel," he whispered.

"I care about you," Nashi whispered back, breathless. "I adore you, Gary."

Gary hummed and kissed her brow. He did not pull out of her, but, instead, he clung her to his chest as he got onto his back with her sprawled onto his front. Stroking her hair, he took a breath, body light and buzzing. "Today, right here, right now, I already feel found," he told her. "I know you want me around. I know you treat me better. And I know you'll be my anchor. I promise I'll do everything to be at least half of what you think of me."

"You're more than that," Nashi mumbled, sated and tired. "I'm happy you feel found." She let out a yawn.

Gary looked down to brush her hair from her eyes. "Tired, Angel? Do you want a nap?"

"I'm not five"—Nashi broke into a yawn and snuggled into him—"but a nap sounds nice."

Gary chuckled as he raised both hands and started to section of her hair.

Nashi fettered out a sigh. "What are you doing?"

"Braiding your hair," Gary told her as he started. "Having a drunk Sparkles puking in a bathroom constantly taught me how to braid hair to keep her from getting anything in it."

"Mmm. I'll have to thank her when I come home then." Nashi snuggled beneath his jaw. "Was this what you had in mind for today?"

"For the most part, yes," Gary murmured to her as he got to the middle portion of her braid. "But it's not over yet. You can sleep, Angel. I'll wake you up when we need to shower and get ready."

Nashi hummed again. "Is it weird I like that you're still inside me?"

"No." Gary moved his head to kiss her head. "Just let me know if you want me to pull out if you want a comfier position."

"This is good." Nashi yawned again. "What are we getting ready for?"

Gary finished the last of her braid and tugged on it for good measure. When it did not fall apart, he replied, "It's a surprise. Sleep, Angel. I've got you." He felt Nashi hum against his skin and listened as she was out like a light in only four breaths. Smiling, he stroked the curve of her back. "You made me feel found the moment you say me for me that day, Angel," he murmured to her. "You showed me love and kindness." He sighed and closed his eyes. You showed me the true kind of love. I hope I can show you the same.

Orchid State University was not necessarily a party school "per se", but OSU was well-known to have them regardless. Their sports program in volleyball, football (soccer), and rugby was what drove many to their schools and their academics with scores of connection that stretched across Ishgar and even across the pond, but the parties were notoriously legendary. Campus shut down for winter break, but that did mean places outside of campus were closed. The Encan Village was open and off-campus. Roads cleared and salted down, cars filled the voice with loud music that bounced from house to house. Guards stationed in South Orchid kept to themselves and only looked to see if any fights broke out, but, for the most part, the fraternity and sorority houses took care of their own.

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

I'm just with the crew

We ain't out here looking for boo

'Cause some nights be better with you

It's a homies only kind of mood

And tonight we on a hundred

One hundred

No drama, no baby mamas, keepin' it cute

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

The fraternity Jaxton and Tesla had visited was bumping with good music, good drinks, and good people. Ricky had enthusiastically welcomed them to the party (and fervently thanked Tesla for helping step up his game in front of all the glammed-up women who attended the party) and with the R&B/Soul song that came on that dropped to the chorus that had everyone moving their hips and crooning with the pair of heavenly sisters singing. Jaxton watched from his place against the wall as Tesla and Ricky were in the thick of it. Tesla might have brought attention to herself with her hair into passion twists and her high-rise skirt and long sleeve with her cute reindeer thigh high socks that went with her black sneaker heels, but she made sure every woman knew while Ricky might have been raised among people with little rhythm, but he had it going on.

Jaxton shook his head in amusement as he watched a few of the ladies toss Ricky interested looks as he and Tesla recreated the iconic point dance from the song. He offered raised eyebrows when Tesla caught his eye and winked. She beckoned him to join, but he only cocked his head. Rolling her eyes, she made a show of rocking herself along Ricky's front and he had to hold back his snort when Ricky looked so adorably panicked.

"She's beautiful."

Jaxton took a sip of his bottled water. "She is." He did not chance a look at the woman who was beside him. Tall was she and had a certain elegance one was born with, not forged over time. High cheekbones and those large yellow-green eyes made her pop with her plump curves. She did not intend to dress to impress with her pleather pants and a choker, but she ended up impressing everyone who looked at her anyways. "So are you."

She did not deign him a simper. "I need to talk to you."

Jaxton tensed, but he continued to watch his girlfriend as she flawlessly waved away unwanted male attention. "In person?"

She offered him a harried look in response. "That goes to show you how important this is."

Jaxton waited until Tesla caught his eye again to tap his wrist. She nodded, blew him a kiss, and kept dancing. He shifted as he screwed on the cap to his water bottle. "Fine." Short. Clipped. "Talk."

Tesla, on the other hand, laughed as she and Ricky grooved to the last part of the song were the bass dropped to another beat and had everyone shaking along. She spoke over the music to him, "See anything you like?"

"That depends." Ricky grinned at her. "You gonna tell my mama about this? She's pissed as shit I didn't want to stay home with her for New Year's Eve."

Tesla shook her head. "Go have your fun! I'm going to hit the bathroom and then try and seduce my man to show everyone here how the Selans do it!"

Ricky frowned, however. "Want me to wait for you?"

"No, it's okay!" Tesla touched Ricky's cheek when he looked uneasy. "Ricky, it's fine! I'm a black belt! I've got this!"

Ricky hesitantly nodded. "Okay, just be careful."

"Will do!" Tesla saluted him before she twirled away. After some hard "no thank you"s, one firm look when hands landed on her hips and tried to drag her against a bulge, and several apologetic smiles, she emerged from the slew of dancers. The house was large and she had to fumble through a kitchen that reeked of liquor and smoke and had a couple who cared little if anyone walked with them on their intimate moment. A bathroom was down the hall and she was quick to do her business before washing her hands.

This feels nice, she told herself. Normal. This feels normal.

As she dried her hands, she looked at herself in the mirror. She did not need that much make-up to begin with, but she did add the lip gloss that Jaxton claimed made him jealous of others who saw her mouth and did a light bit of blush, but even she could see the bags under her eyes. "I look like a raccoon," she mused. "Love to see it." With a sigh, she deemed her hands dry enough and threw away the paper towels. I need to stop thinking 'normal' will ever be part of my life. That son of a bitch is getting out of jail. I can't be 'normal' when that happens.

KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK!

"Someone's in here!" Tesla called. "Don't worry! I'm just getting out!" She opened the door to be greeted with a lioness of a woman with her golden amber eyes and kinky hair desperate to be yanked. Appreciation filtered over Tesla's stare as she stepped out. "All yours!"

"Oh, thanks, but, um…" The woman looked a little shy. "I was actually looking for you."

"Oh!" Tesla's eyebrows shot up. Is she trying to slide into my DMs or is she being friendly? "Did my boyfriend send you?"

The woman frowned. "You have a boyfriend?"

Bingo. Tesla ruefully smiled. "I do. And I love him a lot. Don't get me wrong—I very much like dominant women—but I'm taken." Her eyes rounded a little when the woman straightened and took a practiced step closer to Tesla that made her shuffle back. "But you're very beautiful," she eagerly complimented. "I'm sure you won't have a hard time finding someone available. Now, if I could just…"

"Is that guy you were dancing with your boyfriend?"

Tesla snorted. "No, that's my friend who is probably dancing with someone else. My boyfriend is tall, dark, and Selan." She chuckled when the woman lifted an eyebrow. "Hey, don't know it till you try it."

"I'll have to take your word for it," the woman said, amused. "Or…"—she took another step towards Tesla who was forced back into the bathroom—"I could show you what you're missing."

Tesla was forced back until she hit the wall. Breathing labored, she tensed when the woman closed the door behind her and trapped them both in this half-bath. The vibrations of the music playing shook the wall, but it put Tesla on higher alert. "No," Tesla refused firmly. "I'm happy where I am, thanks. Leave me alone—" The moment the woman grabbed her chin, Tesla's hand moved to slap the hand away. "And don't touch me," she snapped. "What the Hell is wrong with you?"

"It's just a shame," the woman sighed. "So young and already taken without knowing the world."

Tesla shot the woman a disbelieving look. "What I know or don't know is my business. I don't need you enlightening me." Venom dripped in her words. "Let me through. I'm asking you this nicely."

The woman hummed, flashing her pearly whites in a smirk. "No need to get hostile. It's not every day I get to meet someone so…"—golden amber dipped down then back to Tesla's face—"young and fresh."

"It's not every day assholes shove me into a bathroom and think they can scare me into saying 'yes' to their advances," Tesla retorted. "You doing it would be the first time today and that's one time too many. Let me through."

For a moment, Tesla thought the woman would not relent, but, to her surprise, the woman did. "Fine." She stepped to the side. "You don't know what you're missing."

"Well thank god for that," Tesla said dryly as she moved for the exit. But just as she did, the woman pounced. Tesla swerved and her fist connected with the woman's cheek. But the woman did not seem all that surprised. Instead, she forced Tesla to crash into the counter. Tesla jerked her knee into the woman's stomach, but the woman only grinned and tackled on Tesla's legs to spread them apart. Tesla did not hesitate for her hands to trap the woman's throat.

The woman laughed like a funny joke was told. "You're a fast one."

"Have to be against assaulters." Tesla squeezed the woman's throat for good measure. "Let me fucking go. I'm not interested."

The woman examined Tesla's face and something flashed in her eyes Tesla did not have the time nor patience to figure out. Slowly, the woman let Tesla go and raised her hands in surrender.

Tesla was slow to release her hands from the woman's neck. Keeping her eyes steadfast on her, Tesla hopped down from the counter and never turned her back on the woman as she opened the door. Before she left, she hissed, "I suggest you let yourself out before the hosts kick you out."

The woman's lips twitched. She was too at ease for Tesla's taste. "Don't worry. I don't need to be here any longer."

Tesla refused to let the conversation continue and she made sure to keep the woman in sight as she went back down the hall until a favorable distance was between them. But just as Tesla got to the edge of the hall, her knees buckled and the weight of everything befell her. Breathing tasted like blood and she rapidly blinked back any tears.

"Tessie?"

Tesla took a gulp of air and looked up to see a concerned Ricky was heading straight towards her to keep her steady. Flashing him a shaky smile, she sniffed. "Not getting any out on the dance floor?"

"That doesn't matter right now," Ricky shushed her. He checked her face. "What happened? Are you okay?"

Tesla waved him off. "I'm fine. Holidays just make me emotional. That's all."

Ricky was not convinced. "Let's get you to Jackie, okay? Maybe it's time for a swift exit."

"Ricky, please, I'm fine," Tesla insisted. "It's nothing that I couldn't handle."

"And what exactly couldn't you handle?"

Tesla closed her eyes as another presence invited themselves to the conversation. "Jaxton, I'm fine." She opened her eyes and hoped she had pushed back her unshed tears. "Someone was trying to get fresh with me. I stopped them. I'm okay." But even as she said it, she could not keep her eyes locked on him.

Jaxton stayed silent for a few moments. "We should go." He took Ricky's place and put gentle hands on Tesla's waist. "We have somewhere else to be anyways."

Ricky jerkily nodded, but he cast Tesla a worried look. "Right. I understand. I'll head out too."

"No, Ricky," Tesla stopped him. "You came out to enjoy your night."

"But not at a place that makes you feel uncomfortable and where people think it's okay to force themselves on others," Ricky disagreed. "I'm leaving."

Torn between surprised appreciation towards Ricky's gesture, guilt, and shame, Tesla gave him a wan smile. "Just be careful."

"You first," Ricky murmured back. "I'll meet you guys at Jackie's car. I need to speak with one of the guys real quick." He pivoted away—

Tesla blurted, "Ricky, wait—!"

Ricky frowned at her as though knowing she was going to stop him.

But Tesla bucked up her chin and said, "Make sure to tell them it was a woman here with yellow eyes, an afro, and a black dress."

Ricky nodded and scampered away.

Jaxton ducked his head to murmur in her ear, "Lean against me. I've got you."

Tesla did as instructed and Jaxton guided them out back into the living room and brushed past the dancers to get to a side room where bags and purses and coats had been thrown. He found their items easily and helped her into her coat before shrugging on his own and escorting them outside. Tesla offered one of the boys guarding the front door a kiss on the cheek while Jaxton and him did their handshake. They left with their car parked further up the street and the moment they were safe inside it and Jaxton turned it on to warm it up, he spoke again.

"Do you want to go home?"

Tesla gave a feeble laugh. "No. I'm fine. I handled it, Jang-ta, really." But when Jaxton's silence spoke volumes, she sighed. "We can talk about this later. I just want to go to Justin's party and have a panic attack later. I don't want to ruin this night."

"You aren't ruining anything by us going home and cuddling till midnight," Jaxton argued. "You know I'd prefer that."

Tesla snickered as she closed her eyes. "Yeah, I know."

A beat. "You don't have to force yourself into this role, baby girl." Jaxton's words with smooth and she could find solace in them. "Being normal is such an overrated idea."

"But it's the only thing keeping me grounded." Her voice turned soft, aching. "Only thing that keeps me from falling apart."

Jaxton slid his hand into hers. "I wish you didn't feel that way," he whispered, "but you do and that's okay."

Tesla snorted. "It's not." She opened her eyes to face him. "It's not—Omigod!" She flattened herself against the door with her eyes wide and panicked. "What the Hell is that doing here?!"

Jaxton's brow furrowed and he swung his glare towards his window—

His eyes narrowed to slits.

Outside the window sat a Hellhound. It bared its teeth at Jaxton, but when it looked at Tesla, it shuffled its paws and openly whined in longing.

Jaxton asked Tesla lowly, "What do you see, baby girl?"

Tesla spared him a panicked glance as she shucked down air and her eyes dragged back to the Mauthe waiting right outside the car. "Okay, funny story," she started nervously giggling. "You're going to think I'm crazy, but there's a huge black dire wolf outside the car that you can't see, but I can see it for reasons I've been wanting to explain—"

"I can see it."

Tesla snapped her eyes back onto Jaxton as she shrieked, "What?!"

Jaxton unlocked his door. "Stay here."

"No!" Tesla lurched to snag his jacket. "No, stay here! That thing is a bad omen! It means—!"

"I know what it means." Jaxton turned to meet her eyes with a firmness in them. "Let me go. I'll be right back."

Tesla gaped and her gaze flubbed between the waiting Mauthe and her boyfriend. Swallowing, she let him go.

Jaxton did not hesitate to leave the car. Tesla watched with bated breath as the Hellhound put its tail low and snarled at Jaxton. But Jaxton did not look afraid of such a beast. Or at least, Tesla thought. She could not see anything with his back turned to her.

"What is he doing?" she whispered to himself. "How the Hell can he see that thing? What the Hell is going on?"

KNOCK-KNOCK!

Tesla jumped and whipped around only to groan when she saw Ricky crouched by her window. She rolled down her window to hiss, "You nearly made my piss myself!"

Ricky's brow furrowed. "Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you." He ducked his head to see Jaxton. "I was calling to Jackie, but he's having a fun time ignoring me."

Tesla blanked. "So you can't see it?"

"See what?" Genuine confusion ran through Ricky's tone and scrunched up face. "That my friend is looking crazy?"

Tesla just shook her head. "Forget it. It's fine. What happened?"

Ricky blew out a breath. "Well, the hosts are posting two other guys in the hallways and keeping an eye out for the woman, but no one like that apparently was there." He rolled his eyes. "Code for she's one of the little frat-bunnies and they want her to stay." He gave a disgusted noise. "Thank god I'm bailing. That's just sick."

"You don't have to—"

"Yes, I do," Ricky retorted. "I'm not staying somewhere that allows crap like that to happen. I want to meet someone but not that badly."

Tesla chanced a smile as she patted his cheek. "You're a good man, Ricky. Sisters need to respect that instead of judging you for not having that cute little hood twang."

"Right?!" Ricky groaned. "Seriously! And even when they don't mind it, they get all pissed I don't like sports. I go to football games for the marching band, not for stupid people getting concussions."

Tesla sighed. "And then they call you 'gay'."

"And then they call me 'gay'," Ricky agreed in a grumble. "Stupid stereotypes. Jesus." He nodded when the driver's side opened and Jaxton came back into the car. "Everything okay, Jackie? Are you good to drive?"

"I'm fine," Jaxton confirmed. "What about you?"

Ricky shrugged. "You know I don't trust the drinks here. Had one beer in the beginning, but I stuck with water. I'm good to drive."

"Where will you go now?" Tesla asked, concerned. "Want to come to a party with us?"

"No, it's okay. I'll head to my Aunt Share's house. My cousin Jazz is staying alone since my Aunt Share and her housekeeper went on a little dinner date," Ricky explained. "I'll keep her company and let her bitch about her baby daddy."

"She's pregnant?" Tesla clapped. "Oh, well, tell her 'congratulations' for us!"

Ricky snorted. "I'll try if she doesn't try to hurt me." He clapped the car door. "You guys have a good night. Text me if you need anything." He aimed that command at Tesla. "I'll be up."

"We will," Jaxton promised. "You be safe."

"Yes, sir," Ricky promised with a grin and a salute. He leaned into the car to kiss Tesla's cheek. "Bye, baby girl." And he cackled as he darted away before Jaxton could get to him.

Tesla giggled as she buckled up. "He does that to get a rise out of you."

"Yeah." Jaxton buckled up. "I know."

And they sat there. Silence brewed between them.

"I have half a mind to be hysterical about why you can see those things," Tesla whispered. "Because that means you're a Magic Hunter."

"I'm not." Jaxton put that to bed immediately.

Tesla did not argue. "Do you know one?"

Jaxton could not lie. "I do."

"I see." Tesla knew her heart was pounding and her leg longed to bounce, but she kept herself in control. "Are you working for my father?"

Jaxton tensed. "Never."

Tesla felt herself relax. "I trust you." Meaningful words stressed on every syllable. "But this doesn't mean this is okay."

"I know," was all Jaxton could offer.

Tesla looked out her window. "So you know I'm a Magic Hunter?"

"I do."

A mirthless chuckle slipped from Tesla's lips. "Well, there goes my brilliant plan on breaking the news to you." A bitterness couched her words. "But here, you already knew everything." Her eyes slowly widened. "You already knew everything…" Her mind began to bounce from thought to thought to thought until it pieced together something she could not believe.

Another laugh choked out her as she touched her temples. "Oh my god… You would knew everything… You knew everything about me!"

Jaxton stiffened. "Tesla, wait—"

"No." Tesla shook her head. "No. No, I'm not doing this. I'm not doing this. This isn't happening."

Jaxton broke a little when he saw a tear shed. "Tián xīn—"

"Don't." Tesla let out a shaky exhale. "Don't. Just don't. We're not doing this. This isn't happening. What's going to happen is we're going to Justin's party. We're going to have a good and fun and normal time. And I'm going to get a ride from someone to go home. Alone."

Jaxton could have argued. He could snarl and demand his way or not care. But he kept himself calm and said in an even tone, "Is that what you want?"

The dam broke as Tesla bowed her head and cried, "No! What I want is for you to explain why the Hell could you freaking spy on me and think that's okay? I want you to tell me I'm just crazy for accusing you of that! I want you to be my loving dom boyfriend—not spying on my every move and reporting it back to fucking Zelda! Oh god!" She have an ugly sniffle. "Oh god, she knew it was you! She fucking knew it was you!"

"No, she didn't know."

Tesla shook her head.

"Tesla."

"What?" Tesla snapped. Anger clawed its way through the disbelief and the pain and she turned to glare at him.

"She didn't know it was me," Jaxton insisted. "She never knew."

"How the Hell am I supposed to believe that?" Tesla hissed at him. "Because you're not explaining shit to me."

Jaxton growled. "I will," he promised her. "I will. I promise."

Tesla let her rage consume her for another moment until she deflated. Emotions hurt to have. They were exhausting. She turned away from him and straightened up. "We are going to Justin's party," she said again in a low voice. "Do whatever you want. I'm having several drinks. We can talk about this in the morning. Because we have so much I didn't even realize we had to talk about."

"You're right. We do." Jaxton had to agree with her on that. "I'm—"

"Don't apologize to me until after you tell me everything tomorrow," Tesla stopped him cold. "Because I want to know exactly what you're apologizing for. And it sure as hell better not be as simple as miscommunication and trust because we are way beyond that, Selan boy. Way fucking beyond that."

Jaxton accepted that. "All right."

Tesla gave him a withering glare. "And stop fucking agreeing with me," she snapped. "It's getting on my nerves."

Jaxton's lips twitched. "Okay."

Tesla felt the threat of laughter creep into her voice as she socked his arm and growled, "I mean it. This isn't funny." But that tickle of a goggle betrayed her. "Jesus, this isn't funny and I'm about to laugh like Mista J. I'm finally going hysterical."

"Hey." Jaxton touched her hand and, when she did not shy away, he laced their fingers together. "Your reactions are fine. I know this isn't funny. I wasn't trying to make it funny. I have a lot to explain. And I will. I promise that. I know I broke your trust. That's my biggest regret. I just hope you'll listen to me before you decide."

"Well, of course I'm going to listen to you," Tesla snapped. "Are you kidding me? Yes, I need to freaking know why on Earth Land you thought being a spy on my life and then dating me and screwing my brains out seemed worth the paycheck to you." Her eyes widened. "Wait a minute. You didn't tell her I did pole dancing, did you? Why?"

Jaxton's eyebrows rose in disbelief. "Because it was irrelevant. Just like she doesn't know about The Academy."

Tesla opened her mouth, closed it, then she opened it again. "I need to get drunk. We can talk about this tomorrow because I think I'm out of my mind actually wanting to thank you for exploiting all my secrets except for that."

Jaxton let go of her hand, put the car in drive, and started to pull out from his spot. "I—"

"Nope. Uh-uh. No. No more talk about you spying on my life from god knows when," Tesla said, stern. "That is talk for tomorrow. Anything you say now better be asking me what drink I want or if I want to get naked."

Jaxton looked perplexed. "What?"

"I'm angry, Jang-ta, to the point I'm about to speak Sinnish," Tesla groused. "But I might as well take it out on the person who pissed me off. And if I can't fight you, might as well fuck you."

Jaxton slowly nodded.

Tesla crossed her arms. "I sound crazy."

Now his gaze took on a wary look. "Is that a trick question?"

Tesla snorted. "Ha. What did I just say to you?"

Jaxton was quiet as he pulled to a stop sign, checked for other cars, and kept driving. It was a long moment until he quietly said, "Three drinks is your cut off if you want to have sex later."

"Fine." Tesla huffed. "But I'm still fucking pissed. You have your work cut out for you to fuck out the anger so I don't break up with your ass after you explain everything."

Jaxton rubbed his jaw. "You know—"

"What did I just say?"

Jaxton perched an eyebrow. "You're going to get spanked tonight for this."

"Fine by me." Tesla flashed him a tight smile. "It'll be the last time you get to touch my ass for a long while since you spied on me for years. Let's be clear on that."

Jaxton opened his mouth—

Tesla glared at him.

Jaxton sighed. "I'll fuck the anger out of you."

"Look at an old dog learning new tricks," Tesla drawled, sardonic. "Too bad you couldn't learn spying on your soon-to-be-ex-girlfriend sooner."

"I—"

"Drive or talk dirty. Those are your two options, Daddy."

Three beats.

"Spread your legs."

Tesla whipped her head to him. "Excuse me?"

"That wasn't a question." Jaxton's tone came off as a hard warning.

Tesla raised an eyebrow as she asked in a haughty tone, "Really? Car play?"

"You gave me a limit on my options." Jaxton dragged his eyes to her to show a brutal heat battering in his stare. "So I'll play."

Tesla rolled her eyes, but she did as he asked. "Make it count. Tomorrow, you lose all of this."

"I could lose you at any moment." His hand drifted to the inside of her thigh and his next words sent goosebumps along her skin and a chill down her spine. "I will always make my time with you count, tián xīn. Now relax, close your eyes, and let me do just that."

The party at Bane's house was only overwhelming due to the house size. The inside was alit with red and violet lights with someone DJing and everyone there was dressed in their heels or high-tops as they passed around drinks, vape pens, and hookah. The big LV screen showcased the LBC broadcast and it looked like Jennababy was performing live with one of her more sultry songs. As inconspicuous as they were, men wearing all black lopped around with a distance from the party. Keys were dropped off the moment you stepped through the door alongside anything else you did not want to carry with you.

Luna's eyes were round with anticipation as she took everything in while Bleu helped her out of her coat. "Wow… So this is what a party looks like?"

"Not really," Bleu laughed. "Most parties wouldn't have security and wristbands."

Luna's brow furrowed. "Wristbands?"

"Yeah. Here." Bleu took her wrist and folded her wristband on it that carried a number. "It's how to keep track of people who came with someone. We have the same number. Those without wristbands are free to do what they want."

"That's…pretty smart," Luna had to give. Once Bleu was done with hers, he worked on his own. "Who thought of this?"

"Bane." Peter interjected this as he guided Mary Jane inside with their wristbands on. He shook his head and sighed, "This is more of an assurance for him that Ekho isn't hit on, but I sure as Hell don't believe that." He nudged Mary Jane. "Want to dance, Sweets?"

Mary Jane smiled. "If you insist." She took his hand, but before they could get far, she turned to murmur to Luna, "Do not under any circumstances take any dabs or joints or anything like that."

"I won't," Luna laughed. "Go!"

Mary Jane winked and let Peter follow her into the sea of people.

Luke stepped up to his little sister's side and ducked his head to tell her, "I'm going to get a drink. My Compact is still going to be on me, though, so just text me, all right? And easy on the drinking." He lifted his eyes to meet Bleu's. "Make sure you watch her. Closely."

Luna huffed, but Bleu vowed, "She's not leaving my sight." He clapped Luke's shoulder and leaned in to murmur something in his ear. Once Luke nodded and his expression look less pinched, Bleu pulled away to say, "Have fun, man."

"You guys too." Luke dipped his head to kiss Luna's cheek before he whirled around to look at Ena. Silver was shuffling his feet, fidgeting, but Ena seemed at home in this environment. "Let me know if you want to cut early—"

Ena shot him a flat look. "Stop trying to get out of socializing and go dance and flirt," she demanded. "That's an order."

Luke grinned. "Just don't fall over, Bambi." At her eye roll, he snickered. He glanced at Silver with a cocked head at the flustered Prince of the Sea. Well, that's…weird. He left the two of them with a nod and headed off to find the kitchen.

Luna headed over to Ena and squealed. "E, we're at a party!"

"I know," Ena replied, amused. "What do you want to do first? Get a drink? Dance?"

Luna thought on that. "Well…"

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

You know girls stan girlfriends over boyfriends

This is Girlz World (yeah, yeah)

So I know you better know what it is

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

Luna and Ena both brightened and squealed at the same time, "Girlz World! Ah…!"

"So we're dancing," Bleu took, laughing.

Luna eagerly nodded. "Yes, please! E, let's go!" Without preamble, she took Bleu's hand and hurried them over to the dance floor. They shouldered through the throng of people to find a decent spot. Bodies mangled and ground on each other but Luna did not care.

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

When we started out, we both were so obsessive

All over me, I was all over you

But lately, baby, you've been getting' too possessive

All over me when I'm not with you

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

Ena had to smile as Luna started singing along with some others in the crowd familiar with this pop song. Teasing, she sang along with her best friend, though she had to laugh when Bleu surprised Luna as he hugged her from behind and crooned with them.

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

Every time I'm hangin' with my girls

You're actin' like I'm hangin' with the boys (oh yeah)

We didn't have a problem in the world

Until you started makin' noise

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

Ena glanced to see Silver had joined them, but he flinched away when two people close to them invaded his personal space. Playing with his fingers, he looked almost adorable, like a lost puppy unsure what to do next. Ena leaned over to him and shouted over the music, "You need to loosen up!"

Silver jerked back at their closeness. "I-I am loose!" he defended (though he thanked the lord the lights hid his heated cheeks). "You're the uptight one!"

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

I roll with my best

And you already know

That if they ain't impressed

You're gonna have to go (yeah, yеah)

So if you're gonna press me

And treat me like a— (Uh)

Exit to the left (Yeah)

And they'll show you the door (yeah, yeah, yeah)

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

Rather than grow irate, Ena moved to take his hands. Silver panicked and shrilly cried, "Wh-Wh-What are you—?"

"Oh, would you relax?" Ena shook his hands as she began to shake to the beat. "Listen, I know you'd rather be with Paige or be anywhere else than here with me. And I know you're upset you can't be with her tonight. But you've been such a great assistant this past week! Let me return the favor, okay?"

Silver gulped and, after a deep inhale and exhale, he croaked. "O-Okay."

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

Baby, I can love you or love you not

Hope you're down with the friends I got

But if you're not, gotta cut you off

'Cause you know girls stan girlfriends over boyfriends (Girlfriends over boyfriends?

You know girls stan girlfriends over boyfriends

You know girls stan girlfriends over boyfriends

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

The crowd chanted the chorus as the energy of the entire floor increased with hands in air and bodies rocking. Bleu laughed as Luna spun around, shaking her hips, as she sang the lyrics. Peter had Mary Jane in his arms as they rocked side to side. Silver was still rigid in his movements, but he was mesmerized in the way Ena could groove and shake. Growing a little bolder, he tried to move along with her.

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

(Listen) Here's for any other guy who's gonna try me

Never gonna leave my girls, they're stickin' by me

Want this, new and shiny

Boy best treat them kindly

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

Ena weaseled him out of his shell even more as she shuffled them back and forth. Silver followed her movements as he picked up on her pace before he surprised her and even himself when he moved closer to her. While he would readily apology, Ena did not care at all and kept the pair of them dancing. Luna snorted when Bleu murmured something in ear, but she noticed Ena and Silver's dancing and had to smile. Good job, Silver.

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

If you wanna be part of my deal

You gotta know that they part of the deal

•

I roll with my best

And you already know

That if they ain't impressed

You're gonna have to go

So, if you're gonna press me

And treat me like a – (Uh)

Exit to the left

And they'll show you the door (Yeah, yeah, yeah)

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

Silver hazarded a weak smile as Ena caroled along and tentatively added his own voice to hers. She perked, delighted, and gradually, Silver felt himself relax more and more as he twirled her away. She took it and faced Luna who beamed and sang with her before they partners tore them away. Luna giggled as Bleu nuzzled her cheek while Ena guided Silver lazy two-step as the crowd surged. Someone bumped into Silver and he stumbled forward until he and Ena were face to face. Silver clammed up, but Ena refused to and placed his hands on her waist while she locked her hands behind his neck and swayed.

Nervously, Silver rocked with her, but he found himself lost when she threw back her head and hooted. She looks so carefree… She's not my boss… She's not the crazy witch… She's not my guildmate. She's not just Fernandes either. She's… He stopped himself when Ena placed a hand on her cheek, eyes gleaming.

"Having fun yet?" she called over the music.

Silver swallowed. She's… "Y-Yeah! I am!"

"Good!" Ena shouted. "We can get some drinks after this song!"

"S-S-Sure!"

Ena nodded her approval before losing herself in the music with her flushed against him.

Silver tamped down all his worry and guilt to get a firmer grip on her waist. I'll just enjoy this moment, he decided. Just stop thinking. No more running. And for the first time today, he felt completely at ease. Just live in the moment.

New Azalea might have been packed, but Justin had been planning this bash for months in advance to make sure they had procured a penthouse closest to The Square. Part of the walls were floor to ceiling windows and one could glance outside to see the masses as EMPHASIS performed their newest album with camera going off and everyone surging to sing along. Some of the partygoers took to the balcony to watch the broadcast over a smoke or a drink or some conversation, but most had stayed inside to dance to music as well as just to catch up with old friends. Most had come dressed to the nines for this party and were more than happy about the photo booth that had been rented out.

Ellie had come in a flowy romper dress with her hair down for once while Ines had gone for dress pants and a V-neck long-sleeve. Ellie was enthusiastically telling two other women about a job she had most recently done while Ines was happy enough to watch her girlfriend happy. Galileo nursed a drink and thanked an avid fan who had been taken back by Galileo's prowess during the past Grand Magic Games a year or so back. Ace had worn a dress shirt with the top buttons undone and made small talk with Amani from Lacrima Scale.

Justin was crawling through the crowd, thanking people for coming and greeting those who came late. His locks were crimped and to the side for the night and he wore a sleek blue suit with a feminine touch about it. He caught a glimpse of someone and, in his excitement, he excused himself to dart off. "Tesla!"

Tesla glanced around and gasped when Justin tackled her into a hug only to laugh. "Hi, Justin!" she greeted. "Sorry we're late!"

"Oh, honey, you are fashionably right on time," Justin teased her. "Loving the hair and loving that you're here." He gave her air kisses before letting her go. But it was then he had a moment to scan her up and down and a grin donned on his face. "Did you get some on your way here?"

Tesla laughed. "A little," she confessed. "But he's in the doghouse right now."

Justin frowned. "Oh, dear. Everything okay?"

"Once we talk tomorrow, it will be," Tesla assured. "But I came here to enjoy my night and enjoy the drinks you have here and enjoy your lovely presence."

Justin looped his arm through hers. "Then, you've come to the right place." As he led her to the bar, he asked, "So are you a party of one tonight?"

"Jaxton went to go park the car," Tesla explained. "I came up here to pregame for his arrival." She rolled her eyes. "Why are men?"

"Why men?" Justin amended in a chortle. "I've got your back. Jackie might be a guildmate, but you're part of the family now and we stan girlfriends over boyfriends."

Tesla kissed his cheek. "Thanks, Justin. That means a lot." As they got to the packed bar, she glanced around and frowned. "Where's Nashi? I was hoping to see her tonight."

"Sorry, babes, she's on a trip this eve," Justin informed her. "But she said she should be back in a few days. But, if you meet one of her parents, we're supposed to tell them she's staying with Ell-bell and me while we're doing a little vacay in New Azalea."

"Mum's the word," Tesla vowed.

Justin adopted a serious look and leaned down to murmur, "If things between you and your man are rough, just know you're more than welcome to stay with us. I know all the best gay bars."

Tesla snickered. "I might take you up on that."

"Take him up on what?"

Tesla and Justin turned to see Orochi there. Glasses on, he wore a deep purple dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up that showed his sleeves of tattoos and suspenders. Justin beamed at his roommate. "Hi, Chi-chi! Just telling Tesla here she can crash with me in New Azalea if she needs some away time from Jackie."

Orochi frowned and he turned his stare to Tesla. "Everything okay?"

"More or less," Tesla supposed. "Bit of a gray area, but we'll talk it over in the morning." She tossed him a smile. "I'm amazed you're not behind the bar."

"I was banned from it," Orochi chuffed, shaking his head in amusement. "I was told I need to socialize for once."

"Which is true," Justin cut in firmly. "You do need to socialize." His eyes rounded for a moment as an idea set off in his mind. "And here's the perfect way to do it!" He pushed Tesla into Orochi who caught her with care. "Tessie, can you play nice with Chi-chi for a bit?"

Orochi's eyes narrowed on Justin, but Tesla only bunched her brow and said confusedly, "Um, sure? That's fine."

"Brilliant!" Justin clapped his hands. "When I come back to check on you two, there better be some hardcore mingling!" He bustled away with a wiggle of his fingers and left the pair of them alone.

Tesla snorted. "Well, that was…interesting." She stepped away from Orochi only to pivot so she could stand in front of him. "I guess we're party buddies for a little bit, if you don't mind the company."

"I don't mind," Orochi assured. He crossed his arms. "Jax didn't come with you?"

Tesla sighed. "He did. I just need a minute." And she added testily, "And several drinks. Cocktails and tequila, preferably."

"How about we start with one drink?" Orochi suggested, raising a finger. "And after that, we'll see if you need another drink."

"Well that sounds—"

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

Uh uh uh (Mwah!)

Real hot girl shit

Uh uh uh (Mwah!)

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

Tesla brightened. "That sounds great after this song!"

To Orochi's surprise, Tesla grabbed his wrist, shook it free from his pocket, and ushered them both over to the dance floor where most of the partygoers had hustled over the moment they hear the beginning of the song.

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

Ah

And if the beat live, you know Lil Ju made it

•

Body-ody-ody-ody-ody-ody-ody-ody

Ody-ody-ody-ody-ody-ody-ody (Mwah)

Body-ody-ody-ody-ody-ody-ody-ody

Ody-ody-ody-ody-ody-ody-ody

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

Orochi would never admit to anyone outside of Justin that dancing made him highly anxious. He enjoyed the safety of the bar because he could trust the other bartenders and a divide was between him and a rowdy crowd—for the most part. But the dance floor had no rules about personal space and less to say about etiquette and how exactly to move and when to move. Hopeless and adorably lost, he could only stand as Tesla found Ellie and Ines and both women instantly incorporated her into their dancing.

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

Body crazy, curvy, wavy, big titties, lil' waist (Yeah, yeah, yeah)

Body crazy, curvy, wavy, big titties, lil' waist (Mwah)

Body-ody-ody-ody-ody-ody-ody-ody

Ody-ody-ody-ody-ody-ody-ody

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

Tesla saw an awkward Orochi and emerged from the couple to take his gloved hands into her naked ones. She tittered and encouraged him to bump and groove to the hip-hop song. Awkwardly, Orochi shuffled back and forth and bumbled about to earn a few giggles. He witnessed Ellie and Ines trying to help him out and mimic their moves, but he failed miserably only for all three women to burst into boisterous laughter. His smile grew as he kept going, but it was worth seeing Ellie, Ines, and Tesla fall into peals of laughter.

Jaxton had arrived at the penthouse and kept to himself with his eyes trained on Tesla. His girlfriend was twirled into Ellie and they went to and fro as they shimmied on each other before enlisting Orochi to join them. Jaxton could only cross his arms and shake his head in amusement at watching Orochi's horrible dancing.

"That your boyfriend?"

Jaxton corrected, "Girlfriend. The one in the Rudolph socks."

"Ah. She looks like fun."

Jaxton took the time to notice the man beside him. Leather jacket and a mohawk, he looked surprisingly in place with his dress shirt underneath and slacks. Freckles dusted his face in a rather blatant way and he had dulled green eyes that looked relaxed. "She is." He held out a hand. "Jaxton."

The man shook Jaxton's hand. "Calcifer. Call me 'Cal'."

Jaxton nodded, but he took note of the silver watch Cal had on his wrist. "Nice watch."

"Thanks." As if subconscious, Cal shuffled his sleeve to cover his watch. "Family heirloom from my dad." He stuffed his hands in his jacket's pockets as he watched Tesla without concealing his interest when Ellie and Ines sandwiched Orochi and Tesla between them. "Not joining in?"

Jaxton shrugged. "Not yet. I'm in the dog house."

Calcifer chuckled. "Better be careful there, man. She doesn't seem like she's the type to forgive easily."

"She can forgive," Jaxton countered, "but I don't expect her to forget." He tilted his chin only just when Tesla glanced over at him, but her eyes kept neutral. She dismissed him like that and went back to her fun with Ellie, Ines, and Orochi as the next song came on. "But we do what we can to make sure the one's we love don't slip through our fingers."

Calcifer hummed. "Sounds great in theory, but the execution is a little rough." He clapped Jaxton's shoulder. "Nice to meet you. I hope everything is okay with you and your lady.

"Thanks. Happy New Year."

Calcifer shot him a smile before heading over to the bar. Jaxton's eyes drifted to the man as his hand came up to scratch his chin, but Jaxton's eyes fell to Calcifer's wrist by accidental perusal—

—and his stare hardened.

Luke was never one for parties, but he indulged in them because Igneel liked them and he wanted to make sure Igneel did not get into an unintended fight or, worse, get into a fight because he wanted one. So it was odd for him to be at a party where he was not shadowing his brother and look out for his ticks. Instead, he looked out for his little sister and he had to chuckle seeing how wide her eyes had gotten when she tasted one of the jungle juice offered her. Bleu had her chase it down with water, but she seemed to like the jungle juice and was reaching for her glass for another sip.

Luke took a sip of his own from his cup. Thank God Mom and Dad won't be home until tomorrow afternoon. If I bring home Lu tipsy, I don't even want to think about what would happen.

"Hey, Mister Asocial."

Mary Jane had come over alone and Luke nodded at her. "Hey, Mary Jane."

Mary Jane leaned against the counter and measured him with a look. "Luke… Why are you all by yourself when there are a lot of pretty girls looking at you?"

Luke snorted into his next gulp and had to choke it down. "Wh-Wh-What?!" He glanced around to see, indeed, he had gotten some attention. Unattached, he was getting appreciative glances from those who came without dates, but he blushed and looked away the moment a red-headed teen bit his lip towards Luke suggestively. "I'm okay where I am."

Mary Jane crossed her arms. "I see what the problem is."

"That's I'm asocial," Luke quipped, sarcastic.

"No." Mary Jane's gaze softened. "I miss him too, Luke," she murmured. "I know it feels weird being here when he's…he's out there, somewhere, doing something, and we don't even know what that something is."

Luke did not hide his surprise, but it was dulled into understanding. "I do miss him," he gave her. "And it hurts he just up and left and didn't care. But, no, that's not why I'm over here." He shrugged. "It's weird I'm not looking out for him. You never went to some of the parties he went to, but when he roped me into going, I had to be his shadows whenever the ticks got worse. It's weird I don't have to do that."

"I think you shifted your keeper eyes onto Luna," Mary Jane noted, amused. "I understand." She looked over to wear Luna was trying to reach for Bleu's solo cup, but he denied her and kept urging bottled water instead. "Trust me. I get it." Soft words heard through the music. "Bleu is a great guy, but it doesn't mean I'm not keeping track of where Luna is getting her drinks and her food."

"He's doing a great job on that," Luke had to compliment.

"He is. He's making sure she doesn't leave her sight as he should." Mary Jane smiled and prompted, "Which means…"

Luke sighed. "Look, it's nice I'm here and I know I should be out there and talking to people, but I'm okay for now."

"Are you sure?" Mary Jane wanted to check.

Luke nodded. "Yeah." He jerked a thumb over to the back doors. "Think I'll head outside for a bit."

"Okay…" Mary Jane still looked worried. "Just let me know if you want to leave, okay?"

Luke snickered. "Mary Jane, I'm fine. But I will. Thanks for checking in on me."

"You know," Mary Jane blurted before Luke could walk away, "he's going to come home, right?" She noticed the way Luke's jaw tightened. "He'll come home," she reaffirmed. "He always will, Luke."

Luke did not say anything for a long moment. "How do you know that?"

"Because he would never lie to me on something like this." Mary Jane blinked when her head felt lighter than air as her heart fell heavy. "He… He told me…he would…he would come back as long as we were waiting for him…"

KRRRRRRRRRR!

A toothy grin that mouthed words.

KRRRRRRRRRR!

"Wait…for him… I'm… He said he'd come as long as I was waiting for him…" Mary Jane staggered and clutched her head. Her vision went in and out. Wait… Something doesn't feel right… There's… There's something wrong with me. Creeping clarity forecast itself. I… I'm not supposed to be doing something… I… I'm supposed to be… be what? The pain tried to rattle her, but she could feel that freedom just out of reach.

Vibrant emerald.

Igneel… Realization was cast. Something with Igneel… I… He's—… He's waiting for… The scarlet and cerulean faded as violet tried to take over. He's waiting for—

The thought was killed the moment the airiness transcended into a fierce dizziness she could not hold back. "Luke, I… I don't feel good…" Her knees buckled.

"Mary Jane!" Luke dropped his drink to hold her. His ears twitched when he picked up her racing heartbeat, but he could not scent any laced drugs on her. "What's going on? Are you sick?"

"N-No, I…" Her eyes closed as the dizzy spell intensified. Heat brushed against her skin. "I don't… I don't know…" She choked when she felt a stabbing sensation in her chest and was forced to lean into Luke. "Bathroom," she gasped. "Luke…"

"Is there a problem?"

Luke looked up to see one of the shaded men had stepped from the shadows to look between them. "My friend needs to get to a bathroom now," he commanded. "Can you get us to one?"

The shaded fellow nodded.

Luke lifted a breathless Mary Jane into his arms. "I've got you," he promised. "Hold on."

Mary Jane knew she nodded, but her head was too fuzzy. "What's wrong with me?" she whimpered. "My head…hurts…" A flare of pain bombarded her head and chest again.

The shaded fellow brought Luke to a private bathroom and let him in with a murmur he would be guarding the door and an emphasis on listening in, but Luke did not care. The second he was locked in, he laid Mary Jane down on the floor. "Do you need to throw up?" he worried. "Do you remember drinking anything funny?"

But Mary Jane could only whimper. "I don't…remember." Tears sprung in her eyes as the pain worsened. "Help me…" she pleaded. "Hurts…"

The heat that brushed against her skin filtered through her hair. For a moment, she could feel heated hands caress her body. She cracked open her eyes and in her haze of pain and dizziness, she could see emerald eyes staring at her and unruly blonde hair. "Igneel," she whispered. "Help me."

But it was not him. Luke was the one staring at her in worry and it worsened when he heard his brother's name. Oh, no… It's happening again.

The door was ripped open for a frantic Peter to enter. His eyes sought his girlfriend. "Sweets!" He got on the floor to hold her against him. "Oh god, are you okay?"

Mary Jane closed her eyes. The tension streamed into her body dissipated the moment Peter touched her. "I'm… I'm fine." She opened her eyes for scarlet-cerulean to clash with concerned gold. Rubbing her temple, she hashed out a smile for him albeit weak. "Sorry. I guess I was feeling faint."

Peter kissed her forehead. "Maybe we should go back to your house—"

"Peter, no." Her sternness came back. "I want to kiss my boyfriend at midnight. I'll just take it easy on the dancing, okay?"

Peter frowned. "Are you sure?"

"Positive," Mary Jane promised.

Luke could sense an intimate moment was about to happen so he stood up. "I'll leave you guys alone then." He walked out—

"Luke."

He paused and looked over his shoulder.

Mary Jane gave him a smile full of gratitude. "Thank you."

Luke swallowed, nodded, and rushed away. He made it down the hall and back into the party scene, but he was not in the mood for another drink. He needed out. He needed air. He headed straight for the sliding back doors and he let himself out. Sure, partygoers were out there, smoking, giggling, and finding a shaded corner for other activities, but he jetted down the steps. A children's little playground had been free of snow and desolate of anyone else, so Luke took the first swing he could get his hands on and sat down.

Dammit, Igneel. Luke held his head in his hands. You shouldn't have left. You should have stayed. Now Mary Jane—. He stopped himself with a ragged sigh and rubbed his face. "It's not even worth me thinking about it now." He pulled out his Compact to check the time.

11:29 PM FST

He deposited his Compact back into his jacket. "Half an hour to the new year," he breathed into the wind. "Let's just hope this new year has a lot less surprises and battles than this one." He stood up, prepared to go inside, when…

…he paused.

His brow furrowed as he looked before him. The forest hit the property a ways away and there was a guest house that looked empty to the naked eye, but he could not see anything that would alarm him. He took a deep breath and could taste winter, the faint scents of sweat and arousal, and he picked on some stale individual scents. Nothing smells off or anything, but… Something feels off. His eyes glowed with Magic and he could see the vīrya of two young souls in lust who had broken into the guest house and he saw fading trails, but, again, his search warranted nothing. I can't see anything either.

Luke sighed again. "Maybe that drink is stronger than I thought. I'll get some water." He backed away from the swing and turned to go back to the house.

But the moment he was safely inside, a cloud of disembodied frost was puffed out just feet from where he had once stood.

Veronika was in bed with the LBC Broadcast on her LV and Ivan and Lisa-Jane tucked into either side of hers, dead to the world. EMPHASIS was set to perform and they were giving introductions that had the crowd going wild, even if that wildness was dulled with the volume low. Miss Chelsea had retired for the evening, so it left Veronika to her book as she rubbed Ivan's back. The family Schnauzer laid on his side while the cat had tucked into the dog's stomach, content. A sense of peace had climbed over the home for three and Veronika could not be happier.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed her Compact had lit up. Jamming her bookmark into the page, she attended to it to find a message.

⌜MESSAGES

Captain

I'm outside. May I come in?⌟

For a moment, Veronika was about to delete the message and go back to her book, but she hesitated. She decided to type back:

« Miss Chelsea left the door unlocked »

Setting aside her Compact, she slowly shifted her children off her to climb out of bed. Once she was sure Lisa-Jane and Ivan were still asleep, she reassured her cat who had awoken, alarmed she was leaving, before she left the master bedroom and went down the hall. She paused when she heard the door open and the alarm beeped once to notify her. Heavy footfalls were there, but she took a deep breath and went down the stairs. Spencer was in the entering hallway as he shucked off his boots.

"Enjoy your visit?" Veronika leaned against the wall. "I'm surprised you came back so soon."

Spencer, free from his boots, went for his coat next. "Perks of having my Magic and my Aerial License means I can use it," he grunted as he hung up his coat. "My other brother Preston was visiting our sister, so I got to see them. Already said good-bye to my parents before I came up here so." He turned to look at her. "Here I am."

"Here you are," Veronika agreed. Avoiding his eyes, she pushed off the wall. "Drinks?" She did not wait for him as she headed straight for the kitchen to pull out a wineglass. "I'm still surprised you didn't want to drink beer while you're here."

Spencer kept to the island. "I'll drink socially, but I prefer to not drink." He cocked his head. "But are you surprised because I'm in the military and normal, we're alcoholic bastards?"

Veronika cringed as she went to the little wine cooler she had and pulled out a bottle of vintage rosé for them to share. "My brother was a mess before he went into the military," she slowly responded as she went on the opposite side of the island. "He drank and smoke." She got out the wine opener. "And so did Lisa-Jane's father." Oh." She blinked when Spencer took the opener and the wine bottle. "Thank you."

Spencer nodded and said, "I had my fair share of drinks and weed when I was a boot. I won't lie about that. But after seeing what the stuff does to my brother and how it wrecked some of my comrades, got off it as fast as I could." He opened open the wine bottle and did the honor of pouring them both a quarter glass of wine. "Here." He handed her a glass.

"Thank you." Veronika gently swirled the wine in her glass. "When I was younger, drinking, weed, ecstasy…" She sighed. "I look back and I can't believe I was that stupid to get involved with all of that."

"What made you change?" Spencer pried.

"My kids." Veronika took a sip of her wine. "The moment I found out I was pregnant with Vasilisa, I quit. It was hard, especially with the stress of nearly being homeless." Her lips twitched into a wistful smile as her eyes looked out the window. "But then I found Miss Chelsea. She was nannying for another family at the time, but she felt pretty bad for a pathetic teen mom like me."

Spencer looked like he wanted to argue the "pathetic" portion of that, but he held his tongue. "What happened then?"

Veronika laughed to herself. "Oh, you should have seen it," she tittered. "The family Miss Chelsea was nannying for were pretty well off to the point where she had her own house on the property. She made up this story I was her relative and asked if I could stay. I was lucked out. The mom of the family was an OB/GYN and her spouse was some high-profile surgeon, so they were more than happy to let me stay. They whipped me into shape and really made sure I was taking care of myself. And, well…." She shrugged. "Other things happened. Got my GED and a part-time job. Event planning came naturally once I helped Miss Chelsea and the housekeeper out. And the rest is history."

"Not really." Spencer had yet to touch his wine. "There's so much I want to ask you—"

"We don't have the time for fun little 'get to know you's," Veronika quickly interrupted. "An entire night wouldn't be able to cover my story nor would even a week get me to trust you enough to tell it." She took more sips of her wine as she waited for his counter.

"You're…right."

Veronika choked on her wine. "E-E-Excuse me?" She looked at Spencer—

Wide cerulean shrouded in sunset clashed with somber gunmetal dark blues.

"You're right, Lucky." Spencer smiled grimly. "You know, my sister said the same thing."

"You're…"—Veronika blinked twice—"sister?"

Spencer hummed his affirmation. "There's some things she said to me that I'm taking into consideration," he said in vague telling. "But I don't want to say anything now. I understand words are words. Anyone can say them. My actions have to show more. And I want to show that."

Veronika drew back when Spencer straightened up and moved to be at her side. "Spencer…"

"I want to show you I'm serious about this," Spencer told her, earnest. "Your kids, Miss Chelsea, you, your family—all of it. You've been hurt. I know that. I don't want to make you uncomfortable or rush you or say things that were said to you before. I know promises don't mean anything to you after how so many promises made to you were broken. And maybe I'll do things that were done. But I'm going to do whatever I can to show you I mean what I say."

Veronika's eyes shimmered before they went to the floor. "I know you care about my kids," she murmured, voice shaking. "They love you. I know you love them. It's obvious. You've showed that ever since you met them. I just…" She closed her eyes.

"You don't have to say anything." Spencer's hand came up to touch her chin. "Lucky, you don't. I know we don't have time and I know there's so much about you I want to learn. But I leave tomorrow. I hate that I have to say that, but I do."

"Yes, you do." The words came out hollow.

Spencer tensed as he prepared for Veronika to pull away, but when she did not, he said, "And I don't want us to just enjoy tonight and then I have to leave in the morning. You deserve a lot more than just a handful of days." He gauged her expression, but it did not change. "So I want you to make the choice. What do you want, Lucky? Be selfish for once. Do you want me here with you tonight and tomorrow morning? I don't have to stay here if you don't want me here. I can fly to the nearest base." He dragged his hand away from her, reluctant but necessary. "You choose. And I'll do what you want me to."

For many moments, Veronika remained silent as she hid her eyes. Her head shifted to the side and her lips moved.

Spencer reeled back for a split moment until he offered a resigned nod. "Whatever you want, Lucky."

Arcticados looked particularly beautiful at night. Regardless that the nights had already been longer and stretched nearly the entire day, the reason why Nashi fell in love with Arcticados at night was due to the aurora borealis laced in its vibrant greens and tinges of red. The swirls of ethereal light might have been faint, but the stars danced amongst the light in their play. Her smile was glued to her face as the lights reflected in her eyes and she sighed. "So pretty…"

Gary hummed in agreement. "Very."

Býleistr carried her and Gary up the mountainside in his Lion Form, sprinting over lost boulders and treading light over ice. The spell in place on Nashi might still be in effect, but she could not shake off the need to wear boots and leggings and a thermal long sleeve. Gary, however, looked odd yet comfortable in a simple t-shirt and shorts.

Býleistr glanced up at the sky and thought to the pair of them, The spirits will be out tonight.

Gary frowned. "Spirits?"

"My mama told me about this," Nashi said. "Spirits might live in the Spirit Realm, but they do cross over to our world sometimes and the northern lights are one of those ways. They mainly come out to celebrate and pass along blessings. Sometimes, if someone's really lucky, the Spirit of someone they've lost can come out through the lights, but it's really rare."

"Why's that?" Gary had to know.

Nashi shrugged. "I don't know. Býleistr?"

The Spirit Realm differs from the Upper Realm and the Under Realm because the Spirit Realm harbors Spirits born as Spirits, Býleistr educated them as he leaped across the snowy pathway through the mountainside. All mortal souls—and their Spirits—will first go to the Place of Judgment, a realm that exists between all worlds. From there, they weighed for their wrongs and rights. Souls belong in the Under Realm while mortal Spirits belong in the Upper Realm, but it's not like your Heaven and Hell. It's different. Neither realm can easily link back to reality and, when they do, the window is very small. The Spirit Realm overlaps with reality, so Spirits have more flexibility to shift between your world and the Spirit Realm. He glanced back at the northern lights. The Veil tonight won't be strong enough for anyone from the Upper Realm or Under Realm to cross over.

"I see." Gary snuggled into Nashi. "Still, it's a beautiful sight."

Nashi hummed. "Which makes me ask again why we're climbing a mountain?"

"I wanted us to have the perfect view of the new year," Gary told her patiently. "It'll be worth it, I promise."

Nashi huffed. "I'm not having sex in the snow, for the record."

Býleistr grunted while Gary laughed, "I know, I know. You've reminded me so."

The rest of the climb was in silence, save for Býleistr's huffs and puffs and his paws scraping against snow and rock. With one final bound, he had scrambled them atop the small mountain. The top had plateau and, in the distance, you could see higher mountains and a city in the distance. A vast expanse of snow covered this portion and the forest was far enough away that no one could recognize their faces. No creatures had decided to roam the winter wonderland so Býleistr trotted a few yards before he hunkered down. Gary dismounted and helped Nashi off.

Býleistr shook out his mane and got to his feet. "I'll be in the area to ward off predators." He licked his chops. "Nothing here is endangered, right?"

"Why do all of you like hunting?" Nashi asked him, exasperated. "You're Celestial Spirits."

"So?" Býleistr huffed. "We might not need food, but it doesn't mean we don't like it. Some uppity Star Spirits might find mortal food repulsive, but there's nothing better than hunting." He nosed Nashi's side. "Relax. I'm just a thought away, Princess." He pulled away from here and, with a roar, he leaped through his Stargate and disappeared.

Nashi put her hands on her hips. "Pussy."

"Ready, Angel?"

Nashi turned around and—be still her heart—found that Gary had laid out a thick blanket onto the snow and was waiting patiently on it with a basket and a thermos. She took off her boots and settled before him with glances all around her. "You know, if someone told me I'd be in the arctic, wearing practically nothing, with you of all people six months ago? I would've called them insane."

"I would have too." Gary had unpacked a covered bowl that was filled with egg drop soup. He offered it to her.

Nashi took it with a frown. "Why? I thought this would be your dream come true?"

"It is." Gary handed her a spoon. "But back then, I knew you weren't ready." He took out his own bowl of pork roast stew. "Angel is cute being a tsundere."

Nashi flushed as she uncovered her lid. "I was not a tsundere!" she hissed. "And what sort of compliment is that?"

"Just an observation," Gary chortled. "Angel was adorable resisting me. Angel kept picking all those fights over the years and pretending to hate me—"

"I might not have hated you, but I certainly didn't like you," Nashi said hotly. "You were just so annoying. Before, you'd pick on me and act like such a jerk and pull on my hair and be all cocky."

Gary flushed now. "I was a bit of a jerk, wasn't I?" he admitted sheepishly. "Would it help if I told you I had a crush on you?"

Nashi gaped at him then she snorted as she spooned her soup. "Well, I guess it's true. Children are mean to the ones they like." She blew on her spoonful before slurping it up. "You really had a crush on me back then? I thought it started after you came home from the bureau?"

Gary stirred his stew. "To be honest, back then, the only reason I found Angel annoying was just because how persistent you were," he confessed, honest. "Angel never gave up. It didn't matter if I was in the guild hall or leaving for a job—you'd track me down and demand for a fight because you didn't want to lose to me." His lips twitched. "Maybe Angel was the one to start the stalking." But he laughed when Nashi hit his arm with her elbow. "But, yeah, I did have a crush on you."

"Why?" Nashi inhaled another spoonful. "By the way, this is really good."

"Thank you." Gary spooned in some of his stew. "I first started crushing on you when I accidentally saw you with Looney. I was looking for your dad since my dad sent me over to drop off something." He tucked in more stew. "I don't know what you guys were doing that day, but Looney seemed really upset over something. But you didn't panic or get mad. I don't know how you did it, but you just opened your hand and one of those freaky butterflies landed on you."

"They are not freaky—"

"Shhh, I'm telling the story," Gary hushed her in good humor. Nashi offered an eye roll, but she maintained her silence. "It was just so…hypnotic, you know? A butterfly just lands on you and you show it to Looney and she stopped crying. She was so amazed. She wanted to touch the butterfly and it landed right on her hand. And I just watched you being so happy and relieved when you saw her smiling and laughing again. And then out of nowhere, more butterflies swarmed you both and a few birds." He laughed to himself. "It was like something out of a dream or…maybe a fairy tale." Cerulean shined as he looked up at the northern lights and the stars dancing within the tendrils of light. "But that day, it was like everything changed for me about you."

Nashi narrowed her eyes as the pieces fell together. "Wait a minute…" Her eyes flared and she punched his shoulder. "I remember that day! You're the reason why all those butterflies flew away!" she accused much to Gary's rueful expression. "I caught you spying on us and the second you walked over, you scared away all the butterflies!"

"I was doing you a favor," Gary defended. "Those things are freaky!"

"Those things were cheering up my baby sister!" Nashi argued. She held her glare at him for maybe a minute, but she broke into laughter alongside him. "I can't believe that's when you started crushing on me. What a weird moment."

"When did Angel start crushing on me?" Gary boldly asked.

Nashi froze. Then, she attempted to dismiss it. "Never."

Gary pouted. "I told Angel my story. I want to know when Angel started feeling passionately in love with me—"

"Okay, okay, shut up," Nashi hissed. Huffing, she glared at her bowl. "It was when…" She blew out a breath. "Okay, so, I might have had like the tiniest, ittiest bittiest crush on you way back when…" Her cheeks reddened. "Remember when the rainbow sakura blossomed and I got really sick that day?"

Gary blinked twice. "That was a decade ago." He blinked again. "You liked me then?"

Nashi ducked her head. "I said, 'might have' and it was just a crush," she pointed out weakly. "I mean… Well, I don't know. You were just… It was the first time you were acting nice towards me, you know, and you smiled at me and it wasn't one of those hey-hey-hey-I'm-better-than-you smiles and, well, like, you just…!" She groaned. "I don't want to talk about this anymore." I don't want to talk about how much we could've done and said to each other before this entire mess because I was too stupid to take a chance.

"Angel."

Nashi shut her eyes. "Please, Gary, I just—"

"I was just going to say…don't feel like we wasted time."

Nashi's eyes opened in surprise and she looked over at Gary as he tucked in his stew. "Wh-What?"

After swallowing, Gary murmured, "So we liked each other back then. That's okay. We didn't waste any time, in my opinion. If we had confessed to each other back then, we don't know if we'd even be together now. The bureau took me away. You were assaulted in the vilest way. We might be together or we might not be. But that doesn't matter. We've learned and we've grown. And maybe we needed to in order to be right here, together."

Nashi opened her mouth, but the words she wanted to stay did not come out. You're wrong, she wanted to tell him. We could've been together sooner if I wasn't so damaged and messed up. If Leo and I hadn't struck that deal… If I had just… The back of her eyes stung. What's wrong with me? Why did I do all of that? Why couldn't I just…? Why couldn't I just be stronger? Shakily, she took in more of her soup. I might be weak, but… He deserves to know.

Mustering up her courage, she croaked, "Gary… There's something I need to tell you—"

"Don't."

Nashi swallowed and shook her head. "No, Gary, you need to hear this—"

"No, Angel." Gary put down his bowl. "I don't." He turned away from her.

Fear crept over Nashi when she saw him withdraw. "Gary?"

Gary's shoulders slumped. "I was really hurt when you left in the morning," he told her in a low voice, dispassionate. "I had my first time with Angel and it felt so good and right…and you were gone. I thought I did something wrong or maybe I triggered you or—"

"You didn't," Nashi rushed to assuage him. "You didn't do anything—"

"But I did." Gary sighed as he ran his hands through his messy locks. "I scared you. That's why you were gone in the morning." His shoulders squared. "That's why when I tracked you down, you ran straight to Galileo."

Fear switched to horror in the blink of an eye and a pit laid heavily in Nashi's stomach, vile and deserving for her betrayal. "Gary—"

"I heard you two."

Nashi shut her eyes as a sickness clogged her throat. Oh, God…

"I didn't mean to." Words quiet and small and broken. "I promise you I didn't mean to. The best I was hoping for was to just talk to you. I just wanted to know what I did wrong, but then I…" His hands flexed and fisted. "I thought you two were just talking."

Dread dug her claws into Nashi's back and shame made her silently shed her tears.

"It happened more than once while we weren't together." Gary tried as hard as he could to sound clinically detached, but even for him, it was hard to segregate his emotions from the situation. "I could tell. It's why you guys stopped talking." His hand reached up and clenched his shirt. "I kept thinking it was my fault. I drove you away for good. But I… I didn't want you to feel alone…"

Nashi's mouth felt like cotton as she rasped, "When you told me…you trusted Galileo if you weren't around…you meant…"

Gary bobbed his head. "If you wanted him around, then that was fine." Tone hollow. "I didn't want to take that choice from you. I just wanted to talk to you and see what I did wrong. And if you still wanted him after we talked, I would have left you alone."

DRIP.

His chin angled up as tears dripped off his jaw.

DROP.

"Because, even if Angel doesn't want to be with me"—a big smile spread across his face despite his tears—"I will still love Angel with all my heart and want her happy."

Nashi could not gauge the right action to take, but in her desperation to understand, she reached into the thread she had tied between them—between their souls—and her body moved without her thinking. She hugged him from behind and buried her head into his back. She felt the vibrations of the cries he kept inside. Deep in her bones, she could feel every question he had plagued himself with. What had he done wrong? Was she angry at him? Did she hate him? Was he never good enough? Pain marred each question, deep and unwanted, as the thoughts drew darker and darker.

She thinks I'm a monster. She hates me. I'm not good enough. I'll never be good enough. How could she ever want a monster? They were right. Experiments don't get love. We're nothing.

The sensation Nashi felt was…strange. That was all she could describe it as. The pain Gary had bared for months filtered into her, but it did not consume her. At first, she was overwhelmed. His disparaged voice crowded her mind with questions of despair, thoughts of being undesirable, a crushed feeling of no future. But the pain did not sit and nestle within her. The feeling started small, but all Nashi could compare it to was when you felt half awake, but your body was stapled to your bed paralyzed. And second by second, minute by minute, you could shift your big toe and twitch your ring finger. Then, you could jolt your left foot and bow your back just a tad. The pain pressured down on her, yes, but she wriggled and refused to give up until she could breathe. Until he could breathe.

The next sensation was like when you were ridiculously cold and your teeth were shattering and you were rubbing your arms. The softest of blankets crept onto your skin, warm to the touch with that dewy scent you could close your eyes and get lost in. The cold that tormented you faded away for this healing warmth that went from the inside and moved to the outside.

The moment when Nashi could feel Gary's pain slacken and lessen was when she could speak. "You were never the problem," she breathed into his shirt. "You were never in the wrong. Nothing you did that night was wrong. Everything you did… No. Everything we did. We…made love. And I know that now. That was the first time I actually felt loved. I cried because I never felt emotions like that during sex. It was overwhelming to me. And you did that. You made me feel again."

"But… Galileo…"

Nashi shook her head. "He and I… We had sort of an arrangement." Shame thickened on her tongue. "I was desperate back then. After I miscarried, I felt empty. I was just so scared and I was tired of being afraid of my own body and everyone else. I didn't want to feel like I was just some plaything. I wanted to feel normal again. A-At first, we weren't sleeping together. It was just light touching and kissing until I stopped crying every time he touched me. It took a little bit until we had sex and, even then, it still took me a while to not be afraid of cumming and that he would stop when I asked him too. Once I felt comfortable, we just…kept going."

Nashi drew away from him to rub her cheeks away from the tears she felt unworthy of. "That morning, I was a mess," she whispered in truth. "You and I didn't just have sex. It was so much more than that and I just wasn't ready to feel like that. What I did was awful to you and to Galileo. I hurt two people I care about because I was selfish. And I am so sorry I hurt you and made you think you did something wrong." She sniffed. "I'm so sorry you thought I could never love you. I hurt you and I made you feel so horrible about yourself. I'm so sorry. I'm sorry that I—Mmmph!"

As quick as the kiss had come that left Nashi's eyes wide open, Gary had pulled away. Sure, his cheeks were stained from his tears and those cerulean depths carried a sadness, but he could look at her.

"Gary," Nashi tried again, "I—"

"Is it over?"

Nashi did not understand. "What?"

"You and Galileo. Is it over?" Gary pressed.

Nashi quickly nodded. "Y-Yes, it is. It was over before Margaret Town."

Gary searched her eyes until his next words dropped. "I know I don't have the right to be hurt. We weren't together then."

"You—"

"Angel, Master is talking."

Nashi shut her mouth.

Gary went on: "We weren't together then. It hurts thinking you went to him, but I'm not going to hang it over your head like a noose. But I'm going to need a lot of hugs, Angel. A lot of them."

"A lot of…" Nashi's brow furrowed. "Wait… What?"

"It's a technique my mom taught me," Gary explained without batting an eye. "When you wouldn't speak to me and I overheard you and Galileo, I asked her how I could deal with this. If I even did get a chance with you, how was I supposed to not think about it? She told me I can't keep it inside, but I can't make this the thing that kills a future we never had. So she said if I'm feeling down about it or hurt, instead of arguing, I should ask for hugs instead."

Nashi worked her jaw. "Wow. I mean, just…" She cleared her throat. "Never mind. You were saying?"

"We've both hurt each other," Gary told her. "I hurt you by doing this alone without you," he went on when Nashi looked puzzled. "I left you alone in that hospital. I left you alone to deal with the aftermath. I know you were hurt, Angel. And I know you'll say you weren't because you want me to feel better, but it's the truth."

Nashi swallowed. "It did hurt," she admitted quietly.

Gary nodded. "We can't change that." His hand trailed her jaw. "We can't just what we did or how we reacted or what we said. But we can change what happens next." Without breaking away from their connected stare, he declared, "You're my partner, Angel, outside of the guild and inside of it. We're together. You told me you'd solve the hardest part of my problem with me. That's not going to work. We're both going to have problems and we're solving it together." He thumbed her bottom lip. "Say, 'yes'."

A laugh bubbled out of Nashi. "I thought I already did back at your house?"

"Angel…"

"Yes," Nashi whispered as a smile broke out. "Yes."

Relief and happiness filled Gary's face as he urged, "You're my partner in every way now, Angel. You're mine. I'm yours. For as long as you'll have me."

Nashi half-sniffed half-laughed. "What did we talk about with marriage proposals?"

"I know you aren't ready," Gary said, serious. "But I meant what I said. I'm not here just to date you. I'm here to fight battles with you, to grow with you, to live with you and die with you."

Nashi could not stop the tears, but they were from joy instead of the pain she had felt. "Oh god…"

But Gary was not finished as he took her face in his hands and watery hickory stared into dark cerulean. "I'm here to buy a house with you and we can argue over decorating it," he went on. "I'm here to tell our parents why they're not having grandchildren"—Nashi broke off into a choking chortle—"I'm here for us to fight about which family we visit for the holidays. And I am right here to be waiting for you in a white dress you've been stressing over for months to walk down the aisle so we can tell everyone we're each other's." He thumbed her tears away.

"That's quite some commitment," Nashi sniffed, smiling. "But talk is cheap and we're still young."

Gary leaned his forehead against hers. "I've got time. I can wait," he told her. "And I plan to show you better than I can tell you."

Nashi offered a wary look. "Okay, but this does not mean you should buy a house for us now or try to buy me a wedding dress," she reminded slowly. "I'm not living with anyone until after marriage, remember? And we've still got until June before you're free to move about the cabin at your leisure."

Gary chuckled. "Like I said, I can wait." He paused. "But at the end of those six months—"

"I am not living with you!" Nashi shoved him, but he did not budge. "It's indecent!"

Gary hummed. "To be fair, didn't all of our parents live with spouses before they were married?" he questioned smartly. "And their marriages turned out healthy."

Nashi clamored for a response. "Yeah, well…! Well…!" She huffed. "Well, I'm not living with you until a ring is on this finger! No!" she shouted when Gary looked too gleeful for her liking. "Do not slip a ring on me while I'm sleeping! Geez! I'm not marrying anyone until I'm better off in society, thank you!" She raised a threatening finger at him. "Do not tell me you'll take care of me," she growled. "I don't want anyone taking care of me. I take care of me."

Gary pouted.

"I take care of myself financially," Nashi amended.

But Gary still pouted. "So… What does that mean?"

Nashi rolled her eyes. "It means I'm not tying the knot until I'm an S-Class Mage and I get my bachelor's degree, if I go that route. Studies and Magic come first." She poked his cheek when his pout jutted out more. "Don't pull that. You're proud of me for this."

"I am," Gary sighed. "It's good Angel has goals set for herself. I wouldn't want you any other way." He brushed back her bangs. "I love you, you know that?"

Nashi nodded. "I'm getting there."

"You'll get there." Gary flashed her one of those old cocky grins she had not seen in a long time. "Angel would be a fool not to love me. You know how many women would kill to have me?" He laughed when Nashi snarled at him. "I'm teasing, Angel. It doesn't matter who wants me. I'm Angel's alone. Heart, mind, body, and soul."

"Especially the soul now," Nashi said dryly. "God, if anyone told me you and I would have an actual soul connections months ago, I would have said—"

"We're soulmates!"

Nashi's eyes rounded when Gary looked like a kid in a candy store. "Gary, no. No, that's not what I was going to—!"

"I'm Angel's soulmate now!" Gary plowed on, giddy. "Oh, Angel, I'm your soulmate!" She cried out when Gary tackled her down onto the blanket and peppered her face and neck with kisses. "I'm Angel's soul mate…! I'm Angel's soulmate…!" he chanted.

Nashi groaned. "What are you, five?"

Gary sighed. "I guess I'm not really your soulmate, though," he supposed. "Angel and I would never be soulmates."

Well, that hurt. "Why not?" Nashi demanded to know.

"Angel would probably have someone more…normal as her soulmate," Gary told her, deflated.

"Oh, Gary…" Nashi cradled his jaw to soothe him. "I—"

"But I don't care because I would steal Angel away from them," Gary determined, eyes gleaming in his resolve.

Nashi would have fallen over if she was not already beneath Gary, so she sweatdropped. I don't know if I should think that romantic or if I should find that terrifying. Sighing, she cupped his chin once again. "It's a good thing I don't believe in soulmates," she told him. "Now are you going to just stand there or are you going to kiss me, hubby?" She realized that was the wrong teasing endearment to say when Gary brightened. Shit. "Wait, I was—Mmmph! Mmm…"

Nashi moaned into the hard kiss Gary pressed onto her and did not hesitate to part her lips for his tongue to dominate her mouth. Her back domed the moment Gary knocked her legs apart and hugged her closed to him. A warming tingle crept from the tips of her toes, warmed her stomach, and buzzed into her head, dizzying her when his knee teased her core. She did let out a surprised gasp when a welcomed hand tore beneath her shirt to squeeze her breast.

"G-Gary, ah…!" She pulled away and her throat was exposed for his lips to imprint themselves onto her threat. "W-Wait…! Sensitive…!"

"Can't wait," Gary panted. "The thought of Angel was my wife…" A growl vibrated through him and his teeth sunk down. Skade surfaced and he could feel canines sharpen and prick Nashi's skin. She squirmed, caught unawares at the pang, but she wrapped her legs around him for more. "The thought of a forever with Angel…" He pulled back to watch her beneath him, cherry-faced, eyes half-mast, and mouth parted as little pants left her. A sight to behold. A vision. "It drives me crazy. Thinking of always waking up to Angel… Angel in bed with me…naked…wet for me…"

He let his hand finger the top of her leggings and tugged them downwards. "Angel showering with me… Feeding Angel every day…"

Nashi groaned and did not resist when Gary shifted her to tug off her leggings. But she did whisper her plea, "Wait… Someone could see us—"

"No one will." Gary tossed her legging to the side. "But thank god you're immune to the cold now. Lets me do this."

"What—? O-Oh, my…! Ah…!" Even with her unable to feel the cold, heat licked her skin and sizzled her from the inside out the moment Gary lay two fingers on her panty-covered core and teased her with light ministrations.

Gary watched with dark eyes when Nashi's eyes closed and her spine arched even at the gentlest of touches. "I'll never get tired of how beautiful Angel looks like this," he breathed. "So powerful."

Nashi choked a laugh that went into a moan when he used his knuckle to press into her. "Not…powerful…" she whooshed out.

"I disagree." Gary shifted. "Angel is letting me see her like this. Angel is letting me touch her and love her. That takes power." Words full of significance. "Angel has all the power here. And it's beautiful." He paused to come forward and kiss away a tear that had strayed down Nashi's cheek.

"You're such a charmer," Nashi whispered.

Gary gently shook his head against her cheek as his hand peeled back her panties. "I'm just admiring Angel's strength." His fingers shifted—

Nashi sucked a sharp breath and she knew goosebumps bombarded her skin. Breasts achy and heavy, she bit back her whimper when her hardened nipples brushed against her bra. A painful pleasure. "Stop it," she pleaded, "We can't—"

"We can." Gary did stop, however. "But only on Angel's terms." He pulled back his face to search her eyes laden with arousal. "What do you want, Angel?" Such a calm and yet dangerous question.

Nashi swallowed. Power. She had power here. She had control. And she wanted to exercise it. "You," she whispered. "You, Master—Ah…!" Her thighs shook and her nails raked down Gary's back the second his fingers moved.

Gary cocked his head. "Does Angel want to play more," he murmured, "or is Angel impatient?"

"Impatient," Nashi quickly decided. "Tease me later. I need you now. Please, Master," she hastily tacked on.

Gary reared back (Nashi lamented the loss of his fingers) to tear off his shirt in one smooth movement before he went straight for her panties. "Whatever Angel commands," he promised as he started to tug down her underwea—

BEEP-BEEP-BEEP!

Gary might have been unbothered and a man on a mission, but Nashi was mortified and kicked him away as she sat up. Hurriedly, she felt around until she found a standard issue Compact flashing and she shut off the alarm. Shoulders sagging in relief, she sighed, "Phew. That was a close one."

A hand gripped her shoulder.

Nashi stiffened.

"Angel…"

Gulping, Nashi slowly turned her chin to look over her shoulder and saw Gary lit up in a dark energy. She let out a squeak as she shifted backwards. "Sorry, sorry, sorry!" she hurried to apologize "That's the countdown timer. The Chairman gave me a prepaid Compact to use while I'm here and I set a timer for the New Year in Fiore. We have a two minutes left until we're in the new year, so..."

Gary lost his dark aura as a bright idea came to him. "I can do a lot in two minutes!" He dove for her. "Come to me, Angel…!"

Panicked, Nashi slammed her foot in Gary's face to keep him back as a furious blush worked her over. "Perverted dog! We're not having sex out here!"

Gary tore his face away from her to pout (it was amazing he did not have a bloody nose from the impact). "But we almost did right before the alarm went off."

Nashi sputtered. "I—! Well—! I—! I-I-It was a lapse in judgement!" she blurted. "You were seducing me!"

That was the wrong thing to say when Gary's eyes darkened and his voice went husky. "I can seduce Angel again."

"Don't even think about it!"

Gary pulled away to sit crisscross. "Fine," he decided. "I respect Angel's wishes. No sex."

Nashi narrowed her eyes. That was a little too easy—Gah! She squirmed when he got a hold of her and placed her in his lap. "H-H-Hey! What do you think you're doing?"

Gary nuzzled his chin on her shoulder. "Holding my Angel into the new year of course!"

"W-W-Well, next time, ask me, don't just pick me up! I'm not a doll!"

Gary tightened his hold on her as he looked up at the northern lights. "You know, this is the first time I get to kiss Angel at midnight," he revealed. "I'm really happy I get to."

Nashi softened and leaned back into him. "I'm happy too." She laid her hands atop of his. "Anything you regret from his year? Anything you want to happen next year?"

Gary waited three beats. "I have no regrets," he confessed. "But… Next year, all I want is Angel."

"You have me," Nashi pointed out, looking up at him. "You'll always have me."

Gary kissed her hair. "Then, I got my wish already. What about Angel? Regrets? Wishes?"

"I regret too many things to pin one down," Nashi told him. "But I wish… I wish for the world to see you like I do. And I wish in the next year I can make a change so people like us who aren't normal can be happy and in love and not have to worry about the world telling them otherwise. I wish in the next year I can help anyone different to be free."

"That's quite a wish." But then Gary followed up with, "And I'll do whatever you need me to do to make it come true."

Nashi hummed. You've done enough. You've—we've—become my biggest inspiration to make a change.

At the New Azalean penthouse, Justin hoped up on the mini stage they had set up and turned down the music. "Everyone!" he shouted. "We are a go for T-minus sixty seconds at this time, so, if you're in the mood, head out to the deck to get to the countdown and, if you're not in the mood, you're free to stay inside and enjoy the countdown from inside!"

As Justin fiddled with the remote to turn up the volume to the LV streaming the LBC broadcast, murmuring passed around as people found their partners or a friend they were kissing at the stroke of midnight. Ellie and Ines pardoned themselves from Tesla to make their way out onto the wrap around deck while Tesla and Orochi had shifted out of the crowd and were forced up against a wall to avoid being run over. Tesla asked him over all the noise, "What are you going to do?"

"Nothing," Orochi replied, honest. "Stay in here, probably."

Tesla frowned and looked like she wanted to say something, but her eyes were taken off Orochi when she saw Jaxton approach. Stiffening, she met his stare head on. "Can we help you?"

Jaxton raised an eyebrow.

Tesla sighed before ricocheting her gaze to Orochi in slight concern. "You'll be okay on your own? We could always join you. I don't want a friend going into the New Year alone."

"I'll be fine. But thanks for the offer," Orochi appreciated, a little surprised she did offer. He nodded at Jaxton. "Go on."

"If you say so…" Tesla saddled Jaxton with a flat look. "Well. Let's get this night over with." She held out her hand from him to take.

Jaxton looked at her hand and he did take it, but rather than let her guide him to the balcony, Jaxton took her in the opposite direction. Tesla played along as they swam against the crowd until he put them into one of the darker hallways.

Tesla could only raise an eyebrow as she let go of Jaxton's hand to cross her arms. "Well, this is nice," she drawled. "Something you want to report back to your handler?"

Jaxton sighed. "No. It isn't. I know you said we'll talk in the morning, but I did want to say at least this." He tipped her head back for their dark eyes to clash, hers neutral and his honest. "I lost your trust. I accept that. I didn't have to take this responsibility, but I did. But I'm going to work hard to gain your trust back."

Tesla gave him a long look then a slow nod. "I don't know what to say to that," she said lowly, "except that I hope whatever you say to me tomorrow is worth it."

Jaxton nodded and opened his mouth—

"All right, everyone! We're in the final countdown!" came distant announcement that bounced off the walls. It sounded as though Yoko from LBC was proclaiming it to the vast audience. "Hope you have your loved ones close!"

Tesla shushed Jaxton with two fingers to his lips. "But right now, I'm tired and I just need you to answer one question for me." Her hand moved to touch his cheek. "Do you love me?"

"Yes." Jaxton could not even think to hesitate. "I do."

Tesla nodded again. "Okay. Then that's enough for now."

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

20

19

18

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

Luna giggled against Bleu as everyone around them were huddling close to the one they came with or someone they met. The drinks she had guzzled had gone to her head and much later, she would thank Bleu for making sure she ate her entire dinner and constantly chased each few sips with water. But for now, she enjoyed the tipsy feeling airing through her body and nuzzled into Bleu. "Thanks for bringing me here," she told him over all the noise. "This has been really fun."

"Are you saying that because you're buzzed or are you saying that because it was actually fun?" Bleu asked dryly.

Luna giggled again. "It has been fun." She drew back to look up at him with half-lidded eyes. "Really, Bleu. Thank you for everything and making my heart feel a lot better."

"I didn't do much." Bleu softened, however, as he leaned down to touch his forehead to hers. "And you might be saying this a little because of the drinks. It might take a while for your heart to feel a lot better. But I can wait." He drew back to kiss her forehead. "I have a lot of time left."

Luna hummed and closed her eyes—

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

The focus was in an open area. A balcony. It oversaw what appeared to be a moonlit beach where lovers and good friends lazed about and took walks. But that was not where the focus was concentrated on. Wide, the focus was, as they watched Bleu who was on one knee before her. He looked older. Time had been good to him in his adult years. A dress shirt and vest fitted him and his light eyes shined with love, but there was something else there. He held her hand in his daintily as he slipped on a silver ring—

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

Luna's eyes opened and the buzzed feeling was drained from her in an instant. Was that…? That was the future and Bleu was…proposing to me. I must have said, 'yes' if he put the ring on my finger, but… Is that a possibility? Or is that my future and that's it? Her jaw tightened when she thought of those betrayed ruby eyes. Was this a sign? A sign that I'm supposed to be with Bleu? Is that why I had that vision?

"Treasure?"

Luna lifted her eyes to see Bleu held concern in his gaze. "Sorry. I zoned out."

"Everything okay?" Bleu asked.

Luna offered him a faint smile to bite back her own feelings. "Everything's fine," she promised. "Just…figuring things out. And I… I think I figured out something."

"Yeah?"

Luna hummed. "Yeah." She hid under his chin to avoid more questions for now. I might have figured out what to do, but…somehow, this makes me feel even worse.

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

17

16

15

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

Peter and Mary Jane sat away from the action due to Peter turning into a Mother Hen. He had them sit on one of the couches in the back of the room with her cradled into his side with a nearly gone water bottle at their feet. He stroked her side. "You know I'm glad you're my girlfriend."

"Really?" Mary Jane smiled. "Why's that?"

"I just am," Peter said simply. "You're mine. And I like that."

Mary Jane chuckled. "I like it too." She looked up at him with those mixed eyes of hers. "So let's go into this next year with me being yours and you being mine for a lot longer, okay?"

Peter grinned. "Yes, ma'am." His grin widened when she kissed his cheek. It doesn't matter if Igneel was here or not. She's my girlfriend. And I'll do whatever it takes to make her happy.

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

14

13

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

In the darkness of the living room with the moon as their light, Spencer and Veronika sat side by side with the LV on the broadcast. Maybe she was stiff, but it was her nerves that could be blamed. Her hand had wrapped around his and went to show how much smaller and thinner hers was in comparison to his, but it did not matter. Her eyes were on the LV with tear trails dried on her cheeks, but his eyes were on hers.

"Lucky." A soft murmur. "Are you sure?"

Veronika gave a tiny nod. "Yes." She dragged her eyes away from the LV to look into his. Her heart pounded and her legs felt restless, but she pushed on. "I'm sure." To make her point known, she moved her fingers and wriggled them so their fingers interlaced. Her head bowed when Spencer used his free hand to touch her cheek. "Please don't make me regret this," she whispered.

"I'll show you better than I can tell you," Spencer promised as he came close to her lips.

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

12

11

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

Ena might have had fun meeting others and speaking to them, but as the crowd jostled, she noticed how uncomfortable Silver looked. Frowning, she took his hand and when he jumped, she got on her tiptoes to tell him, "Follow me!" She personally did not care one way or the other if she shouldered into a couple. She broke through the chains of people to pushed her and Silver into the relatively empty kitchen.

Silver, all red-faced and wide-eyed, stammered, "Wh-Wh-What's are you—?"

"You looked uncomfortable." Ena shrugged and crossed her arms. "So I had us leave."

"O-Oh!" Silver rubbed the nape of his neck. "U-Um… Well, thank you and all, but…"

Ena lifted an eyebrow. "Listen, we might be dates to this, but it doesn't mean we have to kiss," she assured him. "Really, it's okay. I understand just the idea of kissing me is difficult when you're in love with someone else." She looked back into the crowd. "If you want, I can go and find Luke, so you don't have to kiss me. I have that odd feeling he still didn't socialize. I may be a lot of things, but I'm not one to force something to happen."

Silver opened his mouth, but he hesitated. It's true that I…that I wanted Paige to be my first kiss, but… He looked at Ena's profile. But now…I don't think that's true anymore. He took a large swallow and cleared his throat. "W-Well, um… Maybe…we could—"

"Oh." Ena brightened as she pointed. "There's Luke." She passed Silver an easy smile and patted his shoulder. "Don't worry. I'll leave you be. Have a happy New Year's, Silver." Without waiting for his own words, she turned and started to stride away.

Silver watched her walk. Wait. Don't go.

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

10

9

8

7

6

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

Silver's hands clenched into fists. Don't go. Just…wait.

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

5

4

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

Silver pressed his lips together, but he could not take it anymore when his body surged forward and he shouted, "Ena!"

She was out of the kitchen and a few steps away, but over all the chanting, she heard her name. Confused, she whirled around—

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

3

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

Ena's eyes rounded when, in that split second, darkness clashed with determined mayan blues.

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

2

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

His hands shout out to grab her shoulders and hold her in place as his face came in and his lips slanted—

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

1

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

New Azalea burst with confetti as the ball dropped and the center screen flashed. Streamers fanned out as fireworks painted the sky as the streets resounded with, "Happy New Year!" Kisses and laughs and cheers were passed around as the flooded streets rippled with excitement that, finally, a new year had come and an old year had gone. Yoko and John hugged each other on the broadcast. A young couple shared a chaste kiss with their daughter on the shoulders of her father. A group of friends who had come to support EMPHASIS with their STRESSOR light bombs huddled together with tears flooding their cheeks and smiles passed around.

Right on cue, EMPHASIS lifted their individual microphones. The other four became their harmony as Kyary stepped forward in her Miss Santa dress and her wings happily spread. She began to croon in her melodic voice…

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

Should auld acquaintance be forgot

And never brought to mind?

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

The kiss Spencer and Veronika shared did not mean to invoke her tears, but they did. She refused to let that hold her back and she put her hands on both his cheeks to keep him there and to keep her anchored to the present instead of thinking about a past she could never run away from.

Against the wall, Tesla and Jaxton shared their last kiss of the year and their first kiss of the year wrapped into one. He poured every ounce of apology and love he could into the kiss as he held her in his arms and she responded in kind.

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

Should auld acquaintance be forgot

And days of auld lang syne?

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

Luna had to crane upwards as Bleu pulled her into a deep kiss as everyone shouted and hooted around them. Mary Jane and Peter shared a sweet kiss that had them both smiling and not care whatsoever about anything around them.

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

For auld lang syne, my dear

For auld lang syne

We'll tak a cup o' kindness yet

For days of auld lang syne

For days of auld lang syne

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

Nashi had been the one to kiss Gary first whilst she was nestled in his lap, but he dominated the kiss at every turn. Something within her stirred as they kissed and it made her want to be even closer to him than before. It was as though…something was filling her from the inside. It did not tarnish her soul, but it pulsed around it, fed it, and heated it with something that she could not ignore. She could feel a rush of Gary's emotion through the connection she had forged. She felt the underlying pain and regret that he would always shoulder, but she felt that free and true love she would regret she did not acknowledge for the longest time. It shredded any doubt she had and brought tears to her eyes.

This… This is too much… I can't just… I can't…!

Without her wanting to, she felt her Magic react in a way she knew she would never forget. It was as though it had a mind of her own. It tugged at Gary's winter and meshed and swirled her warmth with his cold until it had to burst free. They were too enwrapped in each other to see their magical aura had flourished from their flesh in a soft cerulean and light pink respectively. But it did not stop there. Winter breezes danced around them as the northern lights began to brighten and wave as though dancing.

And, in that moment, when a rush of need hit the two of them so strongly that Gary was holding Nashi like his life depended on it, the northern lights were not just a shade of green with hints of red.

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

10… 9… 8.. 7… 6… 5… 4… 3… 2… 1…

Happy New Year!

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

The hut Uki lived in was on all shamans and their apprentices lived in. Nothing big or materialistic and chalk full of priceless artifacts passed down from generation to generation. She lived close to Adélie, but not too inland of the city. It was not right for the shaman to live in the heart of a city. The spiritual connection was weaker in such a polluted area. But she lived close enough to see the lights and smiled from her veranda when she heard the people perform their traditional hymn to ask the Spirits for good fortune and blessings into the new year while others shouted their glee. But as she leaned against the railing with her cup of hot tea, her eyes widened when she saw the northern lights.

Her teacup was dropped.

No… That…can't be possible…

But Uki gaped as she saw the northern lights had changed colors. The regular emerald with hints of red were there, but a serene oceanic blue and a soft light pink dominated the north lights and, at every turn, they would intertwine to show hints of violet.

The Spirits? No. This couldn't be the Spirits. So then what…?

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

Should auld acquaintance be forgot

And never brought to mind

Should auld acquaintance be forgot

Eh, eh auld lang syne?

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

In North Bluemink, Dash had surprised Julia with a kiss that she tore away from and tried to hit him, but the speedster cackled from a safe distance away. The women were heartbroken when they saw Carlisle practically tackle Dante into a kiss, but Dante one-upped him when he lifted Carlisle with ease. Miles and Kat shared a charming little kiss together.

Gale only took a sip of beer and sighed. Happy New Year's, Blondie.

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

Auld lang syne, my dear

For auld lang syne

We'll tak' a cup o' kindness yet

For auld lang syne

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

All around the world, midnight had come and gone or was to come. But kisses had been shared or would be shared. Some people would spend their first second into the new year with a contentment of being alone. Others would be surrounded by the ones they loved. Some used this opportunity to chase down the one they did not want to get away. Others used this time to reflect on the ones they lost.

At the guild party the older Fairy Tail members attended with their comrades, everyone was making damn well sure to spend their first second into the New Year with their partner. Laxus had dipped Mira for a kiss. A drunken Levy smooched Gajeel, but she had missed and got to his neck and would leave quite the hickey in the morning. The kiss Natsu and Lucy shared was pure…until Natsu got handsy and Lucy had no choice but to give him a Lucy-Kick. Evergreen was in Elfman's arms after their kiss, but he soon began to bawl, much to her frustrated amusement.

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

For auld lang syne, my dear

For auld lang syne

We'll tak' a cup o' kindness yet

For auld lang syne

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

In New Azalea, Justin laughed when Ace spun him around and kissed him again. Ines leaned Ellie back for a deeper kiss that had her girlfriend giggling into her lips. As others in the party kissed and laughed as EMPHASIS sung to the beat, Orochi found himself with a flute of champagne. His eyes found the lonesome Galileo and, in their moment of solidarity, they lifted their glasses in a silent toast before taking a sip.

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

Ey, oh yeah, ey, ey, eh

Eh, hey, Happy New Year, baby

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

The kiss felt longer than it should have been, but Silver was not the one who wanted to pull away. Ena was the one to do so, caught surprised. Silver blinked thrice and everything caught up with him. Slowly, red crawled up from his neck and blared on his face as he made literal steam shoot from his person. He slapped a hand over his mouth to keep himself from screaming. What did I just do? What did I just do? She's going to kill me! No, she won't kill me! she'll turn me into a mouse and put me in a cage! She'll make me run that stupid little wheel for the rest of my life!

Ena's head tipped down as shadows covered her eyes. "Silver…"

Silver waved his hands around in a frenzy. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I didn't ask for permission, but of course you didn't want me to do that and I'm really sorry and please, please, please don't kill me—!"

"Silver."

He froze.

Ena sighed as she looked at him with not hatred or murder, but…resignation. "Look, it's fine," she soothed. "I understand."

The red drained from Silver's face and he felt a flicker of hope. "You…do?" Does this mean…? Does she…?

"Yes." Ena set a hand on Silver's shoulder and said in a serious tone, "You're feeling emotional and lonely you can't be with Paige, so you settled for the next warm body and I just happened to be it. I get it."

I don't think you get it at all! Silver cried. Clearing his throat, he tried to counter, "That's not what I—"

"Anyways, it's okay." Ena patted his cheek. "Heartbreak is difficult to deal with and everyone copes in different ways. Just make sure you cope in healthy ways, okay? Because so help me"—a lethal aura enshrouded her and made Silver wilt—"if you ever do something like that again, I will personally disembowel you and feed you to the street dogs in the bad part of town. Do you understand?"

Silver gulped and wanted to wave a white flag of submission. "Y-Y-Yes, ma'am." She's touching my cheek, but it feels like she's choking me.

"Good." Ena backed off the murderous intent to smile. "Happy New Year. Oh!" She craned her neck to kiss her cheek. "And a cheek kiss would have been fine too." Back on her feet, she told him, "I'm going to find L and Luke." And she abandoned him.

Silver swallowed and trembling fingers touched his lips. She might've thought that kiss was just me being desperate for someone, but… Red tarnished his cheeks. But in that moment, I… I couldn't think of anyone else but her. And her lips feel…really nice…

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

Aye, oh, 5, 4, 3, 2

•

Should auld acquaintance be forgot

And never brought to mind

Should auld acquaintance be forgot

And auld lang syne

•

Happy New Year baby

Happy New Year baby

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

Luke sighed as shut the door behind him as he stepped back outside. "Well, not like I was planning on kissing anyone anyway." He took a sip of his water as he scanned the night sky. He could hear the celebration, but none of that mattered to him. What would Igneel do if he were here? Well, if Mary Jane wasn't with Peter, he'd be trying for a kiss from her…and she just might give him one. But he'd definitely make something happen.

That brought out an idea.

Luke screwed on the cap to his water bottle and set it aside. Sensei did tell me every spell in my arsenal can be used in some way. And, well… If I know the spell, I should always use it. He cracked his knuckles as he grinned. Wherever you are, man, I hope this would make you proud.

Luke fingered into his pocket to pull out the Star Coin. He tossed it into the air. "With this coin, I summon," he chanted, "the bow of the Archer, Sagittarius!" He caught the coin and watched as it morphed into the same bow his mother and his uncle Sagittarius could use. With one hand gripping the bow tight, he pulled back his other hand as a line of light came back as the string. He aimed at the sky. Happy New Year's…Igneel…Sensei… Wherever you both are.

Brow furrowing, he chanted: "Super Star Shot!"

And he let the bow go as a light arrow sailed into the night sky.

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

BOOM! B-B-BOOM!

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

Gasps of awe fell out as everyone ran to the side of the house to see the fireworks lighting up the sky in the graceful reds and greens and blues and golds. Ooohs and aahs went about as the high of the New Year increased. Mary Jane was amazed to see one of the fireworks had exploded into a star with two dots for eyes while another burst into a rainbow. Ena watched with a smile on her face as the light reflected in her eyes. Bleu held Luna close, but the beauty of the fireworks could not take away from the pain Luna felt.

Happy New Year's, Gale.

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

Should auld acquaintance be forgot

And never brought to mind

Should auld acquaintance be forgot

And auld lang syne

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

Nashi and Gary came up for air eventually with the glow of their Magic gone. Their eyes fluttered open as affectionate smiles were glued to their faces. Gary murmured, "Happy New Year's, Angel."

"Happy New Year's, Gary," Nashi told him. "Thanks for not giving up on me."

Gary shook his head. "No, Angel. Thank you for not giving up on me." He mouthed a kiss on her forehead, then paused. "Angel?"

"What?" Nashi looked up at him, but she saw his eyes had strayed. Following his field of vision, her eyes widen and she gasped when she saw the northern lights. "W-What in the…? How…?" She could not believe she saw blue and pink streaming through the sky and intimately wound with the northern lights. "That's so beautiful, but that's…that's…"

"That's us," Gary finished for her, awed.

"But…" Nashi broke her stare from the lights to look at Gary in wonder. "How…?"

"I don't know." Gary shot her a teasing grin. "Maybe Angel is hopelessly in love with—!" He laughed as he held back Nashi's fist. "Angel is cute when she denies her feelings for me!"

"Sh-Shut up, you stupid dog!" Nashi growled as a ragged blush blotted her cheeks.

"But honestly…"

Nashi blinked as she witnessed Gary adopt a soft look.

"It's okay if Angel isn't ready to say those words," Gary promised her. "It's okay for me to wait. I'll wait for as long as Angel needs me to until Angel says, 'I love you'. But for now, this"—his eyes flicked up to the northern lights then dropped down to her—"is enough for me to know how Angel feels."

Nashi took in his words until her eyes clouded with tears and she buried her face into his neck. "Stupid dog," she hurled in a wet voice. "Making me cry, like, two seconds into the new year."

Gary laughed as he embraced her. "I'm sorry, Angel." He nuzzled against the side of her head. "But I promise you this year is going to be different. I'm going to do everything I can so I can be by your side as a partner you deserve."

"I should be saying that to you." Nashi pulled away to sniffle and wipe her cheeks. "I'm going to get stronger. I'm not going to stop growing and learning and I'll make sure you don't either. But most importantly, I won't lose to you."

Gary frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Well…" Nashi averted her eyes, all shy now. "You sort of won when it came to showing your feelings and being so open about it. But this year, I won't lose to you. I'm not holding back anymore, okay? So hurry up and do well out here, so you can come home so I can show you all the ways I've improved while you're gone."

Gary paused and felt touched. Angel… Smiling, he dipped down to kiss her cheek and nuzzle it with his nose. "That's a promise, Angel."

"Good. It better be, dog." Nashi turned her head to breathe against his lips. "Because you're mine." She pulled him down and slanted her lips atop of his.

Happy New Year

To you and your friends

And have a drink on me

Happy New Year

To you

And have a drink on me

•

10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1

Happy New Year

SEE YOU IN THE NEW YEAR, FAIRIES…

Next time, on Fairy Adventure, the start of a new arc!

Fairy Adventure – Episode 69

PROLOGUE: JANUARY

Voices in Order of Character Appearance

Skade the Ice Devil – Sean Schemmel

Uki – Devery Jacobs

Gary Fullbuster – Griffin Burns

Nashi Dragneel - Lauren Landa

Býleistr – Josh Tomar

Luna Dragneel – Brynn Apprill

Lucy Heartfilia-Dragneel – Cherami Leigh

Natsu Dragneel – Todd Haberkorn

Luke Dragneel – Alan Lee

John Winston – John Michael Higgin

Yoko Cox – Lyrica Okano

Tesla Greer/Hylia Lynk – Galena White

Adrienne Greer – Carla Gugino

Jang-ta "Jaxton" Yang – Eddy Yeung

Galileo "Leo" Redfox – Josh Grelle

Gale Redfox – Greg Cipes

Silver Fullbuster – Yuri Lowenthal

Ena Fernandes – Xanthe Huynh

Paige Strauss – Erica Mendez

Elvin Strauss – Micah Solusod

Penelope Strauss – Christina V

Chelsea Goolsby - Joan Plowright

Veronika Strauss – Hilary Haag

Vasilisa "Lisa" Jane Strauss – Laura Woodhull

Ivanushka "Ivan" Strauss – Tara Sands

Spencer Lates – Christopher Wekhamp

Draculos Hyberion - Mark Oristano

Iris Monics – Karen Straussmen

Mister Hollifield – Simon Pegg

Morgan "Jennababy" Lates - Rebekah Stevens

Preston Lates - Chris Patton

Peter Shuusei-Thompson – Joe Zieja

Mary Jane Dreyar – Erica Lindbeck

Lucifer "Bleu" Demiurge – Xander Mobus

Julia Fullbuster – Michelle Ruff

Carlisle Justino – Eric Scott Kimerer

Dante Princeton-O'Neill – Adrian Petriw

Eiji "Dash" Ackermann – Leraldo Anzaldua

Roderick "Ricky" Boseman – Jovan Jackson

Faye – Sametria Ewunes

Justin Justine – Ian Sinclair

Orochi – Aaron Roberts

Calcifer – Benjamin McLaughlin

• — • — •

Additional Voices

Opening Narrator – Mary McGlynn

Description Narrator – Mary McGlynn

— • — • — • —

⌜INSERT SONG 1

⟪ Mask Off ⟫

Future

Lyrics by

Nayvadius Wilburn, Leland Wayne & Tommy Butler⌟

•

⌜INSERT SONG 2

⟪ Do It ⟫

Chloe x Halle

Lyrics by & Composed by

Chloe x Halle, Chloe Bailey, Scott Storch, Victoria Monét, Vincent van den Ende & Anton Kuhl⌟

•

⌜INSERT SONG 3

⟪ Girlfriends ⟫

Boyz World

Produced by

Melanie Joy Fontana, Michel "Lindgren" Schulz & Farrago⌟

•

⌜INSERT SONG 3

⟪ Body ⟫

Megan Thee Stallion

Lyrics by & Composed by

Christophe Petrel, Julian Martrel Mason & Megan Pete⌟

•

⌜ENDING THEME

⟪ AULD LANG SYNE (THE NEW YEAR'S ANTHEM) ⟫

Mariah Carey

Lyrics by & Composed by

Robert Burns⌟

Chibi-Luna peeks out from the end credit. "Hi, everyone! Luna hear! Author-san wanted to let you know that the new arc's first episode might take place sooner than the new year with some new inspiration that restructured the future arcs of Fairy Adventure as well as the ending. But this was written prior to that inspiration! So please be patient and stay tuned for our next arc! Thanks for adventuring with us so far! And don't worry! Author-san has a lot more episodes before our adventure comes to an end!" She offers a peace sign and a wink. "See you soon!"