The bar was stacked.

The blond young woman had to play with her elbows to find a way through the crowd of people that separated her from the table she shared with her friends. They all had found a way to come. Organizing girls' night only got more difficult now that the guild had regained its reputation and became even more popular during the year after its reunion. The mission board was even sometimes too small to contain all the requests coming in. Even the town's reputation had gone up bringing all kinds of new bars and shops.

That was why this night was so special for the women. All of them had agreed to take the night off, so they could have a real girls' night instead of drinks in small groups every now and then. Only Mirajane was missing because she had to close the guild first, even if it was earlier than usual. Wendy and Charuru had however decided not to come because the girl was still underage and didn't want to hold the others from going into clubs and preferred going to Marguerite to hang out with Chelia. No matter how much they had tried to change her mind. The girl was obviously getting more stubborn and assertive with the years.

So far, it was going great. They all talked about their jobs, their teams and their kind-of-relationships, all pretty weird, except maybe Levy's, but she was bound to drink lemonade for a few more months so she wasn't really bragging. Unsurprisingly, every one of them stayed true to herself, Cana was making unnecessary comments about their love lives, Lisanna liked juicy gossiping, Levy was the more critical one, Juvia spent her time blushing and sometimes innocently ask very awkward questions, while Kinana giggled and Erza stuttered a few words to get more details, as Evergreen sighed and told them they were quite childish without being able to contain the light of interest in her eyes.

She was quite awkward too. She couldn't helped being a bit embarrassed by some very private details about Levy's or Kinana's private lives that Cana dragged out of them. Lisanna, however, didn't need anyone to share a little too much on the dates she had started going on with Bickslow, at everyone's surprise a few months ago now. Thankfully, Mirajane was still missing when Lucy finally joined the table and blushed when she understood the white haired young woman was comfortably saying they had spent two days without going out of bed.

She took a slight sip after distributing the drinks to everyone. Cana was indeed asking if his totems had stayed awake the whole time, because that was indeed kind of kinky, while Lisanna strongly denied and exclaimed she would never do something so disturbing to "babies", she wanted to be a decent girlfriend. Evergreen only sighed and asked if they had spent the whole time deciding what color to paint them and didn't change anything as usual. Lucy couldn't help but notice she seemed to be more comfortable with this conversation.

"Well, we thought about going with blue this time but we decided to take an extra month to prepare the babies for that." Lisanna explained very seriously as some of them chuckled.

The constellationnist giggled as the gaze of her friend became more determined to truly explain why blue was a realyl big step for them. The thunder tribe's woman only sighed before starting her new mojito, the young woman became once more anxious about time. Stating once again that her sister should already be here.

"I just hope she didn't find something to sort out or she might never come." She giggled while drinking.

"Painting and sorting, you sisters do know how to throw a party." Evergreen only said with a once more long sigh.

"If we're so boring, then maybe you should stop hanging with us and eating all the toasts in the morning."

The woman's cheeks got rapidly covered in red as the younger one calmly drank and ignored her offended stare with a big playful smile across hers.

"Maybe Mira got stuck with something to clean." Levy tried, in order to break the slight tension as the other girls only chuckled to this unsurprising news.

"Maybe somebody came by and she didn't find a way to kick him out." Lucy tried to help out her friend while the two women slowly got less interested in one another.

"Maybe Laxus came by and they found some babies to paint blue." Cana suddenly dropped out.

The silence tumbled over them, if not covered by Erza's almost choking on her drink on the overwhelming yelling of the bar. The brunette looked around her with a proud smile on her face. It was true that joke had been kind of funny to the blond but the awkwardness of it made it impossible to express more than an embarrassed smile as it seemed to be the same for the others.

She had heard the rumors about them. Everyone had. Some of them believed them more than others, but they mostly escaped the subject, afraid than some less receptive ears caught the conversation. Ironically Mirajane didn't seem to like being gossiped about and avoided it like the pest if anyone even mentioned it. But that never stopped the card mage who found this gossip rather enjoyable and liked to remind people it existed.

"You've got to stop saying that." The blond finally broke the ice. And regretted it as soon as Cana looked at her, like one decides on a target.

She didn't like those jokes on Mirajane. She still had a lot of respect for the woman and loathed to gossip on her back, also to her face, but one was still a little more moral than the other.

"I'm saying it because it's true." She responded with a mischievous smile.

"You don't know anything about that." Levy joined the conversation while the others couldn't find anything better to do than drinking and sending each other amused looks. Not wishing to participate in this hazardous subject.

"Thing is…" The woman continued without losing her smirk and taking a sip to manage a somewhat dramatic effect. "I know."

"No, you don't." Kinana replied, joining the battle.

The brunette took another long sip before putting her glass on the table with a light sound and the creaking of her chair when she leaned back.

"You just don't believe me because you don't want to acknowledge that she's been hiding something from all of you." She attacked again, still wearing her unshakeable grin.

"No, we don't listen to you because you don't have any proof." Levy defended again with a somehow more assertive tone like the subject personally bothered her too.

"I don't need any proof, I am a witness."

"Imagination doesn't make a witness." The white-haired one jumped in.

A general sigh and giggle went through the group as the tension broke. Erza sulked harder on her straw when she reached the end of the glass. Cana however seemed a bit less amused but couldn't help grinning at that.

"Even if I told you, none of you would believe me." She finally said with the sigh and a brighter smile.

"That's the excuse of people who don't know anything." The blond pointed out quite amused this time now that the conversation took a slightly lighter tone.

The card mage took a long breath and finished her glass like she was reflecting on something. She put it down again and looked at all of them, more mischievously, but the blond could feel the apprehension that was tensing her while they all held their breaths.

"Fine." She said without looking down. "I'll tell you, but you better help me when Mira tries to pull my guts out with a kitchen knife."

Some giggles went up but they all kept silent. Some of them frowning but all of them wondering how she planned on getting out of this situation.

"You guys remember how we all used to share a room during the Grand Magic Games ?" She started.

Some more frowning. Some sips and a definitely general interest with some shy nods.

"And how Laxus crushed Raven Tail on the third day ?"

More nods but definitely more frowning.

"Well, he was really drunk that evening, and I didn't have anything to do with it."

"I don't remember that." Levy interrupted.

"Just ask Gajil and he'll tell you !" She hushed her to continue her weirdly starting story.

"So, he was really drunk and sort of bleak that night."

"Juvia kind of remembers !" The blue haired woman cut her even if she hadn't said a word in a long time.

"Great, now let me talk." The brunette responded quite abruptly.

The young woman blushed in embarrassment and closed her half open mouth, encouraging her friend.

"We were all a bit worried, especially Mira because she can't help but worry about everyone."

She took a small break and no one moved.

"Then he went upstairs and he looked horrible, I'm pretty sure he took the scotch with him."

Another pause. Followed by one very listening silence, if you could forget about the noise of drinks and loud conversations across the bar.

"Just one minute after, Mira said she was going to see if he was okay, nothing suspicious."

Some more frowns and concerned eyes.

"But after a while she still wasn't back, and it was starting to get boring. So, I decided to go check because sometimes they used to have pointless fights and it's annoying."

"Why ?" The blond suddenly inquired, she didn't imagine Mirajane to be a big fighter.

"Because they're both idiots." Lisanna cut her out, visibly anxious to know what followed.

The brunette grinned widely.

"I went upstairs, and I may have forgotten to knock."

Frowns, while she managed another dramatic effect.

"I open the door…" She mimicked that last gesture. "And I swear, they were making out on the bed." She went back on her seat with bright mischievous smile.

Some yelling elevated from the table and definitely wide open eyes.

"That's not possible !" The blond exclaimed, already red from her cheeks to her ears.

"That's what I saw." The brunet exclaimed too. Her victorious grin only growing larger.

Some more exclamations from the other girls.

"Even if that's true." Levy interrupted them and brought back some kind of calm, the drinks probably giving her more authority than usual. "It was years ago, it's probably over now."

"Please don't tell you really believe that !" Cana exclaimed in a laugh.

"It was just a kiss."

"I only said that to be decent !" She smirked as the disapproving looks were setting on her and drinks were emptied.

"I mean, they were only making out but they were obviously not going to keep it at that."

"You just say that." Lisanna cut her out again, not that excited over the story as Lucy thought she would.

"They were like, almost laid down." She tried to describe but getting quite embarrassed herself. "I think his shirt was already open."

"You think ?" Kinana asked, also a bit surprisingly unimpressed.

"Well, I didn't have the time to take a good look, I went away as quick as possible !"

"What did they do next ?" The blond inquired, almost as red as Erza. "You don't think they…"

She laughed at her flustered expression.

"No, Mira went downstairs a few minutes after, they didn't have the time."

"What did she say to you ?" Evergreen spoke.

"Nothing !" The brunette chuckled again. "But she did send me a death look. She's probably going to kill me."

All the girls then looked a bit hesitant about keeping this conversation a secret.

"I don't think you can draw conclusions with that." Erza suddenly said after remaining silent all this time.

"I would have taken two more minutes to come and they would have been banging !" The brunette exclaimed as some girls got flustered again. "I don't think they spent two years without doing anything out of it…"

The redhead wanted to keep going but she suddenly got cut out by the cheering voice of her white-haired friend approaching through the crowd.

"What are you guys talking about ?" She asked while taking a seat and grabbing one of the drinks Lucy had brought.

They all looked at each other in hesitation, not knowing if they were supposed to come up with a cover story or tell the truth right ahead. Even if none of them knew how the white haired mage might react.

"I was just telling them some stories about how we all used to get along during the Grand Magic Games."

The mage took a slight sip of a drink before looking up.

"That's nice." She smiled. "Like what ?"

Awkward silence took place as the card mage swallowed hard.

"Well." She chuckled. "I was thinking on beginning with the night we were all hammered, but they all seemed more interested in the day I found you trying to score with Laxus."

The woman blinked and let a little laugh out. Feeling her cheeks heat under the intense gaze and widened eyes of her friends.

"I…" She swallowed, smiling even more in embarrassment. "What are you talking about ?"

"You heard me." She insisted, might as well completely go in.

The demonic looked around to see the other girls practically hiding behind their drinks and sending each other desperate looks. Were they afraid of her ?
More red than Erza's hair had ever been, she didn't even know if she was supposed to deny or explain herself.

"What did you tell them exactly ?" She asked, feeling her skin beginning to sweat.

"Only the truth."

"Yeah, I don't want people to get the wrong idea, what did you say ?"

The brunette smiled but the pressure only swelled more in her chest. She clenched her teeth, not sure if she should get into details before hating herself for starting this conversation. What the hell had she been thinking ?

"Well…" She hesitated, losing the confidence against the bright blue eyes that stared at her in a mix of apprehension and annoyance. "For my defense, they didn't seem really surprised for the most…" She took a long sip. "I mean the Laxus bit." She swallowed harder. "Not the Grand Magic Games part"

The white haired woman frowned and looked at them with one misunderstanding gaze.

"I knew." Kinana spoke first as all the eyes were now on her.

"Me too." Levy then spoke. "Gajil told me." She felt obliged to add when she felt the gazes on her. "He said he smelled it."

Cana frowned. Feeling kind of cheated as Levy had seemed one of the most skeptical ones.

"Well, I did too but you already knew that." Lisanna added, getting a quick smile for her sister.

"Same." Erza said in turn.

"How ?" The brunette finally exploded. "You've been telling me I was wrong since the beginning !"

Erza's eyes widened as she felt more and more uncomfortable with that conversation.

"She told me."

Cana sat back on her with unbelieving eyes. Since when did they all know about that ?

"I wasn't surprised either." Evergreen broke the silence. "Elfman told me." She added when Mirajane looked at her.

"Juvia kind of suspected." The water mage finally said.

Some awkward silence fell on the table.

"Wait, every single one of you knew before I said anything ?" Cana spoke with an amused but quite annoyed grin.

Silence again.

"I didn't." Lucy said. Feeling the stares getting up on her but looking straight at Mirajane who seemed the more disturbed and embarrassed that everyone was aware about her romantic life when she thought it was still rather secret. "I didn't even imagine it was possible."

She looked down, blushing at her own obliviousness. She could still not believe that Mirajane had hidden that fact through so much time. Nor that none of the girls had seriously mentioned it in the year that had past. What exactly was going on between them ? And how long had it been going on. The thoughts were still swirling in her mind but she looked up to cross Mirajane's red face as she silently emptied her glass and opened her mouth to utter some explanation before closing it again.

The silence was becoming more than awkward.

"I just didn't want to tell anyone until it was more…" Mirajane finally told. "…sure."

"Then, why did you tell Erza ?"

"I was… drunk." She looked down, sending a quick glance to the redhead that was taking a very long sip of her drink.

"When you kissed him, or when you told Erza ?" Levy asked.

"Both… I think" She rolled her eyes to hide her embarrassment as she was still the target of glances. They were all remaining silent and looking down or to each other.

"Well, I'm glad you're finally being honest about it !" The brunette exclaimed.

"It's not like you gave me a choice."

"Sorry, next time you try to do him, I'll make sure to get your consent first."

"Looks like Mira is the one that should get consent first." Levy spoke again, with a smirk this time. They were a few chuckles but most girls were afraid for her. The white-haired woman glanced around her with a sigh. Why were they so silent ? And why did they look like she could burst into flames at any moment? Obviously, she could. Her magic was already agitated with her trouble. It didn't mean she was going to. But she could.

"So" Erza finally spoke. "What are you guys up to these days ?"

"Bickslow and I were actually thinking about going on a trip." The white-haired one cheerfully answered, completely changing the subject from her sister's secret love life. Or at least, sneaky life.

"Haven't you two already been on one recently ?" The blond asked.

"Oh yeah, but this one is going to be much longer and much more fun !"

"You should take your sister then." Cana exclaimed. "Looks like she's the one that needs sparks in her life !"

She looked at her, visibly unamused. Which was obviously not the case of the others because some of them were still choking on their drinks.

"Sparks are for kids." Levy took the floor. "Mira needs a man."

"A man that would make her say…" Lisanna started. "You're absolutely electrifying."

General laughter raised from the table.

"Stop it. I'm going to lose a rib." She said sarcastically but getting quite amused by them, if not still completely awkward.

"You're the one sneaking with Laxus behind our backs !" Lisanna exclaimed, still laughing wholeheartedly.

"Are you guys really going to give me a hard time for this one time ?" She asked, with a slight smile this time.

Silent fell upon them once again. Some still trying to swallow.

"And yet, you found it shockingly enjoyable."


Thank you for reading, hope you liked it ! Please leave a comment !