Elfman saw his sister walk away from the fire after announcing she was going to tend to Laxus's wounds. The young man stayed put for a moment, waiting for her to come back while listening to Lisanna and Lucy's discussion. Their conversation however quickly lost its interest to Elfman as the silver haired young woman was messing with Lucy about her obvious relationship with Natsu.

Then he realized he still didn't have some news from Evergreen. He sighed. She was probably still recuperating, but Elfman couldn't help but worrying, and that even if he would never admit it. The young women would probably be just fine with some rest but her screams and how that fallen soldier had practically absorbed all of her vital energy was still too present in his mind.

He had failed his role as a partner and even though she ultimately made it, he felt like he hadn't been up to the task as a real man. Despite her probably sleeping at the moment, the young man couldn't help going to see her to make sure she was alright. A smile was drawn on his face when he saw her awake, dipping her feet in the river flowing next to Fairy Tail's campsite, lost in her thoughts.

"How do you feel?" He asked, sitting beside her.

Evergreen, who haven't seen him coming, jumped a little, placing a hand on her heart to keep it at bay, then sighed realizing who it was.

"You scared the hell out of me!" She exclaimed with her usual temper but soon softened. "But yes I'm fine… thanks to you" she smiled.

Red started to overwhelm the imposing young man's cheeks as Evergreen offered him what felt like the cutest smile he had ever seen. Then he remembered how he almost failed to save her and his smile dropped.

"I almost didn't make it in time". He let out with sadness. " I…"

"Elfman… none of this is your fault… I… I never do anything useful. Laxus, you… everyone else almost died fighting those things and I did nothing more than being a dead weight you had to carry around. Our chances of survival would be so much better without me…"

"Idiot!" He cut her out. "It's because you were by my side that we could make it this far in the tunnels and orient ourselves in there. And besides, we didn't even know the true nature of the DFA, it isn't your fault!"

"Elfman…"

"I'm glad I'm your partner, Ever."

That nickname… no one beside Laxus was allowed to use it. And she usually never restrained to fiercely inform every being who dared to call her that… so why didn't she feel that immense rage when it was him? She decided to restrain her comments on the matter when she saw Laxus's silhouette coming to them. Realizing they weren't alone anymore, she noticed how close Elfman was to her, herself leaning a little in his direction. How the hell did that happen? She had absolutely no attraction to that pile of muscles obsessed by masculinity… right?

"No one besides Laxus can call me that!" Exclaimed the young woman terrified at the idea of Laxus misinterpreting the situation.

"You seriously have a bad temper" answered Elfman, a large smile on his face.

"Laxus!" She called as the latter had joined them. "Elfman is insufferable! Do something!"

The blond young man looked at them with a neutral expression, his arms crossed on his chest, then looked at Elfman.

"Oh yeah?" He said giving shivers to the Strauss sibling. "So when did you two hook up?"

"That… that's not it!" He defended himself.

However, despite him denying his relationship with Evergreen, Laxus placed a hand on Elfman's shoulder and shook his head in an understanding way, seeming to show he was aware of the difficult situation Elfman just got into.

"What was that supposed to mean?" He yelled.

Without answering, the young Dreyar turned and let behind him the couple in deny, one another blushing and soon enough starting to bicker again.


Mira yawned. She had barely slept those last few days and even then, she hadn't been able to fall asleep. The young woman placed a hand on her neck, where stood the golden chain she carefully kept hidden in her shirt was. She then opened the medallion that was so important to her, the one that contained a picture of her parents, the only object she still had from them. Numerous were the times she had to consider the idea of separating herself from the precious object to get out of a difficult period, but she never gave it up in the end. She tightened a little her hand on it. She never knew what really happened to her parents, having even allowed herself to hope they were still alive somewhere out there. But now, knowing they both died only to satisfy that thirst for power those horrible persons had… A tear was starting to roll on her cheek as she saw the shadow of someone passing between the fire and her and then sitting next to her. Drying the tear in the most subtle way she could, she turned to the newcomer to see Laxus. The latter simply stared at the flames as if he was alone.

"Can't sleep neither hen?" She asked.

"Haven't tried yet" he simply answered.

'And once again he's ending a conversation before it even as started' though Mira with regret. However, if he didn't feel like talking, she could understand that. She had herself had a hard time getting through the day and had more than her share of thoughts buzzing in her mind.

"What are you looking at?" asked the voice she had resigned herself not to hear any further that night.

"A picture of my parents" she said once over her surprise.

"Bearers?"

"Only my mom".

"So what happened to your dad?" He asked for once curious about her. "It's obvious that if he was still around, his daughter wouldn't have worked as hard as you did."

Mira's traits hardened. One of the principal reasons why she hated Laxus until now, not considering his cold and selfish personality, was because he had used her job as a waiter to diminish her. It had, in fact, always had been a delicate subject to her.

"Be careful, it didn't end well last time we talked about my job" she said with a smile that wasn't really one, remembering the fight they had a couple of years before.

"Don't worry, I didn't forget the day I realized you were a she-devil".

"What a gentleman to remind me how a was back there!" She exclaimed with sarcasm. "You, however, are exactly the same arrogant and insufferable person you were when I first met you".

"It's not because you don't show it that you have changed". He replied with an arrogant smile.

The young woman was on her feet and got to him who didn't flinch.

"Don't make me right about what I just said, Strauss" he continued to taunt her before her growing anger.

The large blue eyes were plunged into his, severe at first, then softened until she started to laugh.

"No way I'm letting you that satisfaction Dreyar" she said sitting back next to him.

Then the conversation dropped once more until her parents came back to her mind.

"Your parents were also bearers, right?" She asked the young man about whom she barely know anything.

"My mother died while giving birth" he flatly said. But my father was a bearer and worked for the DFA.

"What happened to him?" Asked Mira, ignoring a shiver of disgust at the mention of the DFA.

"He died. Well, that's what Makarov said."

"You don't even know how? But if he worked for the DFA, he was maybe a…"

"I told you, I have no idea" he interrupted her in a dry tone, reminding Mira she was already lucky that he was willing to answer all those questions already. "I simply remember that he sometimes used to bring me to some kind of campsites starting from the moment I got my ring."

"I thought you were adopted by your grandfather when you were only a little boy."

"I was. I was barely eight when my ring appeared" he added before her stupefied look. "It's around that time that Ivan died".

The young woman couldn't believe it. Eight years old? She already heard about kids developing it at the beginning of their teenage years, but this young? As if she was expecting Laxus's thumb to be different from hers, she placed her necklace on her knees and took the young man's hand in hers. With a satisfaction too big for what it really was, she noticed that he didn't pull back. So she took her time to examine the dark stripe that looked exactly like to one marking her own finger.

"It must have been a heavy burden to bear at such a young age" she whispered, her eyes still locked on his hand, her skin absorbing the heat of the man she would have sworn she hated barely a couple of days earlier.

She blushed at this sensation she felt before while tending to their wounds coming back to life. Still refusing to raise her gaze, her eyes locked on his chest… bad idea. If she wanted to chase that unexpected attraction to him, she must avoid that region at all costs. She finally looked at his face. Obviously, one look at this indifferent expression would suffice to get some sense back, she encouraged herself. Even so, no matter where she looked at him, that feeling in the pit of her stomach ordering her to get closer and closer to him didn't leave and was even worst. Was it her imagination or did Laxus didn't seem annoyed as usual in addition to being… so close? Her heart skipped a beat when she realized how much she was now close to him. What the hell was she about to do?

She froze before backing off a little too rashly, red instantly coloring her cheeks as she realized she was just about to kiss him. She was about to kiss Laxus Dreyar, she repeated herself as her mind couldn't wrap around what was happening. Troubled, she mumbled something unintelligible and went to bed. Of course, despite being in her sleeping bag and being exhausted, she couldn't find sleep.


Laxus stared at the fire without understanding what just happened. He couldn't figure out what pushed Mira to act this way while, for all he knew, she hated him. But even more important was his reaction. Not only didn't he pulled back as she was leaning dangerously close in his direction, but he had also hoped that she had gotten even closer. In fact, if he wasn't that surprised about her actions, he would probably have succumbed to his own desire to get a taste of those sensual lips… 'shit' he thought remembering that it was Mirajane Strauss he was thinking about that way. What was wrong with him today? Obviously, a few screws had gotten loose…

Then he noticed something at his feet. It only took him a moment to recognize it was Mira's medallion. He sighed, annoyed, and picked it up. He was about to close it and put it in his pocket when he saw the picture. His blood froze in his veins as memories he thought were lost forever came back to mind.

Yes, I know… They were so close! But we must let them a little more time to figure out all of those new emotions ;) I also know I'm letting you with a cliff-hanger on that one but don't worry, answers to a lot of questions are coming soon, promise! :)

Have a nice week!

Lily xxx