Chapter 15: You've Been Warned
Paperwork. The part of being in a magic guild that no one ever tells you about.
Dreamer sat humming to herself and filling out a report on her last job. Everything had to be perfectly in order or Freed would make her start over. He was notorious for sending back job reports and delaying paychecks if you hadn't filled everything out to satisfaction.
"You're pretty good at tuning out all the noise," Gray Fullbuster sat at the table across from her, kicking back as casually as if he owned the place.
"You kind of have to be, in Fairy Tail," she said absentmindedly.
"Or you could go to the library like a sane person," he retorted.
"I guess I could." She shrugged and kept working, totally unfazed.
Eyes glared ferociously at Dreamer from behind a pillar nearby. Juvia was at the table in a second, leaning suggestively toward Gray.
"Gray, my sweet darling," cleavage jutted purposefully in his direction, "you shouldn't spend time around women like Desmerelda—"
"Dreamer."
"—because she uses charm magic! It would be completely unacceptable for my perfect dear to be caught in the treacherous trap of some bimbo enchantress!" She leaned even further onto the table, practically crawling toward the ice-make wizard now.
Dreamer hummed along, ignoring them.
"Actually, speaking of spending time," Gray said, leaning right past Juvia and toward Dreamer, "I was hoping you'd want to get lunch with me, D."
Juvia's jaw dropped to the ground and she began to tremble with rage.
Dreamer raised a single eyebrow, looked at Gray, and then back down at her paperwork.
"GRAY HOW COULD YOU?!" Juvia shook him like a rag doll, tears flowing out of her eyes like waterfalls. "How could you ask another woman on a date right in front of me?! This is punishment of some sort, isn't it?! Danny can't possibly be a competitor for the heart of my love!"
"Dreamer."
"Whoa, whoa, who said anything about a date?!" Gray held his hands up defensively. "I just wanted to ask her if she'd charm Freed for me so I don't have to find that old file I was supposed to give Master!"
"He asks me every time he loses paperwork," Dreamer said casually, still not glancing up. She scribbled something on a form and chewed on the end of the pencil in thought.
"Gray asked Dreamer on a date?" Mirajane suddenly appeared, ever so helpfully, and leaned over with a tray of food. "Oooh! I've never thought about that pairing before! I can see it though! Good for you, Dreamer!" She set the tray on the table and clasped her hands together in glee. "Would that be 'Graymer,' or 'Dreamay?'"
Juvia turned into a wet puddle on the floor and began to roll in fetal position, crying.
"What's this about someone askin' Dreamy on a date?" Piper's boots suddenly thudded on the table as he pounced up out of nowhere. He leaned in Gray's bubble with a terrifying gleam in his green eyes. "Wanna die, iceboy?"
"Piper, your foot." Dreamer tugged on the edge of a worksheet. He lifted his boot so she could pull it out and keep working without so much as a flinch.
"I wasn't askin' her out, dice-man!" Gray got right back in Piper's face, sparks flying between them. "I just want to talk to her!"
"Yeah, well I just wanna punch you's in the teeth!" Piper clenched a fist and held it threateningly in front of him.
Gray's jacket fluttered down onto Dreamer's head as the man stripped in preparation for battle. She tossed it to Juvia and kept working. The water user couldn't seem to decide if she was still furious or if snuggling with Gray's jacket had cured her.
Piper nimbly dodged an icy fist and leaned in close to Dreamer's ear. "Hey, Dreamy, you's doin' anything later? I gots two tickets to the theater—"
"Actually, I'll probably end up discussing finances with Freed over dinner." She tapped her pencil and leaned to the right to avoid Gray's kick toward Piper's chest.
"Speaking of Freed…" Gray cut right back in, while holding Piper by the collar away at arm's length.
The two boys were getting too far into her bubble so she leaned back with a clipboard and kept writing.
"Oooh, the plot thickens!" Mirajane squeaked. "I didn't realize Freed, Gray, Piper AND Nab were all fighting for your attention, Dreamer!"
"Nab?" The fists stopped flying for a brief moment as several pair of eyes shot to the job board where the tall dark-skinned wizard blushed deeply and ran in the opposite direction.
"He'll never ask her out, same way he'll never pick a job." Wakaba commented from the next table over, just before dodging a handful of casino chips that had been intended for Gray.
"I think you should leave Freed for Laxus though, Dreamer." Mira cocked her head to the side. "But you and Gray on a lunch date would be so cute! You should say yes! I'll watch Syllest for you!"
"Who's side you's on, Mira?!" Piper ducked under the swing of an ice hammer and stared at Mira with a look of betrayal.
"For the hundredth time, I'm not looking to date her!"
"Oh, Gray, my darling!" Hearts were in Juvia's eyes as she snuggled Gray's jacket against her chest and began to ramble about her valiant protector.
"Four hundred thousand, three hundred and eighty-two jules…" Dreamer scribbled something down as the chaos intensified.
Then…
"Dreamer."
This time, she actually looked up from the paperwork. His voice cut through the increasing clamor with ease. It demanded attention—drawling, dark, serious. Everyone stopped talking at once and turned to look at Midnight as he approached the table.
She sat the clipboard down. "Macbeth… What's up?"
He walked up and slid his thumbs into his pockets. He leaned on one foot like he was bored, but his expression was serious. He was looking directly at her, his disinterest in the rest of the room and the previous chaos very clear.
"I need you."
The world stood still. Someone sneezed. Dreamer felt her cheeks warm up despite herself, as she stared back into his consuming gaze. Her pencil clattered loudly on the table.
"Ah—what?" She blinked.
"I need company," he said, not really helping to explain what the heck was going on. "And I thought, who better than Fairy Tail's very own Sweet Dream?" His serious expression broke into that of a smirk. His red eyes gleamed, never once breaking his fixated stare.
Her cheeks were definitely hot now. Mira giggled behind her. Piper's palms slammed hard on the table. He moved protectively in front of Dreamer.
"I don't know where you's get off talkin' to Dreamy like that, but you's better slink back into your hole before you really start testin' your luck!" He had lost all interest in the ice-wizard now.
Midnight hardly paid any attention to Piper. He just rolled his eyes and sidestepped to keep Dreamer in his line of sight.
"Well? What will it be?" He cocked his head slightly, swaying magenta hair beads.
"R-right now?"
"Hey, you're gonna have to get in line, bud." Gray spoke up this time. "We all want something from Dreamer right now."
"Don't say it like that, Gray darling…" Juvia whined.
Midnight stared silently at Dreamer. He held his hand out, gesturing for her to follow him, then turned on the heel of his leather boot and started to walk away.
"Asshole," Piper said under his breath. His fists were clenched, shaking with rage.
She stood up and handed her paperwork to Mira, eyes trained on Midnight the entire time. "Can you take care of this for me, Mirajane?"
"Yes, of course!" Mira winked knowingly at Dreamer and retrieved the clipboard.
Dreamer slid off the bench and started after Midnight.
"Wait, Dreamy! You's serious? You're goin' with him?" Piper's fingers grasped at her sleeve, tugging her back. His eyes were wide, and there was a sharp sense of betrayal in the air around him—she could feel it.
She paused. She looked at Midnight's white hair being eclipsed by the shadow of the balcony, then back at Piper. Her expression was pained and apologetic. "He needs me." With those words, she pulled away from Piper's grip and followed the other man.
"Dammit, Dreamy, I need you!" Piper's voice loudly called after her but she didn't turn back.
"Ah man, now I gotta face Freed by myself," Gray groaned, slumping onto the bench.
"What was that, Gray?" A smooth voice responded. Gray's eyes widened in shock. Freed stood less than ten feet away, hands clasped behind his back, eyes hard. "You wouldn't happen to have that file, would you?"
Gray jolted to his feet. "A-ah, hey Juvia! Aren't we doing that-uh-thing? Yeah, that thing, come on let's go!" He darted from the guild hall with a squealing Juvia in tow, hearts falling out of her eyes.
Dreamer picked up the pace and caught up with Midnight as he entered a side hall of the guild. "Wait, Macbeth!" She grabbed his wrist by one of the bracelets he wore. He sneered and snatched his hand harshly away from her. "Sorry," she caught her breath. "What's this about?" She knew better than to think for a second that he actually just wanted company.
"I need money," he said, not beating around the bush.
"What's that got to do with me?" She raised an eyebrow and kept pace with him.
"You didn't forget, did you?" He gestured at his ankle, still glowing purple. "How am I supposed to make money when I'm being caged up like a dog in your guild hall?"
"I still don't understand why—"
"Midnight." A strong female voice cut her off. Erza stood at the end of the hall, her expression cold and stern. Midnight stopped walking so fast that Dreamer slammed right into his back. The atmosphere of the room changed instantly. It was nearly palpable. Dreamer could feel the tension seething between the two of them. She could feel the depths of hatred and fear seeping from him, and the distrust coming from Erza. "I see. You've chosen Dreamer. I can't say I'm surprised."
"Happy now, Titania?" Midnight's voice was a low hiss.
"Hm." Erza's gaze fell on Dreamer next, who didn't realize she was clutching the fur on Midnight's vest for dear life at the sight of a pissed off Erza. "Yes, I am. I trust that, as a member of Fairy Tail, Dreamer knows where her loyalties lie. While I would have preferred to go on the job with you myself, I will respect Master's decision to give you the choice of a partner." She scanned Dreamer up and down, as if sizing her up. She put her gauntleted hands on her hips, armor catching the light from the window. "Dreamer. I expect that you will supervise Midnight's activities with due vigilance. Should he commit any kind of atrocity under your watch, you will be held accountable and be dealt with accordingly, do you understand?"
"Y-yes ma'am!" Dreamer still had no idea what was going on, but it was always best to agree with Erza anyway.
"Very well." She nodded briefly, causing her scarlet hair to brush the metal of her chest plate. "You have until dusk. If you are not back by then, I will assume you have both betrayed the Fairy Tail guild and I will personally carry out your elimination."
"I can't betray a guild I'm not a part of," Midnight said back, sassily.
"Perhaps not," Erza said. Her eyes narrowed, a dark shadow passing over her face. "But you can betray a member of Fairy Tail. And since Fairy Tail itself is made of the collective spirit of its members, to betray one of us is to betray the guild in its entirety. Therefore, Midnight, if you betray the trust Dreamer has placed in you, you will face the wrath of more than just myself." Her eyes narrowed dangerously and she requipped a sword into her right hand. "Do I make myself clear?"
Midnight's tough guy act seemed to have evaporated. He was staring wide-eyed at her—at the deathly serious expression in her eyes—and he was trembling.
"DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?" Her grip tightened on the hilt of the sword.
Dreamer placed a hand on his shoulder, instinctively reaching to comfort him as she would Syllest. He seemed to get ahold of himself. The shaking stopped. He shrugged Dreamer off of him and looked away from Erza with a scoff.
"Crystal clear," he said under his breath.
Erza nodded and walked past them, dismissing them officially. Chills went down their spines when she walked past. The last thing she did before walking out was to shove a piece of paper into Dreamer's palm. The door then slammed behind her.
Dreamer looked down at the crumpled paper and everything suddenly made sense. "This is a job request."
Midnight was already walking again, albeit with his lips in a bit harder line than before. Seeing Erza seemed to leave him with a bitter taste in his mouth. Dreamer thought absently that she would have loved to see their battle at Nirvana. She trudged quickly after him, reading the request.
"Your master made it clear that I'm not living here on charity," Midnight explained as they walked through a side door out of the guild—and Freed's enchantments didn't stop them. "I'm expected to pay rent with Piper." He gave a bitter laugh. "He's making me work to fund my own cell!"
"It sounds like he's making you work so you can feel like a normal person," Dreamer countered. She struggled to keep up with the pace of his boots thudding harshly on pavement as they walked onto the streets of Magnolia.
"No." His voice was hard. "It's no different than a prisoner working in the yard. I'll be forced to labor for money I won't keep, to fund a place I don't want to be, under the watch of a guard I'd like to see in a pool of her own blood." A nerve in his hand twitched.
"It's not like the Tower of Heaven," she said, guessing at his thoughts.
"Stay out of my head!" He snapped at her, black lips pulling back in a snarl.
"I don't read minds," Dreamer laughed, "that's Warren's thing. I just think I understand you, Macbeth. And right now you're thinking that Fairy Tail is like the Tower of Heaven, aren't you?"
The midday sun shone down on the unusual pair. Dreamer in a denim vest and white leggings, cream-colored hair adorned with a headband of flowers. Midnight in his fur lined black leather vest, black hair and dark makeup. Neither of them would easily be mistaken for a regular Magnolian citizens. They seemed out of place on the sidewalks of town, but neither seemed to notice or care about the stares they garnished.
"But you already know that Fairy Tail is nothing like that," she continued, as they walked along the walls of some shops. "You're not a slave here. You don't have to wonder when your next meal is going to be. You don't have to bathe in water runoff from the rain and break your back working so that someone won't hurt you." She used specific examples of things she'd seen in his dreams—his memories. "I've seen you smile in the guild hall. I've even heard you laugh with Gajeel. You don't have to pretend like—"
Cold stone collided with her back. His palms crushed her shoulders against the wall behind her, pinning her there. His face, full of fury, only centimeters from hers.
"You have some nerve." His voice was a low hiss. "You think that because you've seen one of my nightmares that you know everything about me—that you have some kind of right to tell me who you think I am." She gasped in pain as his thumbs dug harshly under her collarbone. "You don't know me." He brought his lips to her ear. His breath was cold as ice. "And you know nothing of nightmares. What you saw was just the surface of terror."
Her heart thundered in her chest. Fear gripped her throat like a vice, restricting air flow. Don't let your emotions get out of control, Dreamer. She closed her eyes and breathed slowly, containing the magic boiling inside of her.
"Make no mistake, Dreamer…" His hand slid along her collarbone, fingers raising to clutch her throat. "I stay with your pathetic guild because there's no other life for me. There's no freedom. And at least I am kept mildly entertained by you scurrying fairy rats. And you…" He applied pressure, just enough to make her feel lightheaded. "You stave off my boredom most of all, sweet Dream. That is all you are to me—a means to stay awake, not the savior you seem to think you are."
She choked down a whimper and grasped at his hands. "Mac—"
"It's Midnight." Eyes like vortexes of boiling blood. "I won't remind you again."
All she could manage was a tiny nod, as tears welled in her eyes. Finally, his fingers loosened and he released her. The citizens of Magnolia continued along the sidewalks, completely unaware of the intensity of what had just transpired there.
As nonchalantly as if nothing had happened at all, Midnight plunged his hands into his pockets and kept walking. This time, Dreamer followed a few steps behind him. She watched his white hair sway while he walked—the breeze ruffling hair and fur.
Was she wrong about him? Was he truly evil, down to his core? Had she just gotten too cocky in her ability to read people and projected goodness onto something that was black as coal—black as midnight? Was it like he said and she was just playing savior?
She touched her throat where his fingertips had been.