A/N: Sorry for the slight delay in posting today! I attempted to post at my usual time and the Fanfiction server wouldn't load my doc. Better late than never. ;) Enjoy.
Chapter 50: Pillow-fights and Poker
Dreamer paced the living room of her and Mira's apartment. Back and forth from the mahogany coffee table to the front door, dragging her feet on the beige carpet as she did so. She could hear Mira reading Syllest a bed time story down the hall. Or, well, a story at least. From the sound of it, it was more like a horror novel for adults that featured demons devouring the innards of vampires, but that was to be expected from Mirajane. When she read to Syllestra, it was either the latest gossip from Sorcerer Weekly, or stuff that would give Erza nightmares—which was why Dreamer hardly ever let Mirajane read the child to sleep, but tonight was an exception. It was an exception because Dreamer was too distracted to focus on storytelling.
She ran her thumb repetitively over the corner of the card in her hand. Jezran and Macbeth had been gone for five nights now. She hadn't heard from them in two. When she tried to contact them herself, there was no answer. She couldn't sleep or eat for the worry.
For a half hour she paced. She paced until the light in Syllest's room clicked off and the door gently shut—until Mira walked to meet her in the living room, and suddenly threw her arms around her.
Dreamer stood as still as a statue in the other woman's arms. Her friend stroked her hair and hummed a melody against her ear, to comfort her. Dreamer released a sharp breath and squeezed her friend, holding back sobs.
"There, there, Dreamer," Mira kissed her cheek. "You don't need to be so worried."
"Mira, what was I thinking?" She breathed in her friend's flowery scent. "I shouldn't have let them go alone! He's too powerful… They're probably—"
"Fine," Mira cut her off. "They're probably fine." She leaned her head back and smiled at Dreamer. "Maybe they just lost their card, silly!"
"I don't know…" She looked to the side with a sigh.
"I'm going to make you some tea, okay? That will help you feel better!" The white-haired woman grinned and skipped into the attached kitchen.
"Mira, if something happened to them…" She traced their faces on the surface of the card. Jezran. Macbeth.
"Dreamer, you really shouldn't worry about those two," came the reply. She spoke in between humming and starting the tea kettle. "They're very powerful. And besides, there's no way Beth would let himself get killed before he gets to ask you on a date."
Dreamer paused in her steps to cast Mira a condescending glance. "Really, Mira?"
The she-demon giggled. "Don't look at me like that! I'm serious! He loooovvvess you!"
Dreamer felt her cheeks get hot, despite the rock in her stomach.
"He does not, Happy." She rolled her eyes but finally stopped pacing. She sat on the loveseat and turned on the lamp next to her.
Mira leaned over the half wall that separated the kitchen from the living room. "Has he kissed you yet?" Her blue eyes sparkled mischievously.
"Mirajane!" Her blush deepened. "It's not like—"
"Piper told me you've been in his bed." Her grin widened. "And you had his lipstick on your forehead the other night, remember?"
Dreamer curled up into a ball and pulled a blanket over her face.
"Are you guys dating or not?! You have to tell me, Dreamer! I'm your best friend!"
"Mira…" Dreamer mumbled a harassed groan. "No… We're not dating, okay?" Then, in a quieter voice. "He doesn't feel that way about me."
Mira giggled loudly. "I don't think that's true!"
"Mirajane—"
"You spend all your time together! And think about it, Dreamer! He doesn't like when anyone touches him, unless it's you! And he's always smiling when he sees you, or talks about you—"
"No, he's always smirking," she countered quickly. "There's a big difference."
The kettle started to whistle.
"You could ask Erik to tell you what he thinks about you," the other girl suggested, voice dripping with mischief.
Dreamer threw the blanket off of herself, since it was not helping her tune out Mira's voice. "No, Mira. If I wanted to know what he thinks or feels about me, I could read him myself."
"Well, why don't you?" Mira called over her shoulder as she poured the boiling water into a cup for her.
"Because I… I don't think that's the right thing to do. If he does like me… I want it to happen naturally, you know? No magical interference."
Mira giggled softly and came out of the kitchen with a saucer, tea cup, and honey.
"Plus, I'm not sure my magic, or Erik's for that matter, could even interpret what goes on in that sadistic head of his." She rolled her eyes.
Mira sat the saucer in front of her and stirred some honey into the cup. She passed the cup to Dreamer when she was finished. Dreamer lifted it with a thankful nod, and breathed in the steamy scent of the tea. Her eyebrow twitched and she narrowed her eyes at Mirajane, who was smiling innocently at her.
"Chamomile? Really?"
"What?" Mira cocked her head to the side. "I thought it might help you relax!"
Dreamer sighed and sipped the tea. Relax? Yeah, right.
"When he comes home, you should welcome him with a kiss!" Mira clasped her hands in childlike excitement. "I can see it now! He'll get off the train and you'll be waiting for him and run into his arms and pull him down into a deep kiss! He'll pull your hips against his and slide his tongue passionately across your lips before—"
"MIRA! I don't need the visuals!" she clasped her hands over her ears.
"And you'll walk hand-in-hand back to the guild hall and to the boy's dorm! Oh my! I'll have to take Piper to the casino that night so that you guys have some privacy. Hee hee!"
"Miraaaaa!" Dreamer threw a pillow at her.
"Or I could take Syllest out and you could bring him here! How romantic! He'll lift you up and lay you down on the couch, right where you're sitting—"
"That's it!" Dreamer jumped off the couch and pounced on Mira, smacking her upside the head with a pillow. The other woman transformed into a demon and lifted two pillows, with a dark expression. "I'm not scared of you!" Dreamer dove behind the rocking chair, avoiding a pillow that was thrown at breakneck speed.
Mira leapt after her and the pillowfight ensued. Their giggling laughter filled the living room, erasing the tension that earlier resided there. The card Dreamer had been holding now lay forgotten next to a cup of chamomile tea.
Mira was right. The boys would come home safely… Right?
Meanwhile, in the Fairy Tail Guild Hall:
The regular group of late-nighters was gathered around the bar. This included Cana, who was being passed a mug by a grinning Kinana.
"Yo, doll." A familiar voice called out.
Piper had entered the room and took a seat at one of the tables. The long side of his hair was slicked to the side and he was chewing a piece of gum. He was wearing the leather vest he owned that had metal spikes on the shoulders, no shirt underneath, and fingerless gloves. He gestured for Cana to come over with his finger.
The brunette took a long swig of beer before sliding off the bar seat and joining him at the table. He was already laying out cards.
"What are we playing tonight?" she asked, making herself comfortable.
"I ain't decided yet." He dug in his jean pockets and pulled out his dice. "Can I get some luck, doll?" He held them out to her.
She leaned over the table and blew into his cupped hands. He shook the dice and rolled them out on the table. A six and four. He leaned back with a smirk. "Not too shabby."
"What was that for?" She leaned on her elbow. "Checking to see if Pops and Macbeth are still alive?"
"Nah." He left the dice exactly where they were at, and shuffled the cards. He held them out to let her split the deck. "I took your advice and told Dreamy how's I felt about her."
"Yeah?" her chocolate waves brushed a bare shoulder as she cocked her head in muted interest. "How'd that go?"
"Ah, you know." He tapped the deck on the table. "I ain't her type. She digs the tall, dark, ex-assassin, transgender guys."
"You must be pretty torn up about it." She watched his expressions. He simply shrugged in response, not meeting her eyes.
"Nah. You knows…" He sat the deck down next to his dice and met her gaze. "You's was right. Talking to her was a big weight off my shoulders. Feels like I could fly, honestly."
Cana smiled sincerely at him, amethyst eyes sparkling. "Good for you."
"It's your turn now, babe." His eyes flicked back and forth between hers. Her eyelashes fluttered slightly, lips parting in a bit of surprise.
"My turn to what?" She narrowed her thin eyebrows.
"Ain't you's got something you need to say to someone?" He smacked his gum loudly, never breaking eye contact.
Cana's cheeks took on the slightest tinge of red.
"What the hell are you talking about, Pipe?" She rolled her eyes and scowled before taking a swallow of beer. She gasped when he swung his legs over the table without warning and landed with a THUD next to her on the bench. He scooted close and tossed an arm around her shoulder. The closeness wasn't unusual for the two of them, so her surprise quickly dissipated. He leaned on his elbow with his free arm and scanned her face with his penetrating, emerald eyes.
"I'm talkin' about your pops, Cana." He said, in a softer tone.
She sighed, almost as if relieved. "Yeah, right." Her eyes rolled dramatically.
"The S-Class trials are comin' up, aren't they?" He squeezed her shoulder. "A couple of months maybe?"
"Thanks for reminding me." She elbowed him hard in the gut. He groaned in response, but quickly laughed it off.
"Hey." He slid his arm around her waist and pulled her against his side, to prevent another attack from her elbow. She bit her lip, and did not push him away. "You're gonna win this year. Then you're gonna tell him the truth, got it?"
She let out a sigh. "Yeah, we'll see." She fidgeted slightly in his hold, keenly aware of his thumb rubbing her guild mark. "Whatever, I don't want to think about it right now." She gave him a shove and reached for her mug. Before she could snatch it, however, Piper had gripped her hand.
"Wait." He pushed the mug out of her reach. "I wanna talk to you's. And I want you sober for it."
She pulled her hand out of his grip and narrowed her sharp eyebrows even more. "What?" she snapped slightly. "Quit acting stupid and spit it out."
He stared at her with a perplexed expression, like he was desperately trying to work something out. His green eyes flitted over her face, hair, lips, neck, and scantily clad body. It was totally unlike him to be so focused on anything or anyone who wasn't "Dreamy," so naturally his gaze was beginning to irritate her.
"Well?" she snapped, harsher this time.
"You got the hots for me, babe?"
The question took her utterly by surprise. Her cheeks flushed red and she instinctively reached for the beer mug, which was inconveniently out of reach. Besides, as soon as she reached forward, he leaned in the way.
"Do I have to be sober for this conversation?" Her lips turned in a bit of a sneer.
He reached up and stroked his goatee, the same blue shade as the bra she sported. "Be honest. You really been diggin' me this whole time?"
Cana closed her eyes and finally sighed in defeat. She gave a shrug, then met his gaze once more. "You got me."
Piper's eyes widened. He straightened up on the bench, eyes scanning her over again. He scratched a spot on his bare stomach, which was all tight muscle. He didn't fail to notice the way her purple-tinged eyes lingered on the skin of his torso for a moment before she slumped against the table. Her hair made a pool on the tabletop, successfully shielding her blushing face from view.
"Cana…" He reached out and brushed the hair out of her eyes. "Why didn't you's tell me?"
She scowled bitterly, avoiding his gaze. "Right, like it would have mattered. You've always been too hung up on 'your girl: Dreamy.' If it didn't matter, why the hell bring it up?"
His eyes bore into hers, emotion heavily reflected in them. "Cuz maybe I'd of opened my eyes long enough to knows I wasn't ever gonna be with her."
Memories drifted silently between them. Both of them thinking back to the years they'd known each other. It had been three years since Gildarts had been in Magnolia, and three years since Piper joined Fairy Tail. Three years of card games, alcohol, and laughter. Countless sleepless nights spent gambling at the casino together. Countless morning spent with him carrying her to bed, or to a bathroom where he'd hold her hair back as she regretted her choices over a porcelain pot. They'd huddled under the guild tables together, cried about their loves and losses in each other's arms, and wasted probably millions of jules together.
And for the first time, Piper realized that he was more himself around Cana Alberona than anyone else. Even around Dreamer. Around the cream-haired wizard, he was always walking on eggshells. Trying to act better than he really thought he was. Cana saw right through his bullshit, though. He could cuss out loud around her, ramble on about some of his old drunken adventures, even talk to her about some of the dank things he'd done in his life for a quick dime. He was open with her, able to share every thought and feeling without worrying that she'd judge him for it. Up until now, he'd chocked all that up to meaning that she was his best friend—his best buddy.
But now, looking at her slim form slumped against the table, the blush on her cheeks as she looked at him—knowing that all along, she'd had feelings for him. It was like something suddenly clicked.
Cana watched Piper's expressions change. It always amused her that he was such an open book. There was no hiding anything that man was feeling, try as he might. His face changed from surprised to confused to calculating, then to understanding, and finally—his cheeks took color.
Piper. The bad-ass gambler with a heart of gold. She'd known the first time he gave her an emerald-green wink that she was doomed.
"So what now?" She blinked, not lifting her head off the table. "The cat's out of the bag, I guess."
He chewed his gum thoughtfully.
"Wanna date?"
She shoved him hard in the chest. "Are you kidding?! No way!"
His jaw dropped and the gum plopped humorously out of his mouth. His eyes were wide. "But I t'ought-!"
"Look, Piper." She purposely created space between them on the bench, and put her hands on her waist. "Yeah, I like you. But I'm not going to be your rebound chick."
He put his gloved hands up defensively. "It ain't like that, babe—"
"You've been obsessed with Dreamer for three years, Pipe," she snapped. "I'm not going to date you and deal with all the emotional drama and risk watching you walk out on me because you never really liked me in the first place."
His bottom lip jutted out in a pout.
"Why don't you wait a couple months and then ask me out again. After, the S-Class trials."
He looked down at the bench and picked a frayed thread on his jeans. After a long moment, he swung his boot up and jumped back over the table to his original place. He pocketed his dice and then picked up the deck of cards.
"Wanna play?"
She gaped at him. "That's it? You're not going to mope or beg, or get pissed or something?" She crossed her arms suspiciously under her breasts.
"Why would I?" He cocked his head, a lock of sky-blue hair swaying in front of his eye. "You's got a valid point, babe." He shrugged. "And whether you're my girl or not, you're still my number one poker buddy, right?" He held the cards out to her.
Cana looked at the dorky grin on his face, his sincere, sparkling eyes. She offered a girly blush before reaching out for the card, fingertips brushing against his. She laughed and smiled brightly in response. "Yeah. You're right."