Chapter 4
"See you tomorrow!" I wave as the last few people leave the guild hall. I turn back to the bar, putting away clean dishes. I pick up a tray of dirty dishes, carrying it to the kitchen.
I set to washing them- they are the last thing I d before I leave every night.
As I am drying a dish, I hear a soft step, an intake of breath, from the far end of the room.
"Can I help you?" I ask, not turning to face the person.
"I was thinking more along the lines of me helping you." A deep voice echoes through the room.
I glance over my shoulder. Laxus stands there, leaning against the doorframe.
I smile. "No, it's okay. I'm almost done. But thank you for asking." I collect all the clean dishes onto the tray, and take them back out to the bar, brushing past Laxus on the way.
A tingle ran through my body when we touch. A blush tinges my cheeks, and I keep my face turned so he doesn't see it.
As I put the dishes away, I feel eyes on me again. I look up; there is no one in the café in front of me, so the person is behind me.
As I continue my work, I peek through my hair as I put a cup on the shelf. Laxus was there, watching me intently.
Why is he watching me? I wonder.
I turn back to the bar. "It's rude to stare, you know."
It threw him off guard for a second. "I don't think you should be alone with the threat of Ivan hanging over you."
I face him, a small smile on my lips. "Thank you for your concern, but I can hold my own in a fight."
I move to slip past him, but he blocks the doorway with his body. He leans down, until he is almost face to face with me.
"I know you're powerful, Mira, but you have no idea what he'll use to get you. Dark magics that terrify even Gramps. And I do not want to see you put through that torture." His eyes bore into mine, a hint of fear in his gaze.
"Laxus, what am I going to do?" I know he isn't trying to scare me, but it affects me all the same.
Ever since my powers came back, I've been less afraid than ever. But now, the fate of the guild rests with my safety, with my being protected.
I know we have the upper hand with Cana's prediction, but I still have to be careful.
"I talked to Gramps. He came to me, asking if I would protect you. I know all of Ivan's tricks. I'm the best one to protect you, he said. I said yes."
"Really?" Our eyes meet. He nods. "Thank you, Laxus."
"Now, I know you stay at Fairy Hills, but my place would be a better idea. They would never think you'd be there. I know Titania's strong, but she won't know what's coming." He began to exit the guild hall, but noticed I wasn't following him.
He looks back. "Mira?"
"Laxus, how can I trust you?" I ask warily. "In Cana's vision, you're with Raven Tail. How do I know that I can trust you?"
Laxus sighs. I guess he knew it would come up sooner or later. He sat at one of the tables, gesturing for me to sit across from him.
"After Gramps expelled me from the guild, I wandered. All over the continent. I met a lot of good people, even more bad ones. After the first few days, I was a changed man. It was as if I'd scrubbed my soul of all of its taint. All the hate disappeared, except for one person. Ivan."
"Even if he's your father?" I ask quietly.
"That man may be the man who made me, but he is not the man a father is supposed to be." Laxus let out. His words were full of bitterness and anger. I try to send all of my sympathy across the table to him.
"I was in a town called Farden when I met this kid. He was about Wendy's age. I found him cowering in an alley behind a trash pile. He was black and blue, and bleeding all over. When he saw me, he curled up in on himself, as if he thought I was going to hurt him." He rubs his eyes with the heels of his palms.
"I calmed him down, got him to talk. Apparently, his father was a member of a dark guild, and his mother had died recently. The dad blamed him for it, and nearly beat him to death.
I gasp, and my hand flies to cover my mouth. Tears pool in my eyes.
"I saw myself in his eyes. The fear. I was always afraid of my father, no matter what I said."
"Oh, Laxus," I whisper. I drop my hand from my mouth to my chest, over my heart.
"I patched him up, and had him take me to his home. His father had just gotten back from his guild. I stayed out of sight, waiting for him. The kid sat in the middle of the room. He saw him as soon as he walked into the house. He screamed at the kid, and raised his hand to hit him. When I saw him like that, with the kid flinching away, I snapped."
"What happened?" My hand found his on the tabletop. His fingers were rough, but comfortable. Capable.
"He won't ever cause trouble again." Laxus said briefly. "I dropped the kid at a relative's house a few towns over. Right before I left, he ran up to me, and gave me the biggest hug. He thanked me, saying he hoped to be like me when he grew up." He laughs, his eyes wet. "I said, 'No, kid, you don't wanna be like me. You know who you should be?' He shook his head, eyes wide. I leaned down, putting my hand on his head, and said, 'You. Nobody else, just yourself.' The smile on that kid's face was so big. I felt better than I ever did with Ivan. Right then, I knew."
"Knew what, Laxus?" He lifts his head, and his eyes meet mine. As I watch, his expression brightens, and a small smile forms on his face.
As he holds my gaze, he whispers, "That I am Fairy Tail, through and through."
A huge smile splits my face, making Laxus' expression to brighten even further.
"Well, I guess you can say that Fairy Tail stays with you, no matter what you go through." I laugh.
"No matter what," Laxus agrees.
My smile fades, and I sigh. "I'm sorry I questioned you, Laxus. I should've known that wouldn't have come back if you hadn't changed."
Laxus shook his head, waving away her concern. "It's fine, Mira. I would've done the same. When I did the things I did, I broke a lot of peoples' trust. I wouldn't expect anything else." He rises, holding a hand out to me. "Let's go. You're bound to be tired after the day you've had."
I grin, taking his hand. "Oh, that? That was nothing. You should see me when everyone's here."
"Yeah, I'd bet. Where's the rest of them, anyway?" He steers me towards the door, keeping an arm around my back, a keen eye on our surroundings.
"Erza, Gray, Natsu, Lucy and Happy went on an S-Class mission in Crocus. Apparently, there was an infestation of some exotic monster that Erza had come across before, so she felt obligated to get rid of them. They won't be back until tomorrow. I'm savoring the quiet while it lasts." We both laugh, knowing Natsu would start a fight the minute he got back.
We walk through the city, taking out time.
I don't mind. I feel safe with him next to me. His arm around my back holds me close, and I instinctively gravitate towards his warmth, as I try to escape the night's chill. I shiver and hear a rustling sound. A second later, something warm and heavy is draped across my shoulders. I look up, startled.
Laxus has shrugged off his furry coat, wrapping me in its warmth. His arm follows the coat, bringing her to his side. I smile, and allow myself to be pulled along.
We walk in comfortable silence, passing the closed storefronts, which seem eerie in the darkness.
Before I know it, we reach the edge of town, where the buildings become more and more sparse. He leads me further away from town, into a forested area around a small, worn path.
When the moonlight breaks through the canopy, I gasp, as it reveals the natural beauty of the forest.
A chuckle comes from Laxus, as he pulls me deeper into the forest. We pass a stand of weeping willows, and come upon a small house.
"You live out here?" I ask, trying to take it all in.
"Yeah. Where'd you think I lived?" He opens the front door, ushering her in.
"I'm not sure. Maybe with Master Makarov, or at the guild hall, or something like that." I giggle, as I walk into his house.
"The guild hall? Really?" Laxus laughs, closing the door behind him.
"How was I supposed to know?" I smile as I take off his coat, and hang it on a hook by the door. "It's not like I was going to follow you home to find out."
"Alright," he says, getting down to business. "The bathroom is right here." He opens a door to my left, and I can see the tub from where I stand.
"The kitchen is through that archway," He points across the room.
"You can have my bed. I'll sleep on the couch." He crosses the room, opening another door, which leads into a large bedroom. An enormous bed takes up much of the room- big enough for four people, let alone one.
I turn to see him rummaging through his closet. He turns, closing it with his foot, a bundle of clothes in his hand. He holds them out to me.
"Here, these are close to your size. They're too small for me." He says, and I take them.
I stand there, shocked. "Laxus, you don't have to sleep on the couch. The bed has enough room for the both of us. I don't mind." I walk to the door, towards the bathroom. "Besides, wouldn't it be better to protect me if you were closer?" I smile, and close the door behind me, so he has privacy.
After closing the bathroom door, I look at the clothes in my hand. A t-shirt that looks to be five times too big for me, and a pair of drawstring shorts. I sigh, grateful that I have clothes to change into. I slip my dress off, and quickly put the clothes on.
The shorts stay put, as I tie the string tightly around my waist. They are extremely long, falling past my knees. The shirt hangs off my body, the collar sliding down my shoulder, exposing my skin. I fold my dress, and set it with my belongings when I exit the bathroom.
Yawning wide, I go back to the bedroom. I move to the side of the bed, crawling under the covers and snuggling down in a pile of pillows. I sigh, sinking into waves of drowsiness.
I feel Laxus get into the bed. I manage to murmur, "Thank you, Laxus."
Just before I descend into the blackness, I swear I hear him say, "Anything for you, Mira."