Requested by: indayiashow (tumblr)

Ship: Shagotte x PantherLily

A request she patiently waited for, and I couldn't turn it down! Have a little crack ship whose fandom needs more love! ໒( ͡ᵔ ▾ ͡ᵔ )७

The Sweetest Thing

"You look lovely, this evening, Shagotte."

A dark, calloused hand reached out towards a pretty young woman with shimmering silver eyes and a bashful smile. She was dressed in an authentic kimono of purple and pink that seemed to blend oh so perfectly with her fair skin and hair. The lights from the festivities just behind him framed her soft features in just the right ways.

She was like a graceful, twinkling star right in front of his eyes. Needless to say, Lily was entranced.

When her delicate hand finally met his she spoke in a voice as smooth as honey. "Thank you. You don't look too bad yourself, Pantherlily."

"Just Lily." He corrected her with a chuckle, and off they went to join in on the festivities under the stars.

"I hope I didn't keep you waiting." The woman spoke up hopefully.

The man at her side grinned a little. "Don't worry, you didn't. I arrived a little early, actually." He insisted, soothing the little bubble of worry he knew was brewing in her sweet little heart.

He didn't miss the relief that washed over her elegant features.

"Okay, great." Silver eyes and gold met. "I would have been ashamed for being so rude."

They almost looked like polar opposites, locking arms and strolling through the bustling crowd of the annual festival. He was tall and large, with dark and scarred skin from many different things he couldn't list off the top of his head. She on the other hand, was small and ethereal, walking with the elegance of a Noble. They received multiple stares and curious glances.

But neither cared. They were too busy basking in each other's company and the glow of the booth lights.

They made small chatter, smiling and laughing as they visited multiple booths with trinkets of all varieties. They kept things light, but serious, and as Lily watched Shagotte admire a beautiful amethyst necklace, his best friend's words rang in his head.

"Ya gotta loosen up a bit." Gajeel patted his shoulder. "Win 'er a stuffed animal or somethin'. Ya can't be so serious with 'er all the time."

Golden eyes reluctantly looked away from her to scan the other booths around them. Gajeel was right. He was just on that edge with her, each had one foot over the line but neither one of them would take the final step. The only way to give them a bit of a push, was to loosen up and show the sides of them that growing up hid away.

He spotted a booth in his peripheral vision, and new it was perfect.

Firmly but gently, Lily's hand wrapped around her dainty wrist and caught her attention.

"Is something the matter, Lily?" Her brows furrowed in concern, placing the ring back down on its cushion.

He almost hesitated, almost dropped the whole idea, but he knew it would be a mistake. He didn't want so many formalities with her anymore. He wanted everything she was, from her kind and imperial side to the part of her that still wished to play and frolic in fields of flowers and forget her manners once in a while.

"Come on, this way."

Shagotte, a little confused, followed him as he escorted her towards the intriguing booth. Though it was bit of a struggle, as he was oddly determined and her kimono limited the length of her strides.

Coming up to the booth Lily felt warmth rise in his chest. His eyes twinkled as memories of his childhood came flooding back to him. He had his date pulled up to the station beside him and the man on the other side of the counter paid before Shagotte could even process just what exactly she had been brought to.

"Have you ever played this before?" He asked her politely, struggling not to show his hesitance. This felt so… new.

Brushing her manicured hands over the purple, silky material of her kimono, Shagotte's eyes trailed over the large board of multi-coloured balloons and the handfuls of darts the worker had waiting for them. She was definitely familiar but…

"I have but… Is this appropriate?" She seemed a little on edge, but not scared or overly reluctant. "Isn't this game for children? I thought we were just here for a little food and shopping.."

His large, warm hand on her shoulder alleviated her doubt.

"Of course it's appropriate." He gave her a smile that made the scar on his eye crinkle. "Whats wrong with having a little fun?"

Something inside her heart, the youth she still held onto, agreed with him.

Competing against each other to see who could pop the most balloons with the darts was an experience neither of them thought they would enjoy. But nevertheless, they did.

He got to see her smile so wide her cheeks flushed. He got to hear her laugh so happily that he swore he had never heard anything more beautiful in his life.

God, her impact on him was ridiculous.

"Looks like I win." Lily couldn't help smirk, as she linked her fingers in front of her.

"So it seems." She smiled gleefully. "Congratulations, Lily. It's like you're a pro."

When the tired employee asked Lily what he wanted for his prize, he didn't hesitate to reach up and grab the last thing Shagotte expected him to grab.

"Here, I think you would like this one."

Feeling the soft material in her hands, the fair skinned woman looked down at his-her- prize. It was a stuffed, pretty white cat in a frilly pink dress, with big brown eyes and a slightly unimpressed looked on its face. The cat had two little wings protruding from its back. Finally, a little tag attached to the dress had the winged cat's name: Charle.

The woman felt her heart bubble. It had been years since she had gotten a new stuffed toy, and now here she was, a fully grown, calm, graceful woman getting a little too excited over a festival prize.

She removed her gaze from the toy to look up at him. He was scuffling his feet, as if he was awkward and nervous. It was weird to see him in such a manner. Her chest warmed more.

"I don't usually do this sort of thing." He gushed. "I will admit, I just wanted to-"

Up on her tip-toes, she kissed his cheek, and whispered a gentle thank you.

Half an hour later, as the crowd began preparing for the fireworks, Lily and Shagotte found themselves sitting closely together on a park bench, chatting away as they waited for the explosive show. She held a stick of fluffy, pink cotton candy in her hand and was carefully picking off little clouds, enjoying the treat while he sipped on some sort of kiwi beverage.

She learned that he loved kiwis.

"I had a lovely evening." She stated after a lull of silence, clutching Charle on her lap. "i am glad I was able to wear this kimono. It's been many years, so thank you."

Lilly turned his gaze to her, admiring her sweet, beautiful profile. "No, thank you. I haven't had a relaxing evening at a festival with such a lovely woman in… well ever."

She tried not to blush. She really did. But her cheeks wouldn't cooperate.

To distract herself, she tore another fluff from the cotton candy stick and held it out to him.

"Here. It's really delicious." She insisted.

Lily looked down at the pink cloud, than up at her, then reached up to take it from her fingers. Tiny sparks shot up his arm as their fingertips brushed.

"Thank you. I've been meaning to ask for a piece." He chuckled, just as the fireworks started above their heads.

He couldn't help but gaze at her as she began to marvel at the show. The bright colours and lights reflected in her kind eyes and cast shadows over the perfect angles of her face. She looked at peace, her impeccable posture loosening just a little more as she relaxed against the bench.

How did he get so lucky?

He popped the cotton candy into his mouth and savoured it as it melted on his tongue. It was the sweetest thing.

But not nearly as sweet as her.