Prompt: Hope
Pairing: Laxus/ Mirajane
A sigh escaped his lips as he let his body slouch down on the chair for the first time that evening. He took a minute to contemplate the silence and serenity around him, while still faintly hearing the noise from the party in the background. The party thrown in his honor; to congratulate him. After all those years of yearning for recognition, of striving to become someone other than "Makarov's grandson": he had finally accomplished all that. It was everything he had ever tried to become yet he found it all so... suffocating. Thus his sneaky escape from the party, he would let the others drink the night away while he found some peace of mind.
*clink* The sound of ice cubes rolling around in a glass brought him back from his daydream and he opened his eyes, only to be faced with another dream.
"Want to join me for a drink?" said the angelic like voice.
Her slightly blushed cheeks seemed to shine in the moonlight as she handed him the glass. Weariness was shown all across her beautiful face, of course tending to the needs of the members of Fairy Tail was something that took out of anyone. And yet she remained so beautiful, with her pure white hair cascading down her shoulders, her large blue eyes, and of course that blinding white smile. Of course he knew she wasn't a dream, it was only her presence that seemed like a dream. After all, why would she be here next to him?
She pushed the glass into his hand without waiting for an answer and took a seat in the chair next to him; both chair close enough that their arm kept bumping into each other.
"To what do I owe the pleasure?" he eventually asked breaking the somewhat comfortable silence established between them.
She took a sip and waited to answer him, as if to ponder if her answer was good or not. "Because, once upon a time, I can remember us being fairly good friends. And as a friend I wanted to come and see how you were doing, and tell you congratulation at the same time." she answered softly.
He bit his lip to prevent himself from answering, it was something new he was trying to avoid saying rude things to others, and instead answered with a scoff. This was one subject he didn't particularly want to talk about.
"Is something the matter?" Of course she would see right through him, the woman was practically a mind reader and if someone could get it out of him it was probably her.
He took a sip, relishing in the silence and contemplating his next answer. After a few minutes, he decided on a simple: "I didn't want it."
He jumped slightly when he felt her small and delicate, yet he knew very dangerous, hand touch his skin. She rested her hand on top of his and slightly caressed the ring that now adorned his left hand.
"And why not?" she asked, still stroking his hand.
He gulped, quite nervous at her touch; although he didn't clearly understood why. "Because it's meaningless, especially now, how is naming me one of the Ten Wizards Saint going to help anyone in the fight against Tartarus? I had already turned them down, if the old man had minded his own business than this would never have happened and-"
"Hope." She said, interrupting him. She smiled and turned her head to face him. "It will give them hope. Hope, that because one of the Saints is fighting with them, they might have a chance to win this. Hope is what drives us and without it, we might as well just admit defeat right now. Courage is just like love Laxus, it must have hope as a nourishment. With this new title it becomes your responsibility, as much as Master's, to give everyone hope."
He felt her hand grip his as she turned back her head to face the sky once more, silence once again present. He had never thought about it that way, and doubted he ever would; there was only her to think of such things.
He was about to close his eyes to relax when he smelt it, mixed with her natural enticing vanilla scent, a smell he was too often use to being the cause: her tears. He turned his head to see her shedding silent tears.
"This might end up as a war, between the legal guilds and the dark ones. There is this almost certainty that people we love might...die, while people who don't deserve to live get to see another day. And I can honestly say, that I'm a little scared about what the future might hold for us all... But I know, that with you on our side we have a chance to win this."
He waited to see if she would continue, after a minute or so of silence he picked his words very carefully and said: "I think you might be putting a little bit too much faith in me. I-"
"No." she interrupted him once again. "It's true that I'm putting faith in Makarov's grandson, in the number five of the Ten Wizard Saints, in Fairy Tail's strongest wizard... But most of all, I'm putting faith in my friend who I know will do everything in his power to save as many people as he can. I'm putting faith in Fairy Tail's next master." she said whispering the last part to herself, probably knowing his enhanced hearing could pick it up.
He squeezed lightly her hand, his way of thanking her for all the faith she had in him even after everything that he had ever done to her or the guild. To him it was unbelievable that after all those years she would still have that much faith in him, she would still trust him that much.
After a few more minutes, when their drinks were long since finished he felt her shift.
"We should go back." she said untangling her hand from his, and immediately missing the warmth of it. "Everyone's waiting." she got up and faced him and gave him one her rare genuine smile.
He got up and surprised her by wrapping his arms around her waist, he brought her close to him and buried his face into her snow white hair.
"Ne, Mira?" he whispered.
"Yes?" came the equally quiet answer.
He waited in the silence, no knowing exactly what to say.
"You'll protect me right?" she said voicing his thoughts (mind-reader), she had always been better with words. She distanced herself from him and tip-toed to give him a slight peck on the cheek. He blushed immediately and pulled her against him to avoid her seeing him red with embarrassment.
In a minute they would let go of each other, they would return inside the guild hall and mingle with everyone else. In a minute they would go back to being stranger, and barely talk to each other. In a minute they would pretend this moment never happen. But in a few weeks or maybe months or even years, when all would be over, they would talk about this moment where they found hope again.