Happy Friday!

Guest: You know I love me a good cliffie! Thanks for the R&R :)

- K. Chandler

Cana sat cross-legged on the bar counter. She knocked back another beer before helping herself to yet another. Mira had granted her unrestricted access to the bar while she was… busy.

Apparently, this dance had everyone wound up and sort of crazy.

The other girls had all clustered around one of the larger tables, whispering and giggling. Wendy was wringing her hands, uncharacteristically nervous about her first formal. Juvia was swooning over poor Gray. Lisanna, perky as ever, was chatting animatedly to Lucy. And at the center of it all was Mirajane. Barmaid, beauty queen, mother of… well, basically everyone in the guild.

Even Erza was in on the fun. She was nowhere near as giddy as the others, but Erza was expressing her enthusiasm in that distinctly Erza way of hers. The Requip Knight had drawn a mess of a sketch that she was calling a dress. Apparently, she was going all the way to Crocus to have it made.

Cana couldn't help but smile. Her guildmates were unique, that was for sure. And she wouldn't have it any other way.

But part of her couldn't help but feel a little… left out.

Cana was no stranger to being by herself. She was the first of the younger mages to have joined the guild, but she had made friends with the rest of the original crew as they joined. Cana wasn't antisocial by any means. She definitely loved a good party.

But sometimes, it was just easier to be alone.

"Cana? Not getting swept up in the whole Gala thing?"

Cana peered over the top of her mug, ready to tell some nosy person to butt out and leave her to her drink. But seeing as it was just Gray, she relented. He sat across from her, perched on one of the barstools.

"Who says I'm going?" she asked, brows drawn together critically. She took another pull from her drink.

"You're not?" Gray looked surprised. "I mean, all the girls are…" He gave a vague wave in the general direction of Mira and her gaggle.

Cana shrugged. "No sense in getting worked up about it. Figured I'd skip out."

"No freakin' way," Gray scowled at her. "Erza's forcing me and Natsu to show up."

Cana flashed a cheeky grin. "That's your problem," she said, raising her mug and pretending to toast him.

"Aw, have a heart, Cana! You can't leave me to that all by myself." He jerked his thumb at the gaggle of girls. "I'm basically defenseless, y'know."

"Aw, poor baby," she teased. "Drink?" she offered, pointedly ignoring the fact he had lost his shirt at some point during this conversation.

"I'll pass," he said, waving her off.

"Suit yourself," Cana shrugged. She took a slow sip of her beer, relishing the burn on her tongue. "This is the kind of party with no booze. Why would I even want to go?"

"There'll be drinks," said Gray. "It's a formal, so drinks are a given."

"Yeah, like champagne and crap. Not the good stuff. Champagne is for sissies." Cana crinkled her nose. "I'd rather stay here. More booze for me!" She sloshed her drink around, frowning at the sound of jingling bracelets instead of splashing beer.

Cana peered into her mug. It was empty again. Drat.

"Mira's going, so there'll be no one working the bar," Gray reminded her.

"Not a problem," said Cana. "I know how to work the tap," she pretended to whisper. Smugly, she reached over to top off her mug.

"Loke's going."

"Good for him."

"C'mon. You have to go," said Gray, his tone picking up a wheedling note. "For me."

Cana quirked an eyebrow.

"Okay, that came out wrong," said Gray, putting up a hand as if it would ward off misunderstanding. "Look, I promise it'll be a good time, okay? I'm sure you'll find some way to enjoy yourself."

Cana laughed, shaking her head. Although, she did have to admit that he'd come a long way. This was a considerable improvement over his "Gray the Great" phase he had when they were kids. Now, if only he would do something about his stripping habit…

"Hey, Gray? Why do you care whether or not I'm going to this stupid thing anyways?" she asked. "And don't tell me that misery loves company. There are enough other people around for you to be miserable with."

"Dunno," shrugged Gray. "Felt like it, I guess. You were kinda all by yourself." Gray gave another shrug, this time, looking awkward. He picked at his pants, probably looking for lint that didn't exist.

"Were you… worried about me?" Cana fought the smile that pulled at her lips. She could see right through the big dork. Gray was a softie at heart.

"Not really," said Gray, turning so his hair fell over his eyes. "I mean, somebody's gotta scrape you off the floor when you get smashed."

"Fine…" sighed Cana. "I'll go, okay?"

"Really? I mean, it's whatever…" said Gray. He sounded nonchalant, but he grinned broadly.

"Hey, Gray?"

"Yeah?"

"Your clothes."

"Crap!" Gray scrambled to find his shirt. "I swear it was here just a second ago!"

Cana laughed. Such a dork.

Okay, be honest... who guessed that this chapter was a Cana chapter? XD

Anyone ever notice that Cana's often by herself? She's not attached to any team either. I think she's lonely.

There's even a part of me that wants to ship her with Gray. (Clearly, I ship Gray with just about everybody. XD Any excuse to write about him, right?) I don't remember whose headcanon I'm stealing, but they made a really good case for these two being a thing. They have such an interesting dynamic! Cana would have had to be Gray's first friend (even before Natsu and Erza), and they seem pretty close in some of the flashbacks. There's story potential there.

Unfortunately, Gray's subplot is already so convoluted that trying to make it intersect with Cana's subplot ended up being too complicated. No Grayana in this universe beyond a the tiniest bit of ship-teasing. I'll write them their own universe some day (or make them part of some other convoluted love decahedron).

Next time, in [Mazeverse] Much Ado About Nothing, Hibiki gets a date: "I heard you were free on Saturday," said Lucy carefully.

Stop back next Friday for the next installment, or just follow me, Karine of R011ingThunder.