[A/N]: We're getting into the juicy bits now! ^_^ Two updates today cause I just love writing this fic so much
"How was the job, Cana?"
"Enriching."
Mirajane studied her face. "Did something happen?"
Cana sighed and shook her head. "No, the job was a breeze. That chick was paranoid and loaded, the best combination," she said, unable to keep a note of anger out of her voice.
"Then what happened? Did you see Laxus on your way here?" the bartender asked in concern. "You know, he hasn't been sober since the night he got here."
"I don't fucking care!" Cana exploded. "You and fucking Evergreen both; why the fuck should I care that he's been drinking? I do it all the time and nobody gives a shit!"
"That's not the point, Cana."
"Then what the fuck is?" she snarled.
"Cana Alberona, you stop taking your anger out on me!" Mirajane shrieked. The guild fell silent, listening in fascinated horror.
Can slammed her drink on the bar and yelled, "I will if you stop poking your fucking nose into every little thing that just might make a juicy bit of gossip!"
"I'm talking to you cause I care, you self-centered bitch!" Mirajane shouted. Cana sat up in shock. Shaking in rage, Mira slammed both hands on the bar, purplish-black magic flaring up around her hands. "What happened with you and Laxus is in the past, let it go!"
Cana whipped around as whispers spread through the guild, her crazed glare bringing silence back. She whirled back to Mirajane. "Stay the fuck out of it, okay?" she snarled.
"Then get some damned sense into your head, Cana!" Mirajane cried. "You're tearing yourself apart like this!"
"Fuck you," Cana muttered. Clenching her fists, she forced herself not to continue on a tirade, instead turning and pacing out of the guild, her spine stiff.
She made it about eighty feet from the door before stumbling into an alley and breaking down. She buried her face in her hands, desperately trying not to make any noise.
…
Laxus approached Fairy Tail slowly. If Evergreen was right, Cana was in there, and she would be pissed. Night was falling though, so maybe (if he was really, really lucky) she's be too drunk to kick his ass. She was at S-class level on a good day━when she was angry and dead serious, she could almost equal Erza Scarlet.
As he made his way down the street, his ears picked up a faint sound━what the hell? Laxus slowed, trying to identify the noise. Short, gasping breath, hiccups, soft gulping━shit, was someone crying? No, that wasn't crying, that was straight-up sobbing, and they were doing their best not to let anyone hear it.
He reached the alley it was coming from. "Hey," he called gruffly.
The noises stopped abruptly, the silence punctuated by a sharp but quiet, "Fuck."
He took a step back in shock. "Cana?"
She pushed herself to her feet, fleeing the opposite way down the alley. Her silhouette dashed tears from her eyes.
"Cana!" he shook himself and charged after her. It wasn't long before he caught up to her. "Stop!" Laxus didn't dare grab her, though. He was in the shithouse already, no need to make her angry. Er. Angrier.
Cana pulled a hand away from her eyes, looking at the hastily-wiped tears glimmering in the moonlight. "This━it isn't━I wasn't crying over you," she snapped defensively.
"I don't care." He took a step closer, and she took a step back. "Cana, what happened?"
"It's none of your damned business."
"God fucking dammit, Cana! Things are nobody's damned business so fucking often that it's a wonder you don't fly off the handle every time someone asks you how your day is going!" he exclaimed. "So fucking what, it's not anyone's business? Isn't it enough to know that somebody cares?!"
She took another step back but he matched her, grabbing her elbow. "Get off me," she muttered, but it didn't have any fire to it; anger, yeah, but fear, too.
"Cana━"
"I said, get the fuck off me!" Laxus let her yank herself away. "You shouldn't have come home," she whispered.
Resisting the urge to touch her cheek, he whispered gruffly, "Bit late to tell me now. The damage is done, and this ain't what you can fix just by getting rid of me."
"I fixed it last time," Cana snapped. "I do just fine on my own, you know."
"What, closing yourself off from the people you care about you, letting your rage eat you alive? Yeah, real healthy, Cana!"
"Shut the fuck up!" she shrieked, her voice echoing through the night. "What the fuck do you know about it?"
"I know enough!"
She scoffed. "Oh, yeah, the cocky, rat bastard personality really draws people in."
Cana stepped closer, and this time it was Laxus who stepped back. "You talk so big about not pushing people away…what the fuck is wrong with you? You remember how you pushed me away?" She advanced again and Laxus took a half-step in retreat. "Do you? You're such a damned coward, Dreyar━you fucked Evergreen cause you didn't want to just dump me."
"That's not how it was!"
Cana laughed bitterly. "Oh, I'm so sure. Then what was it, Laxus? Why'd you cheat?"
He fell silent.
"Yeah, that's what I thought." She spun on her heel and started to walk away.
"Cana, wait━" He lunged forward and grabbed her arm. "Please, I'm━"
"Don't you dare try to apologize to me, Dreyar," she hissed.
He tried to pull her closer, but Cana resisted, fear flashing across her face. "Don't," she almost pleaded.
He blinked in surprise at the complete 180 in her demeanor. She slowly extracted herself from his fingers. "Laxus, please don't."
She backed away slowly. "Cana━"
"N-no, I━No," she repeated hoarsely. She turned and fled.
He could only watch as she went.
[A/N]: *loses breath over fangirling*