#midlu

[isabellafoster13]

This was requested on AO3 by AspenWood.

This is another reincarnation AU. It also takes place in the modern world. 

I hope you enjoy!

You Look Really Cute in that Sweater (Midnight x Lucy)

Lucy walked along the sidewalk, making her way through Magnolia and making her way to her high school. She wasn't looking forward to the exam that she had waiting for her, no matter how unavoidable it was. Although, she was looking forward to meeting the new student who Erza had told her would be arriving that morning. She's always loved when Fairy Tail High would get a new student and she knew that this one would be welcomed with open arms. A breeze of cold air blew by her, making her shiver a bit. Maybe she should have put on something other than her white sweater this morning. 

She picked up her pace, her want to meet the new student becoming stronger the closer she got to the school. When she arrived, she rushed into the building and made her way to her locker, the bell ringing for students to make their way to their first classes. 

Lucy began to gather her things from her locker when someone suddenly jumped on her back. She yelped and whipped around to see Natsu grinning back at her. The blonde sighed, "Natsu, you scared me." 

Natsu laughed, "hey, Luce, did you hear about the new guy?" 

Lucy closed her locker as she answered, "yeah, have you met him yet?" 

"No, but Erza has. She said that she thinks he's gonna be pretty shy." 

"That's no problem. I'm sure he'll start to open up soon." 

The pair made their way to their first class, Fiore History, and entered the classroom. Lucy made her way to her seat, right next to the window, and sat down to wait for the teacher to arrive and for the class to begin. She looked around at her classmates, seeing that Natsu and Gray were already fighting, Juvia was fawning over Gray, Mira was writing down ship names for different possible couples, and everybody else was sitting around and talking to each other. 

The loudness and distraction were put to a stop when a man spoke, his voice booming over the noise of the students talking, "sit down and be quiet!" 

Mr. Clive made his way over to his desk and waited for his students to sit in their seats and turn their attention to him. Lucy smiled as she watched him make his way to the front of the room, knowing that the new student was about to be introduced. Mr. Clive finally spoke, "we have a new student," he turned his head to look at the open door, "get in here." 

Lucy's breath hitched when in walked a handsome young man, his soft-looking hair a dual coloring of black and white. He was dressed in the standard Fairy Tail High uniform, albeit a bit sloppy, and came to a stop at the front of the classroom. Lucy noticed that he was wearing black eyeliner and black lipstick, making him look even cuter, in her opinion. 

Everything that was said was lost on her as she continued to stare at the new student, only being able to catch his name: Midnight. Her cheeks heated and her heartbeat picked up speed when Midnight began making his way over to her and sat in the empty seat that was right next to her. She was unaware that she was staring until Midnight turned to her, smirked, and said something that was said to her in nearly every single one of her dreams.

"You look cute in that sweater."

Lucy woke up to the sound of her alarm. She groaned as she rolled onto her back and rubbed her eyes. It took only a few seconds for her brain to move on from the dream she had and come back to reality. She sat up and mumbled to herself, "another one of those dreams." 

For as long as she could remember, every dream that she was able to remember entailed an attractive, two-toned-haired, young man named Midnight saying "you look cute in that sweater" to her. 

It was a confusing thing, and she was unable to figure out the reason. She had brought up the curious occurrence to her friends, but she was only ever met with more confusion and suggestions of reincarnation. 

She chuckled to herself as she climbed out of her bed and began dressing in her school uniform, pulling on a white sweater as well. When she exited her house and began making her way to school, her mind wandered to Levy's and Mira's constant suggestions. Every time she mentioned her dreams, two of her closest friends would proclaim that the only explanation was reincarnation. 

It was annoying, to be honest, but the two young women thought that it made perfect sense. "Think about it, Lucy," Mira would reason, "the only dreams you can remember are ones where you are alive during different times through history and the same guy says the same thing to you. It has to be reincarnation! You and Midnight are destined to be together!" The white-haired woman would always finish her explanation with hearts in her eyes and a dreamy sigh. Levy would nod in agreement, adding that there are countless stories of people, mostly young children, remembering things that could be explained as reincarnation. 

As Lucy walked, she couldn't help but wonder: were Levy and Mira right? She was never much of a believer in reincarnation, but now, she seemed to be unable to banish it from her mind. Then, she suddenly remembered something. 

They were getting a new student. 

She looked down at the sidewalk she was walking along, her mind questioning if this new student was Midnight. Was she going to meet her "destined lover"? Was this the day that these dreams ended and she would finally find her true love? She chuckled again, silently telling herself that she was being crazy. There is no way that could be what was happening. A cold breeze caused her to shiver and wonder if she should have grabbed a jacket. After realizing that she had experienced this in her dream too, she shivered once again. 

It hadn't taken her very long to reach Fairy Tail high as she made her way to her locker, the bell ringing. She silently told herself that she was being ridiculous in even beginning to entertain the idea that what was currently happening and her dream was at all similar. This happened every school day, it didn't mean anything. 

As she was gathering her things when she was suddenly jumped on from behind, yelping at the non-malicious attack. She turned around and saw Natsu. She sighed, "Natsu, you scared me."

Natsu laughed, "hey, Luce, did you hear about the new guy?"

Lucy closed her locker as she answered, "yeah, have you met him yet?"

"No, but Erza has. She said that she thinks he's gonna be pretty shy."

"That's no problem. I'm sure he'll start to open up soon." 

As they began walking, Lucy suddenly remembered her dream, making her bit her lip at the increasing number of similarities. Her day continued to play out as her dream did, her sitting at her seat and looking around at her classmates, Mr. Clive arriving and telling them to sit down and be quiet, and watching with a smile on her face as the new student entered the classroom. 

She suppressed a gasp when she saw the young man who walked in. Attractive, black-and-white hair, black eyeliner and lipstick, sloppy school uniform. It was him. It was the Midnight from her dreams that ranged in historical setting.

All talking went unheard by her as her cheeks heated with a red blush, her heartbeat became faster, and her breathing got caught in her throat. She watched with widened eyes as Midnight walked over and sat in the seat that was right next to her.

Then, once again mirroring her dream, Midnight turned to her, a smirk appearing on his cute face. From the look in his red eyes, Lucy could tell that he recognized her and had been plagued by dreams that were similar to hers. He then said the line that Lucy had heard in nearly every dream she's ever had. 

"You look really cute in that sweater." 

[furidojasutin]

Title: Firsts

Pairing: Midnight/Macbeth x Lucy

Universe: Canon

Rating: K+

a/n: Third one of the rare pair drabbles, this one goes out for @cosymotto! I really hope that you like it; I don’t think I’ve ever written Macbeth before aah >.<

“We don't have to do this,” Lucy muttered for what might as well be the tenth time today. At least she felt like she had repeated herself way too often but she couldn't do anything against it. She meant what she said and it was absolutely not her intention to make her boyfriend feel uncomfortable in any way.

This was a kind of special step for them both, even if it might seem like a small one to some others.

“I'm sure.”

Lucy looked at him when he offered his reply. It was short but he sounded self-assured. He really wanted to do this and it made her heart skip a beat, followed by a very clear smile that grew on her face. “Okay.”

She was practically beaming now and Macbeth must have noticed because he reacted with the quietest of chuckles.

Perhaps, in a different situation, Lucy would have puffed out her cheeks in more or less playful indignation because he apparently thought that her reaction was funny. Now she couldn't wait to walk through the town.

Holding his hand.

Really, some people just had to think that holding hands was no big step.

She knew that it was a big step for Macbeth. From the start he had never been all too fond of any sort of public affection. No, affection at all had been a more or less slight problem from the get-go. But they had worked it out and it really made Lucy feel like they had grown so much closer in so little time.

And for herself? She had thought about dating and affection and love so many times in the past. There were many things that she felt torn about, so many things that seemed to easy in fiction but felt so hard in reality but now, with Macbeth, she had found love in such an incredibly unexpected way. Who would ever have thought that she and Macbeth of all people, a former member of Oracion Seis, then Crime Sorciere and then a completely free man again, would grow as close as they had?

She sure as hell hadn't!

“So... let's go?” Lucy's smile was big and bright when she looked up at him again and this time he looked back, his lipstick an absolute eye-catcher as usual. What was she thinking? Everything about him was! His hair, his eyes, his style. He was one of the most special men she had ever met.

Seemingly calm, Macbeth gave a small nod. “Yes. Let's go.”

If he was still feeling uncomfortable then he was great at hiding it and Lucy appreciated this attempt, hoping that he knew that he could say something as soon as he did feel too uneasy in this public situation after all.

Breathing in the scent of spring, there was an excited tingle in her stomach when she intertwined her fingers with his, ready to go shopping with her boyfriend.

[dragonshost]

MidLu. ‘I just want to say I’m sor - wait that’s a horrible shade of lipstick on you. Stop. Urgh just. Let me do it.’ Thanks!!!

“You really should apologize, you know.”

Macbeth leveled a glare athis smirking friend, frustrated at having been caught staring as Fairy Tail’sresident celestial mage disappeared through a door.  “I hate how youdo that.”

The malicious glee on Erik’sface only increased.  “I don’t even need to listen to your soul to know that you want to. You’re just that obvious.  If you were aiming for subtlety, maybe youshouldn’t stare piningly in her direction every time we see Fairy Tail.”

“If you’re so keen onapologizing, why don’t you do it yourself?” Macbeth snapped athim.  “You’re weren’t exactly uninvolved yourself.”

“I already did.”

The easy confession from Erikthrew Macbeth from a loop.   “When exactly...”

“Like... not long after wejoined up with Crime Sorciere two years ago.  Sorano did last year, and sodid Sawyer.  Hell, even Richard apologized to her about it, and he wasn’teven there at the time.”  Erik rolled his amethyst eye. “Quit making excuses for yourself and just do it already.”  When Macbethdidn’t budge, he tacked on, “You big coward.”

Macbeth hated how that wasenough to spur him on.  “I hate you,” he hissed, standingup.  “One day, I’m going to figure out how to block your soul readinglike Brain did.  Just you wait.”

With a dismissive wave of hishand, Erik turned away from his friend.  “Get going already. She’s in the backroom behind the stage, preparing to do a set with the metalface.”  He paused for a moment, considering something.

“What?” Macbeth asked him.

Cat-with-a-canary was theonly description the reflector mage could come up with for his friend’sexpression.  “Oh, it’s nothing.  Just try not to stare.”

Confused, Macbeth just shookhis head and made his way to where he’d seen Lucy vanish earlier.  Itdidn’t take him long to find the closed door to the preparation room.  Hehesitated at the threshold, before raising his hand and knocking on the door.

“Come in!” Lucy called fromwithin.

Macbeth steeled himself, openedthe door, and walked in.

And then immediately froze in place.

“How did I let Gajeel talk meinto wearing this again?” Lucy lamented to herself, looking over her reflectionin the mirror.  “What is it with him and bunny suits?”

Macbeth was going to strangleErik.

Lucy turned to see who was atthe door, her expression turning to surprise at seeing Macbeththere.  “Oh!  Mid... Macbeth,” she stuttered, correcting hisname partway through.  “Hello.  Did you need something?”

He shut the door behind him,and then instantly regretted it.  It was far too cramped, most of thespace taken up by various stage props and lights, and he began to feelclaustrophobic.  “I just... I just cameto say...” He struggled with the words, his feelings twisting his gut intocomplicated knots.

His eyes darted around,Macbeth trying his best not to look too closely at Lucy’s outfit, especiallywith Erik’s words about his habit of staring at her.  But there was just nothing else in the smallroom worth looking at.

“You okay?” Lucy asked,concern in her voice.  “You’re looking alittle ill.  I think I have some water…?”  Her voice trailed off at the end of hertentative offer as Macbeth shook his head.

“No, but… thanks,” he said,his gaze snapping back to her face.  “Ijust wanted to say…”

Then he frowned

“Wait.  That’s a horrible shade of lipstick for you.”

Shock at his statementwidened Lucy’s eyes as she watched him approach her little preparationstation.  She continued to watch in dumbfoundedsilence as he riffled through her small collection of lipsticks.

With a dissatisfied huff, heabandoned the search.  Instead, hereached into his pocket and withdrew a tube. “Here, let’s use mine.  It’s abetter shade than what you’re currently working with.”

Lucy gently took the tubefrom his outstretched hand, her fingers warm where they brushed his palm.  “Thank you,” she told him, a small smile onher lips.

Lips that were smudged fromthe incorrect application of her prior lipstick.

“Hold on, let me… just let medo it,” he commanded, grabbing a small towel off the makeup counter and dippingit into her water glass.

“Hey!” she protested, butfurther complaint was soon cut off when she felt his hand on her chin.

“Hold still.”

Lucy blinked rapidly asMacbeth held the moist towel to her lower lip. Pressing lightly, he began to gently wipe away the offendinglipstick.  After a moment, Lucy relaxedinto his hold.  With nowhere else for hergaze to rest, she kept it focused on Macbeth.

Although he was hyper-awareof how close his face was to her, and of her intense observation, Macbeth kepthis focus on Lucy’s lips.  They were alittle chapped under the lipstick, he discovered.  She didn’t take proper care of them.  She really ought to, they were lovely.

The stray thought was fastshaken away as Macbeth began to apply his own shade to her lips, replaced bythe even more uncomfortable feeling that came with seeing his color on her.

When he was finished, hedropped his grip on her chin and took a step back from her.  “There. That’s much better,” he said, satisfied with his efforts.

Lucy turned to look at herreflection, and a smile began to spread across her beautiful lips.  “Thank you, Macbeth!”  She turned again to look back at him, herbrown eyes alight with her delight.  “I’venever had someone apply makeup on me before, so it startled me at first, but Ican’t argue with the results.  It looksamazing.”

He almost asked, but then heremembered all of the research they’d done on her, years before.  When they had intended to sacrifice her to anancient, time and reality-warping device. Lucy’s mother had died long ago and most of the servants dismissed; itwas likely that she was largely self-taught when it came to makeup.  Macbeth and Sorano had at least had eachother to practice on growing up.

The words he’d found sodifficult to say before suddenly didn’t seem so anymore, and they rose to hislips like the tide.  “I’m sorry,” he toldher.  When her expression turned toconfusion, he cleared his throat and clarified. “That’s what I came to tell you. I never apologized for what we… what I put you through years ago withthe Infinity Clock.  I’m truly, deeply sorry.”

Lucy’s lips parted slightly,and then shut again.  Water welling inher eyes, and her lips pursed together, she nodded sharply.

He hoped she didn’t cry.  It would ruin her makeup.

With nothing left to say, heleft the tube of lipstick on the counter beside her, and turned to leave.

When he opened the door, hisears caught a whispered, “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” hesaid.  “Good luck on your performance.”  Then he shut the door behind him, andrejoined his friend in the crowded guildhall.

Erik, for once, had nothingsarcastic to say at all.

When Lucy emerged for herperformance with Gajeel, she looked amazing, and to Macbeth’s eyes, she shonelike a star.

[bakayuki]

I actually uploaded a new chapter!

Chapter 8 is out now~ take a look at it if you want~

https://www.wattpad.com/597295995-drowning-in-guilt-chapter-8

[fairytailconfess]

Out of all of Lucy's Harem (StingLu, RoLu, NaLu, GreyLu, ErLu, LeLu, CoLu, MidLu, JackLu, JelLu, ZerLu, etc etc) ZerLu and LoLu are my favorite!!! I read a FanFic for ZerLu and I was hooked, and with LoLu, it's quite cute. Also I read a fanfic too.     -- submitted by anonymous

[crendyfeed-blog]

Boko Haram kills 7 near Sukur World Heritage Site in Adamawa

Boko Haram kills 7 near Sukur World Heritage Site in Adamawa

Less than three days after the Nigerian government announced it will rebuild Sakur World Heritage site that was destroyed by insurgents in 2014, the community has come under attack with seven people confirmed killed when suspected members of Boko Haram attacked Midlu village of Vapura ward in Madagali local government area of the state on Wednesday. Midlu community hosts the famous Sukur World…

[musicalng-blog]

Boko Haram attacks again, kills 6 in Adamawa

Boko Haram attacks again, kills 6 in Adamawa

Adamawa Government has confirmed the death of seven people in an early morning attack on Midlu village of Vapura ward in Madagali Local Government Area of the state on Wednesday.

The community hosts Sukur World heritage site which was destroyed by the insurgents in 2014.

The Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Malam Ahmad Sajoh, confirmed the development to newsmen in Yola.

He said the…

[isabellafoster13]

This was requested on AO3 by Ginia_P.

About fucking time I get a MidLu request! I have been waiting longer than necessary for someone to request a oneshot for this ship. 

I love MidLu! I don't know why I love it so much, I just do. Maybe it's because I love both Lucy and Midnight, or they look great together. It might also be because I am basically obsessed with Hero x Villian/Redeemed Villian and Bad Boy x Good Girl tropes. So much fantastic angst potential! MidLu is one of my OTPs and I am so happy to finally have a request for it. 

I hope you enjoy! 

Go Talk to Her (Midnight x Lucy)

Midnight sighed as he watched Lucy sit with her team, talking away with them. He sat at the bar, a mug of alcohol in front of him, with his arm propped up on the surface of the bar and his chin resting on his palm. He felt his gut erupt with butterflies and his cheeks warm when he saw her smile and heard her laugh. He was tempted to walk over and sit with her, joining in on the conversation. However, he stayed where he sat, unable to push himself to approach her. 

After some time of fighting dark guilds, Crime Sorciere decided to disband and join Legal Guilds. Racer had joined Lamia Scale, Meredy joined Sabertooth, and Hoteye had left to travel with his younger brother. Jellal, Cobra, and Midnight decided to join Fairy Tail. 

After their joining, Midnight had been experiencing strange feelings around Lucy. Whenever he was near her, he would become overwhelmed with nervousness. Every time he heard her laugh or saw her smile, he would feel a fluttering feeling fill his gut and his cheeks would get dusted with a pink blush. A single touch from the celestial wizard would send a pleasurable shock through his body. The mere thought of talking to her would make his heartbeat quicken and his palms sweat. He wanted to be close to her a lot, but was also too nervous to make himself approach her. 

The former dark mage looked down at the mug of alcohol in front of him as he scowled at himself. He didn't understand why he felt this way toward Lucy. He first thought that it was because he wanted to be her friend, but when the feelings persisted, got stronger even, he became even more confused about these feelings. He had never felt this way about someone before, so what was going on? 

He was broken out of his thoughts when he heard a deep chuckle. He turned his head to see Cobra taking a seat next to him and giving him a knowing and amused smirk. Midnight gave him a scowl as he asked, "what's so funny?" 

The maroon-haired man chuckled more before he spoke, "just your thoughts." He then lifted his mug of alcohol up to his lips, taking a long drink. 

Midnight narrowed his red eyes at him, grumbling, "I wish you would stop listening to my thoughts. That's an invasion of privacy, you know." 

Cobra scoffed, "since when have you ever cared about privacy?"

Midnight countered, "since we stopped being dark mages." 

Cobra shrugged and took another swig of his alcohol. When he sat the mug on the bar he gave his friend a smirk as he remarked, "so, you're in love with Blondie over there." He gestured toward Lucy, causing Midnight to turn around and look at her. The blonde was listening to Erza talk, a lovely smile on her face. 

The two-toned-haired man turned back to the dragon slayer next to him and furrowed his brow at him. In love with her? No way! He couldn't be! He voiced these thoughts, though he already knew that Cobra had heard him, "I'm not in love with her."

Cobra raised an eyebrow, questioning, "really? Are you sure?" A smirk played on his lips. Midnight could tell that the dragon slayer wasn't going to let up, only bother him further until he gets what he wants. 

Midnight looked back down at his drink and maintained his stance as he proclaimed, "I'm not in love with Lucy!"

Cobra hummed and finished off his drink before he asked, "how do you feel about her?"

"What?" 

"You heard me. How do you feel about Lucy? Tell me what you think about her."

Midnight's grip tightened on the mug in his hands as he stared into the drink. He was silent for several moments until he finally began to speak with a soft tone, "she's beautiful. The most beautiful woman I've ever seen. She's kind too. And very forgiving. She even forgave me before any of her teammates. She was also the first person to welcome me into Fairy Tail." A smile broke onto his face as he continued, a blush coloring his cheeks and his heartbeat becoming slightly faster, "Lucy is amazing. She was eager to be my friend and let me stay at her apartment until I found one of my own. Every time I would have a nightmare about the Tower of Heaven or our time with Brain, she would always comfort me. I'm not staying at her place anymore and yet she doesn't mind when I come over at night after another nightmare because I don't know who else to go to and don't want to be alone. She loves to go on jobs with me. She's probably my best friend. I-I..." He paused as he thought over everything that he had just said, realization slowly dawning on him until he looked at Cobra and finally acknowledged in a whisper, "I love her. I love Lucy." 

Cobra stood up and grabbed Midnight by the arm, pulling him to his feet. The Poison Dragon Slayer commanded, "good, now, go talk to her." He then pushed his friend in the direction of the celestial wizard. 

Midnight stumbled forward, throwing a glare back at a grinning Cobra before he looked back at Lucy. She was sipping on a strawberry milkshake, reading a book that was laying on the table. He took a deep breath and forced his legs to move forward, trying to ignore the wave of nervousness that crashed onto him. 

He tapped on the blonde's shoulder, swallowing in a failed attempt to relieve the dryness in his mouth when she turned around and smiled as she greeted him, "hey, Midnight!"

Midnight returned her smile with a small one of his own. His heart was pounding in his chest and his stomach was filled with butterflies. He averted his eyes from Lucy's and requested, "can I talk to you alone?"

Lucy nodded and stood up, leading him to the guild's doors. They exited the guildhall and stood in front of the closed doors, facing each other. The celestial wizard asked with a smile, "what do you want to talk about?"

Midnight blushed as he stared at the ground. He opened his mouth a few times, but was unable to say anything. He balled his fists at his side and silently cursed at himself. He shouldn't have jumped straight to confessing his feelings to Lucy. His cheeks burned and contemplated just hightailing it out of there. 

He jumped when he felt Lucy place her hands on his shoulders, sparks shooting through his body at the physical contact. He locked his eyes on the ground when he heard her ask, concern in her voice, "Midnight? Are you alright?" 

The reflector mage nodded and managed to say, his voice quiet, almost a whisper, "I-I just wanted to tell you that..." He trailed off before he took a deep breath and burst out, "I love you!" 

He finally looked at Lucy, seeing that she was staring at him in surprise. Midnight stiffened, waiting for the rejection that he was sure was soon to come. However, he was completely thrown off when Lucy gave him a big smile and exclaimed, "I love you too!" 

Midnight stared at her with widened eyes, shocked. He uttered, "you do?" 

Lucy nodded and leaned forward to press a kiss to his lips. Midnight stood there for a few seconds, surprised that Lucy was kissing him. He quickly got over his shock and kissed Lucy back, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her closer as she wrapped her arms around his neck. 

[jimivaey]

Adamawa Govt Confirms Boko Haram Attack

Adamawa Govt Confirms Boko Haram Attack

Governor Mohammed Bindow of Adamawa State

By Ogbolu George with agency report

The Adamawa Government has confirmed the death of seven persons in an early morning attack on Midlu village in Madagali Local Government area of the state.

The community hosts Sukur World heritage site which was destroyed by the insurgents in 2014.

Ahmad Sajoh, the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, confirmed…

[dragonshost]

Her smile+ Midnight/Lucy

He hated her smile.

That carefree, clueless grin of hers, that set his teeth onedge with how much he loathed it.  Shedidn’t know of pain, of suffering.  Shewas one of the masses, clueless to the depravity that had happened under theworld’s watch, if not outright complicit in it. Rich, entitled.  The world at herfingertips.

Whereas Macbeth had only ever known of misery.  At his family’s hands, and then theTower’s.  Later, Jellal’s as well.  In his research on the Infinity Clock, he’dcome across mention of Jude Heartfilia. A father that still searched for his missing daughter, even seven yearslater.  Spoke endlessly of his love forher, how much he missed her, how he would hand over the world for one lastchance to see her again.

She had a guild that still cared for her, too.  That had had her back seven years ago andstill did today.  Friends that stuck withher not out of habit, or familiarity, but out of love and affection.

He hated the looks full of pity that Erik would give him, too, when he dwelt on it too long.  And her power, her agency, her ability to be a part of the world around him.

She had everything he wanted most in all the world, and he despised her for it.

Her and her smug, condescending, infernal smile.

[8creeney]

Midlu for @miss-lucy-celestial-princess

[isabellafoster13]

This was requested on AO3 by Pup.

The requester wanted this oneshot to be Christmas-themed and to feature the song "Time After Time" by Cyndi Lauper. This was a last-minute addition, in case you're wondering. The requester also wanted this oneshot to be longer than most of the others. I tried my best to do that. They also wanted me to change the lyrics a bit to better fit the fic, so if the lyrics are different, then that is why.

So, here is a Christmas oneshot in October. 

I hope you enjoy! 

Time After Time (Midnight x Lucy ft. Mira)

Fairy Tail was lively this night. Decorations colored green, red, blue, white, and yellow were strung around the guildhall. The mages of the famous guild drank, laughed, and celebrated. 

It was Christmas night. 

All were as jolly as the folkloric Santa Claus. Mistletoe was hung at every possible place, courtesy of Mirajane. There were even guests from a few other guilds. Lyon sat with Gray and Juvia, chatting happily with them. Natsu and Sting were having an eggnog drinking contest while Yukino, Rogue, Rufus, and Lisanna watched with varied interest. Orga, Gajeel, and Levy sat near the stage, talking. Laxus and the Thunder Legion had finally moved away from the second floor and sat at the bar, deep in conversation with each other. Erza and Jellal sat with Wendy, Happy, and Carla. Sorano was with Meredy, watching as some Fairy Tail mages played darts. Cobra and Kinana were playing cards with Hibiki and Jenny. Sherry and Ren were cuddled together at their own table. 

The only mage that wasn't having the time of their life was Lucy. The celestial wizard sat at the bar alone, her chin resting in her palm that was propped up on her elbow which rested on top of the bar. She stared down at her strawberry milkshake, uninterested in it. She gave an audible sigh as she contemplated leaving early. 

There was one person missing. One person that she hadn't seen for nine months. Midnight. Since he joined Fairy Tail, he had been going on job after job in an attempt to make amends for all of the terrible things that he had done in the past. He was fighting dangerous monsters and helping people whom he had harmed years before. 

Lucy and Midnight had gotten close over the time that he had been in Fairy Tail. They've gone on jobs together, lived together for a brief period, and even went on vacation together a few times. They simply got along surprisingly well. As time went on, it didn't take long for Lucy to fall in love. 

Her heart clenched painfully as tears pricked the corners of her eyes. She swiftly wiped them away before she continued to drown in her thoughts about the former dark mage who had captured her heart. She missed him greatly. He had gone on long jobs before, but never this long. And worse, she wasn't able to contact him. He was on a dangerous job that kept him from keeping contact with her in any way. 

Lucy turned around to look at the other mages in the guildhall. Her brown eyes caught sight of all of the happy couples. She then turned around and pushed her cold drink away, folding her arms on top of the bar before she dropped her head onto her arms. She was glad to see that her friends were happily in love, she wasn't bitter about the fact that they had something that she could only wish to have. Rather, she just wished that Midnight would return. 

Before he left, he had assured her that he would return soon, but that was nine months ago. She wished that she could have at least told him how she felt, but when she tried, the words wouldn't come, her tongue had become suddenly heavy in her mouth. She sighed again and lifted her head, resting her chin on her arms. 

She liked to think that Midnight felt the same way, but she wasn't quite sure. True, he mainly only spoke with her, but that didn't mean that he loved her the way that she loved him. Despite how close they had gotten, it was still difficult for her to read him. She could tell when he was happy, angry, and sad, but she couldn't tell what he was thinking. 

Midnight was a book that she had difficulty reading, like a manuscript written in an old language that was largely lost to time. In this way, she felt like a philologist who was trying to decode the words that were etched into the aged paper, almost desperate to understand the content. Lucy wanted to understand Midnight. She wanted to know what was going on in his head. She wanted to know how he really felt about being a part of Fairy Tail, how he really felt about his new guildmates, how he really felt about her. She wanted to truly know him, but she didn't feel like she did, no matter what anybody else may say to the contrary. 

Lucy felt a stab of pain in her chest and tears trickled down her cheeks, no longer caring to wipe them away. Everyone was too busy to pay attention to her. She silently cursed herself for not even being able to confess her feelings to Midnight before he left. What if he died? She would've never known if he felt the same way. All of the jobs that he had been taking were increasingly dangerous, to the point that she was almost constantly worried for his safety. She didn't want to think about the possibility of him dying, but she simply couldn't stop her mind. What if he died? She had no idea what she would do if that happened. 

As Lucy dived more and more into her thoughts, she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned around to see Mira giving her a sympathetic smile, asking, "are you alright?" 

Lucy turned around to look down at the bar. She lied, "yeah, I'm fine." She didn't like lying to her close friend, but she didn't want to worry anybody. She couldn't ruin her friends' Christmas party just because she was longing for a guy that had nearly killed her and probably didn't love her back. 

She felt Mira gently lay a hand on her shoulder and softly respond, "I know that you aren't. Is it Midnight?"

Lucy gave a quiet cry at the sound of his name. As tears streamed from her eyes, she buried her face in her arms. She felt Mira wrap her arms around her, pulling her into a gentle but comforting hug. Lucy released a few sobs as she buried her face into Mira's chest while the white-haired woman rubbed circles on her back. 

They remained like that for several minutes until Mira proposed, "how about you get on the stage and sing something, Lucy?" 

Lucy pulled away, sniffling and wiping away her tears as best she could. She finally looked at Mira, questioning, "what?" Her voice was low and trembling. 

The take-over mage smiled kindly at her, gesturing toward the now empty stage as she explained, "a lot of the others have been singing. How about you give it a try?"

Lucy looked at the stage. She wasn't sure about that. She had just been crying, why would she want to sing in front of an entire guild, plus some? She shook her head, shifting her gaze to Mira as she said, "no, Mira, I think I'll just go back home instead." 

She got up and took only a few steps toward the guildhall doors when Mira suddenly grabbed her arm, pulling her back. Lucy turned around to look at her close friend in slight confusion. Mira pushed with a smile, "please, Lucy. You should sing that song you wrote. Be honest about your feelings." 

Lucy turned her body to face Mira, her eyes wide and her mouth agape, and she questioned with surprise, "how did you know-" 

She was unable to finish asking the white-haired woman how she knew that she had written a song when Mira pushed her in the direction of the stage. "Come on, Lucy. I promise, you won't regret it." 

Lucy looked back at Mira seeing her walk toward the doors and stand in front of them, no doubt blocking her way out. The celestial wizard sighed and made her way over to the stage, smoothing down her hair and clothing as she offered a silent prayer for her face to not show evidence of having previously been crying. 

As she stepped onto the stage, the loud mages before her quieted and focused their attention on her. She blushed slightly, suddenly embarrassed and nervous as a result of becoming the center of attention so suddenly. The music began and she closed her eyes, crooning the song that she had written in the times of loneliness that Midnight's absence had left her at the mercy to. 

Little to her knowledge, Midnight was approaching the guild, the slight skip in his step becoming more and more evident as he got closer. He was eager to see Lucy. He was eager to wrap his arms around her warm body and pull her against him. He was eager to see her smile and hear her laugh. He was eager to finally tell her how much he loved her and, if she felt the same way, to kiss her a thousand times to apologize for being away for so long. He was eager to assure her that he was back, that he was here to stay. 

He stepped up to the closed doors and pushed them open, only to freeze when the doors were opened only slightly. He heard a beautiful voice beginning to serenade the present mages. He knew that the woman who was singing was Lucy. He could recognize her honey-dripped voice from anywhere. He had heard it so much that it was the most recognizable sound he's ever heard. Her singing was especially recognizable to him. Too many times he had heard her singing, either to herself or to him. She would sing to herself when she was bored, or to him to help him fall back asleep after a nightmare. 

He opened the doors a tiny bit further and peeked through the crack. His eyes widened at what he saw, his breath bated. Lucy stood on the stage, her eyes closed and her hands clamped against her chest. The reflector mage listened to the song. A song that he knew from the many times he had peeked at it during its writing. 

Lying in my bed, I hear the clock tick and think of you

Caught up in circles

Confusion is nothing new

Flashback, warm nights

Almost left behind

Suitcase of memories

Time after-

Midnight sneaked through the doors as she sang. He knew this song. Lucy didn't know that he knew. He knew the meaning of this song. It was a call to someone. A call to someone that she missed and wanted to return. He never would have thought that it was about him. However, now that he hears her sing the lyrics that she had written with a heavy heart, he knew now. 

She loved him just as he loved her. She was singing to him despite believing that he was still away. He felt his heart clench and pain shot through his chest as he swiftly made his way to the stage, watching her, not only because the lights overhead illuminated her in an almost painfully beautiful way, but also because he didn't want her to notice him just yet. He quickly noticed the tears that trickled down her cheeks, as inconsistent and slow as the beginning rains of a spring day. He made a vow then and there to do whatever he had to do to make it up to her, to make her forgive the pain and loneliness that the lack of his presence had caused. 

He walked up onto the stage, his footsteps slow and silent, as he gestured to the audience for them to stay silent. His red eyes locked onto Lucy. He was sure that he looked as though he was a sailor that was ensnared by the enchanting song of a siren. And, that wasn't too far from the truth. 

Lucy sang the net verse, still unaware of his silent approach: 

Sometimes I picture you

You're walking too far ahead

I'm calling to you, but you can't hear

What I've said

Then I say, "please, come back"

And I stay behind

The second hand unwinds

Midnight then raised his voice, singing the chorus with her: 

If you're lost you can look and you will find me

Time after time

Upon beginning the song together, Lucy whirls around to see Midnight walking toward her, a smile on his face and a look of love and regret in his eyes. As the realization that he was back quickly dawned on her, she faltered in her singing only slightly. 

They continued the chorus together, their eyes never once leaving each other's:

If you fall, I will catch you, I'll be waiting

Time after time

If you're lost, you can look and you will find me

Time after time

If you fall, I will catch you, I will be waiting

Time after time

Lucy turned to face Midnight. They stepped closer to each other, his arms snaking around her waist and pulling her closer. They stared into each other's eyes, both seeming to be in a trance, as Lucy sings the third verse:

After your picture fades and darkness has

Turned to gray

Watching through windows

I'm wondering if you're okay

Secrets hidden from deep inside 

And the drum beats out of time

Midnight then joined her once again on the chorus, his voice stronger this time from the sudden confidence gain that resulted from being with her: 

If you're lost you can look and you will find me

Time after time

If you fall I will catch you, I'll be waiting

Time after time 

Lucy sings the refrain on her own: 

I say, "please, come back, I stay behind

The second hand unwinds

Midnight then rejoined to finish the chorus with Lucy: 

If you're lost, you can look and you will find me

Time after time

If you fall, I will catch you, I'll be waiting

Time after time

If you're lost, you can look and you will find me

Time after time

If you fall, I will catch you, oh, I'll be waiting 

Time after time

Midnight stopped singing, letting the celestial wizard in his arms continued to sing: 

Time after time

Time after time

Time after time

Time after time

Time after time

Time after time

Time after-

Time-

Lucy's singing quieted until it was a mere whisper as their faces inched closer and closer. She breathed the last lyric before their lips connected in a sweet and loving kiss that reflected to each other the pain that they had both gone through during the time that they were apart. Tears of happiness trickled down their cheeks. Her arms were wrapped around his neck, while his arms were wrapped around her waist, each of their bodies pressed against the other. 

Cheers erupt from the crowd, almost deafening. But, Lucy and Midnight were too distracted by each other to pay any mind. They pull away and pressed their foreheads together. They were clearly in their own world together. Everyone and everything around them was nonexistent. 

There was only Lucy and Midnight. 

Lucy felt her stomach drop as she began to question how long he was going to stay. Did he only have a short amount of time left? Was he going to stay for only a few days and then leave for, who knows how long? 

Her blissful smile dropped and she asked in a whisper, "how long are you going to stay?" She could feel her lip tremble only slightly. She felt tears well up in her eyes, dreading what he would say but also needing to know how much time she had with him. 

Midnight smiled kindly down at her, whispering back, "for as long as you want me to stay."

"Forever?" Her voice was hopeful with fear hinted in her soft voice. She was afraid that forever wouldn't be an option. 

Midnight brought a hand up to cup her cheek as he assured her with a gentle voice, "forever. I'm never leaving you."

They then kissed again, relishing in each other's presence. They were finally together, forever, this time. The burden that was weighing on Lucy's heart lifted and she felt happiness fill her being. She had the man whom she loved back. He was promising to stay. She felt the loneliness that she had been drowning in for so long quickly become replaced with happiness. As she stared into Midnight's eyes, she silently promised to make sure that he stuck to his promise. 

Midnight returned her gaze of love with one of his own. He remembered when he chased sleep, almost desperately. He spent much of his life in fervent search of peaceful sleep and wonderful dreams. These things weren't as common as he would have liked, which made them a treasure to him. However, no longer. He didn't need to run after fleeting dreams. He was living the most wonderful dream that he could have ever imagined, a dream that he never in his life would have imagined living. He had in his arms the most valuable treasure that he would ever find in his arms. She was beautiful, kind, forgiving, strong...just perfect in his eyes. And, if it meant never sleeping again, then he will stay by her side until his last breath. With her, he was finally home.

The pair were lost in each other, the rest of the world practically dead to them. They could only see each other. But, nobody in the audience minded this. They could see the longing that both mages had been going through, the loneliness that Lucy had been dealing with constantly when Midnight wasn't there and the dread that she went through when he was there, dreading when he would leave once again. They could see the regret that had been weighing on Midnight as he enjoyed every moment he could spend with Lucy before he had to leave for an extended period of time. 

The mages who witnessed the display allowed the couple their moment of reunion and love. This night was truly a merry Christmas.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I made this as long as I could, so hopefully, its length is to the requester's liking. I loved writing this! I also hope that the format of the song lyrics was correct, I used genius.com for the lyrics. 

[isabellafoster13]

Chapter Two: The Story Begins

"So, Lucy. Do you plan to join a guild?"

Lucy turned from where she was wiping down a table to see her boss, who insisted on being called by her nickname, Minnie, standing behind the counter, leaning against it, with a pleasant smile on her aged face. The cafe was empty, not a surprise since they were about an hour away from closing time.

The blonde teenager continued cleaning the table in front of her. She answered, "yeah, I plan to eventually. I'm not sure when I'll do it though, or which guild I'll join."

The older woman chuckled lightly. She responded, "I know two mages myself. One is from Fairy Tail and one is from Sabertooth."

Lucy sat her rag down on the table. She turned around to face her boss before raising an eyebrow and inquiring, "Sabertooth? Isn't that the new guild that was just created late last year?"

Minnie nodded her head. She stated, "It's grown at a surprising rate, I must say."

Lucy nodded. "I've heard of Fairy Tail, kinda hard not to, honestly." The women laughed, both knowing how infamous Fairy Tail has become for its wild guild members.

Minnie gave a silent sigh as she spoke again, "anyways if you're interested in joining either of those guilds, I'd be happy to invite one of my friends to come here for a visit." She then added, "in case you have any questions, of course."

Lucy smiled. "What are your friends' names?"

"The one from Fairy Tail is Makarov Dreyar. The one from Sabertooth is Clover Lore."

Lucy's brown eyes widened. She sputtered out, "D-Did you j-just say that y-you are friends with Fairy Tail's guild master?!"

Minnie chuckled while she nodded. She walked around the counter and approached Lucy. The older woman studied the table that her new employee had just finished cleaning. After giving a nod of approval she picked up the rag and walked back over to the counter. She sat the rag on top of the counter and turned to Lucy, finally giving a verbal response to her shocked employee, "Yes, Makarov and I are good friends. He came in here several years ago with his grandson when the boy was still a toddler. Being the child-loving woman that I am, I just couldn't stop gushing over the kid. Makarov and I got along quite well. Since then, the old geezer comes by every now and then to complain about his guild to me, although he says that he's just visiting."

Lucy nodded with an amused smile. She then asked in curiosity, "does his grandson ever come by as well?"

Minnie nodded. "Not as often as his grandfather, but every now and then when he has a job nearby he, and often times three of his friends, will stop by for some coffee and pastries."

Lucy smiled at that. She would love to meet Fairy Tail's guild master, as well as this grandson of his. She hasn't heard much about Makarov's grandson, in fact, she only knows his name, but she was sure that if he was anything like his grandfather, then she'll like him. She's heard quite a bit about Master Makarov, him being very kind and warm-hearted being the most prevalent thing she's heard about him.

Minnie then asked, "how much do you know about Fairy Tail, dear?"

Lucy leaned against the table behind her as she answered, "I don't know what any of them look like, and I haven't really heard all that much, but what I do know is that they have a very kind guild master, they value their guildmates, and they're a very wild guild."

Minnie laughed. "Yes, that's all correct."

Lucy decided to change the topic to the other guild that had been mentioned previously, "what about Sabertooth? Since they're new, I don't know anything about them."

Minnie gave a small smile, answering, "I admit, I don't know much either. Clover doesn't talk much about her guild. All I've been able to get from her is that it's much like Fairy Tail, except Sabertooth isn't filled to the brim with wild mages." After the two women chuckled at that, Minnie asked, "would you like to meet with Makarov or Clover? I'm sure they can answer any questions that you may have. Maybe Makarov will bring his grandson and Clover might bring her boy."

Lucy grinned at the offer. It sounded like a great idea, especially since she had no idea which one she would join. "If it won't be of any trouble for either of them, then that'd be great, Minnie. Thank you."

Minnie nodded. She walked back around the counter and into the kitchen as she said, "I'll contact Makarov and Clover to tell them about you tomorrow, then." She then poked her head out of the kitchen to add, "also, you can go on home, dear."

"Are you sure? I can still help out around here before closing." Lucy was eager to go home after a long day, but she didn't want to leave Minnie with a lot of work in preparation for closing for the night.

Minnie waved her hand dismissively. "Yes, I'm sure. Go on now. Hurry home."

Lucy decided to not argue. With a "goodnight" to her boss, she took off her apron and placed it in its place on the coat rack near the front door. She exited the bakery that also functioned as a cafe and began walking home.

As she neared her apartment, Lucy heard a pair of footsteps behind her. She sped up, but as she did so, the pair of footsteps behind her sped up as well. The blonde mage turned around to see a green-haired woman rapidly approaching her, with a cold look on her face. Before Lucy could react, the black-clothed woman grabbed her by the arm and pulled her into a nearby alleyway, slamming her against the hard brick wall. Lucy winced. Her front was being pressed against the wall, the side of her face stung, she definitely got cut. Her arms were pinned painfully behind her.

The other woman snarled lowly in Lucy's ear, "running away from home? Naughty girl."

Lucy began to struggle while screaming for help. Her attacker pulled her away from the brick wall before slamming her against it again, causing Lucy to yelp in pain. Lucy asked while gritting her teeth, "who are you? Why are you doing this? How do you know that I ran away?"

The green-haired woman chuckled. Lucy could feel the woman's hot breath on her ear as her attacker pressed her body against hers. The woman then whispered again, "you can call me Kit. I was hired by your father to find you and bring you back to him."

Lucy's eyes widened. She couldn't go back to that mansion. She had to escape this woman. Kit then pulled Lucy away from the wall and kicked the back of her knees, causing the blonde to fall to her bare knees. Kit held Lucy's arms tightly behind her back with one hand as she stuffed a couple of sleeping pills down the blonde's throat. Lucy was forced to swallow the cylindrical pills as she struggled and tried to scream for help. However, her screams were muffled by Kit's hand.

Lucy finally managed to push herself backward as hard as she could and on top of her attempted kidnapper. Kit groaned in pain causing her grip on Lucy to loosen and the celestial wizard managed to stand up and run out of the alleyway. She ran past her apartment and into a 24/7 bar. She walked to a vacant table at the back and sat down, trying to get her heavy breathing under control and calm her rapid heartbeat.

Her thoughts were jumbled and she was attempting to comprehend what had just happened. After several minutes, she finally steadied her breathing and her heart was no longer hammering away in her chest.

Suddenly, Lucy realized that Kit had drugged her with what she assumed were sleeping pills. The blonde jumped up and rushed out of the bar. Once outside, she stuck a finger into her mouth, forcing herself to throw up. After making herself vomit a few times, she spotted the two pills that had been forced down her throat. Lucy sat down on the sidewalk with a sigh. She looked around, fortunately not seeing Kit nearby.

As she thought about what to do now, she heard a voice behind her speak, "are you alright?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I hope you enjoyed this chapter.

Who do you think should be the first suitor to appear?

Options: Erza Juvia Gajeel Cana Mira Cobra Midnight Freed Bixlow Levy Gray

I excluded Rufus, Laxus, Sting, Rogue, Loke, and Orga because I already have something planned for them. Plus, at this point Sting, Rogue, Orga, and Rufus would be like twelve or thirteen, so why would they be at a bar at night?

Anyways, whichever character gets the most votes will be the first suitor in the third chapter.

[isabellafoster13]

Chapter Seven: Midnight

Lucy sipped a cup of tea, sitting curled up in the corner of her couch. She glanced at the nearby window, seeing nothing but light blue curtains covering it. She moved her right hand to the keys that lay on the couch right next to her, assuring herself that her celestial spirits were not far from her in the case that Kit or that man appeared. She looked to the small table that sat right next to her side of the couch, making sure that the glass of water was full. She knew that Aquarius wouldn't be happy about being summoned, but she would deal with the mermaid spirit's fury, Lucy was just glad that it was Wednesday. 

She continued to sip on her steaming tea. She had been given a week off from work after she almost summoned Cancer on Minnie when the older woman approached her from behind and placed a hand on her employee's shoulder. Lucy was very apologetic, explaining that due to certain events, she was jumpy and on edge lately. Minnie had pulled her into the kitchen and asked what happened, but the celestial wizard found that she couldn't tell her, no matter how much she wanted to. The words simply wouldn't come out. Minnie, understanding that it was a difficult topic, decided that it would be best if Lucy stayed home for a week and tried to calm down. She had gently pushed Lucy out of the door and, with a sweet smile, told her that she would be happy to talk to her about what was happening whenever Lucy was ready. 

The blonde sighed, smiling at the memory. Minnie was very kind, she almost didn't want to join a guild because that would mean having to leave the older woman. Lucy glanced back at the covered window. She wanted to talk to Minnie about not just Kit and her partner, but also about her attraction to two men and two women. However, every attempt she made resulted in hesitation and words getting caught in her throat. She would then bail on the attempt with some sort of excuse. 

Lucy finished off her tea before standing up and walking to the sink to place the cup in it along with a few other dishes. She would clean them later. She then walked back to the couch and picked up her keyring, attaching it to her belt. She also picked up her whip from the coffee table and placed it on her belt. As much as she wanted to avoid being attacked by Kit and her partner again, she honestly couldn't stay in her home all day. She had been feeling stifled recently and thought that going for a walk would help. She had thought about going to the park, but instantly remembered the man that she had been attacked by just before she met Erza, and quickly decided against it. 

Lucy walked out of her home. She figured a walk around the shopping area of Crocus would be safe. A lot of people would be out around this time and she doubted that Kit or that man would attack her in a crowded area. She began walking, keeping an eye out for the aforementioned pair. Once she reached the area of Crocus that contained shop after shop along with many restaurants, she saw that it was just as filled with people as ever. Lucy relaxed a little, telling herself that she had only been attacked when there was nobody around and that since she was now surrounded by people, she wouldn't be attacked. Still, she couldn't stop herself from looking around every few minutes. 

The blonde mage walked into a magic shop, thinking that she might feel a bit safer and that she might find a few keys. She roamed the counters and aisles filled with magical items, searching for keys. As her brown gaze scanned her thoughts turned to the four mages that she had met within the past month. 

Cana was beautiful. She was remarkably kind to walk Lucy home and stay with her. The brunette mage looked as though she was fun to hang out with. Lucy couldn't help but imagine going on bar dates with her, and then going to the home that they share to simply be together and enjoy each other's company. Cana seemed like she was the type that knew how to safely get someone to come out of their comfort zone and make sure that they have fun. Lucy also thought her magic was very interesting and would love to see it in action one day. 

Lucy didn't see Bixlow's face, but his looks didn't matter to her. From the short conversation she had with him, she thought that he was a great guy and, just like Cana, he seemed as though he was a lot of fun to spend time with. Lucy thought about what a date with him would be like. He seemed as though he was the type to prefer going to various food stands and trying different types of food and drinks. He was a very nice conversationalist and his 'babies' were adorable. Lucy wouldn't be surprised if he was flirty in a dirty way, but she found to her surprise that she didn't mind that possibility. She also thought that his guild mark was on his tongue was amusing, further evidence, in her mind, that he wouldn't be a boring boyfriend. 

Erza was also incredibly attractive. Lucy didn't catch what her magic was, but she seemed like she was a very strong mage. Lucy especially liked Erza's hair. It was a very pretty color and it looked very soft and silky. The celestial wizard's mind wandered to a hypothetical date with the Fairy Tail mage. Erza seemed like she was more in favor of home dates. Lucy knew she wouldn't mind that. She imagined cooking dinner right beside Erza before sitting on the couch to eat and talk. Then, after they were finished with their food, they would cuddle together in comfortable silence. Erza was obviously very kind from how she comforted Lucy when she was distressed and panicking. She felt like with the red-haired mage, she would be safe and could grow her magic with a very supportive girlfriend by her side. 

Lucy's thoughts then turned to Laxus. Sure, he was one of the most handsome men she had ever seen, but he also came off as a jerk. For some reason, however, a reason that she couldn't explain, Lucy felt as though he was actually soft on the inside and simply acted tough and unapproachable, much like many of the male characters she read about in the romance novels she grew up reading. She remembered being told by Minnie that he was nice whenever he visited with three of his friends, even smiling a few times. Lucy also remembered having felt safe sitting next to him. She could tell that he was a strong mage, he was the grandson of Fairy Tail Guild Master, so of course he was a strong magic-user. She felt as though he was the protective and subtly loving type. Her mind envisioned a nice restaurant date or a night walk through a park and then cuddling to sleep at home. 

Lucy's face heated up and her stomach began doing small flips. Her heartbeat picked up its pace. These reactions to her thoughts brought her back to reality. She looked around, seeing to her relief that nobody had noticed. Looking around some more, she found no keys, so she decided to leave and try to find another magic shop. Upon stepping out of the shop, she was pushed to the ground by a running man. She looked at the man, watching him come to a stop among the crowd and look back, not at her but at something past her. He seemed as though he was anxiously searching for something or someone. Lucy was taken aback by how he looked like he had just gotten into a fight and nearly lost before he managed to get away. His clothes were torn and he was obviously bleeding.

The man turned around and continued running, pushing through the crowd and occasionally causing people to fall over. Lucy, overcome with concern, stood up to follow him. She ran through the crowd, struggling to keep the man in her sight. She eventually saw him run into the forest. Lucy released a silent sigh. She wasn't fond of the idea of going into the forest, but her worry for this injured and beaten man spurred her on. She followed the way he went. 

She ran for what felt like hours. Her legs were screaming at her to stop, but she was still able to see him, if just barely. She knew that if she slowed down or stopped, then she would lose him. She wouldn't be able to live with herself if she wasn't able to help him or make sure he was alright. 

Lucy broke into a small clearing. Taking a quick look around, she recognized it as the same small clearing she had met Erza in. She heard heavy breathing. Looking across the small clearing, she saw the man sitting against a tree, obviously exhausted and in pain. She thought back to her first encounter with Kit that led to her meeting Cana. The man didn't seem as though he noticed her. Slowly approaching, she said softly, "do you need help?" The man jumped and looked at her with widened eyes, obviously having been taken by surprise by her sudden appearance.

Midnight ran through a crowd. His whole body ached and he was tired. He looked behind him, seeing his cloaked attacker gaining on him. He turned back around and picked up his speed as much as he could. He continued running, pushing people out of his way. He was pretty sure that he's accidentally pushed some people to the ground, but he was much too concerned about not dying to care. He stopped one more time and turned around to see if his attacker was still after him. Ignoring the looks he was getting, he saw that nobody was running after him. Still, he knew that he shouldn't take a chance of getting arrested by the Rune Knights due to a massive amount of damage, or possibly even dying, so he decided to continue running. He ran into the forest, running through the vegetation and ignoring the way he felt as though he was going to collapse at any moment. 

He finally came to a stop in a small clearing. With heavy panting, Midnight limped over to a tree and sat on the grassy ground, noticing that the blood coming from his many wounds was already staining the ground, giving the green grass a red color. He looked down at his wrists, glaring at the metal cuffs on them. It was because of these cuffs that he wasn't able to fight back. He had somehow been taken by surprise and got stuck in magic canceling cuffs, leading to him getting beaten and thrown around by some woman that somehow knew who he was. 

Everything that happened after he got ambushed was a blur, all he could recall was that he had managed to get away, run in every possible direction he could without running into Rune Knights, and ended up in a forest, sitting up against a tree in exhaustion. He was in pain, a lot of pain. There were several large cuts from that crow spirit's magic. He dropped his hands into his lap. 

He was breathing heavily and in pain, trying to maintain consciousness, when he heard a soft voice ask, "do you need help?" Midnight jumped and turned his head to look at the person that had snuck up on him. His red eyes were wide, expecting to see the woman that had attacked him. Instead, he saw a pretty blonde that was approaching him slowly, worry swimming in her deep brown eyes. 

Midnight narrowed his gaze at her, barking his answer, "stay back!" He watched as the young woman flinched. She took a few steps back and watched him with a look of clear concern. Midnight glared at her in suspicion. Was she another one of that woman's tools? He couldn't tell. Though, the amount of concern she was visibly showing toward him made him think that maybe she was just a normal person that was worried about him. 

He relaxed slightly, leaning against the tree but still glaring at her as a way to tell her to stay away. He looked her over, ignoring her revealing clothing as it was something he had seen more times than he could count. Female mages seemed to really like wearing revealing clothing for some reason. His eyes fell on the keyring on her belt. He recognized the gold and silver keys as Celestial Spirit Gate Keys. 

So, this woman is a celestial wizard, huh? He was a bit surprised that he was meeting another celestial wizard. Those were pretty damn rare.

Midnight raised his narrowed gaze back to the woman's concerned gaze. He took a few moments to allow his breathing to calm just enough for him to speak clearly before he questioned with caution, "who are you? What are you doing here?" 

The woman gave him a small, sweet smile, answering, "I'm Lucy. You pushed me and I got worried, so I decided to follow you and see if you needed help." 

Midnight nodded, still not relenting in his suspicious glaring. He couldn't tell if she was with that woman or if he could trust her. He thought it over. He was bleeding more than he thought was healthy, so it might not be a good idea to just tell her to go away. However, she could be partnered with the woman that had done this to him. He couldn't see a guild mark on her body, so she might be an independent mage. He looked back down at the magic canceling cuffs on his wrists. He looked back at Lucy, ordering her, "take these things off my wrists, and I'll let you help me." If she was an enemy, then if he was free from these cuffs, he would be able to defend himself relatively well. He wasn't sensing incredibly strong magic coming from this blonde, so he was sure that even if he was injured, he would be able to take her on. 

Lucy nodded, walking closer so that she could kneel beside him. Midnight watched as she examined his wrists. He stared at her facial expression, watching as she looked at the cuffs in confusion. She obviously wasn't sure how to get them off of him. Midnight couldn't help but find this both funny and cute. He would have chuckled if he wasn't in so much pain and wasn't covered in his own blood and was still bleeding. He instead advised her with a softened look but a more stern tone of voice, "concentrate your magic on the cuffs. They will simply pop off if you overwhelm them with magic." 

Lucy glanced up at him before she nodded and looked back at the cuffs. She cupped her hands around the left cuff, taking a deep breath, she concentrated her magic around the cuff. Midnight observed the soft, golden glow that emitted from her hands. The light flickered a little before it steadied. The cuff broke off and Lucy's breath became a bit heavier, proving Midnight right in his theory that she didn't have as high of magic levels that he frequently encountered during his life as a dark mage. He let Lucy catch her breath, recovering from the drop in her magic before he presented his right wrist to her. Lucy lifted her hands again, cupping them around his wrist. She repeated what she had done with the left cuff until the right cuff fell off with an audible, metallic 'pop'. 

Midnight looked at his free wrists, feeling his magic begin flowing again, and then turned to the tired blonde. She was clearly low on magic, thus making him come to the conclusion that she wasn't a threat to him. Lucy looked at him with a smile. "Alright, I freed you from those things, now let me take you back to my place and treat your injuries." Midnight wasn't fond of that idea, but he didn't want to bleed out before he could get back to his small guild's base. He nodded and allowed Lucy to lift his left arm to rest around her shoulders. She gently helped him to his feet, causing him to grunt and twist his pretty, blood-splotched face in pain. They stilled to allow him to recover from the stab of pain in almost every part of his body. 

Just before they were about to begin their journey to Lucy's home, they heard a familiar voice speak, "well, well, well. It looks like both of my targets are in the same place." 

The pair looked up to see a woman dressed in black. A black cloak was draped around her while the hood was pulled over her head, hiding her face. Two long bangs that framed her face and reached her hips were a light green color. Lucy gasped while Midnight grimaced. 

"What are you doing here?!" Lucy demanded. Midnight looked at her face, seeing that she was clearly scared but was trying to hide it. His heart twisted at the fear in her brown eyes. He didn't know why, but he didn't like that she was afraid. He threw a glare at the green-haired woman as she laughed cruelly. 

The woman responded, "oh, my dear. It's my job to capture you both. For different people, of course." She then snapped her fingers. In an instant, a man jumped out of the nearby vegetation. He was dressed in all black. Black dress pants, black dress shirt, black vest, black gloves, and black polished shoes. His black hair was short and messy, as if he never touched a hairbrush even once. His eyes were a blood-red color. They were cold and could easily boor into your soul with what was akin to hatred. The only contrast to the frightening black and chilling red was his alarmingly pale skin. Kit commanded, "immobilize them!" 

The black-clothed man obeyed. He kneeled onto one knee and placed a hand on the ground. A red Magic Seal. From that seal, a dozen black snakes emerged and launched themselves with open mouths and bared fangs at the two mages. Midnight felt Lucy freeze in fear, no longer trying to appear unafraid. He didn't like this. The Reflector mage concentrated his magic to perform his Distort Sheild spell. Lucy closed her eyes, bracing for the coming attack, when the snakes made of shadows bounced off of Midnight's shield and dissipated. 

Kit screamed in fury, "that wench broke off his cuffs!" 

Midnight grit his teeth at the insult toward Lucy. He didn't know why it angered him, but he resolved to figure it out later. Right now, he and Lucy needed to get away with no further injuries, him especially. Before either of his opponents could launch another attack, he raised his right arm and extended his index finger, his other fingers bent. He then swiped his extended arm from the left to the right in front of himself. This caused the activation of his Spiral Pain spell. Kit and the man in black were swept up in a whirlwind of distorted air, invoking screams of pain from both victims. 

As the spell wore off, Midnight felt Lucy shift and turned his head to look at her. She stared at him with widened eyes, asking in a whisper, "was that you?" 

Midnight nodded before he and Lucy turned back to the opposing man and woman, only to find that while Kit was laying on the ground, unconscious, the man was nowhere in sight. This caused Lucy to panic. "Where the hell did that creep go?!" 

Midnight shook her head, muttering, "don't worry about him." He then took a step forward, telling Lucy that they should get going. Getting the message, Lucy began helping him walk. The dark mage grimaced in pain but ignored it in favor of getting away from Kit before she came to. 

It took the pair longer than desired, but they still managed to make it to Lucy's apartment without Midnight blacking out. However, he was covered in his own blood practically from head to toe, but he was still conscious and Lucy didn't seem to mind dragging him into her home and laying him on her bed. When Midnight expressed concern about getting blood on everything, surprising himself because he never used to worry about something like that before, the blonde simply waved off his concern, saying that she knew how to wash out bloodstains, and that what she couldn't rid of blood, she would simply replace. 

Midnight watched as Lucy picked up a communication lacrima. She channeled some magic into it when the dark mage asked, "calling another mage to heal me?" 

Lucy turned to him with a smile that made his face heat up slightly, causing him to look away and hope that she didn't notice. The blonde answered, "not exactly. I'm calling my employer to come help. She's not a mage, but she does have a large amount of medical knowledge, so I'm sure that she can help." Midnight nodded at that, hoping that this woman she was talking about would make her appearance before he lost enough blood to knock him out. He was already feeling lightheaded, so he doubted that would be a long time away. 

It didn't take as long as he expected for a woman that appeared to be at least fifty to be let into the home by Lucy. The woman walked toward Midnight with a brown, leather briefcase in her hands. With a sweet smile, she introduced herself, "Hello, dear. I'm Minnie. I'm here to patch up your injuries, okay?" Midnight nodded, letting her sit on a chair next to the bed and begin cleaning and stitching up his wounds before she placed large bandages over them. While Minnie was doing this, apologizing to the young man she was treating every time he flinched or groaned in pain, Lucy had changed her clothes in another room before she left to do something that she didn't disclose, simply saying that she would be back by the time Minnie was finished. 

When Midnight watched the blonde leave, he silently wished that she would come back and stay with him. Once again, he surprised himself. Why was he suddenly attached to this woman that he just met? Sure, she was very pretty and just as nice, he would admit that, but why did he want to stay with her? 

True to her word, Lucy returned with a shopping bag just as Minnie was packing up her medical supplies. She said her goodbyes to the pair, advising Midnight to rest for a few weeks, and took her leave. 

Midnight turned his attention to Lucy when she made her way over to him. She sat the shopping bag on the foot of the bed and pulled out what appeared to be clothing. She then turned to him and asked, "do you think you'll be able to change your clothes by yourself, or should I help you?" Midnight blushed at the thought of Lucy helping him change clothes. He was tempted to accept the last offer, but guessed from the way she was blushing and avoiding his gaze that she was embarrassed. He shook his head and gestured for the clothes to be given to him. Lucy handed him the clothes and walked out of the bedroom. 

Midnight sat up with a grimace. He looked down at the clothes that lay on his lap. He couldn't help but marvel at the kindness that this woman he just met was showing him. Remembering Minnie telling him to rest for a few weeks, he imagined staying here during the course of his recovery, ignoring the fact that his father wouldn't be anywhere near pleased with this. Midnight almost didn't care about the possible consequences as his mind painted a scene of him and Lucy sitting on the couch, cuddled together, and engaged in light conversation. 

His face heated up at that thought as his heartbeat picked up speed and his stomach was engulfed in an unfamiliar feeling that he didn't entirely hate. He shook his head, telling himself that he had to return to his guild. He took off his torn and bloody clothing and put on the new ones as quickly as he could without causing himself too much pain or tearing open his patched-up wounds. Once he was finished, he ambled into the main room, finding Lucy sitting at the dining table, a plateful of delicious-looking food sitting on the wooden surface. 

Midnight sat down and Lucy pushed the plate of food and silverware toward him, saying, "I thought that you might be hungry, so I made you something to eat." Midnight's stomach growled at the sight and smell of the food. Blushing lightly in slight embarrassment, he whispered a "thank you" and began eating. Lucy then stood, announcing that she was going to change the sheets on her bed, and walked into the bedroom. 

Once Midnight had finished the food, he limped into the bedroom, seeing that Lucy had changed into her sleepwear and was preparing the covers for sleeping. She turned around and said to the other mage, "you can sleep in my bed. In the morning we can decide if you'll recover here or if I'll take you to your home." 

Midnight didn't like that last thing. he did, however, like staying here with Lucy. Realizing that this bedroom seemed to be the only one, he asked, "where will you be sleeping?" 

Lucy waved her hand, telling him, "I'll be fine on the couch. It's more comfortable than it looks." Before Midnight could even try to argue, she walked past him and closed the bedroom door behind her. 

Midnight slowly made his way over to the bed and painfully laid down, not using the fresh covers due to their weight causing more pain as they pressed against his bandaged wounds. He didn't have much of a problem falling asleep, though it did take him a little bit longer than usual because of the pain in every part of his body. He was still able to drift into slumber, his mind conjuring a dream about him living a peaceful, love-filled life with Lucy. 

Lucy awakened on her couch. She sat up and stretched out her arms as she yawned. She looked around, taking in that she was in the main room of her home. She was confused as to why she wasn't in her bedroom. This confusion lasted only a few moments when she suddenly recalled the events of yesterday. The blonde hopped off of her couch and walked to her bedroom. Pushing open the door, she peeked in, checking on the man she had helped. However, the only thing she found was an empty bed. Lucy quickly bolted around her apartment, looking for the man. When she couldn't find a trace of him anywhere, with the exception of the trail of blood he had left on the floor, not even his blood-covered clothes were laying around anywhere, she walked into the bedroom. When she approached the only slightly messed up bed, she found a piece of paper with writing on it. The celestial wizard picked up the note and read it. 

Dear Lucy, 

Thank you for helping me. I apologize for the mess my blood caused. I also apologize for leaving while you were still sleeping. Due to certain circumstances, I couldn't stay longer than one night. I assure you, I will be fine on my journey home. Also, my name is Midnight. 

Lucy frowned. She was looking forward to making breakfast for and talking to him. She had been hoping that she could get him to stay while he recovered. He was very attractive. He wasn't handsome, more like pretty. She even thought that the fact that he was wearing lipstick was cute and made him even more attractive to her. She thought that maybe they could have hung out at her apartment, getting to know each other and possibly even form a relationship throughout his recovery. 

Lucy's mind wandered to the types of dates she and Midnight could have, smiling to herself as she stared at the note. Once she realized that Midnight had been added to the list of mages that she was attracted to and was causing her confusion and distress over the question of what her sexuality was and why she was attracted to so many mages, she flushed a deep red color and groaned as she fell forward onto her bed. Not again. Why did this have to happen to her? 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Oh my God! This turned into being very nearly 5000 words! That is so much more than I intended to write for this chapter. I swear, I didn't plan on this being so long. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed it! 

Can anyone guess what Kit's magic is? 

Here is a hint as to who is next: Dragon Slayer.

[isabellafoster13]

Chapter Three: Makeover with Midnight

Midnight sighed as he slumped in his seat at a table in the back of the Fairy Tail guildhall. He watched from the shadowy corner as his fellow members of Crime Sorciere talked animatedly with the mages of Fairy Tail. 

Erik was telling Natsu, Laxus, and Wendy about a particularly humorous mission that the independent guild had, the missing dragon slayer being on the stage with his girlfriend, who was dressed in a sexy bunny outfit. Jellal was sitting at the bar with Erza, both blushing madly as they caught up. Richard was talking calmly to two of the older members of the guild, Midnight heard that their names were Macao and Wakaba. Meredy was gossiping with Mirajane and Cana, most likely talking about which mages would strike up a great romance with other mages. Sawyer was walking outside with the orange-haired man that was apparently an incredibly fast runner, probably to have a race. 

The reflector mage sighed again. He never was a people person and wasn't fond of carrying on long conversations with anybody. However, he felt a pang of jealousy at how easily his friends could talk to the mages around them. He wanted to do that too, but he was hesitant. Even though he and his guildmates were fighting dark guilds and were highly supported by Fairy Tail, he for some reason felt as though he hadn't redeemed himself enough. 

He knew that the rest of Crime Sorciere had committed terrible crimes, not just him, but while they truly felt that they were redeemed and forgiven, he did not. Midnight still felt terrible for what he had done in the past, for the pain he had caused as a dark mage. He wanted to feel as free as his friends felt. He wanted to talk to the Fairies as easily as they could. But the feeling of unworthiness that had settled itself in his gut kept him from walking toward the most approachable mages. He was rooted to the spot where he sat.

Midnight's red gaze roamed over the loud and distracted mages, noticing that a certain celestial wizard wasn't present. He guessed that she was somewhere near the front, hidden from his accidentally intimidating gaze. That was a reasonable assumption, but in the back of his mind, the former dark mage could hear a voice that sounded like his telling him that she was hiding from him. 

He grimaced at the thought and looked down at his hands that were tightly clasped in his lap. He silently told himself that he was being ridiculous and jumping to conclusions, but he couldn't stop the feeling that Lucy was avoiding him. If he was being honest, he wouldn't blame her if that really was the case. He understood if she didn't want to even be in the same room as him. After all, he had tried to sacrifice her and kill her friends. Why would she not despise him and not want to interact with him in any way? How could she possibly forgive him? How could anybody forgive him? They may say that he was redeemed, but he didn't feel redeemed. How could he fix that? He wanted to truly feel redeemed. He wanted to truly feel like he deserved the happiness and freedom from the weight of past crimes that his friends felt. How could he accomplish that though? How could he get Lucy to forgive him?

Midnight sighed once more and looked back up at the mages before him. Maybe he should leave and go back to the hotel that he and his guildmates were staying at. He heaved one more sigh as he stood up and began making his way to the large, wooden doors that lead to the outside. However, he hadn't gotten far before Gajeel called from the stage on which he was preparing for a performance, "hey! Midnight!" Once he turned around, the dragon slayer continued, "go to the changing room and get Bunny Girl!" The dragon slayer then turned around. 

Midnight stood in place for a few moments. Bunny Girl? Who the hell was that? Most likely seeing his confusion, Levy called to him, "he means Lucy. She's in the changing room." She then pointed to a hallway at the back of the guild. Following where she was pointing, Midnight felt his stomach drop. He really didn't want to face Lucy. Since everything had calmed down, he hadn't interacted with the blonde, hadn't even been near her. He always stayed away from her, not because he wanted to, but because he didn't feel like he had the right to be friendly with her after everything that he had done to her. How could he expect her to forgive him when he couldn't even forgive himself? 

Against his want to simply turn around and leave, he nodded and walked over to the hallway, making his way through it and quickly coming to a door that had a plaque on it that read "Changing Room". He raised his fist to knock, but hesitated, suddenly anxious to speak to Lucy. He soundlessly rested his balled fist against the wooden door and gave a quiet sigh. He was tempted to turn around and leave, but his feet were rooted to the floor, rendering him unable to move from the spot. 

After what seemed to be hours, the independent mage was finally able to work up enough courage to knock on the door a few times. He anxiously waited only a few moments until the door opened, revealing Lucy. Midnight felt warmth over take his cheeks at the young woman's attire, making him quickly look away. 

Lucy was dressed in a tight, black leotard, black fishnet stockings, and black heels. Around her neck was a white collar and a thin, black string tying it together, and on her wrists were white cuffs, thin, black strings also tying them together. Her blonde hair was tied into low pigtails and a bunny-eared handband rested on her head. She was gorgeous, he wouldn't deny that. The celestial wizard asked with a smile, "what is it, Midnight?" 

The said man felt his heartbeat quicken and his gut do flips at the mere sound of her voice and how she said his name. What was going on with him? He never felt this way before about anybody, especially a woman. Was it because of how she was dressed? Yeah, that had to be the reason. 

He coughed a few times into his balled fist before he answered, "um...Gajeel wants you on stage." His voice was quieter than he intended, but he didn't care, just hoped she heard him. 

Lucy groaned, "he's gonna have to hold on. I'm still working on my makeup." 

Midnight looked back at her, asking, "are you not good at makeup?" He found the notion to be surprising. Weren't women usually ridiculously good at makeup? Thinking back, though, he probably shouldn't be surprised. After all, he himself was a master at makeup and had taught Sorano how to do hers.

Lucy gave him a half-hearted glare before she smiled and responded, "I'm not as good as I like to claim to be. Usually, Cancer does it for me, but today is Wednesday. I can't summon him." 

Midnight itched to leave, not wanting to subject her to the torture of having to talk to the man that had caused what he was sure was an unimaginable amount of trauma, however, he strangely felt compelled to help her. Swallowing down his anxiety, he offered, "how about I do your makeup for you?" 

Lucy gave him a bright smile as she walked back into the changing room, leaving the door open for him. Midnight mentally cursed at himself as he walked into the room and closed the door behind him. 

Turning his gaze to Lucy, he saw that she was sitting at a vanity with a mirror, makeup products spread out before her. Trying to not appear as tense as he felt, Midnight walked over to her and sat in the chair across from her. Keeping his eyes away from hers, he picked up the foundation and began applying it to the blonde's face and trying to not focus on how soft her skin was. 

As he brushed the foundation onto her skin, he heard Lucy ask, "are you alright, Midnight?"

The reflector mage kept his red eyes locked on applying the foundation as he answered, knowing that he didn't sound very convincing, "yeah, I'm fine." He noticed that Lucy pursed her lips, perhaps in disbelief of his answer. 

The celestial wizard prompted, "I can tell that you aren't fine. What's wrong?"

Midnight shook his head as he put the foundation back on the vanity and picked up the black eyeliner. He said, "close your eyes." When Lucy did so, he began applying the eyeliner to the ends of her eyelids. He then responded to her question, "there's nothing wrong."

As he went to apply the eyeliner to her other eye, Midnight was suddenly stopped by Lucy's hand snapping up to gently grab his wrist. He kept his eyes cast to the side as the woman in front of him inquired, "Midnight, I know that something is wrong. I want to help you. What's wrong?" 

Midnight pulled his wrist out of her grip and placed his other hand over Lucy's eye, closing it, before he resumed his application of the eyeliner. There was a few moments of silence before he finished the eyeliner and placed it back on the vanity and picked up the black eye shadow. 

He repeated, "close your eyes." After Lucy closed her eyes once again, the independent mage began applying the eye makeup, aiming to go for a smokey eye look. He gave a small sigh before finally answering, "why do you want to help me?" His voice was low and quiet. 

Lucy didn't hesitate to say, "because you're my friend!" She sounded as though it was the most obvious thing. 

Midnight froze and pulled away his hand, looking at the close-eyed Lucy with widened eyes. She saw him as a friend? Why? Everything that he's done to her. He hadn't even apologized! Why was she acting as though he hadn't tried to sacrifice her and kill her friends? 

He asked, his voice quiet and faltering, "I-I...why?"

Lucy tilted her head to one side slightly, eyes still closed. She questioned, "why what?"

Midnight swallowed and hesitated before resuming what he had been doing as he spoke, tone still quiet, "everything that I've done. How can you consider me a friend?"

Lucy gave a small sigh before she responded, "Midnight, I've forgiven you for that! You've done more than enough to redeem yourself!" 

Midnight shook his head as he moved to the other eye, painting it the same way he did the first one. A few moments of silence passed before Lucy asked, her tone sounding almost sad, "do you forgive yourself?" 

Midnight grimaced slightly. He had been hoping that she wouldn't ask that question. He finished the second eye and returned the black eyeliner and its brush to the vanity before he picked up the black mascara. As he applied it to the eyelashes of one of Lucy's eyes, he answered simply, "I can't." 

Lucy inquired softly, "why not?" 

He could tell that she was worried about him. Though, he couldn't figure out why. He just couldn't wrap his mind around why she would forgive him. He couldn't forgive himself. He often found himself beating himself up for what he had done to her. He didn't know why it was just Lucy that his feelings of guilt and unworthiness were centered around. He honestly didn't care if the others still held a grudge against him, it was just Lucy that he seemed to care the most about. Why? Why was he so focused on her and whether she forgave him or not? Why did he feel drawn to her and yet at the same time not want to be near her, feeling like he had no right to interact with her? 

Upon almost finishing what he had foolishly offered to do, Midnight returned the mascara back to its previous place and picked up the black lipstick. He knew that Lucy was waiting for his answer, but he was more focused on ignoring how soft and plump her lips were. He had never seen more kissable lips and he was tempted to press lips against hers.

As he returned the lipstick to the vanity, he muttered keeping his eyes away from her alluring face, "I'm done, now get to the stage." He stood up and walked out of the room, ignoring Lucy's calls for him to wait and talk to her. 

The former dark mage quickly exited the guildhall and began making his way to the hotel where he and his guildmates were staying. His mind soon turned to Lucy. He wanted to be close to her. He wanted to believe that she had forgiven him. He wanted to feel truly redeemed and be able to forgive himself. He wanted to be friends with Lucy, possibly more. He wanted to redeem himself and feel like he had accomplished that. But how could he do so? As he stuffed his hands into his pockets, Midnight sighed and decided that he had no other choice but to wait for a chance to truly redeem himself to Lucy. A chance that he would consider redeeming. Until then, he will continue to keep to himself and avoid the celestial wizard that often occupied his mind.

[isabellafoster13]

New Story Coming

I have decided to publish a new book once "The Celestial Princess and Her Suitors" is over. I have two that I have thought through and am confident that I can pull off. I am not sure which one I should publish once I finish my other one, so I will let you decide.

Title of the first book: Fairy and the Criminal

Description: When Midnight falls in love with Lucy, he can only think of one way to have a shot with her...

By kidnapping her and showing her that he has changed.

However, Lucy isn't very happy to have been kidnapped, especially not by a man that had tried to kill her and her friends twice.

Will Midnight be able to bear his heart to the woman he loves? Will he be successful in getting Lucy to fall in love with him? Will Lucy remain defiant and manage to escape? How will she react to this new, kinder, gentler side of Midnight? Will she fall in love with him?

Find out in this story that takes inspiration from Beauty and the Beast.

Title of the second book: Quest for the Eighty-Eight Keys

Description: When a hidden force tries to take over the Celestial Spirit World it is up to Lucy Heartfilia, as the last user of Celestial Spirit Magic, to collect all eighty-eight celestial spirit keys and save her friends and their home, while also protecting herself from the three mages that are trying to kill her. She is joined by Freed Justine and Rufus Lore to ensure her safety and success.

What happens when these two male mages develop feelings for her? What happens when a certain former criminal joins them in an effort to truly redeem himself? What happens when this former criminal develops feelings for Lucy as well? Will the three men be able to fulfill their duties and keep their rivalry and feelings from interfering? Or will they eventually lose control of themselves and ruin everything that Lucy had worked hard to achieve? How will Lucy be able to deal with her three companions fighting when she doesn't even know why they are fighting? Will she be able to accomplish her goal? Or is it just too big for her?

Find out in this story about saving an entire other dimensional world, and a love square between Freed, Rufus, Midnight, and Lucy.

Which do you think I should write? You have until the last chapter of "The Celestial Princess and Her Suitors" to vote for one of these. If you have any opinions, then don't be afraid to let me know.