#sorano x sawyer

[kiliinstinct]

For the ship ask: Soray (Sorano/Angel x Gray), Miracer (Mirajane x Sawyer/Racer), Macbeth x being cozy and gettin a good nap

AngelxGray:

Mirajane x Racer

I uhh.. may need.. to ... actually see how this sorta ship would work cause I have honestly never even considered it before.

Macbeth x Being Cozy

[loosesodamarble]

2, 6, 18 and 23 for Black Clover and if you know it, Fairy Tail <3

Okay okay! We've got some more attention for Fairy Tail coming in! Thank you for the asks, for both fandoms!

2) Are there any popular fandom OTPs you only BroTP?

BC: I can ship YamiNacht but more as a crack ship. I take it 30% seriously... I'm more for the BroTP of those two.

FT: Erza x Minerva. I've seen the ship. I know I'm not hallucinating that. But I prefer them as enemies to friends.

6) Has fandom ever made you enjoy a pairing you previously hated?

Oooohhhhh... That's... I don't think that's ever happened to me before. I've learned to like ships that I first thought didn't make sense. But I don't think I've ever gone from distinctly hating a ship to enjoying it.

I mean, I used to really hate Kyoujurou x Akaza (not BC or FT but it's the only example I have) but now I can kinda enjoy and laugh at it. But only when it's discussed by very specific people in specific contexts. So I can't genuinely say I went from hating to enjoying Renkaza, I just learned to like when certain people write it.

Sorry if the answer if dull and underwhelming. That's just my experience...

18) Does not shipping something ‘popular’ mean you’re in denial and/or biased?

Not shipping something popular doesn't mean you're in denial. It just means that you don't happen like what a lot of people do like.

For a non-shipping example, I don't like nuts/nut flavored snacks. I'm not allergic. I just don't like them. But nuts are very prevalent in snacks and desserts, super popular. It's not that I'm in denial that nuts are good and people like them, they just don't appeal to me. I have tried eating nut-based products but I just keep reconfirming that I don't like them. It's the same thing with shipping, it's about how a ship appeals to a person. And sometimes the most popular thing won't appeal to someone's tastes.

As for biases, I can't really write that off because everyone will always have a bias/opinion about everything. I will prefer the "childhood friends to lovers" ship over the "fling that became more" ship; that's my bias. And if a person's bias happens to be against a "popular" ship, telling them that they're wrong for having their opinion is not going to do anything except cause trouble.

PSA: if someone doesn't like a "popular" ship that you happen to like, that's fine. It's their opinion and you do not have to devote your energy to disagreeing with them/convincing them to like the "popular" thing. It's as simple as telling yourself to not care about it.

23) Unpopular character you love?

BC: SOLID AND NEBRA! THE MIDDLE SILVAS GET SO MUCH FLAK BUT I LOVE THEM AND WANT THEM REDEEMED!

FT: There are unpopular characters in Fairy Tail? I'm distant from Fairy Tail so I'm not quite sure which characters are unpopular or just... very minor characters that don't get much attention. So my answer for this will be the Oracion Seis group. Erik, Sorano, and Macbeth are a little popular I think but not Richard or Sawyer. But let me tell you, Richard's backstory episode made me cry when I rewatched the Oracion Seis a while ago. Soft spot in my heart for Richard!

[pretiumus]

@meganeviolet asked: Ship Bias for Sorano

Send ‘Ship Bias’ and I will share up to 5 Ships I have a bias for for my muse!

Sorano x Gray

Sorano x Sawyer

Sorano x Elfman

Sorano x Macbeth

Sorano x Rogue

Sorano needs more plots. I'd love it if she was approached and developed something with someone

[newgeht]

Evermore

Summary: The shadows had always been his one and only comfort, but they could never heal him from the heartbreak of Sting’s engagement. One heavenly body mage steps in to take the place he wished Sting could fill. Pairings: Jellal x Rogue (Rollal), Stingyu, Merik, Sawyer x Sorano,  Characters: Rogue Cheney, Jellal Fernandes, Sting Eucliffe, Yukino Aguria, Erik/Cobra, Meredy, Midnight/Macbeth, Sorano Aguria, Sawyer/Racer, Erza Scarlet, Original Characters (Villains), Minerva Orlando.  Words: 17.5k (word counts on FFnet and AO3 are wrong xd)  Rating: M AO3 | FFNet 

My entry for @ft-bb event!! I will post the link to the artwork here when it’s posted. Thanks so much @grossularia for the art, it’s beautiful! Based on the song Evermore by Dan Stevens.

I was the one who had it all

I was the master of my fate

I never needed anybody in my life

I learned the truth too late

One ill-fitted and quick decision had left Rogue drowning in the place he knew so well -darkness. He had never meant to open the door, but there they were. Two heads of hair turning so quickly, looking at him with a mixture of spite, confusion, and pity. Those silk sheets were pulled over their conjoined frames in an instant, none of those sacred body parts shown to him. But Rogue knew what they were doing, everyone in the guild knew it.

Sting and Yukino had been courting each other for months, and never once could he face the music. Rogue never focused on them, his eyes were only following his dense partner, Sting. His fantasies of being together with the blond were shot, only fragments and pieces of what they already had.

Rogue forgot that Sting had asked to have their flat to himself for the night, but he was far from sober. He had stumbled up the stairs and took the wrong turn to his room. Now it was the three of them. Yukino's wide eyes filled with embarrassment and Sting looked about ready to rip his throat out.

And to make things less awkward, Rogue slammed the door. He could feel his cheeks warm up, and it wasn't because of his previous drinks. Instead of stumbling into his own room, he fell into the shadows. A descent he took more often than he should have, but this never ending darkness was his only comfort.

He was foolish to think that Sting would come crawling back to him. They were just friends, best friends. To wish for a greater bond was selfish, but he couldn't help it. Rogue was under the impression that Sting held the same emotions as he did. Thought that he was only entertaining Yukino's wishes, but it wasn't true. What he just witnessed was a fact of the matter.

There was no going back after what he saw. Such pale skin complimenting the bronze skin, bodies bared to only themselves. Yukino writhing under the power of Sting, their moans in sync with one another. Their bodies slick with sweat, drenching those fine linens the blond always fussed over.

All Rogue wanted was the same. But if they were performing such a sacred act, then he was doomed. He already felt guilty enough walking in, but seeing their eyes haunted him. Those blue eyes looking at the celestial maiden the same way Rogue would looks at Sting. And Yukino was looking at him the same exact way.

Love.

An unspoken word, but an emotion perpetuated in their beings. They were in love; who was he to take that away?

The burn from his cheeks fled to his eyes. Broken tears filling the rim of his eyes, but nothing would come. His heart shattered and body trembled with those rolling waves of pain, and yet he couldn't allow himself to cry. Not one tear spilled from his ruby orbs, holding in the pain. Crying was a sign of weakness, that's what Jiemma had beat into them. Since the passing of him, everyone, even Minerva had lamented -but not him. And he wasn't about to let himself do it now -he was saving the tears for another time.

After shoving various amounts of clothing and other provisions into a bag, Rogue willed himself to wander through the darkness of the shadows. It enclosed around him, welcoming him as those black tendrils wrapped around his figure, guiding him to a place he knew too well -Sabertooth. These shapes mocked him throughout the journey, the dark shades taunting him as he passed by. They knew of his unsurmountable failure in love, but he wasn't going to let that stop him. His feet shuffled against the abysmal plane, not a clue as to what he was going to do next.

He couldn't stay after what happened, especially after such an embarrassment. Holding his hand out, reality sparked at his fingers, pulling him through the dark curtain of the shadow realm. Rogue held one of the only keys to the guild, but it wasn't necessary to open the doors. He simply slid through the shadows, stopping at the face of the S-Class board. The board was placed in Sting's office so members wouldn't be tempted to steal any of the missions. It would not bring good publicity if a newbie messed such a request up, especially if it ended in disaster.

Though most missions were completed in such a manner, Rogue wouldn't mess this up. He couldn't for Sting's sake. A mission wouldn't solve his problems, but it would keep them at bay. Rogue was planning on losing himself in the acts of service, it would be what Skiadrum would want; never once would he take out his emotions on himself or others. It was what the old-Rogue would do, but not now -never again.

There wasn't much to choose from, but Rogue pulled the first tattered paper he laid his eyes on. Moonlight filtered through the only window in the room, washing the desk with shades of silver. Retreating to Sting's office, he wrote a small note addressing where he was going and not to worry about him. He also wrote a smaller note asking Sting to take care of Frosch, he couldn't bring the small cat with him. He placed the note in the frame of Yukino's picture, which sat next to a picture of the guild on his great mahogany desk. The picture was taken right after Minerva returned, and he smiled at the nostalgia.

But that was also when Sting officially asked Yukino to be his girlfriend.

He frowned, turning the picture face down. The more he thought of them, the less he felt. His feelings eradicated by the bearings of a man and woman. They had come together in the most sacred of ways. Rogue couldn't intervene anymore.

Once again, he fell into the deep hole of regrets. He wasn't planning on returning to Sabertooth for a long time, he hoped they wouldn't miss him too much. Passing through the dark, Rogue traveled to the train station.

I'll never shake away the pain

I close my eyes but he's still there

I let him steal into my melancholy heart

It's more than I can bear

The autumn air fell on him with the golden kaleidoscope of leaves. In Rogue's steps, everything was falling. This mission. His health. And his heart. With the request, he had taken with him a much greater burden than he originally thought, and now it had definitely taken its toll. Every moment away from his upbeat guild master was a step further from happiness. Treading through the forestry, the maple trees were muddling his senses. He couldn't keep track of the assassin duo any longer.

Pulling an used handkerchief from his pocket, Rogue blew his nose. His cold had kept him from hunting them down, and at this point it was getting more and more frustrating. Upturning his nose, a small whiff of the sweet air told him he wasn't going to progress much further. Now he would have to rely solely on tracking techniques, which he didn't know much about. He sighed in defeat, looking to the ground for any sign of passing.

This time of year granted the forest floor a blanket of orange, red, and yellows ; with the occasional upturn of brown. All of the colors blending seamlessly into one, not one abrasion to be seen in the color coated ground. He didn't doubt the ability of these renowned criminals, but they certainly knew how to get around. The couple had dodged his pursuit twice already, luckily he wasn't ready to back down yet. He knew that they were worthy opponents, as they were rumoured to be Phantom Lord mages. The guild went rogue after it disbanded all those years ago, turning to more illegal jobs and the black market to make ends meet. It was a cold reminder of how close Sabertooth was to the edge, it put a bad taste in his mouth.

Whether or not he was in bad health, he would keep searching for them until he had turned them into the Magic Council.

These assassins had successfully executed numerous political heads. The longer they were left alone, the more they would kill. According to the king, their motives were unknown but he suspected they were hired by the opposing political party of those being killed. It was a valid theory, but Rogue doubted that such talented killers would be doing this for pay. They were doing it as a personal vendetta, that much was told by the bodies of those who were murdered.

Their flesh mangled or destroyed; their faces beyond recognition in some cases. It disgusted him to no end, reminding him of the monster he used to be. The person he could have been, it resonated within his bones; all the possibilities a silent echo within him. He only became a better person for the betterment of the guild, for Sting.

The world was full of infinite possibilities —but he was at a standstill, a complete dead end. Rogue had walked right into an invisible wall, what he could have obtained right in front of him but never within reach. Sting was in his grasp. But with his own will, the blond made a completely different decision. Rogue was suffering from the inside out, becoming wilted as a flower without sustenance. His petals being plucked one by one, straining him from his ultimate goal -love.

This thought of having such a romantic opportunity bounced around his head daily. Was he worth it? He shared his entire life with one man and they threw him to the side for another —a woman. Rogue's heart panged, struggling to carry a beat. His feet carried him forward, but to what? Could there be another reason to carry on, if Sting wasn't in his life? The mage he had been an orphan with, starved with, been beaten and bruised with, and had almost shared a death bed with. They had been through so much, why couldn't he just accept his affections?

The fall leaves crunched under his feet, Rogue's mind in deep contemplation of the future. If he successfully executed this mission, could he hold his head high when he walked through those guild doors? The images of Sting and Yukino together made him feel ashamed. No matter how much he wanted to, he couldn't look at Sting with those longing eyes any longer. Rogue couldn't imagine being around him as all he wanted to do was embrace the guild master with love. He had someone to do that for him already and that was Yukino.

And how was he to look at his favorite celestial mage. Rogue had never felt such rage boil within him until he saw Yukino caring for Sting. When she gave him chaste kisses before they left for missions, all he could think of was that should be me.

None of this was either of their fault. It was all on him and his horrible coping. He let his heart crack and shatter, even when he knew what was coming. Sting and Yukino had been written in the stars, not he and Sting. Even when they all were younger, Sting had always chased after the silver-haired, doe-eyed girl. And he was too scared to face the music of the entire situation, afraid to let go of something unattainable—

Until now.

Seeing the two of them together had cleared his foggy mind, enlightened him of what was never going to happen. He was weak now, letting his heart take control of him. Those shadows that he had pushed down so deep, tainted his mind. Weak and pathetic, that's what Jiemma would have said.

Rogue couldn't help but crumble down. The weight of his disparity outweighed the will to carry on. The leaves crumbled under his knees and the vision of autumn colors faded to black.

Jellal could barely handle any of his other guildmates at the moment. It bothered him to no end that they had those assassins within their grasp, and that a certain someone had foiled their plans.

"I can hear you, " Cobra bit out, the poison slayer seething as much as he was.

He couldn't help but scoff, "Keep to yourself, Erik."

Jellal knew Cobra absolutely hated when he used his real name, but it was for good reason. The Oracion Seis needed to integrate back into society if they wanted to stay with Crime Sorcière. Everyone but the stingy poison slayer was on board with it. Jellal hoped that he would come around eventually. A small hand pulled him out of his thoughts, pale fingers waving in front of his face.

"I think we have some company up ahead, Jellal." Meredy's red eyes were sharp, focused on the path of fallen leaves. "It looks like a hobo."

The rest of the group chittered behind them, and Jellal began to walk faster. There was indeed a person laying on the ground ahead of them. They were covered in a dark cloak, with what seemed to be a golden trim. Jellal held his hands out and stopped abruptly, about ten feet away from the lying form. It almost looked to be a deceased body.

"Erik… Can you sense anything?" Jellal inquired, scared of who may be lying there.

The maroon haired man immediately ran forward, leaves sprung up around his form as he kneeled next to the dark body. Panic was ridden in Erik's violet eye as he turned over the limp body. A shock of black hair fell from the hood, an eerily familiar scar slashed across his pale face.

"It's Rogue!" And everyone gasped. Erik brought his body into his lap, those tan fingers shaking. "Hurry up and bring some fucking medical supplies. He's dying, for fuck sake!"

Then there was a flurry of movement, Jellal pulling Meredy toward the fallen mage's body. Erik had already pulled the cloak from Rogue's form, revealing his hollowed out features. He hadn't eaten for what seemed like days, maybe even weeks.

Erik looked up at Jellal, his only eye filled with pain. He had never seen the dragon slayer so racked with emotion, it was surprising. "There's no wounds on his body…" he grimaced, looking over the shadow slayers body. "Only starvation and dehydration. He was being a fucking idiot if he got lost in these woods."

Meredy hit their tanned guildmate upside the head. "We just need to help him, Erik. Don't start calling him names."

Erik grumbled and snatched the medical bag off of Meredy's hip. "It would have been more helpful if you gave me this, " gesturing to the bag, "then run your mouth."

Meredy's face scrunched up and she walked away. Erik had a knack for making her upset. If there were different circumstances to the situation, Jellal would have reprimanded him —but now wasn't the time for such silly drama. He sighed and took residence on the other side of Rogue's body.

"For now, we need to give him some water." Jellal briskly pulled a small canteen from his bag, shaking it next to his ear. It still held about half of its contents. After this, surely he would need to fill it again.

Very carefully, he poured the contents of his drink down Rogue's mouth. His lips were almost blue, ghostly plastered with a white film. Jellal kept pouring, settling the mage's head on his lap. He could only compare the Sabertooth mage's current state to how he typically looked, a dashing man. Jellal could feel his cheeks heat up at the thought. Rogue's features used to be filled with his creamy porcelain skin; not the ghastly porcelain it was now. Those high cheekbones pulled taut against his face, adding to the lack of life in the shadow mage.

A small guttural sound suddenly erupted from the unconscious wizard. Jellal and the rest of his guildmates sighing with relief: Albeit it was a small noise, it was one of a struggling life. He pulled the canteen away from Rogue's mouth, a tug of a smile forming on his face. This was unbeknownst to him, but Meredy's lips curled at Jellal's own sign of relaxation. This spread to the rest of the guild, the atmosphere lightening up.

"Meredy, can you bring me some bread? I'm sure Rogue will be awakening soon." He topped his bottle, placing it right next to his side.

Jellal averted his attention to the other dragon slayer, still perplexed by Erik's protection over the mage in his lap. His only violet eye appeared to be watered over, the slayer solemn. "Even if I'm a second-generation dragon slayer, we all view each other as kin. Rogue is practically my brother -my brother."

It was nice to see the stony man have a tender side, yet it didn't last for long, "Now quit being so fucking nosy, blueberry."

Jellal scoffed, sending the soul reader a small warning regarding his language. Erik only grumbled a response, somewhat aware of the scolding the guildmaster was to give him later. But for now, Meredy offered a small wrapped bun to him. "Sit," he commanded, "I'm going to need you here."

Meredy settled close to Jellal's side, eyeing Rogue sympathetically. Thought her past was riddled with murder and death, he needed his right arm to get used to caring for others. She still hadn't known when to be compassionate or apathetic in the correct situations. For now she would need to watch and learn.

As he broke the bread, the man beneath him stirred. Those red ruby eyes flickered open and dilated all at the same time, looking straight into Jellal's. Rogue's eyes flickered from his gaze to the small loaf sitting in his hand, asking for some. With a small amount of effort and Erik's help, they helped the weak mage sit up. Once he was up against the trunk of a close maple tree, he put a small bit of the supple bread into Rogue's mouth.

A small giggle came from beside him. Meredy held her hand up to her mouth to hold in her small bout of laughter. "I think he can feed himself, Jelly."

"Right." Immediately he pulled his hands away from Rogue, an overwhelming feeling of embarrassment filling him. The mage still looked sickly; Jellal didn't want him to overbear himself.

Rogue nodded in gratitude, taking the smallest bites from his roll. Erik eyed his fellow slayer carefully, as did the rest of Crime Sorcière . It was such a peculiar way to come across the Sabertooth mage, though Jellal was grateful they had found him. His heart feared the worst if someone else had found him.

"Since this blueberry won't stop thinking about it, how'd you come to end up here… In the middle of the most navigable forest? Surely you could have left if you were that hungry." Erik drawled, very displeased with his kin's current state.

Jellal didn't think Rogue's face could possibly pale anymore than it already had, but now he looked as if he were a ghost. His voice was weak as he began to speak. "Well… I...I didn't come prepared…"

Erik gave the man a knowing look and Rogue stiffened, looking down. "I haven't been… I'm not in a good state of mind. So I thought going on a mission would sort things out…"

Those red eyes were glassy, rimmed with shame. He took the rest of his meal in silence, Jellal looking upon him sympathetically, a question slipping from his lips. He felt bad that the shadow slayer wouldn't be able to complete it. "What mission?"

Rogue's lips pursed, seeming to crack at the strain. "Assassins," he breathed out, "It was a SS-Class job…"

"Holy fuck," Erik cursed. Jellal was just as surprised as the poison slayer: was the coincidence too good to be true?

He intervened, "Are they Phantom Lord members?"

Those cracked lips closed, nodding with a minute vigor. Rogue's skin taking on a healthy glow, "Yes. I've been on their trail for weeks."

Crime Sorciere was filled to the brim with content. Jellal looked around at his fellow guild members, all of them giving him some form of a thumbs up. He turned back toward the shadow slayer, a small smile playing across his lips. "Would you like to join us for the time being?"

Rogue looked around at his guild of misconstrued adults, those red orbs wide and frantic, comfort underlying in those glossy depths. "You would really let me?"

"Yeah, Edgelord. You can stay until we get this mission done." Erik chuckled, a cheeky grin covering his face. "I would like to have a little bro around."

Erik was happy to see his kin, and Jellal didn't want to see his smile disappear. But he also didn't want to let the shadow slayer go so easily. Rogue was very… intriguing? That wasn't the word, but he felt an unrestrained pull to the mage.

Those delicate lips were pulled into a thin line, hiding a smile. Rogue simply nodded. "I can see us all working well together… Let's keep tracking them."

He pulled a small red piece of fabric from inside his coat, holding it out for Erik. The slayer obliged, taking a short whiff from the tattered cloth. His nose crinkled, reeling back from it.

"That's one nasty fucker. We've gotta' get their arses, right away." That violet eye dire with a need for action.

Everyone let out a small snicker, Erik's speech patterns the only comedy the guild received on a daily basis. Jellal stood, holding his hand out to Rogue. "This was a nice little break, but we will not stop following the trail until nightfall."

With a small tug, Rogue was up on his feet. His cloak made him look much larger, masking the frail form beneath. Jellal's guild mates groaned as they packed up shop. Erik took the front, his keen nose leading their way.

Jellal frayed in the back, making sure their new travelling companion was able to walk. He didn't really have to, however: Rogue had a stronger will than he originally assumed; taking long strides as if he was never on death's doorstep.

They wound their way through the woods, trailing multiple worn paths and sometimes bracing the open wilderness. Hours upon hours of trekking these leaved floors. It wasn't foreign to this group to do so. Their paths weren't overbearing, it was only the end that had them on edge. It was scary to finally be the good guys instead of the villains. The constant worry that whatever or whoever they were heading toward would be the ultimate demise, that they wouldn't be able to save those closest to them. That Jellal wouldn't be able to keep his family safe. Crime Sorciere that is.

He already failed once, his eyes burning at the thought of Richard. That poor sap dying in the hands of a flimsy bank robber. It was a pure luck that he happened to be depositing some money at the bank. Jellal was so proud of the greed he overcame, but then he was subjected to it. A hit and run: the robber stole all of his cash and left.

Sure, they were a jumbled mess of childhood trauma and a knit of violent mages, but Jellal wouldn't change it for the world. They were pieces of a puzzle that conformed to one another. This is where he felt like he was at home.

Keeping his eyes forward, Racer was carrying Sorano upon his back, the silver haired woman having decided to nap. This went for Midnight too; his small carpet almost licking the back of Erik's heels. Meredy kept poking and prodding at the tense dragon slayer. Even if Erik kept pushing her away, he knew how close he really wanted to be to her. His body language told it all.

The poison slayer's tenseness lax around his fostered daughter. And Jellal has never seen a brighter smile on Meredy's face ever since Erik joined their group.

"You're a very good guild master," Rogue spoke, his voice barely audible.

The comment, true in a sense, caught Jellal off guard. "I try to be. But we're all in the same boat, looking for that searchlight to guide us. It takes all of us to successfully tackle these guilds, not just me."

Rogue strided forward, his face pointing toward the ground. "But someone needs to hold it all together. You fit the mold perfectly and make the batch mix well."

A small heat pooled into his cheeks. Jellal was baffled by Rogue's observances. "That is my duty as a guild master… I wonder how things would differ if Ultear was still here."

"All you can do is look forward. From what I've heard, she appeared amidst those fighting in the battlefield of Alvarez. If she has that strong of a will, she is always watching over you guys." Rogue's words were genuine, reaching out into his own heart.

Jellal had heard it from Wendy herself and he wasn't doubtful. But Rogue turned the statement into something much more. If she could form to help her peers, then of course Ultear would find a way to watch over them. No higher power could hold her back -not even the demons that wracked her being.

A wistful smile crossed his face, looking up past the tangled tree branches and into the warm colored sky. Ultear was there somewhere and maybe she was guiding them all safely.

Shoving his hands into his coat, he walked in a comfortable silence with Rogue. Pondering on what the Sabertooth mage's abrupt presence could have possibly meant for him.

Now I know he'll never leave me

Even as he runs away

He will still torment me

Calm me, hurt me

Move me, come what may

A couple days passed and the planning was well under way for infiltrating the assassin duo's hideout. Rogue was enraptured by Jellal's leadership abilities. Crime Sorciere's guild master had really set up for war on their makeshift battle board.

So far, Macbeth was to hold an illusion up over the shoddy house as Jellal took a team inside. This team consisted of Erik, Sorano, Racer, and Jellal. Meredy, Macbeth and himself were to wait outside the casted barrier. Rogue wasn't happy about his placement, he wanted to fulfill the mission on his own terms. This meant being apart of the group that was sneaking inside.

Jellal said that he didn't want to put any strain on him. It was irritating, but he took it kindly. Rogue was glad that the heavenly body mage held a small worry for him. He could say Sting wouldn't have done the same.

He grimaced at the thought of his so called "counterpart". Sting was an unnecessary burden on his mind, heart, body, and soul. Something within him had severed when Rogue knew they couldn't be together, and being around such a tight-knit group helped him feel worthy of love.

He hadn't expected to be welcomed with such open arms, especially by Jellal. His first impressions of the man weren't the best — Rogue swore that there was a stick shoved firmly up his ass. His visits to Sabertooth he didn't take so kindly to, the blue-haired mage sitting in the farthest corners to spare him any interaction from them.

Though Rogue was the same in that sense. Whenever they visited, he took to Sting's office to catch up on their paperwork. Erik would come up and give him company from time to time, but the poison slayer couldn't stand being away from Meredy. Those two were so oblivious to the attraction that they held for one another. The stench was unbearable when they were around each other, though that was only because of his heightened senses. Sometimes it was a curse to be a dragon slayer.

Every other member just mosied about the guild, entertaining themselves to whoever would give them attention. But Rogue only knew the Crime Sorciere came around because of Yukino, Sorano's sister. It was very endearing to see his best friend gain a familial relationship, but he wasn't very open minded to the thought. It was like his dear friend had everything she wanted: love, family (even if it was a mere sibling), and happiness.

He knew that Sabertooth was his family, but sometimes it didn't really felt like it. With all the conflictions getting in the way of the relationships he wanted, he never really had time to breath. To really embrace the newly reshaped Sabertooth. He was suffocating in an environment he was supposed to be comfortable in, but the assurance never came.

But he felt loose being with these miscreants. It was fun to taunt Jellal with Erik, relaxing to have "girl talk" with Meredy, comfortable to take a nap with Macbeth, and overall he felt at home with them… Which made his insides cringe; Sabertooth was Rogue's home.

A petite hand waved in front of his face, multiple pink cufflets hovering around her wrists. "Yes Meredy?"

"It'll be ok, Rougie," he hated the nickname, but those sparkling teeth made it worthwhile. "Once we are done you'll get to go home."

Rogue almost cringed at the word. He gave her a curt nod, looking at the small shack behind her. "Indeed. And as we have discussed, I'm giving the reward money to you guys."

Meredy tried to interrupt, but Rogue held his hand up. "Ah, like I said, the decision was already made. Crime Sorciere needs the money more than I do." She opened her mouth again, but he continued to speak. "Even a blind man could notice that you guys are running low on supplies and the addition of another person hasn't helped. I've been a burden."

"That isn't true…" Her red eyes washed with worry.

Macbeth interjected with a mumbling, "Don't spout out such bullshit."

Meredy chirped in agreement, "Yeah. Having another dragon slayer around isn't so bad. Especially when he's such good eye candy." One of her red eyes closed shut, her mouth quirking to the side. Rogue knew she was teasing, it was the game Meredy was best at. Plus, she has another dragon slayer she was aiming for.

He sighed and placed his hands on her shoulders, turning her around. "Whatever you say. Just stay focused on-"

His eyes averted to Macbeth, the reflector mage knocked out. The ground began to quake, the tremors so harsh that Rogue and Meredy fell to the floor. Her pink bracelets strobed rapidly. Many of them dissipated, the connection to her guild mates gone.

The soil from beneath them began to sink and Meredy cried out as she began to fall. But in one quick second, the two were covered with the shadows of day. It was almost instinct to shelter Meredy from the imminent danger they were about to face.

Once in his own realm, he set Meredy down, already feeling a drain on his magic. But the maguility mage had burst into tears, her body trembling just as the ground was moments before.

"We have to get them! Those assassins… They're all going to die!" Rogue was just as frantic as Meredy, but he had no idea how to console a woman. There were only two pink bands alight on her arm, everyone else's connection severed. And one of those circlets was his own, as he had a small pink heart on his wrist.

He took a deep breath, not really sure what to say. "Meredy," Rogue hesitated. "There is still one person conscious out there, not dead. You can feel them, right?"

Those cotton candy locks were so dark within the shadows, but they fell in front of those red orbs. Rogue couldn't tell if she nodded, but he didn't know whether or not if it would be acceptable to touch her. Meredy was already bad enough. Her grasp on emotions was still hard for her to handle, especially with her upbringing. Meredy was still getting a better grasp of when to display them or when she shouldn't, but the sorrow swelling in her right now was conflicting. She had the right to feel it, but- the most perfect idea popped into Rogue's mind.

His finger gently touched the area right above her heart and he whispered softly as if he were to teach a child. "Use these emotions here for the better. Let them fuel you and help you overcome this battle, to defeat those who harmed your family."

Meredy was a much more defensive mage than she wanted to admit, but she pulled off works of miracles. Once her chin lifted and those eyes flamed with a burning desire, Rogue knew they were in for a great battle ahead. He had quite literally sparked a fire under her butt, and she was raring to go.

"Take me back, Rogue. I'm going to show them a taste of my own power." A devious laugh erupted from her and he didn't hesitate to pull that black curtain back when her eyes ignited with madness.

Light was the first thing that hit his vision, a great mass of it. He and Meredy had to shield their eyes from its intensity. But as soon as it came it left. A head of blue falling in the distance.

Rogue's heart almost burst and Meredy fell to her knees beside him screaming in agony. The second to last pink band disappearing. There was a toll to Meredy's magic and she faced the brunt of it head on in the midst of battle. It was far from an impressive feat, but right now she needed to pull it together.

"Meredy…" Rogue softly called.

Her answer was a sob, her body placated to the forest floor. "Get up, Meredy. I can't do this alone." And now he understood why Jellal wanted him on the outside, Rogue truly hadn't regained all of his strength back. He truly needed backup if this were to work, the figure who had bested Jellal heading their way.

"Seems like there's only one contender left," the assassin commented. She was dressed in all black, a style that Rogue frequented but couldn't stand on others. Whoever she was held a small dagger in hand, the silver coated in red. The copper a strain on his nose, the blood a mixture of his current guildmates. In disgust, he moved placed his sleeve to under his nose.

"Does this bother you? I knew we had another dragon slayer in the mix, too bad my own colleague won't be here to see it." She wiped the dagger on the top of her thigh, revealing the true form of the blade. It was curved and sharpened past the point of lethal. The assassin's eyes were also black, complimenting the dark skin hidden under the mask.

He uttered one word, "Colleague?"

"Why yes," she replied. "He's over there with your guild master, 'my lover' jumped in front of his attack. Isn't it great the crazy things that love make you do? He died saving a woman who could hardly give two shits about him." Her tone took an edge as she continued. "And it's all the same for you lawful guilds. You all have this sick fantasy of family and it ends up killing you."

A low growl bubbled in his throat. Rogue bared his teeth at her, her words pushing his magic closer to the wrong side of the spectrum. A reply was lost from him. No words, only action. With a blinding speed, he surged forward.

Rogue's fist tingled as his magic surrounded it. He threw his fist toward her, which she easily dodged. They played this dance, but only Rogue was throwing hits. She stepped from side to side, her blocks matching the speed of his punches. The black on his fist steadily growing with each attempted blow.

Her laugh was shrill, the eyes beneath the mask alive with malice. "I expected so much from a Twin Dragon and you can't even hit! I really need to stop playing games."

When she backed away, Rogue took the opportunity. Sliding his foot back, his front leg peddled forward. In a high arch, he knocked her chin with the heel of his shoe.

"Shadow Dragon's Waxwing Flash!" The quick transfer of his magic, wrapped the assassin in shadows. He felt a drain on his magic, he hoped this would keep the assassin trapped.

Darkness curled around her form, the woman pulling her blade out from her side. They surrounded her figure, only the whites of her teeth showing. Her mouth curled and in the next moment they were all gone. She threw her blade out to the side, the darkest black emitting from it.

"Thanks for that, Rogue. Let's see how you like it." Two quick steps and they were face-to-face. The butt of the blade hit his chest, the pressure a strain on his sternum. It was painful, the hit sending a shock through his body.

Putting his forearms up, he guarded her jab. That blade shone in the corner of his eye and he dove out of the way. Hopping back up on his feet, she was there. With every hit, Rogue was getting lower and lower to the ground. He was unable to precisely dodge her onslaught. The assassin reading him much more than he thought possible. Rogue couldn't keep up with her nimble movements.

She crouched low, her foot slipping out beneath him. All Rogue could see was the darkness of the blade coming down for him as he fell.

"Rogue!" The next was a flurry of pink and then red. The crimson defiling his senses, only it wasn't his own blood. And those same shadows from earlier bound around the figure on top of him.

The mix of blood and his magic was horrible. "No!" Rogue yelled. "Nononono…"

His attention was fixed on the girl in his lap, but he had a bigger problem to face. The assassin was on the floor, a ethereal blue blade sticking from her thigh. The magical blade was Meredy's, the ethernano slowly starting to fade. The small specs of of the blade, whistling around into the sky.

"Get her…," Meredy breathed out, "She can't take away my family. Once the blade is gone, she'll be able to get up. Hurry..." She was weak, the shadows slipping away from her form as Rogue inhaled whatever had remained. A scarlet flower blooming from where the blade was planted in her shoulder.

He couldn't explain how he just ingested his own magic, but it bolstered his current supply. Those shadows strengthened his current state, giving him just the resolve he needed. He couldn't get injured for Crime Sorciere's sake.

A small tug on his magic and those same dark wisps wrapped around him. He activated his shadow drive, his container draining with the each passing second. He had to finish this quickly, or everyone would suffer. He threw his cape from his body, haphazardly wrapping it around Meredy's upper body. Rogue hoped that this would work for the time being.

The woman's dagger was the same steely silver it originally was. Then it hit him. That infuriating dagger was the source of all her power. He didn't think of the small details, only acted. Rogue propelled forward, kicking the blade from her hands. The fallen leaves moved out of its path, spinning across the forest floor. The power behind his kick sending it the blade in Jellal's direction.

Reaching down, Rogue hoisted up the assassin by the her neck. Blinding rage powered him, sending the assassin back down into the ground. They weren't going to play games any longer, it was business now.

She sputtered, gloved fingers scratching at his hand. Her dark orbs were dilated with fear, Meredy's blade now gone from her leg. "Where has all your power gone now?" He taunted, his voice unrecognizable to him.

The woman whimpered, her grip tightening on his wrists. She curled her body up, sending her feet right into his chest. It stunned him, his hold releasing. She fell to the ground, crawling over to her blade.

Her movements were dire, inching toward her life force. Completely pathetic. He pressed his foot into the assassin's back. She squirmed like a bug, trying to free herself from the hold he had on her.

He was about to lean down, only a bright white light stormed his field of vision. The blast hit him directly in the chest. Rogue was thrown back, his head hitting the knocking into the back of a tree trunk. The last thing he saw before he lost consciousness was the red facial signet of Jellal, the man towering over the villainess.

Jellal sat right next to Rogue's bedside in Crime Sorciere's makeshift infirmary. The stoic man hadn't woken for the past day, a sense of deja vu filling him. The only difference was that the dragon slayer was not on death's bed.

It still saddened Jellal to see him in such a fragile state. Rogue seemed to be too powerful for his own good. There was a small knock on the door, Erik holding up two bags of what he assumed to be jewels. Jellal had ordered Meredy and him to take the assassins to the nearest jailer, but they were supposed to come back within a couple hours -not a day.

"You take a tour of the city while you were gone? I explicitly stated that you return by nightfall." Jellal knew he was tough on his guild members, but it was a matter of fact. Everyone was injured right now and he needed all the help he could get.

The tips of Erik's ears turned a light red, his hand rubbing the back of his head. He tried not to make eye contact with him, but his voice was sincere. "Sorry, I kinda got carried away. Me and Meredy… We worked things out."

Now Jellal could feel his cheeks heat up. "Oh uh…" He knew they had a thing for a while, but the timing was wrong. "Congratulations, but my word is law. I was up all last night checking everyone's vitals, I could have used a hand Erik."

The poison slayer snarled. "Fuck off blueberry, everyone looks ok. You didn't even need me and Meredy's help." He dropped the bags of jewel and stormed out of their shelter.

The cool autumn air filled his lungs as he slowly inhaled. He couldn't get mad right now, it wouldn't reflect his intentions well. He put his head in his hands, worried about Crime Sorciere. He hadn't expected the plan to go so far south. Those killers had really got the best of them, knowing their plan even before they entered their small compound.

This guild was full of powerful individuals but their teamwork was still under construction. And that's why everything went haywire. Erik decided to attack them head on, falling to the magic-holder's dagger. Then Sorano and Racer went in, their attacks making no progress on the assassin duo. Eventually they fell the same way Erik did, to that cursed knife.

And it almost took Jellal too, but…

He looked over Rogue's frame, the slayer laying on a plush mat. Far from the luxury of a hospital, but it was all Jellal could do. He couldn't stand to see Rogue succumb to his own anger or protectiveness, whatever it was. Once he managed the strength to pull himself up, Jellal blasted his own magic into the shadow slayer.

He bound the two assassins up and collected his guild. Everyone aside from himself and Midnight had sustained a knife wound of somesort. Which he tended to quickly, though he wasn't the best of a doctor. That was Meredy's job.

It saddened him to see his adopted child soiled with her own blood, covered in the grime and dirt of the forest. But he was glad that she regained consciousness so quickly. Meredy was always the best at fighting back, the most durable out of all of them in the midst of combat.

Curling his hands into fists, he groaned. Being a guild master wasn't something he ever expected to become. He had to redeem the sins he committed, but he couldn't handle seeing all of his comrades hurt and weak. His eyes flicked about the small room, Midnight was still under; Sorano and Racer had gotten up earlier this morning and had left to the nearest town for supplies. More specifically for medicinal, they were running extremely low.

They were barely scraping by, how could he be so useless to the people that meant the most to him?

"You're not useless," Rogue croaked out. Those ruby eyes looked deep into him, finding something he wasn't aware of. "You also know you talk to yourself?"

Jellal sighed in exasperation, burying his face into the palms of his hands. "And you always seem to intrude at the worst moments."

Peeking out from his hands, he could see Rogue moving and rearranging himself in the small sleeping mat. His muscles peaked out from beneath the thin sheets, which made Jellal look away. He had never felt this way around a man before, why were such emotions spinning within him right now. His head felt light and his heartbeat raced, his mouth parched whenever they interacted.

Those pale features tinted in the hue of ripe file, Rogue pulling the sheet up over him. "I can't decide when I wake. Neither can I control when you speak. Or when you sit by my beside."

"I get it," Jellal let out a small chuckle. "I didn't intend for you to hit a tree when I blasted you."

Rogue looked down, his brows furrowing. "So it was you then… I was afraid I hadn't been able to stop them. But things got out of hand… Midnight, Meredy, you… I was just so, so…"

Jellal put his hand over Rogue's, his skin cool to the touch. He didn't need to hear how he felt, Jellal could see it. He couldn't understand how his past self had been so brutal and apathetic before, uncaring toward others. He had ravaged and pillaged numerous cities. Sometimes he wasn't aware of the specifics, he just killed because he was told to. He commanded battalions, ordering them to capture the young and innocent.

But now that he had half of a morale and a family, Jellal had tried his damned best to protect them. He couldn't imagine a day without Meredy's smile, Erik's snarky comments, the quarrels he had with Sorano, preparing dinner with Racer. He would miss the nights he would carry Midnight to his quarters because the man would fall asleep at the campfire. And only the gods above knew he would miss Erza's red locks. The smallest things were truly what Jellal had been fighting for, but they all made up the people he cared for the most. Crime Sorciere.

"I understand. Even if you haven't been with us for long, I can see how dedicated you are to being a true mage. You saved Meredy and for that… For that," Jellal didn't notice it until now, but Rogue's breath fanned across his lips.

His crimson eyes were heavy and focused on him, oblivious to their proximity. Jellal was very tempted, his eyes entranced by the shadow mage. He let out his own breath, his spine tingling. He dipped down, their lips almost brushing.

"Come get lun- Oh, I'm sorry!" Jellal fell off the crate he sat on, a very un-masculine squeak spilling from his lips. Peeking his head up over the wooden seat, Meredy stood in the tent's frame. She held the flap to the side, her face shades darker than the color of her hair.

Rogue's tinted cheeks had flushed, as did his own. What the hell was he thinking?

Erik popped into the scene, holding his stomach. "Yeah, blueberry! Why didn't you just do it?!"

Both of them were baffled, looking between one another. Confusion spread and Jellal stood up, righting his coat. "I don't believe I know what you're talking about Erik."

The poison slayer tried to swing but Meredy held him back. Their fingers melding with one another. "Don't act like you don't know."

"Stay out of my head Erik-"

"I wasn't in yours, I was in Meredy's." He replied smoothly, biting down on his accusation.

Jellal shook his head, paying no mind to him. Erik's goading wasn't going to work on him, not this time. Unlike him, Jellal respected his guild mate's personal lives -unless they wanted him involved. But Erik needed to step back, just as he had so kindly not questioned him about the night with Meredy. Though he could only imagine what happened and he had an inkling of what had happened.

He was going to let it be. But sooner or later he expected one of them (hopefully Meredy) to tell him what they had been up to.

He sat upon the only rock he could find, hardly comforted by his own solitude.. With every passing day the autumn winds brought the winter freeze with them. The trees being blown to smithereens with the ferocity of the speeds, the ground being patterned with their frail leaves. The trees scathed and left to their bones. Just as winter should be, Jellal expected the first snowfall any day.

Shortly after he left, Rogue came and joined the group around the fire. Though he took a place next to Sorano, sparking what seemed to be a playful conversation.

So badly he wanted to sit next to the shadow slayer, but he needed some time. Time to think. Roasted beef and ground spice, filled his senses as Eric pushed a bowl into his hands. He took it willingly, the bowl's warmth filling his hands.

"Don't look so down, otherwise you'll really look blue." Erik grinned, standing above him. Jellal had an urge to walk away, but he needed someone to console him. "Woah, don't go that far. I'm not here to tickle your berry, Jellal."

He sipped his broth too quick, the liquid burning his throat. It was rare for Erik to call him that. "You already know what's happening. Please don't tease me about it. It's just, I can't do this to her."

"Fuck Ul-" Jellal gave him an icy stare, "I mean, I'm not too good with feelings, that's Meredy's thing. But Ultear is gone, you're never going to get her back. I'm sure she would want you to move on, time'sa ticking."

And then he left Jellal alone. He sauntered over to Meredy, hugging the girl from behind. A breath of melancholy tire left his mouth, eating the rest of his lunch.

Shortly after, they packed everything up. It was the silent agreement that Rogue would return to Sabertooth once the mission was done. The trip would be less than a day if they didn't stop. That was the good thing about tracking, sometimes it led you to the right places (or close to them anyways).

As they traveled, the forest became less dense. The beginnings of civilization taking form on the path, whether it be in the form of a small shrine or a modest log cabin on the far reaches of the path. And that was another thing too, there was a visible trail as they walked through the forest of Linvin.

The trail ingrained in his mind as Crime Sorciere always found their way onto it. It was the path they normally took toward Sabertooth, since it was shrouded and hidden away from the public eye. Though Jellal supposed secrecy wasn't necessary any longer, as Hisui had pardoned all of them not too long ago.

Jellal strayed to the back of their small pack the entirety of the trip, keeping as much distance from himself and Rogue. Every fiber of his being straining to get close to the red-eyed mage, but his mind was set in straying -firm in its decision of averting the feelings encased in his heart. Keeping his eyes to the ground, he ignored his surrounding guild mates; not wanting any possibility of facing Rogue. It also wasn't unusual to isolate like so, so nobody questioned his meandering.

This same tactic was working as it lead them to Sabertooth's front doors, no words passing between himself and Rogue. But the moment they entered the doors, they were invited to stay. Mostly due to Sorano, Yukino declared that she needed her for some emotional support (something they all needed). Sheepishly he tried to decline, but he couldn't say no to their sisterly bond or to Rogue, who insisted that he stay.

He really couldn't resist the request, so he stayed. Jellal was happy to appease Rogue, he could tell that there were some things he hadn't told him just yet. Even if he was holding back himself, he couldn't bring himself to face past wounds.

Taking a step off to the side, Jellal slipped in the recesses of Sabertooth's grand hall. Making sure to let Crime Sorciere know he was going to get some paperwork done. Jellal threw the packet onto the table, sighing as he slid a pair glasses up onto his nose.

The patter of feet closed in on him as he worked, his mind unfocused on the documents at hand. A solemn voice spoke, making Jellal neglect the papers even more. "I didn't think a esteemed mage such as yourself would need to wear glasses."

Even without looking up, Jellal knew who it was. He just idled by writing his signature on the paper in front of him, "I can train for magic growth, but sadly my senses can't do the same. It's something that comes with age and genetics I believe."

A hearty chuckle came from him, moving the paper to the side. The comment made reminding him of the gray hairs Ultear sometimes would get. She was always so worried about her appearance, he just assumed it was a womanly thing until he met Macbeth.

"You're not wrong," Rogue breathes out. He began to thumb through the stack, pulling some packets out.

Jellal looked at him, putting his pen down. "What are you doing?"

Rogue motions for him to scoot over, which baffles him even more. "Sting seemed to manage getting the paperwork done while I was gone. I thought it would be alright if I helped you."

He almost swore he held his jaw open, surprised by his willingness but Jellal couldn't let him. "You should go enjoy yourself, Rogue. I wouldn't want to keep you from your friends, you're home now."

The dragon slayer visibly flinched at his words and Jellal could only wonder what he said wrong. What he said was the truth, wasn't it? He wanted to cringe so badly, but the ringing of glass brought them out of their current moment.

Both turned their attention to Sting, who was currently standing with his arm around Yukino. His pearly whites flashed, curling into his signature smile. "I have something to announce everyone! And I couldn'ta done it without a few special people here." His eyes crossing over from Sorano to Rogue.

"I really couldn't've waited any longer, which is why I'm glad you all arrived today. But ya' know how special of a girl Yukino is to me and I think it's time to tie the knot." His lopsided grin turned into one of endearment as he kneeled in front of Yukino.

The hall was filled with reactions of happiness and excitement, even himself. He could see the direction the couple was heading for a long time, it was nice to see them get the ending they deserved. Everyone but Rogue seemed to be happy, the shadow slayer visibly stiffening at the declaration.

As Sting asked those four powerful words, Rogue briskly stode to the door. In all the excitement Jellal was sure no one noticed. "Rogue!" He cried out, getting out of his own seat to follow him.

But as he chased after Rogue, he slipped into the shadows. Jellal was certainly distressed, the realization hitting him. He now understood why Rogue had been found in such a horrid state in the midst of those woods. The man was heartbroken; something he could identify with very well.

He stood alone amongst the crowd of the guild, watching as the large gleaming stone slid onto Yukino's finger. The couple's faces full of complete bliss, delight pervading the building. Two small exceeds jumping in joy behind the couple, dancing around on the bar top. Jellal swore there was supposed to be a fireworks show, but the only spark was the tenacious guild. Sabertooth's members whooping and hollering in joy for their guild master and his fiancee. Even Minerva was cheerful for the two, soft smile on her hard features.

The only problem was that his own happiness had left. This was due to two things: his own longing for a Sabertooth mage and Crime Sorciere's leave shortly after the engagement.

Wasting in my lonely tower

Waiting by an open door

I'll fool myself, he'll walk right in

And be with me for evermore

Rogue curled up in his matress, covered in piles and mounds of pillows. The large abundance of such comfort should have consoled him, but it was far from the type of embrace he needed. Hell, even Frosch wasn't enough for him right now and the small exceed had been his entire world.

But so had Sting.

Speaking of which, the green cat poked their head under the covers. "Fro thinks it's the start of a new day!" The cat pronounced in a soft exclamation. "And Fro wants to take a bath too."

Rogue pulled the exceed under the covers, holding Frosch to his chest. He had shed too many tears, so much so that none were able to come out of the faucet -the reserves depleted into nothing. But still a sob cracked from his mouth, squeezing his cat.

Those pink covered paws, wriggled their way from Rogue's grasp and held onto him. Frosch was the only one who knew. His exceed was aloof but was very understanding of his emotions, empathetic to his pain. The cat hardly fond of much more complicated feelings, but he knew what Rogue needed.

"Fro thinks you need to take a walk." The exceed chirped, their face pressed into his neck. Frosch nuzzled into him, their wet nose brushing against his collarbone and finite whiskers tickling the rest of his exposed skin.

In his own stubborn right, he shook his head. The warmth of his own bed keeping him trapped, along with his own shattered feelings. Besides Frosch, the bed was something else that could offer him some comfort. Seeing as it was an inanimate object, it didn't alleviate much from his current burdens. It only provided a place to hide away in.

Sting had been in and out of the apartment much more than he could account for. The blond had been busy moving into a house with Yukino, barely paying any attention to him as he tended to his own belongings. Rogue had been gracious enough to help Sting, but that was because he was his best friend. He couldn't disapprove of their relationship because of his own feelings. It would probably make things much more complicated than they already were.

But one thing was true, Sting does know that something is wrong with him. He had tried to pester Rogue about it during one of his visits, but he ignored all of his questions. There really was nothing her could say to Sting about it. Everything he came up wouldn't suffice to even begin to explain his feelings, and a simple "I was in love with you" wouldn't work. Not one bit. Once again it would only create unnecessary conflict. Maybe years or decades from now they would all laugh about it, but Rogue highly doubted it. If he said anything it would only lead to more misery; not only for himself but the other people involved. He was not one to put his friends in pain.

Frosch pawed at him once again, the leathery appendage tapping at his cheek. "Rogue," the cat whined. "You have to get up, Crime Sorciere is in town."

Now that made Rogue listen. "What?"

"Yeah, all of them came in when it was dark. Lector told Fro he saw them in the trees." He nodded in understanding, knowing that they choose to come in from the forest path and during night. They had long since been pardoned, why had they still been using the back way?

Turning over his covers, he left his bed. He made sure to leave Frosch there as he ran around to get ready, excited to see the guild of vigilantes. He was giddy and Rogue was unsure as to why. He had only been with the guild for a couple weeks, but their interactions left an impact on him. Especially their guild master, Rogue's mind immediately flipping through images Jellal as he shrugged his pants on. Maybe this would be a good day.

He took to the bathroom, grooming back his unruly hair into a simple bun. Rogue should have washed it but his own laziness took control, plus he thought it looked good; maybe, he wasn't sure. If anything his personal style was not the best compared to others in his guild, but darker colors worked best for him. No one really noticed him as much when compared to Sting-

Cold. Rogue shook his head, his cheeks dusted with small droplets. They ran down his face as the rush of water drowned his ears.

The perpetrator being Frosch. He eyed the green cat with a puzzled look, they normally weren't this playful. The paws of the pink suit darker than the rest of his costume, his eyes that of an angel's.

"What Frosch?" His voice sweet like a rose's thorn as he scolded him.

"Fro didn't like the face you were making. So Fro decided to give you a new face." The exceed chirped, waving their now wet paws around.

Rogue chuckled and splashed his face again, the urge to sleep fading from his mind. He turned the faucet off, now completely ready for the day.

Frosch crawled about his body as they meandered their way to the guild, trying to find the spot that was the warmest; which apparently was the top of his head. The green exceed curled up on his tufts of hair, proclaiming that it was much more warmer than being inside his coat. Rogue only smiled at their strange and quirky nature.

Once they passed the doors to the guild, Rogue cradled the small cat to his chest -the cat his own hidden treasure. But once Frosch saw his best friend, he soared from his entrapment and into the arms of Lector.

He felt hollow. Nothing short of abandonment as he saw his safety net leap away. But it was no worry, he would be fine without his cat companion.

A hand clasped his shoulder from behind, a voice of sun rays beaming out. "You ready ta go Rogue? The carriages are leavin' in about a hour."

He whipped around, those familiar cerulean eyes and smile cheery. Rogue stumbled over his words, not sure of what Sting was talking about. "Go? Where are we going?"

Sting looked just as confused as he was, his nose upturning. "Whad'ya mean? We're going to Crocus for the wedding. The Spring Solstice is tomorrow," Rogue gave him a blank stare, unaware of what his guild master was alluding to. His blue eyes were filamented with a deep disappointment, like Rogue just sunk to the bottom of the ocean. "Rogue, don't tell me you forgot about the wedding."

And then it hit him, the itch he was feeling for the past couple days. Rogue now understood why he hadn't been to Sabertooth for the past couple days, the event he dreaded most in the back of his mind. He didn't forget, only ignored it. Yet still Sting's gaze left him feeling unnerved and guilty. "I didn't, I just… I wanted to drop Frosch off before I finished packing. Frosch is just excited for tomorrow and was getting all antsy in the apartment. I was planning on getting my luggage after I spoke to you… And here we are."

Sting smiled and slapped him on the back, hopefully unaware of the lie he just spoke. "Alright, but make sure you're back before the rides get here. I need you."

That word busted down the walls he had set up to keep his own emotions at bay. Rogue left the guild immediately, storming down the street as tears welled up under his eyes.

Once he got home, he stepped into the shower. Rogue tuned it to the highest heat, the spray doing nothing to relieve him. It only made him worse, as what he wished would warm him up didn't work. His heart frigid as the feelings of love resurfaced. Sting would never need him the way he wanted to. As all these thoughts emerged, one bellowed out as he threw a random assortment of clothes and other travelling necessities into his luggage.

Why did he feel broken to begin with?

Deep down he knew Sting would never reflect the ones he had. Yet Rogue still allowed himself to crawl into a facade created by the love he craved for. The love he had always needed -pure and unadulterated romance. He created this fantasy in which it was possible for his best friend to fall for him, when it was never plausible from the start. Ever since they were young, Sting eyes had lingered on Yukino. The celestial mage reciprocating the longing looks and small infatuations with Sting.

There was never a chance for him to break through, their love something written by the gods above. Something that he couldn't touch or oppose no matter how much he hoped. But hope was the belief that had kept him anchored. Maybe he should hope for someone else, maybe he could hope for-

A loud rapping echoed in his ears, making them ring. He sometimes dreaded being able to have an acute sense of hearing. Begrudgingly he went to go check the door, his socks shuffling against the wood floors. He regretted letting Sting install them, despising how cold they would make his feet. Even the warmer months didn't help as they seemed to suck up any cooler temperatures.

Rogue was ready to yell at whoever was behind the door, his jaw dropping instead. "J-Jellal?"

The blue haired mage stood with his arm shouldered against the doorframe, his hands deep in his pockets. Unlike himself, Jellal was tidy and awake -no dark bags under his eyes. Those deep brown eyes filled with a small spark of mischief. And his maroon tattoo popping out due to the darker colors he wore.

A low chuckle erupted from deep within Jellal, his mouth closed as he tried to open it back. "You're going to have flies for lunch if you keep your mouth open any longer."

His jaw closed as he gestured for the guild master to come in. "Right. What brings you here?"

"I came to let you know that everyone is leaving much earlier than we had planned. The mountain passage had been closed due to a mudslide earlier in the week." He waltzed right in as if he owned the place, plopping down on the couch.

He was very stiff as he walked into the living room, most of it barren due to Sting. He practically took all of the decor and one of the loveseats, leaving a single chair and couch. Nothing matched -the space sad and empty and eclectic. "Sorry, I would have prepared some tea if I knew you were coming by. I've been getting myself ready for the next couple of days and my regular schedule wasn't helping much."

"Is that why your apartment is minimal?" Jellal inquired, observing the room.

Rogue froze, memories of Sting surfacing. "No...No. Sting just took all the things he owned, I'm not one for decorating nor have I had the time for it."

"Sorry, I know he's a sore spot for you." His eyes wandered to Rogue's figure, softening. "I know how it feels to lose someone you love."

Jellal's musing and own conclusion had only confused him. His presence making Rogue tighten up but relax at the same moment, he really wanted to say something in return but nothing passed his lips. Only the deafening silence, wrapped around them. "I don't know what you're talking about."

He stood afraid to sit under Jellal's gaze. His brown orbs fixated on him, still searching for an answer. But he didn't push him, "Losing Ultear made me feel like shit, but don't shroud yourself in guilt for feelings that you can't control. These emotions are truly the closest thing we have to the original magics."

"Ultear?"

Jellal nodded, his chest heaving forward. "Yes," his voice cracking. "We have all loved and lost, haven't we? Some lost in worst way than others, but that shouldn't stop you from moving on Rogue."

Rogue still felt the need to feign innocence, but he crumbled. His back meeting the plush cushion of the arm-chair. "It's hard," he admitted. "I don't want to let go, I don't think I can. Sting and I- We… We are so close. I don't want to throw that away." As he spoke, Rogue could feel his heart slowly stitch itself back together. Finally speaking the words aloud, making his conscious realize the truth.

"Nothing has to be thrown away." Jellal leaned forward, taking Rogue's hand from his face. His fingers wrapping around his own, rubbing his thumb over them in his own accordance. Rogue hadn't felt this warm since…

Crime Sorciere. His body yearning for the comfort that Jellal was willingly giving to him in this moment. "Just direct these feelings toward someone else and try to make it work."

Rogue wanted to pull away but couldn't help himself. A small question doting on his lips. "And who have you redirected your love to? I imagine another lovely lady." Though he hadn't known much of Ultear, he knew of the motherly figure she had presented to her guild, Jellal taking over once she left.

But his response shut Jellal down, the content gaze slipping into stone. "I don't think it's very appropriate to tell."

Rogue frowned and was met with his own wall, pulling his hand from Jellal's embrace. He confided in him, telling him of the emotions he feared the most and he can't return the favor. "I think we should get going then, we can't keep everyone waiting."

As he stood from his seat, Jellal's hand wrapped around his wrist tugging Rogue backwards. The next thing he knew, their faces were close. A situation all too familiar to him, deja vu and blood pumping violently through his body.

"I think they can wait a little longer." Jellal's words melted into Rogue's lips. He had never felt this sensation before, their mouths pressed together. He felt extremely awkward at first, not knowing what to do. The heavenly body mage confessing to him, something dearly unexpected.

But Jellal's lips moved over his, slow and soft -oh so soft. He tilted his head to the side, vying for a better angle, Jellal's lips tasting of bitter chocolate. A sinful taste. The blood that flowed rushing to his cheeks as he complied with Jellal's movement, mimicking them. Their breaths mingled, a heady sigh spilling from his own lips.

Jellal pulled away and Rogue felt like he had been birthed anew. Like the flowers of spring had just bloomed, his chest filled with its own fireworks display.

His first kiss.

He dove in again but Jellal turned, Rogue's lips meeting his red mark. "Let's go before they question our whereabouts."

His face still felt heated as they left the apartment, his luggage in hand. He was glad that by the time they made it to the guild, his dark locks had finally dried. Going out in public with wet hair, only ceased to make him more cold. Though he shouldn't really have a problem with getting cold under March's sun; the beams radiating over him and the rest of Sabertooth as they got ready to leave.

"Whatcha smilin' for Rogue?" Sting quipped, wrapping his arm around his shoulders. He hadn't even realized he was smiling until his friend mentioned it. "You finally excited about the ceremony?"

Though it wasn't the complete truth, he nodded. "You deserve this happiness that the gods have offered you."

"No, we both deserve happiness man. Don't leave yourself out, Rogue." Sting left Rogue, bouncing around from person to person until he entered the middle carriage. The one he was supposed to be in along with Yukino and Minerva. This ride was going to either kill him or be good. Mostly likely the first as his irritability skyrocketed due to his motion sickness.

But the fact was, the ride was subpar. Once he entered the demon vehicle, Minerva shoved melatonin mints down his and Sting's throats. This relaxed Rogue but only relieved his stomach pains for a bit. Minerva seemed to pick up quickly, opening her lap for the shadow slayer. Gracefully he laid his head on her plush thighs, relaxing further as her fingers began to play and braid his hair.

Sting picked up on this, Yukino letting him lay on her bosom. His lip curled as he looked between him and Minerva, wiggling his eyebrows. "I can see why you're happy now, Rogue."

He was about to speak but Minerva harshly replied. "You idiot, I like girls and Rogue likes boys. Don't take this in your own demented direction, I've always done this for Rogue. Just as Yukino has for you." That shut him up quickly, his face buried into his fiance's chest.

These same comments and quips were made the entirety of their journey. The foursome back together just the way things used to be, only without Rogue's personal desires. He now felt free within the vices of those closest to him. Things were stabilizing and clearing now that he let go.

Now I know he'll never leave me

Even as he fades from view

He will still inspire me

Be a part of everything I do

Crime Sorciere welcomed the tresses of spring with wide arms. For Jellal, this had always been his favorite time of year. Flowers bloomed, the sun beamed, and the fruits were fresh and ripe for the pickings. This time also brought happiness among the peoples, a shared unity among the masses of Fiore. Something he longed for whilst redeeming himself.

Alas nothing was better than the smile he had on his face. He had figured out how to speak to Rogue and confessed in his own way. The shadow mage filling his heart with something it had been missing for the longest time. And he was sure that Ultear would approve of his choice. Not only that but had Jellal been welcomed with open arms into the palace, his whole family was. He felt as if he really succeeded but this was just a sliver of the satisfaction they were going to receive in the future. Crime Sorciere wasn't close to making their official debut as the knights of the court.

Hisui had made known to him that there were plans for him and his band to have a place within the castle, but the details were still being worked out. Her jade eyes, crystalizing when he he agreed with her plans. Good things, no marvelous, were to come but he still had the smallest inklings of doubts. He knew that a new dawn was fast approaching, but he has far surpassed his own prime. Then there was another doubt -did he really deserve it?

"Wipe that ugly look of your face, blueberry. We have a wedding to crash." Erik smacked the back of his head, reeling him from his thoughts. He didn't retaliate, only brushed off the lapels of his jacket.

Jellal gave the poison slayer a look of disappointment, Erik shying away. "I will deal with you later, but for now we have a wedding to attend. Not crash. I shouldn't need to tell you this but you all need to behave, don't ruin this for Sting and Yukino." Sorano cleared her throat and he chuckled, "Or Sorano. This is a big day for all of us."

Small acknowledgments flitted through Crime Sorciere, making Jellal flash his own little smile. They all filled into the garden, Sorano heading the opposite way as she was a bridesmaid. As they sat in their assigned seats, cheers and applause surrounded them. All the major guilds were there: Mermaid Heel, Quatros Cerbus, Blue Pegasus and of course Fairy Tail. They all held their own small peanut gallery in the chairs, a massive arch held at the end of the white carpet. It was stuffed with the species of sienna flowers, dusted with gold and silver. It was draped in Sabertooth's name and Sting's splashy tastes. He really wondered who was really in charge of decorations, Jellal couldn't imagine Yukino choosing something so extravagant. She held grace and modesty, while Sting was the exact opposite…

But he could say the same for Rogue too. Sabertooth's quintet were so different from one another but they still worked together in perfect unison.

Meredy and Macbeth sat on either side of him, Erik gripping her hand within his own. With the help of Macbeth it took her so long to brush back those unruly maroon strands. The dragon slayer fussing over every which way his head was pulled, so much for being tough.

But the true champion was the two-toned mage, Macbeth took care of everyone's outfits and tailored them to the finest qualities; from stitch to stitch and button to button, things worked out seamlessly. He also took care of everyone's hair and the girl's makeup. He had curled his hair and put it up, red beads lined in the roots, his makeup more natural than what he typically wore. Jellal was surprised at the vast amount of talent he had, sometimes he wished they weren't kidnapped and sold into slavery. What would their lives be like then?

The what ifs always strangled him to death, but Jellal always broke free. If they didn't have such a tragic backstories they would never have one another now.

Meredy elbowed his side, her breath hot against his ear. A melodic giggle gusting forth, "You really need to stop thinking sometimes. You get this dumb look on your face and it makes me think you're turning into a vegetable. Don't let those cogs turn too hard, dad."

Jellal knew that she was teasing but he still managed to relax. "You're going to melt if you swoon over Erik anymore. I don't think he's good for your health."

"Shut the fu-" Meredy's elbow swiftly hit Erik. "I mean be quiet, no one is calling you out on Rogue."

They all chuckled whilst a solid redness flooded his cheeks. Macbeth was airy, "Who's so tough now?"

Jellal huffed and sat back in his chair, pouting like a child. It was typical for all of them to gang up on him, next time he would be more prepared. (That's what he always tells himself.)

Their meaningless bickering cut out at the first whines violins. Jellal sat back up in his chair, not noticing the almost full orchestra when he came in. They all sat idly, playing their soft melody. A harp chiming away in the background of all the draws of the strings, their hum voracious and gentle. The compassion of the music speaking loudly as the groomsmen and bridesmaids came walking down the aisle side by side.

The chords shifting to a steady adante as they spun the woman around. But Jellal sat stupefied as Rogue stepped onto the aisle, with Minerva. They were the last couple to come out, hands clambering as Sting waltzed in behind them.

Rogue's attire was dark, complementing his alabaster skin. The suit reminiscent of a time long before them with the lace embellishment and frock tied around his neck. The only color being the ribbon that tied his hair back. Those ruby eyes met his for only a moment, Minerva whispering something to the shadow mage. He steeled as they finally took their place at the front of the aisle, trying his best not to laugh.

Minerva's eyes met his for but a moment after, hearty and steely -telling Jellal to watch himself. He could feel his collar tighten under her devilish smirk.

Erik quietly murmured, "That demon is going to castrate you if Rogue is harmed."

Jella didn't speak, only thought. She should be castrating Sting then. Erik guffawed, lowering his head as to not make a scene while Jellal only grinned as he kept his eyes forward.

There weren't as many groomsmen and bridesmaids as he thought, though they all showed up in their own colours. The women and men standing beside the altar creating a rainbow; Jellal doubted it was intentional.

On Yukino's side stood Minerva, Sorano, Lucy, Kagura and Hisui; the princess dressed down severely. Sting's side being occupied by Rogue, Rufus, Dobengal, Natsu, and Bacchus. Quatros Cerberus's guild master looking surprisingly sober for the occasion. The line up brought him joy just to look at it, he was so happy for the two.

As the chords shifted once again, they were bright and jubilant. A piano slowly coming in as the true daughter of the stars came out from the hedges. Yukino's face was flush as she held the king's hand, the man grinning from ear to ear as he strode with her down the aisle. Another boast of loud cheers roared, Jellal pocketing the white petals in his hand. Those around him threw their petals at her, welcoming her into the garden. A shower of white cascading down around Yukino.

Her dress big and embellished with laces and rhinestones of all sorts. A opaque tuile covering her bust and the length of hers arms, which also was spread with filly mesh. Such modesty was beautiful, the man waiting for her at the end smiling.

Sting welcomed her onto the stand, positively twitching with excitement but he couldn't touch her yet. The stunted king kissed the hand passing between the two to take his place at the stand. The cheering at this point was irritating, but it was a guild's wedding after all.

The orchestra slowing their instruments to a flawless decrescendo as the Fiore's king cleared his throat. The blond took Yukino's hand into his own, beaming. Jellal felt as if Sting might begin to exude his own magic is he got any more excited.

"Today we gather here to celebrate the union of Sabertooth's Sting Eucliffe and Yukino Aguria. Unlike those without magic, today we bind these two together for the rest of eternity. May their magics become intertwined, so that they may find one another in a different life. One that may be far from Earthland or in the same space, who knows." He chuckled and looked between the two of them. "May our bride and groom exchange their vows at this time."

"Oh me, me, me," Sting clipped. Yukino squeezed his hands, acknowledging his wants. His teeth radiated as he smiled, "I know I should've probably brought some cards with a speech, but I'm not like that."

They all chuckled, Sting's antics were soon to get the best of him. "I just want you to know of the light you've brought ta my life and how I'm so elated- That's the word, yeah," Yukino simply nodded, "that we've come this far. We're standing right 'ere and I can't believe we've done it. You've meant so much to me since I met you and I couldn't let ya leave, no matter what you said. Even if you didn't say yes, I would've tried over and over again because that's how much I need you."

Yukino's eyes were damp, the woman biting her lip as Sting continued. Rogue's eyes much the same, except the dragon slayer looked on without the ties of silly emotion -only friendship. Sting's voice still strong and unwavering. "You are so strong and powerful, carried me when I couldn't go on and supported me even when I didn't need it. You were my friend, my girlfriend, my fiance, and now I get to call ya all of that with the addition of wife. Here's to us Yukino."

The applause started once again, more petals being whisked through the air. Completely unrestrained Sting asked while looking at the king. "Do I get to kiss her now?"

The king merely whacked him with the altar's book, turning his attention to Yukino. "And your vows, my lady."

Yukino's eyes fluttered under the gaze of blue, looking down at their hands. "Well much like you, I'm not one for cards. Maybe I should have brought some, my mind is at a lost for words."

Sting pulls her hands toward his chest, kissing the back of her hands. This small affection gave Yukino the courage to continue, her voice soft like the petals of flowers that were hanging above her head.

"It's hard to believe that I'm the only one you ever had eyes for, but as the line goes: actions speak louder than words. You've shown me how powerful I can be, and you, Sting, have helped me realize my potential. I can hold my head up high knowing that you're always going to be there for me. When I venture into far off countries or lands for missions or I'm simply on the other end of town, I know I can always come back and hold your hand. I may not have many keys," her eye flicking to Lucy for a moment, "but that doesn't matter because I have the keys to your heart."

Their audience cooed and Sting's cheeks flushed. Those brown orbs almost golden as they bore into Sting's cerulean ones. "And for that matter you have the keys to my heart."

Beside him Meredy gushed, her eyes filling with hearts. Off in the distance you could hear Mirajane screech, "Babies!"

Sting dipped in for a kiss but the king put the book at his lips. "You cheeky devil. Wait for the question, you brute!"

The couple laughed, Sting's giddiness only worsening. "I just wanna kiss my wife."

"I'm not your wife yet," Yukino chided. Sting's face looked like that of a lost puppies, until the king interrupted.

"Do you, Sting Eucliffe, take this celestial mage into your soul for the rest of eternity?" He gruffly stated, his hands swirling around each other.

"I do." He stated, his hands intertwining with Yukino's. His body beginning to glow a radiant white. Hisui's father still spinning his hands around one another.

"And do you, Yukino Aguria, take this holy dragon slayer into your soul for the rest of eternity?" Those same hands causing the air around the two of them to swirl about, creating a small ring around them. Her own body, beginning to glow a great golden color.

Yukino's head bobbed, pulling Sting closer to her. "I do."

"Then by the powers vested in me, I pronounce you husband and wife. May the strings of eternity fuel your bond forever and onward. Vestri tempore duret amor." His voice boomed, the wind that wrapped around their forms turning into a golden circlet.

This twisted it's way around the two, melding them together. Jellal knew their magics were mingling with one another, truly testing their bonds. In one bright flash, the circle dissipated. The yellow light flowing between the crowd of bodies, maybe all through the land.

"You now may kiss the bride," the king drawed.

Sting wasted no time as he dipped Yukino, pressing his lips against hers. The celestial mage flushed, her arms wrapping around her husband as their kiss deepened.

Those gathered stood to their feet giving the couple something that closely resemble a standing ovation. Only it was applause for the first marriage of the Sabertooth guild and hopefully more to come.

Jellal stood with the rest of the crowd, his hands coming together in a quick repeated motion. Yukino and Sting practically ran out of the royal gardens, their possy of bridesmaids a best men following after them. He would be lying if his eyes weren't focused on Rogue the entire time. His forefingers hooking in mouth, a high pitched whistle blowing from his mouth. It wasn't for the newly wed, it was for Rogue. The man paling at Jellal's small declaration. His arm was wrapped around Minerva's but pulled her closer when Jellal sent a small wink his way.

Rogue immediately flushed, Minerva practically being squeezed at this point. He merely gestured to the castle's door, mouthing a promised dance for later. She lightly his his arm, glaring at the shadow slayer as he pulled her out past the green hedges. Those behind them throwing even more of those silken petals, except they were every colour in the spectrum.

Sorano was absolutely glowing as she was carried off by Sawyer. Now Jellal had understood why the blond had chosen to sit at the end of their aisle. He speed off with his small prize, zooming into the grand ballroom.

The rest was a blur, the crowd pushing him and the what was left of Crime Sorciere to the final destination for the night -the royal ballroom. He still couldn't believe that the king agreed to this, but Hisui could be very persistent when she choose.

The room was held a decorum of the utmost extravagance and elegance. Those two folding into one another as silken tapestries were strung from the tops of the marble pillars. The front of the hall holding a long table for Sting, Yukino, and their prized assemble. Tables of all sizes were scattered around the middle of the hall, where the dancing should be held. This is where the reception (more like party) would be held.

The moment he stepped foot into the room, a strong yet slim hand pulled him to the side. A voice he recognized too well, cooly stated, "I'm glad to see you have let go of Ultear."

Ah, the ever observant Erza Scarlet. Nothing could get past her eyes, well single eye. Jellal smiled, pulling his sister into his arms. "She's still with me, but I'm afraid someone else has caught my eye."

"I noticed," she laughed as she returned his embrace. "But don't you dare take that dragon slayer for granted. He may be of the shier type, but his loyalty is everlasting."

He didn't need to say it, they both knew that's why Rogue had pursued Sting for so long. But it wasn't only for a love interests, it was for those he thought of as family. Jellal saw all those months ago in the woods. The mascot of Sabertooth exemplified by these same characteristics, there was no way he would let Rogue go anytime soon.

Jellal looked down at his scarlet haired friend, placing a kiss on her forehead. "I won't and I haven't. You know I would never do that."

"I can think of a couple times-" Jellal covered her mouth, shaking his head. In a brash action, she licked his hand which made him pull back in disgust. She simply eyed him, Jellal's willpower crumbling.

"Ah, yes. I have bailed a couple times, but remember that one time…" He taunted and Erza crossed her arms.

She never typically faulted but she huffed. "Don't you start with that. But I do expect a dance later, New Knight of Crocus." Her pointed finger pushed into his chest, walking off into her own crowd -Fairy Tail.

Erik pulled him by the back of his collar, pulling him further into the room. "Quit being so sappy with everyone ya fucking meet. We have to party, you pusy blueberry. I don't know why I even take you anywhere…"

The poison slayer ranted as he pushed Jellal into one of their table's chairs. Folding his arms as know Meredy hit him upside the head. That was some needed karma.

As Meredy and him quarreled, Jellal fixed the ascot around his neck, feeling hot as he noticed how close they were to Hisui's place at the table. This spot being even closer to Rogue. Within his own confines he played idli with the silverware, waiting for the reception to officially start. Even more eager to dance with brooding slayer, Rogue's red eyes transfixed on the couple of the night.

I'll fool myself, she'll walk right in

And as the long, long nights begin

I'll think of all that might have been

Waiting here for evermore

By now the reception was well underway, the dance floor filled to the brim with colors of all sorts. The softest of tuil spun around the slim waists of the feminin kind. The coattails of men of sorts skirting around their legs. The music held at the most electric of pace, bombarding the floor with a combination of reverence and glee.

Rogue had felt content. His fingers tapping on the table in tune to the music. He had danced with his two favorite girls, Yukino and Minerva. The ladder being hard to control as he tried his best to lead her on the floor. Alas she wasn't a tiger to be tamed, Minerva could be somebody else's problem for the night.

He believed Vivaldi was playing, the strings being pulled into the higher notes; singing happily as they allowed for couples to convene with another, especially the two stars of the night. Sting had pulled his wife onto the floor once again, spinning her around in wide circles. He held a grace of clumsiness and a poise of sloppy leisure but what had mattered most was the smile a light on his face. The two were having the time of their lives.

A brisk finger tapped him on the shoulder, eyes like his own shining as she gained Rogue's attention. "May we have this dance together, Rogue? A little birdie told me you were a fan of Vilvaldi."

Rogue knew without a doubt that the bird was Erik but he couldn't bring himself to say no to the maguility mage. Without another moment to lose, he led Meredy out to the floor. His hand settled on the golden belt that adorned her hips, his other hand taken in her own. The rest of her dress an ivory color, with shiny yellow embellishments hooking onto the lengths of her sleeves. She resembled a greek goddess, her head adorned with a simple golden circlet.

Meredy giggled and took a step forward, almost closing the gap between them. Her posture much more relaxed than his own. "Don't be scared, Rogue. Unlike Minerva, girls don't bite. Now lead us in a simple waltz."

He eyed her suspiciously, leading her about the floor with the simple four steps. Nothing else was needed as they made snide comments to one another, this specific piece not ending for a while.

"I see that you and Erik have finally become a token. How is that going?" Rogue inquired, pulling Meredy out of the way of a very tipsy couple.

Her eyes left his for a moment, leaning in closer to him. She blatantly ignored his question, her head quirking to the left -in the direction of her table. "My father has been waiting for you all night, ya'know. And I know that you have been rearing to dance with Jellal."

The hand on his shoulder moved to the pocket above his heart. "I can feel it here. There's no emotion you can hide from me, Edgelord."

She snickered as he spun them around, his eyes not finding her guild master. He searched the room, only to see him twirling around a familiar scarlet haired mage. He disagreed, leading them the opposite way of Jellal and Erza. Crime Soriciere's master decked out in all white, a shade as delicate as the snowy season. Golden pads with fringe high on his shoulder, those wound strings dancing along with him. Other yellow embellishments embodied on the suit, he swooned as he swayed with Meredy.

But he pushed the thoughts of yearn away. His eyes furrowing on the imp in his grasp. "I appreciate the sentiment, but it looks as if he's busy right now."

Those orbs looked into his own and then back at the other couple. She gave him an impish smile, taking the lead in a swift second. "Busy, my ass."

"Meredy, no!" She laughed and spun them around, her hands pushing him in the direction of Jellal and Erza.

Rogue's feet turned over one another, lurching at the dancing couple. His eyes wide as he suddenly took the scarlet mage's place. His cheeks furious as Jellal accepted him into his own dance, Erza wailing in frustration. His eyes switching from person to person as Jellal swept him around the floor.

Erza sat up from her sprawled position with a scowl, that frown turning upside down. She whistled out, her smile reminiscent of a certain white haired demon. "Go get him Jellal!"

He didn't see who helped Erza up, as his attention was turned to the man he was dancing with - Jellal. Rogue was stiff but gradually relaxed as the guild master showed him around the floor. The stud grinning as he put Rogue at a loss for words. The light tinkling of the grand piano playing in the background, a harp tenderly chirping beneath the smooth humming of the strings.

"Maybe I should have come and got you sooner." The familiar tune of a childhood story playing as they turned about the floor. Jellal's gaze making him pour out much more. "I just saw you and Kagura and then you and Erza… I didn't want to intrude."

I'll fool myself, he'll walk right in

He tutted, his hand sliding behind the low of his back. His palm pushing close the gap between the two. "I had to occupy myself somehow. You had to make the first move, just as I have already done."

Their feet moving easily in a wide circle on the marble floor. As they shared one another, more and more people making leave of the floor. Rogue surely didn't notice, enraptured by the heavenly body mage. Deja vu flooding him as his face tilted up toward Jellal's.

Maybe he could skirt by without saying anything, but those brown eyes were pleading. "Meredy was very helpful," Jellal chuckled along with Rogue.

"Meredy has her own ways of getting what she wants. Just as I do. Nothing is ever easy Rogue, just take the leap." Honey eyed but discret, those words moving his heart.

Maybe he could do just what he wanted. Be with Jellal and be free of the chains he shackled himself to. Only the melodic tune whispering in his ears as he took that said leap.

There were no more words to fumble, his lips pressing lightly against Jellal's. Another leap as he pressed their chests together, his gloved hand moving into the stray blue hairs on the nape of Jellal's neck. That hand moving from his lower back, clutching his upper back.

Rogue's lips were tentative, Jellal's own moving his with their own reassurance. The music drowned by the cheers of those standing around the ballroom. Rogue was pulled away, the crowd a large wake up call. His whole body heated up with the thralls of an emotion so splendid -love.

His second kiss.

"Jellal's gay too! I thought Erza-" His best friend screeched. A small cry of pain following.

"That blueberry fucker finally got his man. Now fuck off you too." Rogue's own kin yelled in a drunken slur, holding a bottle of wine up. Erik's rambling never ceasing as they stood in the middle. "Time for another wedding everyone!"

Meredy joined in, taking a swig from Erik's bottle. Her finger directed at Jellal, "That's my dad right there! Now he's got a boyfriend."

Minerva was somewhere behind him, her voice like no other. "That's my gay best friend, right there. You're but a blushing virgin you putz!"

She wasn't wrong but he ignored the rest of Minerva's words; the cheers now mixing with one another, the occasional cry of babies being repeated. Rogue buried his face into the crook of Jellal's coat, trying to hide from his confidants and friends. The dance resumed, as his hand fit nudged it's way into his partner's. They waddled about in a small circle, weaving their way into the music.

He didn't notice Jellal's hand had left until is closed upon his chin. "I think the solstice has granted a new beginning. Don't you think?"

Rogue nodded, taking the step forward; one further from the past. "Will- Would you… We can be together?"

Very swiftly, Jellal dipped him down. Those sinful lips were placed against his, just the answer Rogue needed. They were plush and moved against his own more feverently. His tongue poking out over his lips and Rogue relished in it. He nipped his bottom lip in a more playful manner, Jellal hoisting him back up into his arms.

His third kiss.

The two spent the rest of their night together, most of their time spent on the dance floor. Many wishes and congratulations were sent to them. He really hoped that they would go unnoticed, but even Yukino and Sting sent their elatedness. This made his choice solid, confident to stay with Jellal.

Their journey hadn't even started and Rogue felt that he was miles away from the emotions he had previously been tied to. He still had a long ways to go with the heavenly body mage, but he would enjoy the happiness for now. Love wasn't easy and he would prepare himself for it…

Together for evermore

[useless-slytherclaw]

I Take Pride In What I Am 2020 Prompt: Tease  (But not the way you think) AO3 Link

Minerva Orland, unfortunately for Sorano, is just as devastating in person as she was on lacrima vision.

“You didn't have to follow me, you know,” Sorano says with a scowl at her soon-to-be-ex guildmates.  The sun overhead is swelteringly hot and, even in her minimal clothing, the heat is making her cranky.  Her mood has nothing to do with the fact that she’s finally going to talk to her little sister. Not at all.  

“Please,” Macbeth says with a smirk, “you can’t get rid of us that easily.”

Sorano glares at him, but he’s entirely unaffected.  

“Are you all going to try and join Sabertooth then,” she demands and gets laughter in response.  The laughter echoes down the city street, and a few people turn to look at them.  Sawyer and Erik’s laughter only causes Sorano to glare at them over her shoulder, but they meet her glare with smiles.  They've known her too long to be easily intimidated.  

“You just want to see if the guild master is as pretty as they say he is,” she accuses Macbeth.  

Sorano knows, from experience, that no matter how prickly she is, her boys- er, the boys in her guild- won’t leave her alone; it doesn’t stop her from trying.  If Sabertooth throws her out on her ass and Yukino wants nothing to do with her, she really doesn’t want Sawyer and Erik to be there to laugh at her.  To be fair, they would probably kick the collective ass of the entire Sabertooth guild, and then laugh at her, but she doesn’t want that either.

“The twin dragons are supposed to be very attractive,” Macbeth says with a wink.  

Behind them, she hears Erik mutter something that sounds like “they’re too young for you.”  And it’s her turn to laugh.  She exchanges a mirthful glance with Sawyer.  Just because they have no solid proof that Macbeth and Erik are together, doesn’t mean that they haven’t figured it out.

Despite herself, Sorano feels better.  She shouldn’t be surprised; Erik, Macbeth, Sawyer, and Richard have been her friends since the Tower of Heaven and they’ve been making her life better just as long.  Richard may be off finding his brother, but the other three are here to bother her.

“Guild Hall’s there,” Erik says suddenly.  His voice is sullen, more sullen than usual that is.      

Sorano immediately looks up, and there it is.  A massive set of doors under a waving banner emblazoned with the Sabertooth Guild mark stand at the end of the road they’ve just turned on to.  They’ve been walking through the city towards the giant building topped by the sabertooth cat statue, so it really shouldn’t take her by surprise that they are nearly there.  But, Sorano freezes in her tracks.  

Behind those doors is her little sister.  Yukino.  Sorano’s hands clench into fists by her side so that they won’t tremble.  She hasn’t had a chance to really be with her sister since the day they dragged her off to the Tower of Heaven, but not a single day has gone by that she hasn’t thought about her.  When she’d come across Yukino in the fight against Alvarez, she hadn’t been able to face her.  Yukino is so good.  She is sweet and generous and kind and Sorano? Well, Sorano is Sorano, and she is none of those things.  

When the Kingdom of Fiore had pardoned her, she’d thought that, at last, she’d be free of the guilt that had been haunting her and be able to run to her sister with a smile.  She was pardoned, and she wasn’t a criminal anymore.  But she still felt like one. 

“Come on,” Sawyer throws an arm around her shoulders and tugs her forward, “it’s too hot to stand around in the sun.”   

Even though he’d be less hot if he wasn’t wearing a black body suit in the middle of summer, she doesn’t bother to point it out.  She won't be able to change his mind.  

“I heard that Sabertooth has a pool in their Guild Hall,” Erik tells them.  He’s also stupidly wearing a long coat in summer, but she doesn’t point that out either.  

“Must be true then,” Macbeth says.

“Good thing Sorano is already in her swimsuit,” Sawyer says and ducks away from Sorano in anticipation of the swat she sends his way.  Unfortunately, he is several feet away from her by the time her hand hits the spot where he had been.  Even though she knows it's useless, she lunges after him.

It’s a good thing that this particular street is fairly empty, because the two of them cat and mouse down the street. Sawyer races ahead in a blur only to stop and make a face at Sorano before dashing away before she gets close enough to actually hit him.  Their game comes to an abrupt end several steps away from the main door when Erik reaches out and snags Sawyer by the arm mid-sprint, allowing Sorano to whack him over the head.

After Sawyer gives Erik a rather betrayed glance, they all turn to face the oversized doors that mark the entrance to the Sabertooth guildhall.  The boys all wait in silence behind Sorano as she stares at the door.  They’ve helped her this far, but she has to take the next step herself.  With a hand that is definitely not shaking, she knocks on the door.

The doors are almost instantly pulled open by a young-looking, blue-haired mage that Sorano doesn’t recognize.  She’s either new enough or weak enough that Sorcerer Weekly and the other magazines haven’t featured her yet. 

There’s a soft gasp as the girl stares up at the four of them.  Obviously, whoever she is, she recognizes them.  She steps aside and pulls the door open revealing a massive stone room.

“Master!” She yells as the four of them walk into the Guildhall, “you should get down here!”

The room their standing is entirely constructed out of a strange purple stone and crowned by a dias.  Sorano raises an eyebrow at the gold and purple throne-like chair that stands the head of the room.

“Bit over the top isn’t it,” Erik says under his breath with his gaze on the two massive sabertooth statues flanking the throne.  Sorano can’t help but agree on that front.  

“Why are you yelling for,” a stern-looking black haired woman walks into the room from behind a purple curtain.  This woman Sorano instantly recognizes.  Minerva Orland, unfortunately for Sorano, is just as devastating in person as she was on lacrima vision.  

“They, um,” the girl speaking stumbles over her words as Minerva looks down at her clearly intimidated.  

“The master is behind on paperwork again.  I told everyone not to disturb him.”  

Minerva’s scowl is perfect.  Sorano should know, she’s practically an expert.  

“The Oracion Seis,” the girl finally squeaks.  None of them bother to correct her.

“Oh?” Minerva’s dangerous gaze instantly moves from the girl to the four of them.  With a wave of her hand, Minerva dismisses the girl, who runs for it.  Angel’s impressed.  She can respect a woman with that sort of power.  Minerva glances over all of them but stops when her gaze reaches Sorano.

“You’re Yukino’s sister,” Minerva says and her gaze is intense.

Sorano lifts her chin and meets her gaze.  No one will intimidate her that easily.

“So what if I am?”  

This is already not going how she wanted it to, but Sorano can’t help but be defiant; it's practically in her DNA.

“If you hurt her,” Minerva narrows her eyes at Sorano.

“She’s my sister.” Sorano glares right back.  “I would never hurt her.”

For a long moment, there’s silence as the two women stare at each other.  The tension in the room crackles like electricity.  Then, suddenly, Minerva relaxes and smiles.

“If that’s settled then, welcome to Sabertooth.”  

Sorano blinks in surprise, and her heart does something funny at the sight of that smile.  Minerva offers her hand to shake, and Sorano takes it. 

“I’m Minerva.”

“Sorano,” she says and her voice sounds a bit breathy.  What the hell, Sorano? She thinks.  At the edge of her vision, she can see Erik’s smirk.  Crossing her arms, she decidedly ignores him.  

“Why don’t all of you come in and take a seat.  Lisbeth can bring us some drinks.  She’s learning how to run the bar.”

“Where is everyone?” Sorano asks looking around.  Sabertooth is a big guild, and as huge as their guildhall is, she still expected someone to be in the main room.

“Most people are out by the pool,” Minerva says as she takes a seat at the bar.  “Sting and Rogue are upstairs doing paperwork though.”

From behind them, Sorano hears a snicker and turns to glare at Erik, who is valiantly trying for a straight face.  Her glare only seems to cause him more amusement.  Sorano is going to kill him later.

“I’m afraid that Yukino is out on a job right now,” Minerva says and motions for Sorano to sit next to her.  There’s a fluttery feeling in Sorano’s stomach.  As she takes the seat by Minerva’s side she desperately wishes the feeling away.

“Oh,” Sorano says and then mentally kicks herself for the stupid reply.  

It could be worse though.  Last time she’d felt this way, the only other time really, she’d stuttered so hard when introducing herself that she’d never been able to look Ultear in the face ever again. 

“That’s alright,” she manages to add. 

“She should be back tomorrow,” Minerva tells her.   Then she glances over Sorano’s shoulder at her companions who are leaning against the counter several feet away.  She raises an eyebrow at them.  The expression is designed to be intimidating, but the boys have years of experience dealing with both Sorano and Macbeth, who make an artform out of such expressions. 

“Don’t mind us,” Sawyer says with a grin.  Sorano turns around and narrows her eyes at him; she’ll kill him and Erik later.

“We’ll go find a hotel.  You can find us later,” Macbeth says with a smirk on his painted lips.  His eyes flicker from Sorano to Minerva.  “Or not.”

Correction, Sorano will kill all of them later.

“I don’t know Macbeth,” Sawyer says in a falsely casual tone.  “I thought you wanted to meet the Twin Dragons.  Maybe we should wait around.”

The look that is on Sorano’s face right now has terrified entire dark guilds into obedience.  On at least one occasion, it was the last thing that a man ever saw.  But her companions are not the least bit cowed.

“They’re busy doing paperwork,” Macbeth says easily.  Normally, such an implication would offend him, but he’s focused on harassing Sorano.

“Paperwork,” Erik says very sarcastically. His purple eyes are trained on the back of Macbeth’s head, but he doesn’t turn around.  Maybe, it's not just Sorano that he’s teasing.   

“Out!” Sorano yells.  “Get out of here!  All three of you!”  

There’s a squeak from behind the counter as the small blue-haired hostess almost drops her tray.  

“Alright, alright,” Sawyer says, holding up his hands in fake submission and starts to back away,  “We’re going.  We’re going”

Sorano glares at them until they are all the way out the door.  The fact that Erik and Sawyer dissolve into a fit of laughter before they are completely out of her view does not escape her attention.

“I can’t take them anywhere!” She fumes, momentarily forgetting her nerves.

Beside her, Minerva laughs.  Mortified, Sorano blushes scarlet as she turns back to her companion.  But as soon as she looks at the other woman’s face, she knows that Minerva isn’t laughing at her, and she relaxes a bit  

“Those are some spirited guildmates you have,” she says.  “I’m glad you don’t let them walk all over you.”

“Walk all over me?” Sorano says, “They know better than to try.  I’d break their legs.”

Minerva laughs again.  It's such a free and happy sound that Sorano finds herself laughing too.

“It’ll be good having you around,” Minerva says when they stop laughing.  Sorano blushes brilliantly at the compliment and thinks that might just have found another reason to stay with Sabertooth.

[fairytailtwitter]

@midnight-blue-moon-princess

Here you go!

[apricot-autumn]

undefined

Racer-X-Angel AMV

Made my first ever AMV with a favorite underrated pairing of mine. Sawyer(Racer) and Sorano(Angel)

[gaymirajane]

- “Just being together is enough.”

Ship: Macbeth x Erik

Rating: T

WC: 2,500

Commissioned by @useless-slytherclaw​ <3

There was no way that Erik could feel comfortable, on his knees in the royal courtroom of Crocus. It was bad enough that they all had to wear formal attire - how was he supposed to look at Macbeth in a suit and not become distracted - but they had no idea what they were there for. Prison was the best that Erik could hope for; execution the worst. No matter what happened, they would accept it. After all the crimes that they had committed, there really was no room to argue.

Erik was kneeling, Macbeth in the same position on his right. Jellal was in front, the informal master of their guild, and the other members sat behind Erik and Macbeth. Their heads were all bowed, cast down like condemned men. And maybe that’s what they were. Erik’s heart was racing, desperate for the newly crowned Queen to speak and put them all out of their misery.

“I have decided to set you all free.”

Of all things that Erik was expecting to hear, that wasn’t one of them. He almost fell forward in shock, a plethora of emotions flooding his system and those around him until his mind was a whirlwind of feeling.

“Aren’t we enemies of the state?” Sawyer said in what Erik supposed should have been a whisper, but still Queen Hisui heard.

With a gracious smile, she rose to her feet. “Maybe once, but no longer. You have each found something, or someone, to live for, and it shows.”

Someone to live for.

Erik didn’t intend to glance at Macbeth, but his heart fluttered happily when he realised that Macbeth was looking at him right back.

Queen Hisui continued to speak, explaining her decision and how it would affect the country. Crime Sorciere was allowed to remain intact if they so wished, but she wouldn’t stop them from living normal lives if that was what any of them wanted.

“We cannot guarantee your safety, but we can promise you that you will not be bothered by any persons relating to the government or the crown. You will be permitted to live as you so wish, and you will be left in peace.”

“So we can join other guilds?” Sorano asked hopefully, and the Queen hummed in response.

“Naturally, this will be allowed.” For a moment, her gaze darkened. “But we will not take kindly to any trouble caused through wizarding work.”

They had to be careful then. That was fair enough. Hisui’s expression became warm and inviting once more, and she descended the stairs until she stood in front of Jellal, floor-length gown pooling by his feet.

“I want you to be happy within my kingdom. You may have had… questionable beginnings, but the crown will never be able to repay you for all you did to protect this country.” Queen Hisui offered Jellal her hand, and he took it, standing on shaky legs. “ I will never be able to repay you.”

Everything else she said fell on deaf ears to Erik, as a world he had not truly considered opened up before his very eyes. A home. A family. A future. These weren’t things that Erik had ever been sure he even wanted, but they were an option now, and that was a start.

Jellal turned to face the group, saying something that Erik still didn’t listen to, but when Macbeth got to his feet, so did Erik. They exchanged a glance, but somehow even that felt embarrassing in that moment, because the nature of their relationship was sure to change. Erik was ready for that, if Macbeth was.

The now former members of Crime Sorciere filed out of the Queen’s courtroom, a heavy silence falling when the door clicked shut behind them. Everyone was stunned, staring blankly at one another, the situation too surreal to comprehend.

Meredy moved first, bringing Jellal into a tight hug. There were tears in both of their eyes, and Erik didn’t need to listen to their thoughts to know that they were thinking about Ultear. Sorano slapped Sawyer on the shoulder, laughing loudly; freely, and Richard’s face was streaked with tears. Erik heard Macbeth approach, felt fingers intertwine with his own and then squeeze.

“You okay?” He asked, and after a moment Erik nodded.

“I think so. It’s just a lot to take in.”

“Yeah.” Macbeth hummed. “But we’ll get through this.”

An extra word buzzed around Macbeth’s mind, small and sweet and undeniably theirs.

Together .

Erik grinned at him, let his lips graze Macbeth’s knuckles before he released their hands and joined their group of friends, celebrating a freedom which Erik was still unsure that he deserved.

*     *     *

Even after three years, Erik felt strange being in large crowds of people. Macbeth didn’t like it much either, but a theatre company had come to town, and it was a play that Macbeth loved. Erik had surprised him with tickets, a fitting way to celebrate their ten-year anniversary. The play wasn’t especially to Erik’s tastes, but the light in Macbeth’s eyes was worth it. Erik could sit through anything if just to see Macbeth smile.

The crowd was thinning, much to Erik’s relief, giving way to a park lit almost exclusively with fairy lights. They had dinner reservations after the show, but that was three hours away. And the crepe stand which Erik spotted a few yards away was looking more and more tempting.

“Do you wanna grab food before the show?” Erik thrust his thumb in the direction of the stall, and Macbeth hummed his agreement, nodding slightly. He always did have a sweet tooth, enjoying the privilege of sugar that they were denied as children. Macbeth leant against a tree, and Erik took that as the indication that he would be buying the food. It was unsurprising; they both had a low tolerance for strangers, but Macbeth was far worse. Erik got in line, with only one little girl and an obnoxiously in-love couple in front of him. They could only have been in their early twenties, with the girls arm looped through her boyfriends, pressing kisses to his cheek as though it were a form of punctuation.

The small girl grabbed her crepe and ran over to people who Erik assumed were her parents. He still listened, just in case she was in danger - Erik didn’t like the idea of a girl around the age of seven wandering off with money on her own - but he could hear memories of her growing up in the minds of the adults she was with. Deeming her safe, Erik moved forward in the queue.

The couple ordered, one crepe between them, and Erik rolled his eyes when the girl once again nuzzled into her boyfriend’s side. He loved Macbeth, of course he did, but Erik was grateful that neither of them were a fan of displaying their affection publicly.

“We might miss the show.” The boyfriend, and the girl laughed; a tinny sound that made Erik wince.

“Any time I spend with you is magical, no matter how simple it is.”

They kissed again, parting only to retrieve their crepe from an uncomfortable looking clerk. The couple paid, not taking their eyes off of each other, and when they passed Erik the boyfriend was feeding his lover a chocolate covered strawberry. Once again, Erik was exceptionally grateful that Macbeth was as reserved as he was.

“What can I get you?” The false cheer of the clerk was obvious; one scan of her mind and Erik could see that she had a young child at home, as well as an elderly relative to care for. She was struggling for money, too.

“One chocolate and one banana.” Erik hadn’t asked Macbeth what he had wanted, but Erik knew that the other man always ordered one of the two; he was content to eat whichever one that Macbeth didn’t want.

“That’ll be ten-thousand Jewel.”

Erik gave her twenty-thousand and told her to keep the change. He felt a wave of gratitude from the woman’s mind, followed by a determination to double his portion size. That wasn’t why he did it of course, but it was a nice gesture from her all the same.

The crepes didn’t take long to prepare, and when Erik took them from the clerk they were bulging from the cardboard covering. He thanked her again and moved around the new customers who had begun to gather behind him, back towards where Macbeth was waiting.

Macbeth’s back was still against the tree, his eyes closed and body still. Most people would have assumed him to be asleep, but of course Erik knew better.

“Chocolate or banana?”

“Chocolate.” Macbeth opened one eye and smiled, purple-painted lips thin and shiny and completely kissable. Erik checked their surroundings quickly before doing just that. When their lips parted, Macbeth took a bite of his crepe and Erik checked his watch.

“Shit, we’d better get going if we want to get there before the show starts.”

Macbeth shrugged. “It doesn’t matter if we miss it. Just spending time together is enough.”

His words were less poetic, but the sentiment rivalled that of the couple who had been buying crepes before Erik. That made his cheeks heat up, knowing that Macbeth felt that way towards him, and Erik was glad that the darkness masked his embarrassment. He realised then that, no matter how you express your love, it was powerful enough just to simply feel it.

No matter how unlikely it had seemed, they had managed to build a life together. They had a home that Erik always wanted to return to, and they were content. Blissfully so. The future seemed brighter than Erik could ever imagine, And even if they still weren’t sure if they wanted a family or not, it didn’t matter at that moment. Not when they had each other.

Erik took Macbeth’s hand, not caring who saw, and walked happily through the park with the man he loved.

*     *     *

They didn’t need to decide whether or not they wanted to start a family, because a family had found them.

“Dad, have you seen my satchel?”

Erik sighed. “You left it outside the door again, Nyss.”

She paused, frowned, and then ran towards the front of the house, purple pigtails flying comically behind her. Erik continued to fold the washing, checking the time and trying to determine when Macbeth would waken.

It had been three years since Nyssa had moved in with them; she had been nine at the time, a victim of war who had nobody else. Erik and Macbeth had taken temporary custody, relating to her situation, knowing how painful it could be for a child to be alone on the streets, but temporary had soon enough become permanent, and none of the three of them had ever looked back.

“Dad, dad! Look what I found?!” Nyssa came racing back through the house, offering an excited gap-toothed smile… and a large, hairy caterpillar.

“Wow.” Erik couldn’t help but recoil, even when Nyssa pouted.

“It’s a super rare species, only found during the rainy season on the southern continent.” She rubbed her thumb along it’s wriggling green back, and Erik flinched. “We’re so lucky to have one in our front garden.”

“I definitely feel lucky.” Erik gathered up the stack of washing and balanced it on his hip.

Nyssa whined. “Dad!”

But then the door clicked open and her attention was diverted.

“Morning, pa.” She ran to Macbeth, offering him a one-armed hug. He was still bleary from sleep, hair loose and knotted, stubble grazing his pale skin. Macbeth squeezed her back before sliding the caterpillar from her hand.

“These are super rare, Nyss.” He examined the wriggly creature closely. “Are you planning on using the venom?”

Nyssa puffed out her cheeks proudly. “I sure am!”

“Venom?” Erik asked sharply. If this creature was dangerous, he wasn’t thrilled with their twelve-year-old daughter handling it.

“It lets out a venom which is toxic to animals, but only stuns a human.” Macbeth explained, and Erik wondered idly how the hell his husband knew about these insects. He wasn’t leaving Nyssa and Macbeth alone in the library again. “Nyss can use this on enemies.”

Erik knew that was coming. She loved bugs, always had, which had led her to learn Insect Soul, a magic which allowed her to absorb and use properties of different creepy crawlies. It freaked Erik out a little - he would always prefer reptiles - but he would never admit that. He would always encourage anything that made Nyssa happy, within reason, especially after everything she had been through. Erik and Macbeth had grown up with little positive encouragement, with nobody in the world except each other and their small circle of friends. They wanted more than that for Nyssa, would provide it as best as they could.

“My venom is gonna be stronger than your poison one day, dad.” Nyssa grinned, and Erik ruffled her hair.

“We’ll see about that.” He smiled at her, feeling a love that he hadn’t known he was capable of. Macbeth brought out the best in him, but this was something different. Something deeper. They were parents now; Nyssa didn’t see them as criminals, queers, or any other label that had been thrown at them over the years. She saw them as they were, two men who loved each other, and loved her just as much. To be accepted by someone so innocent, that was the freedom that Erik had craved.

He bent down low, easing the caterpillar from Macbeth’s hand and laying his palm flat, so that Nyssa could easily take it from him.

“Go grab your satchel and put this guy back.”

Nyssa kissed him on the cheek, scooping the caterpillar up and running out the house. “Yes dad.”

Standing up straight again, Macbeth leant his head on Erik’s shoulder, sighing happily.

“I’ve been thinking…”

“That’s never good.” Erik teased, earning himself a backhanded slap to his chest.

“I’ve been thinking,” Macbeth started again. “That being an only child might be lonely for Nyss.”

Erik’s eyes widened. What had been left unsaid was obvious enough; he had been thinking a similar thing himself. But it was a big decision to make, especially since they were nearing fifty. They weren’t as young as they used to be, and one child could be challenging enough.

“You sure?” Erik ran his fingers through Macbeth’s hair, more grey than black now. The other man nodded.

“It’s something to think about, anyway.”

Erik hummed his agreement, pulling away from Macbeth when Nyssa came barrelling back into their home.

“Found it!” She held up her satchel proudly, and the morning continued as it did most days. The thought of another child was a complicated one; they were happy as they were now. Would that change with an addition to their family? Erik didn’t know. But they had the freedom to choose now, a novelty that he would no doubt never be used to.

In their youth, they had crumbled societies and brought the most powerful men to their knees; Erik thought that those days of adventures were behind him, but when Macbeth settled on their settee, and Nyssa curled up on his lap, Erik thought that growing old with the man he loved, in the home they had built together, was truly the greatest adventure of all.

[fairytailconfess]

There're a lot of crack ships in this fandom, but my favourite is Sawyer x Sorano <3     -- submitted by anonymous

[watcher-ofthe-sky]

In Your Arms My Thoughts Fade Away

Read on: AO3 | FFN

Summary: They are closer but he knows he is pushing them apart. But for how long can they keep this up when they find themselves wrapped in each other’s arms?

Pairing: Jellal x Erik (Jerik)

***

[A/N]: Horrible summary, I know. For @oceanwaves-blog​ . You asked for cuddles and Jerik. But you know me. I cannot write this ship without angst because both of them are made up of it. Erik is probably OOC because he isn’t much snarky here. 

Nothing new, actually. Just nightmares and Jellal being edgy and pushy and emo. 

You’ll get cuddles, yes.

***

They’re setting up the gear when Macbeth looked up from peeling the potato, catching Erik stealing a glance at the blue haired man who was collecting woods nearby.

It’s so obvious, he thought. The way they look at each other when they think the other doesn’t know. Heck, sometimes even when the other knows. He sighed and asked, his voice bringing up the amusement, “Why don’t you two work it up?”

Erik looked at him, a little startled that he didn’t hear the man’s thoughts, but soon overcame because this was happening a lot lately whenever he was busy looking at that certain person.

“He has…issues,” he replied, as he came back to this task of skinning the carrots. There was no hiding this thing that he apparently had for Jellal. He knew that the whole team knows.

Macbeth only gave him a disapproving tired look before picking another potato.

…

“I don’t think looking at him longingly will hypnotise him to come to you,” Sorano commented as she picked up another stick.

Jellal flushed slightly at having been caught. He ignored the snide remark and resumed his task.

“He is good looking, isn’t he?”

Jellal only gave her a flat look in return, evidently tired of all the comments that had become frequent recently.

“Hopeless boys,” Sorano muttered under her breath.

…

It was dinner time. Sawyer had been telling a story about a wyvern which turned to Richard telling a story about a pig. Jellal was sure that he had missed something in between.

The bonfire was lit, and they had been sitting around it. The sparks lit their faces as they rose from the fire. Jellal dared to look up at one of them—the one with maroon hair and wine-coloured eye. He saw the tanned skin glowing under this golden light, a serene smile playing on his lips. He felt himself getting dizzy on this feeling; slightly loosening up with it.

And this was bad—him losing control over himself, over his mind. A sudden panic washed within him, and he got up from his seat.

“I’ll excuse myself to bed now.”

The guild members nodded and went back to listening to Sorano’s tale about her first boyfriend.

Erik looked up from the group, saw Jellal’s retreating figure, with his shoulders slumped down, his body closing within himself.

…

It was Meredy’s and Erik’s turn to wash the dishes. They sat by the river, cleaning up the plates when Erik finally spoke, “You might as well speak and ease your mind. It’s getting annoying to hear your incoherent monologue.”

The pink haired girl dried up the last set and put it down. In the moonlight, The Dragon Slayer saw her features softening, calming down. They sat in the silence for a long time, hearing the flow of water before she said, “I just want to know what you will do if and when he wants you to stay.”

Erik felt himself drying up at this unexpected question. He looked at the girl beside her with a muted expression. When she met his gaze, he saw in her eyes a sense of protectiveness. It’s given, he thought. He is like a brother to her, after all. But along with that, there was this feeling of knowing; something which he doesn’t know himself yet.

She gave a kind smile and stood up, giving a final press on his shoulder and said, “Think about it, Erik.”

He sat there, by the river, watching the pearls of moonlight dance on it. He closed his eye and inhaled the deep scents of everything around him and relaxed in them. His mind wandered to the place where he usually goes to seek comfort. An image of blue hair flashed before him. Jellal was standing in front of him, his eyes crinkling with laughter. He was good looking, okay.

You like him, don’t you? His mind supplied.

I don’t know. Yes, but it feels more or something than that, he found himself replying.

More, more, more, he couldn’t place a finger on it. Some other day, he thought, I’ll find the right answer.

He thought about Meredy’s words.

Stay.

How foreign the word sounded on his tongue? What does he, the one who has been running, hiding, fighting almost all his life, knew about staying?

But this staying was more than making a home out of bricks and living. This was living in hearts. This was being there when one wants you to. He thought about his guild members who had been there by his side all these years.

Maybe this a staying of which I know something about, he thought.

Heavy, dark clouds started gathering in the sky. A cool breeze swayed through his hair.

Erza, he found himself thinking.

This was something else Meredy was talking about or had indirectly mentioned. Jellal loved her, no denying that. Yes, loved, he thought. If them meeting her once during a mission with Mirajane by her side, holding her hand and Jellal talking to Erza, happy and nodding in approval was any indication.

He had loved her with all his heart, but he could never bring himself to ask her to stay. He wanted her happy, which apparently, he thought was possible when she was not with him.

He wouldn’t ever ask anyone to stay, he thought.

No, he’ll not. But he’ll want it. He’ll need it, his mind replied.

All this is so fucking complicated, he groaned. But it was too late for him to back down. He was deeply buried in his feeling for this man. He wasn’t even wishing for otherwise.

Something is definitely wrong with me, he thought.

He finally got up; all of this was way too heavy to deal right now. He’ll deal with it later.

Or so he thought.

…

Jellal woke up from another nightmare, his shirt drenched in sweat. It was Ultear tonight, in his dream. Her small soft and kind. They were in a large dark room with clocks ticking loudly.

My time has come, she whispered.

No! Wait! He shouted as he saw her silky black hair turning to grey, her face now devoid of colour.

You’re free now, Jellal. Free. Don’t lock your mind in these chambers.

And suddenly, she was gone. Engulfed by this darkness.

He took deep breathes, trying to calm himself down. Outside, the pattering of rain could be heard. He turned back sharply as he heard the loud zip and saw Erik hesitantly entering in.

“I-uh, I just came to take my bedding,” he said, entering his full length.

They both knew that they had been avoiding sleeping next to the other. The answer was obvious to both. They usually took turns sleeping outside and if the weather demanded otherwise, they slept with other teammates.

But tonight, everyone had already tucked themselves in and that left only them to share a tent. You could almost hear the mocking laughter in the thunder that roared.

“It’s raining outside,” Jellal said, his voice hoarse and thick from sleep.

“Not a bother.”

“Sleep here.”

Erik turned to look at him, unsure whether he heard the right words.

Jellal inhaled sharply, still trying to steady himself from the trembling. “It's going to be a heavy downpour. Sleep here. It's fine.”

Although he didn't know if it really would be in a whole other way. They both were aware of their feelings.

It all started with stolen, longing glances at each other and getting caught by the other; leaning against the shoulder when sharing a bed in the inn. Even brushing of fingers sent sparks between them and once when no one was looking, Jellal unconsciously interlocked their fingers and Erik pressed them tighter in return.

But then it hit Jellal what he was doing. He was letting himself enjoy the warmth it was bringing.

And he did not deserve that.

He was letting himself flow in the feeling.

And he cannot do that.

He cannot lose control over himself; cannot expose himself to this vulnerability which demands openness.

And therefore, he isolated himself, maintained the distance which was necessary for him. For both of them.

Jellal thought that Erik took the sign and did not nudge in. Maybe he was too afraid to cross boundaries. Too afraid to get only coldness in return of everything. Jellal thought he can swallow up his damn feelings and never think of them again. Until everything became too hard.

And Erik didn’t actually step away. It was only him walking farther and farther from him.

Erik unfolded the bedding and lay down on top of it. “Don’t worry,” his voice bitter for some reason, “I don’t sleep anyway, due to the sounds and everything.”

Jellal only nodded before he lay down too and closed his eyes, again dreaming of darkness.

…

Erik stared at the ceiling of the tent, arms behind his head. He could hear the uneven breathing of the man beside him, his heart beating rapidly. He turned his attention toward him when he heard low painful whimpering, Jellal’s expressions folding into fear and suddenly he jerked, sitting right up. His body was shaking.

“Are you okay?” Erik asked, softly.

Jellal jolted, not remembering his surrounding in the blur of everything.

“It’s me,” Erik said, quietly, not trying to scare the man more.

He heard Jellal’s breathing even out just a bit, his shoulders relaxing a little. They lay there like that, in silence and darkness, tired and yet not being able to sleep.

“Do…do you want me to…hold you?” Jellal could hear the hesitation in his voice. “It…helps. Sometimes Midnight used to do that to me wh-when we were young, and we had nightmares.”

It was true but it was something that they used to do a long time ago and it surprised Erik that he still remembered it.

Jellal couldn’t stop the shuddering of his body but he blamed it on the cold due to the rain. Panic was still rushing in him and so, in a croaked voice, he whispered, “Okay.”

They moved their bedding closer, and Jellal turned over on his side. Erik slowly moved toward him, his chest pressing to Jellal’s back, his arm over his shoulder and hand on his chest.

“Is this okay?” he whispered.

Jellal gave a low, whimpering affirmation.

…

At first, neither of them slept. They both were very aware of each other’s presence, especially Jellal. He could feel the weight of Erik’s arm on his chest and shoulder, the way his breath was hovering over his neck, their bodies pressing together. He thought about this man who had fought with him by his side, strong and firm and solid. The way sweat slicked his dark maroon hair on his forehead. The way he smirked almost viciously at his enemies before fighting them. His bronze skin that glowed in the sunlight.

Glorious, he thought.

His kind smile which Jellal wondered whether the man knew he even had. The way he was still there even after his persistent pushing.

Eventually, he found himself relaxing a bit, his shoulders slouching and the tiredness getting the better of him. He let his mind wander.

Which was a huge mistake.

Because somehow, he had let down his mental walls.

He tried to sleep when again darkness took over him and mages flared. Dark, painful memories pouring out on their own accord: him in the tower, wishing, hoping to go out of that horrible place. Getting beaten and slaved through hours; him waking up from dizziness, Ultear’s spell weakening for a few moments, the realisation of all the deaths and horrors he had done. The guilt washing over him, drowning him.

He heard a low, very quiet sob when suddenly his eyes jerked open. He didn’t know when he had turned himself over on his other side and was now facing Erik whose long dark eyelashes were glistening with unshed tears, shoulders shaking lightly.

Jellal took a moment to inhale and remind himself to breathe. He placed a gentle hand on Erik’s cheek, “Hey. Are you alright?”

Erik looked shocked when he opened his eyes, clearly not expecting Jellal facing him like this. He stopped his trembling altogether. “Yeah, it’s… yes.” And then in a soft whisper, he looked at Jellal and added, “I-I’m sorry.”

Jellal didn’t know when his eyes had started tearing and before he could ask, “for what?” he realised what he had done.

…

Erik could see the panic and horror rippling on Jellal’s face, his mental walls going up at an instance. He could see Jellal recoiling, closing in within himself like he always does. Fear rushed in Erik when he felt the other mage going away from him even though he was still in his arms, their faces only a few inches apart.

He will go away now because of me, I had done this, he thought.

But Jellal surprised him by giving a watery smile. He gulped, as if preparing himself and said, “I am sorry you had to see that.”

It was gruesome and horrifying, yes. Erik had an imagination before but to see all that vivid and clear like this was too much even for him.

“I…” Jellal gave a dark chuckle. “I have learned to detach my emotions from my memories to some extent, and so it wasn’t that upsetting to me anymore. But I can imagine your state. Am sorry.”

“Don’t apologise,” Erik said. “Please.”

Jellal’s expressions folded into something like confusion, as if out of all this, this is not something which he was expecting.

Erik ran a hand along his spine, drawing slow circles on Jellal’s back, gently running a hand at his neck and pressing it.

…

Jellal wasn’t able to comprehend what Erik had said. He didn’t know what not apologising is like. His life was a big mistake, after all. He deserved all the pain that came with it. Someone telling him not be sorry was something he couldn’t take in.

Erik was running a hand through his back, his wine eye staring his face. Jellal saw that they didn’t hold pity in them like most people, rather they had empathy, understanding. Unwavering determination.

He knew that he had pushed the dragon slayer away from him and therefore, Erik held a hesitation in his touch; wasn’t sure what was okay with him and didn’t instigate.

Jellal shifted closer in Erik’s embrace and leaned in the touch. Soon the other man’s fingers were threaded in his hair and Jellal wrapped his arms around Erik, his hold tighter.

Suddenly, all his senses were burning alive. He was aware of their breathing, the touch of their hands on each other’s back, their chest pressing together. He could explode right now, he thought. The intimacy and vulnerability tearing and building him back.

I am losing my mind, and this is bad, he thought. This is bad because I don’t deserve this. Ultear’s words echoed in his mind:

You’re free now, Jellal. Free. Don’t lock your mind in these chambers.

I need to, I need to, I need to, he chanted back.

But Erik’s fingers tenderly running through his hair, his grip around him called him back before he could fall in deep whirls of his loathe—the path which was well known to him.

Their hearts had been hardened with time but still, there was softness in them. And he was so close at reaching it. He remembered Erza’s eyes glowing at him, her hands clasped with Mirjane’s. It had been good to see her happy, like a weight lifting off Jellal’s shoulders. It didn’t sting like he imagined it would. He was happy for her. And it was enough. For everyone.

Jellal slowly looked up, Erik’s gaze piercing right through his heart. Now there was this man before him who wasn’t faltering with the weight of both of them on him.

Don’t do this to him, a voice called. He didn’t know if it was of Erza or Ultear or worse, his own.

Their faces were only an inch apart and Jellal inhaled sharply before slowly closing the distance between them. Erik looked stunned for a second as their lips crashed but soon melted in the kiss.

When they pulled apart, he didn’t realise he was crying.

…

Erik peppered soft kisses on Jellal’s cheeks and runs his hand on his tattoo, wiping up the tears.

He saw Jellal staring at him, his lips slightly parted, his eyes red and tired and he looked so open and real than he had ever looked before, and Erik’s chest washed with a new feeling.

It wasn’t love. They weren’t there, yet; neither of them.

They stayed like that for a few moments, letting Jellal calm down and pull together. He waited so that Jellal didn’t think that he was saying these words for mere comfort, just because he had exposed himself like this.

Erik stared at him and put a hand to his cheek before saying, “I care for you.”

It was so so soft that Jellal’s knees weakened at their gentleness. He wanted to cry once again but Erik’s face doesn’t falter, his gaze resolute and firm and true.

In the silence that followed, Erik was almost waiting for the fleeting horror on Jellal’s face, the walls building them between them. But neither of them happened.

Jellal leaned in closer, tugging his head under Erik’s chin and holding him closer and tighter.

And if it wasn’t for Erik’s sharp hearing, he would have almost missed the, “Me too,” mumbled in his chest.

***

[A/N]: I spent my time searching for a phrase other than ‘I love you’ but I found some weird things instead and so I went for the clichéd. These characters are so fucking hard to write, especially Erik.

Anyway, I hope it was okay-ish?

Thanks for all the wait. <3

[dragonshost]

Day 55: Sawcy

This is partly a gift for my buddy im ur misconception, who isn’t on Tumblr.  She requested this pairing from me like... three years ago, but I didn’t ship it at the time.  Then suddenly it hit me a couple of days ago that these two had one fantastic thing in common, and now suddenly I ship it.  I wonder about my brain sometimes.

Also, I had the hardest time figuring out if the ship name would be Racy or Sawcy.

At any rate, I hope those of you willing to give this odd pairing a try will like this little fic.

On FFN - link

On AO3 - link

Armada Day 55:

Resentment

Racer/Sawyer x Lucy

Sawyer couldn’t help but resent the girl, a bit.

It wasn’t that the blonde celestial mage had done anything to him, in particular.  And he didn’t despise her as Sorano and Macbeth did, their hate burning brilliantly like miniature suns inside of them.  Erik didn’t care about anything except Cubelios these days, and Erigor’s mind was so broken that there was no point in trying with him.  Richard might have had an opinion on the girl, but he wasn’t around to ask. Klodoa wasn’t even worth considering.

No, Sawyer was alone in his opinion on the girl they were planning on sacrificing.  It almost seemed a pity, really, to go through all of this effort against someone with whom he only carried a mild, petty resentment for.  But then, someone had to be sacrificed for this undertaking to work, and it would sit worse in him to sacrifice Sorano to the Infinity Clock.  The group was in this together, or not at all.

So he said nothing as Macbeth schemed and the preparations began.

It wasn’t as if Sawyer didn’t understand.  Not at all. He understood the root of Macbeth and Sorano’s anger a little too well, in fact.

Sorano despised her for her humiliating defeat – the betrayal of her spirits for the much less talented girl.  Sawyer sympathized, his own defeat at the hands of her friends a wound that never quite healed completely either.

He’d said nothing as she chose a path that shaved off her life, forming her parasitic contracts with beings who could not betray her because they were incapable of caring in the first place.

Macbeth hated her for her father, and for his.  He’d given his up in exchange for his newfound power, after all – had sacrificed any possibility of a relationship that went beyond that of “tool”.

Sawyer said nothing when Macbeth planted the seeds that would eventually drive Jude Heartfilia into an early grave, denying the girl a future with her father in it.

His own resentment was that of a sputtering candle to their fevered light.  In truth, he felt they were at their cores very similar people.

Because Lucy Heartfilia was, like Sawyer, a runner.

They’d both tried to outrun those people that made them suffer growing up.

What he resented was the fact that she alone had succeeded.

Sawyer hadn’t been able to run from the Tower of Heaven on its secluded island, far from civilization and help far out of reach.  When Brain had taken them, he’d marked all of them with his seal against Zero – a seal that would enable Brain to find Sawyer no matter where he might run to.  Even without chains, he’d found himself hemmed in once more.  Even when he’d tried to end it all with a bomb, to flee everything once and for all, the chance had been stolen from him, and instead had found himself in a cold, dark, and cramped prison cell.

He had never been able to outrun anything at all.

If he were being truly honest with himself, the bulk of his resentment wasn’t towards the girl, but towards himself and his failures.  But even in acknowledging that, he couldn’t ignore the strength of Macbeth and Sorano’s feelings towards her.  She had wronged them, and that was ultimately enough for Sawyer to stand against her. What he himself stood to gain also hung tantalizingly within reach.  If Macbeth’s plan succeeded… what Sawyer had wished for, all those years ago, would finally be within his grasp.

Speaking up against this was impossible from the start.

Sawyer still had things to run from, after all.

And he wasn’t above stealing someone else’s freedom to get there.

[okmeamithinknow]

The Sauced Snake Chapter 3

Chapter 3: The Sober Sidewinder

A.N.: Yet another chapter that was never meant to exist. However someone sent me a writing prompt for a pairing that I don’t tend to write for, but it inspired this chapter anyway. I’ll put the writing prompt at the bottom so it doesn’t spoil the fun. Enjoy!

Good luck guessing where this story hits timeline wise.

The Sober Sidewinder

The guild hall is in chaos. The din so loud in the center of the hall that the cacophony muddles individual voices. Drinks fly across the bar and into the hands of thirsty Fairy Tail mages and the drinking only encourages the insanity. It's not long before some disagreement turns into a full blown fist fight. At some point Natsu goes flying across the room, launched there by an errant swing from someone who's joined the fray. The screams and shouts and laughter and fighting growing louder and louder as more members join in. 

An unorganized monstrosity of madness.

All in all a typical Friday night at Fairy Tail.

Hidden in a pocket of silence, in the one of the darker corners of the guild, by the necessity of needing the space and quiet away from the main activity of the room, is Jellal buried beneath a pile of leads and strings and maps. He's been at it for hours, the clamor of the guild now just white noise to his ear. He brushes back the chunk of blue hair that's fallen into his eyes, rubbing his forehead and winces at the headache that's formed there. He's been examining the map for patterns, trying to get some handle on the dark guild that been rumored to have started in the forests of Bosco. 

As if by magic, Mira shows up with a refill of his tea. Jellal gives her a nod of thanks, picking up the cup that's somehow the perfect temperature. The barmaid has the uncanny ability to make the drinks to his exact specifications. 

He's fiddling with one of the figures on the map, the unconscious motion something he does when he's particularly stumped. A miniature version of a scowling dark mage that if he squints just so he can almost see the tattoo MacBeth painted around one of the effigy’s eyes. Years of handling it have worn all but the deepest traces of the paint in the carved wood. Jellal runs a finger over the eye with a rueful smile when a unholy shriek flies across the guildhall, and the figure falls from his fingers as he starts.

“You’re what?!”

Jellal goes completely still, not needing to look up to know who the voice belongs to. The deadly quiet that follows is as equally foreboding. All eyes turn towards the table where Team Natsu sits.

The sight wouldn’t be all that unusual, the team gathered around the table that they’ve long since claimed as theirs. The addition of the Poison Dragonslayer is nothing new either; nor is the sight of Lucy perched on Cobra's lap. From the way the food is strewn about the table it’s obvious they had been enjoying their dinner.

Had.

Jellal has a sneaking suspicion that he knows exactly what’s drawn Erza's ire, though Jellal doubts that ire is a strong enough word from the overwhelming amount of swords directed at the former member of the Oración Seis and the small woman on his lap. 

At Lucy's insistence that the couple announce their news to their families first— family being the loosest of interpretations of the word— the former members Crime Sorcière had been their trial run when the two pulled them aside earlier that day. Sawyer and Macbeth had teased the pair, rather unmercifully. Until Lucy’s face flushed a shade of crimson yet unknown to man and Cobra started spitting death threats and poison attacks in equal measure.

Meredy and Richard cried, unsurprisingly, and where Sorano tried to maintain some semblance of decorum, complaining about smearing her makeup, she too dissolved into tears until thick streams of mascara ran down her cheeks. 

“Pregnant,” Lucy says, the words quiet but firm. 

She laces her fingers with Cobra’s and places them over her stomach. The rest of the team, and the guild for that matter, is a mixture of shocked and pleasantly surprised faces, save for the lone hold out. Erza clenches a fist and holds it up intent on sending one of the blades closer to the mage who sullied her friend’s honor.

In movements too quick for Jellal’s eyes to catch Cobra jumps up from his chair. There’s a struggle as he tries to place Lucy down behind him, to keep her as far away from Erza’s swords as he can, but Lucy sidesteps around him, trying to put herself between her friend and her fiancé. The Celestial Mage banking on her friend’s reluctance to harm her and her growing offspring. But in this case Jellal would be more inclined to side with Cobra. 

As much as Erza loves her friend, she doesn’t have the most stellar reputation for keeping her cool. Natsu’s not the only one known for going overboard when it comes to destroying things and while Jellal can't see Erza’s face, he doesn't need to to know what she's feeling. Her rage is palpable.

It's a toss up on which is worse, Scary Erza or Cobra on one of his bad days. 

A low rumbling rattles through the hall, one that Jellal can feel in his bones, and it takes Jellal a second to realize it’s Cobra growling. He knows without a doubt that the one person Cobra cares more about than himself is Lucy, and that his former guildmate would rather lay down his own life than see her harmed. 

Seen it first hand too, when the former criminal jumped in front of Lucy on a mission. The hit he’d taken for her left him unconscious in the infirmary for a week, and confined to a bed for long enough to worry the Celestial mage.  

There’s a sickening combination of desperation and anger on the Poison Dragonslayer’s face that Jellal’s never seen before. It reads as trouble. Someone going to get hurt or maimed or killed and regardless of anyone's intentions the outcome will not be good.

So Jellal does something stupid. 

Something immensely stupid. 

It's “I have a fiancé” stupid, but it’s the only thing that comes to mind

“I read your diary,” he announces, rising to his feet. The words ring clear through the hall, filling the silence. Jellal swallows loudly as all eyes turn to him, Erza’s slowest of all, as though time and space have slowed around her. 

“Say that again,” she says, over-enunciating each consonant. Her attention is entirely on him now. He glances briefly at Lucy and Cobra, the latter of which sends him a grateful and apologetic smile for what he's about to endure. 

“I read your diary,” he says. His tongue is thick in his mouth, and this time his voice cracks at the end. A trickle of sweat drips down the back of his neck. “I found it, and…”

But a hand latches onto his hair, nails biting into his scalp hard enough that the Wizard Saint is brought to his knees.

“We will discuss this outside,” a voice growls in his ear, and Jellal responds with a strangled yelp as he’s unceremoniously dragged into the night.

Prompt 157: “ I read your diary. ” ~ pairing: Erza x Jellal ^^

Reblogs and Likes are my crack!

[pyropsychiccollector]

Here's a crack pairing for you - Natsu x Sorano. This is more to get my thoughts in order for this ship in a collaboration fanfiction with procellasdracon, but I will enjoy myself all the same... XD

So yeah. Keep in mind this is set in an AU. A 'Natsu in Oracion Seis' AU.

How did they meet? Due to a twist of fate, the Eclipse Gate didn't get Natsu all the way to X777 with the other Dragon Slayers. Instead, he wound up plummeting to the R-System Tower where Erza and co. are forced to construct it. The little Pyro gets stored in the same cell as Sorano and Macbeth, and that's how they're forced into meeting one another for the first time.

Who developed romantic feelings first? Sorano. Let's just say that after becoming tentative friends at the Tower, nearly plummeting to their deaths along with Erik and Macbeth (saved by Ultear awakening Sawyer's Speed Magic), and being forced to work under Brain and form Oracion Seis for a time (minus Richard/Hoteye), it was natural for the Celestial Wizard to fall pretty hard for the adorable Pyro. Natsu keeps her at arms' length to keep her 'options' open, but Sorano-chan doesn't want anyone else.

Who is their biggest "shipper"? Their conniving, pushy teammates - Cobra, Midnight, and Racer.

When did they have their first kiss and under what circumstances? Let's just say that for a time after Sorano went through a certain traumatic "incident", Natsu was the one to comfort her emotionally and physically. Of course, due to the nature of the "incident", Sorano was quite wary of physical contact (from men especially), even Natsu, but she absolutely wanted to be close to Natsu, and the kiss she gave him was on an impulse that she soon flinched away from (which she absolutely LOATHED herself for). ... Though it must be said, Natsu gingerly returned her kiss after recovering from the initial shock.

Who confessed their feelings first? Sorano, though it's not as if Natsu wasn't aware she was harboring feelings for him.

What was their first official date? Circumstances as they are, their Guild is a gray one, after Brain was killed off around X782. The Council wishes to hunt them down for all their crimes, but Natsu and co. are trying to hunt down Balam Alliance Guilds to show their 'appreciation' for being used and for those Dark Guilds preying on the weak and helpless. Due to this vigilantism, they can't do anything fancy, but they have a peaceful, companionable night stargazing.

How do they feel about double dates/group dates? Ehehe. Due to the nature of this AU and the true pairing (*cough* harem *cough*), both Sorano and Natsu are all for private dates. No other... 'interlopers'... *pointed look at Erza and Ultear*

What do they do in their downtime? Due to the nature of their close relationship, Natsu and Sorano do A LOT together. Y'know, when Natsu isn't being 'hogged' by others or when they're not in the middle of taking down Dark Guilds. Really, they're up for about anything as long as they're together.

What was the first meeting of parents as an official couple like? They're orphans. Although their 'R-System family' enjoys teasing them, and Cobra, Midnight, and Racer in particular aren't afraid of Natsu 'hurting' Sorano. You'd think they would, but this pair tiptoeing around one another was that annoying for those on the sidelines.

What was their first fight over and how did they get past it? Aha~, this was actually very messy. With Natsu holding her at arms' length for the longest time and Erza reuniting with the team after they'd been vigilantes for a couple years, Sorano was veeery sore about Erza making it look so easy to get Natsu to open up. She very nearly left the team in frustrating anguish, but Natsu opened up to her and spilled his heart out, making it clear that she was just as important to him as Erza was. That he had feelings for her. Sorano can tell those feelings are nothing compared to those he feels for Erza, but she can't resist a challenge in winning the Dragon Slayer's heart, and so they get over this road bump. Y'know, gradually.

Which one is more easily made jealous? Sorano-chan. Who'd you expect to be more jealous in a harem fic?

What is their favorite thing to get to eat? Natsu will eat anything. Sorano isn't all that picky, either, though for Natsu's sake she'll share a steak with him on special occasions.

Who's the cuddly one? Sorano-chan. Though Natsu holds her just as tight when Sorano has... nightmares of that "incident".

Are they hand holders? Sorano likes to be close to Natsu much of the time, though I'm not sure if they're hand holders... Maybe sometimes.

How long do they wait before sleeping together for the first time? After that "incident" (Brain orchestrated it, so that should tell you how much of a scumbag he is...),Natsu lets her sleep in his bed with him, as she's vulnerable. Very vulnerable. It's not easy-going at first, but Sorano gradually grows to love it; can't live without sleeping in the same bed as Natsu.

Who tops? You'd think Sorano, but it's fairly balanced. Sorano in a lot of instances, but sometimes Natsu takes charge, particularly when Sorano is vulnerable and needs reassurance.

Who does the shopping and the cooking? Weeell~, Sorano definitely does the shopping. But Natsu will usually handle the cooking.

Which one is more organized and more prone to tidiness? Well, obviously Natsu is a messy individual, but Sorano's pretty uncaring as well. I guess she's more caring about her appearance, especially around Natsu.

Who proposes? This... will need to be sorted out. Harem fic and all that.

Do they have joined Bachelor/Bachelorette parties or separate? Eh. Given how small their Guild is and their small group of friends outside... It'd probably be joined.

Who is the best man/maid of honor? Aha~, harem fic, remember. Though hypothetically, Sorano would want Yukino for maid of honor, and Natsu would quite likely have Erik/Cobra as his best man.

Big ceremony or small? Smaaall.

Do they have a honeymoon? Harem fic. Quite probably, but it won't just be them... XD

Do they have children? How many? Me 'n procellasdracon will hafta hash this out, but at least one. Likely a girl.

Heh. Fun thinking about all that stuff. You're free to make corrections or additional comments if ya want, procellasdracon!

[ac-liveblogs]

they never knew that all along richard was the true leader.... what would their superpowers be? any straying from canon?

Even if Jellal teams up with them, Richard’s the True Leader. He’s the only one with good judgement and any monetary sense. 

I kind of want Sorano to have some Totems herself - I wasn’t planning on giving Lucy all twelve, so Sorano’s definitely got some of her own. 

Richard and Macbeth’s powers can stay as they are, but I’m changing Sawyer’s to genuine hyperspeed. Not quite the Flash level, but at least a solid Quicksilver (…X-men movies Quicksilver, not AoU Quicksilver…)

Erik I’m a little conflicted on! I’m not sure if I want to keep him with poison powers, or give him more sound-based ones, focusing on his ability to “hear” and his sound magic from the Key of the Starry Skies.

[fairytailconfess]

My favourite ships with Sorano are with Sawyer, Macbeth and Sting.     -- submitted by anonymous

[fairytailconfess]

I really love Racangel, but sometimes I feel lonely with shipping this. I’m surely not the only shipper of this crackpair, it’s just hard to find others who like it.      -- submitted by anonymous