Disclaimer: All characters belong to Hiro Mashima. ©

Mending The Distance

There is a reason why Mirajane adored the sea. Whenever her mind was clouded, she would head out by herself and depend on the vast blue ocean to give her some closure. The sea was her confidant. It was as if it can hear exactly what she can't express through mere words. Ever since the death of her beloved little sister, Mira depended on the sea to take away all the distress that she refused to show others and in return, give her some closure to get her back on her feet.

Yet she knows it could never take away the trauma and grief that haunted her since then. That's fine. She only needed something to placate her mind. Something that she can't ask of people to do because even if they tried, they would never understand.

It was strange, but she always felt as though the waves that crash on the shore were the ones that take away the pain that clung onto her chest, while listening to everything that is stuck in her heart. Then she would always go back home, or back to the guild, feeling relaxed enough to get through the day.

The air was crisp as she walked along the shore; her footprints trailing behind her with each step she took. The sky was painted in purple and orange hues with smoky white clouds streaking across the expanse. Her shoes hung from her fingers where her hands were clasped behind her back, and her maroon dress flowed along with the breeze that brushed by.

Today was one of those days where she seeks closure.

Her mind was occupied with thoughts of a certain someone. After the recent events that occurred by the hands of a certain lightning dragon slayer, and after hearing about his expulsion, she was unsure of how she can manage to take it all in. Everything that once felt like forever, now felt like a blur. The battles, her awakening…and now…his departure.

She should be back in the guild, finishing up last minute preparations for the Fantasia parade that will take place tonight. But not without finding some clarity of everything first.

Laxus…

His name fluttered in her mind.

She always thought that his distaste and arrogant attitude was a mask he wore for the sake of his pride. She always believed that there would be at least a shred of fondness for his guild.

But little did she know that it wasn't a mask at all…

His anger, resentment, hatred and lust for recognition of his own power had been growing on him throughout the years; leading him to become unstable and heartless in his actions, leading him to only focus on himself in hopes that the light he craved for would shine upon his name.

And now, it's only clear that this whole time, the young boy who always adored his grandfather was simply buried deep inside. The man who truly cared for his guild was fighting his own battle – a battle with himself.

It was such an irony… you'd think he hated the guild; but he was way too proud to allow its name to be badmouthed by anyone he comes across. Fairy Tail – the guild that is a home to its members… he was only turning a blind eye to that fact.

Despite everything that Laxus did, Mirajane could not bring herself to hate him. But that did not dispel the disappointment she felt over his actions and the way he treated her.

She then inhaled the fresh air that engulfed her surroundings, and released it in a soft sigh.

He's probably gone by now. She didn't even get to see him, or talk to him, or just... something. The last time she'd seen him was at the guild when he was searching for the Master. Could it be that even up till now, he was still pushing her away? She didn't know. Her chest felt hollow because nothing feels the same at all. The guild wouldn't feel like the guild without Laxus.

Is this it? She couldn't help but wonder. Was this truly it? He will be gone and everything just falls back into place without his presence? It was strange. Way too strange. Laxus was someone she grew up with…built memories with… he had been in her life since she entered the guild. And now that he was leaving…she felt so uncertain of how to go on.

Someone she once (secretly) admired is now stepping out of her life. Someone she, at this point, thought that she knew. They grew up together, they knew each other in a sense. He had seen her in her best and her worst. And Laxus was someone who always managed to bring out the worst in her. He always knew how to poke the inner demon that she had buried deep within her this whole time. And surprise, surprise, he had finally succeeded in bringing it out in its entirety, albeit indirectly since it was Freed who provoked her.

Yet Mirajane could never read him the way she thought she could. He was always full of surprises and she wasn't sure if she liked that or not. When it comes to Laxus, she never knew what would be next. He always made her question herself. He always made her question what they were. Friends? Foes? Could they ever be something more? How did he see her exactly? She wasn't sure. Laxus only knew how to set eyes on her dark side. And now…

"So this is where you were."

A low, masculine voice put a stop to her thoughts. Mira's steps halted, her eyes widened as she sucked in a breath, registering whose voice it belonged to.

She then turned around, the wind whipping at her hair, causing her to lift her hand and brush her silvery locks aside. Her heart jolted at the sight of the blond mage with a lightning bolt-shaped scar running down his right eye walking across the sand, wrapped up in bandages and holding onto his duffel bag as his fur-lined coat fluttered behind him with the wind.

There he was, making his way towards her as he locked his gaze with azure ones, his face holding a neutral expression. She was unable to compose herself and allowed a smile to stretch at her lips as a pink blush glowed on her pale cheeks. She thought that he was gone by now. It turns out that he was still around. Relief washed over her. She was glad that she got to see him once more before he leaves for sure.

"Laxus…" she whispered softly.

As soon as he was close to her at arm length, he slowly halted his steps. Their gaze never faltered; they stared at each other for a few moments, before one of them spoke.

"Shouldn't you be preparing for the parade?" Laxus asked.

Mirajane shrugged, and giggled slightly. "I just needed some time to think about things."

Laxus grunted, and then shifted his gaze to the side nonchalantly. "Erza told me you would be here."

Mira's eyes widened slightly. She did tell Erza that she will be heading out for a while. Her rival knew her a little too well. "You were looking for me?"

Shifting his gaze back to her, Laxus nodded.

"I felt that we needed to talk."

Mira fell silent at those words. Always full of surprises… She wasn't expecting him to be here. She thought that this was her alone time. To think that he would actually be looking for her made something flutter in her chest. Her lips fell back into a wide, warm smile, breaking the silence.

"How are you, Laxus?" she asked him in a soft tone.

He didn't answer immediately. How could he say that there was a storm raging inside him? An emotional turmoil from everything that's happened? How could he say that he was feeling so lost after his grandfather had officially exiled him?

"I've been better," he said in a straight tone. "You?"

Mira only shrugged her shoulder, and then turned to face the horizon once more. "I've been better, too."

Silence. The only sounds that could be heard was the waves crashing at their feet as their minds worked over their identical responses. It was good to know that both of them were trapped under the uncertainty of what happens next. Surely, they've been better. If only it was easy to just gather all the confusion and turmoil lurking within them and throw it away, allowing the sea to consume it and let it vanish within its depth. It's sad that things can't work that way.

Laxus watched her for a few moments, allowing his eyes to take her in. The rays of twilight kissed her pale complexion; tinting her with the colours of lavender flame. She is beautiful. He couldn't deny that. She always has been.

Exhaling slightly through his nose, the blond lightning mage turned around and faced the horizon as well. The silence was awkward. He had come out here to talk to her. He had things he wanted to say, but he just didn't know where to begin.

Mirajane also, had so much to say. So much to ask, yet she couldn't let it all out. Neither of them were feeling too mindful about the time, so they waited, willing the other person to say something.

Because as of right now, she realized that this was the chance to close the distance between them. They were no strangers; they were a part of each other's life. The gap between them became so wide as the years passed by. Lisanna's death, the change that took over Mirajane, and Laxus' somewhat twisted priorities pulled the two of them apart. It is only going to take the two of them to fill that gap between them. So she waited for what he had to say.

And at long last, he cracked the silence this time.

"I heard that you awakened Satan Soul."

She can't deny that she didn't expect that. But she didn't react. She remained calm. Yes, she did awaken it once more. She gained her magic back after a brutal battle with one of his companions. After a battle where she nearly killed said companion. A battle that sprouted from his attempted usurpation of the guild.

"Yeah, I did." she replied. She then looked at him from the corner of her eyes; her lips were pushed up to a slight smile. "I guess I have you to thank for that."

His head whipped around to look at her. His eyes widened slightly, and his mouth parted so that he could reply, wanting to retort by asking how so, since she was the one fighting Freed, until he understood what she meant.

His mouth then snapped shut, and he scrutinized her features. He really wasn't sure if there was some sort of resentment behind that, or…something else. Something he couldn't put a finger on.

Sighing slightly, he said, "Honestly, I am glad you're back." It was the truth. He had longed to see that demon of hers… the demon that had been sleeping for so long. It just showed a side of Mira that he always respected.

Mirajane shifted to look at him fully.

"Really?" she asked him in a quiet tone.

Laxus nodded. "Yeah, really."

"Why?"

A ghost of a smile graced his features. "Because I always knew that you still had it in you."

A thought entered Mirajane's mind as she took in those words. One of the purpose of everything that's happened was filtering out those who were strong and eliminating those who are weak. Mirajane couldn't deny how useless she felt whenever her guild was in trouble, and that she couldn't do much to help because her fighting spirit and magic power was gone.

Her power relied on darkness to call it forth. Rage… hatred…bloodlust…fear… When Freed tortured her brother right before her eyes, and threatened him with the word "Demise.", the heavy emotions that swirled inside triggered her dark magic and awakened the sleeping Satan within her. Because that's what her power fed on to awaken.

"Is that what you wanted to talk about?" Mira inquired. She wanted him to say more. She wanted to hear his thoughts. She wanted him to let it out to her.

Because Mirajane hated to think that this was some sort of goodbye. Deep down, she didn't want to believe he'd be gone for good. Gone from her life forever.

His lips reverted back into a frown, and he shook his head. "No, that's not it."

"Then what is it?" She prompted softly, her brows furrowing in concern.

He let it out a sigh before he started, holding her gaze as he spoke. "Mirajane…I'm going to leave this place with no attachments. And I want to clear a few things up with you before I do." He then glanced down at his boots. "I know that we sorta drifted apart during those last couple of years, and I'm not going to deny that I've hurt you…just as I've hurt Gramps. If you feel that you resent me, I won't blame you. You have every right to feel that way. And I just hope that I'm doing something right with you, for once. So that's why, I-"

"Laxus," Mirajane called out, interrupting him. Yes, she wanted to hear what he had to say, but she had to dispel any thoughts of her hating him before anything else. He had to know that. She wanted him to know that, now that he was in front of her.

She was smiling up at him. It was somewhat comforting. "After everything that's happened, I don't hate you."

His eyes widened at her words.

She sighed, and looked down sadly, shaking her head.

"There is no meaning in that." She then looked back up at him. "I'm just glad that deep down, you do care about everyone. You do care about Master. You care about Fairy Tail… I always believed that you did, at some point. Which is why I would rely on your help whenever the guild was in trouble. It baffles me when you refuse, and when you would speak ill of everyone. I couldn't understand why because you're important just like the rest of us. A member of Fairy Tail, where we support our friends through thick and thin. I didn't want to think that we had someone who was entirely against us…"

Mirajane held a painful expression as she searched his bluish green eyes, hoping to find an answer to clarify the reasons that she couldn't seem to put together.

Laxus exhaled through his nose, then turned around to face the horizon. He couldn't deny that he was relieved to hear that she didn't hate him after everything. The woman was something else. At the same time, just recalling what he did left a bitter feeling in his gut. Knowing that he hurt her with his actions made him wish he could take it all back.

Perhaps making her understand was one way to make up for it. It wouldn't be much, but he hoped that she would understand. So he spoke. What she thought of it wouldn't matter so much now, since he wouldn't be coming back. He'll simply lay it all out in front of her as much as he could, and just leave, and if nothing much comes out of it, he can always pretend that neither of them had that conversation to begin with.

"I just held onto my own beliefs." He said in a low voice. "The belief of being my own person. The belief that the strong perishes the weak. The belief that I'm a part of a powerful guild that will soon be mine. I never wanted Fairy Tail to be looked down upon. It sickens me to think that I am part of a guild that people can talk trash about."

"Laxus…" Mirajane mumbled softly. Her tone was rather sad. But she wasn't interrupting him.

He continued. "I hated the thought of growing up being known as Makarov's grandson. I wanted my own power acknowledged. I wanted people to see me for the Laxus that I am, not the blood relative of another." His gaze darkened, and it reminded Mira of storm clouds. She also noticed how tense his form was. His hand was clutching at his duffel bag tightly; she was certain that it could snap at any second.

"You hate to be compared to Erza, don't you, Mira? It's kind of the same for me. I had to bear with all of that." He then shook his head and let out a humourless chuckle. "How pathetic. My entire self constantly being redirected to Gramps; the person who raised me. Never for who I really am. No one would see me as Laxus. Because who the fuck is Laxus Dreyar? Makarov's grandson. As expected of Makarov's grandson. Never for the man that he is." He spat out. "Next thing you know, your guild master is recruiting the ones that wrecked your guild and then you're walking around town and you hear a bunch of lowlifes in other bars disrespecting your guild and gushing shit from their mouths like they've got the rights. Like they can do so much better. I couldn't accept that." His voice was slightly rising with frustration. "I didn't want to be a part of that guild where we are looked down upon and spat at. That had been enough!"

He growled out the last part, his arm sliced through the air to emphasize his words. His canines flashed when he grit his teeth in anger. He did the best he could to swallow the rage that fueled inside him as he recalled the crap that those losers once said. It was hard.

Fairy Tail is nothing to be afraid of! That place is finished!

"Motherfuckers…" he mumbled out. Then, the voice of a certain pink-haired dragon slayer rang in his head.

The guild is our family! It's our place to go home to!

It calmed him down. A whole lot. "Little did I know how strong we always stood…People can talk shit about us, but words are only words until someone gets hurt. I just gave too much fucks about power that I didn't see what power was truly needed for us to stay strong…That I didn't see how great we've always been…I just ended up learning it all the hard way."

He kind of forgot that Mirajane was right there next to him as he vented out his feelings. He didn't realize that he had spoken too much until he heard her let out a soft sob. He avoided her gaze when he saw that her eyes were welled up with tears. He really didn't need that right now.

Man… He seemed to know how to only do that. Make her cry. As if it hadn't been enough.

"Stop it…" Although he was feeling uncomfortable, his tone was laced with exhaustion and…pain. "I didn't say all of that so you could pity me. You should know better than that."

"Laxus…" she breathed out. "Don't you know that in my eyes, you've always been you? You're Laxus Dreyar. A member of Fairy Tail. A powerful mage. A man of his own. Makarov's grandson by blood, not by power. Someone who is a part of my life. I could go on if you want me to, but this is the truth."

No, he didn't know that. As he took in those words, he had a pained expression with a lopsided smile spread on his lips.

"Kinda too late to say that now, don'tcha think?" he said softly.

"And also," Mira ignored him and continued. "You're someone so dear to me, Laxus, that I…" Her emotions were clouding her mind. She really wasn't thinking when her shoes hit the ground as she stepped closer to him and reached out to take his free hand in both of hers, squeezing it as her tears fell. "That I just wish it didn't have to end this way."

He fell silent at that. He swallowed the lump in his throat as he looked down at their hands. He could hear his heart beating so fast in his chest, and he willed his flustered mind to stay calm as he continued to listen to her.

"But it's not wrong," she whispered then, smiling up at him as a pink blush stained her cheeks. "to learn things the hard way. It's how life works. That's how we find ourselves. Surely, it will hurt. The pain we get from that lesson can be excruciating, but it will make us strong…if we let it."

He can feel her thumb brushing against the back of his hand. Her skin was so soft and the affection she radiated engulfed his entire being with warmth. He felt so content with being around her right now. He didn't even want to think about leaving.

"Everything that's happened up till now could be for the best. Well, that's how I see it." She shrugged. "Because even when you're at your lowest, you will always have someone who will hold your hand and show you that you're never alone."

Laxus couldn't stop staring at her. She had stricken a chord in him. A certain desire to be closer to her. Mirajane is just… breathtaking. She was an iridescent being that walked into his life, and he could just punch himself a million times for pushing her away. She is just so incredible that it's so surreal to be in this moment. He was expecting her to hate him. Or at least show him some form of resentment. At least the cold shoulder. Not smiles and...

Even though she was probably this way with other guild members, this is the first time that Laxus has gotten a taste of her warmth. Damn the reality that he is in. Damn the reality that they were in. Damn him for fucking up. Damn it all.

He couldn't help himself as he removed his hand that was in her grasp and pulled her into a one-armed hug. He leaned down and buried his nose in her silver hair, inhaling her sweet, intoxicating scent. Her head rested against his chest, and he felt her body tremble against his frame. He didn't want to see her shed tears any longer. But that wasn't entirely the reason. She was doing this to him. Making him feel this…this weird feeling that he couldn't explain to himself. And he just felt that need to hold her. Just this once.

He couldn't see it, but Mira's cheeks were burning as she realized that he was hugging her. Her eyes were as wide as saucers. She didn't expect him to do this at all! To think that Laxus would just pull her into an embrace of some sort…

Always full of surprises…

Her fingers clawed at the front of his coat, minding his wounds, as she buried her face against his chest. She was shaking as she shed her tears silently in sorrow due to the fact that this couldn't last, yet she was smiling so happily…

"Thank you, Mirajane." She heard him whisper. "And I'm sorry… for what happened to Lisanna. And for everything…" His voice was so soft that it made her shiver. Her heart was fluttering with some sort of intense feeling. Her voice was stuck in her throat, and she could only nod in response.

They didn't know how long they stayed this way. The sun had already set, and the moon already showed its face in the night sky, illuminating their surroundings. The waves were crashing ever so slowly against the shores. It was such a peaceful, quiet moment among two people whose hearts are joining together.

But good things didn't always last.

When they pulled away, neither liked the cold feeling that washed over them. They simply stared at each other for the final time, breathing in the moment before reality crawls its way back in.

Laxus then flashed a smirk; and mirth was dancing in his eyes as he spoke.

"Guess the other guilds are gonna need a warning if they ever dare to mess around. Who would ever wanna cross you now that the Demon Mirajane is back?"

Mirajane blinked as those words dawned upon her, and then let out a giggle, lifting a hand to cover her mouth.

"Oh? You really think so?"

He only nodded, letting out a slight chuckle. "Yeah, I do. 'cause in one way or another, I know you're gonna give 'em Hell."

The way he winked at her with that scarred eye intensified Mira's blush. It was rather…attractive. She liked it. A lot.

"My, my~ you flatter me, Laxus."

"Just sayin' the truth."

"Others would probably not want to cross me, but would you?" she then asked.

He grinned widely as he replied. "Heh. Maybe. Consider it a sin that I might be willing to commit. A battle with Satan herself… Sounds hot, if you ask me."

Mira resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Typical Laxus. But she just went on with the flow. She didn't know when they'd have another weird, yet cute moment like this.

"You know you shouldn't play with anything that's hot, Laxus."

"Who would want to play with Natsu?"

She couldn't help the laughter that tumbled out. It was contagious, because Laxus found himself chuckling along.

"Shouldn't you be heading back? The parade should be starting soon." Laxus asked, once their laughter died out.

That sort of made the smile on Mirajane's face falter a little.

"Yeah. I should."

Laxus nodded, then looked off to the side. "I better get going too." Adjusting his duffel bag, he looked at her once more, and prepared himself to walk off. "Guess this is goodby—"

"Don't say it."

His eyes widened slightly at her interruption. "Eh?"

Mirajane was smiling at him as she shook her head. "Don't say goodbye. Because it's not."

"Mirajane…" Laxus mumbled. He wasn't exactly sure of what she was trying to say. He thought it was clear that he was leaving. For good, he guessed.

"I'll see you again. Doesn't matter how long it'll take, but I'll see you again."

"Oh?"

"Mhm." She nodded. "I don't want this to be a goodbye. I don't want it to end like that, so I'll see you soon."

Laxus exhaled through his nose and closed his eyes, smiling.

"Heh. You really are something, you know that?"

Mirajane only giggled and winked at him.

Laxus let out a chuckle, then walked passed her. Mira turned around to watch him.

He then raised his hand, giving her a slight wave as he said, "See you later, demon."

A beat skipped. A strange sort of tingle soared within her, and she couldn't hold back her grin.

"See you later, Laxus." she whispered. She ignored the way her chest felt so heavy with each step he took, and waited until he completely vanished from her view. What's done is done. Everything will fall back into place. Changes will happen. Time doesn't stop there. But she will always believe that she will see his handsome face again someday.

As she made her way back, Mirajane was beaming brightly.

She finally found her closure. And it wasn't with the sea.

Author's Note:

I'm going through a severe art-block right now, so I decided to write something for Miraxus. I guess you can consider this as my first fanfic…and the first fanfic I've ever released because I was initially working on a multi-chaptered ObiRin story that is yet to be complete.

(I haven't forgotten about that. I just lost the entire plan I wrote on a paper, so I'm kinda lost in what comes next. I might have to plot it all over again).

You can probably tell what officially inspired this. My apologies for any mistakes! And I sincerely hope that this isn't OOC…

Please review and let me know what you think! I would truly appreciate it.