Love Letters

"What do you got there, Lucy?" Mira asked as the blonde giggled over a sheet of paper as she sat at a table with Levy and Lisanna. The other two women were clearly putting on their happiness for the celestial wizard, their jealousy coming off in their glares.

"Hmmm?" Lucy looked up from her letter as Mirajane came to join them at the table, apparently on her break. "Oh, nothing, really. Natsu just-"

"Wrote her the best love letter ever," Lisanna said with a frown as her sister sat down next to her. Levy, who was across from her and next to Lucy, only rolled her eyes.

"Who knew he was such a romantic?" she asked sardonically while glancing over at another table, where Gajeel was shoving his face with screws and bolts as Lily looked on approvingly. "You're just so lucky, Lulu."

Lucy only giggled before moving to hand Mirajane the letter. "I just woke up this morning and it was sitting on my desk. I guess he and Happy snuck in last night. Again. I would be mad at them, but this-"

"Wow," Mira said as she read over the note. "I'm shocked that he has such good penmanship."

"You're joking right?" Lisanna asked. "That looks like chicken scratch."

"I know, but it's at least legible," Mira giggled as she handed the letter back to Lucy. "Is this the first time he's written you a love letter?"

"Mmmhmm," she giggled as she took it back and read over it again. "He hasn't even shown his face at the guildhall all day."

"Maybe he's bashful," Mira offered up as Lisanna and Levy rolled their eyes.

"Maybe who is bashful?" Suddenly, Erza was standing at the end of the table, her usual look of suspicion on her face.

"Hey, Erza," Lucy greeted with a grin. Then she moved to hand the note off to her as well. "Natsu wrote me a love letter. Isn't it cute?"

"A love letter?" Erza remarked slowly before taking it. Then she tossed it away, back into Lucy's hands. "It is illegible. What makes you think that it says anything remotely roman-"

"I can read it perfectly," Lucy told her with a frown. "He says that he loves me more than he loves eating fire even. And if I were a fire, I'd be the best tasting fire-"

"This is a love letter?" Erza asked before snorting. "That is no such thing."

"What do you know?" Lucy asked, clearly defensive of her letter. "You're just jealous because you never get one."

"Never get one?" Erza snorted. "I get love letters all the time."

"What?" Lisanna looked to her then. "From who?"

"Who do I not receive them from? Ichiya, men who have seen some of my articles in Sorcerer-"

"Those don't count," Lucy told her with a smirk. "That's not love. That's lust. Natsu really loves me."

"Even I get those, Erza," Mirajane said with a giggle.

"You do?" Levy asked before frowning. "What makes you and Erza so special?"

"I'll give you one guess," Lisanna remarked dryly, nodding at her sister's chest, making Mira giggle and Erza look off. Levy only wrapped her arms around herself in a self-conscious manner.

"Anyways," Lucy sang again as she hugged the piece of paper to her own chest. "Those don't count. Those are just horny boys hoping to get a peek. I'm the only one with someone who really loves me."

"Do not flatter yourself," Erza told her then, still looking off. Then, in an attempt to make herself sound just as important as Lucy, she nearly revealed a secret on herself. "Jellal has sent me over a dozen-"

And then she stopped speaking. At the words, the four girls before her looked up.

"What did you just say?" Levy asked, giggling.

"Erza," Lisanna laughed.

"Wow," Mira giggled. "And here I was, thinking you-"

"Enough. This is a stupid discussion." With that, Erza reached out to grab Lucy by the arm and jerk her up. "Come. We must decide on a job to take. Immediate-"

"What is all this commotion then?" Juvia was making her way over to the table then, staring at Erza and Lucy with contempt in her eyes. "Have you two seen him then?"

"Seen who?" Lucy asked, though they all knew the answer.

"Gray," the blue haired mage answered easily. "I have not found him all morning."

"Perhaps he and Natsu are together then," Erza said. "I hope so. It shall be easier to find them. Of course, now that Natsu is such a romantic, perhaps he has lost his fighting ability."

"Ha ha, Erza," Lucy remarked with a glare. "You know, for someone that just revealed that they're getting love letters from Jel-"

"What is this talk of love?" Juvia asked. Looking to Levy, she said, "Tell me. Now."

"Nothing, really," the solid script mage assured her. "Natsu just wrote Lucy a love letter and now-"

"And now you're all trying to ruin it for me."

"No way, Lulu," Levy told her then with a grin. "We're just…well, I'm just disappointed, I guess. In Gajeel."

"Come on," Lucy told her then. "I'm sure that Droy and Jet would write you a thousand love letters if you told them that's what you wanted."

"It wouldn't be the same."

"Love letters, hmmm?" Juvia looked around. "Where is my Gray? He will write me the best love letter of all time!"

Mira began giggling again, looking to her sister. "It's all so cute, huh?"

"Super cute," Lisanna said with evident disdain. Mirajane only patted her on the head before getting up to get back to work. She couldn't leave poor Kinana alone for so long, after all.

"Hey, Levy." Gajeel was over there then, Pantherlily following along behind him. "'bout to go out and train a little. You wanna-"

"Do whatever you want, Gajeel." She turned and walked off. "I really don't care."

"What's her problem?" he grumbled, looking to Juvia, but her eyes were glazed over then as she thought of the possibility of her one true love writing her one of those nifty little letters. Oh! He'd write the most magnificent one there ever was. She just knew it.

…All she had to do was convince him to write it.

"Watch where you're going, Laxus!" Levy yelled then as she headed out of the hall, nearly running into the Master's grandson who was walking in himself. Making a face down at her, he snorted, his shock being the only thing keeping her from feeling the biggest bolt of her life. One of lightening right to the heart.

"What is up with the chicks in this guild?" he grumbled as he headed over to the bar. "Thinking they can talk to me however the fuck they want?"

"Hi, Laxus!" Mirajane popped up in front of him then, across the bar. He only grunted when she grinned at him. "Did you want something to drink?"

"Usual," he grumbled as she leaned across the bar to give him a kiss. Making a face, he said, "Mira."

"I'm just super happy today, Laxus."

"Why?" he asked, pausing then as he racked his brain. Was there some sort of event that he forgot? It wasn't an anniversary, was it? Theirs? Or some other stupid event she liked to make important for no reason? "What's today?"

"Nothing's today, silly," she told him as she reached over to ruffle his hair. If she wasn't the only person he remotely liked in the entire world, he'd have given her a shot of lightening for the transgression. But as it stood, he loved her the most and she could do practically anything to him.

"Then why are you so happy?" he asked with a frown.

"Because I think it's cute."

"What's cute?" He was beginning to get annoyed and she could tell. Giggling, she went to get his drink, speaking over her shoulder then.

"Natsu is. He wrote Lucy a love letter."

Snort. "That's not cute. That's stupid."

"Sounds unmanly," Elfman declared from further down the bar, where he was seated with, err, by Evergreen. Upon hearing his words, she hit his arm. "Hey-"

"It sounds very manly to me," she told him as she used her hand fan to hide her face. "What's more manly than showing your love for someone else in such an expressive way?"

"Try everything?"

Another hit. "It's manly, Elfman. Say it."

"Alright, alright," he sighed, defeated. "It's manly."

Mirajane giggled, going to give Laxus his drink then. "I just think it's cute is all."

Snort. "For children, maybe. They all need to grow the fuck up. They act like-"

"I think it'd be nice to get one," Mirajane said thoughtfully then. Pausing, Laxus took a sip of his drink before speaking again.

"You would?"

"Mmmhmm."

"…Well," he began slowly, though that was all he said. He had nowhere to go from there. Mira only smiled at him again before leaving him behind to get back to work.

"What's Levy so upset about?" Gajeel was asking Lily then who only looked around.

"From what I can gather, apparently the Salamander has written his woman a love letter," the Exceed said, nodding his head. "And now most of the other women are jealous."

"A love letter, huh?" Gajeel rubbed his chin. "That sounds stupid."

"I have found, Gajeel, that most things the women around here want are stupid."

With that, the dragon slayer was inclined to agree.

Just then though, the guildhall doors opened and in walked a very upbeat Natsu. He was excitedly talking to Happy, who fluttered around overhead. Wendy was with him, as well as Carla, the latter seeming bored, but the first giggling at whatever he was saying.

"Natsu!"

Lucy jumped him almost immediately, literally launching herself into his arms. Natsu caught her, laughing some more at her response to him.

"What's up, Luce?" he asked with a chuckle. "You liked that note, huh? That I wrote you?"

"Very much so," she said as she released him so that she could look into his eyes as she spoke. "Thank you so much, Natsu! You're, like, the best boyfriend ever!"

"What'd the idiot do now?" Gray grumbled as he came in behind them, a frown on his face. Making his way passed Natsu and Lucy, he went over to Erza. "Because their relationship is taking a serious toll on my sanity."

"More than you know," Erza sighed as Juvia made her way over.

"Gray, my darling," she spoke almost immediately as he only looked over the job request Erza was holding out to him. "Here you are. Tell me, do you have something for me?"

"Hmmm? Oh, yeah, Lyon was around earlier. Wanted me to tell you something about coming by to make plans later or something." And with that, he began discussing the job request with Erza, leaving Juvia behind in the dust. Not that she had long to ponder that, as not a moment later, Gajeel's voice rang out.

"Dragneel!" he snarled loudly, causing everyone in the guildhall to look up. Leaving his kitty behind, Gajeel headed over to the other dragon slayer, fists clenched at his side.

"Where do you get off, huh?" he growled as Lucy and Natsu stared at him in shock. "Making Levy all pissed at me? Who do you think you are?"

"What are you talking about, man?" Natsu crossed his arms, stepping in front of his girlfriend. "'cause unless you want to fight or something, I'm sort of busy over here."

"I'm talking about that damn letter you wrote your stupid girlfriend," he grumbled. "You know that one that set every other stupid woman off in the guild? Huh? What the hell were you thinking?"

"I beg to differ," Erza remarked then, frowning over at Gajeel. "You speak as if it would matter to anyone that Lucy got something special from her boyfriend. Why would any other woman care at all?"

"I dunno, red," he growled. "Why don't you try looking around and then tell me!"

Sure enough, after glancing around, Erza found that Juvia was still a wreck, Ever was arguing with Elfman, Lisanna was moping over at one of the tables, and even Kinana seemed a little down. And of course, Levy had run off. The only woman that been around when they were talking about the letter that was acting normally was Mirajane and that was because, well, Laxus basically was her slave. If she wanted a letter written, she'd probably get a whole novel from him by the morning.

"Regardless," Erza said then. "Natsu did a very kind thing. A very out of character thing, but kind nonetheless."

"Oh, nah, I didn't think of it," Natsu said. "Happy suggested it. He even wrote one for Carla."

"Really?" Lucy looked over at the female Exceed who only crossed her arms and turned her nose up.

"Yes. And I promptly threw it away. There is nothing that tomcat could write me that I would ever wish for."

"I was only trying to get Natsu to say that he loved Lucy," Happy admitted sheepishly.

"Well, of course I do, little buddy," Natsu said which of course set Lucy off in another squeal. Wendy giggled as Lucy also threw in a bone crushing hug.

"You guys are really cute together," she assured them as Natsu merely patted his girlfriend on the back.

Gajeel only took to growling some more. "What do you idiots not get about this, huh? Now what? I'm gonna have to…write Levy something?"

"Well, I'm sure she'd like it," Lucy offered up, but that clearly was not what he was wanting to hear. He only roared one last time before taking off. Lucy almost seemed concerned, but Lily assured them all that he'd go calm him down and all would be fixed.

"Man," Natsu commented softly to Gray as they stepped away from the group. "You do one little thing to get laid and everyone goes crazy."

Gray only shook his head as he unconsciously began to unbutton his shirt and rip it off. "I know what you mean. Once-"

"Ah! Gray! I don't wanna hook up with you," Natsu exclaimed when he saw what his friend was doing. Gray frowned until he looked down and found his hands had somehow wandered down to his fly, which they began unzipping.

"Well good," he yelled back. "Because I wasn't offering!"

Erza only sighed, turning then to tack the request back up on the board with a groan. She highly doubted that they would be getting anything done for at least the next week. Hopefully.

The next day, the guild was slightly more calm. Lucy and Natsu were off at a table by themselves, giggling and talking softly to one another. Lisanna and Levy sat a table with one another too, making faces at their supposed friend. Not that they could help it. It was Lucy's fault for flaunting her caring, loving boyfriend around.

The day was about normal for Mirajane, however, if not a bit slow. There seemed to be no one around that morning, but she was certain that it would pick up some as the day went on. The only one ordering drinks at the moment was Elfman, who seemed to be getting rather plastered for such an early hour.

"Something wrong, Elfman?" she asked as she refilled his beer. "You wouldn't want your big sister having to carry you home on her lunch break, would you?"

"I'm just real nervous, I guess," he sighed. "Waiting for Ever to turn up."

"Why?" Mirajane asked, cocking her head to the side. "You do something for her?"

"Uh," Elfman stammered. Then, finding his resolve, he said, "Of course not. We're not even friends," he insisted then, much to amusement of his sister. "Why would I ever do something for her? Huh? Huh?"

"Calm down, Elfman," Mira said. "I was only-"

Just then, a sound emanating from the stage off on the side cut Mirajane off. It sounded like someone tapping on the mic. Turning, she and Elfman were just as surprised as everyone else in the building to see Gajeel up there, in his usual musical getup, along with his guitar. Tilting his hat back, he plucked a few strings on his instrument before speaking.

"Hey guys," he greeted, trying far too hard to sound casual. Mirajane took to giggling as the others in the guildhall began booing without even letting him speak. As if immune to this, Gajeel merely kept speaking. "This one goes out to my little script mage, Levy. It's called Love Letter."

"Well," Levy yelled to Lisanna then over the sound of the booing and Gajeel's god-awful playing. "This isn't quite what I had in mind, but it sure beats Lucy's silly letter, doesn't it?"

"Hey!" Lucy yelled from her table with Natsu, who was trying to stuff napkins in his ears. "I heard that!"

"Sorry, Lulu."

Lisanna only groaned, resting her head against the table. It's not like she wanted Gajeel or Natsu, but being the only one without a boyfriend sometimes was hard. Especially considering even Elfman had someone (sort of)!

This was reaffirmed to the highest degree when, as Gajeel busted a gut up there, yelling about how much he loved Levy and all this other disgusting stuff, the guildhall doors opened and Evergreen rushed in, her eyes practically the shape of hearts as she cradled a bouquet of roses in her arms. Elfman, upon seeing her, downed the rest of his beer and quickly requested another from Mirajane.

"Sorry, Elf, but no more. I was serious about that not carrying you home thing."

"What?" he complained. "But Mira-"

It was too late, as Evergreen was over to him then. Instead of saying anything however, she only moved her flowers to one arm as she threw the other one around him. Standing then, Elfman almost fell over as she jumped on him.

"Ever," he breathed. "I didn't know if you would-"

"Oh, Elfman, they were beautiful."

"You really think so?" his asked, breath reeking of alcohol. Still, Mirajane only smiled as she leaned against the bar, watching them.

"Oh, of course," she told him as she kissed him, possibly for the first time in front of the rest of their guild members. Only Mirajane noticed though as other people took to throwing things, anything, at Gajeel to get him off stage.

"I tried writing you a love letter," Elfman told Evergreen then as Gajeel jumped up from his stool on stage and began snarling at the crowd. Levy rushed to go get him and stop him from picking a fight with anyone. "But it just wouldn't turn out."

"This is perfect. They're prefect," Evergreen gushed, grinning at him. "Thank you. So much."

"Of course," he said, flexing then. "Flowers are super manly!"

Someone else was coming into the guildhall then. Two people, actually. Erza and Gray. Upon the entrance, Erza went to go order something to eat from Mirajane while Juvia descended on the ice maker mage.

"Gray, darling," she greeted, coming to a stop in front of him. "Look around at all the love in the air. Don't you have something for me, my sweet?"

"Huh?" Gray was heading over to Natsu and Lucy though he did take a moment out to frown at the woman. "What are you-"

This set the water mage off into a round of tears. "I knew it! I knew that you would not get me anything. You never do. Why, my dear, do you not care for me like I-"

"Stop her, Gray," some of the members at near by tables pleaded. "Before she floods the entire place!"

"Alright, alright, sheesh." He hadn't taken his pants off yet and reached into his pockets. The only thing in there though was a cool looking necklace that he had found in a merchant shop the other day. If giving it to her would shut her up though… "Here, Juvia."

Upon getting the silver chain with the blue pendant hanging on the end, the woman about began to cry from joy. Her Gray hadn't forgotten her! And it was better than flowers that would wilt, a song that was horrible and no one liked, and far superior to a silly piece of paper. She would wear that necklace until the day she died!

Erza only grunted slightly as she took a seat at the bar after ordering. Kinana only grinned at her.

"Something wrong, Erza?" she asked to which the woman merely shook her head.

"Nothing," she said. "It is just… Tell me, you are not as crazy as the rest of them, are you, Kinana?"

"Oh, of course not," she giggled.

"That is good to hear-"

"I know that I have a friend somewhere who loves me far more deeply than any of the men in this room love their women," she told her then with a grin. "He speaks to me, after all. Or he did. Before-"

"I see," Erza said slowly before shaking her head. Mirajane was making her way over then and asked Kinana to go clean up the mess that had been left on the stage after all the things people had thrown at Gajeel. Rushing off to go do that, Kinana left the two former (current?) rivals alone at the bar.

"Morning, Erza," she greeted.

"It is more after noon now, I would believe," Erza told her, to which Mirajane only giggled. Seeing this, the redheaded woman asked, "And what has you so perky today, Mirajane? I take it Laxus has done something nice for you as well?"

"Why Erza, I take it from your tone that you most recent letter from Jellal was not up to par with those of days past?"

"Wha- I have no idea what you are talking about!"

"Of course not," Mira giggled as the other woman blushed. "Regardless, I haven't seen Laxus today, so no. Though perhaps it is the anticipation that has me so upbeat."

Erza only sighed before looking off. "Yes, well, I suppose that is a good thing."

"What do you mean?"

"Looking at what he is wearing, I assume that Gajeel was performing not long ago. And look at your brother and Evergreen." She shook her head. "It is disgusting, the way that women allow themselves to be manipulated by-"

"You were expecting a letter today, weren't you?" Mira asked with a slight frown. Erza's face fell as she admitted softly,

"Yesterday, actually. That is why I found it odd that Natsu thought of the same idea on such a day."

"Well, there's a simple answer to that," Happy spoke up as he walked by, patting his overly filled belly.

"What do you mean, cat?" Erza asked suspiciously as she glanced down at him.

"Well, it's simple," he said. "I might have been flying passed your apartment when I saw the mail get dropped off. And, overly curious, I might have gone and read it. In fact, the letter came two days ago. And it gave me the idea to write to Carla and have Natsu write one for Lucy. But I couldn't let you see the opened letter, so I threw it in the tra-"

"You what?" Erza took no time in jumping up and landing a decisive blow to the blue Exceed. He went flying across the bar, causing Natsu to jump up and yell his name.

"Little buddy," he exclaimed as he made his way to where Happy had landed on his head, over by the door. "What's the big idea, Erza?"

She only crossed her arms and looked off, saying nothing more. Mirajane didn't have long to giggle over the scene though as not soon after her boyfriend came walking into the guild, the door hitting Natsu and Happy as he threw it open with gusto.

"Mira," he said as he headed over to the bar. "We're going out. For your lunch break. Which I just decided is now."

She only giggled as he came closer and tossed a book onto the bar. "Laxus-"

"That's for you. Now go find Gramps and tell him you're gonna be gone for a few hours. This is gonna be a long lunch break."

She only giggled when he wagged his eyebrows though she didn't respond as she moved to lift up the book. When she read the title, she frowned over at him.

"Laxus, this does not count," she told him with a frown.

"Course it does," he remarked, crossing his arms as he came to a stop at the bar. "It's a book of love poems. That's basically what a love letter is, huh?"

"Yes, Laxus, but it's written by other people! A love letter is supposed to be from the heart."

Snort. Then, turning his head, he said, "Well, my heart feels whatever's in the stupid little book."

"You can't call your own present stupid."

Taking a step closer, he leaned over the bar and looked her in the eyes. "This is the best you're gonna get. Now you wanna go to lunch or what?"

They both had a stare off for a moment before Mirajane just took to giggling at his cuteness and threw her arms around him.

"Oh, Laxus," she giggled. "Of course. But tonight, when we go home, we're totally reading some of these poems to one another. And then you're going to pick your favorite and you're going to recite it to me from time to time from now on, huh? And-"

Grunt. Then, turning, he said, "Whatever. Come on, demon. Time for lunch."

Mirajane called out to Kinana that she was leaving before rushing around the bar and over to her boyfriend. When she made it to him though, she stopped and frowned.

"Wait, Laxus."

"Hmmm?"

"Look," she said, pointing out one of the tables to him when he glanced down at her with the hand that wasn't clutching her new book. Lisanna was there, laying with her head down, as she pouted over the fact that all her friends were so happy (or happily deluded in Juvia's case) with their love lives while she had not one to speak of. There was no way that Mirajane could leave her like that. With a frown, Laxus led her over to her sister.

"Hey, kid," he grumbled, making Lisanna lift her head. "You wanna come to lunch with us?"

She only dropped her head again. "No way. Leave me alone. I'm no one's pity-"

Growling, he turned from Mirajane then and marched over to a different table, where Bickslow and Freed were drinking and discussing jobs.

"You, here, now," Laxus grumbled as he grabbed Bickslow by the back of the shirt and pulled him up. His babies whined as he left them behind, but Bickslow wasn't stupid. The boss wants you for something, you go. Period.

"Here, kid, you wanna go with us now?" Laxus asked Lisanna in a gruff voice as he came back over to her table, shoving Bickslow away from him when they got there. Mira had taken to rubbing Lisanna's back and trying to sooth her. They both looked up though, at that.

"Bickslow here," Laxus went on, "he, uh, wants to take you out to lunch. With us."

"I do?" Bickslow flinched when Laxus slugged him in the shoulder. "I do! I really, really do, Lisanna."

"Um," she began, but it was Mirajane's turn to pull her sister up.

"Come on. Double dates are such fun," she insisted with a giggle. "Laxus and I never get to go on them. Mainly because he scares everyone off, but you're different. Laxus loves you, Lisanna. Don't you, Laxus?"

Grunt. Then he headed for the door. "Come on. I'm hungry."

As they left the guildhall, Lisanna and Mirajane leading as they giggled softly and kept glancing back at Bickslow, Laxus decided to speak to his friend in a hushed tone.

"You can eat with us, but you two need to get lost right after," he grumbled. "I'm cashing in on this stupid book thing the second lunch is finished, so you losers better leave us alone."

Bickslow stuck out his marked tongue, looking Lisanna up and down from behind. "If I'm hearing you correctly, there's to be after lunch activities?"

A swift hit from Laxus' fist to his head put an end to Bickslow's speculations. In fact, he saw stars for a moment.

"Not for you there aren't," Laxus grumbled. "You're to take her out and that's it. You hear me?"

"Loud and clear, boss," he moaned as he wobbled around, his vision coming back slowly. "Loud and clear."

Back in the guildhall, Gajeel and Levy were busy snuggling up somewhere as he sang his song again for her, much softer, as Erza left the guild in a huff, taking poor Happy along with her so he could go write the letter he stole down, as close to verbatim as he could get.

"Poor Happy," Lucy sighed as she and Natsu took their own table once more, her eyes drifting from Evergreen and Elfman, who totally weren't making out (or so they would insist tomorrow, she was sure), and Juvia, who was going around boasting about wearing her Gray's love charm as Gray tried to get her to shut up about it. "Poor everyone, really."

"Ah, who cares, Luce?" Natsu grinned at her. "At least everyone's happy, huh?"

"For now," she sighed as she leaned against him. Then, after a moment, she said, "Hey, Natsu?"

"Hmmm?"

"…You didn't really write that note did you?"

"Nah. I had Wendy and Happy write most of it. Then I copied it back down, in my own handwriting. It's the thought that counts though, huh?"

"Yeah, except Happy thought it up," Lucy mumbled. Frowning, Natsu's arm dropped from around her shoulders.

"Huh. When you put it that way, it's kinda silly that everyone got so worked up about it," he said softly. Lucy only giggled though, turning to kiss his cheek before looking around their love stricken guildhall.

"Only when you put it that way," she agreed softly as he took to nuzzling her neck. "Only then."

Whenever I start a fic, I always decide which pairings I want to add first. This time I decided to go for broke and add them all. I felt bad for poor Lisanna though and just kinda gave her to Bickslow. Not much else to do with her, I don't think.