A/N: This one was inspired by the latest chapter (451). It was just so adorable I had to contribute something! Also, Gajeel is the blame type. Please leave a review if you enjoyed this one!

"It's not a sin to fall in love"

True as it may be, it sure felt like one. Especially with her. He has no right to feel this way. He has no right to be in love with her.

A niggling voice in his head told him he would never earn that right.

But as much as he wanted to blame himself for these irrational thoughts and feelings he had, he felt that she was actually the one to blame.

Afterall, it was her fault for being so damn pitiful when he first joined the guild. She could have easily hated him like everyone else in the guild. It would have been a lot better than the stab of guilt he felt every time he saw her quiver at the sight of him.

It was her fault that he needed to go out of his way to protect her and prove that he was different. She made him feel like he had to show her that he changed. That he wanted to be her comrade.

And then it was she who decided all at once that she wasn't afraid of him anymore. And then she was the one to show him what she was truly capable of and amaze him with her intelligence. She chose to put all her faith into him saving the guild with Natsu.

It was her fault for being so insecure in herself. It was her fault he needed to be her partner so he could make her big. And of course it was her fault for crying over him and begging him not to die with that stupidly pathetic voice of hers.

It was her fault for being the first one to be kind to him when everyone else was still suspicious of him. It was her fault for being friendly when everyone else was distant.

And it was her own stupid fault that he got that weird squirmy feeling in his chest every time she smiled up at him, or that her laughter made him want to grab her face and kiss her. But most of all…

….it was her fault for making him fall in love with her.

So when she comes up to him while they were preparing for war and asks him if he's in love with somebody, he responds with, "Yes, and it's all your damn fault."

"What?" She asks, in that same pitiful voice that drives him crazy.

"That's right," he repeats, turning on her now. "It's your fault that I'm going through this."

"Going through what?" She implores, confusion flashing through her eyes.

He growls and gestures at her face. "That! When you give me that damn look! When you talk to me in that tone of voice! Can't you just treat me like everyone else in this guild?! It'd make my life a lot easier!"

And she just stares at him, looking dumbfounded. It was a sight he didn't get to witness often, and to his eternal frustration it was just as alluring as all her other expressions.

But then all at once realization dawns on her face and she colors a deep red. "Oh, you mean – you're…."

She's too damn much and it's not fair.

If this war was really going to be the toughest battle they've ever fight, then this could be the last time he ever saw her blushing face.

The phrase "fuck it" clearly rang through his mind before he took her face in his hands and pressed his lips into hers.

He was being greedy, but he couldn't bring himself to care. All he cared about was that all his pent up frustration through the years was being poured into this one moment.

She responded back, with as much gusto, throwing her arms around his neck. She was everything he wanted at this moment. She was his everything.

All the while he couldn't stop cursing himself for waiting so long to do this.

When they pulled apart, she kept her arms around him and stared into his eyes.

"You know," she tells him, bumping her forehead into his, "this is just as much your fault as it is mine."

"Is it?" He challenges, smirking.

"Yes," she insists, "from the moment you promised to make me big, you've been driving me crazy."

"Then that makes two of us." He says, before kissing her again. Because in whatever amount of time they have left, there's no way either of them will waste another moment on being frustrated. They've blamed eachother for too long.

It was time they forgave their sins.