Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.

Prologue

Year X778

"Hey! Who the hell did that?"

Twelve-year-old Natsu shouted after a wooden chair mysteriously landed on his head. His eyes roamed around the guild hall, until it finally spotted his rival sitting on a chair across the room. His head hung lazily and was supported by his palm.

Without second thought, Natsu confronted him, "Hey, ice prick! You tryna pick a fight with me?"

Gray glanced jadedly at him. "It wasn't me, flame brain."

Natsu stomped angrily to him. "Say that again ice princess!" he challenged, feeling the itch to beat his butt off.

Losing his temper as well, Gray stood up. "I said it wasn't me, flame brain." He intentionally emphasized the insult part.

In a blink of an eye, Natsu's small body lunged forward to his rival, and the guild's daily brawl began. It didn't last long though, because Erza—who acted as the guild disciplinary—was there to witness the whole situation. Hands on hips, and a scowl on her face; she wasn't pleased at all.

She hastily grabbed both boys' shirt, effectively stopping their brawl.

"What did I tell you about fighting each other?" She hissed dangerously.

Both of them sweat dropped, but Gray was brave enough to defend himself. "I—I didn't do anything! Ash brain started it!" He pointed an accusing finger at Natsu.

"H—He's lying! He threw a chair to my head!"

"I told you it wasn't me!"

A thick mark appeared on Erza's forehead. "Both of you shut up!" She knocked their heads onto each other's, earning a series of painful groans. Knowing that her job was done, she left to enjoy her waiting strawberry cake.

"That hurts!" Natsu pitifully rubbed his swollen head. His eyes glassy, looking like he was about to cry.

"Aww, is little Natsu crying?" Thirteen-year-old Mirajane teased, a glint in her eyes at the sight of the poor pink haired. She pinched his cheek hard. "You're adorable when you cry."

"Ouch, ouch, ouch, Mirajane! Stop!" He swatted away her punishing hand. It only made the Demon laugh hard.

"It was me, Natsu," she suddenly said.

He got up to his feet, now rubbing his red cheek. "What?" He asked.

"I was the one who threw it, not Gray."

"So it's you! You wanna fight with me? You could have just ask, it doesn't need to involve chair-throwing!"

Mirajane flashed him a devilish smirk. "Come on, where's the fun in that?"

"Alright, then let's fight!" Natsu's eyes lit up with determination at the thought of fighting a strong opponent.

"Bring it on." The Demon motioned her index and middle finger, challenging him to come at her. A cocky smile was apparent on her face, knowing full well that her victory was a certainty.

The small dragon slayer charged at her, his fist in the air ready to land a punch on her face. But his speed was no match for her as she merely sidestepped to dodge his attack. Once his body hit the floor, Mirajane showed no mercy by kicking him hard on the gut, sliding him across the room, hitting the tables and chairs in the process. Just like that, she singlehandedly ended the match.

She dusted off her hands, chuckling haughtily. "You still got 20 years ahead of you before you can defeat me, little punk."

His response was a mere groan.

"Nee-chan! Stop hurting Natsu, he's got enough already!" Lisanna chided, rushing to the pink haired.

Mirajane merely watched as her little sister helped him to get up. "If he's a real boy he can handle it. Let him be, Lisanna."

But the said girl chose to ignore her sister. Her attention was fully directed at the dragon slayer. "Are you okay?"

He nodded, and wiped his mouth with the sleeve of his shirt. "Yeah... I'm alright."

"Lisanna!"

The commanding tone startled both of them. The youngest Strauss sibling finally turned to her sister. She didn't say anything, but her deadly glare was enough of a confirmation that she had pissed the Demon off. Natsu immediately cowered in fear, even Lisanna almost feel as scared. But she knew her better than that.

Without a word, Mirajane turned on her heels and slammed the guild door open, stomping away angrily.

"Please forgive her, Natsu. She could be mean sometimes, but she's actually really nice." Lisanna smiled apologetically at him. "I have to catch up with her. I'll see you later!"

"Bye." Natsu waved back.

Once her figure disappeared, he muttered to himself, "Stupid Mira."

Year X781

With sixteen-year-old Mirajane and fifteen-year-old Natsu.

"Big fish!" Happy exclaimed hungrily as he watched Natsu caught his favorite food with his rod. They had by far caught three fish in total, but this one was the biggest. Happy was practically drooling all the time.

"Yes! We're going to have a feast tonight!" Natsu raised the fish in the air. He wasn't less enthusiastic than the blue cat.

"Huh, nice catch."

Both of them spun around at the feminine voice to see the infamous Fairy Tail Demon leaning against a tree with crossed arms. For the past three years she had grown into a more mature girl. While her old self used to bully everyone around her, and pick out fights, now she had surprisingly become calmer. Her fighting frequency with Erza had gradually lessen, though their never ending rivalry didn't subside. She would still—however—make pranks and tease people every now and then, Natsu was no exception. She still enjoyed seeing him cry.

"M—Mirajane? What are you doing here?"

She shrugged nonchalantly. "I was training over that forest when I hear familiar voices from around here. I see it was you guys."

"Oh yeah, Happy and I are just fishing for dinner tonight."

"Yeay, fish!" Happy chirped in, practically jumping up and down in excitement.

Mirajane, who was still in the same position leaning on a tree, frowned. "You can cook?"

"Ah..." Natsu scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "No, actually. We're just going to roast them as usual."

"Like what? Burning them with your fire?"

"Yeah!"

Her frown deepened. She imagined both of them eating a poorly scorched fish with their overwhelming appetite, and it wasn't a pretty image. Her mind quickly dispersed the thought as she was starting to feel sick. She decided to help them once in a while.

"What if you bring those fishes over to my house and I'll make you something decent?" She offered casually. It's been a while since she last made seafood herself.

"Really?!" Both Natsu and Happy's eyes were sparkling with hope. When she nodded, the blue cat had lost himself in his own world, while the dragon slayer did a victory dance.

"But on one condition."

They stopped their little fantasies and victorious moment to listen.

"You both have to clean up the dishes afterward."

Natsu saluted. "You got it ma'am!"

Followed by Happy. "Aye sir!"

Mirajane smirked and gestured them to follow her. "Come on, it's going to be dark anytime soon."

And they happily followed her.

By the time they reached Strauss' residence, Elfman and Lisanna were already waiting in the living room and were surprised to see that their big sister had invited someone from the guild to their house, let alone for dinner. Though Lisanna was more thrilled than surprised to have her best friend in her house.

"Yeay, Natsu will join us for dinner! Natsu will join us for dinner!" she chanted around happily, while the said boy merely grinned. "You're the first to visit our house, you know."

"Really?" Natsu shot his eyebrows in surprise.

Lisanna nodded. "Mira-nee doesn't like it when other people come here, so I was surprised when she brought you along. But it's okay! You're more than welcome in here." She clasped her hands and grinned enthusiastically.

"I don't know what Mira thinks either, but whatever it is, I'm glad. As long as there is good food served." He grinned widely.

Happy tugged his small paw at Lisanna's dress. "Lisanna... When is the fish ready?"

"Oh, it will be ready soon! Just wait for a few minutes, okay?"

As if on cue, Mirajane called her from the kitchen.

"Lisanna, help me clean these fishes!"

"Coming!" She ran into the kitchen, thus leaving Natsu, Happy and Elfman in the living room.

Happy flew around the room and declared, "I'm going to check out Lisanna's room. Which one is it?" he asked Elfman.

"It's the second door upstairs. But keep out of nee-chan's room," he warned with a serious look, and Happy knew better to listen to him.

"Aye sir!" And off he flew upstairs.

Natsu's keen nose caught the delicious smell of food from the kitchen. He tiptoed his way there but was stopped by Elfman.

"I say you'd better stay here."

He groaned. "Why? Can't I just have a taste? Or a peek?"

"Nee-chan is serious when cooking. You don't want to disturb her, or you'll know the consequences. Trust me, I've been there before." He mentally cringed as he recalled the last time he messed around in the kitchen when her big sister was working there, and he had his head hit by a frying pan and was almost thrown a knife at.

Knowing how fearsome the Demon Mirajane could be, Natsu took his advice and plopped down on the sofa. Waiting would definitely be better than dying.

"Ah, so good..."

Natsu patted his full stomach happily once the dinner was over, a content smile was clear on his face. He and Happy were the ones who ate the most with so much appetite one would believe they hadn't eaten for a week. However, it was rather an amusing scene for the Strauss siblings, except for Mirajane though who had to remind them to keep their calm on the dining table every ten seconds.

"Mira, I would come here every day for a meal like that," the dragon slayer said, still patting his belly.

"I told you Mira-nee is the best cook in the world!" Lisanna chirped in proudly.

The unnecessary compliments made Mirajane blushed. "S—Stop it, I'm not that good. And you helped me there."

"Cleaning the fish was hardly any help, Mira-nee."

"Anyway," she quickly changed the subject since she was feeling rather uncomfortable. "You two still had chores to do." She pointed at Natsu and Happy.

"Chores? What chores?" Elfman asked curiously, looking between his guests.

Mirajane smirked. "The only reason I brought them here is so they can help with the dishes. It's only a fair trade seeing how much they enjoyed my cooking."

Natsu slapped his palm across his forehead. "Damn! I totally forgot about that."

"Remember, a promise is a promise." The Demon's smirk grew wider, and more devilishly.

And Natsu could only sigh dejectedly. "Alright, alright. Come on buddy, let's get this dishes done." But when he turned to the blue cat, he found that he was already sleeping soundly, with a drool lingering on the edge of his mouth threatening to fall.

"Happy wake up!"

No answer.

Happy was still asleep.

He was about to shake the hell out of his tiny body when Lisanna stopped him. "Don't do that! He's probably tired and in need of sleep. It's good for his growth! Don't you want the best for our child?"

Natsu groaned. He was actually pissed at her for mentioning those stuff, especially in front of other guild member. "Ugh, fine. I'll do it myself."

"Whatever, as long as someone cleans them." Mirajane shrugged, and left the room, followed by Elfman who excused himself to go to bed.

Lisanna cradled Happy in her arms. "I'm going to bed too. I'll take Happy with me, is it okay?"

"Yeah, yeah. Sure."

They exchanged 'goodnights' and she left. Natsu lazily walked his way to the kitchen sink to find an overwhelming amount of dishes waiting for him. He sighed loudly, but started washing anyway. He was unaware of Mirajane who leaned against the threshold, watching him with an amused smile.

She finally approached him. "Here, I'll help you."

Natsu was surprised when he saw her. He didn't expect her presence in the kitchen, let alone helping him. Since when did Mirajane became so nice toward him? Was this the 'Kind Mirajane' Lisanna described her as?

He was caught staring at her as now she stared back at him, frowning. "What?"

"N—Nothing." He resumed cleaning the stain off the plate.

"Tell me about Lisanna," Mirajane suddenly said, her hands still busy wiping the plates.

"What do you mean?"

"Do you really like her?"

"Like her like what?"

"Stop throwing questions back at me!"

"Alright, I'm sorry!"

And silence fell upon them.

Mirajane had to hold the urge to hit his head. She sighed, and managed to ask in a calmer tone. "So, what do you say?"

"Lisanna? Well, she is my best friend, of course I like her," Natsu replied matter-of-factly.

"I mean real feelings, not just buddy-buddy affection."

He blinked, still didn't understand.

Unable to sustain her patience any longer, she grabbed a frying pan near her and hit his head with it without even so much as holding back.

"Ouch! The hell Mira?!" Natsu rubbed his head painfully.

The Demon flashed a lopsided smile, feeling relieved to finally release her pent up anger. "That's for your dense brain. Maybe it will help to get it work properly."

"You're crazy!"

"And you're an idiot. Finish your job already, then you can go home."

Grumbling, Natsu continued his task on hand. All of Mirajane's earlier nice impression had vanished from his mind. She was certainly still the same old Demon of Fairy Tail.

He was too preoccupied with his thoughts he didn't realize all of the dishes had been cleaned.

He whistled in surprise. "Wow, things sure are faster done when together."

"Yeap, that's why I helped you in the first place, so you can leave my house sooner."

"Aw, are you trying to dissipate me? Come on, I like it here!"

Mirajane's eyebrows shot up. She was surprised that the dragon slayer still enjoyed his time being there even though she practically exploited him and even physically abused him. "Are you kidding?"

He shook his head. "What's not to like when I get to eat your fantastic cooking?"

Another compliment about her cooking, which effectively made her cheeks pink again. "S—Shut up, dumbass." She glanced at the clock on the wall which showed it was already a quarter past nine. "It's late. You should go now."

"But what about Happy?" he asked, remembering the exceed was still with Lisanna.

"He'll be fine with us. It won't make you cry to sleep a night without him, right?" Mirajane grinned. Her mischievous self was back.

"O—Of course not! I'm brave enough to sleep on my own!"

His extravagant response made her chuckle. "Good then. Now, shoo." She waved a hand to dismiss him.

Despite the way she sent Natsu away, Mirajane was considerate enough to walk him to the front door, something she found odd herself. But she figured it was a silent gesture of gratitude for him helping out with the house chores, even if it wasn't much. Though she wouldn't even admit it to herself as her ego was too high.

Before Natsu exited the house, he stopped and turned back to the oldest Strauss. He scratched his head nervously. "Umm... Do you mind if I, you know, hang around here again some time?"

Though surprised, Mirajane was able to mask it away, and folded her arms instead. "So you can have an all-you-can-eat feast all the time?"

"Yes, uh... I mean, no! I—I want to play with Lisanna here."

She cocked an eyebrow. "Really? Are you sure you don't want to have a taste of my 'fantastic cooking'?" She made an air quote at the last words, mimicking the way he said it earlier.

Knowing that he was busted, Natsu grunted. "Ugh, fine. I want to join you guys on dinner too."

Mirajane's lips twisted into a devilish smile as an idea popped in her head. "You may."

"Really?"

"Only if you agree to do the chores again. Maybe you can try sweeping the house next time."

He bumped fist into the air. "Awesome! I don't care what it takes, as long as I get to eat good food!'

"It's a deal then," Mirajane declared, extending her hand for a handshake.

And Natsu firmly sealed it, "Deal."

Since then, the dragon slayer started to visit the Strauss residence more often. Sometimes simply to play around with the siblings, Mirajane was no exception, and some other time he would stay later to have dinner with them. The warmth he felt when he was spending time with them was something he had never felt before. The laughter and cozy atmosphere that radiated in the air around them always comforted him. He was beginning to feel he had a real family.

Year X782

It had been three days.

Three days since the guild was informed with the sudden death of their beloved guild member, Lisanna. Her death wounded the guild deeply. Everyone hadn't stopped mourning since then, especially those who were close to her.

Three days ago was the last time everyone saw the remaining Strauss siblings. People assumed Elfman was too guilty to even make an appearance in the guild. He couldn't stop blaming himself for what happened to his sister, even though no one was putting the blame on him. Mirajane was another issue. She didn't cry during the funeral, nor did she utter a single word. Throughout the whole ceremony she merely stared at Lisanna's gravestone. Her face was bleak and her eyes were dull. When people approached her to show their condolences, she would returned it with a polite smile but it was void of any emotions.

Natsu was walking down the streets of Magnolia with Happy floating slowly above his head. Neither of them said anything. Lisanna's death still affected them in many ways. While Happy would still mourn over her every once in a while, Natsu was fast to recover. It took him a whole day to cry over his childhood friend, and the day after that, he no longer did. But it didn't mean that he was over it, no, he just chose to keep silent about it.

His main concern now was Elfman and Mirajane.

As they reached the guild, he opened the main door, hoping to find the familiar faces of the Strauss siblings among the grim faces of Fairy Tail mage. And he found one.

"Hey, Elfman," he greeted as he sat next to him on the table he was occupying. Happy settled on his head.

"Natsu, Happy," he acknowledged slowly.

Natsu tried to lift the heavy atmosphere surrounding him by grinning and patting the bigger guy's shoulder. "It's good to see you back. How are you feeling man?"

"Honestly? Not good. I can't stop thinking about it. I'm a man, I should have been able to protect my family, but instead I hurt them." He shook his head in disappointment, his eyes were full of sadness.

"Hey, nobody blames you for what happened and you know it."

He sighed sadly. "I can't help it. Every second I think about what would have happened if I weren't so reckless. I'm such a failure of a man," he wailed, his eyes welling up with tears. He covered them with the back of his hand and started sobbing silently.

Natsu frowned. He didn't like to see Elfman acting so weak and vulnerable. "Stop it," he said rather harshly. At this, Elfman looked up at him.

"You claimed to be a man all the time yet all you do is sit here, lamenting and blaming yourself over the past that cannot be undone. You can't change what's happened, so what you got to do now is look forward, wipe that tears out of your face and smile. Lisanna wouldn't want to see you mourn over her relentlessly, it would make her feel like she was being a burden for you. Instead, she would want to see you smile. Smile over the fact that you hadn't completely lost her because she will forever stay in your heart." He stopped for a moment as the image of his childhood friend smiling warmly at him crossed his mind. Unconsciously, he smiled too. "For her sake, we have to be strong so she could forever rest peacefully."

To say that Elfman was surprised was an understatement. He was stunned by his words. He never imagined that it would be Natsu of all people who gives lecture and acts so wisely even though deep down he knew he was suffering too. He didn't know how he did it, but his words managed to knock some sense into him. For Lisanna's sake, he would be strong and live his life the way he used to. A newfound determination rose within him. He started to see everything from a new perspective. From now on, he would get stronger so he could protect his family; his sister and his guildmates.

"Y—You're right, Natsu. I should have been more considerate of Lisanna's feelings." And for the first time today, he smiled a sincere smile. "Thank you."

Natsu grinned, happy that he was able to help someone, especially Elfman. Then he remembered something.

"Where's Mira?" He asked as his eyes scanned the room.

"Nee-chan hasn't been very well these last three days. She's been staying inside her room most of the time, she doesn't even go out for dinner. She refused to talk or even see me. I'm really worried about her, but what can I do? Every time I ask her if she's okay, she'd always settle with 'I'm fine'. It's painful to watch her like that."

Natsu was taken aback at how terrible Mirajane was handling the situation. His concern over her had increased even more. He needed to see her. "I'll try to talk to her."

"Yes, I think you should," Elfman agreed. "Whatever it takes to bring her back again."

He didn't need to be told twice. He nodded firmly at him and rose to his feet. Remembering his blue cat, he lifted him off his head and placed him on the table.

"Stay here, I'll be back soon," he told him, which the exceed replied with a small nod.

And with that, he left the guild.

Strauss' residence was now in a different condition since his last visit. Somehow, the place had gotten darker and messier rather than the usual clean and tidy condition, and the lively atmosphere that used to surround the house was replaced with a gloomier one, perfectly matching the current emotions of those who lived inside it. It saddened him.

He ascended the stairs and wasted no time to reach Mirajane's room. As he predicted, the door was closed.

He knocked softly on the wooden door. "Mirajane?" he called.

There was no immediate response. He waited for a few seconds before knocking again.

"Who is it?" A small reply came from the inside.

"It's me, Natsu. Can I come in?" He waited for a reply, but when there was none, he took it as an approval and permitted himself to enter.

Mirajane was crouching on her bed, arms hugging her knees protectively, and her eyes warily following every movements he made. Her skin looked paler despite her usual, already pale skin, and she looked sick like she hadn't eaten for days, which, Natsu thought, was a huge possibility. She was wearing a mini black satin nightdress, and the length did no help in covering her long legs, especially in her current position. Her tousled platinum locks were not tied in a ponytail as usual, instead she let them flowed against her bare back, which was a new sight for Natsu. Despite holding the title of the Demon of Fairy Tail, right now she almost looked angelic.

Strange enough, he found himself admiring her beauty, something he didn't normally do. Never once had a girl's beauty caught his attention because he had always seen all of them the same way. No beauty had ever stood out in his eyes, yet now Mirajane, who wasn't even her normal self, dressed in a simple nightgown, face bleak and hair messy looked surprisingly attractive to him. He didn't know which one sounded crazier; getting the idea of Mirajane being beautiful or getting the idea of Mirajane being beautiful during the current circumstances.

This whole idea made absolutely no sense for him. He couldn't fathom the feeling he was currently experiencing. He had seen her everyday for years now. Her casual attire was never one to be categorized as decent or proper, so why would a simple short nightgown make any difference? Since when did he start looking at her that way? And why now, of all times? Was it because she wore her hair down? Or was it because she looked so fragile, so innocent and... very un-demon like?

He hadn't realized he had been holding his breath all this time, so he released them.

"Hi, Natsu," she greeted, her voice was strikingly soft. She flashed a faint smile for a mere split second before it was replaced with a blank stare. "What are you doing here?"

"Just want to see how you're doing." The dragon slayer smiled as he walked over to sit across her on the bed.

Mirajane's eyebrows were knitted into a light frown. "I'm fine. Why would you worry about me, though?"

"I'm worried because I know you're not okay. You hadn't showed up in the guild for three days, Elfman told me that you isolated yourself in your room, and now you're not acting like yourself."

"I just told you that I'm fine."

He didn't like that she was acting as if nothing happened. He grabbed her shoulders firmly. "Mira, please stop it."

She tilted her head slightly, staring at him with her big blue eyes. "Stop what?"

"Stop pretending to be fine when you're not." Natsu stared back at her firmly, his grip on her shoulders tightened. He hated to see her like this. He figured, he would rather deal with the Demon Mirajane everyday than this weak and fragile Mirajane. "You're not okay, and you know it. Why bother deny when the way you act completely spell backwards?"

I know you're sad, I am too. We're facing this situation together, so don't dwell in it yourself, don't be afraid to share how you're feeling with the others. I mean, I'm here now, I want to hear you talk and I want to help you get through this. Just please, don't act like her death never happened. It kills me to see you like this."

Mirajane was astounded. His words brought all of her senses back together as if she had just been resuscitated from a daydream. A sharp pang of various emotions hit her all at once, and it was too much for her. When she couldn't hold it no more, an involuntarily fresh tear rolled down on her cheek. She threw herself at him and started to sob hard on his shoulder.

Although surprised, Natsu tried his best to stay calm for her sake. He wrapped his arms around her, rubbing her in an attempt to soothe her back that was shaking uncontrollably. He didn't know how long they stayed like that. It felt like forever, but in a good way. Her shaking had gradually lessened under his touch to the point that she was no longer crying. Even then, she still clutched onto his shirt like it was her lifeline. He didn't mind though, he found himself somewhat enjoying it.

Mirajane finally pulled herself, and Natsu had to reluctantly let her go. He realized that even though her face was all red from crying, and her eyes were puffy and wet, she was better now. At least now her face were filled with emotions, albeit it was sadness.

She wiped her tears away with the back of her hand, and looked straight at him. What happened next was something that he never thought Mirajane could do; she gave him a genuine smile. Never once in his life had he seen her showing that kind of smile, ever. He liked it though, he had decided. He wanted to see her smile like that more often. It was the kind of smile that emitted warmth which he could practically feel spreading inside his whole body. It made him comfortable.

"Thank you," she muttered under her breath. Her voice was slightly raspy from all those crying. "Honestly, I—I didn't know what to do. When Lisanna died, a part of my soul died with her as well. She's my only sister, losing her feels like losing one of your limbs; you're not complete without it."

She smiled a bitter smile, and it strained his heart. "But I feel better now, thanks to you. I never thought you're capable of being... such a good friend."

Natsu chuckled. "I'm really glad I could be of help. Next time, please don't shut yourself out of everyone again alright? You had me really worried there."

She chuckled too. "Yeah... sorry."

Looking at her pale face, he frowned. "You look sick."

The Demon shrugged. "I haven't eat anything since yesterday afternoon, soo..."

"What?!" he exclaimed in shock. No wonder she looked so pale. "You're crazy! I'll go grab you something to eat."

Natsu rose to his feet and was about to walk when she grabbed his wrist, stopping his movement. Puzzled, he looked down at her.

"I don't want to eat anything. I want you to just stay here with me," she whispered, giving him a pleading look. She didn't care if she sounded so needy and weak, because right now, she was. Her high ego and pride had long gone and forgotten. He was right, she wasn't being herself right now.

He was reluctant at first, but decided to just comply. "Okay, if you say so."

When Natsu sat down across her, she shook her head and patted the vacant space beside her. He obliged and moved to sit next to her. She lifted the comforter so both of them could slip their legs inside it. Instead of sitting, she lied down, looking ready to sleep. She scooted her body closer to him until she rested her head comfortably against his lap, and she closed her eyes.

"Uhh... Mira?"

"Hmm? Is something wrong?" she asked without opening her eyes. She was beginning to feel sleepy, and she found that the dragon slayer's lap was surprisingly comfortable.

When he saw how comfortable she seemed to be, he decided to let her be. Though he didn't really mind acting as a pillow fill-in in the first place. "Nothing," he muttered.

Natsu spent the next minutes observing Mirajane's sleeping form. Her platinum hair shone beautifully against the dark of the room, they looked almost as delicate as silk. From his position, he could see a tasteful amount of her cleavage, and he found his gaze lingering on those part longer than he intended to. He quickly tore his eyes away from them as he was beginning to feel like such a pervert.

The rhythmical movements of her breathing chest were more regulated now, indicating that she had already fallen asleep. He never would have thought that a demon could look so peaceful in her sleep. If he didn't know better, he wouldn't believe that this angelic-looking girl was the Demon of Fairy Tail at all.

Her soft platinum locks looked tantalizingly inviting, and he was itching to touch them. Tentatively, he reached out for her hair slowly, afraid that he might wake her up. When she stirred in her sleep to wrap her arm around his torso, he froze, as he realized that now she was effectively hugging him for the second time today. His eyes instinctively traveled down to his wrapped waist. He could feel her silky skin pressed against his exposed stomach, and for some reason it made him blush.

Continuing where he left off, he finally placed his palm on the top of her head. The tip of his fingers were met with the amazingly smooth platinum strands. It felt even smoother than it looked, like pure silk. Out of reflect, he started stroking her head slowly, hoping that it could bring comfort in her sleep, because she looked like she really need one of those nice and peaceful slumber.

His eyelids felt heavier with every passing second, but his fingers never once stopped stroking her. But when he felt like the sleepiness had taken over him, he surrendered to it.

The next time he opened his eyes, Elfman had somehow appeared and he could never forget the look on his face when he found them.

Author's note: Hi, there!

So recently I've been enjoying reading NatsuxMira fic, so I decided to make one myself. I'm pretty excited in this project. I've given you all I've got in this chapter, so I really hope you enjoyed it as well! A heavy start, I know. It might seem a little to soon for some of you, but no, I won't rush the romance. It'd be geat to hear back from you guys! I'd greatly appreciate very feedbacks, comments, and even criticisms, as long it could improve this story.

Also, if you found any similarities between this story and other people's please note that that it's not entirely intentional. I might took some ideas from here and there but I never meant to copy their story. When I wrote this, I didn't realize it turned out almost similar on certain scenes. But I didn't want to change anything on here either, so yeah.

Bye and see you soon!