To anyone who reads my other fics; yeah, I know I should probably finish or at least update them before starting new stories . At least I haven't neglected them longer than a week though. And I actually started writing this a while ago, but kinda gave up on the idea. Just happened to read it again and got some new ideas. Please review if you like or want to suggest anything :)

Laxus eyes the pretty mage performing before him. Mirajane Strauss had grown up into a perfect, well-rounded woman. She was beautiful, kind, strong, and talented. So it wasn't surprising a large crowd of her fans had gathered around the stage, listening in awed silence. Laxus snorted, annoyed. Half of the weaklings gathered around the stage barely knew Mira, and he had a feeling many of them cheered her on mainly because of her celebrity image.

Mirajane caught Laxus staring at her with his familiar disgruntled expression, and she flashed him a smile between singing. He turned away, obviously embarrassed with being caught staring. But her smile bothered him more than it should have. "Why the hell did she have to smile at me like that," he thought, frustrated, "It's not like she even cares about me."

Laxus stalked away from the crowd of mages, an irritated expression playing about his face. "Oh, hey! It's Makarov's grandson! It's no wonder he's so amazing," the words replayed in his mind. He stared at the floor as he walked briskly to find somewhere quieter. He wasn't watching where he was going.

"Ouch!" Two bodies hit the floor. Laxus looked up to see who had dared walk into him.

"Watch where you're going, stupid." A feminine voice jeered. The girl had long white hair, pulled up into a ponytail. Laxus hadn't seen her before.

Laxus had bumped his head, and now his pride was insulted as well, "Do you know who I am?" he growled. He was such a hypocrite. He was constantly irritated by his successes being credited to his lineage. But he used the title to his own advantage when it was necessary.

"No, and I don't care," she glared. She stood aggressively in battle pose, as if expecting a punch. Laxus blinked, unsure if she really believed he would hit a girl. Of course, it wouldn't be necessary.

"I'm Makarov's grandson!" he declared proudly. And now, he would wait for her to fall to her knees and beg for forgiveness.

"Whatever," she muttered instead. Laxus gaped at the unexpected response. "You just look like some puny punk." And she headed off on her way as if he was nothing.

It would have been so easy to just shoot her with a deadly bolt of electricity right then, but somehow the thought never crossed his mind. He grinned. Somehow he liked this scary girl.

"Good job on the show," he said to her later on. They had bumped into each other at the doorway, and he felt the need to say something.

She smiled her usual Mira-smile, "Thanks."

"You going out?" He looked at her dressed in a black, fashionable coat. Well it was pretty obvious that she was, no need for the pointless questions.

"Yes, actually," she laughed. "Erza demanded I bake her more of those strawberry cakes, and I'm all out of ingredients. I thought it'd be nice to leave the guild for a bit and actually take a walk."

"I see," said Laxus. "Mind if I come along?" He regretted his words as soon as they left his mouth. She probably didn't want an asshole like him with her anyways.

"That would be very helpful," she nodded, "I was going to ask Elfman to help me carry the things back, but he seemed to be having fun. So…"

"And so you just decided to go on your own?" Laxus rolled his eyes. "How did you plan to carry everything back?"

Mirajane giggled sheepishly.

Laxus had just returned back to Magnolia after a solo job, but he could already tell something wasn't right. Upon entering the guild only silence greeted him. Normally, he would have felt grateful and not being bombarded with festivities. But at that time, the somber mood in the air stopped him from saying anything.

A few people nodded in greeting. Erza, seeing him enter, beckoned him to follow her. She lead him somewhere quiet, where they wouldn't be overheard. "It's Lisanna," she began.

He had to admit that he nearly broke down. He had never got close with his guildmates, but Lisanna had to be the only person he never found annoying. And she was the only person who was never disturbed by his sullen attitude.

And a few days later:

"Shit," he thought to himself, cursing his own luck. He was now face-to-face with the last girl he wanted to see. "Mirajane," he said aloud.

She nodded to him in greeting. They were both standing in the hallway of the guild, and one of them had to move aside to make room for the other. But now that he had fallen into this trap, Laxus didn't feel comfortable with just moving aside and letting her go.

God, the Demon Mirajane looked terrible. The wounds upon her skin were countless, and she looked as though she could barely stand. And the normal sneer on her face was replaced with a dull, stoic expression.

"Maybe you should go rest," he suggested timidly, afraid of what type of reaction might result from his statement. As far as he knew, she was still recovering at the hospital. She shouldn't be wandering about.

"Why don't you make me," she taunted half-heartedly. Laxus blinked. She had the strangest expression on her face; a combination of anger and sorrow. Even though her face was twisted in a scowl, her jaw was shaking as if she were holding back tears. She swayed unsteadily on her feet.

"Whoa, easy," he held on to her shoulders, moving her back so she could rest against the wall. He could have easily let her gain support against his torso, but he wasn't sure how close was too close for the Demon Mirajane. "Why do you have to be so vicious all the time?" he asked, not really expecting a response.

"I have to be strong," she sniffed, "To protect my family."

He had no idea where she had somehow mixed up scary and strong in her mind, but it made sense in a way. He patted her on the back, unsure how to respond around her when she was in such an emotional state.

"And I couldn't do it," she continued miserably.

His hand ruffled through her soft hair. "Look, if everything in the world worked out exactly the way we wanted it to, no one would ever die. I've seen you for years, and I know you were one of the most caring, protective siblings I've ever seen. And sometimes 'everything in your power' just isn't enough. Whatever happened down there, I know you must have done your best to protect them."

The tears were now swarming out of her eyes. As if embarrassed to let him see her cry, she buried her face into his chest. Her arms moved around him in a desperate hug. Laxus blinked, unsure if this was the Demon Mirajane everyone was so afraid of.

"Thank you," she whispered, her voice muffled against his torso. And he found himself hugging her back.

He was well aware that they probably looked like a couple, shopping together in the grocery store. Her cheery face showed that she likely wasn't thinking the same thing as him. While he felt nervous and somewhat conscious of her company, she seemed at ease.

"It seems they changed the layout of the store," she thought aloud, "Where do you suppose the flour is?"

Laxus shrugged. To be honest, he wasn't doing much helping. Mirajane seemed well adjusted to doing things on her own, and she pretty much lead the way around the store. Laxus trailed along a few paces behind her, where he had a nice view of her from behind. He couldn't help noticing how that maroon color looked so good against her creamy skin.

"You bored yet?" she chuckled, suddenly turning to give notice to him.

He turned away suddenly; an attempt to hide that he was so blatantly staring at her a few seconds ago. "Huh? Oh, not really."

His embarrassment only seemed to amuse her. "Well, as long as you're here, feel free to pick out anything you'd like. I never did find out what your favorite food is." She waited, as if expecting him to answer her question.

He chuckled a bit at this, "You going to cook for me?"

"Well, if you want me to." She seemed a bit surprised.

"Then why did you kick me in the knee about five years ago, and tell me that just because you were a woman, that didn't mean you cooked."

She blushed a bit, remembering the incident as well. Laxus had seen her handing out lunches to her younger siblings, and had commented by saying he couldn't believe the Demon Mirajane could actually do womanly things. She had given him proof that she was in no way womanly, making it difficult for him to walk for days.

"What happened to the scary girl?" he half teased.

He probably said the wrong thing. Mirajane went quiet, staring down at her shoes. She bit her lip, as if thinking. He could easily hit himself again. Why did he always have to ruin a good moment?

"Do you remember the time when Lisanna tried to convince you I was actually a nice person?"

"Hmm?" He almost forgot. Upon hearing that from the younger Strauss, he had burst out laughing and scoffed that such an idea was impossible.

"You have no idea how relieved I am that I can stop being angry at everyone." She looked up at him, and he saw tears glistening in the corners of her eyes. Shit…what had he gotten himself into? He did the only thing he knew how to do.

"Heh. Guess that's good for me, because you were one scary bitch."

Mirajane blinked at him, startled at the sudden rudeness in his voice. She brushed off the tears in an angry movement. "That's great," she smiled, but there was that unmistakable glint in her eyes. She swept past him, her pace suddenly quickening. "I think I'm all done here. We can go back now." Her tone was curt.

He walked behind her. He should say something. It was his fault after all. But he just couldn't bring himself to. She was walking right in front of him, and he could easily tell her what he really meant before they reached the guild and it was too late. The truth that he always thought about her and always cared, Demon Mirajane or Sorcerer Magazine Mirajane. He loved both sides of her, and he wanted to tell her that she never had to pretend when she was around him. She didn't have to be frightening to protect her family, or put up a smile when she actually wanted to punch a wall. But the truth was that he was scared, and always had been. He was afraid that she would push him away if he got too close, and the only thing he could do was push her away before she did the same to him. It's what he had always done…

"Laxus, you have to come back!"

Her face was clouded with worry, and she looked close to tears.

"But why?" he scoffed. Why would he come back for her now? She hadn't even remembered he was alive for the past…who knows how long. She had been utterly broken when Lisanna died, and he was the one who had consistently tried to cheer her up back then. She had made many enemies in the guild around that time; although the guild still cared for her, few people were close enough to actually speak to her. Of course, everyone had said they were sorry for her loss, mainly because they loved the adorable Lisanna, but no one tried to mend her wounded heart.

And so Laxus had taken this job. He would tease her lightly when he saw her, an attempt to make her smile. He maintained his standoffish Laxus-manner, but did his best to find comforts for Mirajane. When she was gone, he'd "accidently" spill out some of her more favorable stories; the time when she rescued a kitten for Lisanna, she protected two children from a bully in the park, and other true and untrue events. Slowly, the other guild members began to approach the former she-devil. His job wasn't too difficult either. Mira had always been a pretty girl, but as she grew up she had become a beauty.

"Are you sure?" she had asked him many years ago. She held up a segment from the Sorcerer Magazine.

"Relax," he smirked, "Who wouldn't want to see you in a magazine?"

And so she had begun modeling for Sorcerer Magazine. And the fame just as easily followed. And with all that attention, Laxus was quickly pushed out of the way. He never bothered trying to fight for her attention. He wasn't the type that dropped down his pride for someone else. He was the cool, confident Laxus who never needed anyone. And so they grew apart.

"Please, Laxus! The guild is in danger!" she cried.

Was she begging him now? It wouldn't make a difference to him. If she didn't care about him, he didn't care about her. "I'm busy," he said lazily.

She sputtered in disbelief, and he couldn't help but find it cute. He also couldn't help feeling a bit bad, but he had already gone too far. There was no way she would forgive him now.

"Fairy Tail can deal with their own problems," he continued, "If they pissed off a superior guild, they should face the consequences. And like hell I care about that new bitch, Ms. Richgirl. My advice, just give her to them and run."

"Laxus!" she exclaimed. He saw a familiar glint in her eyes. She wasn't begging now. No, she looked ready to punch straight through the communication lacrima and tear him apart.

He sneered, "I haven't seen that look on your face in a long time,"

"Come back, Laxus." It was no longer a request. And it was getting harder for him to say no.

"Deal with it," he curtly cut her off.

And then he heard a loud crashing sound, and the connection abruptly went off. He could imagine her smashing the lacrima with just her fist. He would have found it cute if he wasn't so terrified.

She seemed in a rush to get back to the guild, and he didn't blame her. Who would want to be stuck alone with an asshole like him? And the pace she was walking at made it seem like she didn't want him around anyways. He should probably just leave her be, and save her the torture of being around him.

"I'm gonna go," he finally said. Mirajane stopped walking, but didn't turn around. Taking that as an okay sign, he began to turn away.

"That's it?" she whispered.

He turned around. He almost wished he didn't. She looked furious. Although he stood almost a head above her, he began to feel scared.

"You have nothing else to say then?" she glared up at him.

He shrugged. Damn it, what did she want? Probably an apology. But he suddenly felt embarrassed about his behavior towards her that evening, and he couldn't say anything.

"Why do you hate me so much?" she finally exclaimed. She threw her arms up in exasperation. "Why can't I ever do anything to make you happy?"

"Why would you want to make me happy?" he was genuinely surprised.

She was just as surprised at his question. "Why would you ask such a stupid question?" she mumbled.

He blinked back at her, "No, really. I know you hate me." He looked away. It was even more painful to say the truth aloud. "You don't have to pretend to be nice around me."

"Well if we both think we hate each other, it's not going to do either of us any good," she sighed, exasperated. "And look. I don't hate you. It makes me mad when you even think that."

"Who wouldn't hate me," shrugged Laxus, more speaking to himself, "I'm a complete asshole."

Mirajane scoffed at this, "Right, asshole," she rolled her eyes, "You can definitely act like one, but you're far from being a bad person."

Laxus blinked in surprise. Mirajane looked absolutely serious as she clenched her fists, more determined to prove his worth than he was.

Looking straight in his eyes, she continued, "I know what you did for me back when…when I was hurt," her voice faltered, "and…I never did say thank you for helping me back then."

Laxus felt his face flushing with embarrassment. Praise was something he always received from his Raijinshu, but it felt different coming from the white-haired beauty before him. "I'm not sure what you mean," he turned away abruptly.

Mirajane seemed to become extremely offended by this. She stormed up to him and pulled his face to hers by the collar of his shirt. Laxus gaped in surprise; the two of them probably did make a strange sight right then. "Don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about. I found out about everything you said to the guild from Erza! About how you got them to stand up for me! And…you were always there for me back then." Now it was Mira who felt embarrassed, releasing her hold on the startled Lightning mage and moving back. She hugged herself, and Laxus didn't think it was because of the cold.

There was just something about the sight of her shivering. He moved forward and pulled them together, wanting back the sudden warmth he had found. It was strange; he had always been thinking about her, and yet holding her now, she felt so foreign. The soft skin of her shoulders exposed by her dress, the way those big blue eyes looked up at him in confusion, and the gentle sound of her breaths – he loved it all.

"I should have said sorry," he murmured, burying his face into her silky hair. He had never actually touched it before, but he was always fascinated by it. The pure, white color of it had always attracted him, but she was always just too far away.

A sound escaped the girl's throat. Laxus wasn't sure whether she was trying to say something, protesting, or accepting him. And somehow, being covered with the growing darkness of the night, he felt the need to expose every feeling he had hidden for all those years. "Sorry for everything I've done to the guild, sorry for always acting like a jerk, sorry for what I said earlier."

Surprisingly, Mirajane smiled and shook her head. The smile resembled the one she always wore in the guild, but still had a part of the Demon Mirajane. It was gentle, sweet, caring, but also strong, determined, and protective. "You don't have to apologize," she whispered, "After all, we're the same aren't we?"

"Huh?" His eyes, which had been slowly drifting shut, turned to look at her. He was still resting his hands on her shoulders, but they had moved a bit apart.

"You could say the Demon Mirajane was same as the outward asshole you claim to be. And yet, you found the person I was inside," said Mira, staring at his chest as if afraid to meet his gaze.

"Hmm," thought Laxus.

"And now I've turned into a different person in most people's eyes, but there's a side of me only you, Lisanna, and Elfman still know. And I know there's a softie under your tough skin."

Laxus smirked, "I'd prefer if you didn't expose that side of me,"

Mirajane raised her eyebrow in a cheeky grin, "And I'd prefer if no one knew the Demon in me still exists. It makes things more interesting."

Laxus shook his head, "You're evil."

Mirajane smiled in perfect imitation of her sweet, innocent smile, "The guild is going to get worried."

"Either way, I'm glad we got to…" he faltered, at a loss for words. He scratched his head, embarrassed.

Mirajane stared at him. Was his face really going red? "I didn't expect you to say something like that," she giggled.

"Yeah, well," Laxus glared at her for placing him in such an uncomfortable situation. And then he grabbed her towards him, tilting her chin up to reach his. Her lips felt warm, her hands pressed against his in surprise, but it felt so perfect. It was a feeling of winning a prize he had always wanted, but never believed he could have. And she kissed him back, her hand reaching up to embrace his neck and pull him closer. His hands were on her waist, drawing her all the way into him.

Finally she pulled away, her face glowing in a delicate blush. Laxus looked at her, and wanted to kiss her all over again. But instead, he patted her roughly on the head. "I knew you'd finally be into me," he smirked in his typical Laxus attitude, "Now let's go back before you get sick."

She rolled her eyes at his words, but then gave him a cute smile, "Laxus, I never actually bought those groceries. You can go back and get them for me before I catch a cold." And she practically skipped away, leaving Laxus to slap his forehead in frustration. Ah well. They both knew he'd buy those groceries for her. They both knew he'd do a lot for her.

And I'm not so sure how I'd say this turned out. Towards the end the cuteness just made me feel all awkwardly embarassed . Guess I'm kinda like Laxus in that way lol. Please feel free to tell me if this totally sucked, just make sure you add some ideas for improvement lol.