Strength of two

Usual disclaimer applies.

After the Grand Magic Tournament and the outbreak of the magical war, Cana and Laxus found themselves thrown together as a team since Makarov didn't allow them to work alone any longer. First, both mages protested fiercely at the idea of being forced to cooperate. Cana hadn't forgotten about Laxus' multiple betrayals and he still saw her as a weak little girl.

But as the weeks passed, Mira noticed that something changed between the both S-class mages. There weren't any complains and upon entering the guild hall after a successful job, they sat together and talked about the job they had just done and the one they would do next.

Erza who once joined them on an extremely dangerous mission remarked during her next meeting with her childhood rival that it had seemed like Cana knew every little variation of Laxus' magic and that they had functioned like a really good team – which they certainly were – while Laxus had been able to predict every card Cana would play and had been able to dodge one of her deflected shuriken cards without any trouble – and the card had come from behind him.

Gajeel was the next to assist them on a mission and while he muttered something about 'enough unresolved sexual tension to blow up the whole guild', he also commented – when Mira and Erza asked him – that Cana had looked like she could feel the way Laxus drew his lightening from the sky and that she had been able to foresee where it would appear next.

The result was a perfect harmony, Mira stated after she basically forced the duo to let her join them on one of their – by now – infamous quests … but at the same time, the questions started now. It was surprising for many that Gray was the first to ask the question "Why aren't they dating?" because things like that were Mira's interests.

"Maybe they are, secretly," Bisca suggested as she smiled at her daughter who was playing with Lily who seemed to enjoy the attention. "Cana and Laxus were always secretive…"

"But they wouldn't keep the fact that they are dating a secret," Levy said. "They aren't Evergreen and Elfman who we nearly caught in the act…"

Two mages blushed severely and for once, Elfman didn't claim that something was manly.

"Right," Mira said while she sent a glare into her little brother's direction. "Anyway, we have a lot of evidence that there is something going on between them…"

"Friends with benefits?" Gajeel suggested as he shrugged. "We are talking about Lightening Boy and Booze Chick, it wouldn't surprise me…"

"You are the one who complains about the sexual tension between them all the time," Lily remarked drily. "So, you are currently contradicting yourself, Gajeel…"

"Right," Erza said calmly. "But what if they are really just friends and we are making ourselves ridiculous by claiming that there is something going on? I mean, I am preaching harmony and unity in this guild for years and if I would assume that they have to be dating just because they are suddenly going along … I would be a complete hypocrite…"

"You are forgetting about the sexual tension Gajeel always senses," Gray threw in.

"Lots of teams mainly consist of this these days," Natsu shrugged. "Cana and Laxus aren't the only ones where we should question the dating status, huh? I am suspicious about you and Juvia as well, Gray. I don't believe that she nearly drowned and you had to breathe your breath into her lungs. I mean … she's a water mage, isn't she?"

"Juvia and the stripper? I feel like vomiting," a dragon slayer said and no, it wasn't Wendy.

"Harmony is something great and we really shouldn't do anything that might upset their fragile team equilibrium if you ask me," Levy stated as she pushed up her red-framed glasses. "We all should strive to achieve the same degree of harmony because it makes the cooperation between them far easier than it used to be."

"I am still not over this," Mira shook her head. "Sure, he doesn't look that bad especially since he got rid of this sadistic smirk but still … he asked her to strip for him when we had the Phantom Lord issues! How can she forget about something like that?"

"He didn't," Gajeel said in shock. "Does her father know about this?"

"Probably," Erza shrugged. "They had a pretty long conversation after she told him…"

"I am kinda surprised that Laxus is still alive after that," Macao stated with a shrug. "Anyway, I could try to get Cana to spill the beans…"

"Forget it," Mira sighed. "I tried multiple times but she just won't say anything."

"To return to the friends-with-benefit-theory you threw in earlier, Gajeel…" Fried said frostily. "I want you to know that Laxus doesn't do stuff like this for he isn't Loke."

Lucy gasped. "Could you please stop to insult my celestial spirit, you … you punk?!"

Needless to say, the conversation went off topic directly afterwards when Natsu decided to punch the Dark Écriture Mage for upsetting his girlfriend which led Mira to defend her own boyfriend which slowly dragged in the rest of the present members of Fairy Tail.

None of them noticed, however, how Cana shook her head as she grabbed another request from the board and left the guild, deep in her thoughts as she stared at the ground she was currently walking on. It annoyed her that everyone was assuming that she was dating Laxus – just because they actually got along since they had been forced to team up. It annoyed her even more when she remembered the fortune telling she had done earlier this week. She shuddered as she remembered the lightening card right next to hers because she knew what this might mean and she also knew that she was rarely wrong with her foretelling.

She shook off those thoughts as she entered the bar where she had ditched her partner to get the new request. She stopped in the door to look around and moved silently as she spotted the blond hair with the headphones which he never used while being on a mission with her because she had glared at him and told him that this was extremely impolite.

"Laxus," she said upon sliding back onto her chair. "Ready to go?"

"Sure," he said as he downed the rest of his drink. "What was going on in the guild?"

"The usual stuff," she said.

"Mira and Erza have been spreading rumours about us, I guess…" he sighed as he put his headphones into his bag. "Don't worry, Cana, they will stop sooner or later. Well, in Erza's case sooner than in Mira's, I fear…"

She was about to respond when a slightly intoxicated man grabbed her forearm where the mark of Fairy Glitter glowed in its usual deep red colour. "What the hell, man?" she hissed.

"You are hot, I am hot, let's go out together," he slurred and for a second, the card mage was tempted to vow that she would never touch alcohol again to prevent that she would end up like this before she remembered that she never got that drunk.

Laxus growled as he grabbed Cana's other arm and pulled her against his chest. "I don't appreciate people like you hitting on my girl," he said in a dark and dangerous voice. "Got it, moron?"

Seeing that Laxus was one of the more popular mages of Fairy Tail, the man decided to do the smart thing and ran away to save his skin.

"You shouldn't do things like this," she stated calmly as the duo left the bar and headed for the train station. "There is always someone from Mira's elaborate espionage network and reports back to her … and in less than a week, the secret is out, Laxus."

"I just don't appreciate random strangers hitting on my girlfriend," he muttered with an expression that reminded her of a scolded child. "And I rather have Mira to know that we are dating instead of watching those morons trying to take you away from me. Don't forget: I am nearly as possessive as Gajeel and Natsu when it comes to Levy and Lucy … and I don't like to share."

She shook her head as she sighed deeply. "One day, your attitude will kill me," she swore as she patted his forearm. "Well, if you want the world to know that the great Cana Alberona is taken, why don't you start by telling my dad? I am sure that he will be overjoyed…"

"If you want to be single again, this would be an awesome idea," he said drily as they boarded the train. "Oh, and don't be too sure about being Cana Alberona for a long time, darling."