FAIRY TAIL STORIES (FAN MADE)

Mirajane and Fried

No one saw this coming.

Not even Charle, who gets visions into the future. Not even Cana, who almost always seems to be the person who starts the "who's going to date who" polls. Mirajane didn't see this coming, and neither did Lisanna. Fried didn't see it coming, either. The only person who saw it coming was Bixlow, and he flaunted that fact by grinning devilishly at everyone else's utter bewilderment.

"Wh-what did you say?" Lisanna squeaked, almost inaudibly. Elfman cleared his throat and shuffled from side to side, squirming under the pressure of a thousand eyes trained on him. Evergreen, who had made the announcement in the first place, placed her hands on her hips and repeated the words that would mean certain doom for Fried.

"Elfman and I are dating."

Bixlow turned to Fried and his grin became even wider, if that was possible. Fried stood stock-still, his pupils as tiny as pinpricks. He felt his whole world collapsing around him. When he'd made that bet with Bixlow three weeks ago, after Elfman had chosen Evergreen for his partner, he honestly hadn't considered the fact that he would lose. The moment played like a film in his mind, a movie that he was sure would haunt him until the end of time.

As he and Bixlow observed Evergreen and Elfman bickering over something (battle strategy, they presumed), Bixlow suddenly turned to Fried and said, "I bet that by the end of the exams, they're gonna start goin' out."

"Never," Fried said, after a moment of consideration. The very thought of two such creatures breeding was impossible. Besides, Cana was always the first to spot possible relationships, and she almost always won the polls. That's how she made a good portion of her money, rather than taking jobs like a normal guild member. "That would never happen. I can't even fathom the idea."

"It could happen," Bixlow disagreed. "Look, I'll make you a bet - "

" - I don't gamble."

"I'll make it worth your while, just hear me out," Bixlow continued, exasperated as always with his companion's strict set of morals. "If they don't start goin' out by the time the S-Class exams are over, I'll be your personal servant for a whole month."

"On what universe would I want something like that?" Fried objected. "You'd just make your 'babies' do everything anyway. It's not a punishment for losing the bet, nor is it of any advantage to me."

"Fine, then what do you want?"

"I don't want to bet."

"C'mon, man! Live a little! You can make me do anything you want to!" Bixlow roared, a bit boisterously. The guildmembers around them gave them curious looks, including Mirajane's little sister, Lisanna. Face burning, Fried gave Bixlow a glare that made him shut his mouth. "Fine, I'll play your little game," he hissed. "If you lose the bet, you can't say one word for an entire week!"

Bixlow's smile faltered for a moment, but it quickly perked back up. "Deal," he said. "If Evergreen and Elfman don't start dating after the exams, I won't say anything for a week. But if they do, then you have to ask your pretty little lady out on a date."

Fried blinked, startled, and glanced at Mirajane, who was wiping the counters. She was looking as lovely as ever, her kind blue eyes dancing with happiness, her gentle smile forever lighting up the room. He turned back to Bixlow, who, he was surprised to see, was also watching Mira. Fried had told none of the Raijinshuu about the strange, warm emotions that were rooted inside of him after the festival, but he supposed that the three of them had been a team for so long there was no hiding anything anymore.