Fairy Tail x Reader

Zeref x Reader - Feared

"Do you work here?" His voice sounded again and she found herself confused, his voice a little too quiet to understand what he said.

"Sorry? Say again." She turned around and smiled at him, just like she would to everyone. But it was different, she smiled kinder, to show that she wasn't afraid of the scary devil that lived in the castle. To prove her bravery.

"Do you work here, at the castle?" Zeref found himself uncomfortable with the smile and looked away.

"Yes, I do. Everyday, for as long as I knew." She answered truthfully. The job that she did was all she knew, her parents before her, and parents before them all served the royal family. She was the only one left in her family, everyone else falling victim to a string of flues that passed through the Kingdom only a few years ago.

Zeref gave a nod before he exited the garden and began to walk towards the entrance of the castle. His walk was strong and powerful, but dead looking. A walk without a purpose, a walk that just looked it was walking to walk, no real destination in mind. She felt a pull in her heart as she watched him walk. She could see right through his facade.

Again he stood, in the room without any windows, one without any movement but dust falling from the ceiling. He always seemed to be in that room, ever since he first entered. He thought that over time the room would become familiar and then later comforting, but the impending anxiety never seemed to leave him every time he would enter. Today, like everyday he entered, he had no idea what the reason was. He would never ask, that wasn't how things worked. When summoned, he would show up, that's it.

"We have another task for you. Wanted specifically from the King." Zeref knows that it's not true, the King would have no part in what he does. It's just said as a comforter, a way to make him feel like what he was doing wasn't that bad. But it was, it was very bad.

Zeref left the room an hour later, a very boring briefing done and only a few weeks to complete the destined task that he had been given. He hated his job, but he's undeniably good at it, which only makes it worse. His footsteps echo in the deserted hallway, the sound a lot more hollow than what he remembered. He feels his purpose, his life draining him, creating hollow footsteps as he walks.

On her lunch break, she hangs at a local bakery with her friends. They begin to gossip about boys, their ages prime for marriage, left and right being asked by families to elope to their sons. Already 75% of her friends are already married and the rest are either choosing between boys or are engaged. She on the other hand was as single as they come.

"(Y/n), when are you going to get married? We've heard nothing from you about any boys. Is there even a guy who likes you?" Out of her group of friends, only one of them she'd actually call a friend. The rest just mirrors of the other, all stuck up and all shallow.

"Yeah, when was the last time you talked about a boy? Don't tell me, do you even like boys?" The girls started to laugh hysterically and the one in question rolled her eyes. She knew very well that she got more questions for marriage then all of them combined, but the answer was always a "no" from her.

"Yes, and I just haven't found the one." That was the explanation she would always give, always true and always laughed at.

"He doesn't have to be the one, he just has to have money." Another girl said, gaining agreeing hums from the rest of the girls.

"And that's your opinions. I should really go though, have a lot more tending to do." That was a lie, she had finished early today and planed on doing some shopping later. But the minute she would say shopping all the girls would leave in a rush to go to the nearest store. The girls let out their goodbyes as she cleaned up her food, stuffed some leftover bread into her pocket and made way toward the door.