At The Top Of The Tower

Mira, What Are Your Woes?

*three days later*
{LUCY'S POV}
"So you've waited long enough and you want to tell Natsu that you forgive him?" Mira sips her tea.

"Yes." I sit up straight, more nervous than I was for my job interview for Dragneel Inc.

Mira sets down her teacup and sighs. She stands up, walks over to me, and puts her hands on my shoulders. "Oh Lucy, Lucy, Lucy."

"Mira? Um... Mira-san?" I sweat drop. The honorific seems necessary here.

"It's about damn time!" Mira yells suddenly, making me jump. She clenches a fist.

"Huh?"

"Do you have any idea how UTTERLY infuriating it was watching the two of you tip toe around each other for YEARS?! You silly couple! I stayed silent because of the friend code and calmly listened to your mutual pining for each other and it was SO HARD to not just yell KISS ALREADY YOU GOSH DARNED LOVE-STRUCK IDIOTS!!"

"Eeeeh?!" I've never heard Mira rant like this before.

Mira realizes that she's blown up, coughs, and resumes a pleasant smile. "My. Where did that outburst come from, I wonder?"

I blink. I blink again. Mira smiles angelically.

"So... can I go see Natsu now?"

"Of course, of course!" Mira shoves me through the creaky door to the final boss chamber.

I take a deep breath, prepared to face Natsu for the first time in a few days, since I've been on sick leave. Natsu's hood is down so I can see his face. He sees me and also takes a deep breath. I open my mouth, but he holds up a hand. I decide to let him speak.

"So you've come to rescind your confession."

I regret letting him speak. "Natsu, I—"

"You hate me. I get it."

"No? I—"

"I don't want to here you say you hate me a second time! It hurts too much." His voice wavers. "At least give me a chance before you reject me."

Okay, now I'm annoyed. "If you'd listen—"

He kills me in a raging inferno and I respawn back at the Tower of Hope. Uh what?

{NATSU'S POV}
Lucy wouldn't forgive me so easily. I sigh. To think I got my hopes up for a second.

Mira pokes her head in. She seems unusually happy. "Lu's gone already? How'd it go?"

I frown. "She rejected me of course."

Mira's smiles falls. "She—wha—huh?"

"Why'd you let her through?" I complain, crossing my arms and glaring. "I know how much Luce hates me, I don't need to hear it again."

Mira's eye twitches. "Did she say she hates you?"

"She said it before!" I squeeze my eyes shut, recalling the cold look in her eyes when she opened the door. It haunts my nightmares.

Mira's eye twitches more rapidly. "What did Lu say now? PLEASE don't tell me you killed her without listening to a WORD she said?"

I look away. Mira's twitchy gaze bores into me. I give up and nod guiltily, recounting what happened.

Mira grits her teeth and punches her palm, murder on her mind. "So help me Mavis, I'm about to sin."

"What did I do wrong?" I grumble.

Her eyes glow with demonic magic. Mira casually turns off the chat function that prevents cursing. "It seems you and I need to have a friendly chat about healthy communication skills."

I squeak in terror.