Of Fire and Ice

C.24

Though we all wanted to stay at the resort, we all decided that is was best overall to leave early and go home.

We were in this train car, and Ari was resting on my lap. Everyone was normal, even Natsu trying not to puke in the corner.

"Okay, good gods, Ari. I love you and all, but you're getting huge. And huge also means heavy sometimes. And this is one of those times." I said and she glared up at me. "You just don't love me anymore." "Ari, I literally just said that I love you. It's just that you're getting heavy, so you can't sit and lie or ride on me all the time." I sighed.

"You're a liar. You just love Grey more than me now." She huffed. "That's not it! I don't-" I stopped myself from finishing that sentence, and trying to reword it. "I don't love Grey more than you, Ari. You're my best friend, practically my sister." I said and she stood up and got off my lap, digging her claws in my crotch and thighs as she stomped off.

I sighed and stared at the ceiling. Ari wasn't looking at me, Grey was avoiding my gaze, Lucy and Happy were staring at me with worried looks, Natsu was looking at me weird, and Erza wasn't paying attention.

I sighed again, getting up and walking out. "Where are you going?" Erza asked. "Getting a drink." I sighed, walking to the bar car.

I went up to the bar and the bartender came over. "You looked stressed. What can I get ya?" He asked and I sat down. "Glass of the best damn whiskey you've got." I said and he grinned. "You know what they say..." He started as he poured amber liquid in a glass. "What do they say?" I asked. "Bartenders are the best therapists." He said and slid the glass towards me and I smirked, raising it and taking a small sip.

"I wouldn't want to burden you..." I sighed. "It's only us, and I am quite a good listener." He said and I looked up. "Fine. You win." I shrugged. "So what's troubling you?" He asked, leaning on the counter.

"Well... I have this friend, well, more of a sister, really. I love her to the bottom of my heart and back. But I've got this boyfriend, see? We haven't been together long, only like two weeks or something now. Anyway, he's the type that wants to be by your side all the time. So now apparently sister's jealous or something and she thinks I love him more than I love her." I sighed.

"That's tough. Tell her you love her more than anything, even clingy boyfriend." He shrugged.

"But that's the deal! He's not clingy, and I do love her more than everything, and I tell her daily! And another thing... I don't love him!" I said and his face completely went into shock.

"Ma'am, you have some issues." He chuckled. "I mean, not like that! I care about him deeply, and I want to make sure he's okay and stable and all that. If he's not happy, I'm not happy. You know, all that romance shit. But we've only been together two weeks! Call me old fashioned or something, but I think that's a bit early for the 'I love you's." I said and he nodded.

"I see now. Got a kinda clingy boyfriend you care about, but don't love, and beloved sister is super jealous." He nodded. "And we were literally just talking about it in the train car! I came so close to saying 'I don't love him'! But I can't say that in front of him! He might take it the wrong way! It's not like I don't care about him, because I do! I care a lot! I just don't love him romantically, yet..." I sighed, draining my whiskey glass and sliding it to him to fill up again.

"Another thing, it's this promise my sister and I made when we were young. People never really stuck around, so it was just her and I, right? We swore that it would always only be just us, and that we would never start romantic relationships. Friends were fine, but no romance. So... it's kinda hard, you see?" I asked and he nodded.

"Usually us bartenders have amazing advice for any situation, but miss, you might wanna see a professional for this. Sounds like you've got some deep mental shit going on." He said and I sighed and nodded, drinking the second glass.

"Anyways, thanks for listening." I smiled softly. "Anytime, miss." He smiled back. "Say, never caught your name." I said. "Never gave it. I'm Gabriel." "Sup Gabriel, I'm Henley." I nodded. "Nice to meet you, Henley. I've gotta ask, is that your actual hair?" He said and I smiled.

"Yeah, it is. White and all that shiz." I shrugged, looking down at the loose waves and curls falling down my shoulders and chest. "May I?" He asked and reached out his hand. "Oh sure." I moved the drink and leaned forward and he touched my hair, running his fingers through a few strands.

"Wow. May sound girlish of me, but how do you get it so soft?" He asked. "I make this mixture of-" I was cut off by the car door slamming open and Grey storming in. He walked over and took Gabriel's hand away from me.

"You don't love me?" He growled and my eyes widened.