Finding Us- A MiraFreed Fanfic

Chapter Twenty-One: Redo! Or Not...

"What are you doing here?" She blankly asks as he sets the food bags on the table near the window. She wipes her eyes and just folds them in her lap.

"Your door was slightly left open. You realize it's like 8:30 at night? Raccoons or burglars could just waltz right in here." His voice is silky and his eyes tender. Her face, however, seems slightly forlorn. "I was going to assume that your boyfriend was over until I heard your depressed poem- so I figured he must have dumped you for some other insanely hot chick."

She just stares at him. Lost.

"It...it was a joke, but hey, I never was good at comedy, just necromancy...." She can't help but smile at his way of trying to be funny. Shaking her head, her smile grows from ear to ear and so does his. Coming over, he sits in the floor next to her and just grabs her right hand, enclosing it in both of his. "Penny for your thoughts?"

"Ironically, someone else just asked me that a week ago in bed." She says straight faced and Freed furrows his brows. "It was Cana...Erza was on the floor."

"Ha! Was that before or after the drinking." It stings a bit, but she knows it bothered him.

"After." She says, ashamed of her ridiculous experience.

"Ah. I see." He kisses the back of her hand and she melts. It's like the first time he ever did it. It burns where his lips were. "So what's wrong?"

"It's stupid. It's nothing."

"You can tell me anything. So what's bothering you?" Looking at their entangled hands, Mira can hear the sincerity in his voice.

"Elfman's moving in with Evergreen." Freed nods a few times and just continues to hold her hand.

"Okay. That's not too bad. You'll still see him at the Guild Hall and I'm sure he'll still have you doing his laundry. And Lisanna will..."

"Bixlow just asked to marry Lisanna- so I assume they already have a place in mind as well." Mira states with a bit of snap.

"Oh...oh man. I'm sorry Mirajane. That must be tough for you."

"It is. They're moving on. My family...my kids. They're flying on their own now...I, I don't know how I'm going to do this. They think I'm just the bossy older sister, who can go anywhere, do anything, and doesn't need anyone, but I'm not. I can't imagine living without them. I need them more than they need me and they're just gonna be...gone." She leans into his side and the world seems to spin on its side. "What am I gonna do Freed? I've never, not taken care of someone."

"Simple...take care of yourself." His tone is casual. He isn't joking and it doesn't make her feel better.

"Funny."

"I'm serious. When have you ever put yourself first?"

"Never..."

"Exactly. Now is the time to go out and do things you've always wanted to do. Go traveling, buy yourself expensive things, eat ice cream all day! You can do whatever you want." His excitement seems to be more genuine as if he wanted to do all of those things.

"But who wants to come home to a big empty house every night, alone?" Frowning, he looks at his boots extending passed her legs. He's three inches taller than her, but he has longer legs. Letting go of her hand, he pulls himself up off the floor and turns around to look down at her. Her eyes just follow him.

"It'll be tough...but you'll find that sometimes, we all need a little peace and quiet." He puts his hands out to her and she gently grabs them and he pulls her to her feet. They are chest to chest, hands in hands and body inches away from each other. She looks up at him and blushes. She can just make out his right eye from underneath his bangs. He takes her by surprise, when he places her right arm on his shoulder and puts his on her waist. "Dark Ecriture: Music Of Theon."