sea shells | natsu dragneel

chapter thirty four

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"God, I knew it, I knew there was something wrong with her–"

"–Cana, we both agreed there was nothing wrong with her–"

"–I should've sunk my claws into her when I had the chance, oh I can smell a wrong one from miles away, why didn't I just listen to what my brain was telling me?" 

I cringe and walk away from her as she goes into her own little world. Mira had calmed down slightly, still hiccuping once or twice, and had almost drunken the entire pot of tea(which pleased Wendy immensely). Together they chatted in low tones about different herbs and their effects. 

I smile. It's good that Wendy is giving her a distraction. 

However, others also needed distractions. 

Bisca was loading her gun, Laki was sharpening her torture devices(a beautiful guillotine had suddenly appeared in the room), and Juvia looked absolutely murderous, unconsciously strangling a Gray doll. 

"Should we lock the door before anyone does something stupid and brash?" Lucy whispers to me as we both eyed the tension-filled room nervously. 

"Yep," I gulp, "and when they ask why just tell them it was a matter of precautions." 

Cana appeared in the room again from the kitchen, and I exhale a breath I hadn't realized I was holding. We all were processing this information in different ways- some were angry, others felt betrayed, and many heartbroken. Strangely enough, the drunk who never really thought things through was suddenly the most clear-minded right now. 

"Alright. So what exactly are we gonna do?" Lucy starts, and everyone stops their strange activities. 

"We aren't only sad for Mira," the brunette stated. "Laxus is our precious family member, and I believe we should get a straight answer from him first."

Mira broke down in sobs again. 

Everyone immediately went into the position she usually filled- big sister mode. They cuddled here, shushing her while holding back their own tears. 

It wasn't like Mirajane to cry- she typically became furious. But the fact that someone like Laxus and his actions could get her on her knees crying, was terrifying. Her heart is too big for what had happened. 

"He will be punished for his act of infidelity!" Erza booms, pulling out a fencing sword out of nowhere. She holds it up to the ceiling dramatically, as if she didn't hear a single word that Cana said. "I will publicly humiliate him and hang his carcass from the front gates of Laguna Beach!" 

"Aaaaaaaaand that is what we are not going to do," I remind everyone. 

"You will not stop me!" Erza declares on me, pointing her fencing sword at me, a centimeter away from the tip of my nose. Girls simultaneously gasp, but I am not intimidated. Erza wouldn't hurt me. 

"We need to approach this calmly," I breathe, and she hesitates, before dropping her sword down. "let's go find Laxus. I think Mira should decide if she wants us to be there or not. Mira, do you want to be alone with him?"

She mutely shakes her head left and right. 

"Well... let's go then," I falter, everyone nervous and unsure. This is uncharted territory for us- and as we trampled out of the door of Lucy's apartment, we truly looked like a wolf pack with Mira safely in the middle. 

There were more clouds today, and a soft ocean breeze swayed through the air. 

Once we were at the beach, Gray jogs up to us(completely shirtless, of course, dark hair tousled and sprinkled with sand(Juvia promptly fainted into Bisca's arms)). 

 "Hey, where were you guys? We were looking for you!" he smiled nervously, eyeing our tightly packed group in curiosity. 

"Step away and don't get involved," Erza spoke up, and we all sighed at the blatant threat in her voice. Gray, a frequent victim of her punishments, knew what was coming to him and left quickly, face pale. 

And then the devil himself appeared. 

Laxus came straight for us, eyes half-lidded as if he just came out of bed. He smiled slightly at us, weaving through Cana and wrapping an arm around Mira. 

"Hey, baby. You didn't come home last night. You okay?" 

Mira freezes up- still as a statue as her boyfriend stares at her, waiting for her answer. I can feel Erza fuming beside me, and the other girls' mouths dropped open, either in surprise or fury. Laxus blinked and cocked his head to the side, completely unaware. 

"How- how dare you!" Erza seethed, and a flash of metal glinted in the sun as she pulled out a fencing sword out. And in less than a second, Erza had her sword pointed at the blonde's nose, as Bickslow, Freed, and Gray stepped in front of Laxus. 

The other guys were there the next second- all crowding around Laxus, like how we crowded around Mira. 

"Woah, what's going on?" Natsu asked, perplexed with those puppy eyes of his. He usually displayed those when he was confused- oh (y/n), don't think about that right now. Erza snorted, and a trembling Wendy presses herself into my side. I wrap an arm around her shoulders. 

"You cheated on her," Juvia hisses, adopting that terrifying tone that we only hear during Sabertooth fights or when Gray is in danger. 

Laxus pales. 

"That's ridiculous," Freed states. "Laxus would not be unfaithful to Mirajane. He is not that kind of man." 

The guys nod their heads in agreement. 

"Really? Then what did that secret meeting in a side alley with Sherry mean?" 

"I'm sure it was nothing to worry about," the greenette says firmly. "Laxus is not that kind of man. And the fact that all of you would outrightly accuse him to be unfaithful- I'm very disappointed, Erza, Juvia."

That was the wrong thing to say. 

I feel anger seep into my heart as the other boys nod their heads in agreement- the girls around me slowly tensing up with fury. This was not going well; first Erza and Juvia were mad, but now they've angered all of the females from Fairy Tail. 

we need to draw a clear line between being nervous and having anxiety. ITS NOT THE SAME THING. thank you.  

also im so embarassed on how late this is

im sowwy