TWO CHAPTERS IN A ROW ?!?! Yep ! I owed you that one ;) Enjoy xx

Laxus felt his heart slowly beating to a normal pace as he saw Blackburn pass a little further without noticing them. He, of course, knew they weren't out of the woods yet, but he and Mira could catch their breaths. His eyes still fixated on the entrance of their hiding spot, he felt some heat on his hand. Looking at it, he realised he unconsciously gripped his wound from where blood was still leaking a little. As for the heat he had felt, it came from no other than Mira's who took his hand in hers, taking it out of the way so she could freely chek the wound. He let her proceed to her examination, his own attitude surprising him, knowing very well he wasn't easily approachable. But after all, it wasn't the first time Mira was tending to his wounds. In fact, hadn't he also act this way when she herself got injured? Obviously, there was something different about the one he once considered as painfully annoying. 

A sigh of relief escaped the young woman's lips as she confirmed the wound wasn't too deep, bringing his attention back on her. Even though she didn't express any sign of fear, at least, not towards him, Laxus knew very well many questions were on her mind without her daring to verbalise them. " If Laxus has something to say to me, he'll tell me once you're taken care of" she had said to Blackburn. Despite being one of the most surprising person he had ever met, the young man knew her well enough to know she would never inst even if she was dying to ask.

He clenched his fists. He didn't want to talk about it, at all. But for one of the first times in his life, something pushed him to not only act for himself. He owed it to her, she deserved to know. 

"Mira" he let out.

The sound of his own voice felt like it was a stranger's. Mira perceived it too, a glimpse of sadness adding to her expression as she felt the pain Laxus was desperately trying to hide. 

"Blackburn didn't lie" he finally let out. 

"What? You..."

"I am a fallen" he confirmed " in a sort of way..."

Laxus could fell the tension in Mira's body as her shoulder was brushing against his, but much to his surprise, she didn't shirk.

"S...since when?" she dared after a moment of silence.

"I was 8 years old"

"The time you became a bearer" she remembered.

He confirmed by a nod.

"But how could you know about all of this so young? And..."

He eyes opened up in horror as she probably concluded he was aware of the fallen since the beginning.

"My father guided me" he cut her off. "I had no idea of what he was making me become" he added with disdain. 

He felt once more Mira's hand on his, but this time, she let it there, as if she was trying to give him the courage he never knew he needed. 

"Could you tell me about it?" she said with a patience only she could show. 

He felt the urge of telling her to mind her own business but totally different words came out of his mouth.

 "My father was part of the DFA..." he started.

Talking that way was never one of his strong suits, especially when the subject was him, especially when the subject was so personal and painful. But he told her what happened that night. He, however, didn't elaborate on the identity of the couple. When he was done, he could see in Mira's eyes stupor. 

"How can anyone do something so cruel!" She exclaimed as tears finally escaped from her blue eyes.

He instantly felt his heart tighten and, even though he was expecting to be hated for who he was, he wasn't ready to hear it from Mira's mouth. But she still didn't get away. On the contrary, she tightened her grip on Laxus's hand.

"How could a father do such a horrible thing to his own son" she reformulated, making him realise her hate wasn't directed at him. The horror he had seen on her face was aimed at his father. The relief he felt was, however, soon strangled by his own guilt. He hadn't said everything. He hadn't told her he was responsible for her family's destruction. Anger filled him at this thought.  

"You don't understand!" he barked, taking back his hand, his anger reporting on her against his will.

To that, she smiled. Why was that idiot smiling?

"No one should endure the weight of something this painful" she said placing this time her hand on his cheek.

"I remembered nothing until..."

"Until that night next to the fire, right?" she completed for him.

To his surprised expression, she continued.

"Something was different with you the next morning".

He looked away.

"And even so" she continued, turning Laxus's face in her direction "you're the same person you were when I met you. The same impulsive, courageous man with a strong temper but a big heart that simply didn't have time to fully express itself."

She just learned he was a fallen. She should have hit him. She should have hated him, run away. But rather than that, she did the very last thing he was expecting and that, even before she knew about his true nature: she kissed him.

***

A series f emotions filled Mira. Once the shock passed concerning the confirmation that Laxus was a fallen, she had felt fright and anger. Not against Laxus but against the one who pushed an innocent child to commit a murder to make him become a creature he never asked to be. Then she felt sadness. Even though that aspect irritated Mira on a high level at first, Laxus was a man that never let anything affect him, that didn't give a crap about other's opinions, that had a strength within him she came to admire. Seeing him now, filled with remorse, made her heart throb. 

And just now, he had opened himself to her, giving her access a little more to that side of him he didn't show to others. Her heart then took the lead and, without even planning it, her left hand took also place on Laxus's cheek and she brought him face to hers. Much to her pleasure, he returned the kiss as soon as his surprise had dissipated. She soon felt Laxus's hands on her waist, giving her the impression she was about to combust. If she had expected something pleasant, she hadn't predicted it to feel that wonderful sensation in the pit of her stomach that made her forget where they were. Sadly, this cruel world didn't let her forget very long and Laxus got away, a bigger pain than ever in his eyes.

"Mira" he softly said.

Red instantly tinted the young woman's cheeks. She had acted without thinking. Was she responsible for all the pain she could see in him?

"The couple..." he went on after a hesitation that wasn't like him "it was your parents".

Mira froze. It was the last thing she was expecting. Her parents? But her mother wasn't even pregnant! At least, she never heard about it. And how did Laxus know it was them without knowing what they looked like? Then she understood. Her medallion. He quickly gave it back to her the morning right after the night he remembered. She now connected the dots: he remembered because he had seen her parent's picture. A tear roll down her cheek.

"My... my dad..."

She simply couldn't end her sentence. He father was dead. Even if she expected it, the truth had the effect of a slap in the face. 

"Mira..." he started, approaching his hand to her, but she moved back. 

The hand fell without insisting.

"Do... do you know what happened to my mother?" She asked, he eyes locked on the ground. 

"I don't know" he said, his voice filled with regrets. "I woke up in the infirmary many hours later, not having a clue of what happened. But I'm pretty sure she escaped long enough to give birth to the child... your sister."

"What are you talking about?"

"The little one we found with Evergreen and your brother. She looks just like you and is about 14 years old..."

He didn't have to elaborate. Her mother was gone 15 years ago and this matched Laxus's story also 15 years ago. And if we added the pregnancy time, her sibling would be about 14 nowadays. 

All of this was too much for her. She needed fresh air, she needed to walk away. Mira brushed from her eyes the new tears forming in them and got up.

"Mira! Come back! He may still be..."

"I need to be alone, Laxus" she cut him off, leaving the hiding spot for good.

She knew her actions were stupid. Despite the chances of the fallen being still around were now slim, she normally would have stayed hidden a little longer. But she couldn't help it. She needed so badly to get some distance she couldn't be rational for the moment. 

Just keep in mind that I love happy ending :P And don't worry, the next update won't be in two months! I promise :) xx