Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail.
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{NADIA'S POV}
"Reiki, Reiki, you're back already?" I ask excitedly.

Reiki Fernandes is my one-sided crush. He looks disheveled and tired, having just returned from a week-long job. Believe it or not, Reiki is my age but he's already an S-class wizard!

He can requip his armor and weapons like his mom, and use heavenly body magic like his dad, but that's only part of what makes him so awesome. Reiki has this unique ability to be able to mimic any magic he sees. With some practice, he can even master it.

Reiki's amazing, unlike me. I'm a massive klutz, and he's always healing me when I get hurt, thanks to studying under Aunt Wendy for a few years.

Of course, as I walk with Reiki up to the bar, I trip on a loose floor board and nearly faceplant.

Reiki catches me just in time, but a fireball reflexively shoots out of my hand. It shatters a wine glass that Aunt Mira just finished polishing. Shards of glass go flying in all directions.

"Sorry Aunt Mira!" I groan, bowing my head to the beautiful white-haired woman behind the counter.

"One wine glass doesn't matter. I'm glad you stayed upright this time." She lightly laughs it off.

"But what about the glass yesterday?" I fret. "And the four full wine bottles the day before that?"

"Like I said. It doesn't matter." Aunt Mira repeats, one of her eyes twitching rapidly.

"Geez, can you be any more clumsy?" Reiki jokes.

"Hmph! Don't jinx it." Embarrassed, I straighten my posture so I'm not leaning on him anymore. "How'd your mission go?"

"Piece of cake. How about you?" He shrugs.

Nothing ever fazes Reiki. I would know, because we go on jobs together all the time. Although it's mostly me messing up and him fixing my messes.

"Get this! While you were gone, I decided that I'm going to go on a job by myself!" I clench my fists in determination, whirling to look at the job board.

I spin a little too much and get tangled up in my own legs, but Reiki steadies me. I've never done a job by myself before, but I need to stop relying on Reiki and my family to keep me on my feet (literally).

Reiki escorts me up to the request board, probably because he wants to avoid anymore unnecessary damages. Reiki points out a few jobs at my level, they mostly consist of chores.

I don't want to do boring tasks for cheap pay. I want to fight. Test my skills.

Finally, a job attracts my attention. It's to catch the leader of an underground organization, which sounds sufficiently badass. I pull the paper off the board.

Reiki shakes his head. "Nope. Too dangerous."

"Come on!" I pout. "It says here that the guy can't use magic. All I have to do is blast him with a fireball and haul him to jail."

Reiki still looks apprehensive. He's probably worried I'll screw everything up. Again.

"Nadia, are you forcing Reiki to go on another job?" Layla walks up to me, carrying Luna. "Just because you've been lazing around the guild hall all week doesn't mean you should make him do one with you as soon as he gets back."

"Actually," I put my hands on my hips and puff out chest, "I'm gonna do this one all by myself."

"Really? That's... awesome!" Layla's eyebrows shoot up. She plucks the job request from my hands, then frowns as she reads the details.

I roll my eyes. Oh no, her worrywart big sister mode has been activated again.

"Maybe someone should go with you, just in case. I'm sure either Luke or Nashi will babysit Luna for me so I can go." Layla smiles.

I shake my head adamantly, snatching back my job request before she can protest anymore.

Layla sighs. "Fine, but bring Iris's key and promise you'll call if you need anything."

"And here, take this." Reiki looks away as he hands me something. Maybe it's my imagination, but his cheeks are tinged pink.

I look at the big, star-shaped red barrette in my hand. My eyes widen.

"It's beautiful!" I want to hug him, but that might be a bit too forward. I settle for bouncing up and down excitedly. "Thanks Reiki!"

"And it has life-link magic in it. If the wearer dies, it turns dark and stops sparkling. That triggers the bead on this bracelet," he holds up a silver chain that has a charm of similar red material on it, "to also turn dark and start vibrating."

I clip new barrette in my hair. Reiki cares whether I'm alive or not? That fact alone makes me so happy! "I'll always treasure it!"

"Rei-Rei lllllllllikes Sissy!" Luna cheers.

I glare accusatorially at my little sister. "Luna! You've been hanging out with Happy and the kittens too much, haven't you?"

"Sissy lllllllllikes Rei-Rei!" Luna cheers again.

My cheeks are on fire. No, seriously. I pat out the flames before I accidentally torch something I'm not supposed to. I escape this harassment and officially accept the job request from Aunt Mira.

Unfortunately, Aunt Mira heard Luna and she has a glint in her eyes, like she's already planning our wedding. Not that I'd mind being married to Reiki... I shake my head to clear it.

As soon as Aunt Mira officially recognizes that I've accepted the request, I bolt out of the guild hall and straight to our house to pack.

We used to live in Mom's old apartment but was too cramped after Luna's birth, so we moved.

I fling open the door and dash inside, only to run into an obstacle that's not supposed be there. I fall onto my butt with a startled grunt.

Rubbing my sore butt gently, I glare up at the unforeseen obstacle angrily. Said anger dissipates into a joyous cry, and I jump up. A little too quickly, but Dad catches me before I can fall again.

"Dad! Mom! You're back early!" I hug both of them tightly. They hug me back harder.

"Those big apes weren't strong at all. I can't believe the town was so scared." Dad grins and laces his hands behind his head.

Mom sighs and pictures of bridge of her nose. "Maybe because there were over a hundred of them?"

"Hey Nadia, guess how many buildings I destroyed in the process!" Dad challenges me.

"Ooo, ooo, I love this game! 10?" I guess, bouncing up and down excitedly.

"Higher!"

"15?"

"Higher!"

"20?"

"23!" Dad boasts. My mouth drops open in shock, then I squeal.

"Congrats Dad, that's a new record!" I laugh. Mom stares at us for a second, then facepalms. An angry vein pops up on her forehead.

"THAT'S NOT SOMETHING TO BE PROUD OF, YOU BIG OAF!!!" She explodes.

Dad and I look at each other and snicker. Then my job paper flutters out of my hands and lands at our feet. Before I can protest, Dad picks it up.

"Going out with Reiki again? On a job?" He sounds overprotective as always.

"Nope." I shake my head proudly.

"Luke? Layla? Nashi?" Mom fires off the names of my three older siblings, but I dismiss each one.

"Not the twins. And Nashi's been planning to go on a job with just Storm, so she's out." I realize belatedly that they were planning to do the quest now because all our parents were away on quests.

They want to be alone together, without Dad and Uncle Gray breathing down their necks and arguing with each other about every tiny action.

"Not alone they aren't." Dad growls and stalks out of the house. Nashi's so going to kill me later.

I send a mental apology to her and a silent prayer for Storm's safety. May Mavis be with him on his journey safely and painfully to the afterlife.

"Who's going with you?" Mom asks.

I bite my bottom lip. "No one."

Mom's eyes light up. "You're going by yourself? Oh, I'm so happy for you Nadia!"

She spins me in a hug, then sets me down. I hear yelling outside. Dad is confronting Nashi and Storm.

"You should go and get packed while I whack some sense into your father. Make sure to come back safe and sound, okay?" She kisses my cheek, then starts cracking her knuckles as she follows Dad's voice.

"I will Mom. I promise."