Nashi sat alone in the corner of the infirmary. It had been three days. Three days since they had arrived home and Luke still had yet to awaken. 

It was the dead of night and her parents and the twins had long since gone home to have some rest. Nashi had practically forced them to go. Her parents were beyond exhausted sitting in the infirmary for the past three days so they deserved some relief; so had the twins who were getting restless. Nashi however, wouldn't let herself catch a break.

After all, it was her fault. She wasn't fast enough. 

Luke suddenly stifled causing Nashi to jump to her feet in an instant. He let out a low groan before slowly sitting up with his head in his hands.

"Where... where am I?" He mumbled groggily. He blinked profusely before his vision finally readjusted. He looked at his sister waiting for an answer. 

"Fairy Tail infirmary." Nashi replied still wide eyes. She stared down at her brother with both relief and guilt whirling around in her stomach. Her eyes started to water from the emotions overwhelming her entire at the moment.

She felt like crying in happiness. She felt like crushing her little brother in a hug but at the same time, she felt like beating the shit out of him for making her feel so god damn... hopeless and miserable. 

"Stop making that ugly face, you're creeping me out." Luke said furrowing his brow with a disgusted look on his face. 

Nashi was definitely leaning towards beating him up now.

She took a deep breath. "The burns on your back still have to heal fully. But Wendy said that some of them will scar." Nashi explained to her brother. 

Luke's eyes lit up, a grin spread across his lips thrusting his arms into the air like he had won something. Nashi certainly didn't expect that reaction. 

"Why in Mavis' name would you be so happy about that?" 

"Well..." Luke's grin seemed to grow even wider. "Girls'll flock towards a man with battle scars." He said pointed both thumbs at himself smugly.

Nashi rolled her eyes. "You still cry when mom doesn't put chocolate chips in your pancakes, you're not even close to a man." She sniped matter of factly crossing her arms in the process. She narrowed her eyes at him. "You are so stupid."

"Are not."

"Are to."

"Are not."

"Are to."

Both Dragneel siblings glared at each other fiercely. Had Luke's back not hurt like crazy, he would've pounced on Nashi and pulled her hair or something but (he would never say this out aloud) it hurt to even move an inch.

Nashi suddenly shook her head. "Luke..." She whispered lowering her voice. Her eyes looked to the ground as if she was nervous.

Luke raised his brow at her in curiosity. Whenever he and Nashi had a conversation, it involved fighting, name calling and a whole lot of shouting. So the fact that she lowered her voice and was acting so weird, he knew something was up. Something heavy was weighing in his sister's pea brain and he was about to find out what.

"I'm sorry." Nashi said quietly like a squeaking mouse. 

"What?" Luke's eyebrows shot up. Was his sister apologising? What had happened to the universe while he was asleep, because his sister was not one to apologise. "What do you mean? Sorry for what?"

"For not getting to you fast enough." Nashi blurted. Desperation seemed to take her over. "If I had, you wouldn't have been hurt or in a coma for three days! This is the first time you'd ever needed my help and I... I failed." 

"Three days!" Luke shouted in surprise. That was a long ass time. He looked back at Nashi.

Luke was dumbstruck. He had never seen her like this. His sister was the definition of that saying, 'warrior not a worrier.' She was always carefree and the fact that she seemed to be falling apart and looking vulnerable, all because he got a little burnt was... uncomfortable.

"You can't be serious." Luke said with a little laugh turning his head away for a moment. He was trying to lighten the mood just a smidgen. "If anything I'm the one that failed." He added putting a lot of emphasis on the fact that it was his own fault. "I should've stolen Aquarius from mom instead of that pervy cow, Taurus. Now she would've been useful against that fire psycho." He looked back to his sister expecting at least a smile from her but nothing had changed. 

Luke had no idea what to do so he decided to stare out at the sky through the window. He'd never seen Nashi like this. Where was his mom when he needed her? How about Gale? Wasn't that loser in love with Nashi? Why wasn't he here comforting her?  After almost five long ass minutes of awkward silence, Luke had had enough. He wanted to scratch his eyeballs out, he was not equipped for this situation at all and the guilt creeping into his conscience was beyond infuriating.

He closed his eyes clenching his fists so tightly that his fingernails were digging into his palms. He slammed his fists down on the bed angrily.

"ARE YOU SERIOUSLY BLAMING YOURSELF!?" He yelled angrily. This caused her to slightly jump in shock from the sudden outburst. "Me and Raiden knew exactly what we were getting ourselves into. So why the hell are you blaming yourself? You...You so are so stupid..." Tears began to brim his eyes and his voice was getting weaker. "...and dumb and- -and  annoying." He was sobbing now, hot tears streaming down his face.

Nashi's body moved on its own. She pulled Luke into a hug, grabbing his shoulders careful not to touch the bandages on his back and squeezing him into her chest. 

"I knew you'd come." Luke said softly now. "Even though, you're reckless, pretty thick headed, aggravating, dense and-"

"I get it." Nashi cut in rather aggressively.

Luke sniffled. "You're my older sister and I know I can always count on you." He said. 

Nashi resisted the urge to 'aww' out aloud. That was the nicest thing he had ever said to her. This was certainly new to the Dragneel siblings; they weren't ones to share mushy stuff.  She squeezed him tighter into her embrace. And they stayed like that for a few moments before Luke spoke up again. 

"We're never doing this again" He muttered.

Nashi nodded rather adamantly. "Yeah, emotional stuff suck."

A few more moments past, the two siblings still hugging until Luke finally gave in.

"Okay that's it, I'm uncomfortable now." 

"Same here." 

Luke shoved Nashi's face away from him. "Let's never speak of this and go back to hating each other." He suggested as he wiped his tear soaked cheeks  with his forearm.

"Agreed." 

___________

the next day...

"Do you really have to go?" Alexis asked as she stared up at Jace with a frown. 

He let out a reluctant sigh. "Yeah, I only came to visit my mom for a little bit. I have to get back to my dad." He explained stuffing his hands into his pockets. In all honesty, he didn't want to leave but he had responsibilities back at Crime Sorciere. 

Alexis wrapped her arms around Jace's torso resting her head on his chest. "Well, it was nice meeting you... again." She replied softly. 

"Same to you." Jace squeezed her before pulling away. "Call me if you're ever in trouble, okay?." He said with a smirk. "Or..." He shrugged his shoulders. "If you just want to talk." Alexis nodded rather enthusiastically causing Jace to grin smugly.

Jace was her first real friend during her time in Fairy Tail. She... wasn't quite sure what her and Hunter were at the moment and she hadn't quite had the time to completely bond with Gale, Nashi and Storm just yet. Ultear... well that was a different story. But with Jace...

They sorta just clicked.

So when she watched as he disappeared through the doors of the guild, she felt pretty gloomy. 

"Why are you being so annoying right now?" Storm's voice echoed throughout the entire guild as he screamed through his phone. For the past ten minutes, he was arguing with who-knows on his phone. A moment passed and then suddenly his anger dissolved leaving a sort of a blank expression on his face. "You know what? I don't care anymore. See you when I see you." He hung up and stuffed the device into his pocket with unnecessary aggression before storming out of the guild. 

"What's up with Storm?" Alexis said she approached Hunter, Ultear and Gale who were sitting at a table. She slid next to Gale while Ultear and Hunter sat next to each other on the other side. Ultear, as expected, rolled her eyes when Alexis did so; something that Alexis pretended not to notice. 

Gale put a hand over his mouth trying to stifle his laughter. "Probably arguing with his girlfriend." He revealed. Even Hunter seemed to smirk at the mention of Storm's girlfriend.

"Girlfriend?" Ultear asked raising a brow. "Since when did he get a girlfriend?" Two years gone and you miss a lot, Ultear came to realise. 

"She's not necessarily a girlfriend. Storm's too much in denial to admit to anything." Hunter corrected with a shrug.

"Who is it?" Ultear asked. 

"Quinn Eucliffe." Gale answered leaning back into his seat. "Rumour has it, they have a friends with benefits thing going on." Ultear's eyes widened.

"Where'd that rumour come from?" Alexis asked curiously. 

"Sorceror's Weekly."

Ultear scoffed. "That magazine uses the most unreliable sources." She said which was completely truthful. Sorcerer Weekly often made up their stories to rake in all of their buyers. "They probably just used Storm's name because anything related to Fairy Tail in it sells like crazy nowadays."

Gale just shrugged raising his drink to his lips.

"Anyways Gale, how long have you've been in love with Nashi?" Hunter questioned.

Gale choked on his drink and began coughing hysterically. Alexis frantically pat his back trying to help. 

"W-What are you talking about?" Gale stuttered, his cheeks beginning to go red. It was rare for a guy who acted like he didn't care most of the time to get embarrassed. "I-I don't-"

"Oh please..." Ultear flipped her hair to the side. "U-Uh Nash, it's pretty chilly how about starting a firreee? Oh and while you're at it, will you marry meeee?" She mimicked Gale's low voice as best could without breaking character and laughing. Hunter stifled his laughter. 

Gale's head hung low. "Do I really make it that obvious?" He asked. 

"I've known you for a week and I already know." Alexis revealed patting Gale reassuringly. Deciding to put Gale out of embarrassment, she changed the subject. "Speaking of Nashi, where is she?" 

"When Luke woke up, her parents wanted all their kids at home for a little family time." Gale answered pretty quickly.

"Of course you'd know that." Ultear teased. Gale glared at her. 

"How's Raiden doing?" Hunter asked Alexis. "He was beaten up pretty badly." 

"He's fine. He has a small scar on his lip now but he's pretty excited about it. To him, girls love guys with scars... You know, I think I kinda agree with him on that one." Alexis tilted her head slightly to the side looking at straight into Hunter's eyes ever so innocently. 

Hunter glared at her now before averting his gaze elsewhere. Alexis let out a chuckle.

Ultear didn't know what the hell she just witnessed but she didn't like it. But then again, she didn't like anything that ever came out Alexis Dreyar's mouth. An idea suddenly popped into Ultear's mind which made a smile spread across her lips.

"Let's have a sleepover."

___________

FUN FACT - Gale has had a crush on Nashi since he was five years old

___________

its so dang late rn and I should be asleep but ya know I felt the sudden urge to write 2000 words

if things don't make sense in here its because im half braindead rn

this is basically a filler and kinda unnecessary

But I like it, hope you do too!

#unedited

anyways, enjoy this gif