Erza felt herself smile a real, unguarded smile. "Not if we can help it."
It would have been nice, Kaia thought, if the universe had granted her five seconds of peace to savor that rare, unscripted moment of warmth. But peace in Fairy Tail was an endangered species, and the moment you let your guard down, it tended to go extinct.
She'd barely opened her mouth to reply when a sound somewhere between a roar and a prolonged squawk shattered the air. Two human-shaped blurs tumbled through the doorway, locked in a wrestling match that seemed to have ignored both the concept of personal space and several laws of physics. Natsu and Gray were at it again, a tangled, flailing cyclone of elbows, insults, and flying ice shards.
Behind them came Lisanna, wide-eyed but bright with the sort of enthusiasm only a child of chaos could summon. Elfman trailed after her, blue suit immaculate, red bowtie bobbing, fingers nervously adjusting his sleeves as if afraid someone might ask him to fight or, worse, talk.
Kaia found herself trapped in the eye of the storm Erza and Mirajane behind her, Natsu and Gray in front, and a growing crowd of curious onlookers gathering, eager for the next round of the guild's never-ending drama.
Lisanna was the first to break through, skipping up to Kaia with a smile as sweet as summer lemonade. "Kaia! You're back! Did you really fight bandits? Was it scary? Did Erza rescue you or did you rescue her?"
Elfman cleared his throat, barely above a whisper. "Um. Welcome back."
Natsu and Gray locked in some eternal rivalry that Kaia suspected neither of them fully understood paused long enough to glance over. Natsu flashed a grin. "Hey, new girl! Was it awesome? Did you punch anything on fire?"
Gray shirtless as always, which Kaia had already given up trying to understand added, "Did you freeze anything? Or, y'know, punch Natsu?"
Kaia opened her mouth, only to feel the heat creeping up her neck. Her mind, traitorously, chose this moment to replay the way she'd woken up this morning Erza's arm draped over her, their faces close, her own heart making embarrassing decisions without consulting her brain. Her face flared red, and she quickly focused on her boots, which had never seemed so fascinating.
"It, uh, went well. No disasters," she managed, voice a little too high. "No one exploded. This time."
She hoped that would be the end of it, but Mirajane, standing just to her left, leaned in and gave her a long, considering look—the kind of look that made you wonder if you'd left your diary out in a hurricane. A slow, wicked smirk curled on Mira's lips.
"Really," Mirajane said, tone dripping with false innocence. "Nothing at all out of the ordinary happened? You seem a little… flustered, Kaia."
Kaia's brain did its best impression of a startled squirrel. "Nope. Just tired, you know? Bandit-fighting. Lots of running. Very exhausting."
"Exhausting, huh?" Mirajane's grin grew. "Well, it's a good thing you had someone to keep you warm last night."
Kaia nearly choked on her own breath. Was it possible to spontaneously combust from embarrassment? She'd have to ask Levy for the spell.
Before she could muster a comeback or a defensive magical explosion Mirajane acted. With the swiftness of a cat who's spotted an unattended plate of food, she grabbed Kaia's hand and spun her away from the gathering crowd.
"Let's get you some air," Mirajane said, not waiting for a reply. Her grip was strong suspiciously strong, in fact and Kaia found herself being hustled across the guild hall before her wits could catch up.
"Wait Mira what are you ?!" Kaia stumbled after her, casting a desperate glance back at the others. Erza watched with an unreadable expression, while Natsu and Gray resumed their brawl with a cheer that rattled the windows. Lisanna waved, entirely unfazed, and Elfman offered a small, uncertain smile before retreating behind a barrel.
Mirajane didn't stop until they'd reached the far end of the guild, just past the trophy wall and an ill-advised mural of Makarov wrestling a sea monster. She spun to face Kaia, her smirk now upgraded to full mischief.
"So," Mira said, folding her arms. "Care to tell me what really happened out there?"
Kaia, caught between indignation and mortification, squared her shoulders. "Nothing happened! We finished the mission. We didn't get lost. I didn't die. Erza didn't throw anyone off a cliff "
Mirajane arched an eyebrow. "But you did turn a very interesting shade of red when they asked about your night."
Kaia's words tangled. "That's just sunburn. From, uh, moonlight."
Mira's laughter rang like bells. "Come on, Kaia, you can trust me. You know I love a good story. Especially the kind that makes Erza blush."
Kaia crossed her arms, determined not to give anything away. "You're imagining things."
"I have a very vivid imagination," Mira replied. "But even I couldn't make up the look on your face when Erza smiled at you just now."
That derailed Kaia completely. "She smiled at me?"
"Like a kitten finding a patch of sunlight," Mirajane confirmed, eyes dancing. "You two have been spending a lot of time together lately."
Kaia bit her lip, unsure how much to say. There was a strange comfort in Mira's teasing, a warmth that reminded her, oddly, of home.
"We're just friends," Kaia said, more to herself than to Mira. "She's… Erza. She's a legend. I'm well, me."
"Maybe you're not giving yourself enough credit," Mirajane said, her tone suddenly softer, more sincere. "I know Erza. She doesn't let just anyone get close."
Kaia found herself looking at the floor again, the words getting tangled with the ache in her chest. "It's complicated. I'm not even sure I belong here half the time."
Mirajane bumped her shoulder gently. "Everyone in Fairy Tail feels that way at first. Even me. Even Erza. Trust me, you fit right in."
For a moment, Kaia let herself believe it.
They stood in comfortable silence, the sounds of the guild swirling around them laughter, magic, the crash of something expensive breaking. The world was as chaotic and overwhelming as ever, but with Mirajane beside her, Kaia felt less lost.
After a while, Mirajane grinned, her mischief returning. "So, tell me. Is Erza as cuddly as she looks, or is she more like hugging a bag of bricks?"
Kaia nearly dropped her bag. "Mira!"
Mira just laughed, her eyes sparkling. "Come on, you can trust me. I'm practically the guild's big sister. It'll be our secret."
Kaia hesitated, then unable to help herself let a small smile slip out. "She's… surprisingly soft. Don't tell her I said that."
Mira made a zipping motion across her lips. "My lips are sealed. For now."