Whoa! It's been a while, hasn't it?

Sorry for not being active, and this isn't my usual Fairy Tail one-shot.

A one-shot written for a new series, Gangsta, I recommend you all to check it out!

And now, enjoy!

Nicolas was spending a lot of time with Warrick and without her, Alex had noted in the last few days.

The deaf man would often motion for his partner in trade to follow him downstairs and into his room. Several times the woman would try to follow them but was stopped by the palm and the downward pointed finger that she saw far too much than to her liking. She was a part of Benriya too; any discussions about that business that they had with either the police or the mafia heads, she also wanted to be a part of.

But no matter how much she reasoned, the Twilight would always face his palm out towards her and then point down, signaling for her to stay put where she was with the telephone. Every time she inquired the Gigolo about what they were talking about without her, he only shrugged with a smirk, stating that Nicolas didn't want him to tell anyone.

She didn't understand, didn't Nicolas like her?

A few weeks earlier with the Christiano Family's Bastard pub being nearly destroyed by the Twilight Hunters, she had realized really, how useless she was. She had only been a prostitute and her only worth had been in seducing men for their money. This point was only proved further when she thought back to even earlier, when Nicolas had set out to fight the man at Dr. Theo's clinic and she was used as decoy to seduce the men who were assigned to kidnap Nina while she led Nicolas back to the clinic.

She did have a gun at Bastard, but she couldn't even bring herself to be as brave as the head of the Christiano Family, charging in to save her own subordinates. And Alex didn't even bother to try to use the gun that she had been given, she just put herself as the shield between the enemy and the strong-willed teenager. Foolish. She could've died! But then again, Nicolas was always there, wasn't he? Just like with Bastard and looking for that damned cat, he always seemed to know when she was in trouble.

So, because of all these brushes with danger, she decided to learn how to shoot a gun from Warrick. But with Warrick being Warrick, with his worries about getting her into danger and whatnot, he was absolutely against him teaching her how to shoot a gun properly. "It's dangerous and powerful. If you don't have the heart to kill, then you probably won't have the heart to pull the trigger at all," was all he said and didn't listen to another word that Alex muttered about learning how to shoot a gun.

Because of that, Alex was left with no options other than asking Miss Christiano to teach her how to use a gun after singing for the night in their pub. The younger lady agreed, that women should know how to defend themselves when needed and maybe even go on the offensive. She even gave Alex one of her own pistols to keep at Benriya. She kept it safely stowed away in the bottom of the small box that kept what little possessions she had.

She had learned that her kid brother was in fact a part of the Third Destroyers and was taking part in the mass killings. When she first heard of this, she decided that she would be going, with or without a sign that told her to wait. Warrick had seen the change in her determination and allowed her to step onto the field under one condition: never ever get caught up or engage in a fight.

It was reasonable, so she agreed and went along with them, borrowing a thigh holster from Miss Christiano to wear under a flowy, knee-length dress that she had bought a few days earlier. All for self-defense, of course.

But that thought was all thrown away along with the condition that she was held under to get the smallest chance of seeing her brother when she saw how severe the fighting was. Was this what Nicolas, Warrick, the Christiano Family, and the Paul Klee Guild had to endure everyday? She could now truly understand why her two companions hadn't wanted her to come along. She had almost laughed at her own naivety and how she had underestimated the cruelty of war. But that wasn't going to stop her. Alex wanted to help.

Running out of the safe spot that had been designated for her by Warrick, the dark-skinned woman ignored the warning cry of the Miss and shot once, twice, as many times as she could at the man, if she recalled correctly, named Striker, to whom Warrick had been losing his fight against. The short, blonde-haired man turned towards her, a smile of pure insanity upon his twisted lips. Her eyes didn't even see the movement, one moment the Destroyer was a few meters in front of her and the next, she could feel the sharp pain in her head as she was tackled to the ground.

"Galahad!" She heard the sword master's rough voice yell in his broken speech from above her and signaling the Miss's bodyguard to switch in for Warrick. After a moment of blurry vision, she could see the angered expression upon his face. Getting up from where he had been crouched protectively over her, he held out a hand, roughly helping her up. She didn't expect him to say much, just give her an annoyed look and carry on with the battle but to her surprise, he knocked the gun out of her hands and grabbed her abruptly to plant a firm kiss upon her lips.

"Idiot!" He shouted coarsely and glared at her while clutching her shoulders firmly. "You could've been killed!" Taking a hold of her wrist, he quickly marched her back to the safe spot where Miss Christiano had been watching the whole scene. "Wait here for me. And don't do anything stupid!"

He had kissed her.

Most of the time he didn't want to be seen around her, since that would make people think that they were together. When Alex first made lunch for Benriya, he didn't even want to be in the same room as her.

She had been so dumbfounded at the turn of events that when she asked Warrick about it, he burst out into laughter. "Wow! It's about time!" Apparently, the long-haired man had known about this for a while, but had been sworn to secrecy. "He's liked you for a while. Always worried about the type of customers you brought in when you were still on the streets. Great to hear about it though, you guys will do great!"

However, despite what the illegitimate child of Arcangelo said, Nicolas was acting as if nothing had happened and was leaving her out of things even more than he had been before.

Sighing, the woman sat up from where she had been at the desk waiting for calls and turned to a marked page in the sign language book she had been diligently studying from. Practicing a specific message she had been going over for the last few days, she sighed in frustration as she flipped through and couldn't find the next sign that she needed.

"Heyyy, Warrick." She called out and closed the book. "I need a little more help on this."

Nicolas noticed Alex had been spending more time with Warrick than usual in the last few days.

He had never been a person to be all up in other people's business. Ever since he was little, he had been punished severely for just asking questions and quickly learned that he should just go with it. No curiosity, or questions.

But this was the girl that he loved spending more time with his best friend rather than him. Even for Nicolas, that was pretty annoying and distracting.

"You're not telling her about what we've been doing, have you?" He would sign to the one-eyed man every time he was finished talking to Alex about whatever they had been discussing and every time Nicolas asked, Warrick would give him a mischievous but reassuring grin and tell him that he hadn't said anything.

Besides, Alex did know that he liked her, didn't she?

After being taken in by Benriya, she was doing fantastically, and Nicolas was happy for her. She had finally gotten away from Barry and he wouldn't have to go through his whole day, worried about whether or not Barry or a customer of hers was beating her more than she could take. She was safe with him, and that was all that really mattered.

He didn't really have the mind of confessing to her since she didn't really know him that well and besides, he was ten full years older than her. She was still young and most definitely wouldn't want a man that was old enough to be her protective older brother. Also, she probably wasn't going to stay around for very long, since she wanted to find her brother.

To feign indifference, he pretended that he didn't like her. That he didn't like being alone in a room with a woman. That every woman that Warrick brought into the house was a bother to him.

He laughed at his own thoughts from where he was sitting on his bed in his dark little room. As if all that stupid acting had actually worked in keeping himself away from her.

He actually liked it when she said good morning to him. When she was trying to keep her studying of sign language quiet from him. When she attempted to speak to him through sign language. When she wanted to tag along with him. All that led up to him wanting to interact with her more. When she was having the attack at Constance's shop, he couldn't help but to intervene instead of leaving it to Warrick like the ones before. For some reason, he also knew when she was in the most danger, swinging in to save her at just the right moment. Nicolas just couldn't keep away from her. It was impossible.

It was like looking at an angel when he first opened his eyes after having been knocked out by the new drug that Dr. Theo decided to test on him. He had never really thought twice about overdosing, but seeing Alex's concerned face and bloodied hands made him realize. What if one day, it was just too much and he never made it back? Then who would be protecting this girl? Warrick? That fool couldn't even protect himself, what could he ever do?

But then again, this girl was also a fool, always rushing in on impulse and having to have the A/0 rank run like hell to get to her just in time. She was bound to get hurt, with or without him, so he undeniably had to be there for her wherever and whenever.

He was beyond terrified when he turned on impulse to see her shooting a hand gun towards the man named Striker. Where had she even gotten her hands on a gun anyway? And a thigh holster? Giving a quick glance towards the blonde mafia leader, he made a mental note of speaking with her later before diving in to save Alex once more.

He hadn't really thought of what to do with Striker after saving Alex and all he could really think of was to call upon the burly bodyguard to step in and save all of Benriya's asses. It was only after he had confirmed that Galahad had engaged in battle with the Destroyer that Nicolas then turned his attention back to the girl underneath him.

She seemed confused, as if she had hit her head and the black-haired man didn't doubt the possibility. To hell with that though. Her head was going to be fine. He was pissed and this wasn't anything like before. How dare she be so careless like that? Who had given her the gun? Christiano? Warrick? Oh, he was most definitely going to be having a talk with the two of them later.

Everything was going through his mind then. Was she hurt? Why had she done that? Didn't she ever think? Who gave her that gun? Oh, that was the thought popping up most in his head. Why had he even agreed upon bringing her to the fight? What was he thinking? Was Warrick an idiot? Did that question even need answering?

He couldn't even think and this time, he didn't want to. This stupid girl had already made his stomach lurch and his heart jolt from being in danger enough, and he'd be damned if he didn't make it clear to her right at this moment. Hitting the gun out of her hands was first and top priority and the next, he just went for it. It wasn't like he was ever popular with girls as a kid – forget not being popular with the ladies, nobody ever wanted to be around him as a kid and even now, Warrick was the only one who would stick by him. Well, Warrick and Alex.

So when he kissed her, he just went by whatever. He didn't poke or prod or do whatever he had once seen Warrick do with one of his clients. He just smashed his lips to hers for a few seconds, then pulled away, not even giving the girl a chance to react to what he had just done.

"Idiot!" He hoped that he was yelling, and from the feel in his throat, he probably was. Taking a hold of her shoulders, he angrily searched her face for any signs of injury or trauma. He found none. "You could've been killed!" He then snatched her wrist in his big hand and dragged her back to Christiano's daughter. "Wait here for me. And don't do anything stupid!"

Was she avoiding him because of the kiss now?

Letting out a frustrated breath, Nicolas ruffled his black hair and shook off the thought. Well, it was expected if she didn't like him. The thought had crossed his mind before. A girl in her mid-twenties; why in the world would she want a man ten years older than her? She wouldn't.

Nevertheless, he had to keep practicing. Whispering quietly to himself, he rolled his eyes at a word that even he knew was pronouncing incorrectly. Well, time to ask for help again. Walking up the stairs to the main office, he waved his best friend over. "I need more help on this."

Alex Benedetto was nervous, just like her usual self.

Nicolas Brown was edgy, unlike his usual self.

Alex Benedetto practiced one last time, making sure her hands were in the right place.

Nicolas Brown rehearsed one last time, making sure every word felt right in his throat.

Alex Benedetto had been told by Warrick that Nicolas had something to say to her. Perfect. She also had something to say.

Nicolas Brown had been told by Warrick that Alex had something to say to him. Perfect. He might as well tell her then.

They met in the office, just when Alex was about to go downstairs and Nicolas was going up.

"Warrick said that you had something to tell me."/"Heard from Warrick that you had something to say."

They stared at each other, confused, until they looked over at the blonde man sitting on the couch, smirking to himself. "Well, I'll leave you two at it." He winked once at them each before disappearing outside to grab himself another pack of cigarettes.

The woman stared at the ground, her hands clasped tightly together and could feel a hesitant blush forming on her dark cheeks. It was just her and Nicolas now. Would he even take the time to see what she had to say?

The Asian man cussed silently towards the flamboyant bastard as he nervously ruffled his hair and ducked his own head down. Now they were the only two in the room. Would she take him seriously?

The two looked up from where they were in their respective places and hurriedly said their input.

"You can go first!"/"You say it first."

At this, Alex laughed, seeing Nicolas Brown as a nervous man for the first time she had met him. Why had she been so afraid in the first place? This man wasn't a mean person.

Nicolas smirked to himself as he saw Alex Benedetto laughing so beautifully. Of course, that was why he wanted to do this in the first place. She wasn't going to judge him.

"We can go at the same time." She said, smiling, and he nodded, grinning back.

Alex raised her hands while Nicolas opened his mouth to speak.

"Nicolas." / "Alex."

"When I first came here," / "When you first came here,"

"I didn't know if you were even a tiny bit fond of me." / "I'd already started liking you way before then."

"I wanted to at least be close, since you and Warrick were the ones to save me from Barry." / "After getting rid of Barry, I wanted to get to know you more, I really did."

"And really Nicolas, I knew that you weren't cold, just difficult with expressing yourself." / "I tried to be ignorant because I knew that you had to move on to other places. It didn't work."

"I was actually sort of happy when you helped me at Constance's instead of Warrick." / "When you were having an attack at Constance's I knew I had to step in. I wasn't even thinking. Just instinct, I guess."

"And you were always there whenever I was in trouble. I'll try to be more careful from now on. I promise." / "And for some reason, I always knew the moment that you were in trouble and had to haul my ass as fast as I could to save you. I don't know if I'll always make it in time, so please, be more careful, alright?"

"But you need to be careful too. Don't overdose on Celebre so much. It'll take a toll on your body. And for once, listen to Nina when she warns you." / "And I realized when I woke up after taking Theo's new drug. I won't overdose anymore. I want to be around to protect you and the others around us. Maybe I'll start listening to Nina's incessant whining for once."

"Anyway, sorry for giving you such a big scare at Monday's battle." / "You really frightened me at that fight a few days before. I've never been so scared in my entire life."

"I just wanted to see my brother, that's the main reason I tagged along." / "And I understand that you wanted to see your little brother,"

"And when I saw Warrick in trouble, I knew I had to do something." / "but jumping out like that was dangerous. Warrick can take care of himself. You know that."

"I'm sorry for doing that, again." / "Sorry for yelling at you."

"I've got to admit, I was really surprised when you kissed right there and then." / "And sorry for kissing you without warning. I seriously thought that I'd lost you back then."

Pausing for a bit, they continued.

"I'm sorry for being so useless." / "You helped us out a lot with deliveries and jobs. We're really grateful for that."

"I'm sorry for not being able to do anything other make a so-so lunch and pick up the telephone." / "And Warrick and I have never had a home-cooked meal in such a long time. Thank you."

"I'm sorry for being such a burden." / "I know what you're thinking, and please believe me when I say that you're not a burden at all."

"And I actually don't care if you're ten years older than me." / "Having a partner ten years older than you is probably far from what you want but at least hear me out. Let me just say one more thing."

"I…" / "I…"

"I love you." / "I love you."

Alex froze as she heard the words leave his mouth and Nicolas nearly never got them out at the sign that she was making. At this, the new couple stared blankly at each other, trying to figure out if what they had seen and heard was reality. Then, as the tension broke, the two burst into laughter, Alex clutching her stomach while Nicolas slapped his palm onto his forehead. They had been thinking of telling each other the same thing with a little variation… Who would've thought?

Wiping her tears away, Alex finally caught her breath and regained her composure. "You know, that wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be."

"Yeah, and your sloppy signing has gotten better."

He grinned as he saw her face go red at his comment before she gave a flustered retaliation. "W-Well then your pronunciation with your words has gotten a lot better than when you yelled at me on Monday!"

"Of course, I had Warrick helping me out this whole time."

Her eyes widened, then pointed a finger straight at him. "You were asking him for help!? I thought you just wanted to avoid me even more!"

Nicolas rolled his eyes at her over-the-top reaction and waved a hand for her to calm down. "Yeah, I needed to know if I was doing everything right, and everyone else in this neighborhood is afraid of me so Warrick was really the only one I could ask." He paused for a moment, gazing down at her curiously. "By the way, why were you spending so much time with him? I was beginning to think that you preferred him over me…"

At this, Alex could feel blood rise to her face as she raised her hands up in nervous embarrassment to explain. "No, no! I was just asking him for help too, since the Sign Language book we had didn't have everything in it… Nicolas, don't get the wrong idea!" She said loudly, waving her hands about and gesticulating wildly. "Ni-"

"Aw, shut up." He muttered and she stared up him in surprise for talking instead of his usual signing as he moved to close the gap in between them. Wrapping his big arms around her, he sighed as he rested his chin on top of her head. "I won't make another assumption like that. But from now on…" He pulled away and began to use signs again. "Even you decide you don't want to be with me later down the road, I'll spend the rest of my short and cursed life to protect you and the others around us. That, Alex Benedetto, is a promise."

She looked up at him, seeing the seriousness in his eyes, then smiled. "You know, Nicolas, that's great and all, but," Alex walked over to the desk and pulled out the hand gun that Christiano had given her. "I'll still be shooting this gun."

Nicolas raised his brows, looking down at the convicted expression on her face. Seeing that she wouldn't be convinced otherwise, he ruffled his own hair and grinned at his woman's resoluteness. "Alright, well, I like badass women anyway."

...

"I love you."/"I love you."

Thanks for reading, as always

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