Laxus and Mira have been in a relationship ever since the Grand Magic Game. However, Laxus is taking his relationship with Mira for far too slow, never taking it to the next level. Even after a month has passed, he has never once asked her out on a date nor to be on a mission with him. Laxus also rarely visits the guild and is constantly oblivious to his lack of love and attention that Mira has always been yearning for.

Back inside the guild, Mira has been wiping the same spot on her glass for minutes behind the counter. Until...

"Earth to Mira. You there?" A good-looking stranger waves his hand by her face after sitting on the stool in front of her. The man is very tall and muscular comparable to that of Laxus. His hair is brown, spiky, and slicked to the back while his skin is slightly tanned. Moreover, he is wearing a tight black tank top and a military cargo pants.

"Oh, Nathan, it's you." Mira finally snaps back to reality, awkwardly gazing back at the man as she puts down her glass.

Mira recognizes Nathan as the guild's newcomer, yet the man has already proven himself worthy of the S-class title after he had overpowered Erza, Gray, and Natsu in a rumble without even breaking a sweat with his fiend soul take over.

"Mira, what's wrong?" Nathan whispers, placing his hand on top of hers while gazing into her eyes. "Why is a gorgeous angel such as yourself frowning?"

Nathan is indeed flirting with her, and Mira knows better than to fall in love with another man, but damn does she find Nathan hot! Mira can feel her face burning up, so she tries not to stare into his gaze as she slowly pulls her hand away from him. "I'm alright... Just thinking about my boyfriend..."

"You mean Laxus? That stuck-up man who is always too afraid to fight me?"

"Hehe~ You're lucky to have Laxus decline your challenge, or else he would've wiped the floor with you."

"Oh, is that so? Wanna bet?" Nathan smirks at Mira, and his smirk only reminds her more of Laxus. With her head dropped to the floor, Mira dodges the question before walking out from behind the bar toward the aisle. "Hey, where are you going? Let me come with you."

"Don't." Mira stops to glance back at Nathan. "I need some time to be alone..." With that, Mira exits the guild and walks her way to Magnolia South Gate Park. She soon finds herself sighing with her back leaning against the bark of the gigantic tree in the middle of the park.

Mira indeed knew that Laxus is not boyfriend material, but she has had enough of Laxus always neglecting her and treating her as if she's his trophy girlfriend. Truth be told, Mira has recently been considering about breaking up with Laxus, and here today she found her heart racing when Nathan flirted with her, so is it perhaps about time for her to move on...?

"You deserve better, Mira." A deep and husky voice similar to Laxus' excites Mira, however disappointment soon replaces her excitement as Nathan wraps his arm around her waist.

"Nathan, I told you not to follow me..."

"I know, but I couldn't stop worrying about you."

"You were?"

"Uh. I know exactly what you are going through, how Laxus has been mistreating you." Nathan turns Mira around and locks his hands on her shoulders so that their eyes gazes into each other. "That stops now! I can give you all the things Laxus should've done! Let me be the man who loves you with all his heart!"

"..."

"I love you, Mira. I really do."

"!"

Just as Nathan is about to kiss her lips, Mira pushes him away. "I-I can't. I still love Laxus..."

"I see..." Nathan scratches his scalp while facing away. "Tell me. What is it do you see in Laxus? He is but an egotistic, selfish, and uncaring man. You have no reason to keep holding on to him."

"..."

"Unlike him, I would never leave nor hurt you. I can give you my undivided attention, so if you ever change you mind, you know where to find me."

Mira watches in silent as Nathan walks away while waving his hand at her without looking back. She can't comprehend why her heart was beating like it did. All she knows is that a big decision lies ahead of her, an inevitable dilemma of choosing between either Laxus or Nathan.

That night after Laxus has just gone back from his one week mission, he expected a warm welcome from Mira, but instead he receives a cold stare from her as he chugs down his third mug of beer. Slightly annoyed, Laxus slams his empty mug on the counter. "Hey, I just got back from a long and grueling mission. Could you at least be happier for me?"

"What, you expect me to be happy after you had left me alone for a week without even notifying me? Don't you know how worried I was the whole time you were gone?"

"Come on now, Mira. You should know by now that I am strong enough to take care of myself. You need not worry about me."

"Then how come you never replied to any of my lacrima messages?"

"Those were all 'How are you' and 'What are you doing' messages. You can't expect me to reply to such trivial stuffs."

"Oh yeah? Then How can I be sure that you were not secretly having an affair with another woman?"

"Enough with all the questions! You need to calm down and stop prying into my personal life."

"Me? Prying into your personal life!? For God sake, Laxus, we are in a relationship!" Mira slams her hands on the table, catching everyone's attention inside the guild besides Nathan who has been attentively listening to their argument the whole time. Right now, Nathan has a wide smug grin on his face.

"Tch!" Scowling at unwanted attention from everyone, Laxus flashes out from the guild.

"Laxus, wait!" Mira waste no time jumping over counter before storming out the guild, too caught up in her emotions to notice that Nathan is actually following her. Nathan later hides himself as Mira runs toward Laxus who is folding his arms with his back turned on her under the gigantic tree at South Gate Park.

"Mira, do you remember the day I asked you to be my girlfriend?" Laxus ask with his back exposed to Mira.

"Yes I do. It was a month ago in a night such as this, right under this very tree..." Mira rests her hand on her chest and closes her eyes as she recalls the beautiful memory.

The stars are shining bright, leaves are falling like paper from the tree, and the wind carries the dramatic sound of rustling leaves along with Laxus' fluttering coat.

"I remember how happy you and I were before, so why...?" Laxus turns around and approaches Mira, pulling her gently into his arms. "Why is it that as time goes by, you started asking more and more out of me, all these stuffs I'm not comfortable with..."

"Oh, Laxus..." Mira whispers. "I just need you to make yourself less scarce at all times for me. I want our relationship to be more than just a status."

"I told you before, I'm not the romantic type, but I am more than capable of providing you with all the richest in the world, so why can't you be happy with the way things are just like I am?"

"You still don't get it, do you?" Mira sighs, pushing Laxus away by his chest before taking a step back. "Listen carefully. You have a lot to learn about relationship. I believe for now we should just, just... end our relationship."

"What!" Laxus swings his hand to the side, clenching it along with his teeth. Rejection certainly doesn't sit well with his pride. "Are you saying you're breaking up with me!?"

"Please understand. This is for the best."

"At the very least, tell me why I'm never good enough for you!"

"I've told you many time before, yet you kept shutting me out of your life, but one day I'm sure you'll understand." Having kissed Laxus on the cheek for one last time, Mira runs away in tears. "Goodbye, Laxus..."

"Mira..."

Rain starts pouring down.

"Arghhh!" Laxus punches the bark of the tree until his hand badly bleeds, swearing with each consecutive punch. His screams echo through the night, and they are music to Nathan's ear.

"Haha, serves you right." Nathan snickers, burying his hand inside his pocket as he leaves the scene.

"Hicks... Hicks..." Sitting alone on a bench and drenched under the rain, Mira is covering her face with her hand. Words can't describe how terrible she feels for breaking Laxus' heart, and it haunts her whenever she closes her eyes.

"Mira, why are you crying?"

"Huh?" Mira peeks through her hand to find Nathan sitting beside her while holding an umbrella over her head. As he expected, Mira voluntarily leans her head on his shoulder. "Sorry. I just need a shoulder to cry on right now..."

"I'm here now. You don't have to be strong around me." Nathan stroke her back along her spine, taking advantage of the situation even more as his forehead touches hers. "Please, tell me what happened."

Mira swallows the lump in her throat. "I've just broken up with Laxus."

"I see. I'm sorry t hear that."

"Do you think I made the wrong choice?"

"On the contrary. Someone as inconsiderate as Laxus doesn't deserve you. Even now I feel like teaching him a lesson for making you cry like this."

"..."

"It may be unbearable at first, but I'm sure you'll get over him eventually. Come, let me walk you home before you catch any cold."

"Thanks. That is very thoughtful of you."

Nathan is holding Mira's hand all along the way to Fairy Hill, and Mira can't help but grow feelings for Nathan. After all, he is the only man aside from Laxus who meets her standard: strong and masculine, yet also caring.

"Thanks again for walking me home."

"My pleasure. Oh, and one more thing."

"Hmm?"

"I know it may still be too early for you to move on, but know that I will always be waiting for your answer no matter how long it takes, alright?"

"Hehe~ That answer may come sooner than you think."

"Heh, well then, catch ya tomorrow, Mira."

Mira and Nathan smiles at each other before they part.

On his way back to the guild, the smile on Nathan's face is everlasting. That is, until he unexpectedly bumps into Laxus whose fist is dripping blood from its knuckles. With a smirk now on his face, Nathan intentionally steps in front of Laxus to glower at him.

"Move. You're in my way." Laxus grunts heavily in anger.

"Make me."

"Don't test me, boy! I really don't mind killing a person today!"

"Bring it on! Let's settle who's stronger right here right now!" Nathan readies his fighting stance while Laxus envelops himself in lightning. The two are glaring at each other for seconds until Nathan lands a sucker punch on Laxus' face, forcing him to face to his side as he coughs out some blood.

Surprisingly, Laxus doesn't fight back but only sighs as he cancels out his magic. "I'm not in the mood for this..." He lowers down Nathan's fist from his cheek, and then just walks past him while wiping off the blood around his mouth.

"Hey! Are you running away from a fight!? Come back here, you coward!" Much to Nathan's annoyance, Laxus only keeps on walking with his hands dug inside his pockets. Nathan watches as Laxus slowly disappears from his sight.

For the next few weeks, Laxus never shows up at the guild. Instead, he has been spending most of his time drinking and contemplating about what went wrong. The more he does, the less he knows.

When Laxus finally stops by the guild, his world crumbles before his very eyes when he catches his ex girlfriend making out with Nathan in public along the aisle.

"Mira! What is the meaning if this!" Laxus yells from the top of his lungs. Heavy tension immediately fills the room as everyone is gaping at him.

"La-Laxus?"

To be continued...

Thanks for reading, and I will really happy if you would leave your comment about this chapter for me ^_^.