I will keep the rating at T since that's what most of you asked for

Warning: Things get a bit heated this chapter, but no lemon I swear!

*I don't own Fairy Tail

Kinana quietly exited the room she had spent the night in and stared across the factory floor. Racer was looking through many pieces of paper, presumably looking for some type of document, while Midnight and Cobra sat together a little ways away having a hushed conversation. Cobra looked up at her and gave her a reassuring nod, before turning back to Midnight. Kinana approached slowly and saw Angel lounging on a chair a few feet away, looking bored as she took inventory of the few items that they possessed.

"What?" Angel snapped, feeling Kinana's gaze on her.

"N-nothing. I-I just noticed…that's a pretty bracelet." Kinana stuttered gesturing to the gold ringlet adorning Angel's wrist.

In truth it was quite a strange accessory for Angel to wear as it stood in stark contrast to her usual pale blue and white attire. If Kinana remembered correctly, Angel was never one for jewelry as she complained that it tended to 'slow her down'. But then again it had been seven years, maybe her fashion tastes had changed.

Angel scoffed at Kinana's attempt at conversation. "Listen sweetie," She drawled out, "I don't like you and I don't want to be your friend. So can we not do this?"

Kinana looked down in disappointment. "I was hoping that we could-"

"That we could what?" Angel interrupted, "That we could be best friends who would braid each other's hair? No. I don't trust you, and you haven't even told us what kind of magic you use yet."

"Oh! I-I use Take-Over magic." Kinana looked at Angel, flinching under her hard gaze.

"Uh-huh, do you now?" Angel said skeptically. "What's your form?"

"A snake." Kinana responded.

Angel blinked in surprise. Racer and Midnight both looked up at her with confusion as well, revealing that they had been listening to the conversation the whole time.

A smirk slowly formed on Angel's face. "Now I see why Cobra likes you." She chuckled to herself and turned her attention back to the task she was doing.

Midnight looked at Cobra and furrowed his brows. "You like Kinana because she reminds you of your pet?" Midnight asked in a rather obnoxious way.

Cobra sighed in annoyance and turned to his guildmates who looked at him as if he had grown two heads. He knew that no matter what he said to justify his relationship with Kinana, they were going to make fun of him so he opted to stay silent and just toss a glare at each person before turning back to the papers that he and Midnight were discussing.

Midnight took Cobra's silence as confirmation and started chuckling, Angel joined in partway all the while staring at Kinana as if she was deformed.

"That's not why!" She said in earnest, a blush rising to her face. "Anyways, that-that doesn't matter. Do you guys want to see my form?"

"Not particularly." Angel said, still amused.

"Oh come now, Angel. Stop being so harsh to Kinana. We do need to assess her skills anyways." Midnight said, gesturing for Kinana to continue.

She looked over at Cobra for help. He shrugged and said, "It's your choice." That's what he said, but internally he was already cringing waiting for the backlash of his guildmates finding out who Kinana really was.

Kinana took a deep breath, trying to shake out her nerves. Even after practicing for two months, she still got nervous performing take-overs in front of people. Kinana shifted in stance and held her palms together.

"Take-Over: Cubellios" she murmured quietly, still not quite confident enough to speak louder.

Everyone except Cobra looked surprised. "What did she just say?" Angel asked, not believing her ears.

Before anyone could respond, a white flash blinded everyone as Kinana's body shifted into that of a giant purple snake.

Racer gaped at the spectacle before him. "Cobra…isn't that your snake?"

"Kinana is…Cubellios?" Midnight asked in disbelief. Well this was a new one.

"No freaking way…" Angel murmured.

Kinana still had trouble holding her form for long periods of time, so almost as soon as she had turned into a poisonous snake, she turned herself back into a human girl. No worse for wear, only slightly dizzy, however Cobra came over to her and helped her keep her balance.

Angel held up her hands. "Wait. Wait a minute. Cobra…you…you're dating your snake?!" she asked, with amusement and mirth coming back to her voice.

She guffawed much louder than she had before, nearly doubling over with laughter. "Oh this is just too great!" She cried in delight. She would be able to tease Cobra about this for a long time.

"Kinana, I take back what I said. Now I know why he likes you," Angel burst into laughter, "I can't believe that you're dating your old pet!"

Kinana normally would have been feeling humiliated as Angel laughed incredibly loud, Midnight chuckled quietly, and even the usually stoic Racer was grinning. But she could tell that their laughter this time was not done to be mean to her or to spite her. They were laughing at the absurdity of the situation.

Cobra stood next to her glaring and as he started to shake with annoyance, Kinana couldn't help but smile. Despite everything Cobra did and said, she could tell that he was relieved to be back amongst his former guildmates. He had often said that Kinana was his only friend, but she knew that he considered Oracion Seis his friends as well and that being back among them put him at ease.

Cobra walked away from the trio of laughing idiots when Midnight followed him. "Now how on Earthland did this come to pass?" He asked with a smile still on his face.

Cobra scowled, yet it quickly melted away as he looked over at Kinana.

"Welcome back, it's been a while. Good to see you again." Angel said as she stuck out a hand to Kinana.

Kinana was taken aback, Angel's smile was genuine and her tone wasn't sarcastic. A small smile formed on her face as she took Angel's hand. "It's good to see you again too."

Cobra unconsciously smiled at the exchange, while Midnight studied him carefully. "Well?" he prodded.

Cobra sighed. "It's a long story."

"God those idiots get on my nerves!" Cobra ground out through his teeth as he paced around the room that was set up for him and Kinana.

"They can be a bit much, but I think it was all good-natured." Kinana said offering an embarrassed smile.

After having to endure their relentless teasing, Cobra stormed out of the factory until sunset before returning to find Kinana and his guildmates talking and laughing as if they were old friends. But as it turns out, they actually were.

"I know." Cobra bit out before settling down on the floor, leaning against the wall.

Kinana smiled at his childish behavior before laying back down on her futon that was placed next to his. When she had first discovered that her guildmates had arranged one of the empty factory rooms for the both of them to share, Kinana couldn't stop blushing. Her embarrassment faded slightly however, when she realized that they had set out two futons for them instead of one.

"Hey. Come here." Cobra called out to her.

Kinana sat up and blinked at him. "Huh?"

She kept staring at him until his blank expression morphed into one of annoyance when she didn't immediately move.

"I said come here."He repeated with a little more force.

Kinana felt slightly nervous as she rose and walked over to sit beside him. She managed to keep in her yelp of surprise when he suddenly grabbed her and shifted their position.

He held her close to him and she sighed in contentment and nestled closer to him. Her back was leaning against his chest. She was sitting in between his legs while his arms were wrapped around her waist. Her initial discomfort and nervousness melted away as she felt herself relax in his embrace.

"What are you thinking right now?" he murmured softly into her shoulder.

Kinana chuckled. "I'm sure you know that already."

"I'd rather hear you say it."

"You're acting a little weird." She said, affection lacing her words.

Cobra was quiet for a moment, then spoke. "You know if you don't tell me, I can force you to. I have ways of making you speak."

"Oh really?" Kinana asked, rising to the challenge. "What could you do?"

Cobra suddenly shifted and brought his lips close to her ear. His murmured words caused a hot blush to spread across Kinana's face. She turned around to lightly punch him on the chest. Cobra caught her arm and used it to pull her closer.

He kissed her as best as he could manage in their awkward position. Eventually Kinana grumbled in discomfort at her arm being yanked and turned around to sit atop his lap. She blushed at her own forwardness but managed to look Cobra in the eye. There was a mixture of emotions that she hadn't seen before.

There was his love for her, that much she could tell, and his emotional pain that he always carried with him. But there was something else that she hadn't seen in Cobra before. It was a kind of determination.

Kinana buried her hands in his hair. "What are you thinking right now?" she asked softly.

Cobra pitched forward and Kinana found herself flat on her back with Cobra leaning over her.

"E-Erik?" Kinana stuttered.

Cobra swiftly kissed her. His hands reached up to caress her jaw while his lips stole her attention. She sighed softly at the pleasurable feelings that started coursing through her at his actions.

Slowly, she reached her arms up and around his back and pressed him closer to her. He started kissing along her jaw, down to her neck and paused.

She heard his breathing even out, while his hands dropped lower to either side of her waist. Everywhere he touched her, her skin seemed to burn and her breath hitched at the feel of it.

She moved her hands up to his head and started threading her fingers through his spiky hair. He murmured his approval of her actions and Kinana smiled.

After all of the challenges they've had to go through to get to this point, she wondered if he finally felt at peace.

"I am" he whispered, before pressing his lips against her neck again. The action sent a shiver down her spine to which no doubt he felt, as he suddenly smirked.

Kinana felt too happy to be embarrassed however. Just for that one blissful moment, she wanted the world outside of them to not exist. To have no one trying to hunt them down and forcibly rip them apart. To have no one care that he was a criminal and that she had ran away from her guild.

She wasn't sure of anything anymore, nothing, except for the man in her arms. The man who expressed his love for her in the strangest ways. The man who also irritated her to no end with his rude remarks and annoying smirks. Not to mention his arrogance he gained from his 'mind-reading'. But Kinana could never say she wholly disliked their dynamic.

So she held him closer to her and tried her hardest to enjoy that moment and believe that the world around them simply didn't care.

"It's a nice thought." Cobra suddenly said. Kinana was brought out of her musings with a sad smile.

"Yeah." She agreed, closing her eyes.

"It won't last though, you have to go back."

At that Kinana stiffened and her eyes flew open. Here we go again, she thought exasperated.

Cobra, of course, heard that and raised himself up to rest on his forearms. Still on top of her but now looking directly into her eyes. His annoyed expression mirroring hers.

"You'll have to go back to Fairy Tail. I shouldn't have let you leave in the first place."

"Let me leave?" Kinana repeated, voice laced with incredulity before replaced with anger. She sat up while simultaneously shoved him off of her. "It was my choice!"

Cobra scowled. "I know. But it was a stupid one." He sighed wearily before continuing, "It was selfish of me. I wanted you…to be near me."

Kinana's shoulders squared with frustration. "Why can't we just keep going like this? We'll face whatever comes our way together. Who cares what might or might not happen? Let's just…" her voice trailed off as she reached her breaking point.

She leaned forward and buried her face in his shirt while gripping it tightly with her hands. She started shaking with either anger or sadness, she didn't even know anymore. Cobra's arms held her tight, but it did little to quell her trembling.

"I know you'd like to believe that, and I would too, but sooner or later…it'll have to end." He murmured in response.

Despite all of Kinana's vehement denial of this statement, way deep down a tiny part of her agreed with him.

But that didn't mean that they couldn't enjoy their small moment of peace together.

I've noticed that the story changed from light-hearted to angsty and dramatic. And I love it! But no worries, I promise a happy ending for them!

I'm constantly blown away by the amount of support this story has received. Thank you guys so much for your kind words and for putting up with my irregular updates (so sorry about that). I tried to make this chapter longer than the others and I already have most of the next chapter written. I finally know how I want this story to end, and guys…we're almost there. Maybe I'm being weirdly sentimental, but this is my first fanfic and I'll miss it.

Review response time, woo!

SilentCreScriptor: ALKFJASDFJ-Thank you for calling my writing brilliant! It makes me so happy :D :D :D :D :D

BloodyRose2016: I love the intenseness too! I don't even know where that idea came from but I love the outcome!

Fiery Keys: Don't worry, it won't be forever. And I'm only responding to this review because I want to, not because you told me to!

Xx13deathsxX: *scoffs* I get death threats from my best friend on a daily basis. You don't scare me!

Creator of Raava: Oh god, are you actually dead?! Am I responsible for someone's death?! NOOOOOO!