Smiles
Year X777 — Late Spring
Location: Fairy Tail Guildhall / Magnolia Streets
Age: Ren (12) | Erza (12) | Mirajane (12)
---
If there was one thing Fairy Tail had in excess—besides broken furniture—it was opinions.
And on this particular afternoon, most of those opinions were about Ren.
"…He smiled again."
"…At who?"
"…Yes."
Ren leaned casually against the guild's bar counter, sunlight slanting through the tall windows behind him. He held a cup of juice with both hands, posture relaxed, breathing steady.
In.
Out.
Across the hall, Mirajane slammed a mug down with a grin that was far too sharp to be sweet.
"…You're doing it on purpose," she accused.
Ren tilted his head, all innocence. "…Doing what?"
"That," Erza said flatly, seated nearby with arms crossed. "…That face."
"…I have a face?" Ren asked gently.
Mirajane laughed—loud, unrestrained, punkish. She still wore her cropped jacket, boots scuffed from brawls, attitude sharper than her horns in Satan Soul.
"…You hear him?" she said to Erza. "Acts like he doesn't know."
Erza's eye twitched. "…He knows."
Ren smiled.
> They're both watching me, he noted calmly.
Interesting.
---
The trio hadn't been intentional.
It just… happened.
After Erza vs Mirajane, things had shifted. Not softened—realigned. Where there had been rivalry, now there was friction. And friction, Ren had learned, created heat.
Lots of it.
They took missions together more often.
Argued about routes.
About tactics.
About everything.
Mirajane preferred brute force and intimidation.
Erza favored discipline and structure.
Ren—
Ren listened.
"…Left or right?" Mirajane asked, cracking her knuckles as they stood at a crossroads during a simple escort job.
"…Left," Erza said immediately.
"…Right," Mirajane shot back.
They turned to Ren in unison.
He looked at the sky, then the ground, then smiled softly. "…Right. But we take the left after."
Both girls stared.
"…That's cheating," Mirajane said.
"…Effective," Erza corrected.
They went right.
The ambush came from the left.
---
Back at the guild, the aftermath of the mission turned into its usual controlled chaos.
Gray and Natsu were already shouting at each other near the center table.
"STOP TAKING YOUR CLOTHES OFF!"
"STOP STARING!"
Elfman cheered someone on. Lisanna laughed nearby, sitting on the bar with her legs swinging.
Cana—newly joined, already smug—sipped from her barrel, watching everything with half-lidded amusement.
"…That kid," she muttered, eyes flicking to Ren, "…is trouble."
Ren caught her gaze and inclined his head politely.
Cana snorted. "…Yep. Trouble."
---
Mirajane leaned in close to Ren, invading his personal space deliberately. "…So," she said, voice low and teasing, "…do you always watch people like that?"
Ren didn't move back.
"…Only when they're interesting."
Erza stood abruptly. "…We're not here to flirt."
Mirajane grinned wider. "…Who said anything about flirting?"
Ren's smile deepened—just a fraction.
> Ah. There it is.
"…I did," he said calmly.
Silence.
Erza turned slowly. "…You did what."
Ren met her gaze without flinching. "…Flirt."
Mirajane blinked—then burst out laughing. "HAHA! I like him."
"…You shouldn't," Erza snapped.
"…Too late," Mirajane replied cheerfully. "He's fun."
Ren raised a finger slightly. "…To be clear—I'm not choosing sides."
"…That's worse," Erza said.
"…Much worse," Mirajane agreed, still smiling.
---
They left the guild together later, the air outside warm and bright, Magnolia alive with late-spring bustle.
"…You enjoy provoking us," Erza accused as they walked.
"…I enjoy honesty," Ren corrected.
Mirajane slung an arm around Ren's shoulders without warning. "…You're honest about liking strong women."
Ren didn't deny it. "…Strength is admirable."
Erza flushed. "…That's not—"
"…—appropriate?" Mirajane finished. "Please. This is Fairy Tail."
Ren gently removed Mirajane's arm—not forcefully, just enough to set a boundary.
Mirajane noticed.
Her grin softened.
> Interesting, she thought. He flirts—but he listens.
"…You're not like the others," she said.
Ren nodded. "…I try."
Erza watched the exchange closely.
> He's not careless, she realized.
He's deliberate.
That somehow made it worse.
---
They stopped at a small bridge overlooking Magnolia's canal.
Mirajane hopped onto the railing. "…So, Fairy Queen," she said playfully, "…still think you're better than me?"
Erza crossed her arms. "…At discipline. Yes."
"…At fun?" Mirajane challenged.
"…No."
Ren chuckled softly.
Both girls turned on him.
"…Don't encourage her," Erza warned.
"…Too late," Mirajane said.
Ren raised both hands. "…I think you're both exceptional."
Silence.
"…That," Erza said slowly, "…was not helpful."
Mirajane laughed again—but this time, there was something warmer in it.
"…You're dangerous, Sun Swordsman."
Ren smiled faintly. "…Only if you let me be."
---
That night, the trio sat on the guild's roof, legs dangling over the edge.
Below them, Fairy Tail roared with life.
"…You know," Mirajane said thoughtfully, "…we're probably going to fight a lot."
"…Yes," Erza agreed.
"…Over stupid things."
"…Mostly," Erza added.
They both looked at Ren.
"…And you," Mirajane said, "…are going to be the reason half of them start."
Ren considered that.
> Balance, Great Sage murmured faintly in the back of his mind.
"…I'll take responsibility," he said simply.
Erza huffed. "…You'd better."
Mirajane smiled, leaning back on her hands. "…Good."
The moon climbed higher.
Steel.
Demon.
Sun.
They didn't know it yet—but this trio, forged in rivalry and sharpened by affection, would change more than just Fairy Tail.
And Ren—
Ren closed his eyes, breathing steady, smile easy.
> Flirting is just another way of listening, he thought.
And I listen very well.
---
End of Chapter 38 ✨🔥⚔️