Makarov was fine, just insistent on having a few more drinks before he sat down to write his next self-criticism.
Mira suspected he was using his sour mood as an excuse to indulge a bit, but in the end, she couldn't bring herself to stop him.
True to his word, Makarov lit a lamp after a few cups and got to work. His quill flew across the page with practiced ease, as if the words were pouring from a bottomless spring.
A hundred self-criticisms written after a drinking contest? Poor old man.
Rhodes made sure to check on him later in the evening. When he saw Makarov return from the tavern and head home as usual, he finally relaxed.
Every night at closing time, there were always a few people who didn't want to leave the guild's makeshift tavern.
Rhodes had to be the one to chase them out.
At first, he tried to be polite. But after working together for a while, he started to speak more casually.
"Alright, out you go! We're closing!"
"What? Kicking us out already?"
"Is that any way to treat your patrons?"
"Someone shut Rhodes up already!"
A new, unwritten rule had formed in Fairy Tail lately—if you wanted to stay in the tavern a little longer, you had to beat Rhodes in a fight.
But no one ever followed through. They were all exhausted from a full day of work, and who had the energy to get knocked around before bed?
The last time Cana got drunk and refused to leave, she tried it—and she got flattened. No one else had the guts to try after that.
"Come on then, if you're gonna fight, let's go." Rhodes cracked his knuckles. "Oh, and pay your tab before you run off!"
Everyone grumbled and paid up. With work early the next morning, they knew they were better off heading back.
On the way home, Bisca and Max discussed the idea of hiring Erza to beat up Rhodes just to break that ridiculous tavern rule.
While wiping down the tables, Laki asked teasingly, "Hey, why are you always in such a rush to clock out? Going home for a sweet date with Mira?"
Rhodes sighed. "We're training. Don't you want to get off work too?"
"I think it's nice to create more value through labor."
"Alright, after you're done cleaning, you can stay and keep making wood planks. I'll help recharge your magic."
"I take it back! I refuse!"
This girl's mouth moved faster than her brain.
Right now, the main focus of Rhodes and Mira's training was expanding their magical reserves. It just so happened that both of them shared the same goal.
That was one of the drawbacks of Requip or Take Over magic, while it could unleash immense bursts of power in short windows, it consumed a terrifying amount of magical energy.
Which made sense. The stronger the entity being summoned or "received," the greater the boost to combat ability.
But the higher the power, the shorter the stamina.
Most of the lights around the construction site were already out. Only two small lamps glowed dimly in the distance.
The two of them sat cross-legged on the ground, facing each other with their eyes closed in meditation.
This kind of training had become part of their nightly routine.
Back before the guild was destroyed, Rhodes was even more ruthless with his practice, seizing every spare moment he could to meditate or refine his magic.
According to Mira's estimate, if he kept this pace up, in another two or three months, Rhodes might have enough magic to rival even Erza.
Of course, knowing Erza, she might make even more progress by then.
Fwoosh...
A small ripple of wind pulsed out from Rhodes. One round of training was complete.
Rhodes opened his eyes and saw Mira's sweatshirt and long white hair swaying softly in the breeze, yet she remained still, eyes closed, fully immersed in her meditation.
He watched her for a while, then lay back against the grass, folding his arms behind his head as a pillow.
Above him, the stars stretched across the night sky in brilliant silence. Though the lanterns on the construction site were dim, they couldn't dim the glow of the constellations overhead. Mist clung faintly to the edge of the sky, giving it a hazy shimmer.
Rhodes traced the patterns above, recognizing Lyra, Cygnus, and Sagittarius scattered among the twinkling lights.
He hadn't known any of this back before he crossed worlds. But after learning about Celestial Spirit Magic, he'd taken time to study the constellations.
Each of these constellations had a corresponding key, and behind each key was a Celestial Spirit.
Technically speaking, Celestials were measured in "bodies", though he had heard some people call them "pieces," much like his own summoned monsters. Maybe that was just a reflection of how impersonally some Celestial Spirit Mages treated them.
But Lucy... Lucy was different.
She saw her spirits as friends, companions, family, even. Perhaps that was why she fit into Fairy Tail so well. She didn't summon power to use it. She bonded with it.
Rhodes let his thoughts wander, idly wondering if Mira knew about the constellations too. If not, maybe he could show off a little later.
Above it all, the moon caught his eye, thin and delicate, a crescent shape that reminded him of Mira's cheerful, toothy smile.
He found himself smiling too, imagining if he connected just the right stars, maybe he could trace the outline of her face in the night sky.
A familiar breeze stirred again.
Mira stirred with it, slowly opening her eyes and ending her meditation. When Rhodes looked up, her smile, brighter than the stars or the moon, was the first thing he saw.
Her long white hair fell around her shoulders, catching the starlight with a golden shimmer.
She brushed her hair back with one hand, leaned closer, and asked playfully, "What are you thinking about?"
"You," Rhodes answered without hesitation.
She narrowed her eyes in mock suspicion. "Liar."
"It's the truth."
"But I'm right here beside you."
"Even if you're in my arms, I still miss you," Rhodes said softly, lifting his hand to gently caress Mira's cheek. "The stars looked beautiful tonight, but the moment you stepped into my view, I stopped caring about the sky."
Mira pursed her lips, wanting to scold him for being so smooth, but the soft, unstoppable smile tugging at her lips betrayed her.
"You're shameless," she murmured. "Don't you ever blush when you say things like that?"
Rhodes met her eyes without wavering. "Maybe later. But not when I'm inspired."
Blatant foul play.
Mira let out a breathless chuckle, ran her fingers once through her hair, and leaned down to plant a gentle kiss on his lips.
Rhodes didn't pull her into his arms this time. Instead, he stretched one arm across the grass beside him.
Without a word, Mira nestled into the curve of his body and rested her head against his chest. Together, they gazed up at the night sky.
In this kind of moment, surrounded by quiet warmth, a single kiss was enough. Anything more would've been too loud.
"See there? That one... and that one, connect them like this, and that's Lyra," Rhodes whispered, pointing at the sky.
"Which stars? I can't tell," Mira said, tilting her head.
"Here, lean closer, follow my hand."
"Ohh... yeah, I see it now. That's Lyra?"
"Yup. That Lyra."
"Then where's Canis Minor? That's Lucy's little pupper spirit, Plue."
"Canis Minor's not visible this time of year. You'd need to wait till winter to see it properly."
There was something unreasonably satisfying about getting to show off in front of the girl he loved, especially when she was genuinely curious and enjoyed listening.
"What a shame," Mira murmured. Her head had shifted to rest gently against his shoulder. She nuzzled in, found a cozy spot, and kept pointing toward the stars, asking about one constellation after another.
Rhodes answered them all, taking time between names to gently smooth his fingers through her hair.
The summer night air was cool and still. They lay side by side under the open sky, quietly watching Vega and Altair from afar.
If someone were to paint this moment, Rhodes thought, it would be more breathtaking than any verse in a love poem.
At least, in his heart, it already was.
And in hers... it felt the same.
...
Thank you all so much for your incredible support and the amazing number of Powerstones last week! Because of you people, this fic reached the top 3. Let's keep up the momentum and aim even higher this week.
Bonus @400
40 chapters 👉patreon.com/Keepsmiling818