Fairy Tail: I Don't Want to Be the Guild Master

"Pervert!"

"I'm a pervert."

"Bad guy!"

"I'm a bad guy."

"Annoying!"

"I'm annoying."

Mira's list of complaints was running out. Flustered and out of words, she resorted to punching Rhodes in the chest and biting his shoulder.

Strictly speaking, this was the kind of flustered outburst only someone close could get away with.

Rhodes chuckled. This was his demon, Mirajane. If she really wanted him gone, he'd be flying through the wall already. Since he was still in one piece, it meant she was letting herself be spoiled.

"You're still laughing!" she huffed.

"Alright, alright. No more laughing."

At least not out loud.

Mira, flustered and tired, swatted his hand away as he started fidgeting again. "Seriously, what now?"

Rhodes thought for a beat. "Shower, then sleep?"

Mira sat up. A shower sounded good. Sleeping here, though? Definitely not. She couldn't trust him not to try something in the middle of the night.

Even though... well… still no.

She tugged at her clothes, trying to fix them. The top was passable, but the bottom half was a lost cause.

Glaring at Rhodes, she sighed. His coat could cover the outside, but underneath?

"Actually, I do have something," Rhodes offered, pulling a small pouch from the back of his closet.

Inside were two neatly folded sets of undergarments, clearly her size and her style.

Mira's eyes widened. Rhodes wasn't the type to hand her someone else's clothes. That meant... he bought these. Specifically. For her.

"You planned this all along!"

"It's called being prepared!" Rhodes defended. "Don't you remember the time with the Phantom guild? Your clothes got torn and you had nothing to change into."

He handed the set to her with a sheepish look. "And don't worry, I washed them after buying."

He even washed them!

He knew how to wash them?!

Mira pouted, unsure whether this was sweet or suspicious. Later, she'd have to interrogate him properly: what kind of classes he'd taken, whether he'd dated before, how many exes, all of it.

She took one set and, after a moment's thought, shoved the other one back into Rhodes' arms.

Then, without saying a word, she got out of bed barefoot and went to grab his slippers to wear.

Rhodes held the second set of clothes like it was some kind of omen. Was this a hint? A signal?

His gaze dropped to her pale feet. Dangerous ideas started swirling in his mind.

No. Nope. Down, boy.

He shoved the garments back into the closet and slapped his cheeks lightly to refocus.

What was wrong with him lately? Every time he was with Mira, his mind drifted into those thoughts. All sorts of wild fantasies kept popping up.

Then again… wouldn't it be weirder if they didn't?

He sighed. Maybe he needed to chat with the older guys at the guild sometime. Learn from their love stories, hear about their first experiences. You know, casually. Totally normal guild bonding.

Maybe sell his Blue Pegasus show ticket to one of them on the side. Make a little profit.

But for now, one task at a time.

First, he had to change the sheets.

Just then, a small hand stretched toward him. He nearly handed over the Blue Pegasus invitation out of habit.

"Huh?"

"Clothes," Mira said with narrowed eyes. "You had that stuff prepared. I doubt you don't have anything else."

"…"

Rhodes thought for a second, then handed her a nightgown.

She looked like she wanted to say something snarky, but before she could, Rhodes quickly cut in, "Actually, I need a shower too. So maybe we could—"

"Don't even think about it!"

Mira turned on her heel and darted into the bathroom, slamming the door shut and locking it behind her.

This time, she finished her shower surprisingly fast, probably because she skipped washing her hair.

The nightgown Rhodes had picked out was suspiciously perfect. It didn't reveal anything, yet somehow felt like it revealed everything.

Mira wanted to say, "I'm heading home," but after catching the faint scent of freshly changed sheets, her face flushed bright red.

Silently, she walked over to the window and opened it wide, letting the breeze in.

"Why not stay the night?" Rhodes wrapped his arms around her from behind, pressing a soft kiss against her earlobe.

"Elfman's probably asleep by now," Mira murmured. "If I go back and unlock the door, I'll wake him up. If he's not asleep, it's even worse. My sister out with her fiancé all night, changing clothes when she gets back? Too suspicious."

And wouldn't it be more awkward if she showed up tomorrow morning instead?

Her ears turned a deeper shade of red, but she didn't pull away from his embrace or protest the kiss.

Rhodes, sensing her hesitation, took the opportunity to list off a hundred more reasons why staying made perfect sense, all while his hands subtly wandered.

Whether it was to shut him up or because she was genuinely flustered, Mira slipped from his arms and gave him a gentle push. "Go shower. If you don't, you're not allowed back in bed."

"I'm not even allowed in my own bed?" Rhodes muttered with a grin, heading into the bathroom. The smug smile on his face betrayed how very okay he was with this arrangement.

Honestly, it wasn't such a big deal.

They'd shared beds before during long missions, all-nighters at the guild, even festival setups. This was just another night. Only now it was at his place.

Mira repeated that logic to herself like a calming spell.

Though the cuddling and gentle groping before sleep definitely weren't part of those other nights.

No need to go into detail.

The September heat still lingered, and dawn arrived earlier than usual.

By six in the morning, soft sunlight was already spilling across the bedroom floor and climbing onto the bed through the open window.

Rhodes lay on his back, posture relatively normal. Mira, on the other hand, had completely taken over the space.

Her head was resting on his shoulder, one leg flung over his, both arms wrapped tightly around his chest. Her long white hair was draped across his torso and tangled in the sheets.

It was clear: she'd used him as a pillow again.

Rhodes stirred first. Feeling a weight on his chest, he initially thought it was Warm.

But when he blinked open his eyes, all he saw was a flood of silver hair and a very familiar scent.

He remembered scooting over to the edge of his side before falling asleep, but judging by Mira's position now, she was clearly the one who'd taken over his half of the bed.

Rhodes smiled to himself and pulled her into a comfortable hug.

But Mira woke up too.

Still half-asleep, she rubbed her eyes and nuzzled the pillow instinctively. The moment she realized something was off with the texture, she jolted upright in horror.

"You crossed the line!"

"How would I cross over in this sleeping position?" Rhodes sat up groggily. "Wait, I did cross over?"

He stared down at the wrinkled sheets in disbelief. Something didn't add up. He always slept lying flat, arms folded, no drama. So how had he ended up on her side?

His eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Did you grab me in your sleep again? Like when you think I'm a pillow?"

With most people, that might be a joke. With his Mira, it was a real possibility.

"I would never" Mira began, but her voice faltered as guilt crept in. The truth was she had done that before.

"It looks like you did something to me while I was asleep."

"I didn't!"

There was no point in arguing. Rhodes pulled Mira into his arms and grinned. "Then I want to do something now."

Mira lightly pushed his chest. "Why are you so full of energy this early in the morning?"

"If you don't have energy in the morning, that's when you should start worrying."

"Pervert."

Mira was beginning to realize that this man was getting bolder with each passing day. She was a little worried he'd end up becoming a middle-aged letch like Macao or Wakaba.

After a bit of fooling around, they both washed up and got ready for the day.

Mira had wanted to make breakfast, but Rhodes' kitchen looked more like a showroom than a working space. Although it was clean and tidy, he hadn't actually used it since moving in. There were barely any utensils, not even the basics for boiling an egg.

Rhodes did have a camping pot stored away for missions, but it would be ridiculous to use a camp stove indoors.

With no other choice, they headed to the guild for breakfast.

"Morning, Brother Goodman."

"Morning," Goodman replied casually, not even turning around as he worked. But a second later, he spun back, doing a double take as if he'd just seen a ghost.

"Mira... Miss Mirajane?"

"Good morning, Mr. Goodman," Mira said with a soft smile, trying to hide her shyness.

"You two..."

He wasn't exactly shocked to see them together, he already knew they were dating, but this was the first time he'd seen them show up looking like a couple that had just spent the night together.

"Oh right, I haven't properly introduced you two," Rhodes said cheerfully, wrapping an arm around Mira's waist. "This is my fiancée, Mirajane."

"You're engaged?" Goodman blinked, then quickly added, "Congratulations! That's wonderful news!"

"Thank you," Mira and Rhodes said in unison, exchanging bashful but happy glances.

Goodman asked, "So, when's the big day? Let me know early. I want to get you something nice."

Rhodes replied, "It's not set in stone yet, but if everything goes smoothly, we're aiming for late December, maybe around New Year's."

They had discussed it briefly the night before. The next couple of weeks would be busy with the Harvest Festival preparations. After that, Rhodes planned to take on one or two high-paying jobs so they could pick out a house and begin furnishing it.

They figured all of that could be wrapped up by early November, leaving them with enough time to plan the ceremony.

Though Mira hadn't brought it up, Rhodes remembered that Lisanna's memorial was in mid-November. That wouldn't be the right time to celebrate anything.

And with the S-Class Promotion Trial coming up in early December, a lot of their guildmates, Elfman, Natsu, Gray, would be busy with missions and evaluations. Even though Rhodes liked peace and quiet, he didn't want to miss the chance to have everyone present for their special day.

So, setting the wedding date after the trial made the most sense.

Plus, if Rhodes passed the S-Class exam, he'd finally shake off all the teasing about being a freeloader. Two S-Class wizards getting married? Now that would be something to talk about.

After settling on the general timeframe, the two of them couldn't help but feel a bit giddy. Before bed, they'd even talked about what the wedding ceremony might be like.

Rhodes wasn't too familiar with wedding customs in Magnolia, but Mira had seen a few in the past. Most were styled after Western traditions.

Locals typically held ceremonies at cathedral in the city center.

It would probably follow the usual steps, taking vows, exchanging rings, sharing a kiss to seal the promise, receiving the priest's blessing, and hearing a heartfelt speech from the father of the bride.

After that, there would be a festive party and then the honeymoon.

Of course, wizards tended to keep things simpler. Some didn't even bother with a honeymoon. They'd get married one day and be back to taking jobs the next.

Rhodes, however, wasn't like most. He had a bit of an obsession with owning a home. While most newlyweds would just rent a place near the guild, he wanted something permanent.

Mira understood that feeling all too well. She had once lived through the stress and uncertainty of not having a home to call her own. That was why she fully supported Rhodes' determination to buy a house before they married.

Rhodes picked up on that and tried to honor all of Mira's wishes during the planning of the ceremony.

When he saw the hopeful look in her eyes while she described the weddings she'd seen others have, he made up his mind. He was going to give her everything she dreamed of.

He didn't want to do anything flashy or unusual. He just wanted to follow the customs of Magnolia and make the day feel as perfect as she imagined. If this was how things were done here, then that was good enough for him.

Still, Mira had one lingering worry she hadn't voiced.

In Magnolia, it was tradition for the woman to change her surname after marriage. For example, Bisca's full name was Bisca Mulan, but after marrying Alzack Connell, she became Bisca Connell.

Mira wasn't sure how that tradition worked in Rhodes' case. Should she be called Rhomirajane? Or Mirajane Rhodes?

The thought quietly sat in the back of her mind.

The guild work continued as usual, but Elfman showed up a little later than normal.

His sister hadn't come home last night.

His future brother-in-law hadn't shown up for breakfast either.

But when Elfman arrived at the guild, there they were, already working together like nothing was out of the ordinary.

Even someone like Elfman, who didn't usually overthink things, knew exactly what that meant.

Still, the wedding was coming soon, and it wasn't something he could really complain about.

If he said too much now, it might stir up something awkward. Better to just find a job and vanish for a couple of days to let his brain settle.

Now he was stuck wondering. Would his sister move in with Rhodes? Or would Rhodes move into their home?

Should he start looking for a place of his own?

Elfman stared at the mission board for a while before pulling down a request that caught his attention. He stood there beside Nab as if standing guard.

After a while, Wakaba finally wandered over and picked out a job. Elfman followed quietly behind, trying his best not to stand out and draw Mira's attention.

"The Harvest Festival's coming up. Why take a mission so far out?" Rhodes asked as he helped Wakaba log the request.

"That's exactly why. I want to earn some extra money before the festival so I can treat my wife right," Wakaba replied. He planned to take about ten days, maybe two weeks, off once the festival started.

But if he wanted a peaceful vacation, he needed to bring in enough money to keep his wife happy, and stash away a little for smokes and drinks.

He glanced toward Mira, who was walking by with a serving tray, and leaned closer to Rhodes. "You'll understand this kind of thing once you're married… though maybe you won't have this problem."

Rhodes gave a proud nod. "Mira's thoughtful and fair. I'm lucky."

"No, no, that's not what I meant," Wakaba chuckled. "What I mean is Mira's sharp. She'll know exactly how much you make. There'll be no hiding a private stash."

He laughed outright now. "There are plenty of folks jealous of you, but I made a bet with the others yesterday. After you get married, you'll be the poorest guy in the entire guild!"

Rhodes fell silent.

What Wakaba said made sense.

Marrying Mira was like marrying the guild's chief financial officer. She knew how to track every jewel, bonus, and monthly allowance down to the last coin.

Since she handled Rhodes' pay, and all jobs had to go through the guild, there was no way to keep any earnings off the record.

Even if a client decided to alter the reward after the mission, they'd contact the guild and submit the changes in writing.

Unless someone acted like those shameless Phantom Lord thugs and extorted clients by force, there was just no chance of earning money under the table.

"It's fine. Mira's thoughtful and fair," Rhodes repeated, unsure if he was reassuring Wakaba or himself.

Wakaba accepted the stamped mission slip and shook his head with a knowing smile. "Women change after marriage."

He turned and found himself face-to-face with Mira's pleasant smile.

She had only caught Wakaba's last sentence, but she could guess the rest. Was he trying to talk Rhodes out of proposing?

Now she had to decide. Where should she bury him?

Wakaba's pipe nearly fell from his mouth. He swallowed nervously and corrected himself on the spot. "What I meant is… women usually become more considerate after marriage."

...

STONES PLZzzz