The Crimson Mark

Zack's POV

Natsu and I, we're losing too badly, I don't know if we'll survive this. There's no way we can win. I think, I think this is it. "I can't, no more." I said as I put the mug down and fell out of my chair
"Oh come on, Zack! That was only your tenth beer!" Cana smirked and kept drinking
"Go, Natsu!" I yelled to Natsu, who was still drinking strong. I went up and started rubbing his shoulders "Okay, champ. You got this. I'm about to collapse, but you got this. I believe in you, Natsu.." I dropped to the floor dramatically
"No, Zack! I'll avenge you!" Natsu cried and started drinking more, only to collapse on top of me "I give up, whose idea was it to get into a drinking contest with Cana again?"
"I don't know." I shrugged and got up slowly "But it was fun while it lasted." I put my hand to my forehead and sat on a barstool
"Yeah." Natsu got up and sat next to me
"Only a real man can drink that much." Elfman, who had forgiven me, said and smiled at Natsu and I "But it was dumb to get into a drinking contest with Cana."
"Yeah, it was." Cana said, drunk "But I won as usual. Now Zack, gimme your sweatshirt."
"And why the hell would I do that?" I asked and looked down at my sweatshirt, it had a crimson Fairy Tail logo on it
"I need a prize for winning." Cana stated simply
"Wait, Reedus, you getting this?" Elfman asked the artist
"Oui." Reedus responded and looked at Cana and I
"Ugh, I hate you sometimes, Cana." I took off my sweatshirt and handed it to her, while Reedus painted it all
"Yeah yeah." She slipped my sweatshirt on "Now I have the power to whack people with sleeves!"
"Yup, she's drunk." I said while getting whacked with my own sweatshirt sleeve
"No I not!" Cana argued
"Can I get some black coffee over here?" I asked Mira who responded with a smile, while I got whacked again
"Coming right up." She giggled as I got whacked again
"Cana, st-" whack "Cana," whack "Serio-" whack "My God, Ca-" whack "Are you done n-" whack, I opened my mouth, whack "I am not amus-" whack "Cana!" whack "I'm so do-" whack
"Nice job." Natsu and Elfman were laughing at me as I was whacked again
"You two are goin' d-" I was whacked again "Oh come on!"
"Hey, Zacky?" Cana asked while jumping on my back
"What?" I asked while she wrapped her arms around my neck and made it so my arms were supporting her legs. I knew to do this because Cana usually wanted a piggyback ride when she was drunk, which was a lot
"Whack." She whacked me in the face, which received a laugh throughout the guild hall
"Seriously?" I asked while giving Cana a piggyback ride
"Yes." She responded and whispered in my ear "Can we talk somewhere?"
"We can talk here." I stated
"I meant in private." She told me
"Fine, we can go get some food and head out for a picnic, we'll talk there." I said and started walking towards the market, still having Cana on my back. A while later we were eating sandwiches in a field a mile out of town, Cana was on my back the whole way there
"So what's up?" I asked while looking at Cana, who had sobered up
"Well, we barely have time where it's just us. And I missed having time with only you." She responded while blushing a bit
"Yeah, remember the first time we hung out? You and I were playing cards. I lost so badly." I started cracking up
"Yeah." She started laughing, and I got an idea
"Let's play cards." I smirked
"What?" She laughed "Seriously?"
"Yeah, I've been getting better, you can take my shirt if you win." I smiled more
"I want your leather jacket." She smiled
"That's a gift from Crimsakomodo. I can't." I answered while looking down, remembering when he gave me the jacket.
'It's a bit big for you' Crimsakomodo smiled 'But you'll grow into it. Happy birthday, son.'
'R-really?' Young me had slipped the jacket on and jumped onto Crimsakomodo's neck, giving him a hug 'I love you, dad.'
'And I you, my boy.' Crimsakomodo said on July 6th, X777. The next day, he disappeared
Before I knew it I was crying, I missed him, I missed my dad. And before I knew it, Cana was hugging me, and I was hugging back
"I miss him." I was crying and hugging her
"We'll find him, we'll find your dad, Zacky." Cana was holding me close and patting my back "Know that I'm here for you. Always."
"And I'm always here for you, Cana." I looked into her eyes as she looked into mine, she was so beautiful
"Yeah..." She said leaning in a bit
"Mhm..." I leaned in too, then...