Natsu grimaced and Happy shook with fright. Lucy rolled her eyes and sighed. So did Gray. Erza simply closed her eyes and cuckled.

"Lucy, who are these people?" he asked with a quivering voice. They faced about five people; a hair stylist, a fashion expert, a massage therapist, a man holding a razor and another man ready to do… whatever.

"Come on, Natsu," Lucy sighed. "I already told you, you need to dress better than… that." She pointed to Natsu's vest and dirty pants. They looked like they'd been through the Edolas desert so many times the dirt had weaved into the fabric. "Besides, we have a formal party at the Guild Hall tonight. Don't you want to look good?"

"Yeah, but Luce, this is my LOOK," he said. "How will people know who I am?"

"They already know who you are," said Gray, "Because of all the damage you cause."

"Oh, yeah!? And no one recognizes you for the same shit you do!?" Natsu got up in Gray's face and pushed against him. Gray pushed back. Erza immediately separated the two and conked them both on the head.

"That's enough, you two," Erza said softly and firmly. "Lucy just wants her boyfriend to look good."

"He is NOT my boyfriend!" Lucy protested. "Can't I just want my friend to actually put some effort into the way he looks?"

"But I already told you, this is who I am!" Natsu protested again. "What if Gajeel laughs at me?"

"Gajeel lets Levy buy him suits," said Lucy. "Come on, Natsu." She grabbed him by the wrist and dragged him along, kicking and screaming.

"HELP ME! HELP ME!" he whined.

"Suck it up, Big Guy," said Gray.

"We'll do our best, Ms. Heartfilia," the fashion expert assured her as he and the others restrained the struggling Natsu in a strait jacket and stuffed his mouth with a hankerchief.

"Um, I appreciate it, but isn't that a little excessive?" Lucy asked.

"No worries," he said. "We'll be done in two hours." With that, they wheeled him off.

They were at the quarter-full Guild Hall two hours later. Everyone had gotten dressed up in their nice suits and dresses for the evening. But, because some of the guild members were out on assignment/jobs (the first bit of normalcy for them after their year-long disbandment), the hall would only be sparsely occupied.

"Well, this looks successful," Mirajane remarked.

"Yeah, it's nice to see everyone dressed up," Lucy replied. She sported her own blue-and-white dress with Aquarius's key around her neck. "Shame not everyone can make it, though."

"By the way, where's Natsu?"

"Oh, he's getting a makeover," Lucy replied.

"A makeover, huh?" Mirajane asked. "I guess you finally want him to be–"

"Mi-RA!" Lucy whined. But her blush made Mirajane chuckle.

The door opened so quietly that no one heard it. A figure in black snuck into the hall so discreetly so as to not let anyone see them. But a blue exceed flying closely after them should betray their position easily. Sure enough, Erza heard the door opening, turned around and saw who was coming in. An evil glint flashed in her left eye. So she waited until the figure let their guard down before sneaking up behind them and pushing them towards Lucy.

The Celestial Wizardess felt something bump into her from behind. "Hey, watch it–"

She froze and her jaw dropped upon sight of an equally flustered Natsu, wearing a nice, black suit with his hair slicked back and smelling of something nice. Lucy gaped at him for several seconds, unable to form any coherent thoughts or words except for, Oh, no. HE'S HOT!

"Lucy!" the flustered Dragon Slayer hissed. "What're you looking at?"

Lucy's mouth burst. "HOLYCRAPNATSUYOULOOKSOHANDSOMEICAN'TBELIEVEITBUTI'VE BEENINLOVEWITHYOUFORALONGTIMENOW BUT JUST DO ME RIGHT FUCKING NOW!"

"YOU'RE HOT!" Natsu also screamed before everyone pushed them out of the Guild Hall before they jumped each other.