"It seems awfully quiet around here tonight," Wendy stated as she sipped on a glass of juice. She was sitting at a table in the guild headquarters with Lucy, Erza, Levi, Juvia, and Carla.
"You're right," replied Lucy. She looked up from the book she and Levi were researching from. "Something's missing."
Erza was savouring the last piece of her cake.
"Mm," she said both in agreement with what the girls were saying and her cake. She glanced around the room. There were only a few people left inside. It was late in the evening so only the usual crowd remained. Cana was at the bar drinking and Mirajane was cleaning up. Wakaba and Macao were deep in discussion a few tables away.
Mirajane walked past them with her broom. She smiled at them. "It's so strange to see just you girls. The boys aren't here."
"That's it!" shouted Lucy. She stood up, slamming her hands down on the table. "Where are they?"
"Juvia noticed Gray-sama wasn't here right away," muttered Juvia, sulking.
"Maybe they went home already?" suggested Levy. She hadn't bothered looking away from her book. She clearly wasn't too concerned about the boys' whereabouts. "Or did they pick up a job together?"
Erza scoffed. "Can you imagine Natsu, Gray, and Gajeel on a job together without one of us to mediate things?"
They all murmured in agreement.
"When was the last time one of you saw any of them?" asked Carla.
"Gray-sama was in here around lunch time!" stated Juvia, loudly.
"Now that you mention it, I think that's the last time I remember seeing Natsu and Happy," Lucy said thoughtfully. "Normally they make more of a scene when they're headed out."
Levy continued to read as she spoke. "I remember seeing the three of them talking at lunch. They must have left together shortly after."
She was met with silence which finally made her glance up at the other girls. They were staring at her with shocked expressions. "I didn't think anything of it at the time but that must have been the last time they were here."
"Alright!" said Erza, standing up. "We will go hunt them down! We must find out what they are up to! We will split into two teams! Lucy, Levy and Juvia you will be team one! Wendy and Carla you are with me on team two! We will start with the boy's dormitory!"
"There's a boy's dormitory?" asked Lucy.
"Well yeah," answered Levy. "Natsu and Happy live by themselves but where else do you think most of the guys live?"
"Uh, Erza…" started Wendy. "We aren't allowed in the boy's dormitory."
Erza paused for a moment. "We will find a male in the park and get them to search their rooms! Let's go teams!"
With that, she ran towards the doors. Wendy and Carla gave the other girls a final look before slowly following after Erza.
"Well, I guess we should get to it ladies," Levy said as she closed her book. "Where should we look first?"
"We can check Natsu and Happy's house?" Lucy suggested, although her voice aired her disbelief.
Levy picked up on it. "Natsu and Happy might be at home but it's still pretty early. Do you really think they'll be at their home and not yours?"
Lucy sighed heavily. "Well if we start with my place at least I can drop off my books."
"Juvia wishes to be on Erza's team. Juvia wants to see Gray-sama's room…" whined Juvia. An aura of gloom loomed over top of her.
Night had fallen outside as the three girls headed down the road. The air was crisp and the only noise was the sound of their footsteps along the gravel. Lucy rubbed her hands over her arms to warm herself.
"How about we just stay there when we get there? I doubt they're all there and if Natsu and Happy are I'll just get them to leave. We can have a girls' night in!"
Levy agreed. "That sounds like lots of fun Lu-chan!"
Juvia looked shocked. "Stay at the apartment of a love rival? Juvia is not sure…"
"Come on Juvia," Lucy smiled, taking her hands. "Let's have a girl's night!"
"A… girl's… night?" Juvia looked embarrassed. "Juvia has never been invited to a girl's night…"
"Well now you have! We can do all the generic girls' night things! Paint our nails, gossip, pillow fight… Come on girls!" Lucy grabbed both their hands, a new pep in her step as she pulled them along towards her apartment.
"Hopefully the other girls will come by after they're done searching," Levy said as they approached Lucy's building.
"Poor Wendy and Carla will probably be searching for a while with Erza in charge," Lucy said, pulling out her house key. "We were really lucky she didn't choose one of us for her team she-"
Lucy cut herself off. A loud bang rumbled from upstairs. Lucy glanced up a window. "No…"
A flame shot out from her bedroom window followed by a burst of ice.
"Gray-sama!" Juvia was jumping up and down in excitement until realization suddenly dawned on her and she grabbed Lucy roughly. "Why is Gray-sama at your apartment?!"
Lucy struggled out of her grip. Her face was red with anger. "I don't know! He's not alone though!"
She opened the door and ran up the stairs to her apartment. She burst through the front doors with Levy and Juvia on her heels. Liquor bottles were littered all over the floor and her coffee table.
"Natsu!" came Happy's voice from the other room. "Don't I look just like Lucy?"
Natsu's booming laughter followed. "You do! Lucy looks just like that!"
"Oi! Happy!" Gray spoke from the same room. "You barely fit in one cup of Lucy's bra!"
Lucy was seething in the doorway. Levi and Juvia stepped back from her nervously.
"NATSU! HAPPY!" she bellowed.
Natsu came staggering into the room. "Lucy! We've been *hic* waiting for you to come home!"
Happy flew out after him, Lucy's frilly bra hung around his neck. He was giggling. "Look Lucy I'm just like you!"
Natsu was bent over in laughter. "It's true! It's so true!"
"Happy! Put that back!" Lucy reached for him but he flew up to the ceiling.
Gajeel and Lily wandered into the room. "Where do you keep the rest of your booze Lucy?"
"My booze? I don't have any booze!"
Gajeel was slurring his words. "Tsk. Why did we come here Salamander? Lucy has no booze."
"Because Lucy's apartment is the best!"
"Aye sir!"
"Tsk," said Gajeel again. "I'm going to… oh hi Levy… I'm going to go get more booze. Lily!"
Lily grabbed Gajeel and together they jumped out the window.
"I do have a door!" Lucy hollered after them.
Gray walked slowly into the room. He was butt naked. A bunch of papers were clasped in one of his hands and a bottle of alcohol was in the other.
"Gray-sama!" Juvia exclaimed before fainting.
"Lucy… why does the guy in your story have fire magic?" Gray asked, ignoring Juvia on the floor. "Don't you know ice is better?"
Lucy ran towards him and snatched the papers out his hand. Her face was a deep shade of red and she held one of her hands over her eyes to avoid seeing too much of Gray. "You read my novel?! Why are you naked in my apartment?!"
"What do you mean ice is better idiot?" Natsu was no longer laughing. He leaned back, filling his lungs.
"Natsu, no!" shouted Lucy.
"Karyu no… *burp*"
All five boys burst out laughing. Natsu and Gray fell to the floor.
