"Natsu… Can you tell me why I'm taking you to the library for the fifth time in the past three hours?" Zeref sighed as he parked his car in their town's huge library's parking lot. "Seriously, are you meeting someone or something?"
"No! I-I-It's just that I have something I need to check…" Natsu ducked his head so Zeref couldn't see the faint blush that tinged his cheeks. But Zeref knew his brother well.
"Just go! If you're not back in ten minutes I'll come in and find you, Zeref told Natsu as he pulled out the book he always carried around in his jacket pocket.
"OK! Thanks bro!" Natsu yelled as he ran in to the library. Zeref just chuckled to himself before getting absorbed in his book.
Zeref groaned and looked at the clock. Dang! It had been fifteen minutes since Natsu left. Zeref opened his door and headed towards the library. Might as well see what Natsu was up to. As he pushed through the revolving doors, Zeref inhaled the smell of old books and coffee. The smell he was so fond of made him grin. Unlike Natsu, Zeref actually spent a lot of time here at the library.
Suddenly, Zeref caught sight of Natsu's bright pink hair ducking around a corner. Zeref followed him and wasn't surprised when he saw that Natsu was heading to the young adults section. What did surprise him, though, was the fact that he had a girl with him. Zeref's jaw dropped to ground. Natsu! With a girl? This was interesting… He continued to follow them.
To his surprise, Natsu and the girl plopped down in the beanbags in one corner and the girl started reading aloud. This is a new development Zeref thought as he turned and headed back towards the door. Just then he saw a sign pointing to the science and magic section. Well, what was the harm in looking around for a while, since Natsu was hanging out with his friend? Zeref pulled out his phone and sent Natsu a quick message: "I'm in the science and magic section. Text me when you're ready to go. Also…WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME YOU HAD A GIRLFRIEND?!"
Zeref grinned and was about to send the text when he tripped over something and landed face first in a beanbag. "Dang…" he groaned as he pushed himself to his knees. He nearly fell back into the beanbag when he came face-to-face with a pair of bright green eyes and blonde hair.
"Oh my goodness, are you okay? You're not hurt, are you? I'm so sorry… I shouldn't have had my feet in the way. Really, are you okay?" The girl grabbed his hands and helped him stand up. She was surprisingly strong for being so short. The top of her head only reached his shoulder, once he was standing up. Though it wasn't her height that grabbed his attention, it was her green eyes that seemed to bore right through his soul and were right now staring at him in concern.
Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Zeref answered her question. "Yeah, I-I'm fine, He managed to stutter out. Why was it so hard to talk to her? Zeref awkwardly rubbed the back of his head. "It's okay… I should have been watching where I was going." He grinned sheepishly at her and his heart nearly stopped when she offered him a grin.
Why was his stomach doing flip flops? Zeref didn't have any more time to think about that, because the girl picked up his phone that had landed on the ground a few feet from where he had face-planted in the beanbag. "I'm really sorry for what happened." The girl apologized as she handed him his phone. "My name's Mavis, what's yours?" She asked hesitantly.
"Zeref…" He said but was interrupted when he got a text back from Natsu.
"ZEREF WHEN I FIND YOU YOU'RE GOING TO DIE!" Zeref cringed at the all caps message that popped up on his lock screen then looked to see that his message about Natsu having a girlfriend had sent right before he tripped over Mavis' feet.
"Is everything okay? Do you have to go somewhere?" Mavis asked as she stood up from the bean bag. They were interrupted by Natsu and the blonde, who had been with him, coming around the corner of a bookshelf, dragging her along with him.
"Zeref! ZEREF!" Natsu yelled as he charged towards him and Mavis.
"Crap!" Zeref yelled as he grabbed Mavis' hand, and took off around the corner of another bookshelf. "Don't look back, just run!" He told her as he found a flight of stairs and ran down them. She nodded and held tighter as they rounded another corner.
Zeref and Mavis were out of breath when they finally collapsed on a couch in the café, which was located in the basement of the library. After catching their breath, they grinned at each other, which led to another fit of laughter.
"Sorry about that," Zeref apologized as he looked toward the door, watching to see if Natsu had found them yet. "Is there any way I can make it up to you?" He asked and turned his attention back to Mavis, who was now relaxing in the soft couch.
"Well… I mean… It was kind of my fault you tripped, so I'd say were equal," Mavis grinned as she pulled her feet up onto the couch. "Though, this was probably the most fun I've had at the library in a while. But if you really feel bad… We are in the café…" She said and chuckled to herself.
"Sure! I'll get you something for the trouble I caused you!" Zeref smiled as he stood up and lent her a hand. They made their way over to the café area and gave their orders. A few minutes later they were seated back on the couch and sipping their coffee. "So…" Zeref shifted uncomfortably on the couch. Now that his heart had calmed from their run, he was extremely shy again. "That was my brother who was chasing us back there, and I assume the girl who was with him is a special friend. That's why he was chasing us… I may or may not have sent him a message asking why he hadn't told me about his girlfriend."
"Really?" Mavis asked with wide eyes before looking at the ground. "Sometimes I wish I had siblings. It gets kind of lonely being an only child…" Mavis voice trailed off and she looked down into her coffee. Zeref froze, why on earth was she upset?
Zeref cleared his throat "So, umm… What were you doing in the magic and science section?" He asked, hoping to cheer her up.
"Oh yeah! I was researching something…" Her voice dwindled down to a whisper again. Then she looked at him again "Do you think magic is real?" She asked.
Zeref paused and looked back at her "I-I I think so… actually, yes I do. I think that magic is one of the most powerful things in the world," Here he stopped for a second before continuing "and the most powerful kind of magic is Love."
"Yeah?" Mavis looked at him and Zeref's stomach did a somersault. He seemed to be lost in her green eyes. He decided to take a chance.
"A-are you free on Saturday?" He whispered under his breath. "I know a Starbucks not far from here… That is if you want to do something…" His voice trailed off and he looked at the ground as his cheeks turned rose. He waited for an awkward refusal but was surprised when he felt a hand on his own. He looked up into a pair of smiling green eyes.
"Yes, I'm free. And I'd love to go get coffee with you Zeref."
