Prompt Two: The entire FT guild makes bets about them.

Plot Twist

Silence fell as the entire guild stopped to stare at Natsu and Lucy in the distance, the two obviously arguing about something while the dragon slayer walked his best friend back to her apartment.

"Well, I give them a month." Lisanna laughed, running a hand through her hair. "I can't believe he went to Hargeon to find the book just because she told him it was sold out in Magnolia." By her side, her brother chuckled, his overly large hands punching the counter with enthusiasm.

"Confessions are manly!" He exclaimed. "I say one week 'til Natsu tells her!"

Gray snorted into his drink, before setting it down on the table. "Did you see the way he was looking at her?" He turned, sharing a malicious laugh with Elfman. "I thought the idiot was going to burn us all without even realizing!"

Erza nodded, a light smile making its way into her stern expression.

"Yes, he was emitting more heat than usual." The girl conceded. "His attraction to her, however, has never been in question. What we don't know is if he intends to act on his feelings."

The redheaded mage took another bite of her cake, eyes lifted to meet Mira's, who had had her eyebrows furrowed for the entirety of their conversation. The barmaid softened her expression upon noticing Erza's gaze and moved to where the wrapping paper from Natsu's gift to Lucy still rested.

"I don't know, Erza." The girl said, folding the starry paper and slipping it into her pocket. "I had never seen Natsu be thoughtful, not in such a manner anyway, before she came to Fairy Tail."

"Lu-chan definitely likes him." Levy affirmed, coming up to the bar and sitting down by the Strausses. "He was the one to bring her to the guild. He protects her with everything he's got and he is always there for her when something happens." She shook her head, a smile playing at her lips. "You should hear the way Lu-chan talks about Natsu… It's like he's a prince out of some fairytale."

She and Lisanna giggled into their hands as the others grimaced.

"That's just wrong." Gray commented, ignoring Juvia's muttering about how he was her prince.

"I suppose Natsu could be considered a guarding dragon, if we took his magic into account." Came Erza's suggestion.

The image fit the couple a bit better: Lucy was the princess in her golden cage and Natsu was the dragon who took her away from it. A fairytale with a twist was more like them but it still didn't seem adequate when you took in consideration the rowdy atmosphere of Fairy Tail; in their reality, magic had less to do with petty curses and more to do with surviving.

Cana was suddenly standing on top of a table, shaking her barrel of beer in order to get everyone's attention. She swung it against Macao's forehead before he finally stopped her, yelling that everyone was already looking at her.

"Bets, you sissies! I'm talking about bets!" She laughed drunkenly. "I've got Lisanna with a month, Elfman with two weeks! Who else wants to try?"

Erza set down her fork, a hand going to her chin as she took a moment to think. "I would say two months, since Lucy's anniversary is near. Natsu has a tendency for drama and I believe Lucy would appreciate the romance of a confession on the same day they met."

Juvia nodded from her place next to Gray and raised her hand to call for Cana's attention.

"Juvia agrees, but she thinks love rival will be the one to say something. Lucy-san did seem incredibly touched by the gift just now."

"Yes, she did." Freed uttered after a moment of consideration. "Like Levy said, Lucy does seem to be more aware of her emotions than Natsu. I would expect her to do something about those feelings."

"I'm working with time limits, here." Cana pointed out.

"Three months, then." He added.

As the guild continued to make their guesses, Gajeel smirked in his corner, nibbling on a piece of metal. Wendy, who had joined him after the beginning of the bets, played with the hem of her dress, nervous.

"Shouldn't we say something?" The child asked, looking up to meet the hard eyes of the metal dragon slayer.

"Oh yeah," he started, sarcasm dripping from his words. "Let's say they've been fucking for the past two months, that the change in their scent almost killed our senses and that we didn't tell them because we thought it was none of their business." He snickered. "Yeah, that will go well."

I just really enjoy short stories. Sorry.