Date # 1

Table 1: Mira

Mira giggled as her little brother, Elfman, sat down across from her. With a blissful sigh, she gazed at all of the couples around them getting to know one another before she turned back to him with a smile.

"Hi Elfman," she said, her sweet smile still upon her face.

"Big Sis!" he cried, his voice loud despite the close quarters, "This event you have put on is MAN!"

Mira giggled as she looked over and noticed Evergreen staring at their table and her right eye twitching as she glared at Elfman. Mira was so excited to see that date happen…maybe these two fools would finally admit something for each other.

"Thank you, Elfman," Mira said as she turned her gaze away from Evergreen, who blushed a brilliant red at being caught staring before turning her gaze determinedly back to her own date.

"It is kind of unmanly, though, that I'll be going on a date with both of my sisters…" Elfman mumbled, looking down at the table while Mira giggled again.

"Think of it as extra bonding time between siblings," she said with a smile as Elfman looked back up. A large grin split his face as he cried, "Bonding with your sisters is MANLY!" Mira giggled again as she noticed Evergreen looking back over at their table with a rather murderous look on her face. Oh this whole event was going to be a blast!

With another blissful sigh, Mira settled back in her chair to enjoy the last few minutes of her "bonding time" with her little brother, listening to him as he talked enthusiastically about his new job at the veterinary clinic and taking in the sight of all of her friends on their "dates". If this didn't get her favorite couples to finally hook up, she wasn't going to know what to do with herself.


Table 2: Cana

Cana was looking down at the table when someone bumped into it. Startled, she looked up only to see a very muscular man in dark, baggy pants and a skintight long sleeved blue shirt. Blearily she looked at the nametag he wore after she registered that he did, in fact, have small triangle tattoos under his eyes.

"Bacchus?" she questioned as the man staggered to his feet and then slumped into the chair across from her.

"Yo," he said with a grin, "So where's the booze?"

"There's booze?!" Cana asked in delight, looking around him, like he would magically produce a bottle from somewhere behind him, or maybe from somewhere in that shirt since she definitely wouldn't mind seeing him without it.

"Holy shit where!" Bacchus asked, looking around Cana and trying to find it, even as he discreetly ogled her ample bust in her low-cut shirt.

"I don't see any," Cana said, suddenly melancholy as she realized neither of them had any alcohol, and he wasn't about to be taking his shirt off any time soon.

"Seriously?" Bacchus said, his eyes widening humorously, "What the hell kind of date doesn't have booze?"

"Right!" Cana stated, slapping her hand down on their table as she leaned forward to talk to him, not so subtly making her cleavage pop as her chest threatened to spill out of her top, "So what's your favorite type? Brandy, tequila, vodka?"

Bacchus grinned widely at Cana as she started talking about her favorite kind of booze, and the fact she seemed like she didn't care she was this close to exposing herself. This chick was going to be fun.

"Hey…so when we get out of here," Bacchus interrupted Cana as she was on a long rant about how this brewery had kicked her out when she drank their owner's entire supply of fifteen year old scotch, "Want to go get a drink?"

"Oh hell yes," Cana said with a smirk, "I know this great bar a few blocks from here…bet I could drink you under the table, lightweight."

With a feral grin, Bacchus said, "You're on," right as Romeo rang the bell to end the round. With a smile, Cana scrawled down Bacchus's name in her folder, then a large 'Yes' right next to it as she watched him walk to the next table.


Table 3: Mavis

Mavis was really, really, really excited about this whole speed-dating thing. When Mira had called her up and offered her a table, she had definitely jumped at the chance. She might be only twenty, but her mind was far older than most of her friends and honestly most of them looked up to her for advice. When she wasn't being mischievous that is.

"Mavis?" a voice asked in surprise as Mavis finally focused on who was sitting across from her.

"Zeref?" she questioned, feeling equally stunned as she watched the dark haired scholar take the seat across from her. She had not seen him in ages, not since they had parted after some of her fellow college classmates had made some…unseemly insinuations about their relationship.

"I did not know you were into this type of thing, Mavis," Zeref said, a twinkle in his eye as he looked at the younger woman across the table from him. She blushed prettily at that and he found his breath catching in his chest, just as it always did whenever he was around her. He had been her very first college professor, six years her senior, when she had first attended one of his lectures. Despite two years having passed since then, he was still drawn to her, like a moth to a flame. Had his other students not started making a fuss about how close they were getting, he might have pursued something with her, consequences be damned. Seeing her now, though, here at this event…he couldn't help but feel that instant connection to her draw him in again.

"I didn't think you would be into this type of scene, either," Mavis said cheekily, a light smile gracing her lips as she stared at him hungrily, not that he seemed to notice. She had had a crush on him from the very first moment she had seen him in class that day. He had drawn her attention instantly and when they had first made eye contact…she had felt like she was going to pass out at the brief glance. He stole her breath and all thought without ever trying.

"You never should have let those other students keep you away from me," Mavis suddenly said after several moments of silence, at the exact time Zeref blurted out if she was actually single or if she was just doing this to help out Mira. Both of them fell silent at one another's outburst, color rising in their cheeks as they both realized what they had asked the other.

"It was improper for me to become as close to you as I had," Zeref mumbled, letting his dark bangs fall forward to cover his eyes. Feeling irritated and impatient with that answer, Mavis leaned across the table and brushed the hair from his eyes so she could look at them without interruption.

"I know you felt it," she breathed as she let her fingers linger against his jaw before bringing her hand, very reluctantly, back to her side of the table. Zeref barely dared to breathe as just the feeling of her fingers on such an innocent place of his body made his insides dance. How could she still do this to him, despite her younger age and all of the time apart?

"Feeling something and being able to act upon it are completely different things," he said rather mechanically as he waited for his heart to restart after the brief contact, "I have never been a 'good' person, Mavis. You deserved, still deserve, so much more than I could ever give you."

"Stop being a self-deprecating idiot," Mavis scolded him, though a smile was upon her lips, "You know I have never cared about what you have done in the past."

"But I still do," Zeref said almost too quietly for her to hear, but she heard nonetheless and opened her mouth furiously to answer when they both heard the bell ring. With wide eyes, they stared at one another while people around them began to move; where had their time gone? Had those five minutes passed by already?

"This is not the end of this conversation, Zeref Dragneel," Mavis said quite seriously as she locked gazes with him before he could so much as stand, "Even if you say 'No' on your sheet, I will find you and make you see the light. Even if I have to be that light." Zeref had no reply for her as he stood slowly and, quite regretfully, moved on to the next table, pale eyes lingering longingly on his back as he moved away.


Table 4: Evergreen

"Laxus?!" Evergreen said as she watched the blonde haired man fold himself into the seat across from her. He glanced at her once before huffing, crossing his arms, and looking away. "What the hell are you doing here? Don't tell me Mira actually convinced you to come to this of your own free will?"

Laxus looked back at her then, a rather furious expression in his stormy blue eyes, but before he could so much as open his mouth and rip her a new one, Evergreen's attention was away from him and she was glaring at someone else across the room. Someone who was shouting about manly things…someone Laxus happened to know quite well.

"Seriously?" Laxus grunted at her when he tossed a careless glance over his shoulder and saw exactly who she was glaring at, followed by Mira's pointed stare in his companion's direction before the white-haired woman winked at him, "Why don't you just pull him aside and shove your tongue down his throat already? It's not like he would be unwilling…"

Evergreen, who had been blushing already, blushed more furiously as a look of mortification and outrage, a hilarious combination, crossed her face. Oh if only she had her fan…she would hit one of her very best friends upside the head regardless of how much she personally admired and respected him.

"I don't have a thing for Mira's stupid little brother!" Ever hissed at Laxus, feeling more infuriated the longer Laxus stared at her with a highly unimpressed expression on his face. Minutes seemed to drag on before she couldn't handle it any more and said, "Stop looking at me like that! I don't!"

"Right…" Laxus said with a grin at his good friend's vehement denials. He, Freed, and Bickslow had a pool going on how long it would take the two idiots to finally admit they felt for one another. He had guessed sooner rather than later and he was pretty damn certain, especially after this event, that he would win that $300 from the two other men. It was probably going to be the easiest money he had earned in a long time, too.

"Well like you can talk!" Ever suddenly spluttered, the color still high in her cheeks, contrasting somewhat oddly with her light brown hair, "You and Mira have been dancing around each other for years! When are you finally going to man up and do something about it?"

Ever felt a shudder run up her spine at the very dangerous look Laxus was giving her and felt like she might have overstepped, even with her friend of the past fifteen or so years. But then he huffed gently and reached over the table to pat her on the head, mussing up her perfectly combed hair and making her feel irritated once again. Could he be more infuriating?

"You should be focusing on your own love life, Ever, not mine," he said with a brotherly tone. Right then they heard the bell ring and he smiled at her, a rare thing for him, as he stood to leave, "Don't get so wrapped up in the little things. He's a good man and you should give him a chance." Laxus chuckled softly at Ever's stunned face before he added, right as he was turning away, "He really does love you, you know."

Ever didn't know how to respond to that as she watched Laxus go, completely unaware that her next date had already seated himself across from her.


Table 5: Lisanna

Lisanna was excited about this speed-dating event. She didn't know whom her big sister had invited, but she was hoping to meet someone new and exciting. She used to have a thing for one of her friends, but she had grown out of that years ago and then she had had some health issues and was in and out of the hospital for a couple years, so that put a damper on her love life…she was definitely ready to get out there now that her brother and sister weren't going to be overprotective siblings and actually let her date.

"Hey Lisanna!" Lisanna looked up with a large grin as she watched her good friend, Natsu, sit down across from her.

"Hey Natsu!" she responded as she sat forward eagerly. She had had a minor crush on Natsu for a few years before she realized she truly only saw him as a friend, nothing more. While she had been excited about the dates she would be going on, she wasn't disappointed Natsu was her first "date" of the night. He was quite a bit of fun and she knew it would start her night off right.

"So how did Mira convince you to come here?" Lisanna said with a smile as she brushed her short hair behind her ear.

"…she threatened me," Natsu mumbled as he pulled his trademark scarf up to cover his mouth. Lisanna giggled as she thought about how Mira would have done it.

"Your sister's nickname is very fitting," Natsu mumbled further, repressing a shudder as Lisanna giggled more at his expense.

"So what exactly have you been doing with yourself these days, Natsu?" Lisanna asked him, leaning forward and resting her chin in her hand.

"They promoted me!" Natsu said with an excited grin as he leaned forward as well.

"They did? That's awesome! What position do you hold now at the firehouse?" Lisanna asked, clapping her hands in delight for her friend.

"I'm the new Lieutenant," Natsu said with a grin as he puffed his chest out proudly.

"That is so wonderful! So does that mean when the captain is off duty or gone or whatever, that you'll get to take over for the day if need be?" Lisanna asked with genuine interest. Natsu had always wanted to be a firefighter, since he was a little kid, and for him to get the promotion he had worked for and been after for the past few years was fantastic.

"Yeah! If Laxus is gone I get to be acting captain. Let me tell you…Gajeel and Gray were pissed when I was chosen over them! It was great!" Natsu said with a rather vicious grin on his face. Lisanna just laughed as she could picture their expressions quite well.

"So what have you been doing? You haven't had to go back to the hospital in a few months, right?" Natsu asked, his face transforming from a look of glee to one of concern.

"Yeah I've been doing well," Lisanna said softly, rubbing subconsciously at her inner arms that were covered by her long sleeved shirt; it was an automatic thing, really, from having had so many IVs over the past few years. Her arms had almost constantly been bruised back then…

"I'm glad you're better," Natsu said with a soft smile, noticing her discomfort at the topic and then moving on by saying, "But Mira was telling me you got a new job! How's that going?"

Lisanna was so grateful for Natsu's change of subject as she, very delightedly, started telling him all about the new veterinary clinic she and Elfman had been hired at right until the bell rang and she waved him off with a smile. As she waited for the next man to join her at her table, she wrote 'No' next to Natsu's name. While she may enjoy their time spent together as friends, she knew that's all they would ever be.


Table 6: Aries

Aries was incredibly nervous. Incredibly, incredibly nervous! She had never done something like this before! Never! She swears! She was far too shy for it and tried very hard to hide behind her fleece sweater, even before her date had ever sat down.

"Aries? As in the astronomical sign?" a deep male voice asked and Aries squeaked as she looked up at the blue haired man looking at her with mild concern, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, sorry!" she peeped as she stared with wide brown eyes at the man before her. A blush started to rise in her face as she noticed how handsome the man was, although she couldn't help but compare him to another man she knew quite well…

"No need to apologize," the man said with a soft smile and Aries found her gaze drawn to the prominent red tattoo upon his face before she blushed harder as she realized she was probably being rude.

"Your name is Jellal?" she asked as she glanced at his nametag displayed prominently on his black turtleneck sweater. He smiled at her as he nodded.

"So, Aries," Jellal started, looking at the very shy looking pink haired girl across the table from him, "What do you do for a living?" Aries looked completely startled that Jellal was asking her a question despite supposedly being on a date with him and Jellal had to hold back a chuckle. He wondered what on earth Mira had on her that made her come to this event when she was obviously painfully shy.

"Um I…I…I make costumes!" Aries squeaked out when she realized too much time had passed and Jellal was still waiting, quite patiently, for an answer.

"You do? That's quite interesting," Jellal said with a smile, wishing he knew how to make the girl feel more at ease, "I myself am involved in politics."

"That's much more interesting than what I do," Aries quietly responded, almost sighing in relief when Jellal had not asked what she made costumes for…it wasn't exactly common knowledge that she worked behind the scenes for the city's circus, "What exactly do you do in relation to politics?"

"I am a campaign runner. Basically, I manage political candidates campaigns for them," Jellal said with a shrug. He knew his job was actually quite boring and he typically avoided talking about it for fear of putting people to sleep.

"Is that very difficult?" Aries asked politely, although she felt like that would be a very dull career to have; she would never say it, though, as she was far too proper.

Jellal laughed at that and then immediately felt bad when Aries squeaked out a, "Sorry!"

"It's really not," Jellal said kindly as Aries blushed in mortification, "You don't need to apologize for asking. My job is seriously quite boring and there have been many days I have debated whether or not to change careers. I have just been doing it so long now I don't know what else I would do."

"Perhaps you should consider something completely different if you find yourself unsatisfied with your life?" Aries said with a pensive look on her face.

"That is a great idea," Jellal said with a smile right as the bell rang. He smiled softly again as he stood and, before he moved on, reached over and placed his hand over Aries's, making her look at him in shock, "Don't feel bad about writing 'No', Aries." Aries just stared at him in shock as he waved at her and headed to the next table. How could he be so astute from only having spoken with her for a few minutes? With a grateful smile at his back, Aries wrote down his name followed by a 'No' before she looked up to see who her next date would be.


Table 7: Levy

"Why hello there," Levy looked up with a bright grin when she heard the smooth male voice speak to her and felt her mouth go dry. The man who was pulling out the chair across from her was, without a doubt, ridiculously hot, and oddly familiar. And she knew he knew how hot he was as he winked at her and brushed some of his spiky orange hair out of his face before he adjusted the sleeves of his suit. Who wears a suit to a speed-dating event, anyway?

"My name is Loke," he said, eyeing her from over the top of his darkly tinted glasses. Levy felt like fanning herself as he stared at her. If she could describe him in just a handful of words, she would probably say something that was highly inappropriate for a school librarian like her to say. A blush started to travel up her face to sit prominently on her cheekbones as Loke stared at her longer.

"Are you shy, love?" Loke practically purred as he reached across the table, took her hand, and very gently brushed his lips across it, "If you are, please allow me to pass the time commenting on the lovely azure shade of your hair, or the perfect chestnut color of your eyes." Levy's blush deepened even as her rational brain screamed at her, "PLAYER!"

"U-um that won't be necessary," Levy said with a cough as she, not so subtly, took her hand back from Loke's grip. He didn't look at all perturbed and instead smiled winningly at her. "S-so what do you do for a living, Loke?"

"I tame lions," Loke said with another flashy grin and a wink. Levy seriously was feeling like she needed to holler over at Ever's table and ask her if she had her fan. Whether it was to fan herself or to smack Loke to keep him from looking at her like he would enjoy devouring her, she wasn't so sure.

"Do you really?" Levy asked, highly interested as she recalled how several of Lucy's friends worked for the city's circus, "OH MY GOD you're Leo the Lion!" Levy's eyes bugged out in realization when she recalled one of several conversations with Lu about how she had attended high school with many friends who had joined the circus after graduation.

"I am," Loke said smugly, pushing his glasses back up his nose and giving her another winning smile, "Have you seen one of my shows, darling?"

"One? Lu has dragged me to at least a dozen! I knew I knew you from somewhere!" Levy exclaimed triumphantly.

"You know my Princess?" Loke asked with interest as Levy began babbling about how Lucy had taken her to many of the shows the circus had put on and how she was always impressed by the acts all of the performers did.

"I do," Levy said warily as she noticed Loke taking on a dreamy look.

"Isn't my Princess so utterly perfect?" Loke asked with a faraway gaze, "So kind and loving and so forgiving…" Levy smiled at Loke's description of Lucy, feeling that it fit quite well, but then the bell rang and Loke seemed to snap out of whatever memory he was wrapped up in.

"I do hope you write 'Yes' next to my name, my lovely Levy," Loke said, his radiantly flirty personality back in play. Levy giggled as he walked away, shooting her a sly grin before he seated himself at the next table and she wrote down a 'Maybe' beside his name; even if he was a player, it was fun talking to him.


Table 8: Juvia

"Gajeel?" Juvia exclaimed when the long, black-haired and heavily pierced man sat down across from her. He smirked at her and let out his famous, "Gee-hee" laugh.

"Rain woman," he said with an inclination of his head, "How did that demon convince you to come here?"

"Juvia does not like the insinuation," Juvia stated with a huff, glaring at her best friend. "And she did not expect her best friend to be her first date…" she finished with a grumble.

"Gee-hee; neither did I," Gajeel said with another smirk at Juvia. She was feeling highly flustered at having her best friend across the table from her as her date! It was beyond strange and she wished he wasn't actually there and some nameless stranger was sitting across from her.

"So how's your new gig going?" Gajeel asked when Juvia just stared at him blankly for a few moments, "I've seen you on the news a few times. You're doing great."

Juvia blushed straight to the roots of her azure hair at Gajeel's compliment. She and Gajeel had been best friends since they were teenagers and she didn't feel closer to anyone, not even her girl friends seated around her were as close to her as Gajeel. Which is exactly why his compliment threw her so bad; Gajeel really wasn't the type to randomly compliment others.

"Th-thank you, Gajeel," Juvia murmured as she looked down at the white tablecloth. Gajeel sighed as he leaned back in his chair. The crazy woman never could take a compliment.

"Are you having fun playing weather girl?" Gajeel asked, probing for more information about Juvia's new job. He had heard from his fellow firefighters that some of Juvia's new coworkers were not exactly…professionals when it came to pretty young girls and while he knew his friend could take care of herself, he still always made sure he had her back.

"Juvia does enjoy her job!" Juvia said, her eyes glittering as she started speaking very passionately, "Juvia is still considered only an intern so she does not get to be on camera as often as her counterpart, but Juvia is still having fun! Juvia gets to work closely with the other meteorologists to make predictions as accurate as possible given the information she has on hand! Juvia has been told that her predictions are accurate almost 100% of the time! That's even better than the head meteorologist!" Gajeel smiled at Juvia's enthusiasm. Finally she shared how she is doing; he could only get so much out of her from a text.

"I'm proud of you, Rain Woman," Gajeel admitted somewhat uncharacteristically. He couldn't help himself, though. Juvia frequently put others before herself, especially when it came to her job and someone who was considered more of an "expert" than her, so for her to admit that she was doing so well was a real step forward for her.

"And you, Gajeel?" Juvia asked as a blush adorned her face at her friend's compliment, "How is the fire station?"

Gajeel shrugged. He hadn't actually gotten the promotion he had been angling for; instead the pink haired moron had gained it, but he was pretty sure their fire chief, Makarov, knew what he was doing. After all, Gajeel didn't necessarily want to be Lieutenant. What he really was angling for was arson investigator.

"Did Gajeel not get the job?" Juvia asked sympathetically, her eyes widening with pity as she reached across the table and took his hand in hers, "Juvia is certain Gajeel will get it next time. Gajeel deserves a promotion as he works towards his ultimate goal. Juvia knows you can do it." Juvia smiled at him then and Gajeel couldn't help the small smile that graced his face as he responded to her compliment.

"I'll do my best, Rain Woman," Gajeel said as the bell rang out. Juvia smiled as Gajeel walked to his next table and, before her next "date" arrived, wrote down a "No" next to his name. It wasn't that she didn't think Gajeel would be a good man to date; he just wasn't the right man for her. Juvia took a deep breath as she put a smile on her face and waited for her next date.


Table 9: Lucy

"Hi, Gray!" Lucy said with a smile as the dark haired man sat down across from her. She and Gray had taken a couple of classes together back in college and she had always enjoyed talking with him.

"Hey, Lucy," Gray said with a responding smile as he pulled out the chair and sat down, "What have you been up to recently?"

"Oh you know…same old," Lucy said with a soft chuckle, leaning forward and lacing her fingers under her chin, "Still trying to finish my novel."

"I thought you had been published already?" Gray asked, his brow furrowing as his hand wandered down his chest and started playing with the hem of his shirt. Lucy eyed it warily, knowing how Gray had somehow acquired a stripping habit at some point in his life; he blamed his adoptive mother, Ur, but Lucy really wasn't sure she believed it was his mom's fault. Gray noticed Lucy's somewhat pointed glare and sheepishly realized he had unconsciously been about to pull his shirt off. Throwing his hands up in surrender, he waited for Lucy to answer his question.

"I have had a few short stories published," Lucy admitted, a hint of relief in her tone when Gray realized what he had been doing, "But what I really want is to get a novel published. You can only get so far with short stories and I really want people to read and know my work."

"I can understand that," Gray said with a nod of his head, "Most people read full-length books, not short stories, and if you have yours published in an anthology, it's possible people might only read a few of them before setting it aside."

"Exactly!" Lucy exclaimed as she started gesturing animatedly as she spoke, "People might buy an anthology for one author, and then read just that story and so if they only bought it for one person, then they may never even read mine. And if they bought it and read a few and didn't like any, they might just stop and then they wouldn't read mine that way either! It's a serious conundrum!"

Gray smiled as he watched Lucy talk about being an author and how she was struggling with writing a compelling romance novel that hadn't already been done before. She really was a beautiful girl, with her large brown eyes, straight blonde hair, and curvy body. But she wasn't just pretty. She was also smart and funny and just fun. Gray wondered if Lucy would write "Yes" next to his name. He had thought about asking her out, often, when they were in a few classes together, but somehow he had never asked. He thought they would probably be good together since they got along so well, but at the same time, in the back of his mind, he knew that wouldn't be enough to maintain a relationship.

"Gray?" Lucy suddenly asked when Gray hadn't responded after a few moments.

"I'm sorry, Lucy. I must have spaced out there for a minute," he said with a sheepish chuckle, "Could you ask me again?"

"I asked why are you here. I wouldn't really expect you to be at an event like this. Don't you and Loke usually go after the girls together?" she asked with a rather knowing smile. Gray shuffled in his seat uncomfortably at that. Yeah so he and Loke had kind of been players back in the day…but they were changed men, he swears! Well…he was a changed man. He couldn't speak for Loke.

"I don't do that crap anymore…" Gray muttered as he started to pull unconsciously at his shirt again, "I think I'm ready to settle down."

"You? The infamous Gray Fullbuster, ready to settle down?" Lucy said with a laugh as her eyes glittered with amusement as she looked at him, "What woman caught your eye to make you say that?" Gray shuffled uncomfortably in his seat again, feeling hot as Lucy got dangerously close to the truth.

"What are you talking about?" he muttered as he pulled his shirt halfway off without even realizing before Lucy shrieked at him.

"Gray! Keep your clothes on!" Lucy cried out even as she struggled not to bust up laughing. He most often stripped when he was uncomfortable, so Lucy knew she must have been close to the truth. As he snapped out of his daze and blushed while he pulled his shirt down, the bell rang out and Lucy smiled.

"I'll see you around, Gray," she told him as he stood and began shuffling off to the next table, the back of his neck still slightly red. He turned back to smile at her softly before she looked down at her folder and wrote a "No" next to his name. They would probably make an okay couple, if she were being 100% honest with herself, but she also couldn't really see a future between them outside of just being friends. That and there was something about the mention of some mystery woman that had flustered him so… She grinned as she thought about whom it possibly could be before she turned to meet the gaze of her next date.


Table 10: Erza

Erza gazed coolly at the man who had taken a seat across from her. She believed she had seen him somewhere before, probably hanging around with the beast of a blonde man who liked to hover around Mira, but she couldn't actually place him. She saw that his name was Bickslow, written in crazy letters on his nametag, and it seemed to fit him.

Bickslow probably could have been considered traditionally handsome if he didn't have the tattoo across his face and crazy eyes. Erza didn't know how else to describe his eyes besides crazy. They really were strange, almost like they were peering into her soul as he stared at her. For what it was worth, he also looked highly uncomfortable to be seated across from her.

"I am Erza Scarlet," Erza said, trying to kick start the conversation as the silence seemed to stretch on and on awkwardly. Bickslow looked startled as she spoke but quickly recovered, grinning while sticking his tongue out simultaneously.

"What are you doing?" Erza asked, raising an eyebrow at the man's antics. He was weird. There was seriously no other way to describe him and for Erza, who was serious to a fault at times, she knew this "date" was going to go nowhere fast.

"Nothing," Bickslow said with a shrug as he leaned forward and eyed Erza with interest. He had never actually talked to the Titania before and he felt seriously intimidated. Something about sitting across from one of the city's top female police officers simultaneously made his blood race through his veins and chill at the same time. It was the weirdest adrenalin rush to sit across from a woman who could break him in half like a toothpick if she so chose. And arrest him. Maybe it was the arresting part that got to him.

"I'm going to be writing 'No' next to your name," Erza said suddenly a few moments later. Bickslow nodded; he hadn't really been expecting a "Yes".

"There is just no spark," Erza continued on, being brutally honest as Bickslow just grinned crazily, "I am certain you are a decent man, but you are not for me and I am most certainly not for you."

Bickslow laughed at that. He seemed decent? Who they hell talked like that anymore?

"You seem decent, too, Titania," he grinned again, wagging his tongue somewhat indecently, but Erza just eyed him sternly and he stopped.

"I wish you luck on your next date," Erza said, nodding to him as the bell rang out. Bickslow just grinned crazily again as he moved on, leaving Erza to wonder if all of her dates were going to be spent sitting in mostly awkward silence. If that were going to be the case, then she was going to ask for some strawberry cake since Mira made the best strawberry cake. There was no reason for her to sit in misery, after all. As she started daydreaming about the most delicious cake she would savor soon, her next date sighed and sat down across from her.


AUTHOR'S NOTE: So much fun! I am seriously going to have a blast writing this. I hope everyone else enjoys this chapter! As always, I don't own Fairy Tail.