A/N: Oops, I put the unedited chapter up by mistake. Going to change the names from now on so that doesn't happen again. Anyway, there isn't much to say here other than I'm deliberately keeping some things in the dark. Enjoy.
Key if Needed:
"Spells"
'Thoughts'
"Speech"
"NATSU!"
"GRAY!"
The two mages shouted as they charged, tossing their magic carelessly at each other, enraged.. One from wounded betrayal, and the other for the sheer thrill. It was a frantic battle, one Gray could tell he would probably lose without a lot of luck.
Gray swore to himself before coating his hands in ice using them to bat Natsu's flame soaked ones without burning his own. But even with his protection, Natsu's flames were so intensely hot that it melted away the ice as fast as he could make it, spreading boiling water and steam all over the two of them.
Gray punched Natsu in the stomach, making the man pause long enough for Gray to jump backwards and put some distance between the two. Smacking his fist onto his open palm, he gathered his magic before having to roll to the side of an angry fire charged punch.
There was a small break in the fight as Natsu slowly stood in the dust cloud he had just created, staring off into a random direction away from his opponent. The panting Gray looked on in horror as lightning and fire suddenly sparked up around the dragon slayer, blasting away all the debris and dust around him before turning a excited grin towards the ice mage. The burning forest around them creating a terrifying backdrop in combination with the red eyes that Natsu now stared at him with.
"You always were a pain in the ass." Natsu muttered, just audible enough for him to hear.
"What happened to you? This...this can't be real! If I hadn't showed up you would have killed her!" Gray yelled angrily, motioning to the unconscious Erza nearly buried in the ground with one of her own swords covered in ice buried blade first just next to her head. All of his fear had been forgotten in the wake of his anger.
"And she didn't deserve it? She's been a controlling bitch over both of our lives since we were children. Of all people you should understand-" Natsu was cut off the ice mage's spell, sending hundreds of small ice lances towards him almost instantly and catching the wizard off guard.
Eyes widening in surprise, Natsu had no choice but to simply block the strike to the best of his ability and tank it as well as he could. While Natsu was pinned down by his lances, Gray created blades of ice jutting out of his forearms and suddenly appeared right in front of Natsu's face, an enraged look on his own face in stark contrast to Natsu's worried one.
"Ice Blade: Seven Slice Dance!" Gray shouted, his fury moving through his limbs and making him strike Natsu harder than he'd ever hit anyone before.
Staring at the downed dragon slayer, exhaustion made itself known throughout his body, even before Natsu had been going one hundred percent, he'd landed several agonizing punches and kicks that could have ended their fight had he not been so angry.
"Maybe that'll knock some sense into your stupid head. Whatever issues you and Erza have, don't you try and bring me into it. The hell is wrong with you anyway? Pulling out that 'Lightning Dragon' of yours." Gray would have continued but Erza was in critical condition and needed his help more than Natsu needed an ass whooping.
Throwing the rubble on top of her away, he looped Erza's arm around his shoulder, since he lacked the physical strength at the moment to carry her wholly on his own. But when he turned around, Natsu was now standing right in front of him, no longer in a cocky or battle ready mood.
Natsu. Was. Pissed.
Lightning and flame coiled around him again, but this time his entire left hand was covered with lightning and his right was covered in his flames. His eyes were completely blood red and the veins in his forehead bulged dangerously as he furiously launched his spell at the two of them. Tearing up the pathway on the ground in search for its target, violently tearing through everything in its way.
"Crimson Lotus: Exploding Lightning Blade!"
'Shit! Natsu you…' Gray didn't have the time to dodge, he was only able to throw Erza out of the way before taking the brunt of it himself.
Gray agonizing scream resounded across the field where they battled before it suddenly stopped and a badly burned and shocked Gray plummeted onto the ground and laid still, barely alive with a steaming dragon slayer standing victorious.
Natsu walked over and lifted Gray by his throat, hearing a pained groan leave his mouth. "I'll deal with you later. So you just sit there and watch what happens."
With that said, Natsu tossed the beaten ice mage a good distance away, missing the agonizing look on his face after he stopped rolling. Slowly, Natsu's deathly stare came to rest on the requip user that had regained consciousness and was now staring at him; an unreadable expression on her face.
"You back on your feet?" He questioned, before walking up and hoisting Erza by the throat just as he had done with Gray. Except Erza simply stared at him and made no pained noises.
"You've tried to kill me twice. Explain-" She wasn't able to keep speaking as Natsu had struck her in the stomach hard enough to spit blood back up.
"I guess it's to be expected. You and I have gotten up and fought way past the point where we should have given up countless times." He said, reminiscing in the memories of their many past battles before grinning viciously and tightening his grip on her throat as she tried to pry him off.
But even as he increased the pressure on her throat, a small victorious smirk grew on her face.
"What're you smiling about?"
Two Days Prior
Erza sat happily at her team's table, calmly eating away at some delicious cake and listening to Gray's tale of his latest mission to repay his debt and Lucy's constant complaining about her rent and how Loke keeps appearing in her room at night. Erza herself had been unable to sleep at all the previous night thanks to the sudden stop of her and Natsu's date.
'Was that a date? He asked me to go somewhere with him, we ate, and we chatted. Yes, I believe that was a date.' Erza thought to herself, listing off last night's events on her fingers one by one. She didn't notice it, but her cheeks had suddenly changed to nearly as dark as her hair until she reeled it back by eating a piece of cake.
'All though, I'm worried about Natsu. He is an extremely strong mage, and can take care of himself, but I can't help but wonder why he suddenly ran off.' She had planned to ask him the second she walked in the guild but he was nowhere inside.
This lead to a slightly embarrassing moment when Erza knocked the guild doors open and loudly yelled for the absent pink haired wizard. Leading to Mirajane loudly proclaiming that he wasn't here and that her boyfriend would be here soon.
As embarrassed as she was at that comment, she couldn't stop from letting the images flow in her head of being Natsu's girlfriend. Of eating dinner together in a classy restaurant, staring at the stars together, him passionately kissing her before taking her to the bedroom…
Erza blushed heavily again, Natsu wasn't even here and she was fantasizing about him. 'I have got to stop reading smut before bed.'
Erza would just chalk up the other times she had let her mind wander on Natsu to boredom.
But her teammate noticed Erza's absentmindedness and became curious. "Erza. Erza!" Lucy said, snapping her fingers in front of the red haired woman when she failed to get her attention.
Coming out her trance, Erza absentmindedly began eating her cake again. "Did you say something Lucy?" She asked finishing the last piece of her treat.
"Uh, yeah kind of. You've been staring off into nowhere for like three minutes blushing like a teenager. You feeling okay?" If it were anyone else, Lucy would have thought Erza was still embarrassed about being called Natsu's girlfriend. But it was Erza and no one was stupid enough to make a joke about it.
You know, except for Gray.
"She's just fantasizing about Natsu obviously." Despite it being a joke, he was actually pretty certain that that was the case. Erza had looked a lot like Juvia looked when she thought about him.
Lucy could only gape wordlessly at Gray's courage. Slowly, and frightfully she looked over at Erza's face for a small premonition of what was to come.
"You are correct Gray. Natsu has me a little worried after last night." She simply stated, staring at Lucy's red face confused.
"Knew it." Gray said simply, somehow losing his shirt in the moments between his comment and Erza's answer.
"Erza…what were you fantasizing about?" Lucy couldn't help it, she was way too curious to not pry for information.
However, Erza sent a frightening glare that silenced Lucy who hid underneath the table in terror.
"It was an accident. A slip of the mind if you will." Erza clarified. Still staring at Lucy as if she was daring the celestial wizard to say something.
"Honestly Erza, how do you fantasize about someone by accident?" Gray accused.
A small smile decorated Erza's face. "Shall I tell Elfman who you fantasized about? I'm sure he'd understand if you said it was 'by accident' right?"
Gray paled and thanked his lucky stars that Elfman wasn't anywhere nearby when Erza said that. "I won't say anything anymore."
"Good, now if you'll excuse me, I need to find Natsu." She said, getting up and leaving the table and then the guild.
"I feel bad for Natsu." Lucy said suddenly, confusing Gray. But before he could ask her what she meant she continued. "I mean, he could get Erza to fall in love with him kind of easily if he wasn't so…" Lucy paused again as she tried to find the right word.
"If he wasn't so Natsu?"
"Yeah. That's it. "
Shortly afterward Erza had made her way to Natsu's house outside the city. Knocking on the door, she waited for a moment before attempting to open the door herself. When the door refused to open, a tick mark appeared on Erza's forehead before she forced the door open realizing later that she had just broke into Natsu's house.
She quickly looked around her surroundings before hastily closing the door and making it look like nothing was wrong. 'Natsu's a bit dense. He'll just think his lock is broken.'
But quickly her mood became serious again as she doubled her efforts in looking for the pink haired man. After searching for what seemed like an eternity, she heard what could only be one thing. Following the noise, Erza found herself in a large clearing with several rocks many times bigger than herself. But what got her attention was when one of the rocks was steadily rising and falling again and again.
'Not a bad way to train.' Erza mused to herself, with a small smile and a shake of her head she turned the corner and her words died in her throat.
Natsu was finishing up a set of lifting the large rocks before tossing it up and punching it without a fire coated fist. Watching with a bit of awe at his pure physical strength at punching a boulder that size into dust.
He suddenly collapsed in a heap, breathing heavily as his physical training always left him exhausted.
Usually this sight never bothered her, she'd seen Natsu without his shirt all the time. But something was different. This time as her eyes took in his chiseled form drenched in sweat to the point she could watch a single drop trail down each individual attractive piece of muscle, she couldn't help but suddenly imagine themselves in the bedroom, his hands tangled with her hands and their bodies entwined.
Erza bit the inside of her mouth until the taste of blood brought her out of her vivid fantasy. She was blushing so hard it wouldn't be surprising if steam was coming out of her ears. No one else had ever gotten her this flustered in her life, not even Jellal. Hell, Natsu wasn't even trying to woo her, she was doing it to herself.
'Okay, okay, so you want to fuck your teammate. Bid deal. Lots of my guildmates want to sleep with me so this is no different.' Erza breathed a long sigh, placing a hand on her now deafeningly loud heart in an attempt to slow it down.
Natsu's nose twitched suddenly, he sat up and sniffed the air around him and smelling a familiar scent or wild strawberries hit his nose. He didn't quite know what that other smell was but it was pleasant, to both his nose and body.
"Erza!" He said excitedly. Rising to his feet quickly and going around the corner to meet the redhead with big smile.
His smile brought a small smile to her own face without her realizing it. "Hello Natsu. I was just looking for you."
"Eh? For what?" He asked confused, picking his ear with his pinky.
"Remember our date last night? You said you had something to show me and then you ran off." Erza clarified, she wasn't really surprised he didn't remember. Nothing really stuck with him.
"Our what?" He asked again. Still just as confused.
She sighed and ran an agitated hand down her face. "Try and remember before I beat you."
Natsu paled a little and placed a hand under his chin thinking so hard Erza could see the gears turning in his head.
After a moment he perked up and smacked his fist into his hand. "I remember. After I bought you cake I was going to show you but…" He trailed off patting his side before rapidly patting all around himself.
"Where is it?! Where is it?!" He said rapidly, looking all around the courtyard before suddenly perking up again.
"Oh yeah I left it at my house." He said suddenly, causing Erza to groan audibly.
"Well what was it?" Erza said somewhat impatiently, completely forgetting that she had broken Natsu's door.
He finished collecting his shirt and scarf before turning around and facing Erza with a perplexed look.
"We didn't go on a date yesterday." Leave it to Natsu to focus on the wrong topics.
"That's just an easier way to call a 'makeup cake buying'." She clarified slowly walking in step with the dragon slayer.
"Ah. I get it now." She was a little bothered that Natsu hadn't seemed to be interested in dating her. But then again, it was probably just her over thinking the night since he had left in the middle of it.
After a pleasant walk through the forest. The two of them arrived in front of Natsu's house. Fumbling for his keys for a moment, Natsu tried to push it into the lock but ended up just pushing the door open; an action that caused Erza to freeze momentarily.
"Wasn't this locked?" He said to himself, placing a hand under his chin and thinking again.
Erza sighed. "I apologize Natsu, I accidentally broke your door when I started looking for you. I thought you were ignoring me and got angry." She said, looking anywhere but his eyes out of embarrassment.
"I didn't know you wanted to see me that bad. It's fine though, just a door." Natsu said with a smile, waving off the property damage as if he had just had a drink spilled on him.
"Oh, look at this." Natsu said, pointing to the metal lock. "You just broke the part where it slides into the door, I can fix that." In little time, Natsu had melted the two pieces of metal back together so well that it looked like there was no damage at all.
"See? I told you it was no biggie. So stop sulking that you busted my door. Not like I haven't destroyed peoples stuff by accident." He said, inviting her into his house and closing the door behind her.
"I guess you're right. Thank you Natsu for not being upset." She said, dropping the subject since he wasn't angry in the slightest.
"No problem. Anyway, here's what I wanted to show you last night." He said, handing her a mission flyer that she recognized as being on the board for months.
"Natsu, why did you show me this?" She asked confused, the jewel reward was pitiful so she had always ignored it.
"There's another reward besides the fifty jewels. It's a magical set of armor. Like the stuff you wear. I noticed how everyone just overlooked it and I was planning on doing the mission out of pity for the guy who posted it, but then I took a closer look at the reward and thought it'd be worth your while. You know?" He said, an embarrassed smile splitting his face while also scratching his head to do something other than look at her face.
"Oh, I didn't know that. This means quite a lot Natsu. Let's go." Erza said, an excited grin on her face at the prospect of a new armor to add to her arsenal. Grabbing Natsu by the back of his shirt she began hurriedly dragging the two of them back to the guild.
She stopped just before entering and handed the flier back to the dragon slayer. "Here, tell Mira that the two of us are going on this quest and meet me at the train station in twenty minutes." Erza all but demanded.
"A-Aye." Sighing in exasperation at Erza's eagerness was something he never thought he'd do. But it didn't matter, Erza was happy so he was happy.
"Mira!" Natsu called for her once he entered the guild, scanning his eyes all over the guild looking for the maid.
"Yes Natsu?" She answered once he approached the bar.
"Erza and I are going on this mission, or more likely she's dragging me on this mission." Natsu said while handing her the mission flyer.
"Erza wants to leave right now so could you hand this to gramps for me?" He asked, rubbing the back of his head embarrassed.
"Sure Natsu, don't let your girlfriend get to you that much." Mira teased, a small mischievous smile on her face that Natsu completely missed.
"Erza's not my girlfriend. Besides, you know she's tripping over herself to get Jellal's attention." Natsu said without missing a beat.
Mira's smile didn't leave her face, though it seemed a bit more forced. "Is that how you want it to be?" She asked honestly, like Lucy, she had noticed Erza's particular type of affection towards Natsu .
"What do you mean?" He asked, a clueless expression telling Mirajane that she'd need to be more direct.
"I mean don't you want Erza for yourself? You know, steal her away from Jellal?" Mira clarified.
"I still don't get it." Natsu said, still just as clueless.
"What she means, ash face, is if you want to fuck the shit out of Erza." Gray wouldn't call himself an expert on love, he was the expert on lust if attracting a dangerous water wizard, as well as a guy one time without meaning to, had anything to do with it.
Natsu suddenly choked on his own spit, looking over his shoulder in terror before sighing in relief. Turning to Gray with an angry look on his face. "Dumbass! Don't say that out loud! Erza was right behind me until a few minutes ago!" He harshly whispered, the smallest evidence of a blush on his face.
Gray only smirked victoriously before asking Mira for a beer. "And? Mira already called you her boyfriend without violence so what's the matter if I did something like that."
"Because you're terrified of her stripper." Was Natsu's candid response.
A tick mark appeared on Gray's forehead before he rose to his feet. "And you aren't fire dick!?"
The two were in each other's face in the blink of an eye. "You want to go?"
Gray punched Natsu in the face before tossing his shirt to the side, much to the delight of certain water mage.
Mirajane sighed angrily before running her hand down her face. "Nice one Gray, completely forgot the plan to start a fight." She muttered to herself just low enough for only her to hear.
But it wasn't low enough as Natsu's enhanced hearing picked it up. Pausing from decking the now pantless and shirtless Gray in the face.
'What plan?' He thought briefly before being hit in the face by a chair.
At the Train Station
An angry Erza tapped her foot repeatedly as she patiently, and angrily, waited for Natsu to arrive.
"I'm going to kick his ass."
