Well, it's been a while but I think this extra long chapter makes up for it~ Its time to see what Cana and the others think of Gray and Natsu's date- and see where Erza stands in all this! So, enjoy~! Reviews always welcome~

~NEGJGEN~

The next day, the older guild members couldn't help but notice the younger generation seemed to be glowing, on a whole. Lucy had arrived earlier than usual and was sitting at a table with Levy, the pair more bubbly and giggly than usual- though it seemed impossible. Natsu was active as well, chatting, eating and fighting with anyone who would spare him the time- notably though, he did not approach Lucy, pointedly avoiding the blonde although she did not seem to notice.

From their usual spots at the bar, the older guild members observed.

"Well I didn't think it was possible, but it looks like those two are even brighter than usual."

Macao said as he watched the pair. To his right, Cana complained with her forehead pressed to the wooden counter

"Of course they gotta get louder when I'm suffering from the hangover of the century…"

Mirajane gently set down a mug of club soda for the girl, sing-songing with a smile

"Well I guess this is a sign their dates went well last night~"

Macao laughed.

"I forgot all about that little game we sent them on- I guess Gray and Natsu really took us seriously!"

Jet and Droy took a seat at the bar now, saying hello to the three before commenting

"Did you see the kids today? They're off the walls so I guess their dates went well…"

Mirajane leaned forward, still grinning.

"We were just talking about it- but does anyone find the pairings a little odd? Gray went with Lucy, but you'd think he would have gone for Juvia- and Juvia went with Natsu instead!"

The group shrugged and then Jet called their attention, pointing to the door. They all turned to watch as Gray walked in, smirking bigger than usual. Juvia, who they hadn't seen enter but now was chatting with Natsu, noticed Gray first; the water mage laughed a little louder as the ice mage passed, pointedly fingering the umbrella necklace around her neck. Mirajane giggled at how silly Juvia was being, but Macao raised his eyebrows.

"Did Natsu buy her that necklace? Maybe he knows more about this kinda stuff than he lets on!"

Gray peeked at Juvia and Natsu just a moment before spotting Lucy, and when the pair met eyes they both blushed slightly but offered smiles to each other. Mirajane swooned at how cute both couples were being, but Cana just scoffed.

"This game isn't worth it- it certainly didn't get them out of our hair…"

Jet and Droy nodded, eyeing Gray's smirk.

"Yeah, this was supposed to turn them into men, not di-"

"Hey, I think this dating game was successful!"

Macao interrupted, eyeing Jet and Droy.

"They went on dates, they both win."

"Not so fast," Cana countered, finally sitting up to sip at her seltzer, "we have to see who's date went better."

"Wouldn't that just put us back at square one with their fighting…?"

Mirajane mused, but before anyone could agree Natsu and Gray were approaching.

"Well look who it is- the geezers that said we weren't men cause we don't date!"

Gray crossed his arms with a grin, as Natsu added

"Well you must be feeling pretty stupid now, cause we both got a date last night! We're real men!"

Macao was chuckling.

"Yeah, I guess you are…"

But Cana shook her head (wincing as she did so).

"I bet they were lame dates- just going somewhere with a girl doesn't automatically make it a date!"

Natsu grinned, fists clenched.

"Juvia and I spent the whole evening together- we walked around town, we shopped, and then we watched movie at her apartment half the night!"

Gray was somewhat surprised.

"You went out with Juvia?"

It was too quiet for anyone to hear, though, and the group went on talking as the ice mage looked at his friend. He was surprised that Juvia had gone out with Natsu- wasn't she always going on and on about how much she loved him? It wasn't like he had ever acted on her feelings… But still, somehow he felt somewhat betrayed…

"What about you, Gray? How'd it go with Lucy?"

Suddenly the group was looking at him and he blinked, dismissing all thoughts of Juvia and grinning once more.

"Our date went great- we went out to dinner then went stargazing and when I walked her home- well, I'm not one to kiss and tell…"

Half the group rolled their eyes and half the group- Mirajane, to be exact- squeeled with delight, but Natsu looked at his friend in shock.

"You kissed Lucy?"

The feelings he had before were only heightened as he tried to imagine it- his two closest friends had kissed? Natsu definitely was feeling left out now. Somehow, it made him angry- why had Gray gone and done something like that for? This was obviously just a lighthearted game, there was no need to be toying with Lucy when he obviously didn't like her like that… Unless he did… Natsu didn't know what to think anymore. Gray blinked back at his friend, surprised by his question.

"You didn't kiss Juvia?"

Natsu went quiet, cheeks pink, and Gray looked relieved. Cana announced bored-ly

"Well I guess we have a winner."

"Wait!"

Natsu was determined not to lose.

"Gray's date wasn't better just because he got kissed- I bought Juvia a necklace she really wanted, that's just as good!"

Gray was looking surprised again and Macao was laughing again as his necklace idea was confirmed.

"It is true that Natsu's date was more creative…"

Droy allowed. Jet looked at him funny.

"Creative, or lame? Gray went the traditional way and it payed off!"

"I'm a little confused as to when this became a competition…"

Macao was looking around the group, but Cana just laughed.

"The point of the challenge was to amuse us, and it'll definitely be amusing to see who wins this!"

The group was beginning to squabble: Jet and Droy, Gray and Natsu, Cana and Macao. Finally, Mirajane called for quiet and voiced calmly

"Obviously the only way to settle this is to have a tie breaker."

Macao sighed.

"You too, Mirajane…?"

But everyone else was already nodding in agreement, Gray and Natsu turning on each other.

"Whatever it is, bring it!"

"Yeah, I'm ready to win this thing!"

The older mages looked around at each other, unsure how to challenge the boys next. That is, until the answer banged right in the guild doors, her long, red hair dancing in the breeze and metal armor gleaming just right to make her look like some kind of war hero- which she was.

"Erza!"

Lucy bounced over to give her friend a hug, who looked less than pleased to have her dramatic entrance interrupted but offered the blonde a little smile. The boys turned to see their friend enter, and could practically feel Cana grinning at them before they even turned back to her.

"Who better to act as tiebreaker than the mighty Titania?"

Jet and Droy were laughing, as Cana crossed her arms definitively.

"Whoever can get Erza to kiss them first wins the Dating Game."

Mirajane clapped her hands in delight, but the boys looked somewhat dizzy- even Macao felt for them, speaking up

"Cana, they're just boys… Bringing Erza into the game will turn it into- Russian roulette!"

But he had said the 'b' word again, and it set the fire and ice mage off.

"We're not boys, we're men!"

"Yeah! We're dating men and we're kissing men, and now we're gonna be Erza's men too!"

Droy was practically falling off his stool out of laughter, and Jet commented

"Can we all evaluate that sentence together a moment?"

But Gray and Natsu were already off, too competitive for their own good. Gray went and took a seat at a table, trying to think fast as he watched Erza sit down to chat with Lucy and Levy. Erza was tricky, but still just a girl- if he had gotten Lucy to kiss him, how hard could this be? He thought back on his date with Lucy: things had gone well, and he was sure that if he just treated Erza to a similar night even she would spare him a goodnight kiss…

But did he have that kind of time? Gray knew he had to get to Erza before Natsu did, but if he rushed he would fail. Asking her out on a date wouldn't be too hard, but would it be rude to Lucy if he went out with a different girl the day after their date? Would he have to schedule their date later in the week? But he didn't have that kind of time! Frustrated, Gray glanced over at Natsu, who was at the back of the room and had taken to pacing. What was the dragon slayer planning?

Kiss Erza. Kiss Erza.

Could he do it? Natsu was pacing in the back of the guild, thoughts moving too fast for him to grasp and altogether making him dizzy- though again that could just be his feet turning him back and forth and back and forth… Kiss Erza… It frustrated Natsu that Gray had the upper hand on this- after all, the perv had kissed Lucy and so he probably would have no problem kissing Erza either since friendship to that ice-cube apparently had no boundaries. Natsu wasn't sure if he was angry or embarrassed. Should he have kissed Juvia? The date had been really fun to him, but had he left her feeling left out by the end of the night? The dragon slayer was sure that he felt left out, at least…

The pink haired teen sighed, collapsing on to a bench and letting his head slowly stop spinning. Getting worked up like this wasn't going to win him the competition. Natsu felt like he had to prove himself a man now more than ever, and he certainly was not going to let himself lose to a jerk like Gray. But how would he get Erza to kiss him before Gray? Should he ask her out on a date, too? No, he didn't have that kind of time- the only way he was going to beat Gray was by being fast and being bold. With fiery determination Natsu rose to his feet, fists clenched for strength as he marched himself towards Erza's table- the Great Salamander was going to get the Great Titania to kiss him, god dammit!

Gray watched in dismay as Natsu stood and headed for Erza's table, but suddenly the pair were blocked from view as a wall of blue approached him.

"Gray-sama?"

The dark haired teen leaned around his visitor to try and see the scene behind her with a half-hearted

"Oh hey, Juvia…"

She seemed not to notice his straining, continuing

"Juvia heard Gray-sama went on a date with Lucy last night, but it's okay because Juvia had a date as well- with Natsu."

She was not being jealous or boastful, simply trying to make conversation with Gray as he struggled to see what Natsu was up to.

"That's nice…"

Meanwhile, Natsu had marched up to the table that held Lucy, Levy and his target, all seeming to be too lost in conversation to notice his presence until

"Hey Erza, could I talk to you a second?"

The three girls looked up in surprise, and Erza quirked a brow at the pink haired teen.

"Is something wrong?"

He shook his head, laughing somewhat nervously.

"No! It's nothing like that, but…"

He eyed Lucy and Levy, who shrugged, standing to go with sighs and a few mumbled comments about the boys being "awfully hormonal lately." Natsu was too relieved to see them go to notice the slightly disappointed look in Lucy's eyes.

Gray sucked in his breath as he caught a glance of Lucy and Levy leaving their table, meaning Natsu and Erza were now alone. But again the view was blocked as Juvia tried once again to get his attention.

"Lucy told Juvia the date went very well. Would Gray-sama like to hear about Juvia's date?"

"Not really…"

Gray grumbled, frustrated she was bothering him at such a crucial moment- what was going on with Erza and Natsu? Was the dragon slayer really going to beat him? Juvia laughed, apparently thinking he was joking. Gray was able to glimpse Natsu sit down across from Erza.

"Erza." Natsu gulped, his head telling him that it wasn't too late to back out- but what kind of man would that make him? It was daring, but Natsu knew this plan was his best shot and though his heart was racing he just had to go through with it. "Will you kiss me?"

The usually stone-faced girl seemed to falter a moment, obviously taken aback by the request.

"Kiss you? Why?"

Natsu looked sheepish, running a hand through his hair.

"Well, I've never kissed anyone before, and it makes me nervous… I figured it would be best if I just did it with someone I trusted, and then I could relax. You're one of my best friends, so I thought you'd be perfect- if that's okay…"

The girl still seemed somewhat surprised by the idea, but the tiny pink in her cheeks signaled to Natsu that he was going to win this after all.

"…and then Juvia and Natsu watched movies until Natsu went home. Overall, it was a really fun night, Juvia thinks!"

Gray was getting more and more agitated as the girl in front of him spoke incessantly at him, it becoming as difficult to block her out as it was to see Natsu at this point. His teeth were clenched as she gave a surprised "oh!" and added

"Juvia forgot to mention, Natsu also bought this necklace- Juvia had been wanting it a while because it seemed to fit Juvia so perfectly, see?"

She leaned down in his face so he could better see her necklace and finally, Gray had had enough.

"Get out of my face!"

He rudely nudged her back and stood, looking down on her angrily, the flood of emotions he was feeling finally too much to hold in- he was embarrassed he hadn't gotten to Erza first, ashamed he was going to lose to an idiot like Natsu, frustrated that Juvia was interrupting like this- what was she doing, anyway! Trying to rub her stupid date with Natsu in his face?

"God, you're so annoying- can't you just leave me alone!"

Suddenly the whole guild was silent and, realizing all eyes were on him, Gray knew he had gone too far. Juvia looked up at him, tears flooding into her eyes but he did not see them fall for all at once she turned and ran out of the guild. Suddenly, it was pouring rain out. Gray sighed, looking around at all the accusatory expressions before calling

"Wait!"

and running out the door after the rain woman.

Natsu and Erza watched the whole scene play out from their table, staring at the door even after both mages had exited through it. Still on a winner's high, Natsu grinned slightly and said to himself

"Gray's a jerk, he had no chance of winning over me…"

Erza looked at her friend across the table, quirking a brow.

"Winning what?"

Natsu snapped his head back to the Titania, looking like a deer in headlights.

"Uh-…!"

Seeing how flustered he suddenly got, Erza narrowed her eyes, sensing something fishy as she growled a second time

"Winning what?"

Natsu gulped, knowing she would pull a knife on him if he gave it another moment and hastily confessing

"A kiss from you."

"What!"

She stood, looking outraged.

"This was just for some stupid bet? You- pigs!"

Natsu flinched then stood, trying to diffuse the situation though he knew it a lost cause.

"I'm sorry Erza, it wasn't supposed to hurt your feelings, we just wanted to prove we were manly-"

He eyes were demonic as she growled

"Natsu, by the time I'm through with you, you won't have a manly part left on you!"

With a gulp Natsu decided to take a page from Juvia's book and turned, booking it out the door before anyone could stop him. With slightly pink cheeks Erza decided to just let him run for now, too embarrassed and flustered to waste another second on Natsu- she couldn't believe she had almost kissed him.

~NEGJGEN~

Well, it looks like our boys were just too confident for their own good. Will the Dating Game have no winner, its contestants now just losers? Will they be able to fix the mess they made of things? Find out… Eventually!