He slid into the booth across from Erza and for the first time he didn't feel the lurch in his chest. The one he'd grown so used to. The one that broke his heart every time. She smiled at him and he waited... and waited.

"Sieg?" She stopped stirring the ice in her glass and quirked an eyebrow. "What's wrong with you?"

"Absolutely nothing," he said with a grin. And he meant it. Her hair was in the same style of bun she always used when she worked and the fringe that always wound up escaping the pins hung just above her eye but that was fine. Jellal would fix it later for her.

"Your'e acting weird. Do I have feathers in my hair or something? Some crazy lady brought in her four parrots today. Did you know people kept exotic birds around here?" She picked at her hair and went on about her morning but he didn't hear it. His mind was stuck on something silver. "Anyway, why am I here?"

Siegrain snapped himself out of his thoughts. "Right. Lunch. Have you ordered?"

"No, I was waiting. I have two hours today and I'd like to milk every minute." Their waitress brought him a glass of water and they ordered. "So what's up?"

"I need some advice."

"Listen, if this is about that vacant lot you're trying to convince Jellal to go in with you on, forget it. I don't have an opinion on that and –"

"No, no, not the lot – which, by the way, is happening. This is actually something completely different. It's about a woman."

Erza blinked in surprise. "I'm sorry, what?"

"Uh –" Siegrain's face grew warm. "I have a date with someone and I want to maybe bring a gift?"

"A date?" She laughed and sipped her water. "Sieg, you have lots of dates. I can hardly keep up with them all."

"No, this isn't one of those dates. I like her and I don't want to fuck it up." Erza continued to eye him suspiciously. "Please, help me. I can't ask my mom. Mystogan will tell me to –"

"Oh, god, no don't ask Mystogan." Erza sighed and leaned back as their food was placed on the table. "And Jellal will tell you to ask her how she feels about recycling batteries and how soon she'll marry you."

"You're the only sane person in this family, Erza, please help me."

"Okay, so this is a first date? Where did you meet her?"

"Well –" Siegrain picked at his fries. "She was Sofia's art teacher last year."

"I see," Erza said grinning. "Is she the one who helped you with the studio in your condo?"

"Yeah. She's great, Erza, she's so smart and she makes me laugh."

"What were you thinking of? Why are you wanting to give her a gift on the first date? Is that a thing now?"

"I don't know but I feel like it could be?"

Erza shrugged. "I haven't been single since I was sixteen, Sieg, but I can give you my thoughts on your ideas."

"What about lingerie?" He flinched when she paused with a bite of salad halfway to her mouth.

"Lingerie? Are you serious?"

"Is that not a good idea?"

"For a first date? Absolutely not."

"What if I already bought it?"

"You bought lingerie for a woman you want to date? Where do you get the balls for stuff like that?"

"I don't know? I just kinda walked in and bought it."

"You walked in? Jesus, Sieg, you're crazy. Listen, no gifts."

"But –"

"I'm serious. If you like this woman do not give her lingerie or anything else for at least two months." She eyed him silently while chewing her food. "If you can make it two months without her slapping you."

Siegrain snorted derisively but ultimately decided to stash the box with the blue lace in the back of his closet. He couldn't afford to mess up.