The iron scent of blood hung in the air. It filled Natsu's nose and his lips twitched in a frown at the pungent smell. The Dragon Slayer sighed, 'Who knew cleaning blood off of a sword would be so time consuming.'

Natsu sat on the couch in his living room, sword held across his lap as he ran a course cloth over it, scrubbing away the dried blood that had stuck to it. He reached a particularly stubborn spot and dipped a corner of the cloth into a bowl of water on his coffee table before rubbing it vigorously. As he cleaned the sword his thoughts went backwards a week...

"No! I don't want you all to disappear!"

The young girls cry rang hollow as her guild mates shimmered and vanished into thin air. Her sobs were the only sound that could be heard as the rest of the mages watched in shock. The old man who'd been the Caitshelter guild leader smiled gently down at the blue haired girl, "You no longer have need for a surrogate family Wendy. Don't you have real friends now?"

As the words left his lips he too vanished and the alliance mages were left alone among the now empty Caitshelter guild buildings. Wendy let out an agonized cry and fell to her knees, the strength of her sobbing renewed. Nobody knew what to do until in a flutter of cloth Erza stepped forward and walked over to the sobbing young girl. She slowly went to her knees behind Wendy and placed both hands on her shoulders, "Bury the pain of losing your loved ones into the arms of your friends. Come… to Fa…"

A knock interrupted his reverie and he jumped slightly. Natsu grumbled before shouting, "Come in, the door is open."

He went back to cleaning his sword but froze when the door opened and Mirajane stepped inside, softly shutting it behind her. There was something intangibly different about her, something in the way she held herself. She wasn't dressed in her normal gothic leathers, instead opting for a long flowing pink dress with a bow on the front. Natsu stared at her for a moment before saying, "That's a new look for you."

The girl glanced down at her dress before saying in a soft voice, "It's been sitting in the back of my closet for ages and it's not as… revealing as my other clothes."

They both were silent for a few moments before Mirajane had the courage to break it, "What are you doing?"

Natsu glanced down at his sword and then back at her, "I'm umm… cleaning… blood off of my sword."

A shadow passed over Mirajane's face and her hand went reflexively to her stomach, "Oh."

The white haired girl came and sat down on the couch next to Natsu and he slowly set his sword on the coffee table, wanting to get it out of the focus. She broke their silence again, "I'm sorry. I… I don't know what came over me back then."

Natsu chuckled, "I do. The power of Nirvana is hard to fight against."

Mirajane looked away from him, "But I shouldn't have been taken over by that power. I've been fighting against the darkness of my take overs for years, its nothing new."

The Dragon Slayer chuckled again, "From what I've noticed, your take over amplifies your base desires while at the same time giving you immense power. Take it from me, being evil isn't a mystery, it's all about giving in to your base desires. That's what drove me down that path, the single overriding obsession to find Igneel no matter what. Now take your base desires, amplify them from your take over, and then amplify them a thousand fold from Nirvana. Nobody could have fought against that."

Mirajane cried out, "But that's just it! Everything I did while under Nirvana's influence, that's not what I want!"

"So you remember what happened then?"

The minute of silence between them was deafening before a tiny, "Yes"

Natsu sighed, "Sometimes we don't even know what we want, what we really want deep down inside, until its put right in front of our faces."

She opened her mouth to say something but he continued wryly, "And really Mira? You've been trying to break me and Erza up since before we started so you could have me all to yourself."

The red blush in her cheeks clashed with the white hair that that she tried to hide behind, "It's not like that!"

Natsu laughed, "There's no use hiding it Mira. I'm not an idiot."

Natsu didn't expect her to sigh and sink even deeper into his couch, "Why do you even like her? She's all wrong for you."

The Dragon Slayer sighed and scooted over to sling an arm around Mirajane, "Life is a mystery Mira. Nobody knows what's going to happen tomorrow, who they're going to meet, who they're going to fall in love with. Sometimes life just happens and you roll with it, whether it's happy or unhappy. I've been lucky enough to be pretty damn happy these past few months."

Mirajane crossed her arms and muttered, "Lucky you. I have been decidedly unhappy for a while, and it's entirely your fault."

Natsu glanced down at her and chuckled, "Sorry. I'm sure that one of these days you'll find the right person, it just won't be me."

The white haired woman glanced up at him with a sparkle in her eye that hadn't been there before, "Maybe, you have to admit that was a pretty damn good kiss though."

Natsu glared down at her mockingly, "I could taste the blood on your lips!"

She countered, "That's because you stabbed me… asshole!"

He gaped, "That's because… you were all evil!"

Mirajane threw back her head and gave a throaty laugh just as the door burst open and Erza strode in, a furious look on her face. Natsu and Mirajane glanced at her in surprise as she shouted, "You were trying to steal my boyfriend! I demand satisfaction!"

Natsu's eyes hardened but Mirajane glanced down, "I'm not up to fighting right now Erza."

Erza glared, "Then I demand you leave now!"

Natsu stood up, "I don't think you have the right to kick anybody out of my house Erza."

Both girls looked taken aback and Erza started to say, "Bu…"

Natsu cut her off with a withering look, "Who are you to be angry and jealous right now? I'm attempting to mend my friendship with Mirajane. You are interrupting."

Erza looked at him with shock, "She tried to steal you. She kissed you!"

Natsu's looked turned deadly, "And? She was under the influence of Nirvana. I for one don't hold it against her. I stabbed her during the fight and I'm hoping that she will not hold that against me. You seem to be jealous but in all honesty, you shouldn't. You know for a fact just what you mean to me, but over the past few days you've done nothing but make me wonder what I mean to you. Who knows what you would have said to Jellal had the Rune Knights not come."

Erza's face went white, "How… how do you know what I was saying?"

Natsu tapped his ear, "Extra sharp senses remember? I'm honestly wondering what you were going to say. Why don't you tell me?"

Erza stuttered but no words came out. Natsu's face turned to stone, "I think you should get out Erza."

She gaped at him for a moment before turning and walking mechanically out of his house, not even bothering to close the door behind her. Natsu sighed and went to close the door before turning around and seeing Mirajane's stunned face. He snorted, "What."

It took a moment for her mouth to start working again, "I really missed a lot while I was unconscious!"

Natsu snorted again, "You can say that again."

He went over to sit back down on the couch and Mirajane's eyebrows rose. The Dragon Slayer sighed and explained everything that happened while on Nirvana, including the aftermath. She was shocked to say the least, "You bargained for his freedom?!"

Natsu nodded, "I'm still not quite sure why."

Mirajane stood up abruptly, "You did it for Erza!"

He looked wryly at her, "I know that."

Her face was turning red but with anger this time, "How can she be so ungrateful!"

Natsu shrugged, "Because it didn't work? I don't know. I just know that it's not her that should be having jealousy issues right now."

"I don't see why not I mean, if I'd heard that my boyfriend was kissing another woman, no matter what the circumstances I'd be pretty angry. Plus I'm sure we looked pretty cozy together on the couch."

Natsu chuckled, "I'm sure we did. You don't understand though, and she does."

Mirajane's eyebrows raised and he continued, "There's a bit more than just my magic that Igneel passed down to me. I took on a few more… dragon like characteristics. Just like a dragon I have a… mate, the one person in my life that I can ever truly love and be with."

Mirajane's mouth formed a small O before she said, "I see. So… that's why you like the tin-headed bitch."

Natsu laughed, "It's a bit deeper than like… or love. The only bad part about it is… if she doesn't love me back."

The white headed woman's eyes widened, "That would be…"

Natsu nodded, "Yeah. It was terrible when I figured it out. You know, coming from my background I wasn't doing myself any favors."

Mirajane threw back her head and laughed, clutching her stomach before saying, "Oww fuck that hurt. Don't make me laugh that hard I'll pull out my stitches."

Natsu chuckled and Mira continued, "So why did you send her away then? You'd think that would really screw up your chances."

The Dragon Slayer shrugged, "I'm still my own person. I'm not going to become Erza's little lapdog. If she's in the wrong I'm going to tell her, and if she doesn't like that, tough."

Mirajane smiled, "So you basically jeopardized your relationship with the only woman you can ever love so that we can catch up and apologize to each other?"

Natsu thought about it for a moment before saying jokingly, "Gosh, I'm kind of an idiot aren't I. I should run to Erza and never talk to you again."

Mirajane punched him lightly in the arm, "Shut up Natsu. Come on, let's go to the guild."

He chuckled and said, "Give me a bit to finish cleaning my sword and then we'll go."

Natsu sat down and began cleaning his sword again and Mirajane sat down next to him. They sat in silence for the 15 minutes it took Natsu to clean his sword. He cleaned the blade and glanced at it critically before sheathing it and quickly taking it back to his bedroom, hanging it up on the pegs that he'd hammered into the wall just for it. When he was done they left, heading down to the guild, with the late afternoon sun shining down on their heads. Mirajane stopped them before they opened the doors to the guild and turned, kissing him on the cheek before saying, "Well, thanks for talking to me, and thanks telling me about the whole dragon trait thing. Now I know it really is you, and not me."

Natsu chuckled, "Who are you and what have you done with Mirajane?"

She pinched his arm, "I can be nice too sometimes. I let you sleep at my house the first night you were here."

Natsu grimaced, "Yeah and then torched all of my belongings the next day."

The demon woman smiled sweetly at him, "Your point being?"

The Dragon Slayer chuckled again, "I don't have a point, just stating a fact."

"Good."

Still chuckling Natsu stepped forward and opened the doors, the familiar wall of sound hitting him as he stepped through. He chuckled at the sight before him, "Mira, your brother is going to have to stop picking fights over his manliness."

Elfman was currently getting beat by Gray in a fight. Mira chuckled and they both went up to the bar, sitting down at the stools, "The day Elfman stops talking about manliness is the day we get sucked into an alternate universe."

Natsu waved down to Lisanna and she presently made her way over. Before he could place an order she put her hands on her hips and gave him a steely look, "Natsu Dragneel, how could you stab my sister!"

Natsu blanched, "I mean… well… she was…"

As he sputtered the entire guild stopped what they were doing and looked at him. He whirled around to Mirajane, "You haven't told any of them?"

She smiled sweetly at him again, "Nope, this is the first time I've been to the guild since we got back. The only people that know you stabbed me are our team and my siblings, and only Gray and Lucy know why."

Everyone began crowding around giving Natsu menacing looks. He held up his hands, "Hey, it was self-defense. She was totally going to torture me until I went insane."

Mirajane giggled and said innocently, "I don't know what you're talking about. I don't remember anything from going into Satan Soul to fight that Oracion Seis mage until you stabbed me."

Natsu turned pleading eyes to Gray, "Gray, help me out here buddy."

The ice-mage smirked and winked surreptitiously at him, "Hey man when I found you guys I didn't question it. You're scary when you're angry."

He turned to Lucy with pleading eyes and the Celestial Mage took pity on him, "Alright everyone, back off. It was an accident. Nirvana messed with Mirajane's mind and she attacked Natsu."

The Dragon Slayer breathed a sigh of relief as most of the guild backed off. Elfman, however, didn't. He walked right up to Natsu and grabbed him by his scarf, giving him a black look, "It is not manly to stab people's sisters."

Natsu grimaced, "Well it's also not manly to attack me and threaten to… you know let's just not get into that."

Mirajane giggled, "You can let him down Elfman. It really wasn't his fault."

He whined and pleaded with her but she was adamant and he eventually went away to sulk. When Natsu turned back around Lisanna looked only slightly placated and the white haired girl said, "I still don't think I should get you a drink. Surely you could have found a way to… do whatever it is you had to do to stop Mirajane."

Natsu shivered, "When a crazy demonic lady is coming at you with the intent to kill your girlfriend, torture you until she's broken your mind, and do other unspeakable things to you, you kinda go all out."

Lisanna's eyes went wide and she glanced at the sweet smile on Mirajane's face before saying, "Oh. Ummm… what do you want then?"

Natsu ordered and when Lisanna brought back his drink he asked, "Speaking of my girlfriend, has she been in today?"

Lisanna glanced around before saying, "I don't know. Usually she's in here asking for cake."

Natsu frowned and Mirajane piped up from next to him, "Go and find her. You need to fix whatever is between you two."

Natsu nodded and said, "Lisanna, can you wrap me up some cake to go."

The youngest Strauss chuckled, "Wow you must really be in trouble."

The pink haired man sighed, "Just bring me the cake please."

She left and Mira smiled at him, "Cake was a pretty good idea. She usually can't say no to it."

"I know. It'll give me a chance to talk before she tries to lop my head off."

"Oh come on, she's tried to do that before and your head is still firmly attached."

Natsu chuckled, "There's a first time for everything."

Lisanna brought back the small box of cake and Natsu took it, standing up and ready to make his way out of the guild. Mirajane grabbed his arm and he looked at her questioningly. She smiled at him, "Now that I know I was never really in the running, I guess I can wish you good luck."

Natsu smiled back at her, "I reiterate, who are you and what have you done with Mira?"

She pinched him again and he left quickly, intent on finding Erza. He sniffed the air outside the guild and only caught her lingering scent, 'She hasn't been by all day. Hmmm, where would she be?'

He decided to check the dorms and headed towards Fairy Hills. He walked down the street towards the building, noting the bustling nature of the city, 'All of this drama and pain and heartache and the city keeps on like normal. It makes me feel small.'

As these types of disquieting thoughts passed through his head he came to up to the dorm. Passing through the small gate he decided it wasn't worth the hassle of trying to sign in and do everything officially, so he stealthily went around the side of the building to Erza's window. It was open and from the strength of the scent wafting out of it she was in there, 'So I'll just hop up and hope I don't come down impaled on a sword.'

He held the box of cake in one hand and used his free one to start climbing the brick walls of the dormitory. He swiftly scaled the wall and poked his head above the windowsill. Erza was standing with her back facing him, browsing a bookshelf. She wore a white blouse and her normal skirt but was barefoot in her own rooms. Natsu hoisted himself silently onto the windowsill and then sat on it before softly calling out, "Hey."

Her reaction didn't surprise him. She whirled around immediately requipping a sword into her hand and flinging it at him. He casually moved his head to the side and it flew past, embedding itself up to the hilt in a tree twenty feet away from her window. Natsu didn't bother saying anything about the sword, only holding up the small box, "Truce?"

Erza glared at him, "Go away Natsu, I don't wish to talk to you right now."

He hopped down from the windowsill and padded into the room, "Maybe not, but that doesn't mean we're not going to talk."

Her face hardened, "You can unceremoniously throw me out of your house, and I can throw you out of mine."

Natsu smiled, "It might hurt more for me on the way down though."

Erza's frown deepened, "Leave."

"No."

He held out the box, "I have strawberry cake."

The red headed woman's nose twitched but she held firm, "I will not speak to you."

Natsu sighed, "Then what Erza? Are we going to go around not speaking to each other, or are we going to resolve these issues."

Erza shouted, "I have a right to be angry Natsu!"

He threw her a withering look, "You really don't. You were in the wrong today, and you know it."

"I was not. That demon hussy tried to steal you from me."

Natsu set down the cake and threw up his hands, "Could I not say that Jellal was trying to steal you from me?"

Her mouth opened to say something but closed again. Natsu continued, "You know that I won't leave you. You know that there's never been anything with Mira. Why are you being so irrational about this?"

Erza sat down on her bed and glanced away, "Because I don't want to lose you too."

Natsu sighed, "So I'm just a consolation prize then? Jellal's gone so I guess I have to stick with that criminal Dragon Slayer?"

She looked askance at him, "No! Of course not!"

"Then what Erza? Jellal keeps cropping up. Hell, if the Magic Council is actually any good at investigating he'll be cleared and a free man, probably in the next year. What will you do then?"

She stuttered, "I… I don't know."

Natsu sighed, "Exactly. You know my feelings, but I don't know yours and it seems that you don't know either."

Erza looked down at the floor and said quietly, "I'm sorry. I just… I never thought I would see him again and now that I have, it's stirring up old feelings that I'd thought were gone."

Natsu crossed his arms, "I'm not going to sit around while you agonize over this. If Jellal gets out and comes here, and you choose him, I will kill him."

Her head shot up but he held out a hand to forestall her, "If you tell me you don't want me, right now, then I'll be gone. I'll be out of your life when Jellal comes back into it. I will not let you string me along though, I deserve more than that from you."

The red head looked stricken, "Why would you make me choose like that?"

Natsu sighed, "Because you will have to choose, and I'd rather you rip my heart out now than impale Jellal's heart on my sword later."

She didn't answer and they sat in silence for a long time, hours. The sun went down and in the darkness Natsu stood up to light the candles he saw at various points around the room, kicking off his shoes and getting comfortable.

When he was done he heard a soft voice behind him, "I choose you."

He turned and looked at her, "Why?"

She kept staring at the floor, "Because you're there for me. You care. You can be warm, and kind, and strong, when you want to be. You've changed from that cold person I met back at that train station. I don't think I could bear it if you walked out of my life."

Natsu walked over to the bed and gently placed a hand under her chin, pulling her head up so that her brown eyes met his onyx ones, "Okay."

He placed his hands on her shoulders and gently pushed her down on the bed before gently laying down on top of her, putting himself between her legs. A blush formed on her cheeks and her body tensed but he swiftly leaned down and captured her lips with his and after a moment's hesitation she kissed him back, body languidly settling into the mattress. They kissed hungrily and Erza's hands came around, one burying itself in Natsu's hair and the other resting on the back of his neck. One of Natus's hands came down and he lightly ran a finger against the outside of her thigh, running it all the way up to her waist. The light contact made her moan into his mouth and grip his hair tighter. They eventually had to breathe and Natsu parted his lips from hers, the red head beneath him making a small sound of displeasure. Natsu smiled at her, "No more jealousy?"

This seemed to throw her but she whispered, "No more jealousy."

Natsu gently rolled off of her and onto his side, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her to him so that they were spooning. He whispered in her ear and was pleased with the shiver that ran through her body, "Okay."

He lay there with her pressed against him and began to grow sleepy. His eyes closed but they jerked open when she whispered, "It isn't nice to get me worked up like that and then just stop."

The Dragon Slayer chuckled and said huskily, "So you wanted to keep going?"

The Knight lying next to him answered timidly, "Maybe."

Natsu chuckled again and kissed the back of her neck softly, "Maybe when you're in a better place emotionally. Maybe when that maybe turns into a shut up and kiss me."

She didn't say anything but he could feel it when she fully relaxed beside him and wriggled her hips to find a more comfortable spot. Natsu raised his head slightly and sucked in, the small flames from the candles flying through the air and into his mouth, leaving the room in darkness. He lay his head back down on the pillow with Erza's soft body pressed against his, soon fell asleep.

The next morning light filtered into the room, but it was Erza's screams that woke him up.