Haloha, everyone! Hope you're all having a great day! I've been busy with semester finals, so I'm taking a slower pace with this fanfiction. But not to worry, I'll do my best to release a new chapter every Friday!

To address another review by AJ, that's right! I believe Erza would support both of them, too. At least for this few chapters, I want to focus a bit more on Wendy's and Erza's relationship. I'll take it into consideration for future chapters, thank you!

Anyhow, enjoy reading chapter 12!

Chapter 12: Spending Time with You, Part 1

"Hmmm… like this? No, maybe this is better…"

"You've been standing in front of the mirror for 20 minutes now, child."

The girl in question, Wendy Marvell, was adjusting her clothes in front of the mirror in her room. She's been paying close attention to minute details, for instance… the position of her beanie hat?

"And just… what are you wearing? I don't approve this… weird getup."

"Oh, this?" Wendy was wearing a set of clothes Erza had chosen for her yesterday when she was dragged to go shopping. She was wearing an open-chest white sweater with long sleeves and tight black jeans. On her head was a red beanie hat meant to match her ear attachments. "Erza chose this for me yesterday." She gave a twirl around and smiled. "Doesn't it make me look sexy?"

"Huh…" Carla observed how the clothes tightly hugged her petite figure. Those jeans... She noticed how the jeans emphasized the curves from her waist down to her slightly ample thighs. That fits too well… Erza, I'd have to commend you on that. "Still, you're most definitely going to get some weird looks from people… especially guys."

"Come on, Carla… let me wear what I want." Wendy puffed her cheeks and folded her arms. "Besides, I don't mind. Natsu will take care of them for me if they do." She said with a cheerful grin.

Why are you saying that so happily? "I mean, that's true…" Carla pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. Admittedly, she wouldn't have to worry much about that. Anyone who's laid their eyes on Lucy when Natsu was there wouldn't live to see another day. She never saw him being overprotective of any girl besides Lucy. Maybe he would treat Wendy the same way. I guess. He was a rather aggressive gentleman in his own right.

"Anyway, do you really have to go through all this preparation? You guys are just hanging out, right? It's like you're going on a date instead."

"That's fine too, right? I want to look my best." Wendy fluffed her twin-tails in front of the mirror, making sure they looked pretty.

Carla's eyes widened. "Wow. You're not denying it this time, huh." Surprising, she must be really excited.

Wendy grabbed the perfume bottle off the table and sprayed it around her multiple times. She sniffed a few times. Smells good, I hope Natsu likes this… "Alright, I'm all set!" She struck a cutesy pose in front of Carla. "How do I look?"

"Well, any guy that isn't Natsu is going to fall for you, that's for sure. You look good." Carla gave a thumbs up of approval.

"Eheh, thanks…" Wendy scratched her cheek in slight embarrassment. She has some high expectations that this will get Natsu to notice her more. She's depending on the perfume, especially.

"So, do you want me to accompany you?"

"Ah? Well, if you don't mind… I'd prefer to go alone." She twiddled her fingers awkwardly, looking off to the side.

"Ahah, I see." Carla nodded, having expected she would answer that. "Alright then, don't let me keep you waiting. Go and have fun on your date." She raised a paw in approval.

"Thank you, Carla. Really." Wendy gave Carla a quick hug. "I'll be off now. Wish me luck!" Wendy opened the door and waved to Carla. She then exited the room and closed the door.

Carla placed her ears against the wall, paying attention to the decreasing sound of footsteps outside the room, until they can't be heard no more.

"Sorry, Wendy." Carla transformed into her human form. She put on a hat and sunglasses, which she pulled from under the bed. "I'm just making sure that nothing's going to go wrong. Yeah." She assured herself she was just going to make sure their 'date' was going well. She was just worried because… it was Natsu. She believed Natsu wouldn't dare do anything to break Wendy's heart, but seeing how Wendy was so cheerful this morning and full of expectations, she couldn't help but feel worried Natsu would damper her mood, intentionally or not. With that said, she opened the door and followed after Wendy.

Time to do a little spying.


..

.

Wendy ran in a calm pace towards the guild. She was humming along the way, feeling pretty excited to spend time together with Natsu. I can't wait! She was practically skipping along the path. Unknown to her, a certain Exceed was tailing her closely.

"She's definitely in a good mood. I hope Natsu doesn't take that away from her…" Carla muttered under her breath, hiding in the bushes out of Wendy's view.

"Indeed. I'm going to clobber Natsu if he dares bring even a frown to Wendy's face."

"Yes, yes… huh?"

"Huh?"

Carla turned to the mysterious voice beside her. It was a girl wearing black detective clothes with sunglasses similar to the ones Carla was wearing. Her long, scarlet hair was tied into a neat ponytail. Wait, scarlet hair?

"Erza?!"

"Carla?!"

Wendy stopped moving and turned her head in the direction of the bush. Huh… I thought I heard something. Oh well. She continued on.

The two spies had already ducked down into the bush before Wendy could catch a glimpse of them. Right. Dragon slayer hearing. Once they felt it was safe, they slowly popped their heads out and looked at each other.

"What are you doing here, Erza?"

"I could ask you the same thing."

"I'm… keeping an eye on Wendy's apparent date." Carla said, turning her attention back to Wendy.

"What a coincidence. I am too." Erza followed.

"Why are you spying on her? You shouldn't be here."

"I'm not spying at all. I'm simply observing from a distance."

They both stood still in silence, finding each other's company rather awkward.

"… We're spying on her, aren't we?" Erza sighed.

"… That, we are." Carla followed.

"I suppose we are in this together now?" Erza chuckled, putting a hand on Carla's shoulder.

"Oh well, why not?" Carla dropped her shoulders. I suppose having an extra set of eyes wouldn't be too bad.

"Here, spray this on yourself." Erza handed her a bottle of perfume. It seemed to have an opaque, grey casing.

"What's this?" Carla took the bottle and studied it closely. It looks like an ordinary perfume. She sniffed it. It smells… plain? No, it's more like… there's nothing to smell…

"This will help mask our smell from them, considering their sharp senses."

"Oh, you came prepared, huh." Carla forgot about their senses for a moment. Wendy probably wouldn't be able to pick up on their scent, but Natsu definitely would. "Where'd you get this, anyway? It's awfully convenient."

"Please don't ask." Erza said dryly, shaking a bit. It's as if she saw a ghost or something.

"Oh." Carla immediately understood. All this to look out for Wendy… I have to commend your courage, Erza.

"Take this too." Erza handed her a mask. "This will act as noise cancellation against their dragon slayer hearing. It's enchanted with lacrima."

"… You really came prepared, huh." Carla repeated her remark, taking the mask and put it over her mouth. I guess I'm glad she's here. "Let's keep our distance."

"Right." Erza nodded, putting on her mask as well. They both followed Wendy, being careful in hiding their presence.


In the Fairy Tail guild…

..

.

The guild was hustling and bustling as usual, save for the constant brawls and destructive nature of its residents. The fire dragon slayer wasn't in any state to have a good fight due to his injuries. He was still recovering from his mission, but thanks to Wendy, he was sure to make a fast recovery. He was standing in front of the request board, eyeing all the requests out of curiosity.

"Hey, Natsu?" The blue Exceed called out.

"Yeah, Happy?"

"Are you going to another job so soon?" He asked with concern.

"Nah, not really feeling it today. I mean I could go on a job but…" His voice paused at the end.

"… But?" Happy waited for him to continue.

"I just don't want to worry Wendy. She'd be sad if she knew I wasn't taking care of myself. Besides, her healing would be all for nothing if I hurt myself now." Natsu raised his left arm, which was covered in bandages.

"Hmm… I see!" Happy hummed in a playful tone. "You don't think about those kinds of things often. I wonder why?" His tone indicated there was some other meaning behind his words.

"I'm not as dumb as people make me out to be, you know." Natsu huffed, narrowing his eyes at Happy. I just don't want Wendy to cry… it makes me feel bad inside. Natsu wasn't sure why, but whenever he saw Wendy crying, it just didn't sit right with him, leaving an uneasy feeling in his heart. His thoughts were interrupted when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey, you guys!" Lucy greeted him brightly.

Natsu turned his neck to her and grinned. "Yo, Luce!"

"Hiyah, Lucy!" Happy raised his paws.

"You're looking better already, Natsu. How are you feeling?" She asked, gazing at his bandaged abdomen.

"I'm feeling awesome!" He pumped his fists, but immediately retracted his left arm in slight discomfort. "… Mostly awesome."

"Don't go pushing yourself now. Give it a day or two, and you'll be back to your usual self." She patted his back.

"Haha, of course. What'cha up to, Luce?"

"Oh, actually… I was thinking of asking you on a job if you were feeling better. You know, it's been awhile since we've taken on a job together like old times." Lucy put her hands behind her back.

Going on a job together with Lucy? Now that was quite tempting to Natsu. It's always a blast hanging out with her, his partner. "Oh, that sounds like fun!" He said with a slight smile. "But… sorry, I can't really take on a job right now." He rubbed his head in disappointment.

"No worries! You should take care of yourself first. We can go out some other time." Lucy waved her hand around. She understood his injuries took priority.

Natsu chuckled. "Haha, I'll also be hanging out with-"

His words were interrupted as soon as the guild doors were pushed open. An unfamiliar scent travelled to his nose, distracting his flow of mind. What… is this smell? He took a few whiffs of this new scent. It smells so… good. Curious of this new scent, he unconsciously closed his eyes and began tracking its source. It was so… sweet. So captivating. So alluring. It was drawing him in like a moth to a flame. Closer and closer, the scent felt stronger, sending his nose tingles of pleasure. Soon, the strength of the scent was at its highest peak.

"Er, Natsu… just what exactly are you doing?" Lucy called out, baffled by his behavior.

Natsu slowly opened his eyes, which were met with a flushed face and brown orbs gazing back at him.

"Ahn… N-Natsu? You're too close…" a voice said weakly.

"Wow, Wendy?" Natsu straightened his posture, placing his hands on his waist. "You smell really amazing!"

"O-Oh…" Wendy's heart fluttered at his words. She was at a loss for what to say, bashfully covering her face using her twin tails. It turns out the source of this sweet scent belonged to none other than Wendy, who had just entered the guildhall. Seems like the perfume is working out well. Too well.

"Hold up, mister! Look at what you're doing! You're making Wendy uncomfortable!" Lucy stood in between them, keeping Natsu at a distance from Wendy using her hand.

"Muuu…" Unknown to Lucy, Wendy pouted. She was actually enjoying their closeness. Sure, she was embarrassed. It didn't mean she disliked it.

Soon, the same scent travelled to Lucy's nose. What is this smell? It smells wonderful! "Oh, wow…" She turned to Wendy, now noticing her new getup. "You're looking pretty stylish, Wendy! That looks good on you."

"O-Oh, thanks!" Wendy shyly scratched her cheek. She felt happy to receive a compliment on her outfit.

"What's the occasion? Are you going on a date?" Lucy asked in a teasing tone, raising her eyebrows and putting a hand over her mouth.

"N-No, it's not like tha-" Before she could finish her sentence, Natsu stood beside her.

"Well, you see, Lucy…" Natsu wrapped his arm around Wendy, sending her a sudden tingle of happiness. "I'm actually going on a date with Wendy today!"

"Ohoh, I see!... Huh…?"

"Hah…?" Happy froze in mid-air.

"Wha….? WHA?! A D-D-D-DATE?!" Wendy shouted out, frantically waving her hands around. Weren't we just hanging out? This was a date all along?!

"Wait, you and Wendy?! Since when?!" Lucy's eyes widened in shock. "Hold on, Natsu! Do you know what you just said?! Do you know what a date is!?" There's no way he…

"Of course! It's when two people spend time together, right?" Natsu said confidently, puffing his chest out.

"…" Lucy, Happy, and Wendy stared at him dumbfoundedly. Both Lucy and Wendy sighed, though Lucy's was one more of relief, while Wendy's was that of disappointment.

"That's… not what you exactly call a date, Natsu." Lucy facepalmed.

"It's not?" Natsu cocked his head at an angle.

Lucy wasn't sure how to explain this in a way Natsu would understand. "It's… how should I say this… a date is when you're going out with someone you love… romantically." Her voice trailed off at the end. Lucy put a finger on her chin. She didn't have much experience with dates either, aside from that one time long ago she was supposed to have a fateful encounter, but that didn't really count. Hmmm, I could have explained that better.

"But I love Wendy! Doesn't that count?" Natsu asked with genuine curiosity.

Steam was visibly blowing out of Wendy's ears upon hearing Natsu say that. She was aware he meant it as family, but she was still extremely happy to hear it. She clasped her cheeks, trying to calm down her flushed face.

"Well, yes but no…" Lucy pondered her mind. Natsu had only known familial love his entire life. She wasn't sure if he could tell the difference between different types of love. In a way, Natsu wasn't wrong. Dates didn't have to involve romantic interests, though that was the lesser known definition in this setting. "It's not that kind of lov - you know what? Nevermind. Just, what did you mean to say before, Natsu?" Lucy decided it was not worth the effort. I can tell him some other time…

"Oh, I'm going to be hanging out with Wendy today!" He said with a grin, patting Wendy's head.

Lucy gave an audible 'O' motion with her lips. Oh, they're just hanging out. That makes more sense. "Oh, is that it? Dragon slayer bonding time, eh?" Lucy asked with a smile. "Sorry, Wendy. Natsu can be such a handful. I hope he doesn't cause you much trouble." She said with an awkward laugh.

"H-Haha, it's alright… I don't really mind." Wendy replied. If Natsu saw this as a date, she wouldn't mind at all!

"Well then, I hope both of you have fun! Catch ya later!" Lucy waved and walked towards the bar.

"See ya, Luce!" The dragon slayers waved as Lucy walked off. Natsu then turned to Wendy.

"Heheh. I suppose I'll take my leave as well." Happy spread his wings, beginning to fly in Lucy's direction. "It seems like Wendy would appreciate that, too." He winked.

"H-Happy!" Wendy pouted at him as he left them together. Well, she did appreciate it, truthfully.

Natsu placed a hand on her shoulder. "You ready to hang out, Wendy?"

Wendy's eyes lighted up. Right. Today, she would have him all to himself. "Yeah! Let's go!"

Soon, the dragon slayers exited the guildhall. Unbeknownst to them, two individuals were tailing them closely.


..

.

"They're finally out." Erza popped her head around the tree.

"Took them long enough." Carla huffed.

"Let's go." They stepped aside from the tree, following their targets.

The dragon slayers exited the guildhall, walking on the cobblestone path to wherever it may lead to.

"It's a wonderful morning, isn't it?" Natsu took a deep breath of the fresh air.

"Y-Yeah!" Wendy nodded. She was feeling a bit nervous. We're going to spend time together… She hoped today would go well. First things first, she wanted to ask him what he wanted to do. "Natsu, what would you like to do?"

"Hmm?" Natsu hummed in response. "Whatever you want to do, Wendy." He smiled.

"Oh…" Seems Erza had a point there. "Why don't we get something to eat something first?"

"Sure, sounds like a plan!" Natsu put his hands behind his back. "Lead the way."

"Okay!" And so, the duo took off towards the shopping district. They were walking beside each other. Natsu relaxed his hands at his sides. Wendy's attention was drawn to his hand, just waving back and forth. She then looked at her own hand, raising it to her chest. Her cheeks rose in heat, thinking about… holding his hand. He wouldn't mind, would he? She collected her resolve and turned her face to him.

"Natsu?" Wendy called him.

"Yeah?" He turned his head to her.

"Could we… um… could we hold hands?" Wendy unconsciously held her breath and clenched her fists together, waiting for his answer. Maybe I shouldn't have asked-

"Of course, Wendy." Natsu smiled with warmth and extended his hand towards her. Wendy stared silently at his hand, then reached out with hers, gently intertwining their fingers together with one another. She felt a comfortable warmth spreading from his calloused hand. It's so warm… She couldn't stop her lips from curving into a smile. We're h-holding hands! She gave a tight squeeze, taking in the warm sensation. In response, Natsu returned her squeeze, feeling the softness of her little, delicate hand. Her hand's so… soft, huh. Natsu's had his fair share of holding Lucy's hands, but there clearly was a much more… delicate softness to Wendy's hand.

And so, they walked side-by-side, hand in hand, with Wendy's face blushing along the way.

"That is so… ADORABLE." Erza said, unable to contain the excitement in her voice. To think she'd witness a scene from a romance manga play out right in front of her eyes. "Handholding, truly the ultimate form of physical intimacy. Such purity. Such innocence. Such-"

"Are you trying to get us caught?!" Carla quickly covered her mouth, cutting off whatever monologuing she's having with herself.

"Do you not see the lovely smile plastered over Wendy's face? It's to die for!" Erza pushed away Carla's hand. "She's certainly a girl in love."

"…Yeah." Carla admitted. She paid attention to Wendy's expression.

"But perhaps my favorite expression… is your smile."

Indeed, the smile she has on herself now is one she has rarely seen. To think Natsu could give her that smile...

"Natsu, let's go over there! That seems like a good spot!" Wendy merrily tugged Natsu's hand towards a nearby cafe with a logo of a crepe.

"Haha, I'm coming, I'm coming." He let himself be swept away by Wendy's excitement.

They took a seat outside of the cafe. It wasn't that crowded, only a handful of people were in the cafe, chatting and eating the day away. Each table had a neat addition of an umbrella providing them shade from the sun's light. Two chairs were placed on opposite ends of the table. Wendy puffed her cheeks at the chairs' distances from one another, so she moved her chair around the table to put next to Natsu's. They then sat down together and opened the menus placed on the table.

Erza and Carla stayed nearby, taking a table that was a suitable distance away. They both sat down and opened the menus. They used the menus to hide their faces, sneaking a peek at the dragon slayers now and then, although Erza was soon distracted by the menu.

"Strawberry crepe?! Now this, I got to try!" Her eyes sparked at the options the menu was offering.

"We're here to check on them, not eat!" Carla whispered, furrowing her eyebrows.

"Come now, since we're already here, we might as well try it." Erza began scanning all the food items.

Carla sighed, dropping her shoulders. Well, I guess it couldn't hurt. She slowly took an interest in the menu, considering buying a crepe. But we'll have to take off our masks in that case…

Wendy intently scanned the menu, thinking of what to buy. She's never had crepes, but she heard it was pretty good. "Natsu, have you ever had a crepe?" She asked, still looking at the menu.

"I haven't, actually. It looks pretty tasty, I'll say. Hmmm…" Natsu flipped the menu back and forth multiple times. They all look pretty good. I'll choose one of the sweeter options since Wendy is here. "Have you decided, Wendy?"

Wendy placed the menu down on the table and rubbed her chin. "Not yet. There's so many to choose fro-."

"I'll take this one. An extra-large size." Natsu pointed to a picture of crepes with caramel-covered banana and an assortment of nuts.

That was fast! Wendy scooted her chair closer to Natsu, looking over at his chosen item. He doesn't usually eat that, does he? She turned her attention back to her menu in her hands. "I-I guess… I'll choose this one." Her choice was a medium-sized crepe containing strawberries, whipped cream, and sprinkles. She raised her hand and called over to a nearby server. "Uhm… excuse me! We'd like to order!"

"Strawberries too, eh? You got good taste, Wendy." Erza nodded in approval.

"Keep it down, will you?" Carla complained.

"Relax, we got these masks, remember?" Erza pointed at her mouth.

"I know, but still!"

A server took their order and told them it would be ready soon, then left their table. The dragon slayers were now left to each other's company as they patiently waited for their order of crepes.

"So, Wendy." Natsu relaxed his back to his chair, resting his hands at the armrests.

"Yeah?"

"What have you been doing in your free time recently?"

"O-Oh, I…" Good question, what do I do in my free time? For some reason, her mind had shut down, trying to think of the answer. I am way more nervous than I thought. Getting to spend time with Natsu wasn't going to be easy on her heart and mind… but there's no better time than now to get to know each other better. "I usually just stay in my room and spend time with Carla. Sometimes, I take a stroll around Magnolia Town. Or if I'm feeling up to it, I take on easy, solo missions."

"Oh, I see!" Natsu nodded.

"What about you, Natsu?" Wendy returned the question.

"I just chill out with Happy. Sometimes, we go fishing together. Or I'll just sleep the entire day off, haha." He gave a chuckle.

"You really shouldn't do that, you know?" Wendy giggled. So Erza was right about that…

"I know, I know." He waved a hand around. "On some days, I just like to take it easy, kick back, and relax."

"I see. That's kind of surprising to hear, considering how energetic you usually are." Wendy rested her face on her hand, which was plopped upright on the table.

"Ahah, is that so?" He smiled. "I also crash by Lu-…urk!" Before he could even finish that sentence, he felt chills going down his spine. He felt a fearsome glare drilling into his body, sending him warning signals all over. W-What is this dangerous aura?! Something told him that finishing the sentence would spell his doom.

Don't you dare finish that sentence, Natsu. Glaring at him, Erza muttered quietly under her breath. That's the last thing Wendy needs to hear on her date.

"You've got a scary look there, Erza." Carla commented.

"Natsu? Is something wrong?" Wendy asked with concern.

"N-No, it's fine! Haha…" Natsu shrugged and chuckled nervously. Whatever that feeling was, it's gone… He sighed in relief. "Anyway…" Natsu took notice of Wendy's new outfit. It was certainly giving Wendy a new image that he wasn't so used to seeing. It didn't give that innocent and cutesy impression, but there was something… attractive about her current outfit. His eyes were drawn towards her sweater.

Wendy felt his stare, making her self-conscious about her appearance. She reflexively covered her chest by crossing her arms. "N-Natsu… it's embarrassing when you look at me like that."

"Oh, sorry." Natsu turned his attention to her face. "It's just… you look good. I don't know much about fashion and all that, but… you look really good." He grinned.

"I-I see… t-thank you." Wendy's face flushed red. She averted her gaze away, trying to stop her lips from curving into a smile. Oh no… I can't stop smiling! Her heart was all giddy and happy hearing his compliment.

"Wendy? You feeling okay?" Natsu noticed the redness of her cheeks.

"I-I'm fine, don't worry." Still facing away from him, Wendy flapped her hands against her cheeks, trying to cool them down.

Soon after, the server returned to their table, bringing in their orders of crepes on a tray. She placed their respective plates on the table and told them to enjoy their meal. This gave an opportunity for Wendy to calm herself down.

"Wow, this looks pretty good! So this is a crepe!" Natsu held his crepe with both his hands. He glanced at Wendy's choice. "Yours look pretty good too!"

Wendy slowly curled her hands around her crepe and lifted it. "Yeah, they do!"

"Hey, let me have a bite of yours!" Natsu inched closer towards Wendy.

"E-Eh? W-Wait, Natsu-"

Natsu took a small chomp of Wendy's crepe before she could even finish her sentence. "Mmmm! Pretty tasty!" He moved his crepe towards Wendy's mouth. "Here, try mine!"

"A-Ah, sure…" Wendy took a bite of his crepe. "… It's pretty good!"

"Ahah, I bet it is!" He grinned. "And with that, our date has officially begun!" He pumped his crepe up.

"D-Date?!" Wendy nearly choked on her food.

"Oh, right." Dropping his shoulders, Natsu remembered what Lucy told him. "Sorry, I got too excited. I guess this isn't what you call a da-"

"N-No, it's fine!" Wendy frantically waved her free hand around, not wanting to see him sad. "I… don't mind if we called this a d-date. I would… prefer it that way." Her cheeks rose in heat.

"Oh, that's great!" Excitement returned to Natsu' eyes. He proceeded to chow down on his crepe.

Wendy was content seeing how excited Natsu was for their 'date'. She turned her attention to her crepe, about to take a bite when she realized something… wait, isn't this an indirect…k-k-kiss?! Wendy glanced at Natsu. He didn't seem to be bothered by it. She simply stared at her crepe, focusing on the parts Natsu bit off. She brushed her fingers against her lips, unconsciously licking them. W-What are you thinking about, Wendy?! She shook her head. She brought her crepe closer to her mouth, trying to take a bite. Natsu's lips were here…

BONK!

Wendy dropped her head against the table, trying to disperse these thoughts.

"Wendy? What's wrong?" Natsu called out with concern.

"It's nothing…" Wendy answered timidly. Steam was blowing out of her head. Stop thinking about it, Wendy!

"She's surprisingly more innocent than I thought." Carla said, finding Wendy's reactions amusing. "What do you thi-… Erza?!"

"Precious. She's so precious." Tears were travelling down Erza's cheeks, soaking her mask. "Such a common romantic trope in manga. I feel blessed, being able to bear witness to it right in front of my eyes." She stood up from her chair. "I must-"

"Sit back down! You're going to blow our cover!" Carla grabbed both of her shoulders and forced her back to her seat. Maybe it was a terrible idea to go with Erza…

Wendy strengthened her resolve and took a bite out of her crepe, trying to push the matters of the lips back into her mind. It tastes good…

"Now, that was a good crepe!" Natsu patted his stomach a few times, having finished his crepe.

"You're already done?" Wendy's eyes widened. She only took a bite out of hers so far.

"Ahah, I wonder if I should get another one?" Natsu put his arms behind his head. "Oh, take your time. I can wait."

"It's fine." Wendy chuckled. He sure does have a big appetite… she took small bites out of her crepe.

"I doubt we'll be able to try out all the options here. We should try them out next time we're here!"

"… Next time?" Wendy's eyes lighted up upon hearing those two words. A next time…

"Yeah!" Natsu grinned at her.

"… Y-Yeah, I guess we should!" She said cheerfully. It comforted her to know there would be a next time like this.

After Wendy finished her crepe, she went to the cashier to pay for both their crepes. Natsu insisted to divide the payment, but Wendy didn't mind paying for both.

"You sure you don't mind, Wendy? I can-"

"It's fine! Don't worry about it. I'm more than happy to." Wendy waved her hand around.

"I see. If you're okay with it…" Natsu wasn't sure how he felt having Wendy pay for his crepe, considering he wanted to make up to her. But if this is what Wendy wanted, then he wouldn't press the matter. He then waited for her outside the café.

"Thank you! Please come again soon!"

Wendy smiled and bowed her head down to the cashier, then hurried to where Natsu was. Upon approaching him from behind, she saw his hands relaxed at his sides. Noticing his free hand, she gently curled her fingers around his and held it. Natsu turned to her, responding with his toothy grin, and softly squeezed her hand.

"Ready to continue with our date?"

"Yeah!"