Haloha, everyone! Hope you're having a good day! Thanks for the reviews as always! I'm glad to hear some of you have enjoyed the last chapter, I really wasn't expecting that.
This is a bit of a filler chapter, I would say. This is setting up for the next two chapters.
Anyhow, to address some reviews here…
To KureMasasuke, now that you mention it, I didn't even realize they all had blue hair. Levy, Juvia, Jellal, and even Wendy herself. It was by complete coincidence I chose those particular characters, ahah. Interesting observation.
To Zaratartus, oh don't worry! I do want to develop on their relationship more after they get together.
To The One who saw All, ahah, I did consider writing Erza this way, but then this story would be over :P. Once Natsu understands his feelings… yeah, inevitably, one of the girls' hearts will be broken. As this a NaWen fanfiction, NaWen readers can rest assured. NaLu readers, on the other hand…
Speaking of NaLu readers, like A. Himmler (from the last two chapters), I'm surprised there are NaLu supporters here. Well, my fellow NaLu readers… I hope you're ready for when that decisive moment comes.
To acnologia uzumaki dragneel, I had been thinking about involving Natsu's family like Igneel and Zeref at some point. Maybe I'll pull it off, maybe I won't. We'll see how it goes.
Another big thanks to all the reviews! Although, I don't always address all of them, I always read all of them :D.
Anyhow, enjoy reading!
Chapter 20: Let's act it out!
"So are you going to tell me where you are going, exactly?" The white Exceed asked.
"In a moment, Carla." The blue-haired girl answered dryly.
It's a brand new morning with the Sun shining its rays on to the lands of Fiore. Wendy is walking on a little adventure to see a certain individual for advice on the matters of the heart. So, why is she looking for this person?
Yesterday, she had to witness the shocking revelation of Lucy confessing her feelings to Natsu. This had led to Natsu going on his own personal journey of trying to understand about feelings and love. Wendy had to admit… she was afraid if eventually Natsu ended up returning Lucy's feelings. It wasn't something she wanted, but at the same time, she still felt like an awful friend for thinking about Lucy like that. To secretly hope they don't end up together.
"I see a house over there…" Carla flew over Wendy's shoulder and pointed her paws.
"Oh, that must be it!" Wendy quickened her pace.
"Are you looking for someone?"
"You could say that."
Soon, the house started appearing in full view. It looked like a cozy cottage in the woods, surrounded by fields of flowers. There was a fence surrounding it with an opening.
Wendy and Carla entered through the opening and saw a figure in the distance, watering the plants.
"I see someone… is that the person you're looking for?" Carla asked.
"Miss Anna!" Wendy waved her hands.
The figure, now known as Anna, raised her head and turned in Wendy's direction. Anna's expression immediately brightened upon realizing it was Wendy. "Oh, Wendy and Carla! I wasn't expecting visitors anytime soon!" Anna placed her watering can on the ground and walked to Wendy.
"Hello! Sorry for the sudden visit! I hope you don't- MMMH!"
"It's so good to see you, Wendy! I missed you!" Anna pulled Wendy into a tight hug, unintentionally burying Wendy in her chest.
I can't… breathe! Wendy tried to squirm out of her hug. She tried to voice out her distress, but she was unable to. Anna's chest was suffocating.
"Oh, dear…" Carla smirked.
Anna finally let her go out of her bear hug. "How have you been, Wendy?"
Wendy took a few steps back, taking in big gasps of air. "Huff… huff… I'm doing great, Miss Anna."
"You don't have to be so formal with me, Wendy. 'Anna' will do just fine." Anna gave her a gentle smile.
"O-Oh okay, Miss-… I mean, Anna." Wendy smiled awkwardly.
"That's better! Why don't you two come inside? I'm sure you must be a little tired coming here." Anna ushered them to follow her to her house.
Wendy and Carla looked at each other, then proceeded to follow her.
Carla perched on Wendy's head and whispered. "So, the person you wanted to see is… Lucy's ancestor?"
"Yep." Wendy nodded.
"Do you want to ask her about Natsu?"
"… More or less."
"Hmmm." Carla hummed in response. This has taken an interesting turn. Anna is not someone that usually comes to mind…
Anna Heartfilia, Lucy's ancestor from 400 years ago. She was the teacher and caretaker of the five dragon slayers sent from the past, including Wendy and Natsu. She also knitted Natsu's white scarf from Igneel's fallen scales. Currently, she's become a teacher for little children in a small village. Wendy wanted to see Anna because she saw her as a kind, motherly figure. Anna also knew Natsu and Wendy well, so she felt she could be open about her feelings.
Anna opened the door to her house. "Please, come in! Make yourself at home."
"T-Thank you." Wendy slowly entered her house. To her surprise, her house had a wooden interior design. It gave off a natural atmosphere. It looked cozy from the outside and the from the inside.
"Please, take a seat." Anna tucked out several chairs around a round table for them to sit on. "Would you like some water or tea, perhaps?"
"I'd like some tea." Carla raised a paw.
"O-Oh, me too." Wendy followed.
"Very well. I'll be with you in a moment." Anna disappeared into the kitchen.
"… I can see where Lucy got her kindness from." Carla said, flying to the table.
"Ahah, yeah…" Wendy took a seat. Lucy does resemble Anna… in more ways than one.
A few minutes later, Anna came back with a tray of two glasses of tea. She placed it on the table and gave each glass to Wendy and Carla. "Careful, it's hot."
"Thank you, Anna…" Wendy could smell the aroma coming from the tea. She blew on the tea, then took a small sip, receiving a delicate taste in her mouth. It's sweet…
"So, what brings you here today?" Anna took a seat opposite of Wendy.
"Ah… well…" Wendy placed her glass on the table. "I wanted… to ask your advice about… something."
"Advice? That's fine. Ask away." Anna said with a smile.
"It's about… um…" Wendy circled the tip of her glass with her finger. "It's about… love."
"… Huh?" Anna's eyes widened. "… Love?"
Wendy nodded shyly.
"Oh, that's wonderful, Wendy… Is there someone you're interested in?" Anna asked.
"Y-Yeah…"
"Aww, my little Wendy is all grown up." Anna said in a teasing tone.
"A-Anna…" Wendy could feel the embarrassment rising in her cheeks.
"What advice would you like to ask?"
"Well… it's just… it's kind of complicated now." Wendy said timidly.
"Complicated?" Anna raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah… this person I love… he recently got confessed to." Wendy bowed her head down.
"Oh." Anna folded her arms on the table. "That must have been quite a shock."
"Yeah…"
"Did he… return his feelings to this person?"
"N-No… not yet." Wendy said in a sad tone. "He's planning on giving her an answer, eventually."
"I see." Anna nodded.
Wendy figured she should let her know about Natsu. After all, she did raise both of them. "This person I love… he's…"
Anna waited patiently for her to continue.
"… He's Natsu." Wendy shut her eyes and clenched her fists, waiting for Anna's response.
"… Oh." Anna smiled softly.
That's… not the reaction I was expecting. Wendy raised her head. "You don't seem… too surprised?"
"Well, I already knew." Anna said nonchalantly.
"Huh?" Wendy and Carla voiced out in unison. "You… knew?"
"Yes, since 400 years ago."
"Ehhhh?!" Wendy's cheeks rose in heat. Since that long ago?!
"You were always drawn to Natsu, even at a young age. You'd always choose to play with him out of everyone else. You always cried whenever he got hurt fighting Gajeel. You would even slip into his bed most nights."
"Whaaa?! Really?" Steam was blowing out of Wendy's ears. She was visibly embarrassed hearing all that. I was attracted to him even that time, huh…
"Did Lucy confess to Natsu?" Anna asked.
"Yeah… she did."
"I see. And that worries you, doesn't it?"
Wendy nodded. It seems Anna pretty much understood the situation at hand.
"I'm just really afraid if Natsu does return her feelings…" Wendy said dejectedly.
"I see. Shouldn't you win his heart before that happens, then?"
"I… don't know. I feel it's… unfair for me to get in between them now."
"… You've always been kind, Wendy." Anna got up and sat beside Wendy. "It's okay to be more honest with your feelings."
"I mean… I don't want Natsu to return her feelings, but it makes me feel like a terrible friend to Lucy…"
"That's rather normal, isn't it, Wendy? It doesn't make you a terrible friend. Not at all." Anna put her arm around Wendy's shoulders. "That's just what it means to be in love."
"Anna…" There was this certain air around Anna that just made it easy to talk to her.
"I can see you treasure both Natsu and Lucy dearly. It's understandable you'd feel this way." Anna gently squeezed her shoulder. "You shouldn't let that hold back from pushing with what you want with your feelings."
"Mhmm…" Wendy nodded.
"Natsu… I know he isn't exactly well versed in the matters of love." Anna chuckled. "I'm sure that's why Lucy took initiative with her feelings. But I imagine even that wasn't enough."
"Yeah… I heard they got into some… argument after she confessed."
"And Natsu didn't understand what it meant to be confessed to, didn't he?"
"Ahah, yeah… he didn't." Wendy was a bit surprised Anna knew and understood Natsu quite well. She was his caretaker, after all… maybe it was a good thing Wendy didn't manage to confess to Natsu that night.
"Anna, how could I… make Natsu realize my feelings?" Wendy twirled her bangs.
"Hmmm…" Anna tilted her head backwards and put a hand on her chin. Despite having been Natsu's caretaker, she honestly didn't know. She heard he grew up only knowing familial love. Although, she did hear Natsu was particularly fond of Lucy, his feelings towards her didn't seem to extend beyond family as far as she's seen.
"I can't really say, Wendy." Anna answered. "I sense Natsu has little to no experience with this."
"I see…" Wendy slightly frowned. It shouldn't be that surprising…
"But what I can say…" Anna caressed Wendy's hair. "Natsu… he's a straightforward and sincere person. If you want to express your feelings to him, stay true to yourself."
"Stay true to myself?"
"Mhmm." Anna nodded. "Although Natsu may have zero experience, I believe he can recognize the differences in feelings, he just doesn't know what they are."
"I see…" Wendy took her words to heart. "Anna, could I ask you… something a bit… odd?"
"I'm all ears, Wendy."
"Would you… support my relationship with Natsu?"
"Of course I do." Anna smiled.
"I mean… isn't it weird?" Wendy turned her head to Anna.
Anna tilted her head. "Weird? How so?"
"You've raised the both of us. Doesn't it feel… I don't know… weird to see us get into a relationship?"
"Ah." Anna understood what Wendy was saying. "You don't really have to worry about that. If anything, it brings me joy to see the both of you get closer."
"Okay…" Wendy smiled at her response. That makes me glad.
"And if I may say this, Wendy…"
"What is it?"
"Whatever happens in the end between you, Natsu, and Lucy… I hope the three of you will remain together. After all, Fairy Tail's a guild built on love, isn't it?"
"Yeah, it truly is…" Whatever happens in the end… Wendy could tell the implications behind her words. Honestly, she didn't want to think of the… undesirable outcomes right now. But Anna's right. Whatever happens in the end, it shouldn't change what they already have now.
"I know it can be afraid to think about when the time comes." Anna cradled her hand. "You're a courageous girl, Wendy. I believe you'll make it through."
"Anna…" Wendy squeezed her hand. She needed this reassurance. "Thank you for hearing me out."
"Anytime, Wendy. I'm always glad to lend an ear." Anna turned her head to Carla. "Do you also need some advice?"
"… Me?" Carla pointed at herself.
"With Happy, perhaps?" Anna asked in a joking manner.
"W-What? I want absolutely nothing to do with that tomcat, hmph!" Carla crossed her arms, a faint red rising in her cheeks.
"You don't have to hide it, Carla." Wendy giggled.
"I'm not hiding anything!"
They all shared a lovely banter for a while.
Outside Anna's house…
…
..
.
"Thank you, Anna!" Wendy and Carla waved as they walked away.
"You're most welcome, Wendy! Please send my regards to Fairy Tail!" Anna waved back.
"Will do!" With this last message, Wendy and Carla made way back to their dormitory.
"How are you feeling now after visiting Anna?" Carla asked, flying beside Wendy.
"I feel a bit more determined with my feelings, I guess…" Wendy answered.
"You don't really sound confident now, do you?"
"Yeah…" Wendy bowed her head down. "I can't stop thinking about Natsu's answer to Lucy. I know he's still understanding his own feelings… but what's going to happen once he finally does?"
"Wendy…"
Wendy slowed down her pace, taking some time to sort her thoughts. "I'm… really afraid, Carla. Natsu's known Lucy way longer. I'm happy I was able to spend a lot of time with him… and I don't want that to end."
"Hmmm…" Carla wondered how she should answer her. Even if Natsu accepts Lucy's feelings, that doesn't mean you can't spend any more time with him… but she figured Wendy wouldn't enjoy hearing that answer. She knows Wendy wants to spend time with Natsu… just not as a friend.
"Well, Wendy, you're technically wrong on something…"
"Huh?" Wendy turned her head to her.
"Anna mentioned she's raised both of you 400 years ago, didn't she? That means you're the first girl Natsu's known."
"Ah…!" Wendy's eyes widened. I didn't think of it like that… "But I don't really feel I am the closest girl to him…"
"Well…" I can't exactly argue with that. In the distance, Carla noticed three familiar-looking people sitting together. "Wait, isn't that…"
"… Natsu?" Wendy was able to catch a whiff of his captivating scent, alongside Gray and Juvia. The trio seemed to be talking about something. Wendy and Carla walked towards them, curious of their activities. I wonder what's he doing?
"I would highly recommend this story, Natsu!" Juvia's eyes sparkled as she shoved a book to Natsu's face.
"Are all these books about… romance?" Natsu said, scanning the title of the book with his eyes.
"I can guarantee you the quality of these books! This one particularly has some interesting scenes. I've tried following some of them to win Gray's heart."
Gray ruffled his hair, finding their interactions somewhat amusing. Sensing two figures approaching him, he turned around and saw Wendy and Carla. "Oh, hey you two."
"Hi, Gray!" Wendy waved. "What are you doing?"
"Well, Juvia is helping Natsu with his… love troubles. I'm just tagging along." Gray replied.
"Oh, I see!" Wendy nodded. She wanted to watch whatever Natsu was doing. "Could I… tag along too?"
"Knock yourself out." Gray smiled. Wendy and Carla joined their circle shortly after.
"Don't you have anything better to do than… watch Natsu?" Carla whispered in a teasing manner.
"Well…" Wendy scratched her cheek. I'm just awfully curious…
"Hmmm… this all still seems so complicated." Natsu commented while skimming through the contents of a romance manga Juvia gave him.
Natsu's reading romance books? Wendy couldn't hold back a smile. That's so adorable…
"The boy and girl here have feelings for each other as you can see." Juvia said, pointing to the couple in the book.
"I see… so they feel the same way for each other?"
"Yes! They're very much in love with each other!"
"How did they… realize they loved each other romantically?"
"Ah… good question." Juvia rubbed her chin. "It's not really easy to answer. But there are a few signs you may be in love with a person."
"Signs?"
"Yes. Like this boy here, he's shown to be thinking of the girl often. He's happier whenever he's with her. Sometimes, he's nervous around her, too."
"Hmmm, I see." Natsu listened attentively.
"How do you feel whenever you're with Lucy?"
"When I'm with Lucy? She's always fun to be around with."
"I see… do you ever feel nervous around her? Do you feel your heart flutter when she's nearby?"
"Huh… I guess not?"
Juvia folded her arms in deep thought. Does Natsu only see Lucy as a friend? That can't be it…
"How did you realize you were in love with Gray?" Natsu casually asked. His question caused Gray to feel embarrassed.
"It was love at first sight." Juvia clasped her hands. "The moment I laid my eyes upon him, I just knew he was the one for me."
"Oh god…" Gray rubbed his temples, feeling very shy.
"Love at first sight…" Natsu recalled the day he met Lucy. There was definitely a spark of friendship when they met. Were any romantic feelings developed along the way? He wasn't sure.
"Hmmm… why don't you try reenacting one of the scenes here?" Juvia asked excitedly.
"Hmmm?" Natsu raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
"How about this… this is quite popular among the ladies." Juvia flipped through a book on to a certain page. "Here! Why don't you try to follow what this boy does."
"What's this?" Natsu took a closer look at the page. "A… kabedon?" I won't ever let you go. You're mine…?
"Yes! Let's try it!" Juvia turned to Gray. "Is it alright, Gray?"
"… Sure. Go ahead." Gray nodded.
"Great!" Juvia grabbed Natsu's hand and dragged him to a nearby tree. "Stand in front of me. Pretend you're cornering me against this tree."
"Uh… okay?" Natsu followed her instructions.
"Now, slam your hand to the tree, trapping me between you and it."
"Er… alright." Natsu slammed his palm against the tree, creating a distinct thud! sound. "… Then I repeat what the guy said?"
"Yeah! Try it."
"Alright." Natsu cleared his throat, then looked Juvia in the eyes. "I won't ever let you go. You're mine." He said in the flattest tone.
I know they're just pretending, but I can't help but feel a little... Wendy crossed her arms tightly, silently pouting.
A moment of silence soon followed. Well, this is awkward, Gray thought.
"Er… now what?" Natsu asked.
"Doesn't this get your heart racing? Doesn't this make you feel nervous? Doesn't an odd feeling rise in your chest?" Juvia asked.
"… Uh, no? My heart seems to be beating normally." Natsu placed a hand on his chest.
"I think that's the normal response, Juvia." Gray said. I'm not exactly sure what to feel if that worked on Natsu… Juvia seems to be getting too into it.
"Hmmm…" Juvia put a hand on her chin. It would probably work better with Lucy…
Carla glanced at Wendy's expression. She could tell she was holding back a frown. In that case…
"Maybe Wendy would like to volunteer instead." Carla smirked, raising her paw.
"… Eh?" Wendy blinked a few times.
"Oh, why not? Come over here, Wendy!" Juvia went over to her.
"Ehh?! Wait, no, I don't-"
"Come on! It's all to help Natsu's understanding of love!" Juvia dragged her to the tree.
"N-No, n-no, really, I don-"
"It'll be fun, Wendy." Carla giggled. You'll thank me later, Wendy.
Carla! You set me up! Wendy cursed her in her mind.
"Now you stand over here. Natsu, you do the same thing you did to me." Juvia patted his back.
"Er, sure…" Natsu nodded, although he was still confused how this was supposed to even help him.
"A-Ah…" Wendy stood still between the tree and Natsu. He wasn't even doing anything, yet she felt her heartbeat was beginning to accelerate, just standing so close to him. I'm getting nervous!
"Wendy." Natsu slammed his palm once more against the tree, trapping Wendy this time between him and it.
Wendy crossed her hands over her chest, feeling the nervousness setting in to her body. She felt fragile, being towered by Natsu's body. He gazed straight into her flushed face.
"I won't ever let you go. You're…"
"Ah… hawahawahawa…" Steam blew out of Wendy's ears. She knew he was just pretending, yet those words set her heart ablaze.
Why am I… this time, he felt something stir within him. What the… he placed a hand over his chest, feeling it beating rapidly. He felt heat rising in his face, too. This feeling didn't appear with Juvia, but it did with Wendy, for whatever reason. He couldn't properly finish his sentence. Feeling uncomfortable, Natsu quickly distanced himself away from Wendy.
Wendy averted her gaze, using a hand to cool down her face. This isn't good for my heart…
Carla walked to her in a smug fashion. "How was it, Wendy?"
"… Shut up." Wendy huffed.
Gray and Juvia looked at each other, then back at Natsu. "Natsu, are you alright?" Juvia called him.
"A-Ah, yeah. I'm fine!" Natsu shook his head to clear his mind. "You were right, Juvia. Just now, I felt something… odd inside."
"Oh, it worked?! How did it feel?" Juvia's eyes sparkled with curiosity.
"I-I don't know… it felt… weird." Natsu said, putting his hands on his hips. "I don't know how to explain it…"
"Now this is progress, Natsu!" Juvia pumped her fist up. "This is probably what the boy felt like!"
Gray put a hand on his chin, observing Natsu's expression. Wendy, huh?
"This doesn't feel nice…" Natsu said. "I'm not really used to this... feeling."
"That's understandable. This might even be your first time!" Juvia replied. "Now this feeling… do you ever get this feeling when Lucy's around?"
"… I don't think so. I don't think I've ever felt… uncomfortable around her."
"Hmmm… is that so?" Juvia crossed her arms.
"Hold on, Natsu, could I talk with you alone for a bit?" Gray said, putting a hand on Natsu's shoulder.
"What's up?" Natsu turned his head to him.
"I'm just going to talk with him for a bit." Gray told Juvia, then walked with Natsu a good distance away. "Oh, and Wendy, don't try to eavesdrop." He chuckled.
"I-I wasn't going to." Wendy folded her arms in disdain. She totally was going to.
"Hmmm, I wonder what're they going to talk about?" Juvia asked.
"Beats me." Carla briefly raised her shoulders.
After the duo was a good distance away, Natsu faced him.
"So, what did you want to talk about?"
Gray scanned his surroundings to make sure nobody was nearby. "I've got a question. And you don't have to answer it if you don't want to."
"Well, what's the question?" Natsu crossed his arms.
"It's… about Wendy."
"Wendy?" Natsu titled his head at a curious angle. "What about her?"
"How should I put this… what do you think of Wendy?" Gray asked bluntly.
"What do I think of her? Why, she's a wonderful person, of course!"
"No." Gray shook his head. "I mean… do you like her?"
"Huh? Sure, I do."
"No, that's not what I meant. Do you like 'like' her?" Gray clarified his question.
"… Sure, I do? What's with the double like? You're not making any sense."
"No, you flame-brain..." Gray groaned. "Do you... love Wendy?"
"... Sure I do?" Natsu scratched the back of his neck.
"I mean...!" Gray sighed deeply. "Do you happen to have feelings for Wendy?"
"Do I have feelings for Wendy?" Natsu glanced at Wendy. "Like… romantic feelings?"
"Yeah."
"Like how Lucy has feelings for me? Romantic feelings?"
"Yes…" Gray sighed. He had to be patient because he understood Natsu was doing his best to understand these kinds of feelings. But damn, you're testing my patience.
"… No? I suppose not." Natsu put his arms behind his back.
"You sure? You seemed pretty nervous when you tried that… kabedon thing on her."
"Well, yeah. What about it?"
Gray was reaching the limit of his patience. "Doesn't that mean… I don't know… you feel… something for her, maybe?" Gray noticed Natsu and Wendy seemed closer these past few days, especially after the Fairy Night. I could just be seeing things…
Natsu paused for a moment, as if pondering his mind. "… That's ridiculous!" Natsu laughed.
"… What's so funny?"
"There's no way I could have… feelings for Wendy. She's like my own little sister! We're practically super close already!" Natsu declared proudly.
"…" Speechless, Gray rubbed his temples. He couldn't tell whether he didn't actually like her, or he just didn't understand. In all honesty, he couldn't imagine Natsu and Wendy being a thing. Well, these two were raised together… so there's some truth to that. Maybe I was imagining things… "That's that, then. That's all I wanted to ask."
"Heh, alright." The duo returned to the group shortly after.
"I'm surprised you two didn't start an all-out war." Carla said in a joking manner as they approached.
"Haha, nah." Natsu waved a hand around. "We just talked about W-"
"Nothing too important." Gray interrupted, wrapping his arm around Natsu's shoulder and pulling him in to whisper into his ear. "You do not want to talk about this in front of her."
"Why not?"
"Just don't." Gray said sternly.
"Fine, fine." Natsu rolled his eyes. He did drag me away for a reason …
Her…? Wendy caught that with her dragon hearing. So they were talking about someone? A girl? Was it Lucy?
Natsu and Gray joined back in the circle. Gray sat down beside Juvia, while Natsu sat down beside Wendy. Being curious, Natsu's attention was drawn to Wendy. Gray's question lingered in the back of his mind.
"Do you happen to have feelings for Wendy?"
For some reason, an odd feeling began rising in his chest at the mere thought of her. He's certain this kind of feeling didn't appear with Lucy.
"What is it, Natsu?" Wendy noticed he was looking at her.
Natsu reflexively looked the other way. "I-It's nothing, haha." What is with this feeling…
"Here, Natsu. I'll lend you this book." Juvia gave the book which had the scene Natsu reenacted. "I think you'll find it rather useful in understanding your feelings. The story's lovely too!"
Normally, Natsu isn't really interested in this kind of stuff but… this is for Lucy's sake. He humbly accepted the book. "Thank you, Juvia… really."
"Sure thing, Natsu. I'm sure you'll understand Lucy's feelings in no time!"
Wendy observed their interactions in silence. If it wasn't already obvious, her heart was feeling sour, having to listen to them. I can't really blame them… Aside from Erza and a handful of other people, the others were rooting for Natsu and Lucy's relationship to blossom. On one hand, she definitely didn't want other people to know about her feelings towards Natsu, but on another, it saddened her that other fellow Fairy Tail members didn't see her as a potential lover for Natsu. Wendy shook her head at the thought. I can't let it bring me down. Remembering Anna's words, she wanted to stay determined.
"I'll be heading back to the guild." Gray stood up. "Erza told me there were some new requests arriving soon."
"I'm always by your side, Gray!" Juvia clung to his arm, nuzzling her head against it.
"R-Right…" Gray smiled wryly. "You coming?"
"Nah, I'll be staying here." Natsu opened the book, curious about its romance scenes.
"How about you, Wendy?" Gray turned to her. "Want to tag along?"
"Um…" Wendy glanced at Natsu. An idea almost immediately popped into her head. Wait, isn't this a good opportunity for us to be alone? "I-I think I'll stay here, too."
"Alright, then." Gray waved, turning around with Juvia, and began walking towards the guild. "See ya guys, later."
"See you!" Wendy waved back.
And now, it was just Natsu and Wendy alone together.
"You sure you didn't want to join them, Wendy?" Natsu asked while reading the book.
"It's fine. I just wanted to… um…" Wendy twirled her hair bang around her finger.
"Yeah?"
"… I didn't want to… leave you alone." Wendy bowed her head down, feeling heat rising in her face. What she wanted to say was she wanted to be alone with him, to have his undivided attention.
"Oh?" Natsu raised his head to look at her, then flashed his signature smile. "Awww, thanks, Wendy! I really appreciate your company."
"S-Sure thing, Natsu…" Wendy averted her gaze. She couldn't help but return the smile.
I'm still here, you know… Carla folded her arms.
"S-So, um… what are you reading, Natsu?" Wendy scooted closer to him.
"I'm trying to understand these romance scenes…" Natsu replied, placing the book on the ground so Wendy could see it as well. "I wonder what's so romantic about them…"
"Mhmm…" Wendy observed the scenes Natsu was reading. On the current page, the girl and boy are placing their palms against each other, then intertwining their fingers. Almost immediately, an idea flashed through Wendy's mind. M-Maybe I could…
"Natsu, why don't we try Juvia's suggestion?" Wendy suggested timidly.
"Her suggestion?" Natsu raised an eyebrow.
"Y-Yeah, why don't you try reenacting the scenes?"
"Oh, I guess that could work." Natsu folded his arms. "But who would I reenact them with? Juvia's not here."
"Y-You could try them… with me?" Wendy twiddled with her fingers.
"Oh, sure!" Natsu's eyes lighted up. "I would love to try them out with you!"
"T-That's great to hear!" Wendy said cheerfully. Her heart was getting rather excited.
"I'm following your lead, Wendy!" Natsu presented the book to her.
"E-Eh, you want me to lead?" Wendy pointed at herself.
"Of course!" Natsu put his hands on his hips. "You seem to know more about this than me."
"Oh… uh…" Wendy observed the book in greater detail. She felt guilty, taking advantage of Natsu's innocence… but when is she ever going to get another sweet opportunity like this? It's not like I'm actually taking advantage of him… I'm just helping him understand. Yeah!
Wendy's really taking advantage of the situation, huh… Carla thought, watching from a distance.
"C-Could you hold out your hand, Natsu? Like this…" Wendy stretched out her hand, showing her palm to Natsu.
"Alright…" Natsu followed suit, extending out his palm as well till it was placed in front of Wendy's palm.
"Let's… hold our hands together." Wendy placed her palm against Natsu's, noticing the difference in the sizes of their hands. Natsu's hand is much bigger than mine…
Her hand's… smaller than I thought. Natsu thought as he observed their hands.
Wendy then slowly intertwined her fingers with his, taking in the warm sensation. She could feel the warmth spread from her hand to her heart.
Natsu too followed, carefully wrapping his fingers against her delicate ones. He noticed how soft her hand was, reminding him of the sensation from their date before. He tried to be gentle as possible, thinking her fingers were fragile and deserved to be protected.
"Your hand's… really soft, Wendy." Natsu said, a faint red barely visible in his cheeks. "It's very different from mine!"
"O-Oh…" was all Wendy could voice out. She was busy enjoying the warmth of his hand. Unconsciously, she began guiding her thumb around his hand, feeling out how calloused his hand was.
"W-Wendy?"
"… Oh!" Wendy quickly swiped her hand away. "S-Sorry, I was, um…"
"N-No, it's fine. I was just surprised, is all." Natsu scratched his cheek awkwardly. "Do you… want to reenact a different scene?"
"S-Sure!" Wendy flipped to another page. This time, the boy was caressing the girl's cheek on the scene. Natsu doing that to me… that thought set her mind ablaze. She found it… difficult to imagine Natsu doing that to her so casually. But why imagine it when she could ask him to reenact it right now?
Somehow, I get the feeling we've diverted from the original goal… Carla thought.
"C-Could you try this, Natsu?" Wendy turned the book around and shyly pushed it to him.
"Huh… all right." Natsu's done this act a few times, especially when Wendy cried. So, this could be considered romantic?
Natsu straightened his posture and faced her. Wendy changed her sitting position and sat on her knees, facing him. Her heartbeat rose in anticipation.
Slowly and gently, Natsu brought his hand to her cheek, affectionately caressing it. Using his thumb, he rubbed her cheek in circular motions, as if he was comforting her. He noticed how soft her cheek was in comparison to her hand. Before, he never really paid attention to this, but now… the sensation was quite… there.
Wendy gazed longingly into his eyes. Instinctively, she held his hand and nuzzled against it. Although her heart was beating with excitement, her mind was at peace.
There was… something… attractive about her flushed face. It caused… something… to stir deep with Natsu's chest. A feeling he wasn't used to experiencing.
"Your cheek's… quite soft, Wendy. Softer than your hand." Natsu commented.
"Ahah… I guess it is?" Wendy replied, not knowing anything else to say.
"Do you want to try… touching mine?"
"… Eh?" Wendy blinked a few times. "… Can I?"
"I don't see why not." Natsu smiled, then pulled his hand away from Wendy's face, much to her disappointment. "Go ahead."
Wendy scooted closer to Natsu. She slowly brought her hand to his face but paused, feeling hesitant. I'm getting nervous…
"I'm not going to burn your hand off." Natsu chuckled.
"I-I know!" Wendy huffed, then took time to collect her composure. She brought her hand again and caressed his cheek ever so slightly. His skin felt… different. She could feel the roughness as she increasingly ran her fingers around his cheek. So this is how his face feels…
"What do you think?" Natsu grinned. "Not quite as soft as yours."
"… I like it." Wendy whispered, feeling blood rushing to her face. "It's… nice."
"… Oh." Now blood was rushing to his face. Soon, a deep red appeared on his cheeks.
"Are you… blushing, Natsu?" Wendy took notice of the redness in his face, finding it cute.
"N-No, I'm not!" Natsu pushed himself backwards, turning his face away from Wendy. "I'm just… not used to this."
"Oh, really?" Wendy giggled, asking in a teasing tone. It's not often she gets to see Natsu so flustered.
"… All right, let's head back to the guild!" Natsu snatched the book away and stood up. He wanted to distract himself from this situation. From these… unfamiliar feelings.
"H-Hey, Natsu! Wait up!" Wendy stood up and ran to his side.
Oh, what am I going to do with these two… Carla spread her wings and followed after them.
…
..
.
In the Fairy Tail guild…
Natsu, Wendy, and Carla shortly returned to their guild hall. Along the way, Natsu was paying full attention to reading the romance book. He studied it as if it were a school textbook, rather than reading it as a story.
"Hey, guys!" A voiced called out to the group. Everyone, except for Natsu, turned their attention to the voice.
"Are you feeling up for a mission? A new batch of requests just arrived recently." Erza said, scanning a few job requests she took from the request board.
"It's been a while since we've went on a mission." Gray read each of the job requests.
"How about you, Wendy? If you're free, why not take on a mission with us?" Erza asked her.
"Sure, sounds fun! What kind of mission are we going on?" Wendy asked.
"We've got quite a varied selection here." Erza said, spreading the job requests around for others to see. "Monster subjugations, part-timers needed, relic hunting…"
"I'm down for some monster subjugation. The rewards here are decent." Gray replied.
"Haha, of course you would choose that. I've got my eye on it, too." Erza nodded. "The rewards are indeed promising."
"Don't you guys want to take on a more… relaxed mission?" Lucy said, folding her arms. "After last time, I'm kind of reluctant…"
"Aye! That last mission was terrifying…" Happy shivered.
"This isn't as bad as last time. I'm sure it'll be fine." Erza gave a thumbs up. "Hey, Natsu, you're coming too, right?" She assumed Natsu would be down for some monster fighting since he loves that but…
"…" Natsu remained silent, still focused on the book.
"Natsu?" Happy called him.
"… Huh?" Natsu directed his gaze away from the book to the group. "Sorry, Happy. Were you talking to me?"
Erza glanced at this book in his hands. What book is he reading? "As I was saying, would you like to join us for a mission? The reward's pretty-"
"… Nah, I don't want to." Natsu answered, then returned to reading the book.
"… Huh?" Everyone's eyes widened at this statement. Natsu doesn't want to?! And he interrupted Erza?!
"I… see?" Erza replied. I was not expecting a direct response… "It's a monster subjugation mission."
"Okay." Natsu replied without turning away from the book. "Have fun."
"…" They all looked dumbfounded. Natsu would never turn down a mission like this.
A mission without Natsu… Immediately, Wendy felt her spirits drop. It's not that she wouldn't enjoy going on a mission with her friends. It's just it would be a lot more enjoyable if Natsu was with her.
"Y-You sure you don't want to join, Natsu?" Lucy stood up from her seat. Much like Wendy, she would prefer if Natsu was with her. "… And just what are you reading?"
"Oh, this?" Natsu glanced at Lucy, then back to the book. Oh, wait… maybe I should try this on her…
Natsu walked up to her. "Lucy, could you do me a favor?"
"Sure?" Lucy was confused by the sudden question. "What do you need?"
"Stand near this wall." Natsu pointed at a nearby wall.
"O-Okay…?" Lucy found this request odd, but did as he said.
Uh-oh… Wendy felt warning signals all over her body.
Don't tell me he's going to… Gray narrowed his eyes at him.
Natsu's so bold! Is he really going to? Juvia clasped her hands.
Natsu slammed his hand against the wall, trapping Lucy in front of him.
"E-Eh, Natsu?!" Lucy's eyes widened in surprise. "W-What's wrong?"
Natsu closed the distance between their faces. He gazed straight into her eyes.
Oh no! Wendy's body trembled. If he says those words…! She couldn't let this slide.
Is this… the legendary kabedon?! Erza's eyes sparkled.
"N-Natsu, you're too close…" Lucy's heart began to accelerate, being so close to him. My heart's beating too fast… what is he doing?!
"I'm not letting you go."
"H-Heh?!" Her heartbeat dominated her eardrums. Not letting me go?!
"You're mi-"
"Ahahahah, he's just pretending!" Wendy frantically waved her hands, getting in between Lucy and Natsu.
"… Huh?" Lucy went dotted eyes.
"H-He's following this scene from the book he was reading!" Wendy pulled Natsu a good distance away from Lucy.
"… Oh?" Lucy titled her head.
"It's this." Natsu turned to the page which had the scene and showed it to Lucy.
Lucy observed the page in greater detail. A kabedon? Oh, I see. "You were… doing a kabedon?"
"Yeah! Juvia said this could help me understand feelings better." Natsu smiled.
"Is that so…" Lucy glanced at Juvia. Juvia avoided her gaze and began whistling, as if she was oblivious to all this. Just what are you teaching him, Juvia?
"Though I want to try this again. Is that fine?" Natsu asked. There's something I want to make sure of.
Ehh?! He wants to do it again?! Wendy cried out internally.
"Ah…" Lucy scratched her cheek awkwardly. She didn't exactly dislike it. "… Sure. I don't mind."
"Ah, Wendy, you don't have to explain it to her this time." Natsu patted her shoulder.
"O-Oh, okay." Wendy nodded reluctantly. I don't like where this is going…
"I'm ready when you are." Lucy said, keeping her posture straight.
"Alright then." Natsu immediately slammed her palm to the wall, causing her to flinch a bit. "Lucy."
Lucy remained silent, slightly averting her gaze. I wonder if he can hear how hard my heart is beating…
Wendy was doing her best to keep her composure. There's no way she could interrupt a second time.
"I'm not letting you go. You're mine." Natsu inched his face closer to hers, their noses almost touching.
"T-Too close, Natsu…" Lucy turned her face away from him, a deep red dyeing her face.
Natsu remained silent, focused on her face. He was mentally comparing this to Juvia and Wendy. He didn't feel any odd feelings appear in his chest. It's just like with Juvia… his heart was relatively calm. None of those feelings he wasn't used to experiencing. But it was different with Wendy...
"H-How much longer are you going to stare at her?" Wendy asked, visibly uncomfortable.
"Oh, sorry." Natsu pulled his arm away. "Thanks, Lucy. That's enough."
"… Did this help you understand your feelings?"
Natsu folded his arms and titled his head upwards. "Maybe. I'm not sure. I might need to read more of this first."
"I'm guessing Juvia also gave you this book…" Lucy pointed at the book in his hand. A romance story…
"Yep!"
"What exactly are you teaching Natsu?" Erza nudged Juvia's arm.
"I-I just thought it would be effective if he put himself in those situations." Juvia said.
"Well, considering this is Natsu… who knows." Erza folded her arms. "Maybe this is the best approach."
"… I've got an idea." Gray said. "Wendy, Happy, get over here."
"Huh? What is it?" Wendy walked to them. Only Natsu and Lucy weren't here. They were still conversing with each other.
"Why don't we give some alone time to Natsu and Lucy?" Gray suggested.
"Alone time?" Erza raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah, since Natsu is sitting out of this mission, maybe Lucy should, too. I think this would make for a great opportunity."
"Aye, I see where this is going!" Happy raised a paw.
"You're awfully considerate of Natsu." Erza said.
"I-I'm doing this more for Lucy's sake rather than Natsu's. He shouldn't keep a girl waiting." Gray retorted. In truth, he was just embarrassed to admit he was concerned for Natsu too.
"You shouldn't keep Juvia waiting either, then." Carla added, glancing at Juvia.
"Urk…" Her words stung him more than he would like. "A-Anyway, what do you guys think?"
"Hmmm… that's not such a bad idea." Erza put a hand on her chin. "Maybe Lucy could help him realize his feelings somehow."
"I agree! They should spend some time together!" Juvia raised her hand.
"What do you think, Wendy?" Gray turned to her.
"M-Me…? I…" What do I think…? Wendy bowed her head downwards, thinking of an answer in her mind. She didn't have to think of her answer, really. I don't know if I want them to spend time together… She understood Gray was suggesting this with good intentions, but what would result from those intentions? What would happen if Natsu and Lucy got closer through this? Her hands trembled at the thought. She clenched the hem of her skirt, trying to hide her discomfort.
Carla and Erza's attention were drawn to Wendy. They could tell this was a tough question for her.
Wendy… Erza frowned. She must be wondering what's the right thing to say. She could take a guess Wendy would be strongly opposed to Gray's suggestion. Of course, he doesn't know about Wendy's feelings. It is just unfortunate life had to be this way. And life was especially not on Wendy's side. I wonder… is there a way to compromise? Wanting to comfort her, Erza put a hand on her shoulder. "Wen-"
"I think that's a good idea, Gray. Maybe they need some time together to figure their feelings out." Wendy said with a forced smile.
Wendy…? Erza's eyes widened. She's accepting it?
"I see! Guess that means we're all on board with this." Gray crossed his arms in approval. "Now, how do we go about this…"
Wendy sighed deeply. She couldn't voice out her genuine feelings on the matter. She just couldn't. As Lucy's and Natsu's friend, I should be supporting them… but I just can't.
Erza gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze to comfort her. Wendy… it'll be okay.
Meanwhile, Natsu and Lucy were still left out of the loop.
"I wonder what they're talking about…" Lucy motioned to the group.
"Probably about the mission or something." Natsu replied as he was reading the book. Normally, he would hear them with his dragon hearing, but he just couldn't care less.
"You're really invested in the book, huh?" Lucy put her hands on her hips.
"Yeah, I want to understand your feelings." Natsu said nonchalantly, causing Lucy to blush.
"I-I see…" Lucy rubbed her neck awkwardly. It's embarrassing when you say it directly… nevertheless, she was happy to hear that.
A scene about a date appeared in the book as Natsu turned the page. It reminded him of the date he had with Wendy. Back then, when he called it a date, Lucy told him a date wasn't exactly about two people hanging out.
"… a date is when you're going out with someone you love… romantically."
"Someone I love romantically, huh…" Lucy's words flashed through his mind. Natsu pondered the thought for a while. "Hey, Lucy?"
"Yeah?"
"You love me romantically, right?"
"Heh?!" Lucy's eyes widened at his question. Heat began rising in her face. She covered her face with her hand. "Yes… I mean, I did confess to you, after all." Do you really have to ask that?
"Let's go on a date."
