Haloha, everyone! Hope you're having a good day! Thanks for the reviews as always!

Can't believe I've reached more than 20 chapters already, I'm surprised I've reached this far. I hope for your continued support! I'm predicting this story might end before Chapter 30, but we'll see how it goes.

Anyhow, this chapter is really going to kick things up a notch. Have fun reading!


REVISION 29/06/2021: Just a minor revision! I had forgotten to include Wendy's Troia and Gajeel's motion sickness. It slipped my mind. I haven't read the reviews on this chapter yet, but if it was already pointed out, much appreciated!


Chapter 21: Hear me out.


"Let's go on a date."

"Huh…?" Lucy blinked a few times. "A… date?"

"Yeah!"

"… You and me?" Lucy pointed at herself. "Wait, are you… asking me out on a date?"

"Yeah! You told me before we go on dates with people we love romantically!" Natsu grinned.

"… Heh?!" Lucy jumped a few steps backwards, surprised by his sudden invitation. "Is this from the book, again?" I mean I did say that…

"Ahah, yeah." Natsu ruffled his hair. "But Lucy… I'd love to spend some time with you and get to know your feelings better."

"Mhmm…" Lucy averted her gaze and covered her mouth, visibly flustered. But… it makes me really happy.

"Well… that makes things easier." Gray said, overhearing their conversation. "Them going on a date is perfect."

"Nice one, Natsu!" Juvia gave him a thumbs up.

"Aye! That's wonderful!" Happy exclaimed.

Having heard Natsu's and Lucy's conversation, Wendy pressed her hands against the table and stood up.

"Wendy? Where are you going?" Carla asked.

"… I'm going to the restroom." Wendy left for the restroom in a quick manner.


Wendy entered the restroom and shut the door behind her. She went to one of the sinks, observing herself in the mirror. They're going on a date… Wendy couldn't hold back her jealousy. She despised this feeling. What was she going to do? Natsu was doing this for the sake of understanding Lucy better. There was nothing wrong with that but… if he has feelings for Lucy… she felt her heart constricted at the thought.

When she hung out with Natsu, she saw it as a date with him. She was happy to hear he felt the same about it. But right now, Natsu would be going on an actual date with Lucy. A real date.

I can't get used to this… it was painful to the point she wanted to cry. To let out her emotions. Having to see two of her close friends get together… I can't do thi-

Two arms gently hugged her from behind, causing her to turn her head around.

"Erza…" Wendy said weakly.

Erza simply smiled. She knew something was up when she noticed Wendy go to the restroom quickly.

"It's okay to cry, Wendy." Erza gently squeezed her. "Take your time."

Wendy shook her head, rubbing her tears with her arms. "I… won't cry. I need to be strong."

"Mhmm…" I hope she's not pushing herself. Erza thought. "Do you want to join on the mission, Wendy?"

"I…"

"It's okay if you don't want to go, Wendy. I'll let the others know." Erza said softly. She didn't want Wendy to go on the mission if she truly didn't want to. After witnessing Natsu and Lucy like this, Erza imagined Wendy would probably need some time for herself.

"It's fine… I'll go." Wendy straightened her resolve. "Don't worry about it."

"I see." Erza nodded, then patted her head. If that's her decision, I'll respect it. "We're not going to be leaving immediately, so perhaps you can spend some time with Natsu before we depart."

"… I'll think about it." Wendy sighed.


A while later…

..

.

Erza, Juvia, and Gray were preparing to go on the mission. Gray persuaded Lucy to focus more on her date with Natsu. Along the way, Juvia decided to invite Gajeel and Lily to come along. For this type of mission, it was helpful to have multiple powerful wizards. Natsu and Lucy talked about their date for a bit and agreed to meet back at her apartment.

"So, what's Salamander doing over there, reading a book?" Gajeel motioned to Natsu, who was sitting on a bench reading the same book.

"He's reading a romance story." Juvia replied.

Gajeel scoffed. "I'm sorry, what?"

"You heard her right. Natsu's reading a romance story." Erza joined in their conversation.

"… Why?" Gajeel found it unbelievable. "Of all the things he could do…"

"Well, things happened, one thing lead to another… and he wants to understand about feelings." Erza said, omitting some key details.

"Is that so?" Gajeel crossed his arms, then turned his head to Juvia. "Sounds like one of your ideas, isn't it?"

"Guilty as charged." Juvia puffed her chest out.

"Did he get confessed to or something…?" Gajeel guessed.

"Ah…" Erza and Juvia looked at each other. "You could say that." Erza replied.

"I see." Gajeel nodded to himself. Did Lucy finally make her move?

Wendy was watching Natsu from a distance. She couldn't stop thinking about their date. She couldn't stop worrying about what was going to happen if the date went too well. The reason Wendy decided to go on the mission was so she could distract herself from this. What was she going to do if she didn't join the mission? Scratch that. What was going to happen after she got back from the mission? It's not like I could just go and visit Natsu… she was afraid. Afraid if this could be the last time she could spend time with Natsu. Afraid if she's already lost her chance with him.

Come on, Wendy! You can't think like that! Wendy shook her head and clapped her cheeks. I can't let negativity bring me down.

Wendy glanced at Erza, noticing she and the other wizards were still preparing for the mission. She then glanced at Natsu. Her words flashed in her mind…

"… perhaps you can spend some time with Natsu before we depart."

"Go ahead and talk with him, child." Carla spoke out Wendy's mind, noticing she wanted to talk to him. "We still got time."

"Carla…"

"Hmmm…" Natsu was intently reading the book as usual. They seem really happy together on their date. He was currently on a dating scene. He was planning to use this as a reference for his date with Lucy. It's probably different from the one I had with Wendy… maybe I should ask Mirajane for advice?

"I never thought I'd see the day you ask Lucy for a date." Happy said.

"Ahah, I bet it'll be a lot of fun." Natsu replied.

"You gotta make it the best date ever, buddy!" Happy exclaimed.

Natsu smiled at his response. Soon, he caught a familiar scent in front of him, causing him to direct his attention away from the book. "Oh, Wendy, hey."

"H-Hi, Natsu." Wendy waved, followed by Carla. "Mind if I sit here?"

"Go ahead." Natsu nodded with a grin.

Wendy sat on the bench beside Natsu. "What're you guys talking about?"

"Just about my date with Lucy." Natsu replied. "I'm hope it'll help me understand her feelings better."

"I see…" Wendy nodded. Her heart tightened with jealousy.

"This book Juvia lent me, it's honestly confusing for me." Natsu chuckled. "But… I think I understand a bit better. The boy and girl here, they love each other a lot and became happier together."

"That's nice to hear." Wendy said. It was adorable to hear Natsu talk about romance, even though he himself didn't understand it much. "When's the date?"

"Tomorrow. Lucy said she needed time to prepare or something." Natsu briefly raised his shoulders. "Maybe on our date, I can… grow closer with Lucy and love her the same way she loves me." Natsu gazed at the sky and closed the book. Even though we're pretty much already close… but that's why he wanted to figure things out.

Wendy couldn't stop a frown from clawing away at her mouth. Hearing him say that sent a coursing pain through her heart. Natsu loving her the same way Lucy loves him… She couldn't blame him, though. He was just trying to understand her feelings…

But I want you to understand me too.

"… I hate it."

"… Hmmm?" Natsu turned his head to her.

"I hate it… whenever you and Lucy are together." Wendy gritted her teeth, clenching her hands into fists.

"W-Wendy? What are you…" Natsu's eyes widened.

"Why won't you look at me that way, Natsu?" Wendy intertwined her fingers with his hand, closing the distance between herself and him with every sentence she uttered. "Why? Am I not attractive enough? Am I not good enough?"

I can't hold back my feelings anymore.

"W-Wendy…?"

"I'm so afraid… of losing you. I'm so afraid of losing you to Lucy. I don't want to lose what we have."

"H-Huh?" Natsu blinked a few times in confusion.

"I can't keep going on like this… lying to myself."

"W-What do you-"

I'm sorry, Lucy.

"I love you, Natsu." Wendy pulled his arm, bringing his face closer to hers, and pushed her lips against his cheek.

Chu!

"… Wha." Happy froze in mid-air.

"Hah…" Carla's mouth dropped to the floor.

"…" Natsu was speechless, still trying to process what the hell just happened. What…

Wendy's heart accelerated, her heartbeat filling her ears. She squeezed Natsu's hand to comfort herself. Her face flushed red, awaiting his response.

Natsu looked straight at her, realizing the words she just uttered. For an instant, he considered asking what she meant.

But he knew better.

He wasn't going to make a fool of himself this time.

He didn't need to ask her what she meant. Sensing the strength in her gaze, the emotions in her voice…

She confessed to me.

Not a familial love.

But a romantic love.

Natsu took a deep breath, slowly understanding the situation. He was now fully aware that Wendy, a girl he's seen as his little sister for so long, just confessed to him. It wasn't the love one would share between family, as he misunderstood the first time. He was… dumbstruck on how to react. He was still trying to understand Lucy's feelings, but now this?

A moment of silence passed. Nervousness was setting into Wendy's body. Waiting for any response from him felt like a painful eternity.

"I'm sorry." Wendy stood up quickly, wanting to run away, afraid of hearing his answer. "I shouldn't have said anything. Forget about it." Wendy took a step forward, but her arm was grabbed immediately.

"Don't go."

Wendy froze in place, unable to form any coherent thoughts. This was nerve-wrecking for her heart. She just wanted to disappear. "Please… let me go-"

"… I appreciate you told me your feelings, Wendy."

Huh? Wendy turned around to look at Natsu.

"I don't know how to describe it… there's this odd feeling in my chest… in my heart? I don't know, but…"

But… Wendy shut her eyes, bracing herself for the worst scenario.

"I… need some time to figure out what I feel." Natsu stood up, letting go of Wendy's arm. "I don't know if I can… give an answer to your feelings right now."

"Natsu…"

"You'd probably prefer… an answer right now." Natsu averted his gaze. "But… could you wait until I can finally figure out my feelings?" He asked, giving the same sincerity he had for Lucy. "I don't want to put you what I've put Lucy through." The last thing he needed was for Wendy to cry. Seeing Lucy cry was already terrible enough.

Wendy stayed silent. She understood why Natsu answered this way. He was doing his best to understand his feelings. Lucy's feelings. My feelings. Feelings he's never experienced growing up.

"Wendy!" A voiced called out, interrupting their moment. "We gotta go soon!"

Taking this as an opportunity to break out of this situation, Wendy turned to the voice and saw Gray waving at her. "I have to go. I-I'll see you, later." Wendy bowed to him, then quickly ran to the other Fairy Tail members heading for the mission. Carla immediately followed behind, flying with her wings.

"Wendy, wait!" Natsu reached out his hand, but his legs didn't budge. He only watched as she ran to Erza.

"Did you have a good talk with him?" Erza asked as she approached.

Wendy remained silent. She nodded and looked away, not wanting to meet Erza's gaze.

"… All right." Erza smiled, then began leading the group towards the train station.

"Wendy…" Natsu simply watched as the other members head on to the train station. He dropped to the bench, many thoughts swirling in his head.

"… Are you okay, Natsu?" Happy asked, putting a paw on his thigh.

"… I don't know, buddy." Natsu stretched out his arms. "I don't know." He hoped he handled Wendy's confession well. She didn't say anything, though. I might have misunderstood her confession if it weren't for Lucy…

"I can't believe Wendy just confessed her feelings to you." Happy said. "I'm so… shocked." Back then, he joked about Wendy liking Natsu. He never expected it would actually happen.

"Mhmm…" Natsu's mind drifted to the time he talked with Wendy about Lucy's confession.


"Do you love anyone… romantically, Wendy?"

"E-Eh?!"

"Oh, you don't have to answer it. I was just curio-"

"N-No, it's fine! There is… someone I love."

"Oh. Do they love you romantically too?"

"… No. He… doesn't know about my feelings."

"I see. Would it make you happy if he felt the same?"

"… Yeah. I would be really happy if he did."


Was she… talking about me? Natsu thought. How long did Wendy have feelings for him? Has she always wanted to grow closer to him? More than what they are now? She's like my sister... he felt they were practically close already. This is tough…

I love you. Her words repeated in his mind over and over.

Natsu stood up, adjusting his scarf. I don't know how to deal with this. "Happy, let's go to the guild."

"Aye, sir." Happy perched on his shoulder. "Is there somebody you want to talk to?"

"Yeah..." Thinking of a certain barmaid, he began walking in the direction of the guild.

The duo walked in silence for a while. Eventually, Happy spoke up.

"Hey, Natsu?"

"Yeah?"

"Will you accept Lucy's feelings?"

"Hmmm, I would like to." Natsu turned his head to him. "I need to figure out my feelings first, though."

"I see." Happy nodded. That means Wendy will sadly be… "Then… what about Wendy's fee-"

"… Oh, I just thought of a great idea!" Natsu placed his right fist on to his left palm.

"Huh?" I don't like the sound of that. "And that is…?"

"Why don't I just accept both their feelings? That way, I could grow closer to both of them!" Natsu declared with confidence.

"…"

"… Er, Happy?"

"I'm sorry, Natsu… but that is the dumbest idea I've heard from you yet." Happy spread his wings and flew in front of him. "Throw that idea away."

"W-Why? What's wrong with it?" Natsu asked with genuine concern.

"Listen, Natsu…" Happy sighed, thinking of how to explain this. "I'm almost certain neither Lucy nor Wendy would like that."

"Eh? Why not?"

"Hmmm…" Happy crossed his paws. He honestly didn't know how to explain this. "Let's say… you're eating some… special fish."

"… Okay?"

"And you absolutely love this fish. Because it's quite special to you."

Natsu hummed in response, still not grasping the message.

"Now imagine Gray wants this special fish, too. How do you feel?"

"Why, I would cave his face in, of course! He ain't having my food." Natsu folded his arms.

"Yeah! That's it!" Happy exclaimed.

"Eh?" Natsu blinked a few times.

"It's just like that. Think of yourself as the special fish, and both Lucy and Wendy want you. How do you think they would feel about each other?"

"Oh… I guess… they wouldn't want to share?" Natsu replied.

"Yeah! They don't want you to love anyone else." Happy struck a pose. "Now, do you get it?"

"Wait, if that's how it is, then… doesn't that mean I'll have to… not accept one of their confessions?" Natsu asked with a sad tone.

"… Yeah." Happy nodded. He figured Natsu would be uncomfortable with this. But… it's bound to happen.

"Won't they… feel hurt?"

"… Yeah."

Natsu remained silent, clenching his fists. I can't do such a thing… hurting my friends? Wendy's words flashed through his mind almost instantly.

"And this kind of love… it's something you'd realize for a person."

Natsu put his arms behind his head. She did say that…

Back when he tried to confess to Juvia and Jellal to see their reactions, they didn't accept it because they had feelings for someone else. So, this feeling… it's only for a person, huh? And we'd want that person to return this feeling. Natsu was slowly getting the hang of this. That means Lucy and Wendy would want me to return their feelings… and I can't just accept both of them together.

Natsu wasn't sure how he felt about both of them. He loved both Lucy and Wendy dearly. Lucy was his best friend, his own partner. Wendy was like his own sister, a fellow dragon slayer. The question is… do I have any romantic feelings for them? More accurately, who do I have romantic feelings for? He didn't know the answer.

Not yet.


In the guild hall…

Natsu walked into the guild, looking for a certain someone to talk with about the matters of the heart. Natsu looked at the bar in particular, noticing it wasn't occupied by a certain girl with white, long hair but…

"Lisanna?" Natsu called to her as he approached the bar.

"Oh, hey there, Natsu! Happy!" Lisanna greeted them with a smile.

"Hi, Lisanna!" Happy greeted her back.

"What can I get for you?"

"Where's Mirajane? I'd like to talk with her." Natsu asked.

"Oh, she's quite busy at the moment. She's currently being held up with some important stuff."

"Oh, I see." Natsu nodded. I suppose I could look for her later…

"I could pass on a message to her if you'd like."

"Hmmm…" Natsu folded his arms in deep thought. "Actually, Lisanna, could I talk with you for a bit? If you're not busy."

"Oh, sure, Natsu! I'm not really busy at the moment." Lisanna went over to the other side of the counter to sit with Natsu. "What would you like to talk about?"

"It's about… Lucy." Natsu took a seat beside her. "I would like some… advice if you don't mind."

"Oh…?" Lisanna raised an eyebrow. That's rare. "Sure, Natsu."

"So… uh… something happened between us." Natsu scratched his cheek. "Lucy…"

Lisanna waited patiently. Did something happen between them?

"She… confessed to me."

"… Huh?" Lisanna blinked a few times.

"Yeah, she… confessed her feelings to me." Natsu bowed his head down.

"O-Oh…" Lisanna was taken aback by what she just heard.

"At first, I didn't understand what she meant." Natsu crossed his arms on the table. "I didn't know what it meant to confess your feelings to someone you love."

"I see…" Lisanna understood. Having been Natsu's childhood friend, Natsu never really had much experience with romantic feelings. After returning from Edolas, Lisanna noticed how close Lucy and Natsu were. Lisanna thought they had feelings for each other because they were practically partners, but it appears to be one-sided…

"Did you… respond to her feelings?" Lisanna asked.

"No… not yet." Natsu shook his head. "I told her I wanted to understand these feelings… what it means to love someone first before I could answer her feelings."

Lisanna held back a giggle. That's so like you, Natsu. Always straightforward.

"So I've been trying to learn about… romance, feelings, and stuff. Juvia's been a great help! She lent me this book." Natsu showed the book to Lisanna.

"I see! How nice of her." A romance book? Lisanna found it amusing. I guess Juvia would be the most obvious choice to learn about this.

"I haven't really understood what these feelings mean… but I think I'm getting there." Natsu chuckled.

"This must all be pretty new to you, isn't it?" Lisanna asked.

"Yeah… honestly, it's enough to give me a headache." Natsu rubbed his forehead.

"Haha, oh really?"

"I'm sure this headache is nothing compared to what Lucy is facing with her feelings." Natsu sighed. "I actually misunderstood her confession when she said she loved me."

"Ah… you didn't know her love was romantic?" Lisanna guessed.

"Yeah… we did get into a small argument, but it's all good now." Natsu smiled.

Lisanna hummed in response. "I see. Good to hear that."

"I guess it's a good thing I didn't repeat my mistake the second time…" Natsu rested his face on his hand which was plopped on the counter.

"… The second time?" Lisanna tilted her head. Did Lucy confess twice? Considering this was Natsu, she wouldn't be surprised if Lucy had to get her point across.

"Yeah… actually, before I came here…" Natsu rubbed the back of his neck. "I talked with Wendy for a bit before she went on her mission.

"Oh, did you ask her about Lucy too?" Lisanna did notice before that Erza, Gray, Juvia, and Wendy were discussing a mission.

"No. She… confessed to me all of a sudden."

"I see!" Lisanna stared at Natsu for a while. "… Huh?"

"Yeah, she confessed to me…" Natsu said in a low voice.

"… We're talking about Lucy, right?"

"No, Wendy." Natsu corrected her.

"Wendy?" Lisanna blinked a few times, processing what she just heard, then turned to Happy for assistance.

"You heard him right." Happy briefly raised his shoulders. "I watched it happen… I wouldn't have believed it if I wasn't there."

"… Wendy? The sky dragon slayer? She… confessed to you?"

"Yeah." Natsu nodded.

"Oh." Lisanna took a deep breath. "… Both of them? You got confessed to by… Lucy and Wendy?"

"Yeah." Natsu nodded again.

"Wow…" So, Lucy and Wendy… confessed to Natsu.

The first time Lisanna met Wendy was back in Edolas. It was when Natsu and Wendy stumbled in to Edolas's Fairy Tail, and Lisanna happened to see them. Natsu, she was shocked yet glad to see… but Wendy? She guessed she was someone who joined Fairy Tail recently. The impression she felt from their relationship was that of a brother and sister.

During the Fairy Night, Lisanna saw Natsu and Wendy dance together. If she had to choose which couple deserved the spotlight, it would certainly be them. She thought they displayed a cute brother and sister relationship… but she had no idea Wendy's feelings extended beyond that. Lucy, she could understand totally, but Wendy? She was still wrapping her head around that. What a twist…

Come to think of it, I remember now I sensed a hostile glare from her when Natsu tried to hug me…

"I thought about accepting both their feelings, but Happy said it was a terrible idea." Natsu huffed. "if you ask me, it's a genius idea!"

"It IS a terrible idea, Natsu!" Happy stomped his feet.

Lisanna laughed at their banter. "Natsu, you definitely shouldn't do that."

"Yeah… I guess I kind of understand that." Natsu tapped the counter a few times with his fingers. "But to accept one of their feelings… won't the other one feel hurt?"

"Ah…" Lisanna's eyes widened in realization. Natsu had a high sense of loyalty. He valued bonds with his fellow guildmates. He would never do anything to severe the bonds, not even a little. But considering his current… situation where two girls confessed to him, he didn't have any choices where neither of their feelings couldn't be hurt.

"Hey, Natsu, could I see the book?"

"Oh, sure." Natsu handed the book to her.

"Let's see here…" Lisanna flipped through the pages to find whether a particular scene existed. "Ah! Look at this, Natsu." Lisanna placed the book on the table.

"Okay…"

The current page displayed the main character watching over her love interest interacting with another girl.

"What do you see here?"

"I see… this girl's looking at two people?"

"How about her expression? What does it look like?"

"Hmmm…" Natsu scanned the character's expression in closer detail. "She seems… sad? Angry?"

"All right, why do you think she's feeling like that?"

"Hmmm… maybe she hates the other two people there?"

"Ahah, not exactly." Lisanna chuckled. "She loves the boy here, so that can't be it. What do you think could be the reason?"

"Hmmm…" Natsu wrecked his brain for an answer but couldn't figure it out. "I don't get it, Lisanna."

"She's jealous, Natsu. That's the answer."

"She's… jealous?" Natsu raised an eyebrow. "What's she jealous of?"

"She's jealous of the other girl here who's talking to the boy she loves." Lisanna pointed to the other female character.

"I see…" Natsu replayed Happy's example in his mind, then immediately his eyes lighted up. "You're saying the girl doesn't like it when this girl talks to the boy? She doesn't like sharing the boy with others?"

"… Right! You could put it that way, yes." Lisanna nodded. She was a bit astonished Natsu managed to pick on it quickly. I wouldn't exactly say sharing, but he understands. "All right, so now, how do you think Lucy and Wendy would feel about each other if you accepted both their feelings?"

"… They would be… jealous of each other?" Natsu answered reluctantly.

"Right, right. They would be jealous of each other. It would also… create some concerns between you and them."

"Hmmm…" Natsu crossed his arms and sighed in deep thought. "This is complicated…"

"Haha, don't think too much about it. Relationships are quite complicated to begin with, Natsu." Lisanna patted his shoulder. "At least right now, you're aware Lucy and Wendy have romantic feelings for you. You should figure out what you feel about them first."

"I see." Natsu took her words to heart. "How do I know what I… feel about them?"

"Hmmm… I can't really answer that, Natsu. I've never… fallen in love." Lisanna hesitated for a moment, then put her hand over her heart. "It's just something… you feel inside here."

Similar to what Juvia said before, I'll feel it in my heart. Natsu thought.

"It is entirely possible," Lisanna folded her arms, "that you might not love either of them romantically."

"Huh?" Natsu's eyes widened. "That means…"

"If you… truly don't love either of them, you'd turn down both their feelings."

"W-Wait, doesn't that mean both of them would feel hurt?" Natsu unintentionally slammed the table.

"Yes, Natsu…" She figured he wouldn't like hearing that.

"I can't do that…"

"It depends on what you truly feel about them." Lisanna gazed into his eyes. "You already know this, but you have to be completely honest with them about how you feel, Natsu."

"… Even if it means…"

"The best you can do for them is to be respectful and upfront towards their feelings, even if… it's not the answer they want to hear."

Natsu was a straightforward person. He'd never lie to his dear friends. But with the girls' feelings involved, it was giving him a hard time to think straight. Seeing either Lucy or Wendy cry sent his heart sharp pangs.

"I believe in you, Natsu. You'll figure it out." Lisanna gently held his hand. "You always do."

"This… is really complicated, Lisanna." Natsu ruffled his hair in frustration. Was romantic love supposed to be this difficult? He thought he was getting the hang of it, but maybe he wasn't. Why did it have to involve potentially hurting someone? Even worse, two of the closest girls to him of Team Natsu. Misunderstanding Lucy's confession had already put her through a lot of pain. Now what if, in the end, he didn't feel the same way?

"Take some time to think about it." Lisanna squeezed his hand. "I'm sure you'll know what to do when the time comes."

Natsu took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He trusted in his childhood friend's words. He was going to take some time to think about this dilemma.

"Strangely enough, this brings me back to our childhood, Natsu." Lisanna giggled.

"Huh?" Natsu scratched his head. "Our childhood? Why's that?"

"Do you still remember when we found Happy before he was born? The egg?"

"… Oh!" Natsu's eyes lighted up in realization. "That sure was a fun time, Lisanna."

"Yeah! It just… reminded me when we raised it together."

"… You're right about that."


A long time ago, when Natsu was still a kid, he found an egg he suspected to be a dragon egg in the forest. Lisanna offered to raise the egg together with him.

"It's almost like we're a family now, huh?"

"How do you figure?"

"Well, you've got a mommy and a daddy, and the egg is like our little baby that hasn't been born yet."

"… I guess that doesn't sound so bad."

Natsu took his role as the father seriously, quite evident when he said "Cause I'm the dad, I gotta protect my family!" against a forest Vulcan who wanted to eat the egg.

An interesting memory from back then is when it was raining, and Natsu and Lisanna needed to return to the shelter Lisanna had built. Lisanna told him to wait outside for a bit as she entered the shelter. She basically wanted to play House with him. And as Natsu entered…

"Welcome back, dear!"

"Oh, uh… what?"

"I said…. Welcome back, dear!"

"Oh… hi, honey. I'm home…?"

And perhaps what might have been the first and only time he experienced romantic feelings…

"It's been fun playing house with you. Maybe someday, I could be your real wife?"

"What… what got you thinking about that?"

Of course, she was only joking. They were only children having fun. Although, Natsu couldn't deny that some feelings were stirred within him when she asked that.


"You asked to be my wife, didn't you?" Natsu asked bluntly.

"A-Ah… we were just playing House, Natsu." Feeling embarrassed, Lisanna waved a hand.

"Haha, yeah." Natsu chuckled. That had been the only time he felt this way, but after getting confessed to… those feelings from back then resurfaced.

"If you were my wife, that would mean… you'd love me romantically, right?"

"Hypothetically, yes." Lisanna blushed. "A husband and wife would love each other romantically."

"Yeah… the same as a girlfriend and a boyfriend, isn't it?"

"… Right you are, Natsu." Lisanna figured he just wanted to make sure.

"I see." Natsu nodded. He wondered… maybe this wasn't the first time he experienced those feelings.

Feelings are complicated.

..

.


In a train…

..

..

"So, we're not travelling into some mysterious forest this time?" Gray asked, looking out at the moving scenery.

"No, not this time." Erza replied, reading the job flyer. "We'll be heading to a local village. Supposedly, this task involves clearing out a monster nest. It's been bothering the village for some time."

"Huh, I see. Guess it won't be too crazy like last time."

"Gray darling, don't you want to use my soft lap pillow?" Juvia patted her lap.

"Wha-? No, I'm not feeling sleepy!" Gray exclaimed, feeling flustered at her sudden question.

"You will when you're feeling sleepy then?" Juvia clasped her hands.

"I didn't say that either!"

"Will you guys keep it down?!" Gajeel uttered, stomping the floor. "Go get a room if you wanna get lovey-dovey." He was trying to handle his motion sickness. Wendy had already casted Troia, so it was somewhat bearable.

Besides this compartment, a lone girl was sitting in the compartment next to them, simply gazing through the window. She chose to sit alone because she wanted to hide her mood from them. She didn't want to bring the atmosphere down.

Carla observed her dragon slayer sitting in silence. She wondered why Wendy still joined on the mission. Was she afraid of facing Natsu? Did she just want to distract herself? Carla wasn't sure if this was the right way of doing things. With them on the mission, Natsu and Lucy are left with their own company of each other… which doesn't exactly bode well for Wendy. She must be fully aware of that, taking on this mission. Not to mention… she confessed to Natsu all of a sudden, taking Carla by surprise. Did she do it on impulse? I would like to ask her… but she doesn't seem to be in the mood to talk.

Not feeling interested in the conversation, Gajeel turned his head to the other side, glancing at Wendy. He sensed something… off about her. And it didn't feel good, seeing her sitting alone, when she should be with the rest of them. It ain't my business but… sigh. Gajeel stood up and walked over to her compartment. They were fellow dragon slayers, after all.

"Hey, Wendy." Gajeel sat on the side opposite of her.

"…" No response. Her gaze was still fixed on the window.

"Wendy?" Gajeel raised his voice a little louder.

"H-Huh?" Wendy's eyes widened, then she shook her head. "G-Gajeel?"

"Hey." Gajeel waved. "Why are you alone?"

"I…" Wendy looked off to the side. "I just want to be alone."

"Is that so." Gajeel crossed his arms. "Is something bothering ya?"

"…" Wendy remained silent. She opened her mouth but chose not to say anything.

Suppose she doesn't want to talk about it then. Gajeel stood up, about to leave. "My bad. I'll be goi-"

"Wait." Wendy said weakly. "There's… something I want to talk to you about."

"Hmmm?" Gajeel sat back down. "Okay."

"Uhm… this is kind of a weird question." Wendy twiddled her fingers.

"Really… I won't know if you don't ask."

"You and Levy… love each other very much, right?"

"… Heh?" Gajeel blinked a few times, processing her question.

"Both of you are… happy together, right?"

"W-Why are you asking about Levy?!" Gajeel exclaimed, blushing a bit. Forget weird, this is downright ridiculous!

"I'm just… curious, that's all." Wendy bowed her head downwards.

"Hmmm…" Gajeel rubbed his forehead. With the mood I'm sensing from her, asking about Levy was not what I expected. "Yeah, I love her. A lot. She's my happiness."

"I see." Wendy smiled weakly. "Gajeel, if… Levy didn't feel the same way about you, what would you do?"

"… What is up with your questions, Wendy?" Gajeel scoffed. That question just escalated to a new level.

"S-Sorry, ahah… you don't have to answer it if you don't want." Wendy rubbed the back of her head.

"Well…" Gajeel sighed in deep thought, his eyes resting on the window. "To answer your question, Wendy… I don't know."

"Huh?"

"… I don't really know what I would be doing right now if Levy didn't feel the same way." Gajeel closed his eyes, recalling his memories with her. "It's… hard, even painful to think about."

"Painful…" Wendy whispered.

"You might already know Juvia and me used to be enemies of Fairy Tail. I messed Levy up real bad. It's something I regret, even to this day." Guilt rose in Gajeel's face. "But… she forgave me, accepted me as a member of Fairy Tail. Because of her, I've learnt what it means to love, what it means to protect those dear to me."

Wendy joined Fairy Tail a while later after Gajeel and Juvia. She heard stories about Gajeel singlehandedly destroying Fairy Tail's guild, but she found it hard to believe. The Gajeel she knew now was quite loyal and sensible.

"I've become the person I am now because of her. I was always a loner, only gave a damn about myself. But she… she made me a decent person… capable of loving others… loving her."

"Mhmm…" Wendy nodded lightly. It was interesting hearing Gajeel talk so fondly of Levy.

"During the Alvarez invasion, I nearly died protecting her. At that moment, I realized I was so afraid of dying." Gajeel clenched his fists. "I wanted a future with her… a future where she and I could be happy together… and the craziest part? She felt the same way about me."

"… That's really nice to hear."

"And here I am now, going to be a father of two. I couldn't have asked for a better future." Gajeel chuckled, then focused his eyes on Wendy. "That's why, Wendy… I don't know how to answer your question. I don't know where the hell on Earth I would be without her." He folded his arms. "I would be nothing."

"I… see…" Wendy's body began trembling.

"… This is embarrassing." Gajeel said, realizing he went on a ramble. "Keep this between you and me, will ya? Don't you dare tell Le-… Wendy?"

"I don't… know where I would be… without Natsu too…" Wendy said between sobs, tears travelling down her cheeks. Thinking about Natsu not feeling the same way she did… that was all it took break the dam.

"W-Wendy?! Why are you crying? What's wrong?" Gajeel stood up abruptly. Was my story too emotional?!

"I'm not crying! I'm not…!" Wendy started sobbing, trying to hold her tears as best as she could.

"W-Wendy, d-don't cry!" Gajeel frantically waved his hands around. The hell am I supposed to do when a girl cries?!

"What's going on here?" A voice approached them.

"Erza!" Gajeel turned around and saw Erza and Carla.

"Why is Wendy crying? What did you do to her?" Erza rushed to Wendy's side and wrapped her arm around her body. Carla flew to Wendy's lap.

"I didn't do anything! We were just talking about… things… and she started crying!"

Erza gave Gajeel a judgmental glance, then turned to Wendy. "There, there, Wendy…" She rubbed her back gently.

Wendy covered her face with her hands, not wanting anyone to see her in this state. She rubbed her tears away as much as she could.

Wendy… Carla could take a few guesses why she started crying. She must have reached her breaking point, unable to bear being fine with Natsu and Lucy's relationship. Unless they decided to postpone the mission, there was nothing they could do.

Gajeel walked back to the other compartment, leaving Wendy to Erza and Carla's company.

"What happened, Gajeel?" Lily asked.

"Don't ask me." Gajeel briefly raised his shoulders, then sat down beside Lily.

"What did you say to her, man?" Gray glanced at Wendy.

"How am I supposed to know? She just…"

"I don't… know where I would be… without Natsu too…"

She mentioned Salamander, but why? Gajeel put a hand on his chin. I've always noticed something different about her since the Queen's game… but it's just a hunch.

"You look like you realized something." Juvia said, observing his expression.

"… No, it's nothing." Casting the thought away, Gajeel crossed his arms and reclined his back to the seat. I don't even know what it is about her… but I suspect something is going on between…

"I hope… she'll be okay." Juvia said with concern. "We should let her rest."

"Yeah." Gray agreed. "Let's leave it to Erza."

Eventually, Wendy cried herself to sleep on Erza's lap. Erza gently caressed her head, making sure she slept soundly.

"How is she?" Carla asked.

"Sound asleep." Erza sighed. "She's very tired. I'll let her rest."

"… She must have been bearing it for so long."

"Indeed." Erza bowed her head down to look at Wendy's calm expression. "I can't imagine how hard she was bottling her feelings."

"… I should have prevented her from coming on this mission." Carla gritted her teeth. I should have done something.

"What's happened has happened, Carla. Don't blame yourself. She… wanted to come on this mission." Erza gently ran her fingers through Wendy's hair.

"… But what's going to happen after we come back from our mission?"

"… I'm afraid I don't know, Carla." Erza sighed deeply. She knew what Carla was implying.

I don't know.