Haloha, everyone. Hope you're having a good day! Thanks for the reviews as always!
I thought I'd have some fun with the direction of where this chapter and the next chapter will be going, ahah. I'll be setting up for some NaWen and GruVia moments in the next chapter, then Jerza in the one after.
Anyhow, enjoy reading!
Chapter 27: Girls' Time!
"They're finally together… what a surprise." The scarlet-haired woman whispered to none other than herself as she savored the last slice of her strawberry cake. She began humming a tune to express her cheerful mood.
"Seems like someone's in a good mood." The bartender walked in, bringing a glass of water for the person in front of her.
"Oh, Mira." Erza bowed her head lightly to greet Mirajane.
"Were you blessed by fortune recently, perhaps?" Mirajane asked, placing the glass on the table.
"Well… not me exactly." Erza waved a hand. "It's Wendy who was blessed, to be precise."
"Ah, you mean her and Natsu?" Mirajane smiled, clasping her cheek. "That is a delightful blessing for hers truly."
"I'm happy for them." Erza smiled sweetly, tracing the rim of the glass with her fingers. "Wendy's just been so adorable. And Natsu's displaying emotions he rarely shows."
"I couldn't agree more." Mirajane rested her arms on the table. "It didn't go according to my plan, but this works well too."
"Your plan?" Erza inquired, shifting in her seat.
"Oh, you know." Mirajane flicked her wrist forward. "I played my cards so Natsu and Lucy could end up together." But this works well in its own right.
"I see." Erza nodded reluctantly. "We know how that turned out in the end." Right, she had been trying to match them together…
"Well, speaking of relationships…" Mirajane inched closer towards Erza's face. "How's yours going?"
"… What do you mean?"
"Oh, you know what I mean!" Mirajane clasped her hands together cheerfully. "I'm talking about you and Jellal!"
"… Eh?" Erza blinked, then stood up in surprise, heat rising in her face. "W-W-What are you talking about? What does Jellal have to do with this?"
"Come now, it's time for you to catch up with Wendy!" Mirajane giggled. "Admit it. You haven't made much progress with him, have you?"
"Well, I…" Groaning, Erza rubbed her forehead. "Don't put your nose where it doesn't belong."
"Oh, that's such a shame to hear." Mirajane shook her head in a dramatic manner, then snapped her fingers to reveal card-like items in her hand. "And here I thought, I could be of assistance."
"… Huh?" Erza's ears twitched.
"You see what I have right here?" Mirajane waved the items, as if fanning her face. "I have, right here, six tickets to a premium resort! How convenient!"
Erza's eyes widened in disbelief. "Six tickets? How did you…"
"Oh, don't mind the little details." Mirajane waved her hand away. "I just got lucky and won these tickets while I was shopping."
Somehow, I doubt that. Erza thought. This must be her notorious matchmaking senses coming into play.
"Unfortunately, I don't have any use for these tickets." Mirajane exaggerated a sigh, dropping her shoulders.
"I see…?" Erza rested her head on her hand. "Why are you telling me this?"
"I wouldn't mind lending you these tickets. These have better use in your hands." Mirajane winked, motioning her gaze to the tickets. "In return, I would like to ask you a favor."
"A favor?" Erza folded her arms in curiosity.
"You noticed how I have six tickets here, right?" Mirajane placed the tickets down on the table, spread so all six could be seen.
"Yes, what about it?" Erza's eyes scanned the tickets carefully. A resort, huh?
"Wouldn't it be nice if you and Jellal could spend some sweet time together?"
"Hmmm, what are you suggesting?" Erza asked, a light blush appearing on her cheeks.
"Assuming you take two for yourself and Jellal, that leaves four." Mirajane whispered in a suggestive tone. "See what I'm getting at…?"
"… Oh." A light bulb flashed over Erza's head. "Oh."
While the two S-Class wizards discussed this plan of Mira's, Natsu was standing in front of the request board. His eyes scanned from flyer to flyer, trying to find anything that could catch his interest. Although, this was all a pretense, as he was actually waiting for Wendy to come back. Maybe he could ask Wendy to go on a mission together, just the two of them. He figured he should make up for time she was away from him. Considering she was talking with Lucy, he was reluctant to step out of the guild, but he strongly believed those two would be fine.
"Hmmm… this mission looks fun." Natsu took a flyer off the request board, scanning its description intently. Unsurprisingly, it's a monster subjugation mission which fits his definition of fun. Natsu, you're always about fighting this, fighting that. Try something different once in a while. "On second thought…" Natsu put the flyer back. He was slightly worried Wendy wouldn't find this fun as much as he did. A sigh escaped his mouth.
"Hmmm… what about this?" Another flyer caught his interest. He took it off the request board. It wasn't a monster subjugation mission this time. He read the colorful logo at the top of the flyer, which was really hard to miss.
Help Wanted at Naturalé Café!
"Huh… help wanted." Natsu stroked his chin thoughtfully as he read the job description and the reward. The reward's better than I thought. It seemed a new café just opened recently, and they're looking for people to fill in some work shifts. Though what brought his attention to this flyer was the fact that they're looking for two people to help with the café. Perfect for him, if he could invite Wendy.
"Yo, Natsu." A voice called out to him.
"Hmmm…?" Natsu turned his neck to his side, noticing two familiar faces. "Oh, hey… how'd it go with… Lucy?" He directed the question to the person beside Gray.
"She went back to her apartment. She told me to let you know she'll be fine…" Wendy answered timidly, clutching her arm. "Oh, she also said we have her blessings."
"She said that, didn't she…" Natsu softly smiled, raising his head high. Thank you, Lucy.
Sensing an awkward atmosphere in the air, Gray lightly drove his fist into Wendy's head. "Well, once again, congrats to both of you!"
"Hey, G-Gray!" Wendy swiped his hand away. "That hurt!"
"Haha, I bet you're really happy, though!" Gray smirked.
"Mrmrmrm…" Wendy couldn't exactly deny his statement, so she pouted.
"Wendy." Natsu turned to face her.
"W-What is it, Natsu?" Wendy's eyes lighted up. She noticed the flyer he had been holding for a while. Is he… going to ask me to go on a mission? Just the two of us? That thought left her cheeks red.
"I was wondering if you'd like to-"
"Wendy! Just who I was looking for!" Another loud voice called out, interrupting whatever Natsu was going to ask Wendy. The wizards turned to the voice, seeing Erza and Carla flying beside her.
"Me…?" Confused, Wendy pointed to herself.
"What's up, Erza?" Gray asked.
"Pardon the interruption." Erza walked up to Wendy, grabbed her, and swung her over her shoulder with ease. "I'll be borrowing her for a while, Natsu."
"… O-Okay?" Natsu responded on reflex.
"E-Eh, Erza?!" Surprised, Wendy turned her head to her. "What are you…?"
Happy and Carla flew to them. "I tried to reason with her, child." Carla hovered over Wendy's back. "She wouldn't listen to me at all."
"We're just going to have a little girls' time." Erza patted Wendy's back. "Juvia's waiting for us! Let's not keep her waiting."
"Girls' time, you say…" Gray questioned her motive.
"Hold on, Erza." Natsu reached out. "I want to-"
"Well then, we'll be on our way! See you later, you two." Erza waved to Natsu and Gray, then walked out of the guildhall.
"H-Hey! Put me down, Erza!" Wendy cried out, their figure slowly disappearing, leaving the fire and ice wizards alone. "Carla, help me!"
Carla simply sighed, following after them.
"… You're not going to stop her, Natsu?" Gray asked, turning his head to him.
"… stop Erza?" Natsu asked back, putting an emphasis on her name. A name that could strike fear into their own hearts.
"Point taken." Gray folded his arms.
"Aye." Happy raised his paw.
I guess this is how Wendy felt whenever she tried to invite me to the Harvest Festival those two times, huh. Natsu thought to himself.
"Hmmm…" Natsu brought his attention back to the flyer in his hand. His plan to invite Wendy was thrown out the window. Still… the experience and the reward are too good to pass up. Not a chance this time?
"Going on a mission, Natsu?" Happy asked, perching on his shoulder.
"What'cha got there?" Gray took a peek at his request.
"Say, do you want to take on this request together?" Natsu asked casually, shoving the flyer into his face.
"Heh? You're asking me?" Gray raised an eyebrow, taking the flyer in his hand. "Let's see here…" Naturalé Café, huh? The reward's surprisingly high.
"I was planning to ask Wendy but… I guess I'll just ask you then." Natsu put his arms behind his head. Conveniently, Gray just happened to be nearby while Happy didn't exactly qualify for this request. "What do you say?"
"This is neither your type nor my type of mission. Why would I want to go with…" Gray's voice trailed off as he realized something. Something crucial. Actually, I've been meaning to ask his advice on something…
"… I figured you'd say that." Natsu huffed, dropping his shoulders. "I'll just-"
Gray grabbed his shoulder. "Sure, why not?"
"Eh?" Natsu blinked in surprise. "You sure?"
"Yeah." Gray walked to the bar to find Mirajane. "Let's take this to Mira right now."
Natsu found his sudden eagerness slightly unnerving, but chose not to dwell on that thought. At least he could go on the mission and broaden his horizons.
"Hey, buddy?" Natsu turned his head to look at Happy. "Could I... ask you a favour?"
"What is it, Natsu?"
Natsu then whispered into his ear about his favour. Happy nodded as he listened to his words.
"Think you could do that for me?"
"Aye, sir!" Happy spread his wings and jumped off Natsu's shoulder. "Leave it to me!"
"Thanks a million, Happy." Natsu gave him a thumbs up, watching Happy leave the guild. "I'll catch you later."
"Mira!" Gray called out, putting down the flyer on the counter.
"Coming!" Mirajane approached them. "Going on a mission?" She took the request and scanned its contents. "Oh, this request… out of everyone, I didn't expect you to take it."
"It was Natsu's idea." Gray gave a side glance.
"Natsu?" Mirajane's eyes widened. Her gaze moved between Gray and Natsu, then back to the flyer. She then slammed the flyer on the counter with her palm, finally realizing what Gray just said moments ago.
"Wait, you and Natsu are taking on this mission? Together?" Mirajane asked, curiosity and awe in her voice. It was a rare sight to see the fire and ice duo take missions together, excluding the missions they take as part of Team Natsu. They're usually at each other's' throats first thing in the morning. What's even more surprising is the fact this wasn't a monster subjugation mission. Natsu and Gray took pride in their magical prowess and combat abilities, always competing with each other to be the strongest. In this request where those qualities didn't matter, what would this entail for them?
"Yeah." Natsu nodded. "Is something wrong?"
"No, not at all." Mirajane waved a hand to dismiss her concern. I wonder if Wendy's got anything to do with this? That was her next best guess. "I'll file in the request and inform the client."
"Great." Natsu gave a thumbs up, then turned around and tapped Gray's shoulder. "Let's go."
Soon, the duo exited the guildhall, leaving a very perplexed Mirajane behind, as she called the client using a lacrima device.
Between Natsu and Wendy becoming a couple or Natsu and Gray going on a mission together…
Which do I find more surprising? Mirajane giggled as she humored that thought away.
In the Fairy Hills dormitory…
…
…
…
"Fuahh!" Wendy plopped down on to her bed, bouncing slightly due to the impact. Erza had carried her back to her room from the guild for reasons she hadn't explained yet. Wendy could take a few guesses. They all had to do with her new relationship with Natsu. She figured Erza was going to ask a lot of questions. She could only pray it doesn't turn out into an interrogation.
Erza exited her room and went to Juvia's room to call her. They were going to have a girls' time, as Erza would like to call it.
"I hope she doesn't ask too much about Natsu…" Wendy muttered, her face buried in the pillow.
"I'll admit. I'm awfully curious myself." Carla chipped in, sitting on the bed.
"Awww, not you too, Carla…"
"Why didn't you tell me about it?" Carla crossed her paws.
"I… uh…" Wendy shifted her head to the side, wrapping her arms under the pillow. She was embarrassed to admit she was… well… embarrassed. I did cause quite a racket this morning…
"It's amusing you thought it was a dream." Carla giggled. "The look on your face was priceless."
"Carlaaa!" Wendy pouted, shifting herself into a sitting position.
"Joking aside, I'm truly happy for both of you." Carla smiled. "I'm interested in the details but I'll leave that to the other two."
"The other two…?" Wendy asked, tilting her head. She then heard a couple of knocks on her room door. Oh, it must be them! From the bed, Wendy slid her legs on to the floor.
"Come in-"
"WENDYYY!" A voice cried out, bursting in through the door.
"Eeep!" The sound of the door being swung open caused Wendy and Carla to flinch backwards. The voice belonged to none other than Juvia, whose tears were currently streaming down her face like a waterfall.
"J-Juvia?!" Wendy's expression grew in shock. Why is she crying?!
"CONGRATULATIONS!" Juvia held Wendy's hands, shaking them vigorously. "I'm so happy for you!"
"O-Oh, thank you…?" Wendy could only stare at her, dumbfounded.
"I broke the news to her." Erza entered her room, then closed the door behind her. "She started crying all of a sudden."
"I-I see…" Wendy chuckled awkwardly.
"Who's the lucky guy?" Juvia asked, eyes sparkling.
"Eh…?" Wendy went dotted eyes at her question. She glanced at Erza, who was shaking her head. Didn't Erza tell her?
"She ran out of the room before I could even finish telling her." Erza answered Wendy's thought. "Well, this is going to be a surprise…"
Erza sat on the floor, forming a circle with the other three wizards. Carla decided to change into her human form for fitting the occasion.
"Didn't Erza tell you about it, Juvia?" Wendy asked, sitting on her legs.
"She mentioned something about you having a boyfriend, and I just got too excited." Juvia rubbed the back of her hair, sticking a tongue out playfully.
"What she said." Erza nodded, folding her arms.
"A b-boyfriend…" Wendy pondered that word for a moment. Right, Natsu is my… boyfriend. I could get used to this. Without realizing, she smiled at the thought.
"So, who is it?" Juvia tucked her fists under her chin. "Don't leave me in the dark!"
"W-Well, he's…" Wendy scratched her cheek awkwardly, avoiding Juvia's intent gaze. "H-He's…"
"I must say, I want to hear it too." Carla smirked.
"I wholeheartedly agree with you, Carla." Erza followed.
Way to put on the pressure on me, both of you! Wendy furrowed her eyebrows at them.
"Is it someone I know?" Juvia asked.
"Of course, he's from the guild." Erza replied. "It's someone we all know and love."
"Hmmm…" Juvia put a finger on to her chin, drawing her head back. The many faces of the guild flashed through her mind one by one. It's certainly not Gray, at least.
"It's…" Wendy twirled her hair bang around her finger. "It's… Natsu."
"…" Juvia stared at Wendy for a few moments, processing the name she just uttered. "Come again…?"
"… Natsu." Wendy said again, timidly.
"… Oh." Juvia titled her head to the left, then to the right." Natsu, huh."
Both Erza and Carla raised three fingers up together, leaving Wendy confused. They slowly started counting down to zero, the time it took for Juvia to understand the situation.
Three.
Two.
One.
"WHAAAAAAAT?!" Juvia slammed the floor with her fists. "Natsu?! THE Natsu?!"
"Y-Yeah…" Wendy nodded, feeling heat rising in her face.
Juvia gripped her Russian-style hat, pulling it down to her face. Wendy and Natsu are going out?! She was doing her darndest to wrap her mind around that. Yes, I've thought before they were kind of romantic together, but never to this extent!
"J-Juvia…?" Wendy eyed her with concern.
Juvia quickly glanced at Erza, then to Carla. "D-Did both of you already know about this?"
"For a long while, indeed." Erza smiled. "Surely, you must have noticed how Wendy acted around Natsu?"
"She's terrible at hiding her feelings." Carla added. "Anyone would have noticed if they paid a little attention."
What's with you two teaming up against me? Wendy puffed her cheeks at them.
"I… guess I've noticed." Juvia said reluctantly, putting a finger on her chin. "I'm not sure… am I the only one out of the loop?!"
"Rest assured." Erza patted her shoulder. "I was surprised myself, despite already knowing about her feelings for Natsu."
"I second that." Carla followed. "After all, after his date... it could have gone either way."
"Oh, really?" Juvia asked. His date…? As she pondered that thought, it finally clicked in her mind who Carla was referring to. "Oh, right! Didn't Natsu and Lucy go on a date together? B-But that would mean Lucy…" She was beginning to piece the puzzle together.
"… That's right." Wendy spoke up. She figured it'd be better Juvia heard it from herself. "Lucy… well… she got turned down."
"Wow." Juvia stared in awe. "So they aren't… going out together." She always believed Natsu and Lucy would end up together, but to see Natsu with Wendy… that was leaving quite an impression on her. "All this time, Lucy was your love rival?"
"I… guess you could put it that way." Wendy replied.
"I see. So Lucy lost the battle." Juvia nodded to herself. "Did Natsu… confess to you?"
"… Yeah, he did." Wendy scratched her cheek awkwardly. Memories of his confession flashed through her mind, leaving a warmth in her chest.
"Oh, how I envy you!" Juvia gripped Wendy's hands, gazing into her eyes with bubbly ones. "Maybe you two were meant to be! You're both dragon slayers after all! How did Natsu confess to you?! Was he romantic?! Were his eyes burning with desire?!"
"H-Huh?" Wendy flinched backwards for her barrage of questions. She felt dumbfounded by Juvia's sudden change in behavior. I thought she'd focus more on the date and Lucy, but I guess I was wrong? Then again, this was Juvia.
"I am awfully curious about his confession." Erza asked. I can't quite picture Natsu confessing.
"Allow me to inform you, Erza." Carla smirked. "Wendy actually confessed to him, first!"
"WHAAAT?!" Both Erza and Juvia shouted in unison, slamming the floor with their palms.
"… Making the first move, eh? Nice." Erza nodded approvingly.
"W-W-Wendy confessed first?!" Juvia's eyes sparkled with excitement, her chest breathing heavily with anticipation. "I must know more!"
"Carla!" Wendy bonked her Exceed on the head. Her ears were burning red with embarrassment. I almost forgot Carla was there I confessed to him! I want to run away!
"How did you confess to him?" Juvia asked, crawling to Wendy's side.
"I-I just told him how I felt, that's all!" Wendy pouted, crossing her arms.
"You forgot to mention you kissed him on the cheek." Carla pointed to her own cheek playfully.
"HAAAH?!" Juvia's face was practically flaring up at this revelation. "Y-You kissed him on the cheek?" Even I wasn't able to successfully kiss Gray!
"… You're bolder than I thought, Wendy." Erza winked, a slight blush gracing her cheeks.
"CARLA!" Wendy grabbed a pillow from the bed behind her and threw it on to Carla's face. She's having way too much fun at my expense!
"T-Then, how did Natsu confess to you?" Juvia grabbed her arms, squeezing them after. "I need to know more!"
Sighing, Wendy resigned her fate to this girls' time. Oh well, when Juvia and Erza finally get into relationships, that'll be my time to tease them.
"W-Well, he… he told me felt the same way. That he loved me." Wendy averted her gaze as she remembered the events once more. The powerful gaze Natsu emitted into her eyes, the captivating sensation of his lips when he kissed her… she instinctively brushed her fingers against her lower lip, her entire face heating up at the thought of it.
"I love you, Wendy." Juvia struck a dramatic pose, talking in a lower vocal range, then reverted to her hopeful romantic self. "He must have said something like that, didn't he?"
"… S-Something like that." Wendy puckered her lips. Actually, it was those exact words. "He was… really cool."
"Awww!" Juvia squealed in joy, clasping her hands together. "That's so adorable, Wendy!" Floating hearts could practically be seen around the water mage.
"I noticed you touched your lip just a moment ago." Erza asked, observing her expression. "Natsu didn't JUST confess to you, didn't he?"
"Ehh?!" Wendy's eyes widened. She was now reminded of Erza's observational skills. Of course, she caught on to that. "I mean… he…"
"Well?" Erza inched closer towards her.
Wendy could feel their intense stares drilling into her skull. Seems like there's no escape for me.
"When he… confessed to me, I didn't believe him at first." Wendy took the pillow she threw at Carla and hugged it close to her chest.
"Oh. Why's that?" Erza asked in a curious tone.
"I thought he was saying it as family…" Wendy slowly buried her face into the pillow. "S-So I…"
"You…?" Juvia urged her on.
"I asked him to prove it to me…." Eventually, steam started blowing out of Wendy's ears as she recalled the events. Said events were vividly playing in her mind.
"… Wow." The girls uttered in unison. Her tomato-red expression was pretty much evidence of what Natsu did after he confessed.
"I'm so jealous! To think Natsu had it in him…" Juvia sniffed, thinking of Gray.
"I'll be honest, I didn't think you'd actually kiss him." Erza admitted, fanning her blushed cheeks.
"O-Oh, yeah… that, too." Wendy blurted out.
"Too?" Juvia raised an eyebrow. "Wait, what?"
"Oh, dear." Carla sighed in a playful manner.
"Ah." Wendy blinked at herself. I didn't mean to say that out loud. She jumped into her bed and dived under her blanket, wrapping herself like a cocoon. "OKAY, THAT'S ENOUGH!"
"I'm so envious of you, Wendy!" Juvia cried out, trying to remove the blanket from her body. "You need to teach me how to win Gray's heart!"
Gray, huh… that's right! Juvia wasn't aware of the bet he made with Wendy. "Oh, I'm sure it'll be fine, Juvia!" Wendy said in a strained tone, her voice muffled under the blanket.
"What does that mean?" Juvia asked, puzzled by her tone. She raised her arms on to the bed, standing on her knees. "Do you know something I don't? Tell me!"
A few laughs escaped Erza's lips as she watched her friends–friends she could affectionally call her sisters–banter with each other. Erza reminisced back on the day Wendy told her about her feelings (more accurately, she eavesdropped on her). I remember it as if it happened just yesterday. I can't wait to hear more of her adventures with Natsu.
"Oh!" Remembering something, Erza dug her hands into her pocket and took six tickets out. "Wendy. Juvia. There's something I'd like to talk to you about."
"What is it?" Wendy popped her head out of the blanket. Juvia turned her body to Erza.
Erza walked to the bed and sat on it. She spread the six tickets over the surface.
"Oooh, what's this, Erza?" Juvia asked, pointing at the tickets.
"Tickets to a premium resort." Erza said with a smile. "Mira asked me to give them to you two."
"Wow, a premium resort…" Juvia took one of the tickets, eyeing it very closely. "Sounds like a fancy place! Mira really said that?"
"She certainly did!"
"That's really nice of her." Wendy said, looking at the tickets. "Are you planning on going, Erza?"
"I'm interested." Erza nodded. "I would also love to invite both of you."
"There are six tickets, though." Juvia stated. "Who else are you planning on inviting?"
"Allow me to give you a hint." Erza took two tickets, leaving four on the bed. "Each of us will be taking a pair of tickets. And…"
"Two tickets for each of us?" Wendy whispered to herself, tilting her head at a curious angle.
"I… plan to invite Jellal to come along." Erza said, her cheeks blushing a bit.
"Oh." Juvia folded her arms, then realized what she was implying. "Oh!"
"Exactly." Erza nodded, waving her finger around. "Why not invite Natsu and Gray as well?"
And this was the favor Mirajane had asked of Erza. The condition for giving Erza the tickets was she also had to invite Natsu, Wendy, Gray, and Juvia. Mirajane simply wanted these couples to grow closer. She wanted Natsu and Wendy to make some fond memories as lovers, while for the other two soon-to-be couples, she hoped they'd realize their feelings soon enough.
"Wow!" Juvia jumped up in excitement. "It'll be a triple date!"
"A triple date… that has a nice ring to it." Erza stroked her chin thoughtfully.
Going to a premium resort… with Natsu. Wendy thought as she took two of the tickets in her hand. She inspected them closely. The ticket had a vibrant blue and shiny design with a beach overlay, certainly befitting of a premium resort.
"Mirajane told me a lot of what we could expect. And dare I say, it'll be an unforgettable experience." Erza crossed her leg over the other. "They even have their own private beach! That catches my attention the most."
"A private beach… that's amazing." Wendy nodded in awe.
"Going to the beach with my darling Gray…" Juvia clasped her hands together excitedly. "Ooooh! That's going to be so much fun!"
"… Which brings me to my next point." Erza glanced at both Wendy and Juvia. "Would you two like to go shopping?"
"Shopping?" Wendy asked.
"Yes. I was thinking of buying myself a new swimsuit, among many other things."
"A new swimsuit? Don't you have hundreds to choose from already?" Juvia pointed, referring to her requip magic. True enough, Erza's requip magic was her wardrobe of sorts.
"Now, now… that's an exaggeration." Erza chuckled, waving her hand. "I simply want to try something new for a change."
"In that case, I'd like to buy a new one too! I want to impress my darling!" Juvia raised her hand in approval.
Should I buy a new swimsuit, too? Wendy considered it heavily. Maybe she could buy a swimsuit that was… daring. One that could give her an adult aura, contrasting with her delicate figure. Would Natsu like that…?
Her head shifted downwards to look at herself, then back to Erza and Juvia. I'd stick out like a sore thumb standing in between them. Wendy had a few swimsuits. They gave her an innocent and cutesy look, which Wendy didn't really mind. Though, seeing how… attractive they were in their swimsuits, Wendy was deeply envious of their… curvaceous assets. There's always the option of skipping the beach, I guess.
"Come now, Wendy!" Juvia wrapped her arm around Wendy's shoulders, sensing what she was thinking. "You should definitely come shopping with us! And you're definitely going to the beach, too!"
"I don't know…"
"Don't you want to see my beloved Gray in his swimsuit?" Juvia giggled.
"Huh…?" Wendy was left dumbfounded by her question. Why would I? Sure, he had a finely sculpted body for the world to see, but that was it. Wendy wasn't particularly interested in that.
"That's not what I mean, Wendy." Juvia waved her finger to correct her, then whispered into her ear. "If Gray's going to be in his swimsuit, Natsu will be, too!"
"… Mhmm." Juvia's line of reasoning was questionable, but she raised an interesting point. An image of Natsu in his swim trunks flashed through Wendy's mind. She immediately started fantasizing about his body. His toned arms, his bare chest, his wonderful abs glistening under the sunlight… now, what a sight that would be! Why wouldn't I? Of course, Wendy would love to see that! Her cheeks rose in heat, just thinking about it. She concluded this is too big of an opportunity to miss.
She's not even trying to hide it, huh. Carla thought to herself.
"Count me in." Wendy shook hands with Juvia.
"That's… delightful to hear." Erza replied. Just what did you say to her, Juvia? I'm impressed.
"Well, let's get ready! The weather's wonderful for a girls' outing." Erza stood up.
The others didn't have any objections, so they followed Erza. Carla decided to stay in the room, leaving Wendy to Erza and Juvia. With Erza involved, one can never be too careful.
And so, the trio of wizards left their dormitory and went shopping.
A few minutes later…
In the shopping district…
..
..
..
"It's been a while since we could spend time together like this… outside of missions, of course." Erza said, leading the group forward.
"Yeah!" Juvia pumped her fists up. "What should be our first order of business? I think it's a little too early to go shopping for swimsuits."
"Hmmm…" Erza put a hand on her chin, her elbow supported by her other hand. "Actually, there's this place that piqued my interest. Are any of you feeling hungry?"
"I don't mind. I haven't had breakfast." Wendy agreed.
"Fine by me!" Juvia exclaimed. "What place is this?"
"There was this café that opened recently the other day." Erza informed. "Have either of you went to a maid café before?" The two girls shook their heads in response to her question.
"I've never gone to one before." Wendy replied. "I've only heard about them."
"Me neither." Juvia followed. "But I'm awfully curious! Maid costumes are pretty cute."
"Well, this new place isn't exclusively a maid café, but it's worth checking out." Erza chuckled, then took Juvia's and Wendy's hands in her own. "Let's treat ourselves, shall we?"
Leading them by their hands, Erza walked through the various shops and crowds until she finally reached her destination. At first glance, the place seemed leisure. Not many customers were seen through its four rectangular windows from the front. Lights of an orange hue were visible from the outside, giving the place a comfy atmosphere. A huge logo on top of the café read…
Naturalé Café.
"Here we are, my fair maidens! Prepare to be treated like mistresses!" Erza's eyes sparkled with such intensity.
"Like mistresses…?" Wendy raised her eyebrows.
"You see, Wendy… unlike your average café and restaurants, us customers are treated like masters and mistresses!" Juvia explained. "Or so I heard."
"Mhmm, I see." Wendy nodded, unsure of what that entailed. She wasn't particularly fond of treating people like her servants. I wonder how it'll feel.
"Let's head right in!" Erza pushed the door forward, which rang the bell at the top of the door, informing the café of their presence.
"Welcome back, Mistresses!" Two butlers greeted them cheerfully.
"We're… home?" Erza's smile slowly curved downwards, seeing the two butlers greeting her.
"…" Juvia's expression froze.
"Wha… wha… wha…" Wendy raised her finger to point at them, trembling.
"What are you two doing here?!" Erza fiercely pointed at them.
"Natsu?! Gray?!"
