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

This chapter will continue the girls' time as well as Jerza moments.

Have fun reading!


Chapter 29: Let's Go Shopping again!


After the trio had finished having their breakfast, Natsu and Gray escorted them outside the café.

"Are you still not done with this job?" Erza asked.

"No, unfortunately." Gray answered with a sigh. "We're going to be stuck here for a while."

"Think we've got a few more hours to blaze though." Natsu continued.

"I see." Erza nodded in understanding.

"What're you guys up to now?" Gray asked.

"We're going to go shopping together." Erza replied, wrapping her arms around Wendy and Juvia. "Having a girls' time."

"If only you could come with us, Gray darling." Juvia twiddled with her fingers. "I could ask your opinion on my swimsu-"

"Ahem!" Erza covered Juvia's mouth to cut her off. "It's indeed such a shame we can't invite you to come."

"Heh, no worries." Gray placed his hands in his pockets. "You girls do your thing."

"We'll see you later, then. Good luck on the job!" Erza waved, turning around.

"See you later, darling!" Juvia waved her hand at Gray specifically before following Erza.

"Yeah… see you." Gray waved back with a shy smile.

"Natsu!" Wendy called his name.

"What's up, Wendy?" Natsu smiled at her.

Wendy walked up to him and gently pulled his scarf down and, by extension, his head down to her level. Standing on her toes to gain some height, she planted a quick kiss on his cheek. This left Natsu stunned for a moment.

"I know you're just doing your job, and I'm selfish for asking this…" Wendy averted her eyes for a moment, then gazed into his onyx orbs with upturned eyes. "B-But be careful of those… other women." She had full faith in Natsu, but admittedly, she was a bit worried about the other women making their moves on him.

Ah, I guess she must be worried about that. Natsu himself has yet to experience jealousy. Or maybe he has at some point but was never aware of it. Nevertheless, he was sure Wendy had experienced her fair share of jealousy over the past few weeks.

"Of course, Wendy." Natsu grinned, meeting her forehead with his own. "I'll keep that in mind."

"O-Okay!" Wendy blushed and felt cheerful, letting go of his scarf. She ran to Erza's side, but not before she waved good-bye. "See you later, Natsu!"

Natsu waved back timidly, brushing his fingers against his cheek. It was a quick kiss, but the soft sensation of her lips still lingered around for a while. Whew… she sure knows how to get me fired up… his cheeks were evidently red.

"… Let's get back to work." Gray said, patting his shoulder. I wonder if that's how Juvia feels?

"Alright."


..

.

At the shopping district…

The Fairy Tail wizards have set their sights on a swimsuit store. Leading her two younger friends by their hands, Erza pulled them to the entrance to the store. Upon approaching the store, they noticed a male individual pacing back and forth, as if contemplating his entire existence.

"What is that person doing?" Juvia asked, eyeing the individual. "He looks suspicious…"

Wendy titled her head, focusing her eyesight on to that individual. He suddenly seemed… very familiar. She has this strange feeling at the back of her mind that they've met before in a similar setting somewhere.

"T-That's…" Erza's mouth went agape, pointing at that person.

A person with azure blue hair and a red mark crossing over his right eye. Only one person could fit that description.

Cast away your worldly desires. He repeatedly muttered to himself, rubbing his hands vigorously. I'm simply here to accompany her. There's nothing absolutely wrong with that. He looked like he was trying to convince himself of something.

"Hey, Jellal!" Wendy greeted him cheerfully, waving her hand.

"Huh?!" Jellal spun around in a panic. "… Wendy?"

"It's been a while!" Wendy walked up to him. "What are you doing in a place like this, hmmm?" She asked in a teasing manner.

"I s-swear! I'm not doing anything here!" Jellal waved his hands frantically, his face growing a deep red. "I was just…"

"How do you do, Jellal?" Erza popped in.

"Hello there!" Juvia followed.

"Oh, Erza. Juvia." Jellal took a moment to calm himself down. Why am I getting so defensive, anyway? He bowed his head. "It's good to see you three in good health."

"Didn't we have a similar exchange last time?" Erza laughed faintly.

"Haha, perhaps it's a small world." Jellal returned her laugh with his own.

Last time, Jellal assisted Wendy with buying a perfume for her apparent date with Natsu.

"Are you… um, shopping for a new swimsuit, Jellal?" Erza asked, unconsciously adjusting her hair bang.

"N-No, I'm accompanying Meredy." Jellal replied, glancing at the store behind him. "She wanted me to come with her."

"Oh, Meredy's here?" Juvia asked in an inquisitive tone. She and Juvia have a long history together. "Why aren't you going inside?"

"Why, you ask?" Jellal looked to the side, rubbing the back of his head. "That's a good question."

"Could it be… that you're embarrassed about entering the store?" Wendy asked with a smirk.

"Mhrmm… " Jellal covered his eyes with his hand, looking downwards. He certainly had reservations about entering a store which had swimsuits displayed everywhere you look. It also didn't help that it made him remember when he went down the waterslide with Erza. He's gotten more eye-candy than he could have bargained for, that's for sure.

Now that Jellal is here, I suppose I could invite him and ask him his opinion... Erza grabbed his arm. "Why don't you come with us, Jellal? That would make for a good reason, don't you think?"

"Huh? N-No, I couldn't possibly…"

Juvia grabbed his other arm, preventing him from getting away. "Come now, let's find Meredy! I'd like to say hi to her!"

Wendy covered her mouth in case she laughed at his expense. I kinda feel bad for him.

And so, the trio, along with an unfortunate Jellal, walked into the swimsuit store.

Immediately, they were greeted with dazzling displays of the latest swimsuits. A row of statues equipped with bikinis of various designs lined up their path.

"They sure have an impressive selection!" Erza's eyes sparkled with excitement.

"Time to find one that will blow Gray's mind away!" Juvia pumped her fists up.

Erza and Juvia finally let go of Jellal, going their separate ways. Jellal simply averted his gaze, trying to find a safe spot to rest his eyes. He noticed the smaller bluenette standing beside him, not taking any step forward.

"Wendy? Aren't you going to buy something?" Jellal asked, noticing the redness of her face.

"I… uh…" Seeing these new swimsuits, Wendy's face grew flustered and hot. A lot of these designs were quite… stimulating to the eyes, and were fitted to figures that Lucy, Juvia, and Erza possessed. "I'm j-just browsing at the moment."

Jellal cracked a smile and patted her shoulder. "I'm glad to hear we're on the same boat."

"H-Hey! I'm not embarrassed, unlike you!" Wendy fumed, stomping her feet.

"I didn't say anything about getting embarrassed here." Jellal chuckled.

"Mrmrmrmm…" Wendy crossed her arms, pouting. She began browsing around, trying to find a suitable swimsuit for her figure.

"She's still innocent as ever…" Jellal smiled faintly. I wonder how are things going on between her and Natsu?

"You're one to talk." Wendy muttered back, causing Jellal to flinch in surprise. Right, dragon slayer hearing.

Wendy walked around the store, seeing the various swimsuits it had lined out. She definitely wanted something that would look good on her petite figure. Standing in front of the mirror, she looked at herself from head to toe. What kind of swimsuit would bring out the sexiness in her, she wondered. Rather, she also wanted to impress Natsu. When it came to the female appeal, the fire dragon slayer hardly gave any strong reactions. Wendy hoped her choice of swimsuit, her own figure could elicit a response from Natsu.

But if he hardly shows any reaction to girls like Lucy and Erza, what does that say about a girl like me? Wendy felt a frown clawing away her face. It was really difficult for her to have confidence in herself when she was surrounded by other girls who were gifted in ways she wasn't.

"Need help choosing a swimsuit, Wendy?"

"Huh?" Wendy turned her head to look over her shoulder. "Juvia…"

Juvia placed her hands on her shoulders, gently squeezing them. "Your face tells me you're debating something."

"Ah, well…" Wendy cast her eyes downward. "You could put it that way."

"What's wrong?"

"I'm just… not sure what kind of swimsuit I should pick." Wendy slid her hand over Juvia's hand on her shoulder. "Juvia, could I ask your advice?"

"What is it?"

"I want to…" Wendy bowed her head down bashfully. "… be able to impress Natsu."

"… Awww, Wendy." Juvia put her arms over her shoulders and pulled her in for a hug. "Don't worry, I'll make sure Natsu absolutely loses it when he sees you at the beach!"

"A-Ahah, you don't have to go that far." Wendy smiled wryly. "But… thank you."

"So!" Juvia stood beside her. "What kind of swimsuit would you like?"

"Mhmm…" Wendy pondered it for a moment. "I want something that's a bit… daring."

"Daring, you say?" Juvia nodded, then tugged Wendy's dress along. "Let's take a look around."

The sky dragon slayer followed the water mage around as she asked questions about what kind of swimsuit she'd like.

"Any colors you prefer?" Juvia asked as she browsed through the selections.

"I've never thought about it." Wendy locked her hands behind her back. "I have some green ones back at the dorm. I guess I like green."

Fitting for a sky dragon slayer. Juvia chuckled.

"But… I wouldn't mind trying something new." Wendy said.

"I see… then I would suggest this selection." Juvia pointed at several hangers.

"Mhmm…" Wendy's eyes bounced from each swimsuit to swimsuit. She considered the selection cute, bold, and everything in between.

"You know, Wendy… you have a very cute figure." Juvia said.

"Oh, thank you." Wendy gave a sheepish grin.

"Why not choose a swimsuit that reveals your blinding cuteness?" Juvia suggested.

"I guess that would be fine but…" Wendy twirled her hair bang around her finger. "I don't want to look just… cute."

"I see!" Juvia placed her fist on to her hand, understanding what she implied. "Then why not choose one that's both cute and sexy!"

"Huh…" Wendy folded her arms in deep thought. I've never thought of that.

"A swimsuit that draws your innocent yet luscious charm." Juvia's eyes sparkled with determination. "I'm sure we can find one that you'll love."

For a while, Juvia then assisted Wendy in finding a swimsuit she'd be happy with and one that could impress Natsu.

"S-Some of these s-swimsuits are very… revealing, aren't they?" Wendy said, a faint red striking her cheeks as she held some swimsuit hangers.

"I'm sure Natsu would deeply appreciate it if you wore them." Juvia teased, looking at her with cat eyes.

"R-Really? Then…" Wendy asked in a serious tone. If that is what it takes…!

She's considering it?! Juvia waved her hand to dismiss the thought, feeling bad. "I was just kidding, Wendy. You don't have to choose them." If anything, I'm sure it'll confuse Natsu, knowing him. Juvia imagined Natsu would say something like... what the hell are you wearing?

"… Oh, ahaha…" Wendy laughed awkwardly. I'm glad to hear that…

As she looked over the selection, one bright swimsuit caught her eye. It was a white, frilly bikini with a translucent skirt.

"That's a really nice one!" Juvia said, following Wendy's line of sight. "You should try it!"

"You really think so?" Wendy asked.

"Of course!" Juvia took that swimsuit and shoved it to Wendy's hands. "Go on! Try it in the dressing room!"

"Okay, okay!" Wendy went to one of the dressing rooms, urged on by Juvia.

"I'm going to explore around for a bit." Juvia said before leaving the dressing room, to which Wendy nodded to.

"What should I choose…" Juvia took two hangers of bikinis and searched for a mirror. She stood in front of the mirror, putting the hangars in front of her to visualize how she would look wearing them. Her only criteria of choosing swimsuit were whether it could make Gray fall head over heels for her.

Two arms coiled around her waist from behind, causing her to jump in surprise. "H-Hey, where do you think you're putting your hands?! I'll have you know that Gray-"

"Hey there, Juvia!" a cheery voice greeted her. "It's been a while."

Juvia looked in the mirror, seeing a familiar pink ponytail bouncing around. "Oh, Meredy! How have you been?"

"I've been doing great! What brings you here today?" Meredy let go of her. "Shopping for a new swimsuit?"

"Yes!" Juvia nodded. "I'm looking for something that'll sweep Gray off his feet!"

"How interesting!" Meredy giggled. Juvia's just the same as always. "Did you come here alone?"

"Nope! Erza and Wendy are here too!" Juvia pointed at Erza, who was busy looking around the store. "We're all looking for new swimsuits."

"Erza's here?" Meredy glanced at Erza at the corner of her eye. "I'm guessing you've met with Jellal?"

"Haha, we dragged him inside." Juvia gave a mischievous smile.

"He's too modest for his own good." Meredy sighed, shaking her head. But now that Erza is here… she figured this opportunity could bring them closer together. With that in mind, she marched towards Jellal.

"Hey, Jellal!" Meredy called him, waving her hand.

"Done shopping, Meredy?" Jellal asked, folding his arms. "If you're done, let's lea-"

"Come now, it's not often you get to see Erza." Meredy said, cutting straight to the point. "You should help her choose a swimsuit."

"W-What?" Jellal took a step back. "N-No, Erza's more than capable of choosing by herself. And I don't have the best-"

"Excuses. Excuses. I'll hear nothing of the sort." Meredy waved her finger around. She gripped his hand and pulled him. "You're going to help Erza choose a swimsuit, whether you like it or not."

"S-Spare me, Meredy!" Jellal cried out, powerless to Meredy's grip. He'd rather not spend a second longer in this store, filled with swimsuits that don't leave much to the imagination.

"Hey, hey, Erza!" Meredy greeted her cheerfully while dragging Jellal with her.

Erza turned her attention away from the swimsuits. "Oh, hello Meredy." She shifted her gaze to Jellal, who looked like he didn't want to be here at all.

"Jellal told me he wanted to help you choose a swimsuit!" Meredy exclaimed.

Jellal's eyes widened at her statement. What are you doing, Meredy?! "W-What? I said nothing of the-"

"Oh, really?" Erza smiled sweetly at him. "I would really appreciate that, Jellal."

"… Huh?" Seeing her smile, Jellal could feel his heart skipping a beat, momentarily distracting his train of thought. "W-Wait, I…"

"Great!" Meredy shoved Jellal in Erza's direction. "I'll leave you two, then!" She then left them alone, resuming her own shopping spree.

Jellal simply stared at her back as she walked away. What am I supposed to do?

"I'd say Meredy dragged you into this." Erza guessed, judging by his reaction.

"… Right." Jellal sighed. He scratched his cheek, trying to calm his nerves. "Please forgive her. She's just… too excited. You don't have to mind what she says."

"I see." Erza crossed her arms, leaning her head to her right shoulder. She put a finger on her chin, a faint red growing on her cheeks. "I… really wouldn't mind hearing your opinion on my swimsuit."

"…" Jellal tried to say something, anything, but it was caught in his throat. Her oddly adorable, red-faced expression left him stunned to utter even a single word. He awkwardly nodded, agreeing to help her choose a swimsuit. "… Sure."

The two stood in silence for a moment, unsure of how to continue the conversation. Eventually, Erza broke the silence.

"So, uh!" Erza spun around in an attempt to hide the blushes on her cheeks. "There are a few swimsuits I have in mind."

"I s-see!" Jellal forced a smile, though it appeared strained. "How many do you want to buy?"

How many?! Terrific question, Jellal! He cursed himself internally.

"… Just one." Erza took three hangers in her hands and showed them to Jellal. "Which do you think would look the best on me?"

"… Ah." Jellal glanced at each bikini Erza was holding. Against his best wishes, his mind had already begun imagining her alluring figure wearing each swimsuit. His face began heating to ridiculous temperatures, hot steam leaving his ears at an alarming rate.

Stand your ground, Jellal! He shook his head, trying to maintain whatever grip he has on reality. Cast away all your worldly desires!

So, he paid attention to the swimsuits Erza had presented to him. The first choice was a standard black bikini with a triangle stop. It certainly gave a mature and powerful aura. The second choice was a white and blue skirtini, giving off an angelic aura. The skirt itself was rather appealing, too. Then the last choice, a swimsuit that closely matched the color of Erza's hair with black trims. Its top had ample cleavage to show, with the bottom having ribbons at its sides.

"… This one." Jellal pointed at the third choice, slightly averting his gaze.

"… I had a feeling you'd choose this." Erza giggled sweetly.

It's the color of your scarlet hair. They both thought the same thing.

"Very well. Could you wait outside the dressing room? I want to put this on." Erza asked as she put the other two hangers away.

"Certainly." Jellal nodded. I'll just wait outside the dressing room…. Wait. Something felt off about her question. He flailed his arms around in panic, understanding what she just asked. "You w-want me to wait outside the dressing room?"

"… I'd like to have your opinion on the matter." Erza said softly. "Is it a problem?"

Is it a problem?! In more ways than one! "W-Why don't you ask someone else? Surely, they'd give better-"

Erza gripped his arm tightly, almost crushing his bones. "I want to hear what you think." She proceeded to drag him to one of the dressing rooms. "Wait here." She walked in, pushing the curtain away as she entered and closed it behind her.

Jellal spun around, his back facing the dressing room. Why am I put in this situation?! How was he supposed to feel about this? He didn't know what to think. All he had to do was to prevent his mind from wandering in dangerous directions.

Unintentionally, Jellal heard the sound of rustling clothes behind him. In that dressing room. Where Erza is. Why were the clothes making rustling noises? Well, clearly, that meant Erza was…

Right this instant. Behind me. Behind this curtain. Erza is…

SLAP!

Jellal slapped himself with both his hands. Cast your worldly desires away! He wondered… why wasn't she using her requip magic? That would certainly make things less troublesome for both her and his poor heart.

"Jellal."

"Y-Yes?!" Jellal stood at attention. "W-What is it?"

"There's… something I wanted to ask you." Erza asked as she was changing into the swimsuit.

"Sure." Jellal nodded, though she wouldn't be able to see it.

"Will you… be busy anytime soon?"

"Busy?" Jellal drew his chin back, staring at the interesting ceiling of lights. "Not particularly, no."

"I see… then I would like to invite you on a date." She said calmly.

"A d-date?" Jellal flinched. He wasn't hearing wrong, was he?

"Y-Yes… you see, I got these tickets to a premium resort, and I want to invite you to come along."

Jellal had to wonder… what kind of expression Erza was making behind the curtain? Was her expression iron-clad, emotionless? Or was her face as red as his face was?

"That sounds lovely, Erza. I would love to come along."

"… That's grea!–I mean, that's good to hear." Erza interrupted herself to keep her excitement in check.

A date with Erza… Jellal couldn't deny it made him feel happy inside. I wonder what this resort is like.

"Y-You see… this resort has their own private beach."

"Oh, I see." Jellal hummed, then blinked in realization. "So that's why you're shopping for swimsu-"

Immediately, he felt someone pull his arm back, dragging him in to the dressing room.

"E-Erza?!" Jellal exclaimed. Did she pull me in?!

"That's why…" Erza whispered. "I want you to be the first person to see my swimsuit."

When Jellal got dragged in, he was facing the mirror, away from Erza. He could feel her soft hands on his back.

"It's okay." Erza pulled her hands away. "You can turn around."

Jellal slowly turned around, his gaze first resting on her innocent eyes and flushed face. His gaze slowly drifted down to her… impressive figure. The way the scarlet bikini hugged her assets was too enticing, too stimulating for his eyes. The bare skin of her chest, her toned midriff, her ample thighs… his eyes saw them all. It's not like this was his first time. He's already gotten an eyeful before. But this experience… being able to see her up close in such a proximity… it was doing wonders to his poor heart. He could feel his heart thrashing around in his chest, as if it could leap out any second.

What did he do to attain the honor of witnessing this grand sight? The honor of being the first person? The honor of having the pleasure to see the great Titania in all her glory?

"… What do you think?" Erza asked in an innocent tone, a bashful smile adorned across her face.

"… It looks… good on you." Jellal threw his gaze away from her before his vision could get clouded. He moved his hand to cover his mouth. "You're… really beautiful."

"… I'm happy to hear that." Erza fiddled with her hair bangs, visibly happy to be praised by him. "I believe you'll be needing this, then." Unable to contain the embarrassment any longer, she slapped something on to Jellal's chest and pushed him out of the dressing room.

Take deep breaths, Jellal. He pinched the bridge of his nose, taking deep breaths and exhaling slowly. He attempted to clear Erza's body which had been burned into his mind, unfortunately for him.

Jellal bowed his head down and saw a piece of paper sticking on his chest. He peeled the paper away and inspected it. Ah, it's the ticket she was talking about. Better take good care of this.

"… That turned out better than I expected." Meredy slapped his shoulder, snickering to herself.

"Meredy…" Jellal rubbed his temples, groaning. "Did you see?"

"Whatever are you talking about?" Meredy spread her hands out with a sinister smile.

If Meredy is playing dumb for my sake, I hope that's the case. Jellal let out a weak sigh.

Pulling the curtains away, Erza stepped out of the dressing room in her default armor. "Oh, Meredy. Hello there."

Jellal's body immediately tensed up. He glanced at Meredy, hoping she wouldn't say anything unnecessary.

"Hi, Erza!" Meredy waved. "I hope Jellal has been helpful."

"Oh… I quite appreciate his help." Erza said, her cheeks blushing faintly.

"Heh." Meredy nudged Jellal's elbow, giving him a knowing smile. Jellal simply ignored it.

"Well, I'm going to bring this to the counter and wait for the others." Erza said, raising the hanger. "Want to tag along?"

"Sure! I'm just about done shopping, too!" Meredy agreed.


Some time later…

..

.

The Fairy Tail and Crime Sorciere wizards finished their shopping business and exited the store, hands full with shopping bags of their respective items. Eventually, Meredy had to separate, leaving Jellal and the girl trio together. The topic of their conversation then shifted to the premium resort.

"This resort seems awfully far, isn't it?" Jellal asked, looking at the ticket.

"I imagine it is." Erza nodded. "From what I've heard, we'll need to take a train and a boat ride."

"That's quite far." Jellal's eyes widened.

"Poor Natsu…" Wendy huffed. "I wonder if he'll want to come along?"

"We'll make him." Erza declared with an intimidating gaze.

"Oh, is Natsu coming along?" Jellal asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, right!" Juvia jumped in. "This is going to be a triple date!"

"A triple date?" Jellal said. "Huh, does that mean… Wendy and Juvia are coming along as well?"

"Yeah! We're coming along!" Juvia replied. "Natsu and Gray, too!"

"Oh, interesting." Jellal nodded in understanding.

"You… don't mind, do you?" Erza asked, hoping he wasn't disappointed.

"Huh? No, of course, I don't." Jellal smiled. Rather, he was extremely delighted to be spending time with them. Being alone with Erza… he wasn't sure if his heart was ready, so he appreciated the merrier company. He was also curious on hearing about Wendy's and Juvia's relationships. And a triple date… it sounds like a worthwhile experience.

"I see." Erza sighed in relief. "I'm glad to hear that."

"We should meet up with Natsu and my darling Gray!" Juvia exclaimed. "If they're done with their work, we could invite them!"

"Oh, you're right." Erza's brows curved upwards. "You two have yet to invite them, is that right?"

"Ah, right!" Wendy titled her head. "It almost slipped my mind."

Juvia turned to him." Jellal, you should come see them with us! They're working at a café!"

I wouldn't mind seeing Natsu again… Wendy thought to herself.

"Oh?" Jellal raised an eyebrow. "Are they in the middle of a job?"

"Yes. It's not something you'd expect them to do…" Erza drew her chin back. "Much less see them working together."

Now, this… I have to see. Jellal thought. "You've piqued my interest. Lead the way."

Erza led them back to Naturale Café, hoping to see Natsu and Gray again. Wendy caught a scent, but it wasn't the scent that usually tingled its way to his heart.

I'm never taking a job like this again… Gray sighed, his eyes devoid of life and energy.

"Gray darling!" Juvia exclaimed, running towards the ice wizard. "We're back!"

"Oh, hey." Gray turned to them, noticing their shopping bags. "You guys done shopping?"

"We sure are." Erza said. "How about you? Done with work?"

"Yes..." Gray nodded. "Another hour there and we would have just dropped dead."

With an amusing look, Jellal observed his attire from top to bottom. He's actually wearing a butler costume. "Nice costume you got there."

"Oh, Jellal." Gray rolled his sleeves up to his elbows. "Yeah, we got this as part of our rewards too, strangely."

Wendy looked and sniffed around, wondering where Natsu was. She wasn't able to detect his scent nearby. "Gray, is Natsu with you?"

"Oh, he left earlier." Gray stripped out of his vest and shirt, which took only Jellal by surprise. "He told me he had something to do."

"O-Oh…" Wendy's eyes widened. That wasn't what she expected to hear. She had a strange feeling he knew where he was, and she wasn't sure if she liked that.

"So, you guys wanna walk back together?" Gray asked.

"I would love to, dear!" Juvia pumped her fists excitedly.

"Oh, you can go on ahead first." Erza answered, tugging on Jellal's sleeve. "I need to discuss an important matter with Jellal."

"… You do?" Jellal blinked twice, wondering what she wanted to talk about.

"Heh, alright." Gray nodded with a smirk. Erza and Jellal sure need their private time together. "I'll accompany you two back to your dorm."

"Yay!" Juvia clung to Gray's arm, nuzzling her head against it.

"S-Sure, Gray…" Wendy nodded timidly.

And so, the group separated, heading off their own ways. Gray was accompanying Juvia and Wendy back to their dorm, while Erza and Jellal took a casual walk around town.


..

.

"Did many customers come by the café, Gray?" Juvia asked, holding Gray's arm as they walked.

"Yeah. After you guys left, we were swarming with a lot of customers." Gray said.

"Were they all women?"

"Well…" Gray scratched his cheek awkwardly. He was unsure of how to answer her question. The problem was… they were all indeed women.

"My Graydar senses are telling me they were." Juvia pouted, squeezing his arm between her breasts. "Too many love rivals…"

"Haha…" Gray attempted to laugh it off. In his defense, he did try to ignore all their advances as best as he could. He also had to look out for Natsu for Wendy's sake because that guy was dense as hell.

"S-So… what did you buy?" He tried to change the topic of the conversation. He peeked into Juvia's shopping bag.

"No, you can't look!" Juvia swiped her hand away. "It's a secret!"

"That only makes me more curious." Gray chuckled, then turned his head to the smaller bluenette. "Guess I'll ask Wendy then."

"…" Wendy remained silent, completely oblivious to their conversation. She seemed to be lost in thought to the point she was actually falling behind them.

"Wendy?" Gray and Juvia stopped in place. "You alright?"

"… Kuh!" Wendy turned around and began sprinting forward. "Sorry, go on ahead without me! I just remembered I have something to do!"

Gray and Juvia stared dumbfoundedly at her figure as it disappeared the distance. They looked at each other, confused.


..

.

There was only one place Wendy could think of. She wasn't sure why her gut feelings were telling her this, but she listened. And even if it were true, it didn't necessarily mean anything bad. Sure, they only just started dating yesterday, but Natsu was a fiercely loyal person. Breaking bonds was the last thing on his mind… yet she couldn't push off these what-if scenarios out of her head.

"You're sure it wasn't a bother coming here? And what's with that getup?"

"'Course not! Why would it be?"

She stopped in place, her dragon hearing suddenly heightening up in response. She hid herself behind a wall and focused on her hearing, trying to make out the conversation.

"Look Luce, I got something for you!"

"Awww, you shouldn't have…"

And her gut feelings rang true. Natsu stopped by Lucy's apartment, not that there was anything wrong with that… at least that's what she was trying to convince herself.

I really need to handle my jealousy better. She was painfully aware of her feelings.

"Are you sure you want to give me this? It's very generous of you, but…"

"Just take it, Luce. For all the times I've broken into your apartment."

"Didn't know you were self-aware…"

Wendy guessed Natsu was giving her something. What it was, she wasn't sure.

"Even though I sometimes hate you barging in here whenever you feel like it…"

"… Yeah?"

"I hope you'll still come by from time to time."

"… Of course, Luce."

He's just looking out for her… as her friend. Wendy understood that, or at least she tried to. She knew the state Lucy was in. Of course, Natsu would want to comfort her. I would have done the same in his place, too.

Then why… does it hurt? Wendy clutched the fabric around her chest, trying to still her heart. Why am I so worried?

"I wonder if Wendy would mind me barging into her room."

Huh? Wendy's ears perked up. What did he say?

"Of course she would, you idiot! Erza would soon have your head on a sword."

"Ahah, I guess you're right."

Somehow, their conversation shifted to Wendy.

"… I hope I can make Wendy happy. I'm really new to this… romance and relationships stuff."

"I'm sure you will, Natsu. I know you care about her a lot."

"Yeah… I love her."

"Fueehhh…" Wendy accidentally let out a happy sigh. Her ears were dyed red from embarrassment. She covered her mouth, trying to hide her voice. Hearing him say that totally caught her off guard. It's unfair…! Unfortunately, she was too distracted to notice the shadow looming over her.

"And just what are you doing here?"

"Eeep?!" Wendy jumped out in shock and dropped her shopping bag. "N-Natsu?!"

"Sup, Wendy." Natsu waved, grinning at her. "Done with shopping?"

Wendy picked up the shopping bag and dusted her dress. "A-Ah, yeah! I just came back recently."

"I see." Natsu nodded.

"W-What about you, Natsu?" Wendy tried to play it cool, fanning her cheeks.

"Oh, I was just checking up on Lucy." Natsu glanced at the window to her room. "She's doing fine."

"Ah, I'm glad to hear that." Wendy smiled. Once again, you were worried for nothing, Wendy…

"So, want me to take you back to your dorm?" Natsu asked.

"Mhmm… No." Wendy shook her head, a smirk forming on her lips.

"O-Oh." Natsu wasn't expecting that response. He was hoping he could spend some time with her. He tried to hide his disappointment, but his lips curved downwards.

"Only if you'll refer to me as your mistress." Wendy spoke in a haughty tone, running her hair through her twin tails.

Natsu gazed down, noticing he still hadn't changed from his butler costume. "… Heh, cut it out, will you?" He chuckled, then extended his hand towards her. "Will you allow me to accompany you, Mistress Wendy?"

Grinning brightly, Wendy curled her arms around Natsu's.

"Hehe, yeah!"