Haloha, everyone! I really apologize for the delay! No, I have not dropped this story! (Got some PM's from some of you, ahah.) Life's just been hectic over here recently, I wasn't able to finish this chapter during the weekends. I might go for shorter length chapters just to save time, but we'll see how it goes next week.

Anyhow, enjoy reading! I'm going to prioritize the NaWen ship in this chapter.


Chapter 33: Reaching the Resort!


"These lacrima controls are surprisingly easy to understand." Jellal commented as he sailed the ship.

"You're getting the hang of it." Erza said as she guided him on the controls.

"I simply have a great teacher." he smiled.

With Jellal taking over as captain of the ship, they made smooth progress towards their destination. Smooth sailing from here, as they say. This time, they didn't have to go through any hostile territories. Soon enough, they all could see an island appearing in the distance.

"Woah, that's a big island…" Gray said. "Is that where the resort is?"

"I imagine it is, Gray." Erza whipped out the map and clarified their path. "We seem to be heading in the right direction."

"A resort within an island…" Juvia folded her arms on the railing. "Sounds pretty fancy."

"It is a premium resort, after all." Erza chuckled, rolling the map and putting it back in her pocket.

"I think I see a dock there." Jellal said, steering the ship towards the island. "I believe it won't take too long to reach it now."

"It's about time." Gray nodded.

"I'll go fetch Wendy and Natsu." Erza walked towards the cabin. "Better prepare your belongings, everyone!"

Everyone else nodded as they readied themselves with their luggage. Jellal eventually docked the ship, bringing it to a complete halt.


In the cabin…

..

.

"Mnhhh…" Natsu slowly opened his eyes. Argghh, my head hurts… he rubbed his temples to ease his mind. He looked around, noticing he was in a room of sorts. Where… am I? He tried to raise his body but felt a considerable weight on his left arm. I feel… heavy? Someone was softly breathing against his chest. As he regained his senses, he bowed his head down and a saw sleeping blue-haired girl nestled within his embrace.

"Wendy…" Natsu observed her sleeping face for a moment. Right, we were on a ship… as he looked around his surroundings, he realized he was in the ship's cabin. Considering he wasn't giving in to his motion sickness, he guessed the ship wasn't moving. How long have I passed out?

Carefully, he pulled out his arm from under her body to not wake her up. He leaned his head on his elbow and faced her. Was she keeping me company the entire time?

Natsu brought a hand to her face and gently brushed her blue locks aside to get a better view. His ears picked up on the sound of her faint breathing. It was oddly… relaxing. She seems at peace…

Placing a hand on her face, he caressed her cheek ever so slightly. There was something to appreciate about her little nose, her supple cheeks, her cute lips… she was at her most vulnerable state in front of him. Seeing her like this stirred his protective instincts… an instinct to protect her happiness.

"Mnghn…" Wendy shifted herself and opened her eyes, which met Natsu's soft gaze, to her delight.

"Hey there." Natsu flashed his signature smile as he affectionately stroked her head. "Sorry, did I wake you up?"

"Natsu…" Wendy smiled softly. Now this was a sight she would love to wake up to every day. She intertwined her fingers with his hand, which was on her face. "No, it's okay."

"I must have been out for a long time, eh?" he asked. "Ugh, my head hurts…"

"Yeah, you passed out a while ago." Wendy replied, enjoying the warmth of his hand. "A lot of stuff had happened while you were out."

"Oh, really?" Natsu raised an eyebrow, curious. "What happened while I was out?"

"We got attacked in the middle of the sea." she answered. "But it's nothing we couldn't handle."

"Wow, you got to fight some bad guys?" Natsu's eyes widened with envy. "Man, I wish I joined in on the fun!"

"A-Ahah… it would have been nice to fight alongside you." Wendy said. She was reminded of her… jealous outburst. She felt rather grateful he didn't witness her in such a state.

"Oh, well." Natsu raised his body up, drawing his hand away from Wendy's face, much to her disappointment. "The ship's stopped moving, hasn't it? Let's check–"

Feeling lonely without his warmth, Wendy grabbed on to his scarf and pulled him back to bed.

"Wendy…?" Natsu blinked in confusion. "What's up?"

"Could we… stay in bed a little longer?" Wendy wrapped her arms around him, closing the distance between them. "I don't want to get up yet."

"Oh, well…" Natsu scratched his temple. "You could stay in bed if you–"

"No." Wendy nuzzled her head into his chest, desiring more of his body warmth. "I want you to stay with me."

"Ah…" he averted his gaze, a faint blush appearing on his cheeks. "Well, you know…"

"I… was feeling really lonely during the trip." Wendy whispered into his chest, tightening her grip around his back. "With your motion sickness, we really couldn't… spend time together."

"Aw, Wendy…" Guilt settled into his heart. His lips curved downwards as he felt truly sad about this. Of course, she would be feeling lonely… "I'm… sorry." He caressed her head to comfort her.

"It's okay." Wendy shook her head and gave him a smile. "I'm not blaming you at all. I'd just like… to make up for our lost time."

"Haha, I see." Natsu gently coiled his arm around her head. "Totally fine with me, Wendy. I'd like that, too."

"Mhmm…" His radiating warmth enveloped her entire delicate body. She hummed in satisfaction.

"Once our date officially starts…" Natsu whispered, running his hand through her silky blue hair. "Let's spend time together as much as we can."

"Really?" Wendy gave a mischievous grin. "I can be quite clingy, you know? You better keep your word."

"Heh, try me." Natsu chuckled.

"Then…" Wendy clung her hands to his shoulders and straddled on top of him. Her eyes flicked to his parted lips. "Could I have a wake-up kiss?"

"You don't even have to ask." Natsu gently held her soft cheek. He closed his eyes as he slowly leaned in to meet her lips.

Wendy curled her arms around her neck and pulled his head in, embracing his lips with her own. It was a kiss filled with their mutual affections for each other. A kiss that conveyed her desire for his attention. His desire to make it up to her.

Natsu slowly pulled away from her, the warmth of his lips still lingering around her own. They're so soft… instinctively, he brushed his thumb against the corner of her lip.

Wendy smiled bashfully. Her body eased up at his gentle touches, needing more of them. "One might not be enough…" she whispered as she leaned in for another kiss…

CLICK!

"Natsu! Wendy!" The door was slammed wide open.A scarlet-haired woman entered the room to check up on them. "The ship's finally arr–…." Her voice trailed off at the end as she witnessed the two dragon slayers expressing their affection for each other.

"Ah." Wendy froze in place.

"Oh, hey, Erza." Natsu greeted her as usual, oblivious to the situation.

"… My bad." Erza immediately turned around, walking to the doorway. "I didn't mean to interrupt your… uh, activities."

"N-No, no!" Wendy frantically waved her hands around. "You weren't interrupting anything!"

"Please don't mind me." Erza reassured her, waving her hand. "I just wanted to inform you the ship has arrived at the resort."

"That's good to hear!" Natsu nodded.

"Well then… it's nice to see you're… lively again, Natsu." Erza said in a suggestive tone as she coughed into her fist. "I'll leave you two to your… activities. Keep it short." With that final remark, she closed the door to give them privacy.

"E-Erza, it's not like that!" Wendy huffed in embarrassment.

She's making a cute expression… Natsu gently patted her head to calm her down. "Why don't we get ready to leave the ship first?"

"Mnhhh… okay." She sighed. Natsu didn't seem to be embarrassed at all, being caught in the middle of the act. Not that we were doing anything bad… everyone was already aware of her feelings for Natsu, it's not like she wanted to hide it. Still, it makes me self-conscious… she fanned her cheeks with her hand to cool herself down.

"You're quite cute when you're flustered, Wendy." he grinned.

"Wha–… I wasn't f-flustered at all!" she pouted.

The two had a lovely banter as they got ready to leave the ship.


..

.

Natsu and Wendy boarded off the ship with their belongings. Immediately, their sight was blessed with a tropical view of an entire island. Seas spanned across the horizons as far as their eyes could see.

"W-Wow!?" Natsu's eyes widened in shock as he scanned his surroundings. "What is this place?! It's huge! It's even bigger than Tenrou Island!"

"Yeah, it's… amazing." Wendy agreed, a little overwhelmed by their new environment. "I never imagined a resort could exist on an island like this."

"Hey, guys! Over here!" Gray shouted and waved at them, motioning them to gather together.

"Yo!" Natsu waved back as they approached the group.

"Wendy!" Juvia called out to her. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm feeling much better, Juvia." Wendy nodded.

"It's good to see you back on your feet, Natsu." Jellal smiled.

"Hehe, I'm feeling amazing!" Natsu gave a thumbs up. It was as if he never had to go through his motion sickness.

"This is… quite a sight to behold." Erza crossed her arms as she observed the magnificent island. How did Mirajane come across this?

"Yeah. Calling it premium doesn't do it justice…" Gray said. "This island feels unreal."

"I wonder how the resort will look from the inside…" Juvia put a finger on her chin.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Erza pumped her fist up in excitement. "That's what we're here to find out! Onward!"

The group found Erza's excitement infectious, bringing a smile to all their faces. They shortly followed behind her.

"Can't wait to see what this resort is like!" Natsu intertwined his fingers with Wendy's, holding his hand in her own. "Let's go, Wendy!"

"Hehe, yeah!" Wendy beamed back.

The wizards walked into a tall entrance, which seemed to lead deeper into the island. Upon entering, they witnessed a luxurious red and gold interior belonging to a hotel building. It was as if they entered a different area completely that was separated from the main island.

"Wow." the wizards uttered in unison.

"Holy, the island was just the icing on the cake!" Gray exclaimed.

"The resort really is on the island!" Juvia's eyes looked through the massive windows on the side, which showed a view of the tropical beaches and endless oceans.

"Simply magnificent…" Jellal's mouth went agape at the sight. "There's an entire hotel within an island."

"Wendy, look!" Letting go of her hand, Natsu pressed his face against the glass, squishing his face flat. "Look at the beach! It's huge!"

"It sure is, Natsu." Wendy grinned brightly. Natsu showed excitement like that of a child, which she found utterly adorable.

RING! RING! RING!

"Oh." Erza dug her hands into her pocket and took a communication lacrima. She activated it and it began glowing.

"Erza! I presume you've already reached the hotel?" a familiar, bubbly voice answered.

"Mira?" Erza answered. "Talk about perfect timing. We just arrived moments ago."

"That's terrific to hear!" she exclaimed. "The receptionist should already have your rooms ready. You should head over there to the reception desk and take your room keys. And don't forget to turn in the tickets!"

"Very well, Mira." Erza glanced at the reception desk, taking a mental note of it. "How did you manage to pull this off? I'm quite baffled, really."

"I have my way of doing things." Mirajane giggled. "You better make the most of the trip. I want all of you to enjoy it to the fullest."

"I must say… I'm grateful." Erza smiled. "I seriously owe you one."

"You can pay me back later by filling me with all the details of your trip!" she beamed. "Well then, have fun!"

"R-Right… thanks again, Mira." After closing the connection, Erza put the lacrima back into her pocket. She turned to the others. "Everyone, could I have your tickets? I need to turn them in for the reception."

They promptly took out their tickets and handed it to Erza. She mentally counted each ticket in her possession, making sure they were six of them. Wonderful, it's complete. She then went to talk with the receptionist behind the counter.

While waiting for Erza, Juvia sat on the sofa. Her eyes grew with surprise at the soft material. "Gray, darling!" She patted the spot beside her. "You should try sitting here!"

"Hmmm?" Gray walked to the sofa and sat beside her. His expression quickly matched Juvia's face. "Wow!" He gave the sofa a few squeezes, feeling its extreme softness. "The sofa ain't nothing to scoff at either!"

"Let me try!" Natsu leapt onto the sofa that was opposite of them. "Woah… it's more comfortable than my bed! I could fall asleep here!" He shifted into a sitting position. "Wendy, this sofa is so soft!"

"Really now?" Wendy took a seat beside him. She shifted her weight back and forth on the sofa. "Wow, you're right. It's pretty comfortable! It's like I'm sitting on a cloud."

"I really wouldn't mind sleeping here either." Gray reclined himself on the back pillows and spread his arms over the back.

"They're certainly making their guests feel welcome." Jellal added.

BOOM!

A loud explosion could be heard coming from the top, causing their attention to turn to the hanging holographic screen. Two wizards were seen battling with their magic powers in what appears to be a battle arena.

"Wow, they even got their own arena of sorts?" Gray raised an eyebrow in amusement. "This resort just keeps getting better and better."

"Gray! Jellal!" With a smirk, Natsu pumped his fists towards them. "Let's test our might later! No holding back!"

"Hoh…" Gray crossed his arms in defiance. "I wouldn't want to hurt you too bad, you flamethrower."

"You think you can hurt me, ice cream man?" Natsu cracked his knuckles. "I'll show you who's–"

"There will be no fighting between you two." Wendy interjected, putting her hands on her hips.

"Huh?" Natsu and Gray's attention turned to Wendy. They weren't expecting her to jump in.

"You guys fight all the time." She huffed. "We should take the opportunity to relax here and spend time together."

"Uh, well…" Natsu scratched his cheek awkwardly. "That arena looks pretty neat–"

"No." Wendy coiled her arms around Natsu's. "You told me you wanted to spend time with me as much as you could."

"I…"

"And… I really want to spend time with you as much as I can, too…" Wendy pouted cutely.

"Well, uh…" Natsu was left speechless.

"You're not going back on your word, aren't you?"

"Mhmmm…" Reluctantly, Natsu let out a sigh of defeat and smiled. He really just couldn't say no to his girlfriend and those puppy eyes. "Alright, alright… I won't fight."

"Hehe…!" Wendy gave a cheeky smile, feeling victorious.

"You're going to be quite clingy, aren't you, Wendy?" Natsu hummed while patting her head.

"I did warn you." Wendy winked playfully.

Well, this is an interesting sight… Jellal thought.

She's got Natsu wrapped around her little finger… Gray was impressed. Under normal circumstances, he'd never pass up a chance to get himself into a brawl. You're quite something, Wendy.

Seeing those two reminded him of why they came on the trip. He glanced at Juvia's side profile. Right, I also came here for the same purpose… to make memories and grow closer to her. During this trip, he was planning to take their relationship to the next level… just like how Wendy did.

"Hey, everyone!" Erza waved from the reception table. "Let's head to our room! I got us our keys!"

Everyone followed Erza as she led the group to an odd, small room. Its doors promptly slid open as it detected nearby beings.

"Woah, what's this?" Natsu put his hands behind his head. "It's a pretty strange room."

"No, this isn't our room." Erza chuckled. "I believe this is what you call an elevator. It'll bring us to one of the upper floors of our choice."

"Pretty neat." Gray commented.

They all went inside and Erza pressed a button to bring them to an upper floor, which had their room.

"Wow, they've got over 40 floors?" Gray inspected the numbered buttons in more detail. "Just how high does this go?"

"I wonder what's on the top?" Juvia asked.

As soon as the elevator began moving, Natsu's motion sickness kicked in, causing him to lose balance.

"Natsu!" Wendy caught him. She supported him by wrapping his arm around her shoulders.

"W-What the… a-are we in a transportation…? Mrhgh…" Natsu covered his mouth. Unfortunately, he's had to deal with motion sickness for a third time now.

"Oh, I believe elevators serve as a transportation device. Though they're not vehicles, we're still being transported to our room." Erza explained. "Sorry, Natsu. I didn't think your motion sickness would be affected."

"Urghg…" Natsu tried to maintain his balance, not wanting to fall on the little bluenette. "S-Sorry, Wendy."

"It's okay, Natsu." Wendy smiled sweetly. "Please lean on me."

"I actually feel bad for the guy." Gray crossed his arms, shaking his head. "Trains, ships, and now an elevator…"

"Do you think the island's mobile, too?" Jellal asked in a joking manner.

"Hurghkk!" Just imagining that almost made Natsu want to throw up. "I hope not…"

It took a good few minutes for the elevator to reach its destination…


Few moments later…

..

.

PING!

A bell sound echoed through the elevator, signaling that it had reached its floor destination. The doors slid open, allowing them to walk out.

"Finally, it's over…" Natsu groaned as his motion sickness began to ease in.

"Let's step out, everyone." Erza exited the elevator, followed by the others. She took out the room keys in her hand and inspected the number on the keychain closely. "Our room number is 328… looking at these doors, that must mean… this way!"

They walked through the long hallways that seemed to reach no end. Eventually, they reached their room number, 328.

"All right…" Erza inserted the key into the keyhole and unlocked the door. "Time to see what our room is like!" She grabbed the door handle and pushed it open…

And each of their minds was blown away by what they just witnessed.

In front of them, their eyes were greeted with a window attached to an entire side that showed a top view of the entire island, the deep blue seas, and the vast blue skies. The room was decorated with a luxurious red and brown interior, equipped with a multipurpose living room, a kitchen, and three bedrooms. Lacrima devices of the most advanced technology were strewn around to accommodate their various needs.

"Wow…" was all they could say, overwhelmed by the sight.

"Standing outside will get you nowhere." Erza pushed the door wide open and urged them to enter. "Come in, come in!"

Snapped out of their daze, they all entered their room and Erza closed the door behind her.

Natsu walked up to the glass window and pressed his face against it, looking down at the island. "This is… AWESOME!"

Though she enjoyed Natsu's excitement, Wendy wasn't as eager to take in the sight. I don't do well with heights…

"This feels too good to be true. It just is!" Gray clawed at his forehead. "I feel like I'll wake up anytime soon out of this drea–YOWCH?!"

"It's quite real, darling." Juvia pinched his cheek playfully.

"This is quite beyond my wildest imagination." Jellal stood beside Natsu, admiring the view with him.

"Let's make ourselves comfortable, shall we?" Erza glanced at each bedroom door. "There's a room for each of us. How perfect."

"Hmmm?" Gray followed her line of sight. True enough, there were three rooms–bedrooms–they have yet to check out. And considering there were three couples right here… this can't be a coincidence.

"Jellal, let's take that room!" Erza's eyes sparkled with excitement. She grabbed Jellal's arm and dragged him to one of the rooms.

"I'm coming, I'm coming…" Jellal smiled awkwardly.

"Gray darling!" Juvia tightly wrapped her arms around his. "Let's claim that room!"

"S-Sure, Juvia…" Gray nodded as they walked to that room. I'm curious about how it looks.

Wendy folded her arms in deep thought at the prospect of sharing a room with Natsu. She was trying to understand what having a room to themselves meant. Me and Natsu… alone in a room… just by ourselves….! Her thoughts began to spiral in… questionable directions. She and Natsu had spent some alone time together; she deeply cherished every single one of those moments. Being right next to him was what she desired the most. But to be in the same room… it had never occurred to her until today. Every morning, she could wake up and see his gentle, onyx eyes gazing back into her own. Every night, she could fall asleep within his warm and safe embrace. A-And maybe… some other… developments…

SLAP!

What other developments, Wendy?! What are you hoping for?! Wendy gave herself a little slap to cool her head down. Her cheeks grew red, heat rising fast at the thoughts rushing through her head. B-But we're a couple… it's okay to think about that, r-right?

Wendy glanced at Natsu at the corner of her eye and was surprised to see his cheeks were faintly red, too. Huh? Is he… thinking the same thing? It was rare to see Natsu show signs of embarrassment, so what did this mean?

Natsu focused his attention on the island below them, trying to distract himself. Alone in a room with Wendy, huh… he's always barged into Lucy's room and slept together with her, simply because her bed was more comfortable than his own, and it was nice to share a bed with his best friend.

Though, when the girl in question was Wendy and not Lucy… he found himself feeling nervous all of a sudden. They've already spent time together, so what did he have to feel nervous about? He placed a hand over his chest, feeling his beating heart. Beating in such a way that wasn't familiar to him. This feels… odd. It felt like his body was fired up for an upcoming battle, except there were no battles. It was just Wendy, his girlfriend

Is this what love does to me? That's the best explanation he could come up with. He didn't find the feelings repulsive at all. It was just hard to describe them in words he could understand… but he knew he wanted to be close to her. There was no doubt about that.

"Ahm, Natsu?" Wendy gently wrapped her fingers around his own, giving it a soft squeeze.

"Y-Yes, Wendy?!" snapped out of his dilemma, Natsu twisted around to see her.

"Why don't we… check out our room? And get our stuff settled?" Wendy asked, looking at him with bashful eyes and a blushed face.

His eyes found her face… very attractive at this given moment.

"Sure, why not?" Natsu flashed his signature smile, returning a gentle squeeze to her hand. "Let's check it out."

The dragon slayer duo checked out their last room. Inside, there was a sizable bed on the right that could easily fit four people. It also had a bathroom installed just next to the entrance. Two wardrobes and a mini fridge were set on the left. Much like in the living room, there was a glass window spread out across the entire wall opposite of them, which was currently closed with curtains.

"We can have this entire room to ourselves?" Natsu asked as he walked in, his eyes darting around. He set his bag on the floor. "It's even better than my home!

Wendy's eyes automatically drifted to the bed where they would be sleeping. Together.

"Aren't you coming in, Wendy?" Natsu raised an eyebrow.

"O-Oh, yes!" Wendy closed the door behind and walked in. She left her luggage beside Natsu's bag.

Natsu jumped on to the bed face down. He was immediately enveloped by its fluffiness. "Woaaah…"

Wendy sat on the bed, simply feeling the blanket's softness with her palms. She plopped her back on to the bed. "It's really soft…"

"Yeah…" Natsu let out a satisfied sigh as he turned his head to the right, looking at Wendy's side profile. "I wouldn't mind sleeping here the entire trip."

"Hey!" Wendy chuckled, turning her head to the left to look at him. "I'm sure there are better uses of your time."

"You're right about that." Natsu crept his fingers toward her palm, locking their fingers together. "Gotta keep my word, after all."

"Mhmm…" Holding his hand, Wendy stroked her thumb over his hand in a circular motion. His warmth pooled through her hand, filling her heart with happiness. Simple moments like this were just so special.

"Hey, Natsu?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you." Wendy whispered with a grin.

"O-Oh…" Natsu's face faintly grew red, nearly caught off guard. He brought her hand to his lips and nuzzled against them softly.

"I love you too, Wendy."

And thus, this marked the beginning of their first date as an official couple.