Haloha, everyone! Hope you're all having a good day! Thank you all for your continued support!

I think starting from this chapter, I might struggle with consistently releasing it on the weekends, though I'll do my best to release a chapter every week near to the weekends.

And to address an interesting remark by Goku275, I won't lie... haha, I did think what if I pushed that story in that general direction? Maybe it's a chapter for another time...

And to Zaratartus, thank you. I really don't have enough words to describe my appreciation. That really means a lot to me :D

Anyhow, enjoy reading!


Chapter 34: Lunch Time!


"There's a lot of space in these wardrobes."

Wendy had opened one of the wardrobes out of curiosity. There was a lot of space inside, just enough for the clothes she brought for her entire stay.

"It's enough to fit my entire bag inside!" Natsu placed his bag inside the other wardrobe.

"I think I'll organize my clothes." Wendy pulled her luggage close and set it down on the ground. She then opened the cover…

"That's a lot of clothes." Natsu commented, looking over her shoulder.

"Ahm!" Wendy quickly shut her luggage before he could get a better look. "N-Natsu, I'd appreciate it if you didn't… look."

"Oh, alright." Natsu nodded in understanding and jumped back to the bed. Lucy had always given him an earful whenever he rummaged through her clothes, sometimes giving him a painful Lucy Kick. I should really take Lucy's words to heart… wouldn't want to end up with a Wendy Kick to my face…

Though it's not that Wendy minded if he did take a good look. It's just that there was a certain piece of clothing he would have been able to see. Wendy quickly snatched it and hid it in her wardrobe among her other clothes.

I can't let Natsu see this yet… she wouldn't want to spoil the surprise for their beach visit later. She continued folding the rest of her clothes and placing them neatly in her wardrobe.

"Come to think of it, I haven't eaten anything since I woke up…" Natsu muttered, rolling to his side.

"Really?" Wendy asked. "You skipped breakfast?"

"I forgot we were heading so early in the morning. I didn't really have time to eat anything… and it just slipped my mind." He pushed himself up on the bed, shifting to a sitting position.

"Oh, right." She glanced at the clock on the wall. It was some time past afternoon. That was a really long trip…

"Man, I wonder if I could catch some grub around here?" Just as he was thinking that…

KNOCK! KNOCK!

"Natsu! Wendy!" Erza called out after giving the door a few knocks. I don't want to interrupt them if they happen to be in the middle of… "May I come in?"

"Sure!" Wendy answered.

Erza slowly pushed the door open and entered their room. She smiled as she saw Natsu and Wendy. "It seems you two have already settled in."

"Hehe, yeah!" Wendy nodded. "I really didn't expect our room to be this big."

"I'm sure neither of us were, Wendy." Erza leaned to the side of the doorway. "What do you two say to getting lunch together?"

"Did you say… lunch?" Natsu's eyes sparkled. He quickly jumped off the bed. "I was just talking about food! Man, I'm starving!"

"Haha, very well." Erza turned around to leave their room. "I'll go ask Gray and Juvia if they want to come along as well. Jellal's waiting in the living room."

"All right!" Natsu pumped his fists up into the air. "I wonder what kind of food they serve at a premium resort? Whatever it is, it's gotta be outta this world!"

"With a room like this, it might just actually be!" Wendy closed her wardrobe and stood up after organizing her clothes.

They walked to the living room and saw Jellal relaxing on the couch. Upon noticing the dragon slayer duo, he waved at them.

"Hey." Jellal greeted them. "Getting lunch with us?"

"Yep!" Natsu grinned. He and Wendy sat with him on the couch.

"How are you feeling so far about our stay?" Jellal asked, folding his arms. "Honestly, I'm astounded by the quality of the rooms and facilities."

"It's pretty amazing!" Wendy replied. "I never imagined being able to enjoy a luxury like this."

"I couldn't agree more." He smiled in agreement.

"The food's gotta be just as amazing, right?" Natsu asked excitedly.

"Haha, I suppose we'll find out."

Soon, Erza, Gray, and Juvia came into the living room.

"Now that we've all settled in nicely…" Erza took a glance around the living room. "Let's all get lunch together!"

"Yeah!" Everyone voiced in unison.


..

.

"Mmmgrhk…" Natsu was once again leaning on Wendy for support.

"We'll be there soon, Natsu…" Wendy stroked his back to ease his motion sickness.

"W-Why… are we taking the elevator… a-again?" he forced the words out of his mouth.

"This is the only way we can move between different floors." Erza explained. "There are also the stairs, though they are only available in times of emergencies."

"It's an emergency for me… urgh…" Natsu willed whatever resolve he had left into his legs to keep himself standing.

"It won't take too long, Natsu." Gray said with a sigh. "It's only–"

PING!

The elevator reached their destination sooner than they expected. The doors slid open, allowing them to leave.

"See?" Gray patted his shoulder. "We're already there."

"Hugh…" With Wendy's help, Natsu stepped out of the elevator with the others. "Thanks again, Wendy."

"Sure thing, Natsu." Wendy said. "Although, I'm sure this won't be the last time."

"Hmrngh…" he groaned in response. Getting to stay in a resort like this, he had to believe it was worth his motion sickness. These elevator rides will be the death of me…

"I'll be… leaning on you a lot." he let out a sigh as he pulled his arm away from her shoulders. He didn't want to be a burden to her on their first date together.

"I don't mind at all." She smiled sweetly. Unknown to Natsu, she was rather enjoying their physical closeness.

"Come on, we're already here!" Erza exclaimed as she led the group through a hallway. The left side of the hallway was made of glass, enabling a view into the resort's cafeteria.

"Wow…" Gray took a good look at the cafeteria as he walked with the group. "Is this where we'll be getting our meals while we're staying here?"

"We could also have them personally delivered to our room." Erza answered.

"Wait, really?" Gray turned his head to her. "That's really convenient. We don't even have to leave our rooms"

"It sure is."

"That would have been really helpful to know earlier." Natsu huffed.

"Come on, Natsu." Erza gave him a side glance. "Don't you want to see what kind of dishes they'll be serving? There is a lot more freedom in choosing ourselves."

"Mhmm… I guess." Natsu put his arms behind his head. I'm starving, after all…

The group pushed through the doors into the cafeteria, and they were immediately greeted with the sights and aroma of various dishes lined up on rows of tables. There was a wide window on the right showing the island, giving them a nice and pleasant view. The ceiling was lined with cube-shaped lights coated with a wooden surface, giving it a modern and elegant look. Fancy tables and sofas were spread across the cafeteria, though only a few were occupied.

"Wow." Gray's jaw comically dropped to the floor. "I don't know how many times I've said that today."

"For such a cafeteria, it feels rather… homely." Juvia commented.

"They're really making us feel at home, we got to give them that." Erza added.

"There's so many foods to choose from!" Natsu exclaimed, his mouth watering with anticipation. "I can't wait to get my hands on them!"

"Easy there." Erza grabbed onto his scarf in case he decided to charge at the food tables. "Let's go find some place to sit first."

They walked to an empty table. It was a circular red table fitted with a matching sofa that curved around it.

"This sofa is so fluffy too!" Dragging Gray with her by his arm, Juvia sat on the sofa with him beside her.

"No kidding…" Gray sighed in satisfaction.

"I don't feel deserving of such luxury." Jellal sat together with Erza.

"We have to enjoy ourselves to the fullest." Erza giggled.

"Can we get some food now? I'm starving!" Natsu and Wendy sat beside each other.

"We've got two options here…" Erza placed her palm over the table, channeling her magic energy into it. The table glowed and holographic menus popped out of the table, taking everyone by surprise.

"What the…?" Gray's eyes widened in surprise. "How did you do that?"

"Haha, I came prepared." Erza gave a little laugh. "Mira filled me in with a lot of details of this resort to ensure our best experience together."

"Huh, that's nice."

"So, feel free to choose what you want from these menus." Erza used her hand and scrolled through the virtual menus. "They'll be delivered to us shortly."

"That's really cool…" Following Erza, Juvia waved her hand around to scroll through the menu. "It's like Freed's enchantments…"

"Their lacrima technology is impressive." Jellal scanned the menu, pondering what he wanted to eat. "What's the second option, Erza?"

"The second option is serving the food ourselves from those buffets." Erza motioned to the rows of tables filled with various dishes.

"There's so many to choose from…" Wendy muttered as she scanned over the items in the menu. "Natsu, what will you–"

"I'll check out the buffet." Placing his palms on the table, Natsu pushed himself and stood up. "I want to see the food for myself!"

"Natsu?" Before Wendy could stop him, Natsu had already left the table and went to the buffet. I wanted to choose together with him… she held back a frown from showing on her face.

Erza found her expression adorable. She patted her shoulder to reassure her.

"Hmmm… what should I choose?" Gray mumbled to himself as he read the items on the menu. The number of choices is a little overwhelming…

"Ooooh, they even have dessert!" Juvia mentioned.

"Dessert, you say?" Erza hummed in interest, switching to the dessert menu.

"What are you getting?" Jellal asked.

"Why, strawberry cake before anything else, of course!" Erza said proudly. "No meal is complete without this perfect delicacy."

"Right..." Jellal chuckled at her antics. I shouldn't be surprised. Guess I'll see what dessert they have. Because of Meredy's shopping sprees, he started developing a fondness for cookies.

Wendy plopped her elbow on the table and rested her face in her hand. She let out a faint sigh, wishing Natsu didn't leave. Using a finger, she explored the menu's various items. Oh, they have crepes here! It reminded her of her earlier, unofficial date with Natsu. She added that to her order. For the main lunch, since there were so many options to choose from, she moved to the preset meal choices. I think I'll go with something on the lighter side…

"How much can we have, actually?" Gray asked, scratching his head.

"There're no restrictions." Erza answered. "Order to your heart's content."

"Sweet! If that's the case…" he added a few more items to his order, wanting to indulge himself.

"Gray darling, will you be able to finish all that?" Juvia glanced at the great number of items on his menu.

"Haha, I intend to!" Gray grinned. "I didn't eat a lot during breakfast, so I might as well..."

"Once you're done choosing what you want to order, simply place your palm on it for a few seconds and it will be registered." Erza informed them.

After they all finished deciding on their orders, they placed their palms in front of the holographic menus. The menus glowed a blue light and faded into the table with an audible bell sound.

"Neat." Gray said with awe, leaning his back on the sofa.

"I've only read this but supposedly, some form of machines will come and deliver our food here." Erza mentioned as she tapped her fingers on the table.

"Machines?" Wendy asked and looked around the resort. "Now that you mention it, I noticed there weren't any… servers."

"That's right, though we may request them if we feel the need to." Erza replied.

While they waited for their food to come, Wendy's eyes drifted around the cafeteria, looking for the pink-haired dragon slayer. From where she was sitting, she couldn't see him anywhere. Still, her nose managed to catch on his comforting scent through all the various food aromas, so that calmed her down.

Soon, a small machine moved to their table. On top of the machine was a sizable plate holding all of their meals.

"Wow, will you look at that?" Jellal observed the moving machine.

"It looks cute!" Juvia said.

"That's pretty fancy." Erza looked at it with curiosity.

"PLEASE ENJOY YOUR MEAL." The machine voiced out as it served their dishes to each of them on their table, respectively. It then promptly left them afterwards.

"Whew…" Erza took a good whiff of their meals. "It smells rather lovely!"

"This is making me really hungry!" Gray's eyes sparkled, enjoying the view of his food.

"Mhmm…" Jellal hummed in approval. "This looks very appetizing."

Wendy's eyes sparked with excitement as she looked over her meal, especially at the crepe. It looks really good! She would have loved to dig in right now, but she didn't want to start without Natsu.

"I wonder where Natsu is?" Wendy asked as she turned her head around.

"I'm right here!" a cheerful voice exclaimed.

"Oh, Nat-…Wha?!" Everyone's heads turned around to see Natsu… and his gigantic plate with ridiculous amounts of food stacked on each other like a tower about to burst out. It had an assortment of every imaginable meat, fruit, and vegetable known to mankind.

"Wow, you guys got your food already? Nice!" Natsu sat beside Wendy and placed his plate on the table in front of him, oblivious to the questioning stares targeted at him.

"Natsu, that's, uh… wow." Jellal was left speechless at the sight of the monstrous food tower.

"N-Natsu…" Juvia's mouth went agape. And I thought Gray was eating a lot…

"That's one hell of a plate, Natsu!" Gray exclaimed.

"I know you have a big appetite but… that's taking it to the next level." Erza continued.

"Hahaha!" Natsu let out a hearty laugh. "I just had to try out everything here!"

"Will you be able to finish all that, Natsu?" Wendy asked, the same thing Juvia asked Gray moments ago. It seems impossible! It looks impossible!

"All of this is goin' down my belly!" he grinned.

"Haha, very well." Erza appreciated his enthusiasm. "Since we're all here now, let's dig in!"

"Yeah!" Everyone said in unison. And thus, lunch time began.

Natsu began chomping down on his humongous food tower, stuffing his mouth full of food.

Erza and Wendy went straight for the desserts first. Erza cut a slice of her strawberry cake, which was practically shining. She put it into her mouth and it exploded with such a sweet flavor.

"Mnnnmh!" Erza squealed in utter joy. "This is the best strawberry cake I've ever tasted!"

Wendy took a bite of her chocolate-filled crepe. It melted in her mouth, embracing her tongue with a warm sweetness. "This crepe tastes so good, too!"

Gray rapidly took bites out of his meaty dishes, enjoying the textures of the crunchy skin and the soft insides.

"Gray darling!" Juvia took a spoonful of her dish and inched it towards his mouth. She had ordered a type of seafood. "Why don't we feed each other?"

"H-Huh?" Surprised by her suggestion, Gray nearly choked on his food. He quickly gulped down his glass of water.

"I want to have a taste of yours!"

"W-Well, uh…" Gray averted his gaze as a faint red grew on his face. Just thinking of the act was getting him embarrassed. "T-That's kinda… you know…"

"Do you not want to…?" Juvia puffed her cheeks out slightly and tilted her head.

"Well, I…" Gray scratched the side of his neck awkwardly. It's not that I don't want to. He sighed faintly and steeled his resolve, turning his head to face her. He opened his mouth.

Juvia's face immediately brightened. She gently put the spoon into his mouth and fed him. "How does it taste?"

"Mhmm… O-Oh!" Gray raised his eyebrows in delight as he munched on the food. "It's pretty good!"

"Hehe, I'm glad to hear that!" Juvia smiled with joy. She then leaned her face forward. "It's your turn now."

"R-Right…" Gray took a spoonful of his meal and did the same for Juvia.

Wendy observed those two silently with envy as she chewed on her crepe. I want to do something like that with Natsu too… she looked at him from the corner of her eyes. He was busy stuffing his mouth full of food without a care in the world…

"Ah!" Wendy straightened herself as an idea popped into her head. On Natsu's face, she saw a little smudge of sauce on his cheek. I see an opportunity! She quickly snatched a napkin from the table. "Natsu!"

"Mhmm?" Natsu stopped stuffing himself and swallowed his food before he turned to Wendy. "What's up?"

"Don't eat so fast. You got something on your face." Wendy smiled coyly as she gently held the napkin to his cheek and wiped it.

"Oh, thanks!" Natsu grinned, clueless to her true intentions. He then noticed a smudge of chocolate near the corner of her lip. "Hey, you got something on your face, too!"

"Huh?" Wendy blinked a few times. "I do? Where?" She tried rubbing both of her cheeks, but missed it.

"Let me get that for you." He caressed her cheek and inched his face closer towards her…

Chu!

Natsu kissed the chocolate smudge off her lips, savoring the sweetness with his tongue. He licked his lips clean.

"You taste pretty sweet, Wendy!" He flashed his toothy grin at her.

"Wah… wah…" Wendy's mind short-circuited the moment his lips touched her own. She couldn't have possibly predicted Natsu's counterattack, not that he was aware of it. Her face began heating up and steam was visibly blowing out of hers if anyone tried to focus on it.

"Wendy?" Natsu raised an eyebrow, completely oblivious to the effect he was having on the little bluenette. "What's wrong?"

"N-Nothing's wrong!" Wendy pouted and turned her face the other way, crossing her arms and trying to hide her flushed face. The warmth of his lips still lingered on her own. I wasn't expecting him to do that! She got more than she bargained for.

"Hmmm…?" Natsu shrugged it off and resumed stuffing his mouth with food. Their little exchange didn't escape the others' attention.

"It appears to me, Wendy… that you can deliver the heat, but can't take it well." Erza said in a teasing manner as she patted Wendy's head.

"Offense without defense." Gray agreed with a chuckle.

"Stop it, you two!" Wendy fumed at them.

Laughter ensued from the others at Wendy's expense and Natsu still didn't understand what he put her through.


..

.

After some time and pleasant conversations, the group finished having their lunch together.

"Man, I'm stuffed…" Natsu patted his stomach a few times.

"You actually finished all that." Gray folded his arms, surprised the fire dragon slayer managed to do so. "Gotta hand it to you, pal."

"Does your stomach have a bottomless pit or something?" Juvia asked, genuinely shocked he consumed a mountain of food. His plate was practically sparkly clean.

"Natsu's always got space for food somewhere." Erza tossed the last slice of cake in her mouth and stacked her plates together. "Ready to head back to our room?"

"You guys can go on ahead first." Natsu slumped down on the sofa with a sigh. "I need time to settle down before getting on the… elevator…"

"Wouldn't be fun to lose your lunch, huh…" Gray smiled wryly.

"Oh, really?" Erza asked with concern. "We could wait a little longer."

"It's fine." Natsu waved a hand. "I'll take my time."

"Hmmm, if you insist, Natsu." Erza stood up from her seat, followed by the others. "I'll be heading on first then."

"Don't get lost on the way." Gray slapped his shoulder playfully.

"We'll see you later, Natsu." Jellal waved.

And so, they all waved goodbye and exited the cafeteria, leaving Natsu to his own company… well, all except for one person.

"Wendy?" Natsu called out as he shifted in his seat. "You're not leaving?"

"No." Wendy smiled and shook her head. "I don't mind waiting here."

"You can leave if you'd like." He suggested. "I really wouldn't want to keep you–"

"It's fine, really." Wendy scooted closer to him and rested her head on his shoulder. "I'd prefer… staying by your side."

"Oh…" Natsu gazed at her face for a moment. It was nice… just having sole company. "Haha, alright."

He wrapped his arm around her and left his hand on her blue hair, stroking it with tender motions.

"The resort has been pretty amazing, so far." Wendy let out a contented sigh. And it's only our first day…

"Sure is, Wendy." Natsu replied. "Though the elevators are terrible…"

"Still hung up on that?" she giggled.

"If only Happy was here, he could fly me between floors." Natsu chuckled. "I wonder how he's doing… I hope he's not lonely."

"I'm sure Carla and Lily are keeping him company." Wendy said. Admittedly, she felt glad their Exceeds didn't come along. They'd probably tease her and Natsu constantly if they knew they were sharing a room. It wouldn't be just the two of us, too…

"Hehe, yeah." Natsu nodded. I'm not sure about leaving him with Gajeel… though he fully trusted Gajeel despite that.

"Wendy, do you want to walk around for a bit before heading back?" Natsu stood up from the sofa and stretched his hand out to her. He figured they could check this place out while they were here.

"Sure!" Standing up, Wendy beamed and intertwined her fingers with his hand.

The two walked to the glass display, which showed a top view of the resort's beaches.

"We're really so high up…" Natsu pressed his free hand against the glass. Could Happy even fly this high?

"Look, Natsu!" Wendy pressed a finger against the glass, motioning to the beach. "I've been really looking forward to the beach since we got here."

"Heh, really?" his eyes shifted to the area Wendy was pointing at. The beach… he was reminded of his trial date with Lucy. It wasn't necessarily what happened at the beach, but what transpired after that. I wonder how she is doing… he firmly believed they were still the same partners, but it still worried him sometimes.

"Natsu?" Wendy called out with concern. She noticed a rather… unusual solemn expression on his face, one she wasn't used to seeing. "Is something… wrong?"

"… Oh!" Natsu shook his head to clear his mind and gave her his usual cheery smile. "Nah, it's nothing. I just was thinking it would be nice to hang out at the beach together soon."

I'm sure she wants me to cherish Wendy… and I definitely will. Natsu thought as he patted Wendy's head.

"Mhmm…" I hope nothing's bothering him… butthat thought was quickly pushed away due to his warm head pats. "I would really like that, too."

"Well, I think my stomach has settled down… for the most part." Natsu rubbed the back of his neck, dreading the next course of action. "Do you want to…"

"You're still scared of the elevator, aren't you?" Wendy asked in a haughty manner.

"I can't help it!" Natsu huffed. "But If I must…!"

"Well, it's not like we have to return to our room now!" Wendy grabbed his hand and ran outside the cafeteria with him, skipping past the elevator.

"Woah!" Natsu quickly matched his pace with her. "Where are you going, Wendy?"

"Anywhere!" Wendy grinned brightly. "Let's explore! After all, our date has only just begun!"

"… Haha!" Natsu's face broke into a wide smile. Going on a little adventure with Wendy sounds like a fantastic idea. "Let's go!"

Hand in hand, they ran together, going wherever their hearts led them.