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

Interesting to see the responses on the last chapter on here and on Wattpad. I was honestly not expecting a lot of reactions on it, so I appreciate it deeply! For those of you that have been here since the early chapters, you know I tend to keep interactions between Natsu and Wendy on the softer and fluffier side. I was quite hesitant to push their relationship in this direction.

Though maybe for these last few chapters, I'll write more on the intimate and fanservice-y side. I'll try my best to keep things… relatively tame. Next chapter will be quite special...

Anyhow, enjoy reading!


Chapter 38: Happy Accident?


"Pass it to me, Gray!"

"Here it comes, Erza!"

On the waters, our Fairy Tail wizards were playing a fairly intense game of beach ball. The others joined them very shortly, simply watching as spectators from the sidelines.

"They're really giving it their all." Jellal said as he observed them.

"That's Fairy Tail for you." Wendy let out a little laugh. "We never learn to hold back."

"Haha, it wouldn't be fun if they didn't give 110%!" Natsu pumped his fists in the air. "They gotta crush each other!"

"I… don't think that's the goal of tossing a beach ball, Natsu." Jellal chucked, amused by the fire dragon slayer's antics.

"Natsu, Natsu!" a voice called out to Natsu, prompting him to turn around.

"What's up, Juvia?" Natsu walked to her and Juvia pulled him away by his arm from the others. This didn't escape Wendy's attention.

"I have to tell you something very important!" she drew her mouth to his ear.

"What is it?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Did you know girls love it when you compliment their swimsuits?" she asked playfully.

"… Oh yeah?" he crossed his arms, curious. "Do they?"

"Of course!" she nodded with a smile. "It makes them feel validated and special about themselves, especially when it comes from the guy they like!"

"Oh, really?" Natsu nodded in understanding, though he wasn't sure why Juvia was telling him this.

"So you better give a compliment, Natsu!" Juvia patted her shoulder to encourage him, assuming he could put two and two together.

Huh, if Juvia says so… he inspected her bikini closely, noticing its vibrant blue patterns and how it fitted her body.

"I think your swimsuit looks cute on you, Juvia." He said dryly.

"… Huh?" Juvia blinked in surprise.

"The colors of your swimsuit match the color of your hair and eyes. It fits you quite well." He gazed at her intently.

"… Heh?" she took a step back, blushing slightly from his unexpected compliment. "N-Natsu…"

"Even as you're standing in this ocean, you–"

BONK!

"Ouch?!" A beach ball had slammed his head. Again.

"She means to compliment Wendy on her swimsuit, you numbskull!" Gray had angrily tossed the beach ball towards him and hit his head. Intentionally. "Not hers!"

"… Ohhhh." Natsu's eyes widened as a wave of realization hit him. He placed his fist on his palm in understanding. She's asking me to compliment Wendy?

"Maybe I could have worded that better." Juvia chuckled sweetly.

"Right, Wendy… uh." He shifted his gaze to her, checking out her swimsuit. Wendy did ask him if it looked good on her, to which he did. But I guess I never did compliment her directly…?

"Go tell her how cute she looks!" Juvia eagerly pushed him back towards Wendy. "Go on, go on!"

"Sheeesh, don't push me!" Natsu walked to Wendy's side. Just gotta compliment her on her swimsuit… should be easy, right? "Hey, Wendy."

"Mhmm?" Wendy hummed happily as she turned to him.

"You, uh…" Natsu observed her frilly swimsuit once more in greater detail… and it made his mind short-circuit. Ah… nothing comes to mind! Just like back moments ago, her swimsuit still left him awestruck. How was I able to compliment Juvia? He didn't even think, he just let the words come out naturally, but for Wendy, it was an entirely different matter.

"What is it, Natsu?" Wendy leaned her head to her right shoulder. "Your face is kinda red…"

"No, it isn't!" Natsu covered his cheeks with one hand, averting his eyes from her. Why can't I think straight after looking at her swimsuit?! Just tell her how good she looks in it!

"Hmmm…?" Wendy bowed her head down to look at herself, then looked back at him in realization. "Oh, is my swimsuit too cute for you?" she said with a playful smirk, trying to look at his face.

"U-Uh…" Natsu took a few steps back, her words striking his nerves. Come on, Natsu! You can't falter here!

"Fufufu…" Wendy gave a haughty laugh. She really enjoyed seeing his embarrassed reactions to her swimsuit. I'm glad he really loves it… her choice of swimsuit had really been worrying her since she bought it, but her fears were fortunately unfounded.

"I just wanted to say…" he rubbed the side of his neck nervously, slightly blushing at her.

"What'cha wanna say, Natsu?" she smiled mischievously. Does he want to compliment my swimsuit? She caught a glimpse of what he and Juvia were talking about with her dragon hearing.

"That you look really…"

"That I look really…?"

"… sexy."

"… Huh?" Wendy blinked in surprise.

"You look… really sexy in that swimsuit." Natsu muttered whatever he was thinking under his breath, a faint red appearing on his cheeks. "It, uh… makes it hard to think straight when I look at you." He didn't understand it himself, but there was just something about her swimsuit that left much to imagination.

"O-Oh…" Wendy's face rose in heat. She blushed heavily at his compliment. He thinks I'm sexy… it was a word she'd reserved for her fellow elder sisters like Lucy and Erza, but to think she'd hear such words from someone like Natsu… it meant a lot to her.

"… Your face is quite red, Wendy." Natsu smirked, throwing back the words she said to him.

"S-Shut up!" In a fit of embarrassment, Wendy kicked the water and splashed it towards him. "H-How am I supposed to react when you make me feel so happy?!"

"Haha!" Natsu raised his arms to shield his face from the splash. He tightened the scarf around his forehead. "You're on now! Water Dragon Splash!" He slammed his hands down and splashed a huge wave of water at her.

"Hey!" Wendy giggled cutely. "You wouldn't want to see me mad!"

"Bring it on!" Natsu grinned brightly.

The two dragon slayers shared laughter and joys together as they played with one another, splashing water everywhere, without a care in the world.

"Those two dorks are having the time of their life." Gray sighed with a smile, watching them.

It seems like it went well, Natsu! Juvia thought to herself.

"It's pretty sweet seeing them spend time together." Jellal added, placing his hands on his hips.

"Agreed." Erza nodded in approval. "Those two are making the best of their date, and so should we!" Her eyes sparkled as she whipped out a lacrima device.

"What's that, Erza?" Gray asked, motioning his gaze to the unfamiliar device in her hand.

"Are you all up for some beach dodgeball?" she asked, a playful glint flashing in her eyes. She explained afterwards that the lacrima device allowed them to set up a holographic match against A.I opponents.

Erza tested the lacrima device and immediately, three holographic opponents appeared in front of them. She could configure several settings, such as difficulty, number of opponents, and number of rounds. She played around with the difficult settings.

"Woah, this looks like fun." Gray stood beside Erza. "Are they able to hit us?"

"Let's test it out!" Erza raised the beach ball up and tossed it towards the opponents. One of the opponents quickly retaliated and–

SLAM!

The beach ball was slammed back at full force, moving past the group and hitting–

"Natsu, look out!" Erza shouted out, but it was already too late.

"Huh?" Natsu turned around and was instantly greeted with a beach ball to his face, slamming him down to the seafloor.

"Natsu!" Wendy called out worriedly and rushed to his side.

"What… just happened?" Gray asked, a bit shaken. "I swear I only blinked once."

"I… may have turned up the difficulty to the highest setting." Erza inspected the lacrima device. "I was curious."

"Your curiosity nearly killed a cat." Gray huffed. Or a dragon, in this case.

"Oh, don't worry." She smiled. "The impact doesn't cause any true physical pain to us… but it's enough to knock a person out. Safely."

"Very… uh, interesting…" Gray stroked his chin. "Well, I'm down for some dodgeball."

"Why don't we spice things up and throw in our magic with this difficulty?" Erza asked, summoning an iron sword in her hand.

"Now, you're speaking my language!" Gray cracked his knuckles. He channeled his ice magic through his hands, encasing them in ice gauntlets.

"I'll assist you, darling!" Juvia struck a dramatic pose, pointing her hand up. The water around her began boiling to high temperatures. "The ocean is my battlefield!"

"Jellal, would you like to join us?" Erza asked, waving at him.

"You can all start without me." Jellal replied. "I'll join you shortly."

Erza nodded, then turned to Gray and Juvia. "Let's test out a three-on-three battle."

While they started their certainly-not-deadly beach dodgeball match, Jellal walked over to Wendy who had placed Natsu's head on her lap.

"What is it with me and getting hit by beach balls today…" Natsu grumbled in annoyance. He rubbed his pained face to lessen the sting.

"Let me heal the pain, Natsu." Wendy focused her magic energy through her arms. Her palms emitted a calming, faint blue aura as she channeled it to Natsu's head.

"Thanks a million, Wendy." He smiled softly. He could feel the pain on his face alleviating, now being replaced with that of a healing warmth, one that made his mind grow fuzzy.

"Anytime…" Wendy grinned sweetly.

Jellal sat down beside her and patted her shoulder. "You two seem to have gotten a lot closer since the first date."

"Ah?" She blushed at his comment as she ran her fingers through Natsu's pink har. "W-Well, you could put it that way…"

"Mhmm…" He observed her expression for a moment. She does seem happier now…

"Oh, Jellal!" Natsu attempted to raise his head, but Wendy placed her hands on his shoulders and forced him down, enjoying his warmth on her lap. "I never got to thank you."

"Thank me?" He titled his head in curiosity. Nothing came to his mind that made him feel deserving of his gratitude.

"Yeah!" he nodded. "Thanks for helping me catch Wendy that time!"

"Oh." Jellal drew his head back in realization. When he was chasing her before… he had used his Meteor ability to give Natsu the decisive boost of speed he needed to catch her. "You're very welcome, Natsu."

"Without your help, I wouldn't have been able to confess my feelings to Wendy!" he grinned brightly.

"N-Natsu…" Wendy pinched his red cheeks. His confession was still vividly clear in her mind and made her feel giddy.

"Oh, that's nice." Jellal smiled. So he confessed his feelings to her… wait. His eyes widened as he fully understood his words. He confessed his feelings to her? To Wendy?

"Wait, Natsu, Wendy… if I may ask you something." He rubbed the side of his neck. "What… is your relationship with each other now?"

"Oh!" Natsu flashed his signature smile. "Wendy and I are dating now!"

"Huh…" Jellal blinked, unsure if he heard him right.

"She's my girlfriend!" He gazed into Wendy's eyes and caressed her cheek. "And I'm her boyfriend!"

"N-Natsu…" Wendy grew flustered.

"Oh…" Jellal blinked again. He's sure he heard them right. If his words weren't enough, just one quick look at Wendy's flustered expression and sheepish smile told him that his words rang true… they're dating, huh… wait!

"You two were DATING this entire time?!" Jellal nearly stumbled backwards as he finally realized the meaning of his words.

"You never noticed, Jellal?" Wendy asked.

"I might have…?" Jellal facepalmed himself because of… himself. I did notice they were closer than usual. How come I didn't connect the dots? It all made sense now. Why Erza invited Wendy, not Lucy. Why Wendy acted the terrifying way she did on the ship, why they seemed more intimate with each other.

"Nobody told you?"

"To be fair, I never really tried asking anyone directly." He chuckled awkwardly. Erza may have given me a few hints here and there…

"Hehe, I see." Wendy giggled. "Isn't it about time you and Erza caught up?"

"H-Heh?!" Jellal's mouth went agape. His face heated up at her question.

"Oh, Erza's the one you have feelings for?" Natsu asked, his curiosity piqued. "If anyone can withstand that devil of a woman, I suppose you have a fair shot."

"A-Ah…" Jellal clawed at his face, visibly embarrassed. Right, I did tell Natsu there was someone I had feelings for… he was surprised Natsu still remembered their conversation before.

"You know what? Let me help you, Jellal!" Natsu stood up quickly, his eyes sparkling with pure intentions. "It's my turn to help you!"

"H-Huh?" Jellal felt a shiver crawling up his spine. I don't like that look in his eyes…

"Let's ask Erza how she feels about you!" Natsu exclaimed, as if it was the best idea in the world. "If she feels the same, you two can kiss and become lovers! Easy as that!"

"K-Ki…!" Jellal's face blew up with smoke.

"Natsu…" Wendy scratched her cheek awkwardly. What he suggested was how she and Natsu became lovers. I don't think that's going to work here.

"Let's hear what she thinks!" Natsu marched towards her, but Jellal grabbed his arm, locking him in place.

"T-That will not be necessary, Natsu!" Jellal said, desperation in his voice.

"Come on!" Natsu grabbed his arm back and dragged him instead. "It's a foolproof plan, if I do say so myself!"

"Natsu, don't!" Jellal's heart was not ready for any of this. He snapped his gaze to Wendy, hinting for her to say something to stop her boyfriend.

"… Good luck?" Wendy gave a thumbs up to encourage them, the exact opposite of what Jellal needed. Admittedly, she just wanted to see Erza's flustered reactions.

No, that's not what he needs to hear! Jellal cried out internally.

"Hey, Erza!" Natsu called out to her while dragging Jellal along with him. He walked into their field, oblivious to the intense match of dodgeball going on. "Erza!"

"Natsu?" Erza shifted her attention to him, away from the ongoing game. "What is–"

SLAM!

A beach ball had shot past Erza's face and landed on Natsu's face. Once more. The blow sent him flying into the seafloor.

"Not again, Natsu!" Wendy dashed to his side, worried.

"…" Jellal let out a sigh of relief, being spared from his questions. Though he felt bad for Natsu, he was actually grateful to the beach ball. He pressed his palms together and offered his sincerest thanks to it.

"Grrr…!" Natsu bounced back up, visibly annoyed. His veins were nearly popping out of his forehead. He grabbed the beach ball in his hands. "Erza, let me in on the game! I got a fire in my belly that's raging to get out!"

"Hoh… I welcome your fighting spirit!" Erza smiled in approval. "Come and exact your revenge, Natsu!"

Wasn't it Erza's fault the first time? Gray kept that thought to himself. Still, things were bound to be exciting now that Natsu's in the game.

"I want to join, too!" Wendy raised her hand up excitedly. If Natsu was joining, she may as well.

"Nice." Erza smiled at her, then turned to the last remaining member. "Won't you join us, Jellal? The more, the merrier."

"… Of course, Erza." Jellal gave her a warm smile, which made her heart tingle.

And so, the wizards had an intense game of deadly dodgeball. With six impressive wizards, it quickly turned to an actual battlefield against six holographic opponents. Erza decided to switch to using one-hit rules, meaning that if anyone was hit with the beach ball, they were immediately eliminated from the game. The beach ball could only be hit back and forth with their hands or their magic power.

And how were they faring after some time?

SLAM!

"Ah!" Wendy was knocked out of the match. She didn't expect the beach ball to pick up speed over time…

"I'll avenge you, We–"

SLAM!

… followed promptly by Natsu getting slammed on to his back. For the fourth time.

"… You alright, Natsu?" Wendy walked to his side and crouched down. "Guess we're the first to get knocked out."

"Haha, it was fun, though!" Natsu grinned, ignoring the stinging pain on his cheek. Failed to get my revenge, though…

SLAM!

"Gagh!" The beach ball hit Gray's leg, making him lose balance. "Guess I'm out of it!"

"No, my darling!" Juvia cried out. "I'll fight for the both of us, don't worry!" Focusing her magic power into her environment, the waters twirled around her body and rose into the sky. The ocean waves ascended over them, creating a giant shadow which loomed over them.

"Uh…" Gray's eyes widened, seeing the water high up above them, about to come crashing down on them and their opponents. "W-Wait, Juvia, I think that's…!"

"Hiyah!" Juvia swiped her hands down, sending the water crashing down on to the entire area, like a predator about to swallow its prey.

"Everyone, watch out!" Erza shouted at the top of her lungs. Juvia, what in the world are you doing?!

"Ah…" Wendy could only watch as the impending doom of the waves approached them.

"Wendy!" Natsu quickly grabbed her arm and pulled her into his embrace.

FWUSH!

Taking too much damage, the holographic field and opponents were forced to deactivate, fading to nothingness. Everyone else sunk deep into the waters. It was silent for a moment.

"Ahm…" Juvia went dotted eyes for a moment, now thinking she shouldn't have done this in hindsight.

"Fuah!" Gray popped his head through the water, taking big gasps of air. He turned to her. "Juvia, what the heck was that?"

"Ahahah, sorry…" Juvia lightly smacked her forehead with her fist. "I… may have gone overboard."

"This seems a little more extreme than going overboard!" Gray huffed. And here he thought only Natsu was capable of such a feat. Then again, we are in the oceans…

Moments later, Natsu popped out of the surface with Wendy in his arms. She was hugging him back, too.

"Man, that was awesome! Juvia is something else!" Natsu exclaimed out of admiration. In her element, she proved to be an even more terrifying ally.

"…" There was no response from the little bluenette.

"Wendy?" he turned his attention to her, concerned. "Did'cha get hurt? Are you alright?" He tried to let go of her, but…

"Don't move!" Wendy tightened her arms around him.

"Wendy…?" Natsu bowed his head down to look at her face. He noticed her cheeks were rather red and her eyes were flushed, avoiding his gaze.

"… bikini top…" she whispered.

"Hmmm…?" Natsu craned his neck to her. Bikini top?

"… it's gone."

"Huh…?" Natsu blinked twice. "It's gone…?"

"Mnnhm…" she nodded meekly.

Natsu echoed her words in his mind over and over again, trying to understand them. Bikini top…? Is she referring to the white frilly bikini top she was wearing? Okay, I think that's it. Now, what does she mean by its gone…? Does she mean she's not–…

She's not wearing it.

Natsu froze instantly at that revelation. Right now, right this second, Wendy was hugging him. That meant…!

"W-W-W-What?!" Natsu flinched in shock, instinctively stepping back. "W-W-Wendy, that means you're…!"

"Don't move!" Wendy locked her arms around him.

"Mnguh?!" Natsu's mouth went agape as his sense of touch heightened to incredible levels. He could acutely feel an unfamiliar soft sensation pressing firmly against his own. This must be her–…!

Wendy didn't know how this happened. She didn't know how she was put in this situation. Natsu had pulled and shielded her as they got sunk into the waters by Juvia's attack. Next thing she knew, her bikini top had mysteriously disappeared. She figured it must have been swept away during the attack… but now what was she supposed to do?! All she could think of was to hug Natsu tightly.

But now she realized something: he could absolutely feel her skin pressing against him. Her face glowed a crimson red at the realization. I didn't think this through…! She drew her head back to look at his reaction, somewhat expecting him to shrug it off…

Natsu was furiously blushing!

He snapped his gaze away, finding it hard to think straight. W-Why the hell is my face so hot?! Wendy was hugging him, plain and simple! Nothing wrong with that… except there was no piece of cloth this time! He's felt and touched Lucy before. Naked. Countless times, as a matter of fact!

Yet none of those experiences could come remotely close to how Wendy made him feel now. His body temperature and heartbeat skyrocketed at these unfamiliar, luscious sensations pressing against him. He hoped Wendy wouldn't be able to sense how nervous he was…

… except she could. Wendy heard his heartbeat throbbing against his chest, beating against her ear. His body radiated an intense heat which pooled directly into her body. His warmth… under normal circumstances, Wendy figured she'd normally be embarrassed by this…

But his warmth was enticing. The way his heat tingled across her bare flesh. She instinctively closed any distance between them to feel even more of his warmth.

Why is she hugging me so tightly?! Natsu screamed internally. This was just like when she put sunscreen on him, except this was even worse to his heart! With how tight she was hugging him, he could intimately feel her sensual curves grazing against him.

Ah! An idea popped into his head. My scarf! He could use that to cover her! A brilliant idea! He searched for the scarf tied around his head…

It was gone.

"Huh?" Natsu patted around his head, searching for his white scarf. It got swept away too?! Things were only getting harder from here now.

"W-Wendy…" Natsu placed his hands on her shoulder. Right now, he needed to do something before he lost his mind. "Let's… try to find it."

"O-Okay…" she nodded, still not letting go.

"I… need you to let go for a moment." He said softly. "Or at least… don't hug me this tightly."

"O-Okay…" his request sounded reasonable to her ears. Wendy gently pulled away and immediately felt a loss of warmth on her most sensitive flesh.

She painfully ached for his searing touch to feel her.

"Hahn…" Wendy panted, pulling him back again to feel his toned skin and softly rubbed against him, her fingertips digging into his back.

"Mnguh, W-Wendy?!" Natsu felt an electrical jolt shoot up his spine from the friction of their skin. W-What is she doing?! His body heated up even further in response.

As if her softness wasn't dangerous enough, he could also feel something sinfully hard amid her softness taunting him, short-circuiting his mind.

His body is heating up… Wendy was drawn to his natural heat. It was so captivating to her senses, almost blurring them out. I can't think straight… her sense of touch had amplified.

Natsu's hands began trembling with… unthinkable urges. It was the same feeling he had back then. His body was fired up. He took a deep breath, then exhaled deeply. Keep it together, Natsu! If Wendy wasn't letting him go, he'd just have to grind and bear it. He tried taking a step forward–

"Mnnh…!" Wendy involuntarily let out a moan, her breath tickling his senses. It feels... really good...!

"Mngghuh…?!" Natsu nearly choked at the sudden pleasurable contact of their skin. Just taking a step meant he'd have to feel her bare chest rub against his own every time. If he stood still, he'd succumb to these soft sensations. If he moved, he'd feel her rubbing against him. It's a lose-lose situation!

Just then, at the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of something white floating in the distance. Could that be…? He focused his eyesight and what do you know, it was her white frilly bikini top! Now, if only he could reach that…

"W-Wendy…" he forced the words out of his mouth. He pointed at her white cloth. "I think I see it over there…"

Wendy weakly turned her head to the side, motioning her gaze to the direction of his finger. Sure enough, she could see her missing bikini top in the distance.

Natsu steeled himself and tried to walk towards the white cloth. Every step he took, Wendy's pillowy and throbbing curves jolted against him, teasing his self-control, making him nearly lose his mind. Calm yourself, Natsu!

"Mnaahn…" Wendy breathed heavily. Being so close, she could take in his powerful scent. His scent usually filled her with comfort, but now… it filled her with raw need. Both their draconic instincts were slowly clouding over their senses again.

It didn't help that her moans reverberated through his ears, further fanning the flames of desire in him, making this more difficult for him than it already is.

Grunting, Natsu willed whatever resolve he had into his legs and dragged them across the seafloor, trying to reach her bikini top, bearing these desires building in him. Just a little more, Natsu…

"Mnnaghn…" Her body began flaring up, being so close to him. My body is feeling so hot… compared to Natsu, she was much more willing to give in to her primal urges. Question is… would she want to cross that line? N-No, stop yourself, Wendy…

Natsu stretched his arm towards the bikini top and… got it! He hurriedly snatched it with his hands. "Wendy, I got it!"

"O-Oh…" Wendy eyed her cloth in his hand. She wasn't sure if she felt happy or disappointed.

"C-Could you put it on now?" Natsu shoved it to her face for the sake of his remaining sanity.

"O-Okay…" she reluctantly pulled her arms away and Natsu quickly turned around to give her some privacy to put it on.

It's over! Natsu clutched his chest, feeling his rapidly beating heart. Her softness still lingered around his body, almost making him crave it. He shook his head to clear his thoughts.

"T-Thank you, Natsu…" Wendy said timidly, placing a hand over her beating heart. My heart is beating so fast…

"… Great!" Natsu turned around with a forced smile. She was wearing his bikini top once more. He let out a sigh of relief… but right now, he needed to keep his distance from her. Wendy's scent right now was… strong. Alluring, tingling all the way to his nerves… telling him to take her then and there.

"I'll search for my scarf now."

"Let me help you." Wendy offered, wanting to be close to him. "It should be aro–"

"No." he waved her offer off. I can't be next to her now. "I'll search for it myself."

"Huh?" Wendy blinked in surprise. "But Nat–"

"I said no." Natsu repeated, a bit sterner than he expected.

"N-Natsu…" Wendy rubbed his arm, frowning. She actually felt a bit hurt by his tone. He helped her, so wouldn't it be normal to help her boyfriend back?

Not paying her any mind, Natsu walked off in search of his scarf. In truth, he just needed to clear his mind. Right now, being near Wendy was setting off signals in his body. As if his desires were calling out to him. Hell, what is this feeling… it made him want to do things to her.

"Natsu! Wendy!" Erza called out and ran to them. "Are you both unhurt?"

"Erza?" Wendy turned around. She saw the others approaching her. "Yeah! We're both okay!"

"Thank goodness…" Erza smiled in relief. "It seems no one has been injured by Juvia's scene."

"Man, I'm beat…" Gray said tiredly. "That game took a lot out of me."

"Sorry, my darling…" Juvia twiddled with her fingers. Erza gave her an earful just moments ago.

"It's fine, Juvia." He patted her shoulder to reassure her. "I'm sure it'll make up for an interesting memory."

Erza drew her hands to her hips. "I suppose now is a good time to call it here. Wouldn't want to spend too much time under the sun." They've spent a good amount of time on the beach now.

"Yeah, let's rest for a bit." Gray agreed. They all walked back to their spot to rest under the sunshades.

Wendy stood in place, waiting for Natsu to come back. Her mind had considerably calmed down now. She was now aware of her… behavior with Natsu. What came over me…? she couldn't understand it herself. All she knew was this made it the second time she experienced those strong emotions for him. First time, she felt she was crazy for engaging in such acts. Second time, she was willing to give in to these strange, yet pleasurable urges. And she knew Natsu must have been experiencing it, too.

She wanted to give in. She wanted him to give in.

"Ah, got it!" Natsu finally found his scarf and tied it around his forehead like a bandana. He turned around and walked back to the shore, where he saw Wendy. God, her scent is so attractive now… his mind had calmed down a bit. He felt he could interact with her somewhat.

"H-Hey, Wendy." he waved at her. "Where are the others?"

"They're currently resting now." She motioned to their sunshades.

"I see!" he smiled. "Let's head back to them."

Wendy nodded, walking back to the group with him. She noticed Natsu wasn't walking next to her. They both sat down on the beach mat, keeping some conscious distance between them. After what transpired between them, it just felt… awkward.

Gray observed the dragon slayers quietly, noticing both of their flushed faces. There was an odd atmosphere going on between them, but he couldn't tell. I'm sensing some tension between them…

After an amount of silence passed, Erza spoke up.

"Have any of you heard about the hot springs they have here?" she asked. "I hear their quality is unmatched."

"Hot springs?" Natsu folded his arms. "They got hot springs around here?"

"At this point, we shouldn't be surprised this resort has, well… everything." Gray replied. "But a hot spring bath sounds good right about now."

"I'd love to relax and unwind after this…" Juvia sighed.

"Well, why don't we head to them now?" Erza suggested. "We could all do with some much-needed rejuvenation."


..

.

The group packed their stuff up from the beach and moved to the hot springs area. Unfortunately, they discovered some sad news…

"It would seem the hot springs are currently undergoing renovation." Erza crossed her arms, a bit disappointed. In front of entrances, there was a yellow sign that read CURRENTLY IN RENOVATION.

"Oh, that's rather unfortunate." Jellal added. "For both the men's and women's areas, it appears."

"I was really looking forward to it." Gray replied, ruffling his hair. "Guess we'll take baths in our rooms?"

"Oh, don't lose hope, my dear friends." Erza turned around and struck a dramatic pose. For whatever reason, this sent a shiver up Natsu and Gray's spine in particular… because they had an idea on what she was going to say next.

I have a bad feeling about this, Natsu. Gray glanced at him, communicating a message with his eyes.

Yeah… I think we should back out slowly and quietly. Natsu blinked twice, nodding.

"Why's that, Erza?" Wendy asked innocently.

"Hahaha!" Erza slammed her fist to her chest, her eyes sparkling with enthusiasm. "Fear not, everyone!"

Jellal, Juvia, and Wendy tilted their heads in curiosity, wondering what she's going to say next while Natsu and Gray took a few steps back from the group, about to make their escape.

"Let's all partake in the mixed hot springs!"