Moving directly from the previous bonus chapter... there are some things I'd like to say.

I'm switching to the usual style of writing, unlike the past three chapters. I don't want to linger around with the rating too much. I'll occasionally throw in those heated NaWen moments here and there, but they'll be more toned down now.

This chapter is meant to be a playful one, as you can see from the title. Just some light-hearted bonding between the wizards.

Anyhow, enjoy!


Chapter 40: Spin the Bottle!


"Ugh…" Natsu rubbed his neck where Wendy bit him. The stinging pain seemed to fade in and fade out. My head's getting dizzy…

"Natsu?" Wendy called out with concern. "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing." Natsu waved her concern off. "I'm just feeling a little sore here…"

"Oh…" Guilt settled into her heart, seeing him like this. She may have gone overboard when she bit into him and marked him. "Sorry…"

"Nah, don't be." He smiled softly. His eyes shifted to her neck. "How about you? Does it hurt in any way?"

"My body feels a little hot, but it doesn't feel bad at all." Wendy smoothed her fingers over her mark. "I feel fine. Better, even!"

"Glad to hear that." He stood up and sat himself over the edge of the hot springs. "My mind's getting a little hazy. I think I'm done hanging out here. Wanna leave?"

"Sure!" Wendy nodded and stood up. She stepped out of the hot springs. Her body felt vitalized with energy.

Natsu took a few steps forward. My eyes… his vision started getting blurry, making him lose balance. He nearly stumbled over his legs.

"Natsu!" Wendy dashed to his side and caught him, putting his arm over her shoulders. "Are you okay?"

"My head's just... really dizzy." He chuckled. "I feel relaxed and exhausted at the same time. What a weird feeling…"

"Don't push yourself." Wendy said, her tone laced with concern. "Here, lean on me."

"Thanks, Wendy…" Natsu reluctantly let himself be supported by her. They both left the hot springs afterwards.


..

.

"Whew…" Natsu dried himself up with a towel, then put on a blue robe already provided by the resort. Of course, he wouldn't forget his white scarf around his neck. Feels like home…

Wendy also wore a similar blue robe after drying herself. It was much smaller to fit her figure.

"Gugh…" Natsu rubbed his forehead to ease his headache. Why am I like this…? He thought he'd be feeling rejuvenated after taking a hot springs bath, not worse. His neck was also feeling a little sore when he moved around. He wondered if the mark had anything to do with this. Wendy seemed perfectly fine, so maybe he was just feeling under the weather…

"Natsu, let's rest in the room." Wendy suggested, motioning her eyes to a room reserved for them. She noticed he seemed a little off, and it deeply concerned her. I hope he's okay…

"Alright." Natsu gave a small nod. He slid the door open and entered the room alongside Wendy. The room had a rather traditional interior design. It had a few resting mats and pillows inside. He plopped his body face first on the flat floor while Wendy closed the door behind her.

"Natsu…" Why is he lying down like that? She sat down on her legs beside him and patted her lap. "Come here."

"Mhmm…?" He raised his head and saw her hand gestures. "Oh, it's fine. I don't mi–"

Wendy scooted to him and lifted her head on to his lap. "You shouldn't be resting on the hard floor."

Her lap was surprisingly soft, even with the blue robe she was wearing. Her scent was sweet, comforting to his senses. It certainly was better than the hard floor he just rested on.

"Huahh…" Natsu exhaled deeply as he flipped over and adjusted his head on her lap. "Your lap's definitely better."

"Of course it is." She giggled softly, affectionately stroking his pink hair. "It's the girlfriend's lap pillow!"

"Haha, right."

The two remained in silence for a moment. Natsu enjoyed Wendy's head strokes. It was soothing to his headaches. Her lap's so soft, too… I could fall asleep any moment.

"Yo!" The door was slid open, and a voice greeted them. They turned to the door and saw Gray and Jellal coming in.

"You guys done with the bath?" Natsu asked.

"Yeah!" Gray nodded, taking a seat on the floor. He was in an unusually good mood. "I feel so relaxed."

"It was nice to unwind after a long day." Jellal added. "A much-needed break."

"Where's Erza and Juvia?" Wendy asked. They might still be changing…

"They'll be here, shortly." Gray answered, plopping his face in his hand. "Anyway, what's up with you, Natsu? You look even worse."

"Meh, I dunno." He briefly raised his shoulders. "I have a slight headache all of a sudden."

"Huh…" Gray stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Because of the hot springs?"

"Mhmm…" he flicked his gaze to Wendy. She seemed fine… but was it really the bite that caused it? "It might have been–"

"H-He's probably tired after a long day." Wendy answered quickly, a little flustered. It would be embarrassing if Natsu told him what they did… the memory made her face heat up.

Not heeding their conversation, Jellal explored around the room, interested in the design and what the room has to offer. The room itself gave of a traditional atmosphere, but its facilities were modern. Several lacrima devices were on the table, which he had never seen before. A small fridge was located at the corner of the room, which caught his interest. He crouched down in front of it and pulled the cover open, revealing…

"Wow." Jellal grabbed a bottle and inspected it closely. It had a very refined glass design, giving off a classy feel. Crimson liquid was visible through the glass. "This is…"

"What'cha got there, Jellal?" Gray asked.

"I believe this is wine." He answered, showing the bottle to him.

"Wi–…"

Natsu and Gray froze instantly. Shivers crawled up their spines at what Jellal just revealed. Gray robotically turned to Natsu, who had the same terrified look in his eyes.

"D-Did you just say wine, Jellal?!" Natsu raised himself up into a sitting position, his gaze locked on the bottle.

"Hey, Natsu…" Wendy pouted, feeling the loss of his warmth on her lap. Why does he look scared?

"Yes?" Jellal moved aside to show the contents of the fridge. There was not one bottle, but many more?!

"Oh, God…" Gray's body trembled with fear. "This is bad… we've got an emergency in our hands!"

"BEGIN FAIRY TAIL OPERATION: HIDE THE WINE!" Natsu stood up and shouted, striking a dramatic pose.

"PROCEED!" Gray followed. They both rushed to Jellal and snatched his bottle away.

"H-Huh?" Jellal blinked in confusion.

"What's wrong, Natsu?" Wendy asked, just as confused as Jellal.

"We gotta hide the wine!" Natsu returned the bottle and slammed the fridge cover.

"Wendy, hand me that mat over there!" Gray asked, panicking. "Gotta hide the evidence!"

"O-Okay…?" Wendy grabbed the mat and handed it to Gray, and he quickly took it and draped it over the fridge. She exchanged perplexed glances with Jellal. What on earth could be their reason to hide such wine? Were they addicted to it? But to their knowledge, Natsu and Gray weren't really the type to drink.

"Why are you hiding the wine?" Wendy asked the duo. "Will something bad happen?"

Natsu sharply turned to her, looking at her as if she had three heads, like the answer was already so obvious.

"You kidding me, Wendy?!" Natsu grabbed a pillow and sat it on the fridge. "We can't let Erza find this!"

"Yeah!" Gray nodded frantically. "If she gets her hands on this wine, she'll–"

"I'll do what, exactly?"

"GAH?!" Natsu and Gray flinched in shock, nearly stumbling over the fridge. They spun around and saw Erza, standing right in front of them, where they didn't need her to be.

"Perhaps my ears are deceiving me…" Erza crossed her arms, smirking at them. "But am I to believe you two are hiding something from me?"

"U-Uhh…" Gray nervously rubbed the side of his neck. "N-No, we aren't hiding anything!"

"Y-Yeah! There's nothing to find here!" Natsu added.

"Hoh, how amusing." Erza stroked her chin, casting his gaze to the suspiciously covered box behind them. "Then I can safely believe there's nothing of interest to me in that fridge?"

"E-Err…" The duo averted their gaze, unable to come up with an answer.

"Will you two kindly step aside?" she gave a smile, one that instilled fear into their hearts.

"W-Why?" Natsu adjusted his scarf. A few beads of sweat travelled down his forehead. "I'm quite comfortable here, actually!"

Erza grabbed their shoulders with an iron grip, almost crushing their bones to bits. "Move."

Giving in to her intimidation, Natsu and Gray reluctantly stepped aside and let her check the fridge. She removed pillows and mats covering the fridge.

Natsu and Gray looked at each other, whispered something about escaping, then nodded together. They both walked to the door, about to make their escape…

"Oh, what a find!" Erza grabbed a bottle of wine and raised it into the air, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "Is this some delectable and exquisite wine I see?!"

"Ah." Wendy and Juvia's eyes widened in surprise. Now they understood Gray and Natsu's strange behavior. They weren't hiding the wine for themselves. They were hiding it because of Erza. They witnessed Erza's antics during a Christmas celebration when she really, really, really got drunk. And boy, she dragged them all for a crazy ride.

Of course, this was all lost with Jellal, as his only recollection was seeing a drunk Erza walking naked in the cold. He'd never seen what she can be capable of.

"Quickly, Natsu!" Gray urged.

"I know, I know!" Natsu attempted to slide the door open…

STAB!

"And just where do you think you're going?" Erza had thrown her swords at the door, nearly grazing their skins, landing inches away from their faces. "The night is still young, boys and girls!"

It was nice knowing you, brother. Natsu patted Gray's shoulder.

May we survive the war. Gray ruffled his hair.

"Come, let's all share a drink!" Erza pulled out six bottles from who knows where and set them on the floor. "The night is just beginning!"

Jellal let out a soft chuckle. Fairy Tail was always an over-the-top bunch. He enjoyed being in their company.

Everyone sat down together on the floor, forming a small circle. Their sitting positions were Natsu, Wendy, Jellal, Erza, Gray, and Juvia.

Erza popped the bottle open and began pouring herself a glass of wine. "Oh, such a refined smell!"

Natsu and Wendy had to agree. The scent of the wine was quite… refined to their dragon noses, indeed.

She then filled everyone else's glasses with wine until the bottle is empty, which made Gray realize something.

"Where did you get these glasses, Erza?" Gray asked, lifting the glass up. "This is a lot for each of us."

"Ohohoho... I'm glad you asked!" Erza replied, giving him an approving smile. "Where I got them doesn't matter. What matters is… we're going to play a game!" She then whipped out a lacrima device.

"A game?" Gray raised an eyebrow. "What game do you have in mind?"

Erza laid the empty bottle down on its side and spun it around in the center of their sitting arrangement. "Spin the bottle!"

Almost instantly, everyone, except Jellal, was reminded of the Queen's game Mirajane had put them through. Surely, Erza couldn't have been worse than her, could she?

"And we'll use this!" Erza set the lacrima device on the floor. It resembled some kind of spinner. "This isn't your average Spin the Bottle game! I'd like to add my own spin." Literally.

"Hmmm…" Natsu was somewhat interested, admittedly. "What's it like, Erza?"

"Allow me to demonstrate with an example!" Erza began explaining the rules of the game. "We'll spin this bottle first, which you all are familiar with." She gave the bottle a spin, and it stopped moving and pointed at Gray.

"Okay, so I'm it. What happens from here?" Gray asked, folding his arms.

"Press this button here." Erza motioned to the spinner device. Gray nodded and pressed it. The spinner began spinning until it stopped, projecting holographic words above it.

HUG.

"Hug…?"

"Spin the bottle once more, Gray!" Erza beamed.

"Ah, got'cha…" Gray quickly understood how the game was played. For demonstration's sake, he spun the bottle, and it pointed to Juvia. "So I'd have to hug whoever the bottle is pointed at?"

"Hug me, darling!" Juvia spread her arms out towards him.

"A-Ahah, okay, okay…" Gray gave her a hug.

"Exactly!" Erza nodded. "Now, you might be wondering… where do the drinks come into play? If you ended up with an… let's say, unfavorable prompt, you can choose to skip your turn but everyone has to take a drink!"

"A-All of us?" Juvia asked.

"That seems a little extreme…" Gray added.

"Extreme is the name of the game, my dear fellows!" Erza puffed her chest out.

Now, everyone understood how the game was played now. It seemed this was bound to get chaotic. And probably very drunk.

"What kind of prompts appear on the spinner, Erza?" Wendy asked, curious. I have a bad feeling about this…

"Haha! Let's start the game and find out, shall we?" Erza was eager to begin. She spun the bottle and the first turn is assigned to…

"Oh, myself." Erza hummed. "I suppose I'll kick things off." She activated the spinner and spun the bottle again, so her prompt would be…

A KISS ON THE CHEEK. And the second person was…

"O-Oh…" Jellal blushed faintly.

"Very well." Erza held Jellal's cheek and planted a little kiss on it while trying to hide her nervousness. "A kiss for you, Jellal."

"A-Ah…" he could feel the warmth of her kiss on his cheek. His face heated to extreme levels, just from a kiss. S-She kissed me… he didn't even have time to mentally prepare himself.

"How cute!" Juvia clasped her hands together.

Erza's hiding her nervousness well… Wendy could see through her ironclad expression, and it was adorable.

"L-Let's move on to the next turn!" Erza spun the bottle once more, and the next turn was assigned to…

"Alright, my turn." Gray activated the spinner and spun the bottle, so his prompt would be…

HUG. Again. And the second person was…

"Hoh…" Erza smiled sweetly, spreading her arms apart. "Let me have it, Gray!"

"Uhh…" Gray glanced at Juvia for a quick moment, and she was eyeing him really closely, which made him uncomfortable. "I'll… take a drink, instead."

"Haha, early in the game, eh? I appreciate your fighting spirit!" Erza laughed, raising her glass of wine. "Cheers!"

What part of this is fighting spirit… Gray sighed as he and everyone else took a sip of their wine, and wow, it was a strong drink! Some of them could already feel themselves getting tipsy.

"Wooooh!" Erza howled after taking a drink. "Now this is the good stuff!"

My head already feels like it's spinning… Wendy rubbed her temple.

"Don't you get dizzy when you drink, Wendy?" Natsu asked.

"Ahahah, I think I can hold myself now." Wendy replied. Probably…

"I shall… do the honors now." Gray spun the bottle around and it stopped at Wendy.

"Oh, my turn." Wendy tried spinning the bottle and activated the spinner. And her prompt was…

BECOME A CAT. And the second person was Juvia.

"H-Huh?!" Wendy's eyes widened in surprise. "What kind of prompt is this?!"

"I think Wendy could play a cute cat." Juvia jested.

"You should meow for her, Wendy!" Erza exclaimed. "Ask for some head pats like a cat!"

"N-No…!" Wendy waved her hand and took her glass instead. "That's too embarrassing!"

"Very well, then!" Erza raised her glass once more. "Cheers!"

Everyone took a sip of their wine again. Wendy's face immediately flushed red. "W-Wow… h-hic!"

"That's a good look on you, Wendy!" Erza cheered, already getting drunk.

"I shall…–hic!–… do the honors." Wendy spun the bottle around and it stopped on Natsu.

"My turn, eh?" Natsu spun the bottle next and activated the spinner. And his prompt was…

PERFORM A BRIDAL-STYLE CARRY. And the second person was Jellal.

"That's an interesting prompt…" Jellal commented. Well, I'm not particularly against it…

"Whew, too easy!" Natsu turned his attention to Jellal. "Come here, Je–"

PLOMP!

"N-hic!-No!" Wendy latched on to his arm, pulling him back to her in a fit of jealousy. "You're not allowed to–hic!-carry him!"

"Wendy?" Natsu raised an eyebrow, confused by her behavior. Is she already drunk?

"You have to skip your turn, Natsu!" she protested, tightening her arms around his. "Skip!"

"I'll just be carrying him, though?" he said. "Besides… you'll have to take another drink if I–"

"No!" she unleashed a little flurry of fists on his chest. "You're not allowed to carry anyone besides–hic!-me!"

"My, isn't she a feisty one!" Erza giggled cutely. "You better listen to your girlfriend, Natsu!"

"Ugh… fine." Natsu huffed, picking up his glass. "Cheers, everyone." Everyone took a sip of the drink, and boy, it was getting hard for the girls especially to think straight. Natsu then spun the bottle, and the next turn belonged to…

"My turn!" Juvia eagerly spun the bottle again and activated the spinner. And her prompt was…

EXPRESS YOUR RELATIONSHIP. And the second person was rightfully Gray.

"So tell us!" Erza slammed her palm to the floor. "What is your relationship with Gray? Is it unrequited love? Is Gray still a coward for facing your feelings?"

"Hey, that's uncalled for…" Gray retorted.

Juvia turned to him, gazing into his eyes. She blushed as tears began welling up in her eyes, looking at the love of her life.

"I'm so fortunate…" she already began sobbing loudly. "… to have someone that loves me as much as I love them."

"Juvia, don't cry…" he gently rubbed the tears off her cheeks. She's already drunk too, huh…

"Hoh?" Erza found her choice of words interesting. "Gray loves you, huh?"

"He's more romantic than I could have ever imagined…" she sniffed, her eyes appearing puffy. "… when he confessed to me under–"

"J-Juvia!" Gray covered her mouth, visibly flustered. He didn't want them to find out like this. Ah, it's too late!

"…" Erza, Jellal, Natsu, and Wendy exchanged surprised glances with another. Gray confessed to Juvia?!

"It's about damn time you did!" Natsu cheered. "Way to go, my man."

"Yay, you finally–hic!-did it!" Wendy clapped her hands together. "I'm so–hic!-happy for both of you!"

"I offer you my sincerest congratulations, Gray. Juvia." Jellal gave a warm smile.

"Way to go, Gray Fullbuster!" Erza laughed heartily. "You've kept her waiting for too long!"

"Everyone…" Gray was honestly left awestruck by their support. Maybe this wasn't so bad, after all. He was glad to have such treasured friends.

"I must say, I envy you two." She glanced at Natsu and Gray. "You two have managed to confess your undying love… meanwhile, I…" she stared at Jellal at the corner of her eye.

"Time for the next round…!" Juvia cried as she spun bottle, bring the next turn to Erza.

"… Amusing." Erza spun the bottle and activated the spinner. And her prompt was…

CONFESS YOUR FEELINGS. And who would have thought the second person would be…

"O-Oh…" Jellal's eyes widened in surprise, seeing this prompt.

"HAAAAAHN?!" Erza lashed out, shocked that such a prompt would appear (even though she configured the lacrima device herself.) "This is ridiculous!"

"Well, now's your chance, Erza." Gray smirked. "Time for you to follow in our footsteps."

"Jellal feels the same way about you, so this should be a piece of cake!" Natsu grinned brightly.

"U-Uhh…" Jellal rubbed the side of his neck. He was getting extremely nervous now… was Erza really going to confess to him? Was his heart ready for that even?

"Fine!" Erza turned to Jellal and steeled her resolve, gazing into his eyes with determination. "Jellal!"

"Y-Yes?" Jellal flinched.

Erza inched towards him and grabbed the collar of his robe, dragging his face to hers. "I… I…!"

Her face is so close… his heartrate began speeding up. He could smell the sweet scent of her drink on her lips.

"I… I love…!" Erza's grip trembled anxiously as a faint red appeared on her cheeks. Looking at his eyes, she felt herself cowering before him.

Everyone else watched them with bated breath, silently cheering for her to push through.

"….. GAGH! I'm not drunk enough!" Erza let go of his collar and immediately began chugging her entire glass.

"Erza?!" Gray attempted to snatch her glass away before she could finish it. "That's not how this works!"

"… Phueh!" Erza tossed her empty glass away after finishing it. Her face practically matched the color of her scarlet hair. She was totally wasted now. She sharply turned to Jellal and approached him in a menacing manner.

"E-Erza…" Jellal felt concerned for her.

"Listen to me, you…" Erza grabbed the collar of his robe once more, gazing into his eyes. "I… I love…!"

"…" Jellal softly smiled. He placed a hand on her flushed cheek and gently caressed it.

"… Huahh." Erza's grip weakened and her vision blurred out, unable to keep herself straight. She slowly fell down, but Jellal caught her in his arms.

"I think you've had too much to drink, Erza." He chuckled.

"… Mngeh…" Erza mumbled something incomprehensible for anyone to understand before passing out peacefully in his arms, her eyes drifting to unconsciousness.

"… It seems Erza is out of the game." Gray sighed, shaking his head. "You guys wanna continue without her?"

"I'll look after Erza." Jellal gently laid Erza's head on to his lap. He stroked her long scarlet hair.

"That makes four of us." Gray turned to the others. "Might as well finish what she started, eh?"

"Heh, all right." Natsu grabbed the bottle and spun it. "Let's move on!" After spinning, the bottle pointed towards…

"It's my turn once more!" Juvia spun the bottle once more and ran the spinner, leading her prompt to be…

PAT THEIR HEAD. And the second person was…

"Oh, me." Natsu folded his arms, then leaned his head towards Juvia. "Go ahead, Juvia."

Juvia stared at Gray with puppy eyes, as if asking for his permission. She wasn't feeling quite ready to take another drink.

"Hmmm?" Gray raised an eyebrow, confused. "You don't have to ask me, Juvia." In fact, he much preferred her not skipping the turn. I don't think the girls can last another turn…

Juvia turned to Natsu and inched closer towards him. She raised her hand to pat his head… but felt someone drilling holes into her skull, sending terrifying shivers up her spine.

"Grrr… hic!" Wendy coiled her arms around Natsu while glaring daggers at Juvia. She was practically emitting a dangerous aura! She didn't appreciate other women getting touchy-feely with her man, at least in her drunken state.

"O-On s-second thought, I'll just take another drink!" She raised her glass. "C-Cheers, everyone!"

They all took a sip of their drink… and it's probably more than they can handle, especially for Juvia and Wendy.

"My head's really dizzy…" Wendy plopped down onto Natsu's lap. Her eyes were spiraling around in a comical fashion. "My world's spinning round and round and round…"

"I expected as much." Natsu laughed, stroking her hair.

"HUEEEEEEH!" Juvia began crying out loud. "GRAY, DARLING! I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!"

"Easy there, Juvia…" Gray wrapped his arm around her head and drew her closer to his chest, affectionately rubbing her head. Ugh, I'm starting to get light-headed… "Take it easy."

Natsu and Gray stared at each other, exchanging relieved glances over their girlfriends.

"Say, Natsu…" Gray leaned his head to a shoulder. "You seem to be holding yourself quite well. You could probably give Cana a run for her money."

"Eh, it's because of my body heat." Natsu briefly raised his shoulders. "It's burning off the wine before I can even feel it. I can't really control it."

"Huh, that's really convenient." Gray hummed, looking at Juvia's teary face. "Well, I think this ends the game. We should carry the girls back to our room."

"Agreed." Jellal nodded. "This has been one eventful night."

The boys each carried the girls. Jellal carried Erza bridal style while Natsu and Gray put them on their backs. They left the hot springs area, making their way back to the room.


..

.

The couples went to their respective rooms. Natsu had to take a break for a bit because the elevator proved to be a more powerful than alcohol, obviously.

"Alright, let's get you to bed, Wendy…" Natsu whispered, stepping into their room and closing the door. He walked to the bed and turned around so he could drop her on to the bed. As he let go of her legs…

FLIP!

"W-What the?!" In the blink of an eye, Natsu was flipped on to the bed, landing on his back. He blinked a few times, processing the situation. What just happened…? In front of his eyes, Wendy was standing motionless, gazing straight into his eyes. Oh, she's better now?

"Natsu…" Heart pupils formed in her eyes and her face flushed red.

"… W-Wendy?" Warning signals shot up Natsu's senses. Her eyes, her flushed face, her voice… oh no, this wasn't the usual Wendy. He's seen this look before!

"Hehe, we're finally alone…" she crawled on to the bed, making her way towards him. "We didn't get to finish our business in the hot springs, didn't we?"

"… W-What?" Natsu shifted himself backwards until his back hit the headboard of the bed. Our business in the hot springs? Don't tell me she's referring to…!

"My body's fired up, Natsu." Wendy seductively licked her finger. "I need you so badly."

"H-Hey, Wendy!" Panic surged through Natsu's body. Weren't they done listening to their desires?! Didn't they already mark each other?! Was it because she was drunk?! Hell, she's scarier than Lucy! "W-Wendy, wa–"

WHAP!

In an instant, Wendy straddled him and ripped open his robe, revealing his toned upper body for her to see. She slammed him down on to the bed, looking at him like the prey he was.

"You should have finished what you started, Natsu…" she purred against his neck, her breath tickling his senses. "You should have claimed me when you had the chance."

"Mnngh… Wendy…!" Natsu groaned, his body quivering under her gaze. His draconic instincts were ignited once more, responding to her advances, firing his body up. "T-There's no way I could–"

Wendy held the hem of her robe and teasingly pulled it apart, revealing her bare and luscious figure to him, leaving him breathless. What caught his eyes, though… was the glowing mark on her neck.

"You're always so gentle, Natsu…" Wendy traced her fingers from his chin down to his abs, crawling to dangerous territory. "I wouldn't mind if you got rough…"

"Gugh…!" Her sensual touches were igniting his desires to take her then and there. His hands trembled under pressure. No, snap out of it, Natsu! Wendy was scared before! And right now, she was too drunk to think rationally! I have to bring her back to her senses! He could easily overpower her, and yet… his body wanted to submit to her. Why isn't my body listening to me?!

Wendy closed the distance between their bodies, feeling his direct warm tingling through her chest. "Natsu…" she leaned her lips to his neck…

Forgive me, Wendy! Natsu raised his hand, curling his fingers into a fist. I don't want to hurt her, but… his body wasn't listening to him. All he could do was steel his resolve into his fist. He shut his eyes, about to slam his fist to knock her out peacefully as a last resort…

"…" There was silence.

"… Huh?" Natsu opened his eyes and saw Wendy motionless on top of him. She was… sleeping, as if nothing had happened before. Did she pass out?

He breathed a sigh of relief, gently setting Wendy beside him and putting her robe back on. That was close… he tucked her under the blanket and adjusted her head on the pillow. He instinctively rubbed his mark over his shoulder, feeling some lingering heat around it. Did my mark glow too? He didn't have any idea what this meant.

He took off his robe and put on some casual clothes. He wrapped his scarf around his neck, feeling quite at home. His gaze drifted to the windows, looking at his own faint reflection.

What is this feeling…?

Ever since they marked each other, Natsu felt… a little more conscious of Wendy, though he couldn't describe it. I wonder if she feels the same? He had to hold himself back from responding to her advances. This kinda scares me… but I won't let any harm come to her. I ain't gonna let these feelings control me!

He crawled on to the bed beside Wendy. She's sound asleep… he caressed her forehead with tender motions. Sleep well, Wendy. Perhaps tomorrow she'd forget what transpired this night, for both their sakes.

Little did the dragon slayers know, the marks would shift their relationship in a new direction.