Haloha, everyone! Hope you're having a good day! Thanks for the continued support, as always. I'll be reverting to the weekend schedule. Hopefully, I'll maintain this consistently.

Anyhow, enjoy reading! This chapter focuses more on the group's relationship as a whole.


Chapter 43: Our Little Ritual


"Mnguuh…"

"There, there, Natsu…"

A while after Wendy and Jellal left, Natsu woke up due to the discomfort of his fever overwhelming his body. Although he wasn't fully awake. His consciousness was stuck somewhere in between.

"Hahn…" Natsu groaned in pain as he shifted around.

"Your fever is rising again…" Erza stroked his pink hair affectionately, taking in the heat of his temperature. I can only hope this isn't too serious…

She grabbed a small towel and wiped some of the sweat off his face. His face was flushed a sickly red. This is very concerning… his complexion worsened in such a short time. If Wendy were to see him now, she'd be worried sick. She's going to take the blame too hard.

"Yo!" Gray and Juvia walked into the room. "How's Natsu doing?"

"He's not doing too good…" Erza let out a deep sigh.

Gray took a closer look at Natsu's face. "W-Woah, he looks worse…"

"Oh, dear…" Juvia gently held his arm, feeling the heat radiating off his skin. "His temperature has not fallen at all."

"I don't know how Wendy will react when she sees him like this…" Erza placed her palm on his forehead.

"Oh, speaking of Wendy… where is she?" Gray looked around the room. "I thought she was here just a moment ago?"

"She and Jellal went to the library." Erza replied. "They're hoping to find books that could help with making Natsu's condition better."

"I see… I hope they come up with something, then." Gray put a chair beside Erza and sat down.

"I'm deeply concerned…" Erza stood from her chair. "I'll head to the kitchen and see if I can fix up herbal tea for him. Could you two watch over him in the meantime?"

"Sure." Gray nodded. "We'll watch over him."

"Thanks." Erza left the room shortly after, leaving the ice and water duo with a sick Natsu.

Gray shifted his chair closer to the bed and touched Natsu's arm. "Wow, you weren't kidding, Juvia. His body temperature is insane."

"It's… not normal for a fire wizard, isn't it?" Juvia asked, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"It isn't." Gray placed his hand on his forehead. What is with this temperature?! Sure enough, his temperature was hot enough that even Gray could sense it through his icy nerves. This is worrisome…

"Seeing Natsu like this… it's really unsettling."

"Yeah, he'd normally be hopping around with a dumb smile on his face." Gray sighed, focusing his ice magic on his palm. "Let me cool you down, hothead."

A calm and bright blue aura glowed around his hand, emanating a chilling wave of air onto Natsu in an effort to combat his rising temperatures. Natsu's expression seemed to soften in response to the wave of cool air washing over him.

"Mhmm…"

"… why are you looking at me like that, Juvia?" Sensing her eyes on him, Gray shifted his gaze to her. She had a wide smile plastered across her lips.

"No reason, darling." Juvia put her hands on her lap. "It's a lovely sight to see you look after Natsu."

"H-Huh?" His eyes widened in surprise. "W-What do you mean by that?"

"Even though you ramble and rumble a lot with him, deep inside your heart… you love him like your own brother, don't you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Gray snapped his gaze away, a faint blush appearing on his cheeks. "I'm just doing this because I'm…"

"Worried about him, yes?" Juvia winked.

"S-Shut up…" He covered his mouth.

"You're so adorable when you react like that, darling." Juvia clasped her cheeks playfully. "Of course, I know you love me the most! It's unmatched! Isn't that right?"

"Hurghh…" Gray let out a deep sigh but ended up cracking a smile in the end. Though he would never admit it, Juvia was right. Natsu was practically a core part of his life. Things just wouldn't feel the same without a noisy and playful Natsu running up and about. And he also didn't want to see Wendy sad. To him, she became the little sister he never had. The two were such cherished members of Team Natsu. These dragon slayers are a handful, all right…

"Wendy… she's such a good girl." Juvia said. "You can really see how much she loves Natsu."

"She sure does." Gray nodded. "Natsu better thank his lucky stars because not many people can put up with his crazy antics."

"Haha, I don't think Wendy sees him that way." Juvia giggled. "Natsu has always been gentle to Wendy, and he's starting to express himself in a different light."

"Yeah, I have to agree with that." He chuckled. "It's amusing to see Natsu flustered around her." Just like how I can be flustered around you, Juvia…

TING! TING!

"We're back." Jellal and Wendy returned to the hotel room. Jellal was carrying two books, which they rented from the library.

"Oh, Wendy. Jellal." Erza greeted them as she dipped a tea bag into a mug. "Welcome back. Has your search been fruitful?"

"We may have figured out something…" Jellal replied, placing the books on the table in the living room. "We're still not sure if it will work, but it's worth a shot."

"Oh, that's great news." Erza smiled. "And what would that be?"

"Er, well…" Jellal rubbed the side of his neck. "There's something Wendy has to do with Natsu… in private." He put emphasis on the last two words.

"… I see?" Erza nodded in understanding. She didn't know what would entail, but she bet it must be something… intimate.

"I'll get to it right away!" Wendy wasted no time and went straight to her room.

"Hey, Wendy." Gray bobbed his head at her upon seeing her enter the room. "You're back–"

"Gray. Juvia. Thank you so much for looking after him." Wendy removed her bag from her shoulder and placed it on the table. "Sorry to ask this so soon but… could I be alone with Natsu? I… want to try healing him."

"Oh, sure. Room's all yours." Gray and Juvia stood up and left the room, closing the door behind them.

"She sure is eager…" Jellal folded his arms. "I hope this works out."

"Did you figure something out, Jellal?" Gray asked, curious about what he found out.

"It's only a guess on my part." He replied. "It's something we concluded from what we read about the dragons…"

"Huh, I see." Placing one hand on his hip, Gray scratched the back of his head. "Is Wendy going to perform a magical dragon spell or something…?"

"… In a way, yes."


..

.

"Natsu!" Wendy dashed to his side. She caressed his cheek, feeling the immense heat radiating off of him. W-Wow, his temperature is rising rapidly!

"Mnnguh…" Natsu grunted, trying to force his eyes open.

"Natsu…" she gently stroked his cheek with her thumb.

"… Wendy?" Natsu turned his head to her side.

"Hey…" she smiled softly. "Sorry, did I wake you up suddenly?"

"Ngh, it's fine…" Natsu let out a deep breath. "I couldn't… sleep well."

"Your fever is getting worse…" Wendy said, her tone laced with worries. He even looks worse… her heart ached at the sight.

"Ugh, yeah…" Natsu rested his forearm over his eyes. "I'll get over it." It feels so hot here…

"… I might be able to make you feel better."

"Mhngh…?" he raised his eyebrow. "Really…?"

"Could we… try something out?" she asked. "I'll need you to… sit up if it's okay with you?"

"O-Okay…" With Wendy's help, Natsu slowly pushed himself up and rested his back against the headboard. Ugh, my head is ringing like crazy…

"Can I see your mark, too?" Wendy held on to his white scarf, to which he nodded. She carefully removed his scarf, revealing the two bite marks which glowed a faint red on his neck. It's not glowing too brightly…

Wendy got on the bed and gently straddled him. She proceeded to unhook and shift a strap of her dress away, revealing her own bite marks.

"Wendy…?" Natsu glanced at her bite marks. "What are you…"

"I… need you to do something to me, Natsu." She latched her hands to his shoulders.


..

.

"If the bite was what caused the flow of magic power into his body, then it is possible the reverse is also true."

"What does that mean, Jellal?"

"If you bite into him and let your magic energy flow into his body, then it makes sense to say that him biting into you would let his magic energy flow into yours."

"… I see." Wendy folded her arms in deep thought. That is how it felt… "I'm not sure about having Natsu bite me. I don't want to bother him. Would it be possible for me to bite him instead?"

"Hmmm, I can't really say, Wendy. It might be possible." Jellal replied. "But I don't think you should risk that. You might end up overwhelming him with more of your magic energy."

"That is a very fair concern…" Wendy nodded. I can't take this risk until I understand it better…

"Anyhow, I sensed something odd about the flow of ethernano coursing through his body." Jellal hummed. "It acted in an unpredictable manner, as if the ethernano particles were… fighting each other."

"Fighting each other?"

"If I had to make a guess…" Jellal stroked his chin, tucking his other arm under his elbow. "It would be that the ethernano of his body and yours are clashing inside him."

"W-Wow…" Wendy's eyes widened in surprise. Is that what's really happening? "But Jellal, that doesn't really explain why I'm perfectly fine?"

"Very true." Jellal tapped his fingers on the table. "I wonder why… maybe your magic power stabilized quickly enough that it didn't affect you?"

"I don't really know." She briefly raised her shoulders. What could have caused it…? She could chalk it up to her being the Sky Dragon Slayer, but that wouldn't necessarily mean she could 'heal' her irregularities in her own magic flow, could she? This is confusing…

"I noticed the ethernano flow in his body was quite… condensed." He supposed. "Your magic power could have exceeded his own magical capacity, but that's just pure guesswork."

"Mhmm…" Wendy felt doubtful about that. She believed Natsu was far stronger and more adept at dragon slayer magic compared to her. How would my magic power exceed his own? That can't be it. We only bit each other once–…

"… Did you figure something out, Wendy?" Jellal asked, noticing the frozen expression on her face.

"U-Uhm…" Wendy's eyes shot open in realization. D-Did we bite each other once? Did I bite him once? Her mind replayed the night before. She was sure Natsu bit her once. I remember that clearly. When Natsu bared his neck to her, she bit him…

Twice.

"… Hehhh?!" Wendy slapped her cheeks in shock. T-That's so dumb! Was that really what happened?!

"W-Wendy?"

"I-It's nothing!" she frantically waved her hands around in panic. "L-Let's head back! Let's put your idea to the test!"

"O-Okay…?" Jellal tilted his head, confused at her sudden demeanor. I wonder if she realized something. "Why don't we rent the books? It could prove useful later."

"S-Sure, that sounds like a good idea…"


..

.

"You want me to… do something to you?"

"Y-Yeah." She nodded, gazing into his onyx eyes. "I… want you to bite into my neck."

"… Huh?" Natsu blinked a few times, unsure if his dragon hearing was too dulled by his sickness. Did I hear her wrong?

"D-Don't get me wrong!" Wendy frantically waved her hands around, visibly flustered. "We're doing this to help you feel better! Nothing else!"

So I didn't hear her wrong… "H-How is this supposed to make me feel better…?"

"I'll explain after this." Wendy wrapped her arms around his head. "Please… trust in me, Natsu."

"… Okay." Natsu nodded timidly. He didn't know what Wendy was leading him into, but he had full faith in her. But biting her…? As naïve as he was, that's not something one would normally suggest to a sick person.

"G-Great!" Wendy smiled, a faint blush appearing on her cheeks. "Then please… bite my neck."

"I-If you s-say so…"

Natsu reluctantly coiled his arms around her waist as he leaned closer. Wendy tilted her head to the side and bared her neck to him. He opened his mouth, baring his twin dragon fangs which extended out.

"Let… me know if it… hurts."

"Worry more about yourself, Natsu..." Wendy whispered into his ear. He's still showing concern, even in this condition… that's just like him. "I'll be fine."

Aligning his fangs with her bite marks, Natsu gently bit down into her neck, sinking his teeth into her supple flesh.

"Mnguh…" Wendy bit her lower lip to conceal her moans. Surprisingly, it didn't hurt one bit. It felt good as it did last night.

Shortly after, her mark began glowing a faint blue, being in contact with Natsu's flow of magical power. This sensation… it feels familiar.

"O-Okay, Natsu… just remain still for a moment." Wendy drew in a sharp breath. She tried to ignore how her body was heating up to these sensations. Keep it together, Wendy…! She was more familiar with these instincts, though she didn't know what they exactly were, and it was quite tempting to give in to them. This is all for Natsu…!

Her hands trembling slightly, Wendy wrapped her fingers around his bite mark. She attempted to visualize a magic flow moving from his body to hers. His marks glowed a deeper red in response, as if the link between their magic was established.

Soon, Wendy could feel the magic energy pool into her body. It wasn't a warm feeling, but it felt calm and soothing. This let her know that she was receiving her magic power and not his own. She was absorbing some of her energy back into her body, or so she believed.

Consequently, Natsu's body temperatures were falling. His skin radiated less heat than usual and the fever became easier to bear. As if a huge weight was lifted off his shoulders.

"Mnngh… o-okay, Natsu." Wendy stroked his pink hair. "You can… stop now."

Natsu loosened his lips and pulled back, drawing his fangs out of her skin. "Did it hurt?"

"N-No, it felt good–uh, I mean… it didn't hurt one bit." she rubbed her neck, which started feeling lonely from the lack of his attention, for whatever reason. "How are you feeling?"

"… Huh." he held his own forehead, a bit surprised. "I don't feel the best but… I feel a lot better."

"Let me check…" she held his cheeks and met his forehead with her own. Sure enough, his temperature had fallen to a reasonable level. It… actually worked?

"I don't know what you did, Wendy… but it worked like a charm!" he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into his gentle embrace. "You're amazing!"

"I-It's nothing…" she blushed, enjoying the warmth of his hug. She breathed a sigh of relief, knowing Natsu was in a better condition. "I'm sorry for putting you through this…"

"Aw, come on, Wendy…" he gently caressed her cheek. "I told you. We couldn't have known this would happen. I don't blame you at all."

"It's… my fault." She bowed her head. "I know what caused your fever, Natsu."

"Oh, yeah?" he figured there was only one reason. "Was it the bite, after all?"

"W-Well, yes… it's a really dumb reason, actually." She sighed. "It may have been because I bit you… twice." It was always so simple...

"Huh?"

"I think I… accidentally gave you a lot of my magic power." She explained. "That's why I wanted you to bite me… so I could absorb some of it back." At least, I hope I did?

"Oh, I see! Is that what happened?" he nodded in understanding. "Well, I'm glad things will be okay now."

Natsu doesn't seem really hung up on this… how he could always keep this carefree attitude was still beyond her, especially when he was with her. Of course, she dearly loved that part of him, but it concerned her sometimes.

"Hmmm…" he stared at his hand, as if pondering something.

"What is it, Natsu?"

"If you gave me your magic power… and I gave you mine…" he clenched his fist. "Does that mean… we can use each other's elements?!"

"Huh…" Wendy blinked. That never passed through my mind, actually. "Before you think of using your powers, please get your much-deserved rest." She pressed a finger against his chest, gently pushing him back to the bed.

"You don't have to push me." He let out a little laugh, one Wendy found infectious. "I really owe you one, Wendy."

"You don't owe me anything. What kind of girlfriend would I be if I didn't take responsibility?" she giggled. "But… I can think of a few ways you could repay me," she stroked his cheek with her thumb.

"Oh, yeah?" Natsu asked, as innocent as he was. "What would that be?"

"Once you're fully rested." Wendy poked his cheek playfully. "I want you to get better first."

"Heh… will do, Wendy." He pulled her down to his chest, stroking the back of her hair. "Thank you, seriously."

"Mmnh…" she snuggled her head under his chin, feeling safe within his arms. Now that his temperature had cooled down to a comfortable level, it felt great to be near him again. Ah, this feeling is the best…

KNOCK KNOCK!

"Wendy, may we come in?"

"O-Oh, one second!" Wendy got off the bed and adjusted the strap of her dress. Right, this is no time for cuddling! Everyone was worried about him. "Come in!"

Erza pushed the door open and entered the room with the others. "Natsu, you're looking better already."

"Wendy's just that amazing." Natsu grinned.

"Gee, stop it, Natsu…" Wendy smiled bashfully, twirling her hair around her finger.

Glad to see him doing better. Jellal gave a knowing glance at Wendy. You've pulled it off, Wendy.

Couldn't have done it without your help, Jellal. Wendy winked at him.

"Here, I've made you some herbal tea." Erza placed the mug on the table beside the bed.

"Ah, thanks." Natsu could smell the pleasant aroma flowing from the tea.

"You'll be out of bed in no time." Gray crossed his arms with a smug look. "It's honestly depressing to see you in bed. Don't bring down the mood for the rest of us."

"Hey!" Natsu cocked his head at him, furrowing his eyebrows. "What is that supposed to mean?!" If he weren't sick, he'd definitely start an all-out brawl with the ice wizard.

"Don't provoke him, darling." Juvia coiled her arms around her lover. "He needs all the rest he can get."

"Yeah, yeah." He mused. "Get well soon, flame-brain."

"… I suppose I should send my thanks to you."

"Huh?" Gray raised an eyebrow. "Thank me for what?"

"You cooled down my head, didn't you?" Natsu grinned.

"W-What?" A faint red appeared on Gray's face. "You noticed?!"

"You're such a softie, aren't you, Gray?" Erza patted his back.

"Of course, he is!" Juvia nuzzled her head into his shoulder.

"Hurghh…" Gray clawed away at this face, visibly embarrassed. "Cut it out, all of you…"

Moments like this made the group grow closer.


Some time later…

..

.

After checking up on Natsu and bonding with each other, they left Natsu and Wendy to their own company. Erza wanted Natsu to stay in bed until he fully recovered. With Wendy by his side, they knew he'd get well soon enough.

"Ah, I really didn't want to be in bed all day…" Natsu grumbled under the blanket.

"It's for your own good, Natsu." Wendy smiled wryly. His health condition may have improved, but he still had a high fever. "I'm sure you'll be back to your usual self after you wake up."

"Tomorrow better come soon, then." Natsu put his arms behind his head.

Wendy crawled into bed beside him and wrapped an arm around him, which elicited a confused look from Natsu.

"Wendy?" Natsu raised an eyebrow. "Are you planning on sleeping, too?"

"Mmmh, maybe?" she giggled, nuzzling her head into his shoulder. "I figured this would make your boredom a bit bearable… if we were together."

"Oh." Natsu blinked, then cracked a smile. "You sure you'd rather be spending time here than doing anything else?"

"Why are you asking that, Natsu?"

"I don't know…" he stared at the ceiling. "I wouldn't want you to… waste your time, y'know?"

"It's not a waste of time." She pouted, poking his cheek. "Sometimes, doing nothing is enjoyable… especially if you're together with the person you love."

"Wendy…"

"And… I want to be here with you…"

He turned his gaze to her, her cheeks glowing a faint red. Her caring brown eyes met his own. His heart felt at ease having her here. She was always a soothing presence to him (at least when their draconic instincts were calm). Sure, things might be uneventful while he's in bed…

… but with Wendy right next to him, Natsu found himself enjoying the uneventfulness of it all.