"Maybe I understand bets better than you thought." Lucy smiled, sneaking a light pat onto Natsu's backside. "Where's the fun in getting treated bad?"

"Depends." Natsu leered in response. "Don't act like you don't know what I'm getting at." He laughed as Lucy exited the antique shop with her hands over her ears. Moving up as the person ahead of him at the register paid and accepted their change, Natsu settled an innocent smile onto his lips. "Great place you've got here."

"Since you seem to know so much about Blyth already, Natsu - lead the way to a bookshop."

"Will do." Natsu wrapped an arm around Lucy's waist. "But first, how 'bout we find a bench to complete our bet?"

Heart beating wildly, Lucy knew her cheeks had flooded with colour. "Um, yeah."

"I'm not gonna molest you in public!" Natsu squeezed Lucy a bit tighter and chuckled. "I'm saving that for my birthday request."

Without a second thought, Lucy elbowed Natsu. His 'oof' and subsequent rubbing of his ribs made her grin. "You can ask, but getting what you've asked for depends on keeping me in good humour, doesn't it?"

Natsu nodded, hobbled the few steps to the nearest bench and collapsed with a sigh. "You're too quick and too vicious with that elbow."

"Tch. I could've given you a Lucy-kick." Sitting next to her boyfriend, Lucy gave him a charming smile - her previous actions long gone in her mind. "I would like to wear what you bought me." For added measure, she fluttered her eyelashes. "Please."

A bit dazed with the allure coming off Lucy, Natsu began to dig in his pockets. "I have it somewhere!"

Lucy held up and shook the paper bag from the antique shop. "It's in here."

"Oh yeah." Natsu sheepishly took the bag and withdrew the rhinestone choker, his fingers trembling the smallest amount as he unclasped the necklace. Regaining confidence, he said, "Blyth townspeople are super friendly. The guy offered to clean and polish it too after taking off the tags. So now it's ready for you to wear."

"Awww!" Lucy held her hair out of the way for Natsu to work the necklace. "You're spoiling me." She dropped her hair and touched the center stone of the choker. "Thank you."

"You can do better than that."

Lucy set one hand on each of Natsu's shoulders. "Of course I can, but should I?" She giggled, enjoying Natsu's pout. Lucy looked left and right - the street was empty of passersby. Before he could complain, she leaned forward and gave him a loud smacking kiss on his lips. "Now how about that bookshop?"

It was a pleasant walk of twenty minutes. The early morning showed promise of greater heat, the scent of the flowers adding to the beauty of the day. The lack of crowds, noise, and graffiti added to the small town vibe.

More focused on having a good time than exactly where they were going, Lucy window-shopped as they walked. She paused now and then, vowing to herself to actually go into the stores later. Natsu steered them all the way around the block until they headed back past 'Maple and Moose,' the antique store where he'd bought Lucy's necklace.

Noticing the familiarity, Lucy stopped moving. "Didn't we-"

Natsu interrupted, "Yup. I might have gone in the wrong direction from the first."

"You could've said something."

"What? The more exercise you get now, the more greasy food you can eat later, Luce."

To her credit, Lucy didn't threaten Natsu - by word or deed. She kept her face blank and on the 'good side of pleasant' as she asked him: "Do I look fat?"

Natsu opened his mouth to answer and for a heartbeat kept it open - shutting it with a snap of his teeth as he considered his options. "What a silly question. Heh, heh."

"That's what I thought."

"You're gonna love the book pl-, uh, store."

Lucy attributed Natsu's verbal faux pas to nerves and grunted, starting to walk again. She muttered under her breath, "I do not love greasy food."

Ridiculously fast, they arrived at their destination. 'Blyth Library,' the building's sign proclaimed.

"Not a bookstore."

"Well, it is a small town, barely bigger than a village." Natsu said softly, "I'm surprised they have as many food places as they do. It's nice they're all on Queen street, eh?"

"…" Lucy looked at the library and back at Natsu. "All right. We're getting back in the car and driving to Goderich. I know they have a couple bookstores - and it'll kill some time before the show starts."

Natsu nodded, "And Goderich is known as 'Canada's Prettiest Town' too. We've been meaning to go there for even longer than Blyth, huh?"

"You don't get to relax until I've had at least half an hour browsing books." Lucy about-faced and marched towards the car. "Half an hour of decompressing inside the sanctum of books, air-conditioning and with a giant latte."

Natsu gulped. "I was only goofing around!"

Opening the passenger door she crooked her finger at Natsu. "I'm only goofing around too - if I was really mad, wouldn't I have gone for the driver's seat? Sometimes you're too easy."

A/N: This story is still rated teen - if you've got a hankering for the rating to go up, let me know in a review/comment. Three chapters done - six to go!