A/N: I do not own Fairy Tail or The Wizard of Oz.

A girl stood leaning on her balcony overlooking a garden filled with all sorts of flowers, her face upturned to the full moon. The midnight wind ruffled her short snow-white locks. She ignored it in favor of watching for movement in the bushes. After a few minutes of fruitless searching, she closed her eyes and sighed.

"Natsu..."

He started, obviously not expecting to hear his name from her. Even before she had come out, he was already there waiting for her. This had been happening a few nights now; he would sneak in to wait for her to come to her balcony, eager to talk to her. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't muster enough courage to announce his presence. So his nightly visits always ended with her going back into her room and him slinking back home, telling himself that he would definitely talk to her next time. Visiting her at night was different from meeting her during the day; at night he wasn't her childhood friend but her would-be suitor. Or he would be if he actually had the guts to declare his intentions.

She turned as if to walk back to her room. On impulse, he stepped from his hiding place and called to her.

"Lisanna! Wait!"

He berated himself for not thinking before he revealed himself; she was going to think he was some kind of stalker and stop being friends with him. But when she smiled at him, he forgot everything but her and her sky-colored eyes. He moved closer to the balcony, craning his neck to get a better glimpse of her. Then he noticed she was wearing a sheer nightgown. He felt his whole body flush at the sight; it suited her very well.

"What are you doing here?" Lisanna whispered, glancing behind her to make sure that her bedroom door was locked. Seeing that it was, she turned back to him and nodded for him to answer her question. She folded her arms on the cold marble of her balcony and rested her head against them. Her eyes twinkled with amusement as she gazed down at him.

"Er, I was, umm," he stammered, unsure of how to explain why he was hiding in her garden at this time of the night. "I was hungry for some of your, uh," he looked around for inspiration. He was going to say 'home cooking' but realized that that was completely inappropriate, seeing as it was midnight. He saw some kind of plant beside him.

"For some lettuce! Yeah, lettuce." He reached out, plucked a few leaves, and shoved them into his mouth. He grimaced at the taste. How could people eat this stuff? It was horrible! But Lisanna might be offended if he said that out loud—she loved vegetables—so he choked it down.

"Yum," He forced himself not to gag.

"Natsu, that was bitterfilm," Lisanna giggled.

Bitterfilm? No wonder it didn't taste edible! He coughed, even more embarrassed now.

"I knew that." He nodded his head sagely. "I was testing you." He stared at the plant; was that really not lettuce? He could have sworn that it was…

"Uh huh," she snickered. "So, why are you really here?"

"I was going to call on you," he said offhandedly. Ah, now he remembered. Lettuce was green and bitterfilm was red. Pleased that he had resolved the matter of the plant being lettuce or bitterfilm, he glanced back up at her. He saw her staring at him in utter surprise. Then the full weight of his words hit him and his eyes widened in mortification.

"You tricked me!" He pointed an accusing finger at her.

"Huh?" She cocked her head in confusion.

"You distracted me with the plant thingy so I would tell you I'm in love with you!"

He clamped his mouth shut, his face steadily reddening. He groaned. This was not how he had imagined his confession would be like. He was such an idiot!

"You're," she blinked shyly at him, "in love with me?"

Deciding that to deny it now would be pointless, he began to climb to her. If he was going to ask her out, he wanted to do it face to face. But the marble was slippery and his hands couldn't find purchase anywhere. He swore under his breath as he kept slipping down, unable to reach her. Lisanna stood patiently, waiting for him to climb up.

He was halfway up when he heard an ominous click. It was Lisanna's bedroom door being unlocked and he knew that only one person checked on her at random intervals during the night; he had learned that years before when he tried to sneak her out so they could go star-gazing together. He froze as his mind ran through the different scenarios that would happen if Mirajane found him here. They all ended with him getting beat up within an inch of his life. His head whipped from side to side, desperately looking for a hiding place.

"Natsu, go hide quick! Mira-nee's coming!" Lisanna, eyes wide with alarm, shooed him away.

He spotted an overhanging ledge above him. If he could hide under there until Mirajane left, he would be fine. He scrambled under it, gripped the edges with his hand and pressed his body against the marble, silently praying for his arms to hold until it was safe.

"Lisanna? Were you talking to someone?" a soft voice asked.

"Mira-nee! I was just looking at the moon and, you know, talking to myself," Lisanna squeaked, her back against the balcony.

"Really? I could have sworn I heard someone…" Mirajane mused. "Well, you should go to bed. It's late and we have a mission tomorrow."

Natsu's arms trembled with the effort of supporting his weight. He bit back a curse as his fingers slipped slightly. She had better leave soon or he would end up falling and revealing that he had been there all along.

"Okay," Lisanna nodded. Mirajane looked suspiciously towards the balcony. She shook her head dismissively and made to go back to her room.

Natsu's fingers chose that moment to lose their grip on the ledge. His arms flailed helplessly as he tumbled to the ground. He cursed his luck; he had almost made it too. He landed on his back, the damp soil breaking his fall.

"Damn it!" He clamped a hand against his mouth but it was too late; he had given himself away.

"Hi, Mirajane. Nice night, isn't it?" He smiled brightly at her, hoping that she was in a good mood tonight. She stared down at him, her expression unreadable.

"Natsu. May I ask why you were hiding under Lisanna's balcony?" Mirajane smiled sweetly. He shuddered, well aware that underneath that gentle façade was one hell of an elder sister when she was pissed. He knew that she could always tell when he was lying; his only choice was to tell the truth and hope for the best.

"I was calling on Lisanna," He prayed that she approved of him as a suitable match for Lisanna; if not, chances are he would never see the sun rise again.

"You?" Mirajane's light tone changed abruptly. "I will never accept a brainless idiot as Lisanna's suitor!"

"So, if I have brains, it's fine?" He said hopefully. Surely brains weren't that hard to find. He'd ask Happy tomorrow where to find some. He met Lisanna's gaze with his own. "Okay, I'll go get me some brains and come back for you, Lisanna," he beamed at her.

"Oh, Natsu," Mirajane shook her head. "You leave me no choice. Sorry, Lisanna. He has to go."

"Eh?" He looked questioningly at Mirajane.

"Satan Soul!"

"So, that's why Happy and me are traveling around Fiore. I need some brains so I can ask Lisanna out," Natsu finished.

He was in the driver's elevated seat in front, fueling the carriage they were currently riding with his magic power. Lucy had been annoyed when Natsu and Happy had told them that they were not far from a town. It was only an hour's walk from the barn. She couldn't fathom why they hadn't just gone to the village and rented some rooms in the inn. She knew Natsu had enough money; he was able to rent this vehicle after all.

"It's Happy and I, not Happy and me," Lucy added absently. She couldn't believe his thick-headedness; he actually took it literally! And she thought Gray was an idiot. He was Einstein compared to this moron. Still, his story was pretty romantic. She sighed, wishing that something like that would happen to her.

Her eyes were drawn to Gray, who was sitting beside her and had yet to clothe himself with. Actually, she had convinced Natsu to buy them practical traveling clothes as compensation for the trouble he had caused them. Gray just opted not to wear his; she didn't bother to argue with him because she knew that he would just take it off as soon as he got a chance. She traced the hard ridges of his body with her eyes and admired the subtle strength in his features. She had read a lot of novels where the butler would fall in love with his lady and they would elope. Those novels she read on the sly because she didn't want Gray to see her reading them. That would be way too embarrassing, especially since he has given no indication of harboring special feelings for her. She looked down at herself. Was she really so unattractive that he never even noticed her as a girl?

The carriage hit a bump on the road for the millionth time, jolting Lucy from her thoughts. She looked out and watched the fields going by.

"How much farther is this Fairy Tail?" Gray asked Happy, who was also riding in the carriage with them.

"A few days travel, maybe," Happy considered.

Lucy nodded. That wasn't too bad. They had left the fields behind and entered a thick forest. She was sure they—meaning Natsu and Gray—could find something for them to eat. And there was bound to be streams where she could bathe in. Bored by the trees flitting past as their carriage sped along the road to Fairy Tail, she sat back.

"Tell me about Mr. Makarov. Can he really help us get back to Magnolia?" Lucy cocked her head at Happy.

"Aye! Master Makarov can do anything," he replied.

"Oh, really," Lucy said dubiously. "If that's true, then why didn't you just ask him to help you with your Lisanna problem?" She directed her question at Natsu. The carriage slowed to a halt. She looked out at Natsu, wondering why they had stopped. Happy flew to Natsu's side.

"I never thought of that!" He sat frozen and ashen-faced. "Happy! Why didn't you say that earlier when we were still in Fairy Tail?"

"It didn't occur to me either!" Happy wailed in distress.

Lucy gawked at them, unable to believe the depth of those two's inanity. She was glad stupidity wasn't contagious. Even now, the duo was still ranting about not having realized the easiest solution to their problem.

"Never mind that. Let's just get going so we can reach Fairy Tail as soon as possible," Gray interjected.

The carriage started up and they continued on their way.

The group sat around a fire. They had stopped when it had gotten too dark to see the road. Gray bit into an apple; he had found an apple tree while looking for some dry wood for the fire. He had been curious about why there was an apple tree in a wild forest; as far as he knew, apples didn't thrive well without anyone caring for them. Still, he wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth. Besides, Lucy loved apples. He had gathered as much as he could carry and brought it back to the others.

The group lapsed into comfortable silence, each lost in their own thoughts. Eventually, Natsu announced that he was tired and laid down on one of the blankets they had procured with the money left from paying for the carriage. Happy followed suit, leaving Gray and Lucy sitting quietly by the fire.

Gray watched Lucy take a delicate bite out of her apple. Without thinking, he reached out with a knuckle and gently wiped off the juice trickling down her jaw. He marveled at the soft silkiness of her skin and at the way the firelight danced across her face, lending it an otherworldliness that fascinated him. She had always been pretty, but tonight, she was beautiful. Gray's fingers cupped her chin, his thumb caressing her cheek almost reverently.

"Gray?" she breathed. Her eyelids drifted shut as she leaned into his touch. His dark eyes took her in; lips parted slightly, her body curved towards him as she cradled an apple in her hand. She was so close; a mere heartbeat away. Yet he knew that he could never bring himself to close the distance between them. She was his mistress and he was only her servant. She was forbidden. Always was and always will be.

He let his hand fall away from her before the temptation to taste her lips became too strong for him to resist. Heck, even now he was wondering if they would taste of apples or something even sweeter—a flavor that was hers and hers alone. He stood abruptly, determined to stop his thoughts from straying into even more dangerous territory.

"I'll take first watch," he said shortly. He made for the carriage; he could have stayed at the fire—with her—but he didn't trust himself not to forget his place. He turned away, missing the hurt and confusion on Lucy's face.

Lucy sat alone beside the fire, unsure what to make of Gray. His feather-light caresses and the warm tingling his fingers had left on her skin had sparked in her feelings that she couldn't explain. She had been afraid to look into his dark eyes; afraid of what she might find. Now, she regretted it. At least, knowing would be better than this raw uncertainty gnawing at her.

She slowly got to her feet, her vision blurring. She brought a hand to her eyes and was surprised to find it wet. She trudged to the pile of blankets and lay down, burying herself in them. She spared no thought to the fact that she was hogging the blankets; Gray deserved to go without them for confusing her like this.

Lucy closed her eyes, willing herself to go to sleep. She longed for what sleep offered: escape from having to think about her feelings for Gray. She didn't want to look into her heart and see how much he had managed to occupy. She found herself wishing for the days when everything was so simple and clear-cut, when he was her butler and her best friend and everything she asked of him. Now, though, he could never be the one thing she wished for the most. For how could he be when she didn't even know what she wanted from him?

She shook her head silently and made a decision. Tomorrow, she would act like this never happened.

A/N: Another long chapter! Yay! R&R, please! I want to hear your thoughts on story and the way it's written. Oh, and bitterfilm is a made-up plant since I couldn't think of any. ^^,

The next chapter might be delayed since Christmas break (for me) is starting. I write seriously whenever I'm at my dorm since I don't have anything better to do T_T and get sidetracked with other things when at home with unlimited (almost) access to the internet… But I might be motivated to write despite that if I get supportive reviews and constructive criticism.

That's all. Sorry for the long A/N again. :3