commissioned by an anonymous patron.

takes place in year X791, a few months before Natsu reunited with Wendy during the Thanksgiving Day

As the sun began to kneel below the horizon and twilight imbued the sky of Fiore in a deep indigo, Margaret Town was abuzz with activity. The veins of its streets were choked with townspeople and raucous celebration, the warm late summer evening wrapping around the throngs to rile up passions and sweeten the rivers-worth of flowing ale.

"Here, try this, Wendy!" Chelia said, rushing back up to Wendy with yet another fried treat she'd gotten from a stall.

Wendy took a bite, her eyes sparkling at the flavors that exploded on her tongue. She gave Chelia an enthusiastic nod.

"That's amazing!"

"I know right?!" Chelia giggled, hooking her arm with Wendy's as she took a bite of her own, continuing their pace down the crowded street.

Just like the rest of the town, they were participating in Margaret Town's annual Dog Days Festival. It was a festival that always took place near the end of summer during the hottest days of the year. Although it wasn't the biggest festival- that title still belonged to the Thanksgiving Day festival -it was definitely the longest, with festivities lasting over the course of several days.

Wendy had been skeptical about it, considering how much she didn't like the dog days of summer. It was a secret pet peeve of hers that she kept to herself considering how summer was most peoples' favorite season. Back when Fairy Tail was still together and she lived in Magnolia Town, she would always find an excuse to join the rest of the Guild whenever there was a beach excursion. She was fine with any other month of the summer, and in fact, quite enjoyed warm weather, but it was as if her petite body had some sort of temperature limit on how much she could tolerate before feeling all sticky and uncomfortable.

With that in consideration, it was almost a miracle then that Chelia was able to convince Wendy to perform with her onstage today as the Sky Sisters.

Chelia had reasoned that it would be important for them to squeeze in as many opportunities as possible to perform together, considering the huge annual Thanksgiving Day Festival was only a couple months away.

So of course, despite her private misgivings, Wendy couldn't bring herself to say no to Chelia and how excited she was. She had been talking about this to Wendy for weeks.

Thankfully, the performance had gone without a hitch. THey'd preformed their hit song to their biggest audience yet. It was a bit nerve-wracking but with Chelia at her side, Wendy felt she could sing and dance anywhere.

In the wake of Fairy Tail's disbandment, Wendy had felt so empty, so lonely. Yes, she still had Carla (who had conked out and was asleep back at the Guild currently despite her best efforts to stay awake to make sure Wendy wasn't up to any trouble), but Chelia was the one Wendy could say was the closest she had to a best friend, perhaps even something more.

Wendy looked over to Chelia as they kept walking, looking at her face as she continued to prattle on and point out other stalls they should go visit, other attractions and things. Wendy couldn't help but smile, a warmth flooding her cheeks.

Chelia noticed, and she stopped talking, giving Wendy an inquisitive tilt of her head.

"What's up? Did I get something on my face?"

Wendy giggled, shaking her head.

"Mm mm, I just..." she tightened the hold around Chelia's arm, bringing her closer. Chelia almost tripped, a bit of blush filling her cheek too as Wendy gave her a very warm and loving smile. "Thank you for showing me around this festival! You're always such a great friend..."

Chelia was a bit stunned, looking into Wendy's eyes. Then, she returned the smile with one of her own, not resisting the urge to stop in the middle of the street to hug her.

Wendy became a bit flustered at that, her hands at her sides. But after another moment, she returned the embrace, feeling her chest fill up a bit with warmth she hadn't felt since before everything changed. She didn't want to lose anyone else, and Chelia made her feel as if the chances of that happening were close to none. As if it was safe for Wendy to believe it.

The pair continued to enjoy the festivities, going around, trying new foods and seeing new sights.

It was about an hour or so later that they decided to watch a street magic show. As a Dragon Slayer, Wendy was also fascinated with magicians. They employed no magic of any sort, and yet they were still able to stun entire crowds with their deft sleight-of-hand and power of illusion.

The pair were entranced, giving enthusiastic claps with the rest of the crowd as the little show went on. It was about halfway through that the magician began asking for volunteers.

He made a dramatic sweep through the crowd, as if searching for someone he had already predetermined would be the perfect candidate.

His sweep ended when his eyes locked with Cheria's.

"How about you, young lady!"

Cheria was stunned, pointing at herself and looking at Wendy, who gave her friend an encouraging smile.

"Yes, you! The one in the lovely blue dress, come on, no dawdling!"

The crowd gave a collective chuckle at the magician's comedic brusqeuness as Chelia was brought to the front, leaving Wendy to watch.

The crowd pressed in as the magician did a sweep with his cape, revealing a box out of thin air. Wendy's eyes went wide, clapping along with everyone else, astonished at the trickery.

He opened the door.

"Now, before I show you a sight that will leave you all in shock and in awe, let's give a hand for Chelia, our lovely volunteer!" the crowd hooted and clapped as she employed some of her idol experience, curtsying and posing. That was when Wendy heard several wolf whistles sound out from some men, something that wasn't uncommon in their brief early career as performers. The magician laughed as the applause went on a bit longer than expected. "Yes, yes, Lamia Scale's very own. With your beauty I'm sure you'd steal all my shows if you were to be my assistant!"

The crowd laughed along with him as Chelia blushed, obviously flustered. She looked over at Wendy who just beamed, giving her an encouraging thumbs up.

"She sure as hell would," Wendy suddenly heard behind her. "That girl is just gorgeous."

Her eyes widened, and her ear perked, trying to hone in on the conversation a bit as Chelia stepped into the box the magician directed her into.

"No need to tell me twice. Did you see her show earlier? She's a real looker. What I wouldn't do to get my hands on those knockers."

Wendy's face turned red. What a vile thing to say about a girl! Despite that, she couldn't stop listening to the conversation. The male voices sounded gruff, but young, maybe even around her and Chelia's age.

She hard the first guy chuckle.

"Are you kiddin'? She'd blow you away with her Sky God slayin' magic before you even got close!"

They shared in a juvenile laugh. Wendy's lips twisted, a bit irked at how they spoke of her best friend.

The magic show went on a bit, and Wendy heard them stop talking as the magician made the entire box disappear. Her attention was brought back to the spectacle, forgetting about the boys behind her. After some more fake-outs and a tense period where he prolonged the absence of the vanished person-sized box, he gave another flourish, and suddnly, there it was, this time on top of his traveling wagon parked behind him.

Wendy, alongside the crowd, gasped at the sight, her hands coming together to clap when the door burst open with a wave of the magician's hand, and Chelia trotted out, safe and sound. Her face was just as surprised as everyone else's, and the crowd's applause elongated as she was helped down by the magician with a ladder.

"Took him long enough!" the guy behind Wendy began to talk again. "There's the real show!"

His friend concurred.

"Man, do you think she'd talk to us if we went up to her after all this?"

"We can try but I doubt it, she's so out of our league. I bet a lot of guys are hitting on her all the time."

That comment made something stir inside Wendy. Her annoyance bled into...something else. She didn't know what it was, but it made her turn around to face the boys, uncharacteristically confrontational.

"Hey, you know I can hear you guys..."

She tried to give her best attempt at a glare. To her surprise, despite their pervy talk, the guys were actually quite handsome. She flushed a bit, already regretting her impulsive decision a little as they gave her a bemused look.

Then, a look of recognition dawned on one of them.

"O-Oh you're her friend, aren't you? You're one of the Sky Sisters!"

His friend followed suit, his face turning a little pink.

"I-It is, you're Wendy! You're the cute one!"

That last comment tacked on made that strange unpleasant stirring inside of her more pronounced.

She didn't know what to say.

"Look, um, s-sorry about that, we didn't mean to be so crude, haha," the first guy said, giving Wendy a nervous smile and bowing a little with his apology. "We'll just be on our way and out of your hair, okay? N-No need to tell your friend or anything, alright?"

"Hey, w-wait!"

Before Wendy could stop them, the boys shouldered their way through the crowd. She followed them, compelled by...she didn't know what exactly she was compelled by, but she just followed anyway until she stumbled out of the large crowd.

She looked both ways before seeing the boys scurrying away. They didn't notice her behind them.

One of them elbowed the other in the waist.

"Nice going, you blew our shot!"

"Tsk, shut up man. Like I said it's not like we had a chance to begin with. Still, it is a little embarassing we had her friend hear everything..."

"Yeah, I feel kinda bad. Maybe that was the first time she's even heard dirty stuff like that since she's so young."

The comment made Wendy stop in her tracks, watching the boys slip into the bustle of the festival and disappear.

Their words hanged about in her mind, making her face fall a bit as the crowd around the magic show began to disperse. "The cute one", "so young", didn't those boys realize they were practically the same age as her? And what did Chelia have that she didn't?

She'd never felt any resentment towards Chelia, nor jealousy of any sort, but it did sting that total strangers would perceive Wendy as just a little girl. They didn't even notice her when she was standing right in front of them.

She brought her eyes up once she reached the inner circle where the magician's makeshift stage had been. Her eyes caught the sight of Chelia...surrounded by a bunch of people, including a lot of guys.

She walked up to the little crowd. Chelia noticed when she got a little close, who waved excitedly to Wendy and broke away from the crowd for a bit.

"Wendy! Wasn't that show awesome?"

Wendy forced a smile, giving her a nod as Chelia took her hands in her own.

"Mhmm! You really killed it up there."

"Thanks! Look, it turns out we have a lot of fans who saw us perform too! I'm signing autographs and stuff, you should join!"

Wendy looked over her shoulder, but it was clear that the little crowd had gathered for Chelia, not her.

She looked back at and shook her head. She flushed a bit.

"...I think I'll pass. I've had enough of crowds I think."

Chelia frowned a little, to which Wendy gave her hands a reassuring squeeze.

"Just go on and represent the both of us! We can meet up again later."

Chelia looked a bit conflicted, but she sighed at Wendy's insistence.

"Alright," she pulled Wendy into a hug before pulling back and giving her a smile. "Just don't get too lost without me!"

Wendy gave Chelia a final smile before they let each other go, and she returned to the middle of that little crowd. Sure enough,once she did, not a single guy turned to look at Wendy.

Her cheek puffed out in a little pout. That annoyance gnawed at her chest as she turned on her heel and walked away.

Wendy continued on to explore the festival by herself, her mood more than a little soured.

She'd always strived to be independent and capable despite her young age and appearance. Even being a performer with Chelia was a part of that, all those adoring crowds, the feat of courage of swallowing initial stage fright.

She'd never put much stock into boys or the attention from them. That had been more of a thing for the older girls like Lucy or Cana. But now that she was close to their age, Wendy couldn't help but feel a bit...behind. Especially after today's events.

The boys from earlier had been entirely correct with their guess regarding Chelia: this wasn't the first time she'd seen how Chelia gained a lot of male attention.

Wendy didn't care much about it, but even when they weren't wearing their performance outfits, Chelia was more likely to get hit on or flattered or complimented on the street. Sometimes Chelia herself wouldn't notice, but Wendy could catch it, notice the eyes of guys who'd check her out on the as they passed.

She remembered what that guy in the crowd had said about Chelia and her..."knockers".

The crude word made a little bit more red pepper onto Wendy's cheeks. Was that it? Was it because she just wasn't blessed with a good pair of...assets?

It was such a shallow thing to be ruminating about, but despite herself, Wendy looked down upon her body.

She was still wearing her her idol outfit. Her short and slim figure was hugged by the pure white of a sleeveless dress, its bottom frills rimmed with red. Matching thigh-high stockings stretched down her legs to the red of her cute heeled shoes, and near their top hem were red ribbons that complemented the decorative ribbons bound around her upper arms, the red hair clips perched atop her scalp, and the big red bow tying it all together around her neck.

She hadn't thought about it too much but perhaps the dress did make her look a bit more childish and innocent…

With a frown, Wendy couldn't help herself from bringing her hands down her body, feeling how relatively underdeveloped she felt she was. At 15, she was the same age as Chelia, and more importantly, she was technically considered an adult now in the eyes of Fioran law…and yet she still looked almost the same as she did when she first joined Fairy Tail.

The frown turned into a pout as her hands slid up her curves to squeeze at her nonexistent cleavage. Her brow furrowed as she squeezed at her breasts harder, as if it would make something appear the more she looked.

It was in the middle of this that she crashed into something that knocked her out of breath.

"Oof!"

She felt a bit of cold sprinkle her head, a little dampness going along with it as she was stopped in her tracks.

She opened her eyes, seeing curious onlookers staring back or giving amused smiles. She turned her attention in front of her, and saw that she had crashed into someone while she was deep in thought.

Wendy leapt back, her face flushed as her eyes widened at the extent of the damage. The person who she'd crashed into had been nursing a drink, and now it was all over his shirt, completely drenching it.

Her hands shot out to his chest without her even thinking, as if wiping away the ice and liquid that still clung on its surface would do anything to fix things.

"I-I-I'm so sorry, I should have really been paying attent-"

Wendy's frantic attempts to fix the situation were put to a stop when the stranger's hands shot to her wrists. The move made her breath stop in her throat, punctuated with a sharp gasp.

Her eyes were drawn up to the stranger's face, and she was met with a warm smile.

"No need for all the fuss," he chuckled, lowering Wendy's hands. She let them hang limp on her sides, eyes still affixed to the man. He was...very handsome. The flush on Wendy's cheeks deepened at that sudden realization, and she kept looking up at him in a sort of daze. "It's just a shirt. Besides, it's so hot that I might as well be thanking you for the favor."

Before Wendy could say anything back, the man tore the shirt up above his head. Her eyes widened even further at the sight, mesmerized as he so shamelessly bared his upper body for him. He was very fit and burly. Less so like Natsu and more like Laxus or Gajeel, his cut physique bristling with energy, glistening in the dim light with the drink that she'd spilled onto him.

Wendy just stood there, still stunned at the sudden development as he took his shirt and twisted it, wringing it of the spillage. Wendy's eyes remained stuck on his body.

"There we go," the stranger gave his wrinkled and damped shirt a shake, catching the air with it in damp snaps. He held it up to the light. It looked...pretty terrible. Didn't help that it was made of white cloth. His head peeked around it, his hands still holding the shirt by its shoudlers as if presenting it to her. "Looks as good as new..." he gave Wendy a wide smile before he looked back at the shirt and frowned. His eyes returned to hers and his smile turned a bit bashful. "...maybe not."

Wendy couldn't help but giggle at the stranger's theatrics, finding herself warmed up to him within seconds of meeting him. He shrugged and stuffed the rag of his shirt into the back pocket of his trousers, deigning to just walk around topless.

It wasn't an uncommon sight during the festival, but Wendy still couldn't help but feel like the stranger was a bit distracting.

"Either way, I-I'm really sorry about that," Wendy insisted, her hands clasping together in front of her, eyes wide. "I'd...I'd really prefer if I make it up to you somehow."

The man waved her off, a dismissive look on his face.

"Look, like I said, it's no big deal, alright? If anything I'm just glad only a bit of it got on you," the man reached over and Wendy made a little noise when his very large hand wiped away what little of the drink had splashed atop her scalp. She felt her pulse beat a bit faster as he kept going, in awe at the fact that almost her whole head fit within his hand...and yet his touch was gentle, the motion on top of her head feeling like a headpat. "There. Just a few ice cubes, and a few drops is all."

He gave her a smile again, and Wendy tried her best to return it. The stranger appraised her for a second, his eyes narrowing.

Something clicked in his mind then, and recognition flooded his face.

"Wait a second, aren't you Wendy Marvell, of the Sky Sisters?!"

Wendy gave a start.

"Y-Yeah, actually..."

The stranger gave a boisterous laugh, his eyes looking her up and down. Wendy felt a bit self-conscious, crossing an arm over her chest to clasp onto her other one, her face turning more red by the second. And yet...

Is this what Chelia felt all the time...?

"Well I'll be damned. I just saw your performance today. I knew a pretty young lady like you couldn't be just anybody," the stranger said, Wendy's breath hitching at the compliment. "Excuse me for being so forward, but you're even more stunning up close..."

All of a sudden something inside of her began to stir, burying the previous insecurities she was musing about when she was comparing herself to Chelia. His eyes were still on her dress still...or was it her body? Either way, Wendy was growing to really love the attention.

She lowered her arm, resisting the urge to dig into the ground with her toe like a bashful little girl.

"Th-Thank you..." then, a thought crossed her mind in that moment, and in a very uncharacteristic and impulsive decision, her eyes snapped up to the stranger's, her voice chirping up in a sudden determination. "Hey, um...what if I buy you another drink? It's the least I can do to set my mind at ease about this whole thing..."

Wendy's heart hammered into her chest. This was probably not a good idea. Sure, on the surface it was quite the innocuous gesture, but considering the fact that she had blurted it out right after feeling validated for the first time all day for her looks, Wendy knew it wasn't entirely innocent. And, naive as she was, she could tell that the stranger's flattery might have had some malicious intent; she could see his eyes linger a bit longer than they should have on various parts of her that went beyond appreciation of her cute dress.

The stranger gave her a killer smile, and all at once Wendy's trepidation melted away.

"I thought just having the most beautiful girl I've seen all day running into me on a whim was a stroke of luck, but sharing a drink with her too?" Wendy bit into her bottom lip as it shook. He was certainly a smooth talker, and he knew it, a cocky grin on his face as Wendy felt like her heart was going to explode. "I wouldn't miss it for the world."

Wendy could hardly find her breath, much less the words to say after such a blatant flirt. Still, amidst the confusing rush of emotions, a smile wormed its way onto her flustered face. Her chest welled up with a sensation she'd never felt, something akin to the thrill of being onstage mixed with the adrenaline of being in the heat of battle.

She...liked it.

"O-Okay...where should we go?"

A few minutes later, Wendy found herself seated at a streetside drink stand, her hands clutched around a narrow glass with a nondescript shiny green drink. She eyed it with a trepidation, bringing it up to her nose and sniffing it.

The stranger next to her smiled with amusement. She was adorable. He still couldn't believe his luck. Just a few hours ago he was admiring this girl and how much she stood out onstage compared to the other performers, and now here she was, sharing a drink with him.

He brought up his own glass and leaned over, clinking it with hers.

Wendy looked over at him, and he offered a reassuring smile.

"I know you said you're not much of a drinking type, so I thought we could share in one of these. It's apparently a specialty around here during the summer," he said, but Wendy still had a little skepticism in her eye. He looked around a bit before he caught onto a sight that made him beam. He reached out and touched Wendy's arm, pointing at what he saw with the hand that held his glass. "Look! Even kids are drinking this stuff!"

Wendy followed his gaze and sure enough, a father was letting what looked to be a boy of at least 10 or 12 years old have a sip...which turned into deep gulps, prompting the father to give a slap to the boy's wrist and wrestle the glass from his grip.

Wendy giggled, looking back at the man who smiled alongisde her. Again, she felt that warmth in her that was so unfamiliar, yet so...

"...you're not some little girl, are you?"

The stranger's smile turned a bit impish, his eyes giving a faux-scrutinizing look as if checking to make sure she wasn't lying. Wendy pouted.

"Of course, not!"

She took the glass in her hands and brought it up to her lips, tilting her head back as she chugged it all in one go. The ferocity of her sudden move surprised even the stranger as he watched on with wide eyes as Wendy's little throat gulped the entire glass down until it was dry. Her face was scrunched up in an adorable scowl of concentration.

Wendy gave one last gulp before she lowered the glass. Her eyes squeezed shut, tears beading on their corners as she felt the alcohol course its way through her. She held her breath until she gasped for air, coughing.

The man reached over and patted her back.

"Hey now, I didn't mean to goad you on like that," the stranger chuckled, now knowing what Wendy's weak point was. This girl was an open book. "It was just a joke!"

Wendy gave a few last coughs before she raised her head up, tears on the brim of her eyelids as she gave a little hiccup. She brought a finger to wipe them away. Then, after a few more breaths, she gave him a wide smile.

"...you know, that...wasn't as bad as I thought it would be..."

The stranger bellowed with laughter, bringing his own glass to her now-empty one as Wendy got caught up in the ridiculousness of her trying to prove a point. After collecting himself a bit, the stranger echoed Wendy and chugged the rest of his strange green drink. He had been right; unlike the other times various Fairy Tail members (especially Cana) had Wendy try a drink, it practically tasted like juice. She considered the stranger for a moment. He really was being considerate for her.

"Ahhh..." the stranger said, lowering his drained glass to the counter. "Well. That's how I'd usually drink if I was trying to get hammered with a stronger drink, but you know it wasn't half bad."

Wendy giggled again before she looked over to the man who ran the stall and raised her hand.

"Two more, please."

She looked back at the stranger, an apologetic grin.

"I'll be sure to actually take my time with this one."

The man winked at her as their next round slid in front of them.

"Attagirl."

The rest of the night continued, and despite only offering to share some drinks with him, Wendy stayed by the stranger's side the entire time.

There never seemed to be a dull moment with him, and they shared many experiences like the first one at the streetside bar.

It turned out that he was a traveling merchant. As they walked through the festival, snacking on various treats and foods they picked up from a multitude of stalls, he would tell her about his travels, about the sights he'd see.

Wendy was more than a little enthralled with the company. At first it was just a certain kind of curiosity, but it didn't take long for the stranger's charm to really make her feel at ease around him.

At the same time, the man also kept up with his constant flirting.

It added to the danger and the thrill of talking to him. She'd never had this much exposure to male attention like this, and it made her chest tighten up with more unknown sensations. He'd sneak in compliments about her beauty, about her smile, and he was daring enough to even say things about her figure. Wendy never flirted back, of course, she didn't know how, but the fact that she let him continue and just took all of his advances was more than enough to encourage him.

On top of it all, the stranger never put a shirt back on. Seeing how they were in the middle of a festival with a seemingly-endless amount of stalls that sold wares and souvenirs, it didn't seem like an excuse for him to keep going around shirtless.

But Wendy wasn't complaining.

She was guilty of stealing glances when she thought he wasn't looking, a lump forming in her throat at the sight of his dark skin stretched tight by his physique. He had to be at least twice her age, but that only added to the excitement; for a merchant, he had a ridiculous body to match the ridiculous level of his charm, and Wendy wasn't so sure if he could have pulled it off if he was just another boy closer to her age.

For the first time in what felt like forever, Wendy felt more grown-up.

It didn't matter that she still wore the idol outfit she wore for her Sky Sisters performance, not when the stranger looked at her with such a sharp rake of a gaze that her skin bristled with goosebumps. Not when she noticed other women very obviously checking him out, whispering among themselves about his attractive features, and yet the stranger only seemed to focus on her. Not when the stranger was so good at pushing her out of her comfort zone, to the point that she'd try and flirt back with him after only knowing him for less than a couple hours.

That feeling Wendy had first felt in her chest about him had intensified to the point that there wasn't a moment where it wasn't present, its tension mounting until it was a heat that seemed to spread across her body, pooling at the base of her loins.

Every flirt exchanged, every look, Wendy got caught up in all of it, chasing that little high, feeling it grow more pronounced and prolonged. Just from this one man, Wendy felt everything she'd ever wanted from the attention Chelia always received.

Everything and much more.

While Wendy was feeling these new and alien sensations, the stranger had already made up his mind: he wanted her.

He was always fortwith with his intent, but with girls like Wendy he knew he had to give them space, whittle them down bit by bit with his charm and his comforting demeanor until they made the first move.

But he was growing impatient.

He'd been at sea and trading for at least a month without a single break; there was a lot of stock on his ship he needed to offload that wouldn't have sold at all in the autumn months that were just weeks away.

Now, repressed and wound up, one of the primary objectives for him attending this festival was to indulge in some local company of the feminine variety. Just his luck that this shy little treat had landed in his lap.

The more she told him about herself, the more that want grew. She was petit for her age, sure, but seeing how she was a former member of Fairy Tail and was now a member of the prestigious Lamia Scale, he knew she could potentially be better company for his needs than most of the other women in this town. His experience with other members of her guilds could attest to that.

Before she knew it, Wendy found herself talking the most. Something about the man had her spilling everything. How she ended up at Fairy Tail with Carla, key events leading up to her time (and subsequent lack thereof) at Tenrou Island, her struggles acclimating to Lamia Scale after the disbandment, frustrations with Carla's constant motherly doting, and her gratitude for Cheria staying by her side.

Wendy caught herself suddenly, and as if in a daze, she realized that they had wandered far away from the festivities, legs dangling off the edge of one of the city's many canals. Her head whipped about. They were almost completely alone.

She looked back up at the stranger. All this time just talking all about herself, and she still didn't even know his name. How could she be so selfish?

"I-I'm sorry, I shouldn't-..." Wendy's words trailed off, flustered and more than a bit frustrated. Was she really so lonely and that bad of a friend that she'd open up to this man instead of those around her at the guild? Wasn't venting to Carla every night like she usually did enough? "I didn't mean to just...talk about myself like that."

Tears sprung up into her eyes, and all of a sudden Wendy sprang up from where she sat.

"Hey, now wait just a minute-" the stranger was shocked at the sudden move, and he got up from his spot too. Wendy quickened her pace, but his strides were too long, and his hand shot out to latch onto her wrist. Wendy pulled, keeping her face looking away from him. "I said, wait."

"Please..." Wendy said, gritting her teeth. What a foolish girl she was, thinking she could hold this stranger's attention. All he wanted was probably to use her anyway, and she'd went along with it in the hopes of alleviating this weight in her chest. "I'm sorry for wasting your time, okay?"

Her heart jumped into her throat when the man yanked onher arm, forcing her to face him. His other arm reached up and wrapped around her shoulder. He pulled her into a hug.

Wendy's eyes went wide.

"You're a strong girl, Wendy," the man said, his voice reverberating through his chest, her cheek pressed flat right below it. "And strong people shouldn't apologize about airing out their struggles. Hell, I was airing them out to you earlier, wasn't I?"

Wendy stayed silent, still stunned and at a loss for words. Eventually, she worked up the confidence to bring her own arms up to the man's body, to return the hug.

"Attagirl," he said, bringing a hand up to her head to stroke it. Wendy squeezed her eyes shut, tears spilling down her cheeks. She told herself she'd be strong. And somehow, hearing this stranger tell her that she already was...it gave her a strength to stop the flow of the tears against his bare skin. She nestled into him, savoring the way he patted her her head, tightening her arms around him. "Look I may just be a random guy who likes talking to pretty girls, but don't cut yourself short like that. Nobody deserves that. I should be the one thanking you for trusting me enough to tell me these things."

Wendy pulled away from him, and she looked up at him with those wide brown eyes, quivering and wet with tears that she held back. Her face glowed in the moonlight, and the stranger brought up a thumb to wipe away the trails on her cheeks.

He gave her another of his warm smiles, and it made her breath stutter, made her chest clench.

"Now where's that smile that took my breath away?"

The irony of his flirting comment made Wendy break out into a tiny giggle despite herself. And he shared it in, chuckling alongside her. She suddenly felt as if his face was too far away, her head craning up to look deeper into his eyes, her feet going up onto their toes.

"Thank yo-"

Before Wendy could finish her sentence, an explosion cut her short.

The loud bang was followed by a whistling sound before another bang exploded above them in a wild burst of color. Wendy's eyes sparkled as fireworks flooded the entire night sky. It'd been so long since she'd seen any.

The stranger smirked as he took the sight in, standing in front of her in silence. His eyes drifted back to Wendy's young face, the awe and wonderment that spread across it. She really was a lovely girl, and he was happy she was who he'd shared an evening with, regardless of what happened now.

Then, Wendy's gaze returned to his face. She gave him a smile that he returned. He watched the fireworks reflect in her eyes, just as she watched them in his. There was something else that swirled in Wendy's eyes that took him by surprise, especially since they'd just shared such an emotional and intimate moment, but there it was, a dark swirl that he'd tried coaxing out all night, growing larger and more intense the longer their gaze remained locked.

By the time the stranger recognized it as desire, Wendy's outstretched hands had interlaced behind his neck. She pulled, and the stranger followed her lead without protest, smashing his lips into hers.

"Mmmm..."

Wendy let out a whimpering mewl, feeling his cool lips mash against hers. She tasted the sugary residue of the funnel cake they'd just shared minutes ago, then she felt his mouth grow warmer as the kiss continued. She instinctively breathed through her nostrils as she turned her head to the side, their noses brisking against one another. She pulled him down harder to feel his lips closer.

The stranger began to kiss her back. He had been a bit stunned at her initial pull, too lost in the moment, in the look in her eyes to realize what had happened, but now he smiled into her mouth, a hand cupping the back of her head, another finding itself on the small of her back to pull her in close.

He could tell that Wendy had never kissed before, so he met her at her level. He gave her hot kisses coupled with sucks of air, loving how she exhaled on his mouth, how sweet she tasted. Kiss after kiss, the pair stumbled about until the stranger's need compelled him to shove her against the nearest wall.

They parted, Wendy looking up at him with a shocked look as the air was knocked from her lungs. They searched in each other's eyes again, but saw nothing except fireworks and an ever-growing desire.

Again, their mouths collided, the stranger's hands reaching down to grab onto Wendy's thigh. She squeaked, but she didn't protest, her body writhing with need. She melted into him, relinquishing all control as he sapped her of all her thoughts.

She never knew she'd give her first kiss to some man she just met in some glorified alleyway, but with how good this felt, she wouldn't have it any other way.

Within a few minutes, they were making out; their need surmounted the slower pace of kiss peeling after kiss, and now those kisses were chained together, interlocking with hot smacks of air.

Wendy was losing all control, moaning into the man's mouth with every passing second. He felt him moan too, his other hand pulling at the dip of her spine.

Her eyes flew open when she felt something hard and very big grind into her then, a squeal spilling into the man's throat.

The stranger ripped himself from Wendy's soft lips. He slipped the hand on her back up to her cheeks, cupping one of them as they both caught their breaths, panting into each other's faces.

A bridging string of spit connected their lips for a few moments, and the stranger wiped it away with a swipe of his thumb against her open mouth.

Even with the continuous booming of the fireworks show going on all around them, all Wendy could hear was their breaths and the pounding of her heart.

She needed more.

"Let's take this somewhere more private," the stranger said, feeling his lust swell from the inside. He let go of Wendy's leg, and clamped his hand around her upper arm.

Wendy paused for a moment. This grown man was inviting her back to his room. A bit of panic reared its head in her psyche as her eyes were frantic in their search within his deep gaze.

She'd never seen him look so serious all night, his face twisted in a sort of hungry grimace, as if she was something for him to devour.

Wendy's thighs slid against one another at the sight of it, and all at once she felt all the repressed need for attention and acknowledgement of her beauty flood her. She needed this.

Her hands slid off his neck and she chewed on her lip in a final moment of indecision.

Then, reaching out for his hand, Wendy sealed her fate.

"Okay."

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