Inside the office, the carpet was white and plush, bouncing beneath our feet as we crossed the room. The walls were covered with awards and degree plaques, informing me that Ms. Erza Scarlet had a Master's degree in Criminal Justice, along with many awards from the mayor. On the massive wooden desk on the far side of the room sat picture frames, filled with frozen moments in the lives of people I didn't know. I scanned the pictures, smiling at the happy faces I saw. There was a picture of a group of teenagers, all smiling and holding onto each other. In one, there was a beautiful woman with long, blood-red hair standing arm-in-arm with a man with blue hair and a red facial tattoo. The man was in a few more of the pictures, both alone and sharing the frame with some of the teenagers, now a little older. A flash of pink caught my attention, and I leaned forward in my chair slightly to get a better look. Upon closer inspection, I recognized Natsu, arm thrown around the shoulders of a small woman with short, almost white hair. After a moment, I realized it was Mirajane's younger sister, Lisanna. I had no idea they knew each other. Before I could inspect the picture any further, however, the door swung open and in walked the red-haired woman in a white blouse and blue pencil skirt. Her eyes warmed at the sight of Gray.

"Good afternoon, Erza," he greeted her, rising in his seat to offer her his hand to shake.

"Gray, it's always nice to see you," she responded. She pulled him into a rather violent hug, knocking the wind out of him. After a moment, he returned it, wheezing subtly. She glanced around the room. "Where's Natsu? I thought he was supposed to be with you." Her eyes darkened. "You boys haven't been fighting again, have you?"

Gray went pale. "Of course not! We're the best of friends. Why would we ever fight?" he squeaked, rubbing the back of his head anxiously. "You know how he gets…he took the stairs. Should be here any second. In the meantime—"

Gray was cut off by the door slamming open.

"Way to wait for me, asshole," Natsu grumbled, he took a threatening step toward Gray before he noticed the other man's frantic eye movements. Turning in the indicated direction, all of the color drained from his face, and he nearly choked. "And I mean that in the most affectionate way possible." He and Gray slung an arm over each other's shoulders, clasping their hands in front of them in a firm, friendly handshake. The nervous smiles on their lips proved to be too much for me, and a giggle bubbled up past my own.

"And who have we here?" Ms. Scarlet questioned, turning to me. Normally I don't have an issue with other women, but damn was she intimidating. I gulped, extending my hand out to hers.

"My name is Lucy, ma'am," I introduced myself meekly. Her eyes narrowed slightly. "Lucy Heartfilia." I winced at my last name. I didn't use it very often. At this, her eyes widened in recognition, then softened.

"Ah yes, Gildarts called. We have an appointment. Can I get you anything, Miss Heartfilia? Tea? Coffee?"

"Ah, just Lucy is fine. And no, thank you, I'm quite all right." The detectives stared at me as if I'd grown a second head, and I flushed self-consciously. Whenever anyone spoke to me in a professional way, years of high-class upbringing kicked right back in. I couldn't help it. Ms. Scarlet didn't seem to notice, however. She simply moved on, offering Natsu and Gray the other seat. After a short eye war, Gray sat down, indicating he had won. Natsu settled for sitting on the armrest of my chair, crossing his arms petulantly. Again, I had to stifle a giggle.

"Well, I suppose we should get started. My name is Erza Scarlet, and I am the District Attorney for the Magnolia Police Department. In the event that you choose to press charges against Detective Straight, I will be representing you." Ms. Scarlet reached into a drawer in her desk and withdrew a stack of paperwork. It had to be at least an inch thick, and I felt my throat begin to constrict. Press charges? Everyone expected me to press charges, but is that what I wanted? Once again, fond memories flitted across my mind and my heart ached. Other than that one incident, he had treated me well. Did I really want to ruin his career—his life—over one mistake? He swore it would never happen again. He had promised. Maybe that's all I needed—

A warm hand in mine yanked me from my spiraling thoughts. My face jerked up and I locked eyes with Natsu, who was watching me carefully. It was that same look again—the one that he always seemed to have when I started to panic. Before they made me uncomfortable; it felt like he was seeing too much. Like he could see past the carefully constructed mask I put on every morning. Now, it grounded me. His eyes seemed to be telling me that he knew that I wasn't nearly as composed as I looked, but that's okay. Keeping my gaze locked on his, I took several deep breaths before I finally broke eye contact.

"Ms. Scarlet, may I ask a question?" I began, careful to keep my voice even. Her gaze seemed to pierce mine; wary, but that was a comfort to me. I was tired of being treated like I might break.

"Of course. And please, call me Erza. It's only fair." She threw me a teasing smile that relaxed me a little more.

"In the event that I don't press charges," Natsu's hand tightened around mine, "what would happen?"

"I'm not sure I completely understand. What do you mean, 'what would happen?'" Erza countered, confusion pulling her eyebrows together.

"What would happen to me and Dan?" I clarified. "Would he still be punished at work? Would we move back in together? Would I be forced to move out?" With each question, my heart sped up a little more. I squeezed Natsu's hand, attempting to calm my racing heart, and took more deep breaths. "I know that pressing charges would be the right thing to do—"

"Lucy, let me stop you there," Erza cut me off, lifting her hand for silence. "I can't tell you what the 'right' or 'wrong' thing to do in this situation would be, because there is no 'right or wrong thing'." I opened my mouth to argue, but the glare she sent me kept me silent. "Many people will try and tell you what you 'should' do, but let me let you in on a little secret: the only one who can decide what you should do is you. I know that's not what you want to hear, but I think it's what you need to hear. Don't think about what Gray thinks you should do, or what Natsu thinks you should do, or even what I think you should do. What I want you to do right now is close your eyes and focus on you. What do you think you should do, Lucy?"

Taking her advice, I slipped my hand from Natsu's and closed my eyes, drowning out everyone else. I didn't think about Natsu and his righteous anger. I didn't think about Gray and his cool temper. I didn't think about Gajeel, and how he must be blaming himself for this whole situation. I didn't even think about Dan and what he would tell me to do. I thought back to the day Dan and I first met, in that bookstore on that rainy day in May.

It had been warm earlier, so I was in jean shorts and a pink tank top. My long hair had been pulled back into a high ponytail, swishing back and forth across my back when I walked. My flip flops had slapped noisily as I'd perused the stacks, searching for my next great adventure. As I'd reached for a particular book that had caught my eye, another hand bumped into mine. I'd pulled my hand back and glanced to the owner of the other one, apology falling from my lips. An attractive brunette man had smiled back. He was obviously a little older than me, and when he'd complimented me on my taste in books I'd blushed lightly, giving him a flirty giggle. I'd been so much more confident back then. After I'd payed for my book, he'd asked me out to dinner, which I had almost hastily accepted.

I opened my eyes and glanced to the side, catching a glimpse of myself in the large, round mirror on Erza's wall. A few years ago, around this time of year, I would've been walking around in a v-neck t-shirt and skinny jeans. Now, I hid my curves—a body I used to take pride in—beneath dark colored turtlenecks and baggy dark wash jeans. I used to insist on wearing flip flops until it began to snow, painting my toenails a new color every week. "Sun's out, toes out," my friend Michelle, a fellow model, used to joke. When was the last time I'd seen her, much less spoken to her? When was the last time I'd engaged in friendly conversation with any of my coworkers? I had to close my eyes again and think hard. I'd spoken to Mira a few weeks ago…but that had been for work. When she'd tried to convince me to join her and her sister for dinner, I had declined. Dan didn't like it when I went out. He got lonely if I wasn't there. Plus, there was a small chance that their brother might join as well, and while he was a very nice man—I enjoyed his company greatly—Dan would be furious if—

The realization hit me like a ton of bricks, knocking the air out of my lungs. How long had I been avoiding speaking to other men? How long had I been dressing in a way that hid my body from the world? Tears filled my eyes when I realized I couldn't remember the last time I'd spoken to my own father. We'd begun to reconcile right before I'd met Dan; both of us had made an effort to meet each other halfway. Snapping my head away from the mirror, I did my best to hide my tears. Dan had always said that crying was a weakness…

God, he was everywhere. He was in every little thing that I did. I looked down at my hands, gripping the ends of my sleeves for dear life. After what felt like hours, I met Erza's carefully blank gaze. I knew what I had to do. It had to stop. In that moment, I realized just how much I missed the girl I used to be. The one who was proud of her body and her writing, who swore that she would finish her first novel before she was thirty, the one who wasn't afraid to put any man who thought he could lay a hand on her back in his place. My decision seemed to lift a large weight off my shoulders; one I hadn't even realized I'd been carrying. My eyes filled with determination as I gave my final verdict.

"I'd like to press charges."

Two hours later, I was beginning to feel like I may have made a mistake. Erza walked us to the elevator, one arm around Natsu, the other around Gray. She spoke to them cheerfully, reminding them that they were always welcome at her house and not to fight.

"It was very nice to meet you, Lucy," Erza said warmly, clasping her hand in mine. I winced at her tight grip.

"Listen, Erza, maybe pressing charges isn't such a good idea…" I began, my palms starting to sweat. Maybe we could just go back into her office and undo the whole thing. How could I do that to Dan? This would ruin him. I took a step back in the direction of Erza's office, only to be stopped by three pairs of strong hands.

"Oh no, you don't," Gray mumbled, hands pulling me backward toward the elevator by my shoulders.

"What's done is done," Natsu continued, chaining me to the spot by the forearms, also from behind.

"I know this is hard for you," Erza reasoned, "but you need to hold firm in your decision." She had grabbed my other hand, holding them both tightly in her own. This time the pressure was surprisingly comforting.

I took a deep breath, holding it for a moment, and steeled my resolve. After a long moment, I nodded, though my face betrayed my hesitation. I tried to give all three of them a smile, but it didn't reach my eyes. Natsu looked at me for a moment before he ruffled my hair roughly.

"We should probably head out," he said, taking a distracted step into the elevator. Gray and I followed, throwing waves at Erza as the doors closed. It wasn't until the elevator jerked into motion that the realization that he'd messed up dawned on Natsu's face.

After what seemed like the longest elevator ride in history, the three of us stumbled out of the building and onto the street. Natsu immediately broke off from the two of us.

"Hey, Lava Breath! Where are you going?" Gray called after him. Natsu waved a hand over his shoulder.

"Gotta go check on Happy! I'll meet up with you guys later!"

I raised an eyebrow at Gray, but he only shook his head, muttering something about "crazy cat people." He smiled down at me.

"He's fine. Are you hungry? There's a great bar a few streets over that has amazing stew."

I opened my mouth to agree when my stomach growled, answering for me. Blushing, I looked toward the ground as he laughed.

"C'mon, my treat."

I gasped when we stopped in front of a familiar building. Before I could voice my surprise at his choice, he ushered me inside. He called out a name a knew well, pulling me over to the bar. We didn't make it that far.

"Lucy! Thank goodness you're okay! We've been so worried!" Mira exclaimed, meeting us halfway and pulling me into a surprisingly strong hug. It caught me off-guard every time. Jesus, does she even lift?

"Yeah, I'm alive. I won't be for much longer if you don't stop crushing me…" I gasped good naturedly, patting her arm. With a squeak, she let me go.

"Sorry! So, where have you been?" she demanded, giving me a look. I opened my mouth, but Gray cut me off.

"She can't tell you that, Mira. She's been in protective custody." Mira raised an eyebrow in confusion before understanding seeped into her face. Her expression darkened to one that screamed of contemplated murder.

"So he finally did something…" she hissed, wrapping her arms around me protectively. "Lucy, I'm sorry. I should've insisted you come to dinner the last time I saw you…"

"It's fine," I reassured her, hesitantly circling my arms around her, too. Mira shook her head.

"No it's not. But we're not going to dwell on that now. Are you guys hungry? I'll make you something." With that, she disappeared into the kitchen in a flurry of platinum blonde hair, waving hands, and fluttering skirts. Gray turned his attention over to me.

"I didn't know you guys knew each other," he said, a question lacing his tone. I shrugged.

"I'm a journalist for Sorcerer Weekly," I reminded him. "I interviewed her a few times." I paused before adding, "I also used to model for them. Mira and I did a few shoots together."

His eyes widened. "You're a model?" I grimaced. "Wait, I didn't mean that the way it sounded. You're definitely pretty enough to be one. You just never struck me as the modelling type. I just don't see you as the kind of person who would be comfortable in front of the camera."

A melancholic smile stretched across my lips. "Maybe not now, but I used to be." Memories swirled through my mind, bringing me back to happier times. I must have been reminiscing for longer than I thought, because next thing I knew Mira was dropping two bowls of stew in front of us. I smiled in anticipation.

Just as I was settling into my meal, Natsu burst through the front doors.

"Hello, everyone!" he called. "I'm back! Oh, and Ice Princess is here, too," he said quieter, as if this sentence was an afterthought. The other regulars in the bar chuckled at his antics, greeting him happily. I looked questioningly to Gray, who only shook his head.

"Fairy Tail is a cop bar. Natsu and I have been coming here for years. He feels the need to announce his presence everything time we come here. It's embarrassing." Gray rolled his eyes as Natsu started to make his way over to us. Just before he reached our table, a voice stopped him.

"Natsu!" a woman called, running from the kitchen right into his arms. He laughed as he swung her around.

"Lisanna!" he cheered back dramatically, causing her to laugh. When he put her down, she slapped his arm.

"You've been gone too long! Where on Earth have you been this time?" she chided, though the smile never left her lips. He didn't seem bashful in the slightest. Instead, he leaned toward her conspiratorially, raising a hand to the side of his mouth.

"Actually, I'm on a super secret mission. If I told you the details, I'd have to kill ya," he stage whispered, causing the youngest Strauss to break out into a fit of giggles.

"Is that so? Why do I find that hard to believe?"

Watching their exchange, I felt a twinge of guilt in my heart. It had never occurred to me that Natsu might have a girlfriend. A girlfriend I was keeping him from. Something else weighed down my heart slightly as well, a jab of disappointment, but I ignored it. Why should I feel disappointed just because I found out he was dating someone? I wasn't exactly in the market at the moment.

"Actually, Lisanna, he's telling the truth. We're on the job right now," Gray informed the woman, catching all of our attention. He gestured to me. "We're in charge of protecting her."

Lisanna's eyes met mine for the first time since she arrived. They widened as she recognized me.

"Lucy…? What…?" Her blue eyes hardened, much like her sister's had. "What did he—no. That's not any of my business. Whatever happened, Lucy, I'm sorry. But I can promise you that you are in good hands." She smiled wryly. "Even if it may not seem like it sometimes."

I returned the smile. "Thank you, Lisanna. So far, they've kept me pretty safe." I gave both men a warm smile, maybe lingering on Natsu's face a little longer than necessary. Then I remembered that Lisanna was his girlfriend, and my smile faded. He smiled back at me in confusion before turning back to her.

"I don't understand. You guys know each other?"

She glanced at Natsu, waving her hand frantically. "Never mind that. If you guys are 'on the job,' I guess that means I can't steal you for wedding planning," Lisanna complained, sighing. Natsu perked up. Another stab hit my chest. He didn't have a girlfriend, he had a fiancée. I ducked my head.

"Hey, no one ever said that! What do you need help with?" Natsu prodded, sitting down and gesturing for her to sit next to him. I watched silently.

"What could Flame Breath possibly help with?" Gray interrupted. "Shouldn't Bixlow be the one helping with the planning?"

"Oh, he is," Lisanna stated, waving her hand dismissively. "But he can't help me with this one." She pulled out her phone. "I've been looking at wedding dresses, and I wanted a second opinion on styles." She turned her attention back to Natsu. "I was thinking of going for a full ball gown, but I wasn't completely sold."

Natsu scrunched up his nose as he looked at the picture. "Nah, too much floof." He swiped his finger across her phone a few times. Finding something that pleased him, he grinned. "Now this one…"

Lisanna looked at the picture and flushed slightly, shooting him a look. "A slinky dress? You think I should get married in a slinky dress?" He took a look at her face and chuckled.

"Yes, I do. You're a beautiful woman, Lisanna, and I know you know it. Nothing wrong with flauntin' what you're proud of," he finished, smirking at her. I rolled my eyes, though I stayed quiet. Of course he would want her to get married in a slinky dress. What confused me was why she was looking at dresses with him at all. Wasn't it bad luck for the groom to see the dress before the wedding?

Lisanna chewed her bottom lip. "I don't know... Won't my scar show in a dress like this?" She turned her head slightly, as if trying to see the picture from a different angle.

"Probably," Natsu answered, "but I don't think he's gonna care." I shot up face up to look at him.

"Yeah, you're right…" Lisanna trailed off, smiling fondly. "I'll compare your choice with Mira's and let you know what I decide. Thanks, Natsu!" She kissed his cheek, said goodbye to me and Gray, and disappeared back into the kitchen.

"Hey, I'm gonna run to the restroom, and then we need to head back," Gray informed us, getting up from the table as well. Natsu and I were left in silence. I swallowed the lump building up in my throat.

"She's nice," I commented, then berated myself. Why was my voice cracking? He was just my friend, at best. It's not like I liked him or anything…

"Who, Lisanna? Yeah, she's pretty cool," he agreed breezily, casting a smile in the direction she'd left from.

"So, when's the wedding?" Why was I asking all of this? I wasn't supposed to care. I didn't care. Natsu glanced over at me. If he thought my question was inappropriate, he didn't comment.

"Next year. She's really freaking out because she wants it to be perfect." He chuckled to himself, shaking his head. "If she let her fiancé help with the plans a little, maybe she wouldn't be so stressed," he joked wryly, shaking his head at me again. My heart clenched. I was keeping him from wedding plans. I knew he was doing his job, but it didn't make me feel any better.

"You guys are really cute together," I said, casting a small smile down at the table. "I'm sorry that I'm keeping you from helping her with the wedding." After a few minutes of silence, I chanced a look at him, only to be met with a blank look.

"Huh?" he questioned, looking completely and utterly confused. My face flushed.

"You said that she wouldn't be so stressed out if she let her fiancé help her with wedding plans. If you weren't busy babysitting me, maybe she would be more comfortable letting you help." His confused look persisted. "You know, because you guys are getting married…?"

With that, laughter bubbled up from inside him. His deep, belly laughs only served to heighten my embarrassment, and I scowled.

"What on Earth is so funny?"

"You!" he answered, doubling over. "You…you thought…me and Lisanna…!" He was gasping for air at this point. As Gray returned to the table, I slammed my napkin down and raised myself from my seat.

"What is going on here?" Gray questioned, looking from Natsu's doubled over form to my offended face.

"She…she thought…" Natsu tried to explain, coughing from laughing so much. Taking a deep breath, he wiped tears from his eyes as he turned to Gray. "She thought I was getting married to Lisanna."

At this, Gray began laughing as well. Now I was fed up.

"What is so funny about that?" I demanded. I glared at the two men.

"You think Natsu is getting married! To Lisanna!" Gray choked out between laughs. Now he was wiping tears away. "Oh god, that's funny. She could do so much better!"

My face flushed angrily. "I fail to see what is so funny." I replied heatedly. "She's a sweet woman, and he's a rather attractive man." Natsu stopped laughing at that comment, pink decorating his cheeks. I ignored him. "It doesn't seem like such a ridiculous concept to me that he might be getting married to someone. Any woman you be lucky—"

"Woah, woah! Calm down, Lucy. You don't have to go that far…" Gray stopped me, putting his hands up in surrender. Natsu was staring at me in awe at this point, his mouth hanging open. Only then did I realize that the entire bar had fallen silent.

"Oh my…" Mira cooed from behind the bar, Lisanna now joining her. The red color of my face deepened when I realized they were whispering together, glancing between me and Natsu. I opened my mouth to retract my statement, but was stopped by Natsu reaching out and grabbing my wrist.

"We gotta go," he mumbled, dragging me along behind him. "C'mon, Stripper. By everyone!" he called to the other patrons, waving his free hand as he walked out. My heart clenched. I went too far. I'd upset him. I hadn't meant to make him angry. I was just so flustered by his reaction to my assumption, then I was second-hand offended for him when Gray insulted him. When we got back to the car, I began to apologize, but he put his hand up for silence.

"Thank you for defendin' me in there," he muttered, obviously embarrassed, himself.

"No problem," I answered. "I didn't say anything that wasn't true…" We both looked away from each other at that.

"Ready to go, guys?" Gray asked loudly, causing us both to jump. We'd forgotten he was there. As we both yelped out agreement and climbed into the car, Gray grabbed Natsu's arm. There was a silent exchange, ending with Natsu looking away first. Gray nodded to himself, dominance achieved, and slid into the driver's seat. Natsu popped a pill into his mouth, and we were on the road again.

The drive back to the safe house started out quiet, save for the radio. After about twenty minutes, most of which was spent trying to avoid Natsu's eyes as he glanced back into the backseat at me, he finally spoke up.

"Look, I didn't mean to offend you," he began hesitantly. Gray didn't respond, so I assumed he was talking to me. "It's just…the idea of me getting married to Lisanna was too funny."

I silently raised an eyebrow at him and he gulped.

"Me and Lisanna grew up together," he informed me, looking out the window. "She had a crush on me when we were kids, and asked me out in high school. It didn't work out." He chuckled. "It was super weird…like dating my sister. Anyway, she got into a pretty bad accident. After that, we broke it off. We decided we were better off as friends."

My eyes widened slightly. He spoke with such maturity, I almost believed I was speaking to a completely different person than I had known for the past three weeks. When he pranced around like an adult child most of the time, it was easy to forget that he was just that—an adult.

"Gray had a point." Natsu caught my eye. "She could do way better than me. And she did. Bixlow, her actual fiancé, is a pretty cool guy. I approve." He stuck his nose up into the air in pride, causing Gray to chuckle quietly beside him.

"Like you really had a say in the matter, Eggplant," he teased lightly.

"True that," Natsu agreed. "Lisanna would've agreed to marry him no matter what I said. He's just lucky I like him. If I didn't, I have ways of making his life hell." He gave an evil laugh. Gray nodded, lifting his fist, which Natsu bumped with his own.

The scene warmed my heart, reminding me that these two truly were close friends, no matter how much they fought. The previous tension dissipated as they spent the rest of the car ride telling me stories about growing up with Lisanna. Apparently, she was a mom friend, much like Erza. Unlike Erza, however, she hadn't been nearly as violent. I was laughing at a story Natsu was telling about how Lisanna had proposed to him when they were ten, when the car suddenly jerked to a stop. Both Natsu and I braced ourselves, Natsu swearing softly.

"Are you okay?" he asked me. I nodded and he turned his attention to Gray. "What the hell, Ice Pick?"

Gray held up his hand, eyes glued to the house. He pulled out his gun, addressing Natsu without looking at him.

"Stay here. Something's wrong." With that, he silently slipped out of the car. I watched in confusion as Gray walked around to the back of the house, his gun held at the ready in his hand. Natsu must have seen whatever it was that Gray had, because he reached over and locked the doors, drawing his own weapon.

"What-?" I spoke, only for Natsu to hold up a hand for silence. Clamping my mouth shut, I followed his gaze to the front door. A gasp escaped my throat, a painful jolt punching me in the stomach. I now understood why the detectives had reacted the way they had.

The front door to the safe house was slightly ajar.

So, I totally lied to you guys. This chapter sat, half written, on my computer for like, 3 days. I really did mean to finish it and submit it the next day, but then I was having trouble figuring out how I wanted certain scenes to go... Ah well, I'm only like, a week late. This is what I mean when I say I don't have an update schedule. Moving on.

So, I've introduced Erza and Lisanna! I'm really happy about the scene in Erza's office. I can't really explain it...I just love the way it turned out.

The scene with Lisanna, however, I wrote like, three different ways. All had the same outcome: Lucy thought Lisanna and Natsu were together, Natsu thought this was ridiculous. I just wasn't 100% sure how I wanted to write it. I'm fairly content with how it turned out, so I think I'm gonna leave it.

I have to say, I'm not a NaLi shipper. However, that doesn't mean I don't like Lisanna. I have 0 issues with her in canon, and like the idea that her and Natsu are super chill. Like, he's gonna be part of the bridal procession at her wedding. He's super excited.

Also, I can't explain why I like the Bixanna ship so much. They have like, no contact in canon. But the fanart for them is just so frickin adorable...I jumped on board. I just want her to be happy, okay?

That's about all I have for this chapter. Someone has broken into the safe house! Who could it possibly be? What will happen next? I guess you'll see next chapter.

On that note, I'd like to give a special thanks to everyone who has favorited, followed, and reviewed since the last update. Your encouragement goes a long way, and definitely gives me the motivation to keep writing. Your comments never fail to bring a smile to my face. Thanks for your continued support, and I'll work to get the next chapter out soon.

EDIT: So, I was going through the chapter and realized I messed up Erza's job title. She's the DISTRICT attorney for the MPD, not the DEFENSE attorney.

Also, I was totally gonna explain why Gray called Natsu Eggplant and forgot. So, I'm currently in a Japanese language class. We're learning Hiragana, and my Sensei taught us the characters for "summer," which all of you probably already know is romanized and pronounced "na-tsu." (Yes, when she taught us this, someone in my class murmured "I'm all fired up!" We're college students. I am unashamed that I chuckled.) Anyway, our class has been learning the difference between "su" and "tsu" in terms of pronunciation, and one guy said "nasu" instead of "natsu." To which Sensei informed us that "nasu" means "eggplant." The moment I heard that, I couldn't get the image of Gray picking on Natsu by calling him "Nasu" out of my head. Did I add in a joke that probably only I was gonna understand? You bet your sweet bippy I did. Am I sorry for being language trash? Nope, not in the slightest.