A/N: Holy smokes, Batman! You did it! Round of applause guys. Seriously. The amount of reviews I got for the last chapter was almost staggering. You're awesome. As promised, here is the latest chapter. I would've posted earlier, but the site was down early this morning, so I had to wait. I hope you guys dig it. Shout out to everyone with nothing better to do on a Friday night than read fan fiction. Lord knows that I have nothing better to do than write it.

Enjoy!

The day of the school dance came in the blink of an eye. Lucy had spent every night that week pouring over the book on dragons that Levy had given her. There wasn't much information on the specifics of dragon mating, likely due to the fact that they'd been extinct for more than a thousand years. It was theorized that dragons' mating rituals were similar to that of lizards- or that of demons. So Lucy dug out a book on demons and made a list of things that could possibly attract Natsu to her.

Bright colors. Lucy ran her fingers over the vivid scarlet fabric of the dress Mira had lent her. It was undeniably sexy, simple and form fitting in a way that showed off every one of Lucy's exaggerated curves. She paired it with shiny, rhinestone jewelry that was sure to draw eyes from everywhere in the room. Check.

Dominance. This one was trickier. Ultimately, she'd asked for help from her friends. She would feign bossiness, and they'd go along with it. Lucy still wasn't quite sure about this one, but she'd give it a try.

Dancing. What else would you do at a school dance?

Pheromones. This one wasn't clearly explained, and Lucy was confused by the concept. As far as she knew, there was no way to just turn up your body's pheromone level. So she wasn't even gonna attempt to.

Other than the sparse notes she'd made to rile up Natsu's dragon, it was completely up to Lucy and her feminine wiles to attract Natsu's interest. This was definitely not her specialty. She was cute, yes. At times, she even felt like she looked kinda sexy. But acting sexy? This flirtatious behavior was completely new to her. She'd made a total idiot of herself when she'd tried to flirt with him a few days before. Lucy had tugged on the belt loops of his pants and fluttered her lashes- the whole nine yards. But she'd only succeeded in making him feel awkward, as well as embarrassing herself. This time, though, she was going to get it right. Making Natsu fall for her was a matter of life or death, after all.

Lucy adjusted her appearance almost obsessively, constantly fidgeting with her hair and makeup while she waited for Natsu to pick her up. At first, her hair had been sleek and straight. Then, she decided to curl it. Then she ran a brush through it in frustration as she tried to muss it and create a sexy bedhead look. Then she put it up in a bun and immediately let it back down, not liking the way it looked. She was almost ready to scream and shave it all off when she heard a knock at the door. And then the panic came.

"Luce," Natsu called, knocking again. "You okay? I can feel you stressing you out."

"I look like a mess," Lucy called back, panicking. "I can't go to the dance like this!"

"Lucy, you can wear sweats and one of your weird face masks for all I care," he said, voice muffled by the door. "C'mon! Open the door!"

Lucy sighed before making her way to the door, none too enthusiastically. She took a deep breath before opening it up, and air left the room as soon as she saw Natsu. He was wearing a red tie, just like she'd told him to. The part of her that wasn't completely brain dead at how attractive he was smirked at that observation. But then all of her was floored at Natsu's reaction to seeing her when she felt him through the Cupla.

To say he was appreciative would be an understatement. He was shocked and filled with… admiration? No, it was stronger than that. Lucy focused on their Bond and felt the stirrings of lust. It took all her willpower to not highfive herself. Especially when she looked up at him and saw his eyes glued to her, jaw tense. He so thought she was hot. Any concerns that she looked like a trainwreck flew out the window.

"Um," he finally croaked. "That's you looking like a mess?"

"I didn't know what to do with my hair," she whispered back, self-consciously tugging on a lock of it.

"Leave it down," he said, reaching forward to push a stray piece away from her face. "I like it down."

Heat flooded Lucy's skin, and she had to keep herself from shivering at the pleasant sensation of his fingers brushing the spot behind her ear. It took Lucy a moment to find her voice.

"Okay."

They stayed like that for a moment, standing in her door with neither of them mentioning the mutual lust that hovered between them. Eventually, Natsu cleared his throat and looked at her expectantly.

"Ready to go?"

"Yeah," Lucy smiled. "I just need to get my purse and my jacket."

He waited for her, leaning against the doorway. When she had everything she needed, she turned all the lights in her apartment off. After locking the door behind her, she turned to see Natsu waiting with his hand extended to her. Her heart practically burst with adoration, and butterflies batted around in her stomach almost violently. Lucy laced her fingers through his, wondering how someone's hand could be so warm. Times like this, when she wasn't focused on love or lust or any of the confusing feelings that plagued their relationship, she could just relax and let herself be happy. At the end of the day, Natsu was her best friend in the entire world. When he was close, it felt like anything was possible.

XOXOXOXOX

The only things Juvia could focus on were a) how uncomfortable her dress was and b) how much she wanted Gray Fullbuster to notice her in said uncomfortable dress. She sat at a little table in the corner and sighed. Gajeel and Levy were on the floor dancing, looking like they were having a great time as they busted out in dated disco moves. Natsu and Lucy were at the table next to her, animatedly talking about something or other. And Gray? He leaning against a wall on the opposite side of the gym, looking bored. He hadn't danced with anyone yet, and Juvia so badly wanted to ask him to dance. She was afraid he'd turn her down, though. It was a weird feeling, fearing rejection. In normal circumstances she would just dive straight in, but Gray had been even more distant than usual; she was afraid she'd just be a nuisance.

"Juvia," Lucy called, getting the siren's attention.

"Yes," Juvia answered absently, her eyes still glued to Gray.

"Can you get us some drinks," Lucy asked, her voice making the question more of a demand. Juvia arched a brow before remembering the blonde's ridiculous request. Can you do what I say at the dance so I look dominant? Please! It's for the pursuit of love, I swear!

"Sure," Juvia sighed, rolling her eyes at the intrigue on Natsu's face. At least Lucy's silly ploy was working, apparently.

Juvia had to wait in line for nearly ten minutes to get three small cups of fruit punch. She had to avoid Lyon on her way back to the table. Things had been awkward since she'd rejected his offer to attend the dance together. Lucy had told Juvia to go with him to make Gray jealous, but Juvia couldn't do it. Jealousy was a poisonous emotion (Juvia knew better than anyone), and she would never want her beloved to fall victim to such a toxic feeling. Juvia had tried eating lunch with Lyon as a sort of apology for not being his date, but it'd been unbearably awkward. Avoidance was obviously the best way to go about the present situation.

Juvia set the cups down on the table and immediately went back to her fruitless pining. Her eyes searched the room for Gray, only to find him dancing with Ultear in the center of the gym. A sour taste clung to the back of Juvia's throat, and she felt an ache wrap around her lungs. It threatened to suffocate her. The dancing was platonic, sure. They were feet apart, looking more like two people dancing individually than a couple dancing together. Juvia knew that Ultear wasn't a love rival (unlike Lucy and any other cute blonde that crossed Gray's path). But Juvia still couldn't help but wonder if Gray had been the one to ask Ultear to dance. Ultear, and not Juvia.

She watched as Ultear leaned up to whisper something in Gray's ear and saw Gray's eyes widen in response. A bitter taste saturated Juvia's tongue, and she started to wonder if the two of them were as platonic as she'd previously thought.

"Gray's a pretty good dancer," Lucy observed, reaching for her cup of punch. "I should've known. He brought the house down during truth or dare."

"I'm better," Natsu groused, taking a sip from his cup. And immediately spitting it out.

"What the hell is in this," he complained, trying to smell its contents.

Lucy followed Natsu's lead and sniffed at her punch. She wrinkled her nose and pulled away, obviously having placed the mystery ingredient.

"Looks like someone spiked the punch with a bit of liquid courage," Lucy murmured, eyes flitting over to where the punch bowl resided. Juvia's eyes brightened.

"Liquid courage? The potion," Juvia clarified, reaching for her cup. "That's exactly what Juvia needs right now!"

Lucy opened her mouth to refute, waving her hands in the air. But it was too late. Juvia downed the contents of her cup in one go, wincing at the taste. Before Natsu or Lucy could react, she took both of their cups and downed them as well. A pleasant buzz made Juvia's bones tingle. She could do anything now. She stood from her seat and set her eyes on Gray.

"Juvia," Lucy said worriedly, trying to grab her attention. "Maybe we should go outside, and you can cool off."

"Maybe later," Juvia said, eyes darkening as she caught Gray's eye in the crowd. "Juvia wants to see if Gray-sama dances as well with a real partner."

XOXOXOXOX

It didn't take Natsu long to remember why he didn't normally do school dances. Everyone was gross and sweaty, and there were so many smells that it overwhelmed Natsu's nose. Sure, there were pluses to the situation. There was a pretty great energy about the dark, smokey gymnasium. The heavy beat of the music and the erratic flashes of color from the light machine were electrifying. All of his friends were there, laughing and having a good time. Even Gray was having fun. Juvia had dragged him to a dark corner of the dance floor an hour before, and he didn't seem to be complaining. And Lucy.

She was both the greatest benefit of his present situation and the greatest disadvantage. She was so gorgeous. Honestly, he'd be content to just sit and stare at her as she danced around in that red dress. Of course, Lucy wouldn't have that. They'd been pretty much attached at the hip since they'd arrived. Her arm was looped through his, and he had to try his hardest to focus on anything other than the soft press of her body against his. Or the way she kept looking at him.

Natsu was now completely sure that she was flirting with him. There was no other possible explanation for her behavior. The coy smiles and suggestive remarks. Sneaky brushes of her fingers on his skin every time she went to brush his hair off his forehead. Even their friends had noticed, giving them sly looks and making not-so-subtle remarks on their closeness. Natsu was an awkward mess. He had no clue how to react to this new development. Should he go along with it and flirt back? Should he make a move?

A part of him (a big part) was worried. He remembered Lucy's rejection from before, and he couldn't help but wonder where this sudden change was coming from. Maybe her hunger had gotten so severe that it was affecting her behavior. Maybe Lucy was no longer herself, and responding to her advances now would be the equivalent of taking advantage of someone who was drunk. And the worst thing imaginable was taking advantage of Lucy. Just the thought made Natsu's stomach churn. So he resisted the urge to touch her. He resisted the urge to mash his lips against hers and run his fingers through her hair. He resisted the urge to suck at her skin and mark her body with his teeth- to mate her. But damn if Natsu's restraint wasn't taking a toll on him.

"Dance with me," Lucy demanded. Her previous insistence hadn't worked on him, his fear of losing control keeping him glued to his seat. Natsu shook his head. She groaned.

"I thought you promised to wow me with your rad dance moves," she reminded him, crossing her arms. God, she was even cute when she was angry.

"I'm not sure the student body can handle my mad skills," he joked. "Sorry, Luce. I might be breaking this promise."

"You're not the only one who made a promise, you know," she murmured, leaning in. Natsu just about choked on his own spit.

"Really," he asked, voice strained and uncomfortable. "What was your promise?"

"That I'd blow your mind," she replied, voice low and sultry.

Damn.

Lucy didn't give Natsu time to regain his composure. She pulled him from his seat and dragged him to the dance floor. Natsu stumbled behind her, prisoner to her grip on his wrist. She tugged him to the middle of the gym, in the center of the noise and chaos. The heady club beat pulsed in his veins, matching the rhythm of his frantic heartbeat. Lucy's skin was covered in a sheen of sweat, slick with the room's humidity. The sight made something dangerous coil in Natsu's stomach. He almost wanted to look away. It felt like he was staring at the sun.

"Dance with me," she commanded again. Her voice was softer this time- more vulnerable. And Natsu could never turn her down when she was being vulnerable.

As if under her spell, his arms lifted from his sides and wrapped around her waist. She threw her arms around his neck and grinned, setting the world on fire. It was times like this when Natsu wondered if Lucy wielded flames better than he did. No one else had ever made him burn the way she did. In that moment, he wondered if anyone else ever would.

They danced like that for a few songs, giddy with adrenaline and bold under the cover of darkness. It was different from how they danced before. Lucy was different. She was still soft and warm and smiling. But she was no longer gentle or soothing. Her skin felt electric beneath Natsu's hands, frying his brain and sending his pulse skyrocketing. And instead of calming Natsu down, she was getting him all fired up.

Lucy turned in the opposite direction, pressing her back against his chest and bracing her palms against his thighs. She pressed harder against him, grinding her hips into his and looking over her shoulder at him with eyes that made his stomach clench. Her hair was plastered to her neck, her skin a sticky mess after so much dancing. Strangely enough, it only made him want her more. He wanted her exactly like this: hot and sweaty and grinning from ear to ear. She was overwhelming his senses, making his head spin. Suddenly, Natsu heard a pulse thudding loud and clear in his ears. And it wasn't his own.

He could feel his heartbeat trying to sync up to Lucy's, and her scent flared. Her head tilted a little to the side as she continued to dance against him, exposing her pulse point. She probably didn't even know what she was doing, and the minute gesture would've seemed like nothing to anyone else. But not to a dragon. When dragon's exposed their necks, it was an offering. Everything in Natsu's body was telling him to sink his teeth into the juncture between her neck and shoulder. Mark her, a voice whispered greedily. Mark her. Taste her. Fuck her. It was too much. This was all too much.

Natsu took a step back, wanting to put some space between them so he could just breathe. Lucy felt him back away and spun around, looking confused. Natsu jerked his head in the direction of the bathrooms, and she frowned. She let him go, though, and he tried not to look like he was running away from her. Which he was.

The bathroom was empty, something Natsu was grateful for. He headed straight for the sink and twisted the tap for cold water. He cupped it in his palms and splashed his face with it, trying to cool down. He looked up to see his face more flushed and red than he'd ever seen it before. More water. He needed more water.

It took about five minutes of dunking his head in a sinkful of icy water to feel any semblance of normalcy. By the time he was done, the collar of his shirt was soaked, and the tips of his hair were dripping. Natsu shook his head back and forth and swept his hair back from his forehead. Calm. He was calm. His head was cleared, and he could think.

Natsu assessed the situation. His best friend/girl of his dreams was definitely flirting with him. This was a fact. She was also a succubus that may or may not be at the mercy of her hunger. This was also a fact. If Natsu responded to her advances and found out later that she wasn't in her right mind, he would feel like the scum of the earth. If Natsu didn't make a move and later found out that the girl giving him those soul-scorching smiles was all Lucy, he would hate himself. Probably forever. God, why did these things have to be so damned complicated?

Natsu left the bathroom without any clue as to how he was going to handle the situation. He checked Lucy's emotions through their Cupla on the way back and snorted when he felt a flash of utter boredom. His grin faded when his felt the tinge of loneliness that'd emerged in response to his absence. Natsu's eyes scanned the room for Lucy the second he reentered the gym, and it took mere moments to find her. The red of her dress drew his attention like a moth to a flame, and the sight of her had him paralyzed. She was sitting at one of the tables, her chin in her hands as she stared out at the dance floor. The gold of her hair was flashing blue under the festive lighting, and Natsu couldn't help but be tantalized yet again by her beauty.

"You know," a feminine voice said beside him. "She was ridiculously excited for this dance."

Natsu looked over to see Levy McGarden standing next to him, expression wistful. Natsu didn't ask who she was talking about, seeing her gaze aimed in the same direction his had been mere moments ago. He looked back at Lucy.

"Yeah," he said thoughtfully. "You should've seen her freaking out about her hair when I picked her up."

"I'll bet," Levy laughed. "She puts a lot of effort in her appearance."

"I don't know why," Natsu huffed. "It's not like anyone else's opinion matters. She should just do what makes her happy."

"Natsu," Levy said, tone chiding. "You don't really think she cares about everyone else's opinion, do you?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Lucy doesn't do the things she does for the benefit of everyone else," Levy said, voice playful. "The only opinion that matters to her is yours."

Natsu's breath caught. There was a pause in the conversation, and the only sound seemed to be the psychedelic whirl of his own mind. After a few moments passed, Natsu spoke.

"What should I do," he finally asked, throat tight.

"What do you want to do?"

"Right now? I kind of wanna ask her to marry me."

"Maybe start with asking her to dance," Levy laughed, patting Natsu's shoulder. "Lucy's kind of old fashioned. She'd probably want to date someone before marriage. Weird, I know."

"Good idea," Natsu said, feet still glued to the floor. "I'll do that."

"Go," Levy chuckled, pushing him forward. "Before someone else asks her."

Natsu shuffled forward, feeling like his legs had a mind of their own. Her pull was almost magnetic at this point, and he was powerless against it. Soon enough, he was staring down at her and trying to think past how pretty her eyes were. Focus, Natsu. Focus. She blinked up at him, one side of her mouth stretching into a glum smile.

"What's up," she asked, fingers twisting in the fabric of her dress. "Are you ready to go?"

"No," Natsu replied, tone full of conviction. "I'm not."

"Oh," Lucy frowned, looking surprised. "Then what are we doing?"

Natsu grinned and pulled her abruptly from her seat, chortling at the little gasp that left her mouth. He wrapped an arm around her waist and started leading her to the center of the gym, leaning in to whisper in her ear.

"We're gonna dance, Princess. And I'm gonna blow your mind."

XOXOXOXOX

Gray never thought that he would die at a school dance. It wasn't the worst way to go out, he supposed. Most people would be thrilled if their last moments on Earth were consumed by a siren hell-bent on grinding against them. It was like someone reached into his ribcage, curled their fingers around his heart, and squeezed. The feeling was too much. It was all too much.

When Lyon asked to cut in, Gray's relief had actually outweighed his jealousy. He felt guilty when he saw the twinge of disappointment in Juvia's features as he backed away, but he knew he couldn't stay. The sway of her hips and the mystery of her eyes was about to give Gray a meltdown. He left her there with Lyon, practically sprinting out of the gym. He needed to get out of there. Fast.

Gray bursted through the school's front doors with unnecessary force, sighing in relief when the cool night air caressed his overheated skin. As his breathing slowed and his pulse calmed down, Gray looked down to see a familiar silhouette sitting on the steps in front of the school. Her crimson hair gleamed in the moonlight, and the proud set of her shoulders was unmistakable. Gray went to sit beside her, deciding to share her contemplative silence as he looked up at the full moon hanging overhead.

"Rogue couldn't come tonight," Gray said after a while. "With the full moon and all. Being a werewolf must suck."

"I'm sure there are worse things to be," Erza murmured back, staring up at the sky.

"Probably. What are you doing out here?"

"The same thing as you," Erza said cryptically, lips curling. "I'm thinking about someone."

Gray looked away, cheeks flooding with color. Erza always seemed to know instinctively whenever Juvia was on his mind. Her accuracy was almost uncanny. Erza's words played in his head again. I'm thinking about someone. Suddenly, Gray's mind flashed to the conversation he'd had with Ultear on the dance floor earlier that night.

"Ultear told me about Jellal," Gray said softly, glancing over to gauge Erza's reaction. "She said he's out of juvie."

Erza didn't say anything at first, gaze fixed on something in the distance. When Gray started to think she wasn't going to say anything, Erza responded.

"It was my fault they put him in there to begin with."

"You can't be serious," Gray muttered, swiping a hand down his face. "Erza, I heard about what he did. He set an orphanage on fire. He- He cut off your wings."

"That wasn't him. That- Jellal never would've done that," Erza insisted, wringing the silk of her dress between clenched fists. "Not if he'd been in his right mind. Not if I hadn't used my magic on him."

"What," Gray gaped. "You used fairy magic on a Normal? You-"

"I was young, and I didn't know. Maybe if I'd been raised by fairies instead of humans, someone would've told me. But I wasn't."

Erza curled into herself, drawing her legs closer to her body and resting her chin on her knees. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

"My parents were murdered when I was four, and I had to live in a human orphanage until I was eleven. The owners of the orphanage were later convicted for child abuse, but that was only after the place got burned to the ground. You know this. But what you don't know is that Jellal lived in that same orphanage with me."

Gray drew in a breath but stayed otherwise silent. He gave Erza a reassuring nod, and she continued.

"He was the only one I ever told about being a fairy. He kept my secret, and he protected me when things got rough. I- I wanted to repay him somehow. And he'd always been so fascinated by my wings. I hid them most of the time, but when we were alone he always asked to see them. So I thought that I could use my magic to teach him how to fly."

"Oh, Erza," Gray whispered, his voice tinged with sympathy. She gave a sad smile.

"It was wonderful at first. We'd sneak out at night and soar over all the buildings, and he told me that my magic made him feel invincible. But after a few weeks, he started acting weird. He became harsh and demanding. He started telling me that I should use my magic to get rid of the owners of the orphanage- that we should take over the place together."

"What did you do," Gray asked, brows furrowed.

"I told him he was crazy," Erza said, biting the inside of her cheek. "We were only kids, and he was talking about overthrowing a bunch of grown ups. I thought that if I discouraged him, he'd eventually give up on the idea. But I was wrong. He rounded up a group of kids and started chaos. When everybody was distracted, he took me to the cellar and tied me up. He asked me one last time to join him, but I turned him down. Then he took out a knife and started cutting off my wings. There was so much blood, Gray, and it hurt so badly that I blacked out from the pain. I woke up outside on the sidewalk, and the orphanage was burning. And my wings were gone."

"What happened after that?"

"Firemen came, and so did the police. Someone ratted Jellal out, and he was charged with arson and sent to a juvenile detention center. He still had my wings in his hands when they took him away."

"Erza," Gray murmured. "You can't blame yourself for what happened."

"But it was my fault," Erza sighed, resting her head in her hands. "Fairy magic will drive a human insane, and I used mine on him every night for weeks before I even noticed anything was wrong. By the time I figured out what was happening, it was too late. If I'd stopped sooner, the magic would've worn off before anything serious happened."

"You didn't know," Gray insisted. "You couldn't have known."

Erza didn't say anything, and Gray put a comforting hand on her shoulder. Her eyes shined with unshed tears, and she cast her gaze down to the pavement.

"I want to see him," Erza whispered. "I want to see him so badly, but I'm too afraid."

"Afraid? Because of what he did to you," Gray asked. "Are you scared that he'll hurt you again?"

"No," Erza bit out, shaking her head vehemently. "Ultear and Meredy went to see him. They said he's better now, and I believe them. I'm afraid- I'm afraid that he'll hate me. I feel so guilty about what I did to him-"

"Erza-"

"I never went to see him. Not a single time. I was so scared that he would blame me for everything. And now I'm just a lovesick coward."

A tear slipped down her cheek, and Gray blanched. He had no clue what to say. He wasn't used to this soft, vulnerable version of Erza, and he didn't know how to comfort her. Soon enough, the awkwards silence became almost palpable. He wrapped an awkward arm around her shoulders and cleared his throat.

"You know," Gray started. "Jellal probably feels pretty guilty about what happened, too."

"Probably," Erza stiffened, looking up at Gray.

"He probably thinks you hate him."

"What are you talking about," Erza asked indignantly. "I could never-"

"I know you don't! But Jellal might not. People think all sorts of crazy things when they feel guilty about something," Gray sighed. "You should talk to him soon. Clear the air."

"And if he hates me and says he never wants to speak to me again?"

"Then he's missing out," Gray said, patting her head. "Because you're one of the most awesome people I know."

"Thank you," Erza murmured, wiping her tear-stained cheeks.

"For what," Gray asked, pulling his arm back as she stood up and readjusted her dress.

"For everything."

Erza flashed him one of those soft Erza-smiles before heading down the steps. Gray saw her pull her phone out of her pocket as she walked away, dialing a number and pressing it to her ear.

"Um, Jellal? It's Erza. Ultear gave me your number, and I was wondering if- If maybe we could meet…" Erza's voice faded as she got further away, and Gray gave a sigh of relief. She'd been so strange and distant the past couple of weeks. He hoped that everything would turn out for her. He sat like that for a moment, breathing in the cold night air and trying to clear his mind. Gray was jerked from his thoughts when the school's doors thudded behind him. He whirled around to see Juvia stumbling in the doorway with shaky legs and a flushed face. Gray rushed to her.

"Juvia? What's wrong," he asked frantically, wrapping an arm around her waist and leading her to the stairs. She groaned.

"Too much liquid courage," Juvia mumbled.

"Liquid courage? Oh my God," Gray hissed, giving her a more thorough once-over. "Did you drink the punch?"

Juvia nodded helplessly and leaned into him, and Gray cursed whatever powers that be. Juvia was an incredibly emotional drunk, and it was the mission of anyone accompanying her to an outing to make sure she never ingested alcohol. Natsu and Lucy were supposed to keep an eye out, but they were probably too busy eye-fucking each other to notice Juvia getting smashed on spiked punch. Gray rubbed her back as he swiped a hand over her face. He was gonna have to take her home, and soon.

"Gray-sama," Juvia whimpered, voice muffled by his shoulder. Gray tensed.

"What?"

"Where did Gray-sama go? Juvia," she hiccuped, tears soaking through Gray's shirt. "Juvia missed him."

Gray's heart clenched so painfully that he feared he was in danger of actual cardiac arrest.

"I was talking to Erza," Gray answered honestly. "She was having guy trouble."

"Erza would never have guy trouble. She's too powerful," Juvia mumbled. "Everyone loves Erza."

"That's one take on it," Gray laughed.

"Juvia wishes she was like Erza."

"Juvia-"

Juvia was suddenly very green. She bolted to the bushes, nearly falling several times, and vomited. The sound of her dry heaves made Gray's stomach twinge in sympathy pain, and he walked over to pat her back comfortingly. After a few moments, Gray decided that holding her hair back was a better way to be of any use. It was a weird, if not incredibly inconvenient, time to take notice of the way Juvia's hair felt. Like, she was seriously hurling the contents of her dinner into the shrubbery, and Gray was standing there like an idiot wondering if he could find another opportunity to twine his fingers in her hair. Idiot, Gray thought, shaking himself out of his daze as Juvia wiped an arm across her mouth and righted herself. He let go of her hair, letting it slide through the gaps between his fingers. God, I'm an idiot.

Juvia looked up at him, her eyes big and dark and utterly helpless. Gray internally kicked himself for getting caught up in the way her hair felt when she needed him to make sure she was alright. But he couldn't stop himself from trailing his eyes over the length of her body. His gaze snagged over the dip in her collarbone, the curve of her waist, the slope of her thighs. She was standing right in front of him with sweaty skin and smudged eye makeup and probably the worst breath Gray had ever smelled, and he still wanted her.

He so desperately wanted to touch her. Not like in the way that the secret, shameful parts of his mind yearned for and projected into forbidden dreams that kept him up at night. No, it was far more innocent than that- far more dangerous. He just… He just wanted to reassure himself. To convince himself that she was real. To feel the warmth of her palm beneath his fingertips and let the tingling that sent his nerve endings in a frenzy ricochet throughout his body. Usually the thought of touching her riled him up, but now it felt like the only thing that might calm him down. Gods only knew that lately half of Gray's thoughts were consumed with the terribly wonderful fantasy of holding Juvia Lockser's hand.

"Gray-sama?"

Juvia looked up at him with confused eyes, and Gray looked away. Juvia was very disoriented and very drunk and now was probably the worst time to get caught up in how damned gorgeous she was.

"I'm gonna walk you home."

His voice left no room for refutation, and Juvia simply nodded. It was only after Juvia staggered a few steps that Gray realized she might not be in the condition to walk anywhere.

"Juvia? Can you walk?"

"Juvia's fine, she-"

"Hop on."

Gray looked over his shoulder to see Juvia blushing at him crouched in front of her. She stepped forward and put her legs on either side of him, leaning down to gingerly wrap her arms around his neck. Gray hooked his hands under her knees and stood up, smothering a grin at the little sound of surprise she made. Juvia wrapped her arms tighter around his neck, and Gray distantly wondered if any of his friends would call him soft for giving a drunk girl a piggy back ride home. He found that he couldn't really bring himself to care.

"Juvia's so tired," Juvia mumbled. "She wants to lay in bed and sleep."

"After the night you've had, I'm pretty sure you deserve whatever your heart desires."

"Anything," Juvia asked, clenching Gray's shirt in her fists. "Really?"

"Uh," Gray said ineloquently. "Sure, I guess. Yeah, anything you want. Go crazy."

"Juvia just wants Gray-sama to think of her all the time," she murmured longingly, sighing into his neck. "Because Gray-sama is all Juvia ever thinks of."

Gray flushed, glad for the first time that night that Juvia was far from sober. Intoxication made her slow and sleepy, too tired to demand any response to her confession. Which was good. The warmth of her body and the honey-sweetness of her voice would've forced something entirely too sappy and sentimental from his mouth.

She continued to mumble drunken murmurs into his neck the entire walk to her house, but Gray couldn't decipher the rest of it. The intimacy of her breath against his skin still brought color to his cheeks, though. And damn if that night wouldn't be burnt in his mind like bright spots imprinted on the back of his eyelids from staring at the sun too long.

A lot of people were hoping for some sweet, sweet Nalu loving. Sorry to disappoint, but I feel like I've been neglecting other characters as of late. And I have something big planned for Gruvia in the future, so I couldn't very well neglect them! Don't worry though. I have a feeling my die-hard Nalu readers will definitely... appreciate the next chapter. MWA HA HA HA.

~Mya