"That jerk! I couldn't roast a wienie, let alone the bad guys right now." The disgruntled dragonslayer sat perched on the edge of the bar. "At least when I fought with Gildarts there was a lot of little me's." A wide grin stretched his face remembering the pint sized, fire breathing army.
Mira, oblivious to his shrunken form, chose that moment to set a large, at least to Natsu, mug of ale down on the wooden surface. Suds splashed over the sides dampening his clothes as well as his blissful reminicing.
"Hey! Watch it Mira!" At least she didn't crush him.
"Sorry Natsu! I didn't see you there. Here let me help you."
Natsu was wringing out his signature scarf as she hurried to grab one of the many white bar rags to try and wipe up the spill and dry off Natsu in the process. Handing it over, she couldn't help but giggle seeing nothing but a lump moving about beneath the cloth.
"Hey! Get me outta here!" He yelled, struggling to escape, rosy tufts stuck out the top. Getting completely free, he kicked the offending cloth aside. The white haired bartender continued to giggle behind her hand.
"What's so damn funny? Ya coulda suffocated me!" His tiny fist waving at her as he held his fighting stance simply made it worse sending her into a flurry of laughter. He crossed his arms over the minute swell of chest, trying as hard as he could to appear menacing.
Trying to control her mirth, Mira speaks between suspicious coughs. "I'm so sorry Natsu..." she takes a quick breath, "you're just so adorable."
"I'm not adorable! I'm a fierce, butt kickin', fire breathin' dragon slayer!" He argued, blowing a stream of flames to prove his point.
Wakaba leans over to light his ever present pipe. "Thanks pal." He drawls, blowing out a ring of smoke.
"Keep pullin' crap like that and I'll really light you up!" Shimmers of heat could be seen emitted from his body.
Unphased the elder member proceeds to pat the top of his head. Natsu turns and latches onto the side of the intrusive hand.
"Hey! Let go! Let go!" A quick flick sends Natsu flying into a half emptied mug. He comes up sputtering, curses tossed at the finger wielder.
Cana peers over the rim thoughtfully. "I have a new item on my bucket list." The brunette slurs before taking another drink. "A couple ice cubes to float on, a little umbrella. Just like the beach." She finishes with a face splitting grin.
"A little help here?" Natsu's voice floats upward out of the mug. Grabbing a straw, she dunks it in, levering him up and out
"I'm soaked and reek of booze now..." Disgusted, he started peeling off his wet apparel.
"Where the hell is Happy? He should be back from that job with Wendy and Carla by now. I need to get to my place and get some dry clothes. Don't wanna take Gray's place as the guild's resident streaker."
"I heard that..." the ice maker mage bellowed from across the guild hall. "Don't make me turn you into an idiot flavored popsicle." He had came over to the bar, hands posed to make good his threat.
"I'd love to see you try!"
With a smug smirk, Gray starts to chase his frenemy with a line of frost across the bar.
"How's this you pink leprechaun..."
Stubby legs carry the mini mage in a blur before he wipes out in a puddle from condensation. Gray freezes him place, a tangle limbed statue for all to see. Laughter explodes from the bystanders.
Natsu could feel a fire boiling in his belly, his ire begins melting the ice around him.
Erza, punching hard enough to send Gray flying, leans over her soggy guild mate.
"I can take you to retrieve them." She offered, voice stoic.
"Thanks Erza." Genuine gratitude leaking into his voice as he climbed aboard her gauntleted hand.
"Of course. Wouldn't want you to get all pruney. A spicy raisin." The sly smirk she gave had him heading to hop back down to the bar. Deft fingers plucked him from the air by his open vest.
"Now now. Settle down. I'll take you to your place."
"No more teasing?" He asked, eyeing her skeptically.
"No more teasing," She held her hand over her heart. "On my honor."
Erza's honor was never in question, stalwart and true that girl was. Natsu levered himself up onto her palm and sat cross legged to keep his balance as they pushed through the guild doors.
They had only made it half way down the cobbled street when Erza stopped sniffing the air.
"Hey, what's up?" Her passenger asked.
She turned abruptly without answer. Natsu used his own sensitive nose to see if he could find out what had her power walking. Sweet and warm... cinnamon? He sniffed again. His tiny tummy rumbled as Erza made haste to the building with a Grand Opening sign hung over its door.
"I'm just as hungry as you are but I'm freezin here."
"Itll be just a minute. Conjure a fireball or something."
"Seriously? Cmon you said youd take me home. You can get sweets - he stopped short as her glare burned holes into what he felt was his very soul. "A nice pastry sounds great Erza. Lets go on in
The bell tinkled as they walked through, wonderful aromas drifted through the air as they made their way to the glass display case holding a plethora of bakery items and sweet treats.
The armored red head didn't have many weaknesses. Her friends, her temper, but the worst was her sweet tooth.
"Good sir your shop smells absolutely divine! her praise brought a smile to the stout mustached man behind the counter.
"Why thank you miss. Anything catching your eye?"
Her gaze drifted over the iced and frosted, the sprinkled and cherry topped, then finally stopping on a strawberry torte with which to Natsu at his current height was a foot high.
"Excellent taste, miss. Just baked this morning and the berries fresh picked from my humble garden." His gloved hand gingerly removed the torte from the case and placed it on a flower detailed plate before handing it to the eager mage. "Anything for your little friend?"
Natsu scanned the case before his eyes settled on a custard filled chocolate monstrosity. "That one!" he exclaimed nearly falling off his perch.
"Another good choice." The man plated up the second dessert fretting at how the poor little boy couldn't hold his won plate. Finally settling on following them to an open table, he slid the treat onto the white wooden surface and bowed.
"But wait sir, I haven't paid."
Another bow. "Please enjoy. All I ask is you spread the word of my quaint little shop."
"Of course sir. And many thanks."
Natsu was halfway through the chocolate mountain in the mere moments exchange. Scarlet brows shot up as she took in the petite glutton's form. There was chocolate near covering his face from chin to hair. The dark substance went up to his elbows and there were spatters of it all across his chest, still bared.
"Well, such manners are less mortifying on such a smaller scale." She couldn't help the minute twitch of lips as she looked on at her ever voracious companion. An ecstatic smile was all she received in return.
'Think we have found his heaven.'
Letting Natsu further indulge, she took the the silver embellished fork and pushed it into the inviting sweet. Slowly she brought it to her lips, opening them to slide the cream covered bite inside. Her face flushed and tears gathered at the corner of her eyes as she chewed thoughtfully.
'Heaven indeed.'
They finished in silence, each with their own contented noises and scraping of plates filling the air.
Natsu laid there unable to stand up on his twig like legs. He looked like a potato on toothpicks. Erza dabbed her mouth daintily with the fine cloth napkin before reaching out to help the bulbous mini man.
"Erza, I'm so fuuullll. It hurts to breathe!" He flopped back in discomfort on his carriers shoulder, hanging on to a long tress to keep balance.
"Do not bellow so right by my ear. And quit your whining. Your discomfort is of your own doing. No one told you to take on a mountainous pile of chocolate and cream. Seriously, what possessed you to try and eat it all in one sitting?"
"I normally eat twice, three times that much." He breathed heavily, hand holding his protruding gut.
"You are also three times smaller. You should have took that into consideration." She reasoned.
"You know I'm no good at math." He whined.
"Just what am I going to do with you." Her hair bouncing around her shoulders as she shook her head sent poor Natsu flailing about.
"Please be careful. I'm gonna be sick." He groaned.
"Not on me you aren't." She quickly plucked him from his perch holding him away from her body. "I just polished this armor."
"Ok, ok. I'll try but could you at least not hold me upside down by my leg?" He pleaded, voice thready. "It's really not helping."
"Very well." Erza carefully turned him right-side up, placing him back on his perch. "We are almost to your place. Try and hold it together."