What Fairy Girls Want
by Ulquiorra9000
Chapter 10: welcome to Crocus (meet local singles near you!)
"This place feels like a palace, my dudes," Loke said happily, spreading his arms wide in the hotel lobby. He almost hit a passing bellhop in the face by accident. "Are we royalty? I'm king of Crocus! Haha!"
"Jeez, you're so easy to impress," Gray commented snidely. "And we're not gonna be here that long anyway. It's just for three days."
"At least it's all paid for us," Natsu added. "That's good enough for me."
"We'll really feel like royalty when we clobber the Crocus U Sabertooths on the field tomorrow!" Max cried, raising a fist. "Who's with me?"
"YEAH!" Natsu, Gray, Loke, Max, and Droy cheered, fists raised. The receptionist snapped at them to shut the hell up, so they did just that. Kind of.
"Who's up for a tour of the city?" Droy added in a half-whisper, nervously eyeing the hot-tempered receptionist. "There's so much more to do here than there is back home! This city even has that water park! And a trolley system! And a petting zoo!"
"Oh, I dunno. I'll probably just goof off until it's game time," Gray said off-handedly. "Who cares?"
"Your gal is gonna care," Loke said, winking as he elbowed Gray. "Don't act like you're not excited! Crocus is the most romantic city in Fiore. If I had a girl, I'd paint the town red with her for sure!"
"Yeah, that sounds awesome," Droy said, looking wistful. "Do you guys think there's a bunch of hot college singles around here?"
"Can't see why not," Natsu said. "It's true Crocus University isn't as slutty as MCC. But there's bound to be some desperate singles wandering around. Just get a wide enough net and scoop one up. Like you're on a tuna boat." Natsu mimed it, and the guys burst out laughing.
"Girls aren't fish," a young woman's stern voice said, and Natsu and the guys jumped about a foot into the air.
"ERZA!" Loke yelped.
There stood Erza Scarlet, an exasperated look on her face, hands on her hips. "You want to scoop up something local, Droy? At least treat her to dinner first. And maybe a trolley ride. That's what I'm going to do while here. Jellal and I have a whole itinerary in mind because we have class."
"And I have none," Gray said smugly, raising his hand.
"So which hotel are you staying at?" Natsu asked Erza. "You and our other friends must be somewhere nearby, right?"
Erza raised an admonishing finger. "Don't end a sentence with a preposition."
"Oh, yeah. Sorry. Which hotel are you staying at, fam?"
Erza snorted. "Close enough. Jellal and the others have rooms at the Sleepy Inn, just a few blocks south of here. It's a bit pricy, but worth it if it means visiting Fiore's most romantic city!" She suddenly had a fond look, clapping her hands to her face and blushing.
Max grinned widely. "Awwww, yeah. You and Jellal are gettin' it on later tonight, aren't you? That's what hotel beds are made for!" He high-fived Droy.
"No!" Erza snapped. Then she relented. "Actually, yes. But not at first! There's plenty to see, starting with Crocus University's campus. Jellal and I will tour it today while -"
"BOOOOOOOO!" Natsu and the guys cried. Natsu even cupped his hands over his mouth to make it louder, earning him a death glare from that receptionist.
Erza took a step back, bewildered. "Wh-what is it?"
"Don't hang out with the enemy, Erza!" Natsu cried, pointing at her.
"They'll just show off their snooty, oh-so-superior campus," Gray added. "They think they're better than us just 'cause they get adequate funding?" He clenched a fist.
"Those Sabertooth motherfuckers!" Droy cried.
Erza tossed her vivid red hair. "You jocks take that rivalry so seriously. Can't you appreciate what this city and its college have to offer? It's all so inspiring!"
"It inspires me to fight to the death on that field," Natsu said, pounding his fists together with a bloodthirsty smile. "I hope you get front-row seats, Erza, so you can witness Crocus University's humiliation up close!"
"They're going DOWN!" Loke roared like a lion, throwing out his arms again, and this time, he actually hit a bellhop in the face. Yowch.
Erza rolled her eyes. "Such jocks. My Jellal would never act like this over some game. He and I will are destined for a cinematic adventure of classy romance and memories as the city comes to life tonight!"
"As long as the condoms hold out," Gray noted, and the guys nodded.
"They will. Worry more about your athletic performance on this trip, boys," Erza told them all, pointing at each of them in turn. "Now, I must be off to catch a trolley with Jellal. Ooooooh, this will be so much fun!"
She suddenly went into chibi mode, humming happily to herself as she skipped off, arms held out wide, sparkles all around her.
Natsu and the dudes looked at each other. "We've got time to kill until dinnertime. Wanna split up?"
"Sure thing. Today, I shall tour the city like I own the place," Gray said proudly, arms folded. "As for tomorrow, Juvia's been sending me thirsty texts ever since she got here an hour ago. So, I shall satisfy her needs tomorrow as a good-luck charm before the game." Lifting his chin like royalty, Gray stalked out of the Triple Tree hotel's lobby.
"What about you guys?" Natsu asked Loke, Max, and Droy.
Max and Droy looked at each other, then at Natsu. "I dunno. Where do single girls usually hang out?"
"Shucks, I'm not sure," Natsu admitted. "Shopping mall? Coffee shop? Bars?"
"We'll try them all, in that order. Let's go!" Max declared, and he and Droy set off. Loke hesitated for just a second before chasing after them, asking them to wait up.
As for Natsu, he had a bit of time to kill before his own rendezvous. While Cana, Lisanna, and Lucy were all here in the Sleepy Inn squad and were ready to date Natsu some more, Natsu had his mind on someone else's date right now. This oughta be good...!
It was bad. Pretty darn bad!
"Dude. I'm so sorry," Natsu said when he and Elfman met up at a local cafe, ordering sodas and burgers because why not.
"I thought it went so well," Elfman said dejectedly, hanging his head. "It was Evergreen's and my first real date! And in Crocus, no less! I thought we'd get our big magical rom-com movie experience, and boy was I wrong."
"Let's break this down," Natsu said. "Look me in the eyes, big guy, and tell me what exactly happened. How'd you go from getting Evergreen to date you all the way to her saying you were worse than a festering bag of yesterday's garbage?"
Elfman winced, then went into the gory details. "Well, I was telling her about how awesome I am at my bartending job, then I mentioned how I helped walk some dogs at the animal shelter where Lisanna works, then told her all about my sick Dancy Dance Revolution score at the arcade, then discussed my plans to build up my core strength this year to make up for not hitting the gym enough last semester." Elfman counted those topics on his fingers, then gave Natsu a desperate look. "Those were my best ideas, Natsu. And they weren't good enough! Why?"
Natsu glanced up, scratching his chin. "Uh... what did Evergreen talk about?"
"She wasn't impressed by my Dancy Dance score and said dogs make her sneeze. And she didn't even know what core strength means, so I had to explain all that. I even invited her to join me at the campus gym starting next week, but she said no."
"Uh-huh. Anything else?"
Now it was Elfman who glanced up in thought. "I made funny comments about the stuff we saw at the shops downtown, I told her how excited I am for your team's game tomorrow against the Sabertooths, and I told Evergreen that Mirajane and Lisanna are doing super well and are happy with their lives. That covers it."
Natsu just stared at him.
"Oh!" Elfman gently pounded a fist onto his open palm. "To get her in a competitive mood, I told her that Crocus Univerisity sucks and the MCC Eagles are #1 for all time!" He held up a finger, grinning widely. The waiter gave him a funny look as he delivered Elfman's and Natsu's orders.
Natsu took a sip of sugary soda. "Okay, I've got it."
"Yes?" Elfman took a big bite of his burger.
"You were a crappy date, Elfman. All you did was blabber on and on. You bored her half to death!"
A shocked Elfman spat out his food, and Natsu flinched. "What the fuck, man!" Natsu yelped. "Nasty!"
"My apologies." Elfman suddenly sat up straight, dabbing his mouth with his cloth napkin. "I forgot myself. As for your comment: I bored her? How can that possibly be? I shared all my interests! Being on a date means baring your soul."
"Yeah, and it also means listening when the other person does it, too." Natsu gave his brawny friend an accusing look. "Did you even listen to five words she said?"
"Well..." Elfman winced again. "Kind... of...?"
"Elfman, people want to be heard!" Natsu told him. "That's what I did on my dates a couple of weeks ago."
"Oh, yes. Lisanna mentioned how you were such a good listener, Natsu. It made her feel very special." Eflman beamed.
"And it was your job to make Evergreen feel the same way."
Elfman gawked at Natsu for a moment, the dull gears in his head clanking together until Ding! It all came together.
"Oh, no." Elfman lowered his face into his hands. "I'm the worst date ever! I'm just an arrogant buffoon trying to show off!"
"Don't be too hard on yourself, okay? Just be honest about what went wrong and fix it next time."
"If there even is a next time!" Elfman wailed behind his hands. "Evergreen might never want to see me again!"
"I'll try to smooth things over," Natsu promised. "If Evergreen's willing to give you another chance, you'll stick the landing, I'm sure of it! Look, how mad was she, anyway?"
Elfman lowered his hands. "Not that mad. But she was definitely annoyed."
"Right. Knowing her, Evergreen will cool down by tomorrow evening, maybe the morning after that," Natsu calculated. "Let's wait until then, and then I'll talk to her and see if she's game for one more date before the Crocus trip is over."
"What if she still says no?"
"Then you tried your best, buddy." Natsu took a bite of his burger. Not bad! "Until then, practice your listening skills with Mirajane and Lisanna. I'll keep you posted on whether the next date is a go."
Elfman lunged across the small, round table and wrapped Natsu in a tight hug. "You're such a good friend, Natsu! Truly the manliest of men I know!"
"Don't break a rib!" Natsu wheezed, and his huge friend let go.
"You're a total pro at this," Elfman said in awe. "That must be why Lisanna adores you so much. She can't say enough good things about you."
Natsu imagined Lisanna's super-cute smiling face and felt his heart skip a beat. He also couldn't help a wide, satisfied smile. "She's an amazing girl, that's for sure."
"Will she be the one for you, Natsu?" Elfman asked with a wink.
"Uh, well..." Natsu suddenly felt trapped. What did he say to the brother of his best female friend without sounding like a coward or a playboy? "I'll wait until my heart knows for sure what is right," he ended up saying. Nailed it!
Elfman nodded. "A fine answer. I think Mirajane will approve, too."
"You're gonna tell her?"
"Natsu, I tell my sisters everything, and vice versa," Elfman declared. "You should have heard the scandalous details of Mira's third-year anniversary date with Laxus!" He fanned himself. "The things they did when they got back to their place... Mira went into such detail, it was like I was right there, watching!"
Immediately losing his appetite, Natsu got up and put a few Jewel bills onto the little round table. "Okay, uh... I hafta go. See you some other time!" He hurried off into the bustling Crocus city streets, barely noticing as one of those trolleys trundled past on its tracks. The Strauss family was really somethin' else, wasn't it? Egads! How much had Lisanna told her brother and sister about her date with Natsu? There were so many scandalous details to know about that, too!
Whether in Magnolia or Crocus, there was no outrunning the insanity. Bummer!
o*o*o*o*
"Did you see something?" Jellal asked about an hour into his and Erza's date in downtown Crocus.
"Me? No," Erza said. She looked around. "Why, do you think someone's following us?"
"It must've been my imagination. Forget it." Jellal smiled and draped an arm over his girlfriend's muscular shoulders. "What do you say we get some crepes and check out the Crocus University Campus? Let's see how they really stack up against MCC."
Erza smiled. "Yes, please."
They stopped by a cute little crepe shop and got their snacks, and just as they stepped back onto the streets, Jellal swore he saw another flash of movement. Someone was there! Someone with white clothes and long, dark hair. A girl?
"Mmmmmmmm, so good," Erza said happily through a mouthful of crepe. "Try yours, Jellal. It's a mouthful of pleasure."
"I love it when you talk dirty." Jellal grinned and took a bite. Woo-hoo, this was good! So far, Crocus did everything better than Magnolia did, even if Jellal was loathe to admit it. He was born and raised in Magnolia and would defend his silly home city to the death. But he'd also say that Crocus is better for dates, what with its quaint cafes and bakeries, its antique shops, trendy clothes stores, its delightful fountains, historic buildings, and those cool trolleys, too. Jellal hoped the rest of his friends were having this much fun, too!
And the CU campus was even better. Damn, so this is what a properly funded college looks like!
"Wow, their library is twice the size of ours," Erza commented as she and her date idly wandered around the sunlit campus' winding pathways. She pointed. "See? It must be five stories tall. I bet it's got an elevator and a cafe."
"The most interesting part of MCC's library was the janitor's closet where Gajeel hid his porn DVDs until the janitor found the stash," Jellal joked. "Remember that?"
Erza nodded. "I sure do. The janitor got to keep half the DVDs in exchange for not ratting Gajeel out. At least Gajeel got to keep his copy of Fairy Sluts From Outer Space."
"Oh, that's a good one," Jellal blurted out. He clapped his hands over his mouth. Shit!
"And how do you know that?"
"I... read a review in a magazine. Five out of five stars. The stars were even shaped like dicks."
Erza gave him a playful shove. "No space slut can compare to what I'm packing here." She smiled and gently fondled her huge knockers, and Jellal immediately conceded that point.
Then Jellal saw her again.
"There!" Jellal cried, pointing.
Erza whipped her head around to look in the same direction. "Who? So someone is following us!"
"After her!" Jellal took off sprinting, and Erza kept pace. Jellal even shoved aside a confused student along the way, determined to catch his and Erza's stalker and make her pay!
"Kagura?!" Erza yelped.
The stalker in question froze, then slowly and jerkily turned around like a rusty robot. "H... hi, Erza," the stalker said awkwardly, looking like a deer girl caught in the headlights.
"You know her?" Jellal asked his date.
Erza shrugged. "I did. She's Kagura Mikazuchi. We were... well, for lack of a better term, we were total rivals."
"And those feelings remain to this very day, Erza Scarlet," the girl in question, Kagura, declared as she regained her composure. She had long, dark purple hair with straight bangs, fierce brown eyes, and a cute white hair ribbon that stuck up like bunny ears. She also wore a sleeveless white blouse with yellow trim, a white skirt, and tight black leggings, along with white sneakers on her feet.
Erza rolled her eyes. "Didn't we at least try to be friends by the time you left for college, Kagura? I thought we outgrew this whole rivalry thing."
"Outgrow it? You underestimate the gravity of the situation," Kagura Mikazuchi retorted, hands on her hips. "You pushed me to become someone great in our high school days, Erza. You meant everything to me!"
"Sounds like you and her were close," Jellal teased Erza with a grin.
Kagura motioned at Jellal. "And who's this fuckboy? Make him go away, Erza. We have unresolved business."
"Ex-cuse me, Kagura. This is my darling boyfriend, Jellal. He's staying right here." Erza protectively wrapped her arms around Jellal's left arm. "And I do remember our rivalry days, Kagura. It was fun. But if I can move on, so can you. Did you stalk us on our date just to pick a fight with us?"
"It was already bad enough you couldn't move to Crocus with me," Kagura said, and Jellal heard the hurt tone in her voice. "I missed you, Erza! And I missed the effect you had on me. It just doesn't feel the same without you."
"I'm sorry if I fell out of contact," Erza confessed. "I just got caught up in my own life, and I got tired of trying to compete with you by comparing grades. You built a new life here, and I had my own life! Can't we call it even and be happy with ourselves?"
"I don't like it when people quit on me," Kagura snapped back, and that hurt tone was undeniable. "Did our friendship mean so little, Erza? Was I nothing to you as your sworn rival?" Now there were tears in the corners of her eyes.
Erza let go of Jellal's arm and stepped forward to face her CU rival. She took hold of Kagura's shoulders and told her, "I never meant to hurt you, Kagura. I mean it. I suppose you and I just had different plans for the future and wanted different things from our college lives."
"But why? We were so close!" Kagura cried. "You abandoned me, Erza. What else could you want but to compete with me?"
"I'm growing up, Kagura. I have new friends, a boyfriend, and a college major I'm passionate about. I'm going to open a bakery someday and build a life around it. What about you?"
"Now that you're here -" Kagura started.
Erza shook her head. "No more competing. You have your own life."
"I know." Kagura relaxed. "I suppose deep down, I knew I had to move on. It was hard. But that's not what I was going to say."
"No? Then what?"
Kagura made a bashful smile. "I loved you as a rival and role model, Erza. I could love no one else."
Erza immediately went red. "H-hold on, this is getting a little steamy. And my boyfriend is right over there."
Jellal waved awkwardly. "Hi."
"Sure, whatever." Kagura fixed her eyes on Erza's. "You know what, you're right. Maybe the time for competing is over. And I apologize for shadowing you on your date. I'll stop."
"Thank you, Kagura."
"But there is still another bit of unresolved business."
"What would that be?"
"My feelings for you, Erza." Kagura made a sexy sigh and lowered her eyelids, blushing as she went. "I wanted to be so close to you, to feel your comforting warmth as you embraced me. Even now, those feelings burn in me."
Erza went a shade redder. "Hold on, are you saying what I think -"
"I must have you." Kagura gripped Erza's upper arms.
"B-but...!" Erza glanced over her shoulder at her date. "You flatter me, Kagura, but I have my boyfriend. We can't possibly do this."
"I understand if this isn't what you expected," Kagura breathed. "And if you won't have me, just say the word. But I've longed for you for years, Erza! To have you here before me now... I have to at least ask. I can't move on until I know what exactly you think about me. What you feel about me."
Jellal took a step forward. "Hey, um... Kagura. Is this what I think it is?"
"A cliche lesbian phase in college?" Kagura asked. "Please, Jellal. Don't be silly."
"I didn't mean -" Jellal started.
Kagura held up a hand. "Stop. This is nothing more or less than my long-standing desire to be closer to the rival who means everything to me. If I can have one day of carnal pleasure with her, I can move on. And if she rejects me, well, that's a kind of closure, too."
The three of them looked back and forth among each other.
"It's quite the offer," Erza noted, looking awkward, excited, and curious as she looked back and forth between her rival and boyfriend. "I do prefer men, but Kagura really was special to me in high school."
"I have no serious objections," Jellal said. "Who am I to get in the way of your business? It sounds like you both need this."
"So your boyfriend does get me," Kagura declared. "Very good. Now, what's your answer, Erza?"
"Well, um..." Erza kept looking back and forth between Kagura and Jellal, visibly sweating. "I really like you both, of course -"
"You totally have my blessing!" Jellel spread his arms wide. "Go ahead if it makes you two happy!"
Erza yelped in shock and frantically waved her arms as a few passing CU students gave them curious looks. "Not so loud, Jellal! Sheesh!"
"My bad."
"As for you, Kagura..." Erza settled down, cleared her throat behind her fist, and adopted a prim and proper posture. "To honor our ever-evolving relationship, I shall spend a day of carnal pleasure with you. If you want to feel closer to me, here I am." She put a hand to her heart.
Kaguyra broke into a wide smile. "Squeeeeee! I knew you'd say yes, Erza!" She hopped up and down while waving her arms, all tension forgotten. "You're still on your date, right? And the Sabertooths vs Eagles game is tomorrow. Let's do it on the day after that."
"That's our last day on this trip. I shall make time before Jellal and I depart for Magnolia," Erza declared.
Kagura kept squeeing and hopping around in a little circle. "Oh, happy day! It's like a weight is lifted off my shoulders! And I guess you're not so bad either, Jellal."
"Sure. Thanks," Jellal said, deciding that snide half-compliments were the best he could ask for here.
"And as for you..." Kagura gave Erza a fond and quite hungry look. "I'll be in touch. And I'll be waiting."
Erza smiled. "As you wish! And I have a new phone with a new number. Here..."
She and Kagura traded phone numbers, and then bid a fond farewell that was worlds apart from their tense greetings from five minutes earlier.
"She must be really something," Jellal commented as he and Erza resumed their date/tour across CU's campus. "I've never had a serious rival aside from competing with you at drinking games."
Erza poked Jellal's tummy. "First of all, you'll never beat me at beer pong. Accept that. Second of all, you're right. Kagura and I... it's not easy to describe our relationship then or now, but I do like her. I like how she's turned out. And I'll be sure to please her to make up for lost time." She winked. "You won't be jealous, will you?"
"Naw, babe. It's all good."
"Wonderful. Now, let's see what their student union building is like." Erza smiled and led her boyfriend to the towering building in question. "I bet they can even afford foosball tables in there."
"Damn, what a luxury..."
o*o*o*o*
Wow, Crocus was such a fun city! So huge! So fancy! Juvia didn't know how else to describe this place, but maybe she'd figure it out after writing a poem about this city's splendors for class. Juvia actually found it easier to pour out her true feelings on paper than with words sometimes. That's because pencils and paper were silent, patient, and never judged. Ah, it was so nice.
And darn it all! Juvia's darling Gray had spent all day with his soccer buddies goofing off, and Juvia wouldn't get to see him until tomorrow at soonest. Sheesh, fine! At least Erza, Levy, and the other girls got to spend some quality time with their boyfriends, according to Erza's texts. And what's this? Erza was reconnecting with an old rival/friend of hers! That sounded wonderful!
As for Juvia...
From up here, on the 10th floor of the Sleepy Inn, Juvia could see half of nighttime Crocus, and it felt like another world. This hotel was taller than anything back home in Magnolia and twice as fancy! Juvia couldn't help but stare in awe at the glowing city around her, with the traffic buzzing along with countless car headlights and the cute yellow lights on the trolleys... it was like a postcard!
Juvia sighed happily. This vacation was like a dream. She never wanted it to end.
Ding!
A texty-text!
Juvia got out her phone and found a message from her good friend Cana. Hey there, Juvia. What a day, huh? Sightseeing is the best. Did you see anything good out there?
I saw some stuff, Juvia texted back. But I didn't see what I wanted most of all: Gray's naked form on my bed, with a rose held between his teeth.
Cana sent a few laughing emoticons. Should there be an ice bucket with a bottle of wine nearby, too?
Juvia smiled. That's a great idea! Too bad Gray isn't here... She added a few sad emoticons. How her heart ached for true romance tonight! It was like that song "Crocus Days, Crocus Nights." Juvia hoped to hear Gajeel's band play it someday.
You'll have your big moment of love. I'm sure of it! Cana texted back. Get some, homegirl. As for me, I just texted Natsu, and he agreed to a sightseeing date with me tomorrow morning before the game!
Juvia smiled happily for her friend as she texted back, Ooooooh, go you! Make him yours, Cana!
That I will! Natsu said he has to be at the CU stadium by 6:00 PM to get ready for the game. Until then, that hot piece of man-meat is all mine!
Juvia actually whooped with joy. She nearly dropped her phone as she eagerly texted back, I'm rooting for you! As for me, I'll ask Gray for a little fun tomorrow, too. We could even make it a double date.
Now that's a sexy idea, Cana responded. But let's make sure everyone's going steady before we do that. I hear double dates are better for established couples.
Okay, that makes sense.
Anyway, go get yourself some, Juvia! I'm rooting for you~!
I won't let you down!
Juvia vowed to not let herself down, either. So much pressure. Juvia felt her heart racing tensely in her chest, her nerves tingling. She had to be careful not to get lost in this endless city!
The chat convo wrapped up, so Juvia tossed her phone aside and kept watching nighttime Crocus breathe, her eyes a little distant. Why did Juvia feel like she was on the verge of some big truth? Did Gray feel the same way? Did Cana?
Juvia prayed she'd return home to Magnolia with all the answers.