Frost

53

The atmosphere around the guild was quite normal ever since Natsu and Gray had confessed to each other. It seemed as though the awkward air around them had vanished. They were able to talk to one another freely, with the occasional flirting, since they both knew that their feelings were reciprocated. It was hard to forget about the constant bickering that occurred here and there, with which the dragon slayer would provoke the ice mage by saying that his power was far more useful compared to the other's, which was currently going on now. It was a normal day for the members of Fairy Tail. This interaction was common between the two of them, and it felt like everything was back to the way things were before the ice mage turned invisible. And, of course, Gray wanted to put Natsu's theory to the test.

"You remember our little agreement? When we were drunk?" the ice mage asked after the long bantering that had just occurred between them. Using this would be the perfect excuse for them to fight if Erza decided to interfere. Maybe Gray would be able to guilt-trip her with it. A promise, kept between two friends that had to be put on hold because of an accident. Gray believed it would work, but then again he had his doubts.

Natsu thought about it for a moment, recalling the time when they were heavily intoxicated at the guild hall. He nodded, a smirk growing upon his face. "I thought you were going to back down once you remembered . . . You know, after confessing and all."

"In your dreams, Flame Brain! I bet you're shaking in your pants right now. You don't want to hurt me, I can guarantee it!" Gray's fist was clenched, and the expression on his face showed just how competitive he was starting to get. But deep down, despite how eager he was to beat Natsu, he really didn't want to hurt the dragon slayer too bad. He wasn't the only one with this state of mind, for his partner was having the exact same thoughts towards the ice mage. A sly smirk grew upon Natsu's lips as the teasing continued, and he stated, "I bet you don't even want to put a finger on me when it comes to fighting. How about this? I, Natsu Dragneel, hereby give you my permission to smash me to pieces! That's only if you can win against me, though."

Gray smiled and nodded, holding a hand out so that they could shake on it. "The same goes for me. I will not hold you accountable for any of my injuries. I will blame myself for letting you hit me . . . but it's never gonna happen." The intense energy was emerging from both mages grew throughout the guild hall, and the grip on their hands tightened as they shook on it. It was quite obvious to their fellow guild mates that there was about to be a fight. In less than a minute, Happy and Cana were already going around the building and asking their comrades to place in bets. Voices filled the room as people compared Natsu's and Gray's abilities and why one of them would win against the other.

Watching from another table was Lucy and Erza. The celestial mage felt uncomfortable, for she could practically feel the anger radiating from her comrade. Erza had her arms folded across her chest while she mumbled words that were incomprehensible to anyone around her. It was no secret that she was talking to herself about Natsu and Gray and their upcoming fight, but it was odd to Lucy that, despite her opposing opinion on the whole situation, the sword mage wasn't interfering like she typically would.

The celestial mage placed a hand on her chin and turned her gaze to the two wizards. She couldn't help but to laugh a little as she watched them help each other stretch. Natsu had Gray's left leg on his right shoulder, and Gray would start to complain whenever the dragon slayer took tiny steps backwards. A laugh would escape from his mouth, and he would throw his head back and clutch his stomach while the ice mage called for Happy to help him. They were quite the pair.

"Hey Erza?" Lucy called out to the woman sitting next to her. The sword mage stopped mumbling for a moment before replying un surely, "Yeah?"

"What's on your mind right now? About Natsu and Gray, that is. I know you're thinking about them." Lucy wanted to be a bit broad with her question, rather than focusing on one certain aspect, like possibly asking the question of why she wasn't interrupting the upcoming fight. Of course, she already an idea of what Erza thought of them. It would be best for her to hear what was going on in her own head.

It took a while for Erza to respond. Her expression changed a few times, as if she was coming up with an answer but couldn't really find one. When she was satisfied, she said, "It's been a long time since the guild has been so lively. I know that you can agree with me. It doesn't surprise me that, of all things, the excitement is because of an upcoming fight. If these were normal circumstances, I would have said something about it, but I know of the promise they made to each other." The sword mage sighed before continuing, "I'm just glad they're back to their old selves. It's a bit refreshing."

Lucy stared at Erza for a moment, and then she smiled. The sword mage was right—their guildmates were back to their rowdy selves. They joked with each other and goofed off, and it was almost as if things were back to normal. Natsu and Gray's current relationship radiated good energy, and it was quite contagious. The only difference was their relationship. The fire dragon slayer and the ice mage weren't just friends. It was a known fact that they had feelings for each other. Of course they weren't going to be as reckless as they were before. They are thinking about each other constantly, but not in a way that they want to beat the other in a fight.

The celestial mage looked towards the growing crowd that surrounded Natsu and Gray. Everyone was preparing to go outside and watch. Happy had started tallying the bets while Cana received them. Amidst the crowd, the fire dragon slayer and the ice mage shook hands, and they made their ways outside so that none of the new furniture Laki made wouldn't get destroyed. She stood up, wanting to join the crowd to watch the fight between her two friends. Lucy looked back at the sword mage, who was examining her nails. "Are you going to watch the fight?" she asked. Erza paused, and then she shook her head.

"They aren't going to fight."

Lucy hesitated, wanting to disagree with her comrade, but deep down she sort of felt like it was true. Before she could speak, she felt a hand on her shoulder. Looking to see who it was, she saw Levy, who was giving her a warm smile. Standing next to the script mage was Gajeel, Pantherlily, and a nervous looking Juvia, whose hands were folded across her chest.

"Come watch the fight with us, Lucy!" Levy exclaimed. The celestial mage didn't feel like declining, so she smiled and nodded. Lucy listened to Gajeel talk with Pantherlily, and how he wished he was able to partake in the fight. Juvia walked next to her. She was biting on her bottom lip and staring down at the floor. It was obvious she was thinking about Gray and not wanting him to get hurt.

She probably wouldn't have to worry about that. Natsu wouldn't hurt Gray, just as Gray wouldn't hurt Natsu. They loved each other too much. Erza was probably going to be right about the two of them not fighting.