Deepest Desire [NaLu AU]

Chapter XXX

It had been a year since we'd finally obtained the Dragon's Eye and escaped my brother. The crew still had no idea what I'd gotten from the ancient object, but none of them ever really questioned it, trusting in their captain to have their best interests at heart. Erza, Gray, and Lucy all knew about my brother and why he'd taken me. I hadn't told Wendy because I didn't want her to have to deal with even more family issues than she already did.

The crew and I all had food in our mouths and beer in our hands. We watched our musicians play an improvisation, and the crew laughed joyfully as they danced to the rhythm. I was holding Juvia's stone, creating water creations at the crew's request while the waves around us glowed a bright cerulean. A table of food was set up in the middle of our childish festivities. Lucy and Erza were dueling playfully, giving even more entertainment to the others as we sped through the water impossibly fast with me controlling the currents.

We were celebrating Wendy's birthday, and her face was flushed with happiness and slight embarrassment. She was lying beside Gray, each on their own hammock as they stared up at the sky, Happy purring loudly atop her chest.

I turned when I heard my title being called by the son of one of the cannon workers, Romeo. "Captain, could you do something with your fire and the water at the same time?" he asked excitedly, innocence shining in his eyes.

"Uh," I began, not quite sure of the answer myself, "I can try." I shrugged, raising one hand up slowly, twisting it to create the same twisting column of water I'd first made with the ability. I raised another hand, twisting that one the opposite direction to create a long string of fire that I twisted around the water. I admired it in satisfaction, pushing glowing currents through the water's structure.

I glanced down to see Romeo's eyes lit up in childish glee as he asked me to perform feat after feat with a combination of flames and water. He looked up to me in admiration, and I ruffled his hair fondly. Then, like the protective brother I was, I noticed him flush and then glance to Wendy as if to make sure she wasn't looking. I also noticed that they were probably almost exactly the same age, and that Wendy was, in fact, looking.

I nudged him slightly, and he looked up to me. "Hey, Romeo," I began, with the intention of telling him to hold off on Wendy for a while. He looked up at me expectantly, standing at attention as if willing to do anything I asked. I looked over to Lucy, her hair flying as she and Erza spun around each other. I looked back to Romeo to see his head cocked in inquiry. I sighed. "Be careful with my sister, okay?"

He flushed heavier than I'd ever seen, and quickly nodded furiously, repeating the phrase, 'Aye, sir,' over and over again.

I smiled down at him, and an idea suddenly came to me. "Hey, Romeo, how would you like me to take you and Wendy on a little ride later tonight?"

"A ride?" he asked curiously. "What do you mean?"

I smirked mischievously. "You'll see."

"I don't really have a choice, do I?"

"Nope," I answered cheerily. "Now that I've had the idea, you and Wendy might be good together," I pondered, staring up at the sky in thought.

"W-What gave you that idea!?" Romeo exclaimed, struggling to get his words out.

In response, I pointed at Wendy with a small flaming heart hovering over my palm. I raised an eyebrow. He looked down in utter embarrassment before making an excuse to leave. "Uh, I'm gonna get something to eat. E-Erza and Lucy's battle looks i-interesting," he stuttered, quickly running away before I could do anything else.

I smirked, continuing my spectacles of entertainment.

~xXx~

I snuck down to the crew quarters, quickly going into Romeo's room and waking him up before doing the same to Wendy. I took the two small crew members out to the deck, and simply said, "Let's go for a ride." Wendy cheered quietly, knowing what I was talking about, but looked a little skeptical of Romeo coming. Romeo simply looked at me with fearful anticipation, excited, but unsure of what was going on.