Again, no intro. I just can't muster up the energy tonight. So damn tired... and it doesn't help that we buy the caffeine free soda.

So, you know those stupid pet names Natsu and Erza have for each other in ABCs? Well, Nicknames may be the storyline origin of those names, but this was the developmental one. So you guys are in for a hell of a treat!

Anyway, as I recall, this fic was fun to write. I have no idea what brought it on, since I wrote it in like, July. But I was cracking up as I wrote it, I had this stupid grin on my face the whole time. Also, this was written before we ended up with a timeskip, but I guess it can work with it as well.

Oh wait, now I remember why I wrote this! I wanted to practice writing with an ensemble cast. So if you could give me a little feedback in that area, that'd be swell.

I don't own Fairy Tail or its characters, Hiro Mashima does.

Natsu shifted around nervously by the guild entrance. Erza was late!

Ever since they had started dating, they always said goodbye before either of them went on a job without each other. Today, Erza was leaving on an S-Class request. Natsu wanted to go with her, but he had already promised to help Lisanna, Juvia, and Gajeel take out some bandits, and they were waiting with him, as well as Gray and Lucy, who would see both of their teammates off anyway.

The girls, as well as the accompanying Happy and Pantherlily understood Natsu wanting to wait, but Gajeel was annoyed by their stubbornness. "Can we just GO already?" he yelled.

"No!" exclaimed Natsu. "We gotta wait for Erza!"

"What? We need her PERMISSION now? I mean, Christ, who died and made her Master?" asked Gajeel rudely, oblivious to Erza coming up behind him.

"I mean, she acts so goddamn SUPERIOR!" Gajeel continued. "She's always pointing out my mistakes like she never makes any herself, her smugness is LITERALLY suffocating me, and she's standing right behind me, isn't she?" he asked, noticing Gray, Lucy, and Lily's expressions.

"Yup," the black Exceed replied. Gajeel turned around, and was sent flying by a punch to the face, courtesy of an angry Titania.

"I'll deal with YOU later!" Erza told the Kurogane coldly. Her eyes took on a much softer tone as she leaned in to give Natsu a quick hug. The girls cooed, while the males (excluding Lily) were dumbfounded.

How the HELL did that idiot manage to land Titania Erza?

"Be good while I'm gone, okay?" said Erza cupping Natsu's face. "That means no picking fights with Gray."

"Ha! Gray one, Flame-Head zero!" cheered Gray silently.

"Can I at least hit him if he's being stupid?" asked Natsu sweetly.

"Only if Lucy thinks so," said Erza.

"Eh? Why me?" asked Lucy.

"Because I trust your judgment more than Natsu's," said Erza.

"Waaa! Erza thinks I'm stupid! You're a meanie!" Natsu pouted childishly, something he knew Erza couldn't resist.

Erza kissed Natsu on the lips. "Am I still a meanie, Honey Dragon?" she asked him cutely.

Natsu smiled. "I just can't stay mad at you, Baby Red," he said. "Not when your lips taste so sweet."

"That's because I had a bowl of sugar for breakfast!" giggled Erza.

Gray managed to stop gagging long enough to ask, "Is that healthy?" only to be met with Lucy's fist on his cranium.

"Gray-sama!" Juvia exclaimed, rushing to Gray's side.

"What'd I say?" asked Gray as he moaned in pain.

Natsu and Erza were oblivious to this. "No you didn't, you liar! They taste sweeter than that!" said the lovesick Dragon Slayer.

"Oh? Well, what do they taste like?" asked Erza. Natsu replied with another kiss.

"10,000 Jewels says he says 'strawberry cake," said Gajeel.

"You're on," replied Lisanna. They shook on it just as Natsu broke the kiss.

"Heart-shaped chocolate-chip pancakes with whipped cream and strawberries and…" he trailed off.

"And?" prompted Erza.

"He said strawberries," said Gajeel. "Do I get anything for that?"

"Nope! Strawberry cake, that was the deal!" said Lisanna brightly.

"Damnit!"

"And honey syrup!" exclaimed Natsu brightly.

"Awww, Honey Dragon!" cooed Erza.

"Baby Red!" Natsu cooed back. The couple then shared an Eskimo kiss.

"Okay, seriously, you two, if I have to see any more of this, I'm going to get diabetes!" Gray yelled.

Erza pulled away from Natsu. "You're right, Gray. Enough is enough, don't you think, Natsu?"

Lucy was possibly the most shocked of all once the initial cuteness wore off. "I had no idea… that either of you… were capable of… that…" she managed to say.

"Oh, come now, Lucy. You act like you've never seen two people in love," said Erza.

"She probably hasn't," Happy whispered to Lisanna. "Lucy has daddy issues."

"Shut up, you damn cat!" Lucy growled.

"Woman, I've seen people in love," said Gajeel. "But this… this defies the very laws of nature!"

"Aye!" Happy agreed. "Erza's supposed to be scary, and Natsu's supposed to be the lovable idiot who doesn't know about love!"

"Happy! Do you really think that way about me?" Natsu pouted.

Erza was shocked. "I'm… not scary… am I?" she squeaked.

"You know what I think?" Lily piped up. "I think, Gajeel, that you are just jealous because you can't bring yourself to be like that with Levy." Gajeel blushed furiously at his cat's statement.

"I… what… I DON'T LIKE THAT BOOKWORM!" he shouted.

"Oh, I think you DO like her!" said Lily. "I mean, think about it! You've already given her a pet name, just like Natsu and Erza."

"WHAT? No I haven't!" Gajeel shouted once again.

"Well, what do you call "Bookworm?" asked Lily smugly.

Gajeel struggled to find an answer. Finally, he came up with, "A friendly nickname!"

"Riiiiiiiight!" trilled Happy, which was met immediately by Gajeel grabbing him by his tail, swinging him around, and ultimately tossing him across the hall.

"You do realize he can fly, right?" asked Lily.

"Nah, I think I made him too dizzy to even think about that," replied Gajeel.

"I dunno, Gajeel," said Gray. "He doesn't exactly have Natsu's motion sickness."

"Man, why ya gotta bust balls, man?" said Natsu in complaint. Erza slapped the back of his head. "Don't talk street, it's a turn-off," she said sternly.

"Sorry," muttered Natsu. Erza forgave him with a kiss on the cheek, causing the Dragon Slayer to blush.

"Well, I've stayed far too long," Erza announced. "If I don't hurry, I might miss my train. And before I forget, Natsu," she took a good hard look at the Dragon Slayer. "You're sharing your room with Gajeel," she told him sternly.

"Aww, not Gajeel! He smells funny!" Natsu moaned.

"Well, you're not exactly honey syrup yourself, Salamander," Gajeel retorted back.

"Wait, you don't trust me and Juvia alone with Natsu?" asked Lisanna indignantly.

"Juvia, yes. You… not so much," said Erza plainly. Lisanna pouted while Juvia giggled.

"My Baby Red's the jealous type," whispered Natsu, hugging his girlfriend.

"You know me too well, Honey Dragon," said Erza. She worked herself free from Natsu's embrace. "Well, I'm off!" With that, her fellow Fairy Tail mages waved goodbye as she headed for the station.

"Erza's got the right idea!" said Natsu. "We should get going too! Those bandits aren't going to beat themselves up!"

"Aye, sir!" chimed Happy.

"Actually, they might," said Juvia. "From the data Juvia has gathered, their leader is incompetent. Powerful, but incompetent."

"Just makes our job easier, Juvia!" said Gajeel with gusto.

"That's what Juvia is afraid of, Gajeel-kun," smiled Juvia with equal enthusiasm.

"Hey Natsu. Kick some ass or I'll kick yours," said Gray.

"Well, prepare to be disappointed, Stripper!" said Natsu with a shit-eating grin.

"And please, TRY not to destroy the town!" implored Lucy. "Master says you're a hair's breath away from probation!"

Natsu frowned. "Well, that's no fun," he griped.

The Ice and Celestial Mages waved off their friends. As the guild faded from view, Lisanna had a sudden thought.

"Hey Gajeel, maybe instead of the money, you can confess to Levy when we get home!" Gajeel blushed at this remark.

"Eh, it's only 10,000," he decided.

And there we go! Hope you got a decent chuckle from this.

I honestly have no real comments to give on this. I mean, it's five months old. Well, I did plan on making this the R chapter of ABCs - for Romance - but I decided on a better plan of attack, which I'll get to working on after the new year.

Oh, and the team of Natsu, Gajeel, Juvia and Lisanna? Uhhh... Juvia wanted to go on a job with Lisanna, but had already committed to Gajeel, so she convinced Gajeel to let Lisanna come, who invited Natsu, who obviously doesn't want to lose to Gajeel, so... there's the team right there.

Anyway, this time I really am gone until the new year, so until then, peace and love from Nightlingbolt, and I wish you all a safe and happy holiday.